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singular usage of the term ummi occurs twice in the following verses. in both verses it refers to prophet muhammad (p.) and describes him as an ummi prophet. first: " my mercy extends to all things. that i shall ordain for those who do right thing, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in our signs. those who follow the apostle, the ummi prophet whom they find mentioned in their scriptures, the torah and gospel. " the qur'an, 7:157. the relative pronouns " those who " in this verse refers to the people of the book even though their name is not mentioned here. at the end of the verse, we find that their books are the torah and the gospel. maintaining these two books, the only popular holy book in arabia during that time, show that the word ummi is used in reference to the jews and the christians. therefore, the verse seems most likely to mean a prophet among those who have no book. second: " say, o, mankind! i am sent to you all as an apostle of god to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. therefore, there is no god but he. it is he who gives both life and death. so believe in god and his apostle, the ummi prophet. " the qur'an, 7:158. the context in this verse does not help to determine any specific meaning. all meanings mentioned in the arabic lexicons could apply here including the meaning of illiteracy. though most likely, it would mean the same as other verses, the one who has no book. the commentators the commentators of the qur'an hold various views regarding these verses, usually based on the hadith and their own personal opinions. they usually give the meaning of the term at its first occurrence the qur'an, surah 2:78. the following are the commentators views, chronologically arranged based on the available sources : 1. ibn abbas. people who do not believe in messengers, nor in any books (d.68/690) 2. ibrahim nakhai: one who does not write well. (d. 96/718) ( tabari 2/259 ) 3. al mujahid: some people among the jews. (d. 104/726) ( tabari 2/257 ) 4. al outadah al basri: the arabs. (d. 117/739 ) ( tabari 6/522) 5. al sudday: the arabs. (d 127/749) ( tabari 6/525) 6. ibn jareeh; some muslims during jahiliyya (d.150/772) pre islamic period ( tabari6/525) 7. al qummi ali: * jews. ( tafsir 1/106) (d. 3rd/9th c. ) one who has no book (tafsir 1/106) 8. al maturidi: one who does not write or read from a book. (d. 232/854) 9. al tabari: those who do not write nor read (d. 311/933) ( 2/257 ) 10. al tabarsi: * one who does not write well. " majmaal bayan " (6th/12th century.) 11. al razi: one who does not write or read well. (d. 606/1228) 12. al qurtubi: one who does not write or read well. (d. 671/1293) 13.al kashani fayd:* one who does not write. (d. 1090/1712) 14. al qasimi: those who do write well (d.1292/1914) 15. al shubbar: * those who do not write or read. 16. abdu muhammad: one who does not read (d. 1283/1905) * it refers to sh'iah tafsirs the miracle of ummi in islamic culture, the term ummi , in the sense of " illiterate " is one of the favorite epithets for prophet muhammad (p.). it is commonly held views of many muslims that this was a miraculous sign, an illiterate prophet coming to mankind. muslims scholars emphasize that his status as an illiterate validates his claim to be a true prophet. that is it would be impossible for an illiterate man to bring a book like the qur'an unless he truly is a prophet. in all likelihood, the first one who held this interpretation was al mawardi, abu al hasan ali b. muhammad al shofi (d. 450/1072). he say that the illiteracy of prophet muhammad (p.) is one of his explicit miracles and the most important one. al-baydawi (d.685/1307) says that prophet muhammad's (p.) perfect knowledge coupled with his illiteracy was one of his miracles. al-busyri, muhammad b. suid (d. 685/1307 ) in his poem about prophet muhammad (p) says: it is sufficient for you to have knowledge in your state of ummi miracle. ibn mandur (d.711/1337) says that this characteristics [ i.e. illiteracy] is one of the miraculous signs of prophet muhammad (p.) during the 14th/19th century almost all muslims scholars agreed on the illiteracy of prophet muhammad (p.). shaik abdu says that the illiteracy is one of the most important signs of his prophecy since he had brought after his prophecy the most valuable knowledge, and this is the common belief among muslims today. wa assalam alaykum.
q#13 al-afghani's nationality
by sayyid muhammad husayn jalali the nationality of sayyid-jamal al-din al-husaini al- afghani ( 1838-1897) is a matter of debate among scholars, whether he was actually an iranian or an afghani. as one scholar says, "this disagreement over al-afghani's connection to afghan is one of the strangest things, inspite of the fact that he lived in our era and in our areas and his works are before eyes." none of these scholars, muslims or non-muslims, discuss the question of afghani's nationality in relation to his ideology (the pan islamic policy ) which he spent all of his life for as once he said: " i have no aim except to grant every assistance to reform muslim's life. i hope that my blood, like the blood of any other martyr, will serve in this way." that is why he related himself to different regions. his signature appeared in connection of his documents more often as ( jamal al-din al- hussaini ) indicating his lineage to imam al-hussain , the grandson of prophet muhammad (p.). also his signature appears as follows " al-istanbuli, al-asad , al-afghani , al-kabuli, al-rummi, and al-tusi ". ( see : asnad sayyid jamal al-din by afshar, tehran). in order to answer the question about al-afghani's nationality affiliation, we must first answer the following questions: 1. why did he present himself with nicknamed relating himself to different nations? 2. why he did not present himself as an iranian at all? 3. why did he more often present himself as al-afghani when referred to nationality? i. there are several factors which show that al-afghani's intentionally related himself to several nations. this fact was not an accident. it was most likely that he wanted to display his ideology of muslim's unity and pan islamic policy. therefore he claimed nationality in several islamic countries but not, at all, to any non islamic lands. inspite of the fact that he lived in europe for a long tome, he did not claim to be a citizen of any european country such as england or france, the two european countries in which he lived for a long time. 2. inspite of the fact that he had a great effect on iranian policy, he did not present himself as an iranian. it is legitimate to believe that because of his political activities, he wanted to avoid any authorities of the iranian government which could have lead to his extradition as an iranian citizen through the local government wherever al-afghani went. 3. al-afghani presented himself as an afghani. there is no doubt that he was satisfied with the title of al-afghani, perhaps because he lived in afghanistan for a long time and because he admired the afghan type of life as his book tarikh of al-afghan shows. wa assalam alaykum.
q#14 the caliphate
by sayyid muhammad husayn jalali the title " caliphah" is an islamic title for the universal muslim authority. the term "caliphah" and "caliphate" are derived from the word ( khalfah) which means successor, even though it is a subject of debate whether it is used in the sense of a successor of prophet muhammad (p.) or the high authority who represents god on earth. in other words, there is no sure answer to the question whether the title is given by god as uthman, the third caliphah, claimed or it is given by the people as the majority of muslims scholars believe. the title "caliph" used to imply both religious and political authority in the beginning of islamic history but later, it applied only to the political authority. however, the caliphate played a great role on unifying the muslim nation. it was the symbol of unity especially during the serious crisis of islamic history, such as the civil war between imam ali ( a. ) and governor mu'awiyyaah and the other crisis which followed it. the common belief was that the title "caliphah" was suitable only for one person as the universal authority. therefore, two persons cannot assume the same title at the same time. the origin of the ideal caliphate goes back to the shari'ah institute which is totally based on the islamic thought. perhaps, the first one who gave more details on the subject was al- mawardi ( d.1058 ). he outlines the ideal caliphate, paying particular attention to the authority who it should be regulated. he illustrates ten duties incumbent on caliphah in the interest of the islamic community: 1. to preserve islam. 2. to enforce judgments between disputants. 3. to protect the lands. 4. to apply penalties keeping god's prohibition from violation. 5. to defend the frontiers against enemy attack. 6. to carry out the holy war. 7. to collect the community's portion of war booty, tribute and alms tax. 8. to assess what is due the treasury and make disbursements on time. 9. to choose competent advisors for appointments and financial matters. 10. to carry out for himself the supervision of affairs. the qualification of calipha for the caliphate always, was a matter of debate throughout islamic historyand its eventual failure. the emphasis outlining the duties of the authority by al- mawardi shows the weakness of the calipha during his term. the title "caliph" gradually changed its original sense signifying the dual religious and political power. there was then a subsequent significant loss of the actual political power of the caliph when he no longer ruled all of the regions under the caliphate name. many regions, locally, established power or raised their local ameers as independents not following the central government of the caliphate. the caliphate became so weak that its power was usurped by other tribes such as saljuqi turks. as a result of lack of islamic practice among the authority, the abbassid caliphate began to break down. many independent governments emerged mostly the shi'a independent governments as buyids in iraq and iran, and the fatimids in egypt. wa assalam alaykum.
q#15 islamic faith
by sayyid muhammad husayn jalali "islam" is the name of the religion of god revealed to prophet muhammad(p.). the word "islam" is derived from "salam" which literally means peace. it is called islam because it teaches everyone to think, act and live peacefully. furthermore, it has chosen the phrase "assalam alaikum" (peace be upon you) as the regular greeting for muslims to signify this goal. when islam is properly understood and implemented, one will live in a peaceful mind, a happy family and in harmonious community. a community that looks upon all human as equal. the only difference among them would be their deeds and behavior. the qur'an says, " . . . in the sight of god, the most righteous is the one who is the best in conduct." the qur'an, 49:13 faith in islam is not a blind obedience rather, it is based on reasoning and thinking. the qur'an says, " i preach you one thing that you rise up for the sake of god jointly and singly, then think." the qur'an, 34:46 therefore, in islam there is no force to accept the islamic faith without understanding. the qur'an says, " there is no compulsion in religion." the qur'an, 2: 256 unity of god the first doctrine in islam is the unity of god, and it is the source of other doctrines. the qur'an says, "there is none worthy of worship but one only one almighty god, the creator of the earth and heaven. he is free from all defects, i.e., holy . he is all mercy and all power. he has no partner. he neither begets nor is he begotten and none is like him. the qur'an 112:1-4 prophethood the second doctrine is the continuity of prophethood upto prophet muhammad (p.). as human mind had developed since the creation, god taught humanity various religions. he sent prophets at different times such as ismael, issac, moses, john, jesus, and finally muhammad (p.). the qur'an says, ". . . we believe in god, and the revelation given to us and to abraham, ismael, issac, jacob and the tribes, and that given to moses and jesus, and given to prophets from their lord. we make no difference between any of them....". the qur'an, 3:83. all religions have their origin in truth. with the passing of time the truth was either forgotten or became overlapped with the interest of human interventions. when the world reached that stage of understanding, when it was ready for final lesson, god has sent the last prophet muhammad (p.) with the holy qur'an to correct the errors which had found their way into various religions. these two doctrines, the unity of god and prophethood of muhammad (p.) are the first step for any one who wants to become a member of islamic community. wa assalam alaykum.
q#16 time of prayers
by sayyid muhammad husayn jalali in the name of god, the merciful, the compassionate ".... indeed prayer is a timed duty for believers." the qur'an, 4:103 as general principle of prayer's time, qur'an says, " perform prayers at sunset until the darkness of night and recital of dawn. indeed , the recital of dawn is witnessed. the qur'an, 17:78 the exact time of daily prayer was explained by the prophet (p.) 1. morning prayer at dawn. 2. noon prayer. 3. afternoon prayer. 4. sunset prayer, immediately after sunset. 5. evening prayer. teaching of islam insists to pray on time. qur'an reads: " observe prayers and the middle prayer and stand obedient to god." the qur'an 2-238 this middle prayer, according to the teaching of ahl-ul-bayt is the noon prayer. the emphasis on this prayer at noon time indicates the balance between the nutritional need and spiritual need of body. every individual muslim should be sure of prayer's time before starting prayer. the times of five daily prayers are as follows: first : morning prayer ( fajr ) morning prayer ( subh-fajr ) consists of two units offered in audible voice. the time of this prayer begins from dawn and ends before sunrise. to determine its time one should distinguish between " twilight " ( subh- kadhib ) and " dawn" (subh-sadiq ). twilight is the faint darkish light in the sky during the time when night is about to become a day. this appears when sun is 18 degrees below the horizon. since each degree is four minutes, the twilight appears approximately 72 minutes before sunrise. immediately after twilight another light occurs and extends with the sunrise. the later is called dawn. second : noon prayer ( zuhr ) it consists of four units offered silently. the time of noon prayer starts after the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. this is also known as "zawal". to determine this, one can consider the time of the sunrise and sunset and divide them into two; the middle is the midway which is called noon or zuhr. third: afternoon prayer ('asr) it consist of four parts offered silently. its time is when the shadow of an object becomes equal to its own length. its time extends to sunset. ( note: these two prayers -- noon and afternoon prayers-- may be performed together, that is , when the zuhr prayer is finished, one may start the 'asr prayer, or delay the 'asr prayers to its proper time, this is according to the practice of the prophet (p.), as it is reported by ahl-ul-bayt (a.). fourth: sunset prayers ( maghrib ) it consists of three units. the time of this prayers is immediately after sunset until the end of twilight-- the redness which remains on the horizon after sunset. fifth: evening prayers ( isha ) it consists of four units. the time of this prayers begins after the sun fully sets, and extends until midnight. ( note: these two prayers--sunset prayers and evening prayers--may be joined together, that is when maghrib is finished, one may start the isha prayer or delay it to its proper time . this is according to practice of the prophet (p.), as it is reported by the ahl ul-bayt.) joining prayers it is recommended to perform each prayer on its time. one, however may join two of them together. that is to pray, for instance, noon and afternoon prayers at one time or to delay the noon prayer and pray both later. according to the teachings of ahl ul-bayt, it is allowed during travel as well as at residence. also, there are hadith, narrated from the prophet, which allows to do so. bukhari narrates that the prophet prayed in madina seven and eight , zuhr and asr, and maghrib and isha prayers together. see bukhari, v.1,p.136, cairo. likewise muslim narrates that " the prophet prayed zuhr and asr together in madina without any (reason) . the narrator asked the reason of combining two prayers and ibn abbas replied that " [prophet (p.)] did not want to make it difficult for his followers." ( see muslim, v.2.p.151,cario ). postponed prayer when one misses any of the five daily prayer at anytime, he or she has to perform it later as soon as possible. when we pray when you determine the time of sunrise and sunset, you can determine the time of all prayers. 1. approximately 72 minutes before sunrise is dawn prayer. 2. the point which divides sunrise and sunset equally is the time for noon praye. 3. subsequent to noon prayers is the time of afternoon prayer until sunset. 4. sunset is the time for sunset prayer. 5 . after sunset is the time for isha prayer until midnight. wa assalam allaykum.
q#17 direction of prayers qibla
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