ISLAM itu MUDAH

MARYAM'S SON, PROPHET 'ISA (AS)

rophet 'Isa (as), one of Allah's chosen people in this life and in the Hereafter, was given the responsibility of calling his people to the right path. Allah portrays him as a person who was very different from the people he met during his life. For example, he was born without a father, his mother Maryam had been told by His angels that he would be his people's Messiah, and had many other unique qualities. One of these is mentioned in the Qur'an:

The expression Word of Allah is used only for Prophet 'Isa (as). Allah revealed his name, 'Isa Messiah, before he was born and said that he was a Word from Him. This is just one indication that he was different from all of his contemporaries.

Only the Qur'an, which Allah has promised to keep intact and unaltered until the Day of Judgment, gives us accurate information about Prophet 'Isa (as). And, in contrast to the New Testament, the Qur'an states that Prophet 'Isa (as) was not crucified. Rather, he was raised to the heavens by Allah and will return in the End Times, the era preceding the Day of Judgment. Many hadiths testify to these facts.

We will now examine these facts in some detail.

'Isa (as) Was Not Crucified

The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests who were responsible for arresting Prophet 'Isa (as) claimed that he was crucified and died on the cross. All Christians accept these core beliefs, as well as the belief that he was resurrected and then ascended to the heavens. However, the Qur'an provides a quite different account:

The expression was made to seem so reveals that Prophet 'Isa (as) was not killed, but rather raised to the heavens. Allah states that those who say otherwise have no knowledge of the truth. The people saw someone who looked like Prophet `Isa (as) die, while, in reality, Prophet 'Isa (as) ascended to the heavens.

The Prophets' Deaths

An analysis of the words used to narrate the Prophets' deaths and those used to narrate the attempt on Prophet 'Isa's (as) life reveal an important fact. In the first case, the Qur'an uses qatala (to kill), maata (to die), halaka (to perish), salaba (to crucify), and a few other specific words. The Qur'an is very clear and specific about the fact that "They did not kill him [wa ma qataloohu] and did not crucify him [wa ma salaboohu]." People were shown a likeness of Prophet 'Isa (as), who in fact, was taken back by Allah and raised to the heavens:

Paolo Veronese's "Feast in the House of Levi," an oil painting from 1573. It is on display in Venice's Accademia Museum. This picture from the Italian Renaissance depicts Prophet 'Isa (as) and the Apostles.

In other words, Prophet 'Isa (as) did not experience a normal death. The word tawaffa in the above verse is used in the following ways:

The expression used here comes from the Arabic word tawaffa, which means the act of taking the self back, either in sleep, or death or, as in the case of 'Isa being taken back to Allah's presence, not killing or death. This word is also used in another verse to describe the taking back of a person while he or she is asleep:

Allah states that Prophet 'Isa (as) was not killed or hanged, that people were shown a likeness of him, that He took him back (as happens during sleep), and raised him to the heavens. For all other Prophets, such words as qatala or mawt (death), are used. Thus, we can conclude that Prophet `Isa (as) was put into a sleep-like state and raised to Allah's presence, that he did not experience death as we know it, and that he has left our dimension. (Allah knows best.)

Prophet 'Isa's (as) Return

Many verses refer to Prophet 'Isa's (as) second coming. Following are some of them:

This verse mentions a people who are followers of Prophet 'Isa (as) and who will be above the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Accordingly, there will be people who follow him until the Day of Judgment. Looking at present-day Christians, we see that the core of their religion has been tampered with and is not the same faith preached by Prophet 'Isa (as). For example, they claim that he is Allah's son (Allah forbid) and part of a Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Therefore, by transgressing the limits that Allah established for humanity, today's Christians are far from Allah's true religion and cannot be considered as Prophet 'Isa's (as) followers. The Qur'an states emphatically that those who believe in the Trinity are unbelievers:

The him here stands for Prophet 'Isa (as), as the next verses make clear:

Some scholars interpret before he dies as meaning before the death of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians). In this case, every Jew and Christian would believe in Prophet 'Isa (as) before he or she dies. But during Prophet `Isa's (as) lifetime, the vast majority of the region's Jews refused to believe in him, and some of them even attempted to kill him. As for those Jews and Christians who lived after Prophet 'Isa (as) was raised to His presence, they cannot be called his followers for they do not meet the Qur'anic definition of faith and belief.

The expression on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them, indicates again that Prophet 'Isa (as) will come again. These verses conclusively indicate that all People of the Book will believe before Prophet 'Isa (as) dies. The verse refers to the future, because it speaks of Prophet 'Isa's (as) death. Then it mentions that all People of the Book will believe in him, something that has not happened yet.

As we will see in detail in the coming chapters, the People of the Book will see and recognize him, as well as become his Muslim followers while he lives, and Prophet 'Isa (as) will testify about their conduct in the Hereafter. (Allah knows best.)

3) Other verses mention his return to Earth, such as those given below:

Allah then refers to him by a specific title, a Sign of the Hour:

This verse clearly indicates that Prophet 'Isa (as) will come again, for he lived approximately six centuries before the Qur'anic revelation. Thus, since his first life cannot be understood as a Sign of the Hour for the Day of Judgment, he will return during the End Times, the period immediately preceding that Day. (Allah knows best.)

4) Many other verses indicate this miraculous event. Among them are the following:

But what "Book" will He teach Prophet `Isa (as)? The Qur'an answers this question in the following verse, where the same expression is used:

When we examine the Book referred to in both verses, we realize that it indicates the Qur'an, the final revealed book sent to humanity. Earlier Books were the Torah and the Bible (the Psalms, revealed to Prophet Dawud (as), is contained within the Old Testament). Another verse uses Book instead of Qur'an when listing it alongside the Torah and the Gospel:

Thus, the third book being taught to Prophet 'Isa (as) is the Qur'an. Obviously, since he was raised to Allah's presence some 600 years before its revelation, he must come again. Our Prophet's (saas) hadiths reveal that Prophet 'Isa (as) will rule according to the Qur'an, not the Bible, when he returns. (For more information, see Harun Yahya, Signs of the Last Day [Istanbul: Global Publishing, 2003].) This interpretation fits the meaning of the verse. (Allah knows best.)

5) In addition, "The likeness of 'Isa in Allah's sight is the same as Adam" (Surah Al 'Imran: 59) could also be foretelling Prophet 'Isa's (as) return. Scholars point out that both Prophets were created without a father: Prophet Adam (as) was created from soil by Allah's command Be!; Prophet 'Isa (as) was created without a father by the same Divine command. Prophet Adam (as) was brought down from the heavens to Earth; perhaps Prophet 'Isa (as) will be brought down from His Presence in the End Times. (Allah knows best.) As we have seen, the verses indicating his return are very clear. Moreover, the Qur'an does not use any similar expressions for the other Prophets; they are only used for Prophet 'Isa (as).

6) Another verse referring to Prophet 'Isa's (as) ascension is the following:

This verse, when considered in conjunction with Surah Al 'Imran: 55, signals an important reality: Surah Al 'Imran: 55 speaks of Prophet 'Isa (as) as being taken back to Allah's presence and does not say that he has died or been killed. However, Surah Maryam: 33 refers to the day when he will die. This second death is only possible if he lives on Earth once again. (Allah knows best.)

7) Another piece of evidence is the word kahlaan, mentioned in the verses below:

This word, which appears only in these two verses and only with regard to Prophet 'Isa (as), describes his (as) adult life between the age 30 and 50. In other words, this represents a period when he is no longer a young man but a wise person on the verge of entering old age. Scholars agree that this word indicates an age greater than 35.

They also suggest, basing their claim on a hadith narrated by Ibn `Abbas, that Prophet 'Isa (as) was raised to Allah's presence in his early 30s, that he will experience his old age by living for another 40 years after his second coming, and that the above verse is proof for this miraculous event. 14

The Qur'an uses this expression only in regard to Prophet 'Isa (as) because all of the other Prophets that we know about fulfilled their responsibility of calling their people to belief after they had already reached a mature age. In the case of Prophet 'Isa (as), however, it points out a miraculous situation, because the expressions in the cradle and when fully grown highlight the two miraculous times.

At-Tabari, in his work The Commentary of at-Tabari, explains these expressions in the following terms:

The interpretations of kahlaan, like all the other information about Prophet 'Isa (as), indicate his miraculous return to Earth in the End Times as well as his efforts to direct people toward true religion. No doubt, this is great news for all believers, a gift and grace from Allah. Thus, believers are responsible for supporting and defending Prophet 'Isa (as) after his second coming in the most appropriate manner and to live by the Qur'an's morality.

DIMARAH, dipulau dan disisih ibu bapa, adik-beradik, anak-anak serta saudara mara adalah antara sebahagian cabaran yang dihadapi Siti Aisyah Abdullah, 48, sejurus rahsia pengislaman beliau terbongkar kira-kira lima tahun lalu. Menurut ibu tunggal dan guru di Tadika Twinkle Play House, Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam ini, beliau berjaya merahsiakan pengislaman diri hanya selama dua tahun selepas memeluk Islam pada 2001 di Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) di Shah Alam, Selangor.

"Semuanya terbongkar apabila salah seorang adik saya menyiasat kecurigaan mereka yang mendapati saya kerap ke Klang. Rupa-rupanya pemergian saya ke Masjid India, Klang untuk belajar agama Islam diketahui mereka akhirnya," katanya.

Walaupun sedih dan kecewa, Siti Aisyah tidak menyalahkan mereka kerana mereka tidak memahami agama Islam dalam erti kata yang sebenar.

Sebabnya, pemahaman mereka banyak dipengaruhi oleh persepsi media Barat yang sentiasa memaparkan keburukan Islam. Ditambah pula, ada segelintir umat Islam itu sendiri yang memberi contoh yang tidak betul.

"Akibatnya agama Islam itu dilabel dengan pelbagai persepsi yang negatif. Sebenarnya, Islam itu adalah agama yang terbaik dan menepati fitrah hidup manusia," ujarnya seraya memohon maaf jika apa yang disebutkan itu menyinggung individu atau kumpulan tertentu.

Bagaimanapun, Siti Aisyah bersyukur kerana ahli keluarga, terutamanya ibu sudah menerima pengislaman beliau. Itupun selepas diterangkan akan kebenaran Islam serta menunjukkan akhlak Muslim sebenar.

Menyedari kepentingan pemantapan ilmu agama, menyebabkan ibu kepada dua anak lelaki yang berusia 17 dan 22 tahun, tidak pernah melepaskan peluang mengikuti pelbagai kursus pemantapan akidah dan seminar bagi bergelar pendakwah atau daie anjuran mana-mana pejabat agama Islam dan persatuan bukan kerajaan (NGO) Islam.

Berkongsi kisah penghijrahan akidahnya, cerita Siti Aisyah, perkenalan dengan teman-teman yang beragama Islam di kilang tempatnya bekerja merupakan langkah awal mengenali agama Islam.

"Ia berlaku lebih 10 tahun. Masa itu saya sudah bercerai dan bekerja demi menampung perbelanjaan ibu dan anak-anak. Sepanjang lima tahun bekerja di sana, banyak yang saya ketahui tentang Islam seperti solat, puasa dan akhlak seorang Muslim.

"Selepas saya berkenalan dengan seorang lelaki dan kemudian diperkenalkan dengan sebuah keluarga angkat, ia menambahkan lagi kefahaman dan keyakinan saya kepada Islam. Pada masa itu, keluarga masih tidak mengetahui minat baru saya itu.

"Yang menambahkan keyakinan dan keimanan saya kepada Allah Yang Esa ialah apabila melihat aspek solat orang Islam. Umat Islam hanya menyembah pada Allah SWT," akui Siti Aisyah yang memiliki 10 tahun pengalaman sebagai guru tadika serta mengendalikan kelas tuisyen.

Ditanya apakah yang mencetuskan minat beliau dalam kerja-kerja pendakwahan, jelas Siti Aisyah, apabila mendapati banyak persoalan yang dikemukakan oleh ahli keluarga terdekat serta teman-teman berkaitan Islam contohnya pemakaian tudung, bermain nombor ekor dan banyak lagi, secara tidak langsung beliau terpanggil untuk menjelaskan kepada mereka secara berhikmah.

"Saya pernah ditanya oleh ibu kenapa perlu memakai tudung dan menutup aurat, sedangkan katanya ada juga wanita Islam tidak melaksanakannya. Mudah sahaja saya memahamkan ibu, apa yang saya lakukan ini adalah kehendak Allah dan mengikut landasan Islam yang sebenar," jelasnya.

Begitu juga dengan pelbagai perkara yang dilakukan umat Islam yang tidak mencerminkan akhlak dan kehidupan Muslim.

"Saya terangkan kepada mereka, perumpamaan paling mudah ialah lampu isyarat di jalan raya, ada yang patuh dan ada yang melanggarnya. Begitu jugalah dalam kehidupan manusia itu.

"Alhamdulillah, dari semasa ke semasa sungguhpun mereka belum memperoleh hidayah tetapi pemahaman daripada mereka sudah cukup memadai.

"Kini, acap kali tiba musim perayaan, ibu mahu persiapan juadah dilakukan oleh saya kerana tidak timbul lagi soal halal atau haram," kata Siti Aisyah.

Pengislamannya diketahui saudara mara lain apabila ayah meninggal dunia pada tahun 2003. Pada saat itu, beliau tidak melakukan ritual penganut Hindu apabila berlaku kematian.

Tambah Siti Aisyah, minatnya berdakwah timbul dengan harapan lebih ramai masyarakat yang mendapat ganjaran syurga sebagaimana dijanjikan Islam menerusi al-Quran dan hadis. Apatah lagi, menyedari kita sebagai khalifah Allah di atas muka bumi ini.

Lantaran itu, anak kedua daripada enam adik-beradik ini tidak pernah ketinggalan mengikuti program ceramah sama ada di televisyen, radio mahupun laman web terpilih.

Selain itu, penyertaan beliau dalam aktiviti berpersatuan juga tidak dilepaskan seperti Al-Hunafa, Persatuan Cina Muslim Malaysia (Macma) dan Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim).

Tegasnya, pencarian ilmu itu adalah kunci kepada setiap persoalan tidak kira dia itu seorang mualaf ataupun dilahirkan sebagai Muslim.

Prinsip Siti Aisyah setiap kali berhadapan dengan pelbagai rintangan ialah perlu banyak bersabar serta tidak meninggalkan solat.

Ini kerana takut Siti Aisyah hanya kepada Allah dan sejurus bergelar Muslim, beliau bertekad menerima segala cabaran yang mendatang.

Baginya kehidupan mualaf itu tidak boleh lari daripada menghadapi tentangan dan rintangan. Dua perkara ini bagai isi dengan kuku, hanya dengan pemahaman jelas tentang Islam mampu menjadi penawar.

Kata beliau, aspek ketenangan yang diperoleh menerusi solat, zikir dan membaca al-Quran itu adalah nikmat yang tiada tolok bandingannya.

"Kalau sebelum Islam, kehidupan kita tidak berhala tuju tetapi apabila Islam menjadi pegangan hidup, matlamat kehidupan itu kelihatan lebih jelas.

"Yang cantiknya, ia bukan sahaja bermatlamat di dunia tetapi akhirat itulah yang kekal selamanya.

"Sebab itulah, saya sentiasa berdoa agar mereka yang rapat dengan saya, khasnya diberikan hidayah Allah," katanya mengakhiri perbualan tengah hari itu.

DR DANIAL (DD) : I agree with you that prayer is a continuous process. It should always be there in your heart. Actually Glory, this concept of continuous prayer or, more correctly, continous remembrance of God, is taught by Islam. Islam termed this continuous remembrance of God as zikrullah. Indeed, in an authentic tradition, Prophet Muhammad was quoted as saying that, "The best zikir or remembrance is a continuous form of remembrance until one die with his tongue wet due to this remembrance of Allah." However, zikrullah is not just mere repetition of a mantra. It is more than that. Zikrullah can exist in the form of connecting to the Most High by using words recommended by the Most High, as mentioned earlier. Zikrullah for a scientist exists in the form of analysing the creation created by the Allah to glorify Him.

Thus the mantra for a scientist is his experiment and observation that is done to prove that Allah is the Creator. And, most important, the climax of zikrullah is to follow His Way right from the bottom of your heart. In the west people talk about prayers and meditation by sitting in a room, closing their eyes and repeating a certain mantra. After the session they follow THEIR OWN WAY. No, in Islam the purpose and indeed the climax of zikrullah is to FOLLOW HIS WAY with a sincere heart, spiritually, physically, and socially. When Muslims follow His Way comprehensively, without forgetting the oral mantra or zikir, they are praying to Him and at that instant they become men and women of integrity whereever they are. They become role models. Connecting to Him in this manner should be continuous for 24 hours. At that instant Muslims become a group of people who live and work diligently in this world with their heart connected to the next world. It is just like the internet. Your are there staying in your room but you are connected with the world through the internet system. Muslims are connected not just to this world but also to the next world through their zikir system. This is the prayer system in Islam. A holistic prayer system. Yeah, it is a continuous process.

GLORY : What about this rushing to the prayer room to pray 5 times a day?

DD: Yes sister, but we also see doctors and engineers rushing for their lunch and tea. These professional people are so busy so much so they had to rush for their meals. And yet we commended them for their commitment. We do not question about their rushing to the cafeteria. It is their style and this style is created by their working condition. And this style is good because they do not want to waste their time and this is good for the company. What is important is that they are getting their lunch and this lunch is beneficial for them. They are getting the carbohydrates, proteins and minerals which can be considered as booster for them before continuing with their job. Would you say that their lunch is useless just because you saw them rushing for their lunch? No. The same applies to the Muslims.

When Muslims pray 5 times a day they really pray. Their rushing should be interpreted as an endeavour to save time. Muslims started their prayer by saying that Allah is the greatest and at that instant everything else becomes small. Their bosses, managers, leaders and superiors become negligible. At that instant they are connected to the Most High after hours of being connected to high-strung people and stress induced situation. If lunch is a booster for the physical, then prayer is a booster for the spiritual. Muslim prayer is a form of meditation, indeed it surpasses normal meditation. I read many established articles in the internet that explained that one of the ways to reduce stress during work is to set aside a few minutes a few times during work for meditation. Indeed, switching of activity is good because it relaxes the mind. This is a practical solution to control stress and Muslims had been doing just that through their prayers 5 times a day consistently. Moreover, before praying, Muslims have to wash certain parts of their body especially their hands in a process called ablution or wuduk in Arabic. And I read in the WHO bulletin that the most important preventive measures that should be practised by everybody to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in this decade is to constantly and vigorously wash our hands. This concept is there in Islam through performing the ablutions before the 5 obligatory prayers. This is scientific!

GLORY : OK.... But don't you think that a prayer should be limited just to the heart and we do not need to rush to do our prayer?

DD : I agree with you that the heart plays a very important role in a prayer. It can be considered as the main switch. Without it a prayer can be considered as null and void. However, in Islam, a human being is categorised as a complex organism created by God with two very important elements, that is, the soul and the physique. Since these two elements are created by Allah, both should prostrate to worship Allah because both are created by Him. Thus during performing the 5 obligatory prayers, a Muslim moves his body and heart to worship Him. By the way Glory, what do you think of yoga?

GLORY : To me it is a good form of exercice.

DD: Yes sister, and according to one definition, yoga is a combination of spiritual and physical exercises to encourage ones health and well-being. If you can accept yoga, I think, you can accept the Islamic prayer because, in a way, the Islamic prayer is an act of worship that combines the spiritual and physical beings of a human being. More than that a Muslim has to clean himself or herself before praying by taking ablution which is not done in yoga. And earlier you mentioned about Muslims going to the prayer room to pray. In the prayer room Muslims meet their fellow Muslims and they pray together. In Islam this is called the jemaah.

While praying together they learn the basics of teamwork, yeah, teamwork. They know the importance of having a shared vision in life, that is worshipping of God. They also learn the importance of choosing and obeying a competent leader, that is the Imam. Besides that, thay learn the importance of standing in unison, that is the saf, while performing an important job. These are the basics of a teamwork and its essence is there in the Islamic prayer. This aspect is also not found in yoga. Besides that, the 5 obligatory prayers taught Muslims about the importance of discipline and time management.

veryday Muslims have to wake up early to perform the dawn or fajr prayer. They are the early birds. Waking up early does not affect their health negatively. According to a six-year study, those who sleep for eight hours or more tend to die a bit sooner. It is evidently very safe to sleep only seven, six, or even five hours a night. The scientists come to this conclusion after analysing data from the American Cancer Society. At night Muslims end their day by performing the night or isya prayer. I read a book written by Dr Bob Arnot titled The Biology of Success. He mentioned that those who stick rigidly and consistently to the teachings and routines of their religion are more contented and are more able to look at life positively. He singled out Islam as one of the religions that has definite routines and procedures which is capable of inducing the biology of the Muslims positively towards attaining peace and tranquility...

Having said all these, I come back to the most important aspect of a prayer, that is the heart, which you mentioned earlier. So in Islam the most important prayer is in your heart but it should not be limited only to the heart, because the heart and physique is interconnected. But I do agree with you about the importance of the heart. Indeed in Islam, one have to khusyuk while performing a prayer. Khusyuk means focus and deep concentration of the mind and heart. Without that ones prayer comes to nothing. This is the esssence of the Islamic prayer.

GLORY : OK.... I felt perturbed when I saw Muslims praying to a stone in Mecca. I understand that you called this stone Kaba. Isn't this idolatrous?

DD : Yes sister, when Muslims pray they turn their faces towards the Kaabah. Turning ones face towards the Kaabah doesn't mean that one worships the Kaabah. When a battallion of soldiers march in front of their King and turn their faces and salute towards him, we don't say that this is idolatrous, do we? No, we say that this is a salutation of honour. Kaabah is not God. You can ask any Muslim, Glory, concerning Kaabah, and I can assure you that they will tell you that, "Kaabah is our qiblat."

Yes, Kaabah is our qiblat, not our God! What is a qiblat? It is an Arabic term which means direction. It is just a landmark. That is why when you go to the mosques, you won't be able to see images of the Kaabah inside the mosques. Why? Because its image is not important to the Muslims. In other words, what is important is not the stone but the direction. If Muslims really worship the Kaabah you would expect to see its images everywhere especially inside the mosques. Moreover, when Muslims go to Mecca to perform the Haj, thay come face to face with this landmark, the Kaabah. Do you know what do Muslims recite at that instant, in front of the Kaabah? They say, "Labbaika La Syarikalak," which means "We come to worship you oh Allah and there is no partner besides you."

"No partner besides Allah" means there is only one God, the Creator, that is Allah, and everything else, including the Kaabah, are just His creatures. I have to say that, Glory, actually, this concept is understood even by a young Muslim primary school kid... In addition to that, without this landmark as a direction, it will be chaotic when Muslims pray in a congregation. Why? Because some would be facing towards the west, some towards the east and so on and so forth and for an outsider this will be a joke. To make an analogy, let's come back to that battallion of soldiers who march in front of their king. What would you say if some of the soldiers turn their faces towards the king and some towards something else? You would want to question their discipline, and worse, their loyalty. I hope now you understand why Muslims turn their faces towards the Kaabah during praying.

GLORY : Yeah, I can see the logic... But why turn towards the Kaabah?

DD : I hope you would not suggest that we turn towards Las Vegas. (Smile).... Kaabah has a beautiful history because it was built by prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. Indeed the Bible did mention about the Kaabah, the House of God. It is mentioned in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, chapter Isaiah, verses 6 and 7: “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house.” And we should not forget that the lineage of Muhammad and Jesus Christ were connected to Abraham. Thus when we face the Kaabah we are connected to this beautiful history of the prophets of Allah who built the glorious house of God.

GLORY : OK.. I thank you very much for your explanation. Now I am beginning to understand.

(Dr. Danial bin Zainal Abidin (M.B.Ch.B. University of Alexandria) is the Managing Director of Danial Zainal Consultancy based in Penang Island, Malaysia. This Consultancy focussed on education and research. He is also a Medical Practitioner based in Penang Island, Malaysia. Besides that he is also an author who, until now, has written altogether ten books. As a motivator, he gives motivation weekly through Mutiara FM (Penang Island Broadcasting Station). He is also a columnist for i-Magazine in Malaysia.)