Life's Objective, Lineage, Preparing People
Issue 373 » April 7, 2006 - Rabi Al-Awwal 8, 1427
General
| Living the Quran |
Al-Sajdah
(The Prostration)
When the lifestyle of one who is working solely for the material gains of this world is compared with that of a person who is striving for the everlasting rewards of the Hereafter, there is seemingly very little difference. In both cases, each person is seen to be striving to maintain a quality life. It is clear that the non-believer, limited to himself and feeding upon his own desires cannot, compare with the true Believer. The non-believer may find that all his worldly desires are fulfilled, but his accomplishments will only bring temporary satisfaction. The true Believer on the other hand, may achieve worldly gains but he realises that true contentment will only come when the ultimate reward of Paradise and the pleasure of his Lord is achieved. This understanding of life and its true objective is the secret of the believer's strength and support. This makes him the most powerful and resourceful person to walk upon the earth. Start, then, to prepare for the Akhira today! Why waste your time and energy on what will perish when you can use the same to earn the delights and pleasures of the life to come? Everything you have must be put forward as an investment for that life, but you must keep in mind that the investment is not the objective. All that Allah has bestowed on you -body, mind, faculties and property -are valuables for investment, but the real objective is to earn the pleasure of Allah and the rewards of Janna. Remember that your personal destiny and, therefore, the end of all your life's pursuits, lie in the Akhira, but the road to that destiny lies in Dunya, in this world. Indeed the achievements made during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, were the results of full participation in this world - neither withdrawing nor retiring from it - for the sake of the Life to Come. The Prophet and his Companions planned for this world as though they were going to stay here forever but equally they sought the rewards of the Hereafter as though death was close at hand. It is this delicate balance that you must strive to achieve in your approach to life. Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| Lineage is Without Significance Al-Bukhari reported that Abu Dharr and Bilal, the Abyssinian, both of whom were among the earliest Muslims, once quarreled and insulted each other. Carried away by his anger, Abu Dharr said to Bilal, "You son of a black woman!" Bilal complained about this to the Prophet (peace be on him), who turned to Abu Dharr, saying, "Are you taunting him about his mother? There is still some influence of jahiliyyah in you!'' (Reported by al-Bukhari.) Abu Dharr narrated that the Prophet (peace be on him) said to him, "Look! You are no better than a white or black man unless you excel in the fear of Allah." (Reported by al-Bukhari.) The Prophet (peace be on him) also said, "You are all children of Adam, and Adam was created of dust." (Reported by Ahmad.) Thus Islam made it haram for the Muslim to boast about his genealogy and kinship, mentioning his forefathers and saying, "I am the son of such and such," or "I am white and you are black, I am an Arab and you are a non-Arab." What is the value of kinships and genealogies when all people come from one single origin? And even supposing that genealogy had value, how does it add to the credit or debit of a person to have been born to this or that father? Said the Prophet (peace be on him):These genealogies of yours are not a reason to revile anyone. You are all children of Adam. No one has superiority over another except in religion and taqwa (the fear of Allah). (Reported by al-Bazzar) During the Farewell Pilgrimage, while thousands of Muslims gathered in the sacred place, during the sacred month, the Prophet (peace be on him) delivered his last public address, emphasizing the basic principles: O people, your Lord is One. Know that there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab or of non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white over a black or of a black over a white, except through consciousness of Allah (taqwa). Verily, the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah is the one who has most taqwa. (Reported by Ahmad.) Source: |
| Blindspot! |
Preparing People For Change Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, a great Umayyad caliph and a very pious person, endeavoured to eradicate the corruption in his society. His unparalleled reforms and attempts at Islamic resurgence were extraordinary. He codified the shariah, initiated the compilation of hadith, and opened the treasury for the use of all of the citizens. He did all this and more in two years of caliphate. He had political authority and a group of people trained by the companions of the Prophet to back him up. His piety, justice and sincere efforts led the scholars to agree, he was the revivalist of his century. The Umayyads even remarked that he looked like an Umayyad from the outside but was Umar ibn al-Khattab (his great grandfather) from the inside. Scholars have even gone as far as calling him the fifth righteous caliph of Islam. Despite all the good that he did, he was not completely successful in his efforts to reform the Umayyad state. The first reason being that he ruled for only two years before his servant poisoned him to death. Second and more important: he couldn’t convince the corrupt Umayyad elite of the need for his swift reforms based on the Quran and the way of Prophet. Many of the key officials and power brokers didn’t accept his efforts for change: they preferred to hold and centralize power at any cost. For example they preferred to privatize the treasury and use the wealth for themselves rather than to benefit the community as a whole. Eventually they conspired and killed him. The lesson? A leader needs the support of people to be successful. If people are not ready for change, then no matter how capable a leader may be, efforts for change will not bear fruit. Source: |
