12. The paradise Prophet Adam existed in.

We find in verses 2:35, 7:19, 7:22, 7:27, 20:121 of the Quran that prophet Adam was exiled from paradise. There are two different opinions expressed regarding this incident.

Here the word ‘Jannat’ is replaced with paradise, and the heavenly garden in the hereafter world is also referred to as paradise, the gardens in this world are also referred to as paradise.

In the Quran we find ‘Jannat’ being used in both contexts. Mostly we come to understand that prophet Adam was settled in paradise and on transgressing God’s commandment was exiled from there.

Since verse (2:30) of the Quran, says that prophet Adam was created on earth and presuming that at the same time Shaitan cannot enter paradise to misguide him, prophet Adam was settled in a garden on earth from where he was exiled is the idea expressed by some.

Accepting any one of these opinions does not in any way affect the fundamentals of Islam or the lessons to be learnt by this incident. 

11. Is prostrating before humans allowed in Islam?

God created the first human Adam and commanded the celestial beings to honor him by prostrating is seen in the following verses. (2:34, 7:11, 15:29-31, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, 38:72) Citing these verses some conclude that prostrating before aged persons and sages is allowed. This is a misconceived thought.

In a society molded by Prophet Muhammad there was never a practice of prostration before humans. We need to understand this thoroughly. 

Let’s look into the meaning of the word ‘Sajdah’. 

The Arabic words ‘Salah’ ‘Sawm’ and ‘Zakat’ meaning worship, fasting, and religious alms giving, respectively were in vogue among Arabs before the time of Prophet Muhammad albeit not in the sense as we use now.

The word ‘Salah’ is used by us at present to denote the form of Muslim worship, but its original meaning is prayer. In Islam the word ‘Salah’ is used to denote certain actions performed during worship of God. 

The word ‘Sawm’ is being used even today to mean fasting. But during the time of Prophet Muhammad the same word ‘Sawm’ was used to mean ‘limiting oneself’ 

Islam did not invent new words to denote acts of worship but picked appropriate words that were in vogue and named accordingly. 

Similarly, the word ‘Sajdah’ was in practice before the time of Prophet Muhammad. 

The placing of the forehead, nose, both the palms, both knees, the toes of both legs on the floor in prostration is described by Prophet Muhammad as ‘Sajdah’ in Muslim worship. 

Before Prophet Muhammad it meant ‘obeying fully’, and any act of obedience was termed as ‘Sajdah’. 

The meaning to this word denoting ‘full obedience’ is not only found in the dictionary, but also in the Quran in the same context. 

The Quran verses 2:58, 4:154, 7:161 say `You enter this town through its gates performing ‘Sajdah’. We can only attribute the meaning ‘‘full obedience’ to the word ‘Sajdah’ in these verses and not the ‘an act in the Muslim worship’, because one cannot perform sajdah and enter through the gates simultaneously. 

In verse 22:18 we find that apart from humans, the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the creepers also perform sajdah to Allah. 

All these creations do not have an appropriately placed face, or nose, or hands, legs with knees, and neither do they possess a back to bend suggesting a posture that could be termed as prostration. The mountains, trees, cannot even move from their place, and still, we find a verse in the Quran stating their prostration towards Him. 

The sun, the moon, the stars, move in their regulated paths as designed by the Al-Mighty. This is called their sajdah towards Him. The trees give out flowers and fruits in their specified periods in their sajdah towards Him. 

The mountains hold on to the earth in the path as designed by Allah, this is the sajdah of the mountains towards Him. 

To summarize, all creations by Allah submit meekly to Him accepting their inferiority and praising His superiority is what is termed as ‘Sajdah’.

We can clearly understand that in verses 12:4, 13:15, 16:48,49 of the Quran the word ‘sajdah’ is used to mean ‘obeying absolutely’.

The celestials performing sajdah to Adam as quoted in the above verses should be understood in the same manner. To strengthen this point of view we can put forward many reasons. 

Celestial beings are not like humans. They do not possess definite shapes. The archangel ‘Jibreel’ has appeared a few times in human form to attend to Prophet Muhammad. By this disclosure we cannot conclude that it is the only form he took. Because we are also given to understand that ‘Jibreel’ appeared in front of Prophet Muhammad as occupying the entire expanse between the skies and the earth.

Hadith Book: Bukhari 4. 

The Quran 35:1 says the celestial beings possessed wings. 

We cannot consider celestial beings equal to humans, and hence conclude that they had expressed their ‘full obedience’ in their own way. Even otherwise they prostrated before Adam, we cannot follow suit because they were ordered by Al-Mighty to do so.

Neither Allah nor His prophet commanded us to prostrate before sages and aged persons, on the contrary we find it discouraged. 

The night, the day, the sun, the moon are His signs. Do not submit to the sun or the moon, if you are the one who wishes to submit yourself, owe your allegiance to the creator of those. Al-Quran 41:37. 

Bowing down to the creator and not to creations is the commandment to us.

 When Muãd (RA) and Salman (RA) attempted to prostrate before him, Prophet Muhammad disallowed them, and declared that a human is not to be prostrated. 

Hadith Books Tirmidhee: 1079, Ibn Maaja:1843, Ahmad: 12153, 18591, 20983, 23331 

And hence when there is clear cut guidance prohibiting prostration by men in front of men, a commandment addressing the celestials cannot be honored by humans. Behaving in a meek and respectable manner towards elders is quite different from, prostrating and falling at their feet was never allowed in Islam. 

Everyone is equal by birth and differs only by their conduct leading to greatness and fraternity can be seen in the following verses of the Quran.

10. What does ‘Allah is Immaculate’ mean?

In the following verses (2:32, 2:116, 3:191, 4:171, 5:116, 6:100, 7:143, 9:31, 10:10, 10:18, 10:68, 12:108, 16:1, 16:57, 17:1, 17:43, 17:93, 17:108, 19:35, 21:22, 21:26, 21:87, 23:91, 24:16, 25:18, 27:8, 28:68, 30:40, 34:41, 36:36, 36:83, 37:159, 37:180, 39:4, 39:67, 43:13, 43:82, 52:43, 59:23, 68:29) the word referring Allah as ‘Subhaan’ meaning ‘Immaculate’ is being used. The word ‘Immaculate’ generally means keeping away from dirt, filth etc. But the word ‘Subhaan’ connotes a much deeper understanding. 

It means keeping away from distortions of attributes of Allah such as death, senility, diseases, sleep, inability, fatigue, tiredness, forgetfulness, worries, weaknesses, failure, call of nature, wife, children, mother, father, hunger, thirst, etc. This word ‘Subhaan’ should never be used for anything other than Allah. 

There are other words in the Arabic language to denote dirt, filth etc. 

9. The Quran is not misguided.

In verse 2:26 the Quran says, “will be misguided by this”, some misconstrue this to mean as “will be misguided by the Quran". This is a misconception.

Because here Allah cites an example, and the verse continues as “will be misguided by (this) such examples” and not by the Quran itself.

We cannot construe the meaning of the word ‘by this’ as ‘by this scripture’ because in this verse we do not find any mention denoting scripture.

8. Are there partners in paradise for women?

In the following verses (2:25, 3:15, 4:57, 36:56, 37:48, 38:52, 44:54, 52:20, 55:56, 55:70, 56:22, 56:35, 78:33) we find the Quran speaking about immaculate partners in paradise and about women partners. 

A question now arises: are their male partners for virtuous women in paradise?

To answer this question, one needs to understand the laws of Arabic etymology. 

In most languages including Tamil we find only third person singular expressions for men and women having distinct word structure, for example he denotes male gender and her the female. 

Third person plural expression does not have a distinct word structure in Tamil. For example, the word ‘they’ denotes a group of people immaterial of gender. 

Unlike in other languages we find a distinct word structure for third person plural expressions in Arabic, in denoting male and female genders.

Similarly, when we address someone in the first-person expression, we address them as ‘You’ or ‘You All’. In Tamil language these words are common for both genders. But in the Arabic language first-person addressing words are different for the genders. 

When we use the word ‘start worshiping’ it generally applies to both the genders.

But in the Arabic language there is no similar word structure denoting both the genders at the same time.

As an example, we can point out the Arabic word ‘Sallu’ specifically applying to men commanding them to worship. 

When we address a group of women the word to be used is ‘Saleena.’

At the time of addressing a group containing men and women together in Arabic it goes like this ‘Oh men start your worship’ and ‘Oh womenfolk start your worship’

Since most of the verses in the Quran address both the sex at the same time, necessitating a repeat of the same for the other sex with a different connotation.

This kind of expressing a command by the Quran addressed to both sex but grammatically written in two separate sentences would increase the volume of the Quran to double the size, and people translating the same to other languages would find it odd. To make short and at the same time not to alienate a language to which it is translated and to address both the sex together the Quran has invented an alternate method.

It expresses all the commands and advice as though addressing men and continues to say it applies also to women. 

When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was queried by

Ummu Salama (RA) as to why the Quran is addressing only men, in reply verse 33:35 was revealed.

Hadith Book Ahmed 25363. 

This verse of the Quran 33:35 cited in this Hadith, implies that whatever is promised for men applies also to women. Verse 4:124 says a virtuous man or woman will not be subjected to any injustice.

Similar messages can be derived from the following verses 3:195, 4:124, 16:97, 40:40. 

Men and women who fear Allah and perform good deeds, get equal treatment from Him and the chance of men being awarded exclusively does not arise. 

In the following verses 5:119; 9:100; 22:59; 58:22; 88:9; 98:8 we find that in the hereafter everyone gets a satisfying award as per their deeds. Hence, we need to understand that the word ‘everyone’ refers to men as well as women.

So, it must be concluded that Allah does provide partners for women in the hereafter as He does for men. Other than Hur ul Heen the Quran speaks about numerous gifts to be awarded in paradise for men, in all these instances those gifts are referred to in the feminine gender.

In the following verses of the Quran 2:82, 3:15, 3:136, 3:198, 4:13, 4:57, 4:122, 5:85, 5:119, 7:42, 9:22, 9:72, 9:89, 9:100, 10:26, 11:23, 11:108, 14:23, 18:108, 20:76, 21:102, 23:11, 25:16, 25:76, 29:58, 31:9, 39:73, 46:14, 48:5 57:12, 58:22, 64:9, 65:11, 98:8 we find it referring to ones entering paradise as permanent dwellers there. 

In all these verses of the Quran we find the use of the word ‘Khali Dhoon’ which means ‘men’ and not in one place can we find the word ‘Khalidah’ meaning ‘women’. But no one takes it in the sense that only men will dwell in paradise permanently, it is to be understood as referring to women as well. While promising paradise for God fearing people the Quran in the following verses3:133, 13:35, 15:45, 16:30, 16:31, 25:15, 26:90, 28:83, 44:51, 50:31, 51:15, 52:17, 52:54, 54:55, 68:34 77:41 addresses them by the word ‘Muttakheen’ in masculine form and not in one occasion does it use the word ‘Muttakiyaad’ a feminine version. This usage does not lead anyone to conclude that only God-fearing men alone deserve paradise. The verses of the Quran3:136, 3:198, 5:65, 9:21, 9:111, 10:9, 13:23, 15:47, 16:31, 18:107, 19:62, 31:8, 32:19 33:44, 34:47, 36:57, 37:42, 38:50, 42:22 by using the word ‘Lahum’ referring men to be worthy of paradise specifies men, which necessarily does not mean no paradise for women. In verse 3:107 of the Quran while referring to the brightness of the face of the paradise dwellers the masculine gender is used for all of them and when mentioning about rivers of milk, honey, and wine in verse 47:15 the Quran says they belong to men. The verses18:31, 22:23, 35:33, 43:71, 52:20, 55:54, 76:13, of the Quran speak about gold ornaments, silk dresses being gifted to men and them reclining on beds are addressed to men. The verses of the Quran 37:45, 38:51, 39:20, 43:73, 52:22, 52:23, 52:24, 56:16-21, 76:5, 76:15, 76:17, 76:19, 77:41, 83:23, 83:25 referring to mansions, cups, forever young serving boys, meat, silver utensils, silver cups, drinks made of a mixture of camphor, drinks made of a mixture of ginger, beds, drinks sealed with musk, springs, shadows, fruits for paradise dwellers are referred to be for men. Saying all these gifts are for virtuous men who did good in this world. The verses of Quran that seem to convey all gifts in paradise are for men only and do not deny these for women are also pointed out by scholars.

The Quran when talking about Hur-ul Ayn mentions partners only for men, is there any mention about partners for women in the hereafter life? So, does it mean that all the pleasures of paradise go only for men, and women are denied these? We do not get any appropriate answer. There is a notion that whoever lived as a husband for a woman in this world continues to be the same in the hereafter. There is not any kind of supporting evidence for this. Then what is the status of a husband who was an evil person in this world. If it so happens that she lived with two different husbands in this world at different times what is her status, when both the husbands are virtuous and with which husband will she be reunited. These are questions likely to be posed.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has guided us to pray for a better partner in the hereafter at funeral prayers of the deceased. 

Hadith Book: Muslim 1674, 1675, 1676.Prophet Muhammad’s guidance applies to prayer at the funeral of the deceased from both the sex. From this we could decipher that better partners are there for men as well as women in the hereafter world. 

We also come to understand from the Quran that numerous commandments in the Quran though seem to address men are applicable to women as well. 

Similarly, the verses in the Quran though seem to address men regarding partners in the hereafter also apply to women could be concluded from the same verses themselves concurring with divine laws and acceptable facts. 

7. The challenge thrown by the Quran.

The following verses of the Quran (2:23, 10:38, 11:13, 17:88, 28:49, 52:34) challenge anyone to bring out a similar book. The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad an illiterate, with a few learned people around with high literary caliber and poetic knowledge of the time. 

The scripture that was revealed to an illiterate surpassed the best literary works of the day and impeccable truth. Hence the Quran, a literary work of this high caliber as being brought out by an illiterate, challenges the learned men of the times to bring out a similar book. This challenge posed to the entire mankind still stands with no takers. Hence these verses of the Quran stand to prove as God’s words. 

6. Is Allah powerless?

When the following verses of the Quran (2:15, 2:88, 2:89, 2:152, 2:158, 2:159, 2:161, 3:87, 4:46, 4:47, 4:52, 4:93, 4:118, 4:147, 5:13, 5:60, 7:44, 9:68, 9:79, 11:18, 24:7, 33:57, 33:64, 38:78, 47:23, 48:6, 64:17, 76:22) are viewed superficially they seem to portray Allah as weak.

But Allah is omnipotent, the moment he orders anything to ‘Be’ it comes into being. 

However, sentences like ‘Allah is planning’ ‘Allah is mocking’ and ‘Allah is deceiving’ are found in these verses.

A few may wonder how traits like deceiving, mocking, characteristics of weak incapable persons could be associated with omnipotent God. In most languages of the world, one could see the usage of such words not in their direct sense. To elucidate this, one can cite the example of these words “If you cross the limits, I will also cross the limit”, here the word ‘cross the limit’ usage has the direct meaning in the first instance and the subsequent usage means retaliation, hence retaliation does not amount to crossing the limits here, it’s an implication. 

 Hence the phrase ‘when they mock Allah, He mocks them’ must be taken implying there is impending punishment for those who mock Him. Similarly, the phrase ‘They scheme’ and ‘so does He’ should be understood as their scheme will be brought to naught.

So, the words in the Quran that imply retaliation portraying divine characteristics in bad light should be understood this way. Such words are not only used in a reprimanding manner but also in appreciation.

In the Quran we find the phrase ‘When you remember me, I remember you’, and ‘when you thank me, I thank you’. The Al-Mighty need not remember us nor thank us. So, this should be understood as it would be awarded appropriately. God’s curse means God’s punishment. 

5.Shaitans among humans.

In these verses of the Quran (2:14, 2:102, 6:112) the word shaitan refers to evil men. Whereas in the rest of the verses of the Quran it has the direct meaning.

The word shaitan wherever used either in the Quran or Hadiths should be taken in the direct context unless contradicting other verses of the Quran or the Hadiths of prophet Muhammad, or the basic concepts of Islam where it turns out to mean evil men. 

Similarly, when the structure of the verses of the Quran does not allow a direct meaning to the word it should be taken as meaning evil men. The above cited verses do not lead to a direct meaning of the word. 

 Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: When you are in the act of worship and if someone ventures to walk across distracting within the limits, in front stop him, in case he refuses stop him again, if he resists fight him, because he is a shaitan.

Narrator: Abu Huraira. 

Hadith Book: Bukhari 3275. 

Those who walk across people worshipping God are referred to as Shaitans by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Similarly evil men are referred to as shaitans in these verses.