Fatwas Part Ninety-Eight

Issued by: Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Divine Thought?

Published in October 22, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I tend to think that the Quran is undoubtedly the divine expression (in writing) but not the divine thought per se; the truth of the divine ideas of God are above being expressed in any human tongue, I think; all languages are too much confined to meanings of this material, physical world; God's divine thought is beyond time and place, you know … It is silly and laughter-inducing that the Muhammadans assume that the Arabic tongue is 'holy' as it is used within the divine expression (i.e., the Quran), and they take pride in this myth; it's as if the Arabic tongue is above all other tongues! What do you think? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 There is nothing called 'divine thought' of the Lord God; we will not be judged based on this term you have coined; we will be judged based on the Quran itself; of course, the Quranic text contains figurative and literal styles to make readers grasp the meanings of the verses as much as possible; God will judge us based on how we have understood and applied the Quran within our lives; people in general are free to (dis)obey and to (dis)believe. Of course, the Arabic tongue is never above any other tongues, though it is among the most ancient tongues on earth. Of course, we have to admit the fact that the Arabic tongue is not as flexible as the English tongue; of course, all tongues reflect the dominant culture of the speakers of this or that tongue; hence, the Arabic tongue of today shows the backwardness of Arab ignoramuses; in contrast, the English tongue reflects now the civilization and heavy influence of Anglophones worldwide.

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About Believers and Fasting

Published in October 23, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I admire very much your books and articles; yet, as you write nowadays about the false prayers of polytheistic Muhammadans, why do not you write about their false fasting, zakat, and pilgrimage? Why are the Quranic legislations addressing men and not women (e.g., see the verse 2:187)?! Why do not we find prophets/messengers talk about fasting at all, though they often talked about prayers and zakat; e.g., see 19:54-55 and 20:132? What do you think?  … Thank you …  

Answer:

 All Quranic legislations are addressed to both women and men; for instance, both sexes are included in verses that begin with the phrase: (O who you believe...). Of course, Quranic stories of prophets/messengers aim at drawing moral lessons and not at narrating their full history. Of course, legislations and acts of worship in Islam (prayers, fasting, etc.) are mainly the same within all messages carried by all prophets/messengers; God has said the following to Muhammad: "Nothing is said to you but was said to the Messengers before you..." (41:43). We refer you to our books on pilgrimage, prayers, and fasting.

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The Qorayish Tribe and the Israelites

Published in October 23, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Why does God address the Israelites in more than 47 Quranic verses, and yet, the Arabs are not addressed but are only talked of?! Does this mean that no Arab 'nation' existed during the lifetime of Muhammad?! … Was the tribe of Qorayish a mere race of unknown origin?! What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

 Of course, the Quran is not a history textbook taught in schools or universities; the methodology of Quranic stories differs a great deal from methodology of the branch of human knowledge known as (history). We have explained this a lot in our books, articles, and YouTube videos. God in the Quran addresses all human beings, not just Arabs; the Quran talks about certain traits/qualities/stances and behaviors and not about certain people using their names; e.g., the Quran talks about the (dis)believers, hypocrites, the pious, righteous ones, the polytheists, the repentant ones, etc. Any person can be described by such words; the term (Arabic) in the Quran refers to the Quranic tongue and not to the Arab people. Of course, the Arabic tongue is among the most ancient surviving tongues. The Quranic Chapter 106 is titled (Qorayish); from this tribe came caliphs of the Umayyads and Abbasids as well as the four pre-Umayyad ones. God mentions Qorayish implicitly in other verses as its tribesmen repelled some people away from Mecca and the Kaaba and how the Meccans enjoyed welfare and prosperity. Hence, the tribe of Qorayish (which is not a race) is never a faction of unknown origin as you say. Of course, the Israelites received many Scriptures from the Lord God and they had many prophets/messengers; they still exist and they maintain their religious culture, unlike Arabs who are subdivided into sects and factions that fight one another until now. 

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Worshiping the Text!

Published in October 23, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … You write often about human rights, democracy, and freedom; yet, no one in the West cares about your writings because you quote the Quran! Most people on Planet Earth do not believe in the Quran, as you know; you, yourself, write on your website and say in your YouTube videos that the Muhammadans reject and disbelieve in the Quran. Hence, my sincere piece of advice to you is to stop worshiping the Quranic text! Stop quoting the Quran when you talk about politics, political reform, human rights, etc., and you should quote instead words of thinkers and leaders of freedom, human rights, etc. … Thank you …    

Answer:

 We will never take heed of this piece of advice of yours; you forget that we are a Muslim reformist thinker who specializes in Quran and history. It is an act of worship to read and ponder the Quranic text; Quranists, including ourselves, do not worship/deify things or text(s). It is our duty as a thinker to show the long-forgotten Quranic facts of Islam; we must fight Wahabi terrorism using the Quran; the Quran was revealed 14 centuries ago; this means it precedes all calls of reform and the calls for freedom, justice, human dignity, human rights, peace, mercy, and tolerance. We are a Muslim preacher and reformist thinker; we never seek power, rewards, or high-rank posts; we seek only to gratify the Lord God by our striving within the peaceful reform endeavors; we never care to gratify any people; we never care if our Quranist views would (dis)please others. We have the right to preach our faith and our belief in the Quran as the Only Source of Islam. Our Quranist call and our reformist views help secular thinkers and activists who struggle for human right, justice, freedom, etc. This diversity in the backgrounds of thinkers is very good and it enriches the struggle for justice and freedom. We are a secular person ourselves (i.e., we support secular rule or laïcité) and we have proved that Islam (i.e., the Quran only) is a pro-secularism religion that has no room for theocracy. It is not something against our person as a thinker that the vast majority of people reject Quranism; in fact, the Quranist call is spread now in the Arab world as we address people through the Quran in which they claim to believe. We make them take notice of the greatness of the Quran which they have rejected, discarded, and abandoned. If we quote words of Voltaire and Rousseau to ordinary Muslims in Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, Bangladesh, etc. in order to preach freedom, justice, and human rights to them, they will reject words of these European non-Muslim thinkers; when we preach the same higher values and human rights using the Quran, those ordinary Muslims will accept this kind of preaching while asserting that God says nothing but the Absolute Truth. They will get to know that the Quran supports and calls for human rights, freedom, etc. Quranism is being spread slowly but steadily within the Arab world; this is not a fast-paced process because Quranists, especially our person, face both tyrants and clergymen of the Muhammadans (the tyrants control the media; the clergymen have their thousands of websites and tens of TV satellite channels) within our modest means and impecuniousness; we have nothing but our brains and pens. We, ourselves, never own anything but our website and YouTube channel. Yet, God says the following in the Quran: "...As for the froth, it is swept away, but what benefits the people remains in the ground..." (13:17). May God help our person.

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Noon Prayers and Friday Prayers

Published in October 24, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … What is the difference between Friday noon prayers and the noon prayers in the rest of the days of the week? Why do the Friday noon prayers have to be inside mosques within congregations? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 Of course, God in the Quranic Chapter 62 entails male and female believers to perform Friday noon prayers within congregations inside mosques; yet, as a Quranist person, you are to perform Friday noon prayers alone at home; this is because you do not know any Quranists around you to pray together in any home; you must avoid entering into harmful mosques of the polytheistic Muhammadans who deify mortals and glorify their names and who utter and believe in devilish revelations; i.e., narratives/hadiths.  

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May God Bless You

Published in October 24, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I've read online about the first Quranists: Mohammed Abdou in Egypt, Ahmad Khan in India, and Abdullah Chakralawi in Pakistan …I should like to read their writings if you have them; by the way, what is your views/comments on their ideas? … I also seek your advice regarding how to convince others around me, in the simplest way, that Quranism is the True Islam? How should I encourage them to browse through the Quranism website? I'm tired of arguing with them! I feel very sorry for them! … What are the history books that you advise me to read as a beginner? Your writings made me keen on reading seminal history books; any advice? … You are the greatest Muslim thinker ever; thank you for what you are; may God reward you in Paradise … Thank you very much …      

Answer:

 May God bless you, our son. Please do not waste your time with those who are adamant in their sticking to misguidance and to the rejection of Quranic Light. Do not waste yourself sorrowing over them. What any knowledgeable thinkers, including our person, have written is not infallible; this applies to all human thought; it is not part of religion. The Islamic religion is the Quran only. Of course, you should read anything written by anyone while thinking critically and analyzing what you read. Be prepared to be among those endowed with deep Quranist knowledge by reading and analyzing the archive of our Quranism website. You are very welcome to our website and YouTube channel.     

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Marrying Two Sisters Simultaneously!

Published in October 24, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, …My elder brother's wife died recently; he is an old man and he needs a wife; he has decided to marry his late wife's sister; yet, a sheikh/imam in a mosque told him he cannot marry her now! This sheikh told him he must wait for three months after the death of his wife (as if she is still his legal wife during this period of time in her grave!) so as not to commit the sin of marrying two sisters at the same time! This cannot be true since she is dead, right? What is your own view of this? … Thank you …        

Answer:

 A divorced man can marry his ex-wife's sister after three months. This means that the ex-wife is alive, not dead. The myth invented by this sheikh is the silliest, most laughter-inducing one we have ever heard; there are no three-month waiting periods for dead wives! There are no waiting periods for widowers at all in Islam. Your brother can marry his late wife's sister now, even directly after the death of his wife; this has nothing to do with the sin of marrying two living sisters simultaneously.     

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Spying on my Father!

Published in October 25, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … My mother (a housewife) has had enough trouble with my wealthy, well-educated father; she cares for her children and the house all the time; she never completed her education because of her marrying my father; she is very tired now at the age of 60; she suffers now spinal disc herniation and underwent many surgical operations … My father, now in his mid-60s, intends to marry another wife! My mother is devastated! He later on told her he changed his mind! He vowed never to marry a second wife; she thinks that he cheats on her by having  extramarital relationships! She thinks he might have married a second wife without telling her! … The question here is as follows: am I allowed in that case to spy on my father?! My mother wants to make sure so that she would get a divorce if she finds out he's cheated on her or married another woman! I told her that spying is against Islamic teachings. I fear God will punish me if I spied on him to please her! Shall I do it because of my good intentions and God will forgive me? What do you think? I'm at loss! Any ideas? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 Do not spy on your father or on anyone else. Spying on people (for social reasons) is prohibited in Islam; the only case that makes it legal and permissible is within self-defense within the Quran-based country to deter/face its aggrieve enemies in times of war/enmity; it is not prohibited that a man would marry a second wife or more wives. Fornication is a prohibited grave sin. Of course, your mother has the right to get divorced if she wants to leave your father for any reason.

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Performing Prayers with Polytheistic Imams!

Published in October 25, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is OK to avoid attending and listening to Friday sermons inside mosques of the Muhammadans so that I pray with them? I never listen to their sermons of polytheism that make me wanna vomit … I do not like the idea of performing Friday noon prays alone inside my room. What do you think? … Thank you …   

Answer:

 You must never perform prayers alongside with polytheists and polytheistic imams; you should avoid entering into all harmful mosques of the Muhammadans who deify mortals and ascribe lies/hadiths to God's Religion. Such participation in such prayers and listening to such polytheistic sermons (that undermine the Quranic Truth) is a type of disbelief which must be avoided by true Quranists.  

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There Is Nothing Like Him

Published in October 25, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … The Lord God says in the Quran: "...There is nothing like Him..." (42:11); why the term used here is (nothing) and not (no one)? What do you think? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 We tend to think that the word (nothing) is more general as it includes all creatures in the universe, not just human beings; polytheists deify mortals (humans and animals) as well as things, items, relics, and mausoleums, as you know.

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Spying, Again!

Published in October 26, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I'm the young woman who asked you if it is OK or not to spy on my father to see if he cheats on my mother by having extramarital relationships or if he got married to another woman … Do you think that my mother should demand divorce?! What if my father would refuse? Do you think she should accept his second marriage? He insists he did not take up a second wife; yet, we have proofs that he has extramarital relationships with some women! What are we supposed to do now?! Has my mother's threat of demanding divorce driven him not to marry but to commit fornication?! Is she to blame for his sin, then?! This is most unfair, right? We are in a muddle! Any advice? What do you think?…  Thank you …        

Answer:

  Your mother is never responsible for the sin of her husband (i.e., your father); God says in the Quran: "And whoever earns a sin, earns it against himself..." (4:111); "No burdened soul can carry the burden of another..." (35:18). These are main rules within the Quranic legislations mentioned and repeated in the Quranic Chapters 4, 17, 35, and 53, among others. We remind you here that polygamy is NOT a sin; your father is free to marry another wife; your mother has the right to choose whether to accept or to refuse this and the right to demand divorce and to begin its procedures.

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The Tribe of Qorayish, Again

Published in October 26, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … I'm the man who asked you before about Qorayish and the Israelites in the Quran; what I meant to say is that the origin or genealogy of Qorayish tribesmen is unknown, regardless of the fact that this tribe has a glorious past/history or not; some people say that the Qorayish tribesmen were Arabized people from the non-Arab origin as their grandfather was Ishmael, son of Abraham; yet, this is not very certain until now … Thank you …

Answer:

  You should read more within our archive of writings; you will find answers to your questions. Arab tribes typically memorized by heart their genealogy.The Arabized Arabs who descended from Ishmael and his grand-children, especially these two men: Maad Ibn Adnan and Mudar Ibn Adnan, include Qorayish factions and Prophet Muhammad; the Qorayish tribesmen are Adnanites who descended from the ancient Kinana tribe. Ishmael became an Arab and spoke Arabic since his residence in Mecca where he settled for the rest of his life. The other Arabs who descended from the progeny of the man named as Qahtan are called the Qahtanites; they are chiefly located in Yemen now. What we want to say is that all tribes knew their genealogy and origin. Each tribe was like a moving State and each tribesman took pride in belonging to it. The tribal belonging (as well as tribalism) was very important to Arabs for centuries. Arabs of Arabia even memorized the genealogy of their Arabian horses. We hope to find some time to publish online our book titled "The Influence of Tribalism within the Umayyad State", which has been our MA thesis. This book contains a detailed analysis of Arab genealogy.

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Prayers of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Maamoun

Published in October 26, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I admire your serialized articles about devilish prayers of the polytheistic Muhammadans in several eras …  You have written that the Abbasid caliph Al-Maamoun commanded his soldiers at one point to increase the number of their saying (Allahu Akbar!) or (Allah is the Greatest!) during their daily congregational prayers; what was the aim of that? I'm sure you will explain this to me; by the way, has this influenced prayers we perform today? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 Your last question will be answered in later articles of this book about prayers within the section on the notion of Tawatur (i.e., inheriting traditions of how to perform acts of worship). Of course, the devilish prayers of those who follow terrestrial/earthly religions are fashioned by the whims of those who own such religions. As per history, Al-Maamoun was passionate about philosophy and arguments; he persecuted those scholars/clergymen who refused to acknowledge and endorse his view (which was the view of Al-Mu'tazala group of the Kalam philosophy) about the Quran as a 'creature' (i.e., it was created and never existed before the prophethood of Muhammad). Despite his bias for his entourage and courtiers who were mostly Al-Mu'tazala philosophers, Al-Maamoun was loyal to the earthly Sunnite religion which is based on inventing/fabricating hadiths to give sham 'religious legitimacy' to the Abbasid caliphate. As for your first question, the aim of this decree by Al-Maamoun was to make an appearance of more 'piety'; the aim of this show was to make prayers their tool to earn more money (as Mammon was their god/deity) and to 'justify' the crimes of sabotage, massacring, raping, etc. by soldiers who supposed that maintaining the five daily prayers would offer absolution to them! This is a very grave sin; i.e., to make acts of worship justify committing grave sins. More details about this will be found in the rest of the serialized articles of this book on prayers.   

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The Trade of the Qorayish Tribe

Published in October 27, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … We conclude from the Quranic Chapter 106 that the trade of the Qorayish tribe was flourishing and the tribesmen were wealthy merchants or capitalists; would explain this within more details from both the Quran and history? … Thank you …

Answer:

 God says in the Quran: "For the security of Qorayish. Their security during winter and summer journeys. Let them worship the Lord of this House. Who has fed them against hunger, and has secured them against fear." (106:1-4). Thus, various merchandise entered into Mecca (ruled and controlled by the Qorayish tribe) and its markets; other Arabian tribes respected Qorayish and its power/authority in terms of trade and pilgrimage. Of course, the Quran allows pilgrims inside Mecca to engage into trade (i.e., selling and purchase), as we infer from these verses: "That they may witness the benefits for themselves, and celebrate the name of God during the appointed days..." (22:28); "...Did We not establish for them a Safe Sanctuary, to which are brought all kinds of fruits, as provision from Ourselves? But most of them do not know." (57:28). Most Qorayish tribesmen had their different shares in the trade caravans and made huge profits. This led to somehow liberal and mutual consultation among the Meccan society members at the time; i.e., a partial & primitive measure of limited democracy. Qorayish controlled the Sacred Kaaba Mosque and pilgrimage; its tribesmen and merchants made sure other Arabian tribes would not attack the trade caravans; thus, they allowed all Arab tribes to place statues/idols of their gods around the Kaaba; the Hashemites and the Umayyads were the factions of Qorayish to care for guarding the trade caravans; kings of the Levant and Yemen guarded the caravans that contained their own merchandise and goods; the other Arabian tribes fought and raided one another but never attacked Qorayish and its trade caravans. Thus, the Qorayish tribesmen achieved both prosperity and security: "Do they not see that We established a Secure Sanctuary, while all around them the people are being carried away?..." (29:67).

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An 'Illegal' Selling Contract?

Published in October 27, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … Before his death, my old father succumbed to the influence of his second young wife who made him sell 2/3 of his assets to her and her son (i.e., my half-brother) by virtue of a registered selling contract; we never knew about this before his death. Thus, my mother, brothers and myself will have inheritance shares only within the remaining 1/3 of the assets! What is your comment on this grave mistake of my father?! Would this selling contract be deemed illegal or not? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 It is legal, no doubt; yet, your father was in the wrong to do this; he was an unjust man who made other inheritors lose much of their rights; consequently, God will judge him on the Last Day. In the Quran, God has made certain restrictions and laws about inheritance, along with the warning against condemnation in Hell to those who violate such laws: "These are the bounds set by God. Whoever obeys God and His Messenger, He will admit him into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. That is the great attainment. But whoever disobeys God and His Messenger, and oversteps His bounds, He will admit him into a Fire, wherein he abides forever, and he will have a shameful torment." (4:13-14). Yet, you have not mentioned more details; did your father do that to settle some debts (or to give some people their rights) or not? Anyway, if you are among the wronged party but you adhere to patience, God will reward you and bless and multiply the little share you have received. 

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Confiscated Stretches of Land

Published in October 27, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … You use the expression "confiscated stretches of land" in your series of articles on prayers during the eras of immoral, sinful caliphs … What do you mean by this expression? How is it related to Arab conquerors and their imposing heavy tributes and taxes? Would you explain this further to me? … Thank you … 

Answer:

 Within the Abbasid Era, the Sunnite fiqh has been established; its main mission was to 'justify' and 'legalize' the heinous crimes and atrocities of the immoral, sinful caliphs who conquered, enslaved, raped, looted, sabotaged, massacred, etc. These conquerors confiscated stretches of land; fiqh scholars made this part of the Sunnite sharia laws and made rules about how to manage and distribute confiscated stretches of land within conquered countries and regions; e.g., Iraq, the Levant, Egypt, and Persia. Omar and other caliphs after him prevented soldiers to make their sons inherit such confiscated stretches of land; peasants within such areas paid heavy tributes and taxes to the treasury of caliphates. This did not apply to stretches of land with houses where people lived; some fiqh scholars advised imposing less taxes in case crops were little, attacked by insects, drowned by floods, or negatively influenced by draughts, etc.

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A Question of Inheritance

Published in October 28, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … My father, who is dead now, gave a stretch of land to my sister in return for her waiving her share within the houses he owned; yet, this sister died ten years before the death of our father; before her death, she built houses on this stretch of land; this sister has four daughters and no sons; she has three brothers (including myself) and one sister; do they have rightful shares within this inheritance of this sister along with her daughters or not? … Thank you …

Answer:

 Your late sister has the right to keep what her father has willingly given to her; her daughters are the legal inheritors of this along with the brothers and the one sister; the daughters must receive 2/3 of the inheritance and the rest is divided among the brothers and this one sister as per the Quranic rule here: "...The male receives the equivalent of the share of two females..." (4:11).

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May God Rest the Soul of Your Father

Published in October 28, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … My late, pious father was uneducated but he knew how to read and write and had a large library at his home; he was brought up within a Sufism-dominated rural environment; he hated Sufi notions and deemed them polytheistic; he joined a Salafist/Wahabi Sunnite society in Cairo; he left it later on; he disliked many hadiths as he realized they contradict the Quran; he heard in the late 1970s about Quranists who reject all hadiths; he had two Quranist male friends; I do believe my father was a Quranist, even if he did not realize this fact; he died more than two decades ago of a severe illness … In our age of technology and the internet, I've come across your great Quranism website, where I'm learning now about True Islam; God bless and reward you and all Quranists for raising awareness of people about Quranism … Thank you …    

Answer:

  May the Lord God rest the soul of your father; you are more than welcome to our website and YouTube channel.

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Hulago and Genghis Khan

Published in October 28, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'd like you to write about Hulago and Genghis Khan in relation to rulers/caliphs of the Muhammadans; many writers such as.....,....,.... assume that caliphs were 'innocent' victims of such foreign (i.e., non-Arab) invaders and conquerors, but I have some questions regarding this......., ......, ......  …  Thank you …  

Answer:

 For sure, we did not write an article about Genghis Khan; we have mentioned his name en passant in few books and videos of ours; as for Hulago, we have written this article about him in relation to the Abbasids: (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=14349). Please read this article; it is easily understandable and it will directly answer your questions. This article was first published in the early 1990s in the Cairo-based State-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper; we have re-published it on our website later on. This article has been admired by the late sheikh M. Al-Ghazaly who made it the center of his book titled "Our Intellectual Heritage", (published shortly before his death) as he criticized many hadiths and fiqh notions. This article has been admired by the prominent late journalist Mr. A. Bahgat who wrote about it in his column in the Cairo-based State-owned Al-Ahram newspaper. 

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Pornographic Movies!

Published in February 22, 2007

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK or not that I and my wife would watch pornographic movies before we would have sex? Our intention is only to increase our libido and mutual desire and to heighten our arousal; that's all. What do you think? … Thank you …        

Answer:

 Watching pornographic material is among the small mistakes/mishaps or small sins that may be forgiven by the Lord God only if you avoid grave sins (e.g., fornication and rape).