People of the Book

A lot of people have opinions about the People of the Book. I have even heard some scholars speak with authority about them and yet speak utter nonsense. Most people have no idea who or what they are. The People of the Book, the Ahlul-Kitab, refers to three main groups of people in the Qur’an: the Sabeans, the Christians, and the Jews. It was the opinion of Caliph ‘Umar I that the Zoroastrians are included in this group and he dealt with them as such.

Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians and Sabeans, any who believe in God and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their Reward with their Lord; upon them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
[Quran 2:62]

We know who are the Christians and the Jews but who are the Sabeans? Some scholars actually believe that Sabeans refer to the descendants of the followers of John the Baptist, Hazrat Yahya alayhisalam.

Twenty years after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, there were still disciples of John the Baptist in Alexandria, mentioned in Acts 18:24-25 and Ephesus, mentioned in Acts 19:1-6.

Now a certain Jew, named Apollo, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus, one mighty in the scriptures. This man was instructed in the Way of the Lord: and being fervent in spirit, spoke and taught diligently the things that are of Jesus, knowing only the Baptism of John.
[Acts 18:24-25]

And it came to pass, while Apollo was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.
And he said to them

Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?

But they said to him

We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost.

And he said

In what then were you baptized?

They said

In John's Baptism.

Then Paul said

John baptized the people with the Baptism of Penance saying,

That they should believe in him, who was to come after him, that is to say, in Jesus.

Having heard these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
[Acts 19:1-6]

They believed in God as Creator, but they did not view themselves as disciples of Jesus, and they had no experience of the Holy Spirit. There is to this day a community of 80,000 Mandean Sabeans in Iraq.

They look back to the teachings of John the Baptist, and others they view as prophets such as Seth and Abraham as recorded in their holy book, the Kanza Rama, Aramaic for ‘Great Treasure.’ As in the case of the followers of John, they practice baptism, but they do not view themselves as disciples of Jesus, nor do they speak of the Holy Spirit.

Washing with water is part of their weekly ritual, but not the bread and wine of communion. The Sabean temple in Baghdad has a crucifix that is always covered with baptismal linen to indicate it is not a Christian cross. Their explanatory model is therefore Unitarian rather than Trinitarian, and they hardly distinguish themselves from the Muslims among whom they live.

Their numbers, less than 100,000 worldwide, are dwindling because nobody can be converted into their community. One has to be born into the Sabean faith.

There are also people who believe that Zoroastrians and the Yezdis are Ahlul-Kitab. The Mughal Emperor of India, Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, reigned from 1556 to 1605, controversially ruled that the Hindus are Ahlul-Kitab to allow his marriage to a Hindu Princess from Rajput, the one often erroneously referred to as Jodha Bai.

As was the opinion of the ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and many classical scholars of Islam thereafter familiar with the Persians, Zoroastrians are considered Ahlul-Kitab. After the conquest of Sassanid Persia, they were treated as such. However, since they are not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an as with regards of permissibility to marry them, Muslims are not allowed to wed Zoroastrians without willful conversion of the non-Muslim. The verse identifying the Ahlul-Kitab lawful for marriage does not mention Zoroastrians.

On this day, all things good and pure are made lawful unto you: the food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them; lawful unto you for marriage are not only chaste women who are Believers of the Quran, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time, when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues. If anyone rejects faith knowingly, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost all spiritual good.
[Quran 5:5]

The teachings of Zoroaster include belief in One Creator: Ahura Mazda. They believe in angels and a concept similar to the Day of Judgment. On the Day of Judgement, the assembled have to cross a bridge called Sirat. The bridge is as wide as your deeds. Those who fail will fall into a place of fire called Jahanamae. The faithful will be rewarded with a heavenly abode called Paradisae. This is the origin of the English word ‘Paradise.’

Interesting fact, Mithra or Mithras was one of the Avesta, the Archangels of Ahura Mazda, who eventually was worshiped as a god in his own right in the Near East. This eventually spread to the Roman Empire and the religion of Mithras challenged the nascent Christian sect of Judaism before being absorbed by it. The vicarious sacrifice, death and resurrection of Mithras after three days and the celebration of his birth, 25th December, by giving presents wrapped in coloured cloth was thought to be the origin of the Christian celebrations of Lent, culminating in Easter, and Advent, culminating in Christmas. But this is uncertain and it could be Christianity that influenced the former.

As for the Yezdis, they are a mysterious religion from the northern half of the Fertile Crescent.
Their Holy Site is Lalish near Mosul in Iraq.

Ultimately, we are unsure of the origins of the religion, where it actually started, when it began and so forth. The principal reason is because the primary adherents of the faith, the Kurds, are an insular people. Thus information about the faith is difficult to come by. Furthermore, the language of their religious texts, the Mishefa Res and the Kiteba Cilwe, is Kurmanji, a Northern Kurdish dialect.

Yezdism has many similarities with Christianity and Islam but there are principal differences. The origin of the term 'Yezdi' itself is uncertain. The Yezdis themselves believe that their name is derived from the word ‘Yezdan’ or ‘Ezid,’ which means God in their language. Some scholars have derived the name Yezdi from Old Iranian 'Yazata' meaning 'Divine Being,' while others say it is a derivation from the accursed Umayyad Caliph Yazid I, Yazid ibn Mu’aviye, said to have been revered by the Yezdis as an incarnation of the divine figure, Sultan Ezi. This derivation of the name is no longer accepted. As to whether they revere Yazid I as an Avatar of the Divine Sultan is not established but religions norms such as these hardly change.

The Yezdis believe that God created the world with the help of a Heptad of Archangels also known as Heft Sirr, the Seven Mysteries. The Ruler of these Archangels, who are analogous to the Christian and Muslim Archangels, is Melek Taus. He is also known as Shaytan. The story of Iblis and Adam in the Mishefa Res is almost the same as in the Qur’an, but, whereas in the Qur’an, Iblis was rebuked for refusing to bow before Adam, the Yezdis revere him for it since they believe the source of evil is the Heart of Man himself.

God first created Melek Taus from his own illumination, Rohani, and the other six archangels were created later. God ordered Melek Taus not to bow to any other being but Himself. Then God created the other archangels and ordered them to bring Him dust, ax, from the Earth, erd, and build the body of Adam. Then God gave life to Adam from His Own Breath and instructed all archangels to bow down to Adam. All of the archangels obeyed except for Melek Taus. In answer to God, Malek Taus exclaimed,

How can I submit to another being?! I am from your illumination while Adam is made of dust!

Then God praised him and made him the Leader of all Archangels and His Deputy on the Earth.

Yezdis also believe that the Heptad are periodically reincarnated in human form, Avatars, called ‘koasasa.’ There is also a belief in the reincarnation of lesser Yezdi souls. It is the Yezdi belief that Satan is the Ruler of the World and their veneration of Yazid ibn Mu’aviye as an Avatar in a predominantly Muslim, principally Shi’a area, that has consequently led to massive discrimination and periodic persecution.

Yazid ibn Mu’aviye the Accursed, killed Imam Husayn at Kerbala, had him decapitated and paraded throughout the empire. He mocked the severed head of Husayn in his court. Many of those present cried at the desecration of the head of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhisalam. Some of them left and never returned to Damascus. He attacked Mecca, killed many of the Prophet's Noble Companions and their families, set fire to the Kaaba and persecuted the Ahlul-Bayt, the People of the Prophetic Household. He stabled animals in Masjid Nabawi, the honored mosque housing the tomb of the Prophet. His soldiers raped the womenfolk of Mecca. He was known to have led the fajr salah in a state of intoxication. When admonished by the scholars, he said that if they did not like it, he could lead them in another two raka’at. He was a known pedophile and fornicator and he molested young boys. When he was killed, his body was cut to pieces and fed to his dogs. There was nothing left to bury.

For the most part, despite the contention of many scholars, when we talk about the Ahlul-Kitab, we generally mean the Christians and the Jews. The Sabeans are, for the most part, extinct. The term, Ahlul-Kitab, is a term of honor. The People of the Book are accepted as Believers of Allah and the Keepers of the Covenants: the Noahide, Abrahamic and Mosaic Laws. They are acknowledged in the Qur’an as the nearest to us in belief and affection.

…and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say: "We are Christians" because amongst them are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world for the Sake of God, and they are not arrogant.
[Quran 5:82]

— Sidi Terence Helikaon Nunis of A Muslim Convert Once More

Litany of Jonah

This is the du’a of Prophet Jonah.

“There is no deity but Thou: Glory to Thee: I was indeed wrong!”
[Quran 21:87]

It is said in the Qur’an:

Had it not been that he repented and glorified Allah, he would certainly have remained inside the fish until Resurrection Day.
[Quran 37:143-144]

Salutations, praises and peace upon Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions and followers who follow him closely until the End of Time. The Qur’an has mentioned the story of Prophet Jonah which can be used as a lesson and application of the prayer of Prophet Jonah that Allah will relieve from His slaves hardships, troubles and calamities in times of urgent need, provided that the individual is a believer. Let us follow this story in hopes of attaining the pleasure of Allah until the Day of Judgement.

Jonah, son of Amittai, known in Arabic as Yunus ibn Mata, also known as Dhun-Nun meaning "Lord of the Fish" was a noble prophet sent by Allah to his people, the Assyrians of Nineveh. He counselled and tried to guide them to the Straight Path of the Truth, reminded them of the terrible realities of Doomsday, forewarned them of the terrifying Hellfire and gave hope in reminding them of Paradise.

He lead his people virtuously and attempted to bring them to worship Allah. Jonah was always advising and motivating his followers but not even a single soul had a hint of faith in their hearts. Then came a day when Jonah made the decision to leave his followers. His heart was filled with anger because his people had no faith in God.

And remember Dhun-Nun, when he departed in wrath: he imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried within the darkness "There is no god but Thou: Glory to Thee: I was indeed wrong!"
[Quran 21:87]

Not a soul knew of the intense emotions running through Jonah except for Allah, or with Jonah’s displeasure to his people for not putting their faith in Allah. And so, he left his people. Jonah boarded a vessel to take him elsewhere without being mindful of Allah. Jonah had given up on them without considering that it is Allah Alone Who moves the hearts and it was unbecoming of a prophet of God to be moved by his passions, even if righteous anger, without Divine Permission. The prophets were sent solely for da’wah, callers in the Path of Allah. Guidance, hidayah, is Allah’s Right on how, who and when He wants to give. Da’wah is to be done with submission and humility, for success is only His Determination.

The vessel was caught in a storm. The people on board, as was the superstition of the time, drew lots to decide who to throw overboard to ‘appease’ the sea. Initially, they declined to include Jonah since he was viewed as a holy man but Jonah insisted. Jonah’s name came up in the first draw so they decided to repeat the process, such was their affection and esteem for him. They drew lots three times and Jonah’s name came up each time.

Jonah threw himself overboard and was swallowed by a gigantic fish, the Leviathan. This fish settled on the seabed. Jonah experienced three levels of darkness: the darkness in the belly of the fish, the darkness in the depths of the sea, and the darkness of the moonless night.

In this state of seclusion, Jonah’s heart was moved to repeat this litany:

… “There is no deity but Thou: Glory to Thee: I was indeed wrong!” [Quran 21:87]

Jonah fasted continuously, as penance, for three days. He repeated this supplication over and over. The fishes and the other animals in the surrounding ocean heard his litany and they joined in, congregating around the great fish. The plants joined in and even the surrounding rocks and water echoed with Remembrance. Every creature supplicated in their own language. Even the great fish which had swallowed Jonah recited along with him. After three days, Jonah was regurgitated from the belly of the creature onto a beach. Allah had accepted his repentance.

On the shore, Jonah was seared by the heat of the sun. That short time in the creature's digestive tract had stripped off the topmost layer his skin and removed his ability to stand the sun. Allah, in His Mercy, had a type of pumpkin plant grow nearby with leaves wide enough to shade Jonah from the light of the sun. Allah restored his health and said that were it not for the litany he recited, Jonah would have remained in the belly of the fish until the End Times.

So also was Jonah among those sent by Us. When he fled to the ship, he agreed to cast lots, and he was condemned: Then the big fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame. Had it not been that he repented and glorified Allah, he would certainly have remained inside the fish until Resurrection Day.
However, We cast him forth, on the naked shore in a state of sickness. And We caused to grow over him a spreading plant of the gourd kind. And We sent him on a mission to a hundred thousand men or more. And they believed; so We permitted them to enjoy their life for a while.
[Quran 37:139-148]

Again, Allah also says, as mentioned above:

And remember Dhun-Nun, when he departed in wrath: he imagined that We had no Power over him! But he cried through the depths of darkness,
"There is no god but Thou: Glory to Thee: I was indeed wrong!"
So We listened to him and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith.
[Quran 21:87-88]

This short story is one to be reflected many times upon; mainly the benefits and magnitude of such a blessed supplication, what the different layers of darkness represent in our lives and inner selves, what level of concentration and suppressed depression it takes to reach a level of sincerity fit for a prophet. This teaches us to engage in da’wah with wisdom. It is not for us to dictate anything. We are mere facilitators and pillars for support. Guidance is only Allah’s Right on what, how, who and when He wants to Give.

The benefits of the litany of Jonah are many as supported by ahadith. One of them being,

“Anyone with intended wishes to attain something, with ablution followed by prostration to Allah and reciting the supplication of Jonah forty times, will have his prayers and deep intentions answered.”

The Prophet also said,

“I know of a supplication, once recited by those who are in distress and urgent need will get relief from his calamity. That supplication is the supplication of Prophet Jonah.”

— Sidi Sufian King, transmitted via Sidi Terence Helikaon Nunis of A Muslim Convert Once More

Birth of Christ Jesus ― The Anointed Savior

The appearance of Prophet Jesus on Earth occurred in an unusual way, according to the teachings of Islam. Jesus was the only person who was sent to mankind without the agency of a father. In order to fully comprehend how he came we need to understand the events as they occurred. It all began with a vow made by the mother of Mary concerning the dedication of her pregnancy to God.

Mary’s mother whose name was Anne, Hannah, was the wife of Amram, Imran, who belonged to one of the tribes of Israel. He was from the priestly class. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why her mother decided to dedicate her child who was not yet born to the Service of Allah. So she prayed as follows:

“O my Lord! I do dedicate into Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service so accept this of me! For Thou hearest and knowest all things.”
[Quran 3:35]

At the time of making her prayer, Hannah was not aware of the sex of the fetus in her womb; so when the child was born she found out that it was a girl. On seeing that it was a girl and not a boy as she had expected, she spoke to the Lord in the following words:

“O my Lord! Behold! I have delivered a female child!” And Allah knew best what she had brought forth, “And is not the male like the female. I have named her Mary and I commend her and her offspring to Thy Protection from the Evil One, the Rejected.”
[Quran 3:36]

Mary was taught of the Scriptures from a young age and put to service of the Temple under the care of Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who was a cousin of Mary.

Only Zechariah was permitted into her room, to take care of her and provide her requirements. Zechariah was always puzzled when he used to go to her room, as he found that she always had a supply of fresh fruits and food, things that he never gave to her. When he questioned her about it, her reply was always that it came from Allah Who is the Lord of all things.  The Quran mentions about this in the following verses:

… Every time that he entered her chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance.
He asked, “O Mary! Whence comes this to you?”
She said, “From Allah: for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases, without measure.”
[Quran 3:37]

Mary grew up very pure and beautiful. She was pure because she was always in seclusion, and she never experienced any monthly cycle as other women. Allah tells us about her as follows:

…He made her grow in purity and beauty; to the care of Zechariah was she assigned...
[Quran 3:37]

Mother Mary grew up to be a special woman, above all other women in history. Allah relates to us about this in the Holy Quran in the following verse:

Behold! The angels said, "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee; ― Chosen thee above the women of all nations.”
[Quran 3:42]

Prophet Muhammad confirmed that Mary was special. He is reported to have said that there are four great women in history. They are: Asiyah, wife of Ramses II; Mary, mother of Jesus; Khadijah, his wife; and Fatima, his daughter.

When the time came for Prophet Jesus to come into the world, Allah sent Gabriel to Mary. He appeared to her in the form of a man. This got Mary disturbed as she wanted to know how he could have invaded her privacy without any permission. The Quran tells us about this incident as follows:

Relate in the Book the story of Mary, when she withdrew from the people to a place in the East.
She placed a screen from them: then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her in the guise of a man.
She said, “I seek refuge from thee in the Most Gracious: come not near if thou dost fear Allah.”
He said, “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord to announce to thee the Gift of a holy son.”
She asked, “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?”
He replied, “So it will be: thy Lord saith, ‘That is easy for Me: and We wish to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us’: it is a matter so decreed.”
So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place.
[Quran 19:16-23]

After the discussion with her, the angel blew into her and she conceived. Allah says:

Mary the daughter of Amram, who guarded her chastity; We breathed into her body of Our Spirit...
[Quran 66:12]

Scholars interpret ‘breathing into it’ to mean that he blew onto her. It does not say that the angel blew into her private part. There are other occasions when the angel blew into persons and the soul went into the body. For example, about Adam, Allah says:

He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His Spirit…
[Quran 32:9]

Even Jesus was able to perform this miraculous gift, when he blew unto the bird which was made out of clay, and it attained life and flew away. Allah records about this as follows:

“And appoint him a Messenger to the Children of Israel, with this Message: I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay as if it were the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s Leave...”
[Quran 3:49]

The conception and birth of Jesus, the son of Mary was unique, and different from the coming into the world of any other human being. Except for Adam, every single human comes into this world through the conception of the sperm with the ovum. Adam’s body was formed and fashioned and then Allah breathed, through His angel, His Spirit or Soul into his body. He tells us so in the Quran in the following verse:

He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit…
[Quran 32:9]

In the case of Jesus, the process was slightly different. His soul was blown into Mary, and around the soul the body developed. This we know from the Quranic verse in which Allah says:

O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the sole truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger of Allah and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him...
[Quran 4:171]

When the soul of Jesus was put into Mary and she realized that she was pregnant, she left her room in stealth and proceeded eastwards. She rested below a date palm tree and there gave birth. The Quran tells us about this as follows:

So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: she cried in her pained anguish, “Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!”
But a voice cried to her from beneath the palm-tree, “Grieve not! For thy Lord hath Provided a rivulet beneath thee; and shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool thine eye. And if thou dost see any man say ‘I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into no talk with any human being.’”
[Quran 19:22-26]

Mary gave birth to Jesus under the date palm tree. There she got food from dates and water from the stream that was flowing below her. She stayed there until she felt strong enough to return to her people. She then took baby Jesus and returned. When the people saw her with a baby, they were shocked and amazed. They said:

At length she brought the babe to her people, carrying him in her arms.
They said, “O Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!”
“O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!”
But she pointed to the babe.
They said, “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?”
He said, “I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me Revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, enjoined unto me, prayer and charity as long as I live; He hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; so peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die and the day that I shall be resurrected!”
[Quran 19:27-33]

Jesus lived a private secluded life with his mother. They were both sustained by Allah.

Later in his life, he used to preach in the synagogue in the day and retreat for prayer to the mountains at night.

As he was very critical of the doings of the hierarchy of the clergy, they wanted to get rid of him. They thought of many ways of doing so but finally decided upon crucifying him.

The leaders of the community violated every form of justice against an innocent person, and although Allah allowed them to crucify a person, it was not Jesus, the son of Mary, who was crucified. Rather, Jesus was raised unto Heaven and thus saved by his Lord, where he awaits the End Times for the Second Coming.

The Holy Quran says:

That they said in boast, “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”; ― but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no certain knowledge but only conjecture to follow, for they surely killed him not.
[Quran 4:157]

― Mawlana Dr. Waffie Mohammed, Markaz al-Ihsaan,
transmitted via Sidi Terence Helikaon Nunis of A Muslim Convert Once More