Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Govern Affairs
Al-Naziat (The Wresters) - Chapter 79: Verses 1-5

"By those that wrest violently, by those that draw out quickly, by those that glide serenely, by those that race to the fore, outstripping, and by those that govern affairs."

Regarding the varying interpretations for these verses as referring to different types of angels, different modes of death, or different types and phases of stars and/or other celestial bodies, among other things, al-Tabari says that they can be seen as a reference to all of these, for God is swearing by everything that exhibits the characteristics mentioned in these verses.

Al-Razi advises that we cannot say any of the interpretations are what is meant by God, but that we can say they are possible. He adds another interpretation in which these verses represent five phases in the return of the heart from what is other than God to God: "Those that wrest (al-naziat) are the spirits that move toward (tanziu ila) attachment to the most unfailing handhold [2:256; 31:22], or who are being wrested from the love of what is other than God. Those that draw out quickly (al-nashitat nasht) means that, after the return from bodily things, [the spirits] take to striving and assuming the character traits of God with utter zeal (nishat) and great strength. Those that glide serenely is then that, after striving, [the spirits] 'glide' in the realm of sovereignty, such that they cross these oceans and swim therein. Those that race to the fore, outstripping is an allusion to the variegation of spirits in the degrees of their journey unto God, and those that govern affairs is an allusion to the connection between the last levels of humanness and the first degrees of angelhood. So when the human spirits reach their farthest limit, which is the level of outstripping, they connect to the world of angels, which is what is meant by those that govern affairs.

Compiled From:
"The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary" - Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Wash Sins Away

Through ablution or bathing to prepare for the prayers, the body and the limbs are purified from dirt and impurities.

In a hadith reported by Abu Hurayra, God's Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"When a believing servant washes his face while taking ablution, every sin he contemplated with his eyes will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water. The result is that comes out pure from all sins." [Muslim, Tirmidhi]

Maybe this is why God's Messenger (peace be upon him) performed separate ablution for each of the daily prayers. It is known that he never performed two daily prayers with a single ablution until the conquest of Makka.

Compiled From:
"Cleanliness in Islam" - Remzi Kuscular

Blindspot!

Find Yourself

Life today (not life as it should be carried on) is an idle cyclical action a movement with no goal! A meaningless pendular action starts with the day only to end at night and night starts only to disappear at dawn. In the meantime, man is busy watching the play of these black and white "rats" who chew the strings of our life until we die.

Life (as we live it) is like a theatre. Man watches these aimless nights and days. Indeed, what foolish play is conducted! When you are in need, you hope and struggle to overcome your needs. Yet once you achieve this, you view your past efforts humorously. What a senseless philosophy to live by!

Living on a day to day basis, the person lacks direction. His aim is only to live. What exists is a dead spirit in a living body. However, the Hajj experience alters this unhealthy condition!

Hajj is the antithesis of aimlessness. It is the rebellion against a damned fate guided by evil forces. The fulfillment of Hajj will enable you to escape from the complex network of puzzles. This revolutionary act will reveal to you the clear horizon and free way to migration to eternity toward the Almighty Allah.

Depart from your home. and visit "Allah's house", or the "house of the people"! You, whoever you are, you are a representative of Allah on earth! You are a relative of Allah, Allah's trustee, His master of nature and a student of God. Allah taught you the names. He made you from His spirit and endowed you with special qualities. You were praised by Him; His angels even prostrated to you. This earth and everything in it was made available to man. God became your "homemate", with you at all times and watching all of your actions. Are you living up to His expectation?

With the passage of time and the influence of various forces of the social system which disregard human rights and duties, your character has been changed. The vicissitudes of life have affected you to the degree that you became alienated and neglectful. Originally, with Allah's spirit in your heart, you were supposed to shoulder the responsibility of being Allah's trustee on earth. You were granted time as a means for fulfilling this task but you failed because the gift was used carelessly!

Oh trustee and vicegerent of Allah on earth, you have turned to money, sex, greed, aggression, and dishonesty. You have regressed to the inferior status that you occupied before almighty Allah blew His spirit into you. Where is the spirit of Allah now? Oh man, rise out of this decadent situation! Divorce yourself from this gradual death.

Leave your surroundings and go to the pure land. There you may face Almighty Allah under the inspiring sky of Mashar. The estrangement which you have experienced will be overcome. At last, you will find yourself!

Compiled From:
"Hajj" - Ali Shariati