Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Splendid Women
Al-Tahrim (Prohibition) Sura 66: Verses 11-12

God has also given examples of believers: Pharaoh's wife, who said: "My Lord! Build me a mansion in heaven near You, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from the wrongdoing folk." And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed of Our spirit into her. She accepted the truth of her Lord's words and His revealed books. She was truly devout.

Pharaoh's wife's prayer and her overall position is a shining example of rejecting all temptation that the life of this world can offer, even at its most splendid. Pharaoh was the most powerful king on earth, and his palace offered the best that a woman could desire. Yet his wife chose faith in preference to all this. She did not merely treat it with contempt; she considered it evil and sought refuge with God from yielding to it, praying to be saved from it and its consequences. Pharaoh's wife, on her own, resisted the pressures exerted by society, the palace, the throne, the courtiers and her own royal position, lifting her head to heaven seeking its light. She certainly provides a great example of submission to God, resisting all temptations and overcoming all impediments. Hence she deserved her special mention in God's book, the words of which are echoed throughout the universe as they are revealed from on high.

Mary, the daughter of Imran, provides another example of total dedication. Her distinctive quality mentioned here is her purity. Thus her innocence is made absolutely clear, refuting the vile accusations levelled at her. It was from the breathing of God's spirit into her that Jesus, her son, was born, as detailed in Surah Maryam. The present text highlights Mary's purity, complete faith and total obedience of God.

Both ladies are splendid examples of women who combined firm faith with purity of behaviour and total devotion. God sets these two examples before the believing men and women in all generations.

Compiled From:
"In The Shade Of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Volume 17, pp. 120, 121

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Balance

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, regarded extremism in din (way of life) as a basic fault of the people before the advent of Islam. He said:

"Beware, do not adopt extremism, because your predecessors got annihilated by adopting extremist attitudes in din." [Muslim]

Extremist, rigid and strict attitudes did not exist during the time of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet himself, as can be gathered from documented evidence, was very tolerant, he listened to others with respect, avoided arguments and quarrels and adopted the best available course of action even though it may have been suggested by someone else. There was a balance between his personal, family, social and public life.

Acquiring a deep and balanced understanding of Islam assists in leading a balanced and moderate personal and social life. However, some people are found to give more emphasis to certain aspects of Islam over others, or they place unjustified burdens on themselves that have no reference in the Islamic sources of guidance.

An extremist temperament is one of the major causes of Muslim disunity and weakness today. Cultivation of moderation and balance in people's temperaments is required for reforming the affairs of the world according to Islam. Muslims must avoid extremism and rigidity, learn and observe the ethics of disagreement is Islam, and show respect and tolerance to differing views and opinions that are within the boundaries of Islam.

Compiled From:
"Building A New Society" - Zahid Parvez, pp. 200, 201

Blindspot!

Religious Urge

It is through religious experience alone that we can arrive, rightly or wrongly, at standards of moral and ethical evaluation independent of the ephemeral changes in our environment; at the recognition of a moral Good worth striving for, and of a moral Evil that must be avoided. By all objective canons, there is always the possibility of a religion, any religion, being mistaken in its metaphysical premises. Therefore, our acceptance or rejection of any religion must, in the last resort, be guided by our experience and our reason, which tell us how far that particular religion agrees with people's ultimate needs, physical and spiritual.

But this necessity of exerting our critical faculties with regard to religion does not distract from the fundamental proposition that it is religion alone that can endow our life with a meaning, and can, thus, promote in us the urge to conform our behaviour to a pattern of moral values entirely independent of the momentary constellation of our existence. To phrase is differently, it is religion alone that can provide a broad platform for an agreement, among large groups of people, as to what is Good and therefore desirable, and what is Evil and therefore to be avoided. Could there be any doubt that such an agreement is an absolute, indispensable requirement for any sort of order in human relations?

Considered from this viewpoint, the religious urge (taking the word 'religion' in its widest sense) is not a mere passing phase in the history of human development but rather the ultimate source of ethics and morality; not the outcome of cheap credulity which any age could 'outgrow' but rather the only answer to a real, basic need of people at all times and in all environments. In other words, it is an instinct.

Compiled From:
Islam: The Way of Revival,"Is Religion Relevant Today" - Muhammad Asad, pp. 5, 6