Author: Abdullah Yahya

Table of Contents

• Is the Hajj only during 10 days or any time within 4 months?
  • The purpose of Hajj
  • The duration of Hajj
  • Known days
  • Counter-argument #1: Hajj versus believers
  • Counter-argument #2: Comparison to Ramadan
  • Zhu al-Hijjah
  • 4 “hurum” months
  • Consecutive “hurum” months
  • The beginning of the Hajj period
  • The Islamic calendar
  • The Hajj months
  • Solution to current problems
• The correct rituals of Hajj
  • Perform the Hajj during any of the 4 hajj months
  • Perform the Hajj for at least 2 days
  • Commemorate God throughout the Hajj
  • Hunting
  • War and fighting
  • Sexual intercourse, misconduct and arguments
  • Abstaining from cutting the hair
  • Visit the Kaa’ba (Ancient House) and circumambulate it at least 1x (once)
  • Walking between Safa and Marwah are optional
  • Commemorate God at the Masjid al Haram
  • Animal offerings
  • Convenient offering
  • Optionally pray at the Station of Abraham
• The man-made rituals of Hajj
  • The Hajj garments
  • Miqat Locations
  • The “Black Stone”
  • “Zamzam” water
  • The ritual of stoning Satan
  • Women not allowed to perform Hajj without a “muhrim”
  • Women during menstruation forbidden from completing Hajj
  • Visiting Prophet Muhammad’s tomb during the Hajj
  • Performing hajj for someone else

Is the Hajj only during 10 days or any time within 4 months?

The purpose of Hajj

We see in verses 6:162-163 that all worship practices must be dedicated to God alone.

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.” (6:162-163)

The same applies to the Hajj. There are many verses that indicate that the only purpose of the Hajj is to “commemorate God”.

And proclaim the Hajj to the people …… to commemorate God’s name during the known days. (22:27-28)

You shall commemorate God for a number of days. (2:203)

When you disperse from Arafat you shall commemorate God at the Mishaar Al-Haram. (2:198)

Then once you have completed your rituals, you shall commemorate God. (2:200)

The duration of Hajj

Many Muslims believe that there is only one 5 day period each year during which they can perform the hajj. However, the Quran makes it clear that the hajj can be done any time during the four months beginning from Dhul-Hijjah. The fact that the hajj period lasts for multiple months is proven in verse 2:197.

الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ ۚ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلَا رَفَثَ وَلَا فُسُوقَ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ

Hajj is [during] well-known (specified) months (Arabic: ashur), so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein (in those months), there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. … (2:197)

Notice how the verse uses the Arabic word “ashur” which means “months” (plural). “Shahrun” is Arabic for one month. “Shahrain” is Arabic for two months. “Ashurun” is Arabic for three or more months.

Some may argue that the use of the plural “months” was used to describe a regularity that occurs every year. However, this argument is unsupportable as the verse clearly indicates that the months refer to certain months of a year.

Another argument is that the 5 days of Dhul-hijjah fall within the well-known months and therefore that is why the plural “months” is used in the verse. This argument is non-sensical since the verse states very clearly that hajj can be done during months (Arabic: ashurun) that are well-known (Arabic: ma’lumatun). In verse 2:197, notice the Arabic words “farada feehinna”.

• “farada” means “he made obligatory”
• “feehinna” is a conjunction of two words: “fee” which means “in” and “hinna” which means “them” in the feminine gender form.

Therefore, that section of the verse means “whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein (in those months)” proves that God is telling you that you can perform the Hajj at any time during those months.

Known days

Some people argue that the Hajj is restricted to the first 10 days of the 12th month by citing verses 22:28 and 2:203.

… mention the name of Allah on known days … (22:28)

You shall commemorate God for a number of days. … (2:203)

They claim that the words “known days” and “a number of days” indicate that the Hajj can only be performed during a 10 day period.

Counter-argument #1: Hajj versus believers

In verse 2:197, we see that God is addressing the “hajj’ itself when He describes the “specified months”. In other words, the hajj itself can be performed during the multiple months of Hajj. In contrast, in verses 22:28 and 2:203, God is addressing the “believers” when He speaks of the “number of days”. In other words, the believers who perform the Hajj go for a number of days and not for several months.

Counter-argument #2: Comparison to Ramadan

In verse 2:185, we see that God indicates that the month for fasting is the (single) month of Ramadan. In the same verse, we see a reference to “a number of days”. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that you must only fast for a few days in the month of Ramadan but rather that if you miss some days, you must make up for them later.

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ …

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. … (2:185)

A month, or months, can be spoken of as days because a month is made up of days. Nevertheless, this doesn’t change the fact that they are still months. This is similar to someone describing the years of his childhood by saying “they were the best days of my life”.

Zhu al-Hijjah

The 12th month of the Islamic calendar is called Zhu al-Hijjah which means “that (month) of the Hajj”. It would make sense that this month would be one of the Hajj months and the beginning of those months.

4 “hurum” months

In verse 9:36, we see that there are 12 months in a year and that 4 of them are called “hurum”.

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ …

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are “hurum”. . … (9:36)

The word ‘Hurum’ does not mean sacred as some have translated, for the word used in the Quran for sacred is ‘muqqaddas’, see 20:12, 79:16 and 5:21. The word ‘Hurum’ (adjective) is the plural of the word ‘Haram’ which is also associated with the months of Hajj. Both words come from the noun ‘Ihram’ which means abstention. Abstention is one of the requirements during Hajj, abstention from war, hunting and so on.

As a result, we know that the number of months that God designated for Hajj is four (2:197).

Consecutive “hurum” months

In verses 9:2-5 we see that 4 months are specifically granted to those with whom obligations were removed as they continuously broke treaties and invoked hostilities against the Muslims. Respite was then granted from the Day of Pilgrimage and extended 4 months in succession. The statement that respite was granted from the Day of Pilgrimage until the hurum months have passed indicates that the hurum months are in succession.

(Paraphrasing 9:2-5) So go about in the land for four months (9:2)… And an announcement from God and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage (9:3)… So when the hurum months (in succession) have passed … (9:5)

In verse 9:5, the word that indicates a consecutive set of months is “insalakha” which means “withdrawn in succession”. The word literally means “skinned”. When you skin something, e.g. an onion, you remove its layers consecutively one or more layers at a time. You can’t remove the outermost layer (skin) and then the 5th inner layer (skin) before removing the layers (skins) in between.

The same word “salakha” is used in verse 36:37 which denotes a gradual and successive transition. In this verse, the transition is from day to night (sunset).

The beginning of the Hajj period

Verse 2:189 gives us an indication as to the beginning of the Hajj period.

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ …

They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, “They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.” …(2:189)

Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the sighting of the first crescent signals the beginning of each month. Just as the sighting of the first crescent in the month of Ramadan signals the beginning of the fasting, the sighting of the first crescent in the month of Zhu Al-Hijjah, which means “that (month of Hajj) signals the beginning of the Hajj period.

The Islamic calendar

The Islamic lunar calendar in use today is

1. Muḥarram محرّم (or Muḥarram al Ḥaram)
2. Ṣafar صفر (or Ṣafar al Muzaffar)
3. Rabīʿ al-Awwal (Rabīʿ I) ربيع الأوّل
4. Rabīʿ al-Thānī (or Rabīʿ al-Ākhir) (Rabīʿ II) ربيع الآخر أو ربيع الثاني
5. Jumādā al-Ūlā (Jumādā I) جمادى الأولى
6. Jumādā al-Thānī (or Jumādā al-Ākhirah) (Jumādā II) جمادى الآخرة أو جمادى الثانية
7. Rajab رجب (or Rajab al-Murājab)
8. Shaʿbān شعبان (or Shaʿbān al-Muʿaẓẓam)
9. Ramaḍān رمضان (or Ramaḍān al-Mubārak)
10. Shawwāl شوّال (or Shawwāl al-Mukarram)
11. Dhū al-Qaʿda ذو القعدة (or Dhū al-Qiʿda)
12. Dhū al-Ḥijja ذو الحجة (or Dhū al-Ḥajja)

The Hajj months

From the verses above, we know that

• there are 4 hurum months
• the 4 hurum months begin with on Day of the Pilgrimage
• the hurum months are in succession

If the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah is taken to be the beginning of the Day of the Pilgrimage, which would make sense, then the 4 hurum (and Hajj) months would be

1. Dhul al-Hijja
2. Muharram
3. Safar
4. Rabi al-Awwal

Solution to current problems

If these 4 hurum months are the months during which people can perform that hajj, as suggested in the Quran, then the following problems resulting from restricting the hajj to a mere 5 days of the year would be reduced if not eliminated.

• Intense congestion from millions of people being packed in one place
• Extreme congestion during tawaaf (circumambulation)
• The difficulties of finding accommodation and resulting exorbitant costs
• The long delays
• Some women may not be able to perform or complete the hajj as their menstrual cycle may fall
• within the 5 days
• Deaths from human stampedes due to overcrowdedness
• Being hit by flying stones during the Stoning ritual
• Unsanitary (to say the least) washing and cleaning facilities
• Concerns of being robbed by petty thieve or getting lost from your group
• Inability to focus due to the issues stated above

For details on actual tragedies, mostly taking place during the Stoning ritual, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_during_the_Hajj

The fact that the Hajj is limited to 5 days severely limits how many people can perform the Hajj each year. As such, there are visa quotas set for visitors from each country. The Quran says that the Hajj is the duty of every Muslim, provided he can afford it, not if he is lucky enough to get a visa!

The current situation of performing hajj clearly is inconvenient, expensive, and burdensome to many and even dangerous to some. Many pilgrims now believe that enduring hardships to perform the hajj would reap them higher rewards. Some travel agents conveniently take advantage of this by providing decrepit services while saying that pilgrims shouldn’t complain as it is better for them to endure.

Contrary to reality, God states in verse 22:78 that He imposes no difficulties in religion.

وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ

… and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty … (22:78)

Based on the analysis above, it appears that people or so-called Islamic scholars are unnecessarily placing difficulty in religion by misinterpreting the Quran and restricting the number of days during which to perform hajj to a mere 5 each year.

The message of not being a burdensome religion is also mentioned elsewhere as follows:

• 2:185 With regards fasting, God desires for you ease; He does not desire any difficulties or hardship for you.
• 5:6 With regards Wudu (ablution) in which God wishes to place no difficulty
• 73:2-3 God instructs the Prophet to abate a little and regulate his night long worship so that it imposes no hardship for him and the believers.

The correct rituals of Hajj

Perform the Hajj during any of the 4 hajj months

As stated above, the hajj months are Dhul al-Hijja, Muharram, Safar and Rabi al-Awwal.

Perform the Hajj for at least 2 days

And remember Allah during [specific] numbered days. Then whoever hastens [his departure] in two days – there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays [for more days] – there is no sin upon him – for him who fears Allah . (2:203)

Commemorate God throughout the Hajj

The primary purpose and goal of the Hajj is to commemorate God.

And proclaim the Hajj to the people …… to commemorate God’s name during the known days. (22:27-28)

You shall commemorate God for a number of days. (2:203)

Then once you have completed your rituals, you shall commemorate God. (2:200)

Hunting

Hunting is prohibited during Hajj as per the following verses:

You shall not permit hunting while you are hurum. (5:1)

Once you are no longer in abstention you may hunt. (5:2)

O you who believe, do not kill any game while you are hurum. (5:95)

War and fighting

All warfare is prohibited during the Hurum Months of Hajj except in self defence:

They ask you about the Haram Month and fighting therein: say, “Fighting therein is a grave matter.” (2:217)

Sexual intercourse, misconduct and arguments

These abstentions are given in verse 2:197

Whoever executes the Hajj in them (the known months) shall refrain from sexual intercourse, wickedness and arguing during Hajj. (2:197)

Abstaining from cutting the hair

Note that some people claim that the hair must be cut or shortened at the end of Hajj. However, nowhere does the Quran say this. The Quran only states that you can’t shave or cut your hair during the Hajj.

You shall complete the Hajj and Umrah for God. If you are prevented, then make a convenient offering, and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches its destination. (2:196)

Visit the Kaa’ba (Ancient House) and circumambulate it at least 1x (once)

Then, they shall end their state of unkemptness, fulfill their vows and go around / circumambulate (yatawwaffa) the Ancient House. (22:29)

Note that there is no mention that you must circle the Kaa’ba seven times, as is commonly believed. Therefore, you are only required to do it once. Obviously, the purpose of performing the hajj and umrah is to remember and focus on God. Trying to keep track of how many times you’ve circled the Kaa’ba, especially when it’s overly crowded, would only deter your from the primary goal.

Walking between Safa and Marwah are optional

Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs ‘umrah – there is no blame upon him for walking between them (yatawwaffa bihima). And whoever volunteers good – then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing. (2:158)

Note that there is no mention that you must walk between Safa and Marwa seven times, as is commonly believed.

Commemorate God at the Masjid al Haram

The Mishaar Al-haram is the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca because it is the only House called “Haram” in the Quran.

When you disperse from Arafat you shall commemorate God at the Mishaar Al-Haram. (2:198)

Animal offerings

You must offer an animal

The animal offerings are among the rites decreed for you by God. In them there are benefits for you. So mention God’s name on them while they are lined up, then, once they collapse on their sides, you shall eat therefrom and feed the poor and the needy. It is thus that We have ordained them for you so that you may be thankful. (22:36)

This animal offering isn’t to be confused with the pagan concept of animal sacrifice for some gods. The animal offering is for human benefit, as indicated in 22:36, and not for God, as indicated in 22:37.

Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. … (22:78)

Convenient offering

For people who progress from Umrah to Hajj, they shall make a convenient offering (to the poor and needy). If they can’t, then they can fast.

… whoever performs ‘umrah [during the Hajj months] followed by Hajj [offers] what can be obtained with ease of an offering (hadye). And whoever cannot find [or afford an offering] – then a fast of three days during Hajj and of seven when you have returned [home]. Those are ten complete [days]. This is for those whose family is not in the area of al-Masjid al-Haram. … (2:196)

Optionally pray at the Station of Abraham

Verse 2:125 indicates that one should pray at the Station of Abraham. However, this is in the context of what people did during the time of Abraham. To expect everyone nowadays to all pray at the Station of Abraham could be a logistical nightmare.

And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], “Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer].” (2:125)

The man-made rituals of Hajj

The Hajj garments

Most Muslims believe that men must wear two seamless white clothes similar to beach towels. There is nothing in the Quran that mandates this dress code. Furthermore, having to wear nothing but two pieces of cloth could easily defocus your attention on commemorating God as you would likely be worried that your clothes would fall and everyone would see you naked, including making women.

In verse 7:31 we see that God instructs people to bring their “zinah” to every masjid (mosque). Zinah means adornments or any item that is worn to make oneself beautiful. The command is to dress nicely at “every” masjid. Since the Masjid Al-Haram is a mosque, then this verse instructs people to dress nicely in it.

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ

O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess. (7:31)

Many Muslims justify the wearing of the Hajj garments (two white pieces of cloth) to equalize everyone so the rich and poor look alike and the poor don’t feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. If that were the case, why is that belief not applied to the Friday congregational prayer? During the Friday prayers, no one poor appears embarrassed or uncomfortable to be there. Furthermore, a poor person would be better off going to the Hajj in whatever clothes they have rather than be burdened to spend extra money on special towels, sandals, belts, and what not.

Miqat Locations

The miqat is a location from where pilgrims are required to start wearing the “ihram” garments and enter into a state of “ihram”. The common understanding is that “ihram”garments are two unstitched white pieces of cloth for men and loose-fitting white clothes for women. There are 5 miqat locations:

1. Dhul Hulaifah
2. Al-Juhfah
3. Qarn-ul manazil
4. Yalamlam
5. Dhatu `Irq

Pilgrims typically put on their “ihram” garments at one of these 5 locations and then proceed to Mecca to perform Umrah or Hajj. Needless to say, none are such rules in the Quran. The Quranic state of “ihram” is to abstain from war, hunting, sexual activity and bad language and begins when pilgrims enter the Masjid Al-Haram to commence their Hajj. Like the so-called “ihram” garments, the miqat locations are yet another man-made innovation.

The “Black Stone”

The Black Stone is a stone located at one of the corners of the Kaa’ba at the Masjid Al-Haram. Muslims tend to congregate and push themselves towards it in an effort to touch and kiss it with the hope of getting some sort of blessing. Clearly, this is an idolatrous behavior similar to what the statue worshippers during the time of Abraham did. As such, it should come as no surprise that there is no mention of this ritual anywhere in the Quran. This ritual originates from the hadith which claims that the stone descended from Heaven during the time of Abraham and that Prophet Muhammad used to kiss it. As we know from the Quran in verse 21:66, Abraham destroyed all of the stones and statues that people were worshipping and asked them if they worship something that cannot benefit nor harm them instead of God.

قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ

He (Abraham) said (to the idolaters), “Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you? (21:66)

Similar verses are found at 5:76,10:18 and 25:55.

“Zamzam” water

Zamzam water is water that comes from a particular well. The water is available at the Masjid Al-Haram and is considered sacred by most Muslims. Many also believe that it can cure ailments. Muslim historians claim that the well of Zamzam was made to flow for Hagar and her infant Ishmael when the two of them ran in desperation between the hill tops of Safa and Marwah in search of water. This story is nowhere to be found in the Quran but rather comes from the Bible (Torah). Genesis 21:14-21 describes the story of Abraham’s slave wife Hagar when she was sent away to the desert with her child Ishmael. In desperation and fear of dying out of thirst, Hagar ran back and forth between two hill tops in search of water, at which point God mercifully produced for her a gushing well from which she and Ishmael drank. As this story is not in the Quran, it’s likely that hadith writers borrowed this story from the Bible and modified it such that the Zamzam well would be located at the Masjid Al-Haram. The Bible, however, indicates that the event took place at Beer Sheba which is located south of Jerusalem, between Gaza and the Dead Sea.

Regardless of this story, the Quran makes it clear that we should not idolize and hold sacred any object, whether it is the water of Zamzam or the Black Stone, thinking that it could “benefit” us. On the contrary, doing so would be a direct violation of 5:76,10:18 and 25:55. At the end of the day, Muslims must believe that all cures are ultimately from God.

The ritual of stoning Satan

Another commonly practiced Hajj ritual is the stoning of Satan. This ritual, according to the historian Al-Arazi, originates from Abraham’s journey to perform the Hajj. The story has it that when Abraham left Mina, Satan appeared to him. Then, Gabriel appeared and told Abraham to pelt Satan. Abraham threw 7 stones which made Satan disappear. Satan reappeared at the Middle Stone-Heap and the Little Stone-Heap and Abraham where Abraham threw more stones until Satan finally withdrew. These 3 locations are called the “Jamaraat” and are meant to represent the devil.

There is nothing in the Quran mentioning this Hajj ritual.

Some scholars quote verse 38:77 and 15:34 to justify the stoning of Satan practice.

قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ

He (God) said, ‘Then, get out of it, for you (Satan) are ‘rajeem’ (expelled). (38:77)

They use the word “rajeem”, which means “expelled” or “outcast”, to mean “stoned”.

As you can imagine, believers of this non-sensical and unauthorized ritual probably think that they are hurting Satan as they passionately throw stones at something they can’t even see. However, what is more likely to be happening is that Satan is sitting behind them laughing for having succeeded in deviating millions of Muslims from the sole purpose of Hajj, which is to praise and commemorate God (22:27-28, 2:203, 2:198, 2:200). By tricking clueless Muslims who don’t pay attention to the Quran and its clear instructions, Satan has succeeded in wasting 3 days of each pilgrims’ Hajj days in his name instead of for God.

Interestingly, most of the fatal tragedies during the Hajj occur during the Stoning ritual. Could it be that these tragedies are related to the fact that this ritual is completely counter to the purpose of the Hajj? Throughout the entire Quran, God never tells people to attack the devil. His command is only to stay away from and not follow the devil.

Women not allowed to perform Hajj without a “muhrim”

A “muhrim” is understood to be any male who is unlawful for marriage to the woman in question, e.g. a woman’s father, brother, son, grandfather, etc. As such, Muslim women believe that they can’t perform the Hajj unless one of their “muhrims” accompany them. This belief originates from hadith that says that no man shall be in the company of a woman alone and in seclusion. With millions of Hajj pilgrims visiting Mecca every year, being in a state of “seclusion” is quite the opposite of what actually occurs. This belief is common in male-dominated cultures such as in Saudi Arabia where the rule is clearly one-sided as the restriction does not apply to men. Needless to say, there is such law in the Quran which prohibits women from performing the Hajj without a “muhrim”.

Women during menstruation forbidden from completing Hajj

There is no restriction in the Quran that prevents a woman from completing the Hajj if they are menstruating. Likewise, women are not forbidden from fasting and praying while menstruating. Menstruation is a bodily cycle designed by God Himself. It’s non-sensical to believe that God would forbid His own creatures from praying and worshipping Him 7 days a month. The only restriction placed on women during menstruation is from having sexual intercourse with their husbands for the benefit of both of them (2:222). See chapter “Are Menstruating Women Required to Fast?” for details.

Visiting Prophet Muhammad’s tomb during the Hajj

Many Hajj pilgrims visit Prophet’s Muhammad’s tomb during the Hajj. The tomb is located in Medina at the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid Al-Nabawi). The Quran only speaks of one “Haram Masjid”, which is the one in Mecca. Nevertheless, many Muslims consider there to be two Haram Masjids (Al-Haramayn), the second being the Prophet’s Mosque.

First of all, the practice of visiting Muhammad’s tomb is not an authorized Hajj ritual per the Quran as it is nowhere to be found in it. On the contrary, visiting Muhammad’s tomb would constitute a violation of Hajj requirements which has as its primary goal of praising and commemorating God alone (22:27-28, 2:203, 2:198, 2:200).

Secondly, many Muslims pray in front of Muhammad’s tomb which, if they are praying with Muhammad in mind, is an act of shirk (idol worship). And if they are there only to pray to God, then it would seem suspicious for choosing that particular mosque. As verse 72:18 states, all mosques are solely for God and calling on anyone else in them is strictly prohibited.

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

And the masjids are for God, so do not invoke with God anyone. (72:18)

Thirdly, most of these Muslims who believe in and follow the hadith yet, unsurprisingly, since most people just blindly follow the masses, don’t realize that the hadith prohibits taking graves of the prophets as places of worship. Considering the following so-called “sahih” hadith.

Jundub reported: I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) five days before his death and he said: I stand acquitted before Allah that I took any one of you as a friend, for Allah has taken me as His friend, as he took Ibrahim as His friend. Had I taken any one of my Ummah as a friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a friend. Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that. Sahih Muslim 532In-book reference: Book 5, Hadith 28USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 4, Hadith 1083 https://sunnah.com/muslim/5/28

Lastly, many Muslims believe that by visiting the Prophet’s tomb, they are just following the religion the way Prophet Muhammad did. Funnily, this is purely non-sensical as Muhammad could not have visited his own grave when he was alive and performing the Hajj. Furthermore, the whole Hajj ritual began way before Muhammad was even born, originating with Prophet Abraham who, obviously, could not have visited Muhammad’s tomb when he was alive.

Performing hajj for someone else

Some Muslims believe that they can perform the hajj for someone else, e.g. a dead relative who never performed the hajj. However, Quran verses 53:39 and 6:164 make it clear that no one will be credited with or be responsible for the good or bad deeds of anyone else.

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives (53:39)

… وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ …

… And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. … (6:164 part)

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Zakat (tax) vs sadaqah (charity)

Most Muslims believe that zakat is only a required payment in the amount of 2.5% on their income primarily for people in need and that it is only required by Muslims. However, the Quran seems to suggest that zakat is more like a government tax required by all members of society, whether Muslim or not, and is not limited to 2.5%.

The word zakat

Zakat is an Arabic word that literally means “that which purifies”. Many Muslims agree that zakat is named as such because Muslims are obligated to pay zakat in order to remain spiritually pure.

Zakat (tax) and salat (prayer)

People familiar with Quranic verses will often note that zakat is almost always mentioned together with salat (prayer). For example, in verse 2:43 we read

… أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ …

… and establish prayer and give zakat … (2:43 part)

This verse, and many others, make it clear that zakat is mandatory among Muslims.

Sadaqah and zakat are not the same thing

Even though sadaqah and zakat may have some similarities, verse 58:13 proves that sadaqah and zakat are two different things.

أَأَشْفَقْتُمْ أَن تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ نَجْوَاكُمْ صَدَقَاتٍ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَتَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

Do you fear that you will present charities (sadaqaat) before your consultation? Then when you do not (give charity) and God has forgiven you, then establish prayer and give zakah and obey God and His Messenger. And God is Acquainted with what you do. (58:13)

Do non-Muslims have to pay zakat?

Non-Muslims also had to pay Zakat

According to verse 41:6-7, disbelievers and polytheists must also pay zakat.

… وَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُشْرِكِينَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كافِرُونَ

“…and woe to the polytheists (41:6) who give not the ‘Zakat’ and in the Hereafter they are disbelievers. (41:7)”

The verses above make it clear that the obligation to pay zakat was not necessarily a “religious” obligation but rather a societal obligation.

Jews also had to pay Zakat during the time of Prophet Muhammad

According to verses 2:43, the Jews were told to also pay zakat among doing other things. The commandment is mentioned in verse 2:40 which addresses the Children of Israel.

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship]. (2:43)

The fact that the Quran requires Jews to also pay zakat further supports the argument that paying zakat was required among everyone and not just Muslims.

People paid zakat long before Prophet Muhammad was even born

Many Muslims assume that the requirement to pay zakat began with Muhammad. However, the Quran proves that the payment of zakat began very long before Muhammad was even born. The following verses indicate who was expected or ordered to pay zakat.

19:31	Prophet Jesus (Isa)
19:55	Prophet Ishmael ordered his people to pay zakat.
2:83, 7:156, 5:12	The Children of Israel (Jews)
21:73	Prophet’s Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
4:162	The Jews (referenced as “hadu” in 4:160)
98:5	Zakat was a fundamental aspect of the true religion of God even to people of previous revelations and scriptures from prophets before Muhammad.

Is zakat based on income or savings?

Some Muslims believe that zakat is based on their savings. However, according to verse 6:141, we see evidence that zakat is based on income and that zakat is due as soon as you get paid. The verse uses the example of a farmer who harvests fruit. When the fruits are ready, they can be harvested. On that day, the farmer must pay his due (zakat) since that is the day the farmer can sell the fruit and get paid.

And He it is who causes gardens to grow, [both] trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different [kinds of] food and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess. (6:141)

Nowadays, most people don’t work as farmers. Nevertheless, the point of the verse above is that one has to pay his dues (zakat) when they receive an income, whether it is every 2 weeks, once a month, or yearly.

Who should manage zakat money?

Many Muslims today pay zakat by giving 2.5% of their income to a mosque for distribution or they manually distribute it themselves to whoever they think deserve it. However, according to verse 22:41, it seems to suggest that governments should establish a system of zakat.

الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ

[And they are] those who, if We establish them in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to God belongs the outcome of [all] matters. (22:41)

Notice how verse 22:41 mentions “if We (God) establish them (people) in the land”. Obviously, people who are established in a land are people who live in an organized society with a system managed by a government.

Pay zakat to people individually or to a central authority for distribution

Aside from the amount of zakat or tax distributed to those in need, it should be obvious that having a centralized system for collecting, spending and distributing this money would be far better than if people individually decided who to give some of their money to.

If people individually give zakat money to the needy, then

• only certain individuals would receive zakat money and possibly, only Muslims
• many people who qualify for zakat money may not receive any at all
• benefits received by recipients would strictly be limited to money and no other form of help
• zakat recipients would only receive cash which could be misused, e.g. for drugs and alcohol
• the overall welfare of everyone would be severely limited as zakat money would strictly be used for distributing money to the poor and needy

If people give zakat money (or tax) to a central government, then

• some of the money can be distributed to all needy people, not just some people
• everyone, both Muslims and non-Muslims, can receive financial help fairly and equally
• some of the money can be used for social programs as well as public services such as free or subsidized transportation, healthcare, education, and so on
• recipients can’t abuse tax / zakat benefits because governments can issue food stamps, for example, which can’t be used for drugs and alcohol
• the overall welfare of everyone would improve

Who can receive zakat money?

Most Muslims believe that zakat money is strictly for people who are poor or in need. Many Muslims also believe that zakat money is only for Muslim recipients. Many Muslim scholars quote verse 9:60 to determine 8 categories of people who can receive zakat money. Below is the correct English translation of verse 9:60

“Charities (Arabic: Sadaqaatu) are only for the poor (Arabic: Fuqara) and the needy (Arabic: Masakin), and those who collect them (Amalina Alayha), and those whose hearts are to be reconciled (Mu-alafati qulubuhum) and to free the captives (Arabic: Fil-riqabi) and the debtors (Arabic: Gharimina), and for the cause of God (Arabic: Fi-Sabili-llahi) and (for) the wayfarer (Arabic: Sabili);- a duty imposed by God. God is Knower, Wise” (9:60)

It is very clear from verse 9:60 above that it addresses charities (sadaqaat) and not zakat. And, as we have proven above in verse 58:13, and as most Muslims would agree, charity and zakat are two different things. While the Quran is absolutely clear as to who can receive charity (sadaqah) money, the Quran does not state who can receive zakat money. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that zakat money is strictly limited to the poor and the needy or just Muslim people.

As suggested by verse 22:41, if a government is to manage zakat money, then it would make sense that the Quran would not specifically state how zakat money should be used since different countries have different needs. For example, in the United States, according to Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the 2015 federal spending by category was

33.26%	Social Security, Unemployment and Labor
27.42%	Medicare and Health
15.88%	Military
5.97%	Interest on Debt
4.19%	Veteran’s Benefits
3.54%	Food and Agriculture
2.67%	Education
2.22%	Transportation
1.6%	Housing and Community

All of the categories above, except for “Military”, “Interest on Debt” and “Veteran’s Benefits”, support the poor and people in need by providing financial support for the elderly (social security) and the unemployed, providing medical assistance to the poor and people in need (Medicare and health), providing food for the poor and the needy, providing education to low-income students, providing subsidized or free public transportation for the poor and the needy, and providing housing assistance for the poor and the needy.

As you can see, even a non-Islamic government such as the government of the United States ends up spending much of its money on social programs that benefit the poor and the needy because it makes sense to do so.

Why should non-Muslims receive zakat money?

Some, if not many, Muslims believe that only Muslims are entitled to receive zakat money. There is no such restriction in the Quran. As a matter of fact, the Quran makes it clear that polytheists (41:6-7) and Jews (2:43) had to pay zakat during the time of Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, if those non-Muslims had to pay zakat, it would only be fair if the poor and needy among them could also receive zakat money. Unfortunately, many Muslims are quick to judge non-Muslims as predestined people who will surely go to Hell. However, it is not unreasonable for a non-Muslim to eventually convert to Islam. Obviously, not everyone is born into a Muslim family and not everyone has the same circumstances in life.

How much should zakat be?

Most Muslims believe that zakat is 2.5% on savings or income to be paid once a year. Muslims scholars have decided that the 2.5% comes from some relatively vague hadeeth. However, there is no mention of zakat being strictly limited to 2.5% in the Quran. As suggested by verse 22:41, if a government is to manage zakat money, then it should be a percentage that is necessary for the government to do its job and support the people. Obviously, every country has different circumstances and needs. Oil-rich Gulf countries with small populations such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia have plenty of valuable natural resources that they don’t need money from their residents in order to run the country and provide for the poor and the needy. Consequently, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have a 0% tax on their people. On the other hand, the United States needs to charge an average 25-30% tax on its residents, with an exemption for low-income people, of course. Considering the different circumstances of different countries, it would make sense, then, that the Quran would not limit how much each country must charge for zakat (tax) so that each government can decide how much it needs to best help its people.

2.5% zakat versus government tax

It should be obvious that most governments use a portion of their tax revenue to support the poor and needy. As mentioned above, the United States government spent more than 50% of its 2015 tax revenues on social programs. Assuming a US taxpayer had an effective tax rate of 30%, then at least 15% of that taxpayer’s tax money would go towards the poor and needy in one way or another. That is already 6 times the 2.5% zakat that most Muslims pay for the same cause, and that’s only for federal tax – it doesn’t include state tax. Since most governments charge much more than 2.5% for income tax, then by paying your income tax to the government, you are already paying much more from your income for the same purpose as the 2.5% zakat most Muslims pay. Since most of a government’s tax revenues support the poor and needy, then it should be easy to see how your government income tax is really no different than zakat – it’s just not called “zakat” because “zakat” literally means “that which purifies” whereas the Arabic word for “tax” is “dareeba”.

Zakat and taxes in Muslim countries

Many Muslims living in Muslim countries complain about poverty, lack of government support, expensive healthcare, and low quality of life. These same people admire non-Islamic countries such as the United States, Australia, and Western European countries for offering much support to their citizens such as free healthcare, education, and financial support for the poor and needy. If we compare these two groups of countries, we quickly realize that a large percentage of the population in non-Islamic countries pay taxes whereas in Islamic countries, an extremely small percentage of the population pays taxes, even though many of them still hand out 2.5% of their income to the poor and needy. In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the government tax rate is between 7.5% and 35% however, only 0.57% of the population pays taxes. Assuming everyone paid 2.5% of their income for zakat, it’s clear that, considering the quality of life in Pakistan, their 2.5% zakat money doesn’t appear to make much of a difference in the general welfare of the people.

Tax evasion

Some Muslims, whether living in a Muslim country or not, are extremely disciplined when it comes to paying 2.5% of their income for what they call “zakat”. These same people receive support from their government which obviously comes from taxpayer money. Ironically, however, when it comes time to pay their income tax to their government, they either complain or, worse yet, avoid paying it as much as possible. Furthermore, there are some Muslims who withdraw state benefits when they are clearly not eligible for them. While it may not seem like stealing, what these Muslims are doing is, in effect, stealing taxpayer money, regardless of how little, that could be meant to support people who are actually poor or in need.

How much is enough zakat (government tax)?

Low tax revenues means that a government can only fund basic services such as policing, the courts and the armed forces. In order to provide universal healthcare, education, and a social safety net for all of a country’s residents, higher tax revenues are required. According to the UN, this can be achieved if a country’s tax revenues are at least 20% of its GDP ^[1]. If achieved, this would result in an increase in a society’s quality of life. The Human Development Index (HDI) ^[2] is a ranking of a society’s quality of life by country. The index groups countries into 4 categories. Following is a 2016 listing of those categories with a sampling of countries. The listing also shows each country’s 2015 tax revenue-to-GDP ratio ^[3]. Each country’s estimated 2017 GDP per capita per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is also listed to give an idea of the average individual’s annual income for that country ^[4]. In addition, I note whether a country is an Islamic country.

^[1] Why developing countries need to toughen up on taxes

^[2] List of countries by Human Development Index

^[3] List of countries by tax revenue to GDP ratio

^[4] List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita

In the table below, CPI (Corruption Perception Index) is a measure of how corrupt people perceive a country to be. Of course, paying more taxes to a corrupt government is pointless.

Very High human development

Rank	Country	Islamic?	HDI	Tax Revenue-to-GDP Ratio	GDP per capita	CPI
1	Norway		0.949	54.8	$70,590	85
2	Australia		0.939	43.4	$49,882	73
3	Switzerland		0.939	27.8	$61,360	84
4	Germany		0.926	44.5	$50,206	80
5	Denmark		0.925	50.8	$49,613	88
5	Singapore		0.925	14.2	$90,531	85
6	Netherlands		0.924	39.8	$53,582	82
7	Ireland		0.923	30.8	$72,632	74
8	Iceland		0.921	40.4	$52,150	74
9	Canada		0.921	31.7	$48,141	74
10	United States		0.920	26.0	$59,495	67
19	Israel		0.899	36.8	$36,250	36
30	Brunei	Yes	0.865	?	$76,743	?
33	Qatar	Yes	0.856	2.2	$124,927	31
38	Saudi Arabia	Yes	0.847	5.3	$55,263	52
42	UAE	Yes	0.840	1.4	$68,245	69
47	Bahrain	Yes	0.824	4.8	$51,846	42
51	Kuwait	Yes	0.800	1.5	$69,669	43

High human development

Rank	Country	Islamic?	HDI	Tax Revenue-to-GDP Ratio	GDP per capita	CPI
59	Malaysia	Yes	0.789	15.5	$28,871	48
69	Iran	Yes	0.774	6.1	$20,030	25
71	Turkey	Yes	0.767	24.9	$26,453	38
86	Jordan	Yes	0.741	21.1	$12,487	49
90	China		0.738	20.1	$16,624	45
97	Tunisia	Yes	0.725	14.9	$11,987	44
102	Libya	Yes	0.716	2.7	$9,792	17

Medium human development

Rank	Country	Islamic?	HDI	Tax Revenue-to-GDP Ratio	GDP per capita	CPI
111	Egypt	Yes	0.691	15.8	$12,994	33
113	Indonesia	Yes	0.689	12.0	$12,378	38
123	Morocco	Yes	0.647	22.3	$8,612	39
139	Bangladesh	Yes	0.579	8.5	$4,561	26
147	Pakistan	Yes	0.550	11.0	$5,354	28

Low human development

Rank	Country	Islamic?	HDI	Tax Revenue-to-GDP Ratio	GDP per capita	CPI
168	Yemen	Yes	0.482	7.1	$2,300	16
169	Afghanistan	Yes	0.479	6.4	$1,889	16
187	Niger		0.353	11.0	$1,153	31

One thing of note is that all Islamic countries in the “Very high human development” category are oil or natural gas-producing countries. These countries do not collect much, if any, tax from their residents because they don’t need to as they’ve been lucky enough to have a very valuable natural resource. These are mostly small countries with small populations and lots of oil and gas.

Based on the table above, most Islamic countries have a tax revenue as % of GDP value of less than 20%. And as you can see, the top 10 countries with the highest quality of life are the countries that collect the most tax from their residents. Not a single one of these top 10 countries is an Islamic country.

If we take the average tax revenue as a % of GDP for all countries in each category, we get the following table.

Country Group	Average Tax Revenue as % of GDP
Top 10 Very High Human Development	36.75
Very High Human Development	31.92
High Human Development	22.08
Medium Human Development	17.09
Low Human Development	15.08

Based on the two tables above, it appears that, in general, the more taxes a country collects (higher tax revenue as % of GDP), the higher the quality of life of its residents.

Quite ironically, the requirements of a society based on an inclusive tax system seem to be better understood in non-Islamic countries than in many Muslim countries that cannot often fulfill the basic demands and needs of their citizens.

Conclusion

It should be clear now that Islamic zakat is actually government taxation which is mandatory for everyone, not just Muslims, and for the benefit of everyone, not just Muslims. In Islamic countries, since many Muslims think that zakat is not government taxation, it may be helpful to change the term “income tax” to “zakat” since, as I have explained above, the two terms are synonymous.

Is charity or zakah only for Muslims?

Some Muslims refuse to give charity to non-Muslims as they consider all non-Muslims as infidels (kafir). First of all, the Quran never says you may only give charity to Muslims. Secondly, not all non-Muslims are kafir because to be a kafir, you have to intentionally reject God. If you were raised in a Hindu family and you worship statues, then you are an idolater (mushrik), but not necessarily an infidel (kafir). You are, however, wrong in thinking that a statue is God and, unless you use your brain to think about that to discover the truth, as required of you in verse 8:22, you may very well end up in Hell.

إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason. (8:22)

As stated in verse 9:6, idolaters are people who simply don’t know that the statues they worship are not god(s).

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know. (9:6)

If they do not reject God, then they can get guidance so as to see their mistakes and discover the real God. In the meantime, they deserve financial help just like anyone else. Not everyone is born into a Muslim family but everyone can convert to Islam at any time in their lives. To refuse to help someone based on their current belief is not only inhumane but counter to the spirit of Islam. Who knows? The person you refuse to give charity to based on their current belief may end up converting and becoming a more righteous Muslim than you.

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Artikel ini adalah terjemahan dari versi asli bahasa Inggris.

Ada sekelompok orang yang percaya bahwa mereka adalah keturunan Nabi Muhammad. Istilah populer yang digunakan untuk orang-orang ini adalah “Sayyid” (tunggal) atau “Sadah” (jamak). Ini juga sering ditulis “Syed”. Keturunan Muhammad melalui ibu mereka tetapi bukan ayah disebut sebagai “Mirza”. Meskipun statistik yang dapat diandalkan tidak ada, perkiraan konservatif jumlah Sayyid mencapai puluhan juta. Sayyid dapat ditemukan di seluruh dunia termasuk negara2 yang berikut ini.

Irak
Keluarga Sayyid di Irak sangat banyak sehingga ada buku yang ditulis khusus untuk mendaftar keluarga2nya dan menghubungkan mereka.

Iran
Sayyid ditemukan dalam jumlah besar di Iran. Kepala “Organisasi Nasional untuk Pencatatan Sipil” Iran menyatakan bahwa lebih dari 6 juta orang Iran adalah Sayyid.

Oman
Di Oman, gelar Sayyid digunakan oleh anggota keluarga kerajaan penguasa Al Said. Anggota keluarga besar atau anggota karena perkawinan menyandang gelar Sayyid atau Sayyida untuk perempuan. Gelar semacam itu di Oman diwariskan melalui garis keturunan ayah atau dalam beberapa keadaan luar biasa, seperti gelar kehormatan yang diberikan oleh keputusan kerajaan.

Libya
Para Sayyid di Libya adalah Sunni, termasuk bekas keluarga kerajaan, yang aslinya adalah Zaidi-Maroko (juga dikenal sebagai keluarga Senussi).

Yaman
Di Yaman, Sayyid lebih dikenal sebagai sadah; mereka juga disebut sebagai Hashemites (Bani Hashem). Praktik keagamaan mereka adalah Syiah, Sunni, dan Sufi. Keluarga Sayyid di Yaman termasuk Rassid, Qasimid, Mutawakkilites, Hamideddin, beberapa Al-Zaidi dari Ma’rib, Sana’a, dan Sa’dah, keluarga Ba ‘Alawi sada di Hadhramaut, Al-Wazir dari Sana’ a, Al-Shammam dari Sa’dah, Sufyan dari Juban, dan Al-Jaylani dari Juban.

Yamani Ba ‘Alawi
Istilah Ba’ Alawi (باعلوي) yang dalam dialek Yaman adalah kependekan dari Bani ‘Alawi, yang berarti “kaum atau keturunan ‘Alawi”.

Keluarga Ba ‘Alawi sada menelusuri garis keturunan mereka ke Sayyid al-Imam Ahmad al-Muhajir bin Isa ar-Rumi lahir pada tahun 873 (260H), yang beremigrasi dari Basra ke Hadhramaut pada tahun 931 (320H) untuk menghindari kekerasan sektarian, termasuk invasi pasukan Qaram ke dalam Kekhalifahan Abbasiyah. Cucu Imam al-Muhajir, Alawi, adalah Sayyid pertama yang lahir di Hadhramaut, dan satu-satunya keturunan Imam al-Muhajir yang menghasilkan garis lanjutan; garis keturunan cucu Imam al-Muhajir lainnya, Basri dan Jadid, terputus setelah beberapa generasi. Oleh karena itu, keturunan Imam Al-Muhajir di Hadhramaut memegang nama Bā ‘Alawi (“keturunan ‘Alawi”). Ba ‘Alawi Sadah sejak itu tinggal di Hadhramaut di Yaman Selatan, mempertahankan aliran Sunni di sekolah fiqh Syafi’i. Pada mulanya keturunan Imam Ahmad Muhajir yang menjadi ulama di bidang Islam disebut Imam, kemudian Syekh, namun kemudian dipanggil Habib (kekasih).

Asia Selatan
Pada tahun 1901 jumlah Sayyid (Syed) di India (dibawah penjajahan Inggris) dihitung 1.339.734. Perkiraan terbaru menunjukkan bahwa di India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, dan Nepal terdapat lebih dari 15 juta Sayyid: 8 juta di Pakistan, 7 juta di India, lebih dari 1 juta di Bangladesh, dan sekitar tujuh puluh ribu di Nepal.

Asia Tenggara
Sebagian besar Sayyid Alawi yang pindah ke Asia Tenggara adalah keturunan Ali ibn Husain Zayn al-Abidin, terutama Ba ‘Alawi sada, banyak di antaranya adalah keturunan pendatang dari Hadhramaut. Meskipun mereka diduga sebagai keturunan Husain, tidak biasa para Sayyid perempuan disebut Sayyidah; mereka lebih sering disebut Sharifah. Kebanyakan dari mereka tinggal di Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapura, Provinsi Moro di Filipina, Pattani dan Kamboja. Banyak keluarga kerajaan di wilayah ini seperti keluarga kerajaan Filipina sebelumnya (Kesultanan Sulu, Kesultanan Maguindanao, Konfederasi Kesultanan Ranao), Singapura (Kesultanan Singapura), Malaysia (Kesultanan Johor dan Perlis), Indonesia (Kesultanan Siak, Pontianak, Gowa, beberapa Kesultanan Jawa), dan keluarga kerajaan Brunei (Rumah Bolkiah) yang ada juga adalah Sayyid, terutama dari Ba’Alawi.

Beberapa nama keluarga dari Sayyid ini adalah al-Saqqaf, Shihab (atau Shahab), al-Aidaroos, al-Habsyi (atau al-Habshi), al-Kaff, al-Aththos, al-Haddad, al-Jufri (atau al- Jifri), al-Muhdhar, al-Shaikh Abubakar, al-Qadri, al-Munawwar.

Kekaisaran Ottoman
Di Kekaisaran Ottoman, keturunan Muhammad adalah semacam bangsawan dengan hak istimewa mengenakan turban hijau.

Apakah Sayyid Benar-benar Keturunan Nabi Muhammad?

Studi genetik Sayyid dari India

Penulis studi “Kromosom Y dari Syed di India” menunjukkan bahwa kromosom Y dari Syed yang diidentifikasi sendiri dari India dan Pakistan tidak beda beragamnya dari yang bukan Syed dari wilayah yang sama. Ini menunjukkan bahwa status Syed, daripada benar-benar turun melalui ayah, mungkin turun lewat rute lain. Di samping itu, tidak ada dasar biologis untuk mendukung keyakinan bahwa Syed yang di India dan Pakistan memiliki keturunan yg sama baru-baru ini.

Penipu

Di Kekaisaran Ottoman, pengecualian pembayaran pajak untuk orang Sayyid mendorong banyak orang untuk membeli sertifikat keturunan atau memalsukan silsilah; Fenomena teseyyüd – yaitu secara bohong mengklaim seseorang sebagai keturunan bangsawan – menyebar melintasi batas etnis, kelas, dan agama. Pada abad ke-17, seorang birokrat Utsmaniyah memperkirakan ada 300.000 penipu. Di Anatolia abad ke-18, hampir semua orang di kota besar di kelas atas mengaku dirinya sebagai keturunan Muhammad.

Keturunan campuran

Meskipun banyak Sayyid mengklaim bangsawan dan keunggulan karena garis keturunan mereka dengan Nabi Muhammad, kebanyakan Sayyid hanya dapat mengklaim keturunan melalui ayah. Orang Sayyid sering menikah dengan orang Arab yang bukan Sayyid dan bahkan orang yang bukan Arab sama sekali sehingga mereka memiliki sangat sedikit jejak genetik Nabi Muhammad. Tidak mengherankan, sebagian besar Sayyid, seperti Ba’Alawi di Asia Tenggara, bertampang campuran Asia dan Arab atau sepenuhnya Asia. Berikut adalah beberapa Sayyid Ba’Alawi yang terkenal menurut https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba_%27Alawi_sada yang bermuka Indonesia atau campuran Arab dan Indonesia.

Keunggulan Sayyid

Kebanyakan Muslim menganggap Nabi Muhammad lebih unggul dari semua nabi lainnya. Hal ini dibuktikan dengan fakta bahwa hampir setiap masjid di dunia memiliki dua nama yang diletakkan berdampingan di dindingnya, yaitu nama “Muhammad” dan “Allah” (bahasa Arab untuk “Tuhan”). Sangat jarang Anda akan melihat nama-nama nabi lain seperti Ibrahim, Musa dan Yesus. Yang menarik, nama Muhammad sering berukuran sama dan tingginya sama dengan nama Tuhan, seolah-olah menunjukkan bahwa Muhammad sederajat dengan Tuhan, walaupun itu jelas-jelas bertentangan dengan keyakinan dasar Islam, tapi itu masalah yang berbeda dari topik artikel ini.

Dengan meyakini keunggulan Muhammad, sebagian keturunan Nabi Muhammad dan bahkan Muslim lainnya menganggap Sayyid sebagai orang yang mulia yang agak lebih unggul dari orang lain. Misalnya, di kekaisaran Ottoman, pengecualian pembayaran pajak diberikan kepada orang Sayyid. Di Indonesia, banyak pelajar Islam pribumi Indonesia akan sujud dan mencium tangan Sayyid bahkan jika orang Sayyid itu seorang Muslim yang tidak mempraktekkan ibadah Islam.

Bukti lebih lanjut bahwa Sayyid menganggap diri mereka sebagai kelompok yang lebih unggul berasal dari pilihan mereka dalam pasangan nikah (atau pilihan pasangan nikah oleh orang tua untuk anak-anak mereka).

Di India, keluarga Sayyid tradisional jarang menikah di luar komunitas mereka dan menekankan pernikahan dengan Najeeb Altarfain (keturunan Sayyid dari sisi ibu dan ayah). Namun, tekanan endogami (pernikahan dalam suatu kaum) ini mulai menurun di antara keluarga-keluarga yang di kota-kota besar, dengan peningkatan eksogami (pernikahan diluar suatu kaum) dengan kelompok lain seperti Syaikh dan Mughal.

Di Indonesia sendiri saya tahu bahwa banyak Sayyid Ba’Alawi yang ngotot menikahi Sayyid Ba’Alawi lainnya, apalagi kalau orang Sayyid itu perempuan karena garis keturunannya diambil dari ayah, bukan ibu. Ironisnya, Nabi Muhammad sendiri tidak memiliki anak laki-laki, hanya seorang anak perempuan, namun banyak Sayyid menggunakan garis keturunan patrilineal (dari ayah) dalam silsilah keluarga mereka yang menghubungkan mereka dengan nabi.

Pernikahan

Untuk melanjutkan keturunan patrilineal mereka kepada nabi Muhammad dan rasa kebangsawanan dan keunggulan anak-anak mereka, orang Sayyid perempuan harus menikah dengan Sayyid lain. Sayangnya, menikahi seseorang berdasarkan nama keluarga dan bukan karena kecocokan cenderung berakhir dengan kekecewaan dan/atau perceraian. 

Perempuan Sayyid menikahi laki-laki Sayyid

Dalam satu contoh, seorang Sayyid Ba’alawi perempuan yang saya kenal menikah dengan laki-laki Sayyid Ba’alawi yang ternyata bersifat keras dan bahkan mengancam akan membunuhnya. Itu jelas bukan perilaku yang mulia atau perilaku Nabi Muhammad.

Dalam contoh lain, seorang perempuan Ba’alawi Sayyid menikah dengan laki-laki Ba’alawi Sayyid yang adalah sepupunya. Pria itu kemudian menikah dengan wanita lain keturunan Arab tapi bukan Ba’Alawi sehingga memiliki dua istri. Istri pertama menolak pernikahan kedua dan melarikan diri. Lama lama, istri kedua menceraikan suaminya. Istri pertama, yang tidak pernah bekerja, bergantung pada suaminya sehingga akhirnya dia kembali kepadanya. Sekarang, mereka tinggal bersama tetapi tidur di kamar terpisah dan tidak berbicara satu sama lain.

Dalam contoh lain, seorang perempuan Ba’alawi Sayyid yang saya kenal menikah dengan Sayyid Ba’alawi tanpa mereka pernah bertemu secara langsung sebelum hari pernikahan mereka. Bahkan ada dukungan dan tekanan untuk pernikahan ini dari kedua keluarga seolah-olah pernikahan antara dua Sayyid adalah jaminan kesuksesan dan kebahagiaan. Maka tidak mengherankan bahwa pernikahan ini berakhir dengan perceraian setelah 10 tahun. Perempuan itu sekarang berusia 40an, tidak punya anak meski ingin punya anak, dan merasa sulit untuk menikah lagi.

Seorang perempuan Arab non-Sayyid menikah dengan laki-laki Sayyid

Beberapa perempuan non-Sayyid mungkin merasa bangga menikah dengan pria Sayyid supaya anak mereka dapat menjadi Sayyid. Meskipun orang Sayyid mungkin menganggap diri mereka superior, mereka sebenarnya hanyalah orang biasa. Seperti orang lain, ada orang Sayyid yang baik dan ada yang buruk. Saya kenal sama seorang wanita non-Sayyid yang menikahi dua Sayyid Ba’alawi. Dia menceraikan suami pertama setelah satu minggu dan menceraikan suami kedua setelah dapat 6 anak. Dia tidak pernah menikah lagi. Meskipun dia mungkin merasa bangga bahwa anak-anaknya adalah Sayyid dari pihak ayah, dia mungkin lebih kecewa karena pernikahannya gagal.

Seorang perempuan Sayyid menikah dengan laki-laki non-Arab, non-Sayyid

Kadang-kadang, seorang perempuan Sayyid menikah dengan non-Arab non-Sayyid. Ini terjadi pada saudara perempuan teman Ba’alawi Sayyid saya. Dia ingin menikah dengan orang Indonesia pribumi. Karena pernikahan ini tidak dapat diterima oleh keluarganya perempuan, sayangnya hanya sedikit orang yang menghadiri pernikahan dari pihak Sayyid. Mayoritas tamu pernikahan itu dari pihak pengantin pria.

Laki-laki Sayyid menikahi perempuan non-Arab dan non-Sayyid

Ada juga kasus di mana orang tua Sayyid memaksa anak laki-laki mereka menikah dengan perempuan Sayyid tetapi anak laki-laki mereka tidak mau. Dalam satu kasus, tiga saudara laki-laki Ba’alawi Sayyid masing-masing menikah dengan non-Sayyid yang berasal dari Mongolia, Jepang dan Indonesia. Meskipun orang tua mereka merasa sedih atau malu, putra mereka tampaknya bahagia dalam perkawinannya.

Situs web perjodohan perkawinan

Beberapa situs web perjodohan perkawinan bahkan memiliki kategori bagi orang-orang untuk mencari pria dan wanita Sayyid (Syed) seperti yang ini di India.

Ada profil orang yang tertulis bahwa mereka hanya mau untuk menikahi Sayyid lain. Dalam beberapa contoh, orang tua dapat membuat profil untuk putra atau putri mereka yang menyatakan bahwa mereka adalah orang Sayyid dan secara ketat mencari pasangan Sayyid saja dengan kata-kata seperti “Non-Sayyid tidak usah menghubungi kita dan membuang waktu kita.”

Tidak mengherankan, setelah beberapa generasi pernikahan antar ras, Sayyid yang mengidentifikasi dirinya di situs web ini terlihat seperti orang India pribumi, bukan Arab atau campuran Arab dan India.

Di situs perjodohan perkawinan India lain, orang dapat memilih salah satu dari banyak, banyak “kasta”, salah satu diantaranya adalah “Muslim – Syed”.

Yang menarik (dan menyedihkan) adalah banyaknya kelompok di bawah kategori Muslim. Di situs web ini, seseorang dapat mencari dari salah satu kelompok Muslim berikut. Rupanya beberapa orang – mungkin banyak – merasa bahwa pembagian kategori “Muslim” ini penting tanpa menyadari bahwa pembagian ini hanya akan semakin memecah belah umat Islam daripada mempersatukan mereka. Selain itu, membatasi pilihan seseorang ketika mencari pasangan itu sangat membatasi potensi seseorang untuk mendapat pernikahan yang bahagia.

• Muslim
• Muslim – Ansari
• Muslim – Arain
• Muslim – Awan
• Muslim – Bohra
• Muslim – Dekkani
• Muslim – Dudekula
• Muslim – Hanafi
• Muslim – Jat
• Muslim – Khoja
• Muslim – Lebbai
• Muslim – Malik
• Muslim – Mapila
• Muslim – Maraicar
• Muslim – Memon
• Muslim – Mughal
• Muslim – Pathan
• Muslim – Qureshi
• Muslim – Rajput
• Muslim – Rowther
• Muslim – Shafi
• Muslim – Sheikh
• Muslim – Siddiqui
• Muslim – Syed
• Muslim – UnSpecified

Sebagai seorang Muslim Amerika, saya tidak tahu ada kelompok-kelompok Muslim ini dan hanya minggu lalu saya dapat tahu tentang kelompok “Syed”. Dengan kata lain, untuk orang luar, tidak ada kelompok yang penting kecuali yang semua orang tahu, yaitu “Muslim”.

Bagaimana dengan Keturunan Nabi Lain?

Semua nabi dan rasul Islam derajatnya sama

Semua Muslim percaya bahwa ada banyak nabi Islam selain Muhammad. Beberapa nabi lebih terkenal dari yang lain, misalnya Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, dan Yesus. Sayangnya, Muslim, baik Sayyid maupun non-Sayyid, secara keliru percaya bahwa Muhammad lebih tinggi derajatnya dari semua nabi lainnya. Sebenarnya, tidak ada perbedaan yang boleh dibuat antara nabi dan rasul Tuhan. Ini terbukti dalam ayat-ayat berikut.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ ۚ فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ

Katakanlah: Kami percaya pada Allah dan apa yang telah diwahyukan kepada kita, dan apa yang diwahyukan kepada Ibrahim dan Ismail dan Ishak dan Yakub dan suku-suku, dan apa yang diberikan kepada Musa dan Yesus, dan apa yang diberikan kepada para nabi dari Tuhan mereka, kami tidak membuat perbedaan apapun di antara mereka (nabi), dan kami adalah Muslim kepada-Nya. (2:136)

ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

Rasul (Muhammad) telah percaya pada apa yang diturunkan kepadanya dari Tuhannya, dan [begitu juga] orang mukmin (orang yang percaya / beriman). Mereka semua percaya pada Tuhan dan malaikat-Nya dan buku-buku-Nya dan para rasul-Nya, [dan berkata], “Kami tidak membedakan antara rasul-rasul-Nya.” Dan mereka berkata, “Kami mendengar dan kami taat. [Kami mencari] pengampunan-Mu, Tuhan kami, dan bagi-Mu adalah tujuan [akhir].” (2:285)

قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

Katakanlah, “Kami telah percaya pada Tuhan dan apa yang telah diturunkan kepada kami dan apa yang diturunkan kepada Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishak, Yakub, dan Keturunan [al-Asbat], dan dalam apa yang diberikan kepada Musa dan Yesus dan kepada para nabi dari Tuhan mereka. Kami tidak membuat perbedaan di antara mereka (nabi-nabi), dan kami adalah Muslim kepada-Nya. ” (3:84)

Ayat 4:152 menunjukkan bahwa Tuhan akan memberi hadiah kepada orang-orang mukmin yang tidak membeda-bedakan antara rasul siapapun. Ini berarti bahwa orang beriman, termasuk Sayyid, yang menganggap Nabi Muhammad lebih tinggi dari nabi dan rasul lainnya tidak akan diberi hadiah dari Tuhan.

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَوْفَ يُؤْتِيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا

Dan mereka yang percaya pada Tuhan dan rasul-Nya dan tidak membeda-bedakan antara mereka (rasul-rasul) – bagi mereka Dia akan memberikan hadiah. Dan selalu Tuhan adalah Pengampun dan Penyayang. (4:152)

Sekarang telah terbukti bahwa

• semua nabi dan rasul adalah sama (derajatnya sama)
• Muslim tidak diperbolehkan untuk melihat nabi dan rasul memiliki derajat lain lain
• Muhammad tidak lebih tinggi derajatnya dari nabi dan rasul lainnya

Mari kita lihat apa yang Alquran katakan tentang beberapa keturunan dari nabi lainnya.

Sebagian dari keturunan nabi Ibrahim adalah orang yang salah

Dalam ayat 2:124, kita melihat bukti bahwa tidak semua keturunan nabi Ibrahim benar. Tuhan mengakui bahwa sebagiannya salah meskipun mereka keturunan nabi Ibrahim.

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

Dan [sebutkan, ya Muhammad], ketika Ibrahim diuji oleh Tuhan dengan perintah dan dia memenuhi perintah itu. [Tuhan] berkata, “Sungguh, Aku akan menjadikanmu seorang pemimpin bagi rakyat.” [Ibrahim] berkata, “Dan keturunan saya?” [Tuhan] berkata, “Perjanjian saya tidak mencakup orang-orang yang melakukan kesalahan.” (2:124)

Dalam ayat 37:112-113 kita melihat bahwa nabi Ibrahim diberkahi dengan putra bernama Ishak tetapi sebagian dari keturunan mereka adalah orang berdosa yang tidak benar.

وَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِإِسْحَـٰقَ نَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ وَبَـٰرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَىٰٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌۭ وَظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ مُبِينٌۭ

Dan Kami beri dia [Ibrahim] kabar baik (merupakan anak yang namanya) Ishak, seorang nabi dari orang-orang yang benar. Dan Kami memberkahi dia dan Ishak. Tapi di antara keturunan mereka ada orang-orang pelaku kebenaran dan orang-orang yang jelas merusak dirinya sendiri [yaitu, orang berdosa]. (37:112-113)

Dalam ayat 11:1-18, kita melihat bukti bahwa semua anak Nabi Yakub tidak benar kecuali satu. Mereka mencoba membunuh saudara mereka, Yusuf, dengan melemparkannya ke dalam sumur. Yusuf kemudian menjadi seorang nabi.

Dalam ayat 11:46 kita melihat bukti bahwa keturunan langsung nabi Nuh (salah satu putranya) tidak benar.

قَالَ يَـٰنُوحُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَـٰلِحٍۢ ۖ فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ

Dia [Allah] berkata, “Wahai Nuh, memang dia (anak Anda) bukan dari keluarga Anda, (karena) memang ia adalah [orang yang] kelakuannya tidak benar / saleh, maka jangan berdoa kepada-Ku (untuknya) apa yang kamu tidak ketahui. Sesungguhnya, Aku menasihati kamu, jangan sampai kamu termasuk orang yang tidak peduli sama kenyataan.” (11:46)

Perhatikan bahwa dalam ayat di atas, Tuhan memberi tahu Nuh bahwa

1. Salah satu putranya Nuh tidak benar / saleh
2. Nuh tidak boleh menganggap putranya yang tidak benar itu sebagai anggota keluarganya
3. Nuh seharusnya tidak meminta (berdoa kepada) Tuhan untuk membantu (mengampuni) putranya

Dalam ayat 57:26 kita melihat bukti jelas bahwa banyak (bukan “beberapa”, tapi “banyak”) dari keturunan nabi Nuh dan Ibrahim adalah pelaku kesalahan (“bersifat keras untuk tidak taat”). Kata “banyak” yang digunakan dalam ayat ini adalah “katheer” / كَثِيرٌۭ dalam bahasa Arab yang jelas berarti “banyak”.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًۭا وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا ٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مُّهْتَدٍۢ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ

Dan Kami telah mengutus Nuh dan Ibrahim dan menempatkan di keturunan mereka kenabian dan kitab suci; dan di antara mereka adalah dia yang dapat petunjuk (hidayah), tetapi banyak dari mereka yang tidak taat. (57:26)

Ada kemungkinan bahwa ayat ini bicara tentang orang-orang yang tinggal di masyarakatnya keturunan Nuh dan Ibrahim tetapi, menurut kata-kata dalam ayat-ayat di atas, kemungkinan besar ayat ini bermaksud bahwa yang banyak melakukan kesalahan adalah keturunan nabi Nuh dan Ibrahim.

Bagaimana dengan Keturunan Nabi Musa dan Yesus?

Menurut Alquran, Musa dan Yesus adalah nabi dalam Islam. Mereka adalah dua nabi yang sering disebutkan dalam Alquran. Alquran menyebut pengikut mereka Ahli Kitab (Arab: Ahl Al-Kitaab) karena mereka adalah pengikut kitab suci, Taurat Yahudi. Orang Yahudi dan Kristen menghormati Musa dan Yesus sama seperti pengikut Alquran menghormati Muhammad. Tetapi, Yahudi dan Kristen memiliki sikap yang berbeda terhadap keturunan nabi-nabi tersebut.

Keturunan Nabi Yesus

Dalam kasus Yesus, tidak ada masalah karena dia tidak memiliki keturunan.

Keturunan Nabi Musa

Dalam kasus Musa, dia memiliki dua putra, Gersom dan Eliezer. Tapi, ketika tiba waktunya untuk memilih pengganti Musa, orang bijak Yahudi berkata bahwa Musa meminta salah satu putranya diangkat. Tapi, Tuhan menjawab dengan, “Anak-anakmu duduk dan tidak menyibukkan diri dengan Taurat. Yosua, yang melayani Anda, cocok untuk melayani Israel. ” Jadi, Yosua, bukan putra Musa, menjadi pemimpin suku-suku Israel setelah kematian Musa (Deuteronomy 31:1–8; 34:9).

Musa memiliki seorang kakak laki-laki, Harun, yang memiliki empat putra. Meskipun putra-putra Musa tidak mengikuti tradisi Musa, putra-putra Harun memang membawa tradisi luhur ayah mereka. Tuhan menganggap keponakan Musa (anak-anak Harun) sebagai anak-anak Musa, karena Musa-lah yang mengajari mereka Taurat. Ini tercermin dalam ayat Numbers 3:1 yang dimulai dengan “Ini adalah keturunan Musa dan Harun…” tetapi hanya mencantumkan keempat putra Harun. Tuhan meyakinkan Musa bahwa bahkan Yosua pun perlu berunding dengan putra Harun, Imam Besar, untuk mengetahui kehendak Tuhan.

Meskipun Musa memiliki dua putra, mereka tidak istimewa dan orang Yahudi tidak menganggap keturunan Musa lebih istimewa dari siapa pun. Mungkin orang Muslim bisa mendapat pelajaran dari sikap benar ini dari orang-orang Yahudi.

Bagaimana dengan Istri Para Nabi?

Banyak Muslim percaya bahwa istri-istri Nabi Muhammad adalah wanita-wanita yang superior dan saleh. Karena telah dibuktikan di atas bahwa semua nabi dan rasul adalah sederajat, maka orang mungkin juga berpikir bahwa istri dari nabi dan rasul lainnya juga lebih tinggi dan saleh. Mari kita lihat apa yang Quran katakan tentang ini.

Dalam ayat 66:10 kita melihat bukti bahwa meskipun nabi Nuh dan Lut adalah hamba Tuhan yang benar / saleh, istri mereka adalah orang berdosa dan dikirim ke Neraka. Ayat ini juga membuktikan bahwa nabi yang saleh tidak memiliki kuasa untuk menyelamatkan istri mereka yang berdosa dari Neraka.

ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍۢ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍۢ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَـٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًۭٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ

Allah memberi contoh orang-orang kafir: istri Nuh dan istri Lut. Mereka berada di bawah dua hamba Kami yang benar / saleh tetapi mengkhianati mereka, mereka [yaitu, para nabi itu] sama sekali tidak memanfaatkan (dapat menyelamatkan) (istri-istri) mereka dari Tuhan, dan dikatakan (kepada istri-istri mereka), “Masuki Api bersama mereka yang masuk.” (66:10)

Dalam ayat 33:30 kita membaca bahwa jika ada istri nabi Muhammad yang melakukan dosa, maka hukuman mereka akan menjadi dua kali lipat dari orang lain.

يَـٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ يُضَـٰعَفْ لَهَا ٱلْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًۭا

Ya istri-istri Nabi, siapa pun dari Anda yang melakukan suatu perbuatan amoral – untuk dia hukumannya akan menjadi dua kali lipat, dan (hukuman) itu, buat Allah, mudah dilakukan. (33:30)

Menurut ayat di atas, menjadi jelas bahwa bersaudara dengan nabi Muhammad tidak mengecualikan mereka untuk melakukan kebenaran dan tidak menjamin mereka masuk surga.

Syafaat oleh Nabi Muhammad

Beberapa Sayyid percaya bahwa keturunan mereka kepada Nabi Muhammad akan membantu mereka mendapatkan akses ke surga dengan cara Nabi Muhammad menjadi perantara (syafaat) atas nama mereka di akhirat. Keyakinan ini sangat berbahaya karena memberi rasa aman yang palsu. Menurut ayat 2:123, tidak ada seorang pun, termasuk nabi Muhammad, yang memiliki kemampuan untuk menjadi perantara atas nama siapa pun pada hari itu.

وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًۭا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍۢ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌۭ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Dan takutlah pada suatu Hari (Hari Keadilan / Pembalasan) bila tidak ada jiwa dapat membantu jiwa lain sama sekali, dan tidak ada kompensasi yang akan diterima darinya, juga tidak akan ada perantaraan yang menguntungkannya, juga mereka tidak akan dibantu. (2:123)

Ayat di atas membuktikan bahwa dalam urusan agama, setiap orang bertanggung jawab atas dirinya sendiri, dan tidak ada leluhur, tidak peduli seberapa terkenal atau mulia mereka, baik mereka meninggal kemarin atau 1400 tahun yang lalu, dapat bermanfaat bagi siapa pun, termasuk keturunannya.

Membandingkan Sayyid dengan Kelompok Lain

Jelas, Sayyid bukanlah satu-satunya orang yang berpikir bahwa mereka lebih unggul dari orang lain. Berikut adalah beberapa contoh kelompok orang lain yang juga memiliki perasaan unggul karena keturunannya.

Hindu

Sistem kasta Hindu membagi umat Hindu menjadi empat kategori utama – Brahmana, Ksatria, Waisya dan Sudra. Banyak yang percaya bahwa kelompok tersebut berasal dari Brahma, Dewa Pencipta Hindu. Di luar sistem kasta Hindu ini adalah orang-orang achhoots – Dalit atau Untouchables (orang yang tak tersentuh). Dalam sistem ini, semakin tinggi kasta Anda, semakin tinggi pula derajat Anda.

Perhatikan bahwa, seperti untuk orang Sayyid, sistem kepercayaan Hindu ini didasarkan atas kelahiran – tidak ada yang dapat berpindah dari satu kelompok ke kelompok lain, baik naik derajat maupun turun. Dari sudut pandang seorang Hindu dari kasta tinggi, seorang Sayyid Muslim dapat dianggap lebih rendah dari mereka. Salah satu konsekuensi dari sistem kasta Hindu yang sangat tidak adil ini adalah konversi banyak Dalit ke Islam dengan harapan bisa lepas dari diskriminasi. Sayangnya, menurut artikel BBC Mengapa banyak Muslim India dipandang tak tersentuh?, bahkan Muslim dari kasta tinggi akan mendiskriminasi orang Dalit yang telah masuk Islam.

Orang-orang Dalit dianggap tidak murni oleh kasta Hindu dan banyak dari mereka bekerja di bidang sanitasi.

Meskipun konstitusi India melarang diskriminasi atas dasar kasta, diskriminasi berdasarkan kasta masih banyak terjadi.

Keunggulan orang putih (White Supremacy)

Kelompok “Keunggulan Orang Putih” percaya bahwa orang kulit putih merupakan ras yang unggul dan oleh karena itu harus mendominasi masyarakat, biasanya dengan mengesampingkan atau merugikan kelompok ras dan etnis lain, khususnya orang kulit hitam yang berasal dari Afrika atau Yahudi. Beberapa anggota kelompok ini berpendapat bahwa darah mereka “murni” atau bahwa mereka memiliki keturunan “murni” dari orang kulit putih Eropa. Tidak jarang seorang anggota kelompok ini berpikir bahwa mereka berketurunan orang Eropa murni tetapi setelah mereka mengambil tes genetik, ternyata mereka memiliki keturunan campuran dengan orang bukan Eropa.

Misalnya, banyak orang kulit putih mungkin terlihat seperti orang kaukasia tetapi sebenarnya memiliki keturunan campuran pribumi Amerika atau Meksiko. Kenyataan yang pasti mengejutkan ini membuat beberapa orang menolak begitu saja hasil tes genetik supaya mereka dapat melanjutkan perasaan superior mereka.

Walaupun hukum di Amerika Serikat melarang diskriminasi karena ras, warna kulit, agama, asal kebangsaan, jenis kelamin, umur, dan lain lain, masih banyak diskriminasi ditemukan di masyarakat.

Contoh-contoh lain

Jika dipikir-pikir, rasisme dan orang-orang yang memiliki sikap superioritas ada di semua lapisan masyarakat. Beberapa contoh adalah:

• Orang yang tinggal di kota mungkin berpikir mereka lebih unggul daripada orang yang tinggal di daerah pedesaan
• Orang kaya mungkin berpikir mereka lebih unggul dari orang miskin
• Orang India atau Afrika berkulit putih mungkin berpikir mereka lebih unggul dari orang India atau Afrika berkulit gelap (produk pemutih kulit adalah bisnis besar di India dan Afrika)
  • Bisnis besar pemutih kulit di Asia
  • Industri pencerah kulit India yang bernilai miliaran dolar dikecam karena orang India mencari warna yang lebih putih
• Orang berpendidikan mungkin merasa lebih unggul dari orang yang tidak berpendidikan
• Orang yang memiliki rumah mungkin merasa lebih unggul daripada orang yang menyewa rumah
• Orang yang memiliki mobil mungkin merasa lebih unggul daripada orang yang harus naik angkutan umum
• Seorang Amerika, yang lahir dan tinggal di negara terkaya dan terkuat di dunia, mungkin merasa lebih unggul dari semua orang yang bukan dari Amerika.

Kebanyakan Sayyid akan percaya bahwa sistem kasta Hindu, supremasi orang kulit putih, dan contoh-contoh lain di atas keterlaluan dan sama sekali tidak dapat diterima. Ironisnya, cara berpikir banyak orang Sayyid tidak berbeda dengan kelompok lain yang mengklaim keunggulan.

Salawaat

Dalam Quran, Surah al-Ahzab (33), Ayat 56 kita membaca bahwa Tuhan dan Malaikat-Nya mengirim salawaat (berkah) kepada Muhammad dan Tuhan memerintahkan orang-orang beriman untuk mengirim salawaat ke Muhammad juga.

إِنَّ ٱل‍لَّٰهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَىٰ ٱلنَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا

“Allah dan Malaikat-Nya memberi salawaat pada Nabi (Muhammad). Hai orang yang beriman! (Ucapkan) salawaat Anda pada dia, dan beri hormat kepadanya.”

Kata Salawaat adalah bentuk jamak dari kata salat yang berarti doa, berkah atau penghargaan. Beberapa Sayyid berpikir bahwa karena Tuhan dan Malaikat-Nya mengirimkan salawaat kepada nabi Muhammad, maka Muhammad harus lebih unggul dari semua nabi lainnya dan lebih jauh lagi, keturunan Muhammad ikut lebih unggul dari orang-orang lain. Mereka dapat dengan mudah dibuktikan salah dengan membaca beberapa ayat sebelum ayat di atas. Dalam Al-Qur’an Surah al-Ahzab (33), Ayat 41-43 kita menemukan bahwa Tuhan dan Malaikat-Nya mengirimkan salawaat kepada SEMUA orang yang beriman.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ذِكْرًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةًۭ وَأَصِيلًا هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَلِّى عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتُهُۥ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۚ وَكَانَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًۭا

Hai orang-orang yang beriman, ingatlah Allah dengan banyak ingatan (zikir). Dan muliakan Dia pagi dan sore. Dialah yang memberi salawaat kepada Anda (orang-orang yang beriman), dan para malaikat-Nya [memberi salawaat juga] sehingga Dia dapat membawa Anda keluar dari kegelapan menuju keterangan. Dan selalu Dia, bagi orang yang beriman, Penyayang.

Ketika orang Muslim sembahyang, mereka membaca salawaat menjelang akhir shalat. Biasanya ucapannya sebagai berikut:

ٱللَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

Allah, kirimlah salawaat pada Muhammad dan keluarga Muhammad, sebagaimana Anda telah mengirimkan salawaat untuk Ibrahim dan keluarga Ibrahim. Sungguh, Engkau Terpuji dan Mulia. Allah, berkatilah Muhammad dan keluarga Muhammad, karena Anda telah memberkati Ibrahim dan keluarga Ibrahim. Sungguh, Engkau Terpuji dan Mulia.

Di sini, kita melihat bahwa salawaat dilakukan bukan hanya untuk Muhammad tetapi untuk keluarganya Muhammad juga. Tapi, tidak ada instruksi dalam Al Qur’an bagi orang-orang beriman untuk mengirim salawaat kepada keluarga Muhammad. Seharusnya tidak mengherankan bahwa Islam, seperti banyak agama lain, telah berubah banyak karena politik, tradisi lokal, perang, dll. Itu salah satu sebabnya Islam menjadi bercabang dengan banyak aliran. Oleh karena itu, orang-orang yang berpengaruh, misalnya beberapa Sayyid dahulu kala, mungkin telah memodifikasi ucapan salawaat untuk memasukkan keluarga Muhammad untuk keuntungan pribadi mereka sendiri.

Membagi Umat Muslim

Jika Sayyid percaya bahwa mereka lebih unggul dari orang lain, maka mereka membagi umat Muslim. Menurut ayat 6:159, pikiran ini bukan hanya tidak dapat diterima, tetapi Tuhan bahkan mengatakan kepada Muhammad bahwa Muhammad tidak ada hubungannya dengan mereka. 

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Sesungguhnya, orang-orang yang telah membagi agama mereka dan menjadi sekte – Anda, [Ya Muhammad], tidak [terkait] dengan mereka dalam apapun. Urusan mereka untuk Tuhan; kemudian Dia akan memberi tahu mereka tentang (kesalahan) apa yang mereka lakukan. (6:159)

Ironisnya, orang-orang Sayyid menggunakan hubungannya dengan Muhammad untuk membenarkan rasa superioritas mereka yang membagi umat Islam sedangkan Tuhan mengatakan bahwa Muhammad tidak ada hubungannya dengan orang-orang Sayyid justru karena sebab itu. 

Setan (Bapak Kesombongan) dan Sayyid

Ironisnya, para Sayyid Muslim yang percaya bahwa mereka lebih unggul dari orang lain ternyata berperilaku seperti Setan sendiri. Menurut Alquran, Setan (jin) merasa lebih unggul dari Adam (manusia) karena Setan dibuat dari api tanpa asap sedangkan Adam terbuat dari tanah liat.

Jelas, perbedaan biologis Setan dengan Adam jauh lebih jelas daripada perbedaan genetik yang tidak terlihat antara Sayyid dan non-Sayyid. Kita semua (orang-orang Yahudi, Kristen dan Muslim) tahu bagaimana ceritanya berakhir. Kesombongan dan kompleks superioritas setan akan membawanya ke Neraka untuk selamanya.

Keturunan Adam – Nabi Pertama Islam

Kebanyakan orang lebih menghormati pendiri atau pemula sesuatu, misalnya pendiri atau pemula agama, negara, revolusi, suatu gerakan, perusahaan yang sangat sukses, dll, daripada pemimpin berikutnya. Inilah salah satu sebab mengapa kebanyakan Muslim sangat menghormati Nabi Muhammad – mereka berpikir bahwa Muhammad adalah Muslim pertama dan pendiri Islam. Yang memalukan bagi mereka, dapat dengan mudah dibuktikan dengan Al-Qur’an bahwa Muhammad bukanlah Muslim dan nabi Islam pertama dan bahwa dia adalah nabi terakhir dari rantai panjang nabi. Dalam ayat 16:123, Tuhan secara khusus menyuruh Muhammad untuk mengikuti agamanya Nabi Ibrahim.

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Kemudian Kami [Allah] mewahyukan kepada Anda, [ya Muhammad], untuk mengikuti agama (bahasa Arab: millat) Ibrahim, menuju kebenaran; dan dia (Ibrahim) bukan seperti mereka yang syirik. (16:123)

Daripada berfokus pada Muhammad, nabi terakhir Islam, bagaimana jika umat Islam berfokus pada Adam, nabi pertama Islam? Meskipun Quran tidak secara harfiah menyebutkan bahwa Adam adalah seorang nabi atau rasul Islam, kenabiannya jelas tersirat dalam ayat 3:33 di mana ia disebut sederajat dengan nabi Nuh, Ibrahim dan Imran.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحًۭا وَءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمْرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

Sesungguhnya, Tuhan memilih Adam dan Nuh dan keluarga Ibrahim dan keluarga Imran atas alam semesta – (3:33)

Nabi Adam bukan hanya pendiri dan nabi pertama Islam tetapi juga pendiri umat manusia (setiap orang adalah keturunan Adam). Tidak ada silsilah keluarga yang dibutuhkan untuk membuktikan keturunan seseorang dari Adam. Akibatnya, setiap orang setara dalam hal keturunan bangsawan dan tidak ada yang bisa mengklaim keunggulan berdasarkan garis keturunan yang, seperti dibuktikan di atas, adalah sifat Iblis! Mungkin keturunan Ba’Alawi lebih baik menyebut diri mereka keturunan Ba’Adam, yaitu Bani Adam (keturunan Adam), saja. 

Orang Paling Mulia

Jika kita benar-benar ingin memilih seseorang atau sekelompok orang yang dianggap mulia menurut Islam, maka kita dapat dengan mudah menemukan siapa mereka dari Alquran. Ayat 49:13 menjelaskan bahwa orang yang paling mulia adalah orang yang paling bertaqwa. Dan, jelas ketawqaan itu tidak didasarkan pada kelahiran tetapi tindakan seseorang.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًۭا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۭ

Hai manusia, sesungguhnya Kami telah menciptakan kamu dari laki-laki dan perempuan dan membuat kalian bangsa dan suku yang mungkin kalian kenal satu sama lain. Sesungguhnya, yang paling mulia dari Anda di mata Allah adalah yang paling bertaqwa dari Anda. Sesungguhnya, Allah Maha Mengetahui dan Sadar. (49:13)

Hadits

Beberapa Sayyid mungkin berpendapat bahwa ada hadits sahih yang mendukung argumen bahwa Nabi Muhammad dan keturunannya lebih unggul dari orang lain. Mereka dianjurkan membaca artikel saya yang membuktikan bahwa hadits bukanlah sumber yang sah dari hukum Islam dan bahwa menggunakan hadits sebagai hukum Islam merupakan bentuk dari kesyirikan dan menyebabkan orang menjadi kafir.

Versi pendek:

Bukti Hadits Tidak Valid Hukum Islam

Versi panjang (bahasa Inggris):

http://uncorruptedislam.com/analysis-validity-prophet-muhammad-hadith.html

Kesimpulan

Bukti-bukti Alquran dan argumen logis di atas memperjelas bahwa keturunan Nabi Muhammad tidak lebih unggul sama sekali dibandingkan dengan umat manusia lainnya. Kesimpulan ini sangat jelas di negara-negara Barat non-Islam tetapi sayangnya, banyak orang di negara-negara Islam terlalu cuek dan menolak kesimpulan ini, mungkin karena mereka memiliki sikap bahwa tradisi harus benar meskipun bertentangan dengan logika. Mungkin mereka sebaiknya mundur selangkah dan merenungkan ayat berikut.

إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

Sesungguhnya, makhluk hidup yang paling buruk di mata Allah adalah orang tuli dan bisu yang tidak menggunakan otaknya untuk berpikir. (8:22)

Sumber-sumber: 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba_%27Alawi_sada
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree_of_Muhammad 
• https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1530929/jewish/What-Happened-to-Moses-Descendants.htm
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joshua

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Following is proof that the Quran alone is sufficient and complete for the purposes of Islamic guidance and law. Consequently, the hadith books are not needed to supplement or clarify the Quran.

The Quran is complete

Fortunately, we don’t need to guess whether verse 31:27 suggests that the Quran is complete. God admits in verses 6:115 and 6:38 that the Quran is complete. Also, common sense says that God is perfect. Therefore, why would God send down an incomplete Quran? Was God too busy that He couldn’t finish the Quran? Obviously not. Did God say in the Quran that because the Quran is incomplete, we have to figure out the missing parts from Prophet Muhammad’s sayings (hadith)? Obviously not.

و َتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا ۚ لَّا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (6:115)

وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُم ۚ مَّا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ

And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered. (6:38)

The Quran is fully detailed (fussilat) of all things

Not only is the Quran complete, but it’s also detailed.

أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا

[Say], “Then is it other than Allah I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the Book explained in detail?” (6:114)

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ۗ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding. Never was the Qur’an a narration invented, but a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of all things and guidance and mercy for a people who believe. (12:111)

كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur’an for a people who know, (41:3)

الر ۚ كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ

Alif, Lam, Ra. [This is] a Book whose verses are perfected and then presented in detail from [one who is] Wise and Acquainted. (11:1)

The Quran provides its own explanation (ahsan tafsir)

Not only is the Quran complete and detailed, but it also provides its own explanation (tafsir) of things and it is the best explanation (tafsir).

وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا

And they do not come to you with an argument except that We bring you the truth and the best explanation. (25:33)

The Quran is sufficient as a book of guidance.

No other book, e.g. the hadith, is necessary to complement the Quran as God indicates that the Quran alone is sufficient.

أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَىٰ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who believe. (29:51)

The fact that the Quran is sufficient all by itself is further indicated in verses 17:45-46. Note the emphasis of the Quran being sufficient on its own with the use of the word “alone”.

وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا

And when you recite the Qur’an, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition. (17:45)

وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۚ وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا

And We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you mention your Lord in the Qur’an alone, they turn back in aversion. (17:46)

God never runs out of words

Many people seem to think that the Quran is incomplete and therefore, believe that Prophet Muhammad’s sayings (hadith) complete the Quran. According to verse 31:27, God never runs out of words. Therefore, God could have written more words in the Quran to explain things to people. But since God didn’t write more than what’s in the Quran, He must have considered the Quran complete.

وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (31:27)

The best hadith (statement) is God’s statement (the Quran)

In verse 39:23, God says that the best saying / statement (hadith) is God’s hadith. So why would anyone want to follow some other hadith, e.g. via Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidzhi, etc?

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُّتَشَابِهًا مَّثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ

Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. …(39:23)

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People Prayed Before Muhammad’s Time

Many Muslims believe that the Islamic prayer began with Muhammad. However, below is proof that people prayed Islamically much before Muhammad was even born.

Additionally, many Muslims argue that the Quran is incomplete because it doesn’t explain how to pray and therefore the hadith are required to clarify the shortcomings of the Quran. This argument is invalid because

1. God says the Quran is complete (6:115) (6:38)
2. God says the Quran is fully detailed of all things (6:114) (12:111) (41:3) (11:1)
3. God says the Quran is clarification of all things (16:89)
4. God taught Abraham how to pray (21:73). Ever since then, people already knew how to pray and therefore God didn’t need to explain in the Quran how to do it again.
5. God told Muhammad to establish prayer and give zakah in Quran chapter 73. This is the 3rd chapter that was revealed to Muhammad. The first and second chapters that were revealed to Muhammad were chapters 96 and 68. Neither one of these three chapters explain to Muhammad how to pray. That makes sense because people at the time (and since prophet Abraham) already knew how to pray.

Prophet Ibrahim, Lot, Isaac and Jacob prayed

God said, “O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham.” … And We delivered him (Abraham) and Lot to the land which We had blessed for the worlds. And We gave him Isaac and Jacob in addition, and all [of them] We made righteous. And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of Us. (21:69 – 21:73)

Prophet Ishmael instructed his people to pray

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ … وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. And he used to enjoin on his people prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing. (2:40 – 2:43)

The Children of Israel (Jews) prayed

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ … وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

O Children of Israel, … establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience]. (2:40 – 2:43)

Maryam (Mary), Mother of Prophet Jesus, prayed

يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

“O Mary! Be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down with those who bow down” (3:43)

The phrase “bow with those that bow” is clearly a reference to congregation prayer such as the Friday Dhuhr prayer.

Prophet Jesus prayed

وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا

And He has made me (Jesus) blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive. (19:31)

People prayed at the Kaaba

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham the site of the House (Kaaba), [saying], “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. (22:26)

Many other people before Muhammad’s time prayed

In verses 19:58-59, we are told that God blessed many prophets before Muhammad and that after them, some generations stopped praying. This indicates that they did know how to pray.

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ آدَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْرَائِيلَ وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَاجْتَبَيْنَا ۚ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا

Those were the ones upon whom God bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping. But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil. (19:58-59)

Example prayer form before Muhammad’s time

In 2:43, the Children of Israel (Jews) were told to pray. According to Hayim H. Donin in his book titled “To Pray As A Jew“, we see diagrams as shown below describing the ancient way Jews prayed. Unsurprisingly, the way they prayed is very similar to how Muslims today pray, even though Jews today no longer pray the way ancient Jews prayed.

It is interesting to learn from this book that Jews also wash before praying (like ablution / wudhu for Muslims) and have a call for prayer (like the adhan for Muslims).

People didn’t and don’t learn how to pray from the hadith

Many people argue that Islam originated with Muhammad and that the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad are necessary to explain the details of prayer which are missing from the Quran. However, as we have proven above,

• (Submission) Islam originated with Abraham
• Muhammad was instructed to follow the religion of Abraham
• People prayed ever since the time of Prophet Abraham

Logically, God didn’t go into detail to describe how to pray because people already knew how to pray ever since Abraham’s time. Just like people nowadays learn to pray from the practice being passed on from generation to generation, that too happened since Abraham’s time. No one both past and present learn to pray by reading the hadith.

Did you learn to pray from reading the hadith or did you learn from your parents or teachers?

Quran-Follower (Muslim) Prayer

Submitters who follow the Quran (Muslims) are supposed to pray 5 times a day. Following is what they say.

Torah-Follower (Jewish) Prayer

Submitters who follow the Torah (Jews) usually pray 2 times a day. Following, known as the Shema, is what they say.

שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד.וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ.וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם–עַל-לְבָבֶךָ.וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ.וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ.וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.וְהָיָה, אִם-שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל-מִצְוֺתַי, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם, הַיּוֹם–לְאַהֲבָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וּלְעָבְדוֹ, בְּכָל-לְבַבְכֶם, וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁכֶם.וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר-אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ, יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ; וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ, וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ.וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ, לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ; וְאָכַלְתָּ, וְשָׂבָעְתָּ.הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם, פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם; וְסַרְתֶּם, וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם, לָהֶם.וְחָרָה אַף-יְהוָה בָּכֶם, וְעָצַר אֶת-הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה מָטָר, וְהָאֲדָמָה, לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת-יְבוּלָהּ; וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה, מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה, נֹתֵן לָכֶם.וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת-דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, עַל-לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל-נַפְשְׁכֶם; וּקְשַׁרְתֶּם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל-יֶדְכֶם, וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם.וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת-בְּנֵיכֶם, לְדַבֵּר בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ.וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם, וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם, עַל הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם–כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, עַל-הָאָרֶץ.וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם, וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל-כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם, לְדֹרֹתָם; וְנָתְנוּ עַל-צִיצִת הַכָּנָף, פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת.וְהָיָה לָכֶם, לְצִיצִת, וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת-כָּל-מִצְוֺת יְהוָה, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם; וְלֹא-תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם, וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר-אַתֶּם זֹנִים, אַחֲרֵיהֶם.לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת-כָּל-מִצְוֺתָי; וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים, לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם.אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם, לֵאלֹהִים: אֲנִי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. Deuteronomy 11:13–21 13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied. 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17 and the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. 18 Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; 21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth. Numbers 15:37–41 37 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:38 ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray; 40 that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.’

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The Quran describes different types of people as follows:

• Submitter (Muslim)
• Believer (Mu’min)
• Idolater (Mushrik)
• People of the Book (Ahl E-Kitaab)
• Disbeliever / Rejector (Kafir)
• Hypocrite (Munafiq)

Idolater (Mushrik)

They are polytheists (people who worship more than one God). Mushrikeen comes from the Arabic word “shirk” which, in general, means “to share”. With respect to the Quran, “shirk” means sharing others as partners besides God.

Submitters (Muslims)

They are monotheists (people who submit to one, true God). They are not necessarily Believers as true belief may not have entered into their hearts yet. Being a submitter is a prerequisite to being a believer.

قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The desert Arabs say, “We believe!” Say, “Do not say you believe; but only say, ‘We have submitted our wills to God (as Submitters / Muslims),’ as belief has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not deprive you anything of your deeds: for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (49:14)

Believer (Mu’min)

They believe in God, His angels, His books, and His messengers and don’t differentiate between any of His messengers.

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا …

“The messenger believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believes in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers – We make no distinction between any of His messengers – and they say: We hear, and we obey. …. ” (2:285)

Prophet Moses was a Submitter (Muslim) and after seeing a sign from God, he became a Believer (Mu’min)

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي وَلَٰكِنِ انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And when Moses came to the place appointed by Us and his Lord spoke to him, He said: “O my Lord! show (Yourself) to me, that I may look upon You.” God said: “By no means can you see Me; But look upon the mount; if it remains in its place, then shall you see Me.” But when his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it crumble to dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon / unconscious. When he recovered his senses he said: “Glory be to You! to You I turn in repentance and I am the first to believe.” (7:143)

Disbeliever / Rejector (Kafir)

Disbelievers (Kafirs) are people who, after understanding the message of truth (worship the one, true God), deny the truth. They intentionally disbelieve in the one, true God. Kafir comes from the Arabic word “kufr” which means to hide. Kafirs hide the truth and refuse to accept it. They will go to Hell.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰ أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

“As for the Disbelievers, Whether you warn them or you warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not. God has sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom” (2:6-7)

Even if Prophet Muhammad asks God to forgive disbelievers, God will not forgive them. They are walking dead because they’re just waiting to go to Hell.

اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

“Ask forgiveness for them (O Muhammad), or ask not forgiveness for them; though you ask forgiveness for them seventy times God will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in God and His messenger, and God guides not wrongdoing folk” (9:80)

Idolaters (Mushriks) are not automatically Disbelievers (Kafirs)

In verse 9:6, the idolaters were not branded as disbelievers because they did not know they were wrong. If an idolater wanted protection, Prophet Muhammad was instructed to protect them so that they could learn about Submission (Islam) and become a Submitter (Muslim). An idolater only becomes a disbeliever if they’ve seen the truth about the one and only God yet they still refuse to believe.

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

“And if anyone of the idolaters seeks thy protection (O Muhammad), then protect him so that he may hear the Word of God, and afterward convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a folk who do not know” (9:6)

The People of the Book (Ahl e-Kitaab)

They are people who received the former scriptures (Torah, Injil). They are Jews and Christians. Jews and Christians who submit to one, true God are Submitters (Muslim).

Some Jews and Christians are righteous.

لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً ۗ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

“Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand: They rehearse the verses of God all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten in good deeds: They are in the ranks of the righteous” (3:113-114)

Can Believers (Mu’mins) be friends / allies with Jews and Christians?

According to verse 5:51, God instructs believers to not be allied with the Jews and Christians.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, God guides not the wrongdoing people.

However, when read in context, we see from verse 5:57 that the prohibition is only against being friends / allies with Jews and Christians who ridicule Islam.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

O you who have believed, take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear God, if you should [truly] be believers.

At the time of Prophet Muhammad, some People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were Believers (Mu’mins) because they believed in the Quran and Prophet Muhammad.

وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

“And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book (Arabic: Ahli-l-kitabi), those who believe in God, in the revelation to you, and in the revelation to them, bowing in humility to God: They will not sell the Signs of God for a miserable gain! For them is a reward with their Lord, and God is swift in account” (3:199)

Most people are Disbelievers (Kafirs)

As of 2018, despite Islam being the 2nd largest religion after Christianity and being projected to become the largest religion some time between 2051 and 3000, verse 12:103 indicates that most people may still call themselves Muslims (Submitters) or Believers (Mu’mins) when in reality they are actually disbelievers (kafirs).

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

And most of the people, although you strive [for it], are not believers. (12:103)

It is possible, however, that verse 12:103 may mean that most people during the time of prophet Muhammad were disbelievers, rather than most people throughout life in this world. Nevertheless, verse 12:103 is in agreement with 17:62 whereby Satan says he will destroy all but a few of among mankind, even though 17:62 simply indicates what Satan said and doesn’t necessarily mean what he said will actually happen.

قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَٰذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

[Iblees / Satan] said, “Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy his descendants, except for a few.” (17:62)

Verse 25:30, similarly, seems to indicate that most of Muhammad’s followers will have abandoned the Quran. This verse describes what Muhammad will say on the Day of Judgment.

وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا

And the Messenger has said, “O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur’an as [a thing] abandoned.” (25:30)

As of 2018, it appears true that many people are indirectly abandoning the Quran by

• Reading it in Arabic despite not understanding Arabic
• Focusing on and following the hadith instead of the Quran as God’s law

Hypocrite (Munafiq)

They are people who say they are believers (Mu’mins) but they are lying.

إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ

When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say, “We testify that you are the Messenger of God.” And God knows that you are His Messenger, and God testifies that the hypocrites are liars. (63:1)

The hypocrites (Munafiqs) will be in the lowest depths of Hell

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا

Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire – and never will you find for them a helper. (4/145)

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This article contains proofs to support the argument that Jews and Christians are actually Muslims.

Prophet Isa (Jesus) and his disciples were Submitters (Muslims)

فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

But when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said, “Who are my supporters for [the cause of] God?” The disciples said,” We are supporters for God. We have believed in God and testify that we are Submitters (Muslims). (3:52)

People who believed in the previous scriptures (Torah, Injil) were Submitters (Muslims)

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ

Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it – they are believers in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, “We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, [even] before it, Submitters (Muslims).” (28:52-53)

The religion of Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses and Jesus is the same so don’t be divided.

شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ ۖ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ …

He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus – to establish the religion and not be divided therein. … (42:13)

God tells people not to divide religion into sects

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects – you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to God; then He will inform them about what they used to do. (6:159)

There is supposed to only be one people / community who worships God but people (e.g. Jews, Christians, Muslims) divided their affairs

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ وَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ

Indeed this, your (religious) community, is one (religious) community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me. And [yet] they divided their affair among themselves, [but] all to Us will return. (21:92-93)

Despite the clear proof in the Quran, many Jews, Christians and Muslims divide their religion into groups and sects, e.g. Jewish this, Jewish that, Christian this Christian that, Muslim Sunni, Shiah, Druze, Alawi, Salafi, etc.

Jews and Christians are to follow the Quran

Even though Jews and Christians are technically Submitters (Muslims) and that their books (Torah and Injil) were revelations from God, their books have been replaced by the Quran and they are told to believe in and follow the Quran.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ آمِنُوا بِمَا نَزَّلْنَا مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّطْمِسَ وُجُوهًا فَنَرُدَّهَا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِهَا أَوْ نَلْعَنَهُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَّا أَصْحَابَ السَّبْتِ ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا

O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [to Muhammad], confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of God accomplished. (4:47)

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ

O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from God a light and a clear Book. (5:15)

Sects in Submission (Arabic: Islam)

Most people understand 21st century Islam (the religion of Submission) to have multiple sects such as Sunni, Shia, Wahabbi / Salafi, etc. These sects all have one thing in common which is that they are based on the Quran. With the information in previous chapters, we know that Islam is independent of the Quran and Islam began at least as early as Prophet Abraham. We also know that Moses and Jesus were Muslims (Submitters) and that they along with, at least some of, their followers practiced the form of Islam we are familiar with today, e.g. praying, fasting, etc. One key difference, however, between the followers of Moses (Jews) and the followers of Jesus (Christians / Nazarenes), is that almost all of them don’t believe in the Quran. Furthermore, most Christians have a very unusual understanding of God in that they think that Jesus is either the son of God or a third of God or God himself. Some denominations of Christianity that don’t believe in the doctrine of the Trinity are the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In any case, one can argue, based on the fact that all of these groups originate from Abraham, who is arguably the founder of Islam (Submission) which all of these groups originate from, that all of these groups are sects or subsects of Islam. Therefore, one way of looking at Islam is as follows.

Judaism

Judaism is a sect of Submission (Islam). Its leader is Moses. Most followers only believe and follow the Torah (and some other books that make up the Jewish bible)

Christianity

Christianity is a sect of Judaism. Its leader is Jesus. Most followers only believe and follow the Torah and the Jewish bible (Old Testament) and the Injeel (New Testament)

Quran-Based Islam

Quran-based Islam is Submission (Islam) based on the Quran. Most people believe its leader to be Muhammad even though the Quran tells Muhammad and Muslims to follow Abraham. Followers believe in the Torah, Gospel and the Quran but only follow the Quran.

Primary Sects (Denominations) in Christianity

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• There Is No Punishment for Blasphemy in Islam
• Proof That Arabic is Not a Holy or Superior Language
• Proof That Prophet Muhammad Is Not Exclusive or Superior to Other Prophets
• Muslims (Submitters) and Mu’mins (Believers) Are Not the Same Thing
• Most Jews, Christians, and Polytheists Are Not Infidels (Kafir)
• There Is No Quranic Proof That Zamzam Water Is Blessed Holy Water
• Muslims Are Not Allowed To Force Others To Practice Islam. So Why Do Muslims & Islamic Governments Keep Doing It?
• If You Are a Sunni or Shia Muslim, Then You’ve Violated Islamic Law
• Contrary to Extremist Belief, Muslims Are Allowed To Sing and Listen to Music
• Muslims Are Allowed To Have Statues and Photos of People in Their Homes
• Dogs Aren’t Impure. Muslims Are Allowed to Have Pet Dogs.
• Muslims Are Allowed to Pay Interest, e.g. on a Car or Home Loan
• Prophet Muhammad Was Not Illiterate. He Could Read and Write.
• Jesus is Dead & He Ain’t Comin’ Back – A Quranic Analysis
• Many Muslims Are Wrong About Getting Help From Others on the Day of Judgment
• Wills and Inheritance Law According to the Quran
• Most Muslims Are Wrong About Halal Food
• Circumcision Is Not Required Among Muslim Boys / Men
• Muslim Women Are Not Exempt From Congregational Friday Prayers
• Muslim Women Are Not Exempt From Fasting, Praying, etc During Menstruation
• The Quran Doesn’t Support a Strictly Vegetarian Diet
• Summary of the Quran
• Summary of the Quran 2
• إثبات أن الحديث ليس شرعاً إسلامياً صالحاً
• إثبات أن النساء المسلمات لسن بحاجة لتغطية شعرهم
• Bukti Hadits Tidak Valid Hukum Islam
• Kekeliruan Bahwa Keturunan Nabi Muhammad Lebih Unggul Dari Semua Orang Lain
• Bukti Wanita Muslim Tidak Harus Menutup Rambutnya Dengan Hijab

This article has been translated into other languages:

• Indonesian
• Arabic (coming soon)

There is a certain group of people who believe that they are descendants of the prophet Muhammad. A popular term used to refer to these people is “Sayyid” (singular) or “Sadah” (plural). It is also commonly spelled “Syed”. The descendants of Muhammad through their mother but not father are referred to as “Mirza”. Although reliable statistics are unavailable, conservative estimates put the number of Sayyids in the tens of millions. Sayyids can be found all over the world including the following.

Iraq
The Sayyid families in Iraq are so numerous that there are books written especially to list the families and connect their trees.

Iran
Sayyids are found in vast numbers in Iran. The Chief of the “National Organization for Civil Registration” of Iran declared that more than 6 million Iranians are Sayyid.

Oman
In Oman, Sayyid is used by members of the Al Said ruling royal family. Members of the extended family or members by marriage carry the title Sayyid or Sayyida for a female. Such titles in Oman are hereditary through paternal lineage or in some exceptional circumstances, such as an honorary title given by royal decree.

Libya
The Sayyids in Libya are Sunni, including the former royal family, which is originally Zaidi-Moroccan (also known as the Senussi family).

Yemen
In Yemen the Sayyids are more generally known as sadah; they are also referred to as Hashemites. In terms of religious practice, they are Shia, Sunni, and Sufi. Sayyid families in Yemen include the Rassids, the Qasimids, the Mutawakkilites, the Hamideddins, some Al-Zaidi of Ma’rib, Sana’a, and Sa’dah, the Ba ‘Alawi sada families in Hadhramaut, Al-Wazir of Sana’a, Al-Shammam of Sa’dah, the Sufyan of Juban, and the Al-Jaylani of Juban.

Yemeni Ba ’Alawi
The term Ba ‘Alawi (باعلوي) which, in Yemeni dialect, is short for Bani ‘Alawi, means “clan or descendants of ‘Alawi”.

The Ba ‘Alawi sada families trace their lineage to Sayyid al-Imam Ahmad al-Muhajir bin Isa ar-Rumi born in 873 (260H), who emigrated from Basra to Hadhramaut in 931 (320H) to avoid sectarian violence, including the invasion of the Qaramite forces into the Abbasid Caliphate. Imam al-Muhajir’s grandson Alawi was the first Sayyid to be born in Hadhramaut, and the only one of Imam al-Muhajir’s descendants to produce a continuous line; the lineages of Imam al-Muhajir’s other grandsons, Basri and Jadid, were cut off after several generations. Accordingly, Imam Al-Muhajir’s descendants in Hadhramaut hold the name Bā ‘Alawi (“descendants of Alawi”). The Ba ‘Alawi Sadah have since been living in Hadhramaut in Southern Yemen, maintaining the Sunni Creed in the fiqh school of Shafii. In the beginning, a descendant of Imam Ahmad Muhajir who became a scholar in Islamic studies was called Imam, then Sheikh, but later called Habib (beloved).

South Asia
In 1901 the total number of Sayyids (Syeds) in British India was counted as 1,339,734. Recent estimates show that in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal there are more than 15 million Sayyids: 8 million in Pakistan, 7 million in India, over 1 million in Bangladesh, and around seventy thousand in Nepal.

Southeast Asia
Most of the Alawi Sayyids who moved to Southeast Asia were descendants of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, especially of Ba ‘Alawi sada, many of which were descendants of migrants from Hadhramaut. Even though they are alleged descendants of Husayn, it is uncommon for the female Sayyids to be called Sayyidah; they are more commonly called Sharifah. Most of them live in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Moro Province in the Philippines, Pattani and Cambodia. Many of the royal families of this region such as the previous royal families of the Philippines (Sultanate of Sulu, Sultanate of Maguindanao, Confederation of Sultanates of Ranao), Singapore (Sultanate of Singapore), Malaysia (Sultanates of Johor and Perlis), Indonesia (Sultanates of Siak, Pontianak, Gowa, some Javanese Sultanates), and the existing royal family of Brunei (House of Bolkiah) are also Sayyids, especially of Ba’Alawi.

Some common surnames of these Sayyids are al-Saqqaf, Shihab (or Shahab), al-Aidaroos, al-Habsyi (or al-Habshi), al-Kaff, al-Aththos, al-Haddad, al-Jufri (or al-Jifri), al-Muhdhar, al-Shaikh Abubakar, al-Qadri, al-Munawwar.

Ottoman Empire
In the Ottoman Empire, Muhammad’s descendants formed a kind of nobility with the privilege of wearing green turbans.

Are Sayyids Really Descendants of the Prophet Muhammad?

Genetic studies of Sayyids of the Indian sub-continent

The authors of the study “Y chromosomes of self-identified Syeds from the Indian subcontinent” showed that the Y chromosomes of self-identified Syeds from India and Pakistan are no less diverse than those non-Syeds from the same regions, suggesting that Syed status, rather than being strictly patrilineal, may have been passed through other routes, and that there is no biological basis to the belief that self-identified Syeds in this part of the world share a recent common ancestry.

Imposters

In the Ottoman Empire, tax breaks for Sayyids encouraged many people to buy certificates of descent or forge genealogies; the phenomenon of teseyyüd – falsely claiming noble ancestry – spread across ethnic, class, and religious boundaries. In the 17th century, an Ottoman bureaucrat estimated that there were 300,000 impostors. In 18th-century Anatolia, nearly all upper-class urban people claimed descent from Muhammad.

Mixed ancestry

Though many Sayyids claim nobility and superiority due to their lineage to the prophet Muhammad, most Sayyids can only claim patrilineal descent. Sayyids often married non-Sayyid Arabs and even non-Arabs resulting in them having very little genetic traces of the Prophet Muhammad. Unsurprisingly, most Sayyids, such as the Ba’Alawi of Southeast Asia, look mixed Asian and Arab or completely Asian. Following are some famous Ba’Alawi Sayyids according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba_%27Alawi_sada who look Indonesian or mixed Arab and Indonesian.

Sayyid Superiority

Most Muslims consider Prophet Muhammad to be superior to all other prophets. This is evidenced by the fact that pretty much every mosque in the world has two names placed side by side on their walls, namely “Muhammad” and “Allah” (Arabic for “God”). Very rarely will you see the names of the other prophets such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Interestingly, Muhammad’s name is more often than not the same size and at the same height as that of God suggesting that Muhammad is equal to God, which obviously contradicts Islam’s core fundamental belief, but that’s a different issue.

By believing in the superiority of Muhammad, some descendants of the prophet Muhammad and even other Muslims would regard Sayyids as noble people who are somewhat superior to everyone else. For example, in the Ottoman empire, tax breaks were given to Sayyids. In Indonesia, many native Indonesian students of Islam would bow down and kiss the hand of a Sayyid even if the Sayyid wasn’t a practicing Muslim.

Further evidence that Sayyids consider themselves a superior group comes from their choice of a marriage partner (or their parent’s choice of a marriage partner for their children). 

In India, traditional Sayyid families rarely marry outside their community and emphasize marrying into Najeeb Altarfain (of Sayyid descent from both the mother’s and father’s side) families. However, this insistence on endogamy has begun to decline among the more urbanized families, with an increase in exogamy with other groups such as the Shaikh and Mughals.

In Indonesia, I am personally familiar with the fact that many Ba’Alawi Sayyids insist on marrying other Ba’Alawi Sayyids, especially if the Sayyid is a female since ancestral lineage is patrilineal. Ironically, the prophet Muhammad himself had no sons, just a daughter, yet many Sayyids use patrilineal ancestry in their family trees linking them to the prophet.

Marriage

In order to continue their patrilineal ancestry to the prophet Muhammad and consequently their children’s sense of nobility and superiority, female Sayyids would have to marry other Sayyids. Unfortunately, however, marrying someone on the basis of family name as opposed to compatibility is likely to result in disappointment and divorce. 

Sayyid women marrying Sayyid men

In one example, a female Ba’alawi Sayyid I know married a Ba’alawi Sayyid man who turned out to be violent and who even threatened to kill her. Not exactly noble behavior!

In another example, a Ba’alawi Sayyid woman married a Ba’alawi Sayyid man who was her cousin. The man then married another woman who was a non-Ba’Alwi Arab so as to have two wives. The first wife rejected the second marriage and ran away. Eventually, the second wife divorced her husband. The first wife, who never worked, was dependant on her husband so she eventually came back to him. Now, they live together but sleep in separate rooms and don’t talk to each other.

In another example, a female Ba’alawi Sayyid I know married a Ba’alawi Sayyid without them having even seen each other in person before their wedding day. There was even support and pressure for this marriage from both families as if marriage between two Sayyids was a guarantee of success and happiness. Unsurprisingly, she divorced her husband after 10 years, is now 44 years old, doesn’t have any kids despite wishing to have kids, and is finding it difficult to remarry at her age. 

A non-Sayyid Arab woman marrying a Sayyid man

Some non-Sayyid women may feel proud to marry a Sayyid man so that their children can become Sayyids. Though Sayyids may consider themselves superior, they are really just ordinary people. Like everyone else, some Sayyids are good and some are bad. I personally know of a non-Sayyid woman who married two Ba’alawi Sayyids. She divorced the first husband after one week and divorced the second after having 6 children. She never remarried. Though she may feel proud that her children are Sayyids, she’s probably more disappointed that her marriages failed.

A Sayyid woman marrying a non-Arab, non-Sayyid man

Sometimes, a female Sayyid would marry a non-Arab non-Sayyid. This happened to the sister of a Ba’alawi Sayyid friend of mine. She wanted to marry a native Indonesian. As this was considered unacceptable, sadly only a few people attended the wedding from the Sayyid side. The majority of the wedding guests were from the non-Sayyid groom’s side.

Sayyid men marrying non-Arab, non-Sayyid women

There are also cases where Sayyid parents insist their sons marry Sayyids but their sons don’t want to. In one case, three Ba’alawi Sayyid brothers each married non-Sayyids who were Mongolian, Japanese and Indonesian. Though their parents were devastated and felt disgraced, their sons seem happily married.

Matrimonial websites

Some matrimonial matchmaking websites even have a category for people to search for men and women who are Sayyids or Syeds like this Indian one.

Some may mention outright that they are only interested in marrying another Sayyid. In some cases, a parent may create a profile for their son or daughter stating that they are Sayyids and are strictly seeking Sayyid matches with words like “Non-Sayyids should not contact us and waste our time.”

Unsurprisingly, after generations of inter-racial marriages, the self-identified Sayyids on this website look Indian instead of Arab.

On another Indian matrimonial website, Muslims can choose one of many, many “castes” one of which is “Muslim – Syed”. 

What’s interesting (and sad) is the sheer number of groups under the Muslim category. On this website, one can search for one of the following Muslim groups. Apparently some people – possibly many – feel that these subdivisions are necessary without realizing that it only further divides Muslims rather than unites them. Furthermore, it limits one’s choices when searching for a spouse which limits one’s potential for attaining a happy marriage.

• Muslim
• Muslim – Ansari
• Muslim – Arain
• Muslim – Awan
• Muslim – Bohra
• Muslim – Dekkani
• Muslim – Dudekula
• Muslim – Hanafi
• Muslim – Jat
• Muslim – Khoja
• Muslim – Lebbai
• Muslim – Malik
• Muslim – Mapila
• Muslim – Maraicar
• Muslim – Memon
• Muslim – Mughal
• Muslim – Pathan
• Muslim – Qureshi
• Muslim – Rajput
• Muslim – Rowther
• Muslim – Shafi
• Muslim – Sheikh
• Muslim – Siddiqui
• Muslim – Syed
• Muslim – UnSpecified

As an American Muslim, I personally am not familiar with any of these Muslim groups and only last week learned about the “Syed” group. In other words, for an outsider, none of the groups matter except for the parent group, i.e. “Muslim”.

What About Descendants of Other Prophets?

All prophets and messengers of Islam are equal

All Muslims believe that there are many prophets in Islam besides Muhammad. Some prophets are more famous than others, e.g. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Unfortunately, Muslims, both Sayyid and non-Sayyid, incorrectly believe that Muhammad is superior to all other prophets. Rather, no distinction should be made between any of the prophets and messengers of God. This is proven in the following verses.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ ۚ فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ

Say: We believe in God and that which had been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them (prophets), and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him. (Quran: 2:136)

ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in God and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.” (Quran: 2:285)

قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

Say, “We have believed in God and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants [al-Asbat], and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them (prophets), and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him.” (Quran: 3:84)

Verse 4:152 indicates that God will reward believers who do not discriminate between any of the messengers. This implies that believers, including Sayyids, who regard the prophet Muhammad as superior to other prophets and messengers will not be rewarded.

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَوْفَ يُؤْتِيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا

But they who believe in God and His messengers and do not discriminate between any of them (messengers) – to those He is going to give their rewards. And ever is God Forgiving and Merciful. (Quran: 4:152)

Now that it has been proven that 

• all prophets and messengers are equal
• Muslims are not allowed to view prophets and messengers as unequal
• Muhammad is not superior to the other prophets and messengers

let’s see what the Quran says about some of the descendants of other prophets.

Some of Abraham’s descendants were wrongdoers

In verse 2:124, we see proof that not all of Abraham’s descendants are righteous. God acknowledges that some are wrongdoers despite being descendants of the prophet Abraham.

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [God] said, “Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people.” [Abraham] said, “And of my descendants?” [God] said, “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.” (Quran: 2:124)

In verses 37:112-113, we see that Abraham was given a son named Isaac but some of their descendants were unrighteous sinners.

وَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِإِسْحَـٰقَ نَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ وَبَـٰرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَىٰٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌۭ وَظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ مُبِينٌۭ

And We gave him [Abraham] good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous. And We blessed him and Isaac. But among their descendants is the doer of good and the clearly unjust to himself [i.e., sinner]. (Quran: 37:112-113)

In verses 11:1-18, we see proof that all but one of Prophet Jacob’s sons were unrighteous. They tried to kill their brother, Joseph, by throwing him down a well. Joseph would later become a prophet.

In verse 11:46 we see proof that prophet Noah’s immediate descendant (one of his sons) was unrighteous.

قَالَ يَـٰنُوحُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَـٰلِحٍۢ ۖ فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ

He [God] said, “O Noah, indeed he (your son) is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant.” (Quran: 11:46)

Notice that in the above verse, God tells Noah that not only is one of his sons unrighteous, but that 

1. Noah should not consider his unrighteous son to be of his family. 
2. Noah should not ask God to help his son

In verse 57:26 we see clear proof that many (not some, but “many”) of the descendants of prophets Noah and Abraham were wrongdoers (“defiantly disobedient”). The word for “many” used in the verse is “katheer” / كَثِيرٌۭ in Arabic which clearly means “many”.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًۭا وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا ٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مُّهْتَدٍۢ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ

And We have already sent Noah and Abraham and placed in their descendants prophethood and scripture; and among them is he who is guided, but many of them were defiantly disobedient. (Quran: 57:26)

It’s possible that this verse is referring to people who lived amongst the descendants of Noah and Abraham but, considering the wording in the verses above, it most likely means that the wrongdoers were their descendants.

What About Descendants of Prophets Moses and Jesus?

According to the Quran, Moses and Jesus are prophets of Islam. They are two of the most often mentioned prophets in the Quran. The Quran calls their followers People of the Book (Arabic: Ahl Al-Kitaab) because they are followers of the holy book, the Jewish Torah. Jews and Christians revere Moses and Jesus just as much as followers of the Quran revere Muhammad. However, Jews and Christians have different attitudes towards the descendants of these prophets. 

Jesus’ descendants

In the case of Jesus, there is no issue because he had no descendants.

Moses’ descendants

In the case of Moses, he had two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. However, when it came time to choose a successor for Moses, Jewish Sages said that Moses requested that one of his sons be appointed. But, God responded with, “Your sons sat and did not occupy themselves with Torah. Joshua, who served you, is fitting to serve Israel.” So, Joshua became the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses and not any of Moses’ sons (Deuteronomy 31:1–8; 34:9).

Moses had an older brother, Aaron, who had four sons. Though Moses’ sons did not live up to Moses’ example, Aaron’s sons did carry the noble traditions of their father. God considered Moses’ nephews (Aaron’s sons) as Moses’ children, for Moses was the one who taught them the Torah. This is reflected in Numbers 3:1 which begins “These are the descendants of Moses and Aaron…” but only lists Aaron’s four sons. God reassured Moses that even Joshua would need to confer with Aaron’s son, the High Priest, to know God’s will.

Though Moses had two sons, they were nothing special and Jews don’t consider descendants of Moses to be any more special than anyone else. Maybe some Muslims can learn from this Jewish attitude.

What About the Wives of Prophets?

Many Muslims believe that the wives of the prophet Muhammad were superior and righteous women. Since it was proven above that all prophets and messengers are equal, then one would expect the wives of other prophets and messengers to all be superior and righteous as well. Let’s see what the Quran says about that.

In verse 66:10 we see proof that even though prophets Noah and Lot were righteous servants of God, their wives were sinners and were sent to Hell. This verse also proves that righteous prophets had no power to save their sinful wives from Hell.

ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍۢ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍۢ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَـٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًۭٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ

God presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so they [i.e., those prophets] did not avail them from God at all, and it was said, “Enter the Fire with those who enter.” (Quran: 66:10)

In verse 33:30 we read that if any of prophet Muhammad’s wives committed a sin, then their punishment would be double that of anyone else.

يَـٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ يُضَـٰعَفْ لَهَا ٱلْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًۭا

O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality – for her the punishment would be doubled two fold, and ever is that, for God, easy. (Quran: 33:30)

According to the verse above, it becomes clear that being related to the prophet Muhammad does not guarantee exemption from righteousness nor admission to Paradise.

What about Prophet Muhammad himself?

Many Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was a perfect human. For that reason, they desire to imitate him in every way possible, e.g. having a long beard, following his supposedly original and authentic hadith, celebrating his birthday, etc. Interestingly, God Himself says in the Quran in two separate verses that Muhammad sinned more than once.

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَٰطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

Indeed, We have given you, [O Muḥammad], a clear conquest. That Allāh may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path (Quran: 48:1-2)

فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَىٰكُمْ

So know, [O Muḥammad], that there is no deity except Allāh and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allāh knows of your movement and your resting place. (Quran: 47:19)

Note that the word ذَنْبٌ actually does mean sin.

Intercession by Prophet Muhammad

Some Sayyids believe that their bloodline to Prophet Muhammad would help them gain access to Paradise by way of Prophet Muhammad interceding on their behalf on the Day of Judgment / Recompense. This belief is extremely dangerous as it offers a false sense of security. According to verse 2:123, no one, including the prophet Muhammad, has the power to intercede on anyone’s behalf on the Day.

وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًۭا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍۢ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌۭ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

And fear a Day (Day of Judgment / Recompense) when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided. (Quran: 2:123)

The verse above proves that on matters of religion, everyone is responsible for themselves, and no ancestor, no matter how famous or noble they were, whether they died yesterday or 1400 years ago, can benefit anyone, let alone their descendants.

Comparing Sayyids to Other Groups

Obviously, Sayyids aren’t the only people who think they are superior to others. Following are some examples of other groups of people who have a superiority complex.

Hindus

The Hindu caste system divides Hindus into four main categories – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation. Outside of this Hindu caste system were the achhoots – the Dalits or the untouchables. In this system, the higher your caste, the more superior you are.

Note that, as for Sayyids, this Hindu belief system is based on birth – no one can move from one group to another, whether up or down. From the viewpoint of a Hindu of upper caste, a Sayyid Muslim could be regarded as inferior to them. One consequence of this egregiously unfair Hindu caste system is the conversion of many Dalits to Islam hoping to escape discrimination. Unfortunately, according to the BBC article Why are many Indian Muslims seen as untouchable?, even Muslims of upper castes will discriminate against Dalits who have become Muslim.

Dalits are considered impure by caste Hindus and many of them work in sanitation.

Although India’s constitution banned discrimination on the basis of caste, discrimination by caste is still widely prevalent.

White supremacists

White supremacists believe that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society, typically to the exclusion or detriment of other racial and ethnic groups, in particular black or Jewish people. Some white supremacists argue that their blood is “pure” or that they are “pure” descendants of white Europeans. It is not uncommon for a white supremacist member to think they are pure European only to find out after taking a genealogy test that they have mixed ancestry.

For example, many white people may look caucasian but actually have mixed native American or Mexican ancestry. This shocking reality leads some to simply reject the test results so they may continue with their feelings of superiority.

Although US law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, etc, discrimination on these points still exists.

Other examples

If you think about it, racism and people who have a superiority complex exist in all walks of life. Some examples are:

• A person who lives in the city may think they are superior to people who live in rural areas
• A rich people may think they are superior to poor people
• A fair skinned Indian or African may think they are superior to dark skinned Indians and Africans (Note: skin whitening is big business in Asia and Africa)
  • Skin whitening big business in Asia
  • India’s multibillion-dollar skin lightening industry under fire as Indians seek whiter shade of pale
• An educated person may feel they are superior to uneducated people
• A person who owns a house may feel superior to people who rent a house
• A person who owns a car may feel superior to someone who has to ride public transportation
• An American, being from the richest and most powerful country in the world, may feel superior to all non-Americans.

Most Sayyids would consider the Hindu caste system, white supremacy, and the other examples above as outrageous and completely unacceptable. Ironically, many Sayyids are no different than these other groups who claim superiority.

Salawaat

In Quran, Surah al-Ahzab (33), Verse 56 we read that God and His Angels send salawaat  (blessings) to Muhammad and God instructed believers to send salawaat Muhammad as well. 

إِنَّ ٱل‍لَّٰهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَىٰ ٱلنَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا

“God and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet, O you who believe! Send your blessings on him, and salute him a thorough salutation” (Quran: 33:56)

The word salawaat is the plural form of the word salat which means prayer, blessings or salutation. Some Sayyids think that since God and His Angels send blessings on the prophet Muhammad, then Muhammad must be superior to all other prophets, and by extension, Muhammad’s descendants are superior. They can easily be proven wrong by reading a few verses before the one above. In Quran Surah al-Ahzab (33), Verses 41-43 we find that God and His Angels send blessings on ALL believers.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ذِكْرًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةًۭ وَأَصِيلًا هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَلِّى عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتُهُۥ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۚ وَكَانَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًۭا

O you who have believed, remember God with much remembrance. And exalt Him morning and afternoon. It is He who confers blessing upon you (believers), and His angels [do so as well] that He may bring you out from darkness into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful. (Quran: 33:41-43)

When Muslims pray, they recite salawaat near the end of the prayer. It usually reads as follows:

ٱللَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

God, send prayers on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have sent prayers on Abrahim and the family of Abrahim. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. God, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Abraham and the family of Abrahim. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.

Here, we see that salawaat is done for Muhammad in addition to the family of Muhammad. However, there is no instruction in the Quran for believers to send salawaat to the family of Muhammad. It should come as no surprise that Islam, like many religions, has changed over time due to politics, local traditions, war, etc. It is therefore likely that influential people, e.g. some Sayyids long ago, may have modified the salawaat to include the family of Muhammad for their own personal benefit.

Dividing the Muslim Community

If Sayyids believe they are superior to everyone else, then they are dividing the Muslim community which, according to verse 6:159, is not only unacceptable, but God even tells Muhammad that he has nothing to do with them.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects – you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to God; then He will inform them about what they used to do. (6:159)

Ironically, Sayyids use their relationship to Muhammad to justify their sense of superiority which divides Muslims while God indicates that Muhammad has nothing to do with them for that very reason.

Satan (The Father of Arrogance) and Sayyids

Ironically, Muslim Sayyids who believe that they are somehow superior to everyone else are in fact behaving like Satan himself. According to the Quran, Satan (a jinn) felt superior to Adam (a human) because Satan was made from smokeless fire whereas Adam was made from clay.

Clearly, Satan’s biological difference with Adam is much more obvious than the invisible genetic difference between Sayyids and non-Sayyids. We all (Christians, Jews and Muslims) know how the story ends. Satan’s arrogance and superiority complex will commit him to Hell for eternity.

Descendants of Adam – The First Prophet of Islam

Most people have more respect for founders or pioneers of something, whether it is a religion, a country, a successful company, etc, rather than subsequent leaders. This is one reason why most Muslims have a lot of respect for the prophet Muhammad – they think that he is the first Muslim and founder of Islam. Embarrassingly for them, it can easily be proven using the Quran that Muhammad was not the first Muslim and prophet of Islam and that he happens to be the last prophet from a long chain of prophets. In verse 16:123, God specifically told Muhammad to follow the religion of Prophet Abraham. 

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Then We [God] revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the form of religion (Arabic: millat) of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with God. (16:123)

Instead of focusing on Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam, what if Muslims focused on Adam, the first prophet of Islam? Even though the Quran doesn’t literally mention that Adam was a prophet or messenger of Islam, his prophethood is clearly implied in verse 3:33 where he is compared to prophets Noah, Abraham and Imran.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحًۭا وَءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمْرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

Indeed, God chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran over the worlds – (3:33)

Prophet Adam was not only the founder and first prophet of Islam but also the founder of mankind (everyone is a descendant of Adam). No family tree is needed to prove one’s descent from Adam. Consequently, everyone is equal with respect to noble ancestry and no one can claim supremacy based on bloodline which, as proven above, is the way of the Devil!

The Most Noble People

If we really wanted to single out a person or a group of people who should be considered noble with respect to Islam, then we can easily find who they are from the Quran. Verse 49:13 makes it clear that the noblest people are the most righteous. And, it should go without saying that righteousness is not based on birth but one’s actions.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًۭا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۭ

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Aware. (49:13)

Hadith

Some Sayyids may argue that there are hadith that support the argument that the Prophet Muhammad and his progeny are superior to everyone else. For them, they may read my article which proves that the hadith are not a valid source of Islamic law and that judging by the hadith on matters of religion constitutes shirk and renders one kafir. 

Short version:

Proof the Hadith is Not Valid Islamic Law

Long version:

http://uncorruptedislam.com/analysis-validity-prophet-muhammad-hadith.html

Conclusion

The Quranic proofs and logical arguments above make it clear that descendants of the prophet Muhammad are not superior in any way, shape or form compared to the rest of mankind. This conclusion is pretty obvious in non-Islamic Western countries but unfortunately, many people in Islamic countries are too ignorant and in denial of this, possibly due to their attitude that tradition must be correct even if it defies logic. Perhaps they should take a step back and ponder over the following verse.

إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use their brains to think. (8:22)

Sources: 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba_%27Alawi_sada
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree_of_Muhammad 
• https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1530929/jewish/What-Happened-to-Moses-Descendants.htm
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joshua

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• Kekeliruan Bahwa Keturunan Nabi Muhammad Lebih Unggul Dari Semua Orang Lain
• Bukti Wanita Muslim Tidak Harus Menutup Rambutnya Dengan Hijab

Banyak Muslim percaya bahwa wanita Muslim harus menutupi rambut mereka. Berikut adalah analisis mendalam yang membuktikan bahwa menurut Al-Qur’an, wanita tidak harus menutupi rambutnya.

Tidak ada kewajiban hijab pra-1970 di Arab Saudi

Sebelum kita menganalisis Al-Qur’an, penting untuk diketahui bahwa hijab sebagai pakaian wajib bagi perempuan di Arab Saudi itu relatif baru. Arab Saudi dikenal luas karena memberlakukan persyaratan hijab yang ketat, termasuk di kalangan turis. Tetapi rekaman video sejarah dari tahun 1970-an mengungkapkan bahwa wanita Saudi sebelumnya tidak diharuskan mengenakan hijab. Klip video berikut diambil dari film dokumenter PBS Frontline tahun 2004 berjudul “The House of Saud” (Rumah Saud) pada timestamp 37:24. Klip ini menunjukkan seorang wanita guru sekolah dan banyak gadis sekolah. Tidak ada satu pun yang menutupi rambutnya. Mereka bahkan tidak mengenakan jubah hitam panjang (abaya). Sebaliknya, mereka mengenakan kemeja biasa.

Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa kewajiban mengenakan hijab pasti menjadi kewajiban setelah tahun 1970-an.

Orang Saudi sangat bangga dengan tradisi mereka, dan banyak tradisi lama yang masih dipraktikkan hingga hari ini. Misalnya, pria Saudi telah mengenakan pakaian panjang dan longgar yang dikenal sebagai “thobe” selama minimum satu abad. Mereka juga menutupi kepala/rambut mereka, bukan karena diwajibkan oleh hukum Islam, tetapi mungkin karena itulah yang wajar dilakukan dilokasi beriklim panas yang terik.

Jika perempuan Saudi secara tradisional mengenakan hijab, maka tentunya tradisi itu akan terus dilakukan oleh para gadis sekolah di tahun 70-an. Oleh karena itu tidak terbayangkan untuk percaya bahwa mengenakan hijab sekarang merupakan mandat Islam jika tidak dipraktikkan atau diwajibkan di Arab Saudi yang ultra-ortodoks dan sangat tradisional selama kurang lebih 1300 tahun sejak masa Nabi Muhammad hingga tahun 1970-an.

Hijab

Banyak Muslim menyebut penutup kepala wanita sebagai “hijab”. Kata “hijab” tidak pernah disebutkan dalam Al-Qur’an sebagai penutup kepala. Berikut ini adalah semua referensi tentang kata “hijab” dalam Al-Qur’an dan artinya.

• Untuk menandakan tabir antara penghuni surga dan penghuni neraka (7:46)
• Tabir pemisah antara orang-orang yang tidak percaya dengan akhirat (17:45)
• Pemisahan / pengasingan / layar yang diperkenalkan Maryam antara dirinya dan masyarakatnya (19:17)
• Referensi pada Nabi Sulaiman (saw) dan dalam kaitannya dengan narasi mengenai kuda-kudanya (38:32)
• Untuk menandakan pencekalan yang akan dialami para pelanggar dari Tuhan mereka pada hari kiamat (83:15)
• Untuk menandakan pemisahan istri-istri Nabi (33:53)
• Klaim orang-orang kafir untuk menandakan tabir antara apa yang mereka yakini dan apa yang Nabi serukan kepada mereka (41.5)
• Tabir yang digunakan Allah untuk berbicara kepada umat manusia (42:51)

Referensi di atas juga tersedia di http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Hjb#(7:46:2)

Ayat 24:31

Ayat yang kebanyakan Muslim gunakan untuk mengklaim kewajiban bagi wanita untuk menutupi rambut mereka adalah ayat 24:31.

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Dan katakanlah kepada wanita yang beriman agar mereka menundukkan pandangan dan menjaga alat kelaminnya (Arab: furujahunna); bahwa mereka tidak boleh menampilkan hiasan mereka (Arab: Zeenatahunna) kecuali apa yang tampak darinya (ma zahara minha) dan biarkan mereka menarik penutup kepala mereka (Arab: Bi’khumurihinna) di atas dada mereka (Arab: Jayubihin) dan tidak untuk menampilkan perhiasan mereka (Arab: Zeenatahunna) kecuali untuk suami mereka, ayah mereka, ayah suami mereka, putra mereka, putra suami mereka, saudara laki-laki mereka atau putra saudara laki-laki mereka, atau putra saudara perempuan mereka, atau wanita mereka, atau budak yang dimiliki tangan kanan mereka, atau pelayan laki-laki yang bebas dari kebutuhan fisik, atau anak kecil yang tidak memiliki rasa malu; dan agar mereka tidak menghentakkan kaki untuk menarik perhatian pada perhiasan tersembunyi mereka. Dan hai orang-orang yang beriman! Arahkan kamu semua bersama-sama menuju Tuhan, agar kamu dapat mencapai Kebahagiaan. (24:31)

Mari kita analisa ayat ini dengan membaginya menjadi 4 bagian.

Dan katakanlah kepada wanita-wanita yang beriman…

1. untuk tidak menampilkan perhiasan mereka (Arab: Zeenatahunna زِينَتَهُنَّ)
2. kecuali yang tampak darinya (Arab: illa ma zahara minha إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا)
3. dan biarkan mereka menarik penutup kepala mereka (Arab: Bi’khumurihinna بِخُمُرِهِنَّ) di atas dada mereka (Arab: Juyubihinna جُيُوبِهِ)
4. dan tidak menampilkan perhiasan mereka (Arab: Zeenatahunna زِينَتَهُنَّ) kecuali kepada suami mereka, ayah mereka,…

Konteks

Untuk memahami ayat ini secara benar, kita harus memahami konteksnya. Konteks ayat ini jelas berkaitan dengan dandanan/kecantikan wanita yang ayat tersebut menyuruh wanita untuk tidak dipajang. Kata Arab untuk “hiasan mereka” adalah Zeenatahunna (زِينَتَهُنَّ). Kata ini bahkan di sebut dua kali dalam ayat ini. Secara umum, ayat tersebut melarang wanita memamerkan kecantikannya. Alasannya kemungkinan besar terkait dengan ayat 33:59 yang memerintahkan wanita untuk mengenakan pakaian luar agar tidak diganggu karena mengenakan pakaian luar membantu menyembunyikan kecantikan wanita.

Berikut adalah penjelasan dari kata-kata kunci dalam ayat tersebut.

zeenatahunna (زِينَتَهُنَّ)

Kata zeenatahunna berasal dari akar huruf ZAY-YA-NUN. Menurut kamus Edward Lane, kata ini dengan jelas menunjukkan bahwa zeenatahunna merujuk pada tata rias, mempercantik diri, atau dandanan sedemikian rupa sehingga dapat menimbulkan daya tarik.

illa ma zahara minha (إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا)

Kata2 ini berarti “kecuali yang tampak darinya” yang mana “nya” mengacu pada perhiasan/keindahan (Arab: zeenah).

bi’khumurihinna (بِخُمُرِهِنَّ)

Kata ini berarti “dengan penutupnya”. Kata “khimaar” (jamak: khumur) berarti penutup , sebagaimana ditunjukkan dalam kamus Edward Lane.

Apa pun yang menutupi sesuatu adalah penutup. Penutup kepala adalah salah satu jenis khimaar karena menutupi kepala. Ini berlaku untuk pria dan wanita. Misalnya, di iklim panas seperti di Timur Tengah, Anda melihat pria menutupi kepala karena kepanasan. Di AS, orang biasanya hanya memakai topi jika di luar panas. Dalam konteks ayat 24:31 di atas, kata ini berarti penutup kepala.

juyubihinna (جُيُوبِهِ)

Kata juyubihinna berasal dari akar huruf JIM-YA-BA. Menurut kamus Edward Lane, dalam konteks Alquran ayat 24:31 di atas, kata itu berarti dada and payudara.

Penjelasan ayat 24:31

Sekarang setelah kita memahami kata kuncinya, kita dapat menjelaskan apa yang dikatakan ayat di atas.

1. Bagian 1 menyuruh wanita untuk tidak mempertontonkan dandanan/kecantikannya
2. Bagian 2 mengecualikan dandanan/keindahan yang tampak secara wajar, mis. wajah cantik, mata, dll.
3. Bagian 3 memberitahu wanita untuk menutupi payudara mereka. Bagian ini muncul setelah bagian 2 karena memperjelas bahwa payudara tidak termasuk dalam pengecualian dalam bagian 2 di atas. Dan meskipun ayat tersebut menyuruh wanita untuk menarik penutup kepala mereka untuk menutupi dada mereka, itu tidak berarti bahwa wanita harus menutupi kepala atau rambut mereka dengan penutup kepala. Ketika ayat ini diturunkan, kemungkinan besar pria dan wanita menutupi rambut mereka karena Arab adalah tempat yang sangat panas secara alami.
4. Bagian 4 kemudian menyuruh wanita untuk tidak mempertontonkan dandanan/kecantikannya kecuali kepada kerabat tertentu.

Apakah ayat ini mewajibkan wanita untuk menutupi rambut mereka?

Tidak. Ayat ini bahkan tidak menyebutkan kata “rambut” sama sekali. Jika Tuhan benar-benar ingin wanita menutupi rambut mereka, Dia bisa saja berkata “dan biarkan mereka menarik penutup kepala mereka ke atas rambut dan dada mereka”, tetapi Dia tidak mengatakan itu.

Apakah ayat ini mewajibkan wanita untuk menutupi kepala mereka?

Tidak. Yang dimaksud dengan “penutup kepala” bukanlah perintah untuk menutupi kepala. Karena penutup kepala sudah umum dipakai di Arab ketika ayat itu diturunkan, ayat tersebut menunjukkan bahwa menutupi dada dapat dilakukan dengan menarik penutup kepala yang panjang hingga menutupi dada. Tentu saja, saat ini, kemeja atau baju jauh lebih efektif daripada hijab untuk menutupi payudara.

Penutup kepala untuk melindungi dari panas

Sebagian orang mungkin berpendapat bahwa penutup kepala (bahasa Arab: khimaar) yang digunakan di Arab ketika ayat tersebut diturunkan tidak dimaksudkan untuk melindungi manusia dari panas tetapi lebih khusus untuk menyembunyikan rambut perempuan dari laki-laki. Argumen ini tampaknya tidak valid karena ayat 16:81 menunjukkan bahwa Tuhan menciptakan pakaian untuk melindungi manusia (baik pria maupun wanita) dari panas.

وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَالًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ …

Dan Tuhan telah membuat untukmu, dari apa yang telah Dia ciptakan, bayangan dan telah dibuat untukmu dari gunung, tempat berlindung dan telah membuat untukmu pakaian yang melindungimu dari panas dan pakaian yang melindungimu dari [musuh dalam] pertempuran Anda. … (16:81)

Referensi pertama untuk “pakaian” dalam ayat di atas pasti mengacu pada penutup kepala karena jika di luar panas, orang di seluruh dunia akan menutupi kepala mereka. Pakaian jenis lain (mis. kemeja, celana, dll), tidak melindungi orang dari panas tetapi justru membuat mereka merasa lebih panas.

Perhatikan juga bahwa kata Arab yang digunakan untuk “pakaian” adalah “sarabeel”. Menurut kamus Edward Lane, kata itu berarti “segala sesuatu yang dikenakan” maka penutup kepala termasuk dalam kategori tersebut.

Penutup kepala untuk melindungi dari gangguan

Beberapa orang mungkin berpendapat bahwa penutup kepala (bahasa Arab: khimaar) diperlukan bagi perempuan untuk melindungi diri dari gangguan atau dari rayuan seksual yang tidak diinginkan dari laki-laki. Pertama-tama, tidak ada ayat dalam Al-Qur’an yang mengatakan bahwa penutup kepala itu sendiri adalah untuk melindungi perempuan dari gangguan (ayat 33:59 menyebutkan pakaian luar, bukan penutup kepala, untuk menghindari dari gangguan). Kedua, wanita sama tertariknya dengan pria, bukan hanya pria saja yang bisa merasa tertarik dengan wanita. Wanita juga bisa menggangu pria. Hal ini bahkan dibuktikan dalam Al-Qur’an ayat 12:23 di mana istri majikan Nabi Yusuf berusaha merayunya.

وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِ وَغَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوَابَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ ۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ رَبِّي أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَايَ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ

Dan dia (istri majikannya Nabi Yusuf) … berusaha merayunya (nabi Yusuf). Dia menutup pintu dan berkata, “Ayo, kamu.” Dia (nabi Yusuf) berkata, “[Aku mencari] perlindungan Allah . Sungguh, Dia adalah tuanku, yang telah memperbaiki tempat tinggalku. Sungguh, orang yang zalim tidak akan berhasil.” (12:23)

Dalam ayat 12:32, kita melihat bukti lebih lanjut bahwa istri majikan nabi Yusuf merayu nabi Yusuf dan bahkan menggangu / melecehkan dan memerasnya karena nabi Yusuf menolaknya.

قَالَتْ فَذَٰلِكُنَّ الَّذِي لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِ ۖ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِّنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ

Dia (istri majikannya Nabi Yusuf) berkata, “Itu adalah orang yang kamu salahkan padaku. Dan aku tentunya berusaha merayunya, tetapi dia (Nabi Yusuf) dengan tegas menolak; dan jika dia (Nabi Yusuf) tidak melakukan apa yang aku perintahkan, dia pasti akan dipenjara dan akan termasuk orang yang direndahkan.” (12:32)

Kenyataannya, bukan hanya istri majikan Nabi Yusuf yang merayu, melecehkan, dan memeras Nabi Yusuf, bahkan menurut ayat 12:26-29, dia melakukan kekerasan dan merobek baju Yusuf.

قَالَ هِىَ رَٰوَدَتْنِى عَن نَّفْسِى ۚ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ وَإِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَـٰذَا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرِى لِذَنۢبِكِ ۖ إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ ٱلْخَاطِـِٔينَ ۞ وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱمْرَأَتُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ تُرَٰوِدُ فَتَىٰهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۖ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا ۖ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰهَا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

[Yusuf] berkata, “Dialah yang berusaha merayuku.” Dan seorang saksi dari keluarganya bersaksi, “Jika bajunya (Nabi Yusuf) robek dari depan, maka dia (istri majikannya Nabi Yusuf) telah mengatakan yang sebenarnya, dan dia (Yusuf) termasuk pendusta. Tetapi jika bajunya (Yusuf) robek dari belakang, maka dia (istri majikannya Nabi Yusuf) telah berbohong, dan dia (Yusuf) termasuk orang-orang yang benar.” Jadi ketika dia [suaminya] melihat kemejanya (Yusuf) robek dari belakang, dia berkata, “Memang, ini adalah rencanamu [yaitu, wanita]. Memang, rencanamu hebat [yaitu, berapi-api]. Dan para wanita di kota itu berkata, “Istri al-ʿAzeez berusaha merayu budak laki-lakinya (Yusuf); dia telah membuatnya bergairah dengan cinta. Memang, kami melihatnya (istri majikannya Nabi Yusuf) jelas salah.” (12:26-29)

Sekarang sudah jelas dari Al-Qur’an bahwa ketertarikan dan gangguan seksual dapat berjalan dua arah. Mempertimbangkan fakta ini dan argumen bahwa perempuan harus menutupi rambutnya agar tidak diganggu oleh laki-laki, maka seharusnya laki-laki juga harus menutupi rambutnya agar tidak diganggu oleh perempuan. Jelas, tidak ada persyaratan seperti itu dalam Al-Qur’an dan tidak ada yang berpikir bahwa laki-laki perlu menutupi rambut mereka karena alasan ini. Oleh karena itu, argumen bahwa perempuan harus menutup rambutnya agar tidak diganggu adalah tidak sahih dan tidak didukung oleh Al-Qur’an.

Rambut sebagai hiasan

Sebagian orang akan berpendapat bahwa rambut wanita adalah perhiasan dan karena itu tidak boleh diperlihatkan menurut bagian 1 diatas. Argumen ini tidak sah karena

1. Kecantikan alami rambut seseorang sama dengan kecantikan alami wajah seseorang dan karenanya dikecualikan menurut bagian 2 diatas.
2. Tidak masuk akal untuk menganggap rambut berada dalam kategori yang sama dengan payudara karena pria juga memiliki rambut yang bisa menjadi daya tarik bagi wanita.
3. Tidak semua wanita memiliki rambut yang indah. Beberapa wanita memiliki rambut yang tidak menarik. Bagi mereka, menutupi rambut justru membuat mereka lebih cantik. Oleh karena itu, kita tidak bisa menganggap bahwa rambut adalah “hiasan” (زينة).

Rambut sebagai aurat

Banyak Muslim akan membuat argumen tanpa bukti bahwa rambut wanita saja, bukan rambut pria, termasuk “aurat”, dan karena itu harus ditutupi.

Dalam ayat 7:26, kita membaca bahwa Allah menciptakan pakaian bagi manusia (baik laki-laki maupun perempuan) untuk menutupi aurat/kemaluan yang jika diperlihatkan akan menimbulkan rasa malu. Kebanyakan orang akan setuju bahwa rambut wanita 1) bukan alat kelamin, 2) bukan penyebab rasa malu atau bagian pribadi seperti payudara. Terlepas dari ini, Tuhan mengatakan bahwa bagaimanapun kamu memilih untuk menutupi tubuhmu dengan pakaian, yang paling penting adalah kamu berperilaku benar.

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ…

Wahai anak Adam, Kami telah menganugerahkan kepadamu pakaian untuk menyembunyikan aurat/kemaluanmu (Arab: saw-ah) dan sebagai perhiasan (Arab: reesha). Tapi pakaian kesolehan (maksudnya berperilaku baik/benar) – itu yang terbaik. …(7:26)

Perhatikan bahwa menurut kamus Edward Lane, definisi سَوْآتِكُمْ adalah

• aurat (عَوْرَة)
• “pudendam” (alat kelamin)
• “bagian luar dari organ generasi” (bagian reproduksi)
• “anus” (dubur)
• bagian yang, jika diekspos, merupakan penyebab “malu”

Perhatikan pada tangkapan layar (screenshot) di atas saya menyorot kata “au-rat” (عَوْرَة). Ini adalah sinonim untuk “saw-ah” (سَوْءَةٌ).

Anda mungkin bertanya-tanya mengapa Tuhan perlu memberi tahu orang-orang bahwa Dia menciptakan pakaian agar manusia dapat menutupi aurat mereka dan bahwa wanita juga harus menutupi dada mereka. Gunanya pakaian mungkin tampak jelas bagi kebanyakan orang jaman sekarang, tetapi perlu diingat bahwa bahkan hari ini, masih ada suku di banyak tempat di dunia yang orangnya tidak mengenakan pakaian. Misalnya, orang-orang Koma di Nigeria percaya bahwa jika wanita mengenakan pakaian, mereka akan menimbulkan murka para tuhan2 yang dapat menyebabkan kematian atau kemandulan. Kepercayaan ini sama tidak masuk akalnya dengan kepercayaan bahwa rambut wanita, tetapi bukan rambut pria, termasuk di antara bagian-bagian pribadi (aurat) mereka.

Pakaian kesolehan

Ayat 7:26 diatas menyatakan bahwa pakaian kesolehan adalah jenis pakaian yang paling baik. Jadi apakah kesolehan itu? Jawabannya dapat ditemukan dalam Quran ayat 2:177 di bawah ini.

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

Ketakwaan/kesolehan itu bukanlah memalingkan wajahmu ke arah timur atau ke barat, tetapi ketakwaan/kesolehan [sejati] adalah pada orang yang beriman kepada Allah, Hari Akhir, para malaikat, Kitab, dan para nabi, dan memberikan kekayaannya, meskipun mereka cinta hartanya, untuk kerabat, anak yatim, orang yang membutuhkan, musafir, mereka yang meminta [bantuan], dan untuk membebaskan budak; [dan yang] mendirikan sholat dan memberikan zakat; [mereka yang] memenuhi janji mereka ketika mereka berjanji; dan [orang-orang yang] sabar dalam kemiskinan dan kesulitan dan selama pertempuran. Mereka itulah orang-orang yang benar, dan mereka itulah orang-orang yang bertaqwa/soleh. (2:177)

Perhatikan bahwa kesolehan dari sudut pandang Al-Qur’an sama sekali tidak ada hubungannya dengan jenis pakaian yang dikenakan wanita atau bagaimana mereka memakainya. Jelas, menurut Tuhan persyaratan pakaian tertentu kurang penting dibandingkan keyakinan (keimanan) kepada Tuhan, Malaikat-Nya, Kitab-Nya, Nabi-Nabi-Nya, berbagi kekayaan, berdoa, dll. Itu mungkin karena ayat-ayat yang berkaitan dengan pakaian wanita adalah anjuran bagi wanita untuk mengurangi perhatian yang tidak diinginkan atau gangguan, bukan perintah ketat yang menentukan apakah Anda akan pergi ke Neraka atau tidak.

Penutup kepala untuk identitas Muslim

Sebagian wanita akan berkomentar bahwa mengenakan hijab diperlukan atau didorong untuk mendukung identitas mereka sebagai seorang Muslim. Pertama-tama, tidak ada sesuatu yang namanya pakaian Islami dari sudut pandang Alquran. Apa yang orang sebut pakaian Islami tidak lebih dari pakaian tradisional yang biasa dipakai di negara-negara Islam. Tidak ada ayat dalam Alquran yang mengatakan bahwa wanita Muslim perlu mengidentifikasi diri mereka dengan mengenakan hijab. Disamping itu, mengenakan hijab pasti tidak meningkatkan kemungkinan Anda untuk diizinkan masuk Surga. Perhatikan, misalnya, orang-orang berikut yang disebutkan dalam Al-Qur’an. Identitas mereka sebagai istri atau keturunan nabi mungkin membuat Anda berpikir bahwa mereka pasti orang yang soleh padahal sebenarnya sebaliknya, mereka tidak soleh.

• Sebagian besar keturunan nabi Ibrahim dan nabi Nuh tidak soleh/bertaqwa. (57:26, 37:113, 2:124)
• Istri nabi Nuh dan nabi Lut, meski tinggal bersama mereka, tidak soleh/bertaqwa. (66:10)
• Putra Nabi Nuh itu berperilaku jahat. (11:46)
• Putra-putra Nabi Yakub mencoba membunuh saudara mereka, Yusuf. (11:1-18)

Sekarang, mengingat betapa jahatnya Firaun, Anda mungkin berpikir bahwa istrinya juga jahat. Ternyata, sangat menariknya dan mengherankan bahwa istri Firaun sebenarnya soleh/bertaqwa meskipun suaminya salah satu pelaku kejahatan terburuk sepanjang masa. (66:11)

Demikian pula, identitas seseorang muslimah dengan berhijab tidak ada hubungannya dengan ketakwaan dari sudut pandang Islam. Ini tidak berbeda dengan laki-laki yang berpikir mereka harus memiliki janggut panjang untuk mengidentifikasi diri mereka sebagai Muslim yang agamanya kuat. Jika memiliki janggut panjang sebenarnya membuat laki2 lebih soleh daripada orang yang tidak memiliki janggut, lalu apa yang harus dilakukan pria yang secara alami tidak memiliki janggut? Mendapatkan transplantasi rambut?

Penutup kepala untuk menjadi sederhana / rendah hati

Sebagian wanita Muslim akan berpendapat bahwa mereka memakai hijab untuk menjadi sederhana / rendah hati. Tidak ada perintah Alquran untuk berpakaian sederhana atau berperilaku sederhana / rendah hati. Jika kita melihat bagian pertama dari ayat 24:31, kita menemukan beberapa terjemahan bahasa Inggris di mana penerjemah (Pickthall dan Yusuf Ali) salah menerjemahkan artinya. Mereka mengganti “alat kelamin” dengan “kesederhanaan / rendah hati”. Semua penerjemah lainnya secara benar menggunakan istilah “alat kelamin”.

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ …

Terjemahan yang benar Dan katakanlah kepada wanita yang beriman agar mereka menundukkan pandangannya dan menjaga alat kelaminnya (Arab: furuujahunna)… (24:31)

Terjemahan Pickthall Dan beri tahu wanita yang beriman untuk menurunkan pandangan mereka dan menjadi sederhana / rendah hati… (24:31)

Terjemahan Yusuf Ali Dan katakanlah kepada wanita yang beriman agar mereka menundukkan pandangan dan menjaga kesederhanaan mereka … (24:31)

Jika Anda ragu tentang arti sebenarnya dari kata Arab فُرُوجَهُنَّ (furuujahunna), maka Anda dapat memverifikasi arti yang benar dalam kamus Edward Lane (tangkapan layar di bawah).

Mengatakan bahwa arti dari فُرُوجَهُنَّ (furuujahunna) adalah “kesederhanaan / rendah hati” adalah tindakan yang tidak adil terhadap Al-Qur’an dan menyebarkan kebingungan di antara umat Islam yang menganggap semua terjemahan Quran sama2 benar dan akurat.

Logikanya, menutupi rambut tidak secara otomatis membuat seseorang sederhana / rendah hati. Sebagai contoh, seseorang dapat mengenakan hijab mewah dengan berbagai hiasan seperti berlian (palsu atau tidak) dan pola emas seperti di foto di bawah ini. Itu tidak terlihat sederhana. Bahkan, itu terlihat kebalikan dari sederhana. Memang, wanita Muslim tidak berpakaian seperti itu setiap hari, tetapi banyak yang melakukannya dengan derajat yang berbeda-beda di acara-acara khusus.

Sekarang, anggaplah seseorang memakai hijab polos daripada yang mewah. Tapi, mereka juga memakai make-up untuk memperindah dan mempercantik wajah mereka. Ini sangat sering terjadi. Jika tujuan mengenakan hijab adalah untuk membuat diri mereka terlihat sederhana / rendah hati, maka mereka telah meniadakan usaha itu dengan menghabiskan banyak waktu memakai make-up, mis. pada contoh foto di bawah ini. Perhatikan bahwa memakai riasan adalah perhiasan (zeenah) yang menurut bagian 1 ayat 24:31, itu dilarang.

Jika seseorang peduli tentang kesederhanaan / rendah hati, mereka harus fokus untuk memiliki perilaku dan sikap yang sederhana / rendah hati, mis. menolak untuk mengambil pujian atas pencapaian besar, daripada salah percaya bahwa menutupi rambut mereka tiba-tiba akan membuat diri mereka sendiri dan semua orang di sekitar mereka berpikir bahwa mereka rendah hati.

Jika seseorang khawatir tentang apakah mereka boleh berpakaian menarik, maka perlu diingat bahwa menurut Quran ayat 7:26 (lihat di atas), Tuhan sebenarnya mendorong manusia untuk berpakaian menarik karena Dia secara harfiah menciptakan pakaian untuk dua tujuan:

1. untuk menutupi alat kelamin
2. sebagai perhiasan/kecantikan (Arab: رِيشًا ree-sha)

Menurut kamus Edward Lane, pengertian رِيشًا adalah pakaian yang menandakan hiasan dan kecantikan.

Jika Tuhan menciptakan pakaian agar manusia terlihat bagus, maka kalau orang dengan sengaja menolak memakai pakaian yang indah, berarti itu sama saja dengan tidak menghargai ciptaan Tuhan. Pertimbangkan Quran bab 55 yang menyebutkan banyak ciptaan Tuhan diikuti dengan pertanyaan yang berikut:

Maka nikmat Tuhanmu yang manakah yang kamu tolak?

Pertanyaan itu diulang sebanyak 31 kali, kemungkinan besar untuk menekankan bahwa kenikmatan yang Tuhan ciptakan untuk manusia harus diapresiasi / dihargai, bukan diingkari / ditolak!

Argumen hadits

Sebagian Muslim akan berpendapat bahwa di antara ribuan hadits ada pepatah yang mengharuskan wanita untuk menutupi rambut mereka. Baca bukti bahwa hadits tidak dapat digunakan sebagai hukum Islam.

Pengaruh Yahudi

Yahudi ortodoks memiliki praktik tertentu seperti sunat laki-laki, metode penyembelihan khusus untuk menghasilkan daging halal (kosher), dan “sheitel”, yang merupakan persyaratan bagi wanita yang sudah menikah untuk menutupi rambut mereka. Muslim memiliki praktik yang sangat mirip meskipun tidak disebutkan atau diwajibkan dalam Al-Qur’an. Tidak mengherankan, kitab suci Yahudi (Taurat) juga tidak mewajibkan wanita untuk menutupi rambut mereka. Sebaliknya, persyaratan Yahudi ini berasal dari sumber sekunder Yahudi (Talmud). Perhatikan bahwa kitab suci Yahudi (Taurat) seperti Kitab suci pengikut Nabi Muhammad (Alquran) sedangkan Talmud Yahudi (pengikut Nabi Musa) seperti hadits pengikut Nabi Muhammad.

Artikel ini merinci tentang praktek Yahudi dan asal-usul menutupi rambut seseorang. (bahasa Inggris)

Berdasarkan kesamaan antara agama orang Yahudi dan Islam dan fakta bahwa agama orang Yahudi datang sebelum Islam, mungkin dan masuk akal untuk percaya bahwa beberapa ahli agama Islam jaman dulu dipengaruhi oleh agama orang Yahudi untuk mengadopsi praktik-praktik Yahudi ini ke dalam Islam.

Kesimpulan

Analisis di atas menyimpulkan secara jelas bahwa wanita diwajibkan untuk menutupi payudara mereka tetapi BUKAN rambut mereka. Hampir semua wanita di dunia memenuhi perintah Quran utk menutupi payudara mereka dengan mengenakan pakaian seperti baju.

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