Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Insult
Al-Anam (The Cattle) - Chapter 6: Verse 108 (partial)

"Revile not (la tasubbu) those who call upon other than God, lest, exceeding the limits, they abuse God in ignorance..."

Any word, expression, or gesture which attacks the dignity of the person to whom it is addressed, and which humiliates the latter in the eyes of his or her compatriots may be termed an 'insult.'

To be insulting, words must be hurtful, but they need not be uttered in pubic in order to qualify as sabb. Similarly, the intention behind the words uttered is not of great significance, especially when the words in question are common words of insult whose purport can be objectively ascertained.

Commentators on the Quran have concluded that this verse forbids any insults that are likely to invoke hostility and abuse in response - which shows that the religious affiliation of the person to whom the insult is addressed is immaterial, although the text refers explicitly only to disbelievers and makes no reference to believers.

Compiled From:
"Freedom of Expression in Islam" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 177, 178

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Seeking Mercy

Some people presume that they must be punished for their sins and reason that the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter. Therefore, they pray to Allah to expedite whatever punishment that is in store for them in the Hereafter to this world. The danger of such a line of reasoning is that the person ignores the great Mercy of Allah, and forgets to ask forgiveness for his sins. Instead of asking that which is encouraged and better, he asks instead for something that he cannot bear.

Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) once visited a (sick) person who had become so thin that he was almost like a new-born chick. The Prophet asked him: "Did you make any dua or ask (Allah) for anything?" He said: "Yes, I used to say: 'Whatever punishment are in store for me in the Hereafter, give it to me in this world!'" The Prophet responded: "Subhan Allah! You will never be able to bear it! Why did you not say: 'O Allah! Give us the good of this world, and the good in the Hereafter, and save us from the Hellfire!'" Anas added: "So the Prophet prayed for him, and he was cured."

Compiled From:
"Dua: The Weapon of the Believer"- Yasir Qadhi, pp. 110, 111

Blindspot!

Victims of Misuse

It is surprising (but not so much really) to find fuqaha and thinkers who are so ready to promote ijtihad and social and political reform literally come to a deadlock when the issue of women in Muslim-majority countries and in other Muslim communities is brought up. This seems to be forbidden territory, where not only are the texts sacred, but also are the cultural traditions and habits, which cannot be questioned. Yet the problems are deep, complex, and reveal many failings both within families and in the way fiqh is thought and transmitted in our time. Beyond those clear stands that must be taken - and are slowly beginning to be discussed - about the prohibition of forced marriages, domestic violence, or genital mutilation, for instance, it is important to look into daily realities and decree the law coherently in the light of the message's higher objectives. Making marriage, divorce, and polygamy so easy for men (unlike women) and moreover repeating bluntly that inheritance rules are based on final, incontrovertible (qatiyyah) verses maintains a state of blindness that makes it impossible to solve problems.

Men increasingly take advantage of religion to justify their shortcomings and supposed privileges, while women are victims of the misuse of a religion whose essence was to liberate them. Choosing a husband, seeking divorce, refusing polygamy, studying, or working are rights granted to women in the texts themselves. It may be necessary, in different social contexts, to insist on those rights, because abuse and hypocrisy are becoming so frequent and unacceptable, consenting silence. Goals and rules must then be repeated, and in the name of the former, one should dare suggest new solutions to the latter's implementation.

Compiled From:
"Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 227, 228