radiant reality may 2014

Regd. No.: JKENG/2000/4174,

Published From Srinagar. May. 2014. Vol.15, No: 05.

Editorial—Employing Personal Reasoning in Religious Mat-

ters, and Unconditional Submission

Question Answer

Lesson from the Qur’an

Lesson from Sahih al-Bukhari

Prophet’s Character

Why Irreligiousness Succeeds

Who Are We, Who Defines Us

Why Not Give Face a Chance

Studying Islam

In Pursuit of Ikhlas

Learning From the West

Detaching From The Dunya, Thinking Of The Hereafter

Implications of Tawheed

Ulema are the heirs of Prophets

Islamic Metaphysics of the Future

Muslims Must Live by Qur’an

Happenings

Blameworthy Morals—Darogh & Hasad

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Contents

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All thanks for Almighty, the most Merciful and Exalted

EDITORIAL

Many a times when a person tries to explain something of deen using his own rea-soning it turns out to be wrong. If you do not know something then say that you do not know. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) himself said that he does not know when he was asked what was the greatest spot on earth. The malaaikah themselves announced that there they have no knowledge except for that which Allah had blessed them with. Imaam Maalik (ra) was such a great imaam, yet it is reported that at times in a single sitting in reply to 30 to 40 questions he would say, “I do not know.” If they could say it, then why is so hard for us to say the same? If we adopt this approach then 70 to 80 percent of our problems would be solved. Every person looks for justification in the Qur’an and hadeeth, but this is not the way to go about doing things. This was the way of the Jews and Christians. Each one cre-ated a standard of success for themselves. The Jews would say that you have to be Jew to en-ter Jannah and you can only be a Jew if you are born a Jew. They made nationality a base. The Christians said that you can only enter Jan-nah if you are a Christian. But Allah has also laid down a standard of success:

‘balaa man aslama wajhahu lillaah’ the one who submits and surrenders himself to

Allah alone. Man’s reasoning is flawed and can al-ways be answered. Hence, the simple answer for people who seek the reasons for the com-

mands of Allah is that this is the command of Allah and nothing further. Don’t use your rea-soning against the commands of Allah. For a small constitution of the country, will you go to the constitutional court and offer your sug-gestions? No. But when it comes to the com-mand of Allah you wish to offer your sugges-tions and thoughts. The reason for this atti-tude is that we cannot see Allah and we do not understand the majesty of Allah. If something is permissible in essence but it then leads to haraam then the means will also be regarded as haraam. Look at digital photography. Despite the differences that may exist, it is leading others to think that all types of photography is permissible which, however, is not the case in essence. Submitting should be for the sake of Allah and not due to pressure. It should be unconditional and not for any convenience. When there is unconditional submission then one’s beliefs will be right, and it allow him en-try into Jannah. However, it is not a guarantee that you will get direct entry into Jannah. No-body wants a delay. So the condition for direct entry, if Allah wills so, is to conform to the commands and decrees of the Shariah. So the base is to set your beliefs right and then your actions, your character and dealings. This will InshaAllah pave the way for direct entry into Jannah without any delay. In this world, shaytaan tries to put stray thoughts into your mind. So don’t entertain

Cont’d on page 46

May. 2014 www.islamkashmir.org Radiant Reality

(Vol.15, Issue: 05) 3.

Question. If you were given a loan by a Muslim to purchase an asset ( A Home ) and no spe-cific repayment date was agreed . The asset has appreciated in value , Should the repay-ment of the loan be the Principal loan amount or should the Amount be re-calculated rela-tive to the Gain in value of the Home. If the later would that be considered as usury/ interest ? Answer. Only the principal of the loan should be paid back regardless of the increase in val-ue of the house. Any amount more than the principal (original amount of the loan) will be Riba (interest) which is prohibited. Mufti Suhail

Sahib

Question. I have a store where I sell goods for cash and on credit. The goods that I sell on credit are sold at a 10% markup due to the differed payment. Is this permissible? Answer. It is permissible to sell items at a higher price if sold on credit. This will be on condition that the price is fixed at the time of the transaction; for example, the cash price of an item is R500 but on credit, it is for R600 payable over six months at R100 per month.(al-Hidaya, Fatawa Mahmudiyyah,) Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. It is permissible to use a “tasbih” or

“subhah” in order to aid oneself in performing dhikr. A tasbih helps in performing dhikr in two ways: By holding it in the hand or seeing it, one is encouraged and reminded to perform dhikr. This is why it is also known as a “mudhakkir” (reminder). It also helps one keep count. Answer. Using beads or stones to help one with dhikr is supported by hadiths. Imams Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi narrated in their collec-tions on the authority of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (radiyAllahu ‘anh) that together with Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) he came upon a woman with date stones or peb-bles before her, with which she was reciting tasbih. The narration continued, but does not state Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) reprimanded her or disapproved of what she was doing. Imam al-Tirmidhi and Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani graded the chain of narra-tion hasan. This offers proof that taking assis-tance from something to help one to keep count of his dhikr is permissible. Hence, if one uses tasbih for this pur-pose it will not be bid‘ah. However, there should be no belief attached to the tasbih that it has intrinsic virtue or the one who recites dhikr using it is superior to one who does not.


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The great scholars, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 H) and ‘Abd al-Hayy al-Laknawi (d. 1304 H), have both authored treatises showing the permissibility of using a tasbih. It is permissible to give a tasbih as hadiyyah. Zameelur Rahman

Question. Is it advisable or allowed to partake from fastfood outlets that advertise halal but are in casino complexes.jazakAllah Answer. No. It is not permissible to partake of meals at such places. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has prohibited a Muslim from going to a venue of vice and said "Whoever adds to the crowd of a people is counted as part of them." (Kanzul Ummaal, Musnad Abi Ya’la). Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. Can cook take leftover food from the work, because this food will be thrown away. Answer. If the management at work allows the cook to take the food home or it is an estab-lished fact that if he does not take it home, the food will be discarded and wasted, it will be permissible for the cook to take the food home. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. Is drinking rain water recommended or Sunnah in Islam? Sometimes we collect rain water and drink it, so I wanted to know if this is just for health or some Islamic reason be-hind it. Answer. Drinking rain water specifically is not Sunnah. In fact, one should exercise precau-tion from drinking rain water directly due to possible health hazards. Consider the follow-ing from Argonne National Laboratory: “Normally you could drink rainwater without becoming ill. However, rainwater con-

tains pollutants, soil, plant parts, insect parts, bacteria, algae, and sometimes radioactive materials that the rain/snow has washed out of the air. If filtered with one of the filtering systems that you can buy in stores nowadays, and then boiled, you could probably drink the water safely. However, it is safer yet to get your water from municipal water supplies or from wells that are frequently tested”. Nevertheless, rain is a sign of Allah’s mercy, providence and grace. The following Ahadith explain the Sunnah of Rasulullah Salla-hu Alayhi Wasallam during rain: It is recommended (Sunnah) to allow the rain to fall down upon us. It is mentioned in the Hadith: Translation: We were with Nabi Salla-hu Alayhi Wasallam when rain fell upon us. Nabi Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam opened his gar-ment a bit so that the rain could touch his skin. We asked “O Rasulullah Sallahu Alayhi Wasallam, why do you do this?” He replied, “Because it has just recently come from Al-lah.” (Sahih Muslim Vol.3 Pg.442 #898 Darul Fawaid) We should recite the following Dua:

Allahumma Sayyiban Naafi’a O Allah! Make it a copious, beneficial rain.

(Sahih Bukhari Vol.2 Pg.675 #1032 Darul Ba-shairil Islaamiyya) During heavy rain recite the following Dua:

Allahumma Hawa Layna Wa La ‘Alayna. Translation: “O Allah! Make it rain around us and not upon us. O Allah! Upon the mountains

and the hills, down the valleys, and to the roots of the trees.”

(Sahih Bukhari Vol.2 Pg.656 #1014 Darul Ba-shairil Islamiyya) Immad Bin Arshad

Question. While growing up I attended a reli-gious school and was taught that when a fe-male reads Salaah, in the position of sajdah


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her elbows need to be on the floor. Recently I was informed that this was wrong and that a females elbows need to be high when she is in sajdah position. Answer. The Salaah of a female is different from the Salaah of a male in the sense that her movements should be as least revealing as possible. This is why in Ruku she will only bend slightly and in Sujood, she will lower her body to the ground including her elbows. In the Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) advised the females of this and therefore, the correct procedure for a female is to lower her elbows to the ground. (Bayhaqi, Hadith #: 3201, narrated by Yazid bin Abi Habib) Males are instructed to keep their el-bows off the ground and there is a Hadith that condemns men from lowering their elbows to the ground. (Abu Dawood, Hadith #: 897) Mufti

Suhail Sahib

Question. My husband insists on having oral sex. He says that he won’t ejaculate and I won’t be swallowing anything napaak (impure). If I refuse to do so, I fear that he will seek pleasure elsewhere or file for divorce. For him, that is the main form of pleasure. I have heard some fatwas that say it is makrooh and others that say it is haraam. What does a fe-male do in the event that her husband insists on it? Please advise. Answer. The tongue is a great gift of Allah. Imagine what kind of life one will have to live if one suddenly became totally dumb. What a difficult life it would be? Apart from being able to speak in general, we use the tongue to take the most pure and great name of Allah, to re-cite His Quraan, to recite durood on Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), etc. Shaikh Sa’di (ra) has mentioned a beautiful Persian couplet, the meaning of which is: “If I wash my mouth a hundred times

with musk and amber (ambergris), then too it will not be clean enough to recite durood.” This is not meant to discourage from reciting durood. Instead, it is an eloquent and effective encouragement and strong emphasis on always keeping the mouth very pure and clean from all dirt and impurities. Therefore, how can a believer soil the mouth in this disgusting manner? The private area is a place of impurity. A person who has any degree of sensibility, and more so a believ-er who has the high concept of tahaarah (purity) that the deen of Islam teaches us, will never apply the tongue or mouth to a place of impurity, even if it is outwardly clean at that moment. Let alone a place of impurity, such a person will not even apply the mouth and tongue to a place of dirt, even though not najis and impure. For instance, the husband/wife rinses his/her nostrils completely and dries it in such a way that no mucus remains therein. The spouse is then asked to lick the inside of the nostril. Would this be regarded as fine? Does even the thought of doing this not make one cringe? Besides being a place of impurity, impure fluids are emitted from the private part during intimacy much before climax. It is total-ly haraam to ingest anything that is impure. You should advise your husband to himself write and seek advice, or he should consult an experienced senior ‘Aalim. You should also commence ta’leem of the Fazaail-e-Aa’maal daily in the home. When the con-sciousness of Allah develops in his heart, nei-ther will he subject you to such actions nor will he look for pleasure elsewhere insha-Allah. Uswatul Muslimah Panel of Ulama

Question. Is it permissible for a woman to wear jewellery in Ihram? Answer. It is permissible though it is better


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that she avoids wearing jewellery. (Mu’allimul Hujjaj, Pg: 110) The spirit of Ihraam is simplicity and it best that a female avoids adornment with jew-ellery whilst in Ihraam. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. There were a few playstation com-petitions that took place recently, where you pay a fee to enter the competition and you compete against each other in a game, and the winner gets prize money, is this permissible ? Answer. It is not permissible for Muslims to participate in such competitions due to the element of gambling. In these types of compe-titions, a sum of money is paid in lieu of an unknown return which is tantamount to gam-bling. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. Is it true that after praying on the Musalla, you should fold it and not leave it open. If it is left open, Shaitaan comes to read namaz on the Musalla Answer. There is no truth to this. Shaitaan does not pray Salaah. The Musalla (prayer mat) may be left open after praying or it may be folded. Yes, as a mark of respect, if it is feared that the Musalla will be soiled due to being left open, it should rather be folded and kept away respectfully. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. My son wants a new car but does not have the finance to purchase it. I want to provide him the finance as I have the funds to purchase this car but I also want some return whilst I give him a few years to pay. How do I make this Shari’ah compliant without taking Riba? Answer. In order to finance this vehicle for him in a Shari’ah compliant manner, you should purchase the car for yourself and as-

sume ownership of it including all risks. As long as you remain the owner of the car, you will be responsible for the vehicle. Once you obtain possession of the car, you may make an offer to your son to purchase this car for a cer-tain amount over a fixed period of time. The total amount (installments) must be fixed at the time of the sale. For example, if you purchased the car for R150 000, you may sell it to your son for R175 000 payable over 5 years (R2916.66 X 60 months) subject to his agreement to purchase the vehicle. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. I gave my wife 1 talaaq. The talaaq I gave her was verbally over the phone and I sms it to her. I said to her i issued my 1st ta-laaq to you and I sent a sms with the same message to her. A few months later I sms her the 2nd talaaq and my concern is that she is pregnant and i want to retract my 2 talaaqs Answer. If you had issued your wife one Ta-laaq over the phone and thereafter confirmed the same by SMS, this will be counted as one Talaaq. If this Talaaq was issued whilst she was pregnant, her Iddah is till childbirth. If the sec-ond Talaaq was issued to her whilst she was still in Iddah or you had reconciled with her, this will be counted as the second Talaaq. Since the Iddah is still ongoing, you can take her back into your Nikah without renewing the Nikah. You should take her back by telling her that you have taken her back and this should be done in the presence of two witnesses (preferably). If you issue one more Talaaq, both of you will become Haraam upon each other and reconciliation will not be permissi-ble even by renewing the Nikah. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. The holy Prophet Mohammad (SalallaAllahu Alehi Wasallam) said, stop doing everything during the Azan even reading the


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Quran, (and repeat the Azaan with the Mo-azzin.) The person who talks during the Azaan will not be able to say the Kalma-e-shahadat on his/her death bed. Is this correct? Answer. Remaining silent and paying atten-tion to the Azaan has been advised in the Had-ith. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has said: “When you hear the Azaan, repeat what the Mu’azzin says” (Sahih Muslim). Based on this Hadith, the Ulama ad-vise that a person should refrain from all con-versation and activities during the Azaan. Attention should be paid to the Azaan and the words of the Mu’azzin should be repeated by the listener. Upon hearing the Mu’azzin saying Hayya Alas Salah and Hayya Alal Falaah, the listener should say ”La Hawla wa La Quwwata illa Billah” as indicated in the Hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim. It is more rewarding for a person to pause his religious activities and reply to the Azaan even if he is engaged in the recitation of the Qur’an. With regards to the narration in ques-tion: “The holy Prophet Mohammad (SalallaAllahu Alehi Wasallam) said, stop doing everything during the Azan even reading the Quran, (and repeat the Azaan with the Mo-azzin.) The person who talks during the Azaan will not be able to say the Kalma-e-shahadat on his/her death bed”, we have not found an authentic source for this. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. My husband has given me talaaq over the phone is this valid he has it 3 times? Answer. Although this in inappropriate way of giving Talaaq, Talaaq issued over the phone is valid and effective. If it is established that your husband had issued you three Talaaqs over the phone, all three Talaaqs will be valid and

effective thereby terminating the Nikah irre-trievably and rendering you and your husband Haraam upon each other. Mufti Suhail Sahib

Question. I would like to know if I will receive rewards for reading the English translation of the Qur’an to understand it? Answer. Definitely, there are great rewards in reading the translation of the Qur’an to gain a better understanding of the Qur’an. The point to be noted is that the reward for reciting the Arabic text of the Qur’an is separate from the reward of reading the English translation of the Qur’an. For the recitation of the Arabic texts of the Qur’an, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has promised ten hasanaat (rewards) for every letter recited and this re-ward is reserved solely for the recitation of the Arabic text. However, this does not mean that one should neglect the meanings of the Qur’an. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the Sahabah (Radiyallahu Anhum) had also placed a lot of emphasis on understanding and prac-tising on the laws of the Qur’an. After all the Quran is Allah’s message to mankind and as such we should make all effort to understand it. It is recorded that the Sahabah (RAA) used to learn a few verses at a time and they would then understand it thoroughly and put it to practice before memorizing further vers-es. A good and easy to read English trans-lation of the Qur’an is the translation by Mufti Muhammed Taqi Uthmani titled “The Noble Qur’an”. Mufti Suhail Sahib


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Surah Al-Imran - Verse 130-145

Apparently the following verses from 130-136 seem to have no connection with the foregoing ones and that is why, according to some schol-ars, these verses hold an independent render-ing wherein Allah has brought together per-missions, prohibitions, admonitions and moti-vations, and also conveyed noble morals and good deeds. However, some scholars have linked them by saying that in the preceding verses adoption of patience and God-fearfulness, and prohibition of building friend-ship and taking unbelievers as insiders was mentioned and now there is repetition of what really Sabr (patience) and Taqwa (God-fearfulness) is? Who are truly Patient and God-fearing people and what are their attributes? In this regard the first issue being mentioned is that of Riba (interest), because that person’s Taqwa is unacceptable whose body has groomed on food earned through unlawful means like usury etc. Also, it is highly significant that an admonition is given while war is being discussed. It should be stressed, before everything else, that the Qur’an takes a holistic, not a fragmentary,

view of life and the universe. It does not con-sider the matters relating to individuals as be-ing separate from social matters, nor does it see social matters as being apart from the economy, nor the economy from other internal matters, such as education, security, and for-eign relations. None of these can be viewed or treated as being separate from the others. In view of this, the use of interest is no longer only an economic matter; it is also deeply con-nected with the life of the society and the indi-vidual. It affects both the spiritual and moral nature of the individual, and their participation in the social and economic life of the society. Therefore, interest will have a significant effect on a person’s attitude to war, which requires them to take away egotism and worldliness from their heart. Interest destroys social soli-darity, and the desire to help one another, as well as undermining confidence within a socie-ty; these are all important factors if a nation wants to succeed in a war. So, this verse, which, when viewed superficially, may seem to be out of place, is actually just where it should be. It warns us that, instead of making our lim-

Note: Text in bold letters is the literal translation of the meaning of the Qur’an by

M. Taqi Usmani and the normal text is the brief explanation compiled by

Institute of Islamic Research, Darul Uloom Ilahiya.


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ited minds or reason the criterion or judge when approaching the Qur’an, we should de-sign our thinking system according to the Qur’an. (QAI) O you, who believe, do not eat i.e., take up the amounts acquired through Ribā (interest), doubled and multiplied i.e., more than the basic amount. Fear Allah, so that you may be successful i.e., enter Jannah for which you have to leave the practice of taking interest, (3:130) and fear the Fire that has been actually pre-pared for the disbelievers and the way to evade it is to leave prohibitions like interest etc; (3:131) Obey Allah and the Messenger who prohibit you against Riba, so that you may be blessed - for if you lend interest free money to the needy Allah will bless you in the world and the next. (3:132) Race with one another towards Forgiveness destined from your Lord and rush towards a paradise - the width of which spans the heav-ens and the earth, by the execution of good deeds and noble morals. It has been prepared for the God-fearing i.e., Muslims, (3:133) among whom the highest ranking are the ones who spend for Allah’s sake in prosperity and adversity i.e., all circumstances and those who control anger and forgive people for their faults in a kindhearted manner. And Allah loves those who are good in their deeds – those who subject their drive of passion and anger to their spiritual and intellectual power, (3:134) and the second are those who, when they happen to commit a shameful act or wrong themselves, immediately remember the pun-ishment and Exaltedness of Allah, then, seek forgiveness for their sins, __and certainly who is there to forgive sins except Allah?..... And they do not persist in what they have done -

knowingly but remain humble and repentant. (3:135) Their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens of Paradise beneath the trees and houses of which rivers flow where they shall live forever. And excellent is the reward of those who work the toil of repentance and true beliefs. (3:136) Onwards Muslims are again consoled apropos the battle of Uhud that it has always been the practice of Allah to make the disbelievers un-successful. Though, at this juncture, you have been subju-gated due to your own faults but if you estab-lish yourselves on to the demands of God-fearing and steadfastness then the disbelievers will ultimately succumb. Indeed people with many patterns of behav-ior have passed before you comprising believ-ers and disbelievers who differed, confronted and fought with each other but, in the end, it were the disbelievers who suffered. So, if you want to perceive the signs, traverse the land and see what the fate of those i.e., disbeliev-ers, who rejected the prophets was. Thus, the signs of their destruction are still left to this time (refer to verse (27:52) and (28:58) (3:137) This theme is a declaration for mankind; therefore, if they ponder they can extract mes-sage from it, and in it there is guidance, and a lesson for the God-fearing; the guidance - to comprehend the truth and falsehood, and the lesson – to act according to the demands of guidance. (3:138) Do not lose heart at your accidental failure this time and do not grieve at your martyrs, and you are the upper-most if you are believ-ers and remain firm on to the demands of Faith and show obedience to the Prophet. (3:139) Don’t worry if you have received a wound in


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this battle of Uhud because, behind it, there are a number of reasons viz., (i) they - the dis-believers, have received a similar wound in the battle of Badr and such days of victory and defeat We rotate among the people, (ii) so that Allah may demonstrably know those who believe – for, it is at the time of distress when sincere and kind are tested, (iii) and let some of you be positioned as martyrs — and Allah does not like the unjust so, at certain times their domination over you is no indication that He loves them…., (3:140) (iv) …and so that Allah may purify from sins those who believe because distress is a cleanser for deeds and morals, (v) and eradi-cate the disbelievers, this is twofold one – gaining an upper hand will boost their courage and they will again turn up to fight and thus get killed, two – by committing atrocities on Muslims they will invite Allah’s wrath upon themselves and perish. (3:141) In the succeeding verses Allah disapproves as well as advises His loved and sincere slaves. Their act of giving in during the battle of Uhud wherein they had the opportunity of attaining martyrdom, like the Badr-fighters, which they were yearing for is being disapproved. The ad-vice being that without Jihad and steadfast-ness, honourability in the Hereafter is not pos-sible. Do you think that merely on being Muslims you shall enter Paradise and attain its decent and lofty stages even before Allah demonstra-bly knows those of you who carry out Jihād and those who are steadfast segregating them from those who remain behind and those who are impatient. (3:142)

You had longed for martyrs’ death before you faced it; you were those who, in longing for martyrdom, opined at the onset of the battle of Uhud to fight the enemy outside the city of Madinah. Now, you have seen it i.e., death with your eyes wide open why then do you succumb and show weakness. (3:143) And Muhammad is but a messenger not a never dying god; there have been messengers before him and just like them he will also de-part. So, if he dies or is killed, would you, by renouncing Islam and Jihad, turn back on your heels - the way some of you did by running away from the battlefield? Whoever turns back on his heels from Jihad or Islam can nev-er harm Allah in the least but only lose some-thing their own. Allah shall soon suitably re-ward the grateful who remain steadfast, at such junctures, while remembering His re-wards. (3:144) Fearing death is useless firstly because it is not the choice of a person to die, whether natu-rally or accidentally, without the will of Allah; secondly death being a time-bound destiny is neither influenced by advance nor delay. Therefore, what is the reason behind running away due to fear other than the wish to live few days more in this world, if so, listen to the effect of this contrivance - whoever seeks a reward in this world, We shall – subject to our will - give him out of it but in the Hereafter his will be no share, and whoever seeks a reward for his deeds and efforts in the Hereafter e.g., remains steadfast in Jihad with the intention of receiving reward in the Hereafter, We shall – take it as Our duty to - give him out of it. We shall soon generously reward the grateful who yearn for the blessings in the Hereafter. (3:145)

Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (RA) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "You cannot turn to Allah and gain nearness to Him with anything superior to that which di-

rectly heralds from Him (i.e. the Quran). (Tirmizi)


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Dr. Rafiq Ahmad

The Book of Ablution

“Jaabir bin Abdullah said to me, "Your cousin (Hasan bin Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiya) came

to me and asked about the bath of Janaba. I replied, 'The Prophet used to take three hand-fuls of water, pour them on his head and then pour more water over his body.' Al-Hasan said to me, 'I am a hairy man.' I replied, 'The Proph-

et had more hair than you'.”

Comments Bukhari and Abu Dawood have men-tioned this Hadith briefly and Muslim has nar-rated it in detail. As per the narration of Mus-lim, one day Sahaaba were discussing about the Gusul of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Someone said that he pours water so many times, other said something else. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) told them that it is his routine to pour the water thrice on his blessed head.

Chapter 5 : To wash the body (parts) only

once.

Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab Imam Bukhari (RA) wants to say that to pour water on body during Gusul is obliga-tory only once as in Wudu and to pour it three

Chapter 4 : One who poured water thrice on his head.

Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab Sheikh-ul-Hadith Hadhrat Mawlana Zakariya says that here Imam Bukhari (RA) is pointing towards a controversial issue. Imam Maalik is of the opinion that ‘Dhalak’ i.e., to scrub the body with hands is obligatory in Gusul, whereas the rest of the jurists say that it is not obligatory and only pouring the water is enough. By establishing this title, Imam Bu-khari is supporting the view of majority and not that of Imam Maalik.

Hadith No. 250 Narrated Jubair bin Mutim (RA) “Allah's Apostle said, "As for me, I pour water three times on my head." And he pointed with

both his hands”.

Hadith No. 251 Narrated Jaabir bin 'Abdullah (RA) “The Prophet used to pour water three times on his head”.

Hadith No. 252 Narrated Abu Ja'far (RA)


12. (Vol.15, Issue: 05)

times is Mustahab (preferable).

Hadith No. 253 Narrated Maimuna (RA) “I placed water for the bath of the Prophet. He washed his hands twice or thrice and then poured water on his left hand and washed his private parts. He rubbed his hands over the earth (and cleaned them), rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and blowing it out, washed his face and both forearms and then poured water over his body. Then he withdrew from that place and washed his feet”. Comments Abu Dawood has narrated a Hadith on the authority of Abdullah bin Umar (RA):

“Salaah was made obligatory fifty times and Gusul seven times (per day)”.

Salaah was reduced to five times a day from fifty times and Gusul was reduced to one time from seven times. Imam Bukhari has not quoted this Hadith in his book as it was not fulfilling his criterion. (Nasrul Bari)

Chapter 6 : One who started Gusul by scenting himself with Hilab or some other

perfume. Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab This Tarjamatul Baab is considered one of the most difficult chapters of Bukhari Sharief. The commentators of Hadith have been at loss to know why Imam Bukhari added the word )ألطيب(perfume with )ألحالب(Hilab, when only Hilaab is mentioned and not per-fume. Hadith No. 254 Narrated 'Aisha (RA)

“Whenever the Prophet took the bath of Ja-naba (sexual relation or wet dream) he asked

for the Hilab or some other scent. He used to take it in his hand, rub it first over the right

side of his head and then over the left and then rub the middle of his head with both hands”.

Comments What is Hilab? It is a pot in which a she camel, goat or cow is milked. Hadhrat Ayesha (RA) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to ask for water in a pot called Hilab to perform Gusul which was being used for milking the she camel. Allaama Kashmiri says that some milk that used to get stuck to the pot would mix up with the water. Here the purpose of Imam Bukhari (RA) is to convey that if a Taahir or clean thing like milk or perfume gets mixed up with the water, it is permissible to perform Gusul with such a water. Ibn Hajr has given similar expla-nation to this but in a different way.

Chapter 7 : To rinse the mouth and sniff the nose while taking the bath of ritual impurity.

Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab As per Imam Abu Haniefa (RA) and Imam Ahmad bin Hambal, Madhmadah (rinsing the mouth) and Istinshaaq (sniffing the nose) is obligatory while taking the bath of ritual impurity. Imam Shafa’ee and Imam Maa-lik consider it a Sunnah. By establishing this chapter separately Imam Bukhari (RA) seems to agree with Hanafite and Hanbalite schools of thought. Hadith No. 255 Narrated Maimuna (RA) “I placed water for the bath of the Prophet and he poured water with his right hand on his left and washed them. Then he washed his private

parts and rubbed his hands on the ground, washed them with water, rinsed his mouth and


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washed his nose by putting water in it and blowing it out, washed his face and poured water on his head. He withdrew from that place and washed his feet. A piece of cloth

(towel) was given to him but he did not use it”. Comments Allaama Ayni (RA) says:

“There is no doubt in it that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) never left these two (i.e., Madhmadah and Istinshaaq), so it

shows regularity which points towards the ob-ligatory status of these two”.

A Hadith says: “The effect of sexual act reaches underneath

every hair of the body”. (Abu Dawood) So, to wash every single hair in Gusul became mandatory. The Hanafite scholars say that since the nose has also some hair inside, it is obligatory to wash it (i.e., to perform Istinshaaq) while taking the bath of ritual im-purity. It is forbidden for a person to recite the Holy Qur’an if he is in ritual impurity (i.e., after sexual intercourse, wet dream etc). Some Ulema say that it shows that the effect of sex-ual act reaches the tongue, so Madhmadah is also obligatory when one has to take the bath of ritual impurity.

The Pocket Game Money which was in someone’s pocket yesterday is in our pocket today. It will be in someone else’s pocket tomorrow. This is the reality of money. It belongs to no one. It simply moves from pocket to pocket, only by the will of Allah. What is destined to come into our pocket, will never go into someone else’s pocket. Like-wise that which goes into the pockets of others was never meant for our pocket.

The one that has forgotten the object of his life gets caught up in the pocket-game. Day and night he is plotting and planning on how to empty the pockets of others.

He has forgotten that his white kafan is pocket-less.

To use a towel It is permissible to use as well as not to use a towel after Gusul for wiping the water on body. In this Hadith, it is mentioned that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not use the towel. Chapter 8 : The rubbing of hand with clay to

make it more clean. Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab The rubbing of hand with clay after Istinja is preferable and not a must. Hadith No. 256 Narrated Maimuna (RA) “The Prophet took the bath of Janaba. (sexual relation or wet dream). He first cleaned his private parts with his hand, and then rubbed it (that hand) on the wall (earth) and washed it. Then he performed ablution like that for the prayer, and after the bath he washed his feet”. Comments Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) rubbed his blessed hand on the wall after do-ing Istinja to make it more clean. This could be basis of using soap nowadays to get more cleanliness. (And Allah knows the best).


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This is a short piece translated from Ibn Qudamah's Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin. It distills a picture the Qurʾan and ahadeeth build up of the Prophet's (S) virtues and character, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam: in-tegrity, honesty, steadfastness, courage, kind-ness, compassion, courtesy, and other quali-ties too numerous to list. To say the Prophet's (S) is a life well documented is an understate-ment. There is hardly an aspect of his life which did not come under the scrutiny of his close companions, who left for posterity all that they saw him do or hear him say. The rea-son: to know what the Prophet (S), did, is to know what we all should do. The Qur'an de-scribes him as a beautiful example:

There has certainly been for you in the Mes-senger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone

whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often. [Surah Al-Ahzab:

21] So the Prophet's (S) sunnah, Qur'an aside, is the very notion of Islam itself – emula-tion of which becomes the life work of a be-liever in his or her journey to God and the Afterlife. 'God's Messenger (S), was the mildest of people and also the warmest and most gen-

erous of them. He would mend his own san-dals, patch his own clothes and help his family with the daily errands. He was very shy; shyer than a virgin in her chamber. He would respond to the invitation of slaves, visit the sick, walk alone [without guards or fanfare], allow others to saddle-up with him on his mount, accept gifts, eat food that was sent as a gift; though he never con-sumed anything that had been given as chari-ty. He did not have enough dates with which to be sated, nor was he sated with barley-bread for more than three consecutive days. He would eat whatever food was readily avail-able and he never criticised food. He never ate reclining, and ate from what was nearest to him. He loved perfumes and disliked foul odours. He honoured people of virtue, and kept affectionate ties with nobles and dignitar-ies. He never snubbed anyone and would ac-cept the excuse of those who presented excus-es. He would joke, but never would he utter anything untrue. He laughed, but not loudly. He would not let any time pass without being in the service of God, exalted is He, or being engaged in whatever was essential for

Abu Aaliyah


(Vol.15, Issue: 05) 15.

his own self-development. He never cursed women, nor abused servants. Nor did he strike anyone, except for in jihad in God's cause. He did not exact revenge for his own sake, but did so when God's limits had been transgressed. If he was presented with two options he took the easier of the two, unless it entailed disobedience or the severing of ties – in which case he would be the furthest away from it. Sayyidna Anas (RA) remarked:

“I served him for ten years and he never once rebuked me in the least; nor did he say about anything I had

done, 'Why did you do it?' or anything I had not done, 'Why did you not do it?'”

His description in the Torah is: “Muḥammad, the Messenger of God and My Chosen Servant. He is neither harsh nor severe. He does not

shout in the market places, nor repay evil with evil, but instead he pardons and forgives” …

He would sit in an assembly wherever it was convenient and would mingle among his Companions as one of them, such that when strangers came they could-n't distinguish him from others, save after inquiring as to who he was. He would take to long periods of silence, but when he did speak he did so measurably and clearly, repeating himself so that he would be understood. He used to pardon, even when he was in a position to pun-ish, and he would not confront anyone with what they did not like. He was the most truthful of men, one who most fulfilled his trusts and commitments; the easiest going of people, the most affable, and the most generous in friendship. Whoever gazed upon him unexpectedly, was awe-stricken by him; whoever knew him, loved him. His Companions, whenever they spoke about worldly affairs, he would join in with them; and when, in recollecting their pre-Islamic days, they would laughed, he would simply smile. He was also the bravest of men. One Com-panion recalled: When the fighting became intense, we would seek shelter behind God's Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.'1 1. Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin (Damascus: Maktabah Dar al-Bayan,

1999), 157-8

SO beautiful!

This is love Once the Prophet (Salla-llahu Alaihi Wasallam) was sitting in a room with Aisha (RA) and fixing his shoes. It was very warm, and Aisha looked to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. She be-came overwhelmed by the majes-ty of that sight was staring at him long enough for him to no-tice.

He said, “What’s the matter?” She replied, “If Abu Bukair Al-Huthali, the poet, sa…w you, he would know that his poem was written for you.” The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) asked, “What did he say?” She replied, “Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everybody to see.” So the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and said, “Wallahi ya Ai-sha, you are like that to me and more.”


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Why Irreligiousness Succeeds: But how did this new faith infiltrate the Islamic World? How did it come to acquire the strength to engulf Muslims within their own homes; what can explain the mighty hold it enjoys over the hearts and minds of men? All these questions require careful examination.

In the nineteenth century, Islam had begun to show signs of fatigue and decay. In matters of faith, religious endeavour, knowledge and learning it had indeed reached a nadir. Islam, in fact, knows no old age and no decline. Like the sun, it is every young, ever new. It was the Muslims, themselves, who had fallen prey to senility and degeneration. They had become narrow of in outlook, their think-ing had become stereotyped— it had lost orig-inality— their minds had grown fossilised, they had lost enthusiasm for Religion, and, excep-tions apart, the ability to present it in an effec-tive manner.

In addition to this, no attempt was made to establish contact with the young edu-cated classes and to influence their minds alt-hough the future belonged to them. It oc-curred to no one to impress upon them the

basic truths that Islam was an eternal, ever-green Faith, the Faith of humanity, that the Qur’an was a miracle of a Book, permanent, unchanging, deathless, whose wonders knew no limit and whose treasures were boundless, that the Holy Prophet (S) was the prophet for all times and the leader of all men, that the Islamic Shariah was a marvel of legislation, endowed with the ability to march hand in hand with life and answer all the demands it may make upon jurisprudence. Faith, morality and spiritual values are the only foundations on which a civilised, enlightened society can be built. Modern civilisation, however, has only the means and the channels. The ends and the real springheads are contained in the teachings of the prophets. And a healthy and balanced system of civilisation can come into being only when there is a harmony between ends and means.

This was the thing and situation when the West made its assault on the Islamic World. An assault which contained its whole armoury of thoughts and ideas, designed and hammered into shape in the minds of the fore-most thinkers and philosophers of the time

Mawlana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (ra)


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and garbed in such philosophical phraseology that they gave the impression of being the very essence of human wisdom and learning, although quite a good deal was purely empiri-cal and had no basis in fact. Western thinkers took a lot for granted and drew conclusions that were in a measure just hypothetical. The systems of thought they had built up were an amalgamation of fact and fiction, of knowledge and ignorance, and of firm reality and poetic imagination— yes, poetry, for you must not imagine that poetry is confined only to verse and rhyme; it is practised also in the realms of philosophy and the social sciences.

These ideologies came under the shadow of political conquest by the West, and the people of the East bowed down them both emotionally and intellectually. Eastern intellec-tuals welcomed them with open arms. Some of them, of course, accepted them intelligently and consciously, but their number was few. With the majority, it was a case of unthinking acceptance, dazzled as they were by the mate-rial superiority of alien rulers. They saw and they surrendered. Their minds were hypno-tised and belief in Western ideas became syn-onymous with progress and enlightenment and the most important criterion of learning and wisdom.

Thus it was that this new apostasy spread its wings over the Muslim East without any hitch or opposition. Neither the father ob-jected to the downfall of the son nor the teacher to that of the student. Religious lead-ers also felt no qualms about it. It was a silent revolution.

The apostates did not make their way to any Church or Temple; they did not pros-trate themselves before any idol nor make any sacrificial offerings at any polytheistic altar—signs which, in the past, indicated spiritual metamorphosis. The apostates of old used to walk openly out of Muslim society and associ-

ated themselves freely with the society of those whose Religion they had accepted. They used to declare boldly their change of Faith and submit cheerfully to what they had to bear as a result. They did not insist upon cling-ing to the benefits accruing from membership of the society they had in fact forsaken. But present-day apostates who turn their backs on Islam do not at the same time also walk out of Islamic society in spite of the fact that of all societies it is only an Islamic society which is based entirely on spiritual beliefs since it can-not come into being without the presence of a particular set of religious doctrines. These modern apostates continue to avail them-selves of all the possible advantages of mem-bership of the Islamic society. This is a unique situation for Islam.

As they have turned and twisted moral and spiritual values, so also have these ideolo-gies sown the seeds of paganism sentiment and feeling in the Muslim World upon which Islam has declared an open war. For instance, take paganish factionalism which is founded on race, country and nation. It is currently be-ing venerated with fanatical enthusiasm and reverence. The human family is cut into pieces in its name. It has been raised to the status of a religion and given complete control over people’s thoughts and emotions. it is indeed the most powerful rival to Religion judged by the extensiveness and intensity of its influ-ence. It gains ascendancy over one’s entire existence. When it sweeps over a society it pushes the work of the Prophets into oblivion and reduces Religion into a soulless pro-gramme of rituals and ceremonies; the organic unity of mankind about which God had de-clared; Lo! This your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me, is de-stroyed and the human race is divided into a number of warring camps.


18. (Vol.15, Issue: 05)

their proponents say that "moderate" or "progressive" Islam opposes violence, accepts the universal charter of human rights, pro-motes gender equality and recognizes the idea of pluralism. Dialectically, what they are saying is that there is an Islam that does not recognize the value of non-violence, that rejects univer-sal charter of human rights and that opposes the idea of gender equality and pluralism. If this is the basis of redefining Islam, then it is a weak premise. Islam is a faith given to human beings to live their lives according to certain values originally defined by the Divine. People have a choice to reject them or accept them because they are responsible for their own actions. Is-lam does not advocate violence. Those who use violence as a means to achieve their goals, however noble their goals may be, are essen-tially in violation of their faith. They are the ones who are deviating from the path of Islam. Why should their deviation cause some Muslims to redefine Islam and form a separate category of moderate or progressive Islam in order to make a distinction between the two? There are always people and groups who use their faith to promote their own po-

A debate has been going on within certain circles of the Muslim community about defining or redefining Islam and its followers. Several terms have been designed to make a distinction among Muslims' various political schools of thoughts. These terms sometimes appear attractive, especially in the state of confusion in which we live. They pro-vide us with a different approach to identify ourselves. However, when we look at these terms deeply, we begin to realize that they are meant to define us in the mold of our thinking influenced by our social and political milieu. Terms that are in fashion currently are moderate Islam, progressive Islam, enlight-ened Islam, modern Islam, extremist Islam, liberal Islam, conservative Islam, reformed Is-lam, orthodox Islam, fundamentalist Islam, medieval Islam, and obscurantist Islam, etc. What is interesting is that these terms emerge from the limitations of our own read-ings of Islam controlled by our own social-political experiences. For instance, in the con-text of the U.S. and the West, it is now fash-ionable to use terms such as progressive Islam and moderate Islam. When asked to define these terms,

Dr. Aslam Abdullah


(Vol.15, Issue: 05) 19.

litical and economic agenda. This is true with all religions. The most effective way to con-front such people is to develop a sound argu-ment on the basis of a comprehensive under-standing of the divine values and prophetic teachings. This is a struggle that we all have to carry on within ourselves and in the society at large. Creating further divisions and categoriz-ing ourselves in terms that refer to our own political expediencies will not serve the real purpose of the faith. Islam, after all, demands from every Muslim to be a witness to the truth. The truth is clear in Islam. We cannot change it for our political purposes. Thus, the coinage of these terms is primarily a weak strategy that defeats the very purpose of the faith. The questions that ought to be raised, then, are: what is this truth and how do we discern it from the falsehood? The truth will emerge from our quest of knowledge, experi-ences, wisdom and guidance from the Divine. The truth will not be dictated by a few sound bites of President Bush or Daniel Pipes or peo-ple like them. In the case of Islam, the truth, as per-ceived by Muslims based on their general readings of the Quran, is that Islam is a divine-ly revealed faith that commands its adherents to follow the principles of monotheism, jus-tice, equality, and peace in all aspects of their life. We have to understand our world in the context of these divinely revealed truths and develop suitable instruments to ensure

Hazrat A’isha (RA) relates that the Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “The two Rakaats of (the Sunnah of) Fajr are better

than the world and all it contains.” [Muslim]

that they are shared with the rest of the world. Thus, our struggle is to be a witness to these truths and to challenge all those who are in violation of these regardless of what label they assume. In the Quran, the Divine tells us of people who would call themselves Muslims, yet, would do everything that is contrary to the teachings of Islam. It is not a prudent strat-egy to say that because of the deviations of others, we are changing our self definition and coining a new term to describe our relation with our faith. Our commitment to our faith is based on the criterion of right and wrong. The propagation of new terminologies by various Muslims is leading our community into a bewilderment of confusing ideas with-out realizing that the principles of faith cannot be compromised for our understanding or lack of understanding of political realities. Thus, we have two tasks at hand. First, internally--we have to challenge those who are deviating from the foundation of Islam, and second we have to communicate to the rest of the world the real foundation on which our faith stands. It is better that we spend our time and resources in these areas rather than wasting our energy in coining and re-coining terms that confuse us and others as well. When we do what is expected of us in Islam, we will notice qualitative change in our own attitude as well as the attitude of the peo-ple in our faith.

Dr. Aslam Abdullah is editor of the Muslim Observer, director of the Islamic Society of Nevada and the director of the Muslim

Electorates' Council of America.


20. (Vol.15, Issue: 05)

After searching nearly all religions of the world, Islam appeared to be the only pure and pristine religion that pointed humans di-rectly to God. One would wonder if all the questions of a skeptic were answered, the road paved to come steps closer to the Creator, logical issues were addressed and doubts were removed, would there be any reason for one not to sur-render to his/her Creator and see religion as a positive step to achieve this goal? We discuss various elements about religion that the skeptic used as a barrier to surrender to God. We also assume that he/she is a believer in the existence of God and that atheism was not an issue. The most prominent point of emphasis is urging the skeptic to try to understand that God provided guidance to mankind through a succession of messengers, some of whom had scriptures. The last messenger was Muham-mad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the last scripture — The Qur’an. We also urged everyone to investigate the authenticity of the Qur’an. This is a manual for every believer to use in order to flush out man-made ideas and falsehood from Divine. Once this is established, the skeptic is transformed into a diligent seeker of divine

guidance. One may realize with gladness that they pulled themselves out of the flock of peo-ple who have inappropriate and suspicious thoughts about Allah, and realize those who did not make an effort to understand the truth, brought destruction upon themselves. Allah explains: “And that thought of yours (suspicion) which you thought about your Lord, has brought you to destruction (in the Day of Judgment), and you have become (this Day) of those utterly lost!” (Qur’an, 41:23) Unless there is certainty in the heart about the Qur’an, all other efforts will fail. One will strive to reach to this point by diligent study of this Scripture. Allah assures us here about the Qur’an: “A revelation from (Allah) the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the Verses are explained in detail — a Qur’an in Arabic for people who know.” (Qur’an, 41:2-3) Of course translations are available in nearly all languages. But what is the merit of understanding the Quran? Here, Allah gives us hope and encour-ages us to also have the right kind of fear as to avoid falling into corruption and denial of the Divine commandments. Some skeptics demand miracles in or-der to believe and think that the Revelation of

Raya Shokatfard


(Vol.15, Issue: 05) 21.

Allah given of Prophet Muhammad was not enough. Perhaps it is not surprising to know that even when the Prophet lived among his own people, the same demands were put up-on him. Allah responds on his behalf: “Say (O Muhammad): “I am only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God - Allah), therefore take Straight Path to Him (with true Faith — Islamic Mono-theism) and obedience to Him, and seek for-giveness of Him. And woe to Al-Mushrikun (the polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah).” (Qur’an, 41:6) Can a sincere seeker find any com-mandments and laws brought forth by Mu-hammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that was different than the main message of the Proph-ets of the past? Here, we are not talking about rituals, but the essence of the message! Allah confirms this by the following verse: “Nothing is said to you (O Muhammad) except what was said to the Messengers before you. Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness, and (also) the Possessor of painful punish-ment.” (Qur’an, 41:43) If, by now, the hearts and minds are calm and the seeker finds the urge to move forward, then he begins to study and put to practice the manual for happiness, spiritual fulfillment and conflict-free life. It is very common that those who come to Islam, for my own case, return to Is-lam, would have a strong zest to reach out and make Islam known to others. They fully believe Allah’s word when He says: “And who is better in speech than he who says: ‘My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness),’ and then stands firm (acts upon His Order), and invites (men) to Allah’s (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: ‘I am one of the Muslims’.” (Qur’an, 41:33) There are no words that can explain

my awe when I held the Qur’an in my hands. After searching nearly all religions of the world and finding various shades of poly-theism in most, Islam appeared to be the only pure and pristine religion that pointed humans directly to God and not any humans no matter how elevated their status was. After thorough research about compi-lation of the Quran and comparing with other scriptures, it became evident that what I was looking at were God’s own words right in front of me. There are no words that can explain my awe when I held the Quran in my hands. This feeling has not changed for 25 years and is only getting stronger. I was a skeptic like many, but I did not live with my skepticism. I made diligent effort to know the truth. I went from one religion to another till I finally found what I was looking for. Living in Los Angeles with all its good and not so good merits and being a single mother, I felt that I had to handle all the bur-dens of life upon my own shoulders. This put me right with most other over-stressed moth-ers who were afflicted with many health is-sues. Embracing Islam and understanding human inclinations as well as understanding how to funnel these inclinations, desires and life selection processes in a healthy and divine-ly guided avenues, rid me of feeling of desper-ation and hopelessness and into a completely new realm and way of thinking and approach in life. I moved from relying upon myself, to rely upon Allah who says: “So rely upon Allah; indeed, you are upon the clear truth.” (Qur’an, 27:79) Year after year, I found more inner peace , emotional stability and serenity.

Cont’d on page 46


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To challenge the simplistic notion that Islam is still in its medieval period, we must engage it academically for its own sake - not simply out of self-interest Interest in Islamic studies has expand-ed in recent years, but not always for the best of reasons. In the late 19th and early 20th cen-turies, the powers of the day needed to under-stand the religious motivations of their colo-nized subjects. The rule, for decades, was the self-interested study of Islam; objective aca-demic discipline was the exception. How much further have we come to-day? "Islamic studies" now seem equally driven by non-academic motives. Western societies are grappling with three distinct Islam-related factors: a new, visi-ble generation of Western Muslims, acceler-ating migratory flows and terrorism, seen as a threat to both the West and the Islamic world. International politics- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, war in Afghanistan and Iraq, threats against Iran, eventual Turkish membership in the European Union - also im-pinge on the field, as scholars attempt to un-derstand, to prevent and even to mobilize against the perceived danger of violent Islam-ism. Key questions are often framed in binary terms, as a clash of civilizations. In each of

these instances, Islamic studies are directly or indirectly involved in the attempt to under-stand and to prevent, to protect, to dominate or even to fight the adversary of violent Islam-ism. It comes as no surprise that sociolo-gists, political scientists and terrorism experts produce reams of research on Islam, Muslims, identity, immigration, Islamism, radicalization, violence and terrorism. Much of their work is funded or commissioned by government agen-cies or major corporations. Today, like yester-day, non-academic criteria propel and justify research. But this carefully orchestrated infatua-tion with Islamic studies reduces several cen-turies of Islam's legal heritage, philosophy, mystical thought, and social and political vitali-ty to a subsidiary position. Rationalist philoso-phers such as Averroes are cited as examples of "reasonableness," while the thought of Is-lam's many eminent theologians and thinkers is ignored. The time has come for universities in the West to reconcile themselves with an ap-proach to other civilizations and cultures - par-ticularly that of Islam - driven neither by ideo-logical agendas nor collective fears. The "global war" against" radicaliza-tion and terrorism," that would make contem-

Tariq Ramadan


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porary Islamic studies a discipline besieged by dangerously utilitarian political considerations must give way to a holistic vision. If we are serious about respecting the diversity of civilizations, about the need for dialogue, about promoting common values, we must urgently rethink the content of our curricula. The courses of study offered in our universities must embrace the study of reli-gion, of theology and theological scholarship, of the teaching of Islamic law and jurispru-dence. It is generally accepted that practicing Jews, Christians, Hindus or Buddhists can per-form their academic duties objectively. Muslim faculty members, however, face serious obsta-cles. Practicing Muslims may see their objec-tivity questioned and be expected to espouse "pro-Western" views. The commonplaces of violence and terrorism and the insistence that "Islamic au-thorities" denounce these abuses conceal from us a world caught up in intellectual fer-ment. From Morocco to Indonesia, from the United States to Australia by way of Europe and Turkey, a body of fresh and audacious Is-lamic thought is emerging. It is not only the work of thinkers known to and recognized by the West. Today, an evolutionary process is sweeping through every Islamic society. Any Islamic studies curriculum must turn serious attention to this intellectual effervescence, which in turn implies mastery of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and other languages. Only then can Islamic studies chal-lenge the simplistic notion that Islam is still in its medieval period, that it must evolve and experience its own renaissance before it can catch up with the West and modernity. For when such academic preconditions become a prerequisite, the study of a religion or civiliza-tion ceases to be academic or objective. It

feeds into ideology and justifies domination. If contemporary Islamic studies are to evolve in a meaningful way, we must distin-guish between Islam and Muslims on the one hand, and political Islam, Islamism and Islam-ists on the other. Even if this has been done, there remains room for serious critical reap-praisal of the instruction on offer in many of our universities. How else to explain why certain vio-lent groups are lent an interpretative authority based on little more than either willful negli-gence ... or ignorance? Perhaps the outstand-ing example of this treatment is Ibn Taymiyya, the 13th-century scholar who some consider the quintessential extremist thinker. The speech and actions of today's violent Islamists become windows through which the Islamic heritage, and Islamic scholars themselves, are interpreted and judged. Contemporary Islamic studies face another major challenge: that of reconciling students drawn to the field with this complex, multilayered and multidimensional world. Knowledge of languages, cultures, memories and histories, of social dynamics and evolution are the essential parameters if we are to study the other as he actually is, and not as a demo-graphic, cultural or political threat. As more and more Western Muslims enroll in Islamic studies programs, they bring with them their "insider's" knowledge and sen-sibilities. Meanwhile, professors and instructors have begun to question the old paradigms more insistently, to objectify "Islam," to trans-form it into a more coherent, more complete and ultimately more academic discipline. Islamic studies must be taken serious-ly. Politicians, university administrators, facul-ty and students must say so; they must make a firm commitment to re-evaluate critically and constructively what our academic institutions offer today.


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Sizing up Sincerity As one prepares their luggage to meet the Lord of the worlds, there is nothing more vital to check for than ikhlas (sincerity). The Most High says: “…So whoever is hopeful for the Meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not

associate in the worship of his Lord any-one.” [Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 110]

This verse embodies the two pillars of acceptance. Whoever hopes to be accepted by his Maker and Master, and hopes to live for eternity in His Company, must ensure these two ingredients are available: Sincerity: namely that none is associat-ed alongside Allah, in our motives. Righteous Work: namely what has been defined as correct and righteous by the Messenger, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Upon reflection, these are realized as the summary of Islam, and the essence behind its 1st pillar: None is worthy of worship but Allah (sincerity), and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is the Messenger of Allah (righteousness defined). However, the more important of these two pillars is Ikhlas, for it can sometimes com-pensate for other things, but nothing can com-

pensate for it. As a scholar said, “Allah may accept from you half an action, but will not accept from you half an intention.” Others il-lustrated the disparity by saying, “An imper-fect action that was done with sincerity is like a fisherman who brings a flawed net to a pond of fish. As for the perfect action what was per-formed without sincerity, it is like a fisherman who brings a perfect net to a pond without fish.” The first may possibly catch some fish, despite the flawed apparatus, whereas there is no chance for the second to catch any, regard-less of how flawless his equipment is. Surely this does not imply undermin-ing the second pillar whatsoever, but simply aims to size things up correctly. In fact, true sincerity will necessitate that one follow the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).If a per-son is genuinely seeking the pleasure of Allah, he/she will inquire as to what actually pleases Him, and will in turn discover that it is nothing but the perfect path of His messenger, Mu-hammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Sincerity Defined Linguistically, ikhlas means to separate and distinguish. Thus, Yahya ibn Mu'adh ar-Razi said, “Ikhlas is to filter the actions from every flaw, just as milk is filtered out from be-

Abu Abbaad


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tween blood and dung.” In that, he was refer-ring to the words of the Most High:

…We give you drink from what is in their bel-lies – from between excretions and blood – milk that is khalis (pure), palatable to the

drinkers. [Surah An-Nahl, Verse 66] The benefit of knowing the origins of this term, and not settling for just the transla-tion “sincerity,” lies in realizing that ikhlas is an active process, a laborious task, and an uphill climb. It literally means to strip our motives of anything but the pleasure of Allah, and frankly, that is unnatural! The original, raw nature of the human being is that he pursues his person-al interests, and loves to be recognized, and enjoys nothing more than the mention of his own name. Therefore, extracting that egotisti-cal drive is comparable to pulling out a wisdom tooth which is naturally, originally there. Thus, one of the salaf used to say, “Nothing is more difficult on the inner-self than ikhlas, for it has no share of it.” In other words, the inner self sees that it gets nothing out of it (at first glance!), so why agree to it? Realizing its Difficulty Hence, the first step towards sincerity is coming to terms with its difficulty, and ac-knowledging that acquiring, keeping, and re-trieving ikhlas, is a life-long mission that ends with your last breath. This was the vigilant ap-proach of the best generations. Consider how Sufyan ath-Thawri, who filled this planet with his knowledge, devotion, and piety, has said, “I never remedied anything more difficult on me than my intention, and it's constantly over-turning on me.” Similarly, when Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked regarding his countless journeys and trials in pursuit and defense of the religious sciences, he said, “As for it being all for Allah, that is a difficult claim.” Another of the salaf said, “A moment of ikhlas entails an eternity of salvation, but ikhlas is indeed

difficult.” The Conspiracies of the Inner-Self What illustrates the difficulty of ikhlas, are the layers of false motives conspired by the inner-self; many of which are almost unde-tectable. Our scholars have mentioned – I be-lieve this was Abu Hamid al-Ghazali – how most people presume that insincerity only lies in seeking praise from the people, while this is only the simplest, most obvious form of “showing off.” He argues that, in reality, ri-ya' (showing off) comes in four degrees, each uglier and stealthier than the one before it: Acting in front of people, in order to earn their praise. An example of this is beautifying the prayer due to the presence of onlookers. A sign of this form of riya' is that the action stops or changes when such an audience is absent. Acting in private, while hoping to be seen by the people. An example of this is a person performing night prayers in seclusion, while wishing that someone discovers his dedica-tion. A sign of this form of riya' is that s/he becomes happy when they are stumbled up-on, or quit the act when they are not acknowledged for it. Acting in private, in order to feel self-righteous. An example of this is a person lengthening their prayer in private, so as not to feel guilty and hypocritical when beautify-ing his prayers for the onlookers. A sign of this form of riya' is that a person is only dili-gent with the acts of worship that have a public counterpart. Acting in private, to acquire status in the hearts. An example of this is a person praying at night, so that Allah would turn the people towards him in veneration by day. A sign of this form of riya' is that a person becomes angry when not distinguished, for his conceit-ed heart feels entitled to the utmost rever-


26. (Vol.15, Issue: 05)

ence because of how “near” it is to Allah.

None of these are ikhlas, for the first three sought to impress the people or themselves, and the fourth sought Allah as the means and the people as the goal (making it the most pitiful form!). Ruined without ar-Rahman (the Most Merciful) After considering these stealthy insinuations that flow through the veins of the human being, one now understands the importance of this Prophetic supplication: Allahumma inny a'oodhu bika un ushrika bika wa ana a'lam, wa astaghfiruka li ma la a'lam

O Allah! I seek refuge in You from associating [others] with You while I know, and I seek Your forgiveness for when I

don't know. [Bukhari; al-Adab al-Mufrad (551)]

This brilliant hadith contains two gems that must be picked up for our quest in pursuit of ikhlas: Fear: Via remembering that there are times when we do in fact associate others with Al-lah without realizing it. Hope: Via remembering that by earnestly calling upon Allah with this du'a', those barely discernible poisons can be for-given. So let that be our sec-ond step towards sincerity, relying upon Allah to rescue us

The Bigger Piece of the Cake

Abu ‘Abdullah Waaqidi says: Once, while I was suffering from some financial constraints, the occasion of ‘Eid arrived. My slave girl came to me and said: “Eid has arrived and we don’t have any money.” So I went up to a friend who was a businessman, explained to him my situation and requested a

loan from him. He took out a bag of 1200 silver coins and gave it to me. I

had hardly reached home when a Hashimite friend came to me expressing his need for a loan due to a delay in his returns. I went to my wife and told her what has happened. She asked

me: “What have you decided?” I replied: “I will share the bag of coins between the two of us.”

She said to me: “That is nothing great. An ordinary person gave you 1200 silver coins and now you want to give half of

that to a man who is closely related to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Give him the whole bag.” So I gave the

entire bag to him. After a little while my businessman friend went to the Hash-imite – who was his friend as well – asking him for a loan. The Hashimite brought out exactly the same bag. When the businessman saw it, he recognized it and came to relate the

incident to me. Thereafter, the governor Yahya bin Khaalid Al-Barmaki

summoned me. When I met him and related this incident to him, he ordered his slave to bring 10 000 silver coins which he

gave to me saying: “2000 is for you, 2000 for your friend, 2000 for the Hashimite and 4000 for your wife since she was

the most generous from all of you.” (Taareekhu Baghdad, vol. 4, pg. 30)

Lesson: When one gives preference over oneself – especially when one is also experiencing some difficulty – it may seem

that one is being deprived. In actual fact, Allah blesses him/her with far greater returns, often in this world as well. Let us give preference to others in small issues and allow them to have “the bigger piece of the cake”, and see how Allah Ta ‘ala will

grant us an entire “bakery” in return.


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braces mankind as a whole. Every scientist builds on the foundations supplied by his pre-decessors, be they of his own nation or of another; and this process of building, cor-recting and improving goes on and on, from man to man, from age to age, from civilization to civilization: so that the scien-tific achievements of a particular age or civilization can never be said to 'belong' to that age or civilization. At various times one nation, more vigorous than others, is able to contribute more to the general fund of knowledge; but in the long run the process is shared, and legitimately so, by all. There was a time when the civilization of the Muslims was more vigorous than the civilization of Eu-rope. It transmitted to Europe many tech-nological inventions of a revolutionary na-ture, and more than that: the very principles of that 'scientific method' on which modern science and civilization are built. Nevertheless, Jabir ibn Hayyan's fundamental discoveries in chemistry did not make chemistry an 'Arabian' science; nor can algebra and trig-onometry be described as 'Muslim' sciences, although the one was evolved by Al-Khwarizmi and the other by Al-Battani, both of whom were Muslims: just as one cannot speak of an 'English' Theory of Gravity, alt-hough the man who formulated it was an Eng-

Never before, I reflected, have the worlds of Islam and the West come so close to one another as today. This closeness is a struggle, visible and invisible. Under the impact of Western cultural i.Jluences, the souls of many Muslim men and women are slowly shrivelling. They are letting themselves be led away from iheir erstwhile belief that an improvement of living stan dards should be but a means to improving man's spiritual per ceptions ; they are falling into the same idolatry of 'progress' into which the Western world fell after it reduced religion to a mere melodious tinkling somewhere in the back-ground of happening; and are thereby growing smaller in stature, not greater: for all cultural imitation, opposed as it is to creativeness, is bound to make a people small... Not that the Muslims could not learn much from the West, especially in the fields of science and technology. But, then, acquisition of scientific notions and methods is not really 'imitation': and cer-tainly not in the case of a people whose faith commands them to search for knowledge wherever it is to be found. Science is nei-ther Western nor Eastern, for all scientific dis-coveries are only links in an unending chain of intellectual endeavour which em-

Muhammad Asad


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lishman. All such achieve-ments are the common property of the human race. If, therefore, the Muslims adopt, as adopt they must, modern meth-ods in science and tech-nology, they will do not more than follow the evo-lutionary instinct which causes men to avail themselves of other men's experiences. But if they adopt - as there is no need for them to do - Western forms of life, Western manners and customs and social con-cepts, they will not gain thereby: for what the West can give them in this respect will not be superi-or to what their own cul-ture has given them and to what their own faith points the way. If the Muslims keep their heads cool and accept progress as a means and not as an end in itself, they may not only retain their own inner freedom but also, per-haps, pass on to West-ern man the lost secret of life's sweetness ...

Taken from: The Road to Mecca Muhammad Asad was a Jewish-

born Austro-Hungarian born journalist, traveler, writer, lin-

guist, thinker, political theorist, diplomat and Islamic scholar.

Asad was one of the most influ-ential European Muslims of the

20th century .

Who should I Follow?

With the abundance of Islamic literature and schol-ars, the question that regularly arises is: “Who

should I follow and whose lectures should I listen to?”

The great Maaliki scholar, Imaam Shaatbi (rahimahullah) (d. 790 A.H.) gives three simple

signs by means of which one can recognize a true and reliable scholar of deen:

1. He practises on his knowledge and his actions con-form to his words. If his actions contradict his words, then he is not worthy of being a teacher and of being

followed. 2. He was nurtured by the experts of that field,

studying under them and holding firmly to them, un-til a time came when he became worthy of the same titles as them. This was in reality the noble practice

of our pious predecessors. 3. He follows in the footsteps of his teachers, and adopts their conduct and mannerisms as was the

practice of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) in following Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), and the Taabi‘een in following the Sahaabah and this process continued from generation to generation.

When this quality was ignored and overlooked, inno-vations began creeping into deen, because choosing not

to follow one’s elders is due to some new factor, the root cause of which is the following of one’s desires.

(Al-Muwaafaqaat – vol. 1, pgs. 83 – 85)


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In detaching oneself from this dunya and thinking of the hereafter I feel that one would have to be knowledgeable of what is waiting for him in the next life. Why we are living this life, our main purpose; what we should be doing here and why, importantly how. In order to know this, we should learn Islam. This way we are not blindly following our forefathers but we are confident in our religion and how to act and therefore think. Islam is for those who think, reflect and pon-der; as Allah Subhaana wa ta’aala has men-tioned many times in the Quran…

“Do you not think” (37:138) “Do they not reflect?” (7:184)

“…Verily, in it are signs for people who think deeply.” (45:13)

In order for you to detach yourself from this dunya you would have to believe in the akhirah

(hereafter). And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are cer-

tain [in faith]. (2:4) As a Muslim we believe in the here-after but we tend to get so attached to this dunya that we forget about it. Focusing on pleasing Allah is one of the most important aspects one should consider. In this life we get

caught up on pleasing others; whether it is our parents, children, teachers, bosses, etc. Even just being a Good Samaritan makes us think that we are doing enough. Here is the million dollar question, “Isn’t all the good I do in this life also good in the hereafter?” Well that de-pends on you. Whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world, We give him something thereof and he has no portion in the Hereafter. (42:20) If you are doing it for Allah’s pleasure and Allah’s pleasure alone, then yes. You will receive your reward from Allah, but if it is done to please these individuals then no, un-less you’re just doing it again to be a good per-son, then Allah is all Kind and Just. If Allah wills, you will receive that which you deserve. Acts of good for this life will result in rewards in this life, plain and simple. A Muslim once told me that Christians are much better Samaritans’ than any Muslim he has ever met. He stated that they have more respect and are kind, caring, etc. I told him that if the Muslims he had met were prac-ticing Islam correctly, then it would be quite the opposite. However, the people you met unfortunately may have had low tolerance or

Sister Asrar bint Husain


30. (Vol.15, Issue: 05)

who knows what and you shouldn’t judge Is-lam (aka Practicing Muslims) on Muslims by name. These other individuals you claim to be better are only better because they are busy pleasing you instead of their Lord! My personal opinion in the matter was as follows, “ If a person died with only kind act for this life then his life would have been a waste, which means all the good he has done is now gone, as if he has never done it.” Why? Because, if you are doing good deeds for this dunya then you will get rewards for this dunya which will eventually end; therefore so will the rewards of this life. Now if you are a non Muslim this would be fine be-cause non Muslims do not all believe in the hereafter. So they are covered (supposedly). As for the Muslim who knows what is waiting for him and does not act wisely will result in failure and this is something we all should pray we don’t achieve. The non Muslim is an indi-vidual who pleased him (the Muslim) but re-fused to please Allah and from this, I can only assume that he loved himself more than he loved Allah. I said this to the Muslim only to let him see the bigger picture. Allah is always the bigger picture that unfortunately is always be-ing pushed back into our subconscious. He saw a non Muslim to be better because he was nic-er than most Muslims he came across, but this is an unfortunate event that has happened, and very minor compared to the sin they are committing when not worshiping Allah. He saw acts of kindness towards him but did not see acts of Kufur (disbelief) to Allah Subhaana wa Ta’aala. One shouldn’t judge Islam through the people they meet. Acts of kindness are encouraged to be done by all but unfortunate-ly not all do it.

Whoever desires the reward of this world – then with Allah is the reward of this world and

the Hereafter. And ever is Allah Hearing and Seeing.(4:134)

Now acts done for the hereafter, well let’s just say they are much higher in value because the hereafter is a much longer period than this life and the reward is much more. These hold your passport to Jannah. These acts are: a) Prayer, b) Zakat, c) Fasting, d) And Hajj. These are the major acts done as a Muslim which Allah will reward us for insha Allah. Other act for the hereafter would be: a) Jihad (fighting for Allah’s cause), b) Sadaqa (charity), c) Dawah (preaching or teaching Islam) are among few. d) Also anything done to please Allah alone. When taught in the professional field we learn in order to achieve anything in this life we must keep our eye on the goal, never give up, and face difficulties. Focus is a major issue here because we are living in a world that is moving in a fast pace. Everything is rushed. We don’t have any more time. We refuse to admit that Allah is in control of time, Allah give the Baraka (blessing) in time. If Allah wills he will make sure you have time if you truly are using that time wisely; in other words, in pleasing Allah. If all I do is waste time, do you think I deserve any blessing from Allah that he lengthen my time to do nothing? Let me rephrase that because who really does nothing; instead let’s say if all I do is concen-trate on this dunya. I will use myself as an example; let’s say, I wake up, get ready (make up, nicely fitted clothes) take my kids to school, head out to work, come home, make dinner, sit with the family and watch some television, get ready for bed and then do it all over again. Any spare time I have in between, I may do things that interest me, go online, and enroll in a class/


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The Mindset of a Believer Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali

Thaanwi (ra) mentioned: "The spirit one needs to constantly

have is how can one be of service to the creation and how can one’s actions be a means of preserving deen. We should

not do things to earn popularity among people. As far as popularity is con-

cerned, we should hope and desire that people do not even come to know of

our good works carried out during our lifetime and nor should the people

speak of our good deeds after our de-mise."

(Malfoozaat-e-Hakeemul Ummat 10/19)

school, whatever. There could be a million sce-narios, but the point here is I didn’t think about the hereafter. Now let’s say I was a person who thinks of the hereafter; I wake up, make wudu, pray fajr(morning prayer), read Qur’an, go back to sleep, wake up, make breakfast for the family, start my children in their homeschool-ing, pray dhur (noon prayer), make lunch, etc., finish the day with all 5 prayers done (extra would be praying sunnah prayers as well), feed my family, if I am in school, I go with proper dress of Hijab (Islamic wear), If I work, which I encourage work be done at home but if done, then same appeal applies. Before I go to bed I read Quran and then sleep. Some may wake up for salat at tahajud (3rd part of the night prayer) Usually 2 or 3 hours before fajr, but again this is among the extra prayers. This would be a person who is working hard for the hereafter, and I am not implying that if you don’t do as I’ve written, you are not among this group. This is just an example. There are those who do more and there are those who do less. The point here is to do something! Trust is another key word. Do you have taqwa (trust)? Do you believe if you work hard at something for Allah’s cause, (this could mean anything from raising your children to be good pious Muslims, or being a good wife and struggling to make ends meet in order that all is done for your family, working on dawah speeches, papers, or just volunteering for the mosque or anywhere in order to please Allah in anyway) He Subhaana wa Ta’aala would not help you in it? Let me just say, what you believe Allah is capable of doing, Allah can do. But if you don’t believe Allah Subhaana wa Ta’aala can do it for you, then he won’t. If you believe in the hereafter, it truly exists, then you would be smart to prepare for it. We need to remem-

ber the goal here is that our life doesn’t just end when we die, rather it just begins. Take from this life to be just a mere journey, we are just passing through. Don’t stop and get com-fortable in a place that you are going to be leaving soon. We all can agree that time is flying by way faster than we could ever image. Let’s not let it go without packing some supplies for the hereafter, and remember the supplies are on this life, once we reach the next life, it will be too late. Ask yourself what have you done that will be credited for the next life? Then see which one outweighs the other. Or are you procrastinating, unfortunately this may work with other things but not when it comes to our life and a clock that you never know when will stop! Reminder for myself as well as others, may Allah help us through this journey. Ameen!


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erful enough through their Lord’s Power to resist the whole world. They are virtuous and altruistic, for their purpose is to gain God’s ap-proval by working for His good pleasure. Bois-terous pride in power and wealth can have no room in their hearts, for they know that what-ever they possess is bestowed by God, and that God can take away as easily as He can give. Monotheists know that the only way to success and salvation is to acquire a pure soul and righteous behavior. They have perfect faith in God, Who is above all need, related to none, absolutely just, and without partner in His ex-ercise of Divine Power. Given this belief, they understand that they can succeed only through right living and just action, for no influence or underhanded activity can save them from ruin. Monotheists do not become hopeless and disappointed. Their firm faith in God, Mas-ter of all treasures of the earth and the heav-ens, and Possessor of limitless grace and boun-ty and infinite power, imparts to their hearts extraordinary consolation, fills them with satis-faction, and keeps them filled with hope. In this world they might meet with rejection at all doors, nothing might serve their ends, and all means might desert them. But faith in and de-pendence on God, which never leave them, give them the strength to go on struggling.

Monotheists, those who maintain tawhid, can-not be narrow-minded. Their belief in One God, creator of the heaven and the earth, Mas-ter of the east and the west, and Sustainer of the universe, leads them to view everything as belonging to the same Lord, to Whom they belong as well. Thus they consider nothing as alien. Their sympathy, love, and service are not confined to any particular race, color, or group, and they come to understand the Prophetic saying: “O servants of God, be brothers/sisters as God orders you!” (Bukhari) Monotheism produces the highest de-gree of self-respect and self-esteem in people. Monotheists know that only God has true pow-er, can benefit to harm them, fulfil their needs, cause them to die, or wield authority and influ-ence. This conviction makes them indifferent to and independent and fearless of all powers other than those of God. They never bow in homage to any of God’s creatures. Monotheists, although humble and mild, never abase themselves by bowing be-fore anyone or anything except God. They nev-er aim at any worldly advantage by their wor-ship. They seek only to please God and obtain His approval. Monotheists, although naturally weak and powerless as human beings, become pow-

Ali Unal


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Such profound confidence can come only from belief in the One God. Such belief produces great determination, patient perseverance, and trust in God. When they decide to devote their resources to fulfilling the Divine Com-mands to secure God’s good pleasure and ap-proval, they are sure that they have the Lord of the Universe’s support and backing. Many polytheists and atheists, on the other hand, have small hearts and depend on limited powers. Thus their troubles and the resulting despair soon overwhelm them and, frequently, they commit suicide. Professor Joad’s testimony is explicit on this point: ‘For the first time in history there is coming to ma-turity a generation of men and women [in the West of the 1950s] who have no religion, and feel no need for one. They are content to ignore it. Also they are very happy, the suicide rate is abnormally high.’ (The Present and Future of Religion)

As opposed to this, a non-Muslim his-torian who is not sympathetic to Islam, writes about tawhid: ‘In this uncompromising monotheism, with its sim-ple, enthusiastic faith in the supreme rule of a tran-scendental being, lies the chief strength of Islam. Its adherents enjoy a consciousness of contentment and resignation unknown among followers of most creeds. Suicide is rare in Muslim lands. (History of the Arabs)

Monotheism inspires bravery, for it defeats the two factors that make people cow-ards: fear of death and love of safety, and the belief that someone other than God can some-how be bribed into forgiving their sins. Belief in the Islamic creedal statement that “there is no deity but God” purges the mind of these ideas. The first idea looses its influence when people realize that their lives, property, and every-thing else really belong to God, for this makes them willing to sacrifice whatever they have for God’s approval. The second idea is defeat-ed when people realize that there is no pwer other than God that creates, causes to die, re-

wards, punishes, and forgives. Alsi, no one can die before his or her appointed time, even if all of the world’s forces were to combine to make it so. Nothing can bring death forward or push it backward even one instance. This firm belief in One God and dependence upon Him makes monotheists the bravest of people. Monotheism creates an attitude of peace and contentment, purges the mind of subtle passions and jealousy, envy and greed, and prevents one from resorting to base and unfair means to achieve success. Monotheists understand that God holds their wealth; that He bestows honor, power, reputation, and au-thority as He wills and subjects them to His will; and that their duty is only to endeavor and struggle fairly. They know that success and fail-ure depend upon His Grace, for no power can block His will to give or not to give. They also know that they must strive to deserve His Grace. But many of those who do not believe in God consider success and failure to be the result of their own efforts or by the help of earthly powers, and do not take God’s Grace and will into consideration. Therefore, they remain slaves to cupidity and envy, and use bribery, flattery, conspiracy, and other base and unfair means to achieve success. Monotheists know that God is aware of everything, whether hidden or open, and is nearer to them than their jugular vein. If they sin in secret even under the cover of night, God knows it. He knows our unformed thoughts and intentions, even those of which we our-selves are unaware. We can hide things from people, but not from God. We can evade eve-ryone, but not God’s grasp. The firmer our be-lief in this respect, the more observant we will be of His commands. This is why the first and most important condition for being a Muslim is to have firm and sincere faith in fod’s Oneness.

Cont’d on page 39 Cont’d from page 33


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ISLAM reveres Ulema because they are heirs to the Prophets (AS) who follow their way. In fact, it is in respect to their dignity and merit that Allah mentions them along with His Name and that of His Angels when He says:

“Allah bears witness that La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge

(also give witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in justice.” (Qur’an, 3:18)

It is a distinction for the Aalim that Allah sends blessings to him; and His angels and the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth also beseech Allah to bless him. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Verily, Allah do send His blessings to him who teaches people good. Also, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even ants in their

holes and fishes do ask Allah to bless him. (At-Tirmidhi)

Ulema are the friends of Allah; they are the ones who really fear Allah.

“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.” (Qur’an, 35:28)

They bear the knowledge with the fear of Allah, He then compensate them with great reward. Allah says:

“Their reward with their Lord is (Eden) Para-

dise (Gardens of Eternity), underneath which rivers flow, they will abide therein forever, Al-

lah Well-Pleased with them, and they with Him. This for him who fears his Lord.” (Qur’an,

98:8) Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “Scholars of Islam and those around whose sayings revolves Fat-wa (religious counseling) among people; those who are endowed with the ability to derive rulings from the (the Qur’anic and Hadith) texts and whose preoccupation is the regula-tion of the lawful and unlawful things are to the earth what the stars are to the heaven. It is through them that the confused get guid-ance and people’s need of them is greater than their need of food and drink.” Allah makes obeying them greater than obeying par-ents when He says: “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you

(Muslims) who are in authority.” (Qur’an, 4:59) The Ulema are the people’s refuge during calamities. Many a blind people have seen through them; many a Sunnah have been spread through them and many an innovation have been effaced through them. God-conscious Ulema are leaders in piety; if they had wanted beauties and high positions of this world, it would have come to

S. Abdul Bari At-Thubaythi


(Vol.15, Issue: 05) 35.

them submissively, but they live with their knowledge and meritorious deeds in a happi-ness that is far better than that of the people of worldly positions; that is because, their whole life revolves around no more than what Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) say. They do not learn knowledge for adornment purpose but to benefit from it. Their impact is so strong that, if they walk on a barren land it becomes fertile and if they step their feet on a territory full of darkness it be-comes illuminated. An Aalim in the real sense of the word is not the holder of higher certificates and aca-demic titles. He is rather the one who has a combination of knowledge, strong and deep Imaan, obedience to his Lord and a lot of Iba-dat (acts of worship). These are the people of knowledge whom Allah describes as incompa-rable to others when He says: “Are those who know equal to those who know

not.” (Qur’an, 39:9) Ibn Al-Mubarak was asked: “How can a true knowledgeable man be recognized?” He replied: “He is the one who is ascetic in this world and occupies himself with the affairs of the Hereafter.” Nevertheless, Ulema should not be regarded as perfect beings who are immunized against any defects, errors or mistakes; for, this is quite impossible. However, one should not be looking for the mistakes of a knowl-edgeable man because he may have an excuse that is unknown to that or us, this mistake may have a reason, which cannot be perceived by us. If the Prophets (peace be on them) have the right to be honored and revered, their inheritors should also have a share of that. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:

“The Ulema are indeed the heirs of the Proph-ets.” (Abu Dawood and others)

It is therefore incumbent on us to love them, to obey them in good, to defend them and ask for Allah’s Mercy for those who are deceased among them. Ibn Abbas (RA) said whoever annoys a knowledgeable man has annoyed the Messenger of Allah; and whoever annoys the Messenger of Allah has annoyed Allah. Death of Ulema is an irreparable loss to this Ummah. We beseech Allah to forgive the deceased among them and to benefit us with the knowledge of the living ones. Yes! Eyes do shed tears and hearts do get saddened, but if all of us shed our tears, that cannot change the situation nor prevent any harm. Actually, reaction of people of weak minds — after the death of Ulema — do not go beyond shedding tears and mere wailings and lamentations; but people of lofty aims and enlightened minds do go beyond that for, they know that sincere love for those scholars means to live according to their way; to die on their path; to be good example in knowledge and good deeds; to be leaders in piety and humbleness; to be models in patience and per-severance and to be pace-setters in generosity and sacrifice. Such are the characteristics of the Ulema and such should be the characteris-tics of those who love them. The Ulema are not personalities whose virtues should merely be sung or written on pages without benefiting from their light. Ibrahim ibn Habib said: “My father told me: ‘My son! Go to the Ulema, take knowledge from them and learn from their manners, characters and guidance; that is dearer to me than your learning of many Had-iths (without manners)’.”

(The writer is preacher of Masjide Nabawi, Madinah)


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In the lives of devout Muslims, a day never passes by without them using the Arabic phrase, Insha-Allah (God So Willing), at the end of the conversation when they refer to future events. Without an understanding of the meaning of this Arabic phrase, God's rela-tionship with His creatures, the concept of cre-ation, and the role of free will cannot bring into human comprehension. It is also not pos-sible to counter materialists with a rational internally consistent argument against their exclusion of God in the evolution of life and the universe. Materialist scientists argue that biological evolution is an "inherently mindless purposeless process.[Darwin’s Dangerous Idea] They preach that impersonal laws rule the universe and atoms are at work in the operation of life. Biologist Richard Dawkins, anti-God extremist, insists that contingency and natural selection, operating over a long period of time, account for evolution. Dawkins assumes that blind forces of physics and natural selection are sufficient to explain the origin and expan-sion of life. [The Blind Watchmaker & River out of Eden] He asserts that the unfolding of life is the result of selfish desires of genes to increase their op-portunities for survival and reproduction. Simi-lar fanaticism prevails among other practition-ers and admirers of science, who argue that

there is no reason to include God in the evolu-tion of life. Another extremist states, "...materialism is absolute [and] we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door."[The Demon-

Haunted World] Such fanaticism stems from an abso-lute faith in the law of causality, which most people acknowledge. A given cause always produces the same effect--gravity always pulls an apple down to the earth; spring season melts snow; drought brings destruction of crops. Chemical reactions in any organism, amoeba or human, are explainable by the same laws of physics and chemistry that gov-ern the universe. Based on causality, scientists maintain that the future is predetermined and can be predictable through accurate knowledge of past causes. The laws of nature, they argue, are invariant and scientific observation of the past is the product of those laws. Consequent-ly, any natural event that departs from the anticipated effect of a uniform cause is classi-fied as an "accident." However, scientific pre-dictions, based on observation of matter and invariant laws of nature, are limited by their own earlier conclusions and experiences. John F. Haught's novel and outstanding trea-

Inshah Allah (Allah-So-Willing) - The Islamic Metaphysics of the Future

T. O. Shanawaz


(Vol.15, Issue: 05) 37.

tise, God After Darwin, helped me develop a better understanding of Islam and the concept of creation described in the Quran.[God After Dar-

win] Since I view his mode of thought as much Islamic as his belief system, I shall apply his metaphysics to an Islamic context. Science peers into nature to gather data from atoms to stars, amoeba to man, fungus to maple tree or from any other phenomena of our universe. Science has separately cataloged the collected data using terminology such as paleontology, comparative anatomy, biogeography, embry-ology, molecular genetics and others such names. The materialist claim, that the unfold-ing of life as a "purposeless mindless process," is based upon inferences from catalogued ex-trapolations of past experiences. John F. Haught called materialistic metaphysics "metaphysics of the past."[ibid] With unflinching and, on the surface contradictory faith that God created every-thing, many Muslims also believe that the past determines the future. In the Islamic universe, unlike that catalogued by materialist science, the past and the present are not the creators of the future and neither can humans or any other creatures because "...Allah is the creator of everything, ... (13:16)." Even creations that we boast are our own emanated from Allah. The Quran states, "And God created you and what you make (37:96)." Allah created everything--computers, airplanes, cars and even the atom. A few im-portant questions Muslims might ask are: If Allah is the creator of what humans make, is He not also the creator of their good and bad deeds? Why should there be reward for the pious and retribution for the impious if Allah is the source of our actions? If Allah has sealed the hearts of disbelievers from receiving His guidance, (2:7) why does He hold them ac-countable for their actions on the Day of Judg-ment? We will answer those questions a little

later. The experienced past is irretrievable, the present is only a fleeting moment that we cannot get a hold of; on the other hand, we experience the continuous coming of the fu-ture. Future is not simply the birth of a mo-ment. Future means the yet to be born or created moment packed with contrasting or diametrically opposite possibilities. Each mo-ment brings each of us hope or fear, success or failure, pain or pleasure, and routine or sur-prise events. Each moment presents itself to us as different kinds of information simultane-ously. Islamic faith decrees that Allah is the source of all information. Therefore, Muslims pray, "...My Lord, augment me in knowledge (20:114)." Its teachings regarding the coming of future events is grounded in the phrase, Insha Allah (God so willing) and the verse "And never say about anything 'Behold, I shall do this tomorrow,' without [adding] 'if God so wills.'...(18:23)." So, Muslims say Insha Allah after every statement pertaining to the future, even for simple tasks such as meeting a friend at 4 P.M. tomorrow. Muslims believe that the future is not simply born without cause, but that it will occur only if Allah creates it. Our planning and our desires may or may not be what Allah has is going to present us with in our future. Allah states: "and they contrived, and God contrived, but God is the greatest of contrivers (Quran3: 54)." Islamic theology tells us that all living creatures participate in the actualization of the possibilities contained within future moments into visible monuments of God. The present is the pivotal moment between past and future. Allah tests us by asking us to make moral choices out of possibilities-the good, bad, and neutral, the moral and the immoral-that are contained in each approaching moment. Each moment is different for each individual and


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the lessons of the past and present are tools that help one make the right choices. Allah revealed his words to the prophets and provid-ed holy books to both humans and Jinn ex-plaining what is right or wrong, moral or im-moral, preferred or not preferred, and what is rewarding or punishable. Allah narrates the histories of the past in the Quran in order to help humans and Jinn use lessons from the history in conjunction with His revelations to make the right choices. If a future moment arrives, lacking in novel possibilities, humans and other crea-tures cannot change their present condition, which then becomes stagnant and could re-main so for an unlimited period of time. Even when Allah sends our way moments with nov-el possibilities, creatures will remain un-changed if they do not accept His revelation. Thus, living creatures have the freedom only to actualize possibilities contained as infor-mation in each moments of future arriving from God. To label the above belief, we shall borrow John F.Haught's title "metaphysics of the future" and modify it to read "the meta-physics of future of Islam." In Islamic metaphysics of the future, the universe is always within Allah's provi-dence. Allah is the creator of all things and the one who brings each moment with possibilities as information. Nothing comes into being without the information about it initially avail-able. Scientists provide information to various sectors of society, such as presidents, heads of corporations, assembly workers and others, guiding them to the scientific basis for manag-ing their vocations. Those who receive such information can then actualize it into cars, air-planes, nations etc. For instance, the ordinary assembly-line worker can choose the manufac-turing plant in which he wishes to be em-ployed. In the work place workers have no freedom to manufacture any products of their

choice but to assemble a product using com-ponents coming through the conveyer belt of the factory. The physical and spiritual universe is the manufacturing plant of Islam where crea-tures at large, and mankind in particular, are like assembly-line workers. The chain of flow-ing moments of the coming future are the con-veyer belt, which delivers the raw materials (possibilities as information) necessary for the making of many products. However, in this factory there are components for many prod-uct lines or possibilities and the worker is free to select any of the components from convey-er belt (arriving future) and actualizing those possibilities into visible monuments of Allah's creation. If there is no flow of information from scientists, the assembly line worker is unable to produce any anything. Even the fac-tory would not exist. Similarly, human or any other creatures cannot produce or act upon until the future moment arrives with possibili-ties as information from Allah. Belief and disbelief in God also come as possibilities in the flow of moments from the future. If human beings choose and accept disbelief in God, their minds become unrecep-tive to divine revelations until they are willing to give up their disbelief. Therefore, individu-als opt to receive reward or retribution in the hereafter universe (al-Akhirah) based upon their earthy choices. Allah, the Merciful and Benevolent, bestowed his creatures with free will. He does not interfere or force us into making choices and voluntarily limits His Abso-lute Power as stated in the Quranic verse: "And had your Lord willed, whoever in the earth would have believed altogether. Will you then coerce the people to become believers? (10:99)". Therefore, we are free to choose and actualize any one of the worldly possibilities available to us, such as atomic power, comput-


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er technology, etc., but our future is limited by what possibilities that God has in store for us. Based upon the far-reaching meaning of the phrase, Insha Allah (God willing) and the concept of "metaphysics of future," the acci-dents or contingencies are novelties coming from Allah even though these novelties appear random for human mind fixed in the "metaphysics of the past" of the materialists. For example, God created for Hind d. Utba, one of the foremost enemies of Prophet , the possibility of joining the distinguished compa-ny of Prophet , as Hamzah did, or the decision to kill and mutilate Hamzah. Allah did not com-pel Hind to choose any one of the paths. Allah created good and bad choices in her arriving future and she decided to actualize the bad choice to kill and cannibalize. [The Life of muham-

mad] The Quran supports the above when it states: "Surely God does not wrong anyone, they wrong themselves. (10:44)." So, there is no conflict between the belief that Allah is the creator of the world and all the creatures and the belief that human beings and other crea-tures are endowed with free will within the bounds of possibilities that come through the flow of moments from the future. Such a con-struction of the universe and with free will distances God as a tyrant. If we take a global picture of all earthly creatures, we witness a universe filled with a mixture of pain and suffering, as well as happi-ness and peace. Universe is like a musical play where actors (God's creatures), at their indi-vidual hierarchical ranks, freely choose their roles from possible scenarios presented to them by the choreographer (Allah). Chance and unpredictability are inevitable and in fact built into such an atmosphere. However, in real life, the pain and suffering, that we experi-ence as a result of the free choices of all crea-tures for their selfish benefits, are God's way of testing, perfecting and preparing us for the

eternal world of absolute happiness and peace. Sufi poet, Rumi, describes this universe as a battlefield where atom struggles with at-om like faith against infidelity. He states in this struggle, some benefit and others suffer. Final-ly, the "metaphysics of future of Islam" blends chance, unpredictability, and creatures with free will altogether to form our universe with-in the context of the existence of a Most Com-passionate, Most Just, Omnipotent God, Allah.

Dr. T. O. Shanawaz is Vice President, Islamic Research Founda-tion International, Inc.

This is also most important and fun-damental principle of the Prophet’s teachings, as well as Islam’s bedrock and the mainspring of its power. All other beliefs, commands, and laws of Islam stand firm on this foundation. Lastly, we quote the remarks of Dr. Laura Vec-cia Vaglieri, a famous Italian Orientalist, con-cerning the universal spirit of Islamic monothe-ism: The Prophet, with a voice which was in-spired by a deep communion with his Maker, preached the purest monotheism to the worshipper of fetish and the followers of a corrupted Christiani-ty and Judaism. He put himself in open conflict with those regressive tendencies of mankind which lead to the association of other beings with the Creator. In order to lead men to a belief in one God, he did not delude them with happenings which devi-ate from the normal course of nature. Rather, he simply invited them, without asking them to leave the realm of reality, to consider the Universe and its laws. Being confident of the resultant belief in the one and indispensable God, he simply let men read to the book of life. Thanks to Islam, paganism in its various forms was defeated. The concept of the Universe, the practices of religion, and the customs of social life were each liberated from all the monstrosities which had degraded them, and human minds were made free of prejudice. Man finally realized his dig-nity.


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It happened at an international inter-faith conference. The organizers decided to end the conference with readings from the scriptures of major religions, done by follow-ers of other religions. An Arab Christian turned out to be a very good reciter of the Qur’an, as he read few verses from the Holy Book. Every one seemed to be moved by his heart-rending reading, including the reciter himself. Later, a prominent Indian Muslim thinker and writer, who narrated this story, asked him: “Do you think Qur’an is the Word of God?” In a moment of truth, he said: “Yes.” But, then, he had second thoughts, so he add-ed: “But only for the Arabs.” The Qur’an has arguably been the only Book that kept moving millions to the message of Allah all through the ages and all across the world. Its Words stirred up souls of many peo-ple who might not know even a word of the Arabic language. Famous Egyptian reciter Qari Abdul Basit reportedly once accompanied then Presi-dent Gamal Abdul Nasser to a meeting with the Soviet leaders. During a break in the meeting, Nasser asked him to recite the Qur’an before the top Soviet leaders. When he finished the recitation, Qari Abdul Basit saw at least four of them shedding tears. “We don’t know what it was,” they later explained. But there was some thing

touching in those Words! Ironically at that time Qur’an was the forbidden tree for the Muslims in the Soviet Union. Reading, teaching, or even possessing a copy of the Qur’an resulted in the most severe punishments. The KGB was always on the look-out. Its agents could enter any house, any time, if they suspected anyone inside of read-ing Qur’an or offering prayers. Religious lead-ers were drafted for compulsory labor. Mosques and Islamic schools were closed down and turned into cinema houses, facto-ries and offices. One could not find a copy of the Qur’an anywhere. The ruthless state machinery did eve-rything within its power to extinguish the flame of Qur’an in the empire. Yet during those 70 dark years, Muslims kept the flame burning. They developed elaborate camou-flage mechanisms, at tremendous risks, to teach Qur’an to their children. Little children had to stay away from their parents for months at a time as they retired to secret hujras (rooms) where they memorized Qur’an and received religious instructions without ever having looked at a printed page. Their stories remain a neglected but extremely bright part of our recent history. What kind of book can command such devotion and sacrifices? Only the Book that begins by asserting:


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“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.” (Qur’an, 2:2)

And then each and every line of it attests to that assertion. It declares:

“The Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an.” (Qur’an, 55:1-2)

It challenges: “Say If the whole of mankind and Jinn were to

gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like there-

of, even if they backed up each other with help and support.” (Qur’an, 17:88)

It says: “Verily it is We Who revealed the Remem-

brance and verily We are its guardi-ans.” (Qur’an, 15:9)

Qur’an is the first document in the Arabic language. There is no other language of the world that has withstood a time span of 1400 years. Over the centuries, rivers change courses, civilizations rise and fall, and lan-guages become extinct making way for the new ones. Consider the expression “faeder ure on heofonum” in a Bible of 900 CE (Matthew, 6) The writing from that time cannot be read by an English-knowing person today. But anyone having the knowledge of Arabic can read the Qur’an and understand its message. As did all the people in the intervening centu-ries! Prominent scholar Dr. Hamidullah tells of an effort in Germany by the Christian schol-ars to gather all the Greek manuscripts of Bible as the original Bible in Aramaic is extinct. They gathered all manuscripts in the world and after having examined all of them, reported: “Some 200,000 contradictory narra-tions have been found... of these one-eighth are of an important nature.” Following the publicaton of the report, an Institute for Qur’anic Research was established too in Mu-nich with the similar goal of examining the

Book as it was done in case of the Bible. A gigantic research project was started that continued for three generations. By 1933 CE, 43,000 photocopies of Qur’anic manu-scripts were collected. A report published shortly before World War II that showed the results of the examination of these manu-scripts. While some minor mistakes of calligra-phy were found, not a single discrepancy in the text could be discovered! Of course the love, devotion and care that Muslim showed toward the Qur’an, and that became the immediate cause of its mirac-ulous preservation, was inspired by the Proph-et Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). On one occasion he asked the companions in Suffa: Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or Al-Aqiq (two markets near Madinah) and bring two large she-camels without being guilty of sin or without severing the ties of kinship? Camels were the valuable commodity of the time, she-camels even more so. As they showed their interest, Prophet Mu-hammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) ex-plained: “To teach or recite two verses of the Qur’an is better than getting two she-camels. And three verses are better than three she-camels.” (Muslim). And so, for centuries this ummah dis-played an unprecedented love and devotion for the Book of Allah Almighty. It began the education of its children by teaching them how to read Qur’an. It began its day by reciting from the Qur’an, which was divided into seven parts, each called a manzil, so it could be read completely every week. It was divided into 30 parts, each called a juz, so it could be read completely every month. Qur’an is the most read and memorized book in the world! Today, though, we see a change. Thanks to the twin scourges of a colonial edu-cation system and the television, today we find millions of Muslim children for whom


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‘Nothing Serious’ When ‘Aaisha (RA) was mistakenly left behind from the caravan on

one journey, she thought to herself that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi

wasallam) will realise that she is missing and will send someone to

search for her. So she lay down in the spot where she had camped and

sleep overpowered her.

Safwaan bin Mu‘attal (RA) was appointed by Rasulullah (sallallahu

‘alaihi wasallam) to travel behind the caravan so that if anything was

forgotten or had fallen behind, he can pick it up and bring it along. As

he passes by, he sees somebody in the distance. When he comes closer,

he recognises ‘Aaisha (RA) since he had seen her prior to the laws of

hijaab. As soon as he realized it is her, he recited‘innaa lillaahi wa

innaa ilaihi raaji‘oon’ aloud. Upon hearing this ‘Aaisha (RA) imme-

diately woke up and covered her face with her jilbaab (outer covering).

She further says: “I take an oath on Allah, we never spoke a word,

nor did I hear a single word from him besides ‘innaa lillaahi wa innaa

ilaihi raaji‘oon’.” (Saheeh Bukhaari)

Lesson: Look at the level of modesty! Safwaan (RA) was so cautious,

that even in a situation of dire necessity he did not address ‘Aaisha

(RA) directly. Instead he used this expression to alert her of his pres-

ence without having to engage in any type of conversation with her.

Furthermore, despite their high level of piety, the purity of their hearts

and the deep consciousness of Allah, and despite the fact that ‘Aaisha

(RA) had just experienced the trauma of being left all alone in the

wilderness at a young age, she still immediately covered her face and

didn’t even speak a word. In stark contrast to this noble example, we

have become so bold that notwithstanding the great possibility of sin

and in fact at times the certainty of lust and temptation, we justify our

casual chats via social networks by saying: “Our hearts are clean and

there is nothing serious going on.”

Many marriages have broken up in this way, many children have been

affected and many homes have been ruined. We need to stop NOW, so

that our marriage, children and home are not the next victim.

learning to read the Qur’an is not part of their education. We find millions of Muslim homes where Qur’an is read only on special occasions, when some-one dies, for example. This despite the fact that in most parts of the world today, unlike the Soviet Union of yes-terday, reading the Qur’an is no longer a high risk proposition. How unfortu-nate is the person who dies of thirst while holding the refreshing glass of water in his hands! How unfortu-nate is the person who dies of disease while holding the perfect medicine in his hands! We must read it, understand it, and put it into practice. But we must also remem-ber that reading with full deference and proper etiquettes is a pre-requisite for under-standing the Qur’an, just as understanding its message is a pre-requisite for practicing it. Our goal must be to live by the Qur’an. For only then we truly live. Otherwise we only pre-tend to live.

Courtesy: ummah.com


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New organization unites US Muslims in one coalition WASHINGTON — Seeking to make a bigger impact in American politics and to better protect their civil rights, 10 Muslim groups have banded together under a new umbrella group: the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations. Many of the leaders of the new organ-ization called the campaign for increased unity among Muslims an unprecedented step for the community, and one that could help weave Muslims more tightly into the fabric of American life. “This is the dream of every American Muslim, to unify the approach, agenda and vision of the Muslim community,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, at a Wednesday (March 12) announcement at the National Press Club. “In the past, many people have tried to unite on a limited agenda, but this is a broad agenda for the American Muslim com-munity.” The council plans to advocate for is-sues important to American Muslims and to boost their voter registration. The idea is to give Muslims a bigger political platform in elec-tions and society, and to leverage the commu-nity’s purchasing power. The organizations in the council in-

clude some of the most active in Muslim-American life, including CAIR, the Islamic Circle of North America and the Muslim American Society. Council members say their first charge is to conduct a census of Muslims in the U.S. to get a better handle on what issues Muslims care about most. They hope to complete it within two years, to help shape their agenda in the 2016 elections. “Muslim voters have the potential to be swing voters in 2016,” said Awad. “We are aiming at that election to bring more participa-tion from the Muslim community.”

Washington Post

UCF students fast to help battered women ORLANDO — A group of University of Central Florida students fasted for one day to help raise money for battered women. The Muslim Student Association at UCF organized the event, called a Fast-A-Thon. The group said they were using the traditions of their culture to help women at ICNA Relief Orlando Women’s Shelter. They said one dollar is donated for every person who pledges to fast. “When all you can focus on is that you are hungry and that you are thirsty,” said Alya Kutik, president of the MSA. “You don’t have time to lie, you don’t really have time to gossip about people, you don’t have time to worry about things because you are so focused on


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that base drive that we all have.” UCF student Ben West was part of the group of about 300 people who didn’t eat or drink anything for a day. West said eventually was happy to break the fast, but says a few meals was worth an effort to help women and learn more about another culture. “I could give up a few meals for that,” West said. The MSA said they raised $1,690 dur-ing the Fast-A-Thon. “This is a really cool way to help the community,” West said.

News 13

Syrian refugees in Lebanon hit million mark BEIRUT: A teenager from central Syria became the one millionth Syrian refugee to register in Lebanon on Thursday, a “devastating milestone” for the tiny Arab country with about 4.5 million people of its own, the UN refugee agency said. Signing up for aid, 19-year-old Yahya recounted his long ordeal. After being trapped by the fighting for more than two years in his native city of Homs, he was evacuated earlier this year and traveled to Yabroud, a fighter held town near the Lebanese border that soon came under a crushing government offensive. When staying there was no longer an option, he crossed into Lebanon with his mother and two sisters on March 8. Yahya’s father was not with them — he died from sniper fire in Homs in September 2011. In April 2014, Yahya registered at the UNHCR center in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. “We didn’t know where to go. We just wanted to get away from all the shelling and fighting,” he said, giving only his first name for fear that his relatives back in Syria would be targeted.

The conflict in Syria, a country with a pre-war population of 23 million, has killed more than 150,000 people, according to the Britian-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which documents the fighting through a network of activists on the ground.

ArabNews

Three Saudis to face trial for spreading sedi-tion on social media The Control and Investigation Board (CIB) has referred three Saudis to the summary court in Riyadh to be tried on charges of agita-tion, spreading sedition on Twitter and diso-beying the ruler, business daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported on Tuesday quoting a judicial source. The source said the accusations against the three defendants were supported by a number of tweets they had posted on the website. "These will be the first people to be tried in Saudi Arabia for committing crimes on social media," he said. The source said the three de-fendants were on the list of the terrorists re-cently published by the Interior Ministry. Any-one on the list who calls for jihad in areas of conflict in other countries, supports terrorist groups, advocates extremism on the Internet and shows any sign of sympathy for terrorist organizations will considered a terrorist and tried.

SaudiGazette

New group aims to conduct census of Ameri-

can Muslims

A newly-formed umbrella group of American Muslim organizations is planning to conduct a census as a means to help promote the rights and goals of its members. The new U.S. Council of Muslim Or-ganizations includes the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Legal Fund of America, the Muslim American Society, Ameri-can Muslims for Palestine, the Islamic Circle of


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North America, the Muslim Alliance in North America, the Muslim Ummah of North Ameri-ca, and The Mosque Cares. “This census will create a database that will be used to enhance political participa-tion in upcoming elections,” council Secretary General Oussama Jammal said Wednesday during a news conference. “Hopefully, this will give inspiration to American Muslims who are interested in public service to know they have the votes behind them.” Talib Abur-Rashid, deputy amir with the Muslim Alliance in North America, said the census can provide “a practical step toward the exercising of our faith community’s civil and humans rights in American society.” Over the last century, the passing of civil rights, voting rights and immigration laws were major steps for the country, he said. “The political landscape of the nation is one in which issues tied to these very same pieces of legislation … are hot-button topics of discussion and sources of political controversy and struggle,” Mr. Abur-Rashid said. “As Mus-lims we are just as concerned about these is-sues as any other American.” No official start date has been set for the census, as the resources and materials need to be assembled, Mr. Jammal said, but the goal is to have the database completed in time for the 2016 presidential election. The U.S. Census Bureau does not in-clude questions about religious affiliation and practice. According to the Pew Research Cen-ter, various studies estimate that 6 million to 7 million Muslims are in the U.S. Mr. Jammal noted that a growing number of Muslim Americans have been elect-ed to various leadership positions throughout the country. Two members of Congress are Muslim — Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Andre Carson of Indiana, both Democrats. “The Muslim community is one of the

most diverse communities, if not the most di-verse religious community in America,” said Khalil Meek, executive director of the Muslim Legal Fund of America. “We have a vast amount of resources and education and princi-ples and values that we want to share with this great country. We want to contribute and we hope this platform is the beginning of that opportunity to better serve and unite our voice for the benefit of all.” “We we want to fully participate and engage in the civic process,” said Osama Abu Irshaid, of the American Muslims for Palestine. “We also want to ward off the evils of bigotry and Islamophobia, and begin to define our-selves instead of allowing others who don’t understand us [but] fear us … tell us how to live and how to worship in this country.” Any Muslim organization can apply for membership to the council. Voting and non-voting membership opportunities are availa-ble. Among the eight organizations repre-sented at Wednesday’s announcement at the National Press Club, no women were present. Mr. Jammal said the hope is to have female leaders step forward as their organizations become members of the council. Nihad Awad, executive director for CAIR, said his organization would likely take the lead in advocating for civil rights for Mus-lim Americans. “This is the dream for every American Muslim, which is to unify the approach, the agenda, the aspirations and the vision of the Muslim community,” he said. “American Mus-lims, through this platform, are going to tell their own story, are going to define them-selves through their own reality. A platform like this, we believe, is going to be representa-tive of the reality of the Muslim community.”

Washington Times


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Fresh quarantine rules for pilgrims The Ministry of Health has announced quarantine measures for Haj and Umrah pil-grims who are coming from countries that have a high rate of infectious diseases. The ministry had sent out the circular to the Foreign Ministry that would be circulat-ed among overseas missions spelling out the requirements for visa issuance for various countries. Ziad Al-Memish, undersecretary to the Ministry of Health, said the Kingdom has been carefully monitoring developments through-out the globe in the field of infectious diseas-es. He said the requirements stipulated in the new circular are in line with the require-ments set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to control the spread of infectious dis-eases worldwide. This year, Al-Memish said the Kingdom had focused on diseases such as yellow fever, meningitis, seasonal influenza, polio and food poisoning. He said that the vaccines should be given 10 days before pilgrims commence their journey. “We have also advised elderly pilgrims and others who suffer from chronic diseases such as cardiac conditions, diabetes, renal and respiratory maladies to postpone their pilgrim-age,” he said. “We have prescribed specific vaccines considering the incidence of disease in these countries.” “In addition, ships and aircraft carrying pilgrims should also produce a certificate stating that the carriers are free of mosqui-toes,” he said. Besides these vaccinations, the spokesman advised pilgrims to take precau-tions against influenza to prevent a flu attack during their stay in the Kingdom.

“The flu vaccine is not mandatory, but is desirable considering present weather con-ditions and the susceptibility of pilgrims to in-fluenza,” he said. He advised high-risk patients with chronic ailments such as diabetes, hyperten-sion and renal diseases to take the flu vaccine in the event they decide to embark on the Haj or Umrah pilgrimage. Al-Memish also reminded pilgrims to pack food in sealed containers.

ArabNews

Cont’d from page 2 them and don’t pay attention to them. Imaan is like the road and shaytaan is like a dog or a donkeys barking or braying on the side. If you pay attention to him, it will encourage him. So, the focus should be to tread the path and not pay attention towards the sides. This way you will get the assistance of Allah, and sometimes the assistance will be by the means of a blessed dream or experiencing a noor etc. But here again don’t get stuck with that. Focus ahead and focus on your goal which is Allah.

Cont’d from page 21 Twenty five years have passed and now re-flecting on my life before Islam and wondered how I survived without active relationship with Allah and practicing Islam. At the very moment that I returned to Islam with full submission, my life changed totally and it has been better each year. In re-turn, I have been reaching out to show others how to achieve the inner peace they so badly want. What about you? Are you ready to give faith a sincere chance? Your life will never be the same! “And why should we not rely upon Allah while He has guided us to our [good] ways.” (Qur’an, 14:12)


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DAROGH (FALSEHOOD) Allah says:

“Refrain from false statements.” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Make truth incumbent on you and beware

of falsehood.” Falsehood is to speak contrary to facts. For a person to be regarded as a liar it will suffice that he narrates every ru-mour without investigating whether it is a fact or not. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) ordered abstention from lies because falsehood and immorality are complementary partners and both will be in Jahannum. Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that false evidence is equivalent to shirk. In a vision Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was shown a man whose cheeks were being repeatedly slit from ear to throat. The cheeks would heal immedi-ately upon having been slit and the pro-cess of slitting would be repeated. Upon enquiring, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was informed by Jibra’eel (alayhis salaam) that the one who was be-

ing thus punished was a liar and this pun-ishment will continue in the grave until Qiyaamah. In another hadith it is narrated that a woman called her child. To entice the child in coming to her she indicated to the child that if he came, she would give him something. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) asked her that if the child came, what would she give him? She re-plied that she would give dates. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) then com-mented that if she had no intention of giv-ing the child anything, her statement merely being to lure the child to her, then such statement is also a lie. THE REMEDY When speaking, be careful. Do not speak without thinking. Ponder before you speak and be firm in confronting and curb-ing the urge to speak what is false. If false-hood was spoken then compensate this error by means of istighfaar. Should any word contrary to the Shariah slip from your mouth, resort to Taubah in abun-dance.

Mawlana Maseeh-Ullah Khan (RA)


48. (Vol.15, Issue: 05)

It’s Only a Sunnah

Once Imaam Abu Dawood (ra), who’s “Sunan” is one of the six classical books of hadeeth, was on board a ship. He heard a person on th e shor e sn eez ing and saying “Alhamdulillah” (all praise is due to Allah). So he hired a rowing boat for one dirham (silver coin) and went to shore to reply to this person by saying “Yarhamukallah” (may Allah have mercy on you), as is the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). When he was asked about this action of his, he replied: “It is possible that this person who sneezed is a person whose supplication is accepted by Allah Ta‘ala.” When the people on board the ship fell asleep, they heard someone calling out: “O peo-ple of the ship! Surely Abu Dawood purchased paradise from Allah Ta‘ala for one dir-ham.” (Risaalatul Mustarshideen pg. 157) Lesson: Despite the great services which he ren-dered to Islam, a “small” sunnah like this became the means of his entry into Jannah. We cannot re-gard any good deed as small or any sin as trivial. Every good deed has the potential of securing us a place in Jannah, while every sin has the possibility of landing us into eternal ruin and misery.

HASAD (JEALOUSY ENVY)

Allah says: “(Say) I seek refuge with the Rabb of the

morning from the evil of the haasid (jealous person) when he envies.”

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Do not be jealous among yourselves.” To be displeased with another’s good position and to wish for its elimination

is hasad. Hasad has three stages. 1. The natural human quality. In this degree of hasad, man is excused and is not at fault. 2. Acting according to the demands of hasad. In this degree of commission, man is a sinner. 3. Opposing the demands of hasad. In this degree, man is laudable and will be rewarded. Generally the basis of hasad is takabbur (pride) and ghuroor (falsehood). Without any valid reason man seeks to withhold the bounties of Allah. He desires (at times consciously and at times subcon-sciously) that like himself, Allah too should restrict His bounties. Hasad is a malady of the heart. It is harmful to both one’s spir-itual life and worldly life. The harm to man’s Deen (spiritual life) is the elimina-tion of his good deeds and he becomes the victim of Allah’s Wrath. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Jealousy devours good deeds like Fire de-

vours wood.” The harm to his worldly life (dunyaa) is the frustration and worry which perpetually afflicts the envious per-

son. He is consumed by frustration caused by hasad for another whose disgrace and fall he always anticipates. In this way the haasid destroys his Aakhirat in addition to eliminating his worldly comfort and peace of mind. THE REMEDY The disease of hasad is remedied by praising much the person against whom jealousy is directed. Praise him no matter how difficult this may seem. Honour him

radiant reality may 2014

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