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Surah
al-Haqqah (The Reality)
Chapter 69: Verse 30-34
Translation:
Take
him and bind him, and then throw him in the fire of hell,
and then fasten him with a chain seventy cubits long. For
he did not believe in God, the Most High and did not care
to feed the poor.
Commentary:
Materialism has permeated all aspects of modern
civilization, and a feverish
race for selfish material gain has engulfed
the whole world. People are dismissive of God, of religious
practices and of humane acts of any kind.
Those communities that have inherited divine
revelation have failed to translate
it into an effective, workable system; rather,
some of them have become a liability to the mission with which
they are charged. They have
let their prophets down miserably. Some of
them have amassed enormous wealth and enjoy extravagant luxuries,
but are hesitant to help the poor and the needy or to support
charitable cause. It is them, according to the verses, that
God sends for punishment.
[compiled from "Thematic
Commentary on the Quran" by Shaikh Muhammad al-Ghazali,
p. 672] |
Understanding
the Prophet's Life |
Obligations
to our Neighbours
Neighbours have rights, be they Muslims or
non-Muslims. The Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him gave
a comprehensive account of our duties towards our neighbours
when requested to do so by one of his Companions:
- If he asks for
a loan, you should give him a loan;
- if he wants your
help, you should help him;
- if he be sick,
you should go see him;
- if he be needy
you should try to fulfil his need;
- if he gets good
news, you should congratulate him;
- if any calamity
befalls him, it is your duty to console him;
- if he dies, you
should attend his funeral;
- you should not
raise your walls to such a height that they obstruct the
ventilation of your neighbour's house, even if he is willing;
- do not tantalise
your neighbour with the smell of your delicious food unless
you send a portion of it to him;
- if you bring fruit
into your house then send some to your neighbour; otherwise
keep it hidden from your neighbour, and you should also
be careful that your children do not take some out, else
the children of your neighbour may feel disappointed.
Narrated by Tabarani
[taken from "In
the Early Hours" by Ustadh Khurram Murad, p. 126] |
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Drugs
and alcohol: 10 Reminders
- Know the law. All kinds
of narcotic drugs and alcohol are forbidden by Islam. They
are also illegal in most part of the world. Apart from the
fact that you are accountable to Allah for what you do and
could very well be punished in this life and the next for
using drugs and alcohol, you could also face legal penalties
according to the law: depending on where you are caught,
you could face high fines and jail time.
- Be aware
of the risks. Drinking or using drugs increases
the risk of injury. Car crashes, falls, burns, drowning,
and suicide are all linked to drug use.
- Keep your
edge. Drug use can ruin your looks, make
you depressed, and contribute to slipping grades.
- Play it
safe. One incident of drug use could make
you do something that you will regret for a lifetime.
- Do the smart
thing. Using drugs puts your health, education,
family ties, and social life at risk.
- Get with
the program. Doing drugs isn't "in".
- Think twice
about what you're advertising when you buy
and wear T-shirts, hats, pins, or jewelry with a pot leaf,
joint, blunt, beer can, or other drug paraphernalia on them.
Do you want to promote something that can cause cancer?
make you forget things? or make it difficult to drive a
car?
- Face your
problems. Using drugs won't help you escape
your problems, it will only create more.
- Be a real
friend. If you know someone with a drug
problem, be part of the solution. Urge your friend to get
help.
- Remember,
you DON'T NEED drugs or alcohol. If you
think "everybody's doing it," you're wrong! Over
86% of 12-17 year-olds have never tried marijuana; over
98% have never used cocaine; only about half a percent of
them have ever used crack. Doing drugs won't make you happy
or popular or help you to learn the skills you need as you
grow up. In fact, doing drugs can cause you to fail at all
of these things.
[Compiled from SoundVision.com] |
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