By: Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد بن وحيد

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد

All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.

Internet is reported to contain about two billion pages (documents) along with a considerable number of pages about religions. There is no religion in the history of mankind that is bashed more than Islaam and there is no other single person in the history of mankind who has more revered by his followers and attacked by his foes in the history of mankind than Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. This love and hate saga have been going on simultaneously 24/7/365 since the advent of Islaam. Enemies of Islaam have failed to eradicate Islaam and/or its followers since it advent, but have failed each time. But the Christians have taken it on their heart rather examining the facts and following the truth, thus, we can describe the real situation in the following words:

Christianity’s own defeat i.e. political, intellectual, spiritual, social and moral at the hands of Islaam.
The spread of Islaam and its acceptance even by its avowed enemies because of Islaam’s spiritual superiority and simplicity of its creed.
The unalloyed purity of Glorious Qur’aan and its denunciation of the prevalent Christian creeds and dogmas, which is a stolen shroud of dead and decaying paganism through which Christians steeped themselves into an abysmal immorality.

The state of Islaamic education became deplorable and later vanished after the arrival of aggressive missionary colonialism in Muslim lands. The Christian occupiers knew precisely where the Muslim Ummah was most vulnerable and so they began to put in place educational programs and institutions for colonizing Muslims’ minds and changing their ideas to conform their own interests and worldview. Even after liberation from colonization we still see overwhelming presence and influence of Christian missionary activities in Muslim lands sponsored and protected by USA and other Western governments with the sole emphasis on education to make Muslim minds and Muslim lands Islaam proof. Beside this there is another organized open and covert onslaught against Islaamic teachings, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Glorious Qur’aan, for which Internet plays an important role. There are countless people who visit 24/7/365 websites on the Internet like a drive {browse} through of information (based on their whims or liking rather than the truth). And these websites have become like a fast food restaurant (of information) with a slogan “like the way you like it.” Sad part is that there are considerable numbers of Muslims who sincerely follow this daily ritual of self-inflicted ignorance contrary to the teachings of Glorious Qur’aan لِقَوُمٍ يَّتَفَكَّرُونَ (For people who think).

Having said that let us examine Surah An-Najm (for English translation click here and for transliteration click here) of Glorious Qur’aan since the enemies of Islaam have exploited to fuel the negativity by taking couple of Ayaat out of context from this Surah and have made a cock-and-bull story for their own cock-a-hoop. It certainly enhance their pleasure when naïve and/or ignorant Muslim fall for it or some pseudo-Muslim websites like answering-christianity.com, mostmerciful.com and many other defeatist websites who deliberately publish inadequate responses helping Christian missionaries to succeed under the pretext of responding and/or refuting. The websites have sole mission of collecting donations and appearing on the website “answering-islam.” Thus, in order to achieve this goal these websites publish the most dumbest and inadequate responses. Nevertheless, to spread an absurd story about alleged “Satanic Verses” English translations of the following Ayaat have been used:

Glorious Qur’aan 53:19-22
Glorious Qur’aan 17:73-75
Glorious Qur’aan 22:52-53
Glorious Qur’aan 16:101

At this point readers must know that in order to interpret the Glorious Qur’aan (Science of Exegesis) following are inevitable prerequisites' sources:

1. Glorious Qur’aan itself.

2. Prophetic Traditions.

3. Athar {Saying of the Companions}.

4. Saying of the followers of the Companions

5. Expertise in Arabic and/or Arabic Lexicon.

6. Common Sense

In the interpretive process in dealing with rules and conditions of Qur’aanic exegesis or commentary following four aspects must be observed:

1. The aspect pertaining to the knowledge and understanding of Arabic usage;

2. The aspect which no one is excused through ignorance;

3. The aspect know by the “Ulema”;

4. The aspect known only by Allaah.

Briefly the interpretive process may be divided into thee types: (1) Close or plausible interpretation {ta’wil qarib} (2) Remote interpretation {ta’wil ba’id} (3) Far-fetched interpretation {ta’wil mustab’ad} Almost all the English translations of Glorious Qur’aan are done by non-Muslims and are classic example of # 3 i.e. Far-fetched interpretation {ta’wil mustab’ad}, which enemies of Islaam love to quote/use to mislead people.

Remote interpretation requires a far greater degree of pondering and probing into the substance of a text. An example of this is the deduction (istinbat) of Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنه from the following Qur’aanic Ayaat that the minimum period of human pregnancy is six months.

Far-fetched interpretation cannot be construed from the text itself and the interpreter does not possess any shred of evidence to support his/her interpretation. Again, all non-Muslim English translations of Glorious Qur’aan falls under this category including some English translations done by Muslims. The reason for this elaboration is to make readers aware that English translations that are used by enemies of Islaam to attack Islaam are (a) not the Qur’aan itself (b) Any translation cannot be used being word of man to question and/or attack Islaam and the Word of God {Allaah} (3) Almost al English translators does not even come close to be an acceptable source of translation let alone an authority. Let us now get back to issue in hand i.e. Surah An-Najm,

The Surah An-Najm takes it name from the very first Ayaah {53:1}, it was revealed in the 11^th year of the Prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Surah An-Najm is one of the four Surahs (Suwar) that open with an Oath taken by things. These four Surahs (Suwar) are Surah As-Saffat {Chapter 37}, Surah Ad-Dhariyat {Chapter 51} and Surah At-Tur {Chapter 52} Surah An-Najm {Chapter 53}.

After taking the Oath, Tauheed {توحيد} is emphasized in Surah As-Saffat {Chapter 37}. Resurrection and Requital is emphasized in Surah Ad-Dhariyat {Chapter 51}. The chastisement of the disbelievers is emphasized in Surah At-Tur {Chapter 52}. The truthfulness of the Prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم along with the revelation of Glorious Qur’aan is emphasized in Surah An-Najm {Chapter 53}.

Surah An-Najm issues a stern warning to the Arab mushrikeen مشركين who worshipped the three female idols names Al-Lat, Al-Uzza and Manat is three different parts of Arabia. The Surah an-Najm instructs the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم not to waste his time and energy on the proven infidels who have rejected his Da’wah. Surah an-Najm also reiterates the teachings of the scriptures revealed to Prophet Ibraheem عليه السلام and Musa عليه السلام to prove that it is the same Truth, which has been revealed in the Glorious Qur’aan. Surah An-Najm concludes on a note that the warnings given to the infidels in the Da’wah of the Glorious Qur’aan are just the same as in all the previous Divine scriptures and none can avert the forthcoming Resurrections and the Requital. Thus, if we are to take the fancies’ of the enemies of Islaam, then it is inevitable to exclude the Book of Ibraheem عليه السلام and Tawrat of Musa عليه السلام.

Ayaat 19:25 have condemned the Arab pagans who worshipped the three female idols Al-Lat, Al-Uzza and Manat regarding them as goddesses. They were told to ponder over their folly of naming their idols as females sharing Allaah’s attributes. This was nothing but a surmise and wishful thinking on their part that these idols would guide them and help them in this world. They were absolutely wrong in rejecting the true guidance of the Glorious Qur’aan sent to them by Allaah unto Whom belongs the Hereafter and the present.

Readers must notice that the theme and thought is completed in Ayaat 17:73-77, in which Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was advised to stick to his mission in spite of the tremendous efforts of the disbelievers to tempt him away from the right way of Tauheed توحيد revealed to him. Had Allaah not strengthened Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, he might have inclined to them a little. But Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم remained steadfast in his Da’wah because of Allaah’s succour to him. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was consoled that if the disbelievers were ever able to compel him to emigrate, they would not be allowed to remain there much longer because Allaah does not change His Sunnah. Injecting Ayaat 17:73-75 in their absurd claim is another proof that the enemies of Islaam have not only deliberately distorted the truth, but they are stupid as well for the reasons cited below.

The alleged claim made by the enemies of Islaam, is that Satan made Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to say such and such {ref 53:19-22}…. Satan is singular (single entity) whereas the Ayaah 17:73 says {they were about to}, notice that it is plural referring to Arab pagan of Makkah not Satan.
The theme and message of Surah Al-Isra (Chapter 17) is poles apart from Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53) without any contextual co-relations

Another reference used by the enemies of Islaam is Ayaat 22:52-53, but the Ayaat 52-54 contain the theme and thought. This, again, shows the ignorance and stupidity of the enemies of Islaam.

This reference (Ayaat 22:52-53) is the most self-defeating quote enemies of Islaam have used. This is another proof that there is no crookedness, discrepancy, or falsehood in the Glorious Qur’aan {Also see 4:82; 18:1; 39:28 and 41:42}. And Glorious Qur’aan increases the disbelievers in their disbelief, insolence and aversion {also see 5:64; 5:68; 17:41; 17:82 and 17:89}. By using these Ayaat as their source enemies of Islaam have contradicted them and furnished evidence against them.

The last reference used by the enemies of Islaam is Glorious Qur’aan 16:101 which in fact, is about the abrogation of the (Tawrat, Zaboor and Injeel) etcetera and has nothing to do with the absurd claim made by the enemies of Islaam.

Often enemies of Islaam use some Islaamic sources like Ibn Jarir (Al-Tabari) or else, knowing the fact that most Muslims,

Don’t possess books
Don’t understand Arabic
Don’t have knowledge
May consider their reference to be true (that is not always the case)

In Tafsir Ibn Jarir (by Allamah Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari died in 310 A.H.), he is a highly rated commentator (Muffasir) and Muhaddith (expert of Hadeeth) and historian. In brief, readers must know that narrations of all sorts, sound and weak have found a place in his commentary, because of this not every narration presented by al-Tabari can be relied upon. In reality, Al-Tabari was aiming through his commentary to collect and compile all narrations that could become available to him, so that this collected material could be put to use later on. Conceded is the fact that he has given the chain of reporters along with each narration so that whoever wished to investigate into the chain of narrators could do so and decide for himself if the narrations are true of false.