“Say, “You will not be accountable for our misdeeds, nor will we be accountable for your deeds.” (Qur’an 34:25)
“Allah will judge between you on Judgment Day regarding your differences.” (Qur’an 22:69)
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Some people ask what our view or understanding of Ibn Muljam is. Before understanding the positions that may exist concerning Ibn Muljam it is important for one to be familiar with various positions in regard to Ali ibn Abu Talib.
You can find the three stances that are found in the school here:
How can an individual be both in walayah and bara’ah with the righteous?
Possible scenario.
Person A left Gwadar Port. The people of that place know person A to be upright and fair dealing. However, Person A, when he arrives in Port Bell, is known to swindle and cheat people.
The righteous people at Gwadar port judge based upon his outward actions. The righteous at Port Bell judge based upon his outward actions.
The actions of the person in Port Bell never reach the people of Gwadar port.
The Ibadi and Ibn Muljam.
First, one has to realize that the early community of Muslims who differed with Ali’s decision at Siffin were not very fond of the Umayyads. Thus, it is not difficult to imagine that every grievance one had with the Umayyads would most likely would have implicated Ali in some way shape or form.
In a recent interview, Shaykh Sassi Ben Yahyateen from Tunisia (h) mentioned Ibn Muljam.
Interviewer: In my research, I found a historical accusation I don’t want to believe, so I will ask you about it. It is said that the Ibadis venerate and sanctify Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam, who killed Imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). What is your response?
Shaykh Sassi: You will not find in any reliable, respected book the sanctification of Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam.
Interviewer: What is the stance of Ibadis…
Shaykh Sassi:and Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam is not Ibadi. They say he was Sufri.
Interviewer: So, what is your stance on this figure?
Shaykh Sassi: We do not attack or sanctify any person in our books. If the accusations of murder are proven, he will be held accountable for it. We do not exonerate anyone. Conversely, you will not find cursing of any person in our books.
Interviewer: So, the murder is not proven in your narrations?
Shaykh Sassi: The murder is proven. But who killed? Who incited? Who planned? This is found in Hisham Ja’it and found in other books that explain it.
Prima Qur’an comments: “and Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam is not Ibadi. They say he was Sufri.“
With due respect to the esteemed Shaykh, Ibn Muljam was neither Ibadi nor Sufri. That is because these political/juristic distinctions did not happen until later.
One of our teachers Shaykh Hilal Al Wardi when asked about Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam gave a fair and balanced perspective concerning him (Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam).
As the Shaykh said, in general, no one speaks well or ill of him However, out of the thousands of Ibadi scholars that existed down through the ages there are some exceptions to the general rule.
Three examples of those exceptions.
For example: Abdullah ibn Muhammed ibn Barakah (r), a major scholar of the Ibadi school. He explicitly states in it the disavowal (al-bara’ah) of Ali, disavows Ali, and the allegiance (walayah) to Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, and being pleased with him, and praying for mercy on him (tarahhum).” Meaning “May Allah have mercy on Ibn Muljam, and may Allah be pleased with him”, and disavows Ali ibn Abi Talib.
So this is the view of the respected Shaykh. It is not a view that all the Ibadi scholars agree with.
The second example.
In The book Al-Siyar wa-l-Jawabat li-‘Ulama’ wa-A’immat ‘Uman which was compiled and edited by Sayyidah Ismāʻīl Kāshif, who published the collection of these historical Ibadi text we find a view that states:
“We said to them: Likewise, Allah commanded Ali to fight them, so it is not permissible for him to abandon that nor to consider it forbidden to kill them until they fulfill the command of Allah.” This is evidence of the disbelief and misguidance of Ali, and the correctness and justice of the people of Nahrawan. “Then Ali (Allah scattered his command) was killed by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam out of anger for Allah, and that was permissible for him because he killed him.” Allah! “Those who command justice from the people. May Allah have mercy on Abd al-Rahman.”
This is the view of those who put Ali in bara’ah. When you see the word ‘disbelief’ yes you can read that as kufr. You have to understand that kufr for us is of two types. One that expels form the millat of Islam and one that does not. The example for Ali ibn Abu Talib is the example of that which does not expel from the millat of Islam.
So there are three things in relation to Abdur-Rahman ibn Muljam.
That he took the right of the people of Al Nahrawan. Ali killed them with injustice and Abdur-Rahman was applying Qisas. *
That Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam fell in love with a woman named Qatam bint Shajna and that he chanced upon her while she was broken with grief over the loss of loved ones at Al Nahrawan. Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam proposed to marry her at which she wanted as dowry the head of Ali Ibn Abu Talib.
That Al-Ash’ath bin Qais, the double agent was not done sabotaging Ali. That Mu’awiya received word of what happened at Nahrawan and how people were deeply displeased with Ali’s actions (we saw the cooling in relation between Ali and Ibn Abbas-ra) and we also noted that Ibn Abbas (ra) was with Ali at the battles of Jamal and Siffin but absent at Nahrawan. Mu’awiya received word of the people’s displeasure sent Al-Ash’ath bin Qais who chanced upon Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam and hatched the plot to kill Ali.
*Note* There are historical reports that Abdur Rahman Ibn Muljam was with Ali in the killing of the people of Al Nahrawan, felt guilt and remorse and wanted to make amends by extracting vengeance upon Ali. The other is that he was with the people of Al Nahrawan all the while.
Other information is that he migrated during the Caliphate of ‘Umar (ra) And that he had received knowledge of Islam at the hands of Mu’aath ibn Jabal (ra) he was among the people of piety, and jurisprudence and among the and he was among the qurrā and the people of Fiqh and worship.
So for us in the Ibadi school we don’t have this view that the blood of the people of Nahrawan is cheap and Ali’s blood is expensive. Just like we do not say the blood of an Arab is expensive and the blood of the Non Arab is cheap.
Justice is blind to status, lineage, or political allegiance.
No one is above the law.
We remind the people of what Allah (swt) says:
“That is why We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” (Qur’an 5:32)
If anyone has an issue with Shaykh Hilal’s comments then this person would take issue with the Blessed Prophet (saw) himself who said:
Narrated `Aisha:
Usama approached the Prophet (saw) on behalf of a woman (who had committed theft). The Prophet (saw) said, “The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! If Fatima (the daughter of the Prophet (saw) did that (i.e. stole), I would cut off her hand.”
No one from among the Muslims is exempt from the justice of Islam, regardless of their status, clan, heritage etc.
So it could simply be that Abdul Rahman Ibn Muljam wanted revenge for the death of his loved ones, friends, and family who fell to Ali’s army. There are some people who among Muslims that believe that the blood of Ali is expensive and the blood of other Muslims is cheap. No, this is not the case at all. Nonetheless Allah (swt) is the final judge. In regard to Abdul Rahman Ibn Muljam acting as some type of lone wolf. The last he knew is that the people of Nahrawan were unjustly attacked by Ali’s forces. To his (Ibn Muljam’s) knowledge there was no peace treaty or terms reached with Ali or his forces. Thus, being in a state of war he continued to act as a person in a state of war whose last legitimate authority was attacked and killed.
“Two years later Seyyidina Ali was murdered by one Ibn Muljam in 40H (661 CE) to avenge the massacre of the relatives of his wife at the battle of Nahrawan. The conspiracy to kill him was hatched, according to Jalaluddin Assyuti, In Mecca, not in Basra where there was a large concentration of the people of Nahrawan. The identity of Ibn Muljam is not known but some historical sources allege that he was a Khariji, and so they accuse the Khawarij including the Ibadhis, of having murdered Seyyidna Ali. Today some Muslim leaders bitterly complain that the Western media unjustifiably accuse Muslims in general of terrorism because of the tragedy which happened in the World Trade Center in New York on 11th of September, 2001 and perpetrated by a group of young men belonging allegedly to the Islamic faith. But the same Muslim leaders had been in the forefront in accusing Ibadhis today for a crime which was committed by one man almost 1400 years ago. Allah will punish the individual who murdered Seyyidna Ali but not all future generations belonging to a particular sect or madh-hab.”
Source: (pg.152 Ibadhism The Cinderella of Islam by Shaykh Soud H. Al-Ma’awaly)
Prima Qur’an comments: So you can see by the title of Seyyidina in front of the name Ali that Shaykh Soud H. Al-Ma’awaly is among those who believe that Ali repented for his actions. Though, we do not know on what basis he says that Allah (swt) will punish Ibn Muljam for his actions if the news of Ali’s repentance did not reach Ibn Muljam or as stated above no news of a cessation in hostilities reached him (Ibn Muljam). Allah knows best.
Lastly, Nahrawan & Karbala. Can you imagine if those of our school commemorated the atrocity of Nahrawan in the way that many Shi’a do with Karbala. Think about it. Imagine if every year people from the Ibadi school commemorated the massacre of the Muslims of al Nahrawan with poems, and wailing, and public displays of anger and sadness. How is that helpful to the unity of Muslims to commemorate such historical tragedies?
And a large majority of those killed from Ahl Nahrawan were companions and thousands of Muslims and the majority of those killed from Ahl Nahrawan that day were from the best of people on the earth that day and the most ascetic. Amongst them were those who fought the battle of Badr; those who gave allegiance under that tree and reciters and the best of the tabi’un.
So as regard Ibn Muljam and the killing of Ali rather it was done with justice or not done with justice. It is best to leave it to history. However, if people want to be emotional about it we can propose the following.
We can say to those filled with emotion: “You make du’a that if Ali was not killed with justice that the one who killed him will be dealt justly by Allah and we will say Amin along with you.Likewise make du’a that if the people of Nahrawan were not killed with justice that the one’s who killed them be dealt justly by Allah and we will say Amin along with you.
“If some of you do believe in what I have been sent with while others do not, then be patient until Allah judges between us. He is the Best of Judges.” (Qur’an 7:87)
Simple. No one from our school has any reason to be uncomfortable. So that is that, and let us move forward as an Ummah.
Our way is to be civil and to move on from the issues of the past.
This is unlike those Sunni Muslims on social media who come to the defense of the Umayyads dynasty and they frequently post pictures of Ali with his head severed. Or those Shi’i who made an entire film disparinging Umar ibn Al Khattab (ra) or who frequently insult Lady Aisha (ra).
If you have found this post educational you may enjoy the following:
This section will be miscellaneous information on a wide range of topics. This section does not necessarily reflect the views or attitudes of either the Ibadi school or adherents of the school.
Do note some links are broken. We are in the process of restoring those links.
Allah willing we will continue to update this section and organize it accordingly as well:
“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.”(Qur’an 3:44)
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“This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guide for the righteous. Those who believe in the unseen, and perform the prayers, and give from what We have provided for them. And those who believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you, and are certain of the Hereafter.” (Qur’an 2:3-4)
The Qur’an is a book of which there is no doubt. It is for those who believe in the unseen. It is for those who are certain in the life to come. It is for those who believe in what was revealed before the Blessed Prophet (saw).
Those who are skeptical of those points will quite naturally arrive at different conclusions. So that is of no consequence for the believer.
“As for those who persist in disbelief, it is the same whether you warn them or not—they will never believe. Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and their sight is covered. They will suffer a tremendous punishment.” (Qur’an 2:6-7)
Now, historians and orientalists cannot speak of the supernatural as these are matters of belief. They are beyond their point of historical investigation. However, we are always thrilled when we find historians and Orientalists corroborating the testimony of narratives in the Qur’an by finding manuscripts or parchments of information that, though not verbatim, closely mimic what Allah (swt) has revealed before. This is the understanding of the believer.
Do we find some information from various cultures that preceded the coming of the Blessed Prophet (saw) that seems to corroborate the beliefs of Islam? Yes! That is not scary! That is exciting!
Recall what Allah (swt) himself informed us of:
“We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and shun false gods.” But some of them were guided by Allah, while others were destined to stray. So travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers!” (Qur’an 16:36)
Remember we are not responsible for the conclusions or perceptions of others.
If we look at the above graph. We can see that in block B the apparent (the dhahir) is that there are parchments, manuscripts, scrolls, oral traditions, inscriptions etc. that come before the Qur’an. However, when we look at block B, the haqiqah (the reality) is that Allah’s knowledge of what really happened precedes the information in B.Because of that reality, what is in C (The Qur’an) actually precedes the information in B. This is precisely why this hobbyhorse of orientalist and those who use the historical critical method is of absolutely no consequence for the believing Muslim.
We Muslims have been the first critics of our own sources. The clash of historical narratives between the Ibadi, Sunni and Shi’a is proof positive of this. The grading of the ahadith and the mention of variants in the transmission of the Qur’an have not come from people who lost faith, agnostics or atheists. They came from us, as believers. Subhan’Allah!
These other Johnny Come Lately types, HCM, etc., welcome to the party!
History and Miracles.
We don’t believe that miracles are historical. This does not mean that we do not believe that miracles did not happen. We just don’t believe that history can capture them.
Case in point: An Indian king, Cheraman Perumal, was reported to have seen the moon split. History can report such data, but it does not necessarily confirm nor interpret the data.
This particular entry is directed towards Christians. It is rather shameful that they have taken the approach that they have in these matters. Given that they too claim to believe in the unseen. They claim to believe in a Creator that can narrate past events that present people were not privy to.
“Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, “O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented. O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste.”But she pointed to the babe. They said: “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” He said: “I am indeed a servant of Allah: He has given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I will be and has enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)”! Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.”(Qur’an 19:27-34)
“When Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission, and you healed the blind and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from [killing] you when you came to them with clear proofs and those who disbelieved among them said, “This is not but obvious magic.”(Qur’an 5:110)
“And a messenger to the Children of Israel, who will say, ‘Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead – by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.” (Qur’an 3:49)
Prima Qur’an comments:
In this article, we will give a response to those Christians who use as a polemic against Muslims the claim that the Qur’an contains apocryphal material in it and therefore cannot be a revelation from Allah (swt).
Now, of course, they will claim that there are more than the three verses of the Qur’an we quoted above as being from apocryphal material. However, we have chosen to focus on these three, as they are most often used by Christian polemicists in debates with Muslims.
Now, personally, we find this particular line of Christian attack against Islam amusing. However, they have to eventually come up with something, right?
Now let’s look at and listen carefully to what these Christians are actually disputing with us about.
*Note*
They are not raising the issue of “healing the blind.“
They are not raising issues against “curing people affected by leprosy.”
They are not raising issues against “give life to the dead.”
They are not disputing these points because they are miracles attributed to Christ Jesus that they find in their accepted canonical text. We will come to the term canonical in a moment.
What they are disputing is:
Jesus speaking as an infant
Jesus creating birds out of clay
Why do they dispute about these miracles?
Because they are not in what they accept to be their canonical text.
So what do the terms apocryphal and canonical mean?
Canonical in relation to Christian scriptures means:
“A biblical canon or canon of scripture is a set of texts (or “books”) which a particular religious community regards as authoritative scripture. … Believers consider canonical books as inspired by God or as expressive of the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people.”
Apocryphal in relation to Christian scriptures means:
“Biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture; or writings or reports not considered genuine.”
So, if a Christian were to come to us and say that these statements in the Qur’an are found in apocryphal sources, the first thing you have to keep in mind that what they are actually saying isthat it is apocryphal according to their particular sect of Christianity!
The reason that is important is as follows: As we write this to you on 11/4/2024, Christendom has still not settled the issue of what is and is not apocryphal for the whole of Christianity.
Glaring examples are the following:
Depending on how you want to word it, you could say that the Protestants have 7 fewer books in their version of the Old Testament. Or you could say that the Roman Catholics have 7 extra books in their Old Testament that they accept to be inspired and not apocryphal.
Yet the Orthodox Church has additional Old Testament texts (or if you want to be neutral, the Protestants and Catholics have less). The same can be said for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
The same goes for the New Testament.
What is canonical is an issue that is still not settled among them.
The Chaldean Syrian Church does not accept the following as canon:
In fact, many Protestant Christians have declared Mark 16:8-20, & John 7:53–8:11 to not be canonical.
You have to wonder about the Protestant Christian theologians like John Calvin, Martin Luther, and others who most likely held such passages to be canonical. Yet there are Christians who do not agree with the idea that such passages are non-canonical. These Christians very much believe that Mark 16:8-20, &John 7:53–8:11 are inspired scripture.
So what is the point that is being made?
The point is that when a Christian says to us that those verses in the Qur’an are allegedly taken from apocryphal sources, it is important to understand that:
That though it may be apocryphal for that particular Christian, we can’t say for certain that it was apocryphal for the other Christians.
To keep in mind that what is and is not apocryphal has been and continues to be an internal dispute among Christians.
If the Christian is to counter by saying, “Can you name for me any Christian denomination today that accepts such and such text as canonical?”
The answer to that is: “No we can’t.” Many Christian sects and denominations over time have long perished. Most often the information we do have about them comes from their opponents.
What is also interesting, and we hope Muslims reading this bear in mind, is that no Christian committed to a consistent world view in which the supernatural happens can tell us that:
Jesus did not speak as an infant.
Jesus did not create birds out of clay.
This assertion is also supported by the text they accept as canon. Namely, the following:
“And Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book: But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31).
Prima Qur’an comments:
Now this writer, apparently inspired by Allah, felt that it was necessary to inform his readers that Jesus did many other miracles that are not contained within this book.
“There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
Prima Qur’an comments: Though we can all agree this statement is hyperbole, yet it is obvious that the writer knew that there was much more information about Jesus that could be shared.
Now, a possible Christian objection to our understanding of John 20:30-31 is that ‘the many other miracles that are not present in this book‘ could only be a reference to the miracles listed in Matthew, Mark, Luke that are not in the Gospel according to John.
The response to this is that it is simply an assumption.
It could be that:
It could be a reference only to the miracles present in Matthew, Mark, Luke that are not in the Gospel, according to John.
It could be a reference to miracles that are not present in any of those Gospel accounts.
It could be a reference to miracles present in Matthew, Mark, Luke as well as those not present in any Gospel accounts.
Christians could well ask: “Why wouldn’t these accounts of Jesus speaking as an infant or making birds out of clay make it into any of the Four Gospels commonly accepted among all of Christendom?”
Well, we have a clue about that from a text we have already mentioned.
“And Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31).
Prima Qur’an comments: This Gospel writer is telling us that he is informed about other miracles, but the seven particular miracles that he has selected is so that we may believe that Jesus is:
The Christ
The Son of God
Having eternal life through his name.
So, in the example of this Gospel writer, we have the reasons plainly stated why some miracles were chosen over others. Whereas for the other Gospels it’s hard to discern why they may have left out certain miracles.
For example, John’s Gospel includes the story of Lazarus rising from the dead. I’m puzzled why such an awesome event is not recorded by the other Gospels. Or Jesus turning water into wine is only included in the Gospel, according to John.
Equally puzzling is the following awesome account, which is not recorded by any ancient documents outside of Matthew itself.
“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God’” (Matthew. 27:51-54).
There are no extra-biblical sources that mention this awesome event. Surely witnessing such an event would have been worthy of mention somewhere. In fact, this particular text created controversy even among conservative Christians when New Testament scholar and associate professor of theology Michael Licona raised questions about this text.
You can read about where Christians have done some damage control concerning this at the following:
So, again, going back to the Christian inquiry into why some awesome and miraculous events are recorded by some sources and not others, we can only surmise as to the motives behind this.
Why is it that Jesus speaking as an infant is recorded in some sources and not others?
Why is that Jesus making birds out of clay recorded in some sources and not others?
Why is it that the Gospel of Mark is now considered not to have a resurrection narrative, but other sources have it?
Why is it that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead from some sources and not others?
Why is it that Jesus turned water into wine from some sources and not others?
Why is that only the Gospel of Matthew has this narrative about the mass resurrections of people appearing to many in the city?
Another interesting point to note is that, in the case of the Christian tradition that many of us will encounter today, Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants of many types, we have 30 years of the life of Christ Jesus that is completely missing altogether!
“Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli.” (Luke 3:23)
So imagine all the people who needed to be healed, those who needed salvation, and what does the current Christian canon tell us about the early life of Jesus? Its silence about the early life of Jesus is awkward, to say the least.
It is honestly both shocking and disappointing that Christians would use these types of arguments against the Qur’an. It absolutely reeks of atheism, smacks of radical skepticism, and is stepped in a worldview bereft of the supernatural.
For us, as Muslims, we are informed about what happened concerning Jesus through divine revelation. As Allah (swt) says to the Blessed Messenger (saw):
“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.” (Qur’an 3:44)
Also, notice that when the Christians make their particular claim about the Qur’an, they more often than not do present the sources which they claim the Qur’an takes the following from:
Speaking as an infant.
Creating birds out of clay.
We also find it interesting that Muslims don’t ask them for their sources.
The Christian polemicist usually has two sources in mind for this:
Those sources are: The Infancy Gospel of Thomas & The Protoevangelium of James.
“This little child Jesus when he was five years old was playing at the ford of a brook: and he gathered together the waters that flowed there into pools, and made them straightway clean, and commanded them by his word alone. 2 And having made soft clay, he fashioned thereof twelve sparrows. And it was the Sabbath when he did these things (or made them). And there were also many other little children playing with him.
“And a certain Jew when he saw what Jesus did, playing upon the Sabbath day, departed straightway and told his father Joseph: Lo, your child is at the brook, and he has taken clay and fashioned twelve little birds and has polluted the Sabbath day. 4 And Joseph came to the place and saw: and cried out to him, saying: Why are you doing these things on the Sabbath, which it is not lawful to do? But Jesus clapped his hands together and cried out to the sparrows and said to them: Go! and the sparrows took their flight and went away chirping. 5 And when the Jews saw it they were amazed, and departed and told their chief men that which they had seen Jesus do.”
Source: (Infancy Gospel of Thomas Chapter 2:1-5)
Prima Qur’an Comments:
This narrative speaks about Jesus creating 12 birds. The emphasis on the number 12 is there twice. This must relate to the 12 disciples. Whereas in the Qur’an we find no mention of this.
“Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah.” (Qur’an 3:49)
There is no mention of Jesus doing this act on the Sabbath Day. There is no mention of Jesus creating 12 birds. It is interesting to note that the Qur’andoes not name the number of Jesus’ disciples. Christians have not addressed this.
It would be interesting to know where the writer(s) of the ‘Infancy Gospel of Thomas’ got their information from. The earliest possible date of authorship is 80 A. D to 250 A. D. This is also roughly the time that the date of authorship is ascribed to ‘The Epistle to Titus‘, which is considered canonical by Christians today. These scholars date the epistle from the 80 A. D up to the end of the 250 A. D.
Source: (Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Anchor Bible, p. 662)
“And when Jesus was five years old, there fell a great rain upon the earth, and the boy Jesus walked up and down through it. And there was a terrible rain, and He collected it into a fish-pond, and ordered it by His word to become clear. And immediately it became so. Again He took of the clay which was of that fish-pond, and made of it to the number of twelve sparrows. And it was the Sabbath when Jesus did this among the boys of the Jews. And the boys of the Jews went away and said to Joseph His father: Behold, thy son was playing along with us, and he took clay and made sparrows, which it was not lawful to do on the Sabbath; and he has broken it. And Joseph went away to the boy Jesus, and said to Him: Why have you done this, which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath? And Jesus opened His hands, and ordered the sparrows, saying: Go up into the air and fly; nobody shall kill you. And they flew, and began to cry out, and praise God Almighty. And the Jews seeing what had happened, wondered, and went away and told the miracles which Jesus had done.”
Source: (Infancy Gospel of Thomas Chapter 4)
Prima Qur’an Comments:
This story is very similar to the one in the ‘Infancy Gospel of Thomas’. What becomes apparent is that both of these sources are relying upon some oral tradition–one in which does not have a chain of transmission.
Now here is what is interesting about the Protoevangelion Jacobi or Infancy Gospel of James. One of the Christian polemicists that used this type of attack upon the Qur’anwas himself put in a difficult position in relation to this text.
@19:20 Ehrman asks: “What other documents are found in P72 as this is a document that resonates with you?”
James responds, “There are some non-canonical documents in P72 …
Ehrman replies, “Right, so I am just wondering about you resonating with this document”. Do you think that the scribe thought what he was copying was scripture?“
James, “Well, I don’t think you can simply jump to the conclusion that, because scribes included books in a single codex that they believed that everything within that codex was necessarily scripture.” There are sorts of works that were considered to be beneficial to people that were included in codices that were not necessarily canonical.”
Ehrman, “Yeah, I just think that it was odd that that particular manuscript was one that you resonated with because it’s the earliest attestation that we have of the protoevangelium jacobi.” (The Infancy Gospel of James) ..
Prima Qur’an Comments:
In other words, you can’t know for certain if the scribe who was copying this text (obviously from an even earlier source) was transcribing what he thought was divine writing! Especially in light of the fact that it is in the same genre of manuscripts that are generally described as “the most significant” papyrus of the New Testament to be discovered so far.
“Now, when the Lord Jesus had completed seven years from His birth, on a certain day He was occupied with boys of His own age. For they were playing among clay, from which they were making images of asses, oxen, birds, and other animals; and each one boasting of his skill, was praising his own work. Then the Lord Jesus said to the boys: The images that I have made I will order to walk. The boys asked Him whether then he was the son of the Creator, and the Lord Jesus made them walk. And they immediately began to leap; and then, when He had given them leave, they again stood still. And He had made figures of birds and sparrows, which flew when He told them to fly, and stood still when He told them to stand, and ate and drank when He handed them food and drink. After the boys had gone away and told this to their parents, their fathers said to them: My sons, take care not to keep company with him again, for he is a wizard: flee from him, therefore, and avoid him, and do not play with him again after this.”
Source: (The Arabic Infancy Gospel of Jesus)
Prima Qur’an Comments:
This text has Jesus not only making birdsbut apparently donkeys, oxen, and other (undisclosed) animals out of clay. There is an inquiry about him being the son of the Creator. There is no mention of the sabbath or any mention of the animals being of any number.
It’s thought that this Gospel has its origins in Syriac sources in the 5th or 6th century.
“We find what follows in the book of Joseph the high priest, who lived in the time of Christ. Some say that he is Caiaphas. He has said that Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when he was lying in His cradle, said to Mary His mother: “I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom you have brought forth, as the Angel Gabriel announced to you; and my Father has sent me for the salvation of the world.”
Source: (The Arabic Infancy Gospel of Jesus).
Prima Qur’an Comments:
There is no mention of Mary carrying Jesus as a baby. There is no mention of the people asking Mary where this baby came from. This text has Jesus addressing his mother, the Qur’an has him addressing the people. The text above is filled with Christian doctrine: Jesus is the Son of God, he has a ‘Father’ and he was sent for the salvation of the world.
None of this is found in the account of the Qur’an.
Conclusion:
The attacks that Christian polemicists have leveled towards the Qur’anare the kind one would expect from radical skepticism, and a worldview bereft of the supernatural.
We can see that these sources the Christians point to have important details and radically different theological statements that we do not find at all within the Qur’an.
More telling is that Christians do not even quote these sources, or give the details of the accounts. Many of the people they speak to will not go and double-check the sources for themselves.
The fact that some Christians find these sources apocryphal is of no concern to us as Muslims. We as Muslims do not rely upon them or accept them as revelation either. Our acceptance of what is stated in the Qur’an comes from our faith in it as divine revelation and in what Allah (swt) himself has stated:
“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.” (Qur’an 3:44)
Just as our faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Word of Allah, and the Son of Mary are not dependent upon any book of the New Testament (even if the whole of Christendom) accepts it as canonical.
Christians themselves cannot totally rule out the possibility of Jesus having spoken as an infant or having given life to the clay birds based upon the following evidence:
“And Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31).
As well as the fact that the Gospel writers themselves have admitted to leaving out particular miracles that did not suit their desired goals.
“The truth is from your Lord, so never be among the doubters.”(Qur’an 2:147)
“And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses.” (Qur’an 5:83)
May Allah (swt) guide the truth seekers!
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“You do not guide someone you love, but God guides anyone He wishes. He is quite Aware as to who are guided.” (Qur’an 28:56)
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These are hadith that are brought against the Ibadi. They will say to us, how can some in your school put him in bara’ah when you have hadith like this?! The man was loved by Allah and his Messenger.
We do appreciate the passion as well as the question. Now this question is not directed to those in the Ibadi school who put Ali in walayah. Rather, it is directed towards those who have him in bara’ah.
As the majority are layman and people who have not delved into historical matters, the majority position is wuqoof.
So insh’Allah, we will examine the claims made in these hadith and respond to them.
The claim begins by quoting one of these hadith. In fact, if we are to be truthful, often our opponents are not honest people or they themselves innocent of the situation. Some of the dishonest will try and quote one hadith and hope you do not look at all the hadith being transmitted.
The first that can be said is that these hadith are ahad. They cannot be used to establish matters of aqidah for us. The majority view of our scholars is that none of the companions are in wilayat al-haqiqah-the real guardianship other than the wives of the Blessed Prophet (May Allah be pleased with them all and may the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet).
The hadith on the flag of Khaibar.
Narrated Sahl:
On the day (of the battle) of Khaibar the Prophet (saw) said, “Tomorrow I will give the flag to somebody who will be given victory (by Allah) and who loves Allah and His Apostle and is loved by Allah and His Apostle.” So, the people wondered all that night as to who would receive the flag and in the morning everyone hoped that he would be that person. Allah’s Messenger (saw) asked, “Where is `Ali?” He was told that `Ali was suffering from eye-trouble, so he applied saliva to his eyes and invoked Allah to cure him. He at once got cured as if he had no ailment. The Prophet (saw) gave him the flag. `Ali said, “Should I fight them till they become like us (i.e. Muslim)?” The Prophet (saw) said, “Go to them patiently and calmly till you enter the land. Then, invite them to Islam, and inform them what is enjoined upon them, for, by Allah, if Allah gives guidance to somebody through you, it is better for you than possessing red camels.”
Suhail reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said on the Day of Khaibar:
I shall certainly give this standard in the hand of one who loves Allah and his Messenger and Allah will grant victory at his hand. Umar b. Khattab said: Never did I cherish for leadership but on that day. I came before him with the hope that I may be called for this, but Allah’s Messenger (saw) called ‘Ali b. Abu Talib and he conferred (this honour) upon him and said: Proceed on and do not look about until Allah grants you victory, and ‘Ali went a bit and then halted and did not look about and then said in a loud voice: Allah’s Messenger, on what issue should I fight with the people? Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Fight with them until they bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger, and when they do that then their blood and their riches are inviolable from your hands but what is justified by law and their reckoning is with Allah.
`Ali happened to stay behind the Prophet (saw) and (did not join him) during the battle of Khaibar for he was having eye trouble. Then he said, “How could I remain behind Allah’s Messenger (saw)?” So `Ali set out following the Prophet (saw) , When it was the eve of the day in the morning of which Allah helped (the Muslims) to conquer it, Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “I will give the flag (to a man), or tomorrow a man whom Allah and His Apostle love will take the flag,” or said, “A man who loves Allah and His Apostle; and Allah will grant victory under his leadership.” Suddenly came `Ali whom we did not expect. The people said, “This is `Ali.” Allah’s Messenger (saw) gave him the flag and Allah granted victory under his leadership.
“Tomorrow I will give the flag to somebody who will be given victory (by Allah) and who loves Allah and His Apostle and is loved by Allah and His Apostle.”
This indicates that Ali loves Allah (swt) and His Blessed Messenger (saw). It also indicates that this love is reciprocal.
“I shall certainly give this standard in the hand of one who loves Allah and his Messenger.”
This text indicates that Ali loves Allah (swt) and His Blessed Messenger (saw). However, it does not indicate that the love is reciprocal. In other words it does not indicate that Allah (swt) or his Messenger (saw) love him.
““I will give the flag (to a man), or tomorrow a man whom Allah and His Apostle love will take the flag,” or said, “A man who loves Allah and His Apostle.”
This text indicates confusion on what was actually stated.
This indicates to us that the hadith is muḍṭarib .
What is a muḍṭarib Hadith?
In Islamic Hadith sciences, a hadith is classified as muḍṭarib (meaning “shaky,” “agitated,” or “inconsistent”) when:
It is transmitted in multiple, contradictory ways (either in the chain of narrators or the text itself).
The opposing versions are of equal strength.
Because they are equally weighted, scholars cannot easily choose one version as the “correct” one over the other, leaving the absolute wording in doubt.
Applying the Concept to the Khaibar Text
If we look closely at the phrasing of the Prophet’s prophecy on the eve of Khaibar across all compiled sources, there is a clear textual Idtirab (inconsistency) regarding who loves whom:
Because these chains are all sound(narrated by premier companions and recorded in the Sahihayn), textually they clash with each other. They are of equal weight.
Why This Matters Theologically
This is exactly why your previous point carries so much weight. If a researcher isolates the Abu Hurairah variant (Muslim 2405), the theological conclusion is completely different from the standard narrative.
If the wording is unilateral (“he loves Allah”), the text only proves outwardly the companion’s intense loyalty and faith. It leaves the question of whether Allah reciprocated that love completely unstated.
Does this indicate that Ali is in wilayat al haqiqah (the real guardinship)? No. Because wilayat with the Prophets (peace be upon them all) is also in the dhahir (apparent).
“Ibrāhīm’s plea for his father’s forgiveness was only because of a promise he had made. But when it became clear that his father was an enemy of Allah, he (tabarra-a) disassociated from him. Indeed, Ibrāhīm was tender-hearted and forbearing.” (Qur’an 9:114)
This hadith is weak. One of the evidences that we use to establish that it is weak is that it contradicts the Qur’an. It has the Blessed Prophet (saw) displaying behavior in his prophecy that makes him as being one negligent of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) forgive us.
“Tomorrow I will give the flag.”
“I shall certainly give this standard.”
“I will give the flag (to a man.”
“AndNever say(lā taqūlanna)about anything, “Behold, I shall do this tomorrow,”Without adding, “if Allah so wills!” But if you forget, then remember your Lord, and say, “I trust my Lord will guide me to what is more right than this.” (Qur’an 18:223-24)
This hadith goes against history.
Unless one wants to say the correct version is that Ali loved Allah (swt) and the Blessed Prophet (saw) and that is what the companions and the generation after them understood from the above narration. That is because if it is understood from the other way meaning , ‘Allah (swt) and his Blessed Prophet (saw) loved him’. It means the companions were completely oblivious to this or they simply didn’t care and attacked Ali anyway.
Different wordings.
The Prophet (saw) did not say if Allah wills and this hadith goes against the Qur’an.
It has the Prophet (saw) going against what Allah (swt) commands.
This hadith should be Mutawātirbut it is only ahad.
Logically, if the Blessed Prophet (saw) gathered his entire army on the eve of a major military victory and made a sweeping public declaration about who would receive the flag tomorrow, that event should have been witnessed and transmitted by hundreds, if not thousands, of people. It should be textually Mutawātir(mass-transmitted in identical wording across every single generation).
But structurally, it isn’t. It is classified as Ahad (solitary/isolated), split into narrow, competing chains of transmission (Isnad) that trace back to only a handful of individual Companions (mainly Sahl bin Sa’d, Salama bin Al-Akwa, and Abu Hurairah).
This reality presents two massive historical and structural problems:
1. The Bottleneck Problem (Why isn’t it Mutawātir?)
To be Mutawātir, a report needs a large volume of narrators at every single level of the chain. Even if 1,500 companions heard the Prophet say those words at Khaibar, the transmission immediately bottlenecked.
Only a few individuals actively chose to quote it to the next generation (Tabi’un). Because the vast majority of the army went home and didn’t formally establish a teaching chain for this specific sentence, the text legally lost its Tawatur status and fell into the Ahad category.
2. The Inevitable Result: Idtirab (Inconsistency)
Because the text relies on a few solitary paths (Ahad), it was stripped of the self-correcting safety net that a mass-transmitted Mutawātir text enjoys.
When hundreds of people repeat a sentence, memory errors get filtered out by the majority. But when only three or four narrow lines carry a quote down through the decades, any slight slip in a narrator’s memory, any paraphrasing, or any theological bias stands out immediately. This is precisely why we see the Idtirab we discussed earlier:
One line says: “Who loves Allah…”
Another says: “Whom Allah loves…”
Another says: “Both…”
The Critical Takeaway
By realizing that this hadith is Ahad and not Mutawātir, we have exposed the exact vulnerability that allows for these theological contradictions.
The hadith contradicts historical data.
Ibn Taymiyya said the following:
“Similarly, his statement: “Hating him (Ali) is a sin that no good deed can outweigh,” if someone hates him (Ali) and is an unbeliever, then his unbelief is what makes him miserable, and if he is a believer, then his faith benefits him even if he hates him (Ali).”
Source: (Minhaj As-Sunnah by Ibn Taymiyya Volume 3 page 26)
“Those who exonerate Uthman while criticizing Ali are greater, more devout, and better than those who exonerate Ali while criticizing Uthman, such as the Zaydis. It is well known that those among the Companions, the successors, and others who fought, cursed, and condemned Ali were more knowledgeable and devout than those who support him and curse Uthman.“
Source: (Minhaj As-Sunnah by Ibn Taymiyya Volume 3 page 5)
Prima Qur’an Comments: So given the historical data and the historical facts this also tells us that Ali was certainly not among some group of ten promised paradise.
Also, this does not mean that the incident at Khaibar itself was not historical but the historical reality afterwards can only indicate the following:
a) With the companions Ali only had the outward wilayah. Also known as Walāyah al-Ẓāhir(The apparent friendship).
b) The statement in the transmission “who loves Allah and his Messenger” must have been deemed more authentic by them. Meaning that Ali did indeed outwardly display love for Allah (swt) and his Blessed Messenger (saw) but it was not reciprocal.
This is the only explanation that makes sense of the historical data. Given the fact that they as Ibn Taymiyya stated, ‘who fought, cursed, and condemned Ali ‘. Also given the statement of Ibn Taymiyya that hate towards Ali does not harm one’s faith.
Hypothetical scenario
Let us say the hadith concerning the flag of Khaibar was Mutawātir. Let us say that they did not contain any variant. The wording was: Tomorrow, by the will of Allah, I will give the flag to somebody who will be given victory (by Allah) and who loves Allah and His Apostle and is loved by Allah and His Apostle.
This could mean that those Ibadi who hold Ali in walayah would be correct. That is to say that Ali repented for his actions in Siffin and Nahrawan. That he had a good ending. Allah knows best.
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“He has created you (all) from a single soul; then made its mate from it. He has sent down(wa-anzala)eight types of livestock for you. He creates you in your mothers´ wombs, one creation following upon another creation in three [stages of] darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord. Control belongs to Him; there is no god except for Him. Yet you disregard [Him]!” (Qur’an 39:6)
“He has (nazzala) sent down upon you, [O Muhammed], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.” (Qur’an 3:3)
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Shaykh Khalid Al Abdali (h) explains.
The Ibadi say that the Qur’an is created. What is your opinion on this, and what does it mean? What is the issue here? I hear people asking me: the Ibadi say that Allah brought the Qur’an into existence. So what is your opinion? It’s as if they are saying there are two groups: one group says that Allah Almighty brought the Qur’an into existence, and another group says that Allah did not bring the Qur’an into existence. So what is your view?
My view is that He brought it into existence, because creation — some people think creation means [something like] hair and blood. He created death. You know that death is a created thing among the created beings. Death, death, death, death is created. Alright.
Then he says: Is the Qur’an created or uncreated? What kind of question is this? This is a wrong question. Say to me: Did Allah send down the Qur’an or did He not send it down? I say to you: He sent it down, because we all believe that He sent it down, and it is His speech and His revelation, clearly.
Alright, let us focus on this issue: The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, without doubt. No one has a problem with that. I say that the Qur’an is the speech of Allah; Allah sent it down. Correct or not?
Do you have camels, cattle, sheep, goats in your country? Alright, did Allah send them down or create them? A little child, this young one, this offspring — did Allah create them or send them down? Look, if someone asks like this, what would you say? He would say, “He created them.” May Allah bless you. Since you answered, you first — Allah willing, you will read the verse for us. Give us the mushaf (Quran). He knows it by heart.
“I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. He created you from one soul, then made from it its mate, and sent down for you of the cattle eight pairs.” — Once with “sent down” and once with “created”? “Of the cattle eight pairs” — “sent down”? Or “created”? “Sent down, sent down, sent down” — or “created”? Let’s see. “Sent down” — “sent down” — “sent down.” He focuses on the question: “sent down” or “created”? “Of the cattle” — so He sent them down. When did you see this verse? First time you see it today? First time you focus on it, yes. Because I told you, many Muslims hear but do not read. Not him, but this is an example so you understand.
“Send down” — therefore, Ibn Kathir said regarding this verse: “Send down” means “created.” Something — the interpretation of Ibn Kathir here. Whoever wants to read: “And He sent down for you of the cattle eight pairs” — meaning He created for them from the cattle eight pairs. Enough, enough. “Send down” means “created.” Do you understand? Yes. Therefore, he is amazed at people who do not want to understand this issue. They may become fanatical — “not allowed,” “disbelief,” “not allowed,” “no way.” You say the truth, but you do not know. Emotion has taken you because so-and-so was imprisoned and beaten, then released. While so-and-so who said the opposite was imprisoned, beaten, slaughtered, and killed, yet you did not grieve for him, even though he was the one with the truth — you grieved for this one. Do you understand? Therefore, focus well.
The Qur’an — Allah Almighty brought it into existence. It did not exist, so He brought it into existence. Is it possible for Allah Almighty to have His life go away? Can a attribute of Him go away?
Some people say: The speech of Allah is an attribute of Him. Who told you — from your destruction? Listen. One day I ask: Do you know that one whose attribute is from his destruction? His speech — is it his speech or not his speech? He says: “It is an attribute of Him, from His attributes.” From his destruction, from His attributes. Why did he say? Because of His speech. And who told you that speech can be an attribute? Do you understand? Therefore, I give you advice: Most Muslims on earth say that the Qur’an is created, except a small group that terrorizes Muslims. They say “no,” and they clothe falsehood for people. Why? Because the Ash’aris — according to them — either the internal speech or the Qur’an. The internal speech is uncreated, but this Qur’an is created. They write this in their books. So this small group that dominates the world says to people regarding these Ash’aris: Are there two Qur’ans? Why? Because they say: “Internal speech” and “Qur’an” — internal speech is uncreated, and the Qur’an is created. Do you understand it? Cut.
Look, the issue of the creation of the Qur’an is not, meaning, of great benefit. Unfortunately, Muslims made it bigger than its actual worth. Had they remained silent and all said: “The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, Allah sent it down, His revelation” — enough, Almighty Allah speaks the truth — enough. But do not come and say to people: “Say ‘uncreated,’ and it is not allowed to say ‘created.’ No, no, I do not agree with you.” Let us agree together: “The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, His revelation, and His sending down. He sent it down, revealed it, and it is Allah’s speech.” Agreed? No problem. We stop here, and this belief accommodates all Muslims. Beware of saying to the one who speaks the truth that you are upon falsehood. Do you understand? Yes.
What is the reason? It is said: It was a Jew or a Christian — Abu Shakir al-Daysani — it is said it was one of them who said that Jesus is the word of Allah. So they said: If it (the word) is uncreated, then Jesus is uncreated. Thus, they confused the Islamic world.
Prima Qur’an comments: Online reference for Ibn Kahtir is the following:
((And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs.) means, He has created for you from among the cattles, eight pairs. These are the ones that are mentioned in Surat Al-An`am, eight kinds — a pair of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels and a pair of oxen.) -Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
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“Shall We treat those who believe and do good works as those who spread corruption in the earth; or shall We treat the pious as the wicked?” (Qur’an 38:28)
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His Eminence Shaykh Masoud Al-Miqbali (r) with a wake up call to the believers and the seekers of truth.
A person that dies upon continuously committing major sins.How is such a person?
Describe them for me.
Is he a transgressor (fājir)? Allah says: “And indeed, the transgressors will be in Hellfire.”They will burn therein on the Day of Judgment, and never will they be absent from it.” (Qur’an 82:14-16)
Or is he defiantly immoral (fāsiq)? “But as for the defiant (fāsiq), their refuge is the Fire.” “Every time they wish to come out of it, they are put back into it.” (Qur’an 32:20)
Is he disobedient (ʿāṣī)? “And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger — then indeed, for him is the Fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever.” (Qur’an 72:23)
Is he a hypocrite (munāfiq)? “Indeed, the hypocrites will dwell at the lowest levels of Hellfire, and never will you find them a helper!” (Qur’an 4:145)
Is he a garner of sins? “Nay! Rather, those who garner sins and are encompassed by them — they will surely be companions of the Hellfire, forever residing in it.” (Qur’an 2:81)
Nothing is left — transgressor, defiant, disobedient, hypocrite, garner of sins. The Qur’an judges all of them with permanent dwelling in Hell!
There is nothing left except that you include this person among the righteous (muttaqīn). Is that possible?
Such a person is righteous? Huh? Why do you not answer (audience)? Is he righteous or not? (Audience:) “No!”
“Such is the Garden which We gave as inheritance to those of Our servants who were righteous.” (Qur’an 19:63)
If he is not righteous, then there is no Heaven for him!
“And when Ibrahim was tried by his Lord with certain words, which he fulfilled.” (Qur’an 2:124)
“Then when he reached with him the (age of) working he said, “Oh my son! Indeed, I have seen in the dream that I am sacrificing you, so look what you see.” He said, “Oh my father! Do what you are commanded. You will find me, if wills Allah, of the patient ones.” (Qur’an 37:102)
“Then when they submitted and Ibrahim laid him on the side of his forehead for sacrifice. We called out to him: “Oh Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision.” Indeed this is how We reward the good-doers. For this was obviously a clear trial.” (Qur’an 37:103-106)
“And we ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice. And we left for him the hereafter. Peace be on Ibrahim. Thus we reward the good doers. Indeed he was of Our believing slaves. And we gave him glad tidings of Isaac, a Prophet among the righteous.” (Qur’an 37:107-112)
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There was some really interesting, and engaging back and forth between Mustafa Akyol & Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali on these text. Mustafa Akyol appealed to the mystic Ibn al-Arabi in the exchange.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali: He is the Founding Director of the Lamppost Education Initiative. He serves as an associate professor of Islamic law and Prophetic Tradition at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California (2007-present). He holds a Ph.D. in Cultural and Historical Studies in Religion (2016) and an M.A. in Ethics and Social Theory (2012) from the Graduate Theological Union. He obtained his B.A. (ijaza ‘ulya) in Islamic Law (Shariah) from the prestigious Al-Qarawiyin University of Fes, Morocco in 2001. He is an Ashari in theology and a Maliki in matters of jurisprudence.
Mustafa Akyol: Mustafa Akyol: He is a journalist and columnist. Notable for his post-modernist and liberal reform views. Since 2018, Akyol has been a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank founded and financially supported by the Koch brothers, right wing politicians.
This blog entry is in regard to an exchange that happened between Abdullah bin Hamid Ali and Mustafa Aykol. We provide our comments when necessary.
Now Mustafa Akyol had made the following post:
Mustafa Akyol stated:
“It is worth pondering: Did God really command Abraham (initially) to sacrifice his son? Many Muslims & other Abrahamic monotheists may say, “yes.” But there is an alternative view in Islam: There was no such divine command. Abraham just misinterpreted his dream.”-Mustafa Akyol
(The page is from my book, “Reopening Muslim Minds.”)
“Why is this important? Because the dominant view supports divine command theory: Whatever God commands, that is ethically right. The other view envisions a principled God: He will only command what is objectively ethical.” -Mustafa Akyol
Prima-Qur’an comments: The obvious problem with Mustafa’s assertion is who or what decides what a principled God would entail? Who also decides what is objectively ethical?
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali responds.
This post was responded to by Dr. Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali with:
To which Mustafa Aykol responded with:
To which Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali responds with:
Prima-Qur’an comments: At this point in the exchange, Dr. Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali noted that Mustafa Akyol had transmitted errors made by others in the past. In particular to viewpoints attributed to the Hanafi school that they did not hold.
Rejoinder from Mustafa
Prima-Qur’an comments: There are a number of problems with the mystic Ibn Al Arabi’s view. He seems that Allah (swt) had veiled him from the truth of the matter.
From the text posted above:
“The state of sleep is the plane of the Imagination and Abraham did not interpret [what he saw], for it was a ram that appeared in the form of Abraham’s son in the dream, while Abraham believed what he saw [at face value] So his Lord rescued his son from Abraham’s misapprehension by the Great Sacrifice [of the ram], which was the true expression of his vision with God, of which Abraham was unaware.”
“Have you not considered what the Apostle of God said to Abu Bakr concerning the interpretation of visions when he said, “I was right in some cases and mistaken in others?” Abu Bakr asked him to acquaint him in which of them he had been right and in which wrong, but he did not tell him.”
“Thus were the cattle [symbols for years of scarcity and plenty. Had he been true to the vision he would have killed his son, for he believed that it was his son he saw, although with God it was nothing other than the Great Sacrifice in the form of his son.”
“Thus Joseph’s master says, If you will interpret the vision. Interpretation means to pass from the form of what one sees to something beyond it. Thus were the cattle [symbols] for years of scarcity and plenty. Had he (Ibrahim) been true to the vision he would have killed his son, for he believed that it was his son he saw, although with God it was nothing other than the Great Sacrifice in the form of his son.”
Prima-Qur’an comments: Ibn Al Arabi as someone making egregious blunders one after the other.
Ibn Al Arabi the one who did not have the dream knows better than Ibrahim himself what the dream entailed?
Ibn Al Arabi doesn’t help his case by stating that Yusuf (as) can interpret his dream correctly but Ibrahim (as) cannot! That is indeed very weak.
Why relate the supposed conversation between Abu Bakr (ra) and the Blessed Messenger (saw) if we are to be let down with…” but he did not tell him”
So now Ibn Al Arabi does what the Prophet (saw) himself did not do?
“he (Ibrahim) been true to the vision he would have killed his son,” Did Ibn Al Arabi not read the Qur’an when Allah (swt) states: We called out to him: “Oh Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision.” What does Ibn Al Arabi think would have happened had that voice not called out?
Rejoinder Dr. Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali
Prima-Qur’an comments: Apparently this is what Dr. Shehzad Saleem conveys what Javed Ahmed Ghamidi says as well. You can see that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPR-hzoROaw
So Javed Ahmed Ghamidi & Mustafa Akyol are of the same view here.
Prima-Qur’an comments: To be quite honest, Dr. Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali has already shown us the clear response in his initial reply.
Questions:
What were those words that Ibrahim was tried with?
“And when Ibrahim was tried by his Lord with certain words, which he fulfilled.” (Qur’an 2:124)
“Then when they submitted and Ibrahim laid him on the side of his forehead for sacrifice. We called out to him: “Oh Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision.” Indeed this is how We reward the good-doers. For this was obviously a clear trial.” (Qur’an 37:103-106)
“Then when they submitted” Can it be said that Ibrahim and his son submitted to Satan?
Can it be said that they both submitted to something false (faulty interpretation of a dream)?
“We reward the good-doers” Can it be said that Satan rewards the doers of good?
For this was obviously a clear trial. What is there a clear trial in sacrificing a sheep or lamb? That is something people were accustomed to.
Prima Qur’an summary: What did we learn from this exchange?
This text is a reference to Ibrahim (as) being tried by Allah (swt) by certain words which he fulfilled.
The son (undisclosed) at this point. Was patient with what his father saw in his dream. His father Ibrahim (as) saw that he was to sacrifice his son.
When they had submitted (the son by submitting to the father’s authority and by this the vision given by Allah) and the father by submitting to the vision from Allah (swt). The submission itself was the fulfillment of the vision. Not the sacrificing of anything. The vision was already fulfilled.
“The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, “We hear and we obey“: it is such as these that will attain felicity.” (Qur’an 24:51)
Lastly, we see that immediately after this were the glad tidings of the second son of Ibrahim (as). That is the Prophet Isaac (as). Think about it. The willingness to sacrifice a son and not only is he sparred, but an announcement of a second son!
You were willing to sacrifice your son to Allah (swt) due to this tremendous test via submission you were awarded two sons! Subhan’Allah!
But as for those who defiantly disobeyed, their refuge is the Fire. Every time they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it while it is said to them, “Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny.” (Qur’an 32:20)
“Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure, And indeed, the wicked will be in Hellfire. They will [enter to] burn therein on the Day of Recompense, And will not be removed from it.” (Qur’an 82:13-16)
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There seems to be some bizarre hadith that are accepted among Sunni Muslims that indicate that Muslims who are destined for hellfire would be ransomed by the hellfire by a Christian or a Jew. Thus, the Christian or the Jew would go to hellfire in place of the Muslims!
We will give the hadith that the Sunni Muslims rely upon for this as well as some of the justifications put forward by their scholars. Then we will give the Ibadi critique of these hadith and why they do not meet our standards.
The hadith that are brought forward to support this are as follows:
Abu Musa’ reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said:
When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.
Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said:
No Muslim would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. ‘Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah’s Messenger (saw).
Abu Burda reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying:
There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah’s Apostle (saw)? I said: Yes.
It seems that there is also a belief held among Sunni Muslims that every person has a place for them in hell and in heaven. This is coupled with the belief that there is a pre-destined and pre-scribed number of people destined for both hell and heaven.
Allah (swt) has never described the hellfire as a place in which it becomes full.
“The Day We will ask Hell, “Are you full?” And it will respond, “Are there any more?” (Qur’an 50:30)
Prima Qur’an comments: In trying to answer why the Jews and Christians in particular are singled out , the Ash’ari, Maliki, Sufi, Al-Qadi ‘Iyad said:
“Because every accountable person has a place in Paradise and a place in Hell, whoever believes truly, his place in Hell will be replaced with a place in Paradise, but for the one who does not believe it will be the opposite, and it will be as if the disbelievers took the places of the believers in Hell. Moreover, because Allah has sworn to fill Hell, it will be filled with the disbelievers so as to save the believers from the Fire. So in that regard they are like a ransom for the believers. Perhaps the reason why the Jews and Christians are singled out for mention is because they are well known for their opposition to the Muslims and for being their opposites with regard to believing in the Messenger, which dictates that they should be saved.” End quote from Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh (8/3525).
Prima Qur’an comments: For us we do not accept the reasoning of Qadi ‘Iyad.
Furthermore the site says:
“On the Day of Resurrection there will be a Jew or a Christian for every Muslim, who will be his ransom from the Fire. That does not contradict the fact that some Muslims sinners will enter the Fire for their sins, so that Allah may purify them thereof, because they will enter it, then they will be brought out of it by Allah’s mercy, then they will enter Paradise, where they will inherit what would have been the disbelievers’ places in it, because Allah has forbidden it to the disbelievers.”
Prima Qur’an comments: The above comment is to be dismissed for the following reasons:
There is absolutely not a single statement or example anywhere in the Qur’an of the believer entering the hellfire. Not one.
There is absolutely not a single statement or example anywhere in the Qur’an of the disbelievers leaving the hellfire. Not one.
On the basis of Aqidah (Creed) the above statement makes no sense. Because if there is a place reserved in hell and heaven for every person created are we truly to believe that the Blessed Prophet (saw), The Prophets in general, small children and so forth have an abode in hellfire? May Allah forgive us and guide us to the truth.
On the basis of Mantiq (Logic) the above statement makes no sense. It’s as if the belief is there is an abode in heaven and hell for all creation but one takes the place of the other, which means there would be empty or reserved spots in both heaven and hell if this was a one to one to every person who has ever lived.
“The words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “Allah (swt) will give every Muslim a Jew or a Christian, and He will say: This is your ransom from the Fire.” Indicate that this bounty will include all the Muslims, with no exceptions, because ransom is salvation, as mentioned above, and salvation will be for every Muslim. That is not contradicted by the fact that he may enter the Fire, because his entering it will be for the purpose of purification.”
Prima Qur’an comments: The above comment is dismissed for the following reasons:
“Allah (swt) will give every Muslim” is contradicted by text that state: “There would come people amongst the Muslims.” So which did the Blessed Prophet (saw) say?
On the basis of Aqidah (Creed) the above statement makes no sense. Because if there is a place reserved in hell and heaven for every person created are we truly to believe that the Blessed Prophet (saw), The Prophets in general, small children and so forth have an abode in hellfire? We seek refuge in Allah from such beliefs!
There is absolutely not a single statement or example anywhere in the Qur’an of the believer entering the hellfire. Not one.
There is absolutely not a single statement or example anywhere in the Qur’an of the disbelievers leaving the hellfire. Not one.
The Ibadi objection.
Our core argument is that these ahadith contradict the clear, unambiguous muhkamat of the Qur’an.
The wicked will not be removed from Hell (82:13-16). This directly contradicts the idea that anyone leaves Hellfire after entering.
Disbelievers will be told “Taste the punishment… you used to deny” (32:20). There is no escape clause.
Therefore, any hadith that suggests:
A Jew or Christian can be a “ransom” for a Muslim, or
Any believer will enter Hellfire (even temporarily), or
Any disbeliever will leave Hellfire
must be shadh (anomalous) or munkar (rejected), regardless of its chain. A sahih chain does not override a sahih text (the Qur’an).
For the Ibadi, this is sufficient to reject these hadith.
The Ibadi Mustalah al-Hadith. We focus on illah (pl. ‘ilal) which refers to a subtle, hidden defect that undermines the authenticity of a hadith, despite its chain of narrators appearing perfectly sound on the surface.
First thing we can notice is that in the matn (the actual text) of the hadith there are some quite notably strange peculiarities.
Defect #1
“Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah’s Messenger.”
This shows that Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz took issue with the transmission and demanded that the narrator swear an oath regarding it.
Defect #2
If he was satisfied with the oath he would not need to have included that in the transmission. However, the one who transmits includes the doubt and includes the oath.
The defects as discussed above indicates the narration was mawquf (stopping at a Companion) or mudtarib (shaky). Swearing an oath is not a method of authentication in hadith sciences—it reveals doubt.
Defect #3.
Why the mention of Jews and Christians being a ransom and not mention the Sabians or Zoroastrians or others? What makes the Jews and Christians particularly targeted?
This suggests takhsis (specification) without a Qur’anic basis. If Hell must be filled, any disbeliever would suffice. Mentioning Jews/Christians alone hints at polemical or historical insertion (e.g., early Muslim-Jewish-Christian disputes).
Defect #4. Some what related to defect #3 is that Seeing that the Jews and Christians are Mushrik, why not just simply say that the Mushrik are a ransom?
Defect #5. The conflicting nature of the text:
a) There would come people amongst the Muslims
b) No Muslim would die but Allah would admit
c) Allah would deliver to every Muslim
So is it every Muslim or a group from among the Muslims? That is a huge difference.
A clear idtarab (confusion) in the matn. A prophetic statement would not vacillate between universal and partial inclusion.
Defect #6. Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Meaning he has doubts about who has doubts about this transmission: Did Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz express doubt about the transmission, or was doubt expressed about Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz’s transmission?
This is a sanad collapse. When transmitters themselves cannot identify the source of doubt, the hadith becomes majhul (unknown) and is discarded.
The Ibadi school, Ahl al-Haqq wa-l istiqama (The People of Truth and Straightness) have more than sufficient reasons to dismiss the above hadith. The attempts to explain them by Sunni scholars are not convincing.
We also want to share with you (the respected readers) an easy identifier to show that a hadith which has been classified as ‘sahih’ (sound) itself has doubtful things within it.
Many of you have possibly read our article in which we ripped apart a hadith classified as ‘sahih’ that was attributed to the Blessed Prophet (saw).
“Abu Umamah saw heads (of the Khawarij) hanging on the streets of Damascus. He said: ‘The dogs of the Fire and the worst dead people under the canopy of the heavens. The best dead men are those whom these have killed.’ He then recited: On the Day when some faces will become white and some faces will become black… (3:106) until the end of the Ayah. I said to Abu Umamah: ‘Did you hear IT from the Messenger of Allah (saw)?’ He said: ‘If I had not heard IT but one time, or two times, or three times, or four times – until he reached seven – I would not have narrated it to you.”
Now, we also want to share with you two more hadith and then we want to discuss something about the matn or text. It is absolutely relevant to this blog entry.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (saw) said, “A group of Israelites were lost. Nobody knows what they did. But I do not see them except that they were cursed and changed into rats, for if you put the milk of a she-camel in front of a rat, it will not drink it, but if the milk of a sheep is put in front of it, it will drink it.” I told this to Ka`b who asked me, “Did you hear it from the Prophet (saw) ?” I said, “Yes.” Ka`b asked me the same question several times. I said to Ka`b. “Do I read the Torah? (i.e. I tell you this from the Prophet.)“
Now what is very eye opening is that in the hadith above about a group of the Children of Israel turned into rats, or the hadith about the khawarij being the dogs of hellfire, or about Jews and Christians being ransom for Muslims from hellfire.
There are three things that the keen eye will notice about all of these hadith transmissions.
There is doubt expressed in the transmission.
One of the transmitters is having big doubts about what is being transmitted to him.
The inclusion of the doubt is included in the transmission rather than omitting it altogether.
We have extremely rigid methods for accepting narrations attributed to the Blessed Messenger (saw).
There are theological views among the Sunni Muslims that teach things that have no basis in the Qur’an.
Among them are:
That a believer can enter into hellfire.
That a person may exit the hellfire.
Because the reality of these beliefs is established among the theological schools of Sunni Muslims, it has led them to have some subpar standards for grading and accepting narrationsattributed to the Blessed Messenger (saw).
If you have found the above entry beneficial we invite you to read the following:
“Call people to the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every distant path.” (Qur’an 22:27)
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Shaykh Hatim and brother Firdaus Aziz discuss Why Hajj is so Important and why Muslims should not delay the Hajj when given the opportunity.
Welcome to the Voice of Islam, the Friday special podcast. Alhamdulillah, it’s been a while — we’ve been away for quite some time, and all of us have been busy. But alhamdulillah, now we’re back, and we will continue insha’Allah. As you know, brothers and sisters, we are in the month of Hajj, and some of us have been chosen to perform Hajj, alhamdulillah. Today’s topic will be about Hajj. And of course, brothers and sisters, it’s been over eight months since what happened to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. We ask Allah to ease their hardships and give them success, Ameen. Insha’Allah, things will become much easier for them soon. We continuously make du’a and will continue to remember them in every prayer. Again, I ask Allah to ease their hardship, ease their suffering, and give them success in this life and the Hereafter, Ameen.
[Hajj & The Blessing of Proximity]
We had a chat recently about Hajj. Alhamdulillah, some of you in the Gulf countries can go to Hajj every year — may Allah bless you where you are. For us here in New Zealand, it takes a long time to travel for Hajj. Alhamdulillah, I remember last year you performed Hajj as well — is that correct? Yes, you did. Thank you very much, Dr. Feros, for hosting the show. We’ve been busy and away for a very long time, so it’s about time we came back to our weekly show.
Alhamdulillah, we are alive to witness the season of Hajj again. Hajj is a festive season where Allah gives privilege to many Muslims around the world to perform an important pillar of Islam. I remember when I spoke to you and told you that insha’Allah I would be leaving in a few days for Hajj, you said, “I envy you, and I wish I could go as well.” That brings me to the idea of blessings: when does a Muslim recognize something as a blessing? What happens when you recognize it, and what happens when you don’t — until you suddenly find yourself losing it?
A human being is designed by Allah to fall into routine. When he sees something every single day or every month on a continuous basis, he becomes accustomed to it. His interest reduces, and he no longer gets excited because it’s always there. For us in the Middle East, since the day we were born and raised, we knew the Kaaba is next to us — it’s next door. We grew up seeing relatives suddenly decide to switch on the car and drive to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. It’s almost a 22‑hour drive, now even shorter with the new roads. I have friends, relatives, and neighbors who just text me in the morning and say, “You know what? I’m going for ‘Umrah today.” They book a plane ticket and they go. These people feel and know the significance of Makkah and Madinah.
[Why Some Never Go]
But you also have people who have never set foot in Makkah or Madinah their entire lives. Strangely, you even have people living in Makkah who have never entered the Haram. So you wonder: why do some never visit the holiest land? Either they are ignorant and don’t know the value of the place, or they know the value but feel they are not ready because of their sins — they want to be pure first. The problem is, none of us will ever be 100% pure. That day will never come. Then you have another group who feel that Allah has to call them to that place. They are living in a fantasy that Allah will send an angel to call them to Makkah. That will never happen. Allah commanded Ibrahim to call people for Hajj, and the call is already done. If you didn’t hear it, then there’s a problem with your hearing — go check your ears. But if you are still waiting, the Day of Judgment will come and you will not have been called yet.
Then there are those who think, “It will always be there. In the future, when I’m ready, I’ll go.” Let me tell you about “it will always be there.” I have been going for Hajj and ‘Umrah for the past 20 years, alhamdulillah. Previously, whenever I decided to go, I packed my bags and left — no formalities. That is no longer the case. Now there is a system: you can only go every five years, and you have to apply electronically. Every country has a quota. Oman used to have 36,000 pilgrims per year; now the allowed number is only 14,000 — a drop from 36,000 to 14,000. That’s nearly a 30‑40% reduction. The system works on first‑come, first‑serve plus criteria: older people have a better chance, women going with their mahram for the first time are given priority, people with disabilities and chronic diseases, those who have never gone in their life, reverts — all get priority. Then comes you. You might apply and wait three or four years, and your turn may not come. The blessing of going anytime is no longer there. You must follow the system; you might get a seat, or you might not.
When I went for Hajj the first time, I paid 600 OMR for the entire journey. That’s about 2,500 New Zealand dollars. Today, the cost is 3,000 OMR — about 12,000 NZ dollars. Previously, it was cheap and accessible to everyone. Now it’s expensive, and you don’t get to choose when to go. This number will keep shrinking. So to those procrastinating — “I’ll go after marriage, after my house, after my promotion, when I’m older, when I stop sinning” — that day might not come. You have two problems: inflation and shrinking quotas. And a bigger problem: the Angel of Death. If Allah sends him to you and takes your life, game over. You had the chance, the means, the physical capability, and you didn’t perform Hajj.
[Youth vs. Old Age for Hajj]
Dr. Feros, you’ve seen on TV very old people in wheelchairs, barely able to walk. Do you think performing Hajj in that state is easier than when you are young, healthy, and vibrant? Why do people wait until they have to be carried? I understand those who cannot afford it, or those from countries like Indonesia with 280 million Muslims who must wait 10 or 20 years. They may go when old — I understand that. But I don’t understand those who could have gone when younger but instead went to Thailand, Morocco, everywhere except Hajj.
[Oman’s Situation & Special Permission]
How many Muslims are in Oman? The entire population is 5 million — 2.5 million citizens and 2.5 million expats, some of whom are non‑Muslims. So out of that, only 14,000 go. Despite all the rules, you can still go every year — that means not many Omanis are applying. Our category is different: we are part of the service convoys, helping with logistics. We get permits to organize and support the pilgrims. That is a privilege from Allah that allows us to go every year. If we were not doing that, we would be like everyone else, not allowed every year. So alhamdulillah, you’ve been selected — you have connections and ability to go every year. I ask Allah to continue giving you that. Next time I want to go through Oman, I’ll let you know — you have to give me a special mission too. We’ll drive all the way to Makkah, insha’Allah.
[The Privilege of Going Repeatedly]
It’s funny: sometimes friends sarcastically say, “Why do you go to Hajj every year? Go see other places in the world. Is there nowhere else except Makkah?” They don’t understand the privilege or the connection. You mentioned waiting for Allah to give an invitation — but in a way, Allah doesn’t put that interest in some people’s hearts. For some of us, we want to be there, to feel the experience. When you go to Makkah and Madinah, you reflect: the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions used to be in that same spot, walking where you now walk. You try to imagine how it was. When you understand the history — think of Makkah before the time of the Prophet, when idols were there — and you see how things have changed. Prophet Ibrahim was there, he built this place. When you reflect on that, you feel excitement. You have love for our history, love for being a Muslim, love for everything about Islam.
Dr. Feros, the people of Oman were idol worshippers, and we are Muslims today because of the message of Islam that came from Makkah. How ungrateful would we be if we didn’t feel the sacredness of Makkah? The light of Islam started in Makkah, and we became Muslim because of it — not just Oman, but everywhere. That’s why the message was sent: because humanity had forgotten. SubhanAllah, now look — I’m getting jealous just talking about Makkah. I wish it were that easy for us in New Zealand just to pack a bag and be there. Next year, I’ll come to Oman, put me in the back of your car, and drive me.
[Two Reasons to Go Every Year]
I have two reasons why I go to Hajj every year. First, the Day of ‘Arafah. If people knew the value of standing on Mount ‘Arafah and asking Allah — how Allah grants all prayers — they would go, even if just to stand on that mountain. The Prophet ﷺ said that if you don’t stand at ‘Arafah, you don’t have a Hajj. For the past 20 years, every year I go to Mount ‘Arafah and ask Allah to make our lives easier and grant us what is good. Wouldn’t you want that privilege — to have your prayers accepted?
Second, humility. As humans, the devil nurtures our ego. You become successful — a business, education, career, a known figure — and something in your head tells you that you are important. When you go to Hajj, you become equal to everyone else. Once you wear the ihram, nobody cares who you are or what achievements you have. I was telling a friend: one year we were on a bus, and next to us was a pickup truck with five or six people sitting in the back. One of them was President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. Can you imagine a president sitting in the back of a pickup truck wearing his ihram? Nobody was staring, nobody was looking, because on that occasion there are no kings, queens, businessmen, or CEOs. In front of Allah, your titles are for you at home. Throw them out the window. So Hajj teaches humility. We need to remind ourselves that we are servants of Allah, property of Allah. This journey helps you understand that — to humble yourself in front of your Lord and Creator.
[Du’a for Palestine & Resilience]
You mentioned du’a. After eight months of suffering and genocide, some of us as Muslims have grown tired of raising our hands to pray for our brothers. I want to remind everyone: the people of Gaza are still solid, resilient, fighting. How can we be tired, sitting in our comfortable homes, when we are only asked to raise our hands in every prayer and pray for them? If I were in the shoes of the people of Gaza, and I knew the least my brothers and sisters in the world could do for me is pray, and they’re not — I would really be upset.
It’s easy to claim we are believers. Anyone who takes shahada is labeled a believer, and those born Muslim carry the label. But faith is truly demonstrated in your actions, not your identity. Allah doesn’t want to know if you call yourself Muslim; He wants to know whether your belief system is translated into your actions. The actions show that you truly believe. Take tawhid: how do you translate that into your daily actions and your understanding of what’s happening around the world?
The issue of Palestine and Gaza is not eight months old. It has been ongoing for as long as I can remember, since the day I was born. But suffering will end — that is Allah’s promise. At the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions struggled and were punished similarly. They would ask the Prophet, “When will we get victory?” They didn’t ask after a little punishment; they endured hardships. We know the story of Bilal, how he was punished — dragged with hot irons on his body, leaving marks and scars. That is exactly what we see now.
The other day, someone forwarded me a video that made me very sad. A young girl’s hands had been burned so badly that her fingers fused together — no fingers, just fused. She had scars on her scalp, legs, and face. You couldn’t read her facial expression. In 2024, 1445 Hijri, some of us have a really good life — we turn on a tap and water flows, we can buy food and drink. Meanwhile, others, who could have been helped, have the whole world against them. I don’t want to say more.
[Hypocrisy & The Return to Islam]
This war has exposed many hypocrites. I assure you: on the day of Palestine’s victory, the first to celebrate will be the hypocrites. They will say, “Alhamdulillah, we defeated the enemy,” while throughout the eight months they did nothing — not a word of support, not a single dollar, not a boycott of a coffee, burger, or donut. But when it comes to celebrating, they will be first. The good thing is, Allah has exposed everyone. Eight months is a long time to be resilient. You’re either on board, or you left the train long ago.
But at the same time, Allah has brought many people back to Islam. Alhamdulillah, here in New Zealand and all over the West — America and elsewhere — people are accepting Islam after seeing what happened in Palestine. Allah exposed some people and brought back Muslims who had drifted away. It’s a difficult time, but this war has also brought believers together as one.
[Hajj as Unity]
Those going for Hajj should take advantage of this occasion to build solidarity within the Ummah. Don’t go with an agenda of “I am Omani, he is Indian; I am black, he is white; I am from this tribe, he is from that; we are better than them.” Forget these differences. These differences are the main cause of what our Ummah is suffering today. We are weak because of our divisions. Before the show, we were talking about the annual dispute over moon sighting — everyone fighting about the moon. The Ummah is mature enough now to sit at one table and make a unified decision that everyone accepts. It is no longer healthy to continue like this.
We have united our fronts in support of Palestine. Let us continue. These eight months have proven that we can work together. We go to the streets and protest alongside atheists, non‑Muslims, even the LGBTQ+ community — all protesting side by side with Muslims against the Zionists. We have gotten along with everybody else. The only remaining people we still need to get along with are the Muslims. Let us put that effort in and unite the Ummah again.
[Closing & Reminders]
Alhamdulillah. Is there anything else you wanted to add? When you go to Hajj, if you take pictures and videos, send them to me so we can share on our Facebook and YouTube. I actually do Instagram reels intentionally to encourage young people to take this journey. When we go on holidays, we take pictures of everything — most of it nonsense. So when we go to the holy places, we want you to see live what it is like to be in the hands of Allah’s blessings, to see your brothers and sisters from around the world — every color, shape, size — all unified, asking for Allah’s mercy. I will share pictures and videos, and you can post them on Voice of Islam. I hope to see you all when I come back, insha’Allah.
Before we end, I want to remind you that you’ve agreed: next year, insha’Allah, you will take me to Hajj in your boot. I don’t need to worry about my visa — that’s your promise. I’ll be there next year, and you’ll take me straight to Hajj with that special visa category.
Look forward to seeing you when you’re back, insha’Allah. Please remember us — all of us here in New Zealand — in your du’a. I look forward to seeing you again, insha’Allah, either in Oman, Malaysia, or if you come visit us again in New Zealand or Fiji. Take care of yourselves.
One final message: Allah will aid His servants with victory. We hope to be alive to see the day Palestine is free again, Ameen. If you found this podcast beneficial, please share and forward. We look forward to seeing you again.
“Complete the pilgrimage and minor pilgrimage for Allah.” (Qur’an 2:196)
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May Allah (swt) bless and accept the noble Shaykh for teaching us how to perform the Hajj in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah. May all who follow this guide remember the blessed Shaykh in their du’a and may this teaching be a witness for the Shaykh on the day of reckoning. Amin.
Hajj Step by Step | From the Moment of Preparation to Arriving at the Miqat | Shaykh Abdul Munim bin Rashid Al-Saidi(h)
Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no god but Allah.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Praise be to Allah, by whose grace righteous deeds are completed. Through obedience to Him, life becomes pleasant and blessings descend. I send prayers and peace upon the bringer of glad tidings and warner, the illuminated lamp—the best of those who prayed, fasted, and circumambulated the Sacred House. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his honorable companions, and upon all who follow his path and tread his way until the Day of Judgment. May He grant them abundant peace.
To proceed: My brothers and sisters, dear viewers, I greet you with the pleasant and blessed greeting of Islam: Peace be upon you all, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
We meet in this good and blessed gathering to discuss an important topic that concerns every Muslim, especially those who are about to present themselves to Allah, heading to the Sacred House of Allah to perform one of the rituals of Islam—the ritual of Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah.
At the beginning of this blessed gathering, we open with that which is best. I say: “My Lord, expand my chest for me, ease my affair for me, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.” O Allah, teach us what benefits us, and benefit us by what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
We will discuss this topic through several axes, taking them one by one, and we will pause to consider some rulings related to each axis.
When a person resolves to perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, what must he do before setting out to perform this ritual? There are several matters the pilgrim must attend to before heading to Allah to perform this great ritual. We will pause to consider some of these matters that the pilgrim does before going to perform this ritual.
First: He must purify his intention for Allah, because sincerity is the basis for acceptance of deeds. Allah says in the Noble Book: “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.” The correct religion that Allah desires from His servants is the religion based on sincerity to Allah in deeds. He also says: “Say, ‘Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion.'” In the hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) relates from his Lord—a sacred hadith—Allah says: “I am the most self-sufficient of all partners. Whoever does a deed in which he associates others with Me, I leave him and his association.” Therefore, everyone, when performing any act of worship, must be sincere to Allah, seeking only Allah’s Face, not hoping for praise, mention, commendation, or anything from people. Rather, he seeks Allah’s pleasure by that deed, so that the deed may be purely for Allah and thus more worthy of acceptance.
Second: He must make sincere, genuine repentance (tawbah nasūḥ) from every sin and transgression. Repentance is something Allah has encouraged and urged His servants to do: “O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance.” Allah has promised the believing servants that He will accept their repentance, forgive their misdeeds, and that He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil deeds. He gives glad tidings to His believing servants that He will accept them if they come to Him: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, indeed I am the Forgiving, the Merciful.” Therefore, it is fitting for the one heading to the Sacred House of Allah to purify his inner self through repentance from every sin and transgression before purifying his body by bathing for Ihrām.
Third: As a requirement of sincere repentance, he must settle all obligations, whether these obligations are between him and Allah or between him and other people. Someone might ask: “For example, what obligations between him and Allah?” These could be expiations (kaffārāt) that he must discharge before coming to Allah for this ritual. Or there might be days he owes to make up from Ramadan, which he should fast before setting out. Or there might be vows (nudhūr) he needs to fulfill before coming to Allah. These are obligations between him and Allah.
There might also be obligations between him and other people—rights or wrongs he must restore to their owners. Sincere repentance is not complete until rights are returned to their owners. Sins are of two types: sins between the servant and his Lord, and sins between the servant and his fellow. As for sins between him and his Lord, if he repents, Allah accepts his repentance.
But as for sins between him and his fellow, he must restore the right to its owner for Allah to accept his repentance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) severely warned against taking people’s rights unjustly and commanded believers to return even the smallest items—imagine, O servants of Allah, how much is a thread or a needle worth? A very small, almost negligible thing. Yet he (peace be upon him) said: “Return the thread and the needle.” He warned against anyone seizing a right from another without justification. “Whoever seizes a right from his brother by his oath has obligated the Fire for himself and forbidden Paradise for himself.” One of the Companions asked: “Even if it is something small, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Even if it is a twig from an arāk tree.” How much is an arāk twig worth? A small, insignificant thing. Yet it may lead its owner to become among the people of the Fire, may Allah protect us. Therefore, before coming to Allah to perform this great ritual, a person must settle all obligations between himself and others. Likewise, he must reconcile with people. If there are disputes or enmity between him and someone, he must seek absolution and resolve these matters before going for this ritual.
Suppose this person tries to reconcile with the other party, but the other party refuses. Does he bear any sin? No, because he initiated goodness and took the first step. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to abandon his brother for more than three nights. They meet, and this one turns away and that one turns away. The better of them is the one who gives the greeting of peace first.” So if you are the one who initiates and takes the first step, you gain that virtue, even if the other party is not pleased, even if the other party refuses. You have earned the reward and gained the blessing.
There are other matters the pilgrim must attend to before setting out, including:
Learning the rituals: He must learn how to perform this ritual for one purpose: to perform the worship according to what Allah desires. The best way to worship Allah is with knowledge. If a servant performs worship without knowledge—i.e., ignorantly—he is rarely safe from mistakes. These mistakes may cause the worship to be invalid without his realizing it. Many people have fallen into issues due to ignorance that led to their Hajj being invalidated. Imagine a person spends his wealth, exhausts his body, leaves his family, is away from his homeland, and then returns only to find his Hajj invalid. What caused it? Failure to learn how to perform these rituals. Praise be to Allah, the means of learning are now available. Comprehensive books exist, as do concise ones, and clips from scholars and virtuous people are widespread on internet sites and networks. Your watching of this blessed course is part of this—a means of learning how to perform this blessed ritual. Therefore, be keen, may Allah bless you, to learn and to ask the people of knowledge and virtue about every matter that arises.
I draw attention here to a mistake many people make, especially in the rituals of Hajj. What is this mistake? A pilgrim encounters an issue and acts without asking. Then, after doing it, he comes to the scholars and says: “I did such and such, what is the ruling?” This is a mistake, my brothers and sisters. Rather, the principle is that a person should not act until he asks. Allah says: “And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—about all those will be questioned.” A person should not fall into an issue without asking about it first. He should not act until he asks, so that he performs it correctly, avoiding mistakes that might lead to rulings that are difficult to fulfill.
Writing a will: Before setting out to perform this ritual, he should write his will. The principle for a believer is that his will should always be ready and written down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned concerning the believer that if he has something to bequeath, he should not spend a night without having his will written at his head. This means it should always be present, because a person does not know when the vicissitudes of fate will surprise him. Therefore, he should not set out for this ritual without having written his will. Someone might ask: “What should I write in my will?” First, he writes what he bequeaths to his family and relatives regarding kindness, goodness, and good conduct—advising them to fear Allah. Second, he writes what he owes to Allah in terms of rights. As we mentioned earlier, if there are obligations to Allah—such as vows, making up missed fasts, or expiations—and the person could not fulfill them before his travel time, he records them in his will so that if Allah decrees his death and he does not return from this journey, his heirs execute what he bequeathed. Likewise, he writes the rights that others owe him—debts if he lent money to people, or deposits left with others that belong to him. He also writes in his will if he holds deposits or trusts belonging to others, especially if it is money, because the heirs do not know whether this money is his or someone else’s; they might think it is his and distribute it as inheritance, when in fact it belongs to others or was entrusted to him for a period of time. So he must record those deposits in his will so that people’s rights are not lost. He also writes bequests for relatives—allocating a sum of money to be distributed to close relatives who are not heirs after his death. Allah commanded this in the Noble Book. He also writes in his will what he wishes to bequeath for various charitable purposes—setting aside part of his wealth for ongoing charity (ṣadaqah jāriyah), to be used for works or good causes whose benefit and reward return to him even while in his grave. He records all of this in his will, then has it witnessed by two witnesses. If he registers it officially with a notary, that is better. He leaves this will with a trustworthy person and instructs him to execute it if Allah decrees that he does not return from this blessed journey.
Lastly: He must always remember Allah throughout this blessed journey, remembering Him in his home and on his travels, at all times and in all situations, frequently remembering Allah and keeping his tongue moist with His remembrance throughout the journey. Allah commanded believers to remember Him often: “O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance, and exalt Him morning and evening.” Allah commanded His believing servants to remember Him frequently because remembrance brings tranquility to the heart and peace of mind. Allah says: “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” Therefore, the one heading to the Sacred House of Allah should keep his tongue occupied with Allah’s remembrance constantly, from the time he sets out—even before—and continue this throughout his journey, occupying himself with obedience. This is a season of good deeds, and the wise person is he who seizes opportunities—the opportunities of time are only for those who seize them.
The next axis in our discussion of the rulings of Hajj rituals in this jurisprudential course concerns the mīqāt (designated places and times). We will discuss the time-based mīqāt and the place-based mīqāt.
Time-based mīqāt: This is the time period that Allah prescribed for performing the Hajj ritual. Hajj is in “well-known months” (ashhur ma‘lūmāt) as Allah said. The months of Hajj are Shawwāl, Dhul-Qa‘dah, and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. These are the months of Hajj. What this means is that whoever intends to perform Hajj Tamattu‘ must perform his ‘Umrah during this period. If he performs it before that, it does not count as ‘Umrah for Tamattu‘. If someone goes in Ramadan, performs ‘Umrah in Ramadan, then remains in Makkah until the time of the Hajj rituals, does this ‘Umrah suffice him for ‘Umrah al-Tamattu‘? The answer is no, because ‘Umrah al-Tamattu‘ must be performed during the months of Hajj we just mentioned. This is called the time-based mīqāt.
Place-based mīqāt: These are locations specified by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as mīqāt. It is not permissible for anyone heading to the Sacred House of Allah for Hajj or ‘Umrah to pass beyond these places without having entered Ihrām. He absolutely cannot pass them without Ihrām. What are these five locations? We will show them in the following segment:
The journey of glorification begins from the mīqāt. On the way to Makkah, every pilgrim passes by his designated mīqāt. The place-based mīqāt are:
Dhul-Hulayfah (Abyār ‘Ali) for the people of Madinah.
Al-Juhfah (Rābigh) for the people of the Levant (Shām).
Qarn al-Manāzil (Al-Sayl al-Kabīr) for the people of Najd.
Yalamlam (Al-Sa‘diyyah) for the people of Yemen.
Dhāt ‘Irq for the people of Iraq. These mīqāt are for their people and for anyone who passes by them from other regions. The people of Makkah enter Ihrām from “Adnā al-Ḥill,” which is outside the boundaries of the sanctuary. It is from the Sunnah for a traveler passing by land to go to the mīqāt and form the intention for ‘Umrah, saying: “Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka ‘Umrah.” If he fears being unable to reach the sanctuary, he may make a condition by saying: “Fa in ḥabasani ḥābisun fa maḥilli ḥaythu ḥabastani” (If something prevents me, my place of removal is where I am prevented). As for one passing parallel to the mīqāt—such as a traveler by air or sea—he must intend Ihrām when parallel to it, and it is not permissible for him to pass the mīqāt without Ihrām.
These are the place-based mīqāt from which the pilgrim enters Ihrām. What does the pilgrim do at Ihrām? Ihrām has several steps that the pilgrim must do upon reaching the mīqāt:
Step one: Bathing (ghusl). The pilgrim bathes as he would for major ritual impurity, i.e., covering his entire body with water. Someone might ask: “Can he use scented soap?” The answer is yes, because he will use the soap and then wash it off with water afterward—there is no religious prohibition.
Step two: Wearing Ihrām garments. As you can see, a man wears two pieces of cloth: one as a lower wrap (izār) and the other over his shoulders, covering them. As for the woman, she enters Ihrām in her ordinary clothes and wears a wide, covering, ample cloak over them, with no outward adornment.
Step three: If an obligatory prayer is due, he prays it. If he reaches the mīqāt at the time of Ẓuhr, he prays it, then enters Ihrām afterward. If he reaches at Maghrib time, he prays Maghrib, then enters Ihrām afterward. If he reaches the mīqāt at a time when no obligatory prayer is due, he may pray two rak‘ahs as a voluntary prayer (tahiyyat al-masjid), then enter Ihrām afterward.
Step four: He then specifies the type of ritual he will enter. You will soon learn about the three types of rituals for which a pilgrim enters Ihrām. He specifies the type and also specifies for whom the Hajj is—if performing Hajj for himself, he intends it for himself; if performing Hajj on behalf of someone else, he intends it for that person.
If he has bathed, put on Ihrām garments, prepared himself, and prayed if an obligatory prayer was due, and has formed the intention in his heart—is he now in a state of Ihrām? Not yet. When does he become in a state of Ihrām? When he begins the Talbiyah. The Talbiyah is the entry into the ritual, exactly like the opening takbīr (takbīrat al-iḥrām) in prayer. Just as the opening takbīr in prayer prohibits certain permissible things for the person (like eating, drinking, speaking, turning away, moving), similarly, the Talbiyah prohibits certain things for the one who recites it. It is not valid for him to do certain prohibited acts once he recites the Talbiyah. We will see what these prohibitions are shortly.
A note for those traveling by air: Someone going by plane may take one of three routes. He may go to Madinah, directly to Jeddah, or to Ta’if. Whoever goes to Madinah enters Ihrām after leaving Madinah from the mīqāt of Dhul-Hulayfah. Whoever goes to Ta’if will land at Ta’if airport, and upon leaving Ta’if, he will pass by the mīqāt of Al-Sayl al-Kabīr and enter Ihrām there. The third case is the one who flies directly to Jeddah. This person will pass by the mīqāt of Al-Sayl al-Kabīr while in the air. What must he do? Airlines announce the mīqāt half an hour before reaching it. At that point, the person should be ready and prepared to enter Ihrām before reaching the mīqāt. As soon as the announcement is made in the plane that the mīqāt is half an hour away, he prepares to enter Ihrām. My advice to my brothers is to wear the lower Ihrām garment (izār) before boarding the plane—either from home or from the last airport they depart from—and keep the other piece in their hand luggage. Then, when the announcement is made in the plane that the mīqāt is half an hour away, while still in his seat, he can remove his clothes and place the second piece of Ihrām cloth over his shoulders, then begin the Talbiyah. The most important thing I emphasize is that the one heading to the Sacred House of Allah should not wait for the second announcement in the plane. The second announcement indicates that the plane is passing over the mīqāt. Rather, he must enter Ihrām before reaching the mīqāt. Therefore, a few minutes after the first announcement, he should immediately put on the second piece of Ihrām cloth (if he hasn’t already) and then begin the Talbiyah. Once he recites the Talbiyah, he becomes in a state of Ihrām.
The wording of the Talbiyah: Someone might ask: “What is the wording of the Talbiyah that the pilgrim recites?” The Talbiyah is: “Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak.” This same wording is used for all three types of ritual. What are the three types? Tamattu‘, Ifrād, and Qirān. Each of these three has a slightly different Talbiyah wording. Let us take them one by one.
First: Tamattu‘. This means the one who enters Ihrām for ‘Umrah, performs it completely, then exits the state of Ihrām. The wording of his Talbiyah: “Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak. Labbayka ‘Umrah.” So he says: “Labbayka ‘Umrah.”
Second: Ifrād. This is the one who enters Ihrām for Hajj only, without performing ‘Umrah. When he recites the Talbiyah, he says: “Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak. Labbayka Ḥajjah.” He says: “Labbayka Ḥajjah.” This is the same wording that the Mutamatti‘ says on the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah when he enters Ihrām for Hajj, also saying: “Labbayka Ḥajjah.”
Third: Qirān. This means performing ‘Umrah completely but not exiting the Ihrām; he remains in the same Ihrām state and continues until the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah, then enters the Hajj with the same Ihrām, combining ‘Umrah and Hajj in a single Ihrām. The wording he says is: “Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak. Labbayka ‘Umratan wa Ḥajjah.” He says: “Labbayka ‘Umratan wa Ḥajjah,” combining the two rituals in one Ihrām.
These are the three wordings for the three types of rituals. I point out here: whoever goes to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else, after reciting the wording we mentioned, adds the name of the person on whose behalf he is performing Hajj. For example, if he is a Mutamatti‘, when entering Ihrām for ‘Umrah he says: “Labbayka ‘Umrah ‘an fulān” (or ‘an fulānah for a female). Then when entering Ihrām for Hajj on the eighth day, he says: “Labbayka Ḥajjah ‘an fulān” (or ‘an fulānah). When the pilgrim completes this wording, he becomes in a state of Ihrām, meaning he has entered the ritual of Ihrām, and consequently a set of prohibitions (muḥarramāt) apply to him.
But before we learn what these prohibitions are, let us watch this short segment that discusses the three types of rituals and what each entails.
Types of Hajj:
Ifrād: The pilgrim enters Ihrām for Hajj only, intending to perform Hajj without ‘Umrah. In his Talbiyah he says: “Labbayka Ḥajjah.” He then performs all the rites of Hajj and remains in Ihrām until exiting it on the Day of Nahr.
Tamattu‘: The pilgrim enters Ihrām intending ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, saying in his Talbiyah for ‘Umrah: “Labbayka ‘Umrah.” He then exits Ihrām from ‘Umrah and remains in Makkah until he enters Ihrām for Hajj on the Day of Tarwiyah, saying in his Talbiyah for Hajj: “Labbayka Ḥajjah.”
Qirān: The pilgrim combines ‘Umrah and Hajj in a single ritual with one Ihrām, saying in his Talbiyah: “Labbayka ‘Umratan wa Ḥajjah.” He performs ‘Umrah and remains in Ihrām until he exits from both his ‘Umrah and Hajj on the Day of Nahr.
Pillars of Hajj (Arkān): It is not permissible to omit them, and Hajj is invalid without them:
Ihrām
Standing at ‘Arafah
Tawāf around the House
Sa‘y between Safa and Marwah
Obligations of Hajj (Wājibāt): It is not permissible to omit them, but if omitted, a sacrifice (dam) compensates:
Entering Ihrām from the mīqāt
Spending the night in Muzdalifah on the 10th night
Stoning Jamrat al-‘Aqabah on the 10th day
Slaughtering the sacrifice (for those obligated)
Shaving or shortening the hair
Spending the nights of Tashrīq in Minā
Once the pilgrim enters Ihrām by reciting the Talbiyah as described, he becomes in a state of Ihrām, and certain things become forbidden to him. These are the prohibitions (muḥarramāt) of Ihrām, which we will discuss at the beginning of the next episode of this jurisprudential course on the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah.
We will meet you again with goodness, may Allah bless you. Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no god but Allah.
Prima Quran 