Turning to the Creator and not the creature

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The pinnacle of belief is what Allah says about His Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh); that is he never said anything out of his own desire.  Everything was on the basis of Divine revelations.  Because of this we can conclude that Prophet (pboh) had complete faith and trust in Allah.

In the Holy Qur’an, Allah categorizes man into three groups.  Those who believe in the Oneness of Allah, those who reject His Oneness and those who openly say they believe but in reality they don’t; i.e. the munafiq or hypocrites.

Amongst the first category, i.e. the believers, they are further categorized.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “Imaan (faith) increases or decreases”.  Now we are going to look at a practical example of this hadith as it pertains to us.

Allah says in Surah Hajj;

There are among men some who serve Allah, as it were, on the verge: if good befalls them, they are, therewith, well content; but if a trial comes to them, they turn on their faces: they lose both this world and the Hereafter: that is loss for all to see!  They call on such deities, besides Allah, as can neither hurt nor profit them: that is straying far indeed (from the Way)!  (Perhaps) they call on one whose hurt is nearer than His profit: evil, indeed, is the patron, and evil the companion (or help)!  (22:11-13)

Some believers have faith in Allah but it fluctuates.  They are like sitting on a fence when it comes to belief in the greatness of Allah.  Allah is saying in the ayat above that if good comes to them they are most contented and happy.  But if a trial comes to them they become agitated, disappointed and nervous.  And out of this emotional unrest they become so desperate to alleviate the trial that they go to other sources for help instead of the Lord of the worlds.  Allah says about such that they are losers in both worlds.

Allah is The One who cures, helps and protect us.  We call on His Beautiful Names and Divine Attributes yet the last thing people do when they are undergoing some sort of difficulty is to turn to Him.  It demonstrates the level of faith they have.

For example whenever a person gets sick they would visit a doctor because he understands something of the working of the human body.  That is all well and good; but keep one thing clear, cure comes from Allah and not the doctor.  The same medicine that can cure you of some ailment may not work on another who shares the same ailment.  It is Allah Who allows and grants cure etc.

The sincere and true believers turn to Allah first and then seek some way of dealing with the stressful matter knowing full well that it is only Allah Who can grant a positive conclusion.  Those with little faith will run by all the creatures for help and not The Creator.  And sometimes after they’ve realised that all their efforts are proven futile then they will leave the matter to Allah.  This is not the way of expressing true faith in our Creator.  Turn to Him first and not last! 

This is also one reason why He sent His Beloved (pboh); to show how to have true faith in the Allah.  And his entire personality demonstrated this, from his childhood to adulthood.  For example Allah says;

Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)?  And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.  And He found thee in need, and made thee independent.  (93:3-8)

The real advice and message I wish to put forth is to have true, unwavering faith in the Creator.  It is not easy especially when you are faced with trying moments.  Put your faith and trust in Him and after you can seek help from His creatures knowing full well that all help, cure etc. comes through Allah and He can choose to bestow His mercies through whatever medium He chooses.

Insha Allah, He will appoint a way for you to get pass the difficulty and tests.  He is so Great that He listens to all of His servants at one and the same time.  This is part of His Greatness.  He doesn’t put you on-hold when you supplicate to Him.

He says in His Holy Words; ‘Call on Me and I will respond’.  Talk to your Lord especially in the trying times.  A lot of people don’t know how to communicate with Allah.  Talk to Him and seek His Help and Guidance; and rest assured He listens to us all.  He is most Compassionate and He truly loves you.

This is part of the perfection of our faith, i.e. to have unwavering trust in our Merciful Lord.  Yes, He will test you and there will be times of difficulty and anxiety, but always remember that if you put your faith and trust in Him, He will never let you down.

May Allah enable us to be from amongst those who will have strong and steadfast faith, trust and reliance in Him, and may He take care of all our affairs in this world and the next.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The video presentation of this discourse can be accessed at

http://www.youtube.com/markazalihsaan

The favour of Allah on the believers

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Many times you hear me emphasise that we are specially blessed; and today I wish to highlight one ayat of the Holy Qur’an in which Allah alludes to this.  He says in Surah Imran;

 

Allah did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error.  (3:164)

 

In Surah Fatihah we ask Allah to join us with those on whom He has bestowed.  It contains the same root as the ayat quoted above.  Before expounding on the blessings and favours Allah has bestowed upon us through the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh), we need to understand the dua that Prophet Abraham (as) made to Allah after he and Ishmael (as) finished reconstructing the Kaba.  Abraham prayed;

 

"Our Lord!  Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them: for Thou art the Exalted In Might, the Wise.  (2:129)

 

In others places in the Qur’an Allah records where He answered Abraham’s prayer.  But specifically in Surah Imran Allah is telling us that He has been very favourable to the believers by sending the Messenger (pboh).

 

And exactly what was the mission of the Messenger?  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) had a specific function.  He was commanded to rehearse the Signs of the Lord, and teach the people everything about the working of the Allah; to sanctify them and to teach them the wisdom of the Book, etc.

 

A few of the favours that Allah has blessed us with, that wasn’t given to the previous nations, are;

1) He made the Kaba the Qibla.  He has unified the system of worshipping.  All believers are like one big family, with one common direction in worship.. 

 

2) He has made Makkah a sanctuary.  Unbelievers are not permitted to enter the sacred city.  Theologically specking if you are at the Kaba you are safe.  Safe from capture, safe from revenge etc.  There are a lot of etiquettes that pertain to the sanctity of Makkah.

 

3) The Messenger (pboh) came from amongst them.  Abraham left baby Ishmael at the Kaba when the land was barren.  And look at what grew out of that place.

 

4) The progeny of Abraham through Ishmael, learnt to appreciate the blessings and gift from Allah.  Unlike Israelites who instead of being thankful for the many favours from Allah, they showed discontent; and for example asked Moses (as) to pray to Allah for a change in the food they received.  In another occasion, when Allah parted the sea and saved them from Pharaoh; as soon as they were safe they requested Moses to make idols for them to worship.

 

This was not the case with the believers who were at all times appreciative for whatever blessings came from Allah.

 

5) The believers learnt to apply the law in their daily lives through the teachings and guidance of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). 

 

6) Through Prophet Muhammad (pboh) we learnt Tazkiyah nafs; purification of our nafs.  How to purify your personality and engage in zikr.  Which other faith has this.  Some of them meditate such as the charismatic movement and those who engage in yoga, but what do they do.  In reality they sacrifice part of their lives in order to achieve this.  Believers don’t do this.  We live and carry on as normal and at the same time engage in the purification of our nafs.

 

7) When Moses and Jesus wanted to communicate with Allah they had to climb a mountain.  Muslims don’t have this.  We have a blanket appointment to meet with, and communicate with our Lord through the institution of salaat.

These are just a few of the special favours that Allah has given to the believers.

 

Keep in mind that all of us have a special mission.  We connect Islamically from our ancestors and need to transmit the teaching to the next generation.

 

At the time of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) his detractors thought that his mission would grind to a halt because he didn’t have a male offspring.  Whether you have children or not you can still pass on the legacy.  Abraham and Zakariyah knew the importance of passing on the legacy that they specifically prayed to Allah for an offspring to continue transmitting the message.

 

Although the Prophet (pboh) did not have any male offspring, Allah gave him many spiritual children—all of us. He says that the Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves, and his wives are their mothers.

 

Allah has truly been merciful and favourable to the believers.  And our message is not adulterated.  The Hindu faith for example got inspiration though the Rishis who gave the pure message, but unfortunately it was not preserved.  Look at Allah’s favour to us.

 

We need to be conscious of all these blessings Allah has been so merciful to bestow on us.  He has sent a messenger to show us the way to develop our personality in the way required of the progeny of Adam; a way that will successfully take us back to our Lord.

 

May Allah continue to guide us and bless us and enable us to understand the numerous blessings He has showered upon us.  And may we always be thankful and be from amongst those who will successfully impart the true teachings to the next generation.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The video presentation of this discourse can be accessed at

http://www.youtube.com/markazalihsaan

 

 

Universal Islamic Brotherhood

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

One of the reasons why Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was very successful was because he was able to instil in the minds of the people that they were all children of Adam; and as a result they were all part of the one big human family. This was confirmed by the Qur'anic verses in which Allah says:

Mankind was one single nation; (2:213)

 

Before the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh), the Children of Israel who had the responsibility of establishing Allah's religion on earth, were much disunited. They were in tribes, twelve in all; and they were all distinct and separate. One tribe never really interacted with the other; so much so, that when they wanted water, and Allah told Moses to strike the rock, twelve separate springs came out, one for each tribe.

 

Even in Arabia where the Prophet (pboh) was born, there were tribalism, and they used to fight one another regularly. There was no concept of one big happy human family.

 

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) demonstrated that all the people can live like one community, thereby avoiding bloodshed. He gave a practical example when the Black Stone had to be put in its place after the Kaba was renovated. He put the Stone on a sheet and let the tribal leaders hold on to the sheet and carried to the spot where it had to be placed and he took it and put it in; that action of his prevented quarrelling and anything that would have resulted from the open disagreement.

 

Islam wants that people live like one community, immaterial of their racial, religious or political affiliation. The only way for this to be a reality is if the hearts are filled with love for each other. Allah says:

 

You were enemies and He joined your hearts in love; and you were on the brink of the abyss of fire and He saved you from it. (3:103)

 

Unlike the previous Messengers the Holy Prophet (pboh) came to the whole of mankind. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

 

Say; (O Muhammad), O mankind; verily, I am sent unto you all as a Messenger of Allah (7:158)

 

This call of his was so different from the call of the previous Messengers; for example; Jesus told the people: I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (Mt.15:24).

 

Islam came to bind the whole of humanity into one community, i.e. all those who believe in Allah and the Last Day. Each believer is like a single strand in a rope. Joined together they make a strong rope. Allah says:

 

Hold fast all of you to the rope of Allah and be not disunited (or separate). (3:103)

 

In order to achieve this Allah gave them the guiding principle, called M'aruf permissible, and Munkar prohibited. All believers are guided by the Qur'anic guidance and the Traditions of the Prophet (pboh).

 

In order to be able to like brothers and sisters in the faith there are certain important principles that must be practiced by everyone. The first of these is to love for the sake of Allah.

 

A Muslim has to live a life of love. He has to love Allah more than any thing else in this world. Allah says:

 

Those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. (2:165)

 

The next important thing is to love the Prophet (pboh) more than any thing else in this world. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

 

He is not a true believer who does not love me more than his parents, his children and mankind at large.

 

After loving Allah and His Rasul (pboh), the believer is supposed to love mankind sincerely for the sake of Allah. In this connection the Prophet (pboh) said to his companions:

 

You will not enter Paradise until you have faith; and you will not have faith until you love each other. Shall I direct you to something which if you fulfil you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves. (Muslim)

 

The Prophet (pboh) used to demonstrate so much compassion for the people, especially when they went the wrong way that Allah had to console him in the following verse:

 

Perchance, you would only fret yourself to death, following after them in grief, if they do not believe in this Message. (18:6)

 

So the Prophet (pboh) demonstrated genuine, sincere love for the people; even his enemies - the wife of Abu Lahab - and as a result people were attracted to him.

 

One of the important ways of demonstrating true love for the Islamic Brotherhood, and as a matter of fact, for society at large, is to love for your brother what you would like for yourselves.

 

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said: Each of you cannot be a true believer until he loves for his brother what he would like for himself.

 

Muslims are very considerate to their believing brothers and sisters, and some of them even go out of their way to help those who might be in difficulties. About such people Allah says;

 

And they prefer their brothers over themselves, even if they are hungry. (59:9)

 

So Islam brought the principles of love and consideration for others; this has nothing to do with race, religion or nationality. And when there are differences and the believer becomes angered, he cannot hate the other person; as he is supposed to: Hate the evil but not the evil doer. The Messenger of Allah said: I'd like to meet my brother with a clean heart.

 

Muslim live by the principle of helping one another in times of difficulties; in this connection the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said: Whoever relieves a brother from a distress; Allah will relieve him from a distress on the Day of Judgement; whoever brings ease to a believer who is in difficulty; Allah will bring ease to him in both this life and in the next; whoever conceals the short comings of a Muslim; Allah will conceal his short comings in this world and in the next. Allah will always help a servant as long as that servant helps his brother.

 

The Holy Qur'an establishes an important principle for strengthening the bond that keeps all the believers, the world over as one family; that principle is:

 

Help ye one another in good deeds and piety; and do not help one another in sin and rancour. (5:2)

 

So any where in the world the Muslims may find themselves in difficulties, the other Muslims brothers and sisters will be available to assist them. Allah says:

 

The Believers, men and women, are protectors one to another; they enjoin what is just; and forbid what is evil; they observe regular prayers; practice regular charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. (9:71)

 

Because the believer is concerned about the welfare of his believing brother and sister, he will not try to hurt or harm any of them in any way at all. Allah says that they practice compassion among themselves. 

 

As an extension of their kindness and trust to each other, they try their best not degrade or to ill-speak one another. This is because they are guided by the Qur'anic injunctions in which Allah says:

 

O you who believe; do not put yourselves before Allah and His Messenger…This means that a person should not put self before Allah and His Messenger. The companions understood this very well.

 

O you who believe do not raise your voice above the voice of the Prophet…All Muslims must show respect to the Prophet (pboh);

 

O you who believe; if a wicked person should come to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwittingly, and afterwards you become full of repentance for what you have done.  A Muslim has be aware that there can be hypocrites in the society bent on making mischief; so that when they should get any news they must firstly verify it before making comments about what they hear.

 

Allah has made the faith beautiful for you and fill your hearts will with love; and He has made hateful to you wickedness and rebellion…One is supposed to detest what is prohibited.

 

If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel; make peace between them…Do not promote disunity;

 

The Believers are but a single Brotherhood…Come together as friends

 

O you who believe, let not some men laugh at others…

 

Nor let the women laugh at others…Do not think yourself as superior to others

 

Nor defame, nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by nicknames… Do not try to destroy others

 

O you who believe, avoid suspicion as much as possible Be sincere and truthful

 

And do not spy on one another; nor ill-speak your brother behind his back; would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Be careful of how you behave towards others in society

 

O mankind verily, We created you from a single pair and made you into nations and tribes.  (49:1-13) Understand that you are a part of the human family

 

The Islamic Institutions are designed to display complete equality and the feeling of brotherhood. There are no preferences among the people, the most honourable in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. Also in worship all the Muslims stand together, removing the barriers of caste and class thereby promoting the feeling of brotherhood amongst the believers.

 

Not only is that feeling confined to any particular locality, but during the Hajj Muslims meet with brothers and sisters from all over the world, and many of them return to their homes with fond memories of their fiends they made during the Hajj with brothers and sisters they met for the first time from distant lands.

 

The laws and principles are applicable to all and justice and equity are the hallmarks of this faith. In this way, Allah has given man the system whereby he can feel that he is an important unit in the larger brotherhood of man; if he should practice what Islam gave to us all.

 

Allah reminds us of this in the following verse:

 

And remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for you were enemies; and He joined your hearts in love; so that, by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the abyss of fire; and He saved you from it….Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving clear signs. (3:103-5)

 

Islam is a beautiful way, and the Muslim brotherhood is one brotherhood, enjoining righteousness and staying away from prohibited things.

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Celebrating the praises of Allah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 
The merciful Lord tells us in His Holy words;

When comes the help of Allah, and victory, and Thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds, celebrate the praises of Thy Lord, and pray for His forgiveness: for He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and mercy).  (Chapter 110)

This chapter was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh) when his mission was completed and it is amongst the last of the revelations sent to him.

This chapter holds a very important message for each and every one of us.  It was not only pertinent to the time of Prophet Muhammad (pboh), but it is a universal principal of life. 

An example of this is the story of Prophet Joseph (as).  When he reached the pinnacle of his accomplishments and achieved the mission that Allah sent him for, instead of displaying any sort of arrogance or pride (which a lot of people display when they have achieved something) he instead made a very beautiful dua;

My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me the interpretation of dreams; the (only) Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Wali (Protector, Helper, Supporter, Guardian) in this world and in the Hereafter, cause me to die as a Muslim (the one submitting to Your Will), and join me with the righteous.  (12:101)

On the other hand, when Allah saved the children of Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh by safely taking them across the sea; as soon as they were safe, they saw some people worshipping idols and they requested Prophet Moses (as) to make for them idols of their own to worship.

They immediately forgot about the One True God and His great mercies on them.

Allah does not want us to behave like the children of Israel, instead He gave us this principle that when we’ve achieved success in this life and would have achieved some of our goals materially and otherwise we should celebrate the praises of Thy Lord, and pray for His forgiveness. 

A lot of people work very hard to attain some sort of material success.  When they were working and striving they were nice and humble; but unfortunately later on, when they got some material gain, they started to abuse the blessing of Allah, and instead of doing good they got mixed up in haram. 

Allah demonstrated with the life of Prophet Muhammad (pboh), after the boycott and early hardships he was faced with, people started to accept Islam in great numbers and the beauty of Islam started flourishing; Allah revealed to him two things that he and his followers should do; glorify your Lord and make a lot of repentance.

And we too should engage in this as much as possible regardless of the stage of life we are in.  Because we do not know if in the process of trying to acquire we would have transgressed any of the laws of Allah.  It is a good way to make amends.  A lot of people when they retire they don’t know what to do with their time.  A nice way is to praise Allah, to recite His Holy Words and seek His forgiveness. 

We may not spend our desired time with our Lord because of our commitments to our work and family etc.  But when you’ve attained something of this world, spend a lot of time with Him; on one hand trying to get closer to Him and on the other hand trying to remove the obstacles, hurdles and weight that may be pulling you down from getting closer to Him.  Then you would have benefited from what He has provided for you.

Keep in mind that our focus and purpose should be that at every stage in life we should aim to increase the time spent with our Lord; and thank Him for His blessings and favours and seek His forgiveness.  Then you would have attained true success, both materially and spiritually.

May Allah bless us, forgive us and guide us all on the straight path insha Allah.


Transcript of discourse delivered by
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The video presentation of this discourse can be accessed at
http://www.youtube.com/markazalihsaan


 

Building on the good gained in Ramadhan

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

Brothers and sisters, welcome back after the blessed month of Ramadhan, and we pray that Allah would have blessed us tremendously for all our efforts made in the blessed month; and today we would have been much better as a believer, both morally and spiritually.

 

Allah has established a law regarding His connection with the believers and how we can get closer to Him.  He says good erases evil.  We have a good example of the application of this in the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) regarding the month of Ramadhan where he is reported to have said “whoever fasts Ramadhan with faith and seeking the reward of Allah will have his past sins forgiven”.

 

So good removes evil.  What is important for us to keep in mind all the time is that faith does not stay static.  Nothing in this world is static.  Even Allah says about Himself;

 

Every day He manifests Himself in yet another wondrous way.  (55:29)

 

So nothing remains stagnant; even our faith.  Our faith can increase or decrease.  In connection with this Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said; “Imaan (faith) increases or decreases”. 

 

Ramadhan is that occasion where Allah allowed the believers to increase their faith tremendously through the fast, extra worship and trying to be careful of thoughts and actions for His sake.  Our reason for doing all of this is to get Qurbay Ilaahi – getting closer to Allah.

 

When Allah wanted to show mankind how they can get closer to Him, He invited Prophet Muhammad (pboh) in His Divine Presence on the night of the mir’aj.  And he, (pboh) being our model and that one who demonstrated real success in this life, if we were to follow him and engage in much of the actions that he used to do we would insha Allah also increase our faith and gain closeness to our Lord.

 

But if after the blessed is over, we fall back into some thoughts and actions that would bring about dark spots on our heart we would be reducing our faith. 

 

It all depends on the individual and their intention, their desire and their activity.  The reason for saying this is because Allah says in the Holy Qur’an that those who try to keep their soul bright and shinning are the real successful ones.

 

It is those who believe and clothe not their beliefs with wrong - they are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) Guidance.  (6:82)

 

Scholars are of the opinion that at the time of doing a wrong deed your faith is not strong because at that time you are not mindful that Allah is with you.  This does not mean to say that we are free from faults and mistakes.  Allah says;

 

And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature.  (16:61)

 

What does this ayat tell us?  That we do a lot of wrong, knowingly and unknowingly.  However, Allah has given us this great blessing that even if we falter we can wipe out the blemishes through repentance and engaging in good deeds.

 

The point is that we have a good head start coming out of the month of Ramadhan, therefore don’t lose it and keep building on it.

 

Some people can’t understand life so they behave like the spider.  Invest all their efforts and recourses to build a big ‘web’ paying no heed to returning to their Lord and without warning it can all come crashing down leaving them destitute and back at square one.

 

For us it is a simple reality; if when we exhale and the oxygen doesn’t go back in that is it!  All your work and aspirations come to an end.  And what next?  What about the meeting with your Lord? 

 

And this is the message of life.  Be careful all the times.  We want that when our last breath comes out our soul will be transported to a beautiful place and the Messenger of Allah (pboh) is reported to have said;

 

“The soul of the believer is in a bird hanging from a tree in Paradise until Allah returns it to his body on the day He resurrects him”.

 

Work for it.  Try your utmost to have good intentions and don’t harbour hate and malice, etc.  Islam wants us to be part of the beautiful universal family.  Let us try our best, so our faith will continue to grow and our personality would become brighter and brighter.

 

So as we have started back on this program, try your best and work hard against the baser desires as Prophet Muhammad (pboh) told his Companions “I have returned from the small Jihad (Jihad Asghar) to the big Jihad (Jihad Akbar)”.  The Sahabas enquired “what is the big Jihad?”  Prophet (pboh) said “the Jihad al nafs (inner desires).”

 

One mistake can destroy all your life’s work just as a married couple can destroy their loving relationship through one moment of ill treatment.

 

This is why we engage in the zikir and try to culture or spiritual stations to resound Allahu.  If you have Allah in your heart Satan cannot come and whisper to divert your intentions and emotions.

 

We beg Allah to forgive us for our mistakes, wipe out our evils and cover up our faults.  Keep conscious of your responsibilities and duties, and guard your faith so that when you leave this world you will have no room for regrets.

 

May Allah forgive us, bless us, guide us and protect us all insha Allah.

 

Statement on the issues and findings of the Moon Sighting Controversy to mark the 1st day of Shawwal 1434 and Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations

Issued by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed (Al-Kamil – Aleemiyah) (PhD – Univ. of Karachi)

Release Date: 14^th Shawwal, 1434 (Hijri); August 22^nd, 2013 (Gregorian)

 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

CONTEXT

On the 29^th night of Ramadan, 1434 (Wednesday August 7^th, 2013) the Muslim community upheld their duty and looked for the appearance of the new moon at dusk, the sighting of which would signal the start of the month of Shawwal and therefore the end of the month of Ramadan). Specific mention must be made of the following that set the tone and theme for this activity, viz.:

• From the advice of those University collaborators in Astronomy, it was recognised that moon sighting would be difficult given the age of the moon and its relative position and angle to our location in the western hemisphere.
• On the basis of precedent, the general practice by the Ulamaa was the acceptance of the regional sighting from countries in close general proximity, specifically Guyana and Grenada – two of our immediate neighbours in the region.
• Based on historical trends, the Ulamaa would be notified from their respective followers of any local moon sighting and they would communicate amongst themselves for a final position and agreement.
• It must be noted as well that there have been controversy in the past by some groups (those based locally and also from those international groups with or without local representation) who have advocated for Ummah-based sighting – so that when the moon is sighted in Mecca we can accept their sighting and our calendar dates would be consistent. This has generally been rejected by the local Ulamaa since the longitudinal and basis for declaration of the start of the month vary.

THE PROBLEMS THAT AROSE

On the night in question, no one locally saw the moon, but it was advised that the moon was sighted in Guyana by a small number of Muslims from various organisations. Contact was made with known Muslims in the community and those contacts were among the persons who saw the moon. They declared Shahada, and testified that they in fact saw the moon – a practice of acceptance established in Hadith.

IMMEDIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS

On the basis of this sighting, some of the Ulamaa announced that the next day – Thursday August 8^th, 2013, would be the Start of Shawwal and the observance of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations. Others adopted a more cautious stance and decided to withhold their announcement until their connections in Guyana could verify the sighting. All the while, Imams at the various Jamaats were waiting with their congregations to either declare Eid on Thursday or pray the Taraweeh salaat.

PROGRESSIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADVICE

One organisation in Guyana reportedly advised their members (and their contacts in Trinidad) that the moon sighting was not being accepted, and that they (i.e. the organisation) were observing Eid on Friday August 9^th, 2013. A prominent local Muslim organisation and Individual Ulamaa decided to accept this position and declared Eid was to be observed on Friday. They proceeded to observe the Taraweeh salaat – which derivatively meant they were in effect unavailable to their followers and other inquirers to offer their considerations. Amongst these awaiting groups included the media – seeking to advise the public and other Ulamaa seeking clarification of the position. Another Guyanese organisation advised their public that they were not accepting the moon sighting, and that Eid would be on Friday. This was also communicated to the Trinidad Ulamaa.

All of this – being imposed within the already uncertain context of acceptable moon sighting, led to further confusion within the community. Within one national Muslim organisation, some of the Ulamaa and Executive issued contrasting positions and thereby gave contradictory advice on the day of Eid.

Unavoidably, a number of issues which surfaced were identified, including, amongst others:

·        the issue of the acceptability of regional sighting

·        the confidence of various personnel in the various Ulamaa

·        the reliability of the witnesses – some members of the public, sadly, even profiling the nationality as a basis for justifying rejection of the sighting

·        the various Islamic guidance on the start and end of Ramadan and the sighting of the moon

Some of these relate to diverse positions in Fiqh based on the different schools of thought, and in this regard the overwhelming majority of persons locally and throughout the world follow the Fiqh of Abu Hanifa – by which we as members of the Ulamaa are also guided.

A FINAL POSITION

At or around 9.00 pm the Ulamaa were able to establish communication, and the justification for the non-acceptance of the sighting was stated by an individual Ulamaa – essentially brining into question the reliability of the witness accounts. The specific refutation was “perhaps they saw a star or another planet and mistook it for the moon.” The other prominent institution following the deference of Eid gave no justification, and subsequently advised they take the Guyana organisation’s stated position without question.

The Ulamaa and the Executive of the organisations involved in this matter agreed that the internal disputes in Guyana was a basis for Trinidad defining their own position, and as such were able to define the final position – The month of Ramadan had only 29 days, the moon was not sighted locally and there was controversy in Guyana as to the acceptability of the moon sighting. As such, it was decided that Eid would be observed on Friday August 9^th, a consensus agreed upon by the local Ulamaa and which was then issued by the various persons involved to their respective audiences, through the available media channels online and offline. Those who previously advised that Eid would be on Thursday retracted their statement and reissued the revised position.

SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIONS

The matter was further pursued by myself and it was determined that those who sighted the moon included six Muslims in one location and five Muslims in another – some of these being Imams and heads of their organisations, and known to be upstanding individuals within their territories.

This then brought into question the basis on which their sighting of the moon was rejected. The contacts within the organisations were approached, and the question was posed.

To date, the responses gave some indication of the process used to determine moon sighting, but no specific rationale for rejection of the sighting of upstanding members of the Muslim community within Guyana was given.

It was further learned that the Guyanese organisations in question were involved previously in legal contentions, which made the rejection a seemingly inter-organisational political stance and not necessarily a position based on Islamic Shariah.

Reports also surfaced on the morning following this debacle that the moon was in fact sighted in Mayaro, Trinidad, by two Muslims who failed to report the sighting to their Imam or to any person or position in authority, or media house.

In a similar vein, information in the public domain is that one organisation who initially rejected the moon sighting, reversed their position and informed their community that although they would be observing Eid on Friday August 9^th, this was being done on the second day of Shawwal, and that the moon sighting on the night of Wednesday August 7^th was accepted as valid.

CONCLUSIONS

It is my conclusion that in this instance, the persons who rejected the moon sighting on the night of Wednesday August 7^th in effect allowed themselves to be misguided, misguided their members, and by extension misguided those in Trinidad who follow their lead and evidence.

It is also my conclusion that those local scholars who are aligned to specific organisations in other countries need to revisit the Islamic Shariah that guides in this instance moon sighting – and pay particular attention to the Shariah that informs the examination of evidence and the declaration of Eid, since it would serve them and the entire Muslim community well in future.

The recurring issue of moon sighting and acceptability requires institutionalised infrastructure among the decision makers to collaborate proactively and communicate – among themselves and to the wider publics. It needs to be noted that some measures have already been initiated and have progressed to an advanced degree to provide the required institutionalised support. The public is assured that further statements on this will be forthcoming as developments unfold, Inshah Allah.

It must be noted that these aforementioned measures would only relate to those committed to a unified, integrated Muslim community in Trinidad and Tobago (and by extension the region), but unfortunately these measures would not quell the issuing of already unaccepted positions of persons intent on following minority factions in other parts of the world, or in other iterations creating mischief within the community.

Finally, this issue also surfaced the need for the members of the Muslim community to recognise and defer to the authority of the scholars in such issues, show some restraint as the collaboration progresses, and not issue their own misguided or misunderstood positions in the heat of the moment and risk the same mistakes that manifested in our regional counterparts.

WE ARE ONE UMMAH, and the way for this to be realised and sustained is the adherence to the Quran and Sunnah. This can only be achieved if the esteemed Ulamaa – who are versed in advanced study of the Islamic sciences and schools of thought, and all of whom I hold in high regard – are allowed to lead the community in the ways which are defined within Islam, and in those areas to which they committed themselves, their lives and those of their families.

May Almighty Allah continue to Guide us and have Mercy on us all.

Yours sincerely,

Maulana Waffie Mohammed

Man: A Special Unit In Creation

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Human beings are special as their origin is different from the rest of creation. First of all when Allah decided to create the universe, He gave a divine Command, “be”, and the whole of the universe began as a single cell, which grew until it burst open forming the skies and the earth. Man was not a part of what became the skies and the earth. Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

Do not those who disbelieve know that the skies and the earth were a closed up mass? Then He opened them out? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (21:30)

The skies (cosmos) and the earth were perfected in six periods called days in the Holy Qur’an, with each period varying in length of time, from 1000 years to 50,000 years of our reckoning.

When the earth was perfected, and all the plants and animals were already created, then Allah created Adam. The creation of man is therefore different from the creation of the rest of the creatures on the earth, as they were all created from water, but man from clay. He says:

(Allah is He) Who has made perfect everything that He created; and He began the creation of man from clay; then He made his progeny from an extract of despised fluid; then He fashioned him, then breathed into him his soul; and He gave you hearing, sight and hearts. (32:7-9)


The Soul: Refined Light

Man is a combination of a physical element - the body; and a non-physical element - the soul created from a very form of refined light not available in the universe. As a result it is very difficult to know much about the nature and capacity of the light of the soul.  Allah says:

 

And they will ask you (O Muhammad) about the ruh (i.e. the soul); Say: it is from the Command of the Lord, and you (O man) have been given very little knowledge about it. (17:84)

 

All other forms of light were created as part of the universe. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

 

All praise is due to Allah Who created the skies and the earth and caused to come into existence darkness and light. (6:1)

 

Perhaps, the light of the earth began when Allah created the solar system He says:

 

Allah it is Who raised up the skies without any visible support; then He established Himself on the Throne; and He pressed the sun and moon into service; each pursuing its course, until an appointed term. (13:2)

 

Regarding the soul of man, it was only when Adam was created and perfected physically, that a special spark of refined light was created and commanded to enter into the chest of Adam. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

 

So, when I (Allah) have fashioned him (Adam), and have breathed into him the soul which I created for him; then all of you (i.e. Angels and Jinns) acknowledge his superiority over you. (by prostrating in front of him). (15:29)

 

 

Man: Physical and Spiritual Elements.

With the entry of the soul into Adam man became a unit with two dimensions in his personality; viz. a physical and a spiritual.

 

Some people believe that the physical man cannot access the spiritual world, except through a particular channel, but Islam teaches that in every human being both the physical and spiritual are so created that they can work together for upholding the mission for which man was sent on earth. As a result there is no need for an intermediary to get to God. Allah tells us about this in the Holy Qur’an in many places. For example, He says:

 

He is with you where so ever you may be. (57:4)

 

And when My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me. (2:186)

 

The physical body is like a vehicle for the soul. It can impact upon it in a negative way, by doing what is prohibited; or in a positive way by doing what is permissible. It can keep the soul bright and shinning, or it can put stains on the soul, thereby preventing its light from penetrating the cells of the body. When the light of the soul reaches all the cells of the body, and that person dies, he or she will be resurrected on Judgment Day with a brightened countenance.

 

 

Man’s Capacity:

 

Allah has given man a tremendous capacity and capability, as His Representative on earth; and has made available for his use and benefit, all that is in the skies and the earth. He says:

 

It is Allah Who has created the skies and the earth, and sends down rain from the skies; and with it brings out fruits wherewith you are fed. It is He Who has made the ships subject to you; that you may sail through the sea by His Command; and the rivers has He made (also).  And He has made subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day He has also made subject to you. And He gives you all that you ask for; but if you were to count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them. (14:32-34)

 

Regarding the spiritual dimension of the personality, if properly managed and maintained, man can ascend as a person above the skies and can have experiences of what has been described in the Holy Qur’an as the “Unseen”. Every single person can have religious experiences of the “Unseen” if he or she lives a righteous life.

 

 

Man’s Mission:

Allah appointed man as His Khalifah, (Vicegerent) on the earth. He is supposed to always keep in mind that he is a traveler here, as the earth is not his permanent abode. One needs to constantly remind himself that he is on a journey back to his Lord. Muslims says this very often. It is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verse:

 

(Those who have patience) when they are affected with a calamity remind themselves that they came from Allah and to Him is the returning. (2:156)

 

While on earth, man has been given certain responsibilities. The most important is to acknowledge the fact that we are all creatures and there is only one Creator. And the creatures are not in any way like the Creator. Allah tells us about this in a very simple statement He made in the Holy Qur’an. He says:

 

and there is none like unto Him. (112:4)

 

Even though we are creatures and cannot be like the Creator, we can behave like Him in some ways. He says:

 

So set thy face steadily and truly to the Faith; the nature of Allah is the Nature He has given man, there is no change in the law of Allah, that is the Upright way, but a lot of people cannot understand. (30:30)

 

The best of the Lords representative that have passed through the earth was Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Allah tells us about this in the Holy Qur’an. He says that:

 

The Prophet (pboh) never said anything of his own desire. (53:2-3)

He had the most perfect personality. (33:21)

He is the lamp that gives light. (33:46)
He continuously invited the people to Allah (33:46)

If one should follow the example given to us by Prophet Muhammad (pboh) he or she would become a friend of the Lord and an asset in society. He will spread peace in the earth; he will demonstrate love and compassion; he will be a trustworthy, sincere person, he will not be a hypocrite; and will not harbor hate, malice, jealousy, selfishness, greed, etc. He will receive from his Lord special guidance in all his undertakings.

Muslims are specially blessed as they have the opportunity to read and recite the unadulterated Words of the Lord, in the form of the Holy Qur’an.


The Blessed Tree:

A truly successful person in this world is one who can be defined as a blessed tree; that is a person who:

(a) Is able to ascend close to the Lord

(b) Is able to provide shade to passers-by.
(c) Is able to supply juicy, delicious fruits to the hungry.

Allah tells us about such a person in the form of a parable in the Holy Qur’an. He says:

Don’t you see how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly world is like a goodly tree, whose roots are firmly fixed (in the earth) and its branches reach the skies. It brings fruits at all times, by the leave of the Lord. (14:24-25)

Every human being should try to be a goodly tree that is capable to provide help to the weary, thirsty, hungry, tired passer-by; and at the same time observing high moral principles.


How fasting helps?

Fasting in Ramadan is one of the Institutions in Islam that is designed to nurture and cultivate the qualities that will make a person fit to stand happily in the presence of the Lord on one hand, and to become a useful, sincere and truthful member of society on the other.

 

It impacts upon the individuals through what is called Tazkiyah-e-Nafs i.e. by trimming out all the unwanted qualities and desires in the individuals; in other words by pruning our trees, so that we can grow and bear sweet juicy fruits. Tazkiya has a physical, moral and spiritual program for making the individual a true and reliable representative of the Lord here on the earth.

 

In addition it is one of the opportunities to have all of one’s past sins forgiven, and it also helps the individuals to ascend higher on the way back to the Lord.

 

Perhaps, this one of the reasons for celebrating Eid, as the believer who kept the fast and did extra worship feels elevated in the sight of Allah.

 

 

The Way Forward:

 

Allah has given us a beautiful example of how we should conduct ourselves in this life, even if the environment is harsh and oppressive. He says:

 

and Verily In cattle (too) will ye find an instructive sign. from what is within their bodies between excretions and blood, we produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it. (16:66)

 

Let us endeavour to continue to improve our lives, through submission and worship on one hand; and by dedicated service to humanity on the other. When this is done we all will become beautiful blessed trees in this world, and very important persons in the next, as we all will enter Paradise  by a special gate called Rayyaan, reserved for all those who kept the fast sincerely for the sake of Allah.

 

And let us all this day make a firm resolution that we will keep our milk pure by doing what is good and staying away from the evil.

 

May Allah forgive us for our past mistakes and guide and protect us for the remainder of our lives.

 

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed