The Angels Respond to a Khilafah State on Earth

 

Dajjal (Anti-Christ), the Qur’an and the Beginning of History

The Angels Respond to a Khilafah State on Earth

The response of the Angels to the Divine announcement that a Khalifah, or ruler, would be placed on earth, was to bluntly question it in overt disagreement! The Angels already knew that the subject of the establishment of rule, and of a ruling State, on earth, would result in Fasad, i.e., that which corrupts to an extent that can destroy, and the shedding of blood. The only source from whom they could have acquired such knowledge was the Lord-God Himself.  

 

The dissenting view of the Angels was based on the argument that their constant worship of the Lord-God, while celebrating His Praise and glorifying His Holy Name, qualified them, instead, to rule:

(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:30)  

The Angels asked Allah Most High: Will You place on earth such as will commit Fasad thereon i.e., engage in corruption which can destroy, and shed blood—whereas it is we who extol Thy limitless glory, and praise Thee, and hallow Thy name?    

 

The enigmatic Divine response to the Angels was the declaration:

(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:30) 

Allah answered: Verily, I know that which you do not know.  

 

Hence, while the Angels knew that the quest for establishing rule over the earth would result in destructive corruption and in bloodshed, they did not have complete knowledge of the subject that justified the Divine announcement. They did not have knowledge of two events which were about to occur at this time, i.e., the beginning of history, which were connected to the end of history, and which offered an eschatological justification for the Divine announcement. 

 

Allah Most High then proceeded to confer knowledge directly on this ruler, i.e., into Adam ʿalayhi as-salām who would establish his rule on earth. He could do so since He had already breathed His Divine Ruh into him in such wise that he could receive knowledge both externally and internally or spiritually: 

(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:31–32)

And Allah Most High taught Adam the knowledge of the names of all things pertaining to the subject of rule on earth; then He brought them within the ken of the angels and said: Declare unto Me the names of these things, if you are to be truthful in respect of your knowledge of the subject of rule on earth.  They replied: Limitless are You in Your glory! No knowledge have we save that which You have imparted unto us. Verily, You alone are all-knowing, truly wise. 

 

The implication of the above was that rule on earth could be established successfully only by those who received such knowledge directly from the Lord-God which would qualify them to rule. That knowledge is of course, located in the divinely-revealed scriptures. This appears to be one of the reasons why Allah Most High responded to the question posed by the Angels with the declaration: I know that which you do not know! Hence whoever does not turn to the Qur’an for guidance and for Law, is not qualified to rule over Muslims.

 

Allah Most High then asked Nabi Adam ʿalayhi as-salām to respond to the question, and he did so:

(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:33)

Allah Most then said to Adam: Oh Adam, convey unto them the names of these things. And as soon as Adam had conveyed unto them their names, Allah said: Did I not say unto you, Verily, I alone know the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth, and know all that you bring into the open and all that you would conceal?  

 

The conclusion to which we arrive from the above is that mankind was placed on earth for the over-riding imperative of establishing rule over the earth, and that such can be accomplished only by those who act faithfully in accordance with knowledge which has come to them from Allah Most High, and pursue no other agenda while establishing their rule. Those who rule otherwise will face an awful doom on Judgment Day. We recognize this mission of ruling on earth on the basis of Truth, to be the Amanah, or Trust, that Allah offered to mankind, and which they accepted.

Source

Islamic rulings for slaughtering animals

The Method of Slaughter In Islamic Law And Its Conditions  
By Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani

In Arabic, the literal meaning of the words tadhkiyah and dhakdh is 'to complete.' Hence, we will use this word in Arabic to describe a person who is old-aged and whose intelligence is complete. The method of slaughter in Islamic law is also called 'dhakdh' because all the requirements for an animal becoming lawful to consume are 'completed' by slaughtering according to this method. Imam Qurtubi has written in his commentary of the Quran that the verse, "except [those animals] which you made dhakdh of," refers to those animals which were slaughtered completely according to Islamic law. "Some scholars hold the view that tadhkiyah means to perfume and beautify the smell of something because a pleasant smell begins to emanate from the animal once its blood flows out. 

The above discussion was regarding the linguistic meaning of this word. According to Imam Qurtubi, the technical definition of tadhkiyah is to make the blood of the animal flow and cut the vessels when it is an animal which can be slaughtered as such. The lower part of the neck near the chest will be pierced when it is an animal which can be slaughtered in this manner (i.e. a camel). Otherwise, if the animal cannot be subdued, then the hamstrings of the animal will be cut. In both cases, the slaughterer should make the intention for slaughtering and reciting the name of Allah. 

Because of the fact that there is a difference of opinion regarding some of the conditions in Qurtubi's definition, a better definition of dhaktih is to kill an animal according to the method of slaughter shown by Islam for making an animal lawful for consumption.

The scholars of Fiqh have laid down three basic conditions for the slaughter to be valid in Islamic law. The first condition is regarding the method used to kill the animal. The second is that the name of Allah be recited, and the third is that the proper qualifications be found in the slaughterer.  

 

Source

The Prophetic Etiquette of Slaughtering

 https://www.dar-alifta.org/foreign/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1787&CategoryID=5 

How merciful was our beloved Messenger Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him)! He was even merciful when he slaughtered animals! He established certain criteria for animal slaughter to avoid causing them pain and suffering in their last moments. Let us see how merciful the Prophet was even when he slaughtered animals. He instructed Muslims to:

To sharpen the slaughtering knives
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded anyone who wishes to slaughter an animal to sharpen his slaughtering knife well in order to make a quick (fatal) cut without torturing the animal. Ibn ‘Abbas (may God be pleased with him) narrated that a man laid down a sheep (in preparation to slaughter it) while sharpening his knife. The Prophet told him, “Do you want to kill it twice? You should have sharpened your blade before laying it down.”

To drive the animal gently to its slaughter
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed us to drive the sacrificial animal to its slaughter with kindness and gentleness. The Prophet’s honorable companions followed his etiquette of slaughtering. Mohammed Ibn Sirin reported that ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) once saw a man directing a sheep to its slaughter. So he beat him with his whip and said, “Woe to you! Direct it to death with mercy.”

Not to slaughter animals in front of each other
Abdullah Ibn‘ Umar said, “The Messenger of God ordered us to sharpen the blades of our knives and to hide them from the animals; he said, ‘If one of you is about to slaughter [an animal], he should prepare his tools beforehand.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us not to slaughter an animal in the presence of another as to avoid causing it any psychological suffering. He commanded us not to display the slaughtering tool before the animal; the slaughterer must conceal the slaughtering tool so that the animal does not see it.

One of the aspects of the Prophet’s mercy and a matter recommended by scholars, is to give the animal that is about to be slaughtered water to drink.

To turn the animal towards the direction of prayer
After doing the above, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would gently lay the animal on its left side, turn it towards the direction of prayer and put his right foot on its right side. Anas ibn Malik said, “I saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) slaughter his sacrificial animal with his own hands and he put his foot on its side.” Jabir (May God be pleased with him) said, “Whenever the Prophet wished to slaughter an animal, he would turn it towards the direction of prayer.” Ibn Umar and others disliked to eat from the meat of animals which were not turned towards the direction of prayer when they were slaughtered.
It is also recommended that when slaughtering an animal, one should tie three of its legs and leave its right hind leg free.

To mention the name of God
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would then mention God’s name, saying, “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar, Allahumahadha Minnak wa Lak, Allahuma taqqabal minni” (In the name of God, God is Great. O God! This is from You and for You. O God! Accept it from me).

Following to the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) jurists have maintained that when slaughtering an animal, one should cut its windpipe (the channel of breath) and esophagus. It is also recommended to cut the two carotid arteries (the two blood vessels on the sides of the neck) or one of them along with the windpipe and esophagus and this is the locus of slaughtering. The Prophet said, “Verily God has prescribed ihsan (proficiency, perfection) in all things. So if you kill then kill well; and if you slaughter, then slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters.”

To refrain from skinning and cutting up the animal before it dies
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned Muslims not to start skinning the sacrificial animal or break its bones before it dies. Al-Farouq, ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him), said, “Do not deal hastily with (slaughtered animals) until all life has departed from them.”