Fatwas: Part Sixteen

Issued by: Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Obligatory vs. Optional

Published in August 4, 2014

Question: … Are all Quranic commands obligatory and we must apply or perform them? Or are some obligatory and some are optional?  …  Thank you for your time …  

Answer:

  In our opinion, there are Quranic commands that are not obligatory such as follows: "Eat and pasture your livestock. In that are signs for those with understanding." (20:54); "It is He who made the earth manageable for you, so travel its regions, and eat of His provisions. To Him is the Resurgence." (67:15). There are Quranic commands that are not obligatory but God makes them optional and urging us to do it, but those who do not do it are NOT sinners at all, such as follows: "And wed the singles among you, and those who are fit among your servants and maids. If they are poor, God will enrich them from His bounty. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (24:32), we read here that God urges men to marry widows and urges all people to marry their bondsmen/bondswomen to free them, while promising to enrich them with His bounty if they are poor; if people do not do this, it is OK, and they are not sinners. The same urging to marry widows is repeated in 4:3 to care for orphans. In contrast, there are Quranic commands that are obligatory and those who do not apply them are deemed sinners, such as follows: the command to fast in 2:183 and the command to preserve and not to confiscate inheritance money of orphans and giving it to them when they grow up : "And give orphans their properties, and do not substitute the bad for the good. And do not consume their properties by combining them with yours, for that would be a serious sin." (4:2). In some cases, the obligatory and optional commands are combined in one context: "Give women their dowries graciously. But if they willingly forego some of it, then consume it with enjoyment and pleasure." (4:4); "… give them their dowry-a legal obligation. You commit no error by agreeing to any change to the dowry …" (4:24). This means that it is obligatory for men to pay dowry for women whom they are marrying, and it is OK if one's wife would give her husband some of that money later on if she wishes to do it; this is optional for her, as per 4:4. The obligatory and optional commands are combined in 2:187 as well: one may have sex with one's spouse in nights of Ramadan, but this is optional and not obligatory; but eating and drinking during nights of Ramadan are obligatory and fasting during days from dawn to sunset is obligatory; besides, abstaining from sex with one's spouse is commanded as obligatory while one is in retreat at the mosques. Of course, all obligatory commands and all prohibitions are on the same level of obeying God and His sharia legislations.     

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Guide Them to Our Website

Published in March 15, 2015

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I'm an Algerian Quranist who lives in Spain, and I would like to contact you via this short message and tell you how grateful I am … I've read your entire archive and I like very much your logic and your following the Quran in all your views … I converted to Quranism and I've begun to think I should preach my friends of Arab origin to lead them to true Islam … Shall I do this really, or talk about it only when occasion arises? Any advice? … God bless you …      

Answer:

  You are always welcome to our website; thank you and God bless you. The only thing you have to do (and this would be more than enough) is to guide your friends to our website and urge them to read our archive and express their opinion.  

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One's Folks On the Day of Resurrection

Published in August 9, 2015

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Thank you for intellectual endeavor to preach real Islam … May God reward you in Heaven … I respect you and admire your school of thought very much … I wish to goodness that you have your archive translated into French for the benefit of francophone countries … So many will be interested in Quranism there, I assure you … I try to give your website to all people I know in my town … My question is as follows: if I enter Paradise, shall I meet my late mother? What about the rest of my family members? Can you give me a Quranist answer? … Thank you …      

Answer:

  God bless you and reward you for your peaceful striving to spread news about our Quranism website. Thank you for your kind words and sentiments. As for your question, we assert here that in this life, one may sacrifice everything, even one's life, to save one's loved ones. In contrast, the fright one will feel during the Last Day cannot be imagined; its enormity will make each of us think only to save one's neck, even if this entails sacrificing all of our loved ones.

1- Upon dying in one's bed, one's folks will be surrounding the dying one and will be unable to move death away from the dying person whose soul is leaving the body: "So when it has reached the throat. As you are looking on. We are nearer to it than you are, but you do not see. If you are not held to account. Then bring it back, if you are truthful." (56:83-87). If the dying person is a bad sinner among losers, he/she will tell angels of death to have another chance after wasting one's lifetime: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100).  

2- No one is going to pay heed to one's folks or loved ones during the Last Day: "When the Horn is blown, no relations between them will exist on that Day, and they will not ask after one another." (23:100).

3- People on the Last Day will flee from their folks and loved ones: "The Day when a person will flee from his brother. And his mother and his father. And his consort and his children. Every one of them, on that Day, will have enough to preoccupy him." (80:34-37).

4- The criminals/sinners will desire on the Last Day to sacrifice all their folks and loved ones to avoid their entering Hell: "They will be shown each other. The criminal wishes he would be redeemed from the punishment of that Day by his children. And his spouse, and his brother. And his family that sheltered him. And everyone on earth, in order to save him." (70:11-14).

5- Hell dwellers will curse one another: "And he said, "You have chosen idols instead of God, out of affection for one another in the worldly life. But then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will disown one another, and curse one another. Your destiny is Hell, and you will have no saviors."" (29:25).

6- Paradise dwellers will be loved ones and intimate friends and they will not hate one another even if some of them did during their lifetime: "But the righteous will be in gardens with springs. "Enter it in peace and security." And We will remove all ill-feelings from their hearts-brothers and sisters, on couches facing one another." (15:45-47).

7- Paradise dwellers can see and talk to Hell dwellers without being harmed and without entering it: "Then they will approach one another, questioning. One of them will say, "I used to have a friend. Who used to say, "Are you of those who believe? That after we die and become dust and bones, we will be called to account?" He will say, "Will you have a look?" He will look, and will see him in the pit of Hell. He will say, "By God, you almost ruined me. Were it not for the grace of my Lord, I would have been among the arraigned."" (37:50-57).

8- Paradise dwellers might see their folks in Paradise only if these folks deserve to enter Paradise, as per faith and deeds: "Those who believed, and their offspring followed them in faith-We will unite them with their offspring, and We will not deprive them of any of their works. Every person is hostage to what he has earned." (52:21). "This is the supreme triumph. For the like of this let the workers work." (37:60-61). God says nothing but the Truth.   

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You Are Absolutely Right

Published in September 25, 2013

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I would like you to publish this view of mine on your website: Muslims in all eras have committed the fatal mistake of granting sheikhs/imams the exclusive 'right' to interpret the Quran, and those evil authors/sheikhs accused the Quran of being vague and mysterious and that its assumed sole use is to be recited … They caused people to forget about contemplating the essence of the Quran: justice, freedom, peace, and knowledge … They committed the fatal error of making the so-called Sunna hadiths as a primary texts that overruled and supplanted the Quranic verses  … God says that the Quran is clear for all, and we discern that no group should confiscate or appropriate the right of spreading one and sole interpretation of its verses: "… These are the Verses of the Book; a Quran that is clear." (15:1); "… These are the Verses of the Quran-a book that is clear." (27:1).    

Answer:

   You are absolutely right.

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An Unfaithful Wife

Published in April 20, 2013

Question: …  I saw my Dad's wife cheating on him; she has an affair with a male neighbor; I'm quite sure of it … I'm too frightened to tell my Dad because he loves her very much and she controls him totally … If I tell him, I fear he might turn me out of the house … At the same time, I'm worried that the reputation of my sisters would be harmed if I divulge the secret … My stepmother is a very evil woman; she knows I know about her affair and she does not care … What am I supposed to do? … Any advice?    

Answer:

  As long as your unfaithful stepmother goes on in her adulterous relationship, your father will know eventually; it is better that he would know from anyone else apart from you. Let her know that you will not blow the whistle so as not to give her a chance to harm you since she controls your father fully. We discern from your words that you need your father (financially) and this is frightening you of telling him; wait patiently for the revenge of the Dominant Lord. God will punish her severely.   

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Advice by Insulting

Published in September 17, 2013

Question: …  Quranists are merely people with fucked-up sick minds … You separate God and His Holy Messenger; you are infidels and heretic blasphemers … You are a bunch of losers who are apostates who reject Islam and will burn in gyres of Hell-fire like Jews and Christians! … Unless all of you repent and return to Salafism of the forefathers …     

Answer:

  We hope to die and meet God on the Last Day as Quranists, and we hope you remain a Salafist until you die and meet God on the Last Day as one.

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You Are Right, and We Beg your Pardon

Published in September 7, 2011

Question: …  Dear Sir, … You have contradicted yourself; you criticize now the Arab conquests as an unpardonable crime (and I agree wholeheartedly with that) … Yet, in your earlier writings, you talk positively about the Arab conquests, esp. in books such as … … and articles such as … … What have you got to say to defend yourself?! …   

Answer:

     You are right, and we hope to read such email messages from those whose criticism is beneficial to us. We will edit, revise, purge, correct, and modify such views, lines, and/or terminologies in our previous writings that you mention; we have written them in 1980s in Cairo, Egypt, when we used to teach at Al-Azhar University. You should bear in mind that any researcher do not change his/her mind about a topic easily or readily unless after years of thorough research; inherited notions are difficult to remove once and for all or in a matter of days. In the early 1980s and the last years of the 1970s,  90% of our memory still retained terms and notions of the Sunnite religion at the time (and some Sufi ones) and we got rid of them and purified our mind gradually with the passage of years. We thank you very much again for your advice and email message.  

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Gabriel and the Angels

Published in April 7, 2007

Question: … Dear Sir, … I have read something on one of the Salafist websites, and although I do not believe any of it, but I'd like you to comment on it to clarify the truth … How many angels were sent to Mary? One angel (Gabriel) or more? Is there any contradiction on that topic as far as these Quranic verses are concerned, 19:17 and 3:45? Thank you in advance …    

Answer:

  God says in the Quran about Mary: "She screened herself away from them, and We sent to her Our spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel), and He appeared to her as an immaculate human." (19:17); "The Angels said, "O Mary, God gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, well-esteemed in this world and the next, and one of the nearest." (3:45). The Quranic term ''Roh''/Spirit or Holy Spirit means only one thing: the arch-angel Gabriel, who is distinguished among all angels and who is mentioned alone even when talking about them all: "On the Day when the Spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel) and the angels stand in row. They will not speak, unless it be one permitted by the Most Merciful, and he will say what is right." (78:38); "In it descend the angels and the Spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel), by the leave of their Lord, with every command." (97:4). This means that Gabriel is linked to carrying Quranic commands on earth about human beings, as the case when Adam and Jesus were created: "When I have formed him, and breathed into him of My Spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel), fall down prostrating before him."" (15:29); "The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be," and he was." (3:59). God says also the following about Mary and Jesus: "And she who guarded her virginity. We breathed into her of Our Spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel), and made her and her son a sign to the world." (21:91). Because Jesus is linked to Gabriel who made Mary conceive him with the divine command and who helped Jesus in his miracles, one of the titles of Jesus, apart from the Messiah/Christ, is the Roh, as per this verse: "…Jesus, the son of Mary, is the messenger of God, and His Word that He conveyed to Mary, and a Spirit (i.e., Roh) from Him…" (4:171). Gabriel's missions include conveying divine revelation to prophets, and Gabriel descends to earth along with angels: "He sends down the angels with the Spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel) by His command, upon whom He wills of His servants…" (16:2); "…He conveys the Spirit, by His command, upon whomever He wills of His servants…" (40:15). Gabriel conveyed the Quranic revelation to Muhammad: "Say, "Whoever is hostile to Gabriel-it is he who revealed it to your heart by God's leave, confirming what preceded it, and guidance and good news for the believers."" (2:97); "Say, "The Holy Spirit (i.e., Gabriel) has brought it down from your Lord, truthfully, in order to stabilize those who believe, and as guidance and good news for those who submit."" (16:102); "It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. The Honest Spirit (i.e., Gabriel) came down with it.Upon your heart, that you may be one of the warners." (26:192-194). Because the Quran is linked to Gabriel, the Quran is called ''Roh'' as well: "We thus inspired you a Roh by Our command…" (42:52). It is clear that the arch-angel Gabriel moves along with other angels under Gabriel's command; it is a repeated Quranic patterns to associate Gabriel and angels (and sometimes Gabriel alone) with certain actions/missions: "…These-He has inscribed faith in their hearts and has supported them with Spirit (i.e., Roh: Gabriel) from Him.…" (58:22). This is why there is no contradiction at all between the mention of angels in 3:45 and the mention of Gabriel alone in 19:17.    

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Getting Married to People of the Book

Published in January 15, 2017

Question: … Dear Sir, … I shall never understand how come that you assert that a Muslim man can marry a Jewish or a Christian woman and that a Muslim woman can marry a Jewish or a Christian man … Are not all People of the Book polytheists? God prohibits that believers in the Quran would get married to polytheists in 2:221, right? … Could you explain this to me? … Thank you …     

Answer:

  You have not read the entirety of our archive yet; we have repeatedly explained the meanings of Islam(submission) and belief in terms of peaceful behavior regardless of faiths and tenets; all peaceful non-violent people can intermarry as long as they are not carrying weapons and commit heinous crimes; to have the same faith with one's spouse is never part of conditions stipulated for marriage in Islam. All people on earth differ in faiths, and this is judged only and exclusively by God on the Last Day, and NOT by mortals on earth. As for the verse 2:221, it refers to the meaning of polytheism in terms of behavior and not tenets/notions; namely, committing acts of aggression violence, terrorism, etc. Hence, a Muslim can marry any peaceful person among Jews, atheists, Buddhists, Christians, etc. and it is OK. Islam in terms of faith (i.e., There is no God but Allah) is sadly different from one sect of the Muhammadans to the other, but one Quranist can marry a peaceful, non-violent Muhammadan, though they differ in faith as Muhammadans deify mortals and sanctify many books, and this makes them polytheists in terms of faith like Christians and NOT in terms of aggressive behavior. Let us not forget that hypocrites in Yathreb in the 7^th century during Muhammad's lifetime coexisted with real believers, and God did not prohibit intermarriage between both parties. The ones whom no one could marry and one an annul the marriage with them are the aggressive fighters who transgress and commit unwarranted acts of violence; i.e., without the reason of self-defense. If you read carefully and slowly the Quranic Chapter 9 and the Quranic Chapter 60, you will realize that God commands us to deal fairly and kindly with peaceful non-Muslims. Please read on more within our archive; you are still a novice to our website.      

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 Naming People as Raouf and Raheem

Published in May 23, 2007

Question: …  I wanna ask about naming people (or new born babies) after the divine Holy Epithets of God like Raouf (Merciful) and Raheem (Compassionate); is it OK? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   Many of the Holy Epithets of God can be used to describe humans but without the definite article ''the'' such as, a generous man, a thankful woman, a merciful woman, a rich man, etc. This has nothing to do with Holy Epithets using the article ''the'' and capitalization: God is the Generous, the Thankful, the Merciful, and the Rich. Hence, we find that raouf (merciful person) and raheem (compassionate person) are used in the Quran to describe with Muhammad: " There has come to you a messenger from among yourselves, concerned over your suffering, anxious over you. Towards the believers, he is merciful (i.e., raouf) and compassionate (i.e., raheem). " (9:128). Hence, it is OK to name children or new born babies using such names as long as one does not mean to sanctify a mortal or to make a person seems 'holy'.    

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 Hadiths Ascribed to God

Published in October 28, 2014

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, … I really need the link of your old article about refuting the existence of hadiths/narratives ascribed to directly to God, because I wanna convince my friends, but I looked for it in your archive but I could not find it anywhere … Thank you …     

Answer:

  We do not remember the old article you mention, but anyway, ancient scholars and narrators/fabricators of hadiths in their falsehoods divide hadiths into two types: the great part of them (i.e., millions of hadiths) are ascribed to Muhammad and are treated as if they were divine revelation or inspiration to him. The rest of them (i.e., thousands of hadiths) are ascribed to God as if they were a parallel discourse beside the Quran, an most of them are fabricated by Sufis who wanted to preach their notions. Both types are deemed by Quranists as disbelief in the Quran; disbelievers/polytheists adhere to discourses apart from the Quran. Real believers believe only in the Quran as the only true revelation in Islam and only source of it.

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Discourse of Almighty God

Published in September 24, 2015

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Does the belief in the Quran alone as the only source of Islam deemed to be God's only narrative or discourse entails to disbelieve in Torah and Gospel and the rest of scriptures given to previous prophets before Muhammad? … Thank you …    

Answer:

    To believe only in the divine discourse (the Quran) include to believe in all verses in it uttered by God; He tells us in the Quranic text that there was previous scriptures given to other prophets and we have to believe in them and in the fact that they existed, even if they do not exist now, that the Quran replaces all such scriptures, and that both the Quran and previous scriptures contain the same clear, one message of (There is no God but Allah). Faith tenets in Islam includes to believe within one's heart in God, and that His messengers/prophets, His Scriptures, and His angels exist. "The messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, as did the believers. They all have believed in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord. To you is the destiny."" (2:285).     

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DNA Tests and Proving One's Fatherhood

Published in April 30, 2011

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I know a friend of mine who is consumed with doubt about his wife being faithful to him or not … This friend is beginning to doubt that he is actually the biological father of his two sons; he seem to think that they are the children of an assumed lover of his wife, but he has no proofs to accuse her of adultery yet … This friend is asking you if it is OK in Islam to use DNA tests to make sure about his being the father of the two sons … What would he do if tests done, without his wife knowing, would prove that the sons are not his? What about inheritance issues and so on? … Can he still raise the sons as though they were his own, as he loves them very much? Can they still be carrying his name? … What do you think? … Thank you …   

Answer:

  God prohibits adoption that includes giving one's name to children of others; adoption while children are keeping their original names and surnames of their father(s) is allowed: "… Nor did He make your adopted sons, your actual sons. These are your words coming out of your mouths. God speaks the truth, and guides to the path. Call them after their fathers; that is more equitable with God. But if you do not know their fathers, then your brethren in faith and your friends …" (33:4-5). In case the biological father is anonymous or unknown, the children is like brothers and belongs to a  certain family/tribe without carrying surnames of any one or any caretaker. It is perfectly harmless and it is OK to use DNA tests with or without the wife knowing it, in the case of your friend. If he made sure that the two sons are not his, they must change their birth certificates and they shall never carry his name at all and will not inherit him. they must carry the names of their biological father(s) if known.     

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About Abou Lahab

Published in January 2, 2017

Question: … Were evil people destined to be so? Why are they judged, then?… I'm referring here to Abou Lahab (who some historians claim he was the paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad) destined to Hell as per the Quranic Chapter 111 … Or the name is referring to someone else? … Could you please explain this issue further? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  No one is destined to be evil or good; apart from the four inevitable fates (one's being born, one's death, one's calamities, and one's earnings or share in life [e.g., air, food, drink, money, health, etc.]), everything else is based on personal choice: people choose freely to obey or disobey God, to believe or to disbelieve, to commit evil or perform good deeds, etc.  Such freedom is linked to two facts: 1- some of the four fates are sometimes linked to human interference: (one earns money by effort; one might get killed by someone, etc.), and 2- no human beings know the future of things unknown: e.g. murderers commit premeditated murders based on their choice; they were not destined to kill, and they are responsible for their action. What is predestined is that the person who got killed was destined to die in a certain place and moment. As for the name/term Abou Lahab in the Quran, it literally means (the father of fire-flames), and this might indicate any evil person dwelling in Hell forever after the Last Day or it might mean the title given to a certain historical figure who was purportedly one of the paternal uncles of Muhammad, as some historians claim. Let assume that historians are right; this man, whom some call Abou Lahab, has freely chosen to be a disbeliever and he remained as such till he died. If he heard the verses in the Quranic Chapter 111, why did he not pretend or feign to convert to Islam to prove this Chapter wrong? This man did not make an effort even to prove the Quran wrong, and he disbelieved in the Quran and in God, and he, as historians claim, spared no efforts in causing every physical harm to Muhammad. God knows the future because He is Omniscient; If the Quranic Chapter 111 refers to a certain person, then God knows he would remain a disbeliever, based on his free choice, until he is dead. This makes us draw the useful lesson about the responsibility that follows our choices and stances. Tyrants when advised and preached by anyone, they imprison preachers and advisers. When preaching to clergymen, they will declare preachers as infidels or heretics. When preaching to religious/Wahabi terrorists, they will kill preachers. All such groups (tyrants, clergymen, and terrorists) choose freely to commit their crimes and they might die without repentance and face their inevitable fate in the Afterlife. Freedom comes along with responsibility.          

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Abou Lahab in History  

Published in April 6, 2011

Question: …  If there was really a historical figure called Abou Lahab (some historians assume he was one of the paternal uncles of Prophet Muhammad), why he did not convert to Islam to prove the Quranic Chapter 111 wrong, for instance? … Was he destined before being born to be a disbeliever in God? why is he punished then?  … This is a complicated issue; could you explain it to me in a way as simple as possible? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   Omniscience of God regarding past, present, and future events does NOT mean interfering in human will and freedom of choice. If indeed there was a historical figure named Abou Lahab (but we tend to think that the Quranic Chapter 111 is a symbolic story of evil men and women entering Hell), God knows he will choose to remain a disbeliever and an evil wrongdoer all his lifetime till he dies; he never cared about the Quran at all. Reaching an old age, seldom any man changes his stances, attitudes, and attitudes; for instance, Mubarak who is over the age of 80 now can hardly repent and return billions money stolen from Egyptian people to the Egyptian Treasury; he goes on within the route of evil and ill-gotten money until the end: " The worst of animals to God are the deaf and dumb-those who do not reason.  Had God recognized any good in them, He would have made them hear; and had He made them hear, they would have turned away defiantly." (8:22-23). Hence, Mubarak for instance has chosen to be stubborn and will not listen to the voice of Truth in the Quran. God does not guide those who wish to remain unguided. Indeed, in all eras, one find examples of people that prove the Quran true regarding how the Quranic text describes types of people. Other tyrants do not repent and so are clergymen of the Shiites, Sufis, and Sunnites. Repentance include declaring the truth in public and making amends in every possible way, after deceiving people with falsehoods for decades. Hence, there were – and are – many likes of Abou Lahab past and present; it is a symbol of those stubborn people who adhere to falsehoods till they die, and their wealth will be of no use to them upon dying: "His wealth did not avail him, nor did what he acquired." (111:2).       

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The Sister of Aaron

Published in January 17, 2014

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, … Can you explain to me why in the verse 19:28 God describes Mary as the sister of Aaron though the era of Aaron, brother of Moses, was centuries before Mary was born? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   God says in the Quran about people blaming Mary as she came carrying her baby: "O sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, and your mother was not a whore."" (19:28). That centuries have passed between the era of Moses and Aaron and the era of Jesus and Mary is discerned very clear from the Quranic text. The verse 19:28 indicates many things; Mary might have been a descendant of Aaron and his tribe, or that the Israelites used to love the lenient Aaron in contrast to his furious brother Moses who used to rebuke them severely, and they inherited this reverence and love to Aaron and used his name to praise or blame certain persons who were as pious and lenient as Aaron.    

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We Need to Contact You

Published in November 1, 2009

Question: …  Peace be with you, Dr. Mansour … God bless and protect you for all your intellectual endeavors or the sake of true Islam … I can no longer bear it to keep in touch with you via email exclusively, and I need to talk to you face to face via Skype or any other program  of video chat … We can arrange a certain time that suits you and fits the time in my country … I need to talk to you directly and listen to your voice … Thank you     

Answer:

  Thank you dear brother, but we apologize sincerely for having no time to contact anyone by chat or video-conference or Skype, even our family members in Egypt. We hope you would accept our apology and keep in touch only via email. Thank you again and accept our sincere wishes for your health and happiness.

    Signature: Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour.   

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Scriptures and Religion of Abraham

Published in April 22, 2007

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Why scriptures of  Abraham are lost and no one in the Levant or in Arabia inherited and preserved it for us? Why then the Quran commands us to follow the religion of Abraham? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  God in the Quran refers to scripture of Moses and Abraham in 87:19, and ideas from them are mentioned in the Quranic Chapter 87 and the Quranic Chapter 53. You have to know that he Quran is replacing and supplanting all other previous scriptures revealed by God to other prophets and that God preserves the Quran as His final message to the world until the end of days. Earlier scriptures are not part of sharia laws and legislations for Quran-believing people; the Quran is their only source of guidance. As for the religion of Abraham; it differed from a book/scripture; rather, it is the acts of worship: prayers, fasting, and especially regarding pilgrimage to the Kaaba. Both Abraham and Ishmael implored the Lord to show them their rituals; see 2:128. Arabs in Arabia inherited such acts of worship from Abraham and Ishmael, but distortions occurred in later eras, and the Quran corrects such distortions, and it replaces all earlier scriptures; we refer you to our books published on our website about pilgrimage and prayers in relation to Abraham and the Quran.       

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They Are Not Quranists

Published in July 8, 2009

Question: …  Peace be with you, Dr. Mansour … Why I cannot register an account with a password to log in as a Quranist writer on your Quranism website?   …  Another important question is as follows: some people online on other websites claim to be Quranists and they claim that daily prayers are three and not five as we know … They claim that they have concluded this from the Quranic text … What do you think? Can you refute them …    

Answer:

  We will open registration and making accounts soon enough, for those who deserve to become real writers who will add to our website. Those who deny the five daily prayers and want to make them three are not Quranists like ourselves; they are enemies of the Quran as they are adamant in rejecting it and distorting the meanings of its verses. We have refuted their claims in many articles and we refer you to our book on prayers. Everyone is free regarding their beliefs, and all of us will see how God will settle our differences and disputes in faiths and beliefs on the Last Day.    

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A Stubborn Atheist

Published in January 14, 2016

Question: …  An atheist online within an anti-religious website has mocked the Quranic verse 29:41 … He ridicules the fact that within this verse, the spider (a masculine word in Arabic language) is mentioned as female … This atheist is trying to undermine the Quran and claim it is filled with mistakes related to Arabic grammar … How can we, as Quranists, refute his silly ideas? What do you think of 29:41? … Thank you for your time …    

Answer:

  We have mentioned many times before in many articles that the Quran has nothing to do with grammatical rules of the Arabic tongue formulated in the Abbasid Era. The atheist person you told us about is a dumb jack-ass who refuses to read our Quranism website; we have written that the verse 29:41 is referring to a miraculous aspect never known in the 7^th century, this proving the fact that the Quran is never man-made but it is the Word of God: female spiders and indeed all arachnids are the ones that make cobwebs/homes for copulation with male spiders, and male spiders are eaten by female ones after copulation; hence, this male spiders seeking copulation meet their death, and God uses this metaphor to show how those who worship entombed mortals/saints will lose their eternal life though they assume to gain and win blessings by worshipping at mausoleums. Hence, it is perfectly right to refer to the Arabic word for ''spider'' as feminine/female though the word is masculine singular in terms of Arabic grammar. "The likeness of those who take to themselves patron saints/allies other than God is that of the spider as she builds a house. But the most fragile of houses is the spider's house. If they only knew.God knows what they invoke besides Him … These examples-We put them forward to the people; but none grasps them except the learned. " (29:41-43). God says nothing but the Truth.