The intellectual «Ali Mohammed Al-Shurafa» sends an open letter to

Written By: Ali Mohammed Al – Shurafa Al – Hammadi
Date: Monday 20 November 2017

Respectable Great Imam / Ahmed al-Tayeb

Sheikh of Al-Azhar

Honorable Dr. Shawki Ibrahim Allam

Mufti of the ARE

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Mokhtar Jumaa

Egyptian Minister of Awqaf

Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be Upon You
Subject: Raising the Word of Allah on Earth

 On 20/6/2010, seven years ago, I handed over a message to Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar. The subject of the message was on the establishment of a reference to the Islamic call and Al-Azhar is to form a committee of senior scholars and intellectuals to prepare a draft document entitled (Islam Mercy, Justice and Peace). The aim is to reform the religious speech, which took the narrations as a source of marketing Islam to people. This caused a distortion to the image of Islam. This is because the religious discourse is the discourse of hatred and arrogance. The religious speech calls for fighting against non-Muslims and kill them, take their money, enslave their women and controlling their assets. At present, we see crimes committed in the name of Islam. This is the translation of the religious discourse, practiced by some groups belonging to the Sunni sect.

Honorable Sheikh of Al-Azhar

Since Al-Azhar represents an Islamic reference in the Islamic world, its international status has taken upon it the responsibility of Allah Almighty to take a stand with the truth, without ambiguity or courtesy, and without any sense of revenge. They should take the verses of Allah Almighty in his holy book as the light that shows the path of right and wrong. This should be carried out in light of the command of the saying of Allah Almighty: “ O you who have conformed to Islam: Fear Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him. When you express your thoughts in words and when you make a statement or a declaration, do see that your words are a disclosure of facts, apposite, appropriate, relevant and to the point, (70) So that Allah steers you by His guidance to the right doings and actions and blesses your deeds and makes them agree with your words and forgives you your sins. And he who obeys Allah and His Messenger will have gained great victory and obtained supremacy. (71) We offered the «trust» to the heavens, the earth and the mountains -with what it entails of expectation of knowing and reasoning, of feeling and thinking and of obligations and responsibilities- but they declined to bear it for what it involves of burdensome consequences. But man (Adam -his genes-) accepted it and was willing to bear the responsibility and to give an undertaking of fidelity; He was indeed unfair to himself, having no knowledge of the logical Sequence. (72)” (Al Ahzab)

Honorable Mufti of Egypt

The faithfulness that you bear is the message of Islam, which is the divine speech to all people, revealed by Allah to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the clear verses of the holy Qur’an to inform all people which Allah tasked the prophet to convey to all people: “ O you the Messenger: Proclaim and intimate all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, and if you do not, then you Will have not proclaimed His message. Under His tutelage, Allah protects you from the people who are characterized by acts of prepensed malice and hostile intentions. Indeed Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness those who are. Given to infidelity ” (Al Maidah: 67).

The prophet conveyed the message as ordered. The prophet completed the message as explained in the holy verse: “Today have I complemented for you your religion and made all grace abound in you. And I have chosen for you Islam as the acceptable system of faith and worship.” (Al Maidah 3). At that moment, the message was completed and the curriculum was determined in regards to the rituals, virtues, noble morals and legislation of Allah assigned to all people. This legislation specifies the acceptable behavior of man with Allah Almighty and with other people. This behavior should be based on mercy and justice. The aim is to establish communities in which virtue and justice spread. For fourteen centuries, the values ​​of virtue, justice and decent morals were excluded from the practices of the divine method. The holy Quran was theoretically kept without performance. It was limited to holding competition for the most beautiful voices in recitation in mosques. Also, the Qur’an was limited to be recited in weddings and funerals. The divine approach was excluded of the holy Qur’an which is supposed to build the character of the Muslim individual on the values ​​of virtue, mercy, justice and piety. The divine approach was replaced by accounts attributed to the relatives and companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Before you die, before you stand for judgment in front of Allah without any intermediation or supporter, except your good deeds, you all believe that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. What your stand will be on the Day of Judgment? Did you follow Muhammad; the last of the Prophets?” Or did you follow this person as he quoted from another person?

First: Are the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which he directly conveyed from Allah to people equal to the narrations and tales that were attributed to the prophet by the narrators?  Do not all Muslims believe in all certainty, that the holy Qur’an is the word of Allah that the Prophet directly addressed to the people, from the Lord? Did we lose our minds to believe in narrations attributed to the Prophet? Allah Almighty is the witness that the prophet has conveyed the message in the verse: “ That it -the Quran- is the word of Allah conveyed by a distinguished Messenger Jibril (Gabriel) who is regarded with honour. ” (Al Takwir: 19).

Second: Did Allah Almighty grant His Messenger the right to legislate, amend, add or delete to the message sent by Allah Almighty to His creation? Or did Allah Almighty command the prophet to teach people the wisdom, the rituals of worship and the purposes of the verses to the benefit of creation?

Honorable Egyptian Minister of Awqaf

In order to be honest with Allah Almighty, and with ourselves, it is necessary to shed light on the elements of the divine mandate to His Holy Prophet, as follows:

First: The responsibility of the Prophet in the verse: “ O you the Prophet: We have sent you, to the people to be a witness lo their response to the divine message and a spectacle and a warning and a herald of joyful tidings. (45) And to present to them inducements helping them shake off falsehood and be attracted to Allah and by His permission conform to His system of faith and worship, and that you stand among them as a source of spiritual light from whom emanates illumination and enlightenment. (46) And be sure to announce joyful tidings to those who faithfully conform to Allah’s system of faith and worship to expect the great bounty of Providence. It includes the divine influence operating in men to regenerate and sanctify and imparts strength to endure trial and resist temptation. (47)” (Al Ahzab)

Second: the mission of the Prophet

1 – In the verse: “ O you the Messenger: Proclaim and intimate all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, and if you do not, then you Will have not proclaimed His message. Under His tutelage, Allah protects you from the people who are characterized by acts of prepensed malice and hostile intentions. Indeed Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness those who are. Given to infidelity ” (Al Maidah 67)

2 – In the verse: “ A. (aIef) L. (lam) M. (meem) S. (sa
d) the Surah opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people’s tongue, cannot be emulated. (1) A Book -the Quran- is revealed to you O Muhammad, laying upon you an immense responsibility for which you have been chosen. Therefore, let it not oppress your thoughts and feelings or depress your spirits, but use it and act upon it to warn those who deny the truth and to put those who have conformed to Islam in mind of their duties. (2)” (Al A’raf 1-2)

3 – And Allah Almighty commanded the prophet in the verse: “ And We either show you O Muhammad in your life time some part of the retributive punishment We promised them or occasion your death before. You are only responsible for relating the divine message and We are responsible for their trial in Day of judgement. ” (Al Ra’d 40)

Third: Studying  the holy Qur’an:

• “We know best what they -the infidels- say, and you O Muhammad never forced them to follow you or your admonition nor did you erect among them tyrannies. Therefore, keep reminding people of their duty to Allah, their Creator, and proclaim the Quran to those who regard Allah’s warning with reverence and awe, tinged with latent fear. ” (Qaf 45)
• “ So, these are cosmic signs characteristic of the vast scale of the universe and its changes which We relate to you O Muhammad in truth by inspiration actuated by the Spirit Jibril (Gabriel). If they -the infidels- refuse to acknowledge the truth as is featured in these signs; what then will convince them if this Quran and these signs do not?” (Al Jathiyyah 6)
• “ O you people: Now has a proof come to you from Allah, your Creator; a proof convincing the minds of Allah’s Omnipotence and Authority, and We have sent down to you illumination and enlightenment ” (Al Nisaa 174)
• “Ask O Muhammad those who doubt your mission: «What documentary evidence has more weight to support the truth of my mission than the attestation by Allah Himself!» «He is the witness of my actions and of your actions». «This Quran has been inspired to me to guide you into all truth and to warn you and warn all those whom it shall reach against counting Allah as being plural». «Do you people really bear witness to the plurality of Allah!» «I Just will not accord with this». Say to them: «Indeed He is only One Ilah, and I am absolutely innocent of your ills, and above all of your notion of incorporating with Him other deities».” (Al An’am 19)
• “And this Quran We sent down as a mercy and knowledge personified, confeing divine favour and invoking blessings on those who have the world all before them and Providence their guide. Therefore, follow its precepts and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah so that you may hopefully be recipients of His mercy.” (Al An’am 155)
• “And you people, act, in accordance with all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, and take not besides Allah tutelary guardians; they will influence you to revert in character to your aboriginal stocks. How little you people keep Allah in mind.” (Al A’raf 3)
• “Who is more wrong than he who viscously and wrongfully relates to Allah falsehood or denies His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority! Such persons do have what has been apportioned to them in life according to their good or bad books, just as they do have access to the share of the Book imparted to them by Our Messengers. And when Our angels of death disembody their souls at the predetermined point of time, they ask them: «where now are those you incorporated with Allah and invoked besides Him! ». They have forsaken and renounced us « they say, and failed our expectation » So; they were witnesses of their own actions and of their deeds reflecting infidelity and disobedience to Allah.” (Al A’raf 37)
• “And if they do not respond and such an undertaking they fail to fulfill, then you people must realize that the Quran has indeed originated from Allah and revealed by His Authority, and there is no Ilah but He. Therefore, are you unbelievers going to conform to Islam if indeed you are seeking the truth!” (Hud 14)
• “And We send down the Book -the Quran- to you O Muhammad only to serve Allah’s purpose and be of service in effecting Allah’s object of illucidating to the various sects and to the people at large the strained points upon which the whole unreasoning turns and the points in the heat of dispute. 1t is the spirit of truth that guides into all truth as well as a mercy to those whose hearts are imprinted with the image of religious and spiritual virtues.” (Al Nahl 64)
• “ The day shall come when We summon a witness from every nation, the Messenger who evolved from their midst and conveyed Our message, to testify of his peoples’ response and We summon you O Muhammad to testify of your peoples’ response. The Book -the Quran- which We sent down to you is the fountain-head of divine knowledge and the chief source of divine information. It illucidates every aspect of every thought and it is a guide into all truth and a mercy extended to the people and a joyful tidings to those who conformed to Islam.” (Al Nahl 89)
• “Therefore say to them -the infidels- O Muhammad: «Believe in it or do not give credence to it; those to whom We imparted knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light before it was revealed bow to it in reverence and submission. When it is recited to them they cast themselves down prostrate in humility and veneration»,” (Al Israa 107)
• “A. (Alef), L. (Lam), M. (Meem), R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people’s tongue, Cannot be emulated. These are divinely discoursed verses of the Book -the Quran- distinctly indicating that all that has been revealed to you O Muhammad from Allah, your Creator, is the truth guiding into all truth, but peoples’ hearts dare rise defiant against Allah and most of them are unwilling to open their minds’ eyes or their hearts’ ears.” (Al Ra’d 1)
• “And who is more wrongful of actions than he who has been reminded of Allah’s evident signs and revelations and shuns them, forgetting what his unclean hands have committed! The fact is We enshrouded their hearts to preclude them from exercising intellectual power or understanding and struck them deaf that nothing that enages the intellect would come to their hearing. These are those whose hearts dare rise defiant against Allah. And if you invite them to accept the spirit of truth guiding into all truth, never shall they acknowledge Providence as their guide.” (Al Kahf 57)
• “This Quran is a Book We have revealed to you O Muhammad invested with blessings and declaring Allah’s benediction and divine favours so that people might ponder its precepts, its signs and revelations and that people of understanding hearts and minds may reflect.” (Sad 29)
• “It is He who reveals to His servant -the Messenger- revelations clear and plain to guide you – people – out of darkness and superstitions of later times, and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment, so that the spirit of truth guides you into all truth, and Allah to you is indeed Raufun (kind) and Rahimun (Merciful).” (Al Hadid 9)
• “«Men live to no sober purpose and contend that their Creator had no serious end» (Cowper) May people wake up to sense their true position!
  16- Is it not time that those who have conformed to Islam open their hearts’ ears so that their breasts be filled with reverential awe as they listen to the Quran and accord with what it says and with the truth it declares. They should not be like those who have been given the Book before them who have transmuted the Book to their purpose throughout the years and became hard hearted? Indeed many among them are wicked” (Al Hadid 16)
• “That the words uttered are sacred words expressed by an honourable Messenger -the Spirit or the Messenger- held in high esteem,” (Al Haqqah 40)

Fourth: The method of preaching:

• “Invite people O Muhammad graciously to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness, with wise, graceful and appropriate inducements meeting them on their own ground and propitiating them, each in his own capacity, to open their hearts’ ears and their minds’ eyes. Reason with them in a logical, peaceable and gracious manner; Allah, your Creator, knows best those who have wandered from His path of righteousness and He knows best those who steer a straight course and Providence their guide.” (Al Nahl 125)
• “And say to them: «Allah’s truth has come to guide us into all truth and he who wishes to acknowledge it with judgement and choice is free to do so and he who wishes to reject it is free to do so. We have prepared for the wrongful of actions a fire whose scorching and merciless flames beset them on all sides as if it were a bed having an arched canopy and covered sides. As often as they cry for help they are given a draught of boiling water like molten brass or molten lead scalding the faces; evil indeed is the drink and evil is the society!” (Al Kahf 29)

In the above verses, Allah Almighty commands His Messenger to inform people of the divine approach. Allah wants His creation to follow and study the objectives that Allah wants people to follow and to be acquainted with. These objectives aim at the benefit of people. We should adopt the Qur’an the sole source of all Muslims for legislation. Muslims should adhere to the values ​​of virtue, mercy and justice. Allah Almighty ordered Muslims to unite and to get out of darkness to light.

Fifth: Alert from Allah to the Messenger

• “Had Allah willed, He would have graced them with a religious mind and they would not have incorporated with Him other deities. And you rest assured that We did not send you to watch over their innocence and folly, nor are you entrusted to their care or responsible for their ordinary pursuits of life.” (Al An’am 107)
• “Say to them: « I am only a human like you. Nonetheless, I am being inspired by Heaven that Allah, your Creator, is One and only Ilah; make Him, then, the heart of your purpose and invoke His forgiveness; Woe betide those who incorporate with Him other deities,” (Fussilat 6)
• “Therefore keep your hold O Muhammad on all that has been inspired to you and cling to the Quran; you are indeed on the path of righteousness.” (Al Zukhruf 43)
• “For the Quran is an authoritative counsel to you and a discourse of Practical Divinity to your people and there shall come the Day when all of you will be called to account.” (Al Zukhruf 44)

Honored Sheikhs and Imams

Do not you think that Muslims today are facing a crossroads? This situation requires you to determine the method you rely on in your call (for the message of Islam). You should take your responsibility in front of Allah Almighty and in front of people. On the day of the judgment, you will not benefit from your money or your descendants. Only your good deeds will benefit you in front of Allah Almighty. You should decide your position, based on the above-mentioned verses of the Holy Quran, in which Allah has defined the duties of the Prophet, and that the Holy Quran has witnessed that “that it -the Quran- is the word of Allah conveyed by a distinguished Messenger“. This verse means that the holy Qur’an is the only words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that was conveyed to us from Allah to all people. The other words attributed to the prophet are not related to the Prophet at all. The evidence is that Allah said in the Qur’an that the words of the verses are the words of the noble Prophet. Who testify to the originators of the narrations of their genuine and truthfulness?  Why does the Muslim in the message of Islam require additions of human beings and Israeli narrations? Is the divine approach, which is mentioned in the Qur’an, not to meet the requirements of the message of Islam? Allah Almighty says: “There is not a beast in the animal kingdom on earth nor a bird moving through the air with its wings but form distinct nations like you people. We have not left out anything informative but included it in this Book, and all shall just the same be thronged before Allah, their Creator.” (Al An’am 38) and the saying of Allah: “The day shall come when We summon a witness from every nation, the Messenger who evolved from their midst and conveyed Our message, to testify of his peoples’ response and We summon you O Muhammad to testify of your peoples’ response. The Book -the Quran- which We sent down to you is the fountain-head of divine knowledge and the chief source of divine information. It illucidates every aspect of every thought and it is a guide into all truth and a mercy extended to the people and a joyful tidings to those who conformed to Islam.” (Al Nahl 89)

In order to avoid Muslims to turn in those misgivings and intrigues, and the multiplicity of references, and the conflict of philosophies and theories, so as not to leave Muslims continue in the mazes of illusion and virtual reality, you have to answer the complaint presented by the Messenger of Allah, which is a direct accusation to you, who you are addressed to carry the message of Islam. You are placed in the position of the advocates and defenders of Islam. You should answer the reasons contained in the great charge, and it will be heavy on you on the great Day of Judgment. This charge is mentioned in the verse: “And there shall the Messenger express to Allah, his Creator his discontent at his people; he says now as he said earlier in life below «O Allah my Creator, I presented to my people Your divine message but my people took a dislike to Your divine discourse -the Quran- and they rejected it as a groundless fiction, and what they formed in their minds they exhibited in action».” (Al Furqan 30).

what will be your defense on the day of judgment? Will it be as Allah Almighty said: “And he adds: «Woe betide me, I wish I did not take such a man for a friend. He misled me and caused my loss in the maze of error and made me reject and neglect the divine and noble discourse which came to my door. Indeed, AL-Shaytan (Satan) seduces man and betrays him to his fall.” (Al Furqan 29-30).

There is only one way to save you on this great day. This way is to return to the Book of Allah, the message of Islam, justice and peace to all people, and to utilize its verses, and its legislation, virtue, values ​​and morals, to draw the requirements of the Muslim community, in the doctrine, worship, relationships and ethics. The Islamic education should be based on virtue and noble values included the message of Islam. Allah Almighty warned his creation in the verse: “And he who turns his back upon My spirit of truth that guides into all truth and does not keep Me in mind shall live a life of misery and hardness of fate and circumstances and We throng him in Day of Judgement as blind, lacking in intellectual, moral and spiritual perception as he was in life.” (Taha 4)

In order to get out of the accumulation of narrations, which distorted the image of mercy, justice and noble values ​​of the message of Islam, when the narrations dominated the verses, there is no way for Muslims except to return to the book of Allah, and the verses conveyed by the Prophet to all people. The objective of the verses of dignity is to draw a way of life to live in peace. No one is to be afraid, no fear should threaten people, no guardians of Islam are to judge people. No one is to be accused of converting to other religions and be killed. All people should have the right to work freely and make his living. All people should enjoy the care and blessings of Allah. The evil doers should disappear along with the devils who call for hatred. Allah Almighty invites you to follow up the straight path in the holy Qur’an. This is assured in the verse of Allah: “This is My path of righteousness; follow it, you may attain moral straightness, goodness, integrity, virtue and piety. Do not tread other paths lest you miss the path chosen to guide you into all truth. « This is what He has commended unto you so that you may hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him»” (Al An’am 153).

Thus, I address the mentioned above honorable Imams. Previously, president of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, called for a correction of the religious discourse. He noted the urgent need for this because of the destruction and killing of the Arab world in the name of Islam. In order to remove the impurities and distortions of the image of Islam, it is necessary for Al-Azhar, the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf and the House of Fatwa, together, to develop a unified vision of the message of Islam, based on the reference of the Qur’an, because Allah Almighty did not send angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) with the holy Qur’an and with the Hadith and the recommendations. Allah Almighty has sent angel Gabriel once to convey one noble book, the holy Qur’an. The objective is to bring people from darkness to light, so that the Muslims would not remain hostage to the jurisprudence that coincided with its era and time. We have our own era and time. Our religion is suitable for the present and the future. our religion addresses the mind and motivate it to think about the universe, to make use of its potentials in the service of man, and the reconstruction of the earth, and the spread of mercy, love, justice and peace. Allah Almighty says: “Thus We made an ‘Umma (nation) of you Muslims with balanced reason so that you be witnesses of peoples’ actions characterizing their rival systems. The Prophet would be a witness of your actions, and your deeds are a witness of your worth. We initially established AL-Quds as the Kiblah toward which you, Muhammad, turned in prayer distinguishing those who obey the Prophet and exposing the disobedient who turn on their heels, reversing their position. This was hard on those with the rich legacy of Ibrahim before them but they bowed to Providence as their guide. Allah was not going to annul your religious and spiritual virtues, for Allah displays kindness to those who serve Him and those who do not: His mercy is extended to all.” (Al Baqara 134)

We are not responsible for our predecessors, nor will they accompany us with their visions or their jurisprudence or their narrations. Rather, we will be rewarded by Allah for our deeds and actions on the Day of Judgment. What we call upon is to adhere to the path of Allah and the holy Qur’an, which we reassure our hearts by and purify our souls by recitation of it. We should follow the commands of Allah Almighty mentioned in His saying: “And you people, act, in accordance with all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, and take not besides Allah tutelary guardians; they will influence you to revert in character to your aboriginal stocks. How little you people keep Allah in mind.” (Al A’raf 3)

I have conveyed the message; Allah is my witness

Ali Mohammed Al-Shurafa Al-Hammadi

United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi