Qur'anic Restoration

Musing on the Quran Imagery and How it Impacts the Psychology of Man

2006-10-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

"When camels, ten-months pregnant are left unattended, and when wild beasts are herded together..."

While presenting it's message, the Quran does not appeal to purely rational arguments, nor does it satisfy itself with vague imagery, because man neither engages in purely rational thought, nor can pure emotion provide him any certainty. The Quran employs all the senses of the human being to transform the consciousness of man. The above verse is a typical example of this powerful reality.

"When camels, ten-months pregnant are left unattended..."

The camel, being the source of income for the traders of the Arabian peninsula, was the most prized possession of the Arabs. The camel not only provided the owners with meat and milk, but it was the key for their livelihood. It was the camel that allowed the Meccan traders to travel the trade-routes from Syria to Yemen. And it was the camel which allowed the beduoin to continually move from place to place for better oppurtunities of sustenance. In essence, the camel was the most prized-possession of the Arab, whether beduoin or city-dweller. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that it was with utmost care and maintenance that the animal was cared for.

Now imagine for a moment the state of the owner when his female camel was ten month's pregnant. A ten month pregnant camel is on the verge of giving birth and thus at it's most fragile period. It was during this period that the focus of the Arab turned even more towards his beloved possession, in order to ensure the life of the female giving birth, as well as the offspring which would increase the size of wealth. There was not only a keen anticipation of good fortune awaiting the owner, but a sense of anxiety as well.

Herein lies the first key psychological reality for man on the Day of Judgement alluded to by the Quran:

The Quran has already penetrated the psyche of the Arab by drawing attention to that which he LOVES. When the events of the Day of Judgement are set in motion, originating with the heavens losing their brilliance, and the mountains being thrown from their roots causing the earth to start trembling, man will be so overtaken by what is going on around him that he will leave even his most prized possessions. The depth of love that man had for things in his life will vanish with a blink of an eye before that Day.

Imagine the state of affair of a person who forgets those very things that he spent his WHOLE LIFE pursuing with such fervent zeal and enthusiasm, because he lost sight that one day he would be held accountable... Imagine the SENSE OF REGRET he would have when he realizes the real value and worth of the life he lived pursuing those things he has left in an instant when he awakened to reality... Imagine the state of a man who will realize that only those things that carry any value will be the good deeds men performed in this temporary life. The deeds they held as of no value in this life, will be placed on the true scales of justice and they will tip the scales because the weight they possess is that of mountains. All of this will unfold before their very eyes, causing the true regret that :

"It was not God who wronged them, but they who wronged their own souls..."

Men will live in a state of shame over their OWN conduct. No doubt that many men will first try and escape responsibility by blaming other people for their mis-guidance. From their own leaders, to the chief deceiver himself, Satan, men will throw blame on everybody but himself. Everybody will disown themselves from each other in terms of actions. But in the end, after they realize the immaculate justice of Allah manifest itself, they will ultimately be compelled to cry out:

"If only we had LISTENED or used our INTELLECT, we would not have been among these dwellers of the flames [today]."

And which man has power over another man's hearing and mind?

This feeling of failing one's own self will only intensify when the individual sees over and over again, that picture of the righteous being cheered on to true success by multitudes of crowds of God's creation as they enter the gates of Paradise. The wrong-doers will then understand that they could have achieved what they so desired in their past life, and that is:

"Neither shall they fear [the future], nor grieve [over the past]".

The men and women who have triumphed will live in a state of total FREEDOM, unhindered by anything that may halt their pursuits and desires. The wrongs that they had done in the past life will no longer cause them grief, because God, as a result of their sincerity and repentance, had pardoned them, and further, turned those very evils into goods. No longer will man say, while sitting on a bench of regret, "What if I had done this, what if I had done that..." No longer will those that do good be afraid to start a new journey, because they have no knowledge that the path before them contains good or bad, profit or loss. The psychological barriers that prevent men from chartering new paths will be broken down with a single stroke from the mercy of Allah.

The physical barriers will be removed as well for those of good fortune. The Quran describes the trees as if they were bending down before the inhabitants of the gardens, such that the people would not even have to reach for the fruits they so desire. There will be no resistance to a man's desire. The Holy Book, in it's beautiful manner of expressing the same reality from a different angles describes the concord between desire and reality in that world, by stating that very moment a person has an urge for a particular drink, the servers of Paradise will be right before them with that very drink. Nor will this lack of resistance give way to monotony. The Quran describes the fruits of the Hereafter consistently changing taste to something more new and original. Descriptions of Paradise allude to the perpetual virginity of the spouses, describing the fresh intimacy that the spouses will enjoy will forever. The most intense period of relationship for a couple is that when they are first married because of the fervent desire to know their companion in every respect. The glances that they share, as well as their sexuality being expressed in new ways will forever be a part of their new life.

Compare this to a man who has lost, constantly living in a sense of regret and shame, tied to columns in chains 70 cubits long, surrounded by columns of fire. Where can this person move? It as if the whole world has closed in on him.

After the imagery of the camel, the Quran states:

"When wild beasts are herded together..."

The reason for this is in the next verse, where the Quran states that the seas will start to overflow their boundaries, with huge waves crashing the shores. The animals will have no choice to escape the torrents of water, but to move inward.

Herein lies the second key psychological reality for man on the Day of Judgement alluded to by the Quran:

In the former verse, the Quran had referred to how the Day would cut relationships of LOVE. The next image the Holy Book has drawn in such short words is that of beasts, who by INSTINCT are naturally hostile to each other, forgetting their own INBORN ENMITY. A lion be the friend of a hyena, nor can an eagle be the friend of a snake.
Imagine a Day in which events will be set in motion such that even those that are instinctually born to hate another will forget this hostility? What to say of people who possessed such enmity for one another to the extent of a burning hatred that led to war?

With all this in mind, it becomes obvious that man's behavioris dictated by very powerful emotions. And that these very emotions will one day bow down before the awesomeness of God Almighty's command.

"And to God must all things return."

The fountain springs from Hamd

2006-10-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

"All HAMD belongs to Allah, Lord of the Vastness of the World."

It is the first words of the Quran. It is combined with the definite article adding a sense of completeness and perfection. It is not just Hamd, but AL-Hamd. So important is the word 'hamd' that the name of our Prophet has been derived from it. In fact, almost every single prayer of his (S) began with the phrase Alhamdullillah.

It is often translated as "Praise", but such a word fails to deliver the personal touch it conveys. As Ameen Ahsan Islahi (R) has stated:

"The word hamd has commonly been translated as ‘praise’. I have preferred ‘thanks’ instead, because wherever this word appears in the Qur'an, it has been used to convey that very sense. For instance, the Qur'an says:

And they will say: thanks be to God Who guided us to this (felicity).(7:43)

And last of their prayers would be: thanks be to God, the Lord of the entire creation. (10:10)

Thanks are due to the God Who gave me Ismaeel and Ishaq even when I was old. (14:39)

Indeed the word praise is wider in its application than thanks since one can only express feelings of gratitude on such aspects of someone’s virtues that concern oneself directly, whereas praise may also include the mention of virtues which may include those that do not have any direct bearing on the doer of the praise. The meaning of thanks is however, the more predominant of the two. Therefore, in order to do full justice with this word, one must either use ‘thanks’ along with ‘praise’ or else the translation will have to confine itself to thanks only so that it may do justice in expressing the emotions of gratitude to convey the true spirit of the surah. Man can praise anything good even though it may not concern him directly at all. The ecstatic state of our nature this surah is conveying is, on the contrary, the result of our observation of those aspects of the Almighty’s attributes which are directly concerned with us, like His Sustenance and Mercy. If this aspect cannot be properly conveyed, the real essence of the surah will remain unrevealed. The word ‘thanks’ helps in conveying this sense."

The position of 'hamd' in this surah is no coincidence. Gratitude is part of our very being, and it brings the man who has not corrupted his true nature to the door of worship. The first ayah in Fatihah is actually a PROCLAMATION of that feeling of gratitude that overwhelms the heart upon BENEFITTING from God's unparalleled mercy.

This is the sum and substance of surah Fatihah, which in itself, is the key to the Quran. Islam is gratitude's expression, and when thankfulness is lacking one will never attain the sweetness of faith. It is through it that prayer becomes, like the Prophet (S) said, the "coolness of one's eyes". Even the immense sense of responsibility that leads one to belief in accountability is rooted in gratitude. For every bounty, there is surely a reckoning on how it is used.

Prayer cannot reach the heaven and charity is not accepted without it.

Ramadan and the QURAN

2006-10-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

The Quran is clear that the purpose for fasting is:

1. To achieve TAQWA

Taqwa refers to a state in which a person, because of his profound recognition of the Almighty and His attributes, adheres to the commands, primarily taught to us through the revelation of the Quran, of His Lord. It requires patience and perseverance to attain such a state, and this is precisely the reason Muslims are commanded to abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. Such a discipline is meant to TRAIN the individual to follow God's commandments, and this is why the Prophet (S) also said that God does not need the abstinence of his/her slave during this month, if he/she does not abstain from foul talk, and other sins. One does not fulfill God's commandments unless he adheres to them in LETTER AND SPIRIT.

As Jesus (AS) is reported to have said in the Gospels:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Mathew 23:23-24)

2. To celebrate the revelation of the Quran, Allah's greatest blessing, by praising the Most High and giving thanks to Him, for guiding us.

This reason is the impelling force in desiring to attain the former. Only those men who realize the value of their religion internally, can appreciate the profound blessings in revelation. One will only adhere to the directives of the Lord, if one cherishes them. One will only adhere to the revelation of the Lord, if one is grateful for it. The hanifs of Arabia before Islam understood this very well. They use to grab hold of the Kaaba complaining to the Almighty that they knew who He was, but did not know how to worship Him. If it weren't for Muhammad bin Abdullah (S), we may still be prostrating before idols, and making vows to stones.

Thus, if want wants to reap the blessings of Ramadan and attain taqwa, ONE SHOULD RE-EVALUATE THEIR LIFE IN RESPECT TO THE HOLY BOOK. It is about the QURAN, QURAN, QURAN, QURAN. In order to attain the fully blessings of the month, it is paramount Muslims re-affirm their love for the Quran by studying it, and trying to follow it. One should also not degrade whatever effort they make towards improving on the Quran this month, even if it is just little. God's mercy encompasses all, and He multiplies the good of His slaves.

The Implications of Tawheed as Manifested in Taqwa

2006-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Surah Baqarah begins with the failures of Bani Israel in performing their duties with respect to God Almighty in being the witnesses of truth to mankind. After reminding the Bani Israel of their failures and lack of obedience entailed to the covenant they established with God Almighty, the Quran sets the stage for the transferrance of this obligation of being witnesses to the truth to the new ummah, the Bani Ishmael. This transferrence of leadership is symbolized in surah Baqarah with the turning of the qiblah back to its original position to the House of God established by Ibraham (AS) and his eldest son Ishmael (AS). 'Ironically', the verse of this 'middle nation' being raised occurs in the very center, i.e. middle, of the chapter.

Once the indication of this transferrence has occured, the Holy Quran than begins to discuss the obligations of the Bani Ishmael entailed in the covenant, i.e. the shareeah. The first thing that God ALmighty dilates upon, from verses 163-176, is the principle of tawheed. The Quran draws attention to the manifest coherency in the universe, logically pointing to One Creator, as well as the bounties that have been given to man. The intellectual foundations of the religion are set for this ummah in verses 163-164. The next subject of discussion, i.e. verse 165, is emotional ties, with God declaring that love is due first and foremost to Him. Even here, there is an intellectual aspect to the verse, because the basic premise for loving God is drawn from the previous verses. God Almighty has granted man so many manifest blessings, and it is only worthy that love be granted to him first and foremost. This verse also sets the psychological basis for rejecting blind-following.

In verses 166-167, the Quran speaks about how, on the Day of Judgement, the evil leaders of men will disown any responsibility for their followers straying from the path. It was only because of excessive veneration and idolization that men followed these leaders in the first place. After dialating upon this excessive veneration, the Almighty than tells men, in verses 168-169, to reject all the baseless innovations that these leaders fabricated under religious pretenses. The Quran argues that innovating things under the pretense of religion is following in the footsteps of Satan. This lays the first and foremost practical implication of tawheed and that is only God Almighty has the right to declare something haraam.

Further, the Quran states immediately afterwards that Satan "only entices you to sin and lewdness, and to ascribe to God what you know not." This enticement is contrasted to what God desires men to eat, i.e. "eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth." This reveals another foundational fact regarding the directives of shareeah. Whatever God declared unlawful is because of the negative repurcussions intellectually, spiritually, and morally to man. God Almighty has no need to declare things unlawful for the lack of any harm caused to men. Satan on the other hand tries to entice men away from what is beneficial for them, by presenting what is harmful to men as good, and what is good for men as harmful. Taqwa, the foundation of being a Muslim, is in actuality being wary of this deception of Satan. Further, it must be realized that the word Satan, while it can be used for the father of the jinn, also is used on the Quran, as categorically declared in Surah Nas, for men as well.

As Amin Ahsan Islahi has stated in his commentary of the Quran regarding these particular verses:

"Here one aspect needs attention. By nature and by sense and reason, there is such a clear distinction between the directives given by God and those given by Satan that an upright person can have no problem in distinguishing them. It is mentioned in the previous verse that whatever edibles the Almighty has declared lawful are pure, pleasing and healthy both with respect to effects and their inner and outer appearances. On the other hand, whatever Satan urges man to adopt is harmful to one’s body and to one’s intellect and to morals and is instrumental in leading a person to lewdness and immorality. If in spite of this blatant difference, someone insists on following Satan then he has had it."

In verses 170-171, the Holy Book than refers to those that continue to be led astray. These people, instead of listening to their common sense, intellect, and intuition, are misled by their excessive veneration for past ways. Instead of looking forward to the horizon, they choose to remain on a path that has already been charted out for them.

"When they are asked [to leave aside these concepts and] follow what God has revealed, they reply: ‘We will follow the path trodden by our forefathers’. Would they follow their fathers even though they did not use their intellect and had no guidance?"

It is relevant to note that the Quran has not condemned the following of the forefathers per se in these particular verses, especially the following of those forefathers that charted the path of reason and revelation, as well as sacrifice. What the Holy Book is actually stating is that the path one follows must ultimately be dictated by intellect, as well as revealed guidance.

"Would they follow their fathers even though they did not use their intellect and had no guidance?"

The Quran awakens the mind of the believer, guided by revelation, to be the judge. If a person sees that his forefathers have charted a wrong course, than courage demands that he forge ahead on a new path. If a person sees that his forefathers have charted the right course, than he must adhere to it. Ultimately, a person must understand the course he is taking, including the destination the road is leading to. There is no reason for choosing to remain intellectually and morally stagnant. The Quran than gives a beautiful parable regarding the state of those that have chosen to stick to blind adulation and reverence, at the end of these verses:

And [in reality] the parable of these people who have rejected [in this manner to follow the path to which they were guided by the Almighty] is like that of a person who calls out those who can hear nothing but shouts and cries. They are deaf, dumb, and blind so they understand nothing.

This picture drawn is that of a shepherd, calling his animals who have wandered off to eat food. While the animals hear the voice of the shepherd, they do not understand anything beyond the sound of the voice calling. Blind-followers, like these animals, lack intellectual and spiritual vision to comprehend the truth, despite them being able to hear it. A Muslim on the other hand, cannot by like them. A Muslim, who has a strong cognizance of tawheed, cannot walk a path blindly. This is why the Quran commands the Muslims in verses 172-173, that if the rest of mankind does not heed this wisdom, than they must:

Believers [if they are not willing to abandon their religious innovations, leave them to themselves and] eat [without any hesitation] of the wholesome things with which We have provided you and be grateful to God alone if it is Him you worship. He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, and the flesh of swine, also any flesh that is slaughtered in the name of someone other than God. But whoever is driven to necessity, intending neither to desire nor to transgress, incurs no sin. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful.

In these verses God Almighty ties in the idea of abandoning these false innovations, with being grateful to God alone. The reason for this is quite clear. Javed Ghamidi states:

"It is indeed difficult to eat things which have been prohibited since the times of one’s forefathers. It is for this very reason that the Qur’an has cautioned Muslims that they should disregard such superstitions and whatever the Almighty has declared lawful should be consumed by them without any reluctance. This is in fact a requirement of worshipping Him and expressing gratitude to Him and Muslims must fulfill this requirement in all circumstances."

The Quran recognizes the difficult it takes in treading a new path from one's ancestors, but at the same time, in order for tawheed to be truly realized, and for the superstitious mentality to be abolsihed and men liberated from servititude to other men, they must acquit themselves of anything proving not beneficial for their own welfare. The liberating philosophy of tawheed cannot fail to be realized if the Quranic instructions are realized.

In the conclusion of it's discourse of tawheed from 174-176, the Holy Book states that the People of the Book knew that God Almighty had declared only certain things unlawful. And the only motivation for this was their excessive veneration for the things of this life. The Holy Book ends with the natural result to this disobedience. One is EATING nothing but the fire of hell, by selling the Book of God for such a cheap price. The description of the intensity of these certain people is so bad, accoding to the Quran, that they cane be described as SHEEQAAQ BAEED. Javed Ghamidi states:

"The word SHEEQAAQ means ‘opposition’ and ‘animosity’. When it is qualified by the adjective BAEED it means that a person has gone so far in his animosity that he is not only unaware of his own loss and benefit but also there remains no possibility of his returning and atoning for the wrong he has committed."

This reveals a profound psychological truth. When a person becomes engrossed in his emotions, it can lead to him becoming unaware of what is actually beneficial for himself, and what causes loss. And further, it can become so deep that one has no possibility of correcting one's self. It is important that a Muslim subject his self to serious introspection.

After this delineation on tawheed, verse 177 draws attention to the ethical basis of the shareeah. The law of Islam is not aimed at mere conventions and rituals according to the Quran, but is founded upon the principles of BIRR, i.e. righteuousness, and TAQWA, i.e. observing the limits with respect to God and mankind. Prayer is the first practical manifestation of realizing the right of God in this life, and zakaah is the first practical manifestation of realizing the right of humanity in this life. This verse further discusses that it is adherence to these principles of birr and taqwa in all periods, including demanding periods, such as illness, poverty, and war which ultimately proves loyalty to God. The ayah of Birr must also be seen in respect to the previous discussions of blind-following of others. If a person believes that God demands customary adherence to a particular path than he is gravely mistaken. There is no such thing as "I am a born Muslim." God demands one adhere to righteousness and God-wariness in all circumstances.

This verse, the longest in the Quran, opens up to the actual law of the Quran. These laws, as it starts to become obvious when one progresses reading the chapter, are founded upon the principles of taqwa and birr. The first mentioned law is that of qisas, i.e the law of retribution. This law states that the first and foremost objective of the shareeah is to restore the SACRED value of life. Everybody's life, irrespective of social class and gender, is not only untouchable, but possesses a sanctity from God. After delineated how retribution is to be performed in cases of murder, the verse of qisas end with the following:

"O men of insight that you may follow the limits set by Allah."

Here, it is quite clear that the laws purpose is to make man realize the sacred-ness of life, as being the necessary result of God-consciousness, i.e. TAQWA. After delineating on murder as well as the right to life, the Quran follows with the issue of the WILL. The shareeah, after ensuring the conception of the sacred value of each inidividual life, makes a person understand the sacredness attached to a person's WEALTH. This is one of the very reasons Islam has prescribed a severe punishment for theft. The wealth of an individual is also part of the honor of a person, and this is one of the reason labor is looked upon with esteem in the religion.

European civilization, boasts with Voltaire, the 'originality' of their culture in declaring natural law as being formulated upon these two essential principles, i.e. the right to life and the right to wealth. 'Ironically' though, Muhammad (S) pronounced on the Day of Arafat 1000 years prior, categorically to all his followers that:

"On This day the life and wealth of every Muslim has been declared sacred by God ALmighty."

It is no coincidence that in many hadeeth, the Prophet of God has joined the right of life, with the right of wealth as being sacred.

Further, just like the previous verses on qisas, the element of TAQWA is not lacking in these verses regarding the distributioon of the will.

"This is a duty incumbent on those who fear God."

Taqwa must be a motivating factor in the distribution will. The Quran states that while a person has the right to distribute his will, he cannot ignore those people who have legitimately given benefit to that person. He must not ignore his parents and near relatives, only decreeing wealth for his CHILDREN. This would be an injustice before God, and one will undoubtedly have to account for ignoring those who were kind to men in this life. As one ponders over the Quran, one begins to realize that the shareeah is meant to awaken mankind to the rights due to God as well as human beings. The laws are far from being pointless customs and rituals. Before finishing it's discussion on wealth, the Quran speaks about fasting from verses 185-187, starting with:

"[These are the limits set by God and only they cannot cross them who fear Him; so] Believers! The fast has been made obligatory upon you as it was made upon those before you so that you become fearful of God."

It does not take a genius to understand that TAQWA again is emphasized. Fasting has been instituted so that men become conscious of their responsibility to God as well as their fellow men. The Quran itself was revealed in this month, and being a book of guidance for those that POSSESS TAQWA, it is only natural that restraining one's self beyond normal, everyday limits be done during Ramadan. It is further only natural that one's bond with the Book increase.

After discussing the various reasons for fasting in verse 185, the Quran delineates on the proper attitude one must have with respect to God's injunctions if one does not fully understand them. He should continue his firm faith in the All-Knowing God by praying to Him and asking for more guidance, as well as fulfilling the directives God has revealed, [/b]as understood by that individual at that particular moment[b/]. This last point also connects with the previous command against blind-following.

The Holy Book than draws attention to how certain Muslims had deviated from this principle of going against their own moral conscience. Some Muslims, following the ahl-kitab, had thought to themselves that sexual relations during the night of Ramadan was also forbidden and against the spirit of the month. Despite their conscience, the Muslims indulged in it. Allah makes a remark on their lack of moral integrity, saying that 'God knew you were deceiving yourselves.' This verse in and of itself is a very powerful reminder of how high the Quran holds the moral integrity of a people. Despite the fact that these people were in error in their judgements, God still found it necessary to state the failings of these Muslims to abide by their own conscience. To quote Javed Ghamidi:

"If a person considers something to be a requisite of religion and still does not act according to it regardless of the fact that it is actually a requisite or not, then this is not permissible to him and would be called deceiving one’s conscience."

In respect to the above point, one must also understand that God also corrects the Muslims views regarding piety. The Holy Book allows the Muslims to approach their wives in the night UNHESITATINGLY, correcting the view of sexuality as being against piety, i.e. TAQWA, by stating:

"they are a garment to you as you are to them."

Javed Ghamidi has written regarding this aspect of being as garment with the following:

"The implication is that a husband and wife are so close and so inseparable as per the nature on which the Almighty has created them that except in compelling circumstances they should not be kept separate from one another. A little deliberation would show that the metaphor of a husband and wife being each other’s garment is very subtle. A garment has three aspects: covering the body, protecting it and embellishing it. A husband and wife are one another’s garment in all these three aspects. They are a cover to one another’s sexual desires and instincts, are means of protection for one another from the onslaughts of Satan and with their mutual interaction give all the colour and exuberance to life which becomes evident in the elegance and grace of human culture and civilization."

The view regarding sexuality as being against piety by the new Muslims was inherited from the AHL-KITAB, and Allah found it necessary to correct it in light of a very rigorous discipline of self-restraint. The very profound nature of it all should be deemed from this fact. Further, here again lies a clear remark directed towards blind-following and how traditions can cloud a proper view regarding life.

After speaking about fasting, the Quran than turns back to the issue of wealth in verse 188:

"And [it is the requirement to attain piety that] do not devour one another’s wealth by unjust means, nor bribe those in authority with it in order that you may wrongfully and knowingly usurp a part of the wealth of others."

While the verse returns to the original subject of wealth, it's being placed after a discussion of fasting is not misplaced. Notice the choice of words used in the verse:

"DO NOT DEVOUR..."

Remember also when reading this verse, the imagery used by the Almighty regarding the hiding of the truth by the ahl-kitab for a meagre sum of this world's wealth.

"In reality, those who conceal what God has revealed in His Book and for this they gain some meager wealth [of this world] SHALL SWALLOW nothing but the Fire of Hell into their bellies."

As is obvious, the objective of fasting is meant to extend to every facet of life.

After this discussion, one finds it very pertinent to mention that this chapter in and of itself was revealed in stages. Yet, there is a marvellous coherence. This is one of those very aspects proving the very power of the Quran. This is the Book that Muhammad (S) said was the proof of his mission. And Muhammad (S) does not lie. As that very Book states:

"Muhammad IS the Messenger of Allah."

(all translations are done by Shehzad Saleem from www.monthly-renaissance.com)

The REAL Meaning of Shahadah

2006-08-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

"I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah..."

When the Arabs made an oath with another, they use to perform certain rituals to grant the act significance. Those a partisan to the oath would perform such rituals as "dipping their hands in water, rubbing perfume on their hands, or slaughtering an animal and sprinkling the blood on the parties involved in order to symbolize the blood relationship." (Mustansir Mir, "The Qur’an Oaths : Farahi’s Interpretation")

Blood added a SACRED dimension to the whole affair. The Arabs were so keen to preserve their oaths that even the threat of death to their children did not deter them from fulfilling them. Further, these oaths were accompanied by the presence of WITNESSES to testify to the reality of this oath, meaning that the witnesses were PART OF THE OATH. 'Shahida' has the meanings of 'to be present' and 'to be witness'. This is precisely why Mustansir Mir states:

"In fact, to bear witness to an event is to declare that one was present at the scene of the event."

What does this imply?

To 'witness' in Arabic does not mean an acceptance of a theological proposition. By witnessing, one has involved himself in something sacred. Unlike education today, where knowledge is considered the number of varying opinions one knows regarding a certain matter, the pre-Islamic Arabs, and those of the time of Muhammad (S) were not interested in theory.

"The forest of learning and invention is devoid of lion-hearted men
What remains is but the slaves of the Sufi and the Mullah, O Saqi!
Who has stolen the sharp sword of creative passion?
The learned hold an empty scabbard in their hand, O Saqi"

(Iqbal, Bal-e-Jibril)

The kalima is far from a proposition. It is a declaration of action rooted in a realization of the profound truth of tawheed. As the Almighty has said:

"God has purchased from the faithful their lives and worldly goods, and in return has promised them the Garden. Rejoice then in the bargain you have made. That is the supreme triumph."

(Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com
Surah Taubah, verse 11)

Javed Ghamidi has stated regarding this verse:

"The Qur’an has declared that Islam is in fact a contract of sale and purchase with the Almighty: We sell our lives and wealth for the Paradise the Almighty has prepared for us."

The shahadah signifies an AWAKENING of man who realizes whom God is. There is reason why in Islam, 'the whole earth becomes a masjid'. Allah has also stated in this verse that it is man himself who has gotten the better deal, even though he is SELLING HIS LIFE AND WEALTH. And far is Allah from lying.

It is with this in mind, that a Muslim must understand his worship. If man does not realize the significance of 'tawheed' as well as it's implications, than his worship is useless. On the other hand, prayer begins to shatter the awareness of the believer if done with some semblance of realization of the truth of tawheed.

"God knows to which side my humble forehead turned in prayer,
that the Ka’abah itself is coming towards me seeing my faith’s power of attracting."

(Musleh-u-ddin Ahmed)

Angels never fail in implementing the commands of their Lord. It is because God has created the angels with wings, "twos, threes, and fours" to fulfill the obligations imposed upon them WITHOUT FAIL that the prayer and sujood of the son of Adam has a taste that angels are not even aware of. Man prays with the burden of failure. Yet, knowing whom God is, he is not overcome. He begins to see himself, including his own mistakes, as well as his own limitations as he moves from qiyam, to ruku, to sujood. One ASKS FOR GUIDANCE, one bows before God, and one repents. And after all this, in the last stages of the 'believer's ascension' as Muhammad ibn Abdullah (S) called it, he re-affirms his commitment to God Almighty to act. When one bears witness to 'tawhid' while sitting before God, it is a re-affirmation of a covenant made when one first accepted the religion AS AN AWAKENED INDIVIDUAL. When one points his finger in the symbol of tawheed, he is a re-affirming an OATH, A COVENANT that he has made with God Almighty. Through this act of prayer, man becomes the 'qalander', the perfect man whom the true sufis had once lamented that the world no longer possessed, because he realizes his own 'khudi'.

Religion and the Need to Find an Enemy

2006-08-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

"[This is nothing], Certainly not! [O Prophet!] if he desists not We shall drag him by the forelock, a lying sinful forelock. Then let him call his help-mates. We shall summon Our guards.

Certainly not! heed him not and bow down in prostration and draw near [Me]."

(Surah Iqra, verses 15-19,
Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

In Surah Alaq, the Almighty draws a comparison between the conduct of the leaders of Quraysh, primarily Abu Jahl, to that of Muhammad (S). The surah starts off by drawing attention to a special and magnificent bounty of Allah...

"Read out to them [O Prophet!] in the name of your Lord who created --- created man from a clinging fluid.

Read out to them and the fact is that your Lord is the most Bounteous who taught [this Quran] by the pen [in which] He gave man that knowledge which he knew not."

The Most High has granted a revelation to man in the form of a Book in order that man be taught the knowledge 'which he knew not'. This knowledge refers to the Quran, consisting of the 'the book and wisdom', i.e. the law and philosophy respectively, as testified too by the prayer of Abraham (AS). The phrase 'kitab and hikmah' points to the fact that the teachings are comprehensive and holistic. The Holy Book takes into account the intellectual, spiritual, as well as physical aspects of man in order that he be purified as well as his personality becomes elevated.

The bounty of the Quran MUST be weighed in the context of man's creation. This is precisely why the first verse draws attention to the fact that he was created out of lowly origins, an alaq'. Every stage of a human being's growth to manhood has manifested the lordship or rububiyyah of God, to the extent that man becomes a fully-blown reasoning creature, as well as a physically balanced creature. Ever since he was an embryo in the womb of his mother, God Almighty has GUIDED him intricately through every stage of his life to reach higher and higher stages of perfection. To think God sending revelation to man is something unusual is in fact contrary to the observations of the world around him.

"And your Lord REVEALED to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build,

Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect."

(Surah Nahl, 68-69,
Translated by Shakir)

Revelation is an essential aspect of creation. If man is the apex of creation, than how logical would it be for Allah NOT to send man with guidance? It is only natural that when man has reached the stage of maturity, he must show appreciation to God Almighty by accepting the teachings sent through His Messengers. Further, in recognizing this bounty, man must always consider that guidance has always been a part of his life. In fact, the revelation in the form of a BOOK is the natural progression to this whole process in the lordship of Allah. Here is a living creature, who has attained its excellence over other creation through it's intellect as well as free-will. A BOOK that engages the intellect by calling the mind towards reflection, in order to GUIDE MAN is in fact, not surprising, athough it is mind-blowing.

The Quran, after drawing attention to this manifest bounty of revelation, shifts its focus to the reaction of certain men in response to it. The indifference of these rejectors to the truth was not one of an honest and sincere pursuit of knowledge.

"[Whatever vain talk they indulge in against it is baseless O Prophet!] Certainly not: Verily man is rebellious as he considers himself self-sufficient [in wealth]. [Let him think so] for verily to His Lord will he [one day] return."

The pscyhological basis for their rejection was that their wealth had deluded them into thinking that they were independent. Somewhere along the line, Abu Jahl forgot that he was a 'sticky fluid' ejected from the loins of his father. Somewhere along the line, he forgot that he was a lump of flesh in the womb of his mother. In fact, this delusion had penetrated the Quraysh to such an extent that they adopted a very rebellious and mean attitude towards the one (S) whom was reciting TO THEM the 'knowledge that he knew not". They could not leave him even when he was performing an act which was EXTREMELY PERSONAL.

"Have you seen him who forbids a servant [of Allah] when he prays."

It was evident that Muhammad (S) was 'on the right path' as testified to by his impeccable character. It was not that he (S) was lacking integrity, such that the Quraysh could find a justification for their behavior. Al-Ameen's character was flawless even before he (S) started received revelation. Nor was Muhammad (S) making any stringent demands on the Quraysh. He was simply 'urging them to piety'.

"Just consider if this [servant] of [Ours] is on the right path or urges [others] to piety then...!"

There was absolutely nothing that Muhammad (S) was calling them to that was unreasonable, or beyond their natural abilities. And here it was that a man had showed how lowly he was by persecuting the perfect embodiment of what it means to be a human being.

The Quran than warns this man:

"Just see if this [wretched] person denied and turned away then ... ! Does he not know that Allah is observing [him]?"

There is a subtle but powerful irony here. Allah has addressed Abu Jahl ALL throughout this surah in the THIRD person.

"Just see this person", "Does HE"...

He is not asking Muhammad (S) to look, but Allah, in actuality, is speaking to the leaders of Quraysh, particularly ABu Jahl, as a warning. It as if they are nobody and that their actions are too disgusting, that they cannot even be addressed directly. Think about a converstaion where you were talking to your friend, while an opponent of yours was standing close by doing something foolish. And than you say to your friend in a voice where the opponent can hear, "Look at him, only a fool could do such a thing.." While you may be directly talking to your friend, your words are aimed at your opponent. The tone changes the very implications of the statement. This is a similar situation to the Quran.

And than there is another shift in the manner of address:

"[This is nothing], Certainly not! [O Prophet!] if he desists not WE shall drag him by the forelock, a lying sinful forelock. Then let him call his help-mates. WE shall summon Our guards."

There will come a time when Allah will no tolerate their actions, giving them a chance to correct their own conduct. He will take their affront of the truth personally.

"if he desists not WE shall drag him by the forelock, a lying sinful forelock."

Allah has attributed the act of dragging to himself. While the leaders of Quraysh have been doing the persecuting, and He was watching, this does not mean that he will definitely not enter into this game himself. He will respond to their arrogance in a befitting manner. Just as they are enamored with their position, holding their heads high because of their 'social backing' in this world, Allah will have them dragged into hell on those very heads. Further, Allah describes that forelock as a lying, sinful forelock. These characteristics had become engrained in their very personality. In fact, the qualities chosen to define this forelock are not random. This short, but powerful description is tied directly to the former verse, where lying is directly attributed to Abu Jahl for his "denying" the truth, and sinning is attributed to him for his "turning away" from the truth.

"Then let him call his help-mates. WE shall summon Our guards."

When people in positions of power are threatened, they feel the need to call their friends, which may be politicans, media, body-guards or any of the like in their defense. Further, it is one of the reason they act arrogant in the first place. Deluded by the backing of their armies, they are embolded by the illusion that they can do whatever they want, without any accountability. And Allah retorts to this conception in their minds in what seems to be a sarcastic tone. As Allah states elsewhere in the Quran, in order to remind them of their over-estimation of their own power and ability:

"How many nations did We destroy before them that were mightier than they?"

And than the surah finally culminates in a very profound reality.

"Certainly not! heed him not and bow down in prostration and draw near [Me]".

Muhammad (S) is told not to focus on these personalities. There is an essential message that is being taught, and that is the objective of the religion is to establish nearness to the Almighty. Islam itself does not get itself caught up in blind hatred of a personality, to such an extent that this personality or that, this country or that, this ideology or that is the focus of its mission. It has no need to dominate it's rhetoric with the 'enemy', because it is meant to instruct men and purify them, as alluded to in the very beginning of their surah. Neither is Islam a political ideology, social or economic ideology, or a platform to jump on when one wants to protest an unjust cause. Pharoah's come and go... Even the men who led the world powers men could not halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease despite their positions in society, as well as their uninhibited access to radical advances in scientific technology. Not only men, but nations too, rise and fall... They are all transient, while Islam is eternal.

Allah will ultimately deal with ALL criminals, and whether justice is established in this world or not, too God Almighty everyone will return. Even if a just order was established in this world, one muist not be deluded into thinking that Islam has succeeded, because the pens of the angels recording the deeds of men will not stop writing. One must always keep it clear in his mind that this religion was sent to take men from the worship of creation to the worship of Allah, and one must engage one's self individually all the time with respect to God's revelation.

"[Let him think so] for verily to His Lord will he [one day] return."

Everybody is accountable for their own actions, and if one thinks one can assure one's own salvation by focusing on how other's act, they are gravely mistaken. Let man remember his origins, and the bounties God has bestowed upon him, and than let him weigh his conduct in light of how much he does as an appreciation for these bounties, because as stated above:

"Certainly not! heed him not and bow down in prostration and draw near [Me]".

Restoring Muslim Dignity

2006-07-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Most people believe that the success of Muslim civilization is evident from the duration of its rule over a third of the known world. While it is PARTIALLY correct to recognize that this time period does testify to the dynamism and purity of Islam, one must not confuse the extent of the duration as successful in terms of a purely Islamic perspective. Muslim history, like every other civilization, has been plagued throughout its existence with internal strife and agitation.

The reality is that the many centuries that make up most of the period of the khaleepha was the by-product of the initial spiritual impulse Islam had generated IN THE VERY BEGINNING of its existence in space-time. One must remember that it is the spiritual life forces which bind society together to pursue a specific goal. According to the hadeeth books, Muhammad's (S) first command of revelation was to read, followed immediately by the proclamation to "Arise and WARN". The prophetic religious experience cannot remain content with the individual alone, because it is too over-flowing for it to be contained.

As Iqbal quotes a pious saint as saying,

"Muhammad of Arabia ascended to the heavens and returned,
by God if I ascended, I would never return."

Muhammad (S), that day, could no longer remain introverted and he (S) never returned to the cave of Hira again.

When Islam burst forth in the world through Muhammad's powerful experienced, it shattered the world-view of a few individuals, who began to imbibe the truth the Prophet was proclaiming. This awakening was not just an acceptance of certain logical propositions, and dogmas that were satisfictory to reason, but this awakening could be said to be a TOTAL transformation of consciousness, with the roots originating from the very depths of the human personality. Islam began its movement in the world. We can measure the extent of this impact on the social order through the practice of wealthy Muslims, such as Abu Bakr and Uthman bin Affan, starting to free slaves of all races.

When Jafar (R) went before the King of Abyssinia, he informed the king about the teachings of the Prophet (S). The noble cousin of the Prophet did not just state that Muhammad (S) taught them the oneness of God, but in actuality what he (S) was doing was making them realize the IMPLICATIONS of tawheed.

"He commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to be helpful to our neighbors, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness, not to appropriate an orphan's property nor slander chaste women. He ordered us to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with him, to uphold Salat, to give Zakat and fast in the month of Ramadan. We believed in him and what he brought to us from Allah and we follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keep away from what he forbade us from doing. Thereupon, O King, our people attacked us, visited the severest punishment on us to make us renounce our religion and take us back to the old immorality and the worship of idols."

The formation of the Muslim State in Medina was just a natural outcome of this awakening. As Malik Bennabi points out, the first real social act of the spiritual impulse of Islam that gave birth to Islam AS A SOCIAL ORDER was the pact of fraternal brotherhood made between the Muhajireen and the Ansar of Medina by the Prophet (S) himself. The latter opened up their homes and wealth to their brethren who had been forced to flee Mecca, to the extent that one Ansar would ask his brother Muhajireen to tell him that if the latter so desired, the Ansar would divorce one of his wives for the former to marry.

It is during the initial periods of a particular civilization that we can gage the dynamism of the faith at work. The spiritual forces within man are providing the very impulse to change society in accordance with the internal revolution. This is precisely why the Muslim world was innovative in every respect, to the extent that Muhammad (S) adopted the methods of the Persians in building a ditch to defend the city of Medina from attack. When the Quraysh witnessed this, they exclaimed in astonishment:

"By God, Muhammad has innovated something new!"

Umar the Great (R), during his rule, can credited with initiating ground-breaking reforms, to an extent that he (R) can rightly be considered the founder of the original social security system. He was so visionary, that he saw the need to separate the qadis, i.e. the judicial branch, from the main government. Judges were given complete independence to form their judgements. His predecessor Abu Bakr (R) played his role brilliantly too, securing the independent existence of the Muslim ummah after the leader that formed the basis of their religion and social existence had just passed. The apostates who revolted during his rule, thinking that with the death of Muhammad (S), Islam was finished. But they forgot already that God Almighty had taught the Muslims in Uhud that the idea can never be blurred by the personality.

"And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels!s, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful."

This period of the friend of Muhammad (S) revealed to the world that the Muslims were SELF-CONSCIOUS. Muhammad (S) was not the only one that awakened with the revelation of the Quran, but EVERY SINGLE MUSLIM awakened. The collectivity had been formed, and its power shone to the rest of the world, as it brought the Persian and Roman Emipres to their knees. Muslims, dressed in common garments, with their faces dignified by the light of tawheed went before kings dressed in silk without fear of anything.

But as time passes in the life of any civilization, and man starts to interact more and more with the soil, losing the necessary balance between the spiritual and temporal, the bonds that form society tend to break. The first break in civillization can be witnessed on a collective level, such as the Battle of Siffeen in the Muslim world, during the time of Ali (R) and Muawiya (R). The scholars have clearly noted that the first break in Islam was of a political nature, i.e. it was institutional. The issue of forced bayaah or allegiance to the ruler signified the first rupture in the philosophy of tawheed. "Men are all equal before God" was corrupted on the political plane with the origins of a monarchy. When the REAL DECLINE of a civilization 'march in history' begin, and the historical inflexion of civilization turns downward to use the words of Bennabi, the bonds of civilization bgin to break on an INDIVIDIUAL LEVEL. Men of that society begin to move towards two extremes. One of the extremes is an excessive infatuation with the world, including a negation of moral values, and the other is a drift into the realm of asceticism and nihilism.

While Islam showed AN inherent ability to keep a civilization in strong over any other 'ideology' despite the turmoils that faced it over time, eventually the Islamic impulse that kept the civilization moving in the right direction began to weaken, because even the impulse generated by religion is dependent upon the PEOPLE internalizing it. Muslim society was still able to sporadically produce marvellous contributions in certain fields, because the momentum had not totally dissipated. The architectural monuments of the Mughal Empire, the philosophical works of the Persians, coupled by the strength of the Turk were still evident in civilization. But these contributions were limited, and eventually. the dynamism waned to the the extent that we witness nowadays, a force equivalent to almost zero. This is precisely why one finds hardly any signficant contribution to humanity by the Muslim world.

Yet, the spiritual forces of Islam still showed, and continue to show their vitality on an INDIVIDUAL level. Even during the period of a civlizations decline, monumental and towering giants such as Imam ibn Taymiyya, Shaykh Sirhindi and Imam Ghazali arose. These figures responded to the challenges that were faced at a particular moment in time, and kept the fire of Islam burning in the hearts of the ummah. And what is further unique about this phenomenon of Islam is that these intellectual geniuses were not confined to a particular geographic location, but were scattered throughout the Muslim world.

"A tree from neither East nor West"...

The problem for the civilization is no longer that of institutions according to Bennabi. We see many movements content with simply relying on the UN mandates, and other schemes, to secure rights, and this is glaring proof of their not being able to last or make any signficant impact. The Muslim problem, as Bennabi points out, is that man, as an INDIVIDUAL, has lost his civilising elan. He needs to return to the original spiritual source of the religion, i.e. the Quran. Or as Iqbal puts it:

"Neither Razi nor Zamkashari will do you any good,
if the Quran itself is not revealed ON YOURT OWN HEART...."

Return of the Khaleepha? Political Zionism in Islam

2006-07-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

What is the actual meaning of a khaleepha?

1. One of its meanings is successor. ANY ruler, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, is a khaleepha. This is also established in a hadeeth where the Prophet (S) is reported to have predicted the return to the Khaleepha BASED UPON THE PATTERN OF NUBUWWAH (Prophethood). The addition of the words 'Pattern of Nubuwwah' would have been unnecessary and redundant if khaleepha simply meant a Muslm ruler.

Further, most classical scholars hold the opinion that this period of the return of the rule on the pattern of nubuwwah was the of the rule of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, otherwise known as Umar II for his justice. This means that the hadeeth has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the alleged concept of a Mehdi. Umar II began an extraordinary reform based upon the principles of Islamic social justice within the Muslim government that was corrupted earlier by a system of monarchy. Unfortunately, his reforms were cut short by his early death. The claims of groups that promote their cause through 'apocalyptic' prophecies under the guise of religion are nothing but baseless. A common hadeeth which is used to justify many radical Muslim groups is that the victorious Muslim army would come from Khurasan with the standard of black flags to assist the Mahdi. These groups have all adopted this black flag in light of the hadeeth, yet these narrations are all considered garbage by the hadeeth authorities such as Imam ibn Juazi (R).

2.

The word khaleepha also has the connotations of authority and free will. God Almighty says in the Quran, "I will place a khaleepha on earth", and this verse is clearly in reference to ALL human beings. The fact that a khaleepha can be evil and non-Muslim is substantiated by the response of the angels. "Are you going to place in the earth one that would create fitna?" If the khaleepha was a Muslim ruler, and signalled the return of Muslim 'greatness', than this response by the angels would have been patently absurd.

As is obvious, the Quran does not give any theological meaning of the word, unlike other terms such as Rasool, a specific type of Messenger. Thus, all of the Muslim movements that claim a return to the khaleepha as the cause of success is rooted in a gross misunderstanding of the term. If any group claims that the khaleepha is something special to Islam, they need to give proof from the Arabic language, and in actuality, there is NONE.

Further, when a Muslim ruler comes into power UNDER THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, he is obligated to perform certain injunctions. It is common among these pseudo-groups to emphasize an almost unconditional obedience to the ruler or khaleepha, but the Islamic teachings emphasize not obedience to the ruler, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RULER TO THE RULED. This is precisely why Umar would nto allow his governors to build a wall in-between his governors and the public, and he made it a strict policy that anybody could access the leader to put forth their grievances. A proper government functioning under the principles of Islam would adopt any means to secure this right for its citizens. A very basic example of this principle can been in Western society where citizens can lobby and express their views and grievances against the government, as well as take matters to the court. But at the same time, Islamic principles would reject the huge enormous costs for legal fees in Western socieities which allow justice only for the rich.

In many prophetic hadeeth, the accounting a ruler would face is related in severe terms. This is precisely why the Prophet (S) is reported to have stated that "We do not give posts to people who desire it." A person who does not realize the responsibility of leadership, can in no way be fit to lead.

Also, The hadeeth which emphasize obedience to the ruler are normally related in the context of rebellion and anarchy, i.e. the curb further bloodshed and anarchy. Further, a Muslim is simply required under the state to establihs prayer and pay zakaat, while obeying the law of the land. The former two are meant for legal purpose in respect to the government, i.e. to determine the nature of the obligation to a Muslim citizen as opposed to those that are not. The Quran states that the Muslim government must LEAVE the citizens alone if they fulfill these basic functions, meaning that they cannot force a Muslim to perform any good deeds, but they can only enjoin them to good.

Further, the Quran totally ends any notion of theocracy when it says in surah Taubah, "If they establish salaah and pay the zakaah, they are BRETHREN IN FAITH." This verse is directly addressed to the Companions of the Prophet (S), who were of the highest rank with respect to God. Yet, even here the Almihgty clearly asserts that their is to be no dinstinction in the eyes of law based upon 'spiritual rank'. This is why a Jew could even win a court case against Ali (R), who was the khaleepha of the Muslim ummah at the particular time the incident happened. This philosophy also destroys any concept of pir-hood and obedience to someobody based upon their alleged position with God. The Muslim is responsible to the law, and no personality can change this.

Thus the notions of an spiritual authority is automatically curbed with the statement 'brethren in faith'. The ruler is to treat all based upon equal footing, and its purpose is to protect the people and rule with justice. No claims to spiritual authority in life can change this fact, and spiritual ranking is only known to God and will be rewarded in the next life. And there is also another interesting point to this. In Islam, piety is not the only condition of being a ruler. The Prophet (S) rejected the desire of Abu Dharr (R) to be appointed to a government post, despite the Prophet (S) stating in another narration that he (R) was the most truthful person the earth had carried on its back. It was because of Abu Dharr's (R) excessiveness which did not make him possess the natural qualities and temperment that are required for a leader.

A Muslim Nations Duty in Respect to Non-Muslim Nations: Renegade 'Muslim' Groups

2006-07-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

"And to those who accepted faith but did not migrate [to Madinah], you owe no duty of protection to them until they migrate; but if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance; and Allah is the All-Seer of what you do."

(Translated, link, 8:72)

There is an interesting principle being laid out here:

The Quran does not PUT ANY ONUS OF RESPONSIBILITY on a Muslim state to assist Muslims who do not make any attempt at leaving a nation they are being persecuted in. It is the duty of those being oppressed, to make an effort to leave the area they are being oppressed in if they believe their religion is threatened. This is explicitly indicated by the words "but if they seek your help in religion". The act of assisting is tied to those who SEEK HELP.

So in summary:

1. The Quran first and foremost absolves the Muslim collectivity who had migrated and established their own state of initiating any help to those that remained in that nation that is persecuting them.

2. The Quran further puts the onus of responsibility on the person who is being persecuted to take some initiative, through the words "but if they seek your help in religion".

At the same time, this verse clearly substantiates that a Muslim state has the duty to keep its borders open for those whom are being oppressed and persecuted by another nation. The Quran ALSO stipulates that a Muslim state MUST help the persecuted people seeking help, except under one condition. That condition is that in the assisting of these Muslims, the state is not violating the treaty made with that nation. If this assistance violates the treaty, than the MUSLIM STATE CANNOT IN NO WAY VIOLATE A TREATY, EVEN IF THAT NATION IS PERSECUTING MUSLIMS.

There is an essential, and reasonable justification for this, and that is, the Muslim state has a responsibility towards its collectivity, and it cannot extend itself into a region beyond its own control putting at risk its own very existence. There was ample time for people to leave their own places in light of the dictates of their religion. Countless other people who migrated, as well as those that took these persecuted people in, had made their sacrifices. This is precisely why the very first portion of this verse, God Almighty states:

"Indeed! those who believed and left their homes and strove with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah, and those who took them in and helped them."

Once again, a Muslim nation's FIRST AND FOREMOST obligation is specifically to those that are citizens of their own state. Further, the Quran is emphatic that treaties, contracts, and alliances can in no way be broken and violated by a Muslim, including the state, and that the only time a treaty would lose its validity is if the opposing party dishonours it. Even than, the Quran is quite explicit in how it should be done.

"And if you fear any treachery from a people throw back [their covenant] to them on equal terms. Certainly Allah likes not the treacherous."

(8:58)

The words throw back the covenant imply a forceful, non-haphazard action. It further states that the Muslims cannot respond to the breaking of the treaty, EXCEPT IN EQUAL TERMS. They cannot exceed the harm that was originally inflicted on them. This is fundamentally explicit in the Quran.

So when 'Islamic groups' call for actions against nations that are legitimately recognized by the countries they are living in, they are not fulfilling any of the conditions of Islam. When 'Islamic groups' call on other Muslims to violate the terms that their respective countries have made with the 'Islamic groups' enemy, than it is the Islamic group that is violating basic Islamic principles. When 'Islamic groups' wage jihad outside the state authority, because they believe they are doing something for Islam, they are doing exactly opposite of what Islam tells them to do. No amount of yelling 'kaffir' country can change this fact. No amount of yelling they are disbelievers can change this fact. No amount of renegade groups that preach on some sort of platform of Islam can change this fact.

"And to those who accepted faith but did not migrate [to Madinah], you owe no duty of protection to them until they migrate; but if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance; and Allah is the All-Seer of what you do."

(8:72)

The Quran recognizes the idea of statehood, but Muslims sadly do not. These are practical necessities, especially in this day and age. As is obvious, those people in the name of Islam who attack Muslim nations for their treaties with non-Muslims are violating essential principles of Islam. They are sacrificing long-term stability for some short-term gains. Statesmanship requires discipline, not hot-headedness and rash action.

Malik Bennabi on Democracy in Islam, as quoted from Azzam Tamimi

2006-07-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

'Democracy', he said, `ought to be looked at from three angles: democracy as a sentiment toward the ego, democracy as a sentiment toward the other, and democracy as the combination of the socio-political conditions necessary for the formation and development of such sentiments in the individual.' He went on to say: `Contrary to the depiction of the romantic philosophy of the era of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, these conditions are not created by nature, nor are they the requisites of natural law, but are the upshot of a specific culture, the crowning of the progress of the humanities and a new appraisal of the value of man; his appraisal of himself and his appraisal of others. Thus, the democratic sentiment is the product of this progress over the centuries and of this twin appreciation of the value of man.'

Citing the French historian Guizot, in his book Europe from the End of the Roman Empire to the French Revolution, Bennabi stressed that various stages of progress led to the emergence of democracy in Europe and to the growth of the democratic sentiment in the European countries. He said: `The great historian explains to us how remote and simple the origins of Western democracy had been before the democratic sentiment slowly formed prior to bursting with the declaration of human rights and citizen rights; the declaration which expressed the new appraisal of man and the legendary and political crowning of the French Revolution. Thus, the European democratic sentiment began to express itself - though not yet ridden of the obscurity that accompanies an object while in the state of making or evolving - through the two grand historical movements, the movement of reform and the movement of renaissance.' Bennabi considers the two movements to be the first expression of the value of the European human in the domain of the soul and in the domain of the mind. He stresses that this is the essence of the Western democratic sentiment when ridden of the fetters of history and politics - since the obscurity is caused by a package composed of phenomena and characteristics peculiar to Western history and which are not found in the history of other races and peoples - and when things are expressed in the terms of psychology and sociology. In other words, the democratic sentiment in Europe was, according to Bennabi, the product and natural outcome of the reform and renaissance movements. `This', he stresses, `is its correct historical meaning, and therefore it cannot simply be severed from the history of Europe so as to be applied to other nations.' However, he reiterates that whether in Europe or anywhere else, the general rule with regard to the nature of the democratic sentiment is that it is the outcome of a specific social continuity. `In psychological terms', he adds, `it is the middle position between two ends that are opposed to each other; the end that expresses the psyche of the oppressed slave on the one hand and the end that expresses the psyche of the oppressive master on the other. The free man, or the new man, in whom the values and conditions of democracy are embodied is the positive co-ordinate that is the sum of two negatives that individually negate all such values and conditions: the negative of servitude and the negative of enslavement.'

As for the question of the existence of democracy within Islam, Bennabi argues that this is dependent on the provision of what he earlier refers to as the general conditions of the democratic sentiment. He then puts forward a set of questions: Does Islam provide and guarantee these objective and subjective conditions, in the sense that it creates a sentiment toward the `ego' and toward the `other' that is compatible with the democratic sentiment? And does it create the appropriate social circumstances for the development of such a sentiment? Does Islam truly reduce the quantity and intensity of the negative motives and of the anti-democratic tendencies that characterize the conduct of the oppressed and the conduct of the oppressor? He suggests that any project aimed at founding a democracy should be considered an educational enterprise for the whole community, administered through the implementation of a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses psychological, ethical, social and political aspects. `Democracy', he asserts, `is not - as is superficially understood by the common usage of its etymology - a mere political process; a process whereby powers are handed over to the masses . . . But is the generation of a sentiment, and of objective and subjective responses and standards, that collectively lay the foundations upon which democracy, prior to being stated in any constitution, stands in the conscience of the people. The constitution is usually nothing but the formal outcome of the democratic enterprise once transformed into a political reality indicated by a text that is inspired by customs and traditions, and dictated by a sentiment generated in a given circumstance. Such a text will have no meaning if not preceded by the customs and traditions that inspire it, or in other words the historical justifications that necessitate it.' He then warns that the answer to the question `Is there democracy within Islam?' is not necessarily pertinent to a fiqh (jurisprudence) rule deduced from the Sunna or the Qur'an, but is one which is related to the essence of Islam as a whole. `In this sense', he argues, `Islam should be viewed not as a constitution that proclaims the sovereignty of a given community, or that states the rights or liberties of a certain people, but as a democratic enterprise that is the product of an exercise, through which the position of a Muslim vis-a-vis his or her encompassing society is defined, along the path toward accomplishing democratic values and norms provided a Muslim's temporal activity is tied to the general principles endorsed by Islam in the form of a seed sown in the Islamic conscience, and in the form of a general sentiment, and of motives, that constitute the Islamic equilibrium within every member of the community.'

Speaking of models of democracy - `Western' in Europe, `popular' in the East and `new' in China - that differ from one another in the way they express their new symbolic evaluation of man, Bennabi sees that an Islamic model of democracy is attainable. Whereas in the other models the main objective is to endow man with political rights, enjoyed by the `citizen' in Western countries, or social securities, enjoyed by the `comrade' in Eastern countries, `Islam', is distinguishable, according to Bennabi, because it `endows man with a value that surpasses every political or social value'. He explains that the declaration in the Qur'anic verse 70 of Chapter 17, (We have honoured the children of Adam), endows man with more than just rights or securities. `This verse was revealed as if to lay the foundations for a democratic model that is above every other model, where the divine element within man is taken into consideration and not just the human or social aspects as in the other models. Thus, a kind of sanctity is endowed upon man raising his value above whatever value other models give to him.'

- "Democracy in Islamic Political Thought", by Azzam Tamimi,

The full article can be found here:

http://www.ii-pt.com/web/papers/democracy.htm

Why the Muslim World is In Dire Straits

2006-07-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

"This organic impotence is reinforced by moral, social and political paralysis, the former being the gravest since it, in a certain measure, determines the others. From the indisputable verity 'Islam is the perfect religion', the post-al-Muwahhid (1) man drew the deadly syllogism: 'We are Muslims, therefore we are perfect', that tends to sap all perfectability in the individual by neutralising in him all concern for attaining perfection. It is a long time since Umar bin al-Khattab regularly took stock of his conscience and often wept over his faults. One finds today reigning among the ruling class the most perfect moral quietitude, and no leader would be seen making his mea culpa in public.

So, the Islamic ideal of 'life and movement' has foundered in the pride and complacency of a bigot who believes to have realize perfection by performing his five daily prayers, without trying to amend or improve himself. The beings immobilised in their mediocrity and their imperfectible imperfection becomes thus, the moral elite of a society where verity gives birth only to nihilism. The difference is essential between verity as a simple theoretical concept enlightening abstract reasoning, and active verity that inspires concrete facts. Verity could even prove disastrous as a sociological principle when it no longer inspires action but paralyses it; when it no more coincides with the mortification of change but with the alibis of individual and social stagnation. It could then become the origin of a paralytic world which Renan and Father Lammens denounced, saying that Islam is 'a religion of stagnation and regression.'

Moral paralysis results in intellectual paralysis: when one ceases to perfect himself morally, one also ceases to modify the conditions of his life. Gradually, thought finds itself petrified in a world that no more reasons, since its reasoning has no longer a social object. The 'taqlid' or moral conformism implies a renunciation of the intellectual effort, of this 'jihad' that was the essential directive of the Muslim spirit in the great period....

.... Even in independent Muslim countries, thought has still not acquired its personality, its right to be stated, and its social value as the essential basis and means of action. In Algeria particularly, the thought is not an action but a motif of decoration, that is to say, something does not come under the law of formal and practical logic, but rather under that of the post-al-Muwahhid aesthetique.

The absece of a direct relation between thought and action implies blind, incoherent action and results in a subjective appreciation of facts - in their overestimation or underestimation. In the modern Muslim world, it has given birth, on the one hand, to a psychosis of the 'easy' thing that leads to blind action, and on the other, to a psychosis of the 'impossible thing' that paralyses action. In Algeria, the latter is based on three well-known axioms:

- We cannot do anything, because we are ignorant.
- We cannot realise that, because we are poor.
- We cannot undertake this work, because their is colonialism.

While men of good faith thus explain their incapacity, the charaltans use them for justifying their lucrative entyerprise of mystification, under the complacent regard of colonialism. However, the least effort of investigation would reveal that these supposed 'verities' are but a cover for certain myths."

- Malik Bennabi, "Islam in History and Society"

I like to call him the Muhammad Iqbal of Algeria.... That's right that deep, and the sad thing is the majority of Muslims don't even no his name... It is akin to Pakistanis considering Muhammad Iqbal as simply a poet.

************************************************** *********

(1) The post-al-Muwahhid period, according to Bennabi, "is the point of inflexion in the historical evolution, the reversal of the values of" the Muslim "civilization". He traces this period to the fall of the al-Muwahhid dynasty. They ruled over North Africa and Spain from 1130 CE to 1269. During this point of inflexion, according to Bennabi, the problem "is no longer the question of a change in political framework: it is the man himself, the civilised man, who loses his 'civilizing elan': and is thus unable to assimilate and create. It is no longer a question of institutions but of the human factor: these are men themselves who no longer know how to apply their genius to their soil and time. It is this fundamental synthesis itself that disintegrates and with it the social life that gives place to the vegetative life."

Power and Honor: Jerusalem and the Muslim World

2006-07-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

"O God, the possessor of all rule, You grant rule to whom You will and You take it away from whom You will, You exalt [in honor and dominance] whom You will and You humiliate whom You will."

(Surah Imran, ayah 26. Translated by Moiz Amjad at www.understanding-islam.com)

The following verse, while in the form of prayer, is actually a prophecy given to Muhammad (S) that the nation of Ishmael (AS) was going to replace the Bani Israel (AS) as witnesses of the truth of tawheed to humanity. The fulfillment of this promise began during the time of Muhammad (S), where he (S) was given dominance over the Arabian peninsula by the end of his life. This included the House of God established by Abraham (AS) and his son Ishmael (AS) to serve as the symbol of tawheed for the rest of humanity until the Day of Judgement. The fulfillment of the promise continued after the death of Muhammad (S), extending to his followers, i.e. the other descendants of Abraham (AS) through Ishmael (AS). These descendants, led by personalities such as Umar al-Faruq, burst forth from the Arabian peninsula, conquering the lands that were promised to Abraham (AS) in the Old Testament. The Muslims took Jerusalem, with Umar (R) entering on foot while his servant rode the camel, with dignity and respect. This was a remarkably different situation 700 hundred years ago, when Jesus (AS) entered into the city whose leaders rejected him, plotted against him, and even attempted to kill him.

What is interesting about this city of Jerusalem is that God Almighty tied the House of Kaaba with this Blessed place in the opening verse of Surah Israh, i.e. the prelude which is regarding the ascendion of Muhammad (S).

"Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing."

The ascension of Muhammad (S) was timed in a moment in history that was unique. Most seerah writers refer to this period in the context of the orphan who had just lost his beloved wife Khadija (R), and uncle Abu Talib. His message had gained only a few followers, and he was depressed and dis-heartened. God Almighty, in order to calm him, performed a wondrous miracle. But this misses the point.

The ascension occurred in 620 AD. This was immediately prior to the first pledge of Aqabah, when a group of six men coming for the hajj, happened to come across Muhammad (S). This personality was not new to them and in fact, Muhammad (S) lied in the very depths of their conscience. The Jews of the city of Yathrib were awaiting a Prophet that was to be like Moses (AS), and use to boast about this coming to the pagans saying that the time of their victory was near. The people of Medina knew this fact very well. When Muhammad's (S) message reached their ears, a few among them said that this was the Prophet the Jews were awaiting. It was a remarkable irony. The descendants of Ishmael (AS), hearing the call of Muhammad (S) and realizing this fact, accepted him immediately. Muhammad (S) than sent his Companion Musab (R) to Medina, to guide a people who had already pledged loyalty and allegiance to him at Aqabah. It was there that Muhammad's name really began to reach the Jews that had settled in Yathrib. All of these events began to occur immediately after the ascension.

"Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing."

The Bani Israel of Medina, when they found out about the lineage of this Prophet, were shocked. The man they were so proud about came from the very people that they despised, i.e. the Arabs. Since the day they corrupted the scripture to make Isaac (AS) the one who was to be sacrificed, the enmity and racial pride started to permeate their whole nation. The Zionists continue to perpetuate the lie of origin and ancestry, totally extorting the label "anti-Semite" for those that allegedly hate their people. Yet, as Phillip Hitti points out in his monumental work "The History of the Arabs", as well as the Old Testament itself, the sacred scrpture of the Bani Israel, if ANY people can rightfully claim the Semitic label it is the people of the Arabian peninsula, the descendants of Ishmael (AS). Further, because of their geographic location, the various cultures could not influence them as much, contrary to the Israelites. Even before Muhammad (S), the Arabs were known as fiercely independent people. This hatred by the Zionists did not confine itself to just the Arabs, but extended to the tribes within their own nation. Judah and Israel fought amongst each other for hundreds of years, and various tribes would side with the pagan nations that lied outside Jerusalem to wage war against their own brethren. By the time of Jesus (AS), their were various groups within Israel competing for the respect of the people. These tribes all claimed that the Messiah would spring from their particular tribe. This hatred amongst each other was still the reality during the time of Muhammad (S).

After the First pledge of Aqabah, Islam began to make grounds in Medina, and the next year the Second Pledge of Aqabah was made with more numbers coming to the Muhammad (S). Medina had embraced Islam, and were anxiously awaiting the day the Noble Soul would grace their presence by entering the outskirts of Medina. Than it happened. In the very same surah regarding the ascension, God Almighty had already started alluding to the hijra.

"And say: My Lord! make me to enter a goodly entering, and cause me to go forth a goodly going forth, and grant me from near Thee power to assist (me).

(Surah Isra, verses 80 translated by Shakir)

This ascension was the PRELUDE to the momentous event that was about to happen, i.e. the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth that Jesus (AS) was sent to prepare for. As the next verse immediately states:

"And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing (thing)."

During the ascension, Muhammad (S) was taken to Masjid al-Aqsa, and from there went into the heavens. The ascension, on the prophetic level, had revealed to Muhammad (S) that the restoration of the religion of Abraham (AS) as spread by the faithful among the lineage of both Ishmael (AS) and Isaac (AS) was about the happen. This did not concern just the Arabian peninsula, but all of the land promised to Abraham (AS). During the hijrah, when Suraqah realized pursuing Muhammad (S) was a fruitless affair, and decided to seek peace with him, Muhammad (S) told Suraqah, that he (R) would oen day come to possess the crown of Chosroe. Imagine the astonishment of Suraqah... Here was Muhammad (S), accompanied only by one Companion, Abu Bakr (R), walking the deserts of the hijaz, because he was forced out of his city, saying with full confidence and a non-chalant, casual nature that the Persian Empire would fall, and Suraqah would possess the crown of Chosroe!

"Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing."

This prophecy was fulfilled after the death of Muhammad (S), during the time of Umar (R). when that day came where he was holding the crown of Chosroe from the booty, Suraqah, a participant in the Battle against Persia, shed tears in memory of Mustapha (S).

Everything was happening by a Divine Plan.

"And it is a Quran which We have revealed in portions so that you may read it to the people by slow degrees, and We have revealed it, revealing in portions."

Persia was not the only nation going to fall, but Rome as well, including Constantinople. Most important though was Jerusalem. Jerusalem served as the temporary qiblah when the Bani Israel were led by David, Sulaiman, and thousands of other great personalities. Further, the Temple was built by David (AS) under the command of God. In other words, the construction of the Temple was an act of prohecy. It was only natural that the territory come under the nation of Muhammad (S), so that the truth would shine in history for a period of time giving witness to the truth of Muhammad (S), as well as the call of his forefather Abraham (AS), i.e. "Labbaik". It further meant to tie in the very universal nature of the prophetic movement throughout history.

When Muhammad (S) reached Medina, the real mission began. The city-state of Medina was founded, led by the very person whom Jesus (AS) called the son of Man. In a period of 13 years, with ten of those years in the state of war, the son of Man began to create a social order, based upon the Divine Will. This movement grew to such an extent that the whole Arabian peninsula could not stop its power. The Day of Furqan, i.e. the Battle of Badr, led to the death of 70 of the most hostile opponents of the Prophet, the leaders of Quraysh. This did not end the threat of the Jews, who plotted against the Muslism despite signing treaties. Muhammad (S) had forgiven their treachery once, but not the second time. He expelled some tribes, and did not let other tribes go, depending on the situation.

"O God, the possessor of all rule, You grant rule to whom You will and You take it away from whom You will, You exalt [in honor and dominance] whom You will and You humiliate whom You will."

Muhammad (S) than restored the Kaaba to its true position after 12 years of consistent strugle, with the help of his Loyal Companions. According to the New Testament, the Apostles allegedly fleed when Jesus (AS) was captured by the Romans. While this is obviousl untrue according to the Quran, which praises the Apostles and their being the helpers of God, the New Testament account is remarkably different from what happened with the Companions of Muhammad (S), as testified by not just the Quran, but Old Testament as well.

"And he said, The Lord came from Sinai,
and rose up from Seir unto them;
he shined forth from mount Paran,
and he came with ten thousands of saints:
from his right hand (went) a fiery law for them.
Yea, he loved the people;
all his saints (are) in Thy hand:
and they sat down at Thy feet;
(every one) shall receive of Thy words.

(King James Version Deuternomy 33:2)

The prophecy was made in past tense. According to the Semitic languages, the past expressed the certainty that the event was going to happen. The Lord, through the mouth of Moses (AS), is describing the gradual manifestation of his plan. God came in Sinai, granting the Torah to Musa (AS). This was the book that formed the social basis and law of the Israelite nation, who were commisioned to spread this truth to the world. The Lord would than rise up to Seir, through Jesus (AS), proclaiming that the kingdom of God is coming. The truth of the message would than SHINE forth in all its glory when the Lord would descend from Mount Paran, i.e. the hills of Mecca accompanied by ten thousand Saints, the very place according to the Old Testament that Ishmael (AS) was settled with his wife Hajar. This 10,000 was the exact number of men that accompanied Muhammad (S) to Mecca for the final victory, and the House of God was fully restored to its original place as the symbol of tawheed for the world. The fiery law was than established in Persia, Rome, and parts of North Africa. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy, found in the Jewish scripture, of Daniel regarding the destruction beasts. It is no tale. All of this is historical fact.

The Muslims did not simply take down the Roman and Persian Empires, they established themselves culturally, economically, and socially. They were sent to re-direct humanity from their self-imposed path of destruction.

"Yea, he loved the people;
all his saints (are) in Thy hand:
and they sat down at Thy feet;
(every one) shall receive of Thy words."

They brought the word of God to everyone. Contrary to the history text books force-fed down the throats of the little children in schools, the Arabs were not just invaders. It was the Quranic revolution that created a society that was heavily based on empiricism, giving birth to the modern scientific revolution. Muslim moral code permeated the code of chivalry found in Europe, and tales of love were clearly influenced by the Arab concepts of romance. The Arabs even touched literature, and Dante's Divine Comedy was heavily influenced by Islam and Arabic imagery, despite the fact that the author placed Muhammad (S) in hell. How ironic... Goethe, Germany's greatest intellectual mind, was fond of Islam and the Koran to such an extent that some claim he even became Muslim. Muhammad (S), to him, was a Prophet. India prior to the coming of Islam was never a real entity. It was a series of feudal states, with no central organization. Petty-kings constantly at odds with each other, and a religion that was based on a class system. Even those that did not convert in the region could not escape Islam's influence. Hinduism began to change, and started to adopt egalitarian notions of humanity.

God Almighty had given the Arabs power and honored them through it. But like their brethren the Bani Israel, they began to turn away from what God Almighty had sent, and were plagued with moral vices, petty in-fighting, useless hair-splitting controversies, as well as racial tendencies and self-righteousness. And because God has the interests of humanity at heart, the valuable contributions that the Muslim world made were placed into the hands of those that would use them, and further benefit humanity. And while Europe picked these works up and contributing what was beneficial to men, the Muslim world slowly began to decline. As they lost their power, they lost honor. They became humiliated, and were subject to invasion upon invasion.

"God does not change the condition of the people, until they change what is in their own selves."

The culmination of disgrace, when both power and honor was lost, was when the very people that benefitted from the Muslim world just over 500 years earlier carved up the Muslim nation according to their own random lines. They than inserted into this land, a small state, whose power threatened the very stability of that region. Jerusalem was taken away from the nation that restored the truth of Abraham (AS). The land promised to Abraham (AS) to serve as a symbol of tawheed was carved up into pieces. The city which houses the Blessed Masjid, which was an essential part of the prophecy given to Muhammad (S), whose conquering was foretold in his miraculous ascension, was no longer in their hands. It was all symbolic.

But it was bound to happen, for:

"O God, the possessor of all rule, You grant rule to whom You will and You take it away from whom You will, You exalt [in honor and dominance] whom You will and You humiliate whom You will."

Why the pre-Islamic Arabs were not to be messed with...

2006-07-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Don't you see that man is pledged to death,
[To die either in battle, to become the prey of carrion and vultures (tayr),
Or [to die in bed] to be buried in dust?
So don't yield to injustice for the fear of death,
Die a free man without compromising your dignity.

- Mutallamis, translated by Kazim Bargnaysi, in "Reflections on a Qur'anic Metaphor: The Meaning of "khatf al-tayr" in Verse 31 of Surat al-Hajj"

It's All About Perception

2006-06-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

"A person in haste asked to hasten the punishment which is bound to befall upon these unbelievers. No one can avert it. It will be from the Lord [--Most High and Noble--] of the ascending stairways. [They measure everything from their own scales and then ask to hasten its arrival. Tell them that] the angels and the Spirit ascend towards Him in a Day the measure of which [according to your calculation] is fifty thousand years. So [O Prophet!] with grace and dignity bear [their hastiness] with patience. They hold it far off and We see it near at hand."

(Surah Ma'arij, verses 1-7, translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

Muhammad Iqbal in his "Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam" says:

"If we look at the movement embodied in creation from the outside, that is to say, if we apprehend it intellectually, it is a process lasting through thousands of years; for one Divine day, in the terminology of the Quran, as of the Old Testament, is equal to one thousand years. From another point of view, the process of creation, lasting through thousands of years, is a single indivisible act, 'swift as the twinkling of an eye'. It is, however, impossible to express this inner experience of pure duration in words, for language is shaped on the serial time of our daily efficient self. Perhaps an illustration will further elucidate the point. According to physical science, the cause of your sensation of red is the rapidity of wave motion the frequency of which is 400 billions per second. If you could observe this tremendous frequency from the outside, and count it at the rate of 2,000 per second, which is supposed to be the limit of the perceptibility of light, it will take you more than six thousand years to finish the enumeration. Yet in the single momentary mental act of perception you hold together a frequency of wave motion which is practically incalculable. That is how the mental act transforms succession into duration."

"A straw, at times, becomes the screen of my eye;
And with one look, at times, I have seen both the worlds.
The Valley of Love is a long way away, and yet, at times,
The journey of a hundred years is covered in a sigh.

Persist in your search, and do not let go of the hem of hope—
There is a treasure that, at times, you will find by the way."

(Zabur-i-Ajam, translated by Mustansir Mir in Iqbal Namah)

"A single leap of love wrapped up the whole story; these heavens and earth I had taken to be boundless."

(Iqbal, trnsl. by Mustansir Mir in Iqbal Namah)

Blind Faith and 'Western' Thought... Nah... Give me Islam

2006-05-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

"Those who believe in the unseen"...

The above translation is highly inaccurate and reflects a belief in propositions devoid of any rational evidence. The reason most scholars translate the phrase in the above manner is because they regard the 'BA', in the Arabic, as a preposition of the verb 'BELIEVE'. According to Javed Ghamidi, the Quran has attached the particle 'BA' to the word 'GHAYB'. This is substantiatied by other verses in the Quran according to Shehzad Saleem in his explanation of his mentor's tafseer:

"Those who fear their Lord "BIL GHAYB' (though they cannot see Him) and dread the Day of Judgment."

(21:49 Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

What this implies is soemthing remarkably different than the above phrase. In order to understand this difference, I can do no better than quote Javed Ghamidi:

"The particle 'BA' in the expression 'Yuminuuna BI'L Ghayb' denotes a dharf (nomen locus). The implication being that they accept certain realities without observing them because their existence can be intellectually deduced. Thus, they do not profess faith only in tangible and material facts. They believe in all these realities because present in the Qur’an, in their nature and intuition and in the various phenomena of nature are signs which testify to these realities. These realities may be beyond the perception of senses, but they are certainly not beyond the perception of reason. Thus they are always willing to fulfill the obligations entailed by professing faith in these realities and are also ready to go as far as to sacrifice their material needs to fulfill them."

After this explanation, one can honestly appreciate why the learned commentator has translated the above phrase as:

"those who are professing faith [in certain realities] without observing [them]"...

In my opinion, this is a VERY, VERY PROFOUND observation. While the 'West' tends to view religion as a set of beliefs that have no basis in reason, Islam has such a profound trust in reason SO MUCH SO that salvation hinges upon it's proper usage. The success of a person according to Islam is such that his conduct MUST BE based upon the use of his reason as well as SACRIFICING one's life to live in accordance with the conviction obtained through intellect. Man is a HUGELY visual creature, and his actions are primarily dictated by what he sees. Take a look at the advertising billboards in the city, and it becomes abundantly clear the power of color in convincing men to buy a product. This is the very reason sex plays such a huge role in the life of men throughout history.

"Moses, we will not believe in you until we see God for ourselves."

Islam demands that the material senses be subject to the INTELLECTUAL realities, and not the other way around. The only way to achieve this domination is through a rigorous process of intellectual engagement so that man can achieve certainty. There is no honor in being a human, and no pride in gaining a Paradise without effort.

"I am a sinner with self-respect, I will take no wages without labor,
I am scarred because my fault has been put down to his Decree."

- Iqbal (Translated by Mustansir Mir)

This is the TRUE call of the Quran. Everything the Holy Book calls for is a belief the power of intellectual observation and reason. The Holy Book, full of wisdom, proclaims that tawheed is the only viable option for belief. This, according to the Holy Book, is substantiated by the coherent working of the universe that is manifest around man. The earth cannot bear FRUIT if the HEAVENS do not send rain. Even the seas have provided a means of transport for humankind, allowing for culture and civilization to spring forth as a natural result of trade. This inter-relation of the universe is drawn attention to in Surah Baqarah, when the Holy Book states:

"[Believers! Let them decide] and [regardless of what they think you should now fully understand that] Your God is one God. There is no god but Him. He is the Compassionate, the Ever-Merciful. There is no doubt that in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of night and day and in the ships that sail in the ocean with cargoes beneficial to man and in the water which God sends down from the sky with which He enlivens the earth after its death, dispersing over it all kinds of living beings and in the manifestations caused by the winds, and in the obedient clouds that are between sky and earth – surely in these there are signs for men of intellect [to understand this reality]."

(Surah Baqarah, verses 163-164, Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

Often times we read the Quran and fail to appreciate it's powerful nature. The Quran does not simply state observable facts randomly. There is a highly intellectual and profound argument being detailed in these verses. Amin Ahsan Islahi (R) has stated regarding these verses:

If one deeply reflects on this verse, it becomes evident that from its very start to its very end opposite and conflicting elements of this world are referred to and simultaneously their mutual harmony and unity with respect to being beneficial for this world are referred to as well. The heavens and the earth, the night and the day and the sea and the ships that sail through it are apparently conflicting and contradictory to one another but a deep deliberation will show that they are deeply related to one another like complimentary members of a pair. Without the heavens and its glittering suns and moons, our earth will lose all its magnificence and splendour and in fact it will cease to exist. Similarly, without this earth who knows how many abodes in the stars and planets of these expansive heavens would cease to exist. Likewise, just as our life and the life of other living beings of this world need the light, warmth and freshness of the day, they also need the peace, tranquillity and rest provided by the night. It is because of both the day and the night that life thrives here. Take a look at the sea: How bewildering and how vast its expanse is and how awesome and awe inspiring are its waves. But in spite of its commotions and turbulence it allows our ships and fleets to easily steer and set sail through it connecting the east to the west in economy and trade, knowledge and skills, culture and civilization and in many other aspects.

In the next portion of the verse, rain from the heavens and how it enlivens dead land is mentioned. How far apart are the heavens and the earth yet in spite of this huge distance they are close and in proximity with one another. The earth hides within it great treasures of potential life and subsistence but these treasures remain hidden in it unless rain comes and provides them with the sustenance needed to come out. A similar relation exists between the clouds and the winds. These fleets of clouds cannot set sail unless they are helped on by winds and pushed in the directions stipulated for them. It is the winds which drive and propel them to the nooks and corners of the north and the south and the east and the west. It is the winds which are responsible for their appearance and their disappearance.

Now the question is: what does a reflective eye make out of this world? Is it the battlefield of opposite and conflicting forces or is one wise and prudent being ruling these forces using all of them in an orderly way and to achieve a certain collective objective? Obviously, an observation of this universe points to this second case. Still further deliberation yields another fact: this world has not come in existence out of its own accord and neither has it evolved and developed in this manner. If this had been the case how could the conflicting elements have worked in harmony to achieve a higher objective – harmony which is so evident in every part of this universe.

If one reflects even further, one realizes that this one reality on the one hand roots out polytheism and on other hand deals a final blow to all the confusions caused by Darwinism."

(Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

Notice the intricacy as well as subtlety in the argument of the Quran as explained by Amin Ahsan Islahi. Once you have pondered over it and understood it, then ask yourself about that man by the name of Muhammad ibn Abdullah who lived in the 7th century. Could these intricate arguments of the Quran be the work of a human mind? Could this coherency by the result of the work of multiple hands?

In fact, modern science has further exposed this unity and discovered that quantum particles communicate with each other simultaneously, over large distances of space. Hindus, Muslims, as well as other people of other faiths have clearly shown how this phenomenon demonstrates a remarkable unity in creation.

Re-read the culmination to this beautiful verse:

"Surely, in these are signs of men of intellect."

Another interesting point about this verse is that it occurs after the change in Qibla is made, alluding to the shift in leadership from the Bani Israel to the Bani Ishmael to be the witnesses of the truth to mankind. This in itself is profound, because immediately after the proclamation of the raising of the new ummah is made, Allah begins to elaborate on the new ummah's obligations. The above verse introduces these obligations, and significantly, THE FIRST ONE is a verse elaborating on the liberating philosophy that is tawheed. The deen of Ibraheem (AS) is based upon very profound intellectual truths, and the bearers of the legacy of Ibraheem (AS) are those that are people of INTELLECT and REASON. One cannot be dumb in Islam.

After this verse, the Quran draws attention to the emotional aspect that tends to dictate a person's accepting a certain proposition.

"Yet [in spite of these signs of the heavens and the earth], there are some who associate partners with God. They love them as they should love God. And the believers love [their] God the most. And if these wrongdoers see the time when they will face their punishment [it will become evident to them] that all might and power is God’s alone, and that [for such people] God is stern in retribution."

(Verse 165, Translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

Love is a very powerful motivator in the human being. The Quran first expresses amazement that there are people who have taken objects of their affection above God Almighty, ignoring the manifest blessings bestowed upon man. According to Islam, LOVE of God is the FRUITION of the proper use of reason. It is not a blind emotion, and anything devoid of this aspect of reason is an infatuation that can lead to slavery to other beings besides the One whom is the only One worthy to be worshipped.

This is precisely why Allah elaborates on the various innovation that the religious leaders of past have burdened men with immediately following this verse on love. But before this elaboration, in order to spark the intellectual awakening, the Quran destroys the inferiority complex men have of their leaders by stating that those that are wrong-doers, even those that people hold in esteem, will be thrown in the fire. The Quran abolishes the psychological impediment towards intellectual liberation through this, and further, allows no room for this disease to take root in the soul of men commanding:

"Believers [if they are not willing to abandon their religious innovations, leave them to themselves and] eat [without any hesitation] of the wholesome things with which We have provided you and be grateful to God alone if it is Him you worship. He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, and the flesh of swine, also any flesh that is slaughtered in the name of someone other than God. But whoever is driven to necessity, intending neither to desire nor to transgress, incurs no sin. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful."

(Verse 172-173, Translated by Shehzad Saleem at www.monthly-renaissance.com)

Allah clearly refers to the followers of past faiths as surrendering their beliefs to superstitious customs of their forefathers as well as the 'religious leaders' of the past. They did not understand the honor God Almighty had placed upon man by bestowing upon him intelligence and the power of reason. This verse is clear proof that one CANNOT surrender one's intellect to other people, even to those that wear the religious garb. There is further, another interesting point to note that that God Almighty does not deny love of others, when He, Most Noble, states that the believers love GOD THE MOST. There is absolutely no negation of the need of a human being to love as well as be loved by others. The real problem arises when love becomes an imbalanced emotion.

After all this, how can one rightfully argue that the place of reason in 'Western' thought can match a 'philosophy' that holds reason in such high esteem, so much so that it is the foundation of true spiritual advancement?

Islam Isn't for the Weak

2006-05-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hameeduddin Farrahi writes:

"To the Arabs, 'SABR', never referred to what is frail and feeble – something accustomed to the weak and meek. On the contrary, it is the basis of power and determination. It is abundantly used in this meaning in classical Arabic."

Javed Ghamidi writes:

‘In the Arabic language, the word 'SABR' is used to firmly set one’s self on one’s view while protecting one’s self from worry, frustration and anxiety.’

Hatim al Taee states:

"Many are the seas of death on which are bridges of swords.
We showed SABR with our swords against all their torments and tortures until they cooled down."

(www.monthly-renaissance.com, translated by Shehzad Saleem)

"If you have fever and flame like the sun,
step forth into the vastness of the sky;
burn up mountain and bird, garden and desert,
burn even the fishes in the depths of the sea.
If you have a breast worthy of an arrow,
live like a falcon, and like a falcon die;
immortality is in the breadth of life—
I do not ask of God for length of days,

What is the law, the religion, the rite of life?
Better one instant a lion, than a century a sheep.

Life is fortified by cheerful resignation;
death is a magic talisman, a fantasy.
The man of God is a lion, and death a fawn;
death is but one station for him of a hundred.
The perfect man swoops upon death
even as a falcon swooping upon a dove,
The slave dies every moment in fear of death;
the fear of death makes life for him a thing forbidden;
the free servant has another dignity,
death bestows upon him a new life.
He is anxious for the self, but not for death,
since to the free death is no more than an instant.
Transcend the death that is content with the grave,
for that death is the death of brute beasts;
the true believer prays to the Holy God
for that other death which raises up from the dust.
That other death-the goal of the road of love,
the final Allahu Akbar in love’s battlefield.
Though to the believer every death is sweet,
the death of Murtada’s son is something other.
The warfare of worldly kings is for rapine,
the believer’s warfare is the Sunna of the Prophet.
What is the believer’s warfare? Flight to the Beloved;
quitting the world, choosing the Beloved’s street,
He who proclaimed to the peoples the word of love
said of warfare that it was ‘the monasticism of Islam’.
None but the martyr knows this subtlety,
for he has purchased this subtlety with his blood."

(Muhammad Iqbal, Javid-e-Nama, translated by Arthur Arberry)

This vital way of appropriating the universe is what the Qur'an describes as Iman. Iman is not merely a passive belief in one or more propositions of a certain kind; it is living assurance begotten of a rare experience. Strong personalities alone are capable of rising to this experience and the higher 'Fatalism' implied in it. Napoleon is reported to have said: 'I am a thing, not a person'. This is one way in which unitive experience expresses itself. In the history of religious experience in Islam which, according to the Prophet, consists in the 'creation of Divine attributes in man', this experience has found expression in such phrases as 'I am the creative truth' (Hallaj), 'I am Time' (Muhammad), 'I am the speaking Qur'an' (Ali), 'Glory to me' (Bayazid). In the higher Sufism of Islam unitive experience is not the finite ego effacing its own identity by some sort of absorption into the infinite Ego; it is rather the Infinite passing into the loving embrace of the finite.

As Rumi says:

'Divine knowledge is lost in the knowledge of the saint! And how is it possible for people to believe in such a thing?'

The fatalism implied in this attitude is not negation of the ego as Spengler seems to think; it is life and boundless power which recognizes no obstruction, and can make a man calmly offer his prayers when bullets are showering around him.

(Muhammad Iqbal, Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam)

Leave the Confusion and Understand Real Islam

2006-05-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

"Our Lord, raise among them, from among themselves, a messenger, who reads out Your verses to them - gives them knowledge of Al-Kitaab and Al-Hikmah - and [thereby] cleanses them. You, indeed, are the Mighty, the Wise".

(Surah Baqarah, 128 - 129, trnsl. Moiz Amjad, www.understanding-islam.com)

Moiz Amjad states regarding this verse:

The ultimate purpose for which the prophets and messengers give their people the knowledge of the divine laws and wisdom is to guide them to the path of cleansing and purification and, thereby, rendering them fit for the eternal bliss of the life in God's Paradise. The Arabic word "Tazkiyah" entails both the aspect of removal of the unwanted qualities as well as the development and elevation of the desired attributes. It is not only a cleaning process but is also a process of development and elevation in the right direction. Furthermore, it should be noted that the contents of "Al-Hikmah" (that is, the corpus of beliefs, morality and the spirit of the law) contribute to the cleansing and purification of intellectual and the mental side of the human being, while that of "Al-Kitaab" cleanse and purify his physical side. In combination, Al-Kitaab and Al-Hikmah guides man to the path of comprehensive cleansing and purification of the complete human being - the mind, body and soul.

Islam is not about inherited patterns of conduct, but is about the purification and development of the human personality, otherwise called tazkiah in the terminology of the Quran. In order to achieve this, one must not simply perform rituals like a mindless robot, but one must engage the Quran, constantly reflecting on it's verses to try and understand what God wants to achieve by laying down a particular law. Without doing this, one's Islam becomes distorted by the individual himself even if done unintentionally. All the various sects in Islam are clear manifestations of this reality and the root cause of this whole mess is a total ignorance of the Quran.

The Quran has a radical way of rectifying the perspective of man. A beautiful example of this point can be illustrated in Ameen Ahsan Islahi's (R) brilliant explanation of verse 219 in surah Baqarah. This explanation follows a section of the Quran that begins with waging war in the path of God, and ends with the limits of spending in the way of God. It is pertinent to note that the two injunctions, i.e that of fighting and spending money for a charitable cause, are not unrelated. The reason the Quran has raised the latter topic in the context of waging a war against the disbelievers is to point to the need for a proper and balanced perspective towards life.

Before quoting Islahi (R), a brief summarization of the section of Surah Baqarah will be alluded to, so that one may appreciate the comment of the Maulana.

The first point the Quran addressed in this section is that although war in it's original appearance may seem evil, sometimes it is necessary. Verse 216 of Surah Baqarah states:

"Warfare is ordained for you and it is also displeasing to you [like it is displeasing for you to spend in the way of Allah]. It is very much possible that you may dislike a thing even though it is good for you, and it is very much possible that you like a thing even though it is bad for you."

(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

One of the basic flaws in man's ability to judge properly for himself is his limited perception. His reason may be clouded emotion, or he is subject to so many ideas that he cannot maintain a proper balance in respect to certain affairs. This is one of the primary needs for revelation. The Quran, in order to teach men and rectify their thinking has elaborated on the wisdom, i.e. hikmah, behind certain injunctions. In this particular instance, the Quran has elaborated on the purpose of fighting.

They ask you of warfare in the sacred month."Tell them: ‘Warfare in this month is a grave offence but to impede others from the path of God, to deny Him, and to stop people from going to Sacred Mosque and to expel its dwellers, is far more grave in His sight. To force people to give up their religion is more grievous than bloodshed’."

(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

The purpose of the revelation of God is for the overall benefit of man, and He is far above commanding things uselessly. It is interesting to see how the Quran is engaging the mind of the Muslim, and instructing him in a proper manner. War is being ordained to prevent persecution. Another interesting point is that, while the original command was about fighting, the second reveals that there were certain implications that resulted out of this command which caused hesitation in the minds of many Muslims, i.e. the issue of fighting in the sacred month. While it was part of the sacred nature of the hajj, to respect the months affiliated with the pilgrimage and cease all fighting, the Quran ordered the Muslims to fight the disbelievers even if it meant 'violating' the sacred month. The Holy Book was further rectifying the conception of piety of the Muslims in regards to their obligations, giving them a balanced perspective of what it means to serve God. Everything has it's place in Islam, and never should the religion be used to justify apathy in respect to greater obligations. Muhammad (S) stated that one should not hesitate to break an oath in the name of God, if breaking the oath was better for the individual.

The Quran does not stop with these verses, but continues with the attitude of the disbelievers, and their insistence on forcing the Muslims to recant their faith. Than, in verse 219, the Holy Book follows with another question raised:

"They ask you about drinking and gambling [because in their society these are also a means of helping the poor]. Tell them: ‘There is great sin in both, [and no doubt] they have some benefit for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefit’.

(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

While the Quran had spoken earlier about spending in the way of God, the Holy Book seems to have placed this verse particularly in the context of fighting because it is part of an overall elaboration on the proper proper perspective one must have in performing certain deeds, i.e. balanced perspective. Javed Ghamidi has elaborated on the underlying motivation behind the question of certain Muslims:

Gambling and drinking in pre-Islamic times were a means through which the rich showed their generosity and helped the poor and needy. In winters, when cold winds blew in and caused conditions akin to drought, the courageous would gather at various places, drink liquor and, in their state of inebriation, slaughter any camels they could get hold of. They would pay the owner of the camels whatever price he demanded. They would then gamble on the meat of the slaughtered camels. Whatever parts of meat a person won in this gambling, he would generously distribute them among the poor who would gather around on such occasions. In pre-Islamic Arabia, this was a matter of great honour and people who took part in this activity were considered very philanthropic and generous. The poets would narrate the accounts of their benevolence in their odes. On the other hand, people who stayed away from this activity would be called ‘barm’ (stingy). It was this very benefit of drinking and gambling which prompted people to make an inquiry when they were regarded as prohibited items.

While certain activities may seem to benefit society morally, the reason God Almighty has forbidden certain things is that negative impact on a human beings personality is far greater than the benefit. The Quran rectifies an approach to activities arguing that one must weigh the overall consequences before judging them as good or bad. One should not be so short-sighted in one's judgement to conclude that an activity may be good, when in reality it is harmful. A discussion on balance cannot be fulfilled until the Quran acknowledges the positive nature of something, even if it has an overall negative effect. And the Quran, in it's profound and complete way does so beautifully.

"...they have some benefit for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefit"

Imagine if the preacher of the pulpit today spoke in a manner in conformance with the Quranic style, how much better they would be in correcting the affairs of Muslims. They could further find reason to appreciate a particular good, even if it came from the West.

The next question related by the Quran is verse 219:

"And they ask you [to explain] what they should spend [in charity]. Tell them: ‘Whatever is above your needs.’ Thus God explains to you His verses so that you may reflect on the matters of both this world and of the next."

(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

While the previous question revolved around morally beneficial spending that resulted out of other activities that were questionable, the final question revolved around the limitation of spending. This question was actually asked many times before before, as related in verse 215. In the original question quoted, God Almighty did not give a maximum amount of spending but stated:

Tell them: ‘Whatever you spend is for your parents and kinsfolk and for the orphan and the destitute and the wayfarer [of your society]. And [rest assured] whatever good you do [will never go waste] because God is fully aware of it’.

(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

In this particular verse, God does not lay down any limitation but reminds the believers that whatever they spend in the defense of God Almighty is for the protection and overall well-being of the society they live in. This society includes parents, relatives, as well as the poor. Here the motivation to spend is the primary issue that God Almighty wanted to rectify.

When the believers asked for more precise clarification, God Almighty revealed verse 219 giving an actual limitation to the requirements of spending. I can do no better than quote Javed Ghamidi in respect to this verse:

"After repeated questions on this topic, the Qur’an has replied that after setting aside money for personal and business use whether of the present or of the future what remains is the right of the society they live in. The obligation of infaq pertains to this over and above amount. This is the utmost limit of the obligation of infaq that is imposed on a Muslim by his Creator. He is not required to do anything over and above this."

Notice that in all these questions, the Quran is speaking about balance towards life.

"Thus God explains to you His verses so that you may reflect on the matters of both this world and of the next."

To end, I quote the words of Islahi (R), which I alluded to earlier:

If all the questions discussed above are deliberated upon, it comes to light that these questions arose because generally a person is unable to assess in a balanced manner the benefits of this world and of the world to come. It is because of this imbalance that if people become inclined to religion they go as far as becoming ascetics and hermits so much so that to them warfare, in all circumstances, becomes something adverse to righteousness and piety; similarly, if they become inclined to mundane pursuits they go as far as to try to regard things like gambling and drinking as virtuous deeds merely because they provide a few benefits. The guidance provided by the Qur’an to human intellect actually equips it to overcome this unbalanced and extreme attitude and view the requisites of both worlds in the correct perspective.

All the questions raised by the believers in respect to their obligations revolved around a proper, balanced perspective towards this world and the hereafter. Even the final question which revolved around the welfare of the orphans was addressed to ensure a proper intellectual perspective when deciding what is the best way for helping certain oppressed in society.

"And they ask you [that if war takes place and people are killed then] what should be done with the orphans? Tell them: ‘In whatever is their welfare is best. And if [by marrying their mothers], you share [their affairs] with yours, they are your brothers. And God knows the man who means mischief from the man who means good."

To quote Javed Ghamidi once again:

"The implied meaning being that in this regard the real thing is the welfare of the orphans – which must always remain in consideration. If this objective can be achieved by combining their affairs, then this should be done and if it can be achieved by keeping them independent, then this measure should be resorted to."

The Quran provides a teaching that helps develop the human mind to a more balanced attitude with respect to living. It is about high-time that Muslims start reflecting on the Quran, and stop following blindlessly the opinions of men when it comes to their religion. Muslims need to realize their purification as well as development depends on their intellect as well as performing certain deeds.

Defining Ihsan in Light of Surah Yusuf

2006-05-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

Mustansir Mir, in his "The Qur'ânic Story Of Joseph: Plot, Themes, And Characters", writes:

Although Jacob certainly possesses the third quality, ihsân, as far as the story is concerned, it is Joseph who possesses it in the highest degree, and the adjective muhsin is used in the sûra with explicit or implicit reference to Joseph only. This is appropriate because ihsân is an active virtue and it is Joseph, not Jacob, who bears the brunt of the action in the story and so has to display this quality in practice. A concise definition of ihsân is provided in vs. 90:

innahu man yattaqi wa yasbir fa inna 'llâha lâ yud`iu ajra 'l-muhsinîna,

"Indeed those who practice taqwâ (moral restraint) and sabr (perseverance), God does not set at naught the reward of those who do good actions."

In other words, ihsân is a combination of taqwâ and sabr. Sabr means "to remain steadfast in the face of difficulties"; taqwâ means "to hold one's own in the face of temptations." The former helps people to overcome their tendency to shun danger and hardship, the latter helps people to overcome their inclination toward the glamorous and the alluring. The two are complementary opposites and together sum up all the trials and tribulations Joseph goes through successfully, the reason why he so eminently deserves the title of muhsin.

And the brothers lack ihsân, too. In fact they possess the quality of zulm, "iniquity," which is an exact antithesis of ihsân, as evidenced by the following. When the brothers suggest to Joseph, whom they call muhsin (78), that he detain one of them in place of Benjamin, he replies (79):

innâ idhan la mina 'l-zâlimîna,

"In that case we shall prove to be iniquitous."

And, in an ironical situation, they condemn themselves out of their mouths. Upon being asked how a thief should be punished, they reply that he should be made the slave of the person whose property he has stolen, and then add (75):

kadhâlika najzî 'l-zâlimîna,

"This is how we punish the iniquitous."

The full article can be found at:
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Q_Studies/Mirjoseph.html

Pray Like You Just Don't Care

2006-04-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

O ye enfolded in your shawl! stand [in prayer] by night, but not all night. Half the night, or even less or a little more and [in this prayer of yours] recite the Qur’an in a slow measured tone. Because soon We shall lay on you the burden of a heavy word [the burden of open warning]. Verily, this rising by night is very suitable for the mind’s peace and the heart’s resolve and for the speech’s correctness."

(Surah Muzzamil, verses 1-3, trnsl. Shehzad Saleem of www.monthly-renaissance.com)

Allah, in this verse, has tied in the command to Muhammad (S) to pray at night in a manner where the Quran is recited in a slow, measured town. There are some points to note:

1. While most people understand prayer as recounting the praises of God as well as expressing one's humility before the Most High, the Quranic conception of prayer is more intimate than that. Prayer is tied to the recitation of the Quran, revealing that the Quran is to be engaged with dynamically. When a man stands before his Lord, requesting God for guidance in Surah Fatiha, he has been taught to recite some words of the Quran after the fact. This additional recitation symbolizes that God has responded to the request of every human being for guidance in the words of the Quran. Thus, the original request for guidance by man psychologically prepares the mind of a believer to be taught the reality of his religion. This is further intensified by the very posture adopted by the one praying. Qiyam is a position similar to that of subjects of a kingdom standing before their ruler with heads bowed and hands folded waiting for their ruler's command.

2. Allah has stated that the Quran should be recited in slow-measured tones by the Prophet (S). The Holy Book has emphasized the need of UNDERSTANDING the Quran through the slow manner in which the Prophet (S) has been told to read. Further, the rhythm is also emphasized, revealing the intimate nature one must have when reciting the Quran. Various hadeeth record the Prophet (S) reciting his late-night prayer in a beautiful, melodious slow-paced voice, sometimes falling into sujood after a particular verse. While the various books of fiqh differ over the phrases in which sujood is required upon reading the Quran, it seems that the differences are rooted in a misunderstanding regarding the nature of the Prophet's prayer. The Prophet (S), as recorded by the various hadeeth reports, would make prostration at various points in the Quran during his late-night prayers when over-whelmed by a particular verse. His responses were not necessarily fixed. It was as if Muhammad (S) was living the Quran in his prayers, and responding to it. When he (S) came upon verses of Paradise, he (S) would stop in the middle of his prayer and request Allah to beseech him with His Bounties. When he came across verses which directed him to bow down, he (S) would fall in sujood. It was a DIRECT COMMUNION with the UNSEEN Lord.

This last point also shows the liberal attitude regarding what one says in prayer. Although prayer has some basic elements that are essential towards proper performance, the Prophet (S) taught the very individual nature of it all through his praises of certain phrases that were adopted by a particular person as revealed in countless narrations of hadeeth books. One Companion (S) was appointed to lead prayer at a masjid, and after every recitation of Fatiha, he (R) would than recite surah Ikhlas, followed by another surah. The people who ventured to that particular House of God were perturbed and complained to this man, asking why he was doing such a thing. He (R) told them that this is what he liked and he would continue to read it in very manner. If the people had objections to it, he would stop leading the prayer. The people than approached the Prophet (S) informing him (S) of what was happening. The Prophet (S) than called the man asking him why he was doing such a thing. The Companion (R), in a respectful tone, replied because he loved the surah. The Noble Prophet (S) told him that because he (R) loved the surah, God Almighty loved him. This is a far-cry from how Muslims are taught the nature of prayer today.

3.

Engaging the Quran is a direct source of spiritual strength. The reason Allah commanded the Prophet (S) to rise up in the middle of the night and engage the Quran is prayer was:

"Because soon We shall lay on you the burden of a heavy word [the burden of open warning]."

The spiritual preparation of open da'waa by the Prophet was to be done through the the tahajjud prayer. As Javed Ghamidi (R) explains regarding this verse:

"The verse states the reason for the directive of standing in the prayer of Tahajjud by night: to fulfil the heavy responsibility of the second phase of his mission (indhar-i-‘am: the phase of open warning) in Makkah, the Prophet (sws) must prepare himself spiritually and mentally -- for in this phase, as mentioned in the coming surah, he will have to increase the extent and scope of his propagation, and it is this prayer which will give him the strength and courage to do so and to combat all the hardships and difficulties which may come his way.

While most religions view acts of worship as means of self-negation, Islamic prayer leads to life-affirmance. By standing before God, one realizes to whom all power belongs as well as to whom one is responsible to.

"Master of the Day of Judgement."

The Quran was sent to warn men of a momentous day, and to create in him a realization that every claim to godhood is false, whether from a man or church.
By pondering over this while in prayer, one begins to know that other men cannot prevent even a single small act without permission of God Almighty. As is clear, the Quranic philosophy of prayer is thoroughly inter-twined with the notion that one must perform one's responsibilities, without worrying about 'unjustified' fears. Those that do not realize God in their lives, EVEN IF MUSLIM, create false gods that they seek to appease, to save them from worldy misfortunes. The superstitions they indulge in, the idols they create with their own hands all testify to a lack of conviction which breeds fear. This attitude ultimately leads to cowardice and passivity in action for the truth. Muhammad Iqbal has said correctly that idolatry is rooted in fear.

4.

"Verily, this rising by night is very suitable for the mind’s peace and the heart’s resolve and for the speech’s correctness."

The above verse reveals how essential the psychological attitude is to obtain the benefit's out of prayer. The middle of the night is calm and serene, and it allows a person to be in a state where he is receptive to the message of God. Though this description is regarding the late-night prayers, it is obvious that the purpose of calmness of mind should be fulfilled to some extent for every prayer. The first command of Allah regarding wine was to not approach prayer while in a state of intoxication. This latter command also reveals that the Quranic conception of prayer is not just one of emotion, but of REASON as well. Most religions, because they rely purely on faith, tend to adopt music as a means to induce states 'conducive' to worship. This is precisely why there faith is confined purely to the church. As soon as people leave the church, that state of 'godliness' vanishes and fails to impress the intellect of the person. Islam distinguishes itself in that the Quranic mode of worship adopts reason, emphasizing the engagement with the message as well as having an emotional attachment to it. Another additional element regarding preparing a person psychologically for prayer is wudhu. The ritual cleansing is meant to create in the sense of the believer the sacred nature of what he is about to engage in. When washing the limbs, a Muslim should realize whom He is about to stand before.

The natural extension to the importance of coming to prayer with a single-minded devotion are all the hadeeth of the Prophet (S) commanding a person not to come to the prayer running, to satisfy the basic urges before praying if one has to, and even to sleep if one is extremely tired and cannot pray in a state of awareness. All of these directives are meant to prepare the believer mentally for prayer, and have little reality with how they are understood in the books of fiqh.

5. Although the above verse was given to the Prophet (S) regarding tahajud prayer, it can be universalized for everybody to some extent. This is clearly supported by the Quran later on in the surah, when Allah states:

"Because during the daytime you will be hard-pressed with [this task; so pray at this time] and remember the name of your Lord and [in this loneliness of the night] devote yourself entirely to Him."

No human being has been burdened with the responsibility akin to Muhammad (S), who devoted all his day-time hours to propagating his mission. With the amount of free-time everybody has, there is nothing to prevent each person from adopting a prayer during the day that is conducive towards understanding, even if this means one must recite short surahs. Most people confuse a good prayer as one where a person recites as many long surahs as possible, and various liturgical formulas without taking account of what they are saying as well as when they are saying it. One will get almost nothing out of prayer in this manner. The Quran is the direct speech of Allah, and it is the communion of God with man. Prayer should be realized in such a way that when reciting the various verses of the Quran during qiyam, the worshipper is feeling as if God Almighty is talking directly to Him. Further, every movement is initated by an "Allah-hu-Akbar", granting significance to each and every position. A Muslim must focus on UNDERSTANDING the meaning of what he/she is reciting, even if this means forsaking memorization for a time being, and devoting one's self to understanding the language. One may argue that it is against tradition, but in reality it is not. The Companions (R) would rarely move onto memorizing other verses, if they had not thoroughly engrossed themselves in implementing those verse already revealed.

Power of the Quranic Imagery

2006-04-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

"Is he not aware of the time when graves are laid open and whatever is in the hearts is taken out. Indeed, on that Day, your Lord shall be well aware [of all their deeds]."

(Surah Adiyat, ayahs 9-11, translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

A single reading of the concluding verse of Surah Aadiyat will undoubtedly convey an element of accountability for one's actions, but it will fail to do justice to the subtlety of the power in the way the Quran presents it's message. To appreciate this reality, a brief examination of the surah is required.

The above verses are the culmination of a chapter which begins with horses galloping in the light of dawn about to raid a beduoin camp. The scene was all too familiar in Arabia, where marauders, in their lust for wealth ,would attack defenseless camps to steal whatever they could get their hands on. If one ponders over the imagery of this raid, one can only marvel at the intense and ferocious nature of it all.

"Gasping galloping horses, then striking fire with their hooves, then rading at dawn, then blazing a trail of dust in it and penetrating with it into a throng.."

The intensity of the horses is described by the gasping of these horses, as well as the fact that their hooves, when they strike the rugged ground create sparks of fire. This also reveals another element, and that is the attack has initiated at night, fire being visible at that time. The Holy Book than emphasizes the sudden nature of the attack by describing it as occuring at dawn when everybody in the camp is sound asleep. The imagery does not remain content with this description, but it further draws attention to an obvious confusion within the camp once the raiders have reached their destination. Dust, accompanied by marauders running in and out of the camp, obscures the vision of the inhabitants as well as adds to their fright.

The rapidity, suddenness, and ferociousness of it all is further re-inforced by the short and brief verses of the Quran. The verses that end with "HAA" are accompanied by a rhythm which mimiks the panting of the horses. Read it for yourself in Arabic, stressing the "HAA" at the end of the verse, and you will realize that it is not a subjective opinion.

The beauty is awe-inspiring, but there is something even more unique about it all. The Quran stops RIGHT BEFORE THE CLIMAX of the story, leaving the reader in suspense. It is here that the Quran also changes it's rhythm, no longer mimicking the panting of the horses. The story is left off at the exact time the spilling of blood, looting and plundering is about to begin. Who is going to be killed, what is going to be stolen, all of it is unknown. It is as if the Quran has raised the interest of it's reader, and than drifted off.

But what does the Holy Book than go on to say?

"...they bear witness that [this] man [living in the peaceful surroundings of the Baitullah] is very ungrateful to his Lord."

While all of Arabia suffered under the potential threat to be attacked by raiders, the Quraysh were left unharmed because of their affiliation with the Kaaba, the sacred House established by the Arabs' forefather, Abraham (S). It was because of God's blessing of Abraham (AS), that the Quraysh became the undisputed leaders of Arabian society to the extent that they became the wealthiest Arabs. The Quran recounts in Surah Quraysh how, because of their affiliation with the Kaaba, they had free access to travel in the land for trade. Other tribes would be subject to any highway-bandit. While the Ka'aba had guaranteed the economic well-being of the Quraysh, they turned their backs on the very reason it was established. Abraham (AS) and Ishmael (AS) had built the Kaaba as a place where tawheed would be commemorated forever through the worship of Allah, and where the poor could obtain their needs. The Quraysh, instead of honoring this purpose, filled the Holy House with idols, and embezzled the funds that were given by people to the poor. In fact, the Quran speaks about how far the Abrahamic legacy had been distorted, by drawing attention to the fact that Quraysh allowed people to perform tawaaf around the Kaaba naked during the time Muhammad (S) raised his call. When Muhammad (S) was sent to purify the Arahamic message, as well as the lands which God had promised to his Friend as part of the covenant, the ingratitude of the Quraysh culminated in their rejection of God's Prophet.

What is the reason for this ingratitude?

Before dwelling upon the reason for this ingratitude, the Quran makes a parentetical remark to emphasize a certain point.

"And to this attitude, he himself is a witness.

It is here that Allah draws attention to the fact that the Quraysh are not unaware of their attitude. How bold a person that does wrong, knowing it is wrong? Men have been granted a moral conscience by God such that it is a witness to the actions that one does. If a conscience is sound, there is no lengthy proof that is needed for a person to recognize that what he is doing is wrong. One's own conscience pricks him. As Javed Ghamidi says:

"no external argument is needed to decide what is wrong or right; a person's conscience is enough to pronounce the verdict."

The Quran does not stop by condemning this person, but does on to explaint he psychological reason behind it.

And mad is he in the love of wealth."

This ingratitude is not simply because he loves wealth, BUT BECAUSE HE IS MAD IN HIS LOVE FOR IT. It is here that the idea of going beyond the limits is realized. While one may enjoy the good things in life, it should never overpower men such that they become obsessed to the point that they forget their obligations. This is the extent of the ingratitude of the Quraysh. They became deluded by the very wealth that God bestowed upon them.

After portraying the ingratitude of the Quraysh regarding the bounties of God, their own awareness to the wrong they are doing, and the psychological reason behind why they are doing it, we are brought back to the above verse:

"Is he not aware of the time when graves are laid open and whatever is in the hearts is taken out. Indeed, on that Day, your Lord shall be well aware [of all their deeds]."

The subtlely is no longer subtle. God Almighty has stolen the image he first used to raise awareness of the ingratitude of the leaders of Quraysh, and used it for Himself. God, on that momentous Day, is going to turn into a raider. While mankind will be 'resting' in their graves, they will be awakened by a plunderer who is beyond anything they could imagine. He will toss open the graves, with more intensity than any marauder they witnessed in their earthly life. It will happen all of a sudden, the nature of it described in another place of the Quran as, "Al-Qariah". In Arabic language, according to Amin Ahsan Islahi, the word is used for sudden, loud knock at the door in the middle of the night that awakens and startles those who are fast asleep in the house.

But the Almighty's plundering won't rest content simply over-turning graves. Every nook, every corner will be overturned, to such an extent that very heart that was mad in it's love for wealth will be searched. God will overturn them like the vessels which possess jewels. All of this because...

"...man is very ungrateful to His Lord."

Men desire to be free

2006-04-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

"Say (O Muhammad) Allah is AHAD,
He is As-SAMAD."

Allah states two particular attributes in His introduction to Surah Ikhlas. The first attribute AHAD, although it means ONE, is not just confined to a 'qualitative' oneness, but it also refers to absolute uniqueness in respect to BEING. Ameen Ahsan Islahi (R) has stated that this is the most likely the reason why the Arabs never used this term for anybody other than God Almighty.

The idea of being AHAD excludes the possibility of being 'born' or giving 'birth'. The negation of these attributes are again stated later-on in the surah, but from the NEGATIVE perspective. Allah states first "I AM", and than states, "I AM NOT" to re-inforce the original proclamation. This shows one of the subtle and powerful ways in which the Quran clarifies its message. It does not remain content with a simple statement of truth, but delineates truths in 'multiple ways', such THAT MEN MAY UNDERSTAND.

Iqbal, in his Reconstruction of Religion Thought in Islam, states in a scientific manner the implications of this aspect of uniqueness of God Almighty:

"As Bergson has taught us in his Creative Evolution, individuality is a matter of degrees and is not fully realized even in the case of the apparently closed off unity of the human being. ‘In particular, it may be said of individuality’, says Bergson:

‘that while the tendency to individuate is everywhere present in the organized world, it is everywhere opposed by the tendency towards reproduction. For the individuality to be perfect, it would be necessary that no detached part of the organism could live separately. But then reproduction would be impossible. For what is reproduction but the building up of a new organism with a detached fragment of the old? Individuality, therefore, harbours its own enemy at home.’

In the light of this passage it is clear that the perfect individual, closed off as an ego, peerless and unique, cannot be conceived as harbouring its own enemy at home. It must be conceived as superior to the antagonistic tendency of reproduction. This characteristic of the perfect ego is one of the most essential elements in the Quranic conception of God; and the Qur’an mentions it over and over again, not so much with a view to attack the current Christian conception as to accentuate its own view of a perfect individual.'

After stating that Allah is AHAD, God Almighty tells the Prophet (S) to proclaim that He is also AS-SAMAD. The meaning of this word, according to Islahi is a "large rock behind which refuge is sought from an enemy attack". The learned commentator than goes on to explain that the root meaning allows the word to be used for the leader of a nation in which lies a resort and refuge for the people. The implication of this word is that God is the one whom all needs are addressed, and the source of all good and strength. This is precisely why Prophet David (AS), as recorded in the Psalms, stated:

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer."

(Psalms:18)

With this background in mind, it becomes abundantly clear why commentators among the Righteous Forbears have taken the meaning of As-Samad as the Eternally besought of all, and the Being upon whom everything depends for its existence.

What is the relationship between the two attributes:

The Quran states attributes of God Almighty in pairs, so that men conduct themselves in a balanced manner. Amin Ahsan Islahi (R), regarding the two attributes mentioned above, states:

The attribute Samad is mentioned after Ahad to explain and qualify the meanings of Ahad, just as the attribute Hamid (worthy of all praise) is always mentioned immediately after the attribute, Ghani (free of all needs) in the Qur’an. The attribute, Ghani might create a misconception that since God is free of all needs and is above His creation, no relationship can be established with Him. This may cause people to worship other deities as a means to obtain His nearness. The attribute Hamid is stated immediately afterwards for the reason that this misconception should not even originate. It clarifies that though He does not need any one and is above and beyond His creation, yet He is the fountainhead of all praises and thanksgivings. As such everyone should turn to Him and directly seek Him, and never turn to others in despair.

Owing to exactly the same reasons, the attribute Samad here is mentioned immediately after the attribute Ahad. It serves to caution and prod someone who might become overwhelmed with the concept of God's uniqueness and aloofness from all, and regard Him as a detached and an unconcerned Creator. This might subsequently lead him to worship other beings as a means to procure His nearness. This can never happen if the implications of Samad are properly understood. There is no doubt that God is free of all needs and above and beyond His creation, yet at the same time He provides and sustains them, hears and answers their calls of distress and fulfils their physical and spiritual needs. He is a rock behind which refuge can be sought -- a haven and sanctuary for all.

It would be appropriate to mention here the cause which has so often led a people astray as regards its religious beliefs and opened for them the way to polytheism. This has been invariably due to the fact that they did not maintain a balance between certain complementary pairs of attributes of God. An acute bias towards one of them often made them to completely overlook the qualifications and stipulations warranted by its counterpart. The Jews and the Christians, in particular, can be cited as examples in this regard."

(trns. Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

This is one of the very reasons Muhammad (S) stated that Surah Ikhlas is equivalent to 1/3 of the entire Quran.

Implications of Above Regarding man

From the perspective of man, reproduction, although a biological act, reveals a profound reality regarding his personality. When Adam was tempted by Satan to eat from the tree, i.e. commit the first sexual act, the latter preyed on man's innate desire to live forever and establish himself as a free personality. This is precisely why Satan called it "the tree of eternal life and the kingdom that decays not". Man desires that his legacy and name remain forever, and not vanish through the hands of time. As Iqbal states, referring to the story of the "Fall":

"The central idea here is to suggest life’s irresistible desire for a lasting dominion, an infinite career as a concrete individual. As a temporal being, fearing the termination of its career by death, the only course open to it is to achieve a kind of collective immortality by self-multiplication. The eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of eternity is life’s resort to sex-differentiation by which it multiplies itself with a view to circumvent total extinction. It is as if life says to death: ‘If you sweep away one generation of living things, I will produce another’. The Qur’an rejects the phallic symbolism of ancient art, but suggests the original sexual act by the birth of the sense of shame disclosed in Adam’s anxiety to cover the nakedness of his body."

Every monument man builds, every work of art he produces is a reflection of his own desire to be unique and retain his individuality through time. When Satan deceived man into thinking that immortality and a free personality, i.e. kingdom that decays not, was achievable through an act, Adam realized after indulging in it, that the promise of Satan was nothing but deception. One must note that God Almighty did NOT condemn Adam for falling into this mistake, but he attributed it to hastiness as well as forgetfulness by the father of mankind. Adam's hastiness to achieve eternal life and kingdom through a single moment caused him to forget that it is only through consistent struggle can man attain immortality and a life purified from all those evils that restrict his movement towards freedom from slavehood to other than God Almighty. And in slavehood to God, lies the source of LIFE.

When people do wrong, those who have not corrupted their conscience feel as if a tremendous weight has been added to their body and that they cannot run from it. The Quran states regarding the three Companions who stayed back during the expedition of Tabuk, that they felt as if the "the wide earth was closing upon them" and their lives "became a burden to them". The over-whelming realization of their own wrong-doing seemed to chain their movements, such that wanted to escape from their own beings. The wife of Hilal ibn Ummayya (R) stated that during this incident, her husband "had no desire of me; since this incident he has occupied himself only with weeping."

How is it they escaped the situation where everything seemed to close in on them? They "became convinced that there was no refuge against the wrath of Allah save in Himself". Like Adam (AS) they felt shame for their sins, and what God Almighty did with respect to him (AS), he also did with respect to those three Noble souls. According to the Holy Book, HE TURNED TO THEM SO THAT THEY WOULD TURN TO HIM. Repentance is part of that process that eliminates all those burdens that halt man's progress towards a free life. God, most Merciful is He, wants men to repent, so that they can learn from their own mistakes. As ibn Abbass (R) stated, a person whose prayer does not increase him in profit, increases him only in loss. He (R) also stated to the effect that if men did not sin, God would replace them with another people that sin and than repent to God Almighty. This latter statement emphasizes the fact that men have been created to make mistakes and than repent. Experience is man's real teacher in life, and it plays a huge role in strengthening of character.

It is only through the process of the realization of tawheed, i.e. the UNPARALLELED ONENESS AND UNIQUENESS OF GOD ALMIGHTY, that men begin to demolish all those false idols, whether wealth, stone, or other men that put obstacles in his path. Laziness originally prevented the three Companions from preparing for a serious expedition. When Ka'ab ibn Maalik was facing the trial of Tabuk, it was the fear of loneliness, coupled with promises of respect and noble treatment that began to impress it's mark on him. He (R) stated:

"One day I was sauntering in the market-place of Medina when I heard a peasant from Syria, who had brought a quantity of corn for sale, say: Would someone direct me to Ka'ab ibn Malik? People pointed in my direction. He came to me and handed me a letter from the King of Ghassan. Being literate myself I read it. Its purport was: We have heard that your master has treated you harshly. God has not made you to be humiliated and maltreated. Come over to us and we shall receive you graciously. Having read it, I said to myself: This is another trial; and I committed it to the oven."

Men, when they realize God, do away with 'kings' for their sustenance. They no longer seek to appease other men when it comes to their own salvation. Begging from others, running to the gates of those 'high in society' mean nothing to them. Tawheed secures the individuality of each and every person, obliterating all false gods that men seek to appease in order to obtain what they believe to be essential to their 'sustenance', but which is in reality the chains of their slavery. With tawheed, men begin to act without fear of the consequences from even a Pharoah. Muhammad (S) said that the greatest jihad is to speak a just word in front of a tyrant. It is tawheed that provides the key in which one becomes free of all forms of servitude besides God. This is why Iqbal (R) had stated to the effect in one prostration (before God) lies freedom from 1000 other prostrations (men and idols). It is why Ka'ab stated to the Prophet (S) after the revelation came declaring his repentance as accepted:

"Messenger of Allah, Allah, the Exalted, has delivered me only because I adhered to the truth, and it is part of my repentance that for the rest of my days I shall speak nothing but the truth. Ever since I declared this before the Holy Prophet, Allah, the Exalted, has not tried anyone so well in the matter of telling the truth as He has tried me. To this day, since my declaration, I have never had any inclination to tell a lie, and I hope that Allah will continue to safeguard me against it during the rest of my days."

Ka'ab no longer feared speaking the truth, and it was through this trial that he realized that he would always fulfill his word. He no longer felt ANY EXTERNAL PRESSURE to lie to obtain something from people an he became a 'free' personality.

My First Fatwa: Get off the Fatwa Bandwagon

2006-04-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Quran was revealed over a 23 year period, which roughly amounts to 8395 days. The Holy Book is comprised of approximately 5000-6000 verses. If we assume that there are 6000 verses that make of the Holy Book, than the amount of verses revealed per day would be approximately 1.4 verses. We can break down this analysis even further. A chapter such as Rahman, is composed of over thirty verses. So inter-connected are its verses that it would be impossible to sustain an argument that it was revealed at more than one sitting. In fact, we realize further limitations of the original analysis when we glance at the whole thirtieth chapter, which are surahs of anywhere above three verses, and are clearly chapters revealed to Muhammad (S) in ONE sitting. Thus, the earlier approximation of 1.4 verses per day is an inaccurate reflection of the revelational phenomenon, and one would have to reduce dramatically the time REVELATION OF THE QURAN ACTUALLY HAPPENED. An interesting dimension to this reality is that, according to the Quran, sometimes the periods between certain revelations were so long that the disbelievers would begin mocking the Prophet (S).

"Why is not the Qur’an revealed to him all at once? Thus [is it revealed] that We may strengthen your heart thereby, and We have revealed it gradually and painstakingly."

(25:32, translated by Sehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

When Muhammad (S) became quite bothered by this to such an extent that he (S) began to hope that the Quran would be revealed all at once to answer once-and-for-all the objections of the leaders of Quraysh, Allah revealed the following verse:.

Be not in haste with the Qur’an before its revelation is completed to you and pray: O Lord advance me in knowledge.

(20:113-4, trns. Shehzad Saleem)

What is the point of the above?

The Quran clearly teaches man that the revelation of the Quran is not dictated by the 'objection' of those that do not agree with it. The Most High does not reveal verses to satisfy the petty whims of those bent on denying, but He has revealed the verses of the Quran for a greater goal. This goal is clearly defined as the reformation of the human being. So essential is this truth that Allah has revealed the Quran PAINSTAKINGLY 'to strengthen the heart' of the human being. And all things are easy for Allah.

Human beings are hasty by tempermant, and they desire that the ends should come to them quickly, often-times without necessary struggle. Notice very carefully that in the above verse, the prayer of the Prophet (S), "O Lord increase me in Knowledge" is ultimately tied to the gradual nature of a human's ability to understand. The Quran is quite clear that change happens by a gradual process of both intellectual reflection, and dynamic struggle. Muslim literature often presents the Prophet (S) as continually preaching to his followers, but it is an inaccurate observation. Muhammad (S) did not preach to his Companions (R) so much in light of the fact that he (S) feared they would turn away. To understand this reality, take a brief glance over the sermons of the Prophet (S), and compare them to the speeches of the preachers of the pulpits today. One will begin to realize just how short and too the point his sermons were. This practice of the Prophet (S) infuenced his Companions (R) to a significant extent. People use to request the likes of Abdullah bin Masood (R) to give more than one specific day to teach and instruct them, and he (R) would refuse stating that if he were to do more than that, the people doing the requesting would turn away.

Another significant point is the actual nature of how the Quran implements this change. In the spirit of the original analysis, if we were to actually break down the subject matter of the Holy book into law and wisdom, the actual law would comprise roughly 10 percent or 600 verses of law. And even than, it is not an accurate reflection because the subject matter of Quranic laws revolves around a FEW TOPICS. Injunctions on divorce, purification, cleanliness and so forth make up a majority of the legal rulings of the Quran. And further, many of these legal verses are actually elaborations of a particular verse of law revealed at an earlier time.

What can one conclude from this?

The actual basis of this reformation in Islam is through the internalization of the idea accompanied by consistent struggle in light of this idea.

Over-indulgence in legalism is NOT emphasized by the Holy Book, but the philosophy and wisdom of the principles of iman are. This is precisely why the Quran has condemned the 'law' as practiced by the scribes of the Bani Israel. Law is meant for the realization of specific ends, and if ends are divorced from the means, than there are many negative repurcussions to the individual as well as society. The Quran aims at a spiritual and moral revolution, whose principles form the basis of its revealed law as well as the laws that are developed by society to conduct human affairs that revelation has not touched upon.

Muslims of today have failed miserably in understanding their religion. They view Islam almost like a machine that pops-out fatwas on a whim, divorcing the beautiful religion from the organic phenomenon of LIFE. Many Muslims, in the spirit of 'enjoining the good and forbidding' the evil, throw books that claim to be definitive on certain topics in the face of 'non-practicing' Muslims. Beside the fact that there are numerous differing opinions about these topics when actual history is consulted, this type of attitude reveals a real fact. We are a nations of fatwas. My little brother once told me that a Muslim at his college said to him to the effect,

"If we were to hold your views than much of what is 'Islam' would be gone".

I told my brother that he should have said to him in the following direct words,

"You are correct. Much of what is 'Islam' would be gone."

People fail to realize that Islam shatters more-so the intellectual foundations of the human being so as he can cope with a changing world, rather than giving a human being a ready-made solution to a specific problem in this world. When Muhammad (S) built the ditch around Medina at the advice of Salman al-Farsi, his enemies upon witnessing it stated, "By God, Muhammad has innovated something the Arabs had never seen." Here was a man, directly inspired by God Almighty, borrowing from a neighboring culture for the benefit of a society created by him.

Islam cannot be appreciated if one moves from a fatwa-oriented perspective inward. In fact, such a perspective actually distorts the very nature of Islam. Many of the legal-hairsplitting, the endless debates, and theological dogmatism are clear reflections of the illness that the Muslim world in reality fails to understand ISLAM AS ENJOINED BY THE QURAN. The regulations of Islam are a natural response to a certain outlook that Islam, or as ibn Umar (R) put it:

"We first learned Iman, than Islam."

The above reality is precisely why a Companions would remain focused on a particular chapter of the Quran for many years. Even the great Umar (R) took more than a year to memorize Surah Baqarah, and he was an EXPERT in Arabic poetry. It was because of constant reflection and engagement of and with the Quran, as well as an active struggle in implementing the FEW IDEAS in his life that it took so long for him (R) to complete its memorization.

Muslims of today really need to get off the fatwa-bandwagon...

Where are the Arabs?

2006-03-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

It is common among Muslims today to portray the pre-Islamic Arabs as un-educated beduoin savages. While authors recount many barbaric practices that had taken root in the Hijaz and all over Arabia to demonstrate the profound nature of the reformation of Muhammad (S), a certain subtlety is missed. When Allah sent Musa (AS) to a more 'advanced' society, i.e. the land of Pharoah, He, in his infinite wisdom, provided him (AS) with miracles that defeated magicians. Jesus (AS) was sent to Bani Israel with the ability to heal the sick.

It is quite mind-blowing this subtlety keeping the preceding background in mind. Allah had given as a sign to his final Messenger, Muhammad (S), a book.

Rather ironic, don't you think?

Why would Allah send a book to a people who were 'savages'? While it is true the Arabs were an unlettered culture, and because of this, they had inherited over time an inferiority complex with respect to the People of the Book, which as a side-note was completely erased by the Quran, there was something very unique to them. They were a remarkeably SHARP and INTELLIGENT people, despite their inability to read. This truth is reflected in their language. In fact, so real this fact that the Arabs recognized their superiority to other nations in this particular respect.

The Arabs were very proud of their language. So proud of it that they divided the world into two categories: Arab and Ajmi. The first category was reserved for those who spoke Arabic, irrespective of birth-place, and the latter referred to any people that spoke a different language. A person with the darkest skin such as Antar would be the embodiment of the noblest qualities of an Arab, and his memory would be recounted by story-tellers throughout the ages. So powerful was language in the psyche of the pre-Islamic Arabs that before battles took place between tribes, the poets of the two tribes tribes would engage in a war of words. The books of seerah are full of verses recited by various warriors before they plunged fiercely into battle. Sometimes an Arab would be humiliated by words to such an extent that it led to his tribe being insulted and war would result. Poetry had reached the extent of sacred, and the greatest poems would be hung on the Ka'aba. To really understand the significance of this, a person has to really, truly grasp the nature of the Ka'aba to the Arabs. The pre-Islamic Arabs KNEW it was built by their forefather Ibraheem (AS), and the Quraysh, who were it's custodians, were not even touched by other tribes because of their attachment to it. They had, as Surah Quraysh points out, unaccessed movement in the land to trade.

As I said previously, completely ironic for a 'barbaric' civilization.

One should not mistake the love the Arabs had for words as an affinity for exxageration. Pre-Islamic Arabic, i.e. the language the Quran was revealed in, is known for ECONOMY of words. The Arabs considered it eloquence when words were used only when necessary. Even a foreigner reading the Quran can gather this much when reciting the Quran. Suppression was a common feature of language, and they employed what is called ellipsis. The latter feature is described as when certain words have been left out of sentence, and it was expected that the listener should easily comprehend the words that were left out. In our speech, we use conjuctives to elaborate a statement we have already made. The Arabs, in the words of Ameen Ahsan Islahi (R), credited their listeners with far more intelligence. The listener had to do the 'filling-in'. The subtlety in this is that speech was DYNAMIC even for the listener. The listener was NEVER PASSIVE. His mind was developed in this cultural environment to function in such a way that he was always conceptualizing. This point is extremely pertinent, because conceptualization is what really makes man different from animals. His sensual experiences generate ideas. These ideas than give birth to laws, inventions, customs, codes, books, i.e. CIVILIZATION.

Imagine the psychological make-up of these people... Here was a civilization that the Christians of Syria, and the Persians looked upon as dogs. Yet, it was only a spark that was needed to create a wild-fire that generated a cultural phenomenon that would touch Persian, Afghanistan, China, even Europe, initiating the Renaissance. This was a result of the Quran.

"It is He, Who has made the earth like a submissive camel for you: Walk about its shoulders and eat of the blessings that He has provided for you. [Enjoy all these provisions, but do not forget your responsibility towards the Provider. You shall be made answerable to Him for your behavior] and [for this purpose,] to Him shall you all be raised.

(Surah Mulk, verses 15, translated by Moiz Amjad, www.understanding-islam.com)

Moiz Amjad has, in the brackets, quoted what was suppressed in the language. Compare this translation to the translation of Marmaduke Picktall, or another more 'literal' one. After reading Moiz Amjad's translation over and over, than imagine yourself an Arab listening to Muhammad (S) reciting these verses for the first time. The very picture that comes to mind through reading a translation more suitable to the actual language is:

Allah, the Most High, has compared the earth to a CAMEL. Just through this comparison, the Quran had already opened itself up to the psyche of the Arab. The Arab was very well acquainted with this particular beast of burden, which they used for many purposes. Allah than states to mankind to walk on the earth's SHOULDERS. The image that is further being conveyed, as Javed Ghamidi points out, is that of fleas searching for their livelihood on the skin of an animal. There is a sense of insignificance that is attached to fleas, but along with this, a sense of freedom of movement. There is nothing wrong in moving about the land and enjoying the provisions, but this is followed by a condition. To HIM, you shall all be raised. The translation of Moiz Amjad conveys the understanding the Arab mind obtained when reading this verse:

[Enjoy all these provisions, but do not forget your responsibility towards the Provider. You shall be made answerable to Him for your behavior]

The verse is than followed by:

Do you feel secured from Him, Who is in the heavens, that He may cause you to be swallowed up by the earth? Then suddenly you see it darting [wildly]."

(Surah Mulk, verses 16, translated by Moiz Amjad)

I can do no justice but quote Moiz Amjad:

In the previous verse, the earth is compared to a submissive camel on which man can live a peaceful life. In this verse, man is reminded of the fact that the submissiveness of the earth is only because God has made it like a submissive camel and a peaceful place. If God would let loose its reigns and it starts running like a wild camel, then no one would be able to make it submissive again.

Again, the Quran has penetrated the psyche of the Arab. It is as if the camel is tamed by Allah, and He, the Most High, is holding its reigns to steer it. If Allah let the reigns go, the camel would become unruly. It is quite obvious that this unruliness represents an earthquake.

Or do you feel secured from Him, Who is in the heavens, that He may send upon you whirl winds carrying stones?

(Surah Mulk, verses 17, translated by Moiz Amjad)

Imagine the person travelling on his camel across the realms of desert suddenly coming upon a scene in the distance. The dust being being tossed about as a result of enormous speeds. Sandstorms are often portrayed in movies as devastating, and they cover the horizon like huge waves in a storm at sea.

Allah can strike from BELOW, causing an earthquake that will swallow man, or ABOVE, sending a flurry of stones that would pelt man.

This is the Quran and this is what shook the Arabs out of their sleep. This is what caused the beduoin, upon hearing it, to prostrate. He was asked upon this prostration, "Have you also converted?" The beduoin replied, "No, I am prostrating to it's words."

Ironic, for a 'barbaric' civilization....

This intellectual power of the pre-Islamic Arab is often missed when reading translations. To even achieve a great degree of understanding of this phenomenon, a foreigner, and one should not mistake this to mean this does not include Arabs today, must establish himself firmly in the cultural mind-set of the time of the Prophet (S), by obtaining a thorough grounding in the poetry of the time as well as the Quranic style, which was unique in it's own respect. If this is done, than one will begin to appreciate more and more not only Islam in general, but the Arabs of that particular time. This appreciation borders on the realm of amazement for these wondrous people.

Undoubtedly, it was these people, influenced by the words of the Quran, that moved humanity in a different direction. The spiritual impulse generated by the Holy Book transmitted itself throughout the world through these very people. The tales of chivalry in love of European Knights viewed often in movies coincided with men returning from the Arab lands after the Crusades. The greatest poetic works from the lands of Persian and India were the result of cultural forces generated by the power of the Quran. Urdu, a mixture of Persian, Arabic, and Hindi is recognized in India as the language par excellence. An emphasis on reason and understanding that was not just made through commands in the Quran to observe the outside world, was created through the very nature of the language and style of the Quran. The mind had to work to understand, and ponder and internalize when reading it. Scientific ideas generated works of philosophy, hospitals, as well as the 'modern' university. The spiritual impulse made man view time as a FUNCTION. Before that, the Greeks perceived of time as something absolute. Every field of human knowledge was touched by it. The Quran re-trained man to think for himself, opening up a world of independent thought that was scientific and aesthetic, AS WELL AS grounded in the notion of responsibility.

"Read out to them [O Prophet!] in the name of your Lord who created --- created man from a clot of congealed blood. Read out to them and the fact is that your Lord is the nost Bounteous who taught [this Quran] by the pen [in which] He gave man that knowledge which he knew not."

(SUrah Iqra, verses 1-5, translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

This is something the Arabs MUST truly be proud of.

Give Them Some of Your Money

2006-03-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

"Those who spend from that which We have given them."

After coming upon this verse while reading the Quran, the first thing that usually comes in one's mind is the 'payment of zakaah'. It is simply a ritual that our religion prescribes that one must fulfill. What we actually fail to perceive is that within this very short and beautiful phrase lies the source of a spending that alone is acceptable to God Almighty.

"...from what We have given them."

The verse is enjoining spending based upon a 'feeling'. God Almighty desires that the spending in His way should arise from within. The payment of zakaah or sadaqah must arise out of a feeling of gratitude to God Almighty for the bounties bestowed upon man, or in the words of the Quran, "from what WE have given them." It is definitely not man that is the sole source of his own wealth. Businessmen weigh options, and than choose what they believe is the best course for increasing their investment. They cannot say for sure that the project will garner profit. At the same time, God Almighty recognizes the work and effort of an individual in his earnings and states that one should give from THAT which is given to a person. God does not demand that all wealth be given away in his path, i.e. only SOME. A person who realizes that what he/she has been given is from God alone can spend in a manner devoid of the desire for fame. This is precisely why Allah states that those who spend zakaah, consider it a RIGHT OF THE POOR. It is not their OWN wealth, but it is the HAQQ, i.e. right, of those who are less fortunate.

The Quran also teaches that when one spends, he/she should recognize that he/she is not benefitting God, because He is Al-Ghani. Allah is independent of any and everything. When the believers asked God Almighty how much they should spend in the way of God, He, Most Glorious stated:

"They ask you about how much should they spend [of their wealth, for this cause]. Tell them: 'Whatever you spend of wealth, it is for the well being of your own parents, relatives, orphans, destitute, and wayfarers. And [while you spend your wealth in the way of the Almighty, do not forget that] whatever good deeds you do [they shall not go unrewarded,] for indeed God is fully aware of them."

(Surah Baqarah verse 215, translation Moiz Amjad, www.understanding-islam.org)

While most scholars consider this verse a delineation on the legal categories of zakaah, a contextual study negates the opinion. As Moiz Amjad points out, these verses were revealed at a time of war between the believers and the rejectors. After a series of revelations enjoining the Muslism to spend in the cause of God, the Muslims began to question the Prophet (S) how much is it required to spend. The verse is a corollary of the Quranic directives to spend in the cause of God Almighty during times of war. Here Allah does not give any limit, but draws attention to a significant reality. The money that is spent in the way of God is not for the personal gain of the Prophet (S) but for one's own people, i.e. the parents, relatives, orphans and so on. To quote Moiz Amjad:

The Qur'an was continually promoting people to participate in this war against the rejecters to stop their persecution of the Muslims. With reference to this directive of the Qur'an, these people wanted to know how much should they spend for this cause. Rather than stipulating any limits for this spending, the Qur'an has informed these people that participation in this war is not for any personal gains of the Prophet (pbuh), but is ultimately for the benefit of their own people. This answer not only spells out the spirit with which a God fearing person should participate in a pious cause but also entails an indication of the limit of this spending. The fact that this spending is for the well being and benefit of their own people clearly implies that one should not impose any limits on this spending. On the contrary, he should spend for this cause as much as he can.

This is the spirit that the Quran means to engender into its followers. It is a service for the cause of good in human relations. This verse is further in the context of a jihad, which shows the real and ultimate purpose of fighting in the way of God, i.e. the establishment of a just society, with the promotion of good in human relations. If war is not waged for this purpose alone, as Iqbal says, one sheathes the sword in one's own breast. Unjust wars will ultimately destroy the very nation that waged it. As Malik Bennabi put it, quoting a hadeeth attributed to the Prophet (S), he who digs a well for his neighbor to fall into, that person will fall in himself.

The Quran further teaches the believers, when spending in the cause of God, not to remind people of a charity done to them, for it ruins the very foundation of what spending is all about. It insults the one being given the charity, and it creates a sense of miserliness in the one doing the spending. Can it really be considered that one has understood what zakaah is meant to achieve if one is practicing this attitude? This is an attitude that originates out of a lack of realization that it is "what WE have given them".

Gratitude to God Almighty is the reality of religion. In fact, gratitude is so powerful a motivator in Islam, that it is recognized as the FOUNDATION of worship. The very first words of the Quran are a statement of HAMD, which is nothing but gratitude. It is the realization of the bounties of God that impel in a soul that has not tainted his good nature to state:

"You ALONE WE WORSHIP..."

The Prophet (S) is reported to have stated that the one who is not grateful to others in this world, is not grateful to God Almighty. It is that good nature found in the human soul that leads to GOD. In fact, it would be nothing short of truth to state that the reason the prayers of Muslims lack any spiritual depth is because Muslims no longer possess that depth of humanity. The problem of Muslims is not where one places the hands in prayer, although issues such as this have there place. In Surah Maun, the prayer of the leaders of Quraysh were devoid of humility because of their extreme miserliness and desire to show-off.

"So devastation be to these who pray, who are indifferent to their prayer; who put on a pretentious display, and are stingy even in ordinary items of common use."

Ameen Ahsan Islahi states about this particular verse:

"This verse further delineates their show of false pretense. In fact, it asserts two reasons behind the lack of purity and devotion in their prayers: pretentiousness and miserliness."

(translated by Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

When a person becomes so absorbed in the world, he tends to lose sight of the reality behind it. One becomes so oblivious to the ultimate reality, even prayer becomes a means to achieve even more worldy fame and power. The essence of prayer is humility, and men can become so mean-spirited and so small-minded that even prayer is not left alone for God, but one's own self-interest. One can really understand the condemnation of the Quran when it says regarding this attitude:

"So devastation be to those who pray..."

Islahi (R) then goes on to say regarding these verses:

"Moreover, their miserliness too is an ample proof of the perfunctory nature of their prayer. The real spirit behind the prayer is a feeling of gratitude to the Almighty. A person who is grateful to his Creator can never be a miser or a skinflint. Instead, he is bound to be unselfish and magnanimous. He spends on the deprived and needy, not as a favour on them but because they have a rightful claim on his own wealth. In fact, he is so overwhelmed with this sense of gratitude that fulfilling others needs even at his own expense is a source of tremendous satisfaction to him. From the point of view of the philosophy of religion also, prayer and spending in the way of God have a deep relationship; for the prayer is the foremost manifestation of the feeling of gratitude, and such a prayer subsequently motivates a person to spend on the needy. It can be safely said that the whole edifice of the Shari‘ah is based on these two pillars of faith."

There is nothing complex in the cure given by the Quran of the malady that pervades the whole ummah. Islam is not complex, as I've stated in the past. It is not about sectarian dribble thinking that mud-slinging rhetoric will grant salvation, but as the Quran states over and over again, purification and development of the human personality otherwise called TAZKIYAH leads to salvation, and tazkiyah is based upon sacrifice. To spend in the way of God is a means to elevate one's self to spiritual heights. As Allah says in Surah Taubah:

"Of their goods, take alms, that so you might purify (Taharah) and sanctify (Tazkiyah) them; and pray on their behalf. Indeed, your prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth."

Sadaqah is not benefitting God or His Prophet. I asked Moiz Amjad the following question regarding this verse:

Can you clarify the different implications of the words "taharah" and "tazkiyah" as related to 9:103? Both of them have been used in the Qur'an for purification, and obviously the verse is devoid of redundancy. Can you clarify the differing implications of each word? And can you also clarify taharah and takiyah as it relates to Zakah?

The following response requires no elaboration on the role of spending in the way of God:

Although the words 'Taharah' and 'Tazkiyah' can sometimes be used as synonymous, yet there is a slight difference in the connotation of the two. The word 'Taharah' is used primarily for cleansing and purification from any undesired effects or qualities, while the word 'Tazkiyah', in addition to cleansing and purification, from the undesired effects and qualities, also entails the promotion, development and elevation of any desired qualities. In other words, 'Tazkiyah', in contrast to 'Taharah' is not merely to remove the undesired effects and qualities, but actually to replace such undesired effects and qualities with positive or desired qualities.

When used together, as is the case in Al-Taubah 9: 103, the word 'Taharah' implies cleansing from the undesired attributes, while 'Tazkiyah' implies the development and the elevation of the desired qualities.

In the referred verse, the Prophet (pbuh) is directed to be kind toward those people, who, even though are true in their faith - as against the hypocrites - yet, due to their weaknesses, keep getting involved in sin. The verse directs the Prophet (pbuh) to accept their contributions. This acceptance and kindness of the Prophet (pbuh) and his prayers for their forgiveness, would not only help them overcome their weaknesses (taharah) but would also replace these weaknesses by spiritual and moral strengths (Tazkiyah).

As the Quran states:

"Those who spend from that which We have given them."

Islam is dead.....

2006-03-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

"O assembly of Jinn and men! Did not there come to you messengers from amongst you setting forth to you my signs and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours? They will say: ‘we bear witness against ourselves.’ It was the life of this world that deceived them. So against themselves will they bear witness that they rejected faith."

(6:130, translation Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)

The Quran is very emphatic about it's purpose. Unless a person chooses to be deaf, there is no way possible that he/she can fail to realize that there is something significant about to happen. This event is so tremendous that everything in the heavens and the earth vibrates with anticipation of it. In order for man to realize the significance of this Day, Muhammad (S) stated that the angel Israfeel (AS) is awaiting very anxiously with his lips on the trumpet, ready to produce the sound that would usher in a new stage in the journey of man.

When the trumpet is blown, the heavens will be rent asunder, initiating the events that would culminate into a transformation of the world man sees around him. The Quranic metaphor to describe this rendering is powerful indeed. Allah says the heaven will be stripped bare, revealing a bright red hue as a result of the flames of hell burning in anticipation of the food that will provide more fuel for its fire.

"and when the skies are stripped bare, and when Hell is set ablaze..."

This description permeated the very psyche of the pre-islamic Arabs, because the meat of a camel appears this color, once its skin has been stripped after slaughtering. Further, the stars will scatter because of this rendering, like the pearls which fall and roll on the ground aimlessly after the string of the necklace that held the pearls together, is broken.

"At the time [O People!] when the sky is rent asunder, and when the stars are scattered..."

When the heavens follow the decree of their Lord by initiating this event, the earth will soon follow this cataclysm with it's own submission to God. The earth that was like a camel in which a man rides smoothly in the desert will begin to grumble and shake vigorously as if it had seen a venomous snake. The mountains that hold the earth together will be thrown out of the ground. These 'Eternal Ones', as they were called by the Arabs, would be rent asunder like carded wool. If the most stable phenomenon are destroyed, what to say of those buildings that impress the skyline with their beauty and strength? In Surah Zilzal, Allah, the Almighty, states that the earth will start casting out its burdens.

"[They should remember the Day] when the earth is shaken the way it should be shaken, and it casts forth its burdens."

It seems that the earth that man stands on will no longer be able to tolerate the injustices that were being committed on its shoulders. It seems as if the earth, in a state of torment, because it has been carrying for thousands of years a creature that in its lust for power and wealth destroys life, cannot remain silent anymore. As Javed Ghamidi, describing these burdens, states:

Here, the foremost connotation of the word `burden' is the dead who lie buried in the earth, who will be thrown overboard on the Day of Judgement. But, since the word also has a general denotion therefore, it can also imply the buried riches and treasures as well as any traces of the offences committed by criminals, which they had hidden beneath the earth.

The Quran than proceeds in this surah:

"And man shall cry out: `what is the matter with her?' On that Day, she will narrate all her story at the intimation of your Lord."

She will begin to tell her story to her Lord, because the Lord will inspire her to speak. Allah will address ALL grievances.

"Whatever a person does in this world, is either done upon or beneath the earth. As such it must be regarded as the greatest witness to all his deeds. It is clear that the earth will rehearse everyone's record at the behest of God only. Whatever will happen will happen because the Almighty had ordered it and all will be compelled to obey him."

According to Surah Takwir, when these events happen on that particular Day, men will abandon their camels that are ten-months pregnant. Men will forget about even their most prized possessions on that Day. One should not fail realize that it is usually the lust for wealth that men committed atrocities in the first place. Yet, it is the first thing that is mentioned by Allah that men will forget. How loyal this creature is...

The wild beasts will come together forgetting their enmities. Think about it for a moment. It is within the very NATURE of a tiger to kill a dear, but the events of this Day would be so profound that even the nature of any animal will submit to it. The cataclysm would not be confined to the land, but the seas as well. They will burst forth fulfilling the role that was destined for them on this Day.

All of these events are for ONE purpose, and one purpose alone.

Surah Takwir, after relating this events, states:

"then [O people! each one of you] will know what he has brought forward."

Man is the CENTER of the universe. Even the angels were ordered to bow down before man. The angels fulfill the decrees of their Lord throughout the universe, and this prostration was symbolic that actions of men permeate the universe through and through. Certain COSMIC events happen that are ultimately tied to the destiny of man. The earth that one lives on is a stage in which the audience is beyond anything imagined in this world. Angels are witnessing this drama unfold, as well as the beats on earth and birds in the heavens.

In Islam, actions are of profound significance, even if man chooses to be heedless of them. One cannot escape the deeds of what one has done and psychology teaches that acts shape personality even sub-consciously. Ali (R) stated that one dishonorable act can ruin a thousand years of good deeds. Men indeed shape their judgements about others through their actions.

This is what Islam is about. It is not about sectarian conflicts, nor is the message that thousands of Prophets have carried to various corners of the world a political, social, or economic ideology. Politics and economics submit to Islam, and Islam submits to nothing. In fact, every single obligation of religion is meant to keep this universal event in view. When man stands with his arms folded in devotion to God Almighty, he states before the Lord of the vastness of the Worlds, that Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgement. Guidance is than sought with respect to this event. Prayer is NOT a ritual, but it is an AFFIRMATION of the phenomenon of the Day of Judgement, i.e. the reality of man's purpose. As Iqbal would say to the effect, in every Qiyam, lies resurrection.

When man prays, he reads portions of the Quran which are meant to serve as reminders and lessons of instruction on how man should act. The call of adhan initiates this microcosm of the Last Day, and it is a time of self-introspection.
If prayer does not rectify behavior according to ibn Abbass (R), it increases nothing for man except loss. People can pray continuosly, 10, 20, 30, 40 rakaah a night, but without an understanding of what is being recited and why it is being recited, the benefit for man is little. Muhammad (S) intended to protect man from this situation. He (S) stated that the things that Allah loves best is a deed, even SMALL, done continually. He forbade his followers from standing in prayer, such that they would not realize what they were saying. One time a certain female Sahabah (R) tied herself in such a way that she would prevent herself from falling asleep, and he (S) untied the rope and told his followers to sleep if feeling tired. He (S) stated that one should not come to the masjid running, and that men should come calm, and collected so the state of awareness if strong. If the call to adhan is made, and their is food on the table, Mustapha (S) told men to finish their food. Can men concentrate fully on an growling stomach? THESE ARE NOT RULES, because Islam is not about rules. These acts become rules when the spirit of religion is lost. These acts become the wrangling of scholars when the spirit of religion is lost.

The Quran states emphatically that:

"Those who forgot God, God caused them to forget their own self."

Men become like cattle when they do not realize their purpose, and their actions lose significance in the universal scheme when this realization fades. Allah states that he multiplies a good deed upto 700 times if the intention is pure. A human being should always realize that a deed can impact life in so many ways that men would stand in awe at the results. Blessings unfold in one's life, and contentment settles in one's heart. Unless the principles of belief are internalized, religion becomes mysticism, dogma, sectarianism, and every other man-made garbage that has found some place in this world. If the realization is present:

"God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth."

Everything begins to make sense.

The Quran is not a COMPLEX book like the works of philosophers. But one should not mistake this lack of complexity as an affirmation that the Book is not profound. This would be a mistake of a huge magnitude. Allah, glorious is He, states that He has explained the truth in many different ways so that man takes heed.

To Allah, it is about the INTERNALIZATION OF THE IDEA so that men may transform their conduct.

One must look back at history and compare the impact philosophers made on the world in transforming societies to more noble ideals with that of the impact of Prophets and sages of old. The track-record of the former consists of mainly rendering men into more and more confusion, while the latter, reforming based upon CLEAR SIGHT, shook the foundations of the old order and established new ones. In fact, Prophets were the MOST CREATIVE of men.

This is the essence of religion for man, and this is what it is all about. As Iqbal states:

"This our world", they asked of me,
"Isn´t congenial to thee?"
"Nay", I answered; and they cried,
"Break and strew it far and wide!"

(translated by Ahmed Afzaal)

Without this realization, Islam, as taught by all Prophets, is DEAD.