Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Shadows
Al-Furqan (The Criterion) - Chapter 25 : Verse 45

"Have you not seen how your Lord does cause the shadow to stretch [towards the sunset], while had He willed, He could have made it stand still! We have made it connected with the sun in indication."

We become so used to the various natural phenomena that we do not appreciate the marvellous intactness of the universal laws and the order behind them, the coordination of these natural phenomena and laws in their correlation, and the human benefits of any phenomenon. The occurrence of the shadow, with its different lengths during the day, is a daily phenomenon connected with the sun. Thus the sun and the shadow each becomes an indicator of the other. In a hot land, like Arabia, the shade is of great benefit for the human being. Its change of length according to what appears to be the movement of the sun on the horizon, but which is really a result of the rotation of the earth around itself in front of the sun, is part of the cosmic dynamism. In the past, people tried to know the passing of time during the day by measuring the shadow of any particular object, and the times of noon and afternoon prayers were appointed in this way. The sundial was brought out to show the time of day by the shadow of a gnomon – a pointer – on a surface, usually horizontal. The position or length of the shadow of this object on the surface would serve as an indicator of the time – especially the hour – of the day. The change of the length of the shadows also calls to mind the succession of day and night, and how the human beings benefit from both.

Even after all modern scientific discoveries changes in the length of the shadow points to the wonderful plan of creation, and the Omnipotent Planner behind it.

Compiled From:
"Concepts of the Quran" - Fathi Osman, pp. 38, 39

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Transformer of Hearts

The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked all those around him who were not convinced of the truthfulness of his message to seek, to observe signs, to search for meaning while fighting the illusions of the self and its conceit. He taught Muslims - those who had recognized the presence of the One - to carry on their inner struggle, to remain humble and aware of their fragility, to seek to derive spiritual nourishment from dhikr (the remembrance of God), and to ask God to keep their hearts firm. The Prophet used to pray to God and say, "O Transformer of Hearts, keep my heart firm in Your religion!" [Ahmad, Tirmidhi]

Thus, in peacetime, some were searching for truth and some were searching for sincerity, while they all experienced a new form of inner conflict that required effort, patience, and a perpetually awake consciousness. At a time when the prospect of the final establishment of the last religion seemed to be opening up , each of them was sent back to his or her own inner universe to seek light or forgiveness, to find peace and the clemency of He Who constantly returns to those who come, or come back, to Him.

Compiled From:
"In The Footsteps of The Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 194, 195

Blindspot!

Rules of Recitation

There are a few obligations regarding the recitation of the Quran which you should keep in mind.

1. Daily Reading

Read the Quran every day, in fact do not consider a day complete without it. It is better to read regularly, even if it be a small portion, than to read large sections, but occasionally.

2. Memorize

Memorize as much of the Quran as you can. You can start with small surahs and short passages, and then move on to larger portions.

3. Recite the Quran in Prayer

Read as much of the Quran in prayer as you can, especially during the night, after the Isha, before the Fajr and during the Fajr prayers, as nothing is more effective in making you attuned to the Quran and ensuring you absorb it than reading it in the night or in the morning.

4. Melodious Voice

Read the Quran in a good voice, as we have been told: 'Beautify the Quran with your voices'; but also remember that 'the one whose voice reflects the fear of Allah is the one who reads the Quran well.'

5. Read with Concentration and Understanding

Do not read hastily without proper concentration and understanding. The Prophet, peace be upon him, told Ibn Umar not to finish reading the Quran in less than a week, and also said that one who finished it in less than three days did not understand any of it.

Compiled From:
Islam: The Way of Revival, "Way to The Quran" - Khurram Murad, p. 91