loading

Issue 117 » May 11, 2001 -

General

QURAN

Translation:

"The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Torah (Law of Moses), yet do not apply it, is as the likeness of the donkey carrying books. Even worse is the example of those who have treated Allah's Revelations as false. Allah does not guide such wrongdoers."
 
[Al-Quran, Sura Al-Jumuah 62:5]
 
Tafseer:
 
Guilty, Not Because Of Ignorance, But Because Of Denying The Truth
That is, those people who merely memorize the religious teachings, which has no effect on their lives and character, are worse than a donkey, who is without sense and therefore excusable. But these people have sense: they read and teach Allah's Revelation and are fully acquainted with its meaning. In spite of that they are refusing willfully to believe in the Prophet (peace be upon him), who even according to Torah is on the Truth. They are guilty, not because of ignorance, but because of denying Allah's Revelations knowingly.
 
The Prophet And His Intellect
  • There are people who believe in fables and reject realities. Their brains are like a pair of scales, one side of which is heavy for no reason and thus cannot weigh correctly. There are some people who have studied continually, but when they are confronted with real life problems they grope around blindly. There are people among Muslims and non-Muslims, who spend twenty years trying to straighten their intellect, study and research, yet they are unable to reach the status of someone who was granted uprightness by Allah.
  • The Prophet (peace be upon him) was of a special category of people who are clear-thinking and of keen perception. He was living with an open and wakeful heart in the depths of the desert; sober among drunkards and negligent people. His atmosphere was such that it nurtured the lethargy of the lethargic and the keenness of the keen, just as the sun's rays nurture the thorns side by side with roses. The degree of mental development which one reaches from constant observation is undoubtedly much higher than that of memorization without understanding or without discipline.
Purpose Of Islamic Education And Our Condition Today:
  • The various levels of education are stages in a continual struggle to discipline one's mind and its faculties and to correct one's outlook on the universe and life. Thus any educational system which fails to take its students to this peak is not worthy of attention in spite of its beautiful certificates. What is much more worthy of being honored is that people should attain a high level of intelligence, and the capacity to think deeply, and have a clear vision of the means and ends.
  • It is unfortunate to see today many Muslims study the Quran and Hadith on constant basis through Halaqas, study circles, conferences, books, scholars, audio and video tapes, and internet, yet this knowledge is rarely translated into their actions and doesn't touch the depths of their hearts.
[Compiled from "Fiqh-us-Seerah- Understanding The Life Of Prophet Muhammad" by Shk.  Muhammad Al-Ghazali, pp. 84-86]
HADITH- To Soften our Hearts [Ar-Riqaaq]

"What will be the way out then?"

"There will be dissensions (and arguments) after I have departed (so serious and perplexing) like a segment of a pitch-dark night," said the Prophet (peace be upon him) once.

Upon hearing that Ali bin Abi Talib (may be pleased with him) asked, "What is the way out from them, O Messenger of Allah?"

"The Book of Allah: in it there are reports of the past, description of the future, and solution to your problems," the Prophet replied.

[Collected by At-Tirmidhi]
 [Taken from "Time in the Life of a Muslim" by Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, p. 63]

DAWA - Time to Come Out of our Boxes!  

Dawa (calling people to Allah) is an obligation, not an option. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Convey this Message, even if only one sentence (or verse)"  [Bukhari]. He also said, "Learn the required precepts of Islam and the Quran, then teach to others, for I will not live forever" [Bukhari]. Similarly, Allah commands us, "There should be a number of you who actively call people to the righteousness; who encourage goodness and forbid evil. These are the ones who shall prosper." [Quran 3:104] This verse, in a nutshell, may be considered the "Mission statement" for a Muslim's role in this life.... [To be continued in the next issue]

[Taken from the article "DAWA: Time To Come Out of Our Boxes" @ www.youngmuslims.ca]

Modesty [Haya] in Islam and Manners of Dressing

*Safeguards of Social System of Islam*

In order for the Social System of Islam to be able to function with all its potentialities, Islam has provided three kinds of Safeguards:
 
1- Self-purification (Tazkiya): A process by which a person is so educated and trained that he or she automatically begins to follow and obey the social system of Islam, regardless of whether there is or is not an external force to compel the person for obedience. [For example, in the Western society, where there are no external or institutionalized Islamic laws, Tazkiya is the basis of our civilization, modesty, chastity, and our interpersonal relations.]
 
2- Punitive Laws (Shariah): in an Islamic state prevent the commission of all such crimes that may disintegrate the Islamic social system or destroy any of its bases.
 
3- Preventative Measures: help organize social life in such a manner that it is inherently safeguarded against all sorts of unnatural excitement and artificial stimulation, and thus the possibilities of sexual anarchy are reduced to the minimum. Those people in the society who are not reformed spiritually (Tazkiya) and are not scared of the penal laws can be cautioned only by these Preventative measures. It is these measures (such as wearing modest and loose clothes, Hijab....etc.) that raise such barriers in their way despite their inclination towards sexual lawlessness and give rise to healthy family systems.
 
Self-Purification- The Foundation of Islamic Society:
 
A sound faith in Islam is the basic factor which requires its followers to obey the laws of its system. For the sake of one's personal guidance it is enough for one to know that a certain command is a Command of Allah, the most Just and Merciful, and that a prohibition is a prohibition by Him. Therefore, when you as a believer come to know from the Book of Allah that He forbids indulgence in obscenity and pervert or extra-marital sexual relations, your faith requires that you should  not only abstain from indulging in it practically, but also keep your heart pure of all inclinations towards it. Similarly, when a Muslim woman or Muslim man comes to know that Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) have advised him or her to observe certain rules of modesty and dressing in public, he or she is required by their faith to accept those rules willingly and remain satisfied with them. That is why you are first invited to believe in Islam convincingly and have a strong faith in it, purifying yourself of all sorts of evil inclinations, and then are you given the moral and social instructions for their guidance in life.
 
This scheme of spiritual reform is the basis of not only the moral theory but the whole system of Islam. In the moral sphere, Islam has adopted a highly practical and sound process of educating its followers, known as Haya (principle of Modesty) ......[More on Haya will be presented in the next week's issue.]
 
[Taken from "Al-Hijab and the Status of Woman in Islam", by S. Abul Ala Maududi (Rahimahullah) , pp. 162-165]
Quiz Yourself!

Last week's Answer: What does the word 'Hijrah' literally mean?: d) Severance of blood ties

This week's Question: Sura An-Nisa (The Women) of the Quran provides the basis for the Islamic inheritance system, especially verses 11-13. It also states: "Allah commands you as regards your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females..." [4:11] Why is the woman’s share of inheritance half that of a man?

 a) Because women can not and should not handle money or property
 b) Because women can not use their inheritance for themselves
 c) Because women have less financial responsibility compared to the men
 d) Because women are prone to waste it  

[The correct answer will be provided in the next issue]

[Taken from Online Quiz @ www.youngmuslims.ca]