Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Social Jihad
Al Hujurat (The Chambers) - Chapter 49: Verse 15

"The believers are those who believe in God and His Messenger, then have not doubted, and have struggled with their possessions and their selves in the way of God; those - they are the truthful ones."

One may read this verse in the strict sense and maintain that it only addresses the question of armed struggle, and that this armed struggle imposes itself whenever there exists aggression. However, it would be reductionist to draw just that instruction. In a broader sense, a sense which is confirmed by the entire Quranic message and that of the traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, "fighting in the path of God" (jihad) means mobilising all our human forces, directing all our efforts and giving of our properties and our own persons in order to overcome all adversities whether they be injustices, poverty, illiteracy, delinquency or exclusion.

The Quran offers such latitude in the interpretation of the word jihad, which is of a learned and scientific nature, one which relies on dialogue, discussion and debate. On another level, it is the Prophet who presents an extensive interpretation of the word when he asserts, for example, that "Pilgrimage is a jihad". One realises that the troubles, efforts and suffering endured by the faithful during a few days in Makka, in order to give strength to their faith and answer the call of the Creator, are a jihad in the path of God.

We will not deny that there are struggles wherein circumstances lead us to direct confrontation, in order to oppose a purge here, a military occupation there, or other type of aggression such as the one we have witnessed in Bosnia and Chechnya. However, it cannot simply be a question of focusing our attention on these events alone and forgetting the broader type of fight which occurs daily and is, therefore, so much more urgent. Nowadays, our enemies, in the path of God, are hunger, unemployment, exploitation, delinquency and drug addiction. They require intense efforts, a continuous fight and a complete jihad which needs each and everyone's participation.

How many are those Muslims who want to fight beyond their own doorsteps, who want to offer, in the most sincere fashion their own persons for the cause of Islam. But, filled with this intention, they forget and remain blind to the fight that must be carried out here in their own locality, to the cause that ought to be defended in their own neighbourhoods, cities and in every country. To those who sought to assist Palestine in its fight against Zionist colonisation in the 1940s, and who perceived this expedition as representing the fulfilment of their ideal, Hassan al-Banna said: "Dying in the way of God is difficult, but living in the way of God is still more difficult." This jihad is a jihad for life, in order that every human being is given the rights which are his. The entire message of Islam carries this requirement as well as its necessary achievement.

Compiled From:
"Islam, The West and the Challenges of Modernity" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 66-69

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Greetings

When the Prophet, peace be upon him, delivered his first sermon after arriving in Madinah, he instructed the Muslims as follows: "Introduce among yourselves the practice of Salam." On its importance the following hadith sheds more light: "You cannot enter Paradise unless you are believers. And this status you cannot achieve unless you have mutual love. Should I not identify for you something which would infuse mutual love among you? This is to spread greetings amongst you." (Mishkat)

While enumerating the obligations due to fellow Muslims the Prophet clarified that on meeting one another Muslims should say Salam. He urged Muslims to take the lead in offering greetings, stating: "The one initiating Salam is free from pride and arrogance." He also remarked: "Allah's mercy is on those who initiate Salam." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)

The Prophet made a point of greeting others first whenever he passed by them. He would greet everyone, men, women or children. He pressed home the point thus: "When you meet your brethren, you should greet them. If you get separated by a tree or a wall, you should again greet as you come face to face again." (Abu Dawud) He exhorted his family members to initiate Salam. He told Anas: "O son, you should say Salam as you enter your house. It will bring blessings to you and your family members." (Tirmidhi)

Greetings can only enhance mutual love, provided they are performed with conscious effort. For greetings signify one's sincere wish for the other person's welfare. The same cannot, however, be said of the ritual Salam, as it is practised now, for it obviously does not contribute to love.

Compiled From:
"Inter Personal Relations" - Khurram Murad, pp. 42, 43

Cool Concepts

Powerful Life

When you study the lives of all great achievers - those who have had the greatest influence on others, those who have made significant contributions, those who have simply made things happen - you will find a pattern. Through their persistent efforts and inner struggle, they have greatly expanded their four native human intelligence or capacities. The highest manifestations of these four intelligences are: for the mental, vision; for the physical, discipline; for the emotional, passion; for the spiritual, conscience. These manifestations also represent our highest means of expressing our voice.

Vision is seeing with the mind's eye what is possible in people, in projects, in causes and in enterprises. Vision results when our mind joins need with possibility. When people have no vision, when they neglect the development of the mind's capacity to create, they fall prey to the human tendency toward victimism.

Discipline is paying the price to bring that vision into reality. It is dealing with the hard, pragmatic, brutal facts of reality and doing what it takes to make things happen. Discipline arises when vision joins with commitment. The opposite of discipline and the commitment that inspires sacrifice is indulgence - sacrificing what matters most in life for the pleasure or thrill of the moment.

Passion is the fire, the desire, the strength of conviction and the drive that sustains the discipline to achieve the vision. Passion arises when human need overlaps unique human talent. When one does not have the passion that flows from finding and using one's voice to serve great purposes, the void is filled with insecurity and the empty chatter of a thousand voices. In relationship and organizational settings, passion includes compassion.

Conscience is the inward moral sense of what is right what is wrong, the drive toward meaning and contribution. It is the guiding force to vision, discipline and passion. It stands in stark contrast to the life dominated by ego.

Compiled From:
"The 8th Habit" - Stephen R. Covey, pp. 65, 66