Issue 119 » May 25, 2001 -
General
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QURAN
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Translation:
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The Arabs were addicted to female infanticide. In a society perpetually at war, a son was a source of strength, whereas a daughter was a source of weakness. Even now infanticide is not unknown in other countries for economic reasons. This crime against children's lives is here characterized as one of the greatest sins (Khit-an-Kabeeraa).
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This verse totally demolishes the economic basis on which birth control movements have arisen in different periods of human history. In the past, fear of poverty drove people to infanticide and abortion. Today, it drives people towards a third alternative: prevention of conception.
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However, according to this provision of the Islamic manifesto, a human being is required not to waste his/her energies on the destructive task of reducing the number of mouths to be fed, instead, he/she should devote his/her energies to constructive tasks which, under God's Law, leads to increases in the production of wealth.
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It is evident from the above verse that one of man's major blunders is that he often decides to put a brake on procreation for fear of poverty. The verse warns us that in no way do we control the process of providing sustenance for God's creatures. It rests with God alone.
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Now, in the same manner that God has provided men with their sustenance in the past, He will also do so in future. Human history also bears witness to the fact that economic resources in different parts of the world have increased in proportion to the growth of human popul-ation; and at times, these resources have increased at an even higher pace than growth in population. Hence, man's amateurish interference in the providential arrangements of God amounts to nothing short or folly.
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This explains the fact the since the time the Quran was revealed and until the present, Muslims have, as a whole, never cherished any ideas that might be considered genocidal.
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Know
Your Islamic Vocab.
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JIHAD: Literally, means Striving. Any earnest striving in the way of God, involving either personal effort, material resources or arms, for righteousness and against evil, wrong-doing and oppression. Where it involves armed struggle, it must be for the defense of the Muslim community or just war to protect even non-Muslims from evil, oppression and tyranny.
[Contributed by Br. Junaid Sohail, University of Toronto, Erindale Campus]
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DAWA - Time to Come Out
of our Boxes!
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Use Wisdom and speak only what is needed. Often times, we begin to explain Islam to non-Muslims the way we were taught Islam traditionally, without giving the true spirit and wisdom behind the message. For instance, it is not wise to give all the details of the rituals of Prayer and Wudu, to a seeker of Truth, before even explaining why should everyone pray to God, in the first place. Similarly, generally speaking, it is not wise to use present day Muslims, as examples; instead, we should emphasize how Islam is supposed to change the character of those who truly posses and practice this beautiful faith. In addition, keep in mind, the more unnecessary information we give away, the more we confuse others. Therefore, we should really come out of these "cultural boxes" or "conventional loops" that limit our vision and potential for an effective Dawa to people. As Br. Dawud Wharnsby-Ali says, "If someone asks us, 'What do you believe in?' it is more effective to say, 'I believe in One God', instead of saying, 'I believe in Islam,' because by doing that we automatically open the doors for them to explore Islam, since many of them, at first, would probably prefer to know more about One God, rather than this 'label', called Islam"...... [To be continued in the next issue]
[Taken from the article "DAWA: Time To Come Out of Our Boxes" @ www.youngmuslims.ca]
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Modesty
[Haya] in Islam and Manners of Dressing
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Injunctions on Clothing & Covering of Nakedness
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"Accursed is the one who casts a look at the shameful parts of his brother." (Ahkam-al-Quran, by Al-Jassas)
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"No man should look at a naked man and no woman should look at a naked woman." (Muslim)
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"By God, it is better for me to be dropped from the skies and torn into two, than that I should look at the private parts of somebody or that someone should look at my private parts." (Al-Mabsoot)
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"Beware, never strip yourself of clothes, because with you is the One (i.e. Angel), Who never leaves you alone, except at the time when you attend to the call of nature or have intercourse." (At-Tirmidhi)
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"When one of you goes to his wife, he should cover his nakedness even at that time; he should not make himself naked like donkeys." (Ibn Majah)
[Taken from "Al-Hijab and the Status of Woman in Islam", by S. Abul Ala Maududi (Rahimahullah) , pp. 174-176]
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Naisha (Advice) From!
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"You must present a model and an ideal way of life which may make them (the non-Muslims) interested in studying Islam, and eager to know the source of your Guidance which has enabled you to follow a particular way of life and worldview. This is the only radical way in which you can play an effective role in non-Islamic societies.
However, if you assimilate yourself fully into their society and take to their way of life, as a result of either some inferiority complex or out of sheer imitation whether in the U.K., or in India or in Africa or in any part of the world, you can never influence them, nor can you ever bring about any change in them, even if you live in their midst for centuries!"
~ Shk. Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (Rahimahullah) ~
[Contributed by a Brother from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada]
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Quiz Yourself!
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Last week's Answer: What was the first complete Sura of the Quran that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? c) Al-Faatiha
[Taken from Online Quiz @ www.youngmuslims.ca]