Your Questions Answered (volume 1)

Q15: Does This Verse Support Human Evolution? "and Surely He Has Made You Fashion After Fashion". (71:14).

A. The translation of ayat given by you is wrong. It is translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali as : "Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages" Mir Ahmad Ali translates it :- "While indeed He created you through regular stages."

And the meaning of "in diverse stages" or "through regular stages" is explained by Aimma (a.s.) as a reference to the various stages a foetus passes through, which has been shortly described in Qur'an (22 : 5) :-

"O' people! if you be in doubt about (your) rising again (resurrection), then (reflect ye that) verily We created you from dust, then from sperm, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, formed and (sometimes) partly unformed, that we may manifest (our power) unto you, and We cause to stay in the womb what We will until an appointed term, then bring ye forth as babes, then (foster you) that ye reach your maturity; and of you is he who is caused to die, and of you is he who is brought back to the feeblest (stage of) old age that he knoweth not aught after knowing (much)".

In another Ayat, it is described thus :-

"And indeed We created man, from an extract of clay. Then we made him sperm, in a firm resting place. Then made We the sperm a clot, then made We in the lump of flesh bones, then clothed We the bones with flesh; then We did grow it into another creation; so Blessed be God, the Best of the creators (23:13-15).

If you are interested to know the Islamic view of the hypothesis of evolution, you will find it explained in "Need of Religion" and "God of Islam", both published by this Mission.

Q.16: About how many years ago, Nabii Adam was created?

A. We have not been informed of it in the Traditions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) or Imams (A.S.).

Q.17: How can I be convinced that Allah was the God which Muhammad preached?

A. Well, open any page of the Qur'an and you will find the name "Allah" mentioned in it several times. Once a Hindu friend of mine happened to look at an English translation of the Qur'an and said, "It is safe to say that the key word of this book is "Allah" The Kalema which the Holy Prophet preached contains the name "Allah" twice in the two short sentences. What more proof can anyone demand?

Q.18: Why does God exist?

A. Your question is misplaced. God is "Self-existent" therefore His existence cannot be questioned. Other things sometimes exist, sometimes do not exist; a few years ago you were not there, now you do exist; after some years your existence will come to an end. We may ask about such things why do they exist. There "being" needs a creator; without a force to cause them "to be" they cannot come into existence.

Therefore, it is quite right to ask the cause of the existence of other things; but God is Existence Himself and we cannot ask "why" does He exist.

Q.19: Why have we been created?

A. Allah says in the Qur'an :- "And I did not create Jin and Human Beings but so that they worship me". The Maarifat (knowledge) of Allah and then obeying His Will and Command is included in the word "Worship"

Q.20: How far away from the earth is the moon?

A. The average distance of moon from the earth Is estimated to be 238,860 miles.

Q. 21: I believe God is nature; that means that nature is God. Is it right?

A. The answer is "NO" - Nature is a created thing and God is its Creaor. The two cannot be the same.

Q.22: I have been told that Nabii Elias went to the Heavens and is still awaited by the Jews. Is this also what we believe?

A. According to our Ahadith, Hazarat Elias is alive in this world, not in Heaven.

Q23: Is Hazrat Isa (A.S.) still alive or dead? If the former is the answer where is he?

A. Hazrat Isa (A.S.) is still alive and is in the heaven. He will return to earth before the day of Resurrection to help Imam Mahdi (A.S.).

Q.24: Who was Muhammad? (S.A.W.W.)

A. He was son of Abdullah and Amina, from the clan of Hashim, tribe of Quraish, in Mecca. He was the Last of the Prophets sent by Allah to lead mankind onto the right path.

Q25: Where was Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) born, and where and when did he expire?

A. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) was born in Mecca in A.D. 570 and died in Medina in A.D. 632.

Q.26: How old was Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) when he first began to preach?

A. He was 40 years old when he announced his Prophethood. Q.27: Our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) got his spiritual power from God after reaching the age of 40, to preach Islam. Why not before, when there were other people who were worshipping idols during that time and also needed preaching of Islam.

A. It is wrong to say that "Our Holy Prophet got spiritual power from God after reaching the age of 40". He was Nabi even before the creation of Hazrat Adam (A.S.) you should say "He was allowed to preach when he reached the age of 40".

Why was he ordered to wait for such a long time? It was because Allah wanted the people of Arabia to see his character, truth, honesty, so that when he claimed that he was sent from Allah nobody could say (God forbid) was an untrustworthy person or an imposter. In fact, the people of Mecca accused him of being a poet, a sorcerer or a bewitched man; but never could they accuse him of being untrustworthy. Even as they were planning to kill him, they used to keep their valuables with him in trust.

This trust and faith could not have been manifested had the Holy Prophet announced his Prophethood in his earlier life.

Q. 28: When we mention the apostle's name, Muhammad, we say (S.A.W.W.) Why? What does it mean?

A. (S.A.W.W.) after the name of the Holy Prophet is the abbreviation of "Sallallahu Alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam". It means, "May Allah Bestow His Mercy, Grace and Peace upon him (Muhammad) and his progeny" The Muslims say it in compliance with the command of Allah :-"Verily, Allah Bestows His Grace upon the Prophet and His angels pray for him; O ye who believe send ye blessings on him and salute him as is the proper way" (Qur'an; Sura 33, Ayat 56).

And the addition of "wa Aalihi" (and upon his progeny) is in accordance with the command of the Holy Prophet who said:

"Do not send on me an incomplete salawaat". The companions asked: "What is the incomplete salawaat, O Messenger of Allah!" The Holy Prophet said "It is incomplete to say "O Allah Bless Muhammad" and then to stop. Nay, you should say: "O Allah Bless Muhammad and his Progeny". (Jawahirul-Iqdain; As-Sawaiqul-Muhriqua)

Q.29: Had the Prophet Muhammad any other names as we read in Christians' Bible that Jesus had other names as Christ, etc.?

A. Yes, He was referred to as "Ahmad" in his lifetime. And according to an authentic Hadith, he said: "I have five names, I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am Hashir, I am Mahi, and I am Aaquib." Also, he is referred to as "Mustafa" (the chosen one).

Q. 30: How many wives Prophet What are their names, if any?

Muhammad had besides Khadija?

A. The Holy Prophet did not marry any other woman in the life time of Khadija. After her death, he married 12 wives, nine of whom were alive at the time of his death. Their names were (1) Sauda (2) Aaisha (3) Umme Salma (4) Zainab binti Jahash (5) Safiyya (6) Hafsa (7) Maimuna (8) Zainab Ummul Masakin and (9) Umme Habiba.