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http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue310.gif ("][/url]Living the Quran
Al-An'am (The Cattle)
Chapter 6: Verse 162
Understanding the Prophet's LifeBut it's only words!
One day, one of the Companions asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, will we be called to account for what we say?" He replied "May you be lost to your mother! People will be thrown, faces down into the hellfire, only on account to what their tongues said!" [Tirmidhi]
Indeed the tongue controls the rest of our body. A well controlled tongue will keep us within Islam but a loose tongue will destroy us. The Prophet said: "When a person gets up in the morning, all the parts of his body make a plea to his tongue saying 'Fear Allah regarding us, because we follow you. If you are right then we shall also be right , and if you are wrong then we shall also be wrong'." [Tirmidhi]
How often do we say "It wasn't me who said it!" or that "I was only joking". We treat lies as being trivial. However we are told that Allah's messenger did not hate anything more than lying [Ahmed]. The Prophet was once asked "Can a Muslim be a coward?" He replied "Yes". He was then asked "Can a Muslim be a miser?" and the reply was "Yes". The Prophet was again asked "Can a Muslim be a liar?" The Prophet replied "No! A Muslim can never be a liar".
If we listen carefully to ourselves and to our friends speaking one day - nearly every sentence will have a swear word in it, thinking it's cool and macho to swear, copying the idols of TV and the cinema. Is it really 'cool' to swear? The Hellfire is far from being cool. People will wish they were cool then rather than being cool in this world. Remember! That every time we speak, an angel writes down what we say, and that one day we will have to answer for every single word we ever uttered. So if we swear at someone then it's written down as a sin against us. We''re only harming ourselves. The Prophet said that "abusing a Muslim is a sin and fighting with him is disbelief" [Muslim].
Instead of swearing, lying and engaging in useless talk we can use our tongues in better ways and what better than telling people about Islam.
Source:
"Cool Concepts Guidelines in Studying the Sunna
The technical definition of Sunna is all that the Prophet did, said, or approved. When the term Sunna is used, our minds are diverted immediately to the manners and morals which we are so careful to observe, while dressing and eating, walking and praying.
One may ask where can the Sunna be found for there are so many books and traditions circulated. What the Prophet has left behind however, is not merely a record of what he did or what he said. He left behind him living human beings and a living society. It is through these living human beings and through this society that one can find the Sunna. The degree of homogeneity, conformity, and consistency that you find in this Umma, even after 1,400 years, are because of this Sunna.
You may walk into any masjid from Indonesia to Washington and you will find the rites and rituals of the formal acts of worship and the language of Prayer almost identical. You may walk into any Muslim home and you will find every Muslim eating with his right hand. Why? Because that is the Sunna left behind by the Prophet.
These examples may seem trivial but my purpose in citing them is to point out that even on the minutest of details, uniformity exists in the Muslim Umma and this is due to the Sunna. If the Sunna is given up as a source of guidance and if the Quran is separated from the Sunna, then this Muslim society that has existed for over fourteen hundred years, through many periods of severe strains and tests and tribulations, would disintegrate. It would then be relatively easy for foreign cultures and societies to assimilate it. What gives Muslim society and Muslim communities a distinct identity and colour of their own is the pattern left behind by the Prophet.
Source:
"In the Early Hours" - Khurram Murad, Chapter 4.
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Al-Imran (The House of Imran)
Chapter 3: Verse 145 Reward of the Grateful
"It is not given to any soul to die except with the leave of Allah, and at an appointed time. And he who desires his reward in this world, We shall grant him the reward of this world; and he who desires the reward of the Other World, We shall grant him the reward of the Other World. And soon shall We reward the ones who are grateful."
The purpose of this directive is to bring home to the Muslims that it would be futile for them to try to flee from death. No one can either die before or survive the moment determined for death by God. Hence one should not waste one's time thinking how to excape death. Instead one should take stock of one's activities and see whether one's efforts have either been directed merely to one's well-being in this world or to well-being in the Hereafter.
The word 'thawab' denotes recompense and reward. From the Islamic point of view, the crucial question bearing upon human morals is whether a man keeps his attention focused on the worldly results of his endeavours or on the results which will acrue to him in the Next World.
The 'ones who are grateful' are those who fully appreciate God's favour in making the true religion available to them, and thereby intimating to them knowledge of a realm that is infinitely vaster than this world. Such people appreciate that God has graciously informed them of the truth so that the consequences of human endeavour are not confined to the brief span of earthly life but cover a vast expense, embracing both the present life and the much more important life of the Hereafter. He does so even though he may sometimes find that, far from bearing fruit, righteousness leads to privation and suffering in this world.
Source:
"Towards Understanding the Quran (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d420-001');)" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol I, pp. 290-291
The Brotherhood between the Muslims
Following the migration to Madinah, the first task that the Prophet (peace be upon him) attended to was the construction of a Mosque. After the construction of this mosque was complete, the Prophet turned his attention to cementing the ties of mutual brotherhood among the Muslims of Madinah, Al-Ansar (the Helpers) and Al-Muhajirun (the Emigrants).
A gathering of 90 men, half of whom were Emigrants and the others Helpers assembled in the house of Anas bin Malik where the Prophet gave the spirit of brotherhood his official blessing.
Brotherhood-in-faith was holding subordinate every distinction of race and kindred and supporting the Islamic principle: none is superior to the other except on the basis of piety and God-fearing. The Prophet attached to that brotherhood a valid contract; it was not just meaningless words but rather a valid practice relating to blood and wealth rather than a passing impulse taking the form of accidental greeting.
The atmosphere of brotherhood created a spirit of selflessness infused deeply in the hearts of his followers, and produced very healthy results. For example, Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi', a Helper, said to his fellow brother 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf, "I am the richest man among the Helpers. I am glad to share half of my property with you. I have two wives, I am ready to divorce one and after the expiry of her 'Iddah (the prescribed period for a woman divorcee to stay within her house unmarried), you may marry her." But 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf was not prepared to accept anything, neither property nor home. So he blessed his brother and said, "Kindly direct me to the market so that I may make my fortune with my own hands." And he did prosper and got married very shortly by his own struggle.
The Helpers were extremely generous to their brethren-in-faith. Abu Hurairah reported that they once approached the Prophet with the request that their orchards of palm trees should be distributed equally between the Muslims of Madinah and their brethren from Makkah. But the Prophetwas hesitant to put this heavy burden upon them. It was, however, decided that the Emigrants would work in the orchards along with the Helpers and the yield would be divided equally among them.
Such examples point directly to the spirit of cordiality, sacrifice and selflessness on the part of the Helpers, and also to the feeling of appreciation, gratitude and self-respect that the Emigrants held dear to their hearts. They took only what helped them make a reasonable living. In short, this policy of mutual brotherhood was so wise and timely that many obstinate problems were resolved wonderfully and reasonably.
Source:
"The Sealed Nectar (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d488-011');)" - Safi-ur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, pp. 228-229
Worthy New Year Resolutions
Will join a Halaqa - an Islamic study group
gain knowledge for personal improvement and service to community
strengthen brotherhood and work with others
make sacrifices to attend and share with others
re-charge spiritual batteries after week of studies, cure weak lazy Iman
learn leadership, critical thinking and public speaking skills
fall in love with the Quran and engage in Allah's remembrance
Will not let myself be bored or sit idle
Not waste hours watching TV, playing video games on the latest 'playstation 10' and 'game-tetrahedron' (face the Ka'aba not the Cube!)
Will find work to do and take initiative myself without anyone asking
Boredom is a disease, sign of poor life management, lack of direction or purpose, life is too exciting to be bored!
Entertainment is not a replacement, don't expect others to entertain you or find things to do
Will find a poor, needy, unemployed, sick, orphan, lonely Muslim in my community and befriend him or her.
This is the sign of a true Muslim, selfless altruistic love and concern for others, remembering those who are oft-forgotten, caring for the uncared, speaking for the voiceless…
Do you know a poor Muslim in your building, your area? Do you know who to give Zakat, Qurbani too even? It's not that they don't exist, we just don't make an effort to find out such Muslims and families
Remember Allah in Surah al-Maoon says the person who does not ENCOURAGE the feeding of the poor or does not do the SMALL ACTS of kindness has belied the Deen, is untruthful/insincere in it, and then Allah curses the ones who pray to be seen as their Salah is useless if it done to just show outward Islam whereas the inside, the heart, is empty and sealed from mercy and goodness!
Source:
"Making Resolutions That Matter! (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.youngmuslims.ca/articles/display.asp?ID%3d59');)" - Young Muslims
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Abdul-Curim
12-02-05, 09:54 AM
toxic , hows shaykh deedat ?
:salams
alhamdulillah he is still the same but allahu a3lam.
anyway still remember him and the ummah in your speacial duas.
Al-Adiyat (The Courses)
Chapter 100: Verses 6-8
Passionate Self-Lover
"Man is surely ungrateful to his Lord, and to this he himself bears witness; and truly, he is passionate in his love of wealth." It is a fact that man reacts with ingratitude to all the bounties of his Lord. He denies the favours which God confers on him. His thanklessness and ingratitude is reflected in a host of actions and verbal statements which will serve as witness against him. Or perhaps, on the Day of Judgement, he may testify against himself, admitting his ingratitude: "and to this he himself bears witness." (Verse 7) For on the Day of Judgement he will speak the plain truth even against himself, without contention or excuse. "And truly, he is passionate in his love for wealth." (Verse 8)
Man is a passionate self-lover. But he loves only what he imagines to be good for himself: wealth, power and the pleasures of this world. This is his nature unless he has faith which changes his concepts, values and even his concerns. Faith changes his ingratitude to humble thankfulness. It changes his greed and miserliness to benevolence and compassion. It makes him aware of the proper values which are worthy of being the object of ambition and hard competition. Indeed these are much more exalted than money, power and mundane pleasures.
Man without faith is an ignoble creature having only trivial ambitions and petty concerns. However large his desires, however strong his ambitions and high his objectives may seem, he remains sunk in the cesspool of this earth, confined within the limits of this life, imprisoned in self. He cannot be freed or elevated except by an attachment to a world superior to this earth, extending beyond this life; a world which originates from God who is the First Being and returning to God the Eternal; a world into which this life and the life hereafter converge and which has no end.
Source:
"In The Shade of the Quran (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d420-218');)" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol XVIII, p. 306
Al-Shura (The Counsel)
Chapter 42: Verse 52 (Partial)
Rooh of the Hearts
"And thus have We, by Our command, sent inspiration to you."
Quran is a rooh for the hearts. The rooh of the hearts is more specific than the rooh for the physical body. Allah has called it a rooh because it brings life to the hearts. When this Quran permeates the heart, it gives it life and enlightens it. It then knows its Lord and worships Allah upon guidance. It also fears Him, is aware of Him, loves Him, and extols Him. This is because this Quran is a rooh that moves the hearts like the rooh moves the bodies and forms. But if the hearts are void of the Quran, they die in the same way that if the body is void of the rooh it also dies.
In reality, there are two types of deaths and two types of lives. As for the two deaths, they are the death of the body and death of the heart. As for the two lives, they are the life of the body and the life of the heart. But there is a life in the bodies of the believers, the disbelievers, the pious and the impious. In fact, there is the same biological life for humans and animals with no distinguishing feature between them. The distinguishing feature is found in the life of the heart. This is not obtained except by the believing, pious servants of Allah. As for the disbelievers and the animals, they are missing the life of the hearts even though they may possess a life of the physical body.
Source:
"Muhaadharaat" - Al-Fauzaan, Vol. 2, pp. 291-292
harity is a Proof
(Recorded by Muslim)
"Charity" or sadaqa is the giving of one's wealth to others for the sake of Allah. It includes giving to the poor and needy as well as giving to build mosques and so forth.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) described charity, sadaqa, as a burhan. Burhan are the rays that are emitted by the sun. Part of their significance is that they clearly and unequivocally point to the existence of their source, the sun. That is why a "proof" or "definitive argument" is called a burhan. It unequivocally points to the truth of what it is being used to prove.
One explanation of this hadith is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was alluding to the fact that sadaqa is a sign of one's true belief. By its nature, wealth is something beloved to a human being. Giving up part of one's wealth for the sake of Allah is a much greater sign of one's faith than mere lip service. In general, hypocrites are not willing to give in charity (unless to be seen) for they are not willing to part their wealth.
A second explanation is that a person's sadaqa will be a proof for him on the Day of Judgment when he is asked about his wealth and how he used it in this life. He will rush to his charity and seek refuge in it in the same way that one rushed to a proof for support and help.
Source:
"Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d4317-004');)" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 884-885
Baby Paw
27-03-05, 03:48 PM
A'Salaam-a-laykum, Masha'Allah, very good posts.
<!--StartFragment --><!--StartFragment --> F R I D A Y N A S I H A
Al-Baqara (The Cow)
Chapter 2: Verse 46
<!--StartFragment --> Our Goal is the Hereafter
"Who realize that they have to meet their Lord and that to Him they are destined to return"
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Many people try to ride two boats at the same time and suffer in both ways. We should decide that we have to earn the Hereafter and only the Hereafter from the whole of this temporal life. And even when we seek to earn the world, that should also be in order that we might earn the Hereafter. If we do so, we will join the ranks of those "who realize that they have to meet their Lord and that to Him they are destined to return". We shall have attained that Khushu (submissiveness and humility) which is something so valuable that if we are devoid of it, no amount of knowledge will be of any avail. On the other hand, if we have khushu it will be easy for us to observe sabr (patience) and salah (Prayer). Both of these are the keys to all the good of this world and the Hereafter.
The secret of attaining taqwa - the token of a successful life - also depends upon our clearly deciding and resolutely persevering with the decision that our goal is the Hereafter. The underlying objective of all worldly concerns and preoccupations should be to earn the Hereafter. If we always keep the Hereafter in view, we shall not only attain taqwa but the blessings of this world and the Next shall also be ours. All kinds of blessings shall be showered upon us from every direction, we shall be free of every consternation, we shall be granted livelihood from the sources that are not even in the far reaches of our imagination. We shall also become the rightful inheritors of Paradise. In order to achieve this, we should keep the thought of death and the different stages through which one will have to pass in the Hereafter close to our heart.
Source:
"Dying and Living for Allah (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d420-173');)" - Khurram Murad, pp. 68-69
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Worthwhile Living
The Muslim community is not a community of people drawn together for any commercial or other material purpose. Fundamentally they are and remain a religious community, a brotherhood of faith, moved by an awareness of God, and of the Hereafter. This other-world consciousness has been emphasized over and over again by the letter and spirit of the Quran, and recounted endless times in the sayings of the Prophet. When he ordered the building of his Mosque, he said:
'I want it to be a simple building, like the thatching of my brother Moses. But in reality this world is more transient than would deserve even such a simple building - wa al-Amr a'jal min dhalik (the matter is more transient than that)'.
This other-world consciousness in Islam must not be lost sight of. The whole community must be made continually aware of it. The establishing of the prescribed five daily prayers, and the fact that they commence at dawn and finish at night is a most effective instrument for doing so. The very chant that the Prophet chose to sing and repeat while the Mosque was being built is a reminder of just this:
'O Lord! there is no worthwhile living but one oriented towards the Hereafter.'
Source:
"Sunshine At Madinah (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d420-018');)" - Zakaria Bashier, p. 78
<TABLE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#ffffff height=9>Al-Anbiya (The Apostles)
Chapter 21: Verse 30 (Partial)
http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue327.gif (javascript:ol('http://quran.al-islam.com/Targama/DispTargam.asp?nType%3d1%26nSeg%3d0%26l%3deng%26nS ora%3d21%26nAya%3d30%26t%3deng');)The Quest for Knowledge
"We have created everything out of water"
The Muslim pioneers of science read this verse of the Quran, and in their endeavour to penetrate the depths of these words they began to study living organisms and so developed the science of biology.
While there was always a conflict between Christianity and science - manifested, on the one hand, in fantastic, irrational dogmas and, on the other, in the most atrocious persecution of scientific thought and of scientists down to modern times - we are unable to discover the slightest trace of a conflict between Islam and science, be it in the teachings themselves or in the attitude of Muslim Ulama towards scientists.
Not only was Islam never opposed to science: it even conferred on science, and on intellectual endeavours generally, something of the sanctity of worship. In contrast with the burning and torturing of scholars, the destruction of so many works of science, the suppression of independent thought in different spheres of life, history does not furnish a single instance of a scientist having been persecuted under Muslim rule because of his scientific findings. Persecution of theologians and scholars there have been - occasional attempts at suppression of individuals who deviated from the 'orthodox' theology of the day, but of scientists never. Simply because Islam inculcated in its followers the greatest respect for learning and made 'the search after knowledge the sacred duty (fard) of every Muslim' (Bukhari). No accident, therefore, that many of the Muslim pioneers of science whose names are now household words the world over, were, at the same time, outstanding theologians and fuqaha. They had only to turn their eyes to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet in order to find that by acquiring scientific knowledge they would truly worship their Lord.
Source:
"Is Religion a thing of the Past?" - Muhammad Asad, pp. 14-36
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center align=right height=15>go to the top ^ (http://by104fd.bay104.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg?msg=0E1A54DC-6CA6-425F-952B-1F16D58C36BD&start=0&len=32685&msgread=1&imgsafe=n&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000000000 01&a=00f55393ba82b4c48d0f3044d4315e55&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2#top)</TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #ccccff 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccccff 2px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 2px solid; HEIGHT: 15px" vAlign=center align=left bgColor=#ccccff height=9>Do Not Get Angry ("][/url]Understanding the Prophet's Life</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#ffffff height=9>Controlling Anger
Abû Hurayrah relates that a man said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Counsel me.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not get angry.” The man repeated his request many times, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) kept saying: “Do not get angry.” [ Sahîh al-Bukhârî ] The importance of this hadith
By limiting his counsel to this one short instruction, the Prophet (peace be upon us) indicates the importance of controlling one's anger, and that doing so has far-reaching implications for a person's welfare both in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.
The emotion of anger
Anger is a very powerful emotion. It rages through a person, creating a desire for revenge and for striking out at the object of anger. Anger is an emotion that inspires action, and the action that it inspires is one of injury. The emotion of anger invokes within a person the very antithesis of mercy, compassion, self-restraint, and kindness.
This is what makes the emotion so dangerous. If left unchecked and uncontrolled, it is the emotion that can lead a person to the evilest of deeds and to the worst and most tragic consequences.
Prevention of anger
The statement “Do not get angry”, taken on its face value, is commanding us not to experience the emotion of anger at all. We know that this cannot be the intended meaning in an absolute sense, since it is an impossible instruction to uphold. Anger is a natural, human emotion. It is impossible for a person to avoid it absolutely.
Though this hadith may not be prohibiting us from ever experiencing the emotion of anger, it is, at the very least, advising us strongly to avoid that emotion as much as possible. And, indeed, there are measures that a person can take to limit his chances of getting angry.
First, he can condition himself to remain cool-tempered. When a person's temper is under control, he is less likely to become angry when an occasion for anger arises, and more likely to control himself when he, in spite of himself, does become angry.
Another way that a person can limit his chances of getting angry is for him to know what causes anger and remove those causes from his life. Among the chief causes of anger are pride and arrogance, since a prideful person is most easily offended and the most painfully stung by criticism. Another cause of anger is being argumentative. The more a person disputes with others, the less likely he is to accept the truth. His views become increasingly polarized and emotionally charged. A Muslim is, therefore, encouraged to avoid these negative character traits. In doing so, he will be less likely to get angry.
Source:
"YMOUK.com ("]Blindspot![/color]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#ffffff height=9>Attitudes and Actions for Self-Development
If we are to change anything - our youth group, our community, our society - we have to start with ourselves. Accepting our responsibility and developing as individuals is the first step, but we have to take it seriously. Below are a few ideas about Islamic behaviour and attitudes that we should strive to inculcate. These, insha Allah, will aid us in our all round development.
Punctuality
Punctuality in Islamic life and work is as important as the fulfilment of religious and moral duties. This cannot be over emphasised to Muslims the world over, who are notorious in their neglect of this prime Islamic virtue. If we are in the habit of arriving late, we should advance our watches enough to counter our habit. There is no excuse from our having to break this unworthy habit. Whatever the activity, Muslims must be bound to its precise time. Life is purposeful and man is responsible for every moment of time. So, whether the time calls for food or Salah, we should be there not only on time, but before time. Failure to start our duty on time is failure in our Islamicity, in our very iman or faith.
Generosity
Readiness to give aid is an Islamic virtue par excellence. The Muslim is always ready to come to the assistance of others in need. He does not wait to be asked to extend assistance. He is always on the lookout for the situation where he can actualise his benevolence. As far as doing good (al mar'uf) is concerned, or stopping or prohibiting an evil (al munkar), the Muslim must even be aggressive at times. This readiness to jump into any situation in order to be of service to fellow humans is the highest, the noblest expression of iman.
Doing Good
A person's iman is rightly measured by his active ihsan, his doing of good on all occasions. If he enters a meeting room and finds a table dirty, he wipes it clean. In the bathroom, the gym, the dining room, the athletic field, the mosque, walkways, everywhere, the Muslim is the first one to set right that which is not right. If a service calls for volunteers, he is the first to offer his service. The Muslim thus makes himself worthy of his Prophet who said: 'And the beginning of ihsan is removing refuse from the public highway'. (Bayhaqi)
Amiability
Amiability is a pre-requisite of falah or success. The Muslim struggles as hard as he can to make himself amiable, loveable, befriendable, and trustworthy. The smile ever present on his face is the index of a tenderness of a heart towards other Muslims. When they talk, he listens; when they cry, he cries with them, when they are in a good mood, he joins in their joyfulness. He is generous, good, and permanently concerned with their welfare.
Optimism
Optimism is the highest principle of Islamic ethics. Islam implies the conviction that Allah, is Beneficent and Merciful, Just and willing our welfare. He committed Himself to have mercy on us (6:12,54) to give the mu'minun or believers victory over their enemies (22:40) and generally to harm no one (4:39, 10:44). This world cannot be evil; nor can its outcome be evil. Certainly, it is an arena for action, for testing our piety and morality. But it is a world in which the good always comes out as victorious. That is because Allah is indeed Allah, and there is none else beside Him.
Source:
[url="javascript:ol('http://www.ymouk.com/0501/articles/archive/plain/AttitudesandActionsforSelfDevelopment.htm');)
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Al-Furqan (The Criterion)
Chapter 25: Verses 45-46
Roll up the shade
"Have you not seen how your Lord spreads the shade? If He will, he could have made it stationary: instead We have made the sun its pilot. So (as the sun rises), We gradually roll up that shade unto Us."
The word dalil has been used here in exactly the same sense in which the word "pilot" is used in English. To say that the sun is a dalil of the shade means that the lengthening and shortening of the shade is dependent on the rise and decline of the sun. "Shade", here denotes the state between light and darkness, the state that we observe before sunrise, or which we find during the day by the side of buildings or under trees.
To "roll up that shade unto Us" means to cause a thing to vanish, to drive it out of existence, for whatever vanishes or becomes extinct returns to God. From Him everything issues and to Him everything ultimately returns. There are two levels of meaning in this verse:
In its exoteric sense, it is addressed to the unbelievers who are immersed in heedlessness and negligence and it tells them: if you had carefully observed the movement of the shade you would have realised that the Message of the Oneness of God which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has brought to you is true. Your own lives depend on the lengthening and shortening of the shade. Now, had the shade been made permanent, no life or vegetation would have been left on earth for life's continuation requires both the heat and the light of the sun. In like manner, were there to be no shade, there would be no life. This delicate system could not have come into existence by itself, nor could it have been the outcome of blind working of nature. Nor could it have continued with such precision had there been a multiplicity of gods each endowed with some degree of power and authority.
Behind this apparent meaning there is a further subtle undertone which suggests that the present dark shade of ignorance and unbelief will not endure. One needs, however, to be patient because God's Law does not bring about sudden changes. In the physical world we see that both the sun rises and the shade shrinks slowly. The same will happen in the realm of thought, belief and morality: as the sun of guidance slowly rises, the dark shade of error will begin to shrink slowly and will gradually disappear.
Source:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Syed Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol 7, pp. 28 - 29
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"Bringing about justice between two is an act of charity."
This wording implies bringing peace between two people, making conciliation between two people, judging justly between two people and so forth. It implies bringing two people or parties together in such a way that one has not made something forbidden permissible or vice-versa.
Making things aright between people is described as a kind of charity toward others. This may be because of the wonderful results that it brings about. It brings about peace, love and harmony between people who may have had, for whatever reason, some disharmony in their relationship with one another. From the shariah point of view, this goal is so important that it is one of the few areas in which some form of lying is considered permissible. According to al-Bugha and Mistu, reconciling relationships between individuals is a communal obligation (Fardh Kifayah). Sultan points out that the effect of such conciliatory behaviour is that it will make society like one body, united and working in accord with one another.
Source:
"Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi" - Jamaal Al-Din M. Zarabozo, Vol 2, p. 1000
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center align=right height=15>[b]Socio-economic unrest of our days
Owing to the rapid development of science and its practical application to industry, communications, warfare, labour conditions, and so forth, the conventional systems of social co-operation have been thrown out of gear all over the world. The most elementary problems of life: bread and clothing, poverty and security, work and education, have become so complicated that they now constitute problems in the fullest and most baffling sense of the word. Not that there was a period when these things were less important that they are now. People always needed bread and clothing, poverty was always a bitter worry, and security always the aim: but in previous epochs, when society did not possess its present complexity, all such problems were comparatively easy of solution and did not, therefore, occupy people's minds as desperately as they do now.
By virtue of its stupendous progress in recent times, science has entirely changed the conditions of our existence. It has opened new, unexpected vistas, with all the attending complications, in almost every branch of human activity. It has made possible many things. Some of them creative and full of promise for the future, some of them destructive and full of terror. But none of them dreamt of by previous generations. Furthermore, precisely because these things had not been dreamt of (that is, had not been anticipated in the social concepts evolved in the past) the majority of people had, intellectually and morally, not been properly prepared for them. The net result now is that we possess neither the requisite economic technique nor the ethical maturity to adequately cope with this new situation. The intensity of people's search for new ways and means to resolve this perplexity is mirrored in the emergence of the many social ideologies which are now warring for predominance. Their widely conflicting claims make us realise that the very basis of our conventional thought, the assurance of stability in our social forms and in the relations between one human being and another, has broken down entirely.
This turmoil in socio-economic views did not, and could not, remain confined to the purely material side of our affairs. It has invaded our beliefs as well. Naturally so, for the confusions of our politics and economics gives rise to a very far-reaching criticisms of the ethical and religious convictions on which those politics and economics have hitherto rested: the more so as our religious leaders have become accustomed to taking every convention for granted and contributing precious little towards a solution to the perplexities with which modern life is beset. And so the political and socio-economic unrest of our days has its counterpart in deep unrest on the ethical plane.
Source:
"Is Religion a thing of the Past?" - Muhammad Asad, pp. 14-36
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Al-Muminun (The Believers)
Chapter 23: Verses 1-2
Be Mindful of Khushoo
"Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness."
Khushoo means calmness, serenity, tranquillity, dignity and humility. What makes a person have this khushoo is fear of Allah and the sense that He is always watching. Khushoo means that the heart stands before the Lord in humility and submission.
Salah (prayer) is the greatest of the practical pillars of Islam, and khushoo (humility and attentiveness) in prayer is required by shariah (Islamic law). When Iblees (Satan), the enemy of Allah, vowed to mislead and tempt the sons of Adam and said “Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left…” [Surah al-Araf 7:17], one of his most significant plots became to divert people from salah by all possible means and to whisper to them during their prayer so as to deprive them of the joy of this worship and cause them to lose the reward for it. As khushoo will be the first thing to disappear from the earth, and we are living in the last times, the words of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) are particularly pertinent to us: “The first thing of your religion that you will lose is khushoo, and the last thing that you will lose of your religion is Prayer. There may be a person praying who has no goodness in him, and soon you will enter the mosque and not find anyone who has khushoo.”
The site of khushoo is the heart, and its effects are manifested in the physical body. The various faculties follow the heart: if the heart is corrupted by negligence or insinuating whispers from Satan, the worship of the body’s faculties will also be corrupt. The heart is like a king and the faculties are like his troops who follow his orders and go where they are commanded. If the king is deposed, his followers are lost, which is like what happens when the heart does not worship properly.
Source:
"33 Ways of developing Khusho in Salah (javascript:ol('http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/33_ways_of_developing_khushu_in_salah/index.htm');)", by Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Al-Ankabut (The Spider)
Chapter 29: Verse 69
Diving Into the Struggle
"And those who Strive in Our (Cause), We will certainly guide them to Our paths: for verily Allah is with those who do Right."
Application of the Qur'an: A Dynamic Process
What one receives from the Qur'an, how much one understands of the Qur'an, and how much one is truly guided by it, is not a static process. It is indeed a dynamic process that is directly related to one's faith and willingness to apply the Qur'an
As the person learns and applies the Qur'an, his or her understanding of the Qur'an increases even further. This was precisely the case with the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Living in the Shade of the Qur'an: The Real Sweetness of Faith
Sayyid Qutb (rahimahullah) convincingly elaborates that unless we apply the Qur'an in our actions and actually begins to live in the shade of the Qur'an, we will never really taste the sweetness or experience the guidance of the Qur'an
"The [sweet taste] of this Qur'an cannot be tasted except by the one who dives into the struggle: The one who faces the same situations and struggles concerning which the Qur'an as revealed."
"Those who just search for the meaning and evidences of the Qur'an, while they are sitting studying it as a speech or art only, will never be able to discover the reality of the Qur'an from that motionless, barren sitting, far away from the struggle and far away from the movement. The reality of the Qur'an is never revealed to those who simply sit around and watch" commented Imam Qutb in his tafseer.
It is not a Book of Abstract Theories:
Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi (rahimahullah) eloquently echoed similar thoughts, "The Qur'an is neither a book of abstract theories and cold doctrines, which the reader can grasp while seated in a cozy armchair, nor is it merely a religious book like any other religious books, the secrets of which can be grasped in oratories"
"This is the Book which inspired and directed a great movement which began with the preaching of a powerful message that transformed the world!"
It is sheer arrogance on our part to become satisfied with our deeds and claim that what we are doing is sufficient for us. We should always keep in mind that we will not enter Paradise on the basis of our deeds but only because of Allah's mercy. Therefore we should always strive to better ourselves, in order to please Allah, in the same way that many of us strive to better ourselves in our work and study.
Source:
"How to Approach and Understand the Quran (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d4317-006');)" - Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo, pp. 178-182
go to the top ^ (http://by104fd.bay104.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg?msg=3C03B471-B085-4E05-A814-BFC276A42D14&mfs=&_HMaction=move&tobox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002&direction=next&wo=&curmbox=00000000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000%2d0000000000 01&a=cc8fcc31a2efd6#top)Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase ("][/url]Understanding the Prophet's LifeThe Lesser of Two Evils
When interests conflict, lower interest is sacrificed for the sake of higher interest, and private interest is sacrificed for the sake of common interest, and the owner of private interest is to be compensated for his loss. Also in cases of conflicting interests, temporary interest is forsaken in favour of long-term or permanent interest; superficial interest is neglected for the sake of real interest, and sure interest is given precedence over uncertain interest.
In the Treaty of Hudaibia, we saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) give prominence to real, basic and future interests over some considerations that others would never have relinquished. He agreed to such conditions that at first glance seemed unfair or humiliating to Muslims; he agreed to the removal of the phrase, "In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate", in whose place was written "In The name of God": He also agreed not to be mentioned as the Messenger of Allah in the pact, and to write his name only as Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. The examples are many. If evils conflict and some of them are indispensable, then one should choose the lesser of two evils and the lower of two degrees of harm prescribed.
Muslim Scholars have prescribed that harm should be eliminated as much as possible and that a lesser harm should not be eliminated with a greater harm. A minor harm should be tolerated if such tolerance would make it possible to avoid a major harm, and private harm should be accepted for the sake of avoiding common harm.
Many examples of this are mentioned in books on the "rules of Fiqh" or "similarities and analogies".
If interests and evils conflict, they should be examined carefully in terms of their size, effect and duration.
A slight evil should be forgiven for the sake of realizing a major interest.
A temporary evil should be forgiven for the sake of realizing a long - term or permanent interest.
Even a great evil should be accepted if its elimination would lead to a greater evil.
In normal conditions, the avoidance of evil should come before the realization of interest.
It is not enough that we should accept this concept in theory, but rather we have to apply it in practice, for many of the differences among the active Islamist groups are related to these balances.
Source:
"Teens' Deen
What's the Deal with Being a Muslim?
I am a Muslim; You are a Muslim. You parents are also most likely Muslims. All of us belong to the community of Islam!
A Muslim is an individual who accepts Islam as the way of life. Islam is his or her faith. Islam his or her way. A Muslim, whether young or old, acts as Islam tells him or her to act.
As Muslims, we follow the guidance and commands given to us by Allah, as a manual! He told us what is right and what is wrong. We accept Allah's guidance (Quran) and we follow His message by our own choice. We do this because we know they are of great benefit to us. This belief guides us in our actions.
If every action of a young Muslim is done to please Allah, and performed in obedience to Him, then it is an act of worship (Ibadah)! Every person is the servant (Abd) of Allah on earth. Everyone is an agent or representative (Khalifah) of Allah in this world.
Everything a person has is a trust from Allah. A representative does not work according to his own wishes. He follows the instructions of his Master, because he represents the Master.
Therefore, as representatives (Khalifahs) of Allah, we cannot follow the instructions of others. Nor can we have guidance from sources other than from Allah. By our choice we must obey Allah. Only then will we be Allah's true Khalifahs and servants!
Of course, we might be tempted to disobey Allah. We might decide that we want to do whatever we like. But we have to remember that if we disobey Him, we will suffer great loss. Our life is a test for us. As Muslims, we shall not disobey Allah in any way. We must do our utmost to be successful in the test!
Source:
"The Children's Book Islam: Part Two" - M. M. Ahsan
Al-Baqara (The Cow)
Chapter 2: Verse 143
Umma of the Middle Way
"You are a community (Umma) of the middle way, so that you may be witnesses before Humanity."
Islam enjoins wisdom, balance, moderation and tolerance in all affairs, and it condemns excessiveness, extravagance and fanatical attitudes.
To achieve a balanced attitude, Muslims need to understand the objectives of Islam, stay close to Islamic guidance, and give as much weight to an aspect of Islam as the noble Prophet of Allah and his faithful Companions gave, no more and no less.
Extremist attitudes, practices and customs, make their entrance into an organisation, community or groups, through various ways - through views based on ignorance, superficial knowledge, imbalanced understanding or impatience.
Extremism is bred when certain verses of the Quran, sayings of the noble Prophet or certain of his deeds are exaggerated or understood out of their context. It even arises from exaggerated love or hate of someone or something.
An extremist outlook is one of the major causes of Muslim disunity and weakness today. Islamic workers must avoid extremism and rigidity, learn and observe the ethics of disagreement in Islam, and show respect and tolerance to differing views and opinions that are within the boundaries of Islam.
Source: "Building ANew Society" - Zahid Parvez, pp. 199-201
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Understanding the Prophet's Life
Islam Approves of Revivalism
Tajdeed (renewal and revival) is legitimate and required by hadith as mentioned in the well known and verified hadith: “Allah will send to the Ummah at the start of every hundred years someone who will revive the Deen.”
Reviving something does not mean eliminating it and substituting something for it, but means restoring it as much as possible to the shape it was in when it first emerged into existence and maintaining its essence, characteristics and features to the minutest detail without altering them in the least. Renovating an ancient building such as a palace, a temple or a mosque, does not mean demolishing it and building another but rather means restoring it and taking every care to return it to its original state as much as possible. This is what true tajdeed is.
Tajdeed of the Deen includes the renewal of its understanding of fiqh, which is an ideological tajdeed; renewing belief in it, which is a spiritual tajdeed and renewing the effort for its help and the call for its propagation, which is practical tajdeed. Each age requires its own type of tajdeed that addresses the deficiencies and cures the ailments of the specific age.
However, there is an area that tajdeed can never enter under any conditions - it is the area of al-qat’iyyat (the conclusive) where Islam has passed its decisive judgement in the various aspects of aqeedah, ibadah and ahkam which embody the doctrinal, spiritual, intellectual and behavioural unity of the Muslim Ummah.
Source:"Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_Priorities/ch3p1.htm%23Islam%2520Approves%2520of%2520Revivali sm');) " - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, pp. 129-130
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Blindspot!
What’s Wrong With A Lustful Gaze?
Many of us who are used to watching Sinbad or Temptation Island, or are addicted to Bollywood movies, or enjoy the company of people of opposite gender, may wonder what’s wrong with lustfully staring at the attractive features of the opposite gender? Perhaps one saying of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sums it all:
“The furtive glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Shaytan, on him be God's curse. Whoever forsakes it for the fear of Allah, will receive from Him (Great and Gracious is He) a faith, the sweetness of which he will find within his heart.” (al-Haakim.)
Therefore, a secret lustful look at a person of opposite gender has been compared by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to an arrow from Shaytan that:
poisons our hearts
ruins our intentions
gives rise to false hopes and desires
distorts our perception of 'reality'
deprives us from enjoying and concentrating in Prayers
gives rise to constant feeling of guilt and depression
sometimes leads to sleepless nights
renders our heart weak for continuous Shaytanic attacks
promotes hypocrisy
weakens our memory
eventually leads to Zina (adultery)
above all, diminishes our love for and fear of Allah
Source: "Watch Out For The Arrow (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://youngmuslims.ca/publications/arrow.asp');)" - Young Muslims Publication
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The 7th Online Islamic Quiz Competition
July 14th - August 27th, 2005
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Al-Maidah (The Table)
Chapter 5: Verse 32
The Right To Life
"Whosoever kills a human being without (any reason like) man slaughter, or corruption on earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind"
No human being has any right by himself to take human life in retaliation or for causing mischief on this earth. Therefore it is incumbent on every human being that under no circumstances should he be guilty of taking a human life. If anyone has murdered a human being, it is as if he has slain the entire human race.
The Prophet, may God's blessings be on him, has declared murder as the greatest sin only next to polytheism. The Tradition of the Prophet reads: "The greatest sins are to associate something with God and to kill human beings."
In the Quran and the Traditions of the Prophet the word 'soul' (nafs) has been used in general terms without any distinction or particularization. Therefore the injunction to not kill does not refer only to the persons belonging to one's nation, the citizens of one's country, the people of a particular race or religion. The injunction applies to all human beings and the destruction of human life in itself has been prohibited.
Source:
"Human Rights in Islam (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/M_hri/index.htm%231_The_Right_to_Life');)" - Abul Ala Mawdudi
Towards a Social Jihad
In a broader sense "fighting in the path of God" (Jihad) means mobilising all our human forces, directing all our efforts and giving of our properties and of our own persons in order to overcome all adversities whether they be injustices, poverty, illiteracy, delinquency or exclusion.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, presents an extensive interpretation of the word when he asserts, for example, that "Pilgrimage is Jihad." One realises that the troubles, efforts and suffering endured by the faithful during a few days in Makka, in order to give strength to their faith and answer the call of the Creator, are a jihad in the path of God.
In our daily lives, to live in faith in our societies is equal to recognising the sense of effort. Faith involves putting one to the test; it is, in fact, a test itself. In our representation of an ideal of life, respect and coexistence, actual social fractures, misery, illiteracy, unemployment are many elements of the new adversity that the modern age has created. Mobilisation imposes itself when man's dignity is in peril. But, it is not always a question of an armed appraisal.
There is no denying that there are struggles wherein circumstances lead us to direct confrontation. However, it cannot simply be a question of focusing our attention on these events alone and forgetting the broader type of fight which occurs daily and is, therefore, so much more urgent. Nowadays, our enemies, in the path of God, are hunger, unemployment, exploitation, delinquency and drug addiction. They require intense efforts, a continuous fight and a complete jihad which needs each and everyone's participation.
Source:
"Islam, The West and the Challenges of Modernity" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 67-68
4 Manifestations of Extremism
The first indications of extremism include bigotry and intolerance, which make a person adamantly devoted to his own opinions and prejudices, as well as rigidity, which deprives him of clarity of vision regarding the interests of other human beings, the purposes of Shariah, or the circumstances of the age. Such a person does not allow any opportunity for dialogue with others so that he may compare his opinion with theirs, and chooses to follow what appears to him most sound.
The second characteristic of extremism manifests itself in a continuous commitment to excessiveness, and in attempts to force others to do likewise, despite the existence of good reasons for facilitation and the fact that Allah has not ordained it. A person motivated by piety and caution may, if he so wishes, choose a hard-line opinion in some matters and on certain occasions. But this should not become so habitual that he rejects facilitation when he needs it.
The third characteristic of extremism is the out-of-time and out-of-place religious excessiveness and overburdening of others, i.e., when applying Islamic principles to people in non-Muslim countries or to people who have only recently converted to Islam, as well as to newly committed Muslims. With all these, emphasis should not be put on either minor or controversial issues, but on fundamentals. Endeavours should be made to correct their concepts and understanding of Islam before anything else.
The fourth characteristic of extremism manifests itself in harshness in the treatment of people, roughness in the manner of approach, and crudeness in calling people to Islam, all of which are contrary to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah.
Source:
"Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_RE/ch1pre.htm%232.+The+Concept+of+Religious+Extremism ');)" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Al-Zilzal (The Earthquake)
Chapter 9: Verses 1-8
When the earth trembles ...
Istanbul, 17 August 1999
At 3:08 am, Turkey experiences the worst earthquake in a long time, reaching 7.8 on the Richter scale. The epicentre is near Golcuk, the Turkish naval base on the Marmara Sea near Ismit. My wife and I, fast asleep, are being thrown around in bed for forty-five endless seconds. There is no more electricity but the police call all citizens to leave their houses in expectation of a worse quake. So we spend the next few nights on an asphalted car park near our house - a scene weirdly resembling a picnic party.
I go around reminding people of what the 99th surah of the Quran tell us: "When the earth trembles with her trembling, and the earth issues her burden, and people ask: 'What is happening with her?' On that day, she will recount what came to her knowledge. On that day, all people will come forward singly in order to be shown their deeds. Then, whoever has done an atom's weight of good, will see it; and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil, will see it." But none of my asphalt neighbours seems to have heard of such a surah. Kemalism has done away with such knowledge.
Soon, rumours started spreading about the fact that the naval base, where a high brass party had been going to celebrate the military's victory in the war against the hijab, had been utterly destroyed by the quake and had even sunk into the sea. Had Gilles Kepel not called one of his books The Revenge of Allah?
For about a week, people in Istanbul walked about like zombies. The life picked up again and they became as heedless (and as frequently saturated in raki) as before. How many warnings do people need? How many warnings will they get?
Source: "Journey to Islam (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/shop/pview.asp?item%3d420-508');)" - Murad Hofman, pp. 222-223
Arranged Marriages, Forced Marriages
Islam recognises a marriage arranged by parents or relatives where the bride and groom have freely and willingly given their consent; indeed, consent on both parties to a marriage is a must. Without this a marriage is not valid.
This was made very clear by the Prophet, peace be upon him. Khansa bint Khidhan al-Ansariya narrated that her father gave her in marriage when she was a matron (childless woman, divorcee or a widow) and she disliked that marriage. So, she went to Allah's Messenger, and he declared the marriage null and void (al-Bukhari).
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said, "A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting with her (ie. getting her consent), and a virgin should not be given in marriage without her permission (consent)." (al-Bukhari)
There is no room for forced marriages in Islam. To force anyone into a marriage is not lawful in Islam. Freely-given consent is a basic requirement in Islamic marriage. No one should force either a male or a female into a marriage; even the parents who always want the best for their children should not force them into marriage in which they have not consented. Lack of the correct knowledge about Islam and insistence on local customs and culture may be the reason for doing un-Islamic things. Muslims should follow the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. There is nothing wrong in following local customs and culture if they do not violate Islamic Teachings.
Source: "Islam: Beliefs and Teachings (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/shop/pview.asp?item%3d423-002');)" - Ghulam Sarwar, pp 157-158
3 Defects of Extremism
The first defect is that excessiveness is too disagreeable for ordinary human nature to endure or tolerate. Even if a few human beings could put up with excessiveness for a short time, the majority would not be able to do so. Allah's legislation addresses the whole of humanity, not a special group who may have a unique capacity for endurance.
The second defect is that excessiveness is short-lived. Since man's capacity for endurance and perseverance is naturally limited, and since man can easily become bored, he can not endure any excessive practice for long. Even if he puts up with it for a while he will soon be overcome by fatigue, physically and spiritually, and will eventually give up even the little he can naturally do, or he may even take a different course altogether substituting excessiveness with complete negligence and laxity.
The third defect is that excessive practice jeopardizes other rights and obligations. A sage once said in this respect: "Every extravagance is somehow bound to be associated with a lost right."
Source: "Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_RE/ch1pre.htm%231.+Defects+of+Religious+Extremism');)" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
www.FridayNasiha.com (javascript:ol('http://www.FridayNasiha.com');)
Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract)
Chapter 15: Verses 39-40
DON'TE BE DUPED ...
If I told you someone was going to climb through your bedroom window at 1:17am, grab your wallet, your watch and your cell phone, would you get your guard up?
You probably wouldn’t think I was serious, say ‘yeah right,’ and snuggle into your warm comfortable bed for a good night’s sleep.
What if it did happen? What if you woke up and found that your wallet, your watch and your cell were gone?
If it did happen, you’d be duped. That’s what.
Duped: conned, deceived, jerked around, fooled, played, tricked.
While these other words kind of give an idea of duped, they miss one important thing: to be duped is to see it coming, yet get hit.
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If I told you I got news that someone was after you, that someone wanted to destroy you, that someone wanted to drag you into the depths of hell and was going to use all the resources available to do it, would you believe me?
What if Allah told you, would you believe Him?
What if that someone himself said it, would you believe it?
Check it out,
http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue336.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://quran.al-islam.com/Targama/DispTargam.asp?nType%3d1%26nSeg%3d0%26l%3deng%26nS ora%3d15%26nAya%3d39%26t%3deng');)
Satan said: “I will make things on earth seem attractive to them (mankind) and lead all of them to error, except those of Your servants whom You have singled out for Yourself.”
Satan has explained it clear enough: we, mankind, have a sworn enemy. So what do we do about it? Well for one, DON’T BE DUPED! ...
The Defense - 5 Things to Realize
1. We Choose, the Power is Ours!
Satan tries to convince us that we are just pawns in a plan that will play itself out. Allah is the Creator of all things, including men, women and their actions. We are the ‘doers’ of our actions, i.e. we choose to do certain things and not to do certain things.
“We showed him the way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).”(Quran 76:3)
While Allah has the power to control our actions, He has given us guidance and left it up to us to follow it. Once we realize that we choose our actions, it only makes sense that we are accountable for what we do.
2. Dupe Check
With Satan constantly attacking us, we need to check our choices so we please Allah and make it to paradise. How do we know if we are on track or headed for a wreck? We should always keep ourselves in check.
But as the saying goes, ‘no one can be their own best critic’. That’s why it’s important to receive critiques from others with an open mind. No one likes to hear they’re doing something wrong, but we should take every opportunity we can to hold ourselves to account before we are held accountable by the All Seeing, All Hearing and All Knowing God.
3. The Ultimate Reinforcement
Satan admits he can’t win over those people who follow in the path of Allah. When we feel Satan’s whisper loosen our grip on what’s real and what really matters, we call for back-up:
“O my Lord, I seek refuge with you from the evil ones. And I seek refuge with you, O my Lord, lest they should come near me.”(Quran 23:97-98)
No matter how hard Satan hits, Allah’s got our back!
4. Been Duped? Undupe!
People aren’t perfect: we will make mistakes. Satan dupes us by making us think that minor sins aren’t important. So we might think, “What’s the big deal if I tell a ‘white lie’?” The fact is, lies are lies and sins are sins, and as the Prophet said, even minor sins, “if a person is called to account for them, will destroy him.”[Ahmad]
So how do we repent for what we do wrong, whether minor or major?
Recognize what’s wrong and stop doing it right away.
Hate the action and regret that we ever did it.
Be determined never to do the action again.
If someone’s rights were violated by the action we should seek their forgiveness and set things right.
While we may end up falling into the same trap again, we can always repent and get back on the straight path. Only those people who give up and continue to follow Satan are duped and truly losers.
5. Mission Not Impossible
With tough talk like, "then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left" (Quran 7:17), Satan can seem intimidating. But we know from the Quran, on the Day of Judgment Satan will back down and double-cross those he duped:
“It was Allah Who gave you a promise of Truth: I too promised, but I failed in my promise to you. I had no authority over you except to call you but you listened to me: then reproach not me, but reproach your own souls.” (Quran 14:22)
Even now, while Satan thinks he’s all that, we can and have beat him. Just look at what the Prophet said to Umar Al-Khattab!
"Never does Satan find you going on a way, but he takes another way other than yours."
With these 5 points in heart and mind, we’ve stacked our defense:
It’s time to take the offense!
The Offense - Stay on track and fight the attack!
1. The Best Offense is a Good Defense
We can never pray enough for Allah’s help; the five daily prayers, a night of bonding in voluntary prayers or simply ask Allah for protection from Satan and dupedom.
2. Get the Guide
Read, understand, absorb and live the Quran. It guides us with examples of how people in the past dealt with Satan, it consoles us in our struggle and it lights hope with the promise of paradise. [See, Quran: Your Gateway to a New World (http://youngmuslims.ca/publications/quran.pdf)]
3. Follow the Leader
While Satan strives to lead us astray, we should remember the example of the Prophet who was sent to guide us to the right way. If we practice like the Prophet, we too can defeat dupedom!
4. Get Stacked
Don’t bear the brunt of the battle alone; you need the help of your friends. As the Prophet Muhammad said, “A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look (carefully) whom you choose to befriend.” [Ahmad] A group of dummies are destined to be duped so find friends that feel the way you do about faith. [Check out Cool or Fool (http://youngmuslims.ca/publications/coolfool.asp)]
5. Never Stop
Satan is relentless. He won’t stop until he has us on a one-way trip to hell. We need to be just as persistent in the resistance, always purifying our hearts and filling our minds with the remembrance of Allah.
Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves: If You don’t forgive us and bestow Your mercy upon us, we will certainly be lost.
Source:
"Don't Be Duped (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://YoungMuslims.ca/publications/duped.asp');)" - Young Muslims' Latest Publication [Help Distribute (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.youngmuslims.ca/publications/request.asp');)]
[b]The Danger of Semi-knowled
Semi-knowledge, coupled with vanity and pride, is more dangerous and subversive than an admitted total ignorance, because the former is the ignorance of a person who is not aware of his limitations. Such ignorance manifests itself in various ways, the most important of which is sticking rigidly to the literal meanings of the texts in total disregard for their essence and purposes.
Let us examine the following text:
It is related in an authentic hadith that a Muslim should not carry a copy of the Qur'an when traveling in the land of the kuffar or the enemy. But if we examine the reason underlying this prohibition, we conclude that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited this out of his concern that the kuffar might do harm to or defile the Book. In the absence of such harm or defilement, Muslims can take it with them wherever they wish. This is the customary practice among all Muslims today. Indeed, people of other religions and faiths now compete to distribute their "sacred books" and utilize all possible means in the process. Muslims are trying to do the same through translations of the meanings of the Qur'an for non-Arabic speakers.
The Prophet also did not permit a Muslim who had been away from his family for a long period of time to arrive back at night. He himself used to return only in the mornings or early evenings. There are two reasons for this. First, arriving home unexpectedly after a long absence may indicate that the husband mistrusts his wife and intends to take her unawares. This kind of mistrust is not acceptable in Islam. Secondly, it is argued that the prohibition seeks to give the wife the right to know of her husband's arrival so that she may beautify herself for him. But in modern times a traveler can come home any time he likes, on the condition that he informs his wife by telephone or by letter, telex, telegram, etc. Further, today's traveler cannot always choose when to travel, for he is governed by schedules and timetables. Therefore, such a prohibition cannot be taken at its face value; it must be analyzed on the basis of its original purpose and intent with regard to the circumstances of time and place.
Source: "Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_RE/index.htm');)" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Al-Rad (The Thunder)
Chapter 13: Verse 28
Satisfied Heart
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"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction."
It is only human beings who were given the freedom of choice to submit to the will of Allah or to follow their own desires. The real difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim is that Muslims remember Allah, their Creator, and bow down to Him in submission. By these acts, Muslims achieve complete harmony with the entire universe and are at peace with themselves. This gives satisfaction of heart.
This Dhikr (remembrance) has to be at three levels.
First, the seat of Dhikr is Qalb (heart). We should be conscious of the presence of Allah as much as possible and 'be not among those who are forgetful.' (Al-Araf 7: 205)
Second, we should recite His praise and His glory with our tongues. This Dhikr should be with humility and reverence, without loudness of voice whether sitting, standing or lying down on our sides in the mornings or evenings, day or night.
Finally, Dhikr is not only with heart and tongue but our actions should also manifest what we think and say.
Through Dhikr we establish our relationships with Allah. This is the source of our strength. Dhikr acts as a regulator and a control mechanism in our lives. Remembrance of Allah keeps us on the Straight Path.
Source: "Lift Up Your Hearts" - Abdur Rashid Siddiqui. pp. 143-148
Safety lies in Silence
One loses sense in talking absurdities and aimlessly.
Those who want to impress others in meetings by their talk, they speak so fluently and endlessly that the words come out from their mouth like rainwater. Although they try to convince others that they are very wise, intelligent and farsighted, but sometimes the impression created by their long-winding speeches is quite the contrary, and from their talks people feel that there is no relation between what they want the people to believe about them and what actually they are.
When a man wants to contemplate over his position and wants to organize his religious thoughts, he runs away from the atmosphere of noise and uproar and takes shelter in a quiet place. And therefore if Islam recommends silence and considers it a means of civilized training, then it is not at all surprising.
The Prophet had, among other things, advised Abu Dhar in this way:
“Adopt silence. This is a way of causing Satan to run away, it is a support to you in the matter of your religion." (Ahmed)
Undoubtedly the tongue is a rope in the hands of Satan. He turns it anywhere he likes. When a man is unable to control his affairs, his mouth becomes a passage for all the negative talk which contaminates the heart and covers it with the sheet of negligence.
The prophet has said: "The faith of a man cannot be straight unless his heart is straight, and his heart cannot be straight unless his tongue becomes straight." (Ahmed)
The first stage of this straightness and correctness is that man should wash his hands off all the irrelevant matters and he should not interfere in those things about which he is not answerable.
"It is the excellence of a man's faith that he gives up meaningless work." (Tirmidhi)
Source: "Muslim's Character" - Muhammad al-Ghazali
Why The Disagreement?
Umar ibn al Khattab once wondered, while sitting alone, why people who follow one Prophet and turn their faces to the same qiblah in salah are tormented with disagreement. Umar then sent for Ibn Abbas and asked him: "Why should this Ummah be tormented by disagreement when it has the same Prophet, the same qiblah and the same book?" Ibn Abbas answered: "The Quran was revealed and we read it and comprehended the reasons for its revelation. But there will come people who will read the Quran and fail to understand the occasions and subjects of revelation. As a result they will make different interpretations and will, therefore, disagree."
Ibn Abbas added: "Every group of people will have an opinion about the Quran, which will lead to disagreement, and then to fighting." But Umar and Ali, who was also present, did not like this gloomy explanation and they reproached Ibn Abbas. But no sooner had Ibn Abbas left than it occurred to Umar that there might be some truth in what he said. He sent for Ibn Abbas again and asked him to reiterate what he had told them earlier. After careful consideration, Umar recognized and appreciated what Ibn Abbas said.
Al Shatibi wrote: Ibn Abbas was right. When a person knows the reason behind a certain verse or surah, he knows how to interpret it and what its objectives are. However, ignorance of that leads people to misinterpret it and to have different opinions, without an insight and knowledge which could lead them to the truth and prevent them from indulging ignorantly in such matters with no support or evidence, and therefore go astray and lead people astray.
Source:"Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_RE/index.htm');)" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Al-Fatir (The Originator of Creation)
Chapter 35: Verse 29
Business with no loss
http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue338.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://quran.al-islam.com/Targama/DispTargam.asp?nType%3d1%26nSeg%3d0%26l%3deng%26nS ora%3d35%26nAya%3d29%26t%3deng');)"Those who recite the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer, and spend something (in charity) both secretly and openly out of what We have provided for them, may hope for a business that never fails."
This kind of conduct and practice of the believers has been likened to a trade bargain because in trade a man invests his money and labour and capabilities in the hope that he will not only get his capital back and his wages for the time and energy spent but in addition some profit as well. Likewise, a believer also invests his wealth and his time and his labour and capabilities in carrying out Allah's Commands and in His service and worship and in the struggle to promote the cause of His Religion in the hope that he will not only get his full rewards for it but Allah will bless him with much more from His bounty as well. But there is a great difference between the two kinds of bargains. In the worldly trade bargains there is the risk of loss also along with the hope of profits. Contrary to this, in the bargain that a sincere servant makes with his God there is: no risk of any loss whatsoever.
Source: "The Meaning of the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi
Good and bad times
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"Acquaint yourself with Allah in good times and He will know you in bad times."
If a person fears Allah and observes His commands in times of ease, he has acquainted himself with Allah. In addition, a special link or relation will develop between him and Allah. Allah will then know him during bad times, meaning that He will help him because of his obedience to Him during good times.
Allah does not test us in order to destroy us, but rather to assess our patience and degree of faith. This is because Allah has a right to be worshipped in bad times just as He has the right to be worshipped during times of ease and well-being.
Source: "Don't Be Sad" - Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni, p. 384
Foundations of a successful marriage
Love is the bedrock of marriage, and one of its twin foundations. When two people choose each other for lifelong partners, in a lawful union sanctioned by Divine Writ, God Almighty makes it obligatory upon Himself to protect them. Their love is an expression of the Divine Love, for God Himself is "Al-Wadud" the Loving One. A marriage, based on true love and in fulfillment of God's writ is therefore a taste of Divine Love.
Aside from Love alone, the following form core features of a successful marriage:
M - Mercy. Mercy is one of the twin pillars of Marriage. God Almighty tells us " And among His signs is that He created for you, among yourselves, spouses that you may dwell in tranquility; and He has placed between you Love and Mercy" (Sura Rum)
A - Attentiveness. Many a marriage falters because the initial attentiveness to each other fades away in the wake of other pursuits, hobbies, interests etc. If spouses were to take enough time to be attentive to each other, to recognize the needs of each other and to respond accordingly, marriage would be strengthened.
R - Respect. Respect is born not only out of admiration for the other, but out of a deep understanding that your spouse fills the vacuum in your life. Respect must include a respect for the sensitivities of each other, his/her likes and dislikes, your roles and responsibilities among other things.
R - Rights and Responsibilities. Any successful marriage seeks to create a balance between rights and responsibilities. A spouse who only cares about his/her rights only and reneges on his/her responsibilities is not only unfair, but undermines the foundations of the marriage.
I - Integrity. A key ingredient in marriage, and even before marriage at the stage of engagement. Integrity engenders trust. Lack of it breeds mistrust which erodes a happy marriage.
A - Acknowledgement. Spouses must acknowledge the positive things in the other and seek to remember these at times of difficulty and tension. At the same time, spouses must acknowledge their own weaknesses and seek to rectify them, rather than to be defensive and to be in denial. After all, spouses are "garments" to each other - embellishing and protecting each other.
G - Goodness. Represented by the Arabic term "Ma'aruf", this quality is mentioned several times in one page of the Qur'an, both in the context of living together or in contemplation of separation. Goodness or kindness must be expressed in every way - in the choice of words, the tone of voice, the sacrifices, forgiveness and overlooking of each other's faults.
E - Expressions of Love. Spouses must not be shy in expressing their love for each other, in both words and deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us to show our love by placing a spoonful of food in the mouths of our beloved; and even when Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) passed away, he spoke of her in terms of endearment.
Author: Mohamed Khadim, Toronto, Canada
Al-Shura (Mutual Consultation)
Chapter 42: Verse 20
Harvesting for the Hereafter
http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue339.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://quran.al-islam.com/Targama/DispTargam.asp?nType%3d1%26nSeg%3d0%26l%3deng%26nS ora%3d42%26nAya%3d20%26t%3deng');)"To any that desires the tilth of the Hereafter, We give increase in his tilth; and to any that desires the tilth of this world, We grant somewhat thereof, but he has no share or lot in the Hereafter. ."
Both the seeker of the Hereafter and the seeker of the world have been likened to the farmer in this verse, who labours hard persistently right from the time he prepares the soil till the time his crop is ready for harvesting. He puts in all his labour so that he may reap and gather the crop of the seeds he sowed. But because of the difference of the intention and objective and also the difference of the attitude and conduct, to a large extent, a vast difference takes place between the farmer who sows for the Hereafter and the farmer who sows for this world. Therefore, Allah has ordained different results and consequences of the labours of each, although the place of activity of both is this very earth.
As to the farmer who is sowing for the Hereafter, Allah has not said that he will get no share from the world. The world, in a more or less measure, he will get in any case. For he also has a share in the common provisions being bestowed by Allah, and every person, good or bad, is getting his sustenance here. But Allah has not given him the good news of the harvest of this world. He has given him the good news that his harvest of the Hereafter will be increased, for he is a seeker of the hereafter, and is concerned about his end there. There are several ways in which this harvest can be increased; for example, as he goes on doing righteous deeds with sincere mentions, he is blessed with the grace to do more and more righteous deeds and his breast opens out for more and more good deeds. Above all, his good works, however small and insignificant, will at least be increased ten times over in the Hereafter, and there is no limit to this increase. Allah will increase it hundreds of thousands of times for whomever He may please.
As for the one who is only sowing for this world, and is not at all concerned about the Hereafter, Allah has plainly told him of two of the results of his labours: (1) That, however hard he may struggle and strive. he will not get the whole of what he is trying for, but only a fraction of it, which Allah has ordained for him; and (2) that whatever he gets, he will get only in this world: there is no share for him in the good things of the Hereafter.
Source: "The Meaning of the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi
Podiums of Light
The noble Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said: ‘Around the Divine Throne, there are podiums of light. On them are people whose clothing is light and their countenances are light. They are neither Prophets nor martyrs. The Prophets and the martyrs are delighted with them.’ ‘Describe them to us, O Messenger of God,’ requested his Companions. The Prophet replied: ‘They are those who loved one another for the sake of God. They kept each other’s company for the sake of God and they visited one another for the sake of God.’
Indeed the noble Prophet made affection springing from the heart a basic requirement in discharging the duties of brotherhood, without which faith is incomplete. This affection is not a favour which one grants to another. All this is implicit in his saying: ‘No one of you has attained faith unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.’
The great truths which the noble Messenger conveyed and on which he trained the firs generation of Muslims are the only bases on which our new societies can be erected. Without them, our path will never be straight. For, the Truth will remain the Truth and human souls will always be the same.
Source: "Watering the Seed of Love" - Said Ramadan, pp. 263-264
Two Important Sunan of Allah
Hasty enthusiastic Muslims usually overlook two important sunan, i.e. gradualism and that achieving goals requires the allowance of due time.
First: Gradualism is clearly manifest in the process of creation as well as in legislation. Allah is able to create the heavens and the earth in less than the twinkling of an eye: "Be, and it is". Yet he created them in six of his days, i.e., in stages, known only to Him because they are different from our concept of "day." Gradualism is also apparent in the creation of all living organisms which grow in stages until they reach maturity. The same process can also be seen in dawah, which began with the inculcation of monotheism to liberate minds from the confines of paganism and superstition. When that was firmly established, wajibat and muharramat were then gradually introduced, as in the case of salah, siyam, zakah, and the prohibition of alcohol, etc. And in this we see the difference between Makki and Madani texts.
Hence those who call for the return to the Islamic way of life and the establishment of the Islamic state must take into consideration the necessity of gradualism for the realization of their goals, taking into account the sublimity of the goal, their own means and potential, and the multiplicity of impediments.
Second: The second of these sunan is complementary to the first, i.e., everything has an appointed term during which it reaches ripeness and maturity. This applies to the material as well as the moral. Nothing should be harvested before its appointed time; crops cannot be harvested before they have ripened. Rather than being useful, unripe fruit and vegetables can cause harm. And just as crops need time-sometimes a long time-to mature, the true meanings and values of great actions become apparent only after many years. The longer actions take to mature, the greater they are. The endeavors of one generation often materialize in the following one, or even much later. There is indeed no harm in this if everything takes its planned natural course.
Author: "Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_RE/ch2pre.htm%237.%2520Two%2520Important%2520Sunan'); )" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Al-Ankabut (The Spider)
Chapter 29: Verse 45 (partial)
The Significance of Dhikr
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"And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest deed without doubt."
The significance of dhikr lies in the fact that it is God's own chosen and recommended mode by which the muminun or Believers show gratitude for having been shown the straight path. In addition, it is indeed the surest way of attaining God's forgiveness and achieving the ultimate reward of Paradise.
The importance of dhikr then is not difficult to understand. It is dhikr that purifies your qalb or heart and makes it sound. And you can only attain salvation and true success by having a pure and sound heart.
The qalb or `heart' referred to here is not the pump in your breast that pushes blood around your body but rather the centre or locus of your personality which pumps out your desires and motivations and which makes you conduct yourself as you do. It is this qalb that lies at your centre and dictates your actions which is the key to your ultimate success.
If the heart is the key to ultimate salvation and success, it may, likewise, be the seat of much corruption and open doors to many evils. It may facilitate the corruption of political and economic activities and ultimately the social institutions of a society.
It is the heart, as the decider of our ultimate fate, that must then be the starting point of any tazkiya programme, to purify this heart and then summon it to the service of mankind.
Ibn al-Qayyim, one of the great scholars of Islam, states in his Kitab al Adhkar (The Book of Remembrance), that 'the heart which is devoid of the remembrance of Allah is a heart that is dead'; it is dead even and long before the body carrying the heart reaches its grave. Indeed, this living body that carries the heart is the heart's grave.
The purpose of tazkiya is to ensure that the heart never falls into a sorry state of being and that it is always alive with the remembrance of God.
Strive then, to fill all your moments, all your thoughts and all your actions with His remembrance. Recite tasbih or words of glorification and praise to punctuate all your actions and achievements.
Source: "In The Early Hours" - Khurram Murad
Avoid Polemics
The commands that Islam issued to keep the tongue safe from baseless and absurd things is to declare polemical discussion and controversial debating and to shut its doors upon Muslims, irrespective of whether the polemical debating is correct or otherwise.
It is so because here such conditions arise that a man tries to score a point and to overcome his opponent. As he wants to defeat his adversary by his talk, he takes the support of even dubious and unreliable things which can strengthen his argument, and he quotes such statements unhesitatingly which help him in his task. In such a gathering people give more Importance to winning than on expressing truth. This is likely to result in hatred and disturbances, in which clarification and satisfaction have no place.
Islam hates all these conditions and considers them a danger for the religion and morality.
The Prophet has said: "He who has given up controversial discussion in senseless and false matters, for him there will be built a house in the lower section of the Paradise; and he who has corrected his morals, for him there will be built a house in the upper section of the Paradise." (Abu Daud)
In another tradition it is stated: "After receiving guidance no community went astray and did not deviate from the path it was following, except when debaters turned them away from it." (Tirmizi)
When in the fields of religion, politics and other branches of learning the so called orators and expert writers come forward for indulging in polemics and debates, then the spirit of religion receives a setback. The face of politics, learning and sciences is disfigured. And possibly this helped in hastening the decline of our civilization and culture, in the formation of group of the schools of “Fiqh”, division of the Ummah on the sectarian basis and other diseases of disruption. In other matters of religion and worldly affairs also this controversial debating spread its poison.
Controversial debating is worlds away from pure, clean discussion, and sober and pleasant argumentation.
Source: "Muslims Character" - Muhammad Al-Ghazali
Preferred Worships
Ibn Al-Qayyim examined various opinions on which Ibadah (acts of worship) are better; are the best actions the ones that are the hardest to perform, or are the best actions those that are more beneficial?
He concluded that there is no such thing as an absolutely preferred worship but there are times when a particular worship is preferred the most.
For example, in times of famine, providing food is the best deed that brings a Muslim closer to Allah. When a Muslim country is invaded, fighting in defence is the best deed, followed by providing the fighters with weapons and money. When scholars die and there is nobody to succeed them, learning religion is the greatest act for which a Muslim may seek reward from Allah.
This is how deeds should be balanced against one another, according to their relevance and merits.
Source:"Priorities of Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Al-Muminun (The Believers)
Chapter 23: Verse 60 (partial)
Grateful and Humble
http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue341.gif (javascript:ol('http://quran.al-islam.com/Targama/DispTargam.asp?nType%3d1%26nSeg%3d0%26l%3deng%26nS ora%3d23%26nAya%3d60%26t%3deng');)"They give what they give, but their hearts tremble."
Whatever the nature of sacrifice, and whether big or small tangible or intangible, offer it in gratitude and humility. It so often happens that one begins to get weary and tired of giving in the way of Allah. One, then, begins to say, 'We have already spent so much time; we have already given so much money; how much more shall we give?; we have already made so many sacrifices; what else is required of us?' This will happen only if you are making sacrifices not to please Allah alone; but then you are motivated by something else. Or, when you do not realize that you should indeed be grateful to Him for every opportunity you get to offer some sacrifice. Also offer every sacrifice in all humility.
Let us be very clear that whatever things you sacrifice, you do not give it to some person, nor to some organization. Nor do you give it to Allah, though He is Merciful and Generous enough to say that whatever you give is a loan to Him, which shall be repaid manifold. You give everything to yourselves. Does one ever get tired of giving more and more to himself?
Now this is not selfishness. It only means that we believe that our ultimate prosperity lies in submission to the will of Allah. Through sacrifice we seek our betterment in this life and we desire a successful, eternal life in the Hereafter. At the same time, every sacrifice we make, everything we give in the way of Allah, makes our community stronger.
Therefore be grateful to Allah for having given you the opportunity to sacrifice, for having called upon you to serve Him, for having blessed you with the ability to offer something in His way. Things might have been otherwise. We might have been left wandering astray: we might not have been given the opportunity to sacrifice wealth and thus reap eternal reward. You should therefore give every sacrifice in the spirit of gratitude. To Him you should look for acceptance.
And also humility. You should never have the feeling of having done enough. Once the disease creeps into your heart that you have done enough, then all is lost. You should always think that whatever sacrifice you may offer, it is still nothing compared to the obligations you have to discharge towards Allah.
Being fearful of never having given away enough is very fundamental to your sacrifice.
Source:
"Sacrifice: The Making of a Muslim" - Khurram Murad, pp 32 - 34
Dealing with backbiting
Know that it is upon the one who hears a Muslim being backbitten to oppose it and prevent the one doing the backbiting. If he is not able to prevent him with his speech, then he should stop him with his hand. If he is neither able to do so with his hand or with his tongue, then he should get up and leave that gathering.
Abu ad-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever turns away from (harming) the honour of his brother, Allah will turn his face away from the Hellfire on the Day of Judgment."
Jabir Ibn Abdillah and Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with them) said: “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘No (Muslim) person abandons another Muslim in a place where his sanctity will be violated and his honour will be lowered, except that Allah will abandon him in a place that he would love to have His support. And no (Muslim) person aids another Muslim in a place where his sanctity will be violated and his honour will be lowered, except that Allah will aid him in a place that he would love to have His support.’”
Muadh Ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever accuses a Muslim of anything, desiring to disgrace him, Allah will withhold him over the bridge of the Hellfire until he takes back what he said.”
Source: "Guarding the Tongue" - Imam An-Nawawi
You know...
One morning, something can change, something has changed... You turn your face, your eyes, your heart and your hopes towards another Reality. One instant, one second, far from human beings, from their doubts, from their wounds. And the Universe speaks to you of the heart of its evidences:
«Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day there are indeed signs for people of insight »
You know...
And you come back to yourself... to the heart of your inner universe. It is never easy... this quest for meaning, for simplicity. To forget your doubts, your weaknesses, your wounds, your tears, your failures... and to find in yourself the authentic question, your secrete sincerity, your fragility. Alone, in a silence that belongs only to you, simply, softly, tenderly. To find yourself again... in the sacred place that He alone knows, and you.
« We shall show them our signs in the horizons and in themselves so that it will become clear to them that this is the Truth”
You know...
A quest for meaning, a quest for simplicity, a quest for love, a quest for truth. A search. One morning something has changed. You, your gaze, your life. A paradox. To learn to love and to resist yourself... within the same outburst, with the same strength. To love the light of the heart’s humility, at the centre, and to resist the shadows of the mind’s arrogance, at the periphery. To resist the prisons of self-importance and blindness of the heart and to love the liberations of the mind seeking light and peace.
« Do the people think that they will be left alone for they have said ‘We believe’ and that they would not be tested?”
You know ...
The test of the inner peace... an infinite quest of His signs, of Good, of Beauty, of Love. To know He is here and that one has but to unceasingly go towards Him. And everything changes: the universe, human beings, your life... “To change the life” said the poet... and the life has changed as you change in the proximity of the essential. You seek, you observe, you cry. To speak to Him of your tears close to the Truth. He knows, you know...
Your tears are your love; your tears are your freedom
« And God invites you to the dwelling of Peace... »
You know...
Deep in your self there exists a dwelling of a language without words. The sadness of the world has offered you the smile of the essential...Freedom and Peace. A prayer with no request.
You know...
Source:"You Know... (javascript:ol('http://www.tariqramadan.com/article.php3?id_article%3d0325%26lang%3den');)" - Tariq Ramadan
An-Nahl (The Bee)
Chapter 16: Verse 125 (Partial)
http://youngmuslims.ca/ymfn/images/quran-issue344.gif (javascript:ol('http://quran.al-islam.com/Targama/DispTargam.asp?nType%3d1%26nSeg%3d0%26l%3deng%26nS ora%3d16%26nAya%3d125%26t%3deng');)Wisdom and Fair Exhortation
"Call to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation; and reason with them in ways that are best and most gracious."
Wisdom implies that one should be mindful of the sensitivities of the people being addressed, have an understanding of their backgrounds, beliefs and ideas, and employ the most appropriate and effective methods and channels of communication. It is evident that all noble Prophets of Allah employed a variety of methods for sharing Allah's message, but with wisdom.
In fact, the Prophets of Allah made use of all the means available to them for amplifying their message in society and, hence, attempted to reach out to a wider audience. As an illustration, in order to share his message, the Prophet Muhammad met people on a one-to-one basis, visited them in their homes and made contact with them at public places, for example, at trade fairs and social functions. He also organised special meetings and dinners to share his message. He employed a variety of tools and methods for delivering and sharing his message.
In the present day context, the new information and communications technologies and the mass media can be employed as tools for advancing the Islamic message in society. Novel styles, manners and techniques must be developed so that views based on Islam can be presented effectively and have an impact. There is, therefore, ample room for innovation and creativity in this area.
Source: "Building A New Society (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d4367-001');)" - Zahid Parvez, pp. 135-137
Leisure Time or Lost Time?
Do we consider how much time we spend on activities that are not truly beneficial?
On the issue of how one benefits from one’s free time, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
“There are two blessings whose profit [or reward] many people lose: good health and free time” (Al-Bukhari)
One may ask, “What, from the Shareeah point of view, is the problem with, for example, watching a football game for three hours?”
It is not just a question of “what is the problem with it?” The issue for a Muslim is: do I really have that time to spend wherein I am not benefiting myself at all? Can I afford to lose that time which I will never get back again? When I stand in front of Allah, can I really feel that I have used that free time, which is a bounty from Allah, in an acceptable fashion?
When the goal and purpose of a Muslim’s life is clear in his mind [to please Allah and achieve Paradise], he will not waste a lot of time in doing things that do not benefit him in achieving that goal and purpose. All his activities will be focused on the idea of moving him toward his goal—neither away from it nor in a static position with respect to it.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with rest and relaxation when needed. Indeed, it is a necessity. However, it could be argued that there are some ways that are simply non-beneficial or perhaps even harmful.
Source:“Purification of the Soul (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d4317-014');)”-Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo
Relating to The Creation
All creatures are Allah's family; and Allah loves most those who treat His family well and kindly. Our responsibility to others is especially important for us to consider for there is no Divine pardon in cases where personal rights have been violated.
Your primary obligation after satisfying your personal needs is towards your family. Indeed, after Allah, your parents have the greatest right over you. Fulfill your obligations towards your spouse and treat your children with love and kindness.
When it comes to the obligations to your fellow Muslims, know that the strongest link of faith is to love someone in order to gain the pleasure of Allah.
As an employer, know that you have an important responsibility towards your employees. Similarly, as an employee, you must perform your work with proficiency.
Your fate in the Akhira will also be determined by how well you fulfill your obligations to your neighbours be they Muslims or non-Muslims. The Prophet used to pay particular attention to the needs of non-Muslims even when there were difficulties in the Muslim community.
Animals have rights for all of Allah's creatures comprise His `family': `Fear Allah regarding the animals who cannot speak. Ride on them while they are healthy, and eat of them when they are healthy.'
Source:"In The Early Hours (javascript:ol('http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item%3d4367-001');)" - Khurram Murad
Living the Quran
Forgiveness and Pardon
Al-Jathiya (The Kneeling Down)
Chapter 45: Verse 14
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"Tell those who believe, to forgive those who do not look forward to the Days of God: It is for Him to recompense (for good or ill) each People according to what they have earned."
The commentators have given two meanings of this verse and the words of the verse support both:
"That the believers should pardon the excesses of this wicked group so that Allah may reward them for their patience and forbearance and nobility from Himself and recompense them for the persecutions they have suffered for His sake."
"That the believers should forgive these people so that Allah may Himself punish them for their persecutions."
Some other commentators have regarded this verse as repealed. They say that this command was applicable only till the Muslims had not been give permission to fight. Then, when they were given permision to fight, this command became abrogated. But a careful study of the words of the verse shows that the claim about abrogation is not correct.
The word "forgive" is never used in the sense that when a person is not able to retaliate upon another for the latter's excesses, he should forgive him, but on such an occasion the usual words are patience and forbearance. Instead of them, when the word "forgive" has been used here, it by itself gives the meaning that the believers, in spite of their ability for retaliation, should refrain from retaliating upon the people for their excesses, whom fearlessness of God has made to transgress all limits of morality and humanity.
This command does not contradict those verses in which the Muslims have been given the permission to fight. Permission to fight pertains to the condition when the Muslim government has a reasonable ground for taking military action against an unbelieving people, and the command concerning forgiveness and pardon pertains to the common conditions in which the believers have to live in contact with a people who are fearless of God and have to suffer persecutions from them in different ways.
The object of this command is that the Muslims should keep their moral superiority and should not stoop to the level of the morally inferior people by indulging in disputes and wrangling with them and resort to retaliation for every foolishness As long as it is possible to respond to an accusation or objection gently and rationally, or to defend oneself against an excess, one should not refrain from this, but when things seem to be crossing these limits, one should hold one's peace and entrust the matter to Allah. If the Muslims themselves become involved in a fight or quarrel with them, Allah will leave them alone to deal with them; but if they forgive and forbear, Allah will Himself deal with the wicked people and reward the oppressed ones for their patience.
Source: "Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi
Understanding the Prophet's Life
Keep away from Mutual Enmity
When the quarrel intensifies and its roots go deeper, and its thorns become branches and branches increase in number, then the freshness of the fruits of faith is adversely affected. Softness, sympathy, satisfaction and peace which are encouraged by the Islamic teachings receive a setback. Performance of worship loses its righteousness, nor does the self get any benefit from it.
When a man is displeased, his eyes become prejudiced and ignore the camel and object to gnat. Such eyes do not appreciate the beauty of the peacock, for they only see its ugly feet and claws. If a slight defect is present, it turns the molehill into a mountain.
And sometimes the internal rancour and jealousy affect them so badly that no hesitation is felt in inventing imaginary stories. Islam disapproves of all these manifestations of ill-feeling and advises to abstain from them. It declares their avoidance as the most virtuous form or worship.
The Prophet has said:"Listen, may I not tell you something more important than salat, fasting and charity.” The people requested him to do so. He said: "To keep the mutual relationship on the right footing, because the defect in the mutual relationship is a thing which shaves a thing clean, I do not mean that it shaves the hair, but that it shaves (removes) the religion." (Tirmizi)
The best method adopted by the devil to drive people away from God is to sow the seeds of enmity in the hearts of the people. When this enmity develops into a fire and open hostilities result, he enjoys the scene. This fire burns man's present and future into ashes and totally destroys their relationship and virtues.
When wickedness takes roots in the hearts, and people start hating love and brotherhood and when these are destroyed, people revert to cruelty and enmity, and break all those relations and connections for which Allah has given commands to join; and thus they spread corruption on this earth.
Source:"Muslim's Character " - Muhammad Al-Ghazali
Blindspot!
Fun in Islam
“Do you mean to imply that there is no such thing as fun and enjoyment in Islam?”
The question should be turned around to, “What should I, as a Muslim, consider enjoyable, relaxing, or fun?” This is a matter of priority and perspective.
To take an extreme example, many non-Muslims turn to alcohol or drugs and claim that they do that because they enjoy it. A Muslim looks at that—especially many converts who experienced that in the past and are now at a completely different level of understanding—and he cannot understand how they find that to be fun and entertaining.
One cannot imagine the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) wasting their time in some of the pursuits that many Muslims spend a great deal of their quality hours in. This is because their purpose and goal in life was very different and much loftier.
The purified soul gets rest, enjoyment and pleasure by doing acts that are pleasing to Allah.
The Prophet would say to Bilal, “O Bilaal, make the iqaamah for the prayer, giving us rest by it.” The things that the Companions enjoyed and felt pleasure with were the acts that when performed would bring Allah’s pleasure to them.
Consider the fact that both Eids or celebrations for Muslims come after completing a very important act of worship or drawing oneself closer to Allah (the fast of Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Makkah). This is a clear indication that the real source of joy and happiness for believers must be in completing those acts that are pleasing to Allah.
Source:“Purification of the Soul (http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item=4317-014)”-Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo
Living the QuranYusuf (Joseph)
Chapter 12: Verse 53 (Partial)
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Forces Working Upon the Hearts
"[Yusuf said:] Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His mercy [upon whom He will]."
Al-Harith al-Muhasabi has stated three types of forces work upon one's heart:
Source of inspiration and guidance from Allah.
Satan, through his whisperings and enticements, and
The soul itself.
Hence, the individual must always strive to be aware of these forces acting upon his heart. He must always try to be awake and never let himself become neglectful. If he becomes neglectful, he will stray from his one purpose in life: being true and sincere to Allah in his worship of Him. He must always try to follow those steps that will increase his faith and keep him from staying. He must always turn to Allah and ask Allah to guide him to sincerity and purity for His sake.
Source: "Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi (http://soundvisioncanada.com/?3397/Shop/pview.asp?Item=4317-004)" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 152-154
A Bearer of Glad Tidings (Bashir)
"By Allah, He will complete this mission until a rider will travel from Sana to Hadrmawt (both are places in Yemen) and will have no fear but of Allah, and no worry but about a wolf that might harm his cattle - buy you make haste."
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not only lived by Islam himself but he actively interacted with his people. He shared with them the great blessings and benefits which they will receive in this world and in the life hereafter, if they sincerely accept Islam and live by it.
The attitude of the noble Prophet was not that of denunciation. On the contrary, he tried to inspire his people by giving them a new hope and a vision of a better and just world which could be built through Islam. Giving glad tidings can greatly assist in uplifting people and aid in increasing their understanding of the kind of social life that will evolve from Islamic Message.
Source:"Building A New Society" - Zahid Parvez, pp. 149-150
[b]Islam Requires Dynamic Action
The dynamism of Islam is evident in the active role is assigns to man. The Islamic concept is not like a theory, or an ideal dream or spiritual mysticism, which may remain passively in the depths of the human heart. It is a practical “plan” designed to be implemented. As long as it is not implemented, its value remains purely academic and that is not its intent.
The Islamic concept keeps the mind of the Muslim restless, always calling him to action, telling him to get up and go out and actualize this concept in the real world. It refines his sensibilities in order to bring the entire power of his belief and will to bear upon the reconstruction of a society so that the Islamic faith may be realized in the lives of people.
Whenever the Quran mentions belief or the believers, it also mentions appropriate deeds that translate the belief into practice. One example is in Surah Al-Hujurat:
The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger and afterward do not doubt, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere. (49:15).
So faith is not merely feelings in the heart or ideas in the mind, with no application in life. Nor is faith merely rituals of worship, without action in society and effort to establish Allah’s legislation.
Islam teaches that Allah is not pleased with mere thoughts in the minds of men and words on their tongues. He does not let a people alone until they translate their faith into action.
Say: “Do good work! Allah will surely see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to Him who knows the seen and the unseen, and then He will make you understand what you have been doing.” (Al-Tawbah 9:105).
Source: “The Islamic Concept and its Characteristics” – Sayyid Qutb
Living the QuranAsh-Shams (The Sun)
Chapter 91: Verses 7-10
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Peace of the Heart
“By the soul and what balanced it and inspired its liberation and piety. He will most certainly be content he who purifies it, he will most certainly be lost, he who corrupts it.”
Who among human beings can affirm within the depths of his soul not to sometimes know violence, aggression, hatred, the excitation of a destructive instinct, or anger? Self control, serenity, respect of the Other, and tenderness are not natural but are acquired and exact a price of permanent personal effort. Such is the toil of men: they approach the shores of humanity through long and hard, thoughtful and measured work on one’s self. Each individual knows this, each heart feels it.
All literature, since the dawn of time, reflects this tension which at times quiets down, at times agitates, sometimes tears the intimacy of men. From the Bhagavad Gita to the Torah to the Gospels, from Dostoyevsky to Baudelaire, the human horizon remains the same. The Quran confirms this everyday experience in this verse.
Both paths are explicit and instruct in a manner both superbly animated and ethical to the ever present reminder of the afterlife. Life is a test of this balance for men, for better o