Page 4 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 3 Page 5 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 3 A hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.) asserts that the forehead represents the center of direction and control, and it is the front of the head. He (s.a.w) said, “No distress and grief occurs to anyone who says, ‘Oh Lord, I am your slave and the son of your slaves, my forehead is in your hands, firm in your ruling, and my destiny from You is just.’” The hadith indicates that the fate of a man is in his Lord’s hand. It mentions the destiny and the ruling. It explains that the forehead plays a great role in the control and direction of human behavior. Perhaps for the above mentioned reasons, God orders us to perform sujood, (i.e. place our foreheads on the ground, as stated in the continuation of the Qur’anic verses above). “Then let him call his associates. We will call on the angels of punishment. Then follow not him, but prostrate yourself and draw nearer to Us (God).” (Quran 96: 17-19) This order to perform sujood means we should place the center of the will and decision making upon the ground to show the absolute submission to God. A person who is punished in the forehead would have his frontal lobes damaged. This would interfere with his higher mental functions, which would reduce his mental ability and cause signs of complacency and self satisfaction. Thus the Qur’an has described the role of the forehead, or more specifically the function of the frontal lobes of the brain, in making decisions, and the hadith has referred to the role of the forehead in the control and direction of human behavior. Although we have some understanding of the function of the frontal lobes of the brain at the present time, this knowledge was obscure even to the imagination in early times. In the past, some of the interpreters of the Qur’an found difficulty in following the literal meaning of the verses, and they interpreted the verses to mean that the owner of the forehead is a liar and sinful. However, other interpreters considered the description of lying and sinful to apply to the forehead itself. The Almighty also says, “There is no living creature that moves on the earth, but he (God) holds its forehead completely.” (Quran 11:56) In his interpretation of this verse, Ibn Katheer said, “i.e. under his force and power.” Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, “There is nothing that moves on this land unless it is owned by God. Under His grasp and power, it is submissive and obedient to God.” Al-Qurtubi said, “That means He directs it as He wishes and prevents it from what He wills.” Almighty God has mentioned that He controls every creature by His will and that this is done through controlling the foreheads of all creatures. Thus is understood that the forehead is the site of control of an animal’s behavior. Consequently, these statements in the Qur’an, recorded in the 7th century A.D., imply an awareness of the functions of the frontal lobes of the brain which was not known to physicians at that time. It is only after a thorough study of the physiology and functions of the lobes of the cerebral hemisphere and their locations in man and animals, that the function of the forehead has been recognized by modern comparative anatomy. Is this not further evidence of the soundness of the statements in the Qur’an, and that they were not written by scientists or physicians in the 7th century A.D.? These statements warn those who reject these revelations that they will be punished severely. Q: 1. Is it OK to fast without Suhur (night meal)? Q: 2. Is it OK for a Muslim to fast on the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr? Q: 3. Is the Eid-ul-Fitr Salah fard (obligatory) or sunnah (voluntary)? Q: 4. How does a non-Muslim become a Muslim? Q: 5. Who is the mother of Jesus (A.S.)? Q: 6. What is the name of the cave where the Qur’an was first revealed to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)? A: Yes, it is OK to fast without Suhur (night meal). A: No, it is not OK for a Muslim to fast on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. A: The Eid-ul-Fitr Salah is sunnah (voluntary) and not fard (obligatory). A: By declaring the Shahadah (the first Kalimah - “I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except The Almighty, and that Mohammed is His servant and Messenger”) a non-Muslim becomes a Muslim. A: Mary (Mariam) (A.S.) daughter of Prophet Imran is the mother of Jesus. A: The cave of ‘Hira’. Indian Sweet Delight - Rasgoolas inRas Malai courtesy of N. Sabedar, Daly City Ingredients: - 2 pints milk - 1 whole lemon (or juice thereof) - 1 teaspoon Arrow root - 3 cups fine sugar - 4 cups water - 20 small pieces of sanker (candy sugar) Direction: 1. Make a thin syrup of water, sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Strain it and keep at the side of stove. 2. Heat milk to boiling point and add lemon juice which will make the milk curdle up in lumpy masses. 3. Strain off water and leave lumpy mass hanging in a cloth bag for about 1 hour. 4. During this time, the mass should be dry and firm, add Arrow root to the lumpy mass and mix it smoothly. 5. Now take marble sized lumps of the mass (about 3/4 inch in diameter) and mold it carefully around a piece of sugar candy. 6. Prepare similar balls from the rest of the sugar candy and milk mass, and drop them into rapidly boiling syrup for 30 minutes. (Keep adding 2 tablespoons of water every 5 minutes.) 7. Remove these Rosgoolla balls as they are now termed into the 2 pints of cold milk and allow to soak for 1 hour. 8. Remove Rasgoolla balls frommilk, and boil till only 1/2 pint quantity is left. This is known as Ras Malai. 9. Add the Rasgoollas to the Ras Malai, add few drops of rose water for added flavor. Serve cold and enjoy it!! Fried Eggplant courtesy of R. Bahamdun, Saudi Arabia Ingredients: - Eggplant - Flour - Milk - Salt - Olive Oil Direction: 1. Peel the eggplant, slice it, and leave the slices to soak for several hours in milk with a little salt, so that the eggplant, having soaked up the milk, will not soak up oil when frying. 2. Remove the slices from the milk, letting the excess run off. 3. Dip them in flour and fry in virgin oil till crispy. Very simple and delicious!! Starting with this issue, we will be including a new section on the Islamic vocabulary providing detailed explanation. Some of the words may not necessarily have any Islamic/Arabic origin but they have been adopted to specify the doctrines, rites, ceremonies, customs along with the other technical and theological terms presently used in the Islamic world. Ablution: The Arabic word is wudu. The Holy Prophet described ablution as ‘the half of faith and the key of prayer’ and is founded on the authority of the Holy Qur’an: “0’ Believers! when ye prepare yourselves for prayer, wash your faces and hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles.” (Quran 5:6) The ablution need not be performed before each of the five stated periods of prayer, when the person is conscious of having avoided every kind of impurity since the last performance of the ablution. The private parts of the body must also be purified when necessary. When water cannot be procured, or would be injurious to health, the ablution may he performed with clean dust or sand. This ceremony is calledTayammum. Islamic Vocabulary
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