"حياة بلا زوجة كمطبخ بلا سكين"
(Life without a wife, is like a kitchen without a knife.)
- Arab proverb
"If you have an apple and I have an apple, and we exchange apples, we both still only have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea, and we exchange ideas, we each now have two ideas."
- George Bernard Shaw
"And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves, then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven...Last of all he will be able to see the sun."
- Plato
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Amman Message
Please endorse this message promoting Muslim unity.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Dear Friend,
As-Salamu alaykum. We hope this message finds you well. In November 2004, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan launched the Amman Message, a declaration aimed at clarifying the true nature of Islam and the nature of true Islam to the world. It is a message of devotion to God, love of the neighbor, goodwill, moderation and peace. Since then, the Amman Message has come to be epitomized in three major juridical and doctrinal points, each crucial to addressing the problems the Islamic world faces today.
- The great traditional schools of jurisprudence, theology, and spirituality are valid from the point of view of Islam, and the followers of these schools, which include both Sunni and Shi‘i denominations, are all Muslims. Islam has fundamental tenets but is also diverse.
- It is impermissible to declare any Muslim so defined as an unbeliever/apostate (a practice called takfir).
- Only those with the proper moral and intellectual qualifications, and the proper methodology, may issue fatwas (religious edicts).
Since they were first introduced, these three points have been recognized and ratified universally, through fatwas and official statements, in meetings of the highest and most recognized authorities and scholars in Islamic law, from all denominations and schools of thought all over the world. This is a unique historical event. The statements and signatures from these religious leaders can be see on www.ammanmessage.com.
These three points are vital for the future of the Islamic world. We suffer from disunity and discord, and must reaffirm our unity as an Islamic ummah. We suffer from wounds and ignorant prejudice which would take us into conflict with many of those who would live at peace with us. We must denounce the practice of takfir (accusing Muslims of apostasy for interpretations and opinions different from ours), which too often opens the door to terrible crimes against our own brothers and sisters. Moreover, all such atrocities committed in the name of Islam are traceable to the fatwa of men totally unqualified, morally and intellectually, to issue one. It is thus imperative that the ummah speak with one voice in reaffirming true Islam.
We invite you to add your voice to this unique and historic international Islamic consensus. Please visit www.ammanmessage.com, where you can read more about the Amman Message and find many useful documents and links. Under ENDORSE you can add your name to the list of Muslims worldwide who have endorsed and supported the three points. Your endorsement is important for all our futures.
Yours Sincerely,The Amman Message Committee.
Monday, March 19, 2007
The Story of Abu Ghayth al-Makki and his wife Lubabah
Dr. Abu 'Abd Ar-Razzaq
Translated by: Ibrahim Hindy
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
From the signs of truthfulness is fear of Allah and asceticism in life; for the truthful with conviction fears consuming from what is impermissible and bears poverty and hardship for the sake of Islam. If he commits sin then he does not sleep until he returns to his Lord and repents, in order to free himself from the sin, and its burden.
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari: I was in Makkah during the season of Hajj and I saw a man from Khurasaan calling out to the people: “Oh pilgrims, oh people of Makkah – from those who are present and those far off, I have lost a pouch that contains a thousand dinars. So whoever returns the pouch, Allah will reward them with good, save them from the hell fire, and His bounty and favors will be acquired on the Day of Accounting (Day of Judgment).”
An old man from the people of Makkah approached him and said: “Oh Khurasaani, our city is in a very tough condition, and the days of hajj are few, and its season is appointed, and the doors of profit-making are closed. This money might fall in the hands of a believer who is poor and old in age. Maybe he plans to give it if you make a promise that you will give him a little bit of money that is halal (permissible) for him to use.”
The Khurasaani said: “How much does he want?”
The old man said: “He wants one-tenth of the money (a hundred dinars).”
The Khurasaani said: "No. I will not grant him the money and instead I will take my case to Allah, and complain to Him on the day we meet Him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in. “
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: “I realized that it was the old man is poor, and he was the one who took the pouch of dinars and wishes to have a little portion of it. So I followed him until he returned to his home. My assumptions were confirmed. I heard him calling onto his wife:”Oh Lubabah.”
She said: “I am at your service, O Abu Ghayth.”
The old man said: I found the owner of the dinars calling for it, and he does not intend to give any reward to the person who finds it. I said to him “Give us a hundred dinars and he refused and said he would take his case to Allah. What should I do O Lubabah? I must return it, for I fear my Lord, and I fear that my sin is multiplied.
His wife said to him: Oh Man! We have been struggling and suffering from poverty with you for the last 50 years, and you have 4 daughters, 2 sisters, my mother and I, and you are the ninth. Keep all the money and feed us for we are hungry, and clothe us for you know better our situation. Perhaps Allah, the All-Mighty, will make you rich afterwards and you might be able to give the money back after you fed your children, or Allah will pay the amount you owe on the day when the kingdom will belong to the King (Allah).
He said to her: Will I consume haram after 86 years of my life, and burn my organs with fire after I have been patient with my poverty, and become worthy of Allah anger, even though I am close to my grave?! No, By Allah, I will not do so!
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: I left with amazement concerning his condition and that of his wife. At a later point during the day, I heard the owner of the pouch calling out...
Saying: “O people of Makkah, O pilgrims, who ever of you find a pouch containing a thousand dinars, let him return it and they shall surely find great reward with Allah."
The old man said: Oh Khurasaani, I have addressed you the other day and advised you that our land is low on cultivation, so reward the person who found the pouch so that he is not tempted to break the laws of Allah. I have advised you to pay the person who finds it a hundred dinars but you refused. If your money falls into hands of a person who fears Allah the All-Mighty, will you give him 10 dinars at least, instead of a 100?
The Khurasaani said: I will not do so, and I will complain to Allah on the day I meet him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in. “
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: The people dispersed and left. Later on during the hours of the day, once again, the Khurasaani made the same call, saying:
“O people of Makkah, O pilgrims, who ever of you find a pouch containing a thousand dinars, let him return it and they shall surely find great reward with Allah."
The old man came again and said: O Khurasaani, I said to you the day before yesterday to reward the finder a hundred dinars and you refused. Then I advised you to give him ten dinars and you refused, so will you give only one dinar so that he can buy with half of it things he needs and with the other half, sheep milk, so that he can give to the people and feed his children?
The Khurasaani said: I will not do so, and I will complain to Allah on the day I meet him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in. “
The old man angrily said: Come you, and take your money so that I can sleep at night, for I have not had a good mood ever since I found this money.
Ibn Jarir said: So the old man went with the owner of the money and I followed them until the old man entered his house, dug a hole and pulled out the money and said: Take your money and ask Allah to forgive me and bless me from His bounty.
The Khurasaani took the money and intended to leave, but when he reached the door he said: O old man, my father died, May Allah have mercy on him, and left behind three thousand dinars and said to me: Take out a third of this money and give it to a person from the people who is most deserving of it. Therefore I tied it in a pouch so that I may spend it on someone who is worthy of it. By Allah, I have not seen a person, since I left Khurasaan until now, who is more worthy of it then you. So take it, May Allah’s blessing be upon you, and May He reward for the trust you kept, and your patience during poverty. The Khurasaani man left without the money.
The old man wept and prayed to Allah, saying: May Allah bless the owner of the money in his grave, and May Allah bless his son.
Ibn Jarir said: I left after the Khurasaani but Abu Ghayth (the old man) followed me and brought me back. He asked me to sit down, and said: I have seen you following me since the first day; you have come to know of our situation yesterday and today. I have heard that the Prophet said: "If you are gifted from the provision of Allah, without begging or asking, then accept it and do not reject it." So this is a gift from Allah to all those attending.
The old man called: O Lubabah, O so and so, O so and so. He called on his daughters and his sisters and wife and her mother, and sat down and made me sit down. We were 10. He opened the bag, and said spread your clothing over your laps.
So I (Ibn Jarir) did, but the girls did not have proper clothing that would enable them to do that, so they extended their hands. The old man gave dinar by dinar in order until he reached me (Ibn Jarir) and said: "Here is a dinar." The process continued until the bag was empty and I received a hundred dinars.
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: So joy filled my heart because of the provision they received more then the joy I had because I received a hundred dinars.
When I was leaving the old man said: O young man. You are blessed; keep this money with you for it is halal. And know that I use to wake up for Fajr prayer with this wet shirt. After I was done I would take it off, and give it so that my daughters can pray - one by one. Then I would go to work between Dhuhr prayer and Asr prayer and then I would come back at the end of the day with what Allah has given me from dates and dry pieces of bread. Then I would take off my clothes for my daughters and they would pray Dhuhr prayer and Asr prayer, and the same would happen for the Maghrib and Isha prayers. And we did not ever expect to see this kind of money. So may Allah make us make good use of them, and may Allah bless the person in his grave and multiply the reward for him.
Ibn Jarir said: So I greeted him goodbye, and took the hundred dinars and used them to write knowledge for two years! I used it to buy paper and pay rent and after sixteen years I returned to Makkah and inquired about the old man. I was told that he died a few months after the incident that occurred between us. His wife died, along with her mother, and his 2 sisters. The only ones that remained were the daughters whom, when I asked about, found that they were married to kings and Princes. I dropped by and they honored me as a guest and treated me kindly until they died also. So May Allah bless them in their graves.
{That will be an admonition given to him who believes in Allâh and the Last Day. And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allâh will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allâh has set a measure for all things. (At-Talaq 65: 2-3)
Source : Islamway.com
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Homeless in Maninagar
Salam Alaekum. I'm part of a student group called Sambhav at my University. "Sambhav" is Sanskrit for "possible." The group aims at setting up a platform where youth can interact and exchange ideas, and think of ways to use their talents and skills for the benefit of society. Among our many initiatives towards realizing this aim is our work in Maninagar, a suburb near Ahmedabad, the capital city of the state of Gujrat (famous for the 2002 anti-Muslim riots) in India. For those who are familiar with the area and its politics, Maninagar is Chief Minister Narendra Modi's constituency. We have been working in Maninagar for over a year now, and our work is primarily focused on striving for the upliftment of members of four Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT) who have been living in slums behind the railway station for the past forty years. Denotified and Nomadic Tribes are defined as tribes whose people are "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences." It is a classic example of "collective guilt", how it has been endorsed by law, and how people are made to believe that it has indeed been created in public interest. In simple words, anyone born into such tribes is considered a criminal, not just by authorities, but by the average person on the street too. The people belonging to DNTs in Maninagar are mostly illiterate and live under absolutely deplorable conditions. They do not have access to essential civic amenities, electricity, a proper water supply, or even basic health and sanitation facilities. They make a living cleaning people's ears, or selling maps, plastic toys, home-made ropes etc. They hardly have enough money to afford two meals a day, and most of their children do not attend school. As if this were not enough, they have been facing constant harassment from government officials over their "land." The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) wants to demolish their homes in order to go ahead with its "development initiatives" without making any promises of resettlement. They also have to deal with local police officials who take advantage of their helplessness, and often arrest some of their youth without reason, so that they can clear their pending FIRs. We have also been interacting with community members in order to understand what they feel about what they are being made to go through, and motivate them to keep their hopes alive. Also supporting us in our struggle is Budhan Theater, a theater group that comprises of youth from a DNT in neighboring Charanagar. Budhan Theater has been performing a street-play called "Bulldozer", which highlights the atrocities committed by the authorities on the tribal people of Maninagar. It is a very powerful play, and a great example of how art can be used to fight for just causes. A few days back, without warning, AMC officials destroyed the homes of these tribal people in order to go ahead with their "developmental plans." A meeting with the AMC Commissioner was held in order to discuss resettlement issues, but his response was disheartening to say the least. Link: Some pictures of the place (Anthropologist Kerim Friedman's Flickr Page) In protest against this robbing of homes, gross violation of human rights, and lack of concern for human dignity shown by the AMC in Maninagar, Sambhav has started an online petition. I've posted this here because it is a matter of concern for us as Muslims and responsible human beings, and it is our responsibility to condemn such acts, and to support those who are speaking out against it. Please take the time to go through the petition and sign it if you're convinced by our argument. May Allah accept our efforts. -Saif | |
 | |
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Salam Alaekum.
http://thetranslators.wordpress.com (A blog by some students of knowledge under the supervision of Shaykh Suhaib Webb)
http://shaukani.wordpress.com (Shaykh Yusuf Al-Azhari's blog)
:)
http://thetranslators.wordpress.com (A blog by some students of knowledge under the supervision of Shaykh Suhaib Webb)
http://shaukani.wordpress.com (Shaykh Yusuf Al-Azhari's blog)
:)
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Yahoodi!
Orthodox Jews protesting against the Israeli agression in the middle-east outside the Israeli consulate to the UN in NYC.
Can we get an Alhamdulillah? :)
http://sulaymanf.blogspot.com/2006/07/protest-against-israels-actions.html
http://www.mujahideenryder.net/2006/07/19/why-i-love-non-muslims-especially-orthodox-jews
Can we get an Alhamdulillah? :)
http://sulaymanf.blogspot.com/2006/07/protest-against-israels-actions.html
http://www.mujahideenryder.net/2006/07/19/why-i-love-non-muslims-especially-orthodox-jews
Sunday, July 23, 2006
The Trouble with Rage
By Imam Suhaib Webb
As we sat together in the back of Al-Azhar, the heat of the sun was apparent more than its light. The air was thick; a fusion of Cairo’s pollution, dust and its famous humidity. Like birds on a scarecrow, we sat motionless under the shadow of an ancient Ottoman pillar as the Sheikh’s face and words proved more than sufficient to illuminate our dark circle: “Sheikh Ahmed Derder was the Sheikh of the Malikis (a school of legal thought in Islam) in his day. He used to teach in the back of the mosque. One day the Sheikh was taking his lunch and he noticed a cat sliding through the wall of students. Suddenly one of the students hit the cat and pushed it aside. The Sheikh stood and scolded the student reminding him that this poor creature should be treated with dignity. At that moment the Sheikh began to crumble his food and serve the cat. From that day onward the cat would come to the Sheikh at lunchtime and purr his way into the Sheikh’s heart. And every time the Sheikh would serve the cat as a servant serves his master. A short time later another cat came, until, after a few weeks, whenever the sheikh would enter the masjid, there were no less than a hundred cats following him, and he would do his best to serve them whatever he had.” As we listened to this story our hearts flew as birds over high mountains. Then, suddenly, the Sheikh paused, looked at us and said, “Here is one of our greatest legal scholars, a saint and teacher. Look at how he treated a cat! And today, people are killing innocent human beings in the name of Islam!” Sadness overcame the Sheikh and he paused and suddenly, although in front of us, it was though he had traveled a 1000 miles away from our small circle.
“Did you hear what happened in London today?” At that moment I began to recognize an evil voice. It was the echo of a voice that visits me on certain occasions. It is dark and haunting, but it comes and overpowers me until I’m forced to bow before its reality. “No,” I responded. I’d just returned from the Sheikh and my heart was still flying and had not heard any news on the streets. “There were five explosions! Many people are dead and they’re saying it was us!” Yes … it was that voice. I ran home and quickly checked the BBC. As I read the reports of carnage and bloodshed, I began to reflect on the words of the Sheikh and found my heart jumping and legs shaking.
I felt compelled to help explain the relationship and rights that our fellow non-Muslim brothers and sisters share with us. It is my hope that the Muslim communities in the West will mature and move towards a more inclusive role with their fellow countrymen. And that our non-Muslim brothers and sisters will learn to distinguish between orthodoxy, which possesses a great history of compassion and mercy, and the actions of those, who out of religious zeal, have rocketed past the tradition, values and moral teachings of Islam.
LEARNING ABOUT EACH OTHER
Prior to, but particularly after, 9/11 a large number of Muslims repeated, “The West needs to learn about Islam.” Indeed, as a citizen of the West, I couldn’t agree more! However, the Qur’anic model for building relationships does not encourage one to sit and listen while others sermonize. The basis for this understanding is found in the following verse: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other” (Sura Al-Hujurat, verse 13). The word “to know each other” in Arabic represents an action that involves two parties. Thus, the “knowing” here is not merely a one-way street, but involves active participation by both parties. Instead of saying that the West needs to know about Islam, we should say, “We need to learn about each other.” Based on this principle Western Muslims should take the time to learn and benefit from their fellow brothers and sisters. It is sad to see a large number of our community completely out of touch with the trends, history and situations that exist within their countries of origin.
Building relationships with one’s fellow countrymen is an excellent way to start. The Prophet (may the Peace and Mercy of God be upon him) was given the ability to speak multiple dialects of Arabic by God. In fact, the Prophet said, “I’m the most eloquent of those who speak Arabic.” In addition, the Prophet (may God’s blessings and mercy be upon him) was aware of the events and happenings that surrounded him. Once K’ab bin Malik came to the Prophet. This was prior to K’ab’s acceptance of Islam. K’ab was known as a great poet. When he met the Prophet (May God’s blessings and Mercy be Upon him), the Prophet asked him his name. He responded, “K’ab bin Malik.” The Prophet (may God’s blessings and mercy be upon him) looked at him with a warm smile and said, “The poet!” K’ab stated later after his conversion to Islam, “That was the most beloved day of my life.” Thus, it is crucial that we take the time to learn and understand our environments so we can play an active role in benefiting it.
OH THOSE INFIDELS
It is common to see the word “infidel” used by many non- Muslims when quoting Muslims. Although a misunderstanding of the actual word, there are still a group of Muslims who insist on using the word for non-Muslims and, in some extreme cases, Muslims themselves. Our discussion here is not based on a mistranslation of the word, but its usage.
If we look towards the Qur’anic model we find that non- Muslims are usually addressed with words which are more polite and respectable. For this reason Dr. Yusuf Qaradawi states:
The Qur’an teaches us not to address others with the term, “Rejecter of faith” even if it is true. Instead it teaches us to used terms such as, “Oh Mankind” (Sura Al-Baqara verse 21), “Oh Son’s of Adam’ (Sura Al-Araf, verse 31), “Oh People of the Book” (Sura Ali Imran Verse 71), and “Oh My (God’s) servants” (Sura Al-Zumar, verse 53). In fact, you will not find the term ‘Rejecter of faith’ used as a direct address to anyone except twice in the Qur’an. One used for those who rejected faith in the Hereafter. The second was addressed to those people who tried to kill the Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) and his companions and expel them from their homes. (Sh. Qaradawi, “Our Address during the Age of Globalization”, p.44)
Thus, the norm for the Muslim is to address his fellows with terms that are honorable and respectable. The Qur’an states, “Say to My servants to speak speech which is excellent” (Sura Israh, verse 53). By replacing the word “Rejecter of faith,” with “non-Muslim”, we can look at our fellow friends and countrymen with a merciful eye. Such a feeling is extremely important if we want to better understand and grow together.
DID HE SAY OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
Another important and often neglected Qur’anic teaching is that of brotherhood between men. A common misunderstanding amongst Muslims is that they share a brotherhood which prohibits fraternal relations with others outside of their faith. This is based upon the following verse, “Indeed, the believers are only brothers.” (Sura Al-Hujurat, verse 10) However, is that truly the case? It is well-known that Muslims believe in most of the Prophets mentioned in the Bible. If we take a close look at the Prophetic models found in the Qur’an, we’ll find a clearer understanding of this concept of brotherhood. God, Most High, says, “The people of Noah rejected the Messengers. When their brother Noah said to them, ‘Won’t you be dutiful to your Lord?’” (Sura Shura, verses 105-106) In the story of Lot we find, “The people of Lot rejected the Messengers. When their brother Lot said to them, ‘Won’t you be dutiful to your Lord?’” (Sura Shura, verses 131-132) Notice how in both verses the people of Noah and Lot are described as “rejecters of faith”. However, the Qur’anic address emphasizes, even under such conditions, the brotherhood and fraternal bond that exists between them. Thus, the Qur’anic picture of brotherhood is quite vast and encompasses different types. From the brotherhood of faith shared as a special relation with one’s fellow Muslim, to a more global inclusive brotherhood which is shared amongst one’s fellows. If Western Muslims adopt such an outlook they will find it easier to work with others, build solid relationship and make important positive contributions to their societies.
The Prophetic model of relations is a blessing we can ill afford to dismiss. At a time when the voice of Islam is drowned out by flaring unorthodoxy, it is my hope that Western Muslim communities and their fellow non-Muslim counterparts will take the time to get to know each other, build long-lasting relationships and synthesize the positive aspects of each other’s religious and cultural heritage.
If my essence is from dust, then dust (wherever it is)
is my homeland
And every creature upon the heavens and the earth
represents a close relative.
— AN ARAB POEM
Suhaib William Webb is an American-born convert to Islam. He currently lives in Cairo where he studies at Al-Azhar University with a primary focus on Islamic Law. The article is taken from his (now-deleted) blog, which was a treasure of knowledge and wisdom. I hope we all benefit from his works.
As we sat together in the back of Al-Azhar, the heat of the sun was apparent more than its light. The air was thick; a fusion of Cairo’s pollution, dust and its famous humidity. Like birds on a scarecrow, we sat motionless under the shadow of an ancient Ottoman pillar as the Sheikh’s face and words proved more than sufficient to illuminate our dark circle: “Sheikh Ahmed Derder was the Sheikh of the Malikis (a school of legal thought in Islam) in his day. He used to teach in the back of the mosque. One day the Sheikh was taking his lunch and he noticed a cat sliding through the wall of students. Suddenly one of the students hit the cat and pushed it aside. The Sheikh stood and scolded the student reminding him that this poor creature should be treated with dignity. At that moment the Sheikh began to crumble his food and serve the cat. From that day onward the cat would come to the Sheikh at lunchtime and purr his way into the Sheikh’s heart. And every time the Sheikh would serve the cat as a servant serves his master. A short time later another cat came, until, after a few weeks, whenever the sheikh would enter the masjid, there were no less than a hundred cats following him, and he would do his best to serve them whatever he had.” As we listened to this story our hearts flew as birds over high mountains. Then, suddenly, the Sheikh paused, looked at us and said, “Here is one of our greatest legal scholars, a saint and teacher. Look at how he treated a cat! And today, people are killing innocent human beings in the name of Islam!” Sadness overcame the Sheikh and he paused and suddenly, although in front of us, it was though he had traveled a 1000 miles away from our small circle.
“Did you hear what happened in London today?” At that moment I began to recognize an evil voice. It was the echo of a voice that visits me on certain occasions. It is dark and haunting, but it comes and overpowers me until I’m forced to bow before its reality. “No,” I responded. I’d just returned from the Sheikh and my heart was still flying and had not heard any news on the streets. “There were five explosions! Many people are dead and they’re saying it was us!” Yes … it was that voice. I ran home and quickly checked the BBC. As I read the reports of carnage and bloodshed, I began to reflect on the words of the Sheikh and found my heart jumping and legs shaking.
I felt compelled to help explain the relationship and rights that our fellow non-Muslim brothers and sisters share with us. It is my hope that the Muslim communities in the West will mature and move towards a more inclusive role with their fellow countrymen. And that our non-Muslim brothers and sisters will learn to distinguish between orthodoxy, which possesses a great history of compassion and mercy, and the actions of those, who out of religious zeal, have rocketed past the tradition, values and moral teachings of Islam.
LEARNING ABOUT EACH OTHER
Prior to, but particularly after, 9/11 a large number of Muslims repeated, “The West needs to learn about Islam.” Indeed, as a citizen of the West, I couldn’t agree more! However, the Qur’anic model for building relationships does not encourage one to sit and listen while others sermonize. The basis for this understanding is found in the following verse: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other” (Sura Al-Hujurat, verse 13). The word “to know each other” in Arabic represents an action that involves two parties. Thus, the “knowing” here is not merely a one-way street, but involves active participation by both parties. Instead of saying that the West needs to know about Islam, we should say, “We need to learn about each other.” Based on this principle Western Muslims should take the time to learn and benefit from their fellow brothers and sisters. It is sad to see a large number of our community completely out of touch with the trends, history and situations that exist within their countries of origin.
Building relationships with one’s fellow countrymen is an excellent way to start. The Prophet (may the Peace and Mercy of God be upon him) was given the ability to speak multiple dialects of Arabic by God. In fact, the Prophet said, “I’m the most eloquent of those who speak Arabic.” In addition, the Prophet (may God’s blessings and mercy be upon him) was aware of the events and happenings that surrounded him. Once K’ab bin Malik came to the Prophet. This was prior to K’ab’s acceptance of Islam. K’ab was known as a great poet. When he met the Prophet (May God’s blessings and Mercy be Upon him), the Prophet asked him his name. He responded, “K’ab bin Malik.” The Prophet (may God’s blessings and mercy be upon him) looked at him with a warm smile and said, “The poet!” K’ab stated later after his conversion to Islam, “That was the most beloved day of my life.” Thus, it is crucial that we take the time to learn and understand our environments so we can play an active role in benefiting it.
OH THOSE INFIDELS
It is common to see the word “infidel” used by many non- Muslims when quoting Muslims. Although a misunderstanding of the actual word, there are still a group of Muslims who insist on using the word for non-Muslims and, in some extreme cases, Muslims themselves. Our discussion here is not based on a mistranslation of the word, but its usage.
If we look towards the Qur’anic model we find that non- Muslims are usually addressed with words which are more polite and respectable. For this reason Dr. Yusuf Qaradawi states:
The Qur’an teaches us not to address others with the term, “Rejecter of faith” even if it is true. Instead it teaches us to used terms such as, “Oh Mankind” (Sura Al-Baqara verse 21), “Oh Son’s of Adam’ (Sura Al-Araf, verse 31), “Oh People of the Book” (Sura Ali Imran Verse 71), and “Oh My (God’s) servants” (Sura Al-Zumar, verse 53). In fact, you will not find the term ‘Rejecter of faith’ used as a direct address to anyone except twice in the Qur’an. One used for those who rejected faith in the Hereafter. The second was addressed to those people who tried to kill the Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) and his companions and expel them from their homes. (Sh. Qaradawi, “Our Address during the Age of Globalization”, p.44)
Thus, the norm for the Muslim is to address his fellows with terms that are honorable and respectable. The Qur’an states, “Say to My servants to speak speech which is excellent” (Sura Israh, verse 53). By replacing the word “Rejecter of faith,” with “non-Muslim”, we can look at our fellow friends and countrymen with a merciful eye. Such a feeling is extremely important if we want to better understand and grow together.
DID HE SAY OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
Another important and often neglected Qur’anic teaching is that of brotherhood between men. A common misunderstanding amongst Muslims is that they share a brotherhood which prohibits fraternal relations with others outside of their faith. This is based upon the following verse, “Indeed, the believers are only brothers.” (Sura Al-Hujurat, verse 10) However, is that truly the case? It is well-known that Muslims believe in most of the Prophets mentioned in the Bible. If we take a close look at the Prophetic models found in the Qur’an, we’ll find a clearer understanding of this concept of brotherhood. God, Most High, says, “The people of Noah rejected the Messengers. When their brother Noah said to them, ‘Won’t you be dutiful to your Lord?’” (Sura Shura, verses 105-106) In the story of Lot we find, “The people of Lot rejected the Messengers. When their brother Lot said to them, ‘Won’t you be dutiful to your Lord?’” (Sura Shura, verses 131-132) Notice how in both verses the people of Noah and Lot are described as “rejecters of faith”. However, the Qur’anic address emphasizes, even under such conditions, the brotherhood and fraternal bond that exists between them. Thus, the Qur’anic picture of brotherhood is quite vast and encompasses different types. From the brotherhood of faith shared as a special relation with one’s fellow Muslim, to a more global inclusive brotherhood which is shared amongst one’s fellows. If Western Muslims adopt such an outlook they will find it easier to work with others, build solid relationship and make important positive contributions to their societies.
The Prophetic model of relations is a blessing we can ill afford to dismiss. At a time when the voice of Islam is drowned out by flaring unorthodoxy, it is my hope that Western Muslim communities and their fellow non-Muslim counterparts will take the time to get to know each other, build long-lasting relationships and synthesize the positive aspects of each other’s religious and cultural heritage.
If my essence is from dust, then dust (wherever it is)
is my homeland
And every creature upon the heavens and the earth
represents a close relative.
— AN ARAB POEM
Suhaib William Webb is an American-born convert to Islam. He currently lives in Cairo where he studies at Al-Azhar University with a primary focus on Islamic Law. The article is taken from his (now-deleted) blog, which was a treasure of knowledge and wisdom. I hope we all benefit from his works.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
For People of Understanding..
The word "Islam" comes from two Arabic words - "As-Salam" and "As-Silm", meaning peace and submission respectively. The essence of Islam lies in the meanings of these two words, and it may be expressed as striving to obtain inner as well as outward peace as a result of submitting your will to the Will of Allah, The Benevolent and Merciful.
A "Muslim" is a person who makes a concious decision to accept Islam as his/her way of life, i.e. he/she decides to submit his/her will to the Will of Allah. To do that, the person requires -
a) a clear understanding of what is meant by "submit".
b) knowledge of what the "Will of Allah" really is.
Submission, in the Islamic context, implies living life and understanding it according to a particular ideology, set of principles, code of conduct etc. defined by someone else, in an absolute manner. Ya'ni accepting someone else's word as the only criterion for creating your definitions of right and wrong. Keeping that in mind, it becomes very obvious that a submission of such kind has to be the most important decision of a person's life. Each and every aspect of his/her life would be affected by it, and it would be foolish to make that decision without -
a) complete knowledge of the "thing" you're submitting to.
b) being completely convinced by it.
Since the "thing" that a Muslim submits to is Islam, he/she must have complete knowledge about the Islamic creed (aqidah) and other basics, and should be completely convinced by it. Here's where the definition of the "Will of Allah" comes in. The Will of Allah is anything and everything that Allah has asked us to do or to not do in His communications with us through the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Most of us are "Muslims by chance", or people who were born into the Islamic faith and accepted it without giving it a lot of thought because that was what we were expected to do; the herd mentality. It is no big secret that most of us do not know even the basics of Islam (understanding of tauheed, atleast at the Aqidah Tahawiyyah level, understanding of the concepts of shirk, sunnah, bid'ah, halal, haram, mustahab, makruh etc.), and a lot of us haven't read the Qur'an (with some understanding of Its meanings) even a single time. We've made the greatest decision of our lives without giving it the amount of thought it deserves.
According to most of our Ulema, this is the biggest of all our problems, and it leads to Muslims doing things that are contrary to Islamic values without them realizing it. The best solution to this problem is to encourage ourselves, our parents, siblings, cousins, relatives, friends and others to become "Muslims by choice", i.e. study Islam and re-accept it completely and entirely once they fulfil the minimum requirements of fardh 'aeyn Islamic knowledge, and are completely convinced about it being the religion chosen by The One True God for all human beings and djinns.
Shaikh Nasir Al-Albani said: "It was from the known rules of the Ulema that they used to say - bring the evidence and then believe; do not believe and then bring the evidence." This is precisely how we should "study" Islam, and accept it or reject it based on whether we're convinced by it or not. If we don't work towards this, I'm afraid our condition will remain similar to that of the monkeys in the previous post.
Islam is a religion that encourages us to think. "Li ulil albab", "La'allakum ta'qilun", "Li ulil absar" - these are phrases we hear frequently in our prayers. Islam is for people of lubbah (intellect/reason), and it is ironical that we Muslims refuse to use it to understand our religion.
May Allah guide me to write about things that please Him. May Allah give me the taufeeq to practise what I preach. May Allah increase us all in our good deeds and efforts, and may Allah accept them from us.
Ameen, Ya Rabb Al-'Alameen.
P.S. - I hope I'm not labeled for quoting Shaikh Al-Albani, Shaikh Nadawi etc. I am not Salafi, Deobandi or anything else.
Part 1
A "Muslim" is a person who makes a concious decision to accept Islam as his/her way of life, i.e. he/she decides to submit his/her will to the Will of Allah. To do that, the person requires -
a) a clear understanding of what is meant by "submit".
b) knowledge of what the "Will of Allah" really is.
Submission, in the Islamic context, implies living life and understanding it according to a particular ideology, set of principles, code of conduct etc. defined by someone else, in an absolute manner. Ya'ni accepting someone else's word as the only criterion for creating your definitions of right and wrong. Keeping that in mind, it becomes very obvious that a submission of such kind has to be the most important decision of a person's life. Each and every aspect of his/her life would be affected by it, and it would be foolish to make that decision without -
a) complete knowledge of the "thing" you're submitting to.
b) being completely convinced by it.
Since the "thing" that a Muslim submits to is Islam, he/she must have complete knowledge about the Islamic creed (aqidah) and other basics, and should be completely convinced by it. Here's where the definition of the "Will of Allah" comes in. The Will of Allah is anything and everything that Allah has asked us to do or to not do in His communications with us through the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Most of us are "Muslims by chance", or people who were born into the Islamic faith and accepted it without giving it a lot of thought because that was what we were expected to do; the herd mentality. It is no big secret that most of us do not know even the basics of Islam (understanding of tauheed, atleast at the Aqidah Tahawiyyah level, understanding of the concepts of shirk, sunnah, bid'ah, halal, haram, mustahab, makruh etc.), and a lot of us haven't read the Qur'an (with some understanding of Its meanings) even a single time. We've made the greatest decision of our lives without giving it the amount of thought it deserves.
According to most of our Ulema, this is the biggest of all our problems, and it leads to Muslims doing things that are contrary to Islamic values without them realizing it. The best solution to this problem is to encourage ourselves, our parents, siblings, cousins, relatives, friends and others to become "Muslims by choice", i.e. study Islam and re-accept it completely and entirely once they fulfil the minimum requirements of fardh 'aeyn Islamic knowledge, and are completely convinced about it being the religion chosen by The One True God for all human beings and djinns.
Shaikh Nasir Al-Albani said: "It was from the known rules of the Ulema that they used to say - bring the evidence and then believe; do not believe and then bring the evidence." This is precisely how we should "study" Islam, and accept it or reject it based on whether we're convinced by it or not. If we don't work towards this, I'm afraid our condition will remain similar to that of the monkeys in the previous post.
Islam is a religion that encourages us to think. "Li ulil albab", "La'allakum ta'qilun", "Li ulil absar" - these are phrases we hear frequently in our prayers. Islam is for people of lubbah (intellect/reason), and it is ironical that we Muslims refuse to use it to understand our religion.
May Allah guide me to write about things that please Him. May Allah give me the taufeeq to practise what I preach. May Allah increase us all in our good deeds and efforts, and may Allah accept them from us.
Ameen, Ya Rabb Al-'Alameen.
P.S. - I hope I'm not labeled for quoting Shaikh Al-Albani, Shaikh Nadawi etc. I am not Salafi, Deobandi or anything else.
Part 1
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The Condition of Our Ummah
In one of his Friday Khutbahs (sermons), Imam Yasser Fazzaga described the condition of our ummah in a very interesting manner, and I think it's definitely worth the space on my blog.
A social research organization once conducted a research on a group of ten monkeys. The monkeys were locked up in an empty room, and a bunch of bananas was hung from the ceiling (and we all know - when monkeys see bananas, they go bananas!). A table was placed in the middle of the room so that the monkeys could climb on it and reach for the bananas. Ten hosepipes were also brought in, and they were connected to a supply of ice-cold water. Now, as the monkeys were let loose, one of them jumped onto the table and started reaching for the bananas. As soon as he tried to do that, he and the rest of the nine monkeys were hosed with the ice-cold water. The same thing happened a few times, and all the monkeys were hosed each time. The monkeys were quick to learn, and they soon gave up their attempts to get the bananas. The next day, they removed all the hosepipes, and replaced one of the monkeys with a new one. The new monkey obviously went nuts after seeing the bananas and started to climb the table to reach for them, but before anything else could be done, the rest of the monkeys ganged up on him and beat the living daylights out of the poor fellow, who had absolutely no idea why he was beat up. The next day, they did the same thing, i.e. replaced an old monkey with a new one. The same thing happened. The rest of the monkeys, including the monkey from yesterday (who didn't know anything about the hosepipes) beat him up. They repeated the process again and again until all the monkeys from the original group had been replaced, and they kept getting the same result. None of the new monkeys in the room had witnessed the original event, but just 'cause they saw the others doing it, they joined in without thinking. The threat no longer existed, but instead of analyzing the situation and thinking it out themselves, they were contented to follow the crowd.
I don't know if the story is true or not, but it is definitely a classic example of the 'herd mentality' we find in our Ummah.
In my next post inshaAllah, I'll discuss why the 'ulema think that this is the root of most of our problems, and how it affects our Islam and the way we live it.
The khutbah was on "The Fiqh of Priorities", and the khateeb made several interesting points in it. InshaAllah, if I find the time, I'll post about them as well in the near future.
A social research organization once conducted a research on a group of ten monkeys. The monkeys were locked up in an empty room, and a bunch of bananas was hung from the ceiling (and we all know - when monkeys see bananas, they go bananas!). A table was placed in the middle of the room so that the monkeys could climb on it and reach for the bananas. Ten hosepipes were also brought in, and they were connected to a supply of ice-cold water. Now, as the monkeys were let loose, one of them jumped onto the table and started reaching for the bananas. As soon as he tried to do that, he and the rest of the nine monkeys were hosed with the ice-cold water. The same thing happened a few times, and all the monkeys were hosed each time. The monkeys were quick to learn, and they soon gave up their attempts to get the bananas. The next day, they removed all the hosepipes, and replaced one of the monkeys with a new one. The new monkey obviously went nuts after seeing the bananas and started to climb the table to reach for them, but before anything else could be done, the rest of the monkeys ganged up on him and beat the living daylights out of the poor fellow, who had absolutely no idea why he was beat up. The next day, they did the same thing, i.e. replaced an old monkey with a new one. The same thing happened. The rest of the monkeys, including the monkey from yesterday (who didn't know anything about the hosepipes) beat him up. They repeated the process again and again until all the monkeys from the original group had been replaced, and they kept getting the same result. None of the new monkeys in the room had witnessed the original event, but just 'cause they saw the others doing it, they joined in without thinking. The threat no longer existed, but instead of analyzing the situation and thinking it out themselves, they were contented to follow the crowd.
I don't know if the story is true or not, but it is definitely a classic example of the 'herd mentality' we find in our Ummah.
In my next post inshaAllah, I'll discuss why the 'ulema think that this is the root of most of our problems, and how it affects our Islam and the way we live it.
The khutbah was on "The Fiqh of Priorities", and the khateeb made several interesting points in it. InshaAllah, if I find the time, I'll post about them as well in the near future.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The need of the hour...
"The need of the hour is that your life should be revolutionized. The revolution should not be an individual one but a collective one. The change should be concerning your iman(belief), your morals, your actions, your dealings, your decisions, and your efforts. Your life in every way should become a beacon of guidance and it should become a means of Da'wah."
- Abul Hasan Ali Al-Hasani Al-Nadawi aka Ali Mian rahimahullah
- Abul Hasan Ali Al-Hasani Al-Nadawi aka Ali Mian rahimahullah
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Bull's-eye!
Today we have the same Qur’an with us. Millions of copies of it are in circulation. Day and night, it is ceaselessly recited. In homes, in mosques, and from pulpits. Voluminous exegetical works exist expounding its meaning. Words pour out incessantly to explain its teachings and to exhort us to live by it. Yet eyes remain dry, hearts remain unmoved, minds remain untouched, lives remain unchanged. Ignominy and degradation appear to have become the lot of the followers of the Qur’an.
Why? Because we no longer read the Qur’an as a living reality. It is a sacred book, but it tells us something of the past only, concerning Muslims and Kafirs, Jews and Christians, the faithful and the hypocrites, who 'once upon a time used to be'.
- Ustadh Khurram Murad, in his book "Way to The Qur'an"
P.S. - I know the red font looks highly idiotic, but html doesn't give me much choice.
Why? Because we no longer read the Qur’an as a living reality. It is a sacred book, but it tells us something of the past only, concerning Muslims and Kafirs, Jews and Christians, the faithful and the hypocrites, who 'once upon a time used to be'.
- Ustadh Khurram Murad, in his book "Way to The Qur'an"
P.S. - I know the red font looks highly idiotic, but html doesn't give me much choice.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
