Questions and Answers
The Light (Pakistan), 1st January 1923 Issue (Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 3–4)
Question:
What is the difference between farz and sunnat namaz? — Mr Abdul Ghani
Answer:
Farz (obligatory) is an essential part of the prayer and should necessarily be said, while sunnat is sometimes, as in the case of combining two prayers, dispensed with.
Question:
Can we omit sunnat namaz in the time of urgency and say only farz? — Mr Abdul Ghani
Answer:
Yes. In the case of a journey when we shorten the prayers, the sunnat is dispensed with.
Question:
If the late Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib was himself an Imam, what necessity was there for him to follow Hazrat Abu Hanifa? — Mr Abdul Ghani
Answer:
Every man, however great he may be, is bound to follow his predecessors to some extent. Even the Holy Prophet is enjoined in the Quran to follow the guidance of the previous prophets.
Question:
If an individual follows Holy Quran and the Hadith and not the Mujaddids, can he be a pacca (staunch) Muslim? — Mr Abdul Ghani
Answer:
The Holy Prophet is reported to have said:
“One who does not recognise the Imam of his age, will die a death of ignorance.”
Hence one who follows the Hadith is supposed to follow the Mujaddid of his time.
Question:
Can you name the Mujaddids of sixth to twelfth century Hijra? — Mr Abdul Ghani
Answer:
I am afraid the answer to this question is too long for these columns. I should therefore request you to peruse Mirza Khuda Bakhsh’s Asl-i-Musaffa, which has fully dealt with this question.
Question:
Is it lawful to eat the Kunka or Karah of a Gurdwara or the sweets of Arya or Sanatan Mandar? — Mr Inam Ullah Shah
Answer:
The general principle is that any eatable which is dedicated to the name of a god or any person except Allah or is associated with any kind of shirk is unlawful.
Question:
Was Guru Nanak a Muslim? — Mr Inam Ullah Shah
Answer:
Yes, the Chola (Cloak) which is the relic of Baba Guru Nanak and is held in great reverence has got the inscriptions of the verses of the Holy Quran, one of which is that
“Surely (true) religion with Allah is Islam.”
It follows then that Baba Sahib was a Muslim at heart.
There are also other facts which point out to the same conclusion.
Question:
How many Sikh Gurus have been Muslims, and why? — Mr Inam Ullah Shah
Answer:
None except Baba Nanak.
Question:
Do the Vedas not contain the names of human beings? — Mr Inam Ullah Shah
Answer:
I have not read the Vedas, but I think they contain the names of human beings, and even of lower species such as birds or trees.
Question:
Have the Vedas undergone any change? What light does research throw on the purity of the text? — Mr Inam Ullah Shah
Answer:
Sanskrit, in which the Vedas are, is now a dead language and there is hardly any research about the Vedas.
There is no trustworthy translation of the Vedas, and the followers of the Book sometimes assert, with pride that there is none who can understand the Vedas. In these circumstances, it is very difficult to say something definitely about them. But some of the teachings, which the Arya Samaj attribute to the Vedas, are apparently repugnant to human nature and hence could not have emanated from the Divine Being.
Besides, common sense demands that a book of such antiquity as is claimed by the followers of the Vedas should not be free from corruption. The book itself does not guarantee its purity, as the Quran has done.
Question:
Is it lawful for a Muslim to attend the meeting convened in honour of Swami Daya Nanda? — Mr Inam Ullah Shah
Answer:
If the meeting is conducted on the principle of religious toleration and respect for every religion, there is no harm in its attendance.
But if it is intended to make hostile and unwarranted attacks in it on the Holy Prophet and Islam, then it should be avoided, as participation in such gatherings often results in mischief.
Question:
Why is a man born blind? Is it due to rebirth? — Mr Rashid Ahmad
Answer:
There is a cause for every effect, though we may or may not be able to ascertain it. A child is born blind owing to something, say, sometimes owing to a disease or irregularity of the parents. It has nothing to do with the rebirth theory.
Question:
What is destiny? — Mr Rashid Ahmad
Answer:
Destiny, predestination, or more properly premeasurement (taqdir) in Islam is the Divine law which is obtaining [prevailing] in the universe. It is predetermined, for instance, that the sun must give us warmth and light. Similarly, it is predetermined that our actions must have their fruits according to their merits.
Thus, it is the law in general that is pre-determined, and not the fate of every man. The individuals are, of course, governed by that law, and thus their fates are moulded.
Question:
Is killing of goats or birds a crime? If so, why do we Muslims do so, and do not take pity on the dumb, innocent animals? — Mr Rashid Ahmad
Answer:
Everything in the world has a purpose to serve; the goats and the birds have to supply food for man.
Besides, the law of nature is that every lower life is sacrificed for a higher life, and it is a sort of evolution.
Man is the lord of creation and all things are created for him.