The Way to Salvation -

The Way to Salvation

In the Light of

Surah A1-Asr

By

Dr. Israr Ahmad

Translated by

Dr. Absar Ahmad &

Dr. Sanaullah Ansari

Revised by

Iqbal Ahmad Siddiqui

Shoba Samo Basr

Markazi Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur’an

 The Way to Salvation by Dr. Israr Ahmad In the Light of Surah Al-Asr:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1.   By (the Token of) Time (through the Ages),

2.   Verily Men are In a state of loss,

3.   Except those who have Faith,

        And do righteous deeds,

 And join together

        In the mutual teaching

        Of Truth, and of

 Patience and Constancy.

FOREWORD

 This booklet includes two papers on the same topic. The first one was published in the monthly ‘MEESAQ’ Lahore in 1966. The second is a speech which was delivered before a gathering of the staff and senior students of Aitchison College, Lahore (Pakistan). The speech was taped by the Principal, and was transcribed later. It appeared in the monthly ‘MEESAQ’ of June, 1973. The Principal of Aitchison College also published it and distributed it freely. I pray that these sincere efforts of the former Principal of Aitchison College may be accepted by Allah, and may He shower His blessings on him in this world and in the Hereafter. Both the articles are now being published together by Markazi Anjuman Khuddamul Quran, Lahore. As the topic of both articles is the same, naturally there might be some repetition. It might be asked, what was the necessity of publishing both of them. In this connection it may be pointed out that the style and standard of both differ in many respects. The first one is a written document in which, leaving aside the mental horizon of readers, the thoughts have been expressed smoothly and fluently in a particular style of writing and in a special linguistic tone.

The second article is basically a speech and its style portrays the sense of the spoken discourse and the language used is comparatively simpler. In this way the combination of these two articles, it is hoped, has enhanced its utility and efficacy.

Secondly, when studied seriously, it would become clear that wherever something has been repeated, it has also brought out a new point and there are many important items, which are either in the first one and absent in the other and vice versa. Both these articles are based on the sole aim, that is: to explain to Muslims the correct doctrine of eternal salvation and deliverance, and the practical demands of the Islamic faith. For this objective, I have compiled a selected course of the Holy Quran, the starting point of which is Surah AI-’Asr. If Allah so wishes and gives us the means, we intend to bring out the entire course in the form of such booklets for our readers.

Dr. lsrar Ahmad,

Founder President,

Markazi Anjuman Khuddamul Quran,

Lahore 

Source: The Way to Salvation (Book by Dr Israr Ahmed)

Glossary

GLOSSARY
Ada	On-time (prayer)
Al-Fatihah	“Opening” chapter of the Qur-an
Al-lah	God; the Supreme Deity (retained in the text as Al-lah in its original Arabic form)
Ansar	Helpers (of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him)) in Madina
‘Asa	Staff (stick carried in hand)
Ashurah	10th of the month of Muhar-ram (the first month of the Islamic calendar)
‘Asr	Afternoon (prayer) between Dhuhr and Maghrib.
Ausat-Mufas-sal	Not-so-long (chapter of the Qur-an)
Ayah	Verse (of the Qur-an)
Azan	Islamic formula for call to prayer
Bait-ul-Maqdis	The famous Masjid in Jerusalem, the third holiest Masjid after Masjid Al-Haram at Makka and the Masjid of the Prophet (peace be on him) at Madina
Bid’ah	Innovation (in religion)
Daj-jal	Anti-christ
Davud	(the prophet) David
Derham/Dirham	A silver coin weighing 50 grams of barely with cut ends
Du’a	Invocation (spontaneous appeal to God)
Durud	Blessings on the Holy Prophet (peace be on him)
Fajr	Morning-early dawn prayer
Fard ‘ain	Commanded act
Fard Kifayah	Sufficing obligation
Fasiq	Transgressor
Fir’aun	Pharaoh
Ghusl	Bath
Hadath	Uncleanness
Hadath akbar	Major Uncleanness
Hadath asghar	Minor Uncleanness
Hadith	Tradition (of the Prophet)
Hadrat	Honorific term used for Prophets of Al-lah and other venerable personalities and divines of Islam
Hajj	Pilfrimage of Makka and performance of certain rituals in Zul-Hij-jah (the last month of the Islamic calendar)
Halal	Permissible; lawful
Haram	Forbidden
Harun	The Prophet Aaron
Hud	The Prophet Hood
Hayy	Eternally alive (one of the Attributes of Al-lah)
‘Id-ul-Adha	Festival of sacrifice in Islam on 10th of Zul-Hij-jah (the last month of the Islamic calendar)
Iftar	Breaking of fast (at sun-set)
Ilyas	The prophet Elias
Imam	Leader or head of the prayer
Iman	Faith, belief in Al-lah, His Prophets, etc.
Iman Mufassal	Iman in detail
Iman Mujmal	Iman in brief
Injil	Revelation to Prophet ‘Isa
‘Isa	The Prophet Jesus
‘Isha	Evening prayer, time for which starts about one and a half hours after sunset
Is-haq	The Prophet Isaac
Isma’il	The Prophet Ishmael
Ism	Name
Ismussifat	Attributive name of Al-lah
Ismuzzat	Innate name of Al-lah
Istidraj	A trick or feat (acquired through practice)
Istinja	Cleansing after nature calls
I'tikaf	Seclusion in a Masjid as a mode of worship
‘Izra’il	The angel Azrael
Jabirah	Bandage
Jibril	The angel Gabriel
Jama’ah	Congregation
Jum’ah	Friday
Ka’bah	House of Al-lah in Makka (towards which Muslims turn their faces in Salat)
Kafir	Unbeliever, disbeliever (in Al-lah, His Prophets, etc.)
Kalimah	Word (The basic creed)
Kalimah Tay-yibah	The Good word
Kalimah Shahadah	Word of Testimony
Karamah	Act of wonder
Khalifah	Caliph
Khusuf	Lunar eclipse
Khutubah	Oration or discourse (on the occasion of Jum’ah and ‘Id prayers)
Kiraman - Katibin	The honoured writers
Kufr	Unbelief, disbelief (in Al-lah, His Prophets, etc.)
Kusuf	Solar eclipse
Lahiq	Defaulter (in the middle of Salat)
Lut	The Prophet Lot
Maghrib	Sunset; west where the sun sets
Makruh	Undesirable
Makruh tahrim	Near forbidden
Masbuq	Junior partner of the Imam in prayer
Masah	Wiping a part of body with wet hands
Ma’siyah	Sin
Miraj	Ascent; ascension of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him)
Miswak	A plant root used as Tooth-stick
Mudrik	Co-eval with Imam in prayer
Muhajir	Emigrant from Makka to Madina
Muhar-ram	First month of the Islamic calendar
Mubah	Permissible
Mu’jizah	Miracle
Mukabbir	One who calls the iqamah for Salat
Munfarid	An individual saying Salat
Muqim	A person on station
Muqtadi	Follower of the Imam in Salat
Musa	The Prophet Moses
Musafir	A person on journey
Mua’zzin	One who calls the Azan (call of prayer)
Nabi	Prophet
Nafl	Supererogatory
Najasah	Uncleanness
Najasah ghalidah	Major uncleanness
Najasah khafifah	Minor uncleanness
Najasah haqiqiyyah	Visible uncleanness
Najasah hukmiyyah	Invisible uncleanness
Najat	Salvation
Nawaqid	Invalidators; nullifiers
Nazr	(Taking a) Vow
Nisab	Alms worthy capital
Niyyah	Intent; intention
Nuh	The Prophet Noah
Qada	Missed prayer or fast
Qa’dah	Sitting (in Salat)
Qadim	Eternal (as an attribute of Al-lah)
Qadir	Omnipotent
Qaumah	Rising from bowing in Salat
Qiblah	Direction which Muslims face during Salat
Qir’at	Recitation of Holy Qur-an
Qisar mufasssal	Shorter chapters of the Holy Qur-an
Qiyam	Standing during Salat
Qiyamah	Day of Judgement; Day of Resurrection
Qunut	Obeisance
Rab	Sustainer (as an attribute of Al-lah)
Rak'ah	One part of Salat complete with one standing, one bowing and two prostrations
Ramadhan	Ninth month of Islamic calendar fixed for fasting
Rasul	Messenger of God
Ruku	Bowing in Salat
Sadaqah	Dole (giving something in charity)
Sahabi	Companion of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him)
Sahifah	Scroll revealed to a Prophet
Salam	Salutation at the conclusion of prayer
Salat	Prayer performed by Muslims
Satr	Concealable parts of the body
Shafa’ah	Intercession (by the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) on behalf of sinners on the day of judgement)
Shafaq	Crimson
Shaq-qul-qamar	Splitting of the moon (one of the miracles performed by the Holy Prophet (peace be on him))
Shari’ah	Code (relegio-legal laws) of islam
Shawwal	Tenth month of hegira calendar on the first of which falls ‘Id-ul-Fitr
Shrik	Polytheism; partnership in God
Sifat	Attribute (of Al-lah)
Sijdah	Prostration
Sijdah Sahv	Remedial prostration
Subh-kazib	False dawn
Subh-sadiq	True dawn
Suhur or Sahri	Pre-dawn meals during Ramadhan
Sulaiman	The Prophet Solomon
Sun-nah	Holy Prophet’s (peace be on him) precept
Sun-nah Mu’akkadah	Emphasized precept of the Prophet (peace be on him)
Sun-nah Ghair Mu’akkadah	Unemphasized precept of the Prophet (peace be on him)
Surah	Chapter of the Holy Qur-an
Surah Al-Falaq	Chapter “The Daybreak”
Surah Al-Ikhlas	Chapter “Purity of Faith”
Surah Al-Kauthar	Chapter “The Fount of Abundance”
Surah An-nas	Chapter “The Mankind”
Ta’aw-wuz	Formula seeking the protection of Al-lah
Taqdir	Fate
Tasmiah	Formula pronouncing the name of Al-lah
Tauhid	Oneness of Al-lah; unity of God
Taurat	Torah (The Book of Al-lah revealed to Prophet Moses)
Tawatur	Unanimity
Thalatha	Trinity
Tayam-mum	Cleansing parts of body with clay
Thana	Hymn to Al-lah
Tiwal Mufassal	Longer chapter of the Holy Qur-an
Ummah	Community of the Prophet (peace be on him)
Ummi	Unlettered
Wahy	Revelation of Al-lah’s message to prophets through the angel Gabriel
Wajib	Ordained;
Wajib-ul-wujud	Self-existent (an Attribute of Al-lah)
Wali	Friend of Al-lah
Wudu	(Special formula for) Ablution
Ya’qub	The Prophet Jacob
Yunus	The Prophet Jonah
Yusuf	The Prophet Joseph
Zabur	Psalms of the Prophet David
Zakariyya	The Prophet Zacharias