Is "al-masjid al-haram" a physical building ?
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AL-MASJID AL-HARAM AN INSTITUTION
?Sajada? means prostration/submission/obedience or ?hearing and obeying? and could be mental or bodily or both according to its usage in the qur'aan and the Arabic language. The place where one performs ?sajada? is a ?masjid? which could be mental or a government institution or a physical building depending on the context in which the word is used. When one performs a bodily ?sajada? in some place, then that place becomes a physical ?masjid? which could be a building or an empty piece of land. When one mentally obeys/submits to The God, then the mind becomes the ?masjid?. When an institution is established for hearing and obeying The God then that institution becomes the ?masjid?.
It is common in the Arabic language to use ?masjid? to mean an institution of obedience and not a physical place. For example, one hears of ?al-masjid Al-Azhar? issuing a fatwa. It is not a physical building that issues the fatwa but the people representing the institution of Al-Azhar that issue the fatwa. Similarly, in the English language, when the House of Commons makes a decision, or the Senate passes a bill, it is not the physical building that passes the bill, but the people in that institution that do so. Hence it follows that a ?masjid? can be one's mind or a government institution also.
?Al-masjid al-haram? translated means institution/implementation of hearing and obeying the forbidden. Hence, it could be a government institution (institution of authority) or one's mind. To determine what it means in the qur'aan, one has to see the context of its usage in the qur'aan.
First I will mention the historical and scientific evidence that ?al-masjid al-haram? cannot be a physical building and then I will discuss the qur'aanic evidence.
THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
One has to consider if there was any physical building by the name ?Al-Masjid Al-Haram? at the time when the qur'aan was revealed. If there was no phyical building by that name at the time of revelation of the qur'aan, then it is impossible that the phrase ?al-masjid al-haram? refers to a physical building in the qur'aan.
There is ZERO historical or archeological evidence of the existence of any physical building by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Haram at the time of revelation of the qur'aan, hence it is impossible for it to mean a physical building according to the qur'aan. The physical building by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca was constructed many years after the revelation of the qur'aan, and was named after the common phrase ?al-masjid al-haram? used in the qur'aan and therefore that physical building could not have been referred to in the qur'aan. Similarly, the physical building by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa was constructed many years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, and therefore cannot be ?al-masjid al-aqsa? mentioned in the qur'aan.
AL-MASJID AL-HARAM CANNOT BE THE KAABA
Similarly, ?al-masjid al-haram? as used in the qur'aan cannot be the present Kaaba in Mecca or any other kaaba for that matter. According to the qur'aan, the kaaba is ?al-bayt al-haram?/the restricted sanctuary and not ?al-masjid al-haram?.
597 God has made the Kaaba to be the Restricted Sanctuary, to enforce for the people, and for the restricted month, and for the donations, and for regulation; that is so you know that God knows what is in heavens and what is in Earth, and that God is aware of all things.
?Al-masjid al-haram? is off limits to the idolaters per 928 but ?al-bayt al-haram? is for the entire mankind (2226-27), so they cannot be the same thing.
928 O you who believe, those who have set up partners are impure, so let them not approach ?al-masjid al-haram? after this year of theirs; and if you fear poverty, then God will enrich you from His blessings if He wills. God is Knowledgeable, Wise.
2226 And We have appointed to Abraham the location of the Sanctuary "Do not set up anyone with Me, and purify My Sanctuary for those who will partake, and those who will enforce, and those who kneel and prostrate."
2227 And call out to mankind with the hajj/debate, they will come to you walking and on every transport, they will come from every deep enclosure.In 52, ?al-bayt al-haram? is mentioned separately from ?al-masjid al-haram? so the two cannot be the same.
52 O you who believe, do not violate God's decrees, nor the restricted month, nor the donations, nor what is regulated, nor the safety made by ?al-bayt al-haram?/the Restricted Sanctuary; for they are seeking a bounty from their Lord and a blessing. And when it is permitted for you, then you may hunt. And let not the hatred of another people; because they had barred you from ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden; make you aggress. And bond together in piety and righteousness, and do not bind together in sin and aggression. And be aware of God, for God's retribution is severe.
THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
2144 We see the shifting of thy face towards the sky; We will thus set for you a qiblah/direction/goal that will be pleasing to you "You shall set yourself towards ?al-masjid al-haram?; and wherever you may be, you shall all set yourselves towards it." Those who have been given the Scripture know it is the truth from their Lord. And God is not unaware of what you do.
One is supposed to set ?al-masjid al-haram? as one's direction or face it WHEREVER one is. If ?al-masjid al-haram? is a physical building then one CANNOT face it WHEREVER one is as it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to face a physical building WHEREVER one is.
Firstly, the ability to face a physical building WHEREVER one is assumes that the Earth is flat. However the reality is that the Earth is spherical. You can face a physical building only until it is in your line of sight. As soon as you get further away from it and it disappears beyond the horizon, you are no longer facing it because of the Earth's curvature, but facing a point in the sky/space many degrees away from the physical building which could be many miles away depending on one's exact location and the distance from the physical building.
Secondly, where will one face if one is on a place on Earth directly opposite to the place where the physical building is located ? Should one face one way or the opposite way then ? Actually both will be wrong because one will actually be looking at a point in space MANY MILES away from the actual physical building !!
Thirdly, where will one face if one is in space or on a distant planet, for example on MARS ? That is a very distinct possibility based on the current technological advancement of mankind. Allah's words should be applicable to all situations and there should be no doubt, as His words are complete relevant to our guidance and are for all times. Do you think that Allah forgot about the possibility of space travel or inter-planetary travel ?
THE QUR'AANIC EVIDENCE
Now let us go through all the verses of the qur'aan one by one, containing ?al-masjid al-haram? to see if the phrase means a physical building or a mental state or government institution according to the context. Let us first see what the ?qiblah? is according to the qur'aan
2144 We see the shifting of thy face towards the sky; We will thus set for you a qiblah/direction/goal that will be pleasing to you "You shall set yourself towards ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden; and wherever you may be, you shall all set yourselves towards it." Those who have been given the Scripture know it is the truth from their Lord. And God is not unaware of what you do.
2149 And from wherever you go out, you shall set yourself towards ?al-masjid al-haram?; it is the truth from your Lord; and God is not unaware of what you do.
2150 And wherever you go out, you shall set yourself towards ?al-masjid al-haram?. And wherever you may be you shall set yourselves towards it; that the people will have no room for debate with you, except those of them who are wicked. You shall not fear them, but fear Me; so that I may complete My blessings upon you and that you may be guided.According to 2144, the ?qiblah?/direction/goal is ?al-masjid al-haram?, and is defined as ?the truth from your Lord?. ?Al-masjid al-haram?, therefore, is ?the truth from your Lord? which is a mental direction/goal and not a physical one. One cannot face a physical direction WHEREVER one is, as we are being asked to do in 2144, 149, 150. However, the mental state or government institution of implementing hearing and obeying of the forbidden, which is ?the truth from your Lord?, can easily be one's direction or goal wherever one is. One should be oriented to the truth from our Lord at all times. As clear from the last part of 2144, the only requirement for knowing the true ?qiblah?/direction/goal is to be given the scripture from our Lord. There is no requirement to have a compass or to consult a geographical map to know the true ?qiblah? from our Lord.
This is confirmed by the following verses which consolidate the fact that ?qiblah? is not a physical direction because turning east or west is irrelevant as far as The God's presence or piety is concerned
2115 And to God belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is God's presence. God is Encompassing, Knowledgeable.
2177 Piety is not to turn your faces towards the east and the west, but piety is one who believes in God and the Last Day..........
In 2142-150 there is no command to face ?al-masjid al-haram? while praying and if Allah had willed that muslims should face ?al-masjid al-haram? while praying then there were no dearth of words for Allah to express his wishes and commands. He would have plainly commanded "wheresoever you may be face ?al-masjid al-haram? while upholding salat." Why Allah deliberately omitted the word ?salat? from the whole verse and from the subsequent verses? It is a clear indication that neither Allah is pointing to the physical Masjid Al-Haram, which was not there and neither the prayers.
If it was the truth from our Lord which the people of the Book knew, then why Moses and his people, Jesus and his people NEVER visited Mecca to see Masjid Al-Haram and why Prophet Muhammad in his first seventeen years of preaching faced Jerusalem while praying (although this is nowhere mentioned in the qur'aan). What was the ?qiblah? of the people of Moses? Jerusalem or houses in Egypt? In which direction the children of Israel prayed ? There is no verse in the qur'aan, which says that the Jews and Christians prayed while facing Jerusalem and there is no verse in the qur'aan commanding the muslims to offer their prayers while facing Masjid Al-Haram.
Remember there was no physical mosque in Mecca except the stone structure full of idols, according to the historical unverifiable hearsays and rumors, the so called ?hadeeth?, and other historical literary works. In fact, there is ZERO historical evidence for the existence of ANY physical building by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Haram at the time of revelation of the qur'aan. So how can Allah command the muslims to face the direction of a physical building when it did not even exist ?
We have already seen above in 2144, 2149, and 2150, that in those verses ?al-masjid al-haram? can only mean a mental state or government institution and not a physical building, as one cannot face a physical building WHEREVER one is, and the submitters at the time of Prophet Muhammad could not have faced a physical building when it did not even exist at that time. Let us see the other verses in which the phrase occurs
2191 And kill them wherever you find them, and expel them from where they expelled you, and know that persecution is worse than being killed. And do not fight them by ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden unless they fight you in it; if they fight you then kill them, thus is the reward of the disbelievers.
The corrupters forgot that the verse itself is authorizing the believers to kill the disbelievers WHEREVER they are found and therefore there are no restrictions in respect of place. There is no word ?illa? meaning ?except? in the verse but the verse further continues with ?and?. As explained before that THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL BUILDING BY THE NAME OF MASJID AL-HARAM at that time, and therefore how can a command be given to the believers to not fight with the disbelievers at a physical building when it does not even exist ?
The same exact words used for ?al-masjid al-haram? are used for ?deen? in 609, yet no one suggests that ?deen? is a physical building !!
2191 And kill them wherever you find them, and expel them from where they expelled you, and know that persecution is worse than being killed. And do not fight them by ?al-masjid al-haram?unless they fight you in it; if they fight you then kill them, thus is the reward of the disbelievers.
- The God only forbids you from taking as protectors those who fought you in the ?deen?/obligation/system and evicted you from your homes and they openly tried to evict you and whoever takes them as protectors, those are the unjust.
2217 They ask you about the restricted month "Is there fighting in it?" Say "Much fighting is in it, and to repel from the path of God and to disbelieve in it, and ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden, and to drive its people out from it is far greater with God, and persecution is worse than being killed." And they still will fight you until they turn you back from your system/ ?deen? if they are able. And whoever of you turns back from his system/?deen?, and he dies while disbelieving, then these have nullified their work in this life and the next; these are the people of the Fire, in it they will abide eternally!
Our obligation/system/ ?deen? is to institute the hearing and obeying of the restrictions. If someone fights us or is about to kill us because we institute the hearing and obeying of what The God restricted on us then we should fight back. The word ?'inda? can mean ?near? or ?by? or ?at the point of?, so when the believers are by/at the point of institution of implementing the hearing and obeying of the forbidden, they are ordered not to fight the disbelievers unless they fight the believers first. Near does not always denote a physical place; one can be near the completion or achievement of one's goal. In 609 when it says ?who fought you IN the deen?, does not mean that ?deen? is a physical place. Similarly when it says ?unless they fight you IN it? in 2191, does not mean that ?al-masjid al-haram? is a physical place. The words ?'inda? or ?fi? do not always denote a physical place.
2196 And complete the hajj/debate and the visit for God. But, if you are prevented, then make what is affordable of donation, and do not relieve your heads until the donation reaches its destination; but whoever of you is ill or has an affliction to his head, then he may redeem by fasting or giving a charity or a sacrifice. But if you are able, then whoever continues the visit until the hajj/debate, then he shall provide what is affordable of donation; but for he who cannot find anything, then he must fast for three days during the hajj/debate and seven when he returns; this will make a complete ten; this is for those whose family is not present (?liman lam yakun ahluhu haadiree?) at ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden. And be aware of God, and know that God is severe in retribution.
HAADIR = present, attending, ready, prepared, current, present to take part or participate, the present, the present time, this moment, today, now.
If Allah meant residing, dwelling or living then He would have put the proper word in the verse such as ?yuskan, yuqtan, yuqeem, yaeesh? and not ?haadir?, therefore the phrase ?liman lam yakun ahluhu haadiree? does not mean ?whose family is non-resident of.....?. Moreover ?al-masjid al-haram? is not a city or a town or a village or a house so that it becomes a dwelling place. Also one should remember that at the time of revelation of the qur'aan there was NO PHYSICAL BUILDING by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Haram.
We hear about 10 days in 2196, three during the ?hajj?/debate and seven when those whose family was not in the institution of hearing and obeying the restriction/?al-masjid al-haram? return. As for those whose family is in the institution of hearing and obeying the restriction, they would stay the whole 10 days. This makes sense because those whose families are not oriented to the truth from our Lord or are not participating/attending/present in the institution of implementing the hearing and obeying of the restrictions of the system/deen, should go back earlier to teach them based on what they heard.
2217 They ask you about the restricted month "Is there fighting in it?" Say "Much fighting is in it, and to repel from the path of God and to disbelieve IN IT (the path of God), and ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden, and to drive its people (the people of the path of God and al-masjid al-haram) out from it is far greater with God, and persecution is worse than being killed." And they still will fight you until they turn you back from your system/?deen? if they are able. And whoever of you turns back from his system/?deen?, and he dies while disbelieving, then these have nullified their work in this life and the next; these are the people of the Fire, in it they will abide eternally!
The corrupters mistranslate this verse like crazy. Following is the mistranslated version of this verse
2217 They ask you about the restricted month "Is there fighting in it?" Say "Much fighting is in it, and to repel from the path of God and to disbelieve in Him, and at the Restricted Temple, to drive its inhabitants out is far greater with God, and persecution is worse than being killed." And they still will fight you until they turn you back from your system if they are able. And whoever of you turns back from his system, and he dies while disbelieving, then these have nullified their work in this life and the next; these are the people of the Fire, in it they will abide eternally!
Disbelieving in the path of Allah and ?al-masjid al-haram? and expelling its people from it is the message of the verse but according to the corrupters it becomes
Preventing access to the path of Allah,
Disbelieving in ALLAH,
Preventing access to Masjid Al Haram,
And to drive out its (Masjid Al Haram) INHABITANTS.The translators also omit the words MIN HU (from it) in their translation.
WA KUFR BI HI And disbelieve in Him
Is the above meaning correct? Is it disbelieving in Allah or disbelieving IN IT (The way of Allah)
?Wa kufr bihi? does not mean disbelieve in Allah but disbelieve IN IT (the way of Allah) because the subject before ?kufr bihi? is not Allah but the way of Allah therefore it is disbelieving in the way of Allah and not in Allah and it further continues ?and al-masjid al-haram?, therefore it is disbelieving in the way of Allah and ?al-masjid al-haram?. If it is disbelieving in ?al-masjid al-haram? then how is it possible to disbelieve in the physical Masjid Al Haram, which was not there, when this verse was revealed. And moreover what is disbelieving in the physical Masjid Al Haram ? How can someone disbelieve in a physical building ? Physical Masjid Al Haraam is a place of salat and not a place of dwelling so that its inhabitants could be driven out.
Who are the people of Masjid Al Haram? When were the believers first expelled from the Masjid Al Haram? We can expel/drive out people from their houses or from their towns, cities etc but how could we expel/drive out the people of a mosque from the mosque when there was no mosque and when they never entered it.
According to the correct translation of the verse it is great transgression to fight in the forbidden months and it is greatest transgression to keep away from the way of Allah, to disbelieve in the way of Allah and to disbelieve in the institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden and to drive the people who follow the way of Allah and follow the institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden from it.
52 O you who believe, do not violate God's decrees, nor the restricted month, nor the donations, nor what is regulated, nor the safety made by the Restricted Sanctuary; for they are seeking a bounty from their Lord and a blessing. And when it is permitted for you, then you may hunt. And let not the hatred of another people; because they had barred you from ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden; make you aggress. And bond together in piety and righteousness, and do not bind together in sin and aggression. And be aware of God, for God's retribution is severe.
834 And why should God not punish them when they are turning others away from ?al-masjid al-haram?, and they were never its protectors! Its protectors are the righteous; but most of them do not know.
- Those who have rejected/unappreciated and repelled from the path of The God and ?al-masjid al-haram?/the institution of hearing and obeying the restriction that we had appointed/established for the people, equally the one committed in it and the one who left to find clarity. And whoever deviates in it with falsely attributing with injustice, we will cause them to taste from a painful suffering.
4825 They are the ones who rejected and barred you from ?al-masjid al-haram?, and barred your donations from reaching their destination. And there had been believing men and women whom you did not know, and you may have hurt them, and on whose account you would have committed a sin unknowingly. God will admit into His mercy whomever He wills. Had they become separated, We would then have punished those of them who rejected with a painful retribution.
My understanding of these verses is that ?al-masjid al-haram? (the institution of hearing and obeying the restriction) is a non-physical institution of authority just like ?sabeel Allah? (the path of The God) is non-physical. Those who rejected repel from both in the same way.
The disbelievers did not believe in the path of Allah and did not believe in ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden, and at the same time tried their best to keep the believers away from the path of Allah and ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of implementing hearing and obeying the forbidden.
The disbelievers cannot repel or keep away the faith of the believers from their hearts, rather these verses are talking about the disbelievers repelling and keeping away the believers from smooth running of the government institution for implementing hearing and obeying of the restrictions of the system/deen, thereby disrupting it. It would be similar to a group of terrorists trying to disrupt a government institution meeting for passing laws in a country nowadays.
In these verses, just like the path of God is not a physical road or highway, similarly ?al-masjid al-haram? is not a physical building but an institution of authority (government institution) for implementing the hearing and obeying of the forbidden.
Now the question arises why the disbelievers of Mecca and Medina disbelieved in the Masjid Al Haram and kept away from it. If Kaaba was Masjid Al Haram then the disbelievers neither disbelieved in it nor kept away from it, as they were totally devoted to it. Remember, there is ZERO evidence of a physical building by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Haram at the time of revelation of the qur'aan, so how can disbelievers keep the believers away from or hinder their entrance to a physical building when it did not even exist ? That would be absurd.
Let us reconsider 2225 where two words ?al-'aakif? and ?al-baadi? are usually mistranslated
2225 Those who have rejected and repel from the path of God and a?al-masjid al-haram? that We have made for mankind, for the dweller or the visitor to it; and whoever inclines to evil action in it, We will let them taste a painful retribution.
Masjid Al-Haram, if it is a physical building would be a place of upholding salat, and not a city or a town, or a house where people DWELL. Moreover there is no evidence of a physical building by that name while the qur'aan was being revealed, so how can someone dwell or visit a non-existent building ?
'AAKIF one who devotes or dedicates oneself to, one who is occupied with or engaged in, one who applies one's self assiduously, one committed to.
BAADI the one who left where one was to search for clarity
The correct translation of 2225 would therefore be as follows
- Those who have rejected/unappreciated and repelled from the path of The God and the institution of hearing and obeying the restriction that we had appointed/established for the people, equally the one committed in it and the one who left to find clarity. And whoever deviates in it with falsely attributing with injustice, we will cause them to taste from a painful suffering.
We implement The God's system by orienting ourselves towards ?al-masjid al-haram?/the truth from our Lord wherever we are. For example, our institutions of authority (such as government) should be based on the principles of the truth from our Lord in the great reading. Naturally, those who setup partners would not implement such system but will try to undermine it for personal gains. Thus, we should not allow them to be in authority or even come near positions of authority. On the other hand, ?al-masjid al-haram?/the truth from our Lord is for people who are committed to it (al-'aakif) and people who have left where they were to search for clarity (al-baadi).
If we look under the Arabic root ?BDW?, we will find that it has meanings such as ?made apparent/clear? (3947-48, 4533, etc.), ?occur to/think of? (1235), and ?left where they were? (3320). The word "badw" is applied to people who leave where they are to search for something such as grazing places or water. So we can see that the themes of leaving, searching and making clear/apparent are the main themes that run through that word. Thus, ?al-baadi? in the context of 2225 is someone who left what they were on (examples include Christianity, Sunnism, or any inherited dogma). They left in order to search for what? From the other meanings of ?BDW?, it can be deduced that they left to search for clarity. Thus, the translation of ?al-baadi? is ?one who left to search for clarity?.
Another point to note is that at the beginning of the verse 2225, The God says that He appointed/established the path of The God AND al-masjid al-haram. He uses the same word ?ja'alna? for both. Now the path of Allah is not a physical road or highway, so if one takes ?ja'alna? to mean ?physically made? then ?path of Allah? will not fit that meaning. The only way ?ja'alna? can be used for both path of Allah and ?al-masjid al-haram? is if both were non-physical.
97 How can those who have set up partners have a pledge with God and with His messenger? Except for those with whom you made a pledge ?'inda?/by/in the presence of ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of implementing hearing and obeying the forbidden, as long as they are upright with you, then you are upright with them. God loves the righteous.
If ?'inda? here is translated as ?near? implying ?near a physical building? then it does not make any sense. There was no physical building by the name of Masjid Al-Haram at the time of Prophet Muhammad, so how could the believers have made a pledge with the idolaters near a physical building by that name ?
The treaty was of no fighting during the prohibited four months and attacking each other without any valid reason. The believers were ordered to honor their treaties to the end of the term, but those idolaters who did not have a treaty with the believers were liable to be attacked after the forbidden months have passed, but if they repent and uphold the commitments of no fighting then the believers should leave their way. There cannot be a treaty of Allah and His messenger with the idolaters except with those with whom the believers entered into a treaty of no fight. The word ?'inda? also means ?by/in the presence of? which will make more sense in 97. The treaty was made by/in the presence of ?al-masjid al-haram? meaning it was based on the principle of ?the truth from our Lord? implementing the hearing and obeying of no fighting in the prohibited months.
917 It was not for those who have set up partners to maintain institutions of hearing and obeying The God while they bear witness over their own rejection. For these, their works have fallen, and in the Fire they will abide.
918 Rather, the institutions of hearing and obeying The God are maintained by he who believes in God and the Last Day, and he upholds the contact-method, and he contributes towards betterment, and he does not fear except God. It is these that will be of the guided ones.
919 Have you made the watering of the pilgrim and the maintenance of ?al-masjid al-haram?/institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden the same as one who believes in God and the Last Day and he strives in the cause of God? They are not the same with God. And God does not guide the wicked people.There was no physical building by the name of Masjid Al-Haram when this verse was revealed so there arises no question of maintenance of a physical structure by someone. According to 919, the idolators were previously involved in the government institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden, and this participation was later banned by 928. 917-18 and 928 make it clear that the institutions of hearing and obeying The God only prosper with people who are not idolaters.
Previously the believers needed to have a peace treaty with the idolaters for a peaceful existence, necessitating the participation of idolaters in the government institution of hearing and obeying the restrictions, but after the victory of the believers, there was no further need of a peace treaty with the idolaters and their participation in the institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden, hence their subsequent participation was banned.
928 O you who believe, those who have set up partners are impure, so let them not approach ?al-masjid al-haram? after this year of theirs; and if you fear poverty, then God will enrich you from His blessings if He wills. God is Knowledgeable, Wise.
This verse makes it clear that the idolaters should not participate in ?al-masjid al-haram? anymore. Here if ?al-masjid al-haram? is a physical building then how can one prevent an idolater from entering a physical building ? Anyone can learn a few words like ?la ilaha illallaha?, meaning ?there is no god but The God, or ?salaamun alaikum?, meaning peace be upon you, and claim to be a submitter, and enter that physical building. Only The God knows what is in the hearts. An idolater, while setting up partners with The God in his heart, can deceive the general public into believing that he is not an idolater by saying certain phrases, thereby being able to enter a physical building without any problem.
The idolaters turn away others from the implementation of hearing and obeying the forbidden and do not implement the hearing and obeying of the forbidden themselves. It is not possible to prevent an idolater from entering a physical building, as one does not know what is in the heart, but it is possible to prevent an idolater from participating in a government institution for the implementation of hearing and obeying the forbidden. Hence ?al-masjid al-haram? in this verse can only mean a government institution for implementation of hearing and obeying the restrictions in the ?deen?, and not a physical building.
In addition to that, at the time this verse was revealed, there was NO PHYSICAL BUILDING by the name of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, so how is it possible to prevent an idolater from entering a physical building which does not even exist ? !!
171 Glory be to the One who took His servant by night from ?al-masjid al-haram? to ?al-masjid al-aqsa? which We had blessed around, so that We may show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Listener, the Seer.
It is a fact that the physical building by the name of Masjid Al-Aqsa was constructed in the Ummayad dynasty many years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Similarly, the physical building by the name of Masjid Al-Haram was built many years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. At the time of revelation of the above verse there were NO physical buildings by those names. The verse describes a spiritual/non-physical elevation of state of Prophet Muhammad from a state of institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden to the utmost state of institution of hearing and obeying and signifies a tremendous increase in his awareness on that night.
This state of utmost/ultimate hearing and obeying is described in 7206 in different terms
7206 Those who are at your Lord, they are never too proud to serve Him, and they glorify Him, and to Him they submit.
Verses 531-18 and 8115-23 talk about the signs in 171. According to those verses, the state of "utmost hearing and obeying" is a state that is outside our narrow perception. To get closer to that state we must first go through hearing and obeying the forbidden (al-masjid al-haram) and we must never be too proud to serve our Lord and exalt Him. Only then we can hope to be close to our Lord in a state of utmost hearing and obeying (al-masjid al-aqsa) at the garden.
4827 God has fulfilled with truth His messenger's vision "You will enter ?al-masjid al-haram?, God willing, secure, with your heads high/relieved and restrained, having no fear." Thus, He knew what you did not know, and He has coupled with this a near victory.
The above verse is also grossly mistranslated by the traditional translators. Firstly there was no physical building by the name of Masjid Al-Haram at the time of revelation of the qur'aan. Secondly, when there is victory, the victors do not enter the defeated town with their heads shaved or hair cut short. Does it make any sense that when the believers were victorious they all went to the barbers and either shaved their head or cut their hair short ? What for ? Thirdly, there is no word for ?hair? in this verse. The object for ?muhalliqeena? translated as ?shaved? and ?muqassireena? translated as ?shortened? is ?ruoosakum? meaning head, but it is obvious that one cannot shorten or cut the head !! Fourthly, did The God forget about bald people ? !!
MUHALLAQ = soaring, in flight, high, flying, high flying.
QASAR = short, cut short, reduce, lessen, insufficient, inadequate, fail to attain/achieve, cease, abstain, refrain, to hold back, restrain, curb
This verse talks about the victory of the believers over those who were fighting with them to try to keep them away and repel them from establishing/setting up ?al-masjid al-haram?/government institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden i.e. revert them from their obligation/?deen?. This is confirmed by verses 1101-2
1101 When God's victory and conquest comes.
1102 And you see mankind entering into God's system in flocks.Putting 4827 and 1101-2 together, we can see that after the victory of the messenger and those with him over those who tried to revert them from their ?deen?/system/obligation, they will enter the institute of hearing and obeying the forbidden safely and securely with their heads high/relieved and restrained (self-controlled) and then many people will follow and enter The God's obligation.
One can enter ?al-masjid al-haram? without it being a physical building just like mankind can enter The God's ?deen?/system without ?deen? being a physical building.
The above is my current understanding on this topic. Any comments and constructive criticism from the readers will be appreciated.
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Peace tanveer
Great article. Very thought-provoking and makes a lot of sense.
Just wanted to make one comment. You said "It is not possible to prevent an idolater from entering a physical building, as one does not know what is in the heart, but it is possible to prevent an idolater from participating in a government institution for the implementation of hearing and obeying the forbidden."
Why is that so? Why can't a mushrik pretend to be a believer to participate in a government institution just like he would to enter a physical building?
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Salaam Tanveer,
Very good article. I personally consider al-masjid al-haram cannot be a physical place because of 171.
Why is that so? Why can't a mushrik pretend to be a believer to participate in a government institution just like he would to enter a physical building?
I agree with the question above. I do not think that we can know for sure who is the idolater and who is not. The God Knows, but we don't or we can't. Except if, say, a person who believes that stoning to death is a law, then that is obvious. But a clever person can hide his/her agenda quite well I guess and makes everone believes that he/she is not a mushrik. Having said that, it is true that maybe sooner or later the truth will come out, but again, we can't be 100% sure what is inside someone's heart.
=adley=
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Peace all,
Why is that so? Why can't a mushrik pretend to be a believer to participate in a government institution just like he would to enter a physical building?
I agree with the question above. I do not think that we can know for sure who is the idolater and who is not. The God Knows, but we don't or we can't. Except if, say, a person who believes that stoning to death is a law, then that is obvious. But a clever person can hide his/her agenda quite well I guess and makes everone believes that he/she is not a mushrik. Having said that, it is true that maybe sooner or later the truth will come out, but again, we can't be 100% sure what is inside someone's heart.
Thank you for the kind remarks and the criticism. I agree with both of you and thank you for raising a very valid point.
A clever person can hide his/her agenda but if that person hears and obeys and follows all the restrictions of the system/deen, then for all intents and purposes that person would be a submitter and not an idolater. The restrictions of the system include the following foremost restriction
6151 Say "Come let me recite to you what your Lord has forbidden for you
that you should not set up anything with Him;Anyone who obeys that restriction is not an idolater anymore.
492 And it is not for a believer to kill another believer except by accident.
328 Let not the believers take the rejecters as allies instead of the believers. And whoever does so will have nothing with God; for you are to be cautious of them as they deserve. And God warns you of Himself, and to God is the destiny.
One can apply the same reasoning to these above verses and ask how one can differentiate a believer from a rejecter, or recognize a believer. The answer is given by Allah Himself in the second part of 328 by asking us to be CAUTIOUS.
Hearing and obeying and actually implementing restrictions of the system/deen by one's actions is much harder for an idolater to pretend to do than just saying a few words and performing bodily rites to pass off as a submitter. It will be much harder for an idolater to participate in an institution of authority for implementing hearing and obeying the forbidden. An analogy would be that it is extremely difficult for a traitor or terrorist to become President, or Vice President, or member of Senate or Congress in USA. Entering a church building or a synagogue would be easier.
May Allah guide us to the straight path so that we can submit/surrender to Him according to His will.
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Peace all,
Any person who claims to be a submitter while he/she is a disbeliever, idolater or rejecter becomes a hypocrite. I agree that many people who are not believers/submitters call themselves believers/submitters and deceive others. These are the hypocrites. The God says the following about them
29 They seek to deceive God and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves without noticing.
4142 The hypocrites seek to deceive God, while He is deceiving themThe God says He will protect the muslims and mumins from the hypocrites, and tells us how to deal with them
864 And if they wish to deceive you, then God is sufficient for you. He is the One who supported you with His victory and with the believers.
3349 And do not obey the rejecters and the hypocrites, and ignore their insults, and put your trust in God; God suffices as an advocate.The hypocrites will not be able to survive for long
3361 If the hypocrites, and those with disease in their hearts and those who spread lies in the city do not refrain, then We will let you overpower them, then they will not be able to remain as your neighbours except for a short while.
The God tells us how we can recognize the hypocrites. Following are the criteria by which we can identify them
3168 And to let those who are hypocrites know, that they were told "Come fight in the cause of God or defend," they said "If we knew how to fight we would have followed you." They are closer to disbelief then they are to belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and God is aware of what they conceal.
461 And if they are told "Come to what God has sent down and to the messenger," you see the hypocrites turning away from you strongly.
4142 The hypocrites seek to deceive God, while He is deceiving them; and if they attend to the contact-method, they do so lazily, only to show the people; they do not remember God except very little.
968 The hypocrite men and women, they are to each other. They order evil and deter from good, and they close their hands. They forgot God, so He forgot them; the hypocrites are the wicked.
632 When the hypocrites come to you they Say "We bear witness that you are the messenger of God." And God knows that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.
638 They are the ones who Say "Do not spend on those who are with the messenger of God, unless they abandon him!" And to God belongs the treasures of the heavens and the Earth, but the hypocrites do not comprehend.
Based on the above criteria, the hypocrites can be identified easily and even if they call themselves muslims/mumins they will not be able to fool anyone.
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peace tanveermd,
It would be nice to give a short descrbtion of one,s understanding underneath each vers that one writes from Quran.
From communication point of view it is then easier to follow your mind and try to listen to what your mind is trying to conveypeace,
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Peace bmbmm, all,
Thank you for your comments on "al-masjid al-haram".
Clearly the masjid-al-haram is not a physical structure. 1. The structure named as masjid-al-haram around the cube was not there. Its is so simple to understand that masjid-al-haram is not a structure It wasn't there! 2. Structures do not last forever.
Thanks for simplifying the matter. The message becomes much easier to understand when one thinks using reason and logic with knowledge
1024 It is such that We clarify the revelations to a people who think (yatafakkaroona).
3028 It is such that We clarify the revelations for a people who have sense (ya'aqiloona).
3029 No, those who were wrong followed their desires without knowledge. So who can guide one whom God misguides? And they will have no victors.- There should be signs of Abrahim in masjid-al-haram However there ain't any there, it masjid-al-haram is turned into a structure. Please let me and the prople know if there are any
396 The first Sanctuary established for the people is the one in Bakk'a, blessed, and a guidance for the worlds.
397 In it are clear signs the place of Abraham. And whoever enters it will be secure.The signs of Abraham are in the first sanctuary, not in "al-majid al-haram". Can you please post the verse(s) which tells us about signs of Abraham being in "al-masjid al-haram" ?
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Salaam Tanveer,
A clever person can hide his/her agenda but if that person hears and obeys and follows all the restrictions of the system/deen, then for all intents and purposes that person would be a submitter and not an idolater.
As far as we can tell, yes. But what is inside that person's heart is unknown to us. However bro Tanveer, you solve this problem by saying
Any person who claims to be a submitter while he/she is a disbeliever, idolater or rejecter becomes a hypocrite. I agree that many people who are not believers/submitters call themselves believers/submitters and deceive others. These are the hypocrites.
And the quran explains it quite well as "They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and God is aware of what they conceal." The important thing to note here is that "God aware" as if to emphasize that we, as humans, may not have the ability or certainty to be aware of the hypocrites.
Hearing and obeying and actually implementing restrictions of the system/deen by one's actions is much harder for an idolater to pretend to do than just saying a few words and performing bodily rites to pass off as a submitter. It will be much harder for an idolater to participate in an institution of authority for implementing hearing and obeying the forbidden.
Come to think of it, if I were a hard-core Bukhari worshipper, and I was expected to say that Bukhari's hadiths are not required to be a source of law in islam, I think I would be exteremely upset. D So yes, it is quite hard to pretend in this case. Even if I could, I still have to answer to God. So, I guess there is no escape anyway.
=adley=
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peace brother tanveer,
Firstly, thanks for sharing your work. I always appreciate articles like these.
A few points I noted as I went through the article...
literal translation
al masjid al haram ~ the implementation of acknowledging/recognising the restrictionThe above trans does leave it open in terms of what mode/form/vehicle is used to acheive the goal.
597 clearly points to a decision making vehicle. the current "Kabba" and "al masjid al haram" simply does not fit this criteria.
928 implies those who believe/trust can play a role in preventing the polytheists from approaching al masjid al haram, and this may result in a loss of income. this does imply a physical presence, due to real world (monetary) impact.
Note As I read your article further, the above point was clarified. They are no longer part of "the implementation of acknowledging the restriction", most likely related to breaking of treaty.
52 suggests a mix of people, and being amongst people you may dislike.
One should be oriented to the truth from our Lord at all times. As clear from the last part of 2144, the only requirement for knowing the true ?qiblah?/direction/goal is to be given the scripture from our Lord.
if one goes through the occurrences of the phrase ~"al haqq min rabb" in 'the reading' it usually (always?) refers to the scripturere/writ. taking this into account, a stronger link is formed by the use of 'al kitab' in 2144.
deen/obligation/system most definitely has a real-world presence, see the following point.
Thank you for your very nice observation on "HaaDiR". When I attempted to translate 2196, this was one point I did not fully get. I checked the occurrences of "haadir" and it can be used to mean "in the presence of" and in this context "attending". That directly links to the purpose of al HJJ / the conference, i.e. the implementation of acknowledging the restriction. If one takes it as an institute then this could further imply that there would be more than one al masjid al haram, with 'al bayt al haram' being the primary/head establisher/enforcer, i.e the one overseeing things as suggested in 52 & 597.
KFR can mean reject/conceal/disbelieve/unappreciative
Re 4827, a messenger's vision would be to deliver the message and have it upheld. Clearly, a safe environment has to be in place for this to happen, and I think this is what the sign refers to.
Wakas
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Peace brother Wakas,
Thank you for your thought provoking comments.
literal translation
al masjid al haram ~ the implementation of acknowledging/recognising the restrictionWouldn't "institution/organization/establishment" be a better term here than "implementation" as they have a wider range of meaning ? For example one can say "government institution/organization" but not "government implementation".
"Institution" can mean An established or organized society or corporation; an establishment, especially of a public character, or affecting a community; a foundation; as, a literary institution; a charitable institution; but "implementation" does not have those meanings.
The above trans does leave it open in terms of what mode/form/vehicle is used to acheive the goal.
597 clearly points to a decision making vehicle. the current "Kabba" and "al masjid al haram" simply does not fit this criteria.
I agree that a communication vehicle is necessary for an institution of authority for implementing hearing and obeying the restriction and that vehicle would be the restricted house/sanctuary. It can be anywhere where people can gather safely to hear and obey the forbidden.
2226 And We have appointed to Abraham the location of the Sanctuary "Do not set up anyone with Me, and purify My Sanctuary for the passers by, and those who remain, and the humbly hearing and obeying."
As per 2226, the house could be any place where the restriction "do not set up anyone with me" (6151) is heard and obeyed, and as such it could be a physical building or a non-physical virtual website where no partners are set up with The God and where people can come to safely hear and obey the system/obligation/deen.
The house which is used as the communication vehicle for "al-masjid al-haram" will be "al-bayt al-haram". According to verse 2791-92, it can even be a whole town where people can safely hear and obey the forbidden.
deen/obligation/system most definitely has a real-world presence, see the following point.
Makes sense. Similar usage of "fi al-din" is in 609 which is wrongly translated as "because of your system", rather than "in the system" in the PM translation. Also "fi din" in 1102.
The deen/obligation/system is made equivalent with "al-masjid al-haram" when we compare 2190-191 with 609 and 2217, and also by comparing 4827 with 1101-2.
If one takes it as an institute then this could further imply that there would be more than one al masjid al haram, with 'al bayt al haram' being the primary/head establisher/enforcer, i.e the one overseeing things as suggested in 52 & 597.
As I was thinking about your post, It occurred to me that the "first bayt" and "al-bayt al-haram" as used in the qur'aan may not be referring to the same "bayt" !!
The "kaaba"/base would be "al-bayt al-haram" as per 597. Potentially there could be multiple "al-bayt al-haram" for the multiple "al-masjid al-haram" suggested by 2196, and each "al-bayt al-haram" would be the "kaaba"/base for that particular province or geographical area. The hajj/debate however would always be at the FIRST BAYT at Bakkah.
Alternatively, the word "first" in 396-97 implies that there could be other "bayt". There could, therefore, be multiple "bayt" in multiple geographical areas, and each "bayt" could be "al-bayt al-haram" and the "kaaba"/base for that area. There would, therefore, be multiple hajj/debate in multiple "al-bayt al-haram" all over the world.
What do you think ? I have to research this concept by studying the occurrence of "bayt" and "al-bayt al-haram" in all verses of the qur'aan.
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Peace brother Wakas,
literal translation
al masjid al haram ~ the implementation of acknowledging/recognising the restrictionAnother point that I missed mentioning in my last post is that the terms "acknowledging/recognizing" may not represent the wider meaning of "sujud" including the actual obedience or submission.
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Peace brother Wakas,
if one goes through the occurrences of the phrase ~"al haqq min rabb" in 'the reading' it usually (always?) refers to the scripturere/writ. taking this into account, a stronger link is formed by the use of 'al kitab' in 2144.
In addition to "al-masjid al-haram" being the main subject in 2144, the same phrase ~"al haqq min rabb..." is repeated and stressed in 2149 where only "al-masjid al-7aram" is mentioned and there is no mention of the book. This makes it almost certain to be referring to "al-masjid al-haram".
Peace and all best wishes,
Ayman
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Al-masjid al-haram is off limits to the idolaters per 928 but al-bayt al-haram is for the entire mankind (2226-27), so they cannot be the same thing.
tanveermd wrote
928 O you who believe, those who have set up partners are impure, so let them not approach al-masjid al-haram after this year of theirs; and if you fear poverty, then God will enrich you from His blessings if He wills. God is Knowledgeable, Wise.2226 And We have appointed to Abraham the location of the Sanctuary "Do not set up anyone with Me, and purify My Sanctuary for those who will partake, and those who will enforce, and those who kneel and prostrate."
2227 And call out to mankind with the hajj/debate, they will come to you walking and on every transport, they will come from every deep enclosure.ur conclusion that al-masjid al-haram and al-bayt-al-haram cannot be the same thing, as far as those 2 verses are concerned, seems to be a bit shaky! 928 puts the masjidalharam off-limits for those who associate with god! 2226 clearly sets the rules for the sanctuary do not set up anyone with god and so on! 2227 tells adam to call from humankind those who meet the criteria of not associating with god!
furthermore, 2225 also says the same thing about masjidalharam which u have claimed as being exclusive to baytulharam being for 'entire' annas!
925 Surely (as for) those who disbelieve, and hinder (men) from Allah's way and from the Sacred Mosque which We have made equally for all men, (for) the dweller therein and (for) the visitor, and whoever shall incline therein to wrong unjustly, We will make him taste of a painful chastisement.
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ur conclusion that al-masjid al-haram and al-bayt-al-haram cannot be the same thing, as far as those 2 verses are concerned, seems to be a bit shaky! 928 puts the masjidalharam off-limits for those who associate with god! 2226 clearly sets the rules for the sanctuary do not set up anyone with god and so on! 2227 tells adam to call from humankind those who meet the criteria of not associating with god!
2226 says that the location of the house is "do not setup any partner" (2nd person singular). So this is addressed to Abraham (who is establishing the house) NOT to the people who will visit. On the other hand, in 2227 the call is made to the entire humankind (plural).
The passage makes it clear that the only requirement for the location of the house is that it is established by someone who doesn't setup partners. Clearly, this is not a particular location but any location where this criterion is met.
furthermore, 2225 also says the same thing about masjidalharam which u have claimed as being exclusive to baytulharam being for 'entire' annas!
925 Surely (as for) those who disbelieve, and hinder (men) from Allah's way and from the Sacred Mosque which We have made equally for all men, (for) the dweller therein and (for) the visitor, and whoever shall incline therein to wrong unjustly, We will make him taste of a painful chastisement.
There is never any command telling certain people not to come near the restriction house. On the other hand, in 928, you will see the following related to "al-masjid al-haram"
- O you who had faith, those who set up partners are pollution so they do not come near the institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden after this year of theirs. And if you fear neediness, The God will enrich you from His favor if He willed, indeed The God is knowledgeable, wise.
One possible understanding is that "after this year of theirs" in 928 indicates that those who setup partners were previously allowed to come near the institute of hearing and obeying the restriction ("al-masjid al-7aram" as per 2225.
Also, another consideration is the verb "yaqrabu". I think that its meaning needs to be more carefully studied. 7114 makes it clear that the word "muqaraboon" can be used to signify not merely "come near" but "being one of those with influence or one of the political decision makers". So a better understanding is that "al-masjid al-7aram" is made for all people but those who setup partners cannot have influence on it or be the decision makers about it. This would be consistent with the function of al-masjid al-7aram".
Peace,
Ayman
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Salaams All,Aymaan,
believe it or not masjid isn't a physical place.
2225
As to those who have rejected (Allah), and would keep back (men) from the Way of Allah, and from the Sacred Mosque, which We have made (open) to (all) men - equal is the dweller there and the visitor from the country - and any whose purpose therein is profanity or wrong-doing - them will We cause to taste of a most Grievous Penalty.A Better Trans
2225
As for those who have rejected (Allah), and would KEEP BACK (men) From the way of Allah, And from avoiding of the forbidden Which we have classed as evil - those set in their ways and those who are occasional and whoever inclines respecting it with opposition or to do wrong will we cause to taste from a torment painful.The way of Allah ?all the good things is in the quran and the forbidden things are listed throughout the quran as well.
God Bless.
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- O you who had faith, those who set up partners are pollution so they do not come near the institution of hearing and obeying the forbidden after this year of theirs. And if you fear neediness, The God will enrich you from His favor if He willed, indeed The God is knowledgeable, wise.
One possible understanding is that "after this year of theirs" in 928 indicates that those who setup partners were previously allowed to come near the institute of hearing and obeying the restriction ("al-masjid al-7aram" as per 2225.
Also, another consideration is the verb "yaqrabu". I think that its meaning needs to be more carefully studied. 7114 makes it clear that the word "muqaraboon" can be used to signify not merely "come near" but "being one of those with influence or one of the political decision makers". So a better understanding is that "al-masjid al-7aram" is made for all people but those who setup partners cannot have influence on it or be the decision makers about it. This would be consistent with the function of al-masjid al-7aram".
I agree.
You might also consider the following verses
It is not for such as join gods with Allah, to maintain AAmuroo the mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls to infidelity. The works of such bear no fruit In Fire shall they dwell. The mosques of Allah shall be maintained yaAAmuru by such as believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity, and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance. Do ye make the giving of drink to pilgrims, or the maintenance AAimarata of the Sacred Mosque, equal to (the pious service of) those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and strive with might and main in the cause of Allah? They are not comparable in the sight of Allah and Allah guides not those who do wrong.
Maybe al masjid al haram was a place where people met to make business, to pray and do rituals, and where political decisions (like hunting restrictions) were taken between all tribes. Theses decisions were consecrated by being done in the names of Allah and the idols people associated to it.
Then God told the muslim that they should administer al masjid al haram, in order that the decisions should be taken in the name of Allah only (and by the light of its message).
That's why al masjid al haram became a symbol of true monotheism put into action.Peace
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ayman wrote
2226 says that the location of the house is "do not setup any partner" (2nd person singular). So this is addressed to Abraham (who is establishing the house) NOT to the people who will visit. On the other hand, in 2227 the call is made to the entire humankind (plural).even though the call is made to the entire humankind the target audience is quite evident in the next verse itself...those who are called to the house are done so to remember the name of god...so quite evidently those who asscoiate with god are excluded!
what do u mean by 'location' of the house is "do not setup any partner"?
ayman wrote
There is never any command telling certain people not to come near the restriction house. On the other hand, in 928, you will see the following related to "al-masjid al-haram"that is because u are viewing masjidalharam and baytalharam as distinct! still...let's look at the 2226 to get a clearer picture...
And (remember) when We prepared for Abraham the place of the (holy) House, saying Ascribe thou no thing as partner unto Me, and purify My House for those who make the round (thereof) and those who stand and those who bow and make prostration.
circumambulate this house....why?...because it is a sign from god...see 396-97...so that makes believing in god a condition!
again....so that they stand bow and prostrate....to whom?...god!
and yeah...clear verses as to who are to be called to baytalharam
22 30 Such (is the Pilgrimage) whoever honours the sacred rites of Allah, for him it is good in the Sight of his Lord. Lawful to you (for food in Pilgrimage) are cattle, except those mentioned to you (as exception) but shun the abomination of idols, and shun the word that is false,-
2231 Being upright for Allah, not associating aught with Him and whoever associates (others) with Allah, it is as though he had fallen from on high, then the birds snatch him away or the wind carries him off to a far-distant place.
the verses keep speaking of god...quite evidently those who believe in god are to be called to the house of god...so v have the same restriction which we have for masjidalharam being enforced for baytalharam...no reason to believe they are distinct!
ayman wrote
One possible understanding is that "after this year of theirs" in 928 indicates that those who setup partners were previously allowed to come near the institute of hearing and obeying the restriction ("al-masjid al-7aram" as per 2225.not necessarily...as faith was 'lost' they simply changed their practise even as they frequented the house....it does not mean they were previously allowed even as they associated (with god)...but now that a messenger has come and faith was 'renewed' and the believers have taken custody of the kabah...those who associate with god are not to be allowed therein!
- But what plea have they that Allah should not punish them, when they keep out (men) from the sacred Mosque - and they are not its guardians? No men can be its guardians except the righteous; but most of them do not understand.
so in either case we get the same rules for masjidalharam and baytalharam and lack of reason to believe they are distinct!
####### peace
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simple wrote
believe it or not masjid isn't a physical place.a masjid would be a place for sujood....physical...but does not have to be a building constructed according to a certain construction!
simple wrote
As for those who have rejected (Allah), and would KEEP BACK (men) From the way of Allah, And from avoiding of the forbidden Which we have classed as evil - those set in their ways and those who are occasional and whoever inclines respecting it with opposition or to do wrong will we cause to taste from a torment painful.where did u get the 'avoiding' from in 'avoiding of the forbidden'?
