Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Elevating Humanity
Al-Muminum (The Believers) - Chapter 23: Verses 51, 52

"Messengers! Eat of that which is wholesome, and do good deeds: I certainly have full knowledge of all that you do. This community of yours is one single community, and I am your only Lord. Therefore, fear Me alone."

This address to His messengers requires them to live as human beings, which is the very thing that those who opposed them questioned: “Eat of that which is wholesome.” Eating is a human need, but choosing only what is wholesome is the aspect that elevates human beings and makes them grow in purity. It enables them to establish a bond with the Supreme Society.

They are also required to “do good deeds.” While taking action is common to all human beings, insisting on doing good is the characteristic of goodly people, providing a measure of control and a clear goal for their deeds. Again such people look up to the Supreme Society when they embark on anything.

No messenger of God was ever required to abandon his humanity. Rather, what they were asked to do was to elevate this humanity to the highest standard God has made possible for human beings to achieve. Thus, the Prophets provided the role model and the ideal which other people should try to emulate. It is left to God to judge their actions according to His own fine measure: “I certainly have full knowledge of all that you do.”

Emphasis is placed on the fact that neither time nor place is of any significance when compared with the single truth that all messengers preached. They all shared a very distinctive nature, were given their messages by the One Creator of all, and worked towards the same goal: “This community of yours is one single community, and I am your only Lord. Therefore, fear Me alone.”

Compiled From:
"In the Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 12, pp. 221, 222

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Me, Me

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) knocked on Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) door to speak with him about his father’s debt. The Prophet asked “Who is at the door?” 

Jabir replied: “It is me” 

Upon hearing this, the Prophet simply repeated the word “me, me”. Jabir understood that the Prophet disliked the way he had answered.” [Bukhari, Muslim] 

The phrase “It is me” does not inform. It is different than saying “I am Buraydah” or “I am Umm Hani’”. 

Ibn al-Jawzi mentions that the reason the answer “It is me” was disliked was because it implied a kind of arrogance. It was as if he was saying: “I am the one who does not need to mention his name.” Though we can be sure that this was not what Jabir meant, we can learn the lesson from it all the same. 

Compiled From:
"Know Thyself" - Salman Al-Oadah

Blindspot!

Mood States

Gloomy weather hampers our mood, in turn makes us think more deeply and clearly. Humans are biologically predisposed to avoid sadness, and they respond to sad moods by seeking opportunities for mood repair and vigilantly protecting themselves against whatever might be making them sad. In contrast, happiness sends a signal that everything is fine, the environment doesn't pose an imminent threat, and there's no need to think deeply and carefully. 

Mood states are all-purpose measurement devices that tell us whether something in the environment needs to be fixed. When we're facing major emotional hurdles -- extreme grief, an injury that brings severe pain, blinding anger -- our emotional warning light glows red and compels us to act.  For most of the time we sail smoothly through calm waters, allowing much of the world to pass by unnoticed.

Compiled From:
"Drunk Tank Pink" - Adam Alter, p. 220