390. Will the blind be resurrected as blind in the hereafter.

In verse (17:72) of the Quran it is said, the blind of this world will be resurrected as blind also in the hereafter world. 

A person in this world exists blind, because he was created to be. Judgments in the hereafter are not delivered on the basis of one’s physical disabilities, but depending on their acts and deeds they do in this world. 

Hence the word blind in this verse does not refer to the physical disability of the person, but his blindness towards understanding God’s words while in this world, meaning the people who did not accept truth as their way of life.

Verses 17:97, 20:124,125 of the Quran clearly state the same.

Hence the message conveyed in verse 17:72 of the Quran is, those who were blind to the words of God would be resurrected as such in the hereafter.

389. The nomad community of Prophet Musa.

In verse (2:61) of the Quran we find the phrase ‘Go into a settlement’ (make a settlement as a place to live for you to live). Here the phrase asking people to choose a place to live may look strange because usually people lived in settlements those days, but there are reasons for it.

The community of Prophet Musa never settled permanently and kept on moving from place to place, and this was a reason the Almighty sent down food from heaven.

But when they demanded food grown on earth, the Almighty commanded them to be settled in a place and start practicing agriculture. This is the message (Go into a settlement) conveyed in verse 2:61 of the Quran 

388. What is meant by Khauser.

Some of the scholars give an explanation for the word Khauser in verse 108:1 of the Quran as additional goodness or benefits. (108:1) Such an explanation cannot be found in dictionaries or for that matter in any of the hadiths.

The hadiths 6578, 4966 recorded in the book Bukhari say Ibn Abbas termed additional goodness as the meaning for the word ‘Khauser’.

On the ‘Day of Judgement,’ when people suffer from thirst, the Almighty creates a reservoir to be handed, over to Prophet Muhammad at his discretion, to allow people whomever he wishes to drink from it. This water reservoir is mentioned as Khauser, by Prophet Muhammad. (Book Bukhari: 4964, 4965, 6581, 7517)

The claim by Ibn Abbas against the version offered by Prophet Muhammad should not be entertained. 

387. Which are those ten nights.

It is sworn in the name of ten nights in verse 89:2 of the Quran. But we do not find any explanations regarding these ten nights either in the Quran or any hadiths. (Bukhari 969, Tirmidhi 688).

But Prophet Muhammad has declared the best of the beneficence are the ones that are carried out in the ten days of the month of Dhul Haj.

There are no other ten days mentioned in any of the hadiths other than the ones mentioned during the month of Dhul Hajj.

386. The need for two witnesses while divorce is pronounced.

In this verse (65:2) of the Quran, Allah talks about an important condition for divorce to be legalised, and stipulates the presence of two honest witnesses while it is being pronounced. We come across instances where some Islamic scholars approve divorces pronounced through mail and phones.

Some people are of the idea that writing a letter of divorce in the presence of two witnesses or pronouncing it over the phone in the presence satisfies the condition stipulated in the Quran. But only the person who practically sees the divorced and the divorcer can be a witness.

Hence those who have not practically seen the wife that is being divorced, or not even aware of who the wife is, or, whether the husband is speaking to the wife, cannot stand witness as per the stipulation in the Quran. There is doubt whether a divorce pronounced via a video conferencing is valid since, the witnesses the divorcer and the divorcee can be seen. Some scholars argue since the act of pronouncing divorce can be seen on the screen, divorce via video conference is valid. This is a misconception. They have not considered this in the right perspective.

Though the pronouncer and the two witnesses can be seen in the video screen, we do not come to know the circumstance or the background details whether they are coerced or forced to do the same, or any technological manipulation is done in the video, whether it is a live video or a recorded one. Since there are a number of doubts to be cleared           regarding such a video it does not pass scrutiny rendering the divorce pronounced invalid.

Divorce between a couple should be pronounced without fear or favor in the presence of two witnesses to become effective, if not it becomes null. 

Making a temporary separation of their bed, advising the couple, and mediation by both the families to create an amicable atmosphere, needs to be carried out before divorce is declared. Only a person who has knowledge whether all such efforts had been carried out could be a witness to divorce.

Only a person who is close to both the families and who had initiated talks regarding the matter can know about whether such efforts have been made already. 

And the mandatory duty of paying compensation to the divorced woman rests with the person who divorced her. This has been explained in point No;74. And this commitment needs to be monitored by an Islamic government or the local jamaat, hence the witnesses are required to testify in the presence of the jamaat. 

Talaq or divorce, by post, SMS, e-Mail, video conferencing, etc., makes a mockery of Allah’s law on divorce.

A person’s testimony as a witness to one’s divorce is not justified unless he is satisfied himself about whether the divorcee has undergone all the disciplinary routines. Hence a person who has no knowledge of the issues involved between the couple should not stand as witness to their divorce.

Prophet Muhammad did not stand witness to an act committee by a person who bequeathed his entire property in favor of one son and laving the other high and dry. (Book: Bukhari 2650.)

Remaining witness to a man not maintaining the religious norms in case of divorce is similar. 

Hence, many divorces pronounced in haste could be avoided, if certain procedures are followed as prescribed in Islam.

To know more about divorce in Islam please refer to points 66, 69, 70, 74, 402, 424. 

385. Priority for relatives

In this verse (8:72) of the Quran, it is pointed out the Muhajirs who performed hijarath and the Ansars who helped them on their arrival in Madina are more indebted to each other on a priority basis. Prophet Muhmmad and his comrades migrated to Madina from Makkah, and arrived in Madina as refugees. Prophet Muhammad created a brotherly bond between each of the refugees and the residents of Madina. Bukhari (2292, 4580, 6747) 

The residents of Madina implemented their brotherly bond with their counterparts in word and spirit by sharing their belongings with them. They shared their houses, businesses, lands, clothes and all other belongings.

This was only a temporary arrangement. Each head of a family has his own family members as legal heirs to his belongings. This temporary arrangement which was allowed at a precarious situation was later prohibited, through verses (33:6, 8:75) of the Quran. To establish the rights of relatives over that of the believers and those who emigrated for the cause of Islam, the Almighty made changes in the inheritance laws. 

384. Accepting faith in One God in the final hours of one’s life.

Verses (4:18, 6:158, 10:91, 10:98) of the Quran talk about accepting faith in One God in the final hours of one’s life and whether the same is conceded by the Almighty. A person is at liberty to accept Islam any time, as his way of life, and this has been accepted by the Almighty. 

But during the lifetime of the prophets, when the Almighty decided to decimate entire communities that did not accept Him, even a single person’s acceptance was not conceded.

Verse 10:91 of the Quran talks of Phiroun’s acceptance not being conceded by the Almighty.

During the lifetime of the prophets, the Almighty sent signs warning of the impending disasters awaiting people who rejected Him, and those who took cognizance of such signs and took faith in a single God were spared.

When the community of Prophet Yunus sensed the signs of God’s wrath was about to descend on them, they reformed themselves to accept the one and only God. The Almighty asks in the Quran whether others with the same attitude will emulate the community of Prophet Yunus.Such situation will not arise after Prophet Muhammad‘s period, as no prophet is expected to appear after him, God accepts people entering the fold of Islam any time of their life.

But the Almighty would display certain signs before the destruction of this world, and those accepting Him as the Only God are to be rejected by Him.

Verse 6:158 of the Quran says ‘Oh! Muhammad they expect the advent of the angels or your And when the signs of your Lord reach them, except those that have already reposed their faith in the great God, and performed good deeds, others would not benefit on that day. Let them dwell on their expectations, and we on ours.’

Prophet Muhammad has already explained about the signs and evidences from God’s side. 

He says unless the sun rises from the west the day of destruction will not dawn, and at the time of that kind of a sun rise, those who pledge their faith in God Almighty, would not stand to benefit is conveyed in this verse. Bukhari (6506, 6535, 7121)

Similarly praying for mercy at the time of life coming to an end, and accepting Islam at that moment is not accepted by the Almighty can be found through verse 4:19.

383. Taking into use animals that are considered as a votive offering.

There is a custom in various faiths of the world that animals given as votive offerings to God, possess attributes of that God, it is believed the animal comes to possess a divine character.

And there were unwritten laws that the animal should not be shooed away if it happens to enter anyone else’s field to graze, or load the animal with any goods and even milking it was prohibited. In spite of the knowledge the animal is about to die, these people attribute divine cause to it.

This verse of the Quran demolishes such beliefs.

This verse (22:33) of the Quran says, the animals that are considered as votive offerings can be used in the normal way as others. Cattle that are reared or bought by us for the purpose to be slaughtered as a votive offering to the Almighty can be used until the time arrives to slaughter the same. From this verse of the Quran we derive laws granting permission to make use of animals considered as votive offering to God for our personal wants like milk and carrying loads etc. 

Islam refutes the concept of abandoning animals in the name of votive offering without any use. When a decision is made to dedicate an animal for a good cause it needs to be beneficial to the poor. Until such time the vow is fulfilled by slaughtering the animal, they can be utilized for our personal uses and not abandon them as public property. This is the message conveyed by this verse of the Quran.