Islam's "Heavenly Ornaments." Notes By Uncle Monty.

Islam’s “Heavenly Ornaments.”

Notes By Uncle Monty

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Islam both fascinates and frightens me at the same time.

As a belief, Islam rejects those like me who they disparag-
ingly call “Worshippers of the Cross.” And, Islam is a growing

global force that will eventually eclipse Christianity in terms

of numbers, reach, religious power, and political potency

on the world stage.

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With the English translation from Urdu by Mohammad
Masroof Khan Saroha of BAHISHI ZEWAR or “Heaven
Ornaments,” I began to carefully read the Quranic text
as presented in the 1991, 483-page, first edition book
that came, by chance, into my hands while I was inside
an Islamic charity shop at London’s West Ealing a few
months ago. The hardback cover was in bright green
with all the words on the front cover printed in
gold-leaf from Karachi, Pakistan.

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What I started to read “Heavenly Ornaments” it was
quite an eye opener for me as a thinking Anglican not
versed with any depth in the Muslim faith nor with
much knowledge of The Holy Quran.
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Yes, I know of the two major branches of Islam -

Shia and Sunni. Yes, I know Muslims have Friday

Prayer Day. Yes, I know Muslims view Christian
Jesus as a Minor Prophet with Almighty Allah the

only one for them. Statues and pictures of people

and animals are also rejected by the Islamic faith.

Yes, I know that right now there are some 1.8 billion

people who are steadfast adherents to The Holy

Prophet. Yes, I know of the Islam’s yearly Ramadan

and other festivals. Yes, I have visited mosques in

three or four countries and my first one was at

America's Washington, D.C. on Embassy Row.

I know perhaps 3 or 4 folkz who are

practicing Muslims.
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But beyond that, I am pretty ignorant all around
about Islam as a Christian by birth, upbringing,
and faith. So upon finding the book “Heavenly
Ornaments,” I had hoped it would help me to have

more knowledge and understanding of Islam.
It has, but I am perhaps now more frightened,
while still deeply fascinated, with such a belief
system after reading what I have of Saroha's
translation of BAHISHI ZEWAR
or “Heaven Ornaments.”
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Book Cover of "Heavenly Ornaments."

True Beliefs (Aqa’ed)
Mas-ala 1 – There was no Universe in the

beginning. It came into being by order of Allah.
Mas-ala 2 – Allah is one. He is not subordinate to
or dependent upon any one. He has neither given
birth to any one nor has been born of someone.
Mas-ala 3 – He is eternal. He has been from
eternity and shall remain till eternity.
The Mas-ala is presented in 52 problems.
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Heresy (Bid’at)

lists 33 such bad customs.
No. 12 – To bring water pitcher singing from

the river; to listen to music or play musical
instruments or to make dancing-girls dance
and to give them rewards.
No. 25 – To hang pictures or photos in the house.
No. 26 – To use golden or silver utensils or to
wear very thin clothes and jingling ornaments.
No. 28 – To adopt and wear the dress of the
opposite sex and its manner.
No 29 – To get the body tattooed.
No 32 – To give opium to the children to keep
them quiet and asleep.
No 33. To treat an ailment of the child with
milk or meat of a lion.

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Of Wuzu – Ablution
a) While making ablution one should sit on

some raised place facing Ka’ba (Mecca) …
b) (The) inner part of the nose should be
washed and cleaned with the left hand …

c) Then wash the face three times wetting
the fore-head from the hair of the head to the
lower portions of the ears. No portion of the

face should remain dry.
d) Then wash the feet beginning with the right (foot)
upto and including both ankles three times each.
The little finger of the left hand should be passed
between the fingers of both the feet beginning
from the little finger of the right foot and ending
with little finger of the left foot.
This is the method of Wuzu

as prescribed by Sunna.

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Breaches of Wuzu (Ablution)
Mas-ala 1 – Passing of stool, urine, or gases
breaches the ablution.
Mas-ala 8 – If blood or pus is pressed out of a

wound and it flows, then ablution is breached.
Mas-ala 12 – If one gets stung by a leech and
it sucks so much blood that cutting the leech
the blood flows, then Wusu is lost.
Mas-ala 16 – If vomit is mouthful, then

ablution is breached.
Mas-ala 20 – If one faints or loses sense in

insanity, ablution is lost even though the

faintness or the insanity was momentary.

Similarly, if some intoxicant is consumed

and it makes one to lose balance while walking

and steps are unsteady, the ablution is lost.

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The Lord's Prayer in Arabic

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The Leavings of Animals
Mas-ala 2 – The leavings of a dog are unclean.
Mas-ala 3 – Leavings of a pig is filthy.
Mas-ala 9 – Leavings of Halal animals (slaughtered
according to Islamic law) i.e. sheep, goat, cow,
buffalo, antelope, etc., and birds like maina, dove,

pigeon, parrot, sparrow, etc., are clean.

The leavings of a horse are also clean.

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Obligatory Bath
(Things or acts which make bath obligatory)
Mas-ala 1 – If semen is discharged with excitement
while asleep or awake, bath becomes obligatory in
whatever way it may discharge whether by touching
the opposite se or by mere thinking.
Mas-ala 3 - When the top of a male organ (penis) has
entered the vagina and is not visible, bath becomes
obligatory whether there has been the discharge of
semen or not. But it is a major sin to insert the

penis in the back side.
Mas-ala 10 – If an infidel (non-Muslim) accepts

Islam it is appreciable for him to take a bath.
Mas-ala 11 – If one bathes a dead man, it is

appreciable for him to take a bath.
Mas-ala 13 – Those for whom a bath is obligatory,

it is prohibited for them to touch the Holy Quran

or to enter mosque.
There are over 100 different other

Mas-ala (problems) obligatory bathing.

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Many detailed rules regarding baths, water,

washing, cooking, sexual activity, and women’s

dress are also outlined in “Heavenly Oraments.”
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Acts To Be Avoided in Urination:-
a) Takling and coughing unnecessarily.
b) To recite any verse of the Holy Quran

or a Tradition or any other sacred Text.
d) Passing urine in standing position or lying
down without any genuine cause or doing

it being completely naked.
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Rules and obligations regarding
Muslim prayers list over 350
instructions for those at the Mosque.
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Recitation of The Holy Quran, Death,
Shrouding, Funeral, Burial, Martyrdom,
Congregration, are ruled by over another
350 rules and obligations for those of
the Islamic faith.

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Respect and Reverence of
Friday Prayer Day.
Mas-ala 1 – Every Muslim should make prepara-

tions for Juma (Friday) from Thursday. He should
arrange for clean clothes and perfume them.
Mas-ala 2 – One should bathe properly on Friday
and clean his body and hair of the head. Use of
Miswak (toothstick) is also of great virtue on Friday.
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The Fast (Saum)
Mas-ala 1 – Keeping of fasts is obligatory

for every Muslim who is not insane or minor.
Mas-ala 4 – It is not essential to express the intent
in words, but merely a resolve to keep the fast and not
eat or drink anything or indulge in sexual intercourse
for a whole day, completes the fast. It is better to say,
“O Allah, I will keep fast tomorrow for Thy sake.”
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Breaches of Fast
Mas-ala 17 – If any one committed sexual intercourse
with a dead woman or with a minor girl who does not
excite the passion or with an animal or embrace or kiss
anyone or masturbates and in all instances seman came out,
the fast will be disrupted but recompensation will not be due.
Mas-ala 25 – Fast is not distrupted if a man enters some
oil or water with a syringe or otherwise in his penis
though it may reach the bladder.
Mas-ala 27 – It is execrable (abominable) to embrace or
kiss a woman if there is apprehension of discharge of seman
or may commit sexual intercourse under force of passions.
Mas-ala 28 – It is execrable to suck the lips of a woman

or to bring together the private organs in a naked

state without indulging in sexual intercourse whether

there was apprehension of seman discharge or not.
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I could go on and on even more to describe the

Quranic text from Islam's "Heavenly Ornaments."

But for those who want to read the complete book,

simply key in the words "heavenly ornaments"

on any major search engine and you'll soon find

plenty of Islamic booksellers ready to sell you

the book title online.
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I have admittedly made my own selections from the

hundreds of Muslim requirements as stated in the

book due simply to presenting a short overview of the
almost 500-page book. I have selected those items
which seem to me to be so totally different to what
most Christians practice and believe. Nor have I

attempted here to write a book review about

"Heavenly Ornaments" since I do not have the

knowledge let alone the gall to try to do so.

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My aim has been to simply and briefly inform those

who may be like me - both fascinated and frightened

at the same time about Islam and what it means to

those of us who are non-Muslims. Of course, each

person is free to dig more deeply into all that is truly

Islamic and truly Muslim. I just hope perhaps that

by having read what I have stated, such will lead

to greater understanding and knowledge of Islam

for those who are so inclined for whatever reason

may come to their heart and mind. For me person-

ally, Islam's "Heavenly Ornaments" has been

a truly big eye-opener into the Muslim faith.

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While I hold absolutely no religious prejudice

against others, I very much doubt that I'll

consider any time very soon about converting

to Islam that's for sure ... An avid Anglican I

am and an avid Anglican I pretty much plan

to avidly stay, thank you very much ...
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Shalom, Uncle Monty.

+St. Gwynedd, 2oo8.

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:: UPDATE ::

Mistrust Risks Violence, Interfaith

Conference on Christians-Muslims told.

By Tom Heneghan, Reuters Religion Editor

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2938447420080729

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