9/11 - Is this true ?

Everyone is familiar with the attacks on the World Trade Centre. The date was 9/11/2001 (american)

The verse in the Quran relating to collapsing of high buildings is in the 9th surah and in the 11th para and the surah contains 2001 words. The verse no is 110 (the same number as the number of floors in one of the towers).

no ONE of these x+y+t-h?56 = quran ayat 89 theories has EVER been mentioned by any scholar i know or dont know not even those moderate DIYs you get nowadays.

Out of curiosity, I looked it up on www.searchtruth.com and found that the aayaat mentioned do refer to buildings. As daywalk3r would say ... " and ??? "

(Translation of Muhammad Pickthall)

Ultimately, these co-incidences should not in themselves become such significant topics of discussion, but the message of the Quran is what the Muslims should take from and pay heed to. Not to mention the fact that the co-incidence is a very loose and weak one, since the type of building mentioned is actually a place of worship.

What difference does the co-incidence make? What does it prove? Not much, if anything at all.

BUT if we want to make a difference in our lives by seeking the message that Allah has communicated to us in the Quran, then yes, this is where we must turn. Not superstitiously to one aayah or another, but knowing that each aayah is profound in itself. The lesson to be learnt from the aayah is what should be taken on board:

Commentary

Anti-Islam activities of hypocrites have been described in several previous verses. The present verses mention yet another conspiracy hatched by them. It has been reported that there was a man in Madi-nah. His name was Abu 'Amir. He had become a Christian during the days of Jahiliyyah and was known as Abu 'Amir the Rahib (that is, a monk). This is the same Abu 'Amir whose son Hanzalah is a well-known Sahabi whose dead body was washed by angels and which gave him the sobriquet of'the one who was bathed by angels.' But, the father stuck by his error and remained a Christian.

When the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), came to Madinah, Abu 'Amir the Rahib visited him and criticized Islam. Even the answers given by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) did not satisfy this unfortunate man. In fact, he said, 'may the liar between the two of us be cursed and die in travel far away from friends and relatives.' He also said, 'I shall be there to help any aggressor against you.' And so he did. He fought on the side of the enemies of Muslims in all battles right through the bat�tle of Hunain. When the big and strong tribe of Hawazin too was de�feated, he lost hope. He ran away to Syria, the stronghold of Chris�tians where he died far away from his friends and relatives. The prayer he had made was before him. When disgrace is destined for someone, this is how he acts. His own prayer brought that disgrace upon him.

But, as long as he lived, he remained busy hatching conspiracies against Islam and Muslims. He virtually tried to induce the Byzantine ruler to attack Madinah and expel Muslims from there.

One aspect of this conspiracy materialized when he wrote a letter to the hypocrites of Madinah with whom he had a sinister understand�ing. He told them that he was working on the Byzantine ruler to at�tack Madinah. But, it was necessary to have group strength to lend lo�cal support to the invader. For this purpose, he suggested that they should make a building right there in Madinah giving people the im�pression that they were building a mosque so that Muslims do not get to be suspicious. After that, they should get their men together in this place and collect as much of weapons and supplies as they could. He wanted this to become an undercover center where his accomplices would be conducting their activities against Muslims by mutual con�sultation.

It was on his suggestion that twelve hypocrites got together in Quba', a locality of Madinah where the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) had first stayed during his hijrah and where he had built a masjid. They chose the same place to lay the foundation of another 'masjid'. Ibn Ishaq and others have also reported the names of these hypocrites. Then, to keep Muslims under deception, the hypocrites made a plan that they would have the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) lead a Salah in congregation at their so-called masjid so that all Muslims are con�vinced that this new place was also a masjid very much like the one built there earlier.

A delegation from them came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). They pleaded that the existing Masjid of Quba' was far away. It was difficult for old and sick people to reach there. Moreover, they argued, the Masjid of Quba' itself was not spacious enough to accommodate all residents of the locality. Therefore, they claimed, they had founded an�other masjid for that purpose so that older Muslims may benefit by it. Finally, (releasing their punch line) they said, 'please lead a Salah in this 'masjid' so that it stands blessed!'

That was a time when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was getting ready for the battle of Tabuk. He told them that he would be unable to do that as he was about to leave the city but he promised that he would pray there when he returned.

However, on his return from the battle of Tabuk, when he camped at a place close to Madinah, the verses cited above were revealed to him which had exposed the conspiracy of these hypocrites. After the revelation of these verses, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) ordered some of his Companions, 'Amir ibn Sakan, Wahshi, the killer of Hamzah and others, to go, demolish and burn the structure (of the ill-intentioned 'masjid'). So these gentlemen took off, carried out the orders and the structure was leveled flat on the ground. (This event has been abridged from narratives reported in Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Mazhari.)

Quoting Muhammad ibn Yusuf Salihi, Tafsir Mazhari also reports that the site of Masjid Dirar was still lying vacant at the time the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) had reached and settled in Madinah. When he al�lowed 'Asim ibn 'Adiyy to build his house on that site, he submitted, 'ya rasulallah, I do not like to build a house on a cursed site about which these verses of the Qur'an have been revealed. Nevertheless, Thabit ibn Aqram is really in need of a house for he has none. Please allow him to make a house here.' So, going along with his suggestion, he gave this plot of land to Thabit ibn Aqram. But, as fate would have it, since the time Sayyidna Thabit came to live in the house he made there, he either had no child or if he did, the child did not live.

Historians have added that this place was cursed not only for hu�man beings but also for domestic birds and animals that could not sur�vive with their normal way of living. Thus, after that time, this place lies desolate at some distance from the well-known Masjid Quba'.

After having gone through the details of the event, let us now turn to the text of the cited verses. It was said in the first verse (107):وَ الذينَ اتخذوا مَسجداً (And [there are] those who have built a mosque) to bring harm upon Muslims.

This verse points out to three motives behind the making of this 'masjid':

1. The first one is: ِضَرارً (diraran: to cause harm to Muslims). The words ضرار : dirar' and: ضرر : darar' are both used in the Arabic language to carry the sense of causing harm. As for difference between the two, it has been said that 'darar' is a harm that brings gain for the person harming but causes loss for the harmed. And 'dirar' is the inflicting of a loss upon other people while it brings just no gain for the person in�flicting it. Since, this was going to be the fate of this 'masjid' - that its founders gain nothing out of it - therefore, the word 'dirar' was used here.

2. The second motive reads: تَفريقًا بَينَ المُؤمِنِينَ (to cause dissention among the believers). It means that, by setting up this 'masjid', they looked forward to creating a division among the community of Muslims. They hoped to wean out a group that would be offering Salah in their masjid as a sort of separate entity. Then, it may have also resulted in reduc�ing the number of Muslims going for their prayers to the old Masjid Quba'.

3. The third motive was spelt out as: اِرصَاداً لِمَن حاَرَبَ اللهَ to provide sanctuary to enemies of Allah and His Messenger and a forum to con�spire against Muslims.

This presentation as a whole proves that the 'masjid' which was de�clared to be a 'harmful mosque' (Masjid Dirar) by the Holy Qur'an, and which was demolished and burnt down under the orders of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was no masjid in the real sense. Nor was it in�tended to be a place where people could pray. The three objectives be�hind it have been mentioned immediately above. From here we learn the rules that should be followed in our time. Today, may be some Muslims were to make a masjid close to and in competition of another Masjid, while their purpose is nothing but the same mutual discord, the same old effort to split up the congregation of the first masjid, or any other evil interest of this nature. If so, the maker of such a masjid will deserve no reward from Allah. Rather, he would be a sinner be�cause of having created dissention between Muslims - but, despite all this, that place shall be called a masjid in terms of Islamic law, and the etiquette and rules relating to mosques shall apply to it. Demolish�ing it or putting it on fire shall not be permissible. And the Salah of those who pray in it will also be valid - though, doing so shall continue to be a sin in itself.

From here we also learn about another rule relevant in contempo�rary setting. If a Muslim makes a masjid in that manner, either to show off or to take an opposing stance out of obstinacy and enmity, the maker will, though, not get the reward of making a masjid, instead, will incur a sin, yet it will not be what Masjid Dirar is in the terminol�ogy of the Holy Qur'an, that is, it will not be called by that name. When some people notice a masjid like that, they would say that it was Masjid Dirar. This is not correct. However, one could say that it was like Masjid Dirar. Therefore, its building can also be stayed - as done by Sayyidna 'Umar through a court order where he had in�structed that another masjid should not be made close to the one al�ready there lest the congregation and flourish of the first masjid is af�fected adversely. (Tafsir Kashshaf)

About this Masjid Dirar, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) has been given the order: لآ تَقُم فِيهِ اَبَدًا : 'Do not ever stand there (in prayer) - 108.' The word 'qiyam' in the text denotes standing for prayer. The sense is that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) should never go in to offer his prayers in a mosque by that name.

Ruling:

What it tells us is: If, even today, a new masjid is made adjacent to the one already there unnecessarily, just to show off or to take an op�posing stance out of obstinacy and enmity, the better choice is not to offer prayers therein - though, Salah remains valid.

In the same verse (108), the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) has also been told that it is correct for him to pray in the particular masjid the foundation of which has been laid on Taqwa (the fear of Allah) from day one. And then, the people who offer their Salah in it love to observe full precaution in remaining cleansed and pure (of all physical and spiritual impurities) - for Allah too likes such meticulous observers of self-purity.

The context of the verse shows what is being referred to here is Masjid Quba' where the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), used to say his prayers at that time. There are some Hadith narratives that also sup�port this view. (As reported by Ibn Marduwayh from Ibn 'Abbas, by 'Amr ibn Shai-bah from Sahl al-Ansari and by Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih from 'Uwaimir ibn Sa'idah - with reference to Mazhari)

As for the reports which say that it refers to the Prophet (S.A.W.)'s Mosque, they do not contradict it. The reason is that the foundation of the Mosque of the Prophet (S.A.W.) was laid in accordance with a revealed com�mand by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) with his blessed hands. It goes without saying that its foundation rests on Taqwa, that is, on purity, piety and fear of Allah. And who else could be more purified than the noble messenger of Allah? Therefore, that too is is a masjid founded on taqwa.. (As reported by Tirmidhi on sound authority from Sayyidna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri with the chain of narrators ascending to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) - from Qurtubi)

At the end of the verse (108), it was said: فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُّحِبُّونَ اَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا (In it there are people who like to observe purity). In this verse, the masjid declared worthier for the prayers of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is the one the foundation of which was laid on Taqwa from day one. Thus, both Masjid Quba' and the Mosque of the Prophet (S.A.W.) are included in the sense of the verse. Also pointed to in this verse there is yet another merit of this masjid - that those who prayed in this masjid were a kind of people who did their best to remain cleansed and pure. The word for purity used in the text is Taharah. The sense of Taharah at this place includes purity from common filth and impuri�ties, as well as purity from sins and bad morals. Those who offered their prayers in Masjid Quba' and the Prophet (S.A.W.)'s Mosque were general�ly equipped with all these virtues.

Special Note

From here we also come to know that the merit or superiority of a masjid really depends on the fact that it should have been made with absolute sincerity for the sake of Allah. And to put it conversely, there should not be any trace of duplicity, any motive to earn name, fame and recognition, or any other false and corrupting interest involved in its making. Then, we also learn that the quality of those who pray in a masjid is significant. If they are good, righteous, knowledgeable about their religion ('Alim) and are devoted to the worship of Allah ('Abid), the superiority of the masjid increases. Offering prayers in a masjid frequented by such God-fearing people is more merit worthy.

In the third (109) and the fourth (110) verses, Masjid Dirar (the harmful mosque) made by the hypocrites has been condemned as it has to be when compared with a masjid that is blessed. This has been accomplished through the use of a similitude. The surface of the land on which they were laying the foundation of their 'masjid' has been lik�ened to a landmass that has been corroded on the inside by flowing water. The topsoil looks solid and smooth. Now, if someone starts building there, it is obvious that the whole thing would collapse in�stantly. Similarly, the foundation of this Masjid Dirar was inherently unstable. The result was that it collapsed and went right into the fire of Jahannam. The expression 'collapsed into the fire of Jahannam' could be figurative in its sense - in that it smoothed out the way of Ja�hannam for its makers. Some others have taken it in the real sense -in that the masjid, when made to collapse, went into the Jahannam. Allah knows best.

Then, in the last verse (110), it was said that this building would al�ways keep increasing the doubt and hypocrisy in their hearts unless their hearts are shredded into pieces. The sense is that their doubt, hypocrisy, envy and chagrin would go on increasing right to the end of their life.

Allahu Alam

May Allah bring us some benefit and understanding of the Deen through pondering over these verses.

May He give us sincerity in all our actions, and protect us from hypocrisy, pride and all things which earn His displeasure. Aameen.

Wal youmin agiree, wal qadri gayrihee washaree minallahi ta'alla will badi badal mout

sorry, my one liner should have been a bit more clearer. you are right it is imaan to beleive that all good and bad is from Allah سبحانه وتعالى , but what i meant by my one liner is that when a man commits and evil action it is only committed through his/her own evil, and when a person performs a good action it is only performed through the kindness of Allah سبحانه وتعالى , and it is of no praise to oneself.