Law of Requital, Puffing, Busy Days
Issue 723 » February 1, 2013 - Rabi al-Awwal 20, 1434
Living The Quran
Law of Requital
Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening) Chapter 1: Verse 4
"Master of the Day of Judgement"
Evil takes many forms but it always contains some element of transgression, excess, waste, misapplication or disorder and implies deliberate pursuit of these ends.
The struggle between good and evil is decided according to the law of requital, which is subordinate to the divine purpose that good must ultimately outweigh evil and falsehood must yield place to truth. Without this not only would the essential balance be disturbed, the whole object of creation would be frustrated. The law of requital is in operation all the time but the final determination awaits the Day of Judgement when God as judge and master will 'decide the issue'. The concept of the hereafter is inseparable from the process of evolution. It is arbitrary to assume that this process which governs growth and decay, selection and survival, generation and regeneration at different levels of existence, should come to an abrupt and final end in physical death.
Compiled From:
"Translations from The Quran" - Altaf Gauhar, p. 70
Understanding The Prophet's Life
Puffing
Aisha (God be well pleased with her and her father) said, "Each night when the Prophet, peace be upon him, retired to his bed he would gather his hands together, puff in them, and then recite in them [Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq, and Surat al-Nas] and then wipe over with his hands whatever he could of his body, beginning with his head and face and the front of his body. He would do this three times." [Bukhari, Muslim]
Aisha also said, "When he became exhausted I would puff for him [with Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas], and wipe with his own hand for its blessings." And in some narrations: "When he became sick he would read over himself [Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas] and then puffed." [Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad] The linguists said that "puffing" [al-nafath] is a light breath without saliva.
Compiled From:
"Etiquette With The Quran" - Imam Al-Nawawi, p. 104
Blindspot!
Busy Days
Some imagine that their days would be less busy in the future, that there would be fewer problems and obstacles, and that they will have more free time than during the past youth. However, experience shows quite the opposite, dear reader, so let me quote to you from the one who experienced that and concluded:
The older you get, the greater your responsibilities will be, the more relations you will have, the more restricted your time will be and the lesser your energy. Time is more restricted after youth, and one's body is weaker, health is less abundant, vitality is lower and duties and preoccupations are more numerous and more severe! Hence, make use of your time while it is available to you, and do not attach your heart to the unknown, for each stage has its own occupations, duties and surprises.
Some even stress the lack of days of happiness and the abundance of days of hardship:
They say life is all two days
One is pleasures and one is hardships
They were not truthful, for life is one day of happiness
And many days full of hardships and surprises
Compiled From:
"The Value of Time" - Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, pp. 74, 75