148. Meaningless votive offerings.

This verse(5:103) of the Quran condemns and tries to reform the meaningless blind beliefs of the Arabs of those days.

The Arabs of yesteryears were in the practice of offering their cattle to their gods (idols) in various ways. Some of them offered their live female camels completely to their gods and prohibited any one from even milking them. These camels are known as Bahira.

Some would completely offer their live camels to their gods where nobody is allowed even to ride them..These were known as Saayiba.

.When a camel gives birth to two young female calves, that mother camel is dedicated and offered to their gods. Such an animal is known as Waseela.

When a male camel impregnates a certain number of females, It is offered to their gods. Such an animal is known as Haam.

.This verse reprimands such wild imaginations.

147. Are Christians more closer to Muslims?                                             

In this verse (5:82) of the Quran it is said Christians are closer to Muslims than others..

This should be understood as a revelation when historical facts were pointed out at that particular period of time and not as a general statement fitting all periods of history.

When the Quran makes statements about ideology, laws and procedures, worship, etc they are to be taken as applying to all times. 

When there is a verse praising the Jews it necessarily denotes only to persons of that particular period. This attribute cannot be used as a ruse to brand people of the same ilk for all periods of time. 

The same applies to verses regarding Christians of the time.Those days the Christians of Makkah were praised for being more closer to Muslims than the Jews and the disbelievers.

In the same verse we find the phrase “ You will see those who called themselves Christians being closer and more friendly towards believers”.

The phrase “You will see” refers to Prophet Muhammad being the first hand personal witness of the Christian community of the time. 

After Prophet Muhammad, the Christian heads and the rulers turned against Muslims is evidenced by the Crusades by Christians.

Although the Christians in general are friendly even today towards Muslims,the rulers continue to be declared enemies of them. 

This verse does not and cannot refer to Christian rulers who want to hold on to their thrones, to capture other countries, and to plunder the wealth of other countries, misusing the religion of Christianity to achieve their ends..

146. Jews Banned from fishing on Saturdays?

The Jews were banned by the Almighty from going out fishing on Saturdays during a particular period of time. They were transformed to monkeys for violating the ban has been explained already in point No.23

There might be a doubt as to ‘should people who violated a ban to go fishing on Saturdays be turned into monkeys? whilst others who sinned on more serious matters were not given the same punishment.

This is a justified question. Because normally any community or society is free enough to seek their livelihood after worship..

Muslims on Fridays are required to cease their pursuit to seek lively hood once the call to worship is made, and then disperse after the worship, to seek livelihood, says the verse (62:9) of the Quran. 

We could digest the fact that staying away from seeking livelihood for a few hours for worship is understandable, but staying away from seeking livelihood a whole day is not justified ,may be the opinion of some.

There is no doubt that God will not issue meaningless commandments.In verse 16:124 of the Quran we find an explanation in this regard . 

The people of that community, created equals to the Almighty whilst they were said to be remaining in the straight path. Hence the strict punishment..

We can understand this from the phrase, ‘the condition not to go fishing on Saturdays was imposed’ on those who contradicted Prophet Ibrahim. 

We accept the practice of detaining late comer students in our schools. A punishment handed over should be harsh is the message here. Since these people created equals to God, was the harsh punishment of the ban on fishing not only during the worship hours but for the whole day..

The ban on fishing was a commandment issued as a punishment and not a normal one.

A fine imposed by the court as a punishment for a crime, when paid in counterfeit currency will not be taken easily by the authorities and will invite a harsh punishment is the parallel that can be drawn here. There is no wonder Allah was annoyed in meting out a harsh punishment like the one here because these people transgressed the very punishment strictures. 

145. The leader who cannot be killed by any.

.The message that Prophet Muhammad cannot be killed by any is conveyed in this verse (5:67). 

Prophet Muhammad fought against all vices and injustices in the society of those days and earned enemies from all sides. Many plotted to kill him in different ways.

.Prophet Muhammad did not live protected in fortresses and palaces, he lived a simple life in a small thatched hut, he strode the streets of his native neighbourhood like an ordinary person, and did not take any initiative to safeguard himself from his enemies. 

He did not make compromises in any of his ideologies, participated in wars, creating opportunities for his enemies to kill him. But no one could kill him.

Prophet Muhammad took part in the daily five times worship at the masjid along with the general public.

Taking into consideration the scenario at that given time, Prophet Muhammad was a sitting duck, for his enemies. But the phrase “ God will protect You’’ in this verse made true. 

The challenge that was thrown open was not proven wrong. Had his enemies succeeded in their efforts to kill him they could have proven the Quran wrong, but it never happened. 

If these phrases were not the word of God and a guarantee by the creator the prophet would have been killed long back.. He died a natural death, and the fact that he was not killed is yet another testimony to the Quran being the word of God. 

A person after declaring that no one can kill him, cannot stroll the streets in normal terms. He would have been assassinated the very next day, especially the one fighting against injustices and evil powers.

In those days assassinating a person like Prophet Muhammad mingling with crowds was a very easy task, but declaring no one could ever kill him,and proving that declaration as word of God was achieved by Prophet Muhammad.

144. The womb that accepts a foreign particle.

The verses (13:8, 22:5) of the Quran reveal a great scientific truth.

Generally the human body has some special features. One such characteristic is the non acceptance of any foreign particle. For example, the human eye repulses any minute dust particle trying to enter it.

Similar is the structure of a woman's womb, but it accepts a foreign particle. lets it develop into a mass for several months and later pushes it outside, with the contraction and expansion of the womb resulting in labor pains. These verses convey the same. 

We need to delve into the meaning of the phrase ‘ each substance as per its time span stays under his control within his care’.Till now a reason is not found why the human womb,unlike the other parts in the human body accepts a foreign particle for a certain period of time, pushes it outside.

There is no answer to the question ‘ the reason for the human womb to accept the foreign particle for many months. 

God uses his power against nature to assign a certain time span to retain the stay of the foreign particle in the womb is conveyed by this message.

Now, the question to be answered is “how steel plates replacing bones are not pushed outside the body”. The answer here is, these replacements are stitched submerged in the substrate in such a way they do not come out.

These verses are yet another evidence proving the Quran is God’s word. 

143. The protected and safeguarded Quran.

.In this verse (15:9) of the Quran, Allah says ‘We will safeguard and protect the Quran’. 

Most of the people during the time the Quran was revealed and all those who accepted it were illiterates.And the media in which the written matter was preserved happened to be barks of trees, and flat bones and hides and skins of animals.. 

In this scenario with the available media (i.e.,) the bones and skins and hides of animals, the Quran was preserved and protected as it was being revealed gradually, extending for a period of 23 years.

But during the period this scripture was revealed, nobody could imagine preserving and protecting the Quran.

.A very weak civilization with threats, hindrances and targeted by enemies, and consisting of mostly illiterate people, could not be imagined to safeguard the guidance given to it through scripture.

But in the verses “We delivered the verses and we alone will protect them” we find the assurance from The Creator.

Many literary pieces created before and after the Quran was revealed have faded into oblivion. The Quran is the only scripture that has been safeguarded and protected to be proved as a revelation from The Creator.

We have already explained in the preface , as to how the Quran is protected and safeguarded.

142. The Quran ‘An awe, a bewilderment’

When Prophet Muhammad introduced the verses of the Quran saying they are messages from Almighty, his adversaries comparing the grace in the messages, and the Prophet beng an illiterate came to a definite conclusion, it could not be his handiwork. 

Prophet Muhammad’s enemies who were unable to criticize or find fault with its literary standard, said ‘some person is secretly tutoring Muhammad.’

The literary standard of the Quran can be judged by the opinion of his enemies.

. Verse (16:103) of the Quran refutes the idea of his adversaries. 

The very same person who supposedly tutored Prophet Muhammad, is not of Arabic origin, his mother tongue is not Arabic. The Quran exposes the ignorance of these people by raising a question ‘how can a person who is not conversant with Arabic can bring out an Arabic literature high in standard and content.

The response to the opinion expressed by enemies of Prophet Muhammad can be seen in verse 25:5 in addition to 16:103. 

141. The meaning of ‘Waseela’.

.In this verse (5:35)of the Quran it asks people to look for ‘wasila’ a medium, a tool,to get closer to Allah.

The meaning for wasila stands- as a medium or a facilitating tool for example, a boat that is used to cross a sea.

The tools mentioned in the Quran to get closer to Allah, are worship (salah), patience, and various other worships, and it is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran, about getting closer to the creator with the help of an intercedent. .And the word ‘wasila’ could never mean as a ‘go in between’ person.

.When there is a need from Allah we need to ask him, only after fulfilling worships prescribed by Him. Such pious deeds need to be taken as ‘wasila’ or medium or acts ,to reach closer to Allah , not go in search of graves of men interred asking to intercede on our behalf,to get close to Allah. 

To get a clearer understanding in this matter let’s go through the verses where we find evidence to substantiate.

This verse starts as ‘Oh those who you believe’ addressing Prophet Muhammad, his comrades, and all muslims till the doomsday.

.Allah makes three commandments towards Muslims in this verse.

The first is to fear Allah. This commandment is directed not only towards people, but also includes Prophet Muhammad who feared Allah the correct way He should be feared.

The second commandment is to seek ‘wasila’, this also is directed towards all of us Muslims.

The meaning of the word ‘wasila’ translates as pious deeds,.and Prophet Muhammad executed these pious deeds better than all of us put together, hence correlation is justified.

If the word ‘wasila’ is to mean getting hold of pious person, then this does not apply to Prophet Muhammad and various other pious men.

.As per theses peoples contention the phrase ‘Oh Muhammad seek ‘waseela’ for you if means to to pick a pious person, then who did Prophet Muhammad choose.

This commandment stands good even for the persons whom they pick as waseela.Did the so called pious person pick any other person as wasila if not did they totally ignore the commandment. 

Hence arriving at the meaning of the word wasila as a ‘go in between’ person does not make any sense. There is some kind of sensibleness when we ask a person for a favor after completing the task he had ordered us to do. There is a meaning in asking the person ‘Won’t you do this favor to me since I have completed the task you have ordered me to do’.

For example consider this ,-If a request to help is made to somebody by saying ‘Ibrahim obeyed you so grant me my wishes’ that person will consider us insane. He will answer ‘If Ibrahim was good enough to obey me why should I gift you? If Ibrahim was good to me I will reward him, why should I consider you for the gift, will be the answer.. 

Praying to God asking for favors on behalf of someone else’s good deeds sounds the same. 

Won’t Al-mighty be annoyed if a demand is made for favours citing Prophet Muhammad. Won’t a question arise why should God grant you something based on Prophet Muhammad’s deeds. This is something even a layman understands. Don’t these people realize it.

There cannot be anything more foolish than asking for help from one by citing the behavior of a third person.. If a demand is thus made ,it will provoke the person...A similar demand would amount to indignation directed towards the Al-mighty..

The companions of Prophet Muhammad who were students of Prophet Muhammad did dot seek waseela at his grave, And neither did they pray citing him in thier prayers. Hence if they had understood the correct meaning of the commandment ‘seek waseela’ they wouldn’t indulge in such activities that bring indignation to the creator.This verse is being misused by these people (shrine worshippers) who instead of decimating the worship of intermediaries (for which it is structured) on the contrary encourage it.

Another verse (17:57) clearly mentions that even the great souls seek waseela. This verse confirms the meaning of waseela as goodness..

To know more about the what Islam teaches regarding equality and brotherhood, and also that everybody is equal by birth please refer explanation points 11, 32, 49, 59, 168, 182, 227, 290, 368, 508 

And also to learn more about the fallacies of the shrine worshippers please refer explanation points 17, 41, 49, 79, 83, 100, 104, 121, 122, 140, 193, 213, 215, 245, 269, 298, 327, 397, 427, 471