Does Islam teach that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) lacked knowledge of the soul (ruh)?
Someone from Pakistan wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), stating that, while replying to an opponent, the Promised Messiah (as) had said that the Holy Quran mentions that man has been granted but little knowledge concerning the soul [ruh]. The questioner requested clarification as to why man has been given only limited knowledge and when further knowledge of the soul would be bestowed.
Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 28 December 2023, gave the following reply to this question:
“It appears that you have not read the statement of the Promised Messiah (as) with due care. Had you read it attentively, you would not have raised this question, for the statement you are attributing to the Promised Messiah (as) is not, in fact, his own words; rather, it is the objection of one of his opponents, to which Huzoor (as) gave a detailed reply in his treatise Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya.
“It was, in fact, an Arya leader, Drawing Master Lala Murlidhar Sahib, who raised the following objection:
“‘Mirza Sahib and all Muslims hold precisely this belief and the Quran itself states that when people asked the Prophet (Muhammad) what the soul [ruh] was, he was unable to explain it at all. At that moment, the verse was revealed: ‘O Muhammad, say: the soul is a matter of my Lord’s command.’ So, what understanding of the soul could Muslims possibly have acquired, when God did not disclose even to their guide the true nature of the soul? And what a splendid answer God has furnished indeed – that the soul is ‘a matter of my Lord’s command’! Are other things not also ‘matters of my Lord’s command’?’
(Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 171-176)
“In reply to this objection, the Promised Messiah (as) said:
“‘Lala Sahib, how long must I go on correcting your errors? From whom did you hear that it is the belief of Muslims that the Holy Prophet (sa) was not granted knowledge of the soul by God the Exalted? And where in the Holy Quran did you ever see that the Blessed Prophet (sa) was unaware of the reality of the soul? I know full well that, owing to the deficiency of your understanding, you have been led into error in interpreting this verse of the Holy Quran, which reads as follows:
وَیَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَکَ عَنِ الرُّوۡحِ ؕ قُلِ الرُّوۡحُ مِنۡ اَمۡرِ رَبِّیۡ وَمَاۤ اُوۡتِیۡتُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعِلۡمِ اِلَّا قَلِیۡلًا
“‘That is to say, the disbelievers ask thee, (O Muhammad [sa]), what the soul is, from what it has come forth and how it came into being. Tell them that the soul belongs to the command of my Lord and that you, O disbelievers, have not been granted knowledge of the soul, nor of the divine mysteries, save a little. (Part 15; Surah Bani Isra’il, 86)
“‘So here, Master Sahib, owing to your defective understanding, you fell into the error of supposing that the addressee in the phrase “you have been given but little knowledge” was the Holy Prophet (sa), whereas the expression مَاۤ اُوۡتِیۡتُمۡ – meaning “you have not been given” – is in the second-person plural and this plainly shows that the addressees in the verse are the disbelievers, for nowhere in these verses is the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed in the plural; rather, throughout he is addressed in the singular, while the body of disbelievers is referred to in the plural as those who put forward such a question.
“‘Thus, unless a man be altogether blind, he can see that two plural forms occur in these verses. First, یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ – meaning, “they ask”; second, مَاۤ اُوۡتِیۡتُمۡ – meaning, “you have not been given”. And just as it is evident that the plural form یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ refers to the disbelievers who asked concerning the nature of the soul, so too it is evident that the plural form مَاۤ اُوۡتِیۡتُمۡ refers to those same disbelievers. As for the Holy Prophet (sa), nowhere is he addressed in the plural. Rather, he is first addressed by means of the singular pronominal suffix kaf, which denotes the singular; in other words, it is said, “the disbelievers ask thee”, not “they ask you” in the plural. Thereafter, once again the singular form is used and it is said, “say to them”, not “say ye to them”. In contrast, when the state of the disbelievers is described, they are referred to both times in the plural.
“‘Hence, the plain and obvious meaning of the verse – as determined by the context and sequence of the discourse and as the wording itself clearly yields – is this: O Muhammad (sa), the disbelievers ask thee concerning the nature of the soul, what it is and from what it has been brought forth. So tell them that the soul is a matter pertaining to my Lord’s command [amr rabbi], that is, it belongs to the realm of command [‘alam al-amr]; and you, O disbelievers, what can you know of what the soul truly is, for to acquire knowledge of the soul, it is necessary to be a believer and one possessing true knowledge of Allah [‘arif billah ]; and not one of these qualities is to be found among you.
“‘Now any fair-minded person can understand what humiliations ignorance, when joined to haste, brings in its wake. One ought to reflect on how plain and transparent the meaning of the above-mentioned noble verses really was: that a group of disbelievers asked the Holy Prophet (sa) concerning the soul – what the soul was – and so, in keeping with the situation, that group was addressed in the plural and given the answer that the soul belongs to the realm of command; that is to say, it is a word of Allah [kalimatullah] or a reflection of the word zill al-kalimah, which, through divine wisdom and power, has come into being in the form of a soul. It has no share whatsoever in divinity; rather, it is in truth a created being and a servant of God. And this is a subtle mystery of divine power which you, O disbelievers, cannot comprehend, save only a little – enough to make faith incumbent upon you.
“‘Even your own intellects are capable of discerning this. Yet in grasping so obvious a meaning, Master Sahib has made a most serious blunder and has imagined that this address, speaking of ignorance concerning the nature of the soul, is directed towards the Holy Prophet (sa). La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Perish such understanding! If only Master Sahib had studied a little Arabic or had at least glanced through some elementary rules of syntax and morphology! Sir, open your eyes and see who it was that asked about the nature of the soul. They were your own fraternity – the deniers of Islam. It was they who were told that the soul belongs to the realm of command and that you, O disbelievers, what can you know of these divine mysteries? Embrace faith and then the nature of the soul and the sciences pertaining to it shall be disclosed to you.
“‘And this statement of God the Exalted – that the soul belongs to the realm of command – upon which Master Sahib, in his self-satisfied haste, immediately fastened with an objection, is in fact the declaration of a profound truth. Its explanation is as follows: divine providence brings non-existent things into being in two distinct ways and the products of these two modes of origination are given different names. When God the Exalted brings something into being in such a manner that previously it had no existence whatsoever, the Quranic term for that mode of origination is amr [command]. But when He brings something into being in such a manner that it already existed beforehand in some other form, then that mode of origination is called khalq [creation]. In short, bringing a simple entity into existence out of sheer non-being belongs to the realm of amr; whereas fashioning a composite entity into a particular form or configuration belongs to the realm of khalq.’
(Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 171-176)
“If you wish to learn more about the soul, then carefully study the writings of the Hakam ‘Adl [the Just Arbiter] of this age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (as), especially Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat.”
What is the Islamic viewpoint on gender dysphoria?
Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), stating that he had been a boy at birth, but later began to feel that he might in fact be a girl. His parents told him that he was a boy and his doctor also said that he was mistaken. However, he himself had come to the conclusion that he was not actually a boy, but a girl and he wished to hear from Huzoor (aa) whether he was a girl or a boy.
Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 15 January 2024, gave the following guidance in reply to this question:
“If your bodily organs are those of a male and your reproductive system is male, then you are a boy. And if your bodily organs and your reproductive system are female, then you are a girl. A boy does not become a girl merely by saying so, nor does a girl become a boy.
“Because of the prevailing secular environment, such thoughts and ideas may sometimes arise in one’s mind. This is a psychological condition that ought to be treated. Therefore, you should seek treatment from a doctor.
“The fact of the matter is that, from the creation of Adam until the Day of Judgement, Satan has taken upon himself the task of leading the children of Adam astray and turning them away from the path of God Almighty. To this end, Satan seeks to misguide human beings in various ways.
“In these Latter Days, Satan has assumed the guise of Dajjali forces and adopted the method of leading people astray through various channels. This is precisely the age against which every Prophet warned his followers and concerning which the Holy Prophet (sa) also gave grave warnings. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-fitan, Bab dhikri d-dajjal) And for the purpose of confronting these satanic and Dajjali forces, he gave the glad tidings of the advent of his spiritual son and most ardent devotee, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (as). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab tafsiri l-qur’an, Bab qawlihi: ‘wa akharina minhum lamma yalhaqu bihim’)
“Thus, in order to confront satanic and Dajjali forces, we must arm ourselves with the weapons of prayer and the peaceful jihad of the pen that the Promised Messiah (as) has bestowed upon us and act upon the true teachings of Islam to which he has guided us, so that by resisting these satanic and Dajjali forces we may protect ourselves and our future generations from their attacks.
“May Allah the Exalted grant you wisdom and understanding, protect you from every kind of Dajjali assault, enable you to understand and follow Islamic teachings and continue always to shower you with His favours. Amin.”
Was Hazrat Amir bin Fuhayrah (ra) raised towards the heavens after his martyrdom?
A missionary from Canada wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), regarding the martyrdom of Hazrat Amir bin Fuhayrah (ra). Referring to the incident related by the enemy of Islam, Amir bin Tufail – that after Hazrat Amir bin Fuhayrah (ra) had been martyred, he was raised towards the sky and then brought back down to the earth – he asked whether this was a visionary disclosure [kashf]. He further submitted that there appears to be no chain of narration establishing who heard this account from Amir bin Tufail and requested guidance in this matter.
In his letter dated 18 January 2024, Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa) provided the following answer to this query:
“The incident to which you have referred has been narrated by Hazrat Imam Bukhari (rh) in his Sahih as follows: In the tragedy of Bi’r Ma‘unah, Hazrat Amir bin Fuhayrah (ra) was also martyred. It is narrated from Abu Usamah that Hisham bin ‘Urwah said that his father (‘Urwah bin Zubair [ra]) told him that when the Companions known as the qurra’ were martyred in the tragedy of Bi’r Ma‘unah and Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri (ra) was taken captive, Amir bin Tufail pointed to a body and asked him, ‘Who is this?’ Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah (ra) replied that it was Hazrat Amir bin Fuhayrah (ra). Thereupon, Amir bin Tufail said, ‘I saw that after he had been killed, his body was raised towards the sky, to the extent that I could see it between heaven and earth. Then it was set back down upon the ground.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-maghazi, Bab ghazwati r-raji‘ wa ri‘l wa dhakwan wa bi’r ma‘unah)
“As far as your view that this was a kashf is concerned, you are correct. By means of this kashf, Allah the Exalted intended to show the enemy of Islam, Amir bin Tufail – who was the ringleader behind the Bi’r Ma‘unah plot against Islam – that those whom you had treacherously caused to be slain were no ordinary men; rather, they were people close to Allah and of spiritual rank. Accordingly, Allah the Exalted granted immediate acceptance to the prayers of those martyrs and informed the Holy Prophet (sa) of their martyrdom. The Holy Prophet (sa) then informed the Companions of the martyrdom of those beloved ones in these words: ‘Your brothers have been martyred and after their martyrdom they submitted before their Lord: ‘O our Lord, inform our brothers that, having reached Thee, we are full of joy and that Thou too art pleased with us.’ (Ibid.)
“As for the chain of narration of this incident, Sahih al-Bukhari itself states that, out of those 70 Companions, one Companion, Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri (ra), was taken captive. Later, in fulfilment of his mother’s vow and in accordance with the custom of that time, Amir bin Tufail cut the hair from the front of Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri’s (ra) head and manumitted him. Thus, this report reached the Companions through Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri (ra) and they then narrated it onwards. Hence, as has already been mentioned above, Sahih al-Bukhari records the chain of this report as follows: Abu Usamah heard it from Hisham bin ‘Urwah and Hisham heard it from his father, ‘Urwah bin Zubair (ra).
“Therefore, to say that this incident has no chain of narration is incorrect.”
Is a funeral prayer (janazah) offered for a miscarried baby in Islam?
Someone from India wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), stating: “My wife suffered a miscarriage at 18 weeks and 5 days. In one of his question-and-answer sessions, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) had stated that the soul is breathed into the foetus at around four or five months. My wife’s miscarriage also occurred at approximately that stage. Is the funeral prayer offered for such a child? Had the soul entered it? And will we be able to meet this child in the Hereafter?”
Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 22 January 2024, gave the following guidance in response to this question:
“The ahadith state that after 120 days, which amounts to approximately four months, the soul is breathed into the foetus. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab ahadithi l-anbiyaʾ, [Bab khalqi adama wa dhurriyyatih])
“The breathing of the soul does not at all mean that, prior to this, the foetus has no connection whatsoever with the soul and that after four months a soul is suddenly placed into it from somewhere outside. Rather, from the very beginning, the soul is a hidden essence of the foetus, which Allah the Exalted causes to become manifest within it, at its appointed time, by His leave.
“While explaining this point, the Promised Messiah (as) states:
“‘The soul is a fine light developed inside the body and which is nurtured in the womb. To begin with, it is hidden and imperceptible and later it is made manifest. From the very beginning, its essence is present in the sperm. It is related to the sperm in a mysterious manner by the design, command and will of God. It is a bright and illumined quality of the sperm. It cannot be said that it is a part of the sperm as matter is part of matter, nor can it be said that it comes from outside or falls upon the earth and gets mixed with the matter of the sperm. It is latent in the sperm as fire is latent in the flint. The Book of God does not mean that the soul descends from heaven as a separate entity or falls upon the earth from the atmosphere and then, by chance, gets mixed with the sperm and enters the womb with it. There is no basis for such a notion. The law of nature rejects it.’ (Islami Usul Ki Falasafi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, pp. 322-323)
“Explaining the philosophy of the coming into being of the soul within the human body, Huzoor (as) further states:
“‘God Almighty’s law of nature for the coming into being of the human soul is that, after the union of the two seminal elements, when the bodily frame gradually takes shape, then, just as the combining of several medicines gives rise within that compound to a particular quality which is not found in each of those medicines taken separately, in like manner, within that frame – which is the composite of blood and the two seminal elements – a special essence comes into being, which is, as it were, like phosphorus [that is, luminous and readily kindled]. Then, when the breeze of divine manifestation passes over it with the command “Be”, it is suddenly kindled and diffuses its influence throughout all the parts of that frame; at that point, the foetus becomes alive. Thus, that very kindled reality which comes into being within the foetus through divine manifestation is called the soul [ruh].’ (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, p. 159)
“Thus, from the very beginning, the soul belongs to the foetus and, at its appointed time, it becomes manifest within it by the leave of Allah the Exalted. And once the soul has become manifest, the foetus continues to develop until, upon completion of its development, it emerges from the mother’s womb in the form of a child.
“As for a child who dies in the womb and is not born alive, though all its limbs have been formed, the majority of scholars and jurists agree that a formal janazah prayer is not to be offered for such a child. The evidence for this is the following saying of the Holy Prophet (sa):
الطِّفْلُ لَا يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَرِثُ وَلَا يُورَثُ حَتَّى يَسْتَهِلَّ
“‘The child is not to be prayed over, nor does it inherit, nor is it inherited from, until it cries out at birth [i.e., is born alive].’ (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-janaʾiz, Bab fi tarki s-salati ‘ala l-janini hatta yastahill)
“However, some scholars are also of the view that the janazah prayer may be offered for a stillborn child. Their evidence is the saying of the Holy Prophet (sa) that the janazah prayer should be offered for a miscarried child and that supplications for forgiveness and mercy should be made for its parents. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-janaʾiz, Bab al-mashyi amama l-janazah)
“Therefore, if parents wish to offer the janazah prayer for such a child for their own solace and reassurance, there is no harm in doing so.
“As to whether parents will meet such children in the Hereafter, Allah the Exalted knows best whether He will bring about such a reunion or not. However, concerning children who pass away at a tender age, the Holy Prophet (sa) said that Allah the Exalted, out of His mercy towards such children, will also admit their parents into Paradise along with them. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-janaʾiz, Bab fadli mun mata lahu waladun fahtasab)”
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)