LEARNING ISLAM

There are two different terms used in QS. Al-‘Ankabut (29:14): وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمۡ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمۡسِينَ عَامٗا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمۡ ظَٰلِمُونَ “And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them for a thousand years minus fifty years. Then the flood seized them while they were wrongdoers.” Two different diction choices are used: Sanah ‘Ām (Ama) What is Sanah and what is ‘Ām, and why are both translated as “year”? The answer is that both are indeed translated as “year,” but the calculation of each is different. How is this possible? Numbers are a human construct, not a divine product; therefore, time calculation can be relative. The numerical system we use today is the decimal system, consisting of digits 0–9. Besides the decimal system, there is also a pental (quinary) system, consisting of digits 0–4. Another example is the division of time into 12 hours, a system originating from the Sumerian...

In the Qur’an, the word fitnah is frequently encountered, particularly in Surah al-Baqarah (2:217), which states: يَسَۡٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلشَّهۡرِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ قِتَالٖ فِيهِۖ قُلۡ قِتَالٞ فِيهِ كَبِيرٞۚ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَكُفۡرُۢ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ وَإِخۡرَاجُ أَهۡلِهِۦ مِنۡهُ أَكۡبَرُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ وَ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةُ أَكۡبَرُ مِنَ ٱلۡقَتۡلِۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمۡ عَن دِينِكُمۡ إِنِ ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْۚ وَمَن يَرۡتَدِدۡ مِنكُمۡ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَيَمُتۡ وَهُوَ كَافِرٞ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ "They ask you about fighting during the Sacred Month. Say, “Fighting in it is a grave sin; but barring people from the way of Allah, disbelief in Him, preventing access to al-Masjid al-Haram, and expelling its inhabitants from it are far graver in the sight of Allah. And fitnah is more severe than killing. They will continue to fight you until they tu...

The Qur’an is a revelation that Allah conveyed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the intermediary of the Angel Jibrīl (Gabriel). In simple terms, the sequence of revelation delivered by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), until it reached us in the form of the codified Qur’anic text, can be outlined as follows: Allah’s primordial idea. Revelation conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Transmission of information by the Messenger of Allah to his Companions. The Companions recorded the information from the Messenger of Allah without punctuation or diacritical marks. Under the coordination of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, the Companions undertook the codification and the addition of orthographic markers. A complete codification in the form of the text that we receive today. What has reached us today is the text itself—the outermost manifestation—which we perceive visually and audibly. It is this outer text (in the form of Qur’anic verses) that co...

Learning the Language of the Qur’an – Fun Series 1 As we know, these two words have different meanings. Munafiq refers to a person who pretends to have faith or goodness, while infaq means spending one’s wealth in the way of Allah for goodness. But did you know that the words Munafiq and Infaq come from the same root, NA–FA–QO, which means a tunnel? Then why do they carry different and even contradictory meanings? Let us use our reason. A tunnel has two openings: an entrance and an exit. A hypocrite plays between these two openings, sometimes entering from the right and exiting from the left, and sometimes entering from the left and exiting from the right. A hypocrite plays on both sides. What does he play with? Of course, his attitude, behavior, and conduct. In contrast, infaq involves putting something into one opening and letting it come out through the other in the form of goodness. What is put in? Certainly material things—money, food supplies, and other forms of assistance. ...

Why must it be God? Many people (both Muslims and non-Muslims), when struck by disaster or misfortune, tend to blame the Creator. Therefore, Islam offers a different perspective with one simple command: DO NOT BLAME GOD. Today’s study addresses the common problem where people, when faced with calamity, either blame God or hide behind the word Taqdir (Fate/Predestination). Consider these cases: Personal Experience: "About 15 years ago, when my mother fell ill and her condition worsened, I tried to be a good Muslim and refrained from complaining. However, due to the pressures of life (being married and having to provide) I inevitably complained to Allah. Why should I, who consistently attends religious circles, prays, and fasts, be given such a trial? I concluded it was Allah's Taqdir, yet sometimes, my heart could not accept it." Others' Experience: A family of eight daughters lost their father figure. Seven of them suffered from mental health issues due to life’s...

Question: Do all human beings ask to be born? Everyone will certainly give the same answer: NO Then who is responsible for the birth of human beings on this earth? Is it God / Allah? Or is it human beings themselves? To find the answer, we must first seek information on whether God / Allah is truly responsible for the birth of all humans on earth by referring to sources from the Qur’an. Allah informs us in the Qur’an that the creation of human beings occurs because sperm meets the ovum (egg cell) (QS. Al-Insan 76:2): إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ أَمۡشَاجٖ نَّبۡتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ سَمِيعَۢا بَصِيرًا “Indeed, We created man from a mixed drop of sperm and ovum to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing.” Then it develops and evolves into a new form (QS. Al-Mu’minun 23:12–14): وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن سُلَٰلَةٖ مِّن طِينٖ ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰهُ نُطۡفَةٗ فِي قَرَارٖ مَّكِينٖ ثُمَّ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلنُّطۡفَةَ عَلَقَةٗ فَخَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡعَلَقَةَ مُضۡغَةٗ فَخَلَقۡ...

PROLOGUE Yesterday, my child was watching YouTube Shorts. Like most kids these days, gadgets have become part of their everyday life. Coincidentally, lately he’s been really into content about the end times. When I think about it, since long ago children his age have indeed tended to be more interested in topics like this rather than routine acts of worship. Maybe it’s because at their age, concepts like heaven, hell, the grave, or even God are things they’ve never truly experienced. So they sound strange, magical, and mystical. Not to mention stories about demons, ghosts, and other supernatural things that naturally spark a child’s curiosity. One day my child asked me about the Dajjal. He said the Dajjal has one eye, a huge body, and will appear at the end of times. Usually, many parents would immediately give a long explanation: that it’s true because it’s mentioned in hadiths, that Muslims will fight him, that Prophet Isa will descend, Imam Mahdi will appear, and so on. The ...