Counsels and maxims, from Reliance of the Traveller
t3.1 (Muhammad Sa`id Burhani:) Do not limit yourself to deep words and profound spiritual allusions but make provision for the afterlife before death comes, when fine words will be lost and the rak`as you prayed by night or day will remain..
t3.2 Give voluntary charity as much as possible, for you owe more than merely the zakat obligatory. Make provision for the afterlife by giving while you have health and want to cling to your money out of fear of poverty, seeing life before you. Allah Most High says, "Whoever is watchful against the stinginess of his own soul, those shall be the successful'' (Koran 59:9), meaning they shall be saved.
t3.3 Never obey anyone of Allah's servants, even father or mother, in an act of disobedience to Allah, for there is no obedience to a creature in disobedience to the Creator.
t3.4 Do not wrong another person, for wrongs done to others are clouds of darkness on the Day of Judgement. Wronging others includes not doing what Allah has obliged you to do for them.
t3.5 Beware of enmity against anyone who has said, "La ilaha ill Allah' (There is no god but Allah), for Allah has honored them with faith, and particularly the righteous of them, for Allah Most High says in a rigorously authenticated (sahih) hadith, "He who makes an enemy of a friend of Mine, I declare war against,''
t3.6 Tell the truth when you speak. It is one of the worst betrayals to tell your brother something he thinks you are being honest about when the matter is otherwise.
t3.7 Be honest in your clothes and dress. It is an outrage against Allah to appear to His servants in the guise of the righteous while secretly contradicting it with the works of the wicked.
t3.8 Recite the Koran and contemplate its meanings. Reflect while reading it on the qualities Allah has praised, with which He describes the people He loves. Acquire these qualities yourself and shun those Allah has condemned. Do your utmost of memorize the Holy Koran by acts as you do by words.
t3.9 Never explain a verse of Holy Koran by your own opinion, but check as to how it has been understood by the scholars of Sacred Law and men of wisdom who came before you. If you comprehend something else by it and what you have understood contradicts the Sacred Law, forsake your wretched opinion and fling it against the wall.
t3.10 Beware lest you ever say anything that does not conform to the Sacred Law. Know that the highest stage of the perfected ones (rijal) is the Sacred Law of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). And know that the exoteric that contravenes the exoteric is a fraud.
t3.11 Take care to eat lawful food bought with a lawful income, for the entire body of someone who eats what is lawful, his hearing, eyesight, hands, and feet, are disposed to obey Allah whether he wishes to or not; while the whole body of someone who eats the unlawful is disposed to do wrong whether he wants to or not.
t3.12 Keep the thought of Allah Mighty and Majestic ever before you with respect to what He takes from you and what He gives. He takes away nothing except that you may show patience and win His love, for He loves the patient, and when He loves you, He will treat you as a lover does his beloved. And so too, when He gives to you, He bestows blessings upon you that you may give thanks, for He loves the thankful.
t3.13 Do not walk a step, take a bite, or make a move without intending thereby to draw nearer to Allah.
t3.14 Perform the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) silently and aloud, in a group and when alone, for Allah Most High says, "Remember Me: I will remember you'' (Koran 2:152). It is sufficient as to its worth that Allah is remembering you as long as you are remembering Him.
t3.15 Give frequent utterance to the axiom of Islam "La ilaha ill Allah'' (There is no god but Allah), for it is the greatest invocation (dhikr), as is mentioned in the hadith, "The best things I or any of the prophets before me have said is 'La ilaha ill Allah.'''
And in a hadith qudsi, "Were the seven heavens and seven earths placed on one side of a balance scale and'`La ilaha ill Allah' placed on the other, the latter would outweigh them all.''
t3.16 Train you children in points of Islamic behavior so they grow up to be Muslims who love Islam and respect the religion of Islam.
t3.17 Do not seek exaltation on earth, but have humility in whatever degree Allah has raised you to. For Allah has brought you forth from the earth, you mother, and it is unseemly to exalt yourself above her. As a hadith says, "Allah has charged Himself to raise nothing in this world, save that He will lower it again.''
So if you are such a thing, you may expect to be lowered by Allah.
t3.18 Always visit those who are ill, as it helps one reflect and take admonition, for someone ill is close to Allah. One has only to consider that the sick person has no one to call upon but Allah, nothing to reflect on but Allah, and his condition reminds one of the blessing of health (al-Hall al-sadid li ma astashkalahu al-murid (y46), 29-32).
Shaykh Muhammad Sa'id Burhani was a major Damascene Hanafi faqih and Sufi.
May Allah Bless the author, the translator and Ayesha and all those who made the site "Islam The Modern Religion" what it is.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Islamic Day.
Islamic day was first celebrated in the late fifties or early sixties in the Maldives. Today "this day" has penetrated the consciousness of Maldivians more than before, maybe because our Government has taken the opportunity to mark the day with different programs to demonstrate how much more “Islam friendly” they are in comparison to the 30- year regime.Centuries ago our forefathers accepted Islam, and today many of us like to boast; an increasingly contested statistic that we are 100% Muslims. Whatever the truth may or may not be, it’s an incontestable fact that Maldivians by and large have enjoyed historically (recent, at least) homogeneity with respect to their belief system. How much this homogeneity engendered brotherly love and harmony between the sons and daughters of this country, I leave for you to ponder.
By the Grace of Allah we have been fairly consistent in our acceptance of the Oneness of Allah and the acceptance of the Holy Prophet as Allah’s slave and Messenger. I dare say until recently the ordinary Maldivian had no difficulty in accepting the supremacy of the Shariah with regard to his day to day life. Thus I put it to you the reader that the Shariah was not given its due place in our lives mainly due to the failings of our leaders and even more importantly the failings of our scholars & elite.
It is in this light that we have to face facts and take stock of the present situation that we are faced in. On the one hand, in our day to day lives we consiously or unconsiously completely deny any preponderance or supremacy of the Shariah in our lives and on the other hand we consciously and actively give value and preference to a system of life that goes against the grain, letter and soul of the Shariah. We are now spending more and more time, wealth and all our energies in divisive politics and letting the strongest, richest, loudest and meanest amongst us to wedge hatred and ill feelings amongst us.
So in the many gatherings, celebrations, lectures in forums, TV and radios we are marking this day with unusually robust fashion. Alhamdulilahi! I wonder how many of you would stop and think that centuries ago our ancestors accepted by Allah’s Grace Islam as taught by Allah’s own prophet – who underwent insult upon insult, trauma upon trauma and pain upon pain to pass the Message of Islam entrusted on him by Allah in all it's pristine purity.
I invite you to make the firm resolution today that Insha Allah we are going to strive to uphold the attestation that THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH & THAT PROPHET MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER. Brothers & Sisters, the “mighty oak tree” was once only a seed. Together Insha Allah we can strive to reclaim our lives, our ethos, our being for ALLAH & ONLY ALLAH.
003.103 YUSUFALI:
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
A Women’s Day
It’s the sign of times…. in that we name a day, then coo and pooh, and end up preening shooing over how modern we are and how evolved we are and how clever we are. Its good economics, good psychology and an opportunity to play the great deception.
In principle what it should be all about is the alleviation of the suffering of women and ameliorating the perception of women. The first step towards solving any problem is identifying the problem.
The fact is that since the beginning of time, we have been abused as women, in every conceivable way. In bygone eras, we had been identified primarily as a means of satisfying men’s lusts and secondarily as a means of producing children. In Christian Europe until the 19 & 20th centuries women were considered mere chattel and it was often hotly debated if we had even a soul. Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist perception of women was little different.
From East to West, North to South, from the stone ages women were subjected to brutality, unfairness and hardship. She was recognized as sex objects and often treated as quasi sex slaves with no recognized rights to her self and her property. Inequality and injustice seemed women’s only birth rights.
Which of the above would anyone deny?
The crux of the problem has always been that down the ages women were perceived as only useful for sex and procreation. Since she could poorly defend herself she was subject to all kinds of harassment both blatant and subtle and exploited for sex and hard labour. This is what happened then, and this is what happens now. Thus in most so called developed societies where reliable statistics are available, every few seconds a women is raped, every few seconds a women is battered, every few minutes a women is murdered, every few seconds a women’s right and honour is trampled, and every few moments women are exploited.
Their in lies the problems faced by women THEN and NOW. Whether it be a women living 5000 years back or a women living in Europe, Asia, North or South America NOW, is different only in the shades and subtleties of discrimination and this being the result of the differences in social and economic realities across the ages. There is in varying degrees exploitation of women based on her sex and brutality, rape injustice for no other reason but her sex.
What is the solution?
More laws …..; as the MUPPETS - both men and women amongst our midst advocate? If laws were the answer! Law-enforcement was the answer; we would have women living in equality, harmony sans prejudice, sans exploitation, harassment and free of violence, hindrance & honour in the bastions of Western democracies. However even in these very countries women have the most startling and horrendous statistics; thus belying the stated premise that ….. “Law and law-enforcement” offers the solutions to problems faced by us women.
I boldly state that the solution to Women’s problems lies in following Allah’s Commandments to the letter. In other words, following the Holy Koran and the Sahih Hadis. In short our rights to human dignity, and our sort in this world and the next can only be guaranteed by following Allah’s deen ONLY.
Let’s all turn together and grasp the rope of Allah. Let’s fight tooth and nail for our salvation and for the salvations of the children that we bear Insha Allah tomorrow. Let’s remind our brothers the great testament that our beloved prophet, the Messenger of Allah – Peace and Blessings be on him, his family & companions, left us on his final sermon on his farewell pilgrimage.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
“Maldivians for Islam” back on track.
“Maldivians for Islam” in my opinion is by far the vast majority in these islands. This site attracted at one time many Islam enthusiasts and offered a platform for great exchange of views. I managed to track Jasmine and had lively discussions as to the reason why she let the site run down.
With a wry smile, Jasmine told me that she did not have the expertise to talk Islam so she “shut up”. I was told that she took to blogging simply because she thought with the recent political changes in Maldives she was scared that Islam in Maldives was in danger. Apparently she now was happy that this was not so and felt content that Islam in Maldives was not at risk.
When I suggested that she should keep up the good work she started she just said that she was too scared of mistakes she might do, and without solid grounding in the sacred texts she was scared of what she would have to answer on Judgment day. When my friends and I needled her that she was abandoning her readership, she said that her readers would understand her stand.
She wanted us to restart a new blog. We pointed out that this site was already started and many came here, so it was a waste of energy to start all over again. Jasmine was the kind of person who listened well, and she agreed that it made sense to let “Maldivians for Islam” continue. However she has handed the reigns over to us.
Jasmine likes to see faith as a plant, and her eyes glint and radiate eagerness and earnestness whilst on the topic of Islam and Muslims in Maldives. Perhaps she sees her “Maldivians for Islam” as a plant that has already withered and died. She agreed that Muslims should not just give up, but turn to Allah and with prayers on our lips strive.
So sisters and brothers, lets try to get “Maldivians for Islam” back on track. May Allah Help us!
With a wry smile, Jasmine told me that she did not have the expertise to talk Islam so she “shut up”. I was told that she took to blogging simply because she thought with the recent political changes in Maldives she was scared that Islam in Maldives was in danger. Apparently she now was happy that this was not so and felt content that Islam in Maldives was not at risk.
When I suggested that she should keep up the good work she started she just said that she was too scared of mistakes she might do, and without solid grounding in the sacred texts she was scared of what she would have to answer on Judgment day. When my friends and I needled her that she was abandoning her readership, she said that her readers would understand her stand.
She wanted us to restart a new blog. We pointed out that this site was already started and many came here, so it was a waste of energy to start all over again. Jasmine was the kind of person who listened well, and she agreed that it made sense to let “Maldivians for Islam” continue. However she has handed the reigns over to us.
Jasmine likes to see faith as a plant, and her eyes glint and radiate eagerness and earnestness whilst on the topic of Islam and Muslims in Maldives. Perhaps she sees her “Maldivians for Islam” as a plant that has already withered and died. She agreed that Muslims should not just give up, but turn to Allah and with prayers on our lips strive.
So sisters and brothers, lets try to get “Maldivians for Islam” back on track. May Allah Help us!
Monday, March 23, 2009
WHITHER MALDIVES
We are Maldivians. We are just a spec lost it would seem in the Indian Ocean. Today in the post Maumoon era we seem to be waking up to a myriad of problems. However one way or other for the majority of us we seem to be sure-footedly moving away from the reality of hunger, naked backs, portable water and ascaris.
Taking a stroll down the “metropolis” in Male one is struck by the apparent affluence tantalizingly vibrant and obvious to see. Taking a stroll down the main shaded roads in the islands itself are the signs of a changing landscape pointers to a somewhat questionable brighter today.
Living in a reality of limited resources pitted against unlimited wants, one has obviously got to pay for the evolution of ones condition. This reality has translated to a vast number of Maldivians into living in cramped up, uncomfortable, unhygienic and socially unacceptable conditions.
I dare say that what we are spared in the Maldives are slums. I suspect this is probably due to the scarcity of land in Male and the non-availability of Government land for squatters, rather than by express design. For those who would like equate super cramped up conditions to slum dwelling, I would invite them to visit a slum area in any of the south Asian countries. The difference is stark.
Living in ultra-cramped conditions in Male no doubt breeds’ problems that are common to such living conditions found in similar living conditions all over the world. What are these problems? The obvious problems of Drugs, crime, health & mental health problems are obvious and in my view just the tip of the iceberg.
Does the problem stop there - with us who live in cramped up appalling conditions? What about the more fortunate Maldivians living in better living conditions? What is their reality? What is their sort? Has mega bucks, and cool digs and ultra mod life styles powered by BSc’s, MA’s and PhD’s sorted out their problems? I wonder! Do you wonder?
Do we Maldivians have a drug problem? Crime problem? Teenage problem? Pedophile problem? Attitude problem? Homosexual problem? Violence problem? Racist problem? Terrorist problem? Fundamentalist problem? Credibility problem? Reading the print media – Are there any problems at all?
Come on! Lets hear you say it? Maybe you would like to say that we have no problems! No major issues like in New York, Rome, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Beijing & Tokyo? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Seeing the problem in my view is half the problem solved. Lets hear your views.
Taking a stroll down the “metropolis” in Male one is struck by the apparent affluence tantalizingly vibrant and obvious to see. Taking a stroll down the main shaded roads in the islands itself are the signs of a changing landscape pointers to a somewhat questionable brighter today.
Living in a reality of limited resources pitted against unlimited wants, one has obviously got to pay for the evolution of ones condition. This reality has translated to a vast number of Maldivians into living in cramped up, uncomfortable, unhygienic and socially unacceptable conditions.
I dare say that what we are spared in the Maldives are slums. I suspect this is probably due to the scarcity of land in Male and the non-availability of Government land for squatters, rather than by express design. For those who would like equate super cramped up conditions to slum dwelling, I would invite them to visit a slum area in any of the south Asian countries. The difference is stark.
Living in ultra-cramped conditions in Male no doubt breeds’ problems that are common to such living conditions found in similar living conditions all over the world. What are these problems? The obvious problems of Drugs, crime, health & mental health problems are obvious and in my view just the tip of the iceberg.
Does the problem stop there - with us who live in cramped up appalling conditions? What about the more fortunate Maldivians living in better living conditions? What is their reality? What is their sort? Has mega bucks, and cool digs and ultra mod life styles powered by BSc’s, MA’s and PhD’s sorted out their problems? I wonder! Do you wonder?
Do we Maldivians have a drug problem? Crime problem? Teenage problem? Pedophile problem? Attitude problem? Homosexual problem? Violence problem? Racist problem? Terrorist problem? Fundamentalist problem? Credibility problem? Reading the print media – Are there any problems at all?
Come on! Lets hear you say it? Maybe you would like to say that we have no problems! No major issues like in New York, Rome, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Beijing & Tokyo? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Seeing the problem in my view is half the problem solved. Lets hear your views.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Rabi' al-awwal 12th. - Just Another Day? - Reflections!
Today is the Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad – Pbuh. I was moved to remember the phenomenal events that continued to astonish the Contemporians of the Prophet from his birth until his death again in Rabbial Awwal 12th - 63 years later; almost on a daily basis. These events recorded in much detail by eyewitness accounts and its transmission subjected to the most rigorous literary and historical quality control ever undertaken by man, brings this life of a true servant of Allah in all its happy moments and tragic moments vividly to our attention - in sharp focus. [1]
He presented to the people of his time the Holy Koran, as the ultimate miraculous proof of his prophethood. Further down in this post is a beautiful examination of this aspect of the Koran written by a brother, and I share his thoughts with you. [2]
About the Prophet –Pbuh the Koran says …
*{You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.}* (Al-Ahzab 33:21) [3]
This being as it is, is it any wonder that many people had wonderful things to say of the final Messenger of Allah? Here below are but a few of the reactions to reading of this truly wonderful life. May Allah Bless His noble Prophet. May Allah increase the love we have for Allah & His Prophet –Pbuh in our hearts. [4]
1. The British philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, who won the Nobel Prize for his book ‘The Heroes’ wrote: “It is a great shame for any one to listen to the accusation that Islaam is a lie and that Muhammad was a fabricator and a deceiver. We saw that he remained steadfast upon his principles, with firm determination; kind and generous, compassionate, pious, virtuous, with real manhood, hardworking and sincere. Besides all these qualities, he was lenient with others, tolerant, kind, cheerful and praiseworthy and perhaps he would joke and tease his companions. He was just, truthful, smart, pure, magnanimous and present-minded; his face was radiant as if he had lights within him to illuminate the darkest of nights; he was a great man by nature who was not educated in a school nor nurtured by a teacher as he was not in need of any of this.” [5]
2. George Bernard Shaw, the British playwright said: “The world is in dire need of a man with the mind of Muhammad; religious people in the Middle Ages, due to their ignorance and prejudice, had pictured him in a very dark way as they used to consider him the enemy of Christianity. But after looking into the story of this man I found it to be an amazing and a miraculous one, and I came to the conclusion that he was never an enemy of Christianity, and must be called instead the savior of humanity. In my opinion, if he was to be given control over the world today, he would solve our problems and secure the peace and happiness which the world is longing for.”[6]
3. J.W.H. Stab wrote in ‘Islam and its Founder ’ : “ Judged by the smallness of the means at his disposal, and the extent and permanence of the work that he accomplished, no name in world's history shines with a more specious luster than that of the Prophet of Makkah. To the impulse, which he gave, numberless dynasties have owed their existence, fair cities and stately palaces and temples have arisen, and wide provinces became obedient to the Faith. And beyond all this, his words have governed the belief of generations, been accepted as their rule of life, and their certain guide to the world to come. At a thousand shrines the voices of the faithful invoke blessings on him, whom they esteem the very Prophet of God, the seal of the Apostles… Judged by the standards to human renown, the glory of what mortal can compare with his?” [7]
4. Dr. Gustav Weil writes in ‘History of the Islamic Peoples ’: “Muhammad was a shining example to his people. His character was pure and stainless. His house, his dress, his food - they were characterized by a rare simplicity. So unpretentious was he that he would receive from his companions no special mark of reverence, nor would he accept any service from his slave which he could do for himself. He was accessible to all and at all times. He visited the sick and was full of sympathy for all. Unlimited was his benevolence and generosity as also was his anxious care for the welfare of the community.” [8]
5. Alphonse de La Martaine wrote in ‘Historie de la Turquie’: "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire -- that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?” [9]
6. Michael Hart , author of ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’ said: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.” [10]
7. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer said: “Us, Europeans, with all our concepts could not reach what Muhammad has reached, and no one will be able to precede him. I have looked in the history of humanity for an example and found that it was Muhammad, as the truth must be revealed. Indeed, Muhammad succeeded to subdue the entire world to monotheism”. [11]
Finally Allah orders us regarding the Prophet –Pbuh …
He presented to the people of his time the Holy Koran, as the ultimate miraculous proof of his prophethood. Further down in this post is a beautiful examination of this aspect of the Koran written by a brother, and I share his thoughts with you. [2]
About the Prophet –Pbuh the Koran says …
*{You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.}* (Al-Ahzab 33:21) [3]
This being as it is, is it any wonder that many people had wonderful things to say of the final Messenger of Allah? Here below are but a few of the reactions to reading of this truly wonderful life. May Allah Bless His noble Prophet. May Allah increase the love we have for Allah & His Prophet –Pbuh in our hearts. [4]
1. The British philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, who won the Nobel Prize for his book ‘The Heroes’ wrote: “It is a great shame for any one to listen to the accusation that Islaam is a lie and that Muhammad was a fabricator and a deceiver. We saw that he remained steadfast upon his principles, with firm determination; kind and generous, compassionate, pious, virtuous, with real manhood, hardworking and sincere. Besides all these qualities, he was lenient with others, tolerant, kind, cheerful and praiseworthy and perhaps he would joke and tease his companions. He was just, truthful, smart, pure, magnanimous and present-minded; his face was radiant as if he had lights within him to illuminate the darkest of nights; he was a great man by nature who was not educated in a school nor nurtured by a teacher as he was not in need of any of this.” [5]
2. George Bernard Shaw, the British playwright said: “The world is in dire need of a man with the mind of Muhammad; religious people in the Middle Ages, due to their ignorance and prejudice, had pictured him in a very dark way as they used to consider him the enemy of Christianity. But after looking into the story of this man I found it to be an amazing and a miraculous one, and I came to the conclusion that he was never an enemy of Christianity, and must be called instead the savior of humanity. In my opinion, if he was to be given control over the world today, he would solve our problems and secure the peace and happiness which the world is longing for.”[6]
3. J.W.H. Stab wrote in ‘Islam and its Founder ’ : “ Judged by the smallness of the means at his disposal, and the extent and permanence of the work that he accomplished, no name in world's history shines with a more specious luster than that of the Prophet of Makkah. To the impulse, which he gave, numberless dynasties have owed their existence, fair cities and stately palaces and temples have arisen, and wide provinces became obedient to the Faith. And beyond all this, his words have governed the belief of generations, been accepted as their rule of life, and their certain guide to the world to come. At a thousand shrines the voices of the faithful invoke blessings on him, whom they esteem the very Prophet of God, the seal of the Apostles… Judged by the standards to human renown, the glory of what mortal can compare with his?” [7]
4. Dr. Gustav Weil writes in ‘History of the Islamic Peoples ’: “Muhammad was a shining example to his people. His character was pure and stainless. His house, his dress, his food - they were characterized by a rare simplicity. So unpretentious was he that he would receive from his companions no special mark of reverence, nor would he accept any service from his slave which he could do for himself. He was accessible to all and at all times. He visited the sick and was full of sympathy for all. Unlimited was his benevolence and generosity as also was his anxious care for the welfare of the community.” [8]
5. Alphonse de La Martaine wrote in ‘Historie de la Turquie’: "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire -- that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?” [9]
6. Michael Hart , author of ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’ said: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.” [10]
7. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer said: “Us, Europeans, with all our concepts could not reach what Muhammad has reached, and no one will be able to precede him. I have looked in the history of humanity for an example and found that it was Muhammad, as the truth must be revealed. Indeed, Muhammad succeeded to subdue the entire world to monotheism”. [11]
Finally Allah orders us regarding the Prophet –Pbuh …
*{And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatsoever he forbids, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in reprisal}* (Al-Hashr 59:7) [12]
Rabi' al-awwal 12th. (ربيع الأول ) – Just another day? – Reflections!
Indeed, one of the major problems with the Bible as it stands today is that the current Bibles force us to study ancient Hebrew and Aramaic scriptures through Greek and Latin glasses as seen by people who are neither Jews, Greeks, nor Romans. [13]
Such practices (as demonstrated in the book " What did Jesus really say?"), have seriously handicapped any attempts to faithfully translate the original author's intended meanings. [14]
This problem, all thanks be to the Almighty, has been completely avoided in the Qur'an, since it has remained from the time of its inspiration to the present day in the same language it was originally revealed in, the language has remained a living language from that day to this, and the book itself has always been in the hands of the people and not "the elite." [15]
The foremost miracle of the Qur'an is in its text. The text of the Arabic language! You cannot translate a miracle no matter how you may try. The Arabic language cannot be compared to any other language in its intricate complexity, diversity of form, richness of meaning, brevity of parlance, beauty of construct and power of delivery. To give an example of this let us look at the most basic of measures, that of dictionaries: [16]
A fairly comprehensive and authoritative reference on the English language would be the "Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary" tenth edition, in 1500 pages. On the other hand, a common Arabic dictionary is "Lisan Al-Arab" in 18 volumes, each averaging about 650 pages, or about 11700 pages in all. [17]
In other words, even if we were to disregard all of the other aspects of the Arabic language, such as its grammar, we would still be faced with a language, which is about eight times as complex as the English language. It is not at all uncommon in the Arabic language to find over one hundred words that refer to the same entity, each one of them giving a slightly different detailed description than all of the others. This has resulted in a language, which can translate complete English sentences into only one Arabic word. [18]
But the Arabic language is not simply a list of words. Far from it, it is a very complex collection of literary sciences which have been developed, refined, and fine-tuned for generations and millennia beyond counting. The end result of this is a group of literary sciences which literally have no parallel whatsoever in the English language, such as the science of "Sarf" or the multifarious sciences of "Balaghah," among others. [19]
Even when the English language can lay claim to a parallel science to that of the Arabic language, such as for example the science of "grammar," even in this case anyone who has the slightest understanding of the Arabic language finds that even these equivalent sciences fade nearly into oblivion when faced with the tremendous complexities and inestimable attention to the minutest detail in Arabic grammar which can literally reverse the meanings of a sentence simply by changing a single squiggle (diacritic) above the last letter of only one word in that sentence (Imagine being able to reverse the meaning of an English sentence by removing the dot over one "i" in that sentence). [20]
William Shakespeare was considered to be one of the leading masters of English literature known to date. However, he never had to deal with the Arabic language. Now, taking into consideration that the Arab nation was one obsessed with literary perfection and refinement of prose, it becomes apparent that what we had here was a nation of literally hundreds of "William Shakespeares."[21]
Indeed an individual's mastery of the Arabic language was considered one of the primary distinguishing criteria in selecting tribal leaders. Just as in the wild west people used to have public shoot-outs at high noon, so too did the ancient Arabs have public face-downs in literary composition. [22]
These public confrontations could at times be so scathing and destructive as to totally destroy a given individual or tribe and cause them to disband in shame and humiliation, erased from the pages of history (such as happened with the tribe of "Numair"). [23]
The greatest of these literary masters had their compositions transcribed and hung up on the walls of the noble Kaaba as a badge of honor and an example for future generations. These compositions which were regarded the "best of the best" where given the name of "Al-Muallaqat" (the hanging poems). [24]
These were the people whom God sent Muhammad (pbuh) to, and these are the people whom prophet Muhammad (pbuh) repeatedly challenged, over 23 years, to produce a work similar to the Qur'an, standing alone with no tribe to support him and no ally to defend him but God Almighty. [25]
In other words he was challenging them in a field, which they were the world’s foremost authorities in, and the source of their greatest strength and pride. Indeed all of God's prophets throughout history have been sent with miracles in the very fields, which that prophet's people excelled in so that they might fully comprehend the magnitude of that miracle and have no excuse in ignorance. [26]
These people whom prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stood alone against and challenged to face the Qur'an were no timid sheep. They were men of great pride, misdirected as it may have been, who would rather go to war and die a slow and torturous death rather than allow the slightest indignity to be attached to their names or the most trivial challenge go unanswered. [27]
Such practices (as demonstrated in the book " What did Jesus really say?"), have seriously handicapped any attempts to faithfully translate the original author's intended meanings. [14]
This problem, all thanks be to the Almighty, has been completely avoided in the Qur'an, since it has remained from the time of its inspiration to the present day in the same language it was originally revealed in, the language has remained a living language from that day to this, and the book itself has always been in the hands of the people and not "the elite." [15]
The foremost miracle of the Qur'an is in its text. The text of the Arabic language! You cannot translate a miracle no matter how you may try. The Arabic language cannot be compared to any other language in its intricate complexity, diversity of form, richness of meaning, brevity of parlance, beauty of construct and power of delivery. To give an example of this let us look at the most basic of measures, that of dictionaries: [16]
A fairly comprehensive and authoritative reference on the English language would be the "Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary" tenth edition, in 1500 pages. On the other hand, a common Arabic dictionary is "Lisan Al-Arab" in 18 volumes, each averaging about 650 pages, or about 11700 pages in all. [17]
In other words, even if we were to disregard all of the other aspects of the Arabic language, such as its grammar, we would still be faced with a language, which is about eight times as complex as the English language. It is not at all uncommon in the Arabic language to find over one hundred words that refer to the same entity, each one of them giving a slightly different detailed description than all of the others. This has resulted in a language, which can translate complete English sentences into only one Arabic word. [18]
But the Arabic language is not simply a list of words. Far from it, it is a very complex collection of literary sciences which have been developed, refined, and fine-tuned for generations and millennia beyond counting. The end result of this is a group of literary sciences which literally have no parallel whatsoever in the English language, such as the science of "Sarf" or the multifarious sciences of "Balaghah," among others. [19]
Even when the English language can lay claim to a parallel science to that of the Arabic language, such as for example the science of "grammar," even in this case anyone who has the slightest understanding of the Arabic language finds that even these equivalent sciences fade nearly into oblivion when faced with the tremendous complexities and inestimable attention to the minutest detail in Arabic grammar which can literally reverse the meanings of a sentence simply by changing a single squiggle (diacritic) above the last letter of only one word in that sentence (Imagine being able to reverse the meaning of an English sentence by removing the dot over one "i" in that sentence). [20]
William Shakespeare was considered to be one of the leading masters of English literature known to date. However, he never had to deal with the Arabic language. Now, taking into consideration that the Arab nation was one obsessed with literary perfection and refinement of prose, it becomes apparent that what we had here was a nation of literally hundreds of "William Shakespeares."[21]
Indeed an individual's mastery of the Arabic language was considered one of the primary distinguishing criteria in selecting tribal leaders. Just as in the wild west people used to have public shoot-outs at high noon, so too did the ancient Arabs have public face-downs in literary composition. [22]
These public confrontations could at times be so scathing and destructive as to totally destroy a given individual or tribe and cause them to disband in shame and humiliation, erased from the pages of history (such as happened with the tribe of "Numair"). [23]
The greatest of these literary masters had their compositions transcribed and hung up on the walls of the noble Kaaba as a badge of honor and an example for future generations. These compositions which were regarded the "best of the best" where given the name of "Al-Muallaqat" (the hanging poems). [24]
These were the people whom God sent Muhammad (pbuh) to, and these are the people whom prophet Muhammad (pbuh) repeatedly challenged, over 23 years, to produce a work similar to the Qur'an, standing alone with no tribe to support him and no ally to defend him but God Almighty. [25]
In other words he was challenging them in a field, which they were the world’s foremost authorities in, and the source of their greatest strength and pride. Indeed all of God's prophets throughout history have been sent with miracles in the very fields, which that prophet's people excelled in so that they might fully comprehend the magnitude of that miracle and have no excuse in ignorance. [26]
These people whom prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stood alone against and challenged to face the Qur'an were no timid sheep. They were men of great pride, misdirected as it may have been, who would rather go to war and die a slow and torturous death rather than allow the slightest indignity to be attached to their names or the most trivial challenge go unanswered. [27]
These were people who would go to war at the drop of a hat or the slightest disrespectful word. In spite of all that, when prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brought them the word of God in the noble Qur'an they suddenly fell silent and refused to face its challenge. [28]
God continued to reduce the challenge to them, from challenging them to produce a book like the Qur'an, to challenging them to produce a single surah (chapter) like it, to finally challenging them to produce even a few verses like it. And still, no one was able to face the challenge. [29]
On the contrary, those who were the best versed in these issues were among the first to convert to Islam and accept God's message. Some of them even went so far as to completely give up altogether on their previous literary work and to publicly declare that faced with the utter perfection and completion of this book that there was nothing left to say and nothing left to compose. Perfection had already been achieved . Taken from brother Mishaal ibn Abdullah. Please include him in your prayers. May Allah Bless the Prophet – Pbuh, his family, his companions & All Muslims. [30].
In Conclusion, We saw that Allah Himself has described Prophet Muhammad -Pbuh as the best role model for us to follow. Allah and His angels send praises upon him, and He commands us to do the same:
*{Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you who believe! Call for Divine blessings on him and salute him with a becoming salutation.}*
(Al-Ahzab 33:56) [31]
Please correct me when I err. Allah Knows Best,
Peace! [32]
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Knowledge & Education - Elixir of Life.
Education is the Key to everything. Education is the Key to our Salvation. Is it any wonder then that Allah’s final revelation started with the words “READ!”? How can we forget that our beloved Prophet –Pbuh asked us to go even to China in search of Knowledge? [1]
Muslim Mothers & Fathers should understand this thoroughly. The success of their Children (In this world & the Next) depends on them answering Allah’s & the Prophet’s- Pbuh call to pursue Knowledge. Knowledge starts with the Koran & Hadis. Let us get a sound knowledge of these revelations by Allah. Lets teach our children well. Lets give our children the tools and the yardstick with which they can meet the world. [2]
Before we send our Children out in the pursuit of Knowledge to faraway lands let them learn Islam. With this Knowledge flows the Love of Allah -swt & love of His Prophet –Pbuh, love of his parents and love of his neighbor. With this Knowledge, when in a University in Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, Sorbonne, Lumumba or Peking, our child Insha allah would be a Muslim and his/her life itself would be a “Da’wah” and he/she would realize that this was an opportunity that Allah had opened to him to spread Allah’s religion by the example of his/her life. [3]
Such a child Insha Allah would not return to us saying “Mom, I’m 16 or 21 and an adult so you my mother or father has nothing more to tell me”. He would not be hooked on a bottle, drugs, some Internet social networking platform or be the town’s most experienced licentious young man or woman. Is there anything as hilarious to see as Maldivians who try to imitate the Western people with their put-on accent and aping what they assume to be the cultural norms of that region? [4]
The many problems of Maldivian society today can be put to the failure of Maldivian parents to impart a sound knowledge base to their children. A sound Knowledge base implies & touches both the letter and spirit of the teachings of Islam. All too often, quite sadly, children learn by rote learning and there is a distinct disconnect between the letter & spirit of what they are learning. This inevitably leads to the aping of foreign experiences without the "inherent breaks” existent in those foreign societies, resulting in "moral mutants" easily identifiable in the Maldivian streets. [5]
Interestingly some Maldivians end up with the worst of both worlds. After spending 5-10 years in England or Australia some become ambassadors to licentious living, wittingly or unwittingly become the breaker of traditional family ties. They pose the greatest threat to the down-grading of the nuclear family and sadly end up producing cesspits or breeding grounds of the drug culture with its associated theft, violence, STD’s. Not surprisingly they take on themselves the task of fighting Islam because they know Islam stands in their way to lead a life as they pleased - eating, drinking, dressing and importing the sexual habits from far off lands. These "desires" are often coated with a coating of liberal idealism, so that the glitz and glamour surrounding a life living to fulfill ones own desires offers to many an inevitable downward slide to an egress of self destruction.. [6]
These liberal Guru’s willfuly ignore that some 1400 years ago Islam gave man the example of living life according to the rule of law, where both the rulers and ruled all lived subject to the same laws - where every man & woman, had self and property, as sacred & inviolable. Every individual was given rights recognized by law and also commensurate to obligations. In this Muslim society Muslims enjoy God-given opportunities to fully realize his/her potential without at any point of time forgetting that he/she had to be submitted to the Will of God. [7]
For the Muslim, Good is what Allah has allowed and Bad is what Allah has forbidden. In this Islamic society - whenever more than one person is involved the golden standard in decision making is by mutual consultation & duties of Islamic brotherhood pervade his/her Consciousness. [8]
What is truly amazing in the Islamic system is that frameworks are provided in the Koran & Hadis and the challenge for Muslims in different Generations is to lead their lives within the framework provided by Allah. Thus the Prophet –Pbuh discouraged his companion Omar – May Allah be pleased with him, to refer to the Bible for Guidance concerning life, because all that he could extract from the Bible in this regard was already in the Koran in an undisputed pristine crystal clear form. In this example is demonstrated the limits of the framework within which one has the liberty to act in an islamic context. [9]
Knowledge & Education thus is the elixir to all our problems. If we approach education donning the mantle of Thauheed, Insha Allah it would earn us “the here & hereafter”. The key to the wholesome development of future generations depends on the proper assimilation of this Knowledge. In this task, women with our psyche & temperament rightfully are at the forefront to take the leadership role in turning out God fearing, God loving and altruistic generations whose life aim is to serve his neighbor in answer to Allah’s call to love his/her neighbor. [10]
In preparation for this key role, together with her mate; women has obviously to by Allah's Grace acquire all forms of Knowledge especially knowledge of the Koran & Hadis. It is not sufficient from an Islamic perspective that one has a narrow, speciallised field of education, the ideal of the Western model. Fulfiling this need of Islamic youth for a comprehensive all embracing, "seeking of knowledge with Thauheed at the head" is the job that our most adept intelectuals and educationalists, should undertake so that Insha Allah the Islamic youth could once again rise to the challenges that changing circumstances pose from century to century - Just as the first Generation of Companions did and emerge victorious by Allah's leave. [11]
We cannot help but see the so-called secularists trying to take root in the Maldives. They seem to be at all levels of the Maldivian Society trying to get a toehold and the political arena is no exception. Their aim to start with is to banish Islam from ALL Collective life to a place reserved only at the level of the individual -- and then to destroy all Islamic values and Islamic ideals from our lives altogether at an opportune moment. The things that stand between them and their aims & goals are the Holy Koran & the Hadis of the prophet-Pbuh. This explains why no efforts are being spared in a lot of quarters to create in the minds of youth enmity towards the Koran & Hadis, specifically implying that rules set by Allah 1400 years ago in the Arabian dessert cannot be applicable in modern day life in states that are not Arabic. [12]
The Secularists preach this position having embraced the Western experience where the Westerners had blindly followed the saying “" Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - with disastrous consequences: where millions of young people experienced the fruits of such a position in the form of a degrading life or infringements of their rights. Secularists in the Maldives erroneously attribute the so-called “advancement” of the Western world in science and technology to the liberating influence of banishing Allah from all forms of collective life. [13]
This is based on a selective view of the so-called “advancement”. Taking the case of the most developed nation on earth. Over 40 million people of them live with no health care, Every few minutes a woman is being raped, every few minutes somebody is being mugged, every few minutes someone is being murdered, every few minutes some incestual relationship is taking place, Over 50% of all murders are committed on women, every few minutes women are subjected to domestic violence. Over 75% of women state that sometime in their life they had experienced sexual harassment. This is yet not talking of drug problems and other such problems directly. These are some of the problems that go hand in hand with their chosen mode of life. [14]
My aim is not to beat the drums over some countries sad statistics. My point is that when we ape these countries we are opening ourselves to inherit the very same colossal social & moral problems that they face in the form of drugs, crimes – theft and murder, family break-ups, childhood pregnancies, promiscuity, sexually transmitted disease, sexual harassment, domestic violence, Paedophilia, unequal distribution of wealth, racism etc. [15]
The Western so called liberal life style perpetuated by a philosophy of production & consumption has without doubt an element of apparent “glitz”, “glamour” & "zest" to life; at the same time insiduously unfurling socio-economic and moral problems that keeps on adding up. Which Maldivian secularist dare to deny this by pointing to a country in the West which is without these glaring problems of sexual discrimination , sexual harassments, runaway drugs & related problems, major law and order problems, domestic violence, Paedophilia, teenage marriages, abortions and increasing divides between the haves and have-nots? In the interests of truthfulness SPEAK UP![16]
What the Secularists cannot come to grips with or comprehend is the fact that these social problems are not new problems of our times but age old problems that plagued the different societies down the ages as a direct consequence of rejecting Allah's laws. They fail to realize that these age old problems cannot be solved without turning to Allah & following Allah’s decree. Thus at the root of these problems lies the fact that man has abandoned God’s law and adamantly follows his/her desires. We the Muslim youth of today should encourage each other to turn back to Allah and learn about Allah swt & His prophet. In order to this we must seek Knowledge & Education.[17]
If we are to have any hope of addressing the multitude of problems that we face as a nation - at this time of history, we must first change ourselves to people who acquire knowledge of Allah as revealed in the Koran & Hadis . With this knowledge, Insha Allah would come love for Allah and an intense desire to lead our lives according to Allah’s law, in submission to Allah's Will. This would Insha Allah lead to justice at the level of the individual and the nation and ensure that there is equity among the people and most tellingly the family structure rescued from the state of free-fall experienced in the West and fast becoming a reality in the Maldives. For us to be successful, we must pray to to Allah and we must try to establish an overwhelming majority of Muslims who consciously want to lead their lives in love, justice, mutual respect, tolerance & comanionship according to Allah’s Law. [18]
These are the reasons that it makes perfect sense to seek after knowledge and education for all. As young mothers we should encourage the young, the most intelligent amongst our children to take up the challenges and study our source texts and learn to apply the texts to our age and time within the framework mandated by Allah. Isn’t this what the great scholars - Imams Abu Haniffa, Malik, Shafi, Hambali & Ghazali did in their time? [19]
All of them were oceans of knowledge in all fields of knowledge prevalent at their times and well known for their piety and taqwa manifested in long hours of prayer at night. What’s to be noted is that their education started in their families in the lap of their beloved mothers. The Islamic Ummah declined when fresh intelligent, young minds were not there to take on the batton of knowledge and mind-set that these "Knowledge heroes of Islam" tried to pass on. Once again the best brains and ardour born out of the Muslim Youth is needed to answer Allah's call to pursue Knowledge so that Peace, Harmony, love & tolerance may Insha Allah take root within the depths of our souls. Insha Allah this would happen, and lets all work towards it by Allah's Grace. [20]
Finally to the secularists coming in all colours and guises we say "examine the dictates of Islam and frame your questions!". [21]
Asking questions is an important part of acquiring knowledge, so frame the questions with respect to the sources of Islam. We also say to them not to be so shallow as to confuse Islam with practices prevalent in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Maldives or Saudi Arabia - that is a well trodden route and now cliched by the enemies of Islam, and now quite boring and without substance. In all our discourses with the secularists the reproach that we have is that they confuse the above & just cannot coin relevant questions to Muslims addressing Islam as expounded in the Koran & Hadis. [22]
Time is ticking & certainly fast running out, and maybe the next knock on the door would be death itself; so in parting let me draw your minds to this lovely Hadis… [23]
“Narated Abu Hurairah – rad, that the Messenger of Allah – sal, said: When a man dies, his good works are ended, except in three cases: except through a continuing charity (ie., al-waqf,) or Knowledge from which one can benefit, or a good child through his prayers for his parents. _ Muslim. [24]
Dear bro/sis in Islam, lets reflect on the Koranic verse 63:9 [25]
063.009
O ye who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. If any act thus, the loss is their own.
May Allah Bless all Muslims. Please correct me where wrong and know that Always ALAH KNOWS BEST. [26]
Peace!
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