Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Permissibility
Al Jathiyah (Kneeling Down) - Chapter 45: Verse 13

"And He has made subservient to you, what is in the heavens and what is on the earth, all together from Him; in that are signs indeed for people who reflect."

This verse states a highly significant principle in Islamic faith and law the jurists have inferred: that the general rule about any substance is that God has allowed its use, as long as no specific rule in the divine law has stated that it is forbidden. The divine laws in the Quran and Sunnah are not comprehensive with regard to all that is allowed, but they comprehensively and specifically indicate what is forbidden. All what is not indicated in the divine sources as forbidden is considered allowed and lawful as long as it is not harmful, since whatever causes harm is forbidden. If anything shares the properties of something forbidden in the Quran and Sunnah it may be considered forbidden through a convincing analogy.

Compiled From:
"Concepts of the Quran" - Fathi Osman, p. 47

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Cursing

Cursing (la'n or la'nah) normally consists of an expression of disapproval or displeasure and invocation of affliction upon the object of the curse. Curses are often uttered by calling the curse and wrath of God upon someone or something.

According to a hadith reported by Muslim, someone asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, to call the curse of God upon the polytheists, to which the Prophet replied, 'I have not been sent to curse. I have been sent only as a mercy.'

Cursing particular individuals or groups is 'a dangerous violation', except when this is specified, for example, in the Quran where God has cursed individuals such as the Pharaoh and Abu Jahl. Apart from cases like this, it is unlawful to curse a particular person by name, partly because it is just possible that the person concerned, if a non-Muslim or a sinner, might have become a Muslim, or might have repented. If cursing a disbeliever is unlawful, then it is all the more so with regard to a transgressor and heretic. It is thus concluded that cursing a particular individual, even a disbeliever, is unlawful and must be avoided.

Cursing is discouraged even when it is not addressed to a person, when it is uttered in vain, or when it is addressed to objects and natural phenomena. It is reported from Ibn Abbas that when a man cursed the wind in the presence of the Prophet he was told 'curse not the wind for it is ordained [to take its course]. When a person inappropriately curses something, the curse returns to him.' [Tirmidhi]

Compiled From:
"Freedom of Expression in Islam" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 182-185

Blindspot!

Point of View

Sometimes people who try to explain what lies behind certain Islamic legislation or aspects of Islamic worship, put their points of view very forcefully, implying that they have understood everything there is to understand. This is not the proper way to explain Quranic statements and Islamic legislation, except where the reasons for such legislation are expressly stated in the Quran or the Sunnah. It is always preferable to state our point of view adding that it is all that we have been able to understand of the wisdom behind a certain piece of legislation. The possibility cannot be excluded that there may be other reasons behind it which we have not been able to determine. In this way, we assign our human mind to its proper position with respect to Quranic statements and Divine legislation.

For example, it has often been said that the purpose of having ablution (wudu, ghusl) before prayer is to maintain cleanliness. It may be true that cleanliness is intended through ablution, but to emphasise that it is the only reason why ablution is required before prayer is to follow an approach which is neither correct nor safe. Indeed, there came a time when some people suggested that there was no longer any need for this "primitive" method of cleanliness when we live in a clean environment, with people taking care of their daily cleanliness. If ablution had been legislated for this purpose, then it would no longer be necessary before prayer. However, when we look at the alternative for ablution (tayammum) it becomes evident that it does not serve the purpose of cleanliness at all. There must be some other purpose behind ablution. Perhaps ablution has been ordered as an intermediary step taking us away from our daily preoccupation in order to prepare us psychologically for prayer, which is a great meeting with God.

If we try to determine the wisdom behind every aspect of worship or piece of legislation, according to a rational analysis or in line with what contemporary science may reveal, stressing always that this is the only reason for it, we move away from the proper method of understanding religious statements and Divine legislation. We, thus, open the way to sophistry and futile argument. In addition, we leave ourselves open to mistakes, especially when our analysis is based on what contemporary science and research reveal, when it is always changing or amending what it used to consider a proven fact.

Compiled From:
"In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 3, pp. 159-161