Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Moderate Community
Al-Baqarah (The Cow) Chapter 2: Verse 143 (partial)

"Our (goal) is to transform you into a moderate community so you can be a witness to all people, even as the Messenger is a witness to you."

The most distinguishing characteristic of Islam and, when loyal to that characteristic, of the community of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is that it is far from all kinds of extremism. Islam represents the middle way in all aspects of life.

The human being has three cardinal drives or faculties, namely the intellect or reasoning power, lust or worldly appetite, and anger or the impulse to self-assertion or defence. Each of these faculties has an upper and lower extreme. For example, the extremes of the intellect are demagogy or deceitful reasoning, and the refusal or failure to reason, namely stupidity; the extreme conditions of lust are wanton self-indulgence and listlessness; and of anger arrogant, thoughtless rashness, and self-absorbing cowardice. The teachings of Islam discipline and balance these faculties. The disciplining of the intellect enables the acquisition of knowledge that is sound and functions as wisdom. The disciplining of lust results in the development of the virtues of restraint and chastity and, subsequently, forbearance. The disciplining of anger results in the ability to live and act with courage in the cause of right and justice.

Representing the middle way in its creed, its rites of worship, its social, economic and political principles, and the moral training it gives to people, Islam as a way of life means peace, balance, harmony, and salvation.

Compiled From:
"The Holy Quran: Guidance for Life" - Yahiya Emerick, p. 25
"The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, pp. 73

Understanding The Prophet's Life

The Meadows of Heaven

Whoever wishes to dwell in the meadows of Heaven in this world should frequent the gatherings of remembrance, for these are the meadows of Heaven.

Ibn Abil-Dunya and others relate a hadith transmitted by Jabir ibn Abd Allah: 'The Messenger of God [may God bless him and grant him peace] came out to us and said, "O people, roam the meadows of Heaven!" And we asked, "And what are the meadows of Heaven, Messenger of God?" He answered, "The gatherings of remembrance." Then he said, "So be nourished and take your rest and remember. Let anyone who wishes to know his place with God behold what place he has given God [in his soul], for verily God will give to a servant the [same] place with Him that the servant has given to God within himself."'[Bayhaqi]

Compiled From:
"The Invocation of God" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, pp. 92, 93

Blindspot!

Sunna and Sirat

The Sunna is a source of legislation and guidance in Islam besides the Holy Quran. The Quran is the basis and the origin, and the Sunna is the explanation and the application.

However, some people make the mistake of putting the Sirat in the place of the Sunna, citing the events of the Sirat as if they were as compulsory as the Quran and the Sunna.

The Sirat is not a synonym for the Sunna, as there are some details in the Sirat that have nothing to do with legislation at all. That is why the ulema of Usul (principles of jurisprudence) have not integrated the Sirat into their definition of the Sunna. They only said, "The Sunna is what the Prophet either said, did or approved." They did not include the Sirat in that.

Some Islamic groups regard the Sirat as an absolute proof to support judgments and they believe that it is compulsory to all Muslims.

Here I have to point out two things:

First, the Sirat includes many events that have been narrated without irrefutable proof that they have been handed down from one narrator to the next, as they [the narrators] used to narrate the Sirat with a flexibility that they did not use in their narration of the hadith related to legal provisions and matters of halal and haram.

Second, the Sirat represented the practical part of the Prophet's life, i.e. it mostly dealt with the "action" part of the Sunna. Actions are not an indication of obligation and compulsion by itself; it only indicates permissibility, as another proof must be present for compulsion to be effective. True, we are required to follow the example of the Prophet. However, following the example of the Prophet should be in morals, values and general, not detailed, situations. For example:

It is not necessary to copy the example of the Prophet by starting the spreading of the Call in secret, if it is possible and authorized to spread it openly. It is not necessary to migrate as the Prophet did, either, so long as we have nothing that requires us to migrate from our homelands where we feel safe and are able to spread our Call.

Compiled From:
"Priorities of The Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi