Humility, sincerity and a clear understanding,
Were qualities of this simple man;
Whose mission was to keep reminding
Of obedience, to Allah's commands.
Although he had a humble beginning,
In poor Haleema's loving arm;
Her condition changed when she took him;
Then she led the caravan.
As an orphan he was always moving,
From one home to another;
Until he experienced Allah's Blessings,
When he married Khadijah.
He was extremely kind and loving,
Alike to friends and foe;
Generosity from him kept flowing;
He gave but not for show.
As a role model he kept showing
The way of success in life,
By appreciating Allah's blessings
And be willing to sacrifice.
He knew that health was a blessing,
Just like wealth and intellect.
That the material world was very tempting
Morality one should not neglect.
The principles of loving, sharing and caring,
Were always in his mind.
He never stopped what he was preaching
Of the brotherhood of mankind.
One day there'll be the gathering
Of all humanity
And then there'll be the judging
For a place in eternity.
He left with us a Book worth reading,
He was the best of models.
For anyone who may be seeking
A way to cross the hurdles.
O Prophet, on you be Allah's blessings
Up to eternity,
Because of you our hearts are getting
Peace and tranquillity.
Friday 13 June 2008
Thursday 12 June 2008
Love for the Beloved
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ
(And raised high the esteem in which you are held)
“Those who hope to meet their Lord shall work righteousness, and never worship any other god beside his Lord." (Ch 18, v 110)
The above mentioned verse of Sura Kahf outlines the purpose and mission of a believer, “those who hope to meet their Lord shall work righteousness, and never worship any other god beside his Lord”. This verse is telling us that in order to prepare ourselves to meet Allah we must simple do good and stay away from evil. A simple formula that epitomizes our mission in this life, which is to return to and meet our Lord.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said “Allah is the embodiment of beauty and refinement.” The most beautiful and refined personality to have ever traverse the face of the earth is none other than Prophet Muhammad (saw), because his nafs and ruh were working hand in hand. Allah says about Prophet Muhammad (saw) in Sura Sharh, “Wa rafana laka zikrak”; “and raised high the esteem (in which) you are held”. (Ch 94, v 4)
The essence of the personality of Prophet Muhammad (saw) is the embodiment of admiration and honour, (everything that encompasses good traits). This is why people compose quaseedas, naats and poems about Prophet Muhammad (saw). Reason being his honour, personality and refinement will always be elevated and because of the unwavering love they hold for him. People never did this for the other messengers’, no matter how great they are.
With this in mind our Sheikh has composed the following poem entitled “The Noble Messenger”.
THE NOBLE MESSENGER
(peace be upon him)
By
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed
Humility, sincerity and a clear understanding,
Were qualities of this simple man;
Whose mission was to keep reminding
Of obedience, to Allah's commands.
Although he had a humble beginning,
In poor Haleema's loving arm;
Her condition changed when she took him;
Then she led the caravan.
As an orphan he was always moving,
From one home to another;
Until he experienced Allah's Blessings,
When he married Khadijah.
He was extremely kind and loving,
Alike to friends and foe;
Generosity from him kept flowing;
He gave but not for show.
As a role model he kept showing
The way of success in life,
By appreciating Allah's blessings
And be willing to sacrifice.
He knew that health was a blessing,
Just like wealth and intellect.
That the material world was very tempting
Morality one should not neglect.
The principles of loving, sharing and caring,
Were always in his mind.
He never stopped what he was preaching
Of the brotherhood of mankind.
One day there'll be the gathering
Of all humanity
And then there'll be the judging
For a place in eternity.
He left with us a Book worth reading,
He was the best of models.
For anyone who may be seeking
A way to cross the hurdles.
O Prophet, on you be Allah's blessings
Up to eternity,
Because of you our hearts are getting
Peace and tranquillity.
Thursday 29 May 2008
Itminan
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ
Peace and Tranquillity
The ideal life one can attain is a life of peace and tranquillity. This is however, to some extent impossible, because an “ideal life” is the best life a person can achieve. Therefore it will be reserved for the hereafter.
Allah in His infinite mercy wants us to cultivate and achieve peace within ourselves. However we are faced with two challenges in this world, viz.
1. Satan:
Allah has given satan the freedom of trying to mislead us from the straight path. If you are opened to attacks, you cannot live in peace. E.g. If one is trying to meditate and is being bothered by mosquitoes, it will be difficult to concentrate and maintain focus due to the constant distraction.
2. Allah says in Quran “We will constantly try you”. Therefore, if one is undergoing trials it will be impossible to live in peace.
Allah has prescribed Zikir as a form for the believers to achieve Itminan (peace/tranquillity in our heart). Therefore our mission in this life is to develop Itminan in our qalb
Prophet Muhammad (saw) has shown this quality of Itminan throughout his life, even though he was constantly faced with trials and tribulations from:
His wives
The attack from the unbelievers
The lack of the culture/etiquette of the Arabs
Yet he was the most humble person because his qalb was at peace at all times.
Itminan is one quality that makes Islam different from the other religions’. The only way of attaining Itminan is engaging in the remembrance of Allah with your heart
We have seen the manifestation of this characteristic in some personalities in Islamic history.
E.g. - the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (ra) and Imam Hussian (ra). They were both fully aware that there were plots to have them killed, however they did not panic nor did they act frantic because they knew that whatever Allah decrees will come to pass.
Inshallah one will attain Itminan, but not in this world. It will come in the hereafter as Allah has indicated that on the Day of Judgement the angels will welcome the believers, saying to them: Peace!
Thursday 15 May 2008
Darood
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ
Undoubtedly, Islam is completely different from all other religions.
Up to the time of Prophet Isa (pbuh), Allah use to bestow physical blessings on the people. E.g. the food of the Israelites’ use to come down from the sky.
With the coming of Prophet Muhammad (saw) this form of physical blessings ceased, because there was no need for it. The Sahabas demonstrated this when the Arab rulers placed an embargo on the muslims’ and ran them out of their homes. They took up refuge in a nearby valley. Life was so hard that some of the muslims’ began eating stones and sand and though they were experiencing hardship they never complained to Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Did Allah favour the previous nations more than us? If you are on a journey and you have the option for using a highway and a side road to reach your destination, it is logical than you will take the highway because of the peace, comfort and luxury it offers. Islam came to establish the “highway”. What is this “highway”? The “highway” is darood.
Allah causes our sustenance to come from the sky. It is said that our provision hangs between heaven and earth. Additionally, Allah has said that HE and HIS angles continuously and constantly send a special gift to Prophet Muhammad (saw). A gift of salaat and salaam. What is the purpose of this gift and why is it being continuously and constantly sent? It is being sent for distribution to the world. This is one reason why Prophet Muhammad (saw) is given the title of “the mercy to the world”.
If you “connect” to Prophet Muhammad (saw) you will be able to receive from the “gift”. Through the institution of darood, every difficulty and hardship you are faced with will be extinguished.
In Islamic culture, whenever you are going to visit or request something from someone it is customary to present a gift to that person. This custom is evident in Darood Akseer-e-Azam. Whenever you recite this darood you are sending a gift to Prophet Muhammad (saw), and through this gift you ask Allah to grant you something, e.g.: protection or help.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said, “Whoever sends darood on me I beg Allah for him”. If you recite darood 1000 times every Friday, Allah will show you your status in the hereafter before you die.
Darood is the “highway” for the sincere believers, something that no other religion has. Something special from Allah for distribution.
Thursday 8 May 2008
Belief in the unseen
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ
Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me: I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith."
Allah says: “fa-dhkuru-ni adhkur-kum” “Remember ME, and I will remember you” (2:152).
Allah sustains everything, so it is important that you establish a good relation.
Part of our aqidah is that we believe in the unseen. We believe in it even though we cannot see it. There are some who argue whether or not heaven and hell physically exists. When Prophet Muhammad (saw) went on Mi’raj, what did he see? Regardless of what dimension or form he saw it in, the point is it existed. Allah has described heaven and hell to us, and from this description we can from a concept of it. It does not exist in our direct knowledge, we cannot see it nor can we get into it. It is existing, but it is not in our capacity to understand.
Allah says in Chapter 7, verse 188; “if I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me”. If you were able to see the beauty of heaven and the torment, torture and difficulties of hell, would you want to commit wrong deeds?
Allah is telling us in the above-mentioned verse that we don’t possess any insight or knowledge of the unseen, however we should believe firmly in it, because it is such a beautiful and attractive place.
One of the best ways of attaining good deeds is by giving charity, because it is given by one’s free will.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said: “Work for this world, as though you have all the time, and work for the hereafter as though you going to die tomorrow”.
Thursday 1 May 2008
Hayatan Tayyiba
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ
Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions. (Ch 16 V 97)
_______
The human personality comprises of a physical and non-physical. The body represents the physical and the sprit represents the non-physical. Allah put both the physical and non-physical together for a particular reason. In order for us to understand we must remember two things, viz.
Allah says in Quran: “HE causes the night to go into the day and the day to go into the night”, meaning that the night and day are there for a specific period of time.
We must remember the incident of Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh). Ibrahim (pbuh) was looking for God in material things, such as the moon and the stars. After some time he said “I won’t worship things that disappear”.
The point is that material things have a life span, e.g. the trees and flowers, and Allah testifies to this in the quran, “everything on the earth will go out of existence”. Allah mentions in Quran: “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions” (ch 16 v 97). Therefore, our mission and purpose is to attain hayatan Tayyiba, a new life that is good and pure.
We should view all the trials and tribulations that befall us as a process that we must go through in order to prepare ourselves for hayatan Tayyiba.
Allah even gives us assurance at the time of death. HE mentions in quran “The true believers, at the time of death the angels will say to them do not worry, we are your walli, your closest companions at this time”.
Wednesday 23 April 2008
Abdul Qadir Jilani
Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A.) was indeed a great worker for Allah and His Deen. He was specially chosen by the Lord to revive true Islam when the Muslims seemed to have diverted their focus from what is required of true believers. They were: busy debating non important issues, like whether the Qur'an was created or not; was it permissible to honour the Prophet (pboh) or not, etc. being attacked by the Crusaders. Indulging in developing "cults", getting involved with Jinns, etc. Corrupt to a large extent.
As a result of the success of his mission and his spiritual elevation, it seems fitting to conclude that he is one of those about whom the Prophet (pboh) spoke about. The Messenger (pboh) is reported to have said the following, as was reported by Muaz bin Jabal. He relates that the Prophet (pboh) said that Allah says:
For those who love one another for the sake of Fear of My Majesty and Magnificence, there will be high seats of light that will be the envy of prophets and martyrs (for them in the Hereafter). (Tirmizi)
Shaikh Jilani (R.A.) was:
· A wealthy man.
· A learned Muslim.
· A highly spiritually disciplined person.
· Dedicated to the service of humanity.
· Very humble.
· Kept a close watch on his ego, e.g. he was about to wear a new beautiful shirt, so he tore it then patch it then wore it; that was because he did not want to feel happy with his
new shirt. ·
He had complete reliance on Allah and knew that Allah was everything for him.
Some of the things he taught were:
· A person should try not to swear by Allah, unless it is absolutely necessary. If he can
avoid doing this, Allah will open the door of His light for him and he will bec0me a
good person.
· A person should avoid telling lies whether in jest or earnest; and practice self control.
· A person should always try to keep his promise, and if he cannot do so he should cease
making promises altogether.
· A person should avoid cursing anything in the realm of creation; he should try not to hurt
anyone or anything.
· A person should avoid invoking evil on others, on even the one who has wronged him.
· A person should try to avoid labelling a believer as a polytheist
· A person should refrain from contemplating or indulging in sinful offences.
· A person should try not to lay burdens on anyone or any creature.
· A person should not expect anyone to satisfy his greed for material things.
· A person should try to be humble at all times.
(Details of the explanations can be found in Futuh Al Ghaib)
One of the great teachings of this elevated Shaikh is that he was able to revive the believers' understanding that the role of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was not only to receive the Qur'an on behalf of the Muslims, but he the Prophet (pboh) is still active in bestowing gifts (called Salaat) on all the believers who indulge in sending gifts (Salaat and salaams) upon him. This can be understood if one understands what is meant in the Hadith reported by Ubayy. He went to the Prophet (pboh) and had a dialogue with the Messenger (pboh) as follows:
O Messenger of Allah, I send a lot of Salaat upon you, how much of my prayer should be Salaat upon you? The Prophet (pboh) replied: Whatever you want. I said: a quarter. He said: Whatever you want, but if you increase it, it would be better for you. I said: A half: He said: Whatever you want, but if you increase it, it will be better for you. I said: Two thirds. He said: Whatever you want, but if you increase it, it will be better for you. I said: Should I make the whole prayer for you? He said: this will be sufficient to release your distress and earn you forgiveness for your sins.
The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
When any of you supplicates, let him start by Praising Allah and Glorifying Him; may He be Exalted; then let send Salaat upon the Prophet, and after that let him make supplication as he wishes.
A person should always keep in mind that Allah and the Angels are sending a gift called Salaat on the Prophet (pboh). As he is not a selfish person he distributes this gift to all those who select to send Salaat on him. So every time a person says Allahumma sallay alaa Muhammadin, Prophet Muhammad (pboh) gives to that person something of the Gift that Allah and His Angels are giving to him.
Abdul Qaadir Jilani taught his disciples to supplicate by praising Allah and then sending Salaat on the Prophet (pboh) before requesting the Lord for anything. We find a very good example of his teachings in this matter in his Darood e akseer e Azaam.
Inshah Allah it will be translated and published, but to give an example of how the Shaikh made his supplication, he used to say:
Allahumma sallay alaa Muhammadin salaatan taghfiru bihaa zunuubanaa.
O Allah send Salaat on Muhammad, and through this gift may You forgive us for our sins.
The message given by this great Shaikh was so effective that thousands accepted Islam, the Muslim Ummah revived their spiritual focus, they desisted from taking help from any (Jinns, etc.) creature, but turned directly to the Lord in prayer, they learnt to respect and love the Prophet (pboh) and underwent all the training for the purpose of controlling their nafs.
Even today the teaching of this great Shaikh is held in high esteem and the spiritual students of the Qadriyah Order recognise the connection he still maintains with all those who are aspiring to get close to Allah and His Rasul by cultivating humility and patience.
As a result of the success of his mission and his spiritual elevation, it seems fitting to conclude that he is one of those about whom the Prophet (pboh) spoke about. The Messenger (pboh) is reported to have said the following, as was reported by Muaz bin Jabal. He relates that the Prophet (pboh) said that Allah says:
For those who love one another for the sake of Fear of My Majesty and Magnificence, there will be high seats of light that will be the envy of prophets and martyrs (for them in the Hereafter). (Tirmizi)
Shaikh Jilani (R.A.) was:
· A wealthy man.
· A learned Muslim.
· A highly spiritually disciplined person.
· Dedicated to the service of humanity.
· Very humble.
· Kept a close watch on his ego, e.g. he was about to wear a new beautiful shirt, so he tore it then patch it then wore it; that was because he did not want to feel happy with his
new shirt. ·
He had complete reliance on Allah and knew that Allah was everything for him.
Some of the things he taught were:
· A person should try not to swear by Allah, unless it is absolutely necessary. If he can
avoid doing this, Allah will open the door of His light for him and he will bec0me a
good person.
· A person should avoid telling lies whether in jest or earnest; and practice self control.
· A person should always try to keep his promise, and if he cannot do so he should cease
making promises altogether.
· A person should avoid cursing anything in the realm of creation; he should try not to hurt
anyone or anything.
· A person should avoid invoking evil on others, on even the one who has wronged him.
· A person should try to avoid labelling a believer as a polytheist
· A person should refrain from contemplating or indulging in sinful offences.
· A person should try not to lay burdens on anyone or any creature.
· A person should not expect anyone to satisfy his greed for material things.
· A person should try to be humble at all times.
(Details of the explanations can be found in Futuh Al Ghaib)
One of the great teachings of this elevated Shaikh is that he was able to revive the believers' understanding that the role of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was not only to receive the Qur'an on behalf of the Muslims, but he the Prophet (pboh) is still active in bestowing gifts (called Salaat) on all the believers who indulge in sending gifts (Salaat and salaams) upon him. This can be understood if one understands what is meant in the Hadith reported by Ubayy. He went to the Prophet (pboh) and had a dialogue with the Messenger (pboh) as follows:
O Messenger of Allah, I send a lot of Salaat upon you, how much of my prayer should be Salaat upon you? The Prophet (pboh) replied: Whatever you want. I said: a quarter. He said: Whatever you want, but if you increase it, it would be better for you. I said: A half: He said: Whatever you want, but if you increase it, it will be better for you. I said: Two thirds. He said: Whatever you want, but if you increase it, it will be better for you. I said: Should I make the whole prayer for you? He said: this will be sufficient to release your distress and earn you forgiveness for your sins.
The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
When any of you supplicates, let him start by Praising Allah and Glorifying Him; may He be Exalted; then let send Salaat upon the Prophet, and after that let him make supplication as he wishes.
A person should always keep in mind that Allah and the Angels are sending a gift called Salaat on the Prophet (pboh). As he is not a selfish person he distributes this gift to all those who select to send Salaat on him. So every time a person says Allahumma sallay alaa Muhammadin, Prophet Muhammad (pboh) gives to that person something of the Gift that Allah and His Angels are giving to him.
Abdul Qaadir Jilani taught his disciples to supplicate by praising Allah and then sending Salaat on the Prophet (pboh) before requesting the Lord for anything. We find a very good example of his teachings in this matter in his Darood e akseer e Azaam.
Inshah Allah it will be translated and published, but to give an example of how the Shaikh made his supplication, he used to say:
Allahumma sallay alaa Muhammadin salaatan taghfiru bihaa zunuubanaa.
O Allah send Salaat on Muhammad, and through this gift may You forgive us for our sins.
The message given by this great Shaikh was so effective that thousands accepted Islam, the Muslim Ummah revived their spiritual focus, they desisted from taking help from any (Jinns, etc.) creature, but turned directly to the Lord in prayer, they learnt to respect and love the Prophet (pboh) and underwent all the training for the purpose of controlling their nafs.
Even today the teaching of this great Shaikh is held in high esteem and the spiritual students of the Qadriyah Order recognise the connection he still maintains with all those who are aspiring to get close to Allah and His Rasul by cultivating humility and patience.
Tuesday 22 April 2008
THE STRAIGHT PATH
THE STRAIGHT PATH
Allah taught us to pray as follows:
Guide us (O Lord) on the Straight Path: The Path of those upon whom You have been pleased to bestow favours.
Allah tells us about the Straight Path in the following verses:
Those upon whom Allah has been pleased to show favours.
This way of My sincere servant is the way that leads Straight to Me. (15:41)
So hold fast to the Revelation sent down to thee; verily, you are on the Straight Way. (43:43)
The Straight Path leads us back to our Lord. He says:
Your Lord is your Final Goal. (53:42)
Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (pboh) to invite people to the Path that leads to Him. He says about the Prophet's Mission as follows:
O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings and a Warner; and as one who invites to Allah by His leave. (33:45-46)
Muslims are to be careful as to their choices regarding what they do, as some things may be helpful to us in treading on the Straight Path; while others may be not, but will lead us astray.
Allah tell human beings that in front of every one of them there are two "highways"; one appears to be attractive and easy to go on, while the other appears to be steep and difficult to travel upon. He says:
Have We not made for him a pair of eyes; and a tongue and a pair of lips; and shown him the two highways? But he has made no haste on the path that is steep. (90:8-11)
The highway that appears to be attractive does not lead us back to Allah; it diverts a person's focus and leaves him taken up with the material things which will not last forever. In order to prevent a person from keeping his focus on his return to his Lord, Satan makes the material things appear to be attractive and inviting. Allah says about him and his mission the following:
Al-Anfal 048)
Remember! Satan made their sinful act seem alluring to them; and said, no one among men can overcome you this day. (8:48)
Satan's mission is to divert people's focus from the Straight Path. He made a vow to Allah that he will spend his whole life in this world only doing that He said to Allah when he was about to be cast out of the Garden the following:
Because You have thrown me out of the Way, I will lie in wait for them on the Straight Path. (7:16)
The right thinking person will not heed to call of the Evil One, but will aspire to return to Allah, even though such a decision can be challenging. However, Allah gives such a person consolation as He says:
And those who strive in Our Cause, We will certainly guide them to Our Path; for, verily, Allah is with those who do right. (29:69)
Even though the Path that leads back to Allah may seem difficult, one has to always keep in mind that while the present life may appear to be challenging, it is just for a short span of time (just for a few years), but the Hereafter is permanent and everlasting.
Allah taught us to pray as follows:
Guide us (O Lord) on the Straight Path: The Path of those upon whom You have been pleased to bestow favours.
Allah tells us about the Straight Path in the following verses:
Those upon whom Allah has been pleased to show favours.
This way of My sincere servant is the way that leads Straight to Me. (15:41)
So hold fast to the Revelation sent down to thee; verily, you are on the Straight Way. (43:43)
The Straight Path leads us back to our Lord. He says:
Your Lord is your Final Goal. (53:42)
Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (pboh) to invite people to the Path that leads to Him. He says about the Prophet's Mission as follows:
O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings and a Warner; and as one who invites to Allah by His leave. (33:45-46)
Muslims are to be careful as to their choices regarding what they do, as some things may be helpful to us in treading on the Straight Path; while others may be not, but will lead us astray.
Allah tell human beings that in front of every one of them there are two "highways"; one appears to be attractive and easy to go on, while the other appears to be steep and difficult to travel upon. He says:
Have We not made for him a pair of eyes; and a tongue and a pair of lips; and shown him the two highways? But he has made no haste on the path that is steep. (90:8-11)
The highway that appears to be attractive does not lead us back to Allah; it diverts a person's focus and leaves him taken up with the material things which will not last forever. In order to prevent a person from keeping his focus on his return to his Lord, Satan makes the material things appear to be attractive and inviting. Allah says about him and his mission the following:
Al-Anfal 048)
Remember! Satan made their sinful act seem alluring to them; and said, no one among men can overcome you this day. (8:48)
Satan's mission is to divert people's focus from the Straight Path. He made a vow to Allah that he will spend his whole life in this world only doing that He said to Allah when he was about to be cast out of the Garden the following:
Because You have thrown me out of the Way, I will lie in wait for them on the Straight Path. (7:16)
The right thinking person will not heed to call of the Evil One, but will aspire to return to Allah, even though such a decision can be challenging. However, Allah gives such a person consolation as He says:
And those who strive in Our Cause, We will certainly guide them to Our Path; for, verily, Allah is with those who do right. (29:69)
Even though the Path that leads back to Allah may seem difficult, one has to always keep in mind that while the present life may appear to be challenging, it is just for a short span of time (just for a few years), but the Hereafter is permanent and everlasting.
Friday 4 April 2008
Adam and Eve
This is a very interesting topic, and I am sure a lot of things about the origin of man will be made known as we proceed to discuss about our origin.
Can you tell us who Adam was?
According to Religious teachings, at a particular point in the evolution of and growth of the earth and the skies Allah wanted to introduce the human species. So He announced to the rest of creation that He was about to create man who shall be His Vicegerent on the earth. This is recorded in the Holy Book in the following words:
Behold, the Lord said to the angels, I will create a Vicegerent on earth. (2:30)
So when I have fashioned him (in due proportion), and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him. (15:29)
Eve was created from Adam. We shall be discussing this as we go along in the program.
How was Adam created?
According to the Scriptures Adam was made from clay. In the Bible one reads about it as follows:
God said: Let us make man in our own image after our likeness. (Gen.1:26)
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Gen.2:7)
According to Islamic teachings, Allah made Adam from clay taken from different parts of the earth; those parts that had the greatest potentials as He says:
Man did We create from the quintessence of clay. (23:12)
Adam was created in the best of shape as Allah says:
We have indeed created man in the best of mould. (95:4)
You say that Islam teaches that Adam was formed and fashioned; can you say a little more about this?
Long before Adam came into existence Allah had already announced his existence in a concept form to the angels. Also they were told as to the reasons why Adam was to be created. This is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows:
Behold, your Lord said to the angels; I am about to create man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape. So when I have fashioned him, and breathed into him of My Spirit, then all of you must fall down in obeisance to him. (15:28-29)
Allah revealed His plans about Adam to the angels and Jinn that were already in existence, just as an architect displays a plan for some building long before it is actually being built.
So what you are saying is that angels and jinn are older species of creation than man; is that true?
Yes, Allah started the universe as a single cell, which grew and burst open thereby forming the skies and the earth. This is recorded in the Holy Qur'an in the following verse:
Do not the unbelievers see that the skies and the earth were a closed up mass before We clove them asunder? (21:30)
When the original cell (i.e. the closed up mass) exploded and the whole thing was only light angels were created, and as it cooled and became like smokeless fire jinn were created; finally, when the earth was perfected with all the flora and fauna, then man was created to be ultimately the Vicegerent of Allah on it.
You said Allah made Adam from clay, can you tell us more about it?
Allah took some clay from the earth and with it He created a creature called Nafs a creature capable of having desire and an ego. This ultimately grew a body which became Adam, the first man. From Adam He created Eve. About this He says in the Qur'an:
O ye human beings fear your Lord Who created you from a single nafs, and created there from its mate, and from them twain spread men and women. (4:1)
Is it true that Eve was made from the rib of Adam?
According to the Bible Eve was created from the rib of Adam. It narrates this event as follows:
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Gen.2-21-22)
There are differences among the translators of the Bible as to actually what the original Hebrew word means. Some believe it to be from the side of Adam.
The Qur'an does not mention about Eve being created from Adam's rib although there are two Traditions attributed to be that of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) referring to it. These are:
Woman has been created from a rib and will in no way be straightened for you; so if you wish to benefit by her, benefit by her while crookedness remains in her. And if you attempt to straighten her, you will break her, and breaking her is divorcing her.
Had it not been for Bani Israel, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and had it not been for Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her husband.
These Traditions are found only in one of the Books of Hadith.
What does the Qur'an say about the creation of Eve?
Firstly, the Qur'an does not state clearly how Adam was formed and fashioned. Did he grow from a tiny creature like a sperm which Allah created out of clay or was he made out of mud in the shape of a man, is not mentioned. All that is said is that he was formed and fashioned and elsewhere Allah mentions about human beings having bodies. For example, He says:
Before you, (O Prophet) We did not send but men to whom We gave inspiration. So ask those who know if you do not know. Nor, did We give them bodies that ate no food nor were they exempt from death. (21:7-8)
So Adam was given a body possessing ego and desires. This was passed on to his progeny.
Regarding the creation of Eve, the Qur'an did not mention how she was created. All that is mentioned is that Adam's mate Eve was created from him.
Probably, in earlier times it would have been more difficult to understand but with knowledge that we now have as a result of all the research in Biology etc. we might be able to conclude that Eve could have been a clone of Adam growing out of a stem cell taken out from his rib or something like that. Allah knows best.
Where did Adam and Eve spend their early years?
They were both in the Garden of Eden. There they were both nurtured and were allowed to roam about with only one restriction, i.e. not to approach a particular tree. Allah says:
O Adam, you and your wife dwell in the Garden and enjoy (its good things), as you wish, but do not approach this tree or you will run into harm and transgression. (7:19)
The Qur'an does not say that Adam and Eve were restricted from eating of any fruit, as it recorded in the Bible. It narrates the event in the following verses:
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said; Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said to the woman Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, they your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Gen.3:1-5)
According to the Qur'an Allah told Adam and Eve:
O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but do not approach this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression. (2:35)
Is it true that Satan deceived Even and she caused Adam to disobey Allah.
No, that is not true. According to the Qur'an Satan spoke to both of them and seduced them. Allah says:
So by deceit he brought about their fall……O Children of Adam, do not let Satan seduce you, in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame. (7:27)
Two things are very significant from the Qur'anic reference, viz.
They should not taste from whatever is of the tree. It is possible that the tree could have been one that was able to produce intoxication or make a person high.
Allah told them that if they should taste from the tree they would not behave normal.
Satan supported that argument by telling them that their eyes will be opened and they become like angels. According to the Qur'an, Satan began to whisper suggestions to them, in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them. (7:20)
What do you think was the effect of the tree on them?
They became conscious of their sexual organs and one became attracted to the other. As a result they felt ashamed of themselves and tried to hide their bodies with leaves that they put together.
Adam and Eve sinned, and were liable to be punished. What happened then?
Upon realising their mistake they both sincerely begged the Lord to forgive them. They prayed as follows:
Our Lord, We have wronged our own souls; if you do not forgive us and bestow on us Mercy, we shall certainly be among the losers. (7:23)
Did Allah accept Adam and Eve's prayers?
Because they violated God's command, they were cast out of the Garden, along with Satan. They were sent to earth, not as a punishment but to represent Allah here, after He had forgiven them. However, Allah gave them stern warning, and also to their progeny He gave a universal Law which He told Satan at the time of expulsion from the Garden. He said:
Get out from this, disgraced and expelled. If any of them (i.e. the progeny of Adam) should follow thee, I shall fill Hell with all of you. (7:18)
Do we have to suffer because of the sin committed by Adam and Eve?
No, the Qur'an has made it very clear in the following words that every person is responsible for his or her own affairs. Allah says:
Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself; no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; Your goal in the end is towards Allah; and He will tell you the truth of the things wherein you disputed. It is he Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth; He hath raised you in ranks, some above the others, that He may try you in the gifts He has given you. (6:164-5)
What can we conclude from the event of Adam and Eve?
We must beware of Satan, as Allah warns us. He says:
He and his tribe are watching you from a position where you cannot see them. (7:27)
QUR'ANIC MESSAGE
(An-Nas 001-006)
Say, I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the mischief of the evil whisperer who whispers in the hearts of mankind from among the Jinns and among men.
Can you tell us who Adam was?
According to Religious teachings, at a particular point in the evolution of and growth of the earth and the skies Allah wanted to introduce the human species. So He announced to the rest of creation that He was about to create man who shall be His Vicegerent on the earth. This is recorded in the Holy Book in the following words:
Behold, the Lord said to the angels, I will create a Vicegerent on earth. (2:30)
So when I have fashioned him (in due proportion), and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him. (15:29)
Eve was created from Adam. We shall be discussing this as we go along in the program.
How was Adam created?
According to the Scriptures Adam was made from clay. In the Bible one reads about it as follows:
God said: Let us make man in our own image after our likeness. (Gen.1:26)
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Gen.2:7)
According to Islamic teachings, Allah made Adam from clay taken from different parts of the earth; those parts that had the greatest potentials as He says:
Man did We create from the quintessence of clay. (23:12)
Adam was created in the best of shape as Allah says:
We have indeed created man in the best of mould. (95:4)
You say that Islam teaches that Adam was formed and fashioned; can you say a little more about this?
Long before Adam came into existence Allah had already announced his existence in a concept form to the angels. Also they were told as to the reasons why Adam was to be created. This is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows:
Behold, your Lord said to the angels; I am about to create man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape. So when I have fashioned him, and breathed into him of My Spirit, then all of you must fall down in obeisance to him. (15:28-29)
Allah revealed His plans about Adam to the angels and Jinn that were already in existence, just as an architect displays a plan for some building long before it is actually being built.
So what you are saying is that angels and jinn are older species of creation than man; is that true?
Yes, Allah started the universe as a single cell, which grew and burst open thereby forming the skies and the earth. This is recorded in the Holy Qur'an in the following verse:
Do not the unbelievers see that the skies and the earth were a closed up mass before We clove them asunder? (21:30)
When the original cell (i.e. the closed up mass) exploded and the whole thing was only light angels were created, and as it cooled and became like smokeless fire jinn were created; finally, when the earth was perfected with all the flora and fauna, then man was created to be ultimately the Vicegerent of Allah on it.
You said Allah made Adam from clay, can you tell us more about it?
Allah took some clay from the earth and with it He created a creature called Nafs a creature capable of having desire and an ego. This ultimately grew a body which became Adam, the first man. From Adam He created Eve. About this He says in the Qur'an:
O ye human beings fear your Lord Who created you from a single nafs, and created there from its mate, and from them twain spread men and women. (4:1)
Is it true that Eve was made from the rib of Adam?
According to the Bible Eve was created from the rib of Adam. It narrates this event as follows:
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Gen.2-21-22)
There are differences among the translators of the Bible as to actually what the original Hebrew word means. Some believe it to be from the side of Adam.
The Qur'an does not mention about Eve being created from Adam's rib although there are two Traditions attributed to be that of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) referring to it. These are:
Woman has been created from a rib and will in no way be straightened for you; so if you wish to benefit by her, benefit by her while crookedness remains in her. And if you attempt to straighten her, you will break her, and breaking her is divorcing her.
Had it not been for Bani Israel, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and had it not been for Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her husband.
These Traditions are found only in one of the Books of Hadith.
What does the Qur'an say about the creation of Eve?
Firstly, the Qur'an does not state clearly how Adam was formed and fashioned. Did he grow from a tiny creature like a sperm which Allah created out of clay or was he made out of mud in the shape of a man, is not mentioned. All that is said is that he was formed and fashioned and elsewhere Allah mentions about human beings having bodies. For example, He says:
Before you, (O Prophet) We did not send but men to whom We gave inspiration. So ask those who know if you do not know. Nor, did We give them bodies that ate no food nor were they exempt from death. (21:7-8)
So Adam was given a body possessing ego and desires. This was passed on to his progeny.
Regarding the creation of Eve, the Qur'an did not mention how she was created. All that is mentioned is that Adam's mate Eve was created from him.
Probably, in earlier times it would have been more difficult to understand but with knowledge that we now have as a result of all the research in Biology etc. we might be able to conclude that Eve could have been a clone of Adam growing out of a stem cell taken out from his rib or something like that. Allah knows best.
Where did Adam and Eve spend their early years?
They were both in the Garden of Eden. There they were both nurtured and were allowed to roam about with only one restriction, i.e. not to approach a particular tree. Allah says:
O Adam, you and your wife dwell in the Garden and enjoy (its good things), as you wish, but do not approach this tree or you will run into harm and transgression. (7:19)
The Qur'an does not say that Adam and Eve were restricted from eating of any fruit, as it recorded in the Bible. It narrates the event in the following verses:
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said; Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said to the woman Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, they your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Gen.3:1-5)
According to the Qur'an Allah told Adam and Eve:
O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but do not approach this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression. (2:35)
Is it true that Satan deceived Even and she caused Adam to disobey Allah.
No, that is not true. According to the Qur'an Satan spoke to both of them and seduced them. Allah says:
So by deceit he brought about their fall……O Children of Adam, do not let Satan seduce you, in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame. (7:27)
Two things are very significant from the Qur'anic reference, viz.
They should not taste from whatever is of the tree. It is possible that the tree could have been one that was able to produce intoxication or make a person high.
Allah told them that if they should taste from the tree they would not behave normal.
Satan supported that argument by telling them that their eyes will be opened and they become like angels. According to the Qur'an, Satan began to whisper suggestions to them, in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them. (7:20)
What do you think was the effect of the tree on them?
They became conscious of their sexual organs and one became attracted to the other. As a result they felt ashamed of themselves and tried to hide their bodies with leaves that they put together.
Adam and Eve sinned, and were liable to be punished. What happened then?
Upon realising their mistake they both sincerely begged the Lord to forgive them. They prayed as follows:
Our Lord, We have wronged our own souls; if you do not forgive us and bestow on us Mercy, we shall certainly be among the losers. (7:23)
Did Allah accept Adam and Eve's prayers?
Because they violated God's command, they were cast out of the Garden, along with Satan. They were sent to earth, not as a punishment but to represent Allah here, after He had forgiven them. However, Allah gave them stern warning, and also to their progeny He gave a universal Law which He told Satan at the time of expulsion from the Garden. He said:
Get out from this, disgraced and expelled. If any of them (i.e. the progeny of Adam) should follow thee, I shall fill Hell with all of you. (7:18)
Do we have to suffer because of the sin committed by Adam and Eve?
No, the Qur'an has made it very clear in the following words that every person is responsible for his or her own affairs. Allah says:
Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself; no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; Your goal in the end is towards Allah; and He will tell you the truth of the things wherein you disputed. It is he Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth; He hath raised you in ranks, some above the others, that He may try you in the gifts He has given you. (6:164-5)
What can we conclude from the event of Adam and Eve?
We must beware of Satan, as Allah warns us. He says:
He and his tribe are watching you from a position where you cannot see them. (7:27)
QUR'ANIC MESSAGE
(An-Nas 001-006)
Say, I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the mischief of the evil whisperer who whispers in the hearts of mankind from among the Jinns and among men.
Death
Today, we will be discussing a very scary topic, however, it is one which will ultimately catch up with every one of us, whether we will be prepared for it or not. In this program we will be highlighting some of the Islamic beliefs regarding Death.
How does a Muslim see death?
For the Muslim, the whole of this life constitutes a trial and a test for the human by means of which his final destiny is determined. For him death is the return of the soul to its Creator, God, and the inevitability of death and the Hereafter is never far from his consciousness. This serves to keep all of his life and deeds in perspectives as he tries to live in preparedness for what is to come.
It is common knowledge and every person knows the sayings:
As sure as death; and, Death is inevitable;
What are some of the things Prophet Muhammad (pboh) said about death?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Sudden death overpowers the person with grief.
Death is nearer to a person than his own shoe lace.
Live in this world as though you are a foreigner and a traveler.
Is there any way a person can try to escape death?
There is no escape from death. It makes no distinction between poor and rich, high and low, strong and weak; it lays its icy hands on every one. The most of intelligent of men, and the greatest of scientists cannot prevent, no can they avoid it. Allah says:
Wherever you are death will overtake you, even you are in towers built up strong and high. (4:78)
Sometimes we hear people saying that such a person did not deserve to die, what do you think about saying like this one?
What everyone must always keep in mind, is that the moment of departure has already been written and will not change. And because Allah has made death in a particular way, i.e. any one can be next, young or old male or female, we must all be prepared for it, even though it is scary to think about it in this way.
Death has no pity on anyone. It snatches away affectionate sons from their mothers, loving daughters from their fathers, dedicated husbands from their wives, worldly people with enormous amounts of riches, and every other single living human being.
What does Islam teach about death?
Islam teaches that before a child is born its moment of death is already written, and no one has the power to change it, except Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
At the end of four months, the angel writes on the forehead of the fetus four things, viz.
· what will be the amount of provision it will have in the world.
· What will be the person's deed, good or bad.
· What will be the life span.
· Whether the person will be blessed or wretched.
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
He it is Who created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term for you (6:2)
But if we take precautions, like proper diet and exercises, will not that prolong our life's expectancy?
What we need to understand is that the functioning of the body was decreed to be active for a fixed period of time. When the body ceases to function that is death. It is in this context that Allah says.
Every nafs shall taste of death. (3:185)
Death does not only come to the seek, weak, old or feeble, it takes the healthy and strong in the same way as it takes the weak and sick. Sickness or age may be excuses just as accidents and other natural disasters may be excuses, but the main point is that the time of the person or persons was when they had to die.
Why did Allah say in the Qur'an that the "nafs" will taste of death, even though He uses another word also to mean soul?
Allah uses the word nafs and not Ruh (spirit) when referring to what is going to die. This is because the Ruh or Spirit does not die; it is the nafs that dies. Nafs means ego, desire and passion. And death of the nafs means that the nafs is no longer active. Due to the death of the nafs the physical shell will deteriorate. But the other component of the personality, i.e. the soul, called Ruh in Arabic will not die with the nafs. It leaves the body, just as it came and joined it at birth, and returns to a place specially made for all the souls since the time of Adam.
So what is death according to the Islamic teachings?
According to Islamic teachings, two things happen at the time of death, viz.
· the soul separates from the physical body which was the physical shell in which it resided while on the earth.
· the physical shell ceases all activities.
Can you tell us something more about nafs?
Nafs is the functioning of the body. It can be compared to the working of the engine of a car. This working of the engine produces energy which causes the car to move. Nafs is like that energy; its working produces desires, such as hunger, etc.
Nafs is only concerned with the material or physical desires. It is not concerned about moral or spiritual values. It does care what the person has to do as long as the desires are fulfilled. It is in this context that Allah says in the Qur'an:
Verily, the nafs is prone to enjoin evil. (12:53)
The materialists who are not concerned about a day of accountability will live a life of indulgence and do everything possible in order to be able to acquire wealth etc. and will boast and brag about it. Allah mentions this in the following verse:
The mutual rivalry for piling up wealth and bragging and boasting about it, will not end until death. (102:1)
But can the nafs acquire better habits and become something good?
Nafs can be cultured and its desires can be refined, so that it will not contradict the desires of the Ruh, which is to get close to Allah. It is the will of the individual that will enable the nafs either to only strengthen its animal qualities or to live for higher values in life, i.e. to uphold righteousness and prohibit indecencies.
Allah speaks of three stages in the growth and development of the nafs in the Holy Qur'an. They are:
· Nafsul Ammarah: the animal stage. (12:53)
· Nafsul Lawwamah. The self reproaching stage. (75:2)
· Nafsul Mutmainnah. The stage of peace and tranquility. (90:27)
Can you tell us a little more about the nafs that has attained peace and tranquility?
The stage of Mutmainnah is when the desires of the nafs do not contradict or conflict with the desires of the Ruh or spirit; so there are no opposing elements inside the human being. One is working as a complimentary partner with the other.
Those who were able to develop their nafs to reach the stage of peace were very fortunate, as, on one hand they will be enjoying something of the pleasure of Allah, and on the other hand many of them have just been removed from physical existence, but are kept alive in some form which we cannot understand. About such people Allah says:
Do not say that those who have been killed in the way of Allah that they are dead, they are alive, but you cannot understand. (2:154)
So how does the nafs work in the body?
Nafs is like the electric current that passes through a wire, when there is no current the wire is useless, and may deteriorate. So the current is life, when it goes the body is dead. So death is the end of the physical self, and the soul begins the eternal journey.
During the earthly, the nafs makes impressions on the soul, either clean good ones or dirty bad ones. When the nafs is no longer alive, the soul separates but the impressions remain with it.
What about those people who die young or suddenly?
None of us knows how long the physical journey in this world will be. Allah says:
It is Allah Who creates you and takes your souls at death; and of you there are some who are sent back to a feeble age, so that they know nothing after having known much. For Allah is All-Knowing, All Powerful. (16:70)
So the time-span of life is only with Allah and a person has no control over it. That is why every moment is important. One little act of good can mean everything to a person; similarly, one mistake can mean eternal disaster for him or her.
So what are suppose to do with our lives?
No one knows what is going to happen to him in the very next moment from now and where on the earth he will die. Allah says:
Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow, nor does nay one know in what land he is to die. Verily, with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted with all things. (31:34)
The wise person will always be conscious of a fact i.e. he began life like a tiny wriggling microscopic creature, like a tiny tadpole, created by Allah. Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur'an. He says:
Do you not see that the (human seed) that you throw out, is it you who created it or are We the Creators? We have decreed death to be your common lot. (56:58-60)
This little creature grows into a human being, each one with a specified capacity and a specific life span. How long is the life span of the individual? Only Allah knows and no one else. Allah says:
It is Allah Who takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not during their sleep; those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back from returning to life). But the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed. Verily, in this are Signs for those who reflect. (39:42)
Then what are some of the things we are supposed to keep in mind as we go along in life?
As we do not know what will be the events in the life span of each individual, we realize that, to some extent man is helpless to a lot of things that happen to him while on earth.
One thing about which a person should be conscious about all the time that is that he can be called back at any moment in time. Prophet Muhammad, (pboh) reminds his followers about it by telling them that every time they pray, they should always believe that it is their last prayer.
Because of this we must utilize every moment to prepare for our departure and eventual return. Do not wait until the moment comes upon us and then say let me make up for what I did not do before. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
A man giving a dirham in charity during his life, is better than giving a thousand dirhams at the time of his death.
DEATH (part 2)
Already discussed:
No one can escape death.
The hour of death is fixed and will not be changed.
The place where one has to die has already been decided by Allah.
Allah uses excuses like sickness, or accidents for taking the lives of individuals.
It is the body that dies and not the soul
If the working of the body called nafs (desire, ego, passion), becomes aligned to the desires of the soul, that person will attain peace and tranquility in this life and a high status in the next.
Allah has so made the process of life and death that there is no fixed pattern for dying; anyone can die young or old, etc.
Although death is sure, no one can ever become accustomed with it, and so everyone should be prepared for it at any time.
If a person is suffering, it is proper to wish for death?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said to his followers:
None of you should wish for death on account of some calamity befalling you. If you wish you may pray; O Allah keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.
He also taught his companions to pray as follows:
O Allah, I seek refuge in thee from the trials of life and death.
But why should a person not wish for death seeing that he or she has no more hopes in life?
Because only Allah has knowledge of the future, every person should live with hope. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
None of you should pray for his own death, because if he is a good person, it is possible that he might add to his virtues, and if he is not a good person, that is, if he is morally and otherwise corrupt, he may get a chance to repent for his sins.
Is it true that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) warn the people about unexpected calamities, misfortunes and even death?
Yes, the Holy Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
Lose no time in doing good before one of seven things may happen, viz.
Starvation may overtake you and it will impair your wisdom.
Prosperity may come your way and it may be a cause of distraction
Old age may catch up with you and it may harm your senses.
Sudden death may befall you
You may become incapacitated with sickness
You may be attacked by the Dajjal (i.e. the evil one)
The Day of Judgment may come upon you without you perceiving it.
Is death the end of the individual?
Death unites the body and the soul, as before that, i.e. during the physical life, they were separate entities staying together. However, upon death, they will rise up as one unit.
Muslims believe that death is a next phase in the journey back to Allah. The dead person actually goes into a phase of waiting until the appointed day when all will be resurrected and then the final segment of life will begin.
During the phase of waiting which is called Barrzakh, the dead person can be helped by the living. Once a companion, Abu Said al Malik came to the Prophet (pboh) and asked whether he can do anything to help his parents after their death. The Prophet (pboh) replied that:
You can invoke blessings on them, carry out their final instructions, join ties of relationship, and honor their friends.
How does a Muslim see death?
For the Muslim, the whole of this life constitutes a trial and a test for the human by means of which his final destiny is determined. For him death is the return of the soul to its Creator, God, and the inevitability of death and the Hereafter is never far from his consciousness. This serves to keep all of his life and deeds in perspectives as he tries to live in preparedness for what is to come.
It is common knowledge and every person knows the sayings:
As sure as death; and, Death is inevitable;
What are some of the things Prophet Muhammad (pboh) said about death?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Sudden death overpowers the person with grief.
Death is nearer to a person than his own shoe lace.
Live in this world as though you are a foreigner and a traveler.
Is there any way a person can try to escape death?
There is no escape from death. It makes no distinction between poor and rich, high and low, strong and weak; it lays its icy hands on every one. The most of intelligent of men, and the greatest of scientists cannot prevent, no can they avoid it. Allah says:
Wherever you are death will overtake you, even you are in towers built up strong and high. (4:78)
Sometimes we hear people saying that such a person did not deserve to die, what do you think about saying like this one?
What everyone must always keep in mind, is that the moment of departure has already been written and will not change. And because Allah has made death in a particular way, i.e. any one can be next, young or old male or female, we must all be prepared for it, even though it is scary to think about it in this way.
Death has no pity on anyone. It snatches away affectionate sons from their mothers, loving daughters from their fathers, dedicated husbands from their wives, worldly people with enormous amounts of riches, and every other single living human being.
What does Islam teach about death?
Islam teaches that before a child is born its moment of death is already written, and no one has the power to change it, except Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
At the end of four months, the angel writes on the forehead of the fetus four things, viz.
· what will be the amount of provision it will have in the world.
· What will be the person's deed, good or bad.
· What will be the life span.
· Whether the person will be blessed or wretched.
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
He it is Who created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term for you (6:2)
But if we take precautions, like proper diet and exercises, will not that prolong our life's expectancy?
What we need to understand is that the functioning of the body was decreed to be active for a fixed period of time. When the body ceases to function that is death. It is in this context that Allah says.
Every nafs shall taste of death. (3:185)
Death does not only come to the seek, weak, old or feeble, it takes the healthy and strong in the same way as it takes the weak and sick. Sickness or age may be excuses just as accidents and other natural disasters may be excuses, but the main point is that the time of the person or persons was when they had to die.
Why did Allah say in the Qur'an that the "nafs" will taste of death, even though He uses another word also to mean soul?
Allah uses the word nafs and not Ruh (spirit) when referring to what is going to die. This is because the Ruh or Spirit does not die; it is the nafs that dies. Nafs means ego, desire and passion. And death of the nafs means that the nafs is no longer active. Due to the death of the nafs the physical shell will deteriorate. But the other component of the personality, i.e. the soul, called Ruh in Arabic will not die with the nafs. It leaves the body, just as it came and joined it at birth, and returns to a place specially made for all the souls since the time of Adam.
So what is death according to the Islamic teachings?
According to Islamic teachings, two things happen at the time of death, viz.
· the soul separates from the physical body which was the physical shell in which it resided while on the earth.
· the physical shell ceases all activities.
Can you tell us something more about nafs?
Nafs is the functioning of the body. It can be compared to the working of the engine of a car. This working of the engine produces energy which causes the car to move. Nafs is like that energy; its working produces desires, such as hunger, etc.
Nafs is only concerned with the material or physical desires. It is not concerned about moral or spiritual values. It does care what the person has to do as long as the desires are fulfilled. It is in this context that Allah says in the Qur'an:
Verily, the nafs is prone to enjoin evil. (12:53)
The materialists who are not concerned about a day of accountability will live a life of indulgence and do everything possible in order to be able to acquire wealth etc. and will boast and brag about it. Allah mentions this in the following verse:
The mutual rivalry for piling up wealth and bragging and boasting about it, will not end until death. (102:1)
But can the nafs acquire better habits and become something good?
Nafs can be cultured and its desires can be refined, so that it will not contradict the desires of the Ruh, which is to get close to Allah. It is the will of the individual that will enable the nafs either to only strengthen its animal qualities or to live for higher values in life, i.e. to uphold righteousness and prohibit indecencies.
Allah speaks of three stages in the growth and development of the nafs in the Holy Qur'an. They are:
· Nafsul Ammarah: the animal stage. (12:53)
· Nafsul Lawwamah. The self reproaching stage. (75:2)
· Nafsul Mutmainnah. The stage of peace and tranquility. (90:27)
Can you tell us a little more about the nafs that has attained peace and tranquility?
The stage of Mutmainnah is when the desires of the nafs do not contradict or conflict with the desires of the Ruh or spirit; so there are no opposing elements inside the human being. One is working as a complimentary partner with the other.
Those who were able to develop their nafs to reach the stage of peace were very fortunate, as, on one hand they will be enjoying something of the pleasure of Allah, and on the other hand many of them have just been removed from physical existence, but are kept alive in some form which we cannot understand. About such people Allah says:
Do not say that those who have been killed in the way of Allah that they are dead, they are alive, but you cannot understand. (2:154)
So how does the nafs work in the body?
Nafs is like the electric current that passes through a wire, when there is no current the wire is useless, and may deteriorate. So the current is life, when it goes the body is dead. So death is the end of the physical self, and the soul begins the eternal journey.
During the earthly, the nafs makes impressions on the soul, either clean good ones or dirty bad ones. When the nafs is no longer alive, the soul separates but the impressions remain with it.
What about those people who die young or suddenly?
None of us knows how long the physical journey in this world will be. Allah says:
It is Allah Who creates you and takes your souls at death; and of you there are some who are sent back to a feeble age, so that they know nothing after having known much. For Allah is All-Knowing, All Powerful. (16:70)
So the time-span of life is only with Allah and a person has no control over it. That is why every moment is important. One little act of good can mean everything to a person; similarly, one mistake can mean eternal disaster for him or her.
So what are suppose to do with our lives?
No one knows what is going to happen to him in the very next moment from now and where on the earth he will die. Allah says:
Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow, nor does nay one know in what land he is to die. Verily, with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted with all things. (31:34)
The wise person will always be conscious of a fact i.e. he began life like a tiny wriggling microscopic creature, like a tiny tadpole, created by Allah. Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur'an. He says:
Do you not see that the (human seed) that you throw out, is it you who created it or are We the Creators? We have decreed death to be your common lot. (56:58-60)
This little creature grows into a human being, each one with a specified capacity and a specific life span. How long is the life span of the individual? Only Allah knows and no one else. Allah says:
It is Allah Who takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not during their sleep; those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back from returning to life). But the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed. Verily, in this are Signs for those who reflect. (39:42)
Then what are some of the things we are supposed to keep in mind as we go along in life?
As we do not know what will be the events in the life span of each individual, we realize that, to some extent man is helpless to a lot of things that happen to him while on earth.
One thing about which a person should be conscious about all the time that is that he can be called back at any moment in time. Prophet Muhammad, (pboh) reminds his followers about it by telling them that every time they pray, they should always believe that it is their last prayer.
Because of this we must utilize every moment to prepare for our departure and eventual return. Do not wait until the moment comes upon us and then say let me make up for what I did not do before. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
A man giving a dirham in charity during his life, is better than giving a thousand dirhams at the time of his death.
DEATH (part 2)
Already discussed:
No one can escape death.
The hour of death is fixed and will not be changed.
The place where one has to die has already been decided by Allah.
Allah uses excuses like sickness, or accidents for taking the lives of individuals.
It is the body that dies and not the soul
If the working of the body called nafs (desire, ego, passion), becomes aligned to the desires of the soul, that person will attain peace and tranquility in this life and a high status in the next.
Allah has so made the process of life and death that there is no fixed pattern for dying; anyone can die young or old, etc.
Although death is sure, no one can ever become accustomed with it, and so everyone should be prepared for it at any time.
If a person is suffering, it is proper to wish for death?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said to his followers:
None of you should wish for death on account of some calamity befalling you. If you wish you may pray; O Allah keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.
He also taught his companions to pray as follows:
O Allah, I seek refuge in thee from the trials of life and death.
But why should a person not wish for death seeing that he or she has no more hopes in life?
Because only Allah has knowledge of the future, every person should live with hope. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
None of you should pray for his own death, because if he is a good person, it is possible that he might add to his virtues, and if he is not a good person, that is, if he is morally and otherwise corrupt, he may get a chance to repent for his sins.
Is it true that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) warn the people about unexpected calamities, misfortunes and even death?
Yes, the Holy Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
Lose no time in doing good before one of seven things may happen, viz.
Starvation may overtake you and it will impair your wisdom.
Prosperity may come your way and it may be a cause of distraction
Old age may catch up with you and it may harm your senses.
Sudden death may befall you
You may become incapacitated with sickness
You may be attacked by the Dajjal (i.e. the evil one)
The Day of Judgment may come upon you without you perceiving it.
Is death the end of the individual?
Death unites the body and the soul, as before that, i.e. during the physical life, they were separate entities staying together. However, upon death, they will rise up as one unit.
Muslims believe that death is a next phase in the journey back to Allah. The dead person actually goes into a phase of waiting until the appointed day when all will be resurrected and then the final segment of life will begin.
During the phase of waiting which is called Barrzakh, the dead person can be helped by the living. Once a companion, Abu Said al Malik came to the Prophet (pboh) and asked whether he can do anything to help his parents after their death. The Prophet (pboh) replied that:
You can invoke blessings on them, carry out their final instructions, join ties of relationship, and honor their friends.
Wednesday 26 March 2008
ISLAMIC BANKING
An Introduction
Because man is a social being he interacts with society to satisfy his demands and to dispose of his surplus products. In so doing he may acquire wealth which can be defined as:
· money in the bank
· cash in hand
· short term securities
· treasury bills
· long term bonds
· real capital: farms, houses and family business
· Equities.
In micro economics the focus is on the individual in the society. It looks at how he is acquiring wealth and how he spends it. There may be very limited restrictions on how it is acquired or how it is spent. As a result the individual is free to indulge in things which may not be morally or ethically right in the process of dealing with wealth.
From the Islamic point of view wealth is a gift from Allah (God). He says in the Holy Qur'an the following:
Give to the needy from the wealth Allah has given to you. (24:33)
The earning of wealth is a social enterprise. When earned, it should be used to improve the social conditions of the individuals, their families and society at large.
In the Holy Qur'an Allah commands the Believers that every one of them should make every effort to earn wealth. He says:
Do not neglect your portion of this world. (28:77)
And when the congregational prayer is ended, then, disperse in the land and seek of the Bounty of Allah. (62:10)
One important way of acquiring wealth is through commerce. About it Allah says:
Allah has permitted trade (commerce) (2:275)
Let there be traffic and trade among you by mutual good will (4:29)
In the process of the acquisition of wealth, Allah has placed certain restrictions. Some of these are:
· avoid devious means: And you shall see many of them hastening toward sin and transgression and their devouring of ill-gotten wealth. (5:62)
· avoid hoarding: And there are those who bury gold and silver, and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty (9:34)
· avoid taking interest: Those who devour riba (usury and interest) will not stand except as one who the Satan has confounded with his touch. (2:275)
· avoid creating monopolies: Wealth should not only circulate amongst the wealthy among you. (59:7)
· avoid gambling: O you who believe, intoxicants, games of chance, (dedication of) stones and divination by arrows are an abomination of Satan's handiwork; avoid them in order that you may prosper. (5:90)
· avoid unfair trade practices: So establish weight with justice, and do not give short weight. (55:9)
· avoid all types of fraud: Woe to those who deal in fraud (83:1)
In the process of transacting business a person may find himself with surplus wealth. He may not have the time, expertise or avenues to invest it in order to get further benefits.
Many Muslims put their surplus wealth in the Western commercial banks for safe keeping, without taking any interest from it. In such cases, the banks benefit and the depositor loses, as the purchasing power of the deposits may diminish over a period of time.
Besides, as long as it stays in the bank for a year, the depositor will have to pay the annual Zakaat on it, i.e. 2.5% from it. This will cause the amount to become less. As these issues became a matter of concern to the believers, the Muslim Scholars began to look for alternatives, in order to be able to address the situation. The conclusion was to start Islamic Banking. That was a little more than thirty years ago.
When the onlookers heard that "Islamic banks do not take or give interest, the first question that was always asked was: "How can you run a bank without taking or giving interest? Most industry professionals thought that they would either disappear as quickly as they had come along, or that they would continue to plod along in a marginalized manner, catering to a tiny clientele of religious purists and doing precious little else.
To the contrary, Islamic banks have mushroomed over the last three decades so that today there are more than 200 Islamic banks in more than fifty countries, with tens of thousands of branches and hundreds of thousands of employees offering products and services to millions of Muslims world wide. More importantly, is the fact that these banks have been successful without getting involved in interest.
In fact, Islamic banks have been responsible for major innovations in the banking sector. For one thing, Islamic banks have changed the nature of the relationship between bank and investor. The conventional relationship based on a lending contract has given way to partnership and cooperation in which the element of commitment is clearly present. Such a relationship, essentially a sharing approach, creates a performance incentive: a matter that requires more careful planning than quick overnight changes in interest rates offered to depositors.
The second innovation brought about by Islamic banking is the integration of financial and real markets. Again, using the sharing principle in the modes of financing they offer to their clients, Islamic banks share returns. If a client loses money, the bank loses money. In this manner financing is liked to the processes of the production and exchange of real goods.
The third innovation is the incorporation of ethics and moral values in the investment decisions taken by banks. Obviously, the observance or moral values is a clear Shariah imperative.
The present system of finance is based on a potentially disruptive element, and that element is riba interest. The modern Islamic financial sector represents a serious initiative to offer alternatives to finance and business based on interest. The success of this new sector to date represents an ample demonstration of the hypothesis that business can indeed be conducted effectively in the modern market place without interest. As a result, a number of initiatives have been launched with the purpose of offering Muslims a variety of alternatives to conventional financial products and services.
Some of these include Islamic mutual fund, Islamic home acquisition alternatives, Islamic venture capital, Islamic real estate funds, Islamic money market fund and Islamic insurance. More products will be added as the scholars are able to tailor a product to conform to the requirements of theology, as the future of Islamic finance is inextricably bound to its theological and moral foundations. At the same time, however the course it is to take in the coming decades is clearly linked to the efforts of scholars and the technical staff of the banks, to make it accessible to the Muslim public in ways that satisfy both their spiritual and temporal needs.
How does an Islamic Bank function?
· Fund Manager: he collects keeps and invests funds.
· Shariah Supervisory Board: Islamic Scholars supervising the fund manager's activities regarding the ways the funds are invested.
· The investor (not depositor), who makes surplus available to the fund manager for investment.
· An Escrow contract: A printed document which is an agreement made between the Fund Manager and the investor. This document contains the terms and conditions under which the investments are accepted, and terms of payment of dividends, etc.
· Investments: people may want to access the facilities available at the bank, not to borrow money. If they borrow they shall be required to back only what was borrowed, any excess will be considered as riba.
· Products: The bank may transact business in any one of the categories of products it may offer. These are:
Musharakah: joint enterprise, in which all partners share the profit or loss.
Mudarabah: a special kind of relationship in which one partner gives money and the other gives management and work. The profits are shared as agreed upon at the time.
Murabahah: A type of financing in which a commodity is purchased for a client and resold to him at a mark up price, and he is given time to pay it in installments.
Ijarah: To employ a person and pay for his services, or to lease something to another person for a fee.
Salam and Istisna: The validity of a sale of a commodity according to Islamic Shariah involves the following.
1. The commodity must be in existence.
2. The seller must have acquired the ownership of it.
3. He should have possession of it.
Istisna: it is the sale of a commodity before it comes into existence. For example a purchaser can order a specific commodity from a manufacturer, under specific terms and conditions.
In the process of transacting business Islamic Banks are guided by the basic Theological principle of "mutual goodwill", i.e. one party should not have an undue advantage over the other.
Greed or the desire to amass wealth at the expense of another is not allowed in Islam. As a result the Islamic Banks try to facilitate their clients in every way possible in order to enable them "to earn the best of both worlds".
An Introduction
Because man is a social being he interacts with society to satisfy his demands and to dispose of his surplus products. In so doing he may acquire wealth which can be defined as:
· money in the bank
· cash in hand
· short term securities
· treasury bills
· long term bonds
· real capital: farms, houses and family business
· Equities.
In micro economics the focus is on the individual in the society. It looks at how he is acquiring wealth and how he spends it. There may be very limited restrictions on how it is acquired or how it is spent. As a result the individual is free to indulge in things which may not be morally or ethically right in the process of dealing with wealth.
From the Islamic point of view wealth is a gift from Allah (God). He says in the Holy Qur'an the following:
Give to the needy from the wealth Allah has given to you. (24:33)
The earning of wealth is a social enterprise. When earned, it should be used to improve the social conditions of the individuals, their families and society at large.
In the Holy Qur'an Allah commands the Believers that every one of them should make every effort to earn wealth. He says:
Do not neglect your portion of this world. (28:77)
And when the congregational prayer is ended, then, disperse in the land and seek of the Bounty of Allah. (62:10)
One important way of acquiring wealth is through commerce. About it Allah says:
Allah has permitted trade (commerce) (2:275)
Let there be traffic and trade among you by mutual good will (4:29)
In the process of the acquisition of wealth, Allah has placed certain restrictions. Some of these are:
· avoid devious means: And you shall see many of them hastening toward sin and transgression and their devouring of ill-gotten wealth. (5:62)
· avoid hoarding: And there are those who bury gold and silver, and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty (9:34)
· avoid taking interest: Those who devour riba (usury and interest) will not stand except as one who the Satan has confounded with his touch. (2:275)
· avoid creating monopolies: Wealth should not only circulate amongst the wealthy among you. (59:7)
· avoid gambling: O you who believe, intoxicants, games of chance, (dedication of) stones and divination by arrows are an abomination of Satan's handiwork; avoid them in order that you may prosper. (5:90)
· avoid unfair trade practices: So establish weight with justice, and do not give short weight. (55:9)
· avoid all types of fraud: Woe to those who deal in fraud (83:1)
In the process of transacting business a person may find himself with surplus wealth. He may not have the time, expertise or avenues to invest it in order to get further benefits.
Many Muslims put their surplus wealth in the Western commercial banks for safe keeping, without taking any interest from it. In such cases, the banks benefit and the depositor loses, as the purchasing power of the deposits may diminish over a period of time.
Besides, as long as it stays in the bank for a year, the depositor will have to pay the annual Zakaat on it, i.e. 2.5% from it. This will cause the amount to become less. As these issues became a matter of concern to the believers, the Muslim Scholars began to look for alternatives, in order to be able to address the situation. The conclusion was to start Islamic Banking. That was a little more than thirty years ago.
When the onlookers heard that "Islamic banks do not take or give interest, the first question that was always asked was: "How can you run a bank without taking or giving interest? Most industry professionals thought that they would either disappear as quickly as they had come along, or that they would continue to plod along in a marginalized manner, catering to a tiny clientele of religious purists and doing precious little else.
To the contrary, Islamic banks have mushroomed over the last three decades so that today there are more than 200 Islamic banks in more than fifty countries, with tens of thousands of branches and hundreds of thousands of employees offering products and services to millions of Muslims world wide. More importantly, is the fact that these banks have been successful without getting involved in interest.
In fact, Islamic banks have been responsible for major innovations in the banking sector. For one thing, Islamic banks have changed the nature of the relationship between bank and investor. The conventional relationship based on a lending contract has given way to partnership and cooperation in which the element of commitment is clearly present. Such a relationship, essentially a sharing approach, creates a performance incentive: a matter that requires more careful planning than quick overnight changes in interest rates offered to depositors.
The second innovation brought about by Islamic banking is the integration of financial and real markets. Again, using the sharing principle in the modes of financing they offer to their clients, Islamic banks share returns. If a client loses money, the bank loses money. In this manner financing is liked to the processes of the production and exchange of real goods.
The third innovation is the incorporation of ethics and moral values in the investment decisions taken by banks. Obviously, the observance or moral values is a clear Shariah imperative.
The present system of finance is based on a potentially disruptive element, and that element is riba interest. The modern Islamic financial sector represents a serious initiative to offer alternatives to finance and business based on interest. The success of this new sector to date represents an ample demonstration of the hypothesis that business can indeed be conducted effectively in the modern market place without interest. As a result, a number of initiatives have been launched with the purpose of offering Muslims a variety of alternatives to conventional financial products and services.
Some of these include Islamic mutual fund, Islamic home acquisition alternatives, Islamic venture capital, Islamic real estate funds, Islamic money market fund and Islamic insurance. More products will be added as the scholars are able to tailor a product to conform to the requirements of theology, as the future of Islamic finance is inextricably bound to its theological and moral foundations. At the same time, however the course it is to take in the coming decades is clearly linked to the efforts of scholars and the technical staff of the banks, to make it accessible to the Muslim public in ways that satisfy both their spiritual and temporal needs.
How does an Islamic Bank function?
· Fund Manager: he collects keeps and invests funds.
· Shariah Supervisory Board: Islamic Scholars supervising the fund manager's activities regarding the ways the funds are invested.
· The investor (not depositor), who makes surplus available to the fund manager for investment.
· An Escrow contract: A printed document which is an agreement made between the Fund Manager and the investor. This document contains the terms and conditions under which the investments are accepted, and terms of payment of dividends, etc.
· Investments: people may want to access the facilities available at the bank, not to borrow money. If they borrow they shall be required to back only what was borrowed, any excess will be considered as riba.
· Products: The bank may transact business in any one of the categories of products it may offer. These are:
Musharakah: joint enterprise, in which all partners share the profit or loss.
Mudarabah: a special kind of relationship in which one partner gives money and the other gives management and work. The profits are shared as agreed upon at the time.
Murabahah: A type of financing in which a commodity is purchased for a client and resold to him at a mark up price, and he is given time to pay it in installments.
Ijarah: To employ a person and pay for his services, or to lease something to another person for a fee.
Salam and Istisna: The validity of a sale of a commodity according to Islamic Shariah involves the following.
1. The commodity must be in existence.
2. The seller must have acquired the ownership of it.
3. He should have possession of it.
Istisna: it is the sale of a commodity before it comes into existence. For example a purchaser can order a specific commodity from a manufacturer, under specific terms and conditions.
In the process of transacting business Islamic Banks are guided by the basic Theological principle of "mutual goodwill", i.e. one party should not have an undue advantage over the other.
Greed or the desire to amass wealth at the expense of another is not allowed in Islam. As a result the Islamic Banks try to facilitate their clients in every way possible in order to enable them "to earn the best of both worlds".
A RECIPE FOR THE FIRE
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
(The Companions of the right hand will question the sinners) What led you into Hell Fire? They will say: We were not of those who prayed; nor were we of those who fed the indigent; but we used to talk vanities and vain talks; and we used to deny the Day of Judgment. (74:40-46)
According to what the Companions of the Fire said, there are four points, when neglected, will lead one to Hell. These are:
Salaat: This is a universal institution, and was prescribed to mankind through all the Messengers that came on earth. We have examples where Moses used to "fall on his face and worship"; Jesus, when he was about to leave this world, spent a lot of time in the Garden of Gethsemane worshipping, and in Islam it is made a Fundamental Principle of Faith. So important is this act of worship, that it must be observed even in the most difficult situation. The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said that: Salaat distinguishes a believer from a non-believer.
Feeding the hungry: We see in Qur'an and in Traditions that feeding the hungry is one way of atoning for sins. In a Hadith e Qudsi, Allah indicated that to feed the hungry is like feeding Him; this will bring immense reward to the person who does so.
Managing ones time properly: Time management is extremely important in Islam. Every believer knows that he has a duty onto his body and one for his soul, so that he has to give due attention to both. There are those who just waste away their time with vain and idle talk; or they frequent places of entertainment and spend hours, but they do not have time to read the Qur'an or worship Allah, etc. Such people are doomed.
The day of Accountability: We came from Allah, and our goal is to go back to Him. He does not like impurities, and because sin is impurity, the sinner will not get close to Him unless he repents and make amends. When Adam sinned he was expelled from the Garden. Those who do not believe in the Day of Accountability will be careless about their deeds and actions and may violate every moral and ethical principle, so that on that Day, they will have nothing of Good that may be of assistance to them.
Islam enjoins upon believers to associate with good and avoid evil in order to be successful.
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
(The Companions of the right hand will question the sinners) What led you into Hell Fire? They will say: We were not of those who prayed; nor were we of those who fed the indigent; but we used to talk vanities and vain talks; and we used to deny the Day of Judgment. (74:40-46)
According to what the Companions of the Fire said, there are four points, when neglected, will lead one to Hell. These are:
Salaat: This is a universal institution, and was prescribed to mankind through all the Messengers that came on earth. We have examples where Moses used to "fall on his face and worship"; Jesus, when he was about to leave this world, spent a lot of time in the Garden of Gethsemane worshipping, and in Islam it is made a Fundamental Principle of Faith. So important is this act of worship, that it must be observed even in the most difficult situation. The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said that: Salaat distinguishes a believer from a non-believer.
Feeding the hungry: We see in Qur'an and in Traditions that feeding the hungry is one way of atoning for sins. In a Hadith e Qudsi, Allah indicated that to feed the hungry is like feeding Him; this will bring immense reward to the person who does so.
Managing ones time properly: Time management is extremely important in Islam. Every believer knows that he has a duty onto his body and one for his soul, so that he has to give due attention to both. There are those who just waste away their time with vain and idle talk; or they frequent places of entertainment and spend hours, but they do not have time to read the Qur'an or worship Allah, etc. Such people are doomed.
The day of Accountability: We came from Allah, and our goal is to go back to Him. He does not like impurities, and because sin is impurity, the sinner will not get close to Him unless he repents and make amends. When Adam sinned he was expelled from the Garden. Those who do not believe in the Day of Accountability will be careless about their deeds and actions and may violate every moral and ethical principle, so that on that Day, they will have nothing of Good that may be of assistance to them.
Islam enjoins upon believers to associate with good and avoid evil in order to be successful.
THE QUR'AN: THE UNIVERSAL
MESSAGE FOR MANKIND
Our voice, though not part of our physical body, originates deep down inside of us, and through it we can say words. The Holy Qur'an originated in the Personality of Allah, as He says that it is His words. He says:
If one from amongst the Pagans asks you (O Muhammad) for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah. (9:6)
Imam Ghazaali writes that the Prophet (pboh) said that Allah recited Surahs Taaha and Yaaseen one thousand years before creation. This was possible because the Qur'an is the Word of Allah. Because it is the Word of the Lord of the Worlds, some Muslim Scholars argue whether the Qur'an was created or not.
Allah took all the care to preserve that great Book. At the appropriate time He placed it in a divine vault called Lauhi Mahfuuz. He record about it in the following verse:
This is the Glorious Qur'an in the Tablet preserved. (85:21-22)
When Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was commissioned as the Final Messenger of Allah on earth, Allah caused the entire Book to be impressed on his heart. He says:
Verily, this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds, with it came down the Spirit of Truth, in you heart and mind, that you may admonish in the clear Arabic tongue. (26:192-194)
Just as how the Qur'an was placed in Lauhi Mahfuuz in the heavens for safe keeping, so too, it was placed in the heart of the Trusted and Truthful person here on earth, to be released during the passage of time, in the form of revelations.
Even though the Book was in the heart of the Prophet (pboh) he was not authorised to read it before it was brought down by Angel Jibraeel in the form of Wahy over a period of twenty three years. This one reason why he was told:
High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed; but say: O my Lord, advance me in knowledge. (20:114)
The Qur'an is the only revelation from Allah that was given such importance regarding its preservation. Allah gave Moses a book, and look what He said about it:
It was We Who revealed the Law unto Moses, therein was guidance and light ……… for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book and they were witnesses thereto. (5:44)
A party of them heard the Word of Allah and perverted it knowingly after they understood it. (2:75)
So Allah gave the Israelites Books, which today they call the Bible—the Word of God. The Question is: Is the Bible really the Word of God? The following points make us reject such a claim:
· There is no record that the words of the Bibles found today are the exact revealed words.
· The Biblical text is full of contradictions, absurdities, inconsistencies, unfulfilled prophecies, broken promises, immoralities, etc. This is clear evidence that it is not from God.
· Even Christian scholars admit that the entire Book is not from God. According to them part of it is Divine and part human. No one has yet been able to identify what is Divine and what is human.
· The Apocryphal books are considered by some Churches to be the word of God and others reject such a claim. The question is: who is to decide which book is the word of God and which book should not be.
· "Word of God" means word that actually came from God. This is not the case with the Bible as both the Old and New Testament is reported speech.
· The versions of the Bible found in each sect in Christianity differ from each other; the question is: which one is acceptable.
See what the Encyclopaedia Biblica says about the New Testament:
The view hitherto current that the four Gospels were compiled by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and appeared thirty or forty years after the death of Jesus, can no longer be maintained.
The four Gospels were compiled from earlier materials which have perished. Even if we accept more conservative opinions which place the earliest Gospel about 65 A.D., that would not of course, make any material difference, nor affect the conclusions of criticism as to their contents. Some of their statements of facts are quite erroneous. (Islam and Christianity in the Modern World. F.R.Ansari, pp.39-40)
We have no evidence to prove that the New Testament in its present form was ever spoken by Jesus, far less to be a revealed text.
Even if it were the spoken word, for more than sixty years no one made any attempt to record them
The four Gospels were chosen in a mysterious way.
It is the Church comprising ordinary human that decided which book was to be considered to be the word of God and which had to be rejected.
The rejected manuscripts were destroyed.
The other Sacred Scriptures of the different religions are not original revealed texts, but were compiled by the scholars over a period of time. For example, the Vedas were compiled about 1500 B.C. While each Sacred Scripture contains guidance, none of them can claim to be the original unadulterated text revealed to the messenger of the time.
The Holy Qur'an:
The Holy Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pboh) in a unique way called Wahy. Each revelation came down to the Prophet (pboh) as follows:
· Allah selected from the Book the verses that were to be revealed at any particular time.
· Angel Jibraeel was ordered to take it down to the Prophet (pboh).
· The Angel recited and the Prophet (pboh) repeated after him.
· The Prophet (pboh) then recited and the Angel listened.
· The Prophet (pboh) dictated to the available Scribes who copied what was dictated.
· The Scribes read and the Prophet (pboh) verified that what they wrote was correct.
· The Scribes and other Companions memorised and made their own copies.
· Daily recitation in Salaat made regular rehearsal of the revealed texts stay in the minds and hearts of the Companions.
No one was authorised to change any word of the Great Book; not even a dot that was revealed. About this Allah says:
This is a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds. And if the Messenger were to invent any sayings in Our name, We should certainly seize him by his right hand and We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart. (69:43-46)
From this we can understand that the words of the Holy Book remain unadulterated.
The Qur'an is unique and special in many ways. Some of these are:
There is and can be no book like it. Allah says:
If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of the Qur'an, they could not have produced something like it, even if they were to back up each other with help and support. (17:88)
·
It is free from doubts: Allah begins the Message of the Qur'an by stating that this Book is free from doubts. (2:2). Even the Prophet's (pboh) life was very straight forward, and on no occasion was there any instance where he could have been accused of being deceitful. He was recognised by all as the Trusted one and the Truthful one.
· A Perfect Code of life: The Qur'an does not have any defect in grammar, expressions, or any form of contradictions, etc. Allah says:
Praise be to Allah Who sent down the Book and hath allowed therein no crookedness. (18:1)
It is an Arabic Qur'an without any defects, in order that they may guard against evil. (39:28)
· It is a Book of complete guidance. Allah says:
And We have sent down unto the (O Muhammad) a Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy and Glad Tidings to the Muslims. (16:89)
· The Challenge. Allah has issued a challenge to the world at large; i.e.
If you have doubts concerning that which We have sent down to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a Chapter like it. (2:23)
The Qur'an is a special gift to mankind from the Lord of the Worlds and can take people out of ignorance and cause them to be enlightened. It has the capacity to enable believers to lead a successful life in this world and to gain a lofty place in Paradise in the Hereafter.
MESSAGE FOR MANKIND
Our voice, though not part of our physical body, originates deep down inside of us, and through it we can say words. The Holy Qur'an originated in the Personality of Allah, as He says that it is His words. He says:
If one from amongst the Pagans asks you (O Muhammad) for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah. (9:6)
Imam Ghazaali writes that the Prophet (pboh) said that Allah recited Surahs Taaha and Yaaseen one thousand years before creation. This was possible because the Qur'an is the Word of Allah. Because it is the Word of the Lord of the Worlds, some Muslim Scholars argue whether the Qur'an was created or not.
Allah took all the care to preserve that great Book. At the appropriate time He placed it in a divine vault called Lauhi Mahfuuz. He record about it in the following verse:
This is the Glorious Qur'an in the Tablet preserved. (85:21-22)
When Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was commissioned as the Final Messenger of Allah on earth, Allah caused the entire Book to be impressed on his heart. He says:
Verily, this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds, with it came down the Spirit of Truth, in you heart and mind, that you may admonish in the clear Arabic tongue. (26:192-194)
Just as how the Qur'an was placed in Lauhi Mahfuuz in the heavens for safe keeping, so too, it was placed in the heart of the Trusted and Truthful person here on earth, to be released during the passage of time, in the form of revelations.
Even though the Book was in the heart of the Prophet (pboh) he was not authorised to read it before it was brought down by Angel Jibraeel in the form of Wahy over a period of twenty three years. This one reason why he was told:
High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed; but say: O my Lord, advance me in knowledge. (20:114)
The Qur'an is the only revelation from Allah that was given such importance regarding its preservation. Allah gave Moses a book, and look what He said about it:
It was We Who revealed the Law unto Moses, therein was guidance and light ……… for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book and they were witnesses thereto. (5:44)
A party of them heard the Word of Allah and perverted it knowingly after they understood it. (2:75)
So Allah gave the Israelites Books, which today they call the Bible—the Word of God. The Question is: Is the Bible really the Word of God? The following points make us reject such a claim:
· There is no record that the words of the Bibles found today are the exact revealed words.
· The Biblical text is full of contradictions, absurdities, inconsistencies, unfulfilled prophecies, broken promises, immoralities, etc. This is clear evidence that it is not from God.
· Even Christian scholars admit that the entire Book is not from God. According to them part of it is Divine and part human. No one has yet been able to identify what is Divine and what is human.
· The Apocryphal books are considered by some Churches to be the word of God and others reject such a claim. The question is: who is to decide which book is the word of God and which book should not be.
· "Word of God" means word that actually came from God. This is not the case with the Bible as both the Old and New Testament is reported speech.
· The versions of the Bible found in each sect in Christianity differ from each other; the question is: which one is acceptable.
See what the Encyclopaedia Biblica says about the New Testament:
The view hitherto current that the four Gospels were compiled by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and appeared thirty or forty years after the death of Jesus, can no longer be maintained.
The four Gospels were compiled from earlier materials which have perished. Even if we accept more conservative opinions which place the earliest Gospel about 65 A.D., that would not of course, make any material difference, nor affect the conclusions of criticism as to their contents. Some of their statements of facts are quite erroneous. (Islam and Christianity in the Modern World. F.R.Ansari, pp.39-40)
We have no evidence to prove that the New Testament in its present form was ever spoken by Jesus, far less to be a revealed text.
Even if it were the spoken word, for more than sixty years no one made any attempt to record them
The four Gospels were chosen in a mysterious way.
It is the Church comprising ordinary human that decided which book was to be considered to be the word of God and which had to be rejected.
The rejected manuscripts were destroyed.
The other Sacred Scriptures of the different religions are not original revealed texts, but were compiled by the scholars over a period of time. For example, the Vedas were compiled about 1500 B.C. While each Sacred Scripture contains guidance, none of them can claim to be the original unadulterated text revealed to the messenger of the time.
The Holy Qur'an:
The Holy Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pboh) in a unique way called Wahy. Each revelation came down to the Prophet (pboh) as follows:
· Allah selected from the Book the verses that were to be revealed at any particular time.
· Angel Jibraeel was ordered to take it down to the Prophet (pboh).
· The Angel recited and the Prophet (pboh) repeated after him.
· The Prophet (pboh) then recited and the Angel listened.
· The Prophet (pboh) dictated to the available Scribes who copied what was dictated.
· The Scribes read and the Prophet (pboh) verified that what they wrote was correct.
· The Scribes and other Companions memorised and made their own copies.
· Daily recitation in Salaat made regular rehearsal of the revealed texts stay in the minds and hearts of the Companions.
No one was authorised to change any word of the Great Book; not even a dot that was revealed. About this Allah says:
This is a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds. And if the Messenger were to invent any sayings in Our name, We should certainly seize him by his right hand and We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart. (69:43-46)
From this we can understand that the words of the Holy Book remain unadulterated.
The Qur'an is unique and special in many ways. Some of these are:
There is and can be no book like it. Allah says:
If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of the Qur'an, they could not have produced something like it, even if they were to back up each other with help and support. (17:88)
·
It is free from doubts: Allah begins the Message of the Qur'an by stating that this Book is free from doubts. (2:2). Even the Prophet's (pboh) life was very straight forward, and on no occasion was there any instance where he could have been accused of being deceitful. He was recognised by all as the Trusted one and the Truthful one.
· A Perfect Code of life: The Qur'an does not have any defect in grammar, expressions, or any form of contradictions, etc. Allah says:
Praise be to Allah Who sent down the Book and hath allowed therein no crookedness. (18:1)
It is an Arabic Qur'an without any defects, in order that they may guard against evil. (39:28)
· It is a Book of complete guidance. Allah says:
And We have sent down unto the (O Muhammad) a Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy and Glad Tidings to the Muslims. (16:89)
· The Challenge. Allah has issued a challenge to the world at large; i.e.
If you have doubts concerning that which We have sent down to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a Chapter like it. (2:23)
The Qur'an is a special gift to mankind from the Lord of the Worlds and can take people out of ignorance and cause them to be enlightened. It has the capacity to enable believers to lead a successful life in this world and to gain a lofty place in Paradise in the Hereafter.
Sunday 13 January 2008
THE SOUL
Allah says:
And they will ask you concerning the Ruh (soul), say; it is from the Command of my Lord, and I (Allah) have not given you knowledge (of it) except a little. (17:85)
The Ruh commonly translated as soul is a special non-physical spark of extremely refined light which Allah causes to enter the human physical shell. It was never a part of the universe. It does not die and does not enter the body of any other creature upon the death of the individual.
Just as how a tiny spark can glow or become a big flame, so too the Ruh can grow in the body and permeate all the cells of the person. When the light of the soul reaches all the cells the person will begin to have real "religious experience" called in the Holy Qur'an Al Yaqeen, and translated as certainty.
But in order to do so there must be the right condition in the body; just as how the flame can only burn if it gets oxygen and breeze. On the other hand if it is covered with carbon dioxide it will go out.
For the human being the permissible things are the ingredients to make the light of the soul spread and the prohibited things are like the carbon dioxide to the fire. When the light of the soul is prevented from reaching the cells of the body, the body will burn in the Hell Fire.
The mission of life is to allow the light of the soul to spread. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Verily, Allah created the elements of man in darkness, then He infused unto them His Light. He who received the light and made use of it received the right guidance, and he who erred was led astray.
He also used to pray as follows:
O Allah, let there be light in my heart, in my sight, in my hearing, on my right side, on my left side, in front of me and behind me. Let there be light in my nerves, in my blood, in my flesh in my hair and in my limbs. O Allah make me light.
The body is made from earth. Allah says:
He it is Who created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term (for you). (6:2)
Our mission in life is, on one hand, to decorate our bodies with beautiful colors and designs, just as the potter takes a piece of clay (ceramic) and shapes and decorate it. On the other hand we are ordained by the Lord of the worlds to polish and shine it, just as the worker will take a piece of stone (metal) and polish it and shine it till it becomes a beautiful diamond or some other expensive ornament.
Our mission in life is to change our small piece of earth which (i.e. our bodies) into another piece resembling a beautiful jewel. Perhaps, it is in this context Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
The day the earth will be changed into another earth. (14:48)
The goldsmith takes the piece of metal which is a piece of stone taken from the ground, heats it, beats it, makes designs on it and finally produces a beautiful piece of jewel. So too, the human being can accept the trials of the world as the process for refining the personality. If we can withstand the heating and beating (trials of life) and emerge successful, we will be able to absorb the Light of the Lord inside of us and become a jewel in the presence of man and a gem for the Hereafter.
Allah says:
And the earth will shine with the Light of the Lord. (39:69)
There are personalities of bygone times who were able to polish their pieces of the earth, to such an extent, that they are today called saints. Their bodies were not different from ours, but the life style made them outstanding. They submitted to the Lord as He ordained, and when their neighbors, families and friends were enjoying the material life they were toiling (in the night) to improve their relationship with the Creator, and in the day they were humbly submitting to His commands.
Believers are expected to work ceaselessly by upholding the Islamic principles of submission, to polish and brighten their souls so that the light of them can penetrate the cells of the bodies and make them bright. Allah says:
Allah is the Protector of those who have faith; from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith their patrons are the evil ones; from the light they will lead them forth into the depth of darkness. They will be the companions of the fire. They will dwell therein forever. (2:257)
With pain and suffering, with trials and tribulations, with the numerous challenges of life, the believer undertakes the journey; all the time hoping for Allah's Grace and praying that the Light of the Lord will ultimately reach his heart. Along with these programs of activities he prays sincerely as follows:
O our Lord, perfect our light for us, and grant us Forgiveness, for surely, You have power over all things. (66:8)
May the Gracious and Merciful Lord bless every believer, fill his or her heart with light, instill in his personality humility, and fill his mind with sincerity, so that he will live and love for the sake of Allah alone. May He cause every one of us to leave this world believing in His Oneness.
And they will ask you concerning the Ruh (soul), say; it is from the Command of my Lord, and I (Allah) have not given you knowledge (of it) except a little. (17:85)
The Ruh commonly translated as soul is a special non-physical spark of extremely refined light which Allah causes to enter the human physical shell. It was never a part of the universe. It does not die and does not enter the body of any other creature upon the death of the individual.
Just as how a tiny spark can glow or become a big flame, so too the Ruh can grow in the body and permeate all the cells of the person. When the light of the soul reaches all the cells the person will begin to have real "religious experience" called in the Holy Qur'an Al Yaqeen, and translated as certainty.
But in order to do so there must be the right condition in the body; just as how the flame can only burn if it gets oxygen and breeze. On the other hand if it is covered with carbon dioxide it will go out.
For the human being the permissible things are the ingredients to make the light of the soul spread and the prohibited things are like the carbon dioxide to the fire. When the light of the soul is prevented from reaching the cells of the body, the body will burn in the Hell Fire.
The mission of life is to allow the light of the soul to spread. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Verily, Allah created the elements of man in darkness, then He infused unto them His Light. He who received the light and made use of it received the right guidance, and he who erred was led astray.
He also used to pray as follows:
O Allah, let there be light in my heart, in my sight, in my hearing, on my right side, on my left side, in front of me and behind me. Let there be light in my nerves, in my blood, in my flesh in my hair and in my limbs. O Allah make me light.
The body is made from earth. Allah says:
He it is Who created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term (for you). (6:2)
Our mission in life is, on one hand, to decorate our bodies with beautiful colors and designs, just as the potter takes a piece of clay (ceramic) and shapes and decorate it. On the other hand we are ordained by the Lord of the worlds to polish and shine it, just as the worker will take a piece of stone (metal) and polish it and shine it till it becomes a beautiful diamond or some other expensive ornament.
Our mission in life is to change our small piece of earth which (i.e. our bodies) into another piece resembling a beautiful jewel. Perhaps, it is in this context Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
The day the earth will be changed into another earth. (14:48)
The goldsmith takes the piece of metal which is a piece of stone taken from the ground, heats it, beats it, makes designs on it and finally produces a beautiful piece of jewel. So too, the human being can accept the trials of the world as the process for refining the personality. If we can withstand the heating and beating (trials of life) and emerge successful, we will be able to absorb the Light of the Lord inside of us and become a jewel in the presence of man and a gem for the Hereafter.
Allah says:
And the earth will shine with the Light of the Lord. (39:69)
There are personalities of bygone times who were able to polish their pieces of the earth, to such an extent, that they are today called saints. Their bodies were not different from ours, but the life style made them outstanding. They submitted to the Lord as He ordained, and when their neighbors, families and friends were enjoying the material life they were toiling (in the night) to improve their relationship with the Creator, and in the day they were humbly submitting to His commands.
Believers are expected to work ceaselessly by upholding the Islamic principles of submission, to polish and brighten their souls so that the light of them can penetrate the cells of the bodies and make them bright. Allah says:
Allah is the Protector of those who have faith; from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith their patrons are the evil ones; from the light they will lead them forth into the depth of darkness. They will be the companions of the fire. They will dwell therein forever. (2:257)
With pain and suffering, with trials and tribulations, with the numerous challenges of life, the believer undertakes the journey; all the time hoping for Allah's Grace and praying that the Light of the Lord will ultimately reach his heart. Along with these programs of activities he prays sincerely as follows:
O our Lord, perfect our light for us, and grant us Forgiveness, for surely, You have power over all things. (66:8)
May the Gracious and Merciful Lord bless every believer, fill his or her heart with light, instill in his personality humility, and fill his mind with sincerity, so that he will live and love for the sake of Allah alone. May He cause every one of us to leave this world believing in His Oneness.
CONCEPT OF CHARITY IN ISLAM
What is the Islamic definition of Charity?
The Qur'an has used different terms to describe charity. Some of these are:
· Infaq fi sabeel Allah (spending in the way of Allah). Infaq means spending benevolently.
· Ihsaan meaning the doing of good, or kindness and consideration.
· Zakah meaning growth and purification.
· Sadaqah derived from the root sidq meaning truth. It is used to signify charitable acts.
· Khayraat meaning good deeds.
How does Prophet Muhammad (pboh) define Charity?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Every good act is charity. Your smiling to your brother is charity; an exhortation of your fellowmen to virtuous deeds is equal to alms-giving; your putting a wanderer on the right road is charity; your assisting the blind is charity; your removing stones, and thorns, and any other obstructions from the road is charity; your giving water to the thirsty is charity.
We normally say that Allah provides for everyone; then must a person give charity?
Giving charity serves a number of purposes. Some of these are:
· It is like giving to Allah a goodly loan which He will pay back on the Day of Judgment by multiplying the amount many times. He says in the Holy Qur'an:
Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times? (2:245)
· It is a form of saving for the Hereafter. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
When a person dies the angel will ask; what good deeds has he sent before him.
· According to teachings of Islam the giving of charity serves as the expiation of sins. For example if a person should break his fast deliberately in the month of Ramada, he might be required to keep sixty days of fasting, or feed the poor as is prescribed.
· Sometimes when a person commits a transgression, if he gives charity it may compensate for the sin he would have committed.
· Charity also gives protection of some kinds of sins.
· Charity wards off affliction in this world, questioning in the grave, and punishment in the Hereafter. Allah says:
Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:224)
What are some of the things a person should keep in mind when giving charity?
· The charity must be something beneficial and must have some sort of value to the recipient.
· It must be something that was lawfully earned; as it is not correct to take unlawful wealth, etc. and give it as charity.
· It must be something that can be referred to as the bounty of Allah.
· It should be things that will benefit others, even if it may, at the time be of little value to the giver, e.g. used clothes, etc.
· It must not be from ill gotten gains, e.g. a bandit may rob somebody and give the money as charity.
· Charity should be given solely for the sake of Allah. In the Holy Qur'an Allah says:
Don't the people understand that Allah accepts repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity? (9:104)
I understand that there must not be any condition when charity is given; would you like to comment on this?
· Because charity is given solely for the sake of Allah there must not be any condition attached to it.
· The giver of charity must not expect any kind of reward or benefit from the recipient of it.
· It must not be followed by reference or reminders. Allah says:
Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity. (2:262)
· It should not be the cause of annoyance or embarrassment to the recipient. Allah says:
`Kinds words and covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury. (2:263)
· It must not be done for show.
· It must be given to those in need.
I understand that there are two basic types of charity in Islam. They are called Zakat and Sadaqa. Can you explain something about them?
Zakaat is normally called poor tax, i.e. money is taken out once every year from the wealthy and given to the poor believers; sadaqa is charity; it must given to those in need.
Zakaat purifies ones wealth; sadaqa is just a good act.
Zakaat must be spent in accordance with Divine guidance; sadaqa is optional and can be given at any time.
Zakaat is taken out from certain categories of assets; sadaqa can be anything.
Zakaat is a fundamental principle of Islam; sadaqa is left to the individual's generosity.
Zakaat is meant to better the economic and social life of the believers; sadaqa is meant to better the lives of humanity at large.
Zakaat is a fixed rate; sadaqa is limitless.
You said that Zakaat is given to specific types of believers; who are such persons who are entitled to receive Zakaat?
Those entitled to benefit from Zakaat include the following:
· Men who have been weaned from hostility to Truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment.
· Those in bondage, literally and figuratively; captives of war must be released; slaves should be helped to freedom; those in bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavorable environment should be helped to develop themselves.
· Those who are held in the grips of debt should be helped to economic freedom.
· Those who are struggling and striving in Allah's cause by teaching or fighting or in duties assigned to them by the Islamic State and they are unable to earn their ordinary livelihood.
· Strangers stranded on the way.
· Any believer who might find himself or herself in such a condition that they may need some help, will be entitled to benefit from Zakaat.
Charity should not be given for show; can you elaborate on this principle?
Poverty is a terrible thing; and because it can come upon anyone, we need to treat the less fortunate with dignity. While it is true there are those who feel they have a right to receive Zakaat, there who those who are in need but do not ask, such people must be helped without advertising it. Allah says:
Charity is for those in need, who, in Allah's cause are restricted and cannot move about in the land, seeking (trade or work). The ignorant man thinks that because of their modesty they are free from want; but you shall know them by the expression on their faces. They do not beg openly from everyone. And whatever of good you give, know that Allah is well aware. (2:273)
Secret charity gives no encouragement to begging. It saves the receiver from being verbally abused. It helps the giver to conceal his charity. It saves a person the humiliation of accepting charity in the presence of others. It removes doubt in the minds of others as to the extent of charity a person is receiving. Allah says:
If you disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well; but if you conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you. It will remove from you some of your evil. (2:271)
But we see that in the time of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) some of the companions give charity openly, like Abu Bakr gave the Prophet (pboh) all that he had at the time?
Sometimes, it might be better to give charity in public, as long as it is not done for show. It causes a person to show gratefulness. It causes one to become humble. It might be an example others will like to follow.
Who should give charity; is it only the wealthy, or can anyone give something in charity?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. He was asked; what if a person has nothing? He replied; He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity. The Companions asked; What if he is not able to work? He replied, He should help poor and needy persons. The Companions further asked; What if he cannot do even that? He said: He should urge others to do good. And if he lacks that also? The Prophet (pboh) said: He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.
We see from this Tradition that no one is exempt from giving charity in some form or fashion. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
There is no limit to charity; your smile for your brother is charity; your removal of stones, thorns or bones from the path is charity, your guidance of a person who is lost is charity.
In another Tradition he said: To do justice to your brother is charity.
We are told that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) who was the most generous of persons, was especially generous in the Holy Month of Ramadan; is there any reason why this was so?
First of all we must understand that Ramadan is a special month. In this month the Generous Lord multiplies the reward for doing good more than in any other month. Every good deed is rewarded tremendously.
Remember, in the Hereafter, you will only receive what you sent before you.
Another important thing is that during the month of fasting, a lot of people may not have anything to start of break their fast, that is why feeding the fasting person is so important. In the time of the Prophet (pboh), there were so many people in need that he used to give and give all the time.
Is there any kind of charity that a person can give that can earn for him continuous rewards?
One of the best forms of such charities is to promote knowledge. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) has indicated that the best person is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.
Also any kind and generous act that will benefit humanity; as long as they receive benefit, the doer of the act will receive blessing.
Ramadan is the month in which people take out their Zakaat; would you like to comment on this?
Zakaat is paid on taxable assets (from the Zakaat point of view) that remain with a person for a year. Ramadan is a good time to calculate, as it is easy to calculate from Ramadan to Ramadan.
Also, because the blessings are multiplied more and more in Ramadan, if a person should pay his Zakaat during this month, he is assured of more in this world as well as in the next.
The Qur'an has used different terms to describe charity. Some of these are:
· Infaq fi sabeel Allah (spending in the way of Allah). Infaq means spending benevolently.
· Ihsaan meaning the doing of good, or kindness and consideration.
· Zakah meaning growth and purification.
· Sadaqah derived from the root sidq meaning truth. It is used to signify charitable acts.
· Khayraat meaning good deeds.
How does Prophet Muhammad (pboh) define Charity?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Every good act is charity. Your smiling to your brother is charity; an exhortation of your fellowmen to virtuous deeds is equal to alms-giving; your putting a wanderer on the right road is charity; your assisting the blind is charity; your removing stones, and thorns, and any other obstructions from the road is charity; your giving water to the thirsty is charity.
We normally say that Allah provides for everyone; then must a person give charity?
Giving charity serves a number of purposes. Some of these are:
· It is like giving to Allah a goodly loan which He will pay back on the Day of Judgment by multiplying the amount many times. He says in the Holy Qur'an:
Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times? (2:245)
· It is a form of saving for the Hereafter. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
When a person dies the angel will ask; what good deeds has he sent before him.
· According to teachings of Islam the giving of charity serves as the expiation of sins. For example if a person should break his fast deliberately in the month of Ramada, he might be required to keep sixty days of fasting, or feed the poor as is prescribed.
· Sometimes when a person commits a transgression, if he gives charity it may compensate for the sin he would have committed.
· Charity also gives protection of some kinds of sins.
· Charity wards off affliction in this world, questioning in the grave, and punishment in the Hereafter. Allah says:
Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:224)
What are some of the things a person should keep in mind when giving charity?
· The charity must be something beneficial and must have some sort of value to the recipient.
· It must be something that was lawfully earned; as it is not correct to take unlawful wealth, etc. and give it as charity.
· It must be something that can be referred to as the bounty of Allah.
· It should be things that will benefit others, even if it may, at the time be of little value to the giver, e.g. used clothes, etc.
· It must not be from ill gotten gains, e.g. a bandit may rob somebody and give the money as charity.
· Charity should be given solely for the sake of Allah. In the Holy Qur'an Allah says:
Don't the people understand that Allah accepts repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity? (9:104)
I understand that there must not be any condition when charity is given; would you like to comment on this?
· Because charity is given solely for the sake of Allah there must not be any condition attached to it.
· The giver of charity must not expect any kind of reward or benefit from the recipient of it.
· It must not be followed by reference or reminders. Allah says:
Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity. (2:262)
· It should not be the cause of annoyance or embarrassment to the recipient. Allah says:
`Kinds words and covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury. (2:263)
· It must not be done for show.
· It must be given to those in need.
I understand that there are two basic types of charity in Islam. They are called Zakat and Sadaqa. Can you explain something about them?
Zakaat is normally called poor tax, i.e. money is taken out once every year from the wealthy and given to the poor believers; sadaqa is charity; it must given to those in need.
Zakaat purifies ones wealth; sadaqa is just a good act.
Zakaat must be spent in accordance with Divine guidance; sadaqa is optional and can be given at any time.
Zakaat is taken out from certain categories of assets; sadaqa can be anything.
Zakaat is a fundamental principle of Islam; sadaqa is left to the individual's generosity.
Zakaat is meant to better the economic and social life of the believers; sadaqa is meant to better the lives of humanity at large.
Zakaat is a fixed rate; sadaqa is limitless.
You said that Zakaat is given to specific types of believers; who are such persons who are entitled to receive Zakaat?
Those entitled to benefit from Zakaat include the following:
· Men who have been weaned from hostility to Truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment.
· Those in bondage, literally and figuratively; captives of war must be released; slaves should be helped to freedom; those in bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavorable environment should be helped to develop themselves.
· Those who are held in the grips of debt should be helped to economic freedom.
· Those who are struggling and striving in Allah's cause by teaching or fighting or in duties assigned to them by the Islamic State and they are unable to earn their ordinary livelihood.
· Strangers stranded on the way.
· Any believer who might find himself or herself in such a condition that they may need some help, will be entitled to benefit from Zakaat.
Charity should not be given for show; can you elaborate on this principle?
Poverty is a terrible thing; and because it can come upon anyone, we need to treat the less fortunate with dignity. While it is true there are those who feel they have a right to receive Zakaat, there who those who are in need but do not ask, such people must be helped without advertising it. Allah says:
Charity is for those in need, who, in Allah's cause are restricted and cannot move about in the land, seeking (trade or work). The ignorant man thinks that because of their modesty they are free from want; but you shall know them by the expression on their faces. They do not beg openly from everyone. And whatever of good you give, know that Allah is well aware. (2:273)
Secret charity gives no encouragement to begging. It saves the receiver from being verbally abused. It helps the giver to conceal his charity. It saves a person the humiliation of accepting charity in the presence of others. It removes doubt in the minds of others as to the extent of charity a person is receiving. Allah says:
If you disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well; but if you conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you. It will remove from you some of your evil. (2:271)
But we see that in the time of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) some of the companions give charity openly, like Abu Bakr gave the Prophet (pboh) all that he had at the time?
Sometimes, it might be better to give charity in public, as long as it is not done for show. It causes a person to show gratefulness. It causes one to become humble. It might be an example others will like to follow.
Who should give charity; is it only the wealthy, or can anyone give something in charity?
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. He was asked; what if a person has nothing? He replied; He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity. The Companions asked; What if he is not able to work? He replied, He should help poor and needy persons. The Companions further asked; What if he cannot do even that? He said: He should urge others to do good. And if he lacks that also? The Prophet (pboh) said: He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.
We see from this Tradition that no one is exempt from giving charity in some form or fashion. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
There is no limit to charity; your smile for your brother is charity; your removal of stones, thorns or bones from the path is charity, your guidance of a person who is lost is charity.
In another Tradition he said: To do justice to your brother is charity.
We are told that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) who was the most generous of persons, was especially generous in the Holy Month of Ramadan; is there any reason why this was so?
First of all we must understand that Ramadan is a special month. In this month the Generous Lord multiplies the reward for doing good more than in any other month. Every good deed is rewarded tremendously.
Remember, in the Hereafter, you will only receive what you sent before you.
Another important thing is that during the month of fasting, a lot of people may not have anything to start of break their fast, that is why feeding the fasting person is so important. In the time of the Prophet (pboh), there were so many people in need that he used to give and give all the time.
Is there any kind of charity that a person can give that can earn for him continuous rewards?
One of the best forms of such charities is to promote knowledge. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) has indicated that the best person is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.
Also any kind and generous act that will benefit humanity; as long as they receive benefit, the doer of the act will receive blessing.
Ramadan is the month in which people take out their Zakaat; would you like to comment on this?
Zakaat is paid on taxable assets (from the Zakaat point of view) that remain with a person for a year. Ramadan is a good time to calculate, as it is easy to calculate from Ramadan to Ramadan.
Also, because the blessings are multiplied more and more in Ramadan, if a person should pay his Zakaat during this month, he is assured of more in this world as well as in the next.
THE QUR'AN
Allah says:
Verily, this is the honourable Qur'an written in the Preserved Tablet. (56:77)
If one from amongst the Pagans asks thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah. (9:6)
The Qur'an is the Word of Allah; as a result it is unique. It is the only entity that came directly from Allah to man. Of course, it was sent through Angel Gabriel. Before it was even recited, Gabriel impressed it in the heart of the Prophet (pboh), thereafter; the recitation became easy, as the verses were not revealed in chronological order. Recitation, intonation, meaning and the wisdom contained in the messages of the divinely revealed verses were given to the Prophet (pboh) over a period of twenty three years.
The Qur'an existed long before Allah created the universe. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Allah recited Surahs Taaha and Yaseen one thousand years before creation. When the angels heard them they said: how fortunate are they on whom they (the chapters) will be revealed; how fortunate are those who commit them to memory; how fortunate are those tongues that shall recite them. (Ghazali, Ihya)
Being the Word of Allah, the Qur'an has a special combination of vibrations which cannot be reproduced, nor can it be ever matched by any creature. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Allah says:
Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, surely, you would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder, for fear of Allah. (59:21)
Muslims are therefore, very blessed to have been the recipient of this divine formula. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
A reciter of the Qur'an belongs to the family of Allah, and is His sincere servant.
When the Qur'an is being recited the vibrations contained in the words impact on those who recite as well as those who listen to the recitation. It purifies them and polishes their souls. The Noble Messenger is reported to have said:
Rust falls on the heart as it falls on iron. When asked: how can the rust of the heart be removed? He replied: By reciting the Qur'an and remembering death.
Recitation of this Holy Book does not only help us in this life; it will be one of our greatest helper in the Next. The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
Prophets, angels or anybody else cannot be better intercessors in ranks than the Qur'an.
The Qur'an contains knowledge of the past, present and future. We read about the fall of Adam, the murder of Abel, the confrontation of Pharaoh by Moses; the destruction of Aad and Samuud, the Story of Joseph, etc. from the Holy Book. We are told about the effects of man's activities on the environment and the consequences of disobedience; and the next phase in the evolution of the universe is clearly written in the Book.
It is interesting to know that long, long before the universe was created Allah had already stated that there will be believers (ashaabul yameen) and non-believers, (ashaabul shimaal); how they both will behave and what will be the consequences of their actions. It means that whatever is happening is in the knowledge of Allah and cannot be questioned by us. What should be our concern is to live in conformity with the Divine Prescription contained in the Book and, in addition read it "for the pleasure of Allah".
Our New Year Resolution should be: We are going to recite the words of the Book, for the sake and pleasure of Allah; and if we cannot recite it, we shall spend some time listening to it.
Some people are of the view that we waste time reciting the Qur'an in Arabic, as we are unable to understand what we read. In this connection it is useful to place on record what Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; he said: I saw Allah in a dream, and asked Him; O Allah, for what thing one can come near to You? He (Allah) said: O Ahmad, by means of My Kalaam. I asked Him, O Lord, by means of understanding it or not? He said, Yes, whether you understand its meaning or not.
Except the Prophet (pboh), no one can fully grasp all the meanings of the words contained in the words, even then the companions used to read the Book excessively. Hazraats Umar and Uthmaan used to recite it once every week. Hazraat Ali said:
If I wish I can load seventy camels with the Tafseer (commentary) of Surah Fateha.
For us humble believers, it will be a very good thing if we can allocate some extra time for recitation of this noble Book in the coming year, as it will definitely help to become more enlightened.
And we should try to know more of the messages contained in it, and teach others what we know, as the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
The best person is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.
May Allah bless everyone with a peaceful and prosperous new year.
Verily, this is the honourable Qur'an written in the Preserved Tablet. (56:77)
If one from amongst the Pagans asks thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah. (9:6)
The Qur'an is the Word of Allah; as a result it is unique. It is the only entity that came directly from Allah to man. Of course, it was sent through Angel Gabriel. Before it was even recited, Gabriel impressed it in the heart of the Prophet (pboh), thereafter; the recitation became easy, as the verses were not revealed in chronological order. Recitation, intonation, meaning and the wisdom contained in the messages of the divinely revealed verses were given to the Prophet (pboh) over a period of twenty three years.
The Qur'an existed long before Allah created the universe. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
Allah recited Surahs Taaha and Yaseen one thousand years before creation. When the angels heard them they said: how fortunate are they on whom they (the chapters) will be revealed; how fortunate are those who commit them to memory; how fortunate are those tongues that shall recite them. (Ghazali, Ihya)
Being the Word of Allah, the Qur'an has a special combination of vibrations which cannot be reproduced, nor can it be ever matched by any creature. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Allah says:
Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, surely, you would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder, for fear of Allah. (59:21)
Muslims are therefore, very blessed to have been the recipient of this divine formula. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
A reciter of the Qur'an belongs to the family of Allah, and is His sincere servant.
When the Qur'an is being recited the vibrations contained in the words impact on those who recite as well as those who listen to the recitation. It purifies them and polishes their souls. The Noble Messenger is reported to have said:
Rust falls on the heart as it falls on iron. When asked: how can the rust of the heart be removed? He replied: By reciting the Qur'an and remembering death.
Recitation of this Holy Book does not only help us in this life; it will be one of our greatest helper in the Next. The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
Prophets, angels or anybody else cannot be better intercessors in ranks than the Qur'an.
The Qur'an contains knowledge of the past, present and future. We read about the fall of Adam, the murder of Abel, the confrontation of Pharaoh by Moses; the destruction of Aad and Samuud, the Story of Joseph, etc. from the Holy Book. We are told about the effects of man's activities on the environment and the consequences of disobedience; and the next phase in the evolution of the universe is clearly written in the Book.
It is interesting to know that long, long before the universe was created Allah had already stated that there will be believers (ashaabul yameen) and non-believers, (ashaabul shimaal); how they both will behave and what will be the consequences of their actions. It means that whatever is happening is in the knowledge of Allah and cannot be questioned by us. What should be our concern is to live in conformity with the Divine Prescription contained in the Book and, in addition read it "for the pleasure of Allah".
Our New Year Resolution should be: We are going to recite the words of the Book, for the sake and pleasure of Allah; and if we cannot recite it, we shall spend some time listening to it.
Some people are of the view that we waste time reciting the Qur'an in Arabic, as we are unable to understand what we read. In this connection it is useful to place on record what Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; he said: I saw Allah in a dream, and asked Him; O Allah, for what thing one can come near to You? He (Allah) said: O Ahmad, by means of My Kalaam. I asked Him, O Lord, by means of understanding it or not? He said, Yes, whether you understand its meaning or not.
Except the Prophet (pboh), no one can fully grasp all the meanings of the words contained in the words, even then the companions used to read the Book excessively. Hazraats Umar and Uthmaan used to recite it once every week. Hazraat Ali said:
If I wish I can load seventy camels with the Tafseer (commentary) of Surah Fateha.
For us humble believers, it will be a very good thing if we can allocate some extra time for recitation of this noble Book in the coming year, as it will definitely help to become more enlightened.
And we should try to know more of the messages contained in it, and teach others what we know, as the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
The best person is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.
May Allah bless everyone with a peaceful and prosperous new year.
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