All praise is due to Allah Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and I testify that Muhammad (saw) is His servant and Messenger. O Allah! Bestow peace and blessings upon Your Messenger Muhammad (SAW), his household and companions.
Fear Allah and hold fast unto His Strong Rope and Straight Path and know that the most abominable of things is to disobey Allah. Be also aware that the greatest of all sins is the one greatest in consequence. Perpetrating major sins is tantamount to waging war against Allah and his Messenger (SAW). Sins differ in their consequences and punishments according to differences in their degree of contradiction of the purpose of creation and contrariness to the truth. In fact, Allah created the universe that He alone may be worshipped without associating any partners with Him.
He (SWT) created the Heavens and the Earth in truth and in order to reward each soul for whatever it earned. He has also reformed the Earth by sending Messengers and revealing books. Therefore, whatever runs in contrary to these great aims is an abominable sin before Allah, for which He has promised a severe punishment in this world and the next. That is why the act of associating partners with Allah in acts of worship is regarded to be the greatest of major sins and its punishment is the most severe. Allah says,
“Verily whoever sets up partners with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him and the fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (Polytheists, and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.” (Al-Maaidah 5:72).
Allah will also not accept intercession on behalf of one who associates partners with Him. This is because of the gravity of shirk.
Sorcery (Sihr) is one of the major sins, for it is disbelief in Allah and association of partners with Him. Allah has made it forbidden and the Messenger (SAW) seriously warned against it. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,
“Keep away from the seven destructive sins!” They said, “What are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He answered, “Associating partners with Allah; practicing sorcery; taking a life, which Allah has made forbidden except for a just cause (according to Islamic Law); eating Riba (usury) eating up an orphan’s wealth; fleeing from the battle field at the time of fighting (with the unbelievers); and accusing chaste women, who never think of anything that can touch their chastity and who are good believers, of fornication.”
Sorcery destroys good deeds of the sorcerer because it contains shirk, for one can not become a sorcerer unless he has sought nearness to devils by obeying them, slaughtering for them, prostrating for a jinn, seeking aid from devils, calling unto them, urinating on a copy of the Glorious Qur’an, eating impure things, Striking marks on oneself or perpetrating some other abominable acts. When he associates partners with Allah and obeys Satan, the jinn and devils will obey him, serve him and provide him with his need in return for his associating partners with Allah.
Further, the sorcerers always tell lies, have dirty minds and commit sins insolently. Allah says,
“Shall I inform you, (O people) upon whom the shayatin (devils) descend? They descend on every lying (one who tells lies), sinful person.” (Ash-Shuaraa 26:221-222)
Brothers & Sisters in Allah’s Deen! Sorcery separates between husband and wife, between a son and his father, brother and friend. It dominates and weakens one’s will power thereby making the bewitched perceive the harmful things as useful and vice-versa. He sees undesirable things in his house and his family but would be unable to correct it because he has been dispossessed of his will power. Sometimes sorcery kills, makes one sick, damages one’s sense of reasoning, brings about delusive imagination, and destructive insinuation. However, all this happens by the permission of Allah and His will for nothing happens except by His will. Allah says,
“And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 102)
Sorcery is widespread among ignorant women and some despicable and ignorant men who use this vicious means to win undue favour and inflict harm on others. As for the bewitched person, he is regarded as the wronged one and Allah will come to his aid. Ibn Abbaas reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
“He is not of us, the one who sees evil omens, or the one whose behalf they are seen, or the one who practices soothsaying, or the one on whose behalf it is practiced; or the one who practices sorcery, or the one for whom sorcery is done.” (At-Tabarani)
An-Nisai also reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
“Whoever ties a knot and blows into it has practiced sorcery, and whosoever practiced sorcery has associated partners with Allah. “
Whoever wears anything for protection (i.e. talismans, pendants etc.) will be left in its care. As-Sihr (Sorcery) literally means something that is hidden and its cause is unknown. Islamically it means knots and shirk incantations that have impact on the victim’s mind or body. The Islamic rule regarding learning it and teaching it is that it is Kufr and going out of the fold of Islam, according to the authentic view of the scholars. Allah says,
“Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved teaching men magic.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 102)
He also says in the same verse,
“And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the hereafter.”
He also says,
“And the magician will never be successful no matter what amount (of skill) he may attain.” (Taha 20: 69)
Sorcery according to the scholars does have a real impact with Allah’s leave. That is why Allah enjoined seeking refuge against it. As for the legal ruling concerning sorcerers in this world, they should be killed if evidence is established that they practice sorcery. That is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Malik, and Ahmed. Imam Ahmad said,
“Capital punishment for the sorcerer has been authentically reported from three companions of the Prophet (SAW). It is reported from Umar that he wrote, “Kill every sorcerer and sorceress.” Bujaalah (a sub-narrator) said, “Then we killed three sorceresses.” It is also authentically reported from Hafsah (Prophet’s wife) that she ordered a maid of hers to be killed because she did sorcery on her.” Jundub bin Ka’ab was also authentically reported that he beheaded a magician who was playing his magic in front of Waleed and said “Let him use his magic for his own benefit now.”
The Killing of sorcerers is for the purpose of protecting people from their harm and evil, in order to uproot all its manifestations from the Islamic society and to preserve the purity of Muslims’ belief, their intellect, and properties. Islam also encourages good and fights evil. Executing sorcerers is therefore the correct opinion of the scholars, even if he shows repentance because the companions did not ask the sorcerers to repent before they killed them.
Further, most sorcerers are liars. If a sorcerer is given a chance to repent, he is unlikely to be truthful. If he is however truthful in his heart his repentance will benefit him before Allah but that does not save him from being executed because he has practiced a malicious and wicked act.
There are some ignorant people who do not have a clear perception of the lying and deceitful sorcerers and are confused by these devils’ acts, like flying in the sky, walking on water, healing the sick, or informing of hidden things and it becomes as said, thereby making these ignorant people believe falsely that the sorcerer is a Wali of Allah. It can even lead to worshipping him besides Allah and seeking his benefit and protection. The Islamic Shariah has however distinguished between friends of Allah and friends of Shaytan. Friends of Allah are those who maintain the limits of Allah; adhere to his injunctions inwardly and outwardly and observe the prayer. Allah says,
“No doubt! Verily, the Awliyaa’ of Allah (i.e. those who believe in the oneness of Allah and fear Allah much; abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden, and love Allah much; perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained.), no fear shall overcome them, nor shall they grieve. (Those who believe in the Oneness of Allah), and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and by doing righteous deeds.” (Yunus 10: 52-63)
Further, it is not a prerequisite for being Allah’s Wali to perform supernatural acts which the ignorant people regard as miracles while they are satanic works in actual sense with which devils serve them in order to mislead people. Do not therefore be carried away by the feats of these magicians. If you look at their adherence to Islamic injunctions you will find that they do not attend Jumu’ah or congregational prayers; they do not listen to the Qur’an. They only spread immorality and listen to music. Allah says,
“They are the party of Satan. Verily, it is the party of Satan that will be the losers!” (Al-Mujadalah 58: 19)
Regard those who perform such a supernatural acts as charlatans / swindlers who are disbelievers in Allah.
Oh Muslims! There are others who are considered to be the same as sorcerers. These are soothsayers, fortune-tellers, and astrologers; and those who make writings on the sand. They all claim the knowledge of the unseen, thereby becoming kuffar. Allah says,
“Say: None in the heavens and the Earth knows the Ghayb (unseen) except Allah.” (An-Naml 27: 65)
Therefore, whoever believes them in their claim has also done a Kufr act. The Prophet (SAW) said,
“Whoever visits a soothsayer and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.” (Abu Dawood)
Brothers&Sisters in faith! Magical spells can be prevented by having trust in Allah, supplicating to Him, reciting the Qur’an and authentic azkar, perfection of Tawheed, keeping away from shirk and waging war against malicious people. Allah says,
“O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan (Satan). Verily, he is to you a plain enemy.” (Al-Baqarah 1: 208)
Fellow Muslims! Fear Allah, and know that Allah knows the secret and that which is hidden. He says,
“And obey Allah and the Messenger and beware and fear Allah. Then if you turn away then you should know that it is our Messenger’s duty to convey (the message) in the clearest way.” (Al-Maaidah 5: 92)
Allah says,
“And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.” (At-Talaq 65: 3)
The Prophet (SAW) said,
“Supplication benefits in things that have happened and things that have not yet happened.”
As a measure of prevention from magical spell, the Prophet (SAW) enjoins reciting the Qur’an and doing Zikr in the morning and evening. He said,
“Recite Suratul-Baqarah, for recitation of it is blessing and abandonment of it is a loss. The wicked people are incapable of doing anything for those who recite it.”
Magic and sorcery can also be prevented by burning its books and taking their case to the authorities in order to protect people from their evil deeds.
Whenever a magical spell is established, the instruments of that spell should be burnt if they are found, as done by the Prophet (SAW) when Labeed ibn Al-A’sam, the Jew, did a magic spell on him. The Prophet brought the instrument of the spell out of B’ir dharwaan and burnt it. As regards the cure of magic, it is constant supplication to Allah. Aisha (RAH) said
, “When a magical spell was done on the Prophet (SAW), he supplicated for a long while then said, “O Aisha, do you know that Allah has told me of the person who did the magic spell on me and He has healed me.?”
It should however be noted that the kind of magical spell that affected the Prophet (SAW) did not in any way affect his divine immunity or deliverance of his message. It was just a mere harm done to him from which Allah cured him.
Magical spells are also cured by continuous recitation of Suratul-Fatihah, Suratul-Falaq, Suratun-Naas, Suratul-Ikhlas, and Aayatul-Kursi, for all these Surahs weaken the effect of the spell whether it is recited by the victim himself or recited on him by a righteous person….Just like that? Yes just like that nothing else if you believe. Our problem is that we have been accustomed to some minor shirk and we don’t know because we felt the person that was doing some act or give us something to use is a Wali of Allah
It is unlawful to cure one magical spell with another, for Allah does not allow the cure of this Ummah by that which He has forbidden them. Nevertheless, it is permissible to cure oneself of magical spells with lawful medicaments, pure herbs and the like without incantations. Allah Knows Best
“Say (O Muhammad): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.
You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night (i.e. increase and decrease in the hours of the night and the day during winter and summer), You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account)” (3:26, 27)
The right information given here is from Allah; if wrong found, it is from me. I ask Allah Almighty to protect us and you from errors and from all that displeases him. I conclude by praising Allah “Alhamdulillahi rabbil-alameen" - Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!
Meaning (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me).
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright. Amin
Wa Salaamu Alaykum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The Gleam of Faith
Bismillahi Rahman Roheem.
All Praise is for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Soul and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW).
Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
We all knew or have heard that Islam means Obedience to Allah. And it is common sense that this obedience cannot be complete unless man knows certain basics facts of life and places firm faith in them.
What are those facts? And what are the essentials which a man must know to fashion his life in accordance with the divine way? This Insha Allah we propose to discuss this week and the coming weeks because it will be in series.
This week we shall discuss Faith in the Unknown and Obedience and next series will focus on the Articles of Faith. To understand this week and the next topic, we implore you to read more from books on prophethood.
Perhaps one should have gotten an unshakable belief in the Existence of Allah; it is not a problem but reality because without this, obedience to Allah is clearly impossible.
Then, one must know the attributes of Allah, it is the knowledge of the attributes of Allah which enables man to cultivate the noblest human qualities and to fashion his life in virtue and Godliness. If a man does not know there is One and only One God who is the creator, the Ruler and Sustainer of the Universe and there is none else to share with HIM even a shred of Divine power and Authority, he may fall prey to false deities and offer his homage to them in search of favours.
But if a man knows the Divine attribute of Tawhid (Oneness of Allah), there is no possibility that such person will be misled. Similarly, if a man knows that Allah is Omnipresent and Omniscient and Sees, Hears and knows everything that we do in public or private; including our expressed thoughts.
I wonder then how can a man afford to disobey Allah? Because he will feel the he is under eternal vigil and will of Allah, therefore behave accordingly. But those who never ponder over this or not aware of these attributes of Allah may be led astray because of their ignorance into disobedience and it is the same with all other attributes of Allah.
Allah says: “Oh you who have believe, respond to Allah (by obeying Him) and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” Q8:24.
The fact remains that the qualities and attributes of which a man must possess, if he wants to pursue the way of Islam, can be cultivated and developed only out of profound knowledge of the attributes of Allah. Mere knowledge is not enough here but must have full confidence and conviction that it is the Divine law and that his salvation lies in following this code alone. For knowledge without this conviction will fail to spur man to the right path and he may be lost in the blind alley of disobedience.
Finally man must know the consequences of both of belief and obedience and of the disbelief and disobedience. He must know what blessings will be showered upon him if he chooses Allah’s way and leads a life of purity, virtue and obedience. And he must also know the punishment of disbelief.
From these we could describe Iman (faith) as “Knowledge and Belief” the word Iman in Arabic literally means ‘to know’ ‘to believe’ and ‘to be convinced beyond the least shadow of doubt’.
Then we say Iman (faith) is the firm belief arising out of knowledge and conviction. And the man who knows and reposes unshakable belief in the unity of Allah, in His attributes, in His laws and the revealed guidance, and in the Divine code of reward and punishment is called Mu’min (faithful). This faith invariably leads man to a life of obedience and submission to the Will of Allah and one who lives this life of submission is known as Muslim. It is now clear that without Iman (faith) no one can be a true Muslim.
It is the indispensable essential; rather, the very starting point, without which no beginning can be made. The relation of Islam to Iman is the same as of a tree to its seed. A tree cannot sprout forth without its seed; in the same way it is not possible for a man who has no belief to start with, to become a Muslim. On the other hand, just as it can happen that, in spite of sowing the seed, the tree may, for many reasons, not grow, or if it does grow, its development may be impaired or retarded, likened to that, a man may have faith, but due to a number of weakness, he may not become a true and better Muslim.
One of our Shaykh told us that there are four categories of Men from the viewpoint of Islam:
1. Those who have faith, a faith that makes them submit to Allah wholeheartedly. They follow the Do's and Don’ts of Allah in order to seek His pleasure and in their devotion they are even more fervent than the common man in pursuit of wealth and glory. Such men are the True Muslims.
2. Those who do have faith believe in Allah, His Laws and the last Day, but whose faith is not deep and strong enough to make them submit to Allah wholeheartedly. They are far below in rank of true Muslims, and will be punish for their defaults and misdeeds but still they are Muslims. They are only wrong doers and not a Kafir nor rebels because they acknowledge the sovereignty of Allah, violating the laws does not make them a Kafir. For example men who commit fornication are wrong doers violating the Don’ts of Allah but not a Kafir.
3. Those who do not possess faith at all, these people refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of Allah. Perhaps they have good conducts or possess good human behaviour, they do not spread fitnah or make any violence yet they are doomed because they revolt against the sovereignty of Allah. They are known to be outlaws and Allah can not compensate them for their disobedience and will be punish with Hell fire.
Allah says: “Indeed, those who disbelieve in our verses, we will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, we will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise”.Q4:56
4. The fourth categories are those who neither possess faith nor do good deeds. They spread fasad (corruption), disorder in the world and perpetrate all kinds of oppression. They are worst of men; for they are criminals, rebels and wrong doers.
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray. They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan”. Q4:116-117
Well you will agree with me that it is an everyday experience that when you do not know a thing, you look for somebody who does know. If you are sick you go to a Doctor because you know nothing about your sickness and you do follow his instruction without questioning him. Why? Because you know he is given you an expert medical advise and knowing the fact that he has treated and cured numbers of patients. Similarly, in matters of Law you accept whatever a legal expert says and act accordingly.
In educational matters you trust in your Teacher for whatever he says in class. Also when you do not know places then you ask those who know and when you need advice you make every effort to select the best person and you do accept the advice unquestioningly. This kind of belief is called Iman-bi-l-ghayb (faith in the Unknown).
Iman-bi-l-ghayb signifies that you get knowledge of what was not known to you from one who knows. You do not know Allah and His attributes, you are not aware that His Angels are directing the machinery of the whole universe according to Allah’s orders, and that they surrounded you in all sides. You do not have the proper knowledge of the way of life through which you can seek the pleasure of your Creator. And you are in dark about the life to come; such knowledge is given to you by the prophets, who have had direct or indirect contact with Allah.
“Those messengers, some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the Son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit…..” Q2:253
They are the persons whose sincerity, integrity, trustworthiness, godliness and absolute purity stand irrevocable witnesses to the truth of their claim to knowledge. And above all, the wisdom and force of their message make you admit that they speak the truth and deserve to be believed and followed.
This conviction of yours is called Iman-bi-l ghayb. Such a truth discerning and truth acknowledging attitude is essential for obedience to Allah and for acting in accordance with His pleasure; for you have no other medium than Allah’s Messengers and prophets for the achievement of true , and without true knowledge you cannot proceed on the path of Islam.
Insha Allah our next series discussion will be the Articles of Faith, to have the Iman-bi-l-ghayb what do we need.
I ask for Allah forgiveness upon you and me, May He gives us the strength to be firm on the path of Islam.
Oh Allah! We implore your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors. Oh Allah Forgive all our sins hidden and open, big and small. Oh Allah forgives all our dead love ones, our parents living and dead. Oh Allah preserve our teachers those that are dead and those that are living make them a great guide for us to Aljannah and not a distractor. Amin
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!
OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright.May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives. Amin
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)
Wa Salaam Alaikum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu.
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All Praise is for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Soul and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW).
Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
We all knew or have heard that Islam means Obedience to Allah. And it is common sense that this obedience cannot be complete unless man knows certain basics facts of life and places firm faith in them.
What are those facts? And what are the essentials which a man must know to fashion his life in accordance with the divine way? This Insha Allah we propose to discuss this week and the coming weeks because it will be in series.
This week we shall discuss Faith in the Unknown and Obedience and next series will focus on the Articles of Faith. To understand this week and the next topic, we implore you to read more from books on prophethood.
Perhaps one should have gotten an unshakable belief in the Existence of Allah; it is not a problem but reality because without this, obedience to Allah is clearly impossible.
Then, one must know the attributes of Allah, it is the knowledge of the attributes of Allah which enables man to cultivate the noblest human qualities and to fashion his life in virtue and Godliness. If a man does not know there is One and only One God who is the creator, the Ruler and Sustainer of the Universe and there is none else to share with HIM even a shred of Divine power and Authority, he may fall prey to false deities and offer his homage to them in search of favours.
But if a man knows the Divine attribute of Tawhid (Oneness of Allah), there is no possibility that such person will be misled. Similarly, if a man knows that Allah is Omnipresent and Omniscient and Sees, Hears and knows everything that we do in public or private; including our expressed thoughts.
I wonder then how can a man afford to disobey Allah? Because he will feel the he is under eternal vigil and will of Allah, therefore behave accordingly. But those who never ponder over this or not aware of these attributes of Allah may be led astray because of their ignorance into disobedience and it is the same with all other attributes of Allah.
Allah says: “Oh you who have believe, respond to Allah (by obeying Him) and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” Q8:24.
The fact remains that the qualities and attributes of which a man must possess, if he wants to pursue the way of Islam, can be cultivated and developed only out of profound knowledge of the attributes of Allah. Mere knowledge is not enough here but must have full confidence and conviction that it is the Divine law and that his salvation lies in following this code alone. For knowledge without this conviction will fail to spur man to the right path and he may be lost in the blind alley of disobedience.
Finally man must know the consequences of both of belief and obedience and of the disbelief and disobedience. He must know what blessings will be showered upon him if he chooses Allah’s way and leads a life of purity, virtue and obedience. And he must also know the punishment of disbelief.
From these we could describe Iman (faith) as “Knowledge and Belief” the word Iman in Arabic literally means ‘to know’ ‘to believe’ and ‘to be convinced beyond the least shadow of doubt’.
Then we say Iman (faith) is the firm belief arising out of knowledge and conviction. And the man who knows and reposes unshakable belief in the unity of Allah, in His attributes, in His laws and the revealed guidance, and in the Divine code of reward and punishment is called Mu’min (faithful). This faith invariably leads man to a life of obedience and submission to the Will of Allah and one who lives this life of submission is known as Muslim. It is now clear that without Iman (faith) no one can be a true Muslim.
It is the indispensable essential; rather, the very starting point, without which no beginning can be made. The relation of Islam to Iman is the same as of a tree to its seed. A tree cannot sprout forth without its seed; in the same way it is not possible for a man who has no belief to start with, to become a Muslim. On the other hand, just as it can happen that, in spite of sowing the seed, the tree may, for many reasons, not grow, or if it does grow, its development may be impaired or retarded, likened to that, a man may have faith, but due to a number of weakness, he may not become a true and better Muslim.
One of our Shaykh told us that there are four categories of Men from the viewpoint of Islam:
1. Those who have faith, a faith that makes them submit to Allah wholeheartedly. They follow the Do's and Don’ts of Allah in order to seek His pleasure and in their devotion they are even more fervent than the common man in pursuit of wealth and glory. Such men are the True Muslims.
2. Those who do have faith believe in Allah, His Laws and the last Day, but whose faith is not deep and strong enough to make them submit to Allah wholeheartedly. They are far below in rank of true Muslims, and will be punish for their defaults and misdeeds but still they are Muslims. They are only wrong doers and not a Kafir nor rebels because they acknowledge the sovereignty of Allah, violating the laws does not make them a Kafir. For example men who commit fornication are wrong doers violating the Don’ts of Allah but not a Kafir.
3. Those who do not possess faith at all, these people refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of Allah. Perhaps they have good conducts or possess good human behaviour, they do not spread fitnah or make any violence yet they are doomed because they revolt against the sovereignty of Allah. They are known to be outlaws and Allah can not compensate them for their disobedience and will be punish with Hell fire.
Allah says: “Indeed, those who disbelieve in our verses, we will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, we will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise”.Q4:56
4. The fourth categories are those who neither possess faith nor do good deeds. They spread fasad (corruption), disorder in the world and perpetrate all kinds of oppression. They are worst of men; for they are criminals, rebels and wrong doers.
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray. They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan”. Q4:116-117
Well you will agree with me that it is an everyday experience that when you do not know a thing, you look for somebody who does know. If you are sick you go to a Doctor because you know nothing about your sickness and you do follow his instruction without questioning him. Why? Because you know he is given you an expert medical advise and knowing the fact that he has treated and cured numbers of patients. Similarly, in matters of Law you accept whatever a legal expert says and act accordingly.
In educational matters you trust in your Teacher for whatever he says in class. Also when you do not know places then you ask those who know and when you need advice you make every effort to select the best person and you do accept the advice unquestioningly. This kind of belief is called Iman-bi-l-ghayb (faith in the Unknown).
Iman-bi-l-ghayb signifies that you get knowledge of what was not known to you from one who knows. You do not know Allah and His attributes, you are not aware that His Angels are directing the machinery of the whole universe according to Allah’s orders, and that they surrounded you in all sides. You do not have the proper knowledge of the way of life through which you can seek the pleasure of your Creator. And you are in dark about the life to come; such knowledge is given to you by the prophets, who have had direct or indirect contact with Allah.
“Those messengers, some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the Son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit…..” Q2:253
They are the persons whose sincerity, integrity, trustworthiness, godliness and absolute purity stand irrevocable witnesses to the truth of their claim to knowledge. And above all, the wisdom and force of their message make you admit that they speak the truth and deserve to be believed and followed.
This conviction of yours is called Iman-bi-l ghayb. Such a truth discerning and truth acknowledging attitude is essential for obedience to Allah and for acting in accordance with His pleasure; for you have no other medium than Allah’s Messengers and prophets for the achievement of true , and without true knowledge you cannot proceed on the path of Islam.
Insha Allah our next series discussion will be the Articles of Faith, to have the Iman-bi-l-ghayb what do we need.
I ask for Allah forgiveness upon you and me, May He gives us the strength to be firm on the path of Islam.
Oh Allah! We implore your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors. Oh Allah Forgive all our sins hidden and open, big and small. Oh Allah forgives all our dead love ones, our parents living and dead. Oh Allah preserve our teachers those that are dead and those that are living make them a great guide for us to Aljannah and not a distractor. Amin
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!
OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright.May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives. Amin
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)
Wa Salaam Alaikum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Living as Muslim in Our Daily Lives
Bismillahi Rahman Raheem.
All Praise is for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Selves and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger, Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
Now then, I seek Allah’s refuge against Satan the outcast. I start in the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful. Allah, in His Glorious Book, says, "O Believers, when a call is given for Friday prayers then hurry up for Allah’s remembrance, leaving aside all business. This is better for you if you knew it.
Then, when the prayer is finished disperse in the land to seek Allah’s Favours (livelihood); and keep on remembering Allah frequently so that you may succeed. When these people see a trade opportunity or a sportive event they walk towards it, leaving you (Prophet) standing alone. Tell them that what (reward) is with Allah is better than sport or trade, and Allah is the best Provider of livelihood".
How can I serve my faith in the course of my daily life? What contribution can I make as I go about my normal business? This is a question that many of us ask ourselves and it is a very good question because as Muslims all eyes on us so we should try to be a better Muslim and a Model. The Prophet (peace be upon him said): “Every person goes forth in the morning trading in his own self. He either earns its freedom or consigns it to perdition.”
Therefore, we ask ourselves: Should I focus on enjoining people to what is right? Should I forbid them from what is wrong? Is it best for me to gather together the children and help them to commit the Qur’an to memory? Should I rather get involved in some charity work?
The ways that we as Muslims can serve our faith are too numerous to count. If each one of us only tries to count the ways that he or she can personally serve Islam, the possibilities will still be endless.
Each of us must take into account his individual abilities as well as his inclinations and his personality in deciding what he should do. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines that apply to everyone and some contributions that we can all start making immediately.
To begin with, we can try to set a good example for others. We can do this in our worship, in our dealings with others, and in our moral conduct. We can strive to always be considerate and just. We can give priority to the rights of others even if it means doing so at the expense of our own. This is the starting point of all of our service and indeed it is the most critical.
The next level of activity concerns our dealings with our family and with those who are close to us. We must nurture our good relationships with our relatives by honoring them doing good for them. It is our duty to call our family to Islam and to encourage them to do what is right. This duty starts with our parents and children, then with our siblings and spouses, and extends outwards.
Allah says, addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him): “And admonish your nearest kinsmen.” [Surah al-Shu`ara: 214]
After this verse was revealed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gathered his kinfolk together and said: “O assembly of Quraysh! Purchase your own souls, for I can avail you naught with Allah. O Banu `Abd Manaf! I can avail you naught with Allah! O Safiyyah, aunt of Allah’s Messenger! I can avail you naught with Allah! O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad! I can avail you naught with Allah. Ask me of my wealth what you wish, but I can avail you naught with Allah!”
We must then turn our attentions to our colleagues and our classmates. We should always be willing to lend them our assistance. By letting them know that they can count on us, we win their friendship and their trust. In turn, we can reach out to them and even get them involved with us in our good works. They will be more responsive to us when we offer them literature or a cassette or ask them to go with us to a lecture.
We must also attend to our neighbors and the communities in which we live. Our neighbors have rights over us simply by virtue of their being our neighbors. We must honor those rights. We should cultivate goodwill between ourselves and those who live in our neighborhood. This makes it easier for us to reach out to them in matters of faith.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his neighbor.”
He also said: “By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe.” When someone asked him whom he was talking about, he replied: “He whose neighbor is not safe from his abuse.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took great pains in defining the neighbor’s rights. He said: “If he falls ill, visit him. If he has good fortune, congratulate him. If ill fortune befalls him, console him. Do not build your building in a way that would keep the breeze from reaching his dwelling except with his permission. Do not annoy him with the aroma of your cooking pot unless you serve him some of your food. If you buy some fruit, them give him a gift from it, and if you do not do so, then bring it into your home discreetly, and do not let your child take it outside to taunt his child with it.”
Concern for our neighborhood also means involvement in our local mosque. We should, of course, be regular in our prayers. We should also spend some time in the mosques. We should make sure to attend mosque activities, if only occasionally.
It is then important for us to broaden our perspectives and look at the broader issues facing the Muslim world. Each one of us can at get actively involved in at least one of these concerns. This might mean working to draw media attention to some matter of importance to the Muslims or to garner sympathy for the suffering of Muslims in some part of the world. It can mean encouraging those who have been blessed with wealth and prosperity to spend on those in need. It can mean helping to get some useful Islamic literature published and disseminated.
Shaikh Ibn Abayaomi(May Allah be pleased with and protect his Family) told of us four Ahadith in Sunnah Abu Dawood that if we live our life according to this four Ahadith then Jannah (Paradise) is sure for the person.
1. The Prophet (SAW) said: "Every Actions are but by Intention and every man shall have but that which he intended" (Bukhari and Muslim).
2. From Nu'man son of Bashir(RA) said,i heard the messenger of Allah (SAW) said: " That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his Religion and Honour,but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the Shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary,all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and Truly Allah's Sanctuary is His Prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which,if it be whole,all the body is whole and which,if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the HEART." (Bukhari and Muslim)
3.On the Authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) who said; the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: " Part of Someone's being a good Muslim is Leaving alone that which does not concern him." (Hadith Hassan by Tirmidhi).
4.On the Authority of Abu Hamza Anas bin Malik (RA) reported that the Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: " None of you (Truly) Believes Until he wishes for his Brother what he wishes for himself" ( Bukhari and Muslim).
The right information given here is from Allah; if wrong found, it is from me. I ask Allah Almighty to protect us and you from errors and from all that displeases him. I conclude my praising by "Alhamdulillahi rabbil-alameen" - Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.So let us make use of Ramadan to seek for enough of forgiveness from Allah.
Allahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! Meaning (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me).
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright. Amin
Wa Salaamu Alaykum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu
All Praise is for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Selves and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger, Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
Now then, I seek Allah’s refuge against Satan the outcast. I start in the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful. Allah, in His Glorious Book, says, "O Believers, when a call is given for Friday prayers then hurry up for Allah’s remembrance, leaving aside all business. This is better for you if you knew it.
Then, when the prayer is finished disperse in the land to seek Allah’s Favours (livelihood); and keep on remembering Allah frequently so that you may succeed. When these people see a trade opportunity or a sportive event they walk towards it, leaving you (Prophet) standing alone. Tell them that what (reward) is with Allah is better than sport or trade, and Allah is the best Provider of livelihood".
How can I serve my faith in the course of my daily life? What contribution can I make as I go about my normal business? This is a question that many of us ask ourselves and it is a very good question because as Muslims all eyes on us so we should try to be a better Muslim and a Model. The Prophet (peace be upon him said): “Every person goes forth in the morning trading in his own self. He either earns its freedom or consigns it to perdition.”
Therefore, we ask ourselves: Should I focus on enjoining people to what is right? Should I forbid them from what is wrong? Is it best for me to gather together the children and help them to commit the Qur’an to memory? Should I rather get involved in some charity work?
The ways that we as Muslims can serve our faith are too numerous to count. If each one of us only tries to count the ways that he or she can personally serve Islam, the possibilities will still be endless.
Each of us must take into account his individual abilities as well as his inclinations and his personality in deciding what he should do. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines that apply to everyone and some contributions that we can all start making immediately.
To begin with, we can try to set a good example for others. We can do this in our worship, in our dealings with others, and in our moral conduct. We can strive to always be considerate and just. We can give priority to the rights of others even if it means doing so at the expense of our own. This is the starting point of all of our service and indeed it is the most critical.
The next level of activity concerns our dealings with our family and with those who are close to us. We must nurture our good relationships with our relatives by honoring them doing good for them. It is our duty to call our family to Islam and to encourage them to do what is right. This duty starts with our parents and children, then with our siblings and spouses, and extends outwards.
Allah says, addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him): “And admonish your nearest kinsmen.” [Surah al-Shu`ara: 214]
After this verse was revealed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gathered his kinfolk together and said: “O assembly of Quraysh! Purchase your own souls, for I can avail you naught with Allah. O Banu `Abd Manaf! I can avail you naught with Allah! O Safiyyah, aunt of Allah’s Messenger! I can avail you naught with Allah! O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad! I can avail you naught with Allah. Ask me of my wealth what you wish, but I can avail you naught with Allah!”
We must then turn our attentions to our colleagues and our classmates. We should always be willing to lend them our assistance. By letting them know that they can count on us, we win their friendship and their trust. In turn, we can reach out to them and even get them involved with us in our good works. They will be more responsive to us when we offer them literature or a cassette or ask them to go with us to a lecture.
We must also attend to our neighbors and the communities in which we live. Our neighbors have rights over us simply by virtue of their being our neighbors. We must honor those rights. We should cultivate goodwill between ourselves and those who live in our neighborhood. This makes it easier for us to reach out to them in matters of faith.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his neighbor.”
He also said: “By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe.” When someone asked him whom he was talking about, he replied: “He whose neighbor is not safe from his abuse.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took great pains in defining the neighbor’s rights. He said: “If he falls ill, visit him. If he has good fortune, congratulate him. If ill fortune befalls him, console him. Do not build your building in a way that would keep the breeze from reaching his dwelling except with his permission. Do not annoy him with the aroma of your cooking pot unless you serve him some of your food. If you buy some fruit, them give him a gift from it, and if you do not do so, then bring it into your home discreetly, and do not let your child take it outside to taunt his child with it.”
Concern for our neighborhood also means involvement in our local mosque. We should, of course, be regular in our prayers. We should also spend some time in the mosques. We should make sure to attend mosque activities, if only occasionally.
It is then important for us to broaden our perspectives and look at the broader issues facing the Muslim world. Each one of us can at get actively involved in at least one of these concerns. This might mean working to draw media attention to some matter of importance to the Muslims or to garner sympathy for the suffering of Muslims in some part of the world. It can mean encouraging those who have been blessed with wealth and prosperity to spend on those in need. It can mean helping to get some useful Islamic literature published and disseminated.
Shaikh Ibn Abayaomi(May Allah be pleased with and protect his Family) told of us four Ahadith in Sunnah Abu Dawood that if we live our life according to this four Ahadith then Jannah (Paradise) is sure for the person.
1. The Prophet (SAW) said: "Every Actions are but by Intention and every man shall have but that which he intended" (Bukhari and Muslim).
2. From Nu'man son of Bashir(RA) said,i heard the messenger of Allah (SAW) said: " That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his Religion and Honour,but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the Shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary,all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and Truly Allah's Sanctuary is His Prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which,if it be whole,all the body is whole and which,if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the HEART." (Bukhari and Muslim)
3.On the Authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) who said; the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: " Part of Someone's being a good Muslim is Leaving alone that which does not concern him." (Hadith Hassan by Tirmidhi).
4.On the Authority of Abu Hamza Anas bin Malik (RA) reported that the Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: " None of you (Truly) Believes Until he wishes for his Brother what he wishes for himself" ( Bukhari and Muslim).
The right information given here is from Allah; if wrong found, it is from me. I ask Allah Almighty to protect us and you from errors and from all that displeases him. I conclude my praising by "Alhamdulillahi rabbil-alameen" - Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.So let us make use of Ramadan to seek for enough of forgiveness from Allah.
Allahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! Meaning (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me).
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright. Amin
Wa Salaamu Alaykum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Concept of God in Islam
Bismillahi Rahman Roheem.
Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds.
Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad(SAW)is His slave and Messenger.
It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the one true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing, and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur'an, which is considered to be the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112, which reads: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad), He is God, the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone”.
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully and does not love and kind. Nothing could be farther from the truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an begins with the verse “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate". In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we are told that “God is more loving and kind than a mother to her dear child”.
On the other hand, God is also Just. Hence, evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment, and the virtuous must have God's bounties and favors. Actually, God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake should not receive similar treatment from their Lord as people who oppress and exploit others their whole lives. Expecting similar treatment for them would amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negate all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Qur'anic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect.
Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?
Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human-beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.
The concepts that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, and that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic world point of view.
The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God that is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly and grievous sin that God will never forgive, despite the fact that He may forgive all other sins.
The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing caused Him to come into existence, nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last".
He is Self-sufficient or Self-subsistent, or, to use a Qur'anic term, Al-Qayyum The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He. also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.
“God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth” (39:62-63).
“No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and its repository” (11:16).
God's Attributes
If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then his attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be, for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible.
The Qur'an summarizes this argument in the following verses: “God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: for then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others” (23:91).
“And why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin” (21:22).
The Oneness of God
The Qur'an reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects it asks: “Do you worship what you have carved yourself” (37:95).
“ Or have you taken unto yourself others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves” (13:16).
To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham: “When night outspread over him, he saw a star and said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: I love not the setters. When he saw the moon rising, he said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: If my Lord does not guide me, I shall surely be of the people gone astray. When he saw the sun rising, he said: This is my Lord; this is greater. But when it set, he said: O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not one of the idolaters” (6:76-79).
The Believer's Attitude
In order to be a Muslim, that is, to surrender oneself to God,adopted by our freewill and choice, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief, later called Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, is not enough. Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this. But this was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah, one must add tawhid al-'uluhiyyah. That is, one acknowledges the fact that it is God alone who deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.
Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny truth.
When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states that result in certain actions. Taken together, these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said: “Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds”.
Foremost among those mental stated is the feeling of gratitude towards God, which could be said to be the essence of ibadah (worship).
The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir', which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful'.
A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.
The Qur'an tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Qur'an:“He is God; there is no god but He. He is the Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God; there is no god but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, the Guardian of the Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All-Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the Almighty, the All-Wise” (59:22-24).
“There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumbers seize Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them, and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth. The preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious” (2:255).
To the people of the Book (Christian&Jews), go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth.
“The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not "Three". Refrain; better it is for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him -- (He is) above having a son” (4:171).
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright.Amin
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!)
May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives.
Allahu Mustahan
Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds.
Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad(SAW)is His slave and Messenger.
It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the one true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing, and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur'an, which is considered to be the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112, which reads: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad), He is God, the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone”.
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully and does not love and kind. Nothing could be farther from the truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an begins with the verse “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate". In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we are told that “God is more loving and kind than a mother to her dear child”.
On the other hand, God is also Just. Hence, evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment, and the virtuous must have God's bounties and favors. Actually, God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake should not receive similar treatment from their Lord as people who oppress and exploit others their whole lives. Expecting similar treatment for them would amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negate all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Qur'anic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect.
Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?
Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human-beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.
The concepts that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, and that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic world point of view.
The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God that is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly and grievous sin that God will never forgive, despite the fact that He may forgive all other sins.
The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing caused Him to come into existence, nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last".
He is Self-sufficient or Self-subsistent, or, to use a Qur'anic term, Al-Qayyum The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He. also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.
“God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth” (39:62-63).
“No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and its repository” (11:16).
God's Attributes
If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then his attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be, for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible.
The Qur'an summarizes this argument in the following verses: “God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: for then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others” (23:91).
“And why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin” (21:22).
The Oneness of God
The Qur'an reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects it asks: “Do you worship what you have carved yourself” (37:95).
“ Or have you taken unto yourself others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves” (13:16).
To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham: “When night outspread over him, he saw a star and said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: I love not the setters. When he saw the moon rising, he said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: If my Lord does not guide me, I shall surely be of the people gone astray. When he saw the sun rising, he said: This is my Lord; this is greater. But when it set, he said: O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not one of the idolaters” (6:76-79).
The Believer's Attitude
In order to be a Muslim, that is, to surrender oneself to God,adopted by our freewill and choice, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief, later called Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, is not enough. Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this. But this was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah, one must add tawhid al-'uluhiyyah. That is, one acknowledges the fact that it is God alone who deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.
Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny truth.
When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states that result in certain actions. Taken together, these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said: “Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds”.
Foremost among those mental stated is the feeling of gratitude towards God, which could be said to be the essence of ibadah (worship).
The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir', which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful'.
A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.
The Qur'an tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Qur'an:“He is God; there is no god but He. He is the Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God; there is no god but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, the Guardian of the Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All-Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the Almighty, the All-Wise” (59:22-24).
“There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumbers seize Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them, and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth. The preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious” (2:255).
To the people of the Book (Christian&Jews), go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth.
“The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not "Three". Refrain; better it is for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him -- (He is) above having a son” (4:171).
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)
May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright.Amin
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!)
May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives.
Allahu Mustahan
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