Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

No Compulsion
Al Baqarah (The Cow) - Chapter 2: Verse 256 (partial)

"There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right way is henceforth distinct from error."

This reflects the honour God has reserved for man and the high regard in which man's will, thought and emotions are held, and the freedom he is granted to choose his beliefs, and the responsible position he is afforded to be judge of his own actions.

Freedom of belief is the most basic right that identifies man as a human being. To deny anyone this right is to deny him or her humanity. Freedom of belief also implies the freedom to express and propagate one's belief without fear of threat or persecution; otherwise, that freedom is hollow and meaningless.

The Arabic text, using a generic negative, imparts a negation of the very idea of compulsion. When it comes to matters of belief, not only should these never be imposed by coercion or compulsion, but there cannot even be an option to use such a means of conversion or persuasion.

Although the meaning and application is general, several incidents are reported to have occasioned the revelation of this verse. Here're a few:

A man's two sons converted to Christianity and wanted to migrate to Syria in the company of Christian traders who had come from there. Their father however embraced Islam and enquired the Prophet (peace be upon him) if he could force them into Islam. Allah revealed this verse (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

It was a custom among the Ansar of Madina that if a woman's sons did not survive, she vowed that if the child lived he would be converted to Judaism. There were many such Judaized children in Madina. When Banu Nadir were banished they wanted to carry along those children with them. The Ansar maintained that since it was before the advent of Islam they would not let their sons go with them. So Allah revealed this verse to say that whoever wanted to stay back could do so and whoever wanted to go was free to do so (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Abu Dawud, Nasai).

Compiled From:
"In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 1, pp. 325, 326
"Tafsir Ishraq Al-Ma'ani" - Syed Iqbal Zaheer, Vol. 1, pp. 315, 316

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Pioneer Environmentalist

"There is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it is regarded as having given a charitable gift." [Al-Bukhari, III:513].

The idea of the Prophet Mohammed as a pioneer of environmentalism will initially strike many as strange: indeed, the term “environment” and related concepts like “ecology”, “environmental awareness” and “sustainability”, are modern-day inventions, terms that were formulated in the face of the growing concerns about the contemporary state of the natural world around us.

And yet a closer reading of the hadith, the body of work that recounts significant events in the Prophet’s life, reveals that he was a staunch advocate of environmental protection. One could say he was an “environmentalist avant la lettre”, a pioneer in the domain of conservation, sustainable development and resource management, and one who constantly sought to maintain a harmonious balance between man and nature. From all accounts of his life and deeds, we read that the Prophet had a profound respect for fauna and flora, as well as an almost emotional connection to the four elements, earth, water, fire and air.

He was a strong proponent of the sustainable use and cultivation of land and water, proper treatment of animals, plants and birds, and the equal rights of users. In this context the modernity of the Prophet’s view of the environment and the concepts he introduced to his followers is particularly striking; certain passages of the hadith could easily be mistaken for discussions about contemporary environmental issues.

Compiled From:
"Prophet Mohammed: A Pioneer of the Environment" - Francesca De Chatel

Blindspot!

Halloween

Halloween has evolved and been influenced by a number of different cultures and religions, the most important of which are paganism, the Romans, the Celts (the people of Ireland, Scotland, Britain, Wales) and Christianity.

However, almost all of the traditions surrounding Halloween as we know it today can be traced back to the Celtic Day of the Dead, a pagan holiday.

Samhain was the name of the Druid god of the dead. The Druids were a religious order amongst the Celts. On this day, they would try to appease their Lord of Death. These Druids also believed that witches rode on broom sticks and that ghosts were the cause of supernatural occurrences.

The belief was that on the eve of the Celtic New Year (which for them was October 31), the souls of the dead people roamed the land of the living. The Devil, spirits and witches were also believed to be moving about and at the height of their power.

Halloween was also a time for MAJOR Shirk (making partners with God). There were games and rituals which involved fortune-telling. Young people, for instance, would try to see what their marriage prospects were using omens like apple pairings that were thrown over their shoulders, or nuts being burned in a fire.

The Pope, in the eight century, decided to Christianize this pagan holiday since he wanted people to abandon the occult and idolatrous practices associated with it, and made November 1 All Saints' Day or All Hallows' (Holy) Day. This is a day to remember all of the Christians who died for their faith. October 31 was then considered All Hallow's Eve, and this word later evolved into the modern day Halloween.

Following is some advice from the Islamic scholar, Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, to Muslims on dealing with Halloween:

1. Avoid it, it's a night of evil. Satan is our open enemy and we do not play with evil.

2. Trick-or-treating is really kids begging for candy. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked and discouraged begging.

3. Remember that some Satanic movements have engaged in dangerous acts, like rape and kidnapping on Halloween.

4. Despite our position regarding this holiday, we must respect the rights of those who believe it is a part of their religion or consider it to be just a little fun.

Compiled From:
"Where Does Halloween Come from?" - SoundVision.com