| Living \r\n the Quran |
Ibrahim \r\n (Abraham)
The textual term 'duafa' does not refer to those who were economically, \r\n socially or politically weak, rather, to those who were morally and intellectually \r\n so, and hence preferred to follow not their own, but other's opinions. \r\nThe truly 'weak ones' are those who relinquished one of the most important \r\n qualities bestowed upon them by their Lord to others - the freedom to \r\n think, to believe and to choose a direction. The 'weak ones' preferred \r\n to follow the arrogant, the rebellious. They sought closeness to Allah's \r\n creations, in preference of Allah, opting to take religion from them instead \r\n of Him. \r\nDemonstration of weaknes is no excuse. \r\n It is a crime. Allah did not wish anyone to be weak. He invites the people \r\n to seek strength through Him - and all Might is His. Material strength, \r\n whatever its magnitude, is not enough by itself to enslave a people wishing \r\n to be free. It cannot imprison man's nobility. The most that brutal, material \r\n strength can do is to own bodies, which it can imprison, torture and punish. \r\n As for conscience, the soul and the intellect, no one can rob these things \r\n of another, unless the owner himself wishes to relinquish, in humiliation. \r\n The 'weak ones' are weak because there is weakness in their spirit, souls, \r\n and minds. \r\n \r\n Source: |
| \r\n Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Fulfilling the Quran's Mission \r\nAn essential and important part of living by the Quran is to \r\n convey its message to people around you. Indeed the moment the \r\n Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, received the first revelation \r\n he realized the immense task of bringing it to his people. \r\nNow we, as his followers, as people possessing the Book of God, \r\n are charged and entrusted with the same mission. To \r\n have the Quran obliges us to convey it; to hear the Quran is to \r\n make it heard. We must make it clear and known \r\n to mankind and not let it remain concealed. \r\nLook at yourself! Look at Muslims today! Why, despite the fact \r\n that the Quran is read by millions day and night, does it make \r\n no difference to our situation? Either we read it and do not understand \r\n it; or, if we understand it, we do not accept it nor act upon \r\n it; or, if we act upon it, we accept part of it and reject part \r\n of it; or, while we are engrossed in reading it and acting by \r\n only part of it, we are guilty of committing the worst crime and \r\n concealing it and not bringing its light to the world. \r\nLet there not be the slightest doubt in our minds that unless \r\n we commit ourselves to the most important responsibility of being \r\n witnesses unto the Quran, which entrusts upon us by virtue of \r\n us having it and reading it, we shall never discharge what we \r\n owe to the Quran. The ignominy, dishonour, humiliation, backwardness \r\n that has become our lot is only because of the way we treat the \r\n Quran and the mission it entrusts to us. \r\nBy this Book God makes some peoples \r\n to rise and others to decline (Muslim). \r\nNor shall we succeed in discovering and understanding the full \r\n and real meaning of the Quran, whatever Quranic scholarship we \r\n may attain, unless we obey the Quran. The Prophet, blessings and \r\n peace be on him, said to his Companions: \r\nThere will be such people among \r\n you that, when you will compare your Prayers with theirs, your \r\n Fasts with theirs, your good deeds with theirs, you will consider \r\n yours very inferior. They will read the Quran, yet it will not \r\n sink deeper than their throats (Bukhari). \r\nTo surrender and obey is not only to fulfil the real mission \r\n of the Quran, it is one of the surest keys to its understanding. \r\n You discover a meaning by obeying that you never discover by mere \r\n thinking. \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Source: |
| Blindspot! |
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n A new “We” \r\nIf there is a contribution that \r\n Muslim westerners can bring to their respective societies, it \r\n is surely that of reconciliation. Confident \r\n in convictions, frank and rigorous in their critical outlook, \r\n armed with a broader understanding of Western societies, of \r\n their values, their history and their aspirations, they are \r\n ideally placed to engage their fellow citizens in reconciling \r\n these societies with their own ideals. The vital issue today \r\n is not to compare social models or experiences in a fruitless \r\n debate (as we have witnessed between the United States, France \r\n and Great Britain) but more simply, and in a far stricter and \r\n more demanding way, to take the measure of each society by comparing \r\n the ideals affirmed and proclaimed by its intellectuals and \r\n politicians, with the concrete practices that can be observed \r\n at the social grassroots: human rights and equality of opportunity \r\n (between men and women, people of different origins, skin colors). \r\n We must bring constructive criticism \r\n to bear on our societies, and measure words against deeds: \r\n all the citizens must adopt toward their society the same healthy \r\n self-critical attitude that Muslims must demonstrate toward \r\n their community. \r\nOur societies are awaiting the emergence of a new “We”. \r\n A “We” that would \r\n bring together men and women, citizens of all religion-and those \r\n without religion-who would undertake together to resolve the \r\n contradictions of their society: the right to work, to housing, \r\n to respect, against racism and all forms of discrimination, \r\n all offenses against human dignity. Such a “We” \r\n would henceforth represent this coming together of citizens \r\n confident in their values, defenders of pluralism in their common \r\n society and respectful of the identities of others; citizens \r\n who seek to take up the challenge in the name of their shared \r\n values at the very heart of their societies. As loyal and critical \r\n citizens, as men and women of integrity, they join forces in \r\n a revolution of trust and confidence to stem the onrush of fear. \r\n Against shallow, emotional, even hysterical reactions they stand \r\n firm for rationality, for dialogue, for attentiveness, for a \r\n reasonable approach to complex social questions. \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Source: |
![](\"/_img/quran-issue386.gif\")