Issue 161 » March 15, 2002 -
General
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QURAN
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Translation:
Surah Aale 'Imran (The Family of Imran)
Chapter 3: Verse 191"O our Lord, You did not create [all] this without purpose!"
@ Commentary @
Secret of High Spiritual Status
The secret of the high spiritual and collective status, which was attained by the Companions of the Prophet (Sahabah) was that their strong relationship with Allah was based on love. They did not feel, as many others do, any sort of 'inconvenience' or 'discomfort' in remembering Him or striving in His way, nor did they suffer from any 'distraction of confusion'.
You Do Not Stop Appreciating...
In human nature two qualities are not unknown to us: (1) the admiration of greatness, and (2) the acknowledgement of kindness. When you see a precision instrument or a latest appliance, or an exquisite picture, or an eloquent article, you do not stop talking of its beauty until your praise extends to its creator. The deep wisdom or skill of the individuals makes you bow your intellect to them involuntarily in respect and admiration. Likewise, when someone does you a favor, you always remember it, and your tongue expresses gratitude just as your heart is filled with praise and awe! A poet says: "Your favor has gained you three things from me: My hand, my tongue, and my hidden heart."
What Do You Think Of the One Who...
The Messenger of God (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) came to arouse these two qualities in the hearts of humans towards the One Who is most deserving of them. Do you not admire the greatness and salute its possessor? Do you not appreciate kindness and show gratitude to its doer? You surely admire the inventor of the aeroplane, and every time you see it streaking through the atmosphere your praise of his genius increases. So what do you think, therefore, of the One Who causes the thousands of stars to move in space without stopping or deviating? What do you think of Him Who created the mind of that inventor and deposited intelligence in the folds of his brain so that he could produce such things that arouse our admiration?
Is not your Lord and the Lord of all things more deserving of your praise for His greatness and favors? Why are our hearts so hardened today? When you truly recognize His Mercy and Greatness through the magnificence of His creation and blessings to us, you would be ashamed to attack Him, or disobey Him, or neglect His guidelines for leading our worldly life, or to attribute anything unworthy to Him. You would surely exclaim, together with the people of knowledge and intelligence, the above verse: Rabbana, ma Khalaqta hazha Baatilan!
Worship Through Love & Reflection
Muhammad (peace be upon him) indeed united the people with their Lord on the basis of deep reflection. Thus when they rose to obey Him they were impelled to perform their duty by their heartfelt desire to pay their respects to the One who is truly Merciful. Worship in Islam is not obedience by force and anger, but obedience by will and love. Worship is not obedience from ignorance and negligence but obedience with knowledge and awareness.
That is why all the early predecessors of Islam used to emphasize reflection and understanding in order to come closer to Allah. Abu Sulayman al-Darani once said, "When I come out of my house my eyes fall on nothing but either there is a blessing for me in it, or a lesson."
Imam Hassan al-Basri says, "An hour of reflection is better than the prayers of a whole night." Similarly, Abd bin Qays narrates that he heard from several of the Companions that "reflection brightens the faith."
[compiled from "Fiqh-us-Seerah" by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali (1917-96)
and "Tafsir Ishraq Al-Ma'ani" by Sayyid Iqbal Zaheer]
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Islamic
Manners
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Importance of Appearance
[Part 2]Cleanliness & Hygiene
The practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is to be always clean, wearing fresh and neat-looking dress and having a pleasant fragrance. Imam al-Bukhari narrates the Prophet saying, "Allah will forgive the sins of the previous week for a person, who on Friday takes a bath, cleanses himself, puts on his [regular] perfume or any perfume available in the house. Then, he goes out [to Friday Prayer] and avoids separating two friends. Then he prayers wherever he can and listens to [the sermon of] the Imam."
To take a bath on Friday is specifically required as it is the 'weekly Eid' of Muslims and a time for gathering and joy for the community in their homes and masjids. That of course does not mean that one should bathe only on Fridays but as often as is necessary for optimal health and hygeine. The Prophet did not set aside any specific time for bathing and would do so whenever he wished to, sometimes even in the middle of the night as Lady 'Aisha reported!
In another Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) alluded how nice it would be to remain clean, when he asked his companions: "If one of you had a river at his door and he washed himself five times a day, would any dirt remain on him?" "No dirt will remain," they answered. The Prophet then commented, "This is the example of the five [daily] prayers as Allah wipes with them your sins." [Muslim]
Do not forget to keep with you a small bottle of perfume and to use it regularly to bring pleasure to yourself and those around you, as the ahadith clearly recommend. It is loved by humans and angels alike, and Allah loves what pleases His creation.[complied from "Islamic Manners" by Shaykh Abdul Fattah
Abu Ghudda (rahimahullah), 1917-97]
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Towards Muslim
Unity
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The sight is always amazing.
Pilgrims standing shoulder to shoulder, of all shades and races, dressed in simple white, stripped of all kinds of worldly barriers, be they of wealth, profession, geography, class, education or other. This enduring image of Hajj has become a hallmark of this Ummah's unity in its diversity.
But as we return from the journey of a lifetime ourselves or welcome those returning, the challenge remains: how do we retain this culture of unity that marks Hajj?
How do we keep the bonds of Islamic brother/sisterhood intact to fulfill our goals as an Ummah, especially in North America, where our diversity is even more marked than in other parts of the world?
In the continuing series, we will present ten practical ways you and your community can build unity.