Does Allah pray? (Meaning of the word 'salah' used for Allah)

نشرت بواسطة: Waqar Akbar Cheema 11:24 AM في 11:73 , 2:157 , 33:56 , abdullah bin ahmad , al sunna , al sunnah , Allah , Alleged Errors and Problems , barakah , gabriel , God , ibn kathir , kitab , moses , Muhammad , pray , Questions/Queries about Qur'an , rehma , rehmah , salah 1 تعليق واحد

<div style="text-align: justify;"> Many Christians using Qur’an 33:56 try to give the impression as if Allah prays to someone. About the verse;<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div dir="RTL" style="background: white; direction: rtl; margin: 6pt 0.25in 6pt 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Lotus Linotype"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ <b>يُصَلُّونَ</b> عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا</span><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Lotus Linotype"; font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>“Allah and His angels send blessings (<i>yu-salloon</i>) on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.”</b> (Qur’an 33:56)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It means Allah and His angels pray for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They argue that word ‘<i>salah</i>’ means ‘to pray’ so Allah according to this verse prays to someone for the Prophet (PBUH).</div> <div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:0a7b020c-2e51-4379-b078-a5387e1e26be:83d85810-22f5-4707-8949-15cdc24b2949" style="display: inline; float: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /> Indeed this is childish and a stupid attempt to find some issue with Islamic idea of Monotheism and Qur’an. So let’s expose the childish lie put as an argument here.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>1. <u>Explanation by E.W. Lane</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As to the meaning of the word in its different usages I can quote many classical Muslim authorities answering the question in extreme detail but one may say, being Muslims, they had the whole issue and all the implications, like the one suggested here, in mind and their bias may have come into play.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">  So let me clarify the issue using the most extensive Arabic-English lexicon compiled by a non-Muslim, Edward William Lane. About the use of the word for Allah he writes;</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1VldV5TPEvEfeO3Iu2-tGnPGrZJmj5R60tdWh699bjx-RX6RIQiw3aZN9xBYaZNseVhxFVOFfLDBxn9tl7WGLXz2qNzU1Y6_xV4pm-XuQNGBYJL1FfICXpxXr9DLLbPo3XUs91bVrqUs/s1600/Lane-on-Salah-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="964" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1VldV5TPEvEfeO3Iu2-tGnPGrZJmj5R60tdWh699bjx-RX6RIQiw3aZN9xBYaZNseVhxFVOFfLDBxn9tl7WGLXz2qNzU1Y6_xV4pm-XuQNGBYJL1FfICXpxXr9DLLbPo3XUs91bVrqUs/s320/Lane-on-Salah-11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And further explaining its meaning in Qur’an 33:56 where the verb is used for both Allah and the angels he says;</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg0lqXHt-bXP_XHSk_HyR1iTekW3opu3jSS9JwkuBHmgOk90fKCP7IozPJFRd2IsRtLpowXCJ2tJMGMAeGlDAO5CoKGPUre-zULq_jhh3YcwLGaGlp6fk94vNswrSSrSEgXo2uG_EHFQU/s1600/Lane-on-Salah-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="960" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg0lqXHt-bXP_XHSk_HyR1iTekW3opu3jSS9JwkuBHmgOk90fKCP7IozPJFRd2IsRtLpowXCJ2tJMGMAeGlDAO5CoKGPUre-zULq_jhh3YcwLGaGlp6fk94vNswrSSrSEgXo2uG_EHFQU/s320/Lane-on-Salah-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> -- Edward William Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon part 4 p.444</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Of particular interest is the fact that although the complete work of Lane is based on classical Muslim authorities at this point what I highlighted above is his own intake. Without citing any work he gives the meaning of ‘magnification’ to the word ‘salah’ and goes onto explain the different implications as it is used for Allah and angels. This proves it’s not the Muslim prejudice but the Arabic language which establishes the meanings current among Muslim scholars.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This is supported by what Ibn Athir, discussing various views and usages of the word, says:<br /> <div dir="RTL" style="background: white; direction: rtl; margin: 6pt 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Lotus Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">إن أصلها في اللغة التعظيم. وسميت العبادة المخصوصة صلاة لما فيها من تعظيم الرب تعالى</span><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Lotus Linotype"; font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">  <b>“It is also said that the literal origin of the word is 'to praise' and the particular worship is called <i>'Salah'</i>, because it </b><b>entails the glorification of the Lord.”</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> (See<i> </i><i>Nihaya fi Ghareeb al-Athar</i> 3/95)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And this goes according to the principle;</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "lotus linotype"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">تسمية الشئ باسم بعض ما يتضمنه</span><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "lotus linotype";"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "lotus linotype"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>'Naming a thing for a part of it.' </b>(See <i>Mufradaat fi Gharaib al-Qur’an</i> by Isfahani 1/285) </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As ritual prayers include ‘praising’ thus it is called <i>Salat</i>.</div> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The nature of the <i>Salat</i> of Allah and angels is different slightly; Allah's sending His blessings on His Prophet means this: Allah is very kind to His Prophet: He <b>praises</b> him, <b>blesses</b> his work, exalts his name, and showers His mercies on him. And when it comes to angels it means: they invoke Allah’s blessings and mercy for him.</div> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>2. <u>One verb with same meanings but slightly different implications</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A word in a passage or a sentence does not always have exactly same implication for all the subjects. For instance a person says: <u>'Mr. A and Mr. B helped me.'</u> It does not necessarily mean that both helped him in exactly the same fashion. It may be that one actually did something for him and the other requested for him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>3. <u>Meaning of ‘<i>Salah</i>’ when used along with ‘<i>Rehmah</i>’ (Qur’an 2:157)</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Some try to use Quran 2:157 to prove that <i>Salah</i> cannot mean blessings as ‘<i>Salah</i>’ and ‘<i>Rehmah</i>’ are both used there and two words of same meaning are not used in a single sentence. But this is a twisting of the issue only. We do not say ‘<i>salah</i>’ means ‘mercy’ literally, infact ‘<i>salah</i>’ means ‘blessings’ which is a manifestation of mercy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The word '<i>Salawat</i>' (صَلَوَاتٌ) and '<i>Rehmah</i>' (رَحْمَةٌ) in Quran 2:157 do not mean the same and '<i>salah</i>' means 'prayer' neither. (صَلَوَاتٌ) '<i>Salawat,</i>' being the plural of '<i>Salah</i>', as earlier said means blessings and magnification while '<i>Rehmah</i>' (رَحْمَةٌ) refers to the attribute of Mercy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "lotus linotype"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">الرحمة رقة تقتضي الاحسان إلى المرحوم</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>'<i>Rehmah</i> (i.e. Mercy) is the attribute that requires being generous to the one for whom such feelings arise.</b> (See Mufradaat fi Gharaib al-Quran 1/191)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So '<i>Salah</i>' (Blessing) of Allah is because of His '<i>Rehma</i>h' (Mercy) and they are not exactly the same. His '<i>Salah</i>' is a manifestation of His '<i>Rehmah</i>'. So the assertion that '<i>salah</i>' in Quran 2:157 means 'prayers' is wrong and misleading.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>4. <u>Meaning of ‘<i>Salah</i>’ or ‘<i>Rehmah</i>’ when used along with ‘<i>Barakah</i>’ (Qur’an 11:73)</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Yet another attempt to complicate the things made by them is discussing the word ‘<i>Barakah</i>’ along with ‘<i>Salah</i>’ and ‘<i>Rehmah</i>’ especially when it is used with either of them like in Quran 11:73 and the Salutations (<i>durood</i>) recited in ritual prayers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Now as to the word ‘<i>Barakah</i>’, its meaning is:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "lotus linotype"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">البركة ثبوت الخير الالهى في الشئ</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "lotus linotype"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>"<i>Barakah</i> in a thing shows the facilitation/ease/goodness endowed by Allah."</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> (See Mufradaat fi Ghraib Al-Quran by Isfahani 1/44)</div> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This also shows that <i>Barakah</i> is the manifestation of Allah's <i>Rehmah</i> (Mercy). So in Quran 11:73 it means Allah bestows his Mercy and specially <i>Barakah</i>, a manifestation of the same which suits the context that Allah will make their having a son at an old age <u>easy by His Mercy</u> which otherwise seems improbable. And in the salutations (<i>durood</i>) where it is used along with ‘<i>salah</i>’ there we pray to Allah to bestow both the manifestations of his ‘<i>Rehmah</i>’ on the Holy Prophet (PBUH).</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>5. <u>A weak narration brought forward also supports our contention</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Then these people try to use a tradition from Ibn Kathir which they translate as:<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>"The Israelites said to Musa: Does your Lord pray? Musa said: Fear Allah, O Sons of Israel! </i></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i style="color: #134f5c;">Allah said: O Musa! What did your people say? Musa said: O my Lord, You already know? They said: Does your Lord pray? Allah said: Tell them My prayer for My servants is that My Mercy should precede My Anger. If it were not so, I would have destroyed them."</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div> <div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Firstly this tradition is not authentic according to the rules of reporting as mentioned by Albani in <i>Silsala Ahadith Daeefa</i> 3/387 Hadith 1388 thus it is not an evidence for us.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Secondly the last part of the narration above also belies the notion of taking ‘<i>salah</i>’ in the sense of supplication once used for Allah.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>6. <u>Exposing the liar, Zakariya Brutos</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Similarly some like Zakariya Brutos use a tradition from <i>Kitab Al-Sunnah </i>of Abdullah bin Ahmad, on <a href="http://jihadwatch.org%2F2009%2F01%2Fthe-ongoing-exploits-of-fr-zakaria-botros-god-does-not-pray.html/" mce_href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jihadwatch.org%2F2009%2F01%2Fthe-ongoing-exploits-of-fr-zakaria-botros-god-does-not-pray.html&ei=csFwTN63CIi4vgOzvcFB&usg=AFQjCNEg4zF1J5Gsdr6x98xtHPnxgeOezw&sig2=u3ohRGkmvuv9-08tjt85Mg">his page</a> it is written:<br /> <br /></div> <span style="color: #134f5c;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>‘… a very telling hadith recorded in Kitab Al Sunna by Abdullah bin Ahmad, vol.1, p.272: Apparently, when Muhammad reached the 7th heaven during the Isra and Mi'raj, he encountered Gabriel, who immediately said “Shh! Wait, for Allah is praying (Sala).” Muhammad asked: “Does Allah pray?” to which Gabriel said, “Yes, he prays.” Muhammad then asked, “What does he pray?” and Gabriel said “Praise! Praise the Lord!”’</i></div> </span></div> <div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Here Zakariya Brutos is showing his real face by corrupting the text.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Firstly he is changed the last part of the tradition which actually goes as:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"> <span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "lotus linotype"; font-size: 13.5pt;">قال : وما صلاته ؟ قال : يقول » سبوح قدوس رب الملائكة والروح سبقت رحمتي غضبي</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>"He (the Prophet PBUH) asked: 'What is His Salah?'. He (Gabriel) said, He says: 'Perfect, Most High is the Lord of the angels and the Spirit, My Mercy (<i>Rehmah</i>) overwhelms my wrath.'" </b>(Kitab Al-Sunnah by Abdullah bin Ahmad 1/468 Hadith 437)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> These last words show that '<i>Salah'</i> of Allah is because of His 'Overwhelming <i>Rehmah'</i> just as we argued above.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Do these last words give any notion of the 'prayer/supplication'? How corrupt these people are, they use a part of a tradition that suits them and change the other.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Now we venture to ask these people who are revered by Christians as ‘Fathers’ (I don’t know what that means), why the whole of the tradition was not translated as it is? Can they show us what words in the actual Arabic text of the narration have been translated as <span mce_="" style="color: rgb(0 , 0 , 255);"><i>“Shh! Wait …”</i></span>?<b> </b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For putting the record straight let me say this narration is not authentic according to Science of Narration. For details see <i>Silsala Ahadith Daeefa</i> by Albani 3/386 Hadith 1387.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>7. <u>Conclusion</u>:</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> a- Edward William Lane, himself a non-Muslim confirms the Muslim understanding of the word ‘<i>salah</i>’ when used for different subjects and that of the verse 33:56.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> b- '<i>Rehma</i>h', '<i>Salah</i>' and '<i>Barakah</i>' are related things but not exactly similar. These are subtleties of the Arabic language which may at times not be clearly differentiated in running translations for it anyway gives the general meaning correctly. Allah has used the words according to their actual meanings considering all their subtleties, as I explained 2:157 and 11:73. Translations do not clearly differentiate between their subtle differences as no language can cater for the subtleties of the other.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> c- The narration from Ibn Kathir and Abdullah bin Ahmad they quote, though of dubious authority, belies their own argument.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> d- And most importantly it exposes the liars whom certain Christians recognize as their religious leader. We can only sympathize for those whose supposed-to-be spiritual guides are liars. May Allah have mercy on them! </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Indeed Allah knows the best!</b></div> </div>

Many Christians using Qur’an 33:56 try to give the impression as if Allah prays to someone. About the verse; إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَت... Read More »