Wednesday 14 August 2024

Jesus title in quran 4:157 as "the Messenger of Allah".

 Question:

Did the Jews admit that Jesus is the Messenger of Allah based on Quran 4:157 ?

Answer:

Praise be to God. Let's revise the context:

The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allah outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority. (153) And We raised over them the mount for [refusal of] their covenant; and We said to them, "Enter the gate bowing humbly", and We said to them, "Do not transgress on the sabbath", and We took from them a solemn covenant. (154) And [We cursed them] for their breaking of the covenant and their disbelief in the signs of Allah and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying, "Our hearts are wrapped". Rather, Allah has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few. (155) And [We cursed them] for their disbelief and their saying against Mary a great slander, (156) And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. (157) Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. (158)


Muslim Scholars understood the mention of 'the Messenger of Allah' as:

  1. Mockery from the Jews, as they deny it and do not acknowledge him as a prophet. They said it in mockery, similar to Pharaoh's statement: 'Indeed, your messenger who has been sent to you is indeed a madman' (Surah Ash-Shu'ara: 27).
  2. or this is part of God's words to praise and exalt Him above the accusations and exaggerations falsely attributed to him. God may replace their ugly mention with a good mention in recounting their words; this elevates Jesus above what they used to say about him and honors what they intended to convey.

  And Allah knows best.

Tuesday 13 August 2024

"Pride is My cloak.." Explaining Hadith Abu Dawud 4090 , Muslim 2620, Ibn Majah 4174

 Question: 

Can you explain this hadith:

عَنِ الأَغَرِّ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ، - عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، - قَالَ هَنَّادٌ - قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏: قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ 

" الْكِبْرِيَاءُ رِدَائِي وَالْعَظَمَةُ إِزَارِي فَمَنْ نَازَعَنِي وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا قَذَفْتُهُ فِي النَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ 

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah Most High says: "Pride is my cloak and majesty is my lower garment, and I shall throw him, who vies with me regarding one of them, into Hell. "

Answer:

Praise be to God,

This hadith is also reported by Imam Muslim:

عَنْ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ الأَغَرِّ، أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، وَأَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ قَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ الْعِزُّ إِزَارُهُ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءُ رِدَاؤُهُ فَمَنْ يُنَازِعُنِي عَذَّبْتُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Sa'id Khudri and Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: Glory is His lower garment and Majesty is His cloak and (Allah says, ) He who contends with Me in regard to them I shall torment him.

The hadith is understood in the following manner:

God Almighty said: 'Pride is My cloak and greatness is My garment,' meaning that these are attributes specific to Me and thus are not suitable for anyone else. Anyone who disputes these attributes is disputing a characteristic of Mine. If pride is only appropriate for Me, then anyone who is arrogant towards My servants has wronged himself; Al-Ghazali explained.
It is as if He is saying: 'Pride is only suitable for Me because those beneath Me possess attributes of creation that are inherent to them, and signs of incapacity are evident upon them.'
Therefore, anyone who disputes either of these attributes, I will throw them into the Fire for their desire to claim what is only fitting for the All-Powerful, the Compeller, the Strong, the Mighty, the Self-Sufficient, the Exalted, Glory be to Him. 'There is nothing like Him' (Quran 42:11).

Be attached to the attributes of His Lordship, and realize the attributes of your servitude. He prevented you from claiming what is not yours from what is for the created. So does He permit you to claim His description, while He is the Lord of the worlds?

This warning indicates that arrogance and pride are among the major sins. 

Allah knows best.