Causes of Inheritance

Inheritance in the Islamic Sharee‘ah (legislation) has three causes:

• First cause: Marriage

 Ünder Sharee‘ah, marriage refers to the valid marital contract -- even in the absence of meeting in seclusion between the spouses or sexual intercourse between them. Both spouses inherit from each other, so long as the marital contract is in effect between them. For example, if a man divorces his wife and her ‘Iddah 

(post-marriage waiting period) elapses, then there would be no mutual inheritance between them, due to the termination of 
the marriage, which is the cause of inheritance.
However, if he divorces her during his fatal sickness and is accused of having done so with the intention of preventing her from inheritance, in this case, she inherits (her share of) his property even (if he dies) after the conclusion of her ‘Iddah, and even if she gets married to 

another person according to the opinion of some scholars of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), by way of opposing the wrongful husband and nullifying his purpose.
Second cause: Walaa’ (allegiance of an ex-slave to his ex-master)
This is a kind of kinship. If a master frees his slave, a kind of relation called Walaa’ (allegiance) starts to exist between them. It is a favor done by the master to his slave out of his bounty, whereby he brings him out of slavery to freedom.

• Third cause: Real Kinship

Kinship is a connection between two persons by virtue of birth, be it a close or far connection. Évery man or woman with whom one has a connection by birth, no matter how close or far, whether from the side of the father or from the side of the mother, or from the side of both together, is one's kin. This is the strongest cause of inheritance.
The heirs from among the kith and kin are divided into three divisions:
 
1-The ascendants: The deceased's father, grandfather (the father’s father), up to all levels of similar relationships from the side of the father; and the deceased's mother, and grandmother being related to him/her through a male or a female heir.
 
2-The descendants: The deceased's sons and sons of his son down to all levels, and his son's daughter down to all levels of her father.
 
3-Non-ascendant /descendant relations: They are the deceased's siblings;whether they are full or half-brothers or sisters, the male children of his/her full brothers and half-brothers from the side of the father, his paternal uncles who are his father's full brothers, or half-brothers from the side of the father up to all levels, the paternal cousins down to all levels.
These are the three causes of inheritance agreed upon among scholars.

They deserve, in the presence of a sound mind and disposition, to be causes of inheritance. There are other causes which are subject to dispute, as to whether or not they are regarded as causes of inheritance, like Bayt Al-Maal of the Muslims (Muslim treasury), the kith and kin who are not heirs, etc.

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Impediments of Inheritance

Just as there are causes by virtue of which two persons can inherit from each other, there are also impediments that could hinder inheritance between them. Those impediments might be summed up as follows:

• First impediment: Difference in religion

If the deceased follows a religion and the heir follows another religion, the difference in religion between two persons impedes them from inheriting from each other. Such difference in religion takes several forms including:

The deceased is a Muslim and the heir is a disbeliever, say a Jew, a Christian or belonging to any religion of disbelief. In this case, the disbeliever does not inherit from his Muslim relative. There is no difference of opinion over this fact among scholars in general, due to the following Hadeeth (narration): "No Muslim inherits from a disbeliever and no disbeliever 

• inherits from a Muslim."

The deceased is a disbeliever and the heir is a Muslim. In this case, the Muslim should not inherit (from the property of) his disbelieving relative, according to the opinion of the majority of scholars, who base their opinion on the previous Hadeeth.
The deceased is a disbeliever, belonging to a particular religion, and the heir is also a 

disbeliever, but belonging to another religion. In this case, they should not inherit from each other, due to the Hadeeth: "No people belonging to two different religions should inherit from each other."
There are, indeed, juristic differences as to the classification of religion. According to some scholars, disbelief as a whole is regarded as one religion; and according to others, there are three religions (apart from Islam): Judaism is a religion, Christianity is a religion and all other religions are regarded as one religion.

• Second impediment: Killing

Killing is to commit an act that terminates the life of another person. It means that the murderer never inherits from the murdered person. If a son kills his father, he will not be entitled to inherit his property.
It is well known that killing is of different kinds: for instance, the murder with no just cause, the intentional killing, semi-intentional killing, killing by mistake; and killing with just cause (like killing in implementation of legal retribution). However, scholars agree on the fact that 

murder is among the impediments of inheritance, due to the Hadeeth: "The killer has nothing to inherit, and if he (the deceased) has no heir, his heir should be the closest relative to him. The killer inherits nothing." [Abu Daawood]
However, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) as to whether or not some forms of killing could impede the killer from inheriting.

• Third impediment: Slavery

It is the state of being a slave to another. The slave never inherits the property of the free man, since the slave does not possess property.

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Justice and Merits of Islam in the Distribution of Inheritance

People in the time of Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period of ignorance) used to assign the inheritance of the deceased to the eldest among his sons, excluding his young children, and women relatives like daughters, wives, mothers and sisters; or give it to his brother or paternal uncle, under the pretext that the children and women were too powerless to protect the sanctities that should be protected,

 take retaliation, gain booty (from wars) and fight the
enemies. However, Allah The Almighty invalidated this pre-Islamic custom, and assigned to women and children a share of the inheritance of the deceased, and made their share an obligatory right, no matter how little or much the inheritance might be, as shown in His statement (which means):

{For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much -- an obligatory share
{Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two thirds of one's estate. 

And if there is only one, for her is half.
He Says about the inheritance of the mother (what means):
 {But if he had no children and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third. And if he had brothers [or sisters], for his mother is a sixth.} [Quran 4:11]
About the share of the wife, He Says (what means):
 {And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave.


Allah The Almighty accorded inheritance for women in the following way:
One daughter gets half the inheritance
Two or more daughters get two-thirds the inheritance
The mother gets one-third or one-sixth of the inheritance
 The wife gets one-fourth or one-eighth of the inheritance
The half-sister from the side of the mother gets one-sixth
The full sister or the half-sister from the side of the father gets half the inheritance, or half the share of her brother.
 
It must be borne in mind that all of this is accorded them as their right, when they received nothing in the pre-Islamic days of Jaahiliyyah.
Contrast this with the modern era of Jaahiliyyah, which is no better than the ancient Jaahiliyyah in many of its aspects, which gives room to deprive men, women and children of their rightful inheritance, and instead allows the owner of the inheritance to assign his property, which Allah The Almighty made a means of people's sustenance, to animals.
 
The system of inheritance set by Islam is distinguished from all modern human laws of inheritance in that Islam adopts a moderate attitude -- between Communist socialism on one extreme, and capitalism and other similar doctrines that call for complete freedom of a person to dispose of his wealth according to his own whims on the other extreme. Communist socialism, as outlined by Karl Marx, rejects the principle of inheritance, and regards it as an erroneous act that opposes the principles of justice. Thus, it gives nothing to 

the deceased's offspring or next of kin.
Capitalism and its corresponding economic systems, on the contrary, give the owner the full freedom to dispose of his property as he likes. He has the right to deprive all his kith and kin of his inheritance and bequeath it to a stranger, say, a friend or an employee. A man or a woman, in Western societies, even has the right to bequeath the whole or some of his/her 

property to a dog or a cat!
According to the Islamic system, inheritance is obligatory for both the owner of the property and the heir as well. The owner has no right to prevent any of his heirs from receiving his inheritance; and the heir gets his share, with no need for a court judgment. In some systems, the law affirms inheritance only with a court judgment, since in their sight, it is optional and not compulsory to bequeath and receive inheritance.
 
The Islamic system limits the right of inheritance within the sphere of the family. It requires a sound relationship through blood or marital relation, and since Walaa’ (allegiance of an ex-slave to his ex-masters) resembles kinship, it was joined with the categories of kinship. In this way, neither an adopted child, nor a child born out of wedlock has the right to inheritance. Within the limits of the family, the closest of kin, under Islam, is given preference, followed by the next of kin to the deceased.
 
However, in the other systems, the case is quite different. According to the Jews, for example, the heirs are the male sons, and the share of the eldest is equal to the share of two brothers, whether the child is legitimate or illegitimate. Moreover, the eldest son is not deprived of his share even if he is born from an illegitimate marriage.
According to the Western system, a stranger -- like a friend or an employee – is eligible to receive inheritance, and the same applies to the child born out of wedlock.
 
The Islamic system assigns to the young child a share from the inheritance of his father equal to that of his eldest brother. Thus, there is no differentiation between the fetus in the mother's womb and the eldest son in a big family. The Islamic system also does not differentiate between the eldest son and his brothers, as is the case in the corrupted Jewish canon, and the British law. That is because the young children might be in need of money to build their lives, and to meet their living expenses, more than their older brothers who can work and gather for themselves independent property.
 
The Islamic system also assigns a share of the inheritance to women. The mother, wife, daughter, son's daughter, sister, and other women relatives, have definite shares in the inheritance of the deceased, to ensure them an honorable life, free from the humiliation of destitution and mortification of poverty, unlike some systems that deprive the women of inheritance under all circumstances. Some laws previously deprived the wife of inheritance, and she was not given any share in it. In the past, the Jews did not give women any portion of the inheritance.
 
The Islamic system has made 'need' the basic criterion for preference in inheritance. The deceased person’s children need his money more than his father because they are likely to face greater difficulty in fulfilling their requirements, being young and at a stage where they are beginning their life, unlike their grandfather. Moreover, the duties and obligations of the 

son under the Sharee‘ah (legislation) of Islam are more than those of his sister. He is the one required to provide for himself once he reaches the age of maturity, and he is also required to pay his wife her dowry, provide for her and for the children. He is responsible for the expenses of education, medical treatment, clothing…etc. In addition to this, he is required to provide for his father or relatives if they are poor. However, the girl is more likely to have someone to provide for her, and  not the other way round, since she will get married 

and will be the responsibility of her husband.
These are some of the merits that distinguish the inheritance system in Islam from the old and contemporary laws that were legislated by human beings and that keep changing every now and then.

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Refutation of Allegations Raised about the Distribution of Inheritance in Islam

The enemies of Islam have been trying to find fault with the Quran through the verses of inheritance for several centuries. They allege that the Noble Quran gives the female in general, and the wife in particular, half of what it gives to the male in general and the husband in particular, thereby usurping the right of the woman and dealing with her wrongfully. In reply to this malicious allegation we say:

First:The claim that in Islam, the share given from the inheritance to a woman is less than the man, is invalid. Indeed, there are four cases in connection with inheritance where the female's share is equal to or even greater than the male's:
 
1.The first case: When the woman's share is equal to the man's, as it is in the (half) brothers and sisters from the side of the mother, each of whom takes one-sixth, whether they are male or a female, and a group (of more than two) share the third equally, in which the female's share is like the male's.
 
2.The second case: When only the female is the heir, and a cause of preventing the male from inheritance. A typical example is a man/woman who dies and leaves a daughter, a full sister, and a half-brother from the side of the father. The daughter takes half the inheritance, and the full sister the other half, and nothing is given to the half-brother from the side of the father, since he is prevented by the existence of a full sister, although he is a male and she is a female.
 
3.The third case: When a female takes more than what the male takes, such as, when a person dies and leaves a full sister or a half-sister from the side of the father; a mother, a paternal uncle or a half-brother from the side of the mother. In this case, the full sister takes half of the inheritance, the mother the third and the remaining sixth is taken by the paternal uncle or the half-brother from the side of the mother. Although in this case both the sister and the mother are females, the share of each is greater than the male's, i.e., that of the paternal uncle or the half-brother from the side of the mother.
 
4.The fourth case: When a female takes half of what the male takes; this happens in many instances, such as when the inheritors include a daughter along with a son; a son's daughter along with a son's son; a full sister along with a full brother; a half-sister from the side of the father along with a half-brother from the side of the father; the wife's share compared with the husband's: each female in those cases takes half of what the male takes.
What is the wisdom that lies behind this? Does this preference go back to gender or is there another reason lying behind the preference? In reply to these questions, let us say: This preference does not go back to gender, since there are some cases in which the female’s share of inheritance is equal to the male's, and other cases in which her share is greater than the male's, and many cases in which she prevents him from inheritance, as we have previously seen.

Whoever thinks that the shares of the male and female heirs in the Quran are established only on the basis of the difference of gender, i.e., masculinity and femininity, has indeed fallen short of understanding the Quran. That is because the Noble Quran has distributed the shares of heirs on the basis of three criteria:
The degree of kinship between the heirs -- be they males or females -- and the deceased person: The closer the relation between them, the greater the share of inheritance is, regardless of the gender of the heirs.
 
The position of the generation of heirs in the sequence of generations: The young generation, who are at the beginning of their life and getting ready to receive its burdens, have shares of inheritance that are greater than the older generations that are at the end of their life and getting ready to relieve themselves of its burdens, regardless of the gender of the heirs. The daughter of the deceased inherits more than his mother, and both are females; and the daughter inherits more than the deceased's father (i.e., her grandfather), even if she is still an infant and has not seen her father, and even if the father (i.e., her grandfather) is the source of the wealth of the son (her father), from which the daughter alone takes the half. In a similar context, the son inherits more than the father, given that both are males.
 
The financial obligation enjoined by the Islamic Sharee‘ah (legislation) upon the heir: That is the only criterion which raises the difference of gender between the male and the female. However, this difference inflicts neither oppression nor injustice upon the female. On the contrary, it may be that the opposite is true. If the heirs are equal in the degree of kinship, and the position in the sequence of generations, e.g. the deceased's children of males and females, the disparity of financial obligation often is responsible for the disparity of shares of inheritance.
 
This is why this disparity between the male and the female has not been made general to all the heirs (in all cases) in the Noble Quran, but just in some cases. The demands required of the son in life and under the system of Islam are more than those required of (the daughter who is) his sister. He is the one obliged, once he becomes mature, to spend on and maintain himself, pay the dowry to his wife, bear the marital expenditure, maintenance of children as regards education, medication, clothing, etc. but the female usually gets married and is not required to pay dowry or bear expenses, since her maintenance is obligatory for her husband.

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The Importance of Distributing Inheritance

Allah, The Almighty, has determined the obligatory shares of inheritance Himself – a task which He entrusted neither to a close angel nor to a sent Prophet. He determined the share of each heir in the inheritance, 

which He showed in detail (in His Book), unlike many rulings which were mentioned in a general and brief way in the Quran. In addition, the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came to give a detailed explanation about these rulings, just like the rulings regarding the prayer, Zakah (alms) and Hajj

In relation to the obligatory shares of inheritance, the verses of inheritance were revealed in detail as shown in the beginning and end of Surat An-Nisaa’. Allah, The Almighty, calls them His limits, and promises to give a great reward to the one who abides by them and does not transgress them, and threatens to punish the one who transgresses them. He Says (what means):

{These are the limits [set by] Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits -- He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.}

Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "There are narrations that encourage learning the obligatory shares of inheritance, the most important of which are these (mentioned in verses 11-12 [in the same Chapter]).

In relation to this, it was reported by Abu Daawood and Ibn Maajah, may Allah have mercy upon them, on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Three things are essential to learn, and what is beyond them is just favorably optional: a precise (Quranic) Verse, a standing Sunnah or a just prescribed obligatory share (of inheritance).”

The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered that the obligatory shares of inheritance should be distributed among those entitled to them. He said: “Give the prescribed share of inheritance to those who are eligible for it and the remainder [of it] is for the nearest male blood relative.”

The scholars called the science of the obligatory shares (of inheritance) half of the knowledge. Ibn ‘Üyaynah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "The science of the obligatory shares (of inheritance) is called half of the knowledge because all the people are in need of it."

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The Wisdom Behind Prescribing Inheritance

Allah The Almighty has honored man in this worldly life and preferred him over many creatures, as confirmed by His Statement (which means): {And We have certainly honored the children of Aadam (Adam)

and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.}

Man has been made a successor to authority, which makes him in need of the means that guarantee his survival, maintain his succession to authority and sustain his worldly affairs.
Allah The Almighty has made property a means of sustenance, as shown in His statement (which means): 

{And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you.}Money sustains the worldly interests of people, and it is the means by which they fulfill their requirements. Man needs it as long as he is living, and once he dies, he no longer needs it. 

Thus, it is necessary to have a successor and a new owner of his property. If the new owner is someone who is capable of taking the property by force and overpowering others, then, it would lead to mutual hatred and disputes among people, and inheritance would be subject to power struggles and strife. If, on the other hand, the property is assigned (after one's death) to cats, dogs, and domestic animals -- which is sometimes the case in some laws -- surely, the people's benefits and interests will be lost and their needs will not be met.
 
For this reason, the Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation) has assigned inheritance to the deceased person's relatives so that people would rest assured of the destiny of their property, as they are naturally eager to benefit those with whom they have a strong relationship of blood, marital relation or allegiance.If a person dies and leaves property, according to the Islamic Sharee‘ah that takes into consideration  all the benefits of people, it should be distributed among his relatives with justice.

This means distributing the inheritance beginning with the closest and then the next of kin to him and so on, like the children, the father and those next to them in the degree of kinship. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.} [Quran 5:3]

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Women

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Ramadan 'Eed Al-Fitr

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• ‘Eed: An Occasion for Worship and Showing Gratitude - I
  

Days pass by and hours lapse quickly. It seems as if it was just yesterday that we received a dear guest, but today we will bid it farewell. Just a few days ago, the crescent of the month of Ramadan appeared and today it is about to fade away. Other nations take pride in their days of celebration and festivals, giving them false attributes, exaggerated.. More
The True Meanings of 'Eed: Unity and Mercy

'Eed is a very special day which brings new meaning to our life. It is completely different from other days. Although it lasts for a short time, one may do many things in it that cannot be achieved over long years. This is out of the blessings of Allah The Almighty on people when He made the Days of 'Eed for them and made it a point of agreement among.. More

• Rulings of 'Eed Al-Fitr
  

1- Prepare yourself for the 'Eed prayer by taking a bath and wearing your best clothes. Imaam Maalik, may Allaah have mercy upon him, narrated in his Muwatta’ on the authority of Naafi', may Allaah have mercy upon him, that, “Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to bathe on the day of 'Eed Al-Fitr before heading to the prayer.&rdq.. More

• May You Be Among the Winners!
  

When the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went to Madeenah, he found the people celebrating two festivals, so he said: “Allah The Almighty has given you instead of them two better days: ‘Eed Al-Fitr and ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha.” [Abu Daawood and An-Nasaa’i] These two great Islamic rites come after two seasons filled.. More

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Mount Paran

"God (his guidance) came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise."

The wilderness of Paran is where Abraham's wife Hagar and his eldest son Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, settled (Genesis 21:21) in the Arabian desert. Specifically, Makkah (Please see Map 1, page 440). Makkah is, of course, the capital of Islam in Arabia and the birthplace of Muhammad (pbuh). Indeed, it was Hagar and Ishmael themselves who transformed a barren patch of desert into what is now the capital of Islam, "Makkah." Mount Paran is the chain of mountains in that same region which the Arabs call the "Sarawat mountains."

According to J. Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, Teman is an Oasis just North of Madinah. Muhammad (pbuh) did indeed come from Paran. About 622 AD, he and his followers were forced to migrate from Makkah (Paran) to Madinah (Teman) where he spent the rest of his prophetic life teaching it's people the guidance of God (the Qur'an).

These two cities, Makkah and Madinah, are such critical importance to a Muslims faith that every single chapter of the Qur'an is classified as either "Makkia" (revealed in Makkah) or "Madaniyyah" (revealed in Madinah).

When someone describes someone as having "come from" a certain town, this is usually interpreted as meaning that that person was born in that town. In other words, that town is this man's "home town." However, when one reads the words "God came from…," the meaning is quite different.

It is quite obvious that the verse is not implying that a given location is God's "home town." Jews, Christians, and Muslims all affirm that God Almighty is Omnipresent* and Eternal. So, if this is the case, then we can not say that God Himself "came" or "went" to a given place since that would imply that there are times and places where God's knowledge and supervision is NOT present, and thus, it is possible to hide from God since I could go to a place where God has not "come" and is not present in His knowledge.

So if God is Omnipresent (present in knowledge everywhere at the same time), then we begin to realize that it is not God "Himself" that is "coming" from a given place, rather it is God's guidance and mankind's recognition of God that is being established in a given location.

In other words, in a place where the true worship of God and the true knowledge of His message were absent, God blesses them with knowledge of Himself and His message. In this way, they become "acquainted" with God, and "meet" or "learn of" Him. In this fashion, although God Almighty was ever present in His knowledge, with them and all of His creation, they are only now beginning to comprehend His presence.

Once we understand that the people of Mount Paran and Teman are described as becoming aware of the message of God and His guidance, and we realize that Paran and Teman are to Islam what Jerusalem is to Judaism or Christianity, then we begin to see the emergence of a prophesy of the coming of the final message of God.

This is because Muhammad (pbuh) first received the prophethood of Islam in the cave of "Hira'a" located in the highest part of the mountains of Paran (see section 6.2). Jesus (pbuh) never in his life traveled to Paran nor Teman. Muhammad, however, was born in Paran, he became the prophet of Islam there, and it was the capital of the Islamic religion in that day and this. No man from Paran, throughout history, has had his praise sung in so many nations as has Muhammad (pbuh). The name "Muhammad" itself literally means in Arabic "The praised one."

Through the teachings of Muhammad, God is now being praised by over one billion Muslims around the world.

However, if we were to look more closely at this verse we would find even greater detail of this coming message. The word which has been translated here as "Holy One" is the Hebrew word "qadowsh" {kaw-doshe'} which has the multiple meaning of "sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart." In this specific verse the translators judgment drove them to translate it as "Holy One" (notice the capitals), thus, they understood this verse to simply mean "God came from Teman and God came from mount Paran."

However, if this was the intended reading then why did God choose to use the word "God" in one place and "Holy One" in the other? There must be a reason for this specific wording. Actually, there is.

If we were to read Exodus 19:6 we would find that the same translators of the Bible have translated this same Hebrew word as "holy nation." In Exodus 29:31 it is translated as "holy place," and in Zec. 14:5 they translated it as "saints." Thus, we see that according to the witness of these same translators of the Bible, this verse of Habakkuk 3:3 could (or more correctly, should) be translated as "and the saint from mount Paran," or "and the holy one from mount Paran" (no capitals). This is important, why?

If we were to accept everything these Biblical translators are teaching us and to accept that the word "qadowsh" can be translated as "Holy One," or as "holy one," or as "saint," or as "holy," etc. based upon the meaning most appropriate for the chosen verse, then we realize that although it would be completely appropriate to interpret the coming of Islam from the mountains of Makkah as "the Holy One" coming from "mount Paran," still, it would be more precise to say that "the holy one" (or "the saint") came from "mount Paran." This is because Muhammad (pbuh) was born on Paran (Makkah) and first received the message of Islam in the mountains of Makkah.

So why does the first part of this verse say "God came from Teman" and not "The Holy One came from Teman"? Well, the reason for this is that Islam was indeed first revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) in Makkah, however, he and his followers remained persecuted and in constant fear of death from the pagans of Arabia while they resided in Makkah (see chapter 10). This continued for a period of thirteen years.

During this period, the Muslims were beaten, starved, tortured, and killed. This situation was hardly conducive of the Muslims openly preaching the message of God to all of mankind. For this reason, the knowledge of the persecution that one must endure upon acceptance of Islam prevented many from openly accepting it or preaching it to others.

However, this all changed in the beginning of the fourteenth year. That is when God Almighty commanded Muhammad (pbuh) to emigrate with his companions to Teman (Madinah). Although the pagans escalated their persecution of the Muslims into all-out warfare at this point, still, within the boundaries of the city of Madinah they had begun to enjoy a measure of freedom and autonomy.

This freedom manifested itself in their ability to not only preach the message of God within the city itself, but they also began to send delegations to the surrounding cities inviting them to Islam. In other words, the message of Islam did not truly begin it's "global" phase until it reached "Teman" or Madinah.

This is why the verse says "God came from Teman, and the holy one from mount Paran" In fact, just as the Christian calendar starts with the presumed date of the birth of Jesus (pbuh), so does the Islamic "Hijra" calendar start with the year in which the Muslims emigrated to Madinah.

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Belief in Angels

In common folklore, angels are thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images, or illusions.  Western iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or handsome young men or women with a halo surrounding their head.  In Islamic doctrine, they are real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden from our senses.

They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God’s associates running different districts of the universe.  Also, they are not objects to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God.  They all submit to God and carry out His commands.

In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into ‘good’ and ‘evil’ angels.  Human beings do not become angels after death.  Satan is not a fallen angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels.

Angels were created from light before human beings were created, and thus their graphic or symbolic representation in Islamic art is rare.  Nevertheless, they are generally beautiful beings with wings as described in Muslim scripture.

Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the sense that they are of different size, status, and merit.

The greatest of them is Gabriel.  The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original form.  Also, the attendants of God’s Throne are among the greatest angels.  They love the believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins.  They carry the Throne of God, about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God who carry the Throne.  The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey.” (Abu Daud)

They do not eat or drink.  The angels do not get bored or tired of worshipping God:

“They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken.” (Quran 21:20)
The Number of Angels

How many angels there are? Only God knows.  The Much-Frequented House is a sacred heavenly sanctuary above the Kaaba, the black cube in the city of Mecca.  Every day seventy thousand angels visit it and leave, never returning to it again, followed by another group

• The Names of Angels
  

Muslims believe in specific angels mentioned in the Islamic sources like Jibreel (Gabriel), Mika'eel (Michael), Israfeel, Malik - the guard over Hell, and others.  Of these, only Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the Bible.
Angelic Abilities

The angels possess great powers given to them by God.  They can take on different forms.  The Muslim scripture describes how at the moment of Jesus’ conception, God sent Gabriel to Mary in the form of a man:

“…Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.” (Quran 19:17)

Angels also visited Abraham in human form.  Similarly, angels came to Lot to deliver him from danger in the form of handsome, young men.  Gabriel used to visit Prophet Muhammad in different forms.  Sometimes, he would appear in the form of one of his handsome disciples, and sometimes in the form of a desert Bedouin.

Angels have the ability to take human forms in some circumstances involving common people.

Gabriel is God’s heavenly messenger to mankind.  He would convey the revelation from God to His human messengers.  God says:

“Say: whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by God’s will..

• Tasks of the Angels
  

Some angels are put in charge of executing God’s law in the physical world.  Michael is responsible for rain, directing it wherever God wishes.  He has helpers who assist him by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as God wills.  Another is responsible for blowing the Horn, which will be blown by Israafeel at the onset of the Day of Judgment.  Others are responsible for taking souls out of the bodies at the time of death: the Angel of Death and his assistants.  God says:

• “Say: the Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls, then shall you be brought back to your Lord.” (Quran 32:11)
• Then there are guardian angels responsible for protecting the believer throughout his life, at home or traveling, asleep or awake.
• Others are responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad.  These are known as the “honorable scribes.”
• Two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, are responsible for testing people in the grave.
• Among them are keepers of Paradise and the nineteen ‘guards’ of Hell whose leader is named ‘Malik.’
  

There are also angels responsible for breathing the soul into the fetus and writing down its provisions, life-span, actions, and whether it will be wretched or happy.

Some angels are roamers, traveling around the world in search of gatherings where God is remembered.  There are also angels constituting God’s heavenly army, standing in rows, they never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or prostrate, and never raise their heads, always worshipping God.

As we learn from above, the angels are a grandiose creation of God, varying in numbers, roles, and abilities. God is in no need of these creatures, but having knowledge and belief in them adds to the awe that one feels towards God, in that He is able to create as He wishes, for indeed the magnificence of His creation is a proof of the magnificence of the Creator.
Angels are another kind of creature created by God, known to mankind, commonly dwelling 

in the heavenly spheres. Although the Quran does not mention the time when angels were created, they are generally considered as the first creation of God. According to Tabari, the angels had been created on Wednesday,[6] while other creatures on the following days. Although not mentioned in the Quran,[7] angels are believed to be created from a luminous substance, repeatedly described as a form of light. What is probably the most famous hadith regarding their origin is reported in Sahih Muslim: "The Angels were created out of light and the Jann was created out of a mixture of fire and Adam was created out of what 

characterizes you."[8][9] Nur, the term used for the light from which the angels are created from, usually corresponds to the cold light of night or the light of the moon,[10] contrasted to nar, which corresponds to fire or the diurnal and solar light from which the angels of punishment are said to be created of.[11] Dividing angels into two groups created from different types of light is also attested by Tabari,[12] Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi,[13] Al-Jili[14] and Al-Suyuti.[15] Suyuti distinguishes in his work Al-Hay’a as-samya fi l-hay’a as-sunmya angels as created from "fire that eats, but does not drink" in opposition to devils created from "fire that drinks, but does not eat" which is also identified with the fire of the sun.[16] 

Scholars also argued that there is no distinction between nur and nar at all. Although not his conclusion,Tabari argued that both can be seen as the same substance, since both pass into each other but refer to the same thing on different degrees.[17] Asserting that both fire and light are actually the same but on different degrees can also be found by Qazwini and Ibishi.[18][19] The lack of distinction between fire and light might be explained by the fact that both are closely related morphologically and phonetically.[20] Al-Baydawi argued that light serves only as a proverb, but fire and light refers actually to the same substance.[21] Apart from light, other traditions also mention exceptions about angels created from fire, ice or water.

• Characteristics

One of the Islamic major characteristic is their lack of bodily desires; they never get tired, do not eat or drink and have no anger.[23] As with other monotheistic religions, angels are characteristics of their purity and obedience to God.[24] However, their constant loyalty, towards God, emphasized by some Quranic verses such as 16:49, does not necessarily imply impeccability,[25] and the motif of erring angels is also known to Islam.[26] Some 

scholars on the other hand, among Hasan of Basra as one of the first,[27] extend their loyalty towards God to assume general impeccability. Those who accept the possibility of erring angels, advocate that actually only the messengers among the angels are infallible,[28] since the Quran also describes angels as being tested.[29] Al-Baydawi argued, that angels only remain impeccable if they do not fall. Ibn Arabi stated that angels may err in opposing Adam as a vice-regent and fixing on their way of worshipping God to the exclusion of other creatures.

Angels are usually described in anthropomorphic forms combined with supernatural images, such as wings, being of great size, wearing heavenly clothes and great beauty.[32] Some angels are identified with specific colors, often with white, but some special angels have a distinct color, such as Gabriel being associated with the color green.[33]

The Quran says that the angels were considered to be daughters of God and worshipped in Pre-Islamic Arabia,[34] while newborn girls were often killed, which is condemned in Islam.[35] This is also mentioned concerning Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manāt.[36] The notion that God created the angels as females and fathered daughters is rejected in the Quran.[37]

Scholars debated whether human or angels rank higher. The prostration of angels before Adam is often seen as evidence for humans' supremacy over angels. Nevertheless, other hold angels to be superior, as being free from material deficits, such as anger and lust, Angels are free from such inferior urges and therefore superior, a position especially found among Mu'tazilites and some Asharites.[25] A similar opinion was asserted by Hasan of Basri, who argued that angels are superior to humans due to their infallibility, originally 

opposed by both Sunnis and Shias.[38] This view is based on the assumption of superiority of pure spirit against body and flesh. Contrarily argued, humans rank above angels, since for a human it is harder to be obedient and to worship God, hassling with bodily temptations, in contrast to angels, whose life is much easier and therefore their obedience is rather insignificant. Islam acknowledges a famous story about competing angels and humans in the tale of Harut and Marut, who were tested to determine, whether or not, angels would do better than humans under the same circumstances,[39] a tradition opposed by later 

scholars, such as ibn Taimiyya, but still accepted by earlier scholars, such as ibn Hanbal.[40] Some Sufi traditions argue that a human generally ranks below angels, but developed to Al-Insān al-Kāmil, he ranks above angels.[41] Comparable to another major opinion, that prophets and messengers among humans rank above angels, but the ordinary human below an angel, while the messengers among angels rank higher than prophets.[25] Maturidism generally holds that angels' and prophets' superiority and obedience derive from their virtues and insights to God's action, but not as their original purity.[42]

• Purit

Angels believed to be engaged in human affairs are closely related to Islamic purity and modesty rituals. Many hadiths, including Muwatta Imam Malik from one of the Kutub al-Sittah, talk about angels being repelled by humans' state of impurity.[43] Such angels keep a distance from humans, who polluted themselves by certain actions (such as sexual intercourse). However, angels might return to an individual as soon as the person (ritually) purified himself or herself. The absence of angels may cause several problems for the 

person. If driven away by ritual impurity, the Kiraman Katibin, who record people's actions,[44] and the Guardian angel,[45] will not perform their tasks assigned to the individual. Another hadith specifies, during the state of impurity, bad actions are still written down, but good actions are not. When a person tells a lie, angels nearly are separated from the person from the stench it emanates.[46] Angels also depart from humans when they are naked or are having a bath out of decency, but also curse people who are nude in public.

• Abstract angels

In Islamic philosophy, angels appear frequently as incorporeal creatures. Al-Kindi and Ibn Sina both define angels as simple substances, which means, they belong to the Celestial spheres comparable to Ptolemaic astronomy, endowed with life, reason, and immortality, in contrast to sublunary entities such as humans and animals, who are endowed with life, and the former also with reason, but are mortal.[47][48] Similarly Qazwini assigns the angels to 

heavenly spheres, distinguishing them from among the animals, although both are said to possess the attribute of life. Significantly, Al-Damiri includes in his zoological works, animals, humans, jinn and even demons, but not angels.[49] Such cosmological thought, maintained by scholars such as Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina, has strong resemblance with the Neo-Platonistic emanation cosmology, identifying the different angels in Islam with intellects, 

dividing the cosmos into different spheres. However, Islamic scholars repeatedly insist that all heavenly spheres as a whole form a single body and are moved by God, in contrast to Aristotelian cosmology in which God only moves the outer sphere.[47] According to ibn Sina, but differing from Al-Farabi, God is not part of the scheme of emanation. God emanated things in accordance with his will. In his Theologia Aristotelis he shows that through the manifestation of God, the intellects are aware of God and their role in the universe. Further Ibn Sina seems to distinguishes between two types of angels: One completely unrelated to matter, and another one, which exists in form of a superior kind of 

matter. The latter ones can carry messages between the heavenly spheres and the sublunary world, appearing in visions. Therefore, the higher angels dwell in higher spheres, while their subordinate angels appear in an intermediary realm. Ibn Sina's explanation might imply an attempt to consider revelation as part of the natural world.[23][50] Also Qazwini lists a lower type of angels; earthly angels as indwelling forces of nature, who keep the world in order and never deviate from their duty. Qazwini believed that the existence of these angels could be proved by reason and effects of these angels on their assigned object.

Islamic philosophy stressed that humans own angelic and demonic qualities and that the human soul is seen as a potential angel or potential demon.[52] Depending on whether the sensual soul or the rational soul develop, the human soul becomes an angel or a demon. Angels may also give inspirations opposite to the evil suggestions, called waswās, from Satan.

• In Ibn Abbas Mi'raj narrative
  

Muhammad requests Maalik to show him Hell during his heavenly journey. Miniature from The David Collection.

Muhammad encounters the Angel composed of fire and ice during his Night journey. Miniature from a copy of al-Sarai’s Nahj al-Faradis from The David Collection
Muhammad's encounter with several significant angels on his journey through the celestial spheres plays a major role in Ibn Abbas's version.[55][56] Many scholars such as Al-Tha`labi drew their exegesis upon this narrative, but it never led to an established angelology as known in Christianity. The principal angels of the heavens are called Malkuk, instead of Malak.

first heaven second heaven third heaven fourth heaven fifth heaven sixth heaven    seventh heaven

• Habib Angel of Death Maalik Salsa'il Kalqa'il Mikha'il (Archangel) Israfil
• Rooster angel Angels of death Angel with seventy heads Angels of the sun    -    Cherubim Bearers of the Throne
• Ismail (or Riḍwan) Mika'il Arina'il -   - Shamka'il fra'il

• Individual angels

Islam has no standard hierarchical organization that parallels the division into different "choirs" or spheres hypothesized and drafted by early medieval Christian theologians, but does distinguish between archangels and angels. Angels are not equal in status and consequently, they are delegated different tasks to perform.

• Archangel

Jibrā'īl/Jibrīl/Jabrīl (English: Gabriel),[58] the angel of revelation. Jibra'il is the archangel responsible for revealing the Quran to Muhammad, verse by verse. Jibra'il is the angel who communicates with all of the prophets and also descends with the blessings of God during the night of Laylat al-Qadr ("The Night of Divine Destiny (Fate)"). Jibra'il is also acknowledged as a magnificent warrior in Islamic tradition, who led an army of angels into the Battle of Badr and fought against Iblis as he tempted Jesus (Isa).[
 
Mīkāl/Mīkāʾīl/Mīkhā'īl (English: Michael),[60] the archangel of mercy, is often depicted as providing nourishment for bodies and souls while also being responsible for bringing rain and thunder to Earth.[61] Some scholars pointed out that Mikail is in charge of angels who carry the laws of nature.[62] According to legend, he was so shocked at the sight of hell when it was created that he never laughed again.
 
Isrāfīl (frequently associated with the Jewish and Christian angel Raphael), is the archangel who blows into the trumpet in the end time, therefore also associated with music in some traditions.Israfil is responsible for signaling the coming of Qiyamah (Judgment Day) by blowing a horn. On his association with Raphael, the historian Ali Olomi writes, "In esoteric circles, Israfil is the angel of the West, the Sun, and sometimes Thursday. Other times the angel of Jupiter Sarfayail is assigned to Thursday. The astrological overlap may hint at a parallel with the Jewish angel Seraphiel or Raphael."

'Azrā'īl/'Azrayl/Azrael, is the archangel of death. He and his subordinative angels are responsible for parting the soul from the body of the dead and will carry the believers to heaven (Illiyin) and the unbelievers to hell (Sijjin).[65][66]

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The Finality of Prophethood

What is meant here by “the inclusiveness of Islam” is that fact that Islam is for all times and places.  Regardless of who a person may be or where he may be, Islam should be his religion and his way of life.  This is just as much true for those who lived during the lifetime of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, or those who will live in 2525 (if God wills that there shall be such a year).

The correct understanding of this point revolves around a number of issues.  The first important issue is that of the finality of prophethood as vested in the Prophet Muhammad.  The second concerns the perfection of the religion and the manner in which it is able to guide humankind during all eras.

• The Finality of Prophethood
• God decreed that the Prophet Muhammad would be His final messenger.  God says:
• “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the Prophets.  And God is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)
• The Prophet Muhammad himself said:
• “I have been sent to all of the creation and the prophets have been sealed by me.” (Saheeh Muslim)
• Again, he said:
• “The Children of Israel were led by the prophets; whenever a prophet died, a prophet succeeded (him).  Lo!  There will be no prophet after me” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
  

Thus, there finally came the Prophet who explicitly declared that he is the final prophet.  The Prophets who came before the Prophet—as far as can be seen from what is narrated from them—did not make such a claim regarding themselves.  Thus, for example, in Deuteronomy 18:17-19, God is telling Moses that He is going to send another messenger “like unto him” in the future.  In the New Testament, in John 14:15-16, Jesus speaks of “another Comforter” being sent by God.  (Also in John 16:7-8 and John 16:12-13 Jesus speaks of someone coming in the future.)  On the other hand, the Prophet Muhammad made it very clear that no prophet would come after him.

Being sent as the final messenger for humankind, there had to be some aspects that were unique concerning this last Prophet.  These aspects include:

First, since no one could come later to correct any mistakes or distortions, the revelation received by the last prophet had to be preserved in its pristine purity.  It is obviously beyond the scope of this short article, but a study of the history of the Quran and Sunnah would demonstrate that both of them were minutely preserved.

Second, the nature of the “sign” of the last prophet would have to be different as well.  This is because this sign would have to affect not only the people who were alive during the time of the prophet, but also all those who would come later.  The “sign” of the Prophet Muhammad was the Quran, and its miraculous nature can still be appreciated today and will continue to be appreciated in the future.

Third, this final prophet could not simply be sent for one community among humankind—each then having their own final prophet and then differing with one another.  This final prophet had to be sent for all of humankind, putting an end to the succession of prophets and being suitable for the world as a whole.

The Prophet Muhammad was the only prophet to make it known that he was not sent only for a certain people, but rather for all the various peoples of the world.  The Jews, for example, consider themselves to be a chosen race and that their message is meant exclusively for themselves.

Thus, many orthodox Jews do not believe in proselytizing their faith. The New Testament also makes it clear that Jesus’ mission was to the Tribes of Israel. Matthew 10: 5-6 read:
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

• Jesus is reported to have said when the Canaanite woman came to him for help,
• “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).[1]
• This limited mission of Jesus’ is also affirmed in the Quran (61:6).  In the case of the Prophet Muhammad, however, God says:
• “Say (O Muhammad to the people), ‘O mankind!  Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of God…’” (Quran 7:158)
• “And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind.” (Quran 34:28)
  

There are yet other verses giving the same purport.  Prophet Muhammad also stated that he was distinguished from the earlier prophets by five matters.  The last he mentioned was:

“[Before] a prophet would be sent to his own people only, while I have been sent to all of mankind.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Fourth, the laws and teachings of this message had to be fixed in matters that need to be fixed for all of humankind until the Day of Judgment and guiding yet flexible or accommodating in those matters that need to be open to change due to the changing circumstances of humankind.  This shall be discussed in more detail below.

On all of these points, one sees that it is the message of the Prophet Muhammad that fits all of these criteria.  Furthermore, all of these aspects make it quite clear that the Prophet Muhammad is qualified and sufficient to be the messenger for all of humankind and that the religion that all humankind should accept is Islam.

Before discussing how the laws of Islam are universal, it is important to briefly discuss the issue of those who are following earlier confirmed prophets of God.  These people may argue that the Prophet Muhammad may have been truthful, but that it is sufficient for them to follow the Prophet that they have been following.

In reality, no one has the right to accept the other prophets while rejecting the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  No one has the right to say that Muhammad was truthful but, “I chose to still follow Jesus or Moses instead.”  Logically speaking, one should not expect this to be acceptable to God.

God has sent His final messenger to be believed in and followed, superseding and canceling what is left of the teachings of earlier prophets.  In the Quran, God describes such an attitude:
“And when it is said to them, ‘Believe in what God has sent down,’ they say, ‘We believe in what was sent down to us.’  And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the truth confirming what is with them…” (Quran 2:91)

God has further declared people of this nature to be disbelievers.He has said:

“Verily, those who disbelieve in God and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between God and His Messengers (by believing in God and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, ‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between.

They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment.  And those who believe in God and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them, We shall give them their rewards, and God is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

• The Prophet said:
  

“[I swear] by [God], the One in whose hand is my soul, there will be none of my addressed people, be he Jew or Christian, who hears of me and dies without believing in that with which I was sent except that he will be from the inhabitants of the Hellfire.” (Saheeh Muslim)

• The Prophet even told one of his companions:
  

“If my brother Moses were alive today, he would have no option but to follow me.” (Ahmad and al-Daarimi)

Hence, the universality of Islam applies to all who were following any of the previous prophets as well.  They have no logical option except to accept and follow Prophet Muhammad.

• The Universality of Islam and Its Timelessness

As noted above, Prophet Muhammad declared that he was the final prophet sent for humankind.  At the same time, it is inconceivable knowing the mercy of the merciful that He would leave humans without any form of clear guidance.  In other words, what He gave this final messenger must be suitable to guide all of humankind after him after him until the Day of Judgment.  In fact, the Prophet himself made this very same point in essence when he said:

“I have left with you two things that if you cling to them you will never be misguided after me: The Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger.”

• God has also said:
  

“…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…”

Thus, the religion is completed and perfected and there is no need for any alteration or change.  The message has come and shall suffice until the Day of Judgment.  The Prophet sent for all peoples has already come.

This implies that the Prophet’s teachings are valid and obligatory upon all of humankind.  That is, his example and teaching was not simply for the people of Arabia at his time.  Rather, it is just as valid and just as important for each and every Muslim today, whether he be in New York or Malaysia.

At this point, someone may logically ask: How is it that this Law is able to fulfill the needs for all of mankind until the Day of Judgment?  Human society is changing day to day.  How is it that one “law” can provide guidance for everyone at all times?  The answer to this question has to do with the beauty of the Law.

When one studies the law promulgated by Prophet Muhammad, one finds that it has the needed elements of flexibility that allow it to be just as practicable today as it was during time of the Prophet.  In essence, those issues that need to be fixed and permanent are made such by the Islamic Law.  Those that need to be flexible so that different peoples at different times may apply them differently are left flexible in the Islamic Law.  Hence, it is a Divinely guided way of life that is suitable and practical for 

all humans until the Day of Judgmen
Thus, first, in reality, human nature actually does not change over time.  Laws or guidance covering moral and ethical behavior shall always remain the same, because what is damaging to the soul at one time will always be damaging to the soul, again due to the fact that human nature does not change.  For example, lying and cheating are displeasing to the Lord and harmful to the soul and shall forever remain that way.  Thus, laws and guidance 

related to issues of this nature remain fixed and completely applicable until the Day of Judgment.  Ritual acts of worship, which underline the foundation of a human's character, also do not need to change.  God alone knows how He is to be worshipped, and if He has declared these acts as proper and acceptable to Him until the Day of Judgment, no one can possibly say otherwise.  In describing these kinds of laws or guidance, one can say that Islamic Law is rigid, but that is only because it should be rigid on these points.  That, in no way, affects its universality and practicality for all times and places.

Second, there are some harmful matters that humans must avoid.These have also been explicitly and permanently forbidden.Alcohol and intoxicants, for example, will always be harmful for humankind.Every now and then, humans may find something beneficial about alcohol, as God also alludes to in the Quran, but overall no society can rightly argue that alcohol consumption is something good.One need only consider the social costs of drinking in the United States alone.  Many families are torn apart due to alcohol abuse.

Driving under the influence is recognized as a danger to society, and although great steps have been taken to control it, numerous people are still killed or severely injured due to alcohol.Many alcoholics cannot hold down jobs and thus become dependent on the state, putting the burden of their care on the rest of the citizens.When it comes to issues of this nature, Islam forbids such a practice forever as there can be no serious argument given that alcohol should be permitted.(Indeed, one can argue that it is only permitted today because the cost of keeping people from this addicting “drug” is prohibitive.This, in reality, is just another sign of how dangerous and evil alcohol is.)
 
Third, beyond that, humans need only some detailed laws but many general principles that allow them to guide their lives in all times and places.  This is exactly what Islamic Law provides for them.  Thus, God provides detailed laws about what kinds of food one may eat, inheritance, who is legal as a spouse, international relations and so on.

From these detailed laws, a scholar is able to extract rulings for many new occasions.  From the general principles, a scholar can derive guidance for various issues that did not occur 
during, for example, the time of the Prophet.
 
Fourth, in the realm of social contracts and business, for example, the general principle is that everything is permissible unless there is evidence to show otherwise.  Hence, Islamic Law actually allows for a great deal of freedom within the Law.  In business dealings, for example, Islam has prohibited interest, overly risky transactions, gambling, fraud, deception, sale or purchase of illegal items and coercion.

In general, these are the harmful aspects that have been prohibited.  In other words, the guidance is such that when new forms of business dealings are developed, as in modern times, one can determine which are acceptable according to Islamic guidelines and which are not.Thus, Islamic Law has been proven to be feasible for over 1400 years and, according to Islamic beliefs, will continue to be feasible until the Day of Judgment.Two businessmen are able to come up with any form of contract they wish, as long as the basic forbidden and harmful aspects are avoided. One cannot even imagine how many types of 

transactions are therefore permissible under Islamic Law.
Finally, it must be recognized that this complete and comprehensive guidance that will remain viable until the Day of Judgment is a great blessing from God, and is another sign that humans must turn to God for guidance.

Humans on their own would never be able to find a way of life that is suitable even for just one place and time, not to speak of something that would be good for centuries or millenniums—although humans would try to latch on to what they were following in the past. 

Sayyid Qutb has eloquently noted this point when he wrote,
When a human being tries to construct a metaphysical concept or a system of life through his own efforts, this concept or system cannot be comprehensive.It can only be partially valid, good for one time and place but not for other times and other places, and appropriate for one set of circumstances but not for another.

Furthermore, even in tackling a single problem, he is incapable of looking at it from all possible sides and of taking into consideration all the consequences of the proposed solution, since very problem extends in space and time and is connected with precedents and antecedents beyond the scope of observation and comprehension of human beings.
We therefore conclude that no philosophy and no system of life produced by human thought can have the characteristic of “comprehensiveness.” At most, it can cover a segment of human life and can be valid for a temporary period.

Because of its limited scope, it is always deficient in many respects, and because of its temporariness it is bound to cause problems that require modifications and changes in the original philosophy or system of life Peoples and nations basing their social,political and economic systems on human philosophies are forever confronted with contradictions and “dialectics.

One need only look at one example which has been much debated recently to understand how applying God’s guidance at all places and times is what is best for humanity.  Circumcision is a well-known and established practice in Islam.  In the past few decades, doctors and scientists—due to humans’ very limited understanding of the reality of humans as a whole—keep going back and forth concerning circumcision.

One decade they are in favor of it while the next they say that it is useless and harmful to the child.  Now they have found—or they think they have found, as perhaps they could be wrong again—that circumcision is a great defense against HIV AIDS.  Now, they are rushing to circumcise many of the men in different parts of Africa.
Perhaps, after so many cases like this, more and more humans will realize that there is guidance, complete and perfect, that has come from God that is exactly what all humans need and require, regardless of time and place.

In sum, the guidance is complete and suitable for all times and places.  It is all that the Muslims need for happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.  It cannot be improved upon.  It is, therefore, in no need of additions, alterations or deletions.

Those who think that they can improve upon what God has revealed are arrogant in the purest sense and going beyond what they can possible ever achieve.  For this obvious reason, the Prophet gave very strong warnings about innovations, heresies and changes to the faith.Such things are not needed at all and they will simply take away from the beauty and perfection of Islam.Thus, the Prophet said:
“The worst matters are invented ones.  And every innovation is a going astray.” (Saheeh Muslim)

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