Quran: A Teacher to Modern Scientists

Ours is an era of space probes, computer chips, laser surgeries and cloning. If we were to label any book as a revelation from God, we couldn't help but to scrutinize this Scripture using modern scientific knowledge. It could not be that a revelation, proclaiming itself from God, could constitute aspects contradicting established scientific facts. How could we assume otherwise, when God is the one who created the universe and the laws operating within it.

The Quran was revealed 1400 years ago to the last Prophet of God, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a guidance for all humanity. The entire Quran has been committed to memory by millions of Muslims around the world and has been preserved by God from any interpolations, for continuing guidance. Although the Quran is a religious book with a total of about 6600 plus verses dealing with many aspects of a person's life, about 1000 of those verses are of scientific nature, none contradicting established scientific facts.

Dr. T.V.N. Persaud [1], professor of Anatomy, says: "You have an illiterate person (Prophet Muhammad) making profound statements that are amazingly accurate, of a scientific nature...I personally can't see how this could be mere chance, there are too many accuracies and like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind reconciling that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which lead him to these statements".

Besides providing guidelines in personal, social, moral and spiritual spheres of humanity, the Quran touches upon diverse scientific topics like astronomy, geology, embryology, genetics, biology, archeology etc. Some of these are mentioned below to prove the Quran's Divine origin.

The Big Bang !

Currently, the Big Bang model of the origin of the universe is the cosmological paradigm most widely accepted by astronomers. It holds that about 15 billion years ago the universe began with the explosive expansion of a single, extremely dense matter, the primordial mass. Only after the development of radio telescopes in 1937 that, the necessary observational precision was achieved in order for astronomers to arrive at the above conclusion. What does the Quran say about our universe's origin?

"Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were joined together, then We split them apart." (21:30)

Expanding Universe

The Qur'an: The Book of Miracles

The Qur'an: The Book of Miracles

- Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Dimashqiah

About the belief in Allaah (the Almighty God), the purpose of our existence,

religion of Islaam, the Qur'aan, etc.

Some of the Magnificent Characteristics of the Quran

Allah has described the Noble Quran with a number of magnificent characteristics of which Ibn Qudamah mentioned eight in points 27 – 30 of Lum‘atul-I‘tiqad.

They are as follows:

That it is clear (mubin) and makes clear the laws and reports which it contains.

That it is Allah’s firm rope (Hablullah), that is, it is the solid contract which Allah made a reason for reaching Himself and the attainment of success by His Grace.

That it consists of distinct chapters (muhkamat), each distinct from the other, perfected and preserved from any flaws or contradictions.

That it consists of clear verses (ayat bayyinat) which are clear and obvious signs indicating Allah’s unique unity, the perfection of His attributes, and the goodness of His laws.

That it contains clear and obscure verses (ayat muhkamat wa mutashabihat); the clear being that whose meaning is clear and the obscure being those whose meaning is hidden. And this does not contradict point number three above because the clarity there refers to perfection and protection from flaws and contradiction, while here it refers to clarity of meaning. If the obscure is referred back to the clear, all of it will become clear.

That it is the truth (haqq) that cannot be affected by falsehood from any direction.

That it is free from its description by the disbelievers as being poetry, magic or human speech.

That it is a miracle that no one can imitate even with the help of others.

Significance of the Quran’s Preservation

Allah promised in the Quran that He would take on the responsibility of protecting His final word from loss. He said, "Verily I have revealed the Reminder (Quran), and verily I shall preserve it.” (Surah al-Hijr (15):9)

Thus, the Quran has been preserved in both the oral as well as written form in a way no other religious book in history has.

Why did Allah preserve the Quran and allow His earlier books of divine revelation to be changed or lost?

The answer to that question lies in the following three facts:

The earlier prophets and their books were sent to a particular people in particular periods of history. Once the period ended, a new prophet was sent with a new book to replace the previous book. So, it was not necessary that these books be preserved by Allah. The preservation of the earlier books was left up to the people as a test for them. Thus, when the people went astray, they changed what was written in the books which their prophets brought in order to make allowable the things which were forbidden to them. In that way, all of the earlier books of revelation became either changed or lost.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last prophet whom Allah sent, and he was not sent to a particular people or a particular time. He was sent to all of mankind until the end of the world. Allah said in the Quran,

“I have only sent you (Muhammad) as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most men do not understand.”

[Noble Quran 34:28]

Thus, his book of revelation, the Quran, had to be specially preserved from any form of change or loss so that it would be available to all the generations of man until the last day of the world.

The Quran was the main miracle given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to prove that he was a true prophet of Allah and not an imposter. So, the Quran had to be saved to prove to the later generations that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was really the last prophet of Allah. All of the false prophets who came after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought books which they claimed to be revealed from Allah, but none of them have the miraculous ability to be memorized by thousands, nor have they improved on the message of the Quran. The significance of the Quran’s preservation is that Islam has been kept in its original purity because of it. Humanity can always return to the sources of Islam no matter what people may have added or forgotten in time. All of the essential principles of Islam are to be found in the Quran. Consequently, the preservation of the Quran meant the preservation of Islam in its final form. The loss of the Gospel of Jesus means that Christians can never return to the true teachings of Prophet Jesus except by accepting Islam. Similarly, the original Torah was lost when Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. Thus, the Jews cannot return to the pure teachings of Prophet Moses except by following Islam. It is only in Islam that the pure teachings of the prophets have been preserved without any change. That is why Allah said in the Quran,

“Verily, the only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam.”

[Noble Quran 3:19]

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The Main Theme of the Quran

Not only is the Quran unique among books today in its origin and purity, but it is also unique in the way it presents its subject matter.

It is not a book in the usual sense of the word wherein there is an introduction, explanation of the subject, followed by a conclusion. Neither is it restricted to only a presentation of historical events, problems of philosophy, facts of science or social laws, though all may be found woven together in it without any apparent connection and links. Subjects are introduced without background information, historical events are not presented in chronological order, new topics sometimes crop up in the middle of another for no apparent reason, and the speaker and those spoken to change direction without the slightest forewarning.

The reader who is unaware of the Quran’s uniqueness is often puzzled when he finds it contrary to his understanding of a book in general and a “religious” book in particular. Hence, the Quran may seem disorganized and haphazard to him. However, to those who understand its subject matter, aim and its central theme, the Quran is exactly the opposite. The subject matter of the Quran is essentially man: man in relation to his Lord and Creator, Allah; man in relation to himself; and man in relation to the rest of creation. The aim and object of the revelations is to invite man to the right way of dealing with his Lord, with himself, and with creation. Hence, the main theme that runs throughout the Quran is that God alone deserves worship and, thus, man should submit to God’s laws in his personal life and in his relationships with creation in general. Or, in other words, the main theme is a call to the belief in Allah and the doing of righteous deeds as defined by Allah.

If the reader keeps these basic facts in mind, he will find that, from beginning to end, the Quran’s topics are all closely connected to its main theme and that the whole book is a well-reasoned and cohesive argument for its theme. The Quran keeps the same object in view, whether it is describing the creation of man and the universe or events from human history. Since the aim of the Quran is to guide man, it states or discusses things only to the extent relevant to this aim and leaves out unnecessary and irrelevant details. It also repeats its main theme over and over again in the presentation of each new topic

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Quran: Definition of the Term

The word “Quran,” a verbal noun, is equivalent in meaning to “qira’ah,” as both come from the verb “qara’a” which means “to read.”

That is, Quran literally means “a reading or reciting.” However, the term “Quran” has been historically used specifically to refer to the book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The term “Quran” is mentioned in a number of places throughout the book in reference to itself. For example:

“Verily, this Quran guides (humanity) to that which is most just.”

[Noble Quran 17:9]

The name Quran is used to refer to both the Quran as a whole, as in the previously quoted verse; as well as to each verse or group of verses, as in the following verse:

“And if the Quran is recited, you should listen to it and be silent, that you may receive mercy.”

[Noble Quran 7:204]

The Book has also been referred to by other names; for example, the Furqan (The Distinction):

“Blessed is He who revealed the Furqan to His slave in order that he may be a warner to all the worlds.”

[Noble Quran 25:1]

Quran (Divine Book)

According to Allah’s statements in His Book, there were two distinct revelations of the Quran which took place. It is important that these two revelations be understood in order to clear up the apparent contradictions in the various terms used in the Quran and Sunnah to describe the Quran’s revelation. On one hand, the Quran is referred to as having been revealed in its totality in Ramadan or on Laylatul-Qadr, the Night of Decree; while on the other hand, it is referred to as having been continuously revealed in segments up until just before the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The First Revelation

Allah caused the Quran to descend from the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuth) on which it was written to the lowest heaven. In this revelation all of the Quran was sent down at one time to a station in the lowest heaven referred to as “Bayt al-‘Izzah” (The House of Honor or Power). The blessed night on which this descent took place is called “Laylatul-Qadr” (The Night of Decree), one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. Allah referred to this initial revelation as follows:

“Haa Meem. By the Clear Book, verily, I revealed it in a blessed night.”

[Noble Quran 44:1-3]

“Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Decree.”

[Noble Quran 97:1]

“The month of Ramadan in which I revealed the Quran as guidance to mankind ...”

[Noble Quran 2:185]

These verses have to refer to the initial revelation because it is a known fact that the whole Quran was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on a single night in Ramadan. Ibn ‘Abbas stated that the Quran was first separated from its station in the upper heavens and placed in Bayt al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven. One version states that this took place on the Night of Decree in Ramadan. Had it been Allah’s wish, the Quran could then have been revealed as a whole to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a single revelation.

This was the method by which all of the earlier books of revelation were sent down. But, Allah chose to divide the revelation into two parts. The first revelation within the heavens represented an announcement to the inhabitants of the heavens that the final book of revelation was being sent down upon the last of the prophets.

From the lowest heaven sections of the Quran were then taken down by the angel Jibril to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This process of revelation continued over the twenty-three years of his prophethood. This revelation began with the first five verses of Surah al-‘Alaq. These verses were revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was on a spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira’ near Makkah. However, the first complete Surah to be revealed was Surah al-Fatihah. The revelation of this portion of Quran marked the beginning of the final phase of prophethood. The last Surah to be revealed was Surah an-Nasr. This Surah was brought down in Mina during the Farewell Hajj of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which took place at the end of the tenth year after the Hijrah. According to Ibn ‘Abbas, the last verse to be revealed was verse 281 in Surah al-Baqarah, the last of a series of verses dealing with interest. Allah has referred to the second revelation in the following way:

“And (it is) a Quran which I have divided into parts in order that you (Muhammad) may recite it to the people gradually, and I have revealed it by successive revelation.”

[Noble Quran 17:106]

Quran: Definition of the Term

The word “Quran,” a verbal noun, is equivalent in meaning to “qira’ah,” as both come from the verb “qara’a” which means “to read.”

That is, Quran literally means “a reading or reciting.” However, the term “Quran” has been historically used specifically to refer to the book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The term “Quran” is mentioned in a number of places throughout the book in reference to itself. For example:

“Verily, this Quran guides (humanity) to that which is most just.”

[Noble Quran 17:9]

The name Quran is used to refer to both the Quran as a whole, as in the previously quoted verse; as well as to each verse or group of verses, as in the following verse:

“And if the Quran is recited, you should listen to it and be silent, that you may receive mercy.”

[Noble Quran 7:204]

The Book has also been referred to by other names; for example, the Furqan (The Distinction):

“Blessed is He who revealed the Furqan to His slave in order that he may be a warner to all the worlds.”

[Noble Quran 25:1]

and the Dhikr, (The Reminder):

“Verily, I revealed the Dhikr and verily I will preserve it.”

[Noble Quran 15:9]

The Quran could be defined as Allah’s words which were revealed in Arabic in a rhythmical form to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Its recitation is used in acts of worship and its smallest chapter (Surah) is of a miraculous nature.

The Prophet’s divinely inspired statements which were recorded by his followers are generally referred to as hadiths. For example, the Prophet’s companion (sahabi), ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, reported that he once said, “Verily, deeds are (judged) by their intentions.”

THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH

Sources of His Attributes:

All that we have mentioned about Allah's attributes, whether briefly or in detail and affirmatively or negatively, is based on the book of our Lord (the Qur'an) and the traditions of our Prophet. It also agrees with the practice of the previous generations of Muslims and the rightly guided scholars who came after them.

We believe it is obligatory to take the texts of the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions conceding Allah's attributes at their face value and to interpret them in a way that is suitable to Almighty Allah. We reject the practice of those who twist the meanings of these texts and understand them in a way that was not intended by Allah and His messenger.

We also reject the practice of those who make them devoid of their meanings as conveyed by Allah and His Messenger. Finally, we reject the approach of those who exaggerate, who gave them a physical interpretation that makes Allah similar to some of His creatures.

Free from Contradictions:

We know for sure that what is revealed in Allah's book and in the traditions of His Messenger is the truth. It does not contain any contradiction: "Do they not ponder over the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, surely they would have found in it a lot of differences" (4: 82).

Contradictions in statements falsify them. It is impossible for there to be a contradiction in any statement revealed by Allah and said by His Messenger, peace be upon him. Whoever claims that there are contradictions in the Qur'an, the prophetic traditions, or between the two must have wicked intentions and a misguided heart. He should repent and quit his sin. If someone imagines that there are some contradictions in the Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet, or between these two, this must be a result of his little knowledge, inadequate understanding, or lack of deep thinking. Therefore, he should seek knowledge and do his best to reflect upon matters until the truth is clear to him. If, after all of these efforts, the truth is not clear to him, he should leave the whole matter to the One who knows it and should quit his imagination. He should say, as do those who are firmly rooted in knowledge: "We believe in it, all is from our Lord" (3:7). He must know that there are neither contradictions nor differences in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or between the two.

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Does Quran Allow Forcing Someone to Embrace Islam?

Humans have been given freedom of choice and the intellect to observe and exploit the forces of nature and derive benefits from them unlike animals and other phenomena of nature which are forced to follow the nature God has made for them. The reason of blessing humans with power to think and observe is to let them decide what is right and what is wrong.

If man accepts the laws of God, then it is for his own benefit and if he goes against them then the consequences will again be upon his own self. It is clearly stated that the person delivering the message of God is not a custodian over the people, as the Qur’an says:

“Surely we have revealed to you the Book with the truth for all mankind; so whoever follows the right way, it is for his own soul and whoever errs, he errs only to its detriment; and you are not a custodian over them.” [Quran 39:41]

Above verse shows that the messenger of God cannot force people to accept the laws of Allah. He is not allowed by Allah to force people into accepting his message, and the message has to be accepted by one’s own free will and own initiative, as the following verse points out:

“And if your Sustainer had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them; will you then force men till they become believers?” [Quran 10:99]

The question of forcing someone to believe does not arise at all, because the Qur’an identifies ‘Iman’ i.e. belief as something not just professed by the lips, but something which has entered one’s heart deeply, and that is possible only if a person analyses the message through his reason and accepts it willingly.

Being a Muslim our duty is to propagate the message of the Qur’an to the best of our ability and in propagating that message there is to be no use of force.

CNN Reports an Event Against Quran

CNN Reports that a Church in Gainesville, Florida is holding an event against ISLAM as they plan to quench n revenge Muslims for the horrific act of 9/11/2001. It’s been nine years and the upcoming anniversary would be the date to hold this event. Believing that what is the cause of such an act is that they are imposing ISLAM to be a religion of Devil and as a result their wrongful acts would be Burning Muslims Holy Book, Quran.

NON-BELIEVERS AGAINST BELIEVERS:

Despite many efforts from various groups the poster is with the believe that ISLAM is the cause of sending many to Hell and this is a way to teach lesson to the believers. Well, to my understanding and his limited thinking ISLAM is way beyond the point which one could believe and this is where I insist on clear understanding and believe to be possessed without any prejudices.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF:

People around the world Muslims or Non-Muslims are protesting against such an act which will definitely give rise to tensions in the region and this is where we as believers require to be united and act bravely, not any battles to be fought but the belief within us and the practice of one’s religion teachings of the Islamic preaching would be the basis and fundamental cause of such an issue.

FACEBOOK PROMOTING THE EVENT:

I would like to urge the masses involved that instead of promoting hatred and acts which not only will end up in unreasonable terms when it comes to religion we all know how sensitive one can be whether a believer or not. And to all my Muslims brothers and sisters I urge that there has not been events held on a known social networking website, Facebook and this is where you are to take some productive steps.

TIME TO VOTE AGAINST SUCH AN ACT:

This humiliation & disgraceful events are often held on Facebook and instead of helping us win the voting and removing such a competition it is often Muslims that are surprisingly blocking or de-activating their account for good whereas they should be raising their concerns for such a shame and disgraceful act by non-believers.

ALLAH (SWT) SAYS IN QURAN:

“Their intention is to extinguish Allah’s Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).” (Chapter 61, Verse #8)

About Quran Online

Quran Online

The innovative concept of Quran Online is proving out to be a huge success all over the world. In fact, it is not only catching attention of Muslims, but also of non-Muslims who want to study, learn, understand, and explore this miraculous book that is regarded as the Holy Scripture of Muslims.

For Muslims, Quran learning serves as one of the basic religious obligations, and for the right reasons. It not only teaches them about their religious obligations and responsibilities, but it bestows them a complete code of life, right from birth of a person to death.

Al-Araf [7:52] For We had certainly sent unto them a book, based on knowledge, which We explained in detail? a guide and a mercy to all who believe.

Why Do You Need Online Quran

The Holy Qur’an is a mixture of narratives, exhortation and prescriptions. Thus, one needs lots of commitment, dedication, and attention to grasp the understanding of Holy Quran. The most important thing is that there are multiple dimensions to Quran education and Quran learning such as Quran Reading, Quran Recitation (with tajweed and tarteel), Quran translation and tafseer, Quran memorization, etc.

Mastering any (or all) of these different disciplines of Qur’an education becomes quite challenging in absence of Quran teaching of high excellence. This is what’s missing in most conventional approaches of Quran learning and this is what Quran Online is making its strength, i.e. provision of all major disciplines of Quran education on one platform.

Major Benefits Of Learning Quran Online

Some major benefits that anyone can claim from learning Quran Online include

Anyone at any time from any place

Provision of high quality Qur’an teaching 24/7

Student centered teaching approach

Increased interaction opportunities for students

Saves a lot of time and effort compared to conventional Qur’an learning approaches

Added convenience of home based learning

What It Takes

All it takes to fulfill this highly ranked religious obligation of equipping yourself with the wisest knowledge of Holy Quran through Online Qur’an learning:

A computer system

A secure and speedy internet connection

Headphones

Microphone

And most importantly, the willingness and eagerness to learn

The Best Resort For Online Quran Learning – Quranreading.com

Few points mentioned here would help you understand the reason for mass popularity that QuranReading.com enjoys for its services regarding Online Quran recitation

Pioneers in the field with experience exceeding 6 years by now

Visionary management delivering the best possible in Online Qur’an learning

Team of highly skilled professionals dedicated to their cause

High lingual skills for improved communication with students

Focus on every single student

Real time monitoring and evaluation of student’s performance

Occasional Parent-Teacher meetings to gauge the level of parent’s satisfaction

These are just few of many positive aspects that QuranReading.com delivers to students who resort to it for the sacred cause of acquiring this holy knowledge. You can also be a first hand witness to positive feedbacks of many satisfied clients by visiting www.quranreading.com and make the best decision of your life by registering with QuranReading.com.

Namaz Urdu me

Muslim women speaking about hijab

The hijab and niqab worn by some Muslim women have hit the news lately, especially after France's ban on the veil worn by some Muslim women (niqab) went into effect, and after death threats against a British imam who held that wearing hijab (a scarf covering the hair) was a woman's choice (he also held that evolution and Islam need not be at odds). 

Some sort of headcovering for women is a common feature of Middle Eastern cultures (orthodox Jewish women cover their hair, too, and the men wear a hat or yarmulke at all times), which doesn't make it automatically good or bad, but it does make it different in other cultures, and that causes some tension. 

Tafsir of Ayat al Kursi

The title given to Surah al-Baqarah's 255th ayah by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is “Ayat al Kursi” which would mean: “The verse (sign) of (Allah)’s Dominion” Literally Kursi means the “Footstool” but literal meaning cannot apply here therefore metaphorical meaning has to be taken into account as this magnificent verse explains Allah’s Existence, Sovereignty, Power, Knowledge rather the Dominion of Allah azza Wajjal.

Here we have divided the explanation of this verse into three sections for easy understanding

A) Translation of Ayat al Kursi

B) Fadhail (virtues) of Ayat al Kursi according to hadith and also it’s benefits

C) Finally Step by step explanation of this ayah

About Ahl as-Sunnat Wal Jama’at

The Ahl as-Sunnat Wal Jama’at is the largest group of Muslims and the only group whose beliefs and teachings are truly in accordance with the Noble Qur’an and Sunnah of the Most Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam). The beliefs of this group are the same as the beliefs of the Sahaba or Noble Companions of the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alaihi wa Sallam) and the Salf-e-Saliheen (our great pious predecessors). In many Ahadith,the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) strongly advised the Muslims to follow his Sunnah and to remain steadfast upon the path of his Sahaba, the Salf-e-Saliheen.

1. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbas says that the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) addressed the people at the time of last hajj“O people! I’m leaving behind among you, the Holy book (Quran) and the Sunnah. If you follow these in letter and spirit, you will never be strayed.” (Hakim Al-Mustadrik Book#1 Hadith # 318)

2. The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Follow the way of the largest group of Muslims! For, he who deviates from this group will be thrown into Hell!” [Sunnan Ibn Majah, Hadith # 3950]

Hijab or Niqab?

This has been a matter of discussion amongst Muslims for ages, ulama supporting any of the 2 have concrete proofs, however the times we live in, the Ladies (especially modernist girls/women) are more inclined towards wearing Hijab rather than going for Niqab (If they are ready at first place) , the western mind set looks down upon noble women wearing Jilbab in its true sense (i.e. Niqab).

Note: Technically even Hijab refers to Proper covering from top to bottom, but here It will be referred for those who are not convinced with Face covering.

Some scholars have tried to reconcile between both viewpoints by offering choice to women whether they like to go for Hijab or Niqab (though Niqab is recommended), some like Nasir ud-din Albani have even gone to the extent of justifying that ruling on Hijab supercedes that of Niqaab, this according to us is a wrong conclusion, especially for our sisters in sub-continent where men are often seen preying at women (so in any given condition, anywhere in the world where the women may become easy targets of men satisfying their inner lustful desires, then the ruling of Niqab from merely recommended changes to Wajib and there indeed is proof of it rather a dominant one)

The Ruling on "Witr" prayer

For the easy understanding of readers this following article shall be divided into following 5 parts and then they shall be explained in detail

A) Importance + Legal status of the prayer itself

B) It’s number of rakats

C) Witr is prayed like Maghrib with one salutation in last Rakat.

D) Saying Qunoot before going in Ruku of Third Rakat.

E) For how Long does it’s time last?

Let us start with the Importance + Legal status of this prayer according to Shariah.

The ahnaaf are special in considering the witr prayer as “Wajib (necessary)” whereas the La-Madhabiyyah either consider it as Sunnat-e-Mu’akdah or Nafl prayer (Note: All 4 valid schools remain correct even if they differ with one another whereas the La-Madhabiyyah sect even if it reaches a right opinion they would still be Ahlul Bidah as they are not following a sound school of jurisprudence at first place.) The stance of Ahnaaf is most strict in regards to following Sunnah.

Reciting Surah al-Fatiha behind the Imam?

Recently it has been experienced that some people stubbornly claim that whosoever does not recite Surah al-Fatiha behind the Imam then his prayer is not acceptable (i.e. It is null and void). Whether it is necessary to recite behind the Imam or not is a minor issue, but when arrogant people make rigid statements like: Prayer of people who do not recite is “NULL AND VOID” then it becomes necessary to write a detailed refutation of such extremists. With the Grace of Allah “NOT” reciting behind Imam is something which is proven directly from Qur'an itself

In Light of Qur'an

Qur'an states: When the Qur’an is being recited then “LISTEN ATTENTIVELY AND REMAIN SILENT” so that mercy will be showered upon you".(7:204)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir R.A: Imam Ibn Kathir (rah) narrates from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (ra), Abu Huraira (ra) and Ibn Masud (ra) that this ayah was revealed regarding “REMAINING SILENT WHEN IMAM RECITES”… Then Imam Ibn Kathir says:

The Prayer of Womankind

This article shall be based on overwhelming ahadith which establish from Prophet (Peace be upon him), Sahaba, Tabiyeen and great Fuqaha that prayer of woman is different in many ways from prayer of man.

Proof # 1

عن عبد الله بن عمر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا جلست المرأة في الصلوة وضعت فخذها على فخذها الاخرى وإذا سجدت الصقت بطنها في فخذيها كالستر ما يكون لها وان الله تعالى ينظر إليها ويقول يا ملائكتى اشهدكم انى قد غفرت لها

Translation: Ibn Umar (ra) narrates that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: When a woman sits in prayer then she should place her one thigh upon the other and attach the stomach to her thighs so that it is more concealing for her. Indeed, Allah looks at her and informs the angels by saying: "O Angels! Be witness that I have forgiven her! [Sunnan al Bayhaqi al-Kubra (3/74)]

This hadith is reliable and also corroborated by many ahadith [I’laal al Sunnan (3/33)]

Note: This article is composed on the basis of "Sound Principle" that even if some hadith is weak in it's chain then it can become "Hasan (fair) or Sahih (correct)" due to many corroborating evidences, hence If some people dispute over a certain hadith then they would be wrong principally as the same matter is proven from many different Turaq which strengthen eachother, hence whole article with all ahadith with different turaq (ways) have to be understood. This is amongst the great principles in science of Hadith classification.

Visiting the Grave

Some people in this Present era believe that If somebody visits the graves of Pious people and take them as a means to Allah or seeks blessing through their relics, then this act is either Shirk or Biddah. Some even claim that this act wasn't done by Sahaba or in past centuries. Let us now see this in light of Quran and Hadith

وَكَذَلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ فَقَالُوا ابْنُوا عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَانًا رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَى أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدًا

Quran states: Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them." (18:21)