LEARNING ISLAM

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh To find the answer to this question, we must first understand the word “MIN” (مِن) in the Qur'an. For simplicity, let us first look at Surah Al-Baqarah 2:5: أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدٗى مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ "Those are [the ones] on [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful." In this verse, the word “MIN” (مِّن) is correctly translated as "FROM" . This can be seen in the phrase “Hudan MIN rabbihim” (هُدٗى مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ) , meaning "guidance FROM their Lord." However, because a single word in the Qur'anic language can have multiple meanings—a concept known as al-mushtarak (polysemy)—the word “MIN” (مِن) can also mean "A PART OF" or "SOME OF" (partitive) . Consider the following verse: وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَندَادٗا يُحِبُّونَهُمۡ كَحُبِّ ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَشَدُّ حُبّٗا لِّل...

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Muslims generally understand that Salat (ritual prayer) is the most important act of worship because it is the first deed for which a person will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. Furthermore, the common belief is that if one's Salat is sound, all of one's other deeds will also be sound. The reality is that this statement primarily stems from a Hadith, and there is no explicit verse in the Qur'an that states this correlation. However, the irony is that the Hadith itself is often misquoted regarding the follow-up statement. While the initial part is correct, the latter part—"and if it is good, then all others are good as well"—is not found in the original narration. The text of the Hadith is as follows: From Abu Hurayrah, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said: "Indeed, the first deed for which a servant will be held accountable on the Day of...