Teaching Methods of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Teaching Methods of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Islamic Questions Answered

It is blasphemy to degrade any of the Prophets Allah sent to us. Please give more detail on this judgment.

Some people these days degrade Prophets without even noticing. To degrade or belittle a Prophet is actually in fact degrading the wisdom of Allah, because Allah sent these Prophets to be followed and honored. Allah sent them as teachers to humanity to guide them from darkness into light. They were given the highest level of moral character and conduct. Allah praised the Prophets in many Ayahs in the Qu’ran and ordered us to follow them. Belittling the Prophets is totally against Islam as confirmed by the Qu’ran, Hadith and scholarly consensus.

When the Prophet died he had about 100,000 companions. Name at least four well known companions.
Bilal Al-Habashi (the Abysinian), Salmaan Al-Farisi (the Persian), Suhayl Ar-Rumi (known as the Roman), and Abu-that Al-Ghifari.

What is the proof from the Qu’ran that Allah is the Creator of everything?
Surat Al-Furqan, Ayah 2 means that Allah created everything. No one creates except Allah.

What did the famous Imam Ja^Far As-Sadiq say about Allah?

He said, “Whoever says that Allah is in something or on something or from something is a Kafir (non-Muslims) because if Allah was in something He could be contained and limited therefore created (which is impossible), and if He was on something, He would be lifted and therefore having a weight and body (which is impossible), and if He was made from something He would be like us the created things (which is impossible).

Change is not an attribute of the Creator, but rather the creation. Anything that changes is in need of a beginning, middle and ending. Things usually change to get better or worse. Why is it blasphemy to say that Allah changes?
Because change is specific to the creation and not the Creator. Anything that changes has a beginning, middle and end. Allah is not like the creations.

Why is it blasphemy to say that the devil creates evil?
Because Allah is the only Creator. Surat Al-Falaq, Ayah #2 means “And from the evil created by Allah. { }

What is the meaning of “ Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jama^a”?
The people of the Sunnah, meaning those who follow the creed and methodology of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Jama^ah, meaning the Prophet’s Companions.

What is the general proof of the existence of Allah?
Every action needs an actor, every book needs a writer, every building needs a builder, every painting needs an artist…and so forth. This world did not create itself and therefore it needs a creator and that is Allah.

How does one show the Christian that Allah is not Jesus and that Jesus is not God’s son?
We all know that Jesus has a beginning, He ate food and slept like we do. He even prayed to Allah. There is no doubt that these are created attributes. The Creator is not like the creation and does not have created attributes. We can not attribute weakness to God. To say that God is man or like a man is actually attributing weakness to God. To say that God is a man or like a man is actually attributing weakness to Him. When speaking about a father and a son, we always pose a relationship between the two. The father is human, the son is a human, the father eats, the son eats. The father was once a child, and the son will likely be a father by God’s will. Allah made Jesus without a father and made Adam without either father or mother; yet we haven’t heard anyone call Adam God’s son. Some people insult  Prophet Adam, who is a great Prophet and our father. It is against Islam to call Allah a father or say that He has a son or that we are his children; this is the worst of crimes. The Creator is not like the creation . How could the Eternal be like the created? How could the One who is not in need of anyone be like the creation who need Allah in every moment of their existence.

"O Allah, guide our non-Muslim families to the light of Islam and protect us from being misguided."

Allah gave the Prophets miracles to show people that they hold the truth. Mention at least three miracles of Prophet Muhammad.
The Prophet had many miracles, the best of which being The Qu’ran. Among his many miracles are:

1. Pure water sprang from between the fingers of the Holy Prophet; this happened at a time when the Muslims were extremely thirsty and needed to make wudu’ (ablutions). Imam Bukhari related that 1500 people had benefited from this miracle. This happened other occasions as well.
2. Allah gave the Prophet the honor of visiting Jerusalem and then ascending to the seven heavens and even above to Paradise. This was true in body and soul. Be warned of the wahhabbi faction who try to claim Allah was in the sky; this is clear blasphemy because Allah is not a body and exists without a place. The Prophet told us this. He saw that most of the people of  Paradise were poor Muslims in this world.
3. Allah gave a dead animal life and it spoke in front of many people in fluent Arabic saying that no one is God except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. This miracle resulted in many people embracing Islam.

Paradise is the best place Allah created. It is against Islam to say that Allah is in heaven because Allah exists without a place. Mention at least three characteristics of the people of Paradise:

1. The people of Paradise are all married. They are in the most beautiful of forms. Their heights is that of their father Adam, about 30 meters tall and about 3 ½ meters wide. They do not have facial or body hair. There are beautiful horses with wings that are used for transport. There are also other facilities and pleasures that keep the people of Paradise happier than a person could ever be in this world. No one gets old or sick, bored or depressed. The fruits of the trees are always ripe. The people of Paradise thank Allah every moment for his generosity.

What is the “Mizan” in the hereafter?
The Mizan in the hereafter is like a balance with two pans. The Angels place the books on those pans. The one whose good deeds outweigh their bad deeds will go to Paradise without any punishment. If one’s bad deeds outweigh their good deeds then one of two things will happen. Either they are forgiven by Allah and go to Paradise without punishment, or they will be punished for a time in hellfire and then enter Paradise. As for the non-believers, they will not have even one good deed because they did not believe and no good action done in the world is accounted for if it was done by a non-believer. Not having complete sincerity to Allah will also erase the reward of a good deed done by Muslims. Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger will not benefit from their actions in this world even if they did lots of good to the Muslims.

What are some of the punishments in the grave?
Kuffar (non Muslims) and some bad Muslims will receive torture in the grave. The torture of the kafir is the worst. The Angels, Munkar, and Nakir question the kafir in the grave; after hearing his/her response they hit them with a hammer-like object. That shot would be so severe that it would level a mountain if it hit it. The kafir would not die, however, from this blow, but rather scream loudly. No one would hear the kafir screaming except the animals around the grave. Snakes and other earth animals eat away their bodies. Bad Muslims may feel extreme loneliness and fear, and other types of torture while in the grave.

Reading the Qu’ran for the bad Muslims will help them in the grave by Allah’s will.

How long does the Day of Judgment last?
The Day of Judgment is a day that lasts for 50,000 years; it will pass quickly, however, for the pious Muslims.

The tortures in the hellfire are true in body and soul, never-ending for the one who dies disbelieving Allah and His Messenger. What are some of the tortures?
The body of the kafir will be much larger in the hellfire. It was narrated that the kafir’s molar would be the size of a mountain. The body of the kafir will burn until every piece of flesh is off of it. Allah will create new flesh and the same thing will happen again and again, never ending. Hellfire has extremes of heat and cold. There are snakes in hellfire the size of rivers which terrify and harm. The kuffar have no second of relief, and no chance to come back. The bad Muslims who are not forgiven and go to hellfire will not stay there forever.

"O Allah, have mercy on us and protect us. Ameen."

What is the simple mental proof that there is only one God without a partner?
If there were two so-called Gods, and one willed for a person to be alive but the other willed for the same person to die, could a person be alive and dead at the same time? Of course not. This means that one of the so-called Gods did not get what he willed, which is a sign of weakness. Anyone who is weak is not God. Those who say that there are many so-called Gods limit them in power and knowledge. God knows everything and has power over everything.

What is the simple proof that everything happens according to the eternal Will of Allah?
It is blasphemy to say that something happened without Allah’s Will. By that, one would be claiming that Allah is weak and this is impossible. If we hear of a king or president that wanted something but didn’t get it, we would all admit that he was weak and limited. How could one falsely say that about Allah?

What is the major difference between a Prophet who is not a Messenger, and a Prophet who is a Messenger?
A Prophet who is not a messenger does not come with new rules to follow, but rather that Prophet and his followers follow the laws brought down by the previous Prophet who was also a Messenger. A Prophet who is also a Messenger comes with a new set of laws which sometimes erase some of the laws brought by the previous messenger. The laws Prophet Jesus came with were slightly different from the laws Prophet Moses came with. This is because they were both Prophets and Messengers Prophet Zakariah was not a Messenger so he followed the laws of the previous Prophet – Messenger who came before him, who was Moses. A Prophet-Messenger has a higher rank than one who is just a Prophet. Prophets are the most honorable creations and must be followed whether they were messengers or not. There were no Prophets between Jesus and Muhammed. Every Messenger is a Prophet but not every Prophet is a Messenger.

What was the greatest miracle of our beloved Prophet Muhammad?
The Qu’ran is the greatest miracle of Prophet Muhammad. It is not a scripture that was authored by Prophet Muhammad or Angel Jibreel (Gabriel).  The Qu’ran is the most special revelation  from Allah to mankind conveying His orders and prohibitions, wisdom, and many other beneficial knowledge. Many Arab poets and linguists embraced Islam because of the eloquence and astonishing style of the Qu’ran. Prophet Muhammad was not a poet, but He challenged all the poets and linguists to come with anything like the Qu’ran. They couldn’t; this proved the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad’s message. The Qu’ran  has many benefits; it is used as a medicine and cures by Allah’s will. The Qu’ran contains verses read when encountered with fear, depression, and many other cases. The Qu’ran is read for the dead Muslims, and this helps them by Allah’s will. It helps relieve some bad Muslims of some of their suffering, and helps raise the rank of the other Muslims who died in the state of piety.

What are the three types of blasphemy, and how does one return to Islam after committing blasphemy?
Blasphemy is either verbal by action or conviction. Verbal blasphemy is to say something against Islam , like saying that Allah is like the creation, or saying that there is a new Prophet after Prophet Muhammad, or saying something halal (like marriage) is haram, or saying something haram like alcohol is halal. An example of blasphemy by action is to throw the name of Allah, or anything of Islamic significance in the trash, or prostrating to the sun, moon, or to an idol. Blasphemy by conviction is to believe that Allah is a body, light, or spirit, or to believe that Islam is not true. It is blasphemy to have doubt in heaven, hell, or the day of judgment. Anything the Prophet came with must be believed without a doubt. Joking is not an excuse for blasphemy. One clears him/herself from blasphemy  from saying the testification of faith (shahada) with the intention of leaving all that contradicts it. One could say the shahada on their own, they do not need to be in a mosque, nor have any witnesses.

How does one show the "mushabbihah" (anthropomorphist) wahhabi that Allah that Allah is not in the sky, sitting on the throne as falsely claimed his/her group?

1. Allah created the sky
2. Allah does not need what He created
3. Allah existed before the sky
4. Allah is not contained
5. Allah is not a body
6. Anything sitting on a chair is either the same size as that chair, or larger, or smaller in all three cases one would be giving Allah a form, and this is impossible.
7. Allah has no equal.
8. The Qu’ran  says “Laysa  Kamithlihi Shay’un” which means that absolutely nothing is like Allah.

There are three groups of people who will not suffer the everlasting punishment in the hellfire even though they disbelieved. Who are they?

1. The insane
2. The ones who had never heard the call of Islam (shahada).
3. The children who died before becoming pubescent.

Note: In Islam a boy becomes pubescent 15 lunar years of age (approximately 14 ½ solar years). The girl however becomes pubescent when on of these three happen:

1. Commencement of the menstrual period.
2. The first emission of the female sexual fluid (maniyy) or
3. Becoming 15 lunar years of age.

What are the names of the four famous Holy books revealed to four honorable Prophets, and what special month were they revealed in?

1. Tawrah.
2. Zaboor.
3. Injeel.
4. Qu’ran. These Holy books were revealed in the holy month of Ramadan.

THE AHMADIS
They are a deviant faction in Pakistan who fell out of Islam because of a claim made by their leader. Who are they known as, and why are they considered blasphemers?
They call themselves “The Almadiyyah movement in Islam". They are also known as Qadianis. Their leader, now dead, was called Ghulam Ahmad from a town called Qadiyan in Pakistan. He claimed prophethood which is against the Qu’ran, Hadith and scholarly consensus of this nation. The Ayah in Surat-al-Ahzab  means , “He is the Messenger of Allah, and the last of all the Prophets.”  This ayah refers to Prophet Muhammad.

Prophet Yusuf was one of the most handsome men. He was falsely accused of an evil action and later proven innocent. What was this deed, and why is it kufr to say such things about any Prophet?
Prophet Yusuf was falsely accused of trying to rape his master’s wife, Zalikha. It was she that tried to seduce Him but He refused and ran to the door. Later she admitted to her evil-doing and cleared Prophet Yusuf. It is blasphemy to accuse Prophet Yusuf  (Joseph) of such action. Allah is The Most Wise; He would not send a Prophet with a low character.

One cannot delay a person from taking his/her shahada by any way, if so the “delayer” falls out of Islam. What important matter in Islam requires at least two trustworthy witnesses to be valid?
To get married, one needs at least two trustworthy male witnesses.

On a special night and in a special month each year Allah gives the Angels knowledge or what will happen in the next year ahead. What is this special night  known as, and what month am I referring to?
Laylat Al-Qadar (The night of high virtue), and Ramadan.

What are the names of the elite jurists of the four famous school of Islamic guidance and law?
Imam Malik, Imam Abu-Hanifa, Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy, and Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal.

Prophet Ibrahim never worshipped anyone other than Allah. No prophet ever had doubt for a slight second in the Oneness of Allah. What negative interrogative phrase said by Prophet Ibrahim is sadly misinterpreted?
Prophet Ibrahim looked at the sun, moon, and stars and told His people, “This is my lord?” meaning this is not Allah who Alone is worthy or worship. This is called a negative interrogative, which is  saying something but meaning the opposite. It is not true that Ibrahim didn’t know about God and worshipped other than Him, then finally realized his mistake. Prophets never have doubt in Allah, never.

I ask Allah to protect us from such blasphemy and misguidance.

In the famous Hadith, our beloved Prophet defines 'Iman' (belief) by saying that, “Iman is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Prophets, The Last Day, and Al-Qadar, the good or it and the evil. What does believing in Al-Qadar mean?


Believing in Al-Qadar means to have a firm conviction that everything is the way it is because Allah willed so. When we say that Allah willed for everything to be, we do not mean that Allah loves or accepts everything that happens. Allah created the good, blessed it, and ordered it. Allah created the evil and forbade it and does not love it. Allah is not harmed by His creations, nor is He benefited. Allah guides whomever He wills and misguides whomever He wills.

O Allah, keep our hearts firm on Islam; no one is God except You.

Our beloved Prophet informed us that there would be seventy-three divisions., all claiming to be His followers. He told us seventy –two  would be in hellfire, and one would be in Paradise. The companions asked Him, Who would be saved?” What was our beloved’s response?
Our beloved Prophet responded by saying that those who follow me and my companions will be saved. In another Hadith, the Prophet said that a time would come when you would see many different ideas;  hold strongly to the majority. The majority. The majority of the Muslims now and before follow the path of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jama^ah. The path laid down by the two imams of ^Aqeedah (belief) Al-Asha^ariyy and Al-Maturidiyy. They accept the four schools of Islamic Jurisprudence, and it was them who opened Constantinople (presently Istanbul, Turkey) in which Prophet Muhammad praises that army, its leader and soldiers.

What is the meaning of Shafa^ah?
Shafa^ah is a special help given to the bad Muslims from the pious Muslims on the Day of Judgment. Shafa^ah happens by the pious asking Allah to help those bad Muslims by relieving them of their punishment. Allah answers the prayers of the pious and lessens or completely relieves the bad Muslims of their punishments. Shafa^ah displays the great honor given to the pious, and is not granted to the kuffar. Prophet Muhammad is the first to give shafa^ah by Allah’s Will, and the One who will benefit the most with His shafa^ah shows His great rank. Other Prophets, pious scholars, martyrs, and angels also give Shafa^ah by Allah’s Will. The prophet told us that whoever visits His grave will be granted shafa^ah by Him.

O Allah, enable us to visit his grave in Medina.

A Prophet may fall into a small sin which is not abject or mean. He would repent immediately before anyone would imitate Him in that small sin. Please elaborate on such cases.
Prophet Adam alayhis-salaam fell into a small sin by eating from a tree he was forbidden to eat from. This was before Adam became a Prophet in Paradise. He repented immediately and asked for forgiveness; Allah forgave him. This was not an enormous sin nor was it an act of disbelief as claimed by Christians. It is possible that a Prophet may fall into a small non-abject sin but they would repent immediately before anyone imitates them. A small abject sin is like stealing a grape. Prophets never do such sins. Prophets are impeccable from falling into blasphemy, major and minor (abject) sins before and after Prophethood. To belittle Prophet Adam because of His action or claim that all humanity is born with sin is blasphemy against Islam to say or believe.

Many Ayahs in the Qu’ran say that Allah will not forgive one if he/she dies in the state of blasphemy, but may forgive anything that is lesser than that (like major or minor sins) if He (Allah) Wills. List at least two Ayahs confirming this:

{إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ}

{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًا لَّمْ يَكُنِ اللَّـهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ سَبِيلًا}

These two ayahs mean that Allah will never forgive the one who died in the state of blasphemy but may forgive any other sin for whomever He wills.

What is the reason for Prophet Muhammad’s move to Medina later in His life?
It was an order from Allah, not because of fear of being harmed by the kuffar.  The Prophet is the bravest of all creations. He did not “flee to Medina” as falsely said in some books. He migrated because Allah Ordered Him and His followers to move to Medina which is north of Mecca.

What does it mean when we say that, “Allah is Just in all His doings”?
This means that Allah does whatever He wills. He is not questioned for what He does. Every mercy from Him is due to His generosity and every punishment from Him is just. Allah is the One who makes the rules to be followed. No one exercises rule over Him. If one were to hit a Muslim and blind him, that would be an injustice to him. Yet if Allah caused a person to wake up blind we would not say that it is an injustice from Allah. Allah can do with His creations whatever He wills. He may give one who is ungrateful many blessing and another who is pious many hardships in this world. No one can say that Allah or His rules are unfair; this is blasphemy.

How was Islamic knowledge transferred and how should it be obtained?
Prophet Muhammad taught His companions who passed their knowledge down to their students. The knowledge was passed down through a chain of trustworthy people from one generation to another until it reached us today. The companions did not just write books and give them away, but rather they explained face-to-face the details of the knowledge given to them by the Messenger of Allah. Knowledge must be sought from those who can trace their knowledge back leading to the Prophet Himself. This is the method of the scholars who received knowledge in that manner. Imam ^Ali said that people are either scholars, students, or the ignorant people who follow anything. Beware of those who just read many books without receiving their explanations and authorization to teach. Seek knowledge from the scholars, even if that means traveling to Africa or Asia.

What is the difference between the personal obligatory knowledge and the collective obligatory knowledge?
The personal obligatory knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim who is sane and pubescent to know. The one who is ignorant of the personal obligatory knowledge is sinful. Make sure you know the personal obligatory knowledge and teach it to your children and families. The personal obligatory knowledge is also known as fard-ayni. A great book authored by Shaykh ^Abdullah al-Harariyy explains the obligatory knowledge in more detail. All the Muslims within a community need to have the personal obligatory knowledge, which is also called fard kifaaya. The collective obligatory knowledge is like knowing the whole Qu’ran or mastering the Arabic language. Not every Muslim needs to know the entire Qu’ran or master the Arabic language. It is obligatory for some Muslims within the Muslim community to master the Qu’ran and Arabic language. The collective obligatory knowledge also includes learning about worldly sciences like math, or medicine and so forth – to benefit the Muslim communities.

What is the proof that one is judged for his sayings and not just his intentions?
It is confirmed by the Qu’ran, Hadith, and Scholarly consensus that one will be judged for their sayings as well as their doings in the hereafter. Many people speak carelessly and when crossing the borders by saying something wrong, they try to justify their mistake by saying “What you say doesn’t matter; all that matters is your intentions”. If that was the case, the Prophet wouldn’t have told us that most of the sins people commit are from their tongues. The Prophet wouldn’t have told us that a person may utter a word he thinks is harmless, and that word will lead him to become a kafir. The Prophet wouldn’t have said that he who practices silence will be saved on the Day of Judgment. Tell those people to repent and fear Allah and acquire the knowledge. Their statement is so far from the truth. Their statements is a proof to their ignorance.

Why is it so dangerous to speak without knowledge in Islam?
The Prophet told us that a place in hellfire is prepared for the person who speaks without knowledge. This is a major sin and sometimes leads one out of Islam. Beware of those who try to act like Imams while not even having the obligatory knowledge. Prophet Muhammad told us that the companions are like stars in the sky, full of light and guidance. The Qu’ran contains an ayah which means “ask those who know if you do not know”.

O Allah, help us to follow Your Prophet and His kind family and dear companions.

What are some lessons learned from Al-Hajj?
Unity, brotherhood, patience, sacrifice, and the common slavehood between the people,  regardless of their status in this world.

O Allah, grant us the ability to perform Hajj in Mecca, then visit your Prophet in Medina.

What must one learn immediately after saying the Shahada, or when growing up in a Muslim family?
The Islamic obligatory knowledge, starting with the attributes of Allah and then continuing the meaning of the shahada, the rules of prayer, and the rest of the obligatory knowledge.

How does one order with what is good and forbid what is evil?
One must have great wisdom in ordering with what is good and forbidding what is evil. The approach of some may lead to more harm than benefit. One must be sincere to start with, then think whether a benefit will come out of his ordering the good; if not, then he should not act. That would be like knocking on a door you know there is no one behind to answer. Sometimes a person finds that he cannot do anything to change a certain situation; in that case he would have to reject it in his heart. The Prophet told us that whoever knows of evil should exert effort to change it with his hand, if not able, than with his tongue, if not able than with his heart and that is the least one could do.

O Allah, give us wisdom in all our actions, ameeen.

Why is having complete sincerity for Allah in your good actions essential?
Without true sincerity for the sake of Allah, the good actions one does will be of no benefit on the Day of Judgment. One may donate a million dollars to build a mosque to show off in front of the people and receive nothing for that in the hereafter. Another person may donate just a dollar and receive countless blessings for Allah because of that good deed. Doing a good deed to be praised by people does not just erase the reward of that deed, but also leaves one with an enormous sin. Be sincere and you will win. Insincerity is one of the worst diseases of the heart.

Why is loving Prophet Muhammad the medicine to the hearts?
When you love someone you follow them. The one creation most deserving our love is the Prophet Muhammad. He is the one who guided us to the greatest blessing in this world, which is Islam. Allah ordered us to love Him and follow Him. When your love increases for Him, you will desire more good action, more knowledge, and you will be content with what you have. Learn, my Muslim friends, as much as you can about Islam; don’t waste your valuable time. The more you learn about Prophet Muhammad and His message, the more your heart softens and it is purified from the ways of misguidance. O Allah, fill our hearts with the love of Your Prophet and His dear companions and kind family.

What does it mean when we say Allah and Angels make salat on the Prophet?

قال تعالى: ( ان الله وملائكته يصلون على النبي يا أيها الذين ءامنوا صلوا عليه وسلموا تسليما) سورة الأحزاب ءاية 56.

It means Allah has raised the rank of His Prophet (Muhammad) and honored Him. The Angels do also pray that Allah elevates the Prophet’s rank and honor.O believers ask Allah to raise the rank of the Prophet and to Protect his nation.

What does it mean when we say "Allahumma Salli ^Ala Muhammad"?

We are asking Allah to increase the Prophets honor and rank and to to protect the Prophet’s nation.

 

ALHAMDU-LILLAH

I ASK ALLAH TO END OUR LIVES WITH ISLAM
Ameen, Ameen & Ameen

Loving the Prophet is our medicine!