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February 2020

Allah Loves Constant Deeds

[Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 76, Number 472 & 470]
Narrated ‘Aisha (Radi Allah Anha): The Prophet (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) was asked, “What deeds are loved most by Allah?” He said, “The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few.”

Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu): Allah’s Apostle (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, “The deeds of anyone of you will not save you (from the (Hell) Fire).” They said, “Even you (will not be saved by your deeds), O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “No, even I (will not be saved) unless and until Allah bestows His Mercy on me. Therefore, do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target (Paradise).”

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of ALLAH: for without doubt in the remembrance of ALLAH do hearts find satisfaction.”
(Surah Ra’d, 13:28 – The Holy Qur’an)

Sayings Of The Holy Prophet

• “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded.” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, No. 38)

• “It is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing.” (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1011)

• “Anyone who believes in God and the Last Day (of Judgment) should not harm his neighbor. Anyone who believes in God and the Last Day should entertain his guest generously. And anyone who believes in God and the Last Day should say what is good or keep quiet.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, No. 47)

• “Seven kinds of people will be sheltered under the shade of God on the Day of Judgment…They are: A just ruler, a young man who passed his youth in the worship and service of God…one whose heart is attached to the mosque…two people who love each other for the sake of God…a man who is invited to sin…but declines, saying ‘I fear God’…one who spends his charity in secret, without making a show…and one who remembers God in solitude so that his eyes overflow.” (Riyadh-us-Salaheen, Hadith 376)

• “It is better for any of you to carry a load of firewood on his own back than begging from someone else.” (Riyadh-us-Saleheen, Chapter 59, Hadith 540)

• “‘…what is the best type of Jihad (struggle).’ He answered: ‘Speaking truth before a tyrannical ruler.’” (Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:195)

• “…you should show courtesy and be cordial with each other, so that nobody should consider himself superior to another nor do him harm.” (Riyadh-us-Saleheen. Hadith 602)

• “(Each one) of you should save himself from the fire by giving even half of a date (in charity). And if you do not find a half date, then (by saying) a pleasant word (to your brethren).” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadith 394)

• “In the name of God, I put my trust in God. O God, I seek refuge in Thee lest I stray or be led astray or cause injustice or suffer injustice or do wrong or have wrong done to me!” (Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2, No. 67b)

• “Righteousness is good morality, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul and which you dislike people finding out about.” (An-Nawawi’s “Forty Hadith,” Hadith 27)

• “Do not turn away a poor man…even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near you…God will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection.” (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1376)

• “Avoid cruelty and injustice…and guard yourselves against miserliness, for this has ruined nations who lived before you.” (Riyadh-us-Salaheen, Hadith 203)

The Secret Of Happiness

So important is the concept of ‘happiness’ in our lives that many people – even dating back to the days of the Greek philosophers – considered its pursuit to be the very purpose of existence.

The Qur’an speaks of happiness as being one of the rewards of those whom Allah chooses to admit to Paradise.

Allah says of the martyrs:

They rejoice (Fariheena) in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty. (Aal-‘Imraan, verse 170)

And for the pious believers He says:

“So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadratan (a light of beauty) and joy.” (Qur’an, 76:11)

What becomes immediately apparent upon reading the Arabic text (but once again obscured in the translation) is that two very different words have been used to convey the idea of happiness: ‘Fariheena’, which is conjugated from the noun ‘Farah’, and ‘Suroor’, and this is prevalent throughout the Qur’an. This is because there are two very different types of happiness being referred to.

‘Farah’ generally refers to transitory delights or pleasures, as is the case in bodily or worldly pleasure. For this reason, most times that ‘Farah’ appears in the Qur’an, it is being censured, as in the story of Qaroon:

“…Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allah’s Favors).” (Qur’an, 28:76)

But when the source of the ‘Farah’ is specified in the Qur’an, as in the verse from Aal-‘Imraan mentioned above, the meaning becomes restricted (Muqayyad) and it is no longer censured.

But perhaps a greater distinction between the two lies in the manifestation of the happiness. The expression of ‘Farah’ is external and with clear outward signs. ‘Suroor’ refers to the expansion of one’s heart with delight or pleasure wherein is quiet or tranquility, and as such it has no external sign. This is indicated by the root from which the word stems – ‘Seen’ and ‘Raa’ – the same root as the word ‘Sirr’, which means secret. So ‘Suroor’ is a secret happiness, known to one’s heart but not always seen by others, as Ibn ‘Abbas said in reference to the above verse from Al-Insaan, “The Nadrah is on their faces, and the ‘Suroor’ is in their hearts.”

Such distinctions exemplify yet another example in which the translation fails and the original prevails.

– By Ola Shoubaki – has a Masters in Arabic linguistics from the International Islamic University, Malaysia

Why Was The Holy Qur’an Revealed Over 23 Years?

It is important to note that if the Qur’an had been revealed all at once, people would ask, “Why was it sent down all at once and not in stages?” The ultimate answer to such questions lies with Allah, the All-Wise and All-Knowing. Our decisions are based on a very limited viewpoint, as we are limited creatures.

The Divine decree, on the other hand, considers everything – our moral and spiritual well-being, worldly happiness, and both the present and future – and weaves the whole into a single pattern that is coherent with grace and wisdom. Thus, the benefit we derive from the Divine commandments is immeasurable, and the blessing that flows from obeying them is beyond our imagination. And so it is with the method that Allah chose to reveal the Qur’an.

The Revelation began when it was time for humanity to reach maturity. The Prophet’s mission and that of his community was to become the most complete, progressive, and dynamic exemplars for humanity, and to achieve such a level of advancement that they would be the masters and guides for all subsequent people.

But these reformers first had to be reformed. Their qualities and characters had been conditioned by the surrounding non-Islamic environment, where their ancestors had been living for centuries. Islam was to turn their good qualities into qualities of unsurpassed excellence and to purge their bad qualities and habits in such a way that they would never reappear.

If the Qur’an had been revealed all at once, how would they have reacted to its prohibitions and commandments? Certainly they would have been unable to understand, let alone accept and apply them in the ideal manner. This lack of gradualism would have been self-defeating, as proven by history. Wherever Islam was taken, it spread gradually but steadily, and so became firmly established.

We see people all around us who cannot free themselves from their bad habits and addictions. If you confined such people, even if you convinced them to abandon their habits for their own benefit, they would not be happy with you. On the contrary, they would feel angry, bored, and irritated. They would complain and try to escape from your program of reform so that they could revert to their habits as soon as possible. All the arguments and documented evidence put forth by specialists and experts would not persuade them to change. Even those who are cured occasionally suffer a relapse. Indeed, some of those who campaign against harmful habits, such as smoking and consuming alcohol, still indulge in them!

Remember that the Qur’an came to change not one or two habits; it came to change everything zways of living and dying, marrying, buying and selling, settling disputes, and how to perceive one’s relation with the Creator, and more. Given the scope of the change envisioned, we can begin to grasp why it was revealed in stages.

The gradual revelation of the Qur’an prepared the people to accept and then live the virtues, excellent manners, and lofty aspirations it demanded. That so much was achieved in only 23 years is a miracle. As Said Nursi said, “I wonder if the scholars of today were to go to the Arabian peninsula, could they accomplish in 100 years even one percent of what the Prophet accomplished in one year?”

Current campaigns to eradicate a peripheral vice, such as smoking, employ famous scholars, individuals, institutions, and the whole network of mass media, yet they still result in overall failure. If 20 fewer people die on the road per year after a campaign against alcohol, it is considered a great success. What the Prophet accomplished, at God’s bidding, over 23 years far surpasses what all of humanity has managed to achieve since that time.

The Qur’an was revealed in stages so that its audience could understand, internalize, and apply its prohibitions, commands, and reforms. Revelation came when the need for guidance arose, without discouraging or grinding down morale, warning and condemnation preceded prohibition and appeal and exhortation preceded command. For instance, alcohol and other intoxicating drinks were prohibited in three or four stages; female infanticide in two stages; uniting warring tribes and building up a close-knit society based on brotherhood, thus raising the collective consciousness, in several stages. These difficult reforms were not gestured at or expressed in slogans, they were actually achieved.

Today, we design our projects according to past experience and future possibilities. Taking possible social and economic fluctuations into account, we make our plans flexible in order to leave room for any necessary modifications. Just like a young tree, the early Muslims grew slowly, adapting gradually to new conditions and thus developing naturally. Every day new people were coming into Islam.

New Muslims had to learn many things, they had to reach an Islamic consciousness, train themselves to act upon Islam, and thus become members of a society rather than separate individuals or mutually hostile clans. Their characters, personalities, and their whole lives, were reshaped and reordered in accordance with Islamic precepts and the Qur’anic guidance.

Such was the magnitude of their spiritual, moral, intellectual, and even physical regeneration. This transformation was achieved through a balanced synthesis of worldly life and spiritual advancement, and it happened gradually, slowly yet continuously, and harmoniously.

Stress And Depression: The Results Of Not Abiding By The Religion

“But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one…” (Qur’an, 20:124)

When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Qur’an, 6:125)

The failure of irreligious people in submitting themselves to Allah causes them to be in a constant state of ill-ease, anxiety and stress. As a consequence, they are afflicted by various psychological illnesses which reveal themselves in their physical selves. Their bodies wear down more quickly, and they age rapidly and  degenerate.

However, since believers are psychologically healthy, they do not fall prey to stress, or despondence, and their bodies are ever fit and healthy. The positive effects of their submitting to Allah, their trust in Him and fortitude, looking for the good in all things, and accepting what happens with the hope of His promise, are reflected in their physical selves. This, of course, applies only to those who live by the moral values of the Qur’an, and who truly comprehend the religion. Of course, they may fall ill and eventually grow old, but this natural process does not involve the psychological breakdown it does in others.

Stress and depression, regarded as the diseases of our time, not only cause psychological harm, but also manifests themselves in various physical defects. The common stress and depression-related problems are some forms of mental illness, drug addiction, insomnia, skin, stomach and blood pressure disorders, colds, migraines, a number of bone diseases, kidney imbalances, respiratory difficulties, allergies, heart attacks, and brain swelling. Of course, stress and depression are not the only causes of these, but it has been scientifically proven that the origins of problems such as these are usually psychological.

Stress, which afflicts so many, is a state of mental anxiety caused by such feelings as fear, insecurity, overexcitement, worry and other pressures, that damages the body’s equilibrium. When people become victims of stress, their bodies react and sound the alarm, and various biochemical reactions in the body are initiated: The level of adrenaline in the bloodstream rises; energy consumption and bodily reactions reach their maximum levels; sugar, cholesterol and fatty acids are deposited into the bloodstream; blood pressure rises and the pulse accelerates. When glucose is sent to the brain, cholesterol levels rise, and that all spells trouble for the body.

Because chronic stress, in particular, alters the normal functions of the body, it can cause serious harm. Due to stress, adrenalin and cortisol levels in the body rise to abnormal levels. Long-term increases in cortisol levels lead to the premature appearance of disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, ulcers, respiratory diseases, eczema and psoriasis. The effects of high cortisol levels may even include the killing off of brain cells. The disorders caused by stress are described as follows in one source:
There is an important relationship between stress and the tension and pain it gives rise to. The tension caused by stress leads to narrowing of the arteries, disruption of the flow of blood to certain regions of the head and a reduction in the amount of blood flowing to that region. If a tissue is deprived of blood this leads directly to pain, because a tense tissue on one side probably requiring greater amounts of blood and on the other side already having insufficient blood supply stimulates special pain receptors. At the same time substances such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, which affect the nervous system during stress, are secreted. These directly or indirectly increase and accelerate the tension in the muscles. Thus pain leads to tension, tension to anxiety, and anxiety intensifies pain.

However, one of the most detrimental effects of stress is heart attacks. Research shows that aggressive, nervous, anxious, impatient, competitive, hostile and irritable people have a much higher incidence of heart attacks than people less inclined to these traits.

The reason for this is that extreme stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, initiated by the hypothalamus, also causes excessive secretion of insulin, and therefore the accumulation of insulin in the blood. This is a matter of vital importance. Because, none of the conditions that lead to coronary heart disease play such a definitive and harmful role as excess insulin in the blood.

Scientists have recognized that the higher the level of stress, the more the positive effects of the red cells in the blood are weakened. According to an experiment developed by Linda Naylor, head of the Oxford University’s technology transfer company, the negative effect of stress levels on the immune system can now be measured.

There is a close relationship between stress and the immune system. Physiological stress has an important effect on the immune system and results in its deterioration. When under stress, the brain increases production of the cortisol hormone in the body, which weakens the immune system. To put it another way, there is a direct relationship between the brain, the immune system and hormones. Experts in the field state:
Studies on psychological or physical stress have revealed that at times of intense stress there is a fall in immunity response linked to the hormonal balance. It is known that the emergence and strength of many illnesses including cancer is linked to stress.

In short, stress harms a human being’s natural equilibrium. Constant exposure to this abnormal condition impairs the body’s health, and leads to a wide variety of disorders. Experts classify the negative effects of stress on the human body under the following basic categories:
– Anxiety and Panic: A feeling that events are spiralling out of control
– Constantly increasing perspiration
– Voice changes: Stammering, trembling speech
– Hyperactivity: Sudden explosions of energy, weak diabetic control
– Sleeping difficulty: Nightmares
– Skin diseases: Spots, acne, fever, psoriasis and eczema
– Gastrointestinal indications: Indigestion, nausea, ulcers
– Muscular tension: Grinding or locking teeth, aches in the jaw, back, neck and shoulders
– Low intensity infections: Colds etc.
– Migraine
– Palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure
– Kidney imbalances, holding water
– Respiratory disorders, shortness of breath
– Allergies
– Joint pains
– Dry mouth and throat
– Heart attack
– Weakening of the immune system
– Shrinkage in the brain region
– Feelings of guilt and lack of self-confidence
– Confusion, inability to analyse correctly, poor thinking ability, weak memory
– Extreme pessimism, believing that everything is going badly
– Difficulty in moving or staying still, constant rhythm beating
– Inability to concentrate or difficulty in so doing
– Irritability, extreme sensitivity
– Irrationality
– Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
– Loss of or increased appetite

The fact that those who fail to abide by religious moral values experience “stress” is revealed by Allah in the Qur’an:
“But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one …” (Qur’an, 20:124)

In another verse, Allah has revealed that “… the earth became narrow for them, for all its great breadth, and their own selves became constricted for them and they realized that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him…” (Qur’an, 9:118)

This “dark and narrow” life, or stress, to give it the current name, is the outcome of non-believers’ failure to abide by the moral values imparted by faith. Today, doctors maintain that a calm and self-assured composure are essential for protection from the effects of stress. A calm and peaceful disposition is only possible by living according to the Qur’an. Indeed, it has been revealed in many verses of the Qur’an that Allah imparts “serenity” upon the believers. (Qur’an, 2:248, 9:26, 40, 48:4, 18) Our Lord’s promise to the faithful has been revealed as follows:
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did . (Qur’an, 16:97)