Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Al-Isra (The Night Journey)
Chapter 17: Verse 82 (Partial)

Healing and Mercy
"We send down (stage by stage) in the Quran, that which is a healing and mercy."

The results of researches conducted over a group of volunteers from the USA who were subject to a recitation of the Quran were striking. A trace of a tranquilizing effect was recorded on 97% of the participants. Although many of these volunteers did not know Arabic, they nonetheless experienced involuntary physiological changes that led to notable alleviation in the acuity of tension they were observed to possess in their nervous systems prior to the experiment.

Furthermore, an EEG experiment during the Quran recitation revealed that the encephalic waves moved at a slower pattern, indicating a state of deep calmness. Non-Arabic speaking people felt assured, quite, and relaxed when listening to the Quranic verses, in spite of their inability to understand their meaning. This is one the miracles of the Holy Quran.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, revealed this miracle by saying, "People assembled in one of the houses of Allah (Mosques), and who recite and study the Book of Allah, find that a tranquility prevails over them, and that mercy encompasses them, and that the angels surround them, and that Allah mentions them in the presence of those near Him."

Source:
"Medical Miracales of the Quran" - Dr. Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal. The Islamic Foundation, UK. p. 104-105.

Understanding The Prophet's Life

The Turning Point

It is not known exactly when the Night Journey and Ascension took place, but it was certainly before the Hijrah (emigration from Makkah) to Madinah. It was said to have happened either three years or 18 months before the Hijrah.

Al-Isra was a land-to-land journey that Allah Almighty caused His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to make from Makkah to Jerusalem, that is, from Almighty Allah's Sacred House to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Miraj was a land-to-heaven journey from Jerusalem to the heavens. It was a journey to a place that no human being other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had ever reached [or has reached since]. It was a journey to the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary, whose place only Almighty Allah knows.

Such two journeys were a turning point in the Prophet's life and in the course of his call in Makkah, especially after all the suffering he (peace and blessings be upon him) had faced at the hands of the Quraysh.

Allah Almighty wanted Al-Isra and Al-Miraj be an alleviation and relief to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He Almighty wanted to tell His Prophet that if the people of the earth had let him down, the people of heaven were there to support him; if the people of the earth had rejected his call, Allah Almighty would receive him and His Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) would follow him and he would be their imam.

We must believe that Allah Almighty is with us and that He Almighty will grant us victory and make Islam prevail, as He, Most High, always supports the true believers.

That journey was an honour and compensation to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from Almighty Allah. It was also a preparation for him to the following stage of his call. A few years later, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would migrate to Madinah, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) would lead a life of strife and jihad and confront the Arab tribes and other parties that would stand as one man against his international call.

Prophet Muhammad's being received by other Prophets of Allah Almighty in Al-Aqsa Mosque and his leading them in Salah (ritual Prayer) there indicates that leadership was moved to a new nation and to a new Prophethood.

Source:
"Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj: Everlasting Lessons" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

Blindspot!

What’s in it for Me? Five Advantages of Hijab

• I can’t be messed with! Hijab protects me – Hijab identifies a Muslim woman as a person of high moral standards to reduce her chances of being harassed.

• I am liberated from slavery to ‘physical perfection’ – Society makes women desire to become ‘perfect objects’. The multitudes of alluring fashion magazines and cosmetic surgeries show women’s enslavement to beauty. The entertainment industry pressures teens to believe that for clothes, less is better. When we wear Hijab, we vow to liberate ourselves from such desires and serve only God.
  
  
• I don’t let others judge me by my hair and curves! – In schools and professional environments, women are often judged by their looks or bodies—characteristics they neither chose nor created. Hijab forces society to judge women for their value as human beings, with intellect, principles, and feelings. A woman in Hijab sends a message, “Deal with my brain, not my body!”
  
  
• I feel empowered and confident – In contrast to today’s teenage culture, where anorexia and suicide are on the rise, as women attempt to reach an unattainable ideal of beauty, Hijab frees a woman from the pressure to ‘fit in’. She does not have to worry about wearing the right kind of jeans or the right shade of eyeshadow. She can feel secure about her appearance because she cares to please only Allah.
  
  
• I feel the bond of unity – Hijab identifies us as Muslims and encourages other Muslim sisters to greet us with the salutation of peace, “Assalamu Alaikum”. Hijab draws others to us and immerses us in good company.

Source:
"Hijab: Fabric, Fad or Faith?" - Young Muslims Publications