October 2021
The Meaning Of Victory And Defeat
In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful
We shall indeed support Our messengers and the believers both in this world’s life and on the Day when all the witnesses shall stand up. On that Day their excuses will be of no avail to the wrongdoers: Their fate will be rejection, and they will have the worst of homes. And indeed, We bestowed Our guidance on Moses and passed down the Book to the Children of Israel as a guide and a reminder to people of understanding. Therefore, remain patient in adversity, for God’s promise always comes true. Ask forgiveness for your sins, and extol your Lord’s glory and praise evening and morning. (The Forgiving; 40: 51-55)
What constitutes victory? What is meant by defeat? We need to review our concepts and our sense of values before we ask about whether God’s promise to His messengers and to believers comes true in this present life?
Yet there are many situations where victory takes its familiar form, particularly when such form is linked to a permanent one. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) achieved victory in his lifetime because his victory was necessary for the establishment of the faith in its full reality in human life. This faith of ours can only be brought to its fullness when it governs the life of its community. It can, thus, conduct all affairs, from those of a single heart and soul to those of state and government. It was God’s will that the Messenger preaching this faith should triumph during his own lifetime, so that he could establish the full form of the Islamic faith, leaving a real example for future generations. Thus, the familiar form of victory was linked in his case to a much wider one, and the two were united by God’s will and according to His planning.
Another point to consider is that God’s promise is given to His messengers and to believers. Thus, a prerequisite for victory is the presence of true faith in people’s hearts so as to make the promise applicable to them. Yet people often overlook the significance of the truth of faith, which comes into existence only when people remove all forms of idolatry.
There are some very subtle forms of idolatry that can only be purged when a person is totally devoted to God, relies on Him alone, and submits totally to His will in all affairs.
He then feels that God guides his footsteps and that he chooses nothing other than what God has chosen for him. Thus, he accepts God’s will with contentment. When a person attains this state, he does not suggest to God any particular form of victory. He leaves the matter to God to determine. He accepts whatever befalls him as good. This is one of the meanings of victory. It is victory over one’s pleasures and desires. It is an internal victory, one that is prerequisite for achieving the external victory: “We shall indeed support Our messengers and the believers both in this world’s life and on the Day when all the witnesses shall stand up. On that Day their excuses will be of no avail to the wrongdoers: their fate will be rejection, and they will have the worst of homes.”
We have seen in the previous image drawn how the excuses advanced by the wrongdoers were of little use to them, and how they were rejected and made to dwell in the worst of homes. Moses’ story shows yet another form of victory: “And indeed, We bestowed Our guidance on Moses, and passed down the Book to the Children of Israel as a guide and a reminder to people of understanding.” Providing guidance and passing the book down to them was a form of victory that clearly reflects the breadth of its scope.
The final note in this part of the surah is given in the form of a directive to the Prophet and the believers facing much hardship in Makkah, and to all future generations of believers who face such hardship: “Therefore, remain patient in adversity, for God’s promise always comes true. Ask forgiveness for your sins, and extol your Lord’s glory and praise evening and morning.” Remain patient in adversity, whether this adversity takes the form of rejection of the message, denying its truth, or the infliction of physical harm. Remain patient when you are unable to check falsehood that appears to enjoy wealth and power for a period of time. Bear with patience what you have to face of people’s rough attitudes and behavior. Check your own desire to achieve a quick victory. Remain patient as you may have to face many difficulties caused by friends, if not by enemies.
“Remain patient in adversity, for God’s promise always comes true.” It may appear slow coming; matters may become complicated; prospects may become gloomy, yet it is the promise of the One who can fulfill it, and whose will it has been to make the promise. As you go along your way, take the necessary equipment: “Ask forgiveness for your sins, and extol your Lord’s glory and praise evening and morning.” This is what is of most benefit along the hard way of patience; seeking forgiveness of one’s sins and extolling God’s praise and glory. While this serves to refine our hearts and feelings, it also ensures a positive response. Indeed, it is through such seeking of forgiveness and extolling of God’s praise and glory that victory is achieved within ourselves, to be followed by victory in life.
The evening and morning are specified either as a reference to all-time, since these are the two ends of the day, or because these are times when hearts are calm and reflective. They can, thus, appreciate God’s greatness better.
Such is the way, then, that God has chosen to provide the necessary equipment for achieving victory.
– By NAUSHAD SHAMIM AL-HAQ
Hubb-i Fillah Ve bugd-i Fillah
What Pledges Were Required Of Muslims
To give a pledge is to make an undertaking of serious and important nature. In Islam, a pledge, or bay’ah, has a special place as it signifies the serious commitment that a Muslim violates at his own peril. He will have to answer to none other than God for such a violation. Therefore, Muslims take their pledges very seriously, knowing that a breach of the commitment cannot be overlooked. In the early days of Islam, those who joined the Muslim ranks and declared their belief in the Islamic message gave their pledges to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him).
The term of the pledge new Muslims gave to the Prophet are well defined. Ubadah ibn Al-Samit reports: “I was one of the headmen who gave their pledges to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him). We pledged that we would never associate any partners with God, steal, commit adultery, kill anyone without proper cause, take away other people’s property, or disobey God’s orders. Should we fulfill our pledges, we would be rewarded with admittance into heaven, but if we commit any violation, then judgment for such violation is up to God.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Another version of the same statement is given by Al-Tabari quoting Ubadah as saying: “We were with the Prophet when he said to us: ‘Pledge to me that you would never associate partners with God, steal or commit adultery. Whoever of you fulfills his pledges will have his reward with God, and whoever commits any violation and it remains concealed, his case will be judged by God who may forgive or punish him as He pleases.”
In both versions, Ubadah ibn Al-Samit is referring to the first pledge, or bay’ah, given by the Ansar, the new Muslims from Madinah, to the Prophet. We need to clarify that the first people from the Ansar to accept Islam were six individuals who met the Prophet during the pilgrimage season in year 11 of the start of the Islamic message. This means two years before the immigration of the Prophet and his companions from Makkah to Madinah, the event that signifies the start of the Islamic calendar. The Ansar were the people of Madinah who accepted Islam and pledged their support to the Prophet, earning this title, Ansar, which means “supporters”. When the six people accepted Islam, they did not give any special pledge to the Prophet other than to fulfill Islamic requirements and observe Islamic values.
The following year, twelve people from Madinah, including the first six, met the Prophet in the pilgrimage season and declared themselves Muslims. It was then that the Prophet accepted their pledges to which the reports given above refer. No one was given the status of being a headman on this occasion. In the next pilgrimage season, i.e. year 13 of the beginning of the Islamic message, a total of 73 men and two women from the Ansar met the Prophet at Aqabah in Mina and pledged their full support to him, requesting him to join them in their city. This signaled the start of the Muslims’ immigration from Makkah to Madinah where the first Islamic state was established. It was during this third meeting that the Prophet asked for headmen to be chosen and 12 such headmen were named, including the reporter of the Hadith.
In the last of these pledges, with the larger number of the Ansar giving it, they pledged extending full protection to the Prophet when he arrived in their city, declaring their readiness to fight and repel any aggression. As for the first pledge, mentioned in the reports quoted above, this included no promise of fighting and no mention of the Prophet’s immigration. A full statement of the terms of this pledge is also given by Ubadah ibn Al-Samit: “We were eleven men at the time of the first pledge at Aqabah. We gave to God’s Messenger the pledge given by women: that ‘we will associate no partners with God, and will never steal, commit adultery, perpetrate any falsehood with regard to the parenthood of our children, kill our children or disobey him in any reasonable matter.’ Whoever of us fulfills his pledges will be rewarded with heaven, and whoever commits any violation his case will be judged by God who may forgive or punish him, as He pleases.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
These terms of the pledge are known in Islam as the “pledge of women” because they are specified as the terms women should give when they pledge their loyalty to the Prophet and commit themselves to Islam. They are specifically mentioned in Verse 12 of Surah 60 in the Qur’an. They provide a complete framework of Islamic morality and Islamic life, which should maintain the highest standard of honesty and truthfulness, as well as fair dealing. The first item in the pledge is the one no Muslim can violate, “never to associate any partner with God.” Should anyone violate this condition, he is not a Muslim, because Islam lays maximum emphasis on monotheism. No one can ever be thought of as equal to God in any way, and no one can be given a divine status. Stealing and adultery are two of the worst crimes that Islam strictly forbids. They are indeed forbidden in all divine religions. The fourth term of the pledge prohibits the fabrication of any falsehood with regard to the parenthood of children. This refers to a situation in which a woman gets pregnant in an adulterous relation and claims that the child belongs to her husband. The next pledge committed those Muslims never to kill their children. This is important in all societies, particularly where poor people often kill children shortly after their birth. It was specifically important in those early days of Islam when the Arabs often resorted to killing their daughters for fear of poverty or shame. The last term of the pledge committed Muslims to obey the Prophet in every good cause. Needless to say, the Prophet never ordered anyone to do anything other than what is good. Indeed, he taught us every good thing, upheld every moral value, and established every honorable principle. He never espoused anything that could cause anyone to shy away or to feel uneasy about. He was the epitome of all goodness.
Dua Mangne Ki Targheeb, Fazail Aur Qabooliyat
Justice and Compassion: the Basic Shariah Rules
SHARIAH is the law of Allah. It shows the Muslim how to remain a Muslim. It is the only course that really organizes the life of both individuals and communities. It shows man how to obey his Creator and how to behave toward his fellow human beings, Muslims and non-Muslims.
Almighty Allah says: “Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice) and Al-Ihsan ( i.e. to be patient in performing our duties to Allah), and giving (help) to kith and kin and forbids Al-Fahsha (i.e. all evil deeds) and Al-Munkar (all that is prohibited) and Al-Baghy (all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed.” (An-Nahl 16:90)
This verse is known as the most comprehensive verse of the Qur’an. It summarizes basic Islamic principles and values: Adl (justice) and Ihsan (compassion). These should be the overriding principles for everything that we say and everything that we do, individually or collectively.
The Nature of Shariah
Shariah is the law of Allah. It is different from laws in the common sense of the word. Shariah is the law that is based on ethics. Its basic values are permanent and universal. Shariah deals with the outward and inward. The rules of Shariah cannot be observed without sincerity, true intention, love, and respect for the law and the Law-Giver, Allah.
Purpose of Shariah
The purpose of Shariah is to make good persons and a good society. Its whole objective is ethical and moral. Shariah establishes what is good and beautiful. If something is not moral (good and beautiful), it is not part of Shariah. It is also impossible to implement the Shariah without becoming a good person. A society that establishes Shariah must become a good and beautiful society.
It is impossible to have a society compliant to Shariah and have injustice, ugliness, and evil in it. It is also impossible to have a good Muslim who is unjust, unfair, unfaithful, and immoral.
Ibn Al-Qayyim in his famous book of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) says: “The Shariah is founded and based on wisdom and the good of people in this life and in the eternal life. Shariah is altogether justice, mercy, benefits, and wisdom. Any rule that departs from justice to oppression, from mercy to its opposite, from benefit to harm, and from wisdom to uselessness, is not from the Shariah, even if it is included in Shariah by interpretation.”
When we follow the rules of Shariah we must keep in mind the objectives of Shariah. Very often we follow the rules but we ignore and overlook the spirit and real purpose of the rules.
1. For example the Qur’an speaks about Taharah (purification), Ghusl (purificatory bath), and Wudu (ablution). We take these rules and apply them, but we do not take the objective of cleanliness very seriously.
2. We pray in Jamaah (congregation), but we have not learned the system of organization from our Salah.
3. We give zakah, but we have not been able to establish a system of social justice.
4. We go to Haj, but we have not been able to develop a unified Ummah, a community that transcends nationalistic divisions.
5. We recite the Qur’an many times, but we do not try to understand its meaning and message.
6. We talk of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but mostly related to some appearances. We pay little attention to the Prophet’s character of love, kindness, honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, fulfilling the promises, etc.
Our Responsibility
It is our responsibility to know the rules of Allah and put them into practice with sincerity. But before anything, we should ask ourselves: Are we really practicing justice? Are we really fair to others, to our spouses, to our relatives, to our neighbors, employees, employers, to Muslims, to other human beings, to animals, to anything and everything? Are we really compassionate people? Are we really increasing in compassion or are we becoming angry, hateful, arrogant, or complacent about ourselves? We must improve ourselves in justice and compassion. If we do not have Adl and Ihsan or Rahmah (mercy), then we are not practicing the Shariah. Similarly, if we think that we are following the law of Allah but the result is injustice and lack of compassion, then it means that we have not properly understood the law of Allah or we are not interpreting it right.
Ghusa Aur Takabur
Give Women A Status That They Have Never Enjoyed In Any Other Religion
AFTER marriage, the true Muslim adheres to the Islamic injunction to treat his wife well. The Islamic recommendations concerning women, and the way in which Islam encourages men to respect them, are nothing short of amazing.
Islam recommends men treat women well and give them a status that they have never enjoyed in any other religion. So we see the Prophet (peace be upon him) admonishing all men:
“Treat women kindly, for woman was created from a rib. The part of it that is most bent is the top. If you try to straighten it you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain bent. So treat women kindly.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
According to a report given by Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Woman is like a rib: if you try to straighten it you will break it, and if you enjoy her (or your relationship with her), you will do so in spite of her crookedness.”
According to a report given by Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) also said:
“Woman was created from a rib. She will never be straightforward and consistent for you in any way. If you enjoy her (or your relationship with her), you will do so in spite of her crookedness. If you try to straighten her, you will break her, and her breaking is her divorce.”
This description is given by the Prophet (peace be upon him) eloquently describes the reality and nature of women. She will not remain consistent in the way her husband may wish, but the Muslim husband must understand that this is her nature, the way she has been created. He should not try to straighten her in the way he feels is correct, but he should respect her unique feminine nature and accept her the way Allah made her, complete with the “crookedness” that means that she will not be as he wishes in some aspects. If he insists on straightening her and molding her to his wishes, it will be like trying to straighten a bent rib: it will break in his hands, and the breaking of a woman is divorce (i.e., the matter will end in divorce).
When the Muslim husband truly follows this guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which is based on a deep understanding of the psychology and nature of women, he will tolerate his wife’s mistakes and turn a blind eye to her faults, recognizing that these are part of her nature. Thus the marital home will be safe and calm, free from shouting or arguments.
We may note that in the Hadith quoted above, the Prophet (peace be upon him) started with the words “Treat women kindly,” then after analyzing the nature of woman, he ended with the same words: “Treat women kindly.”
How great was the concern of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for women, and how deep was his understanding of their psychology! Does the sincere Muslim husband have any choice but to follow this guidance and put it into practice at every moment?
The Prophet’s concern for women reached such an extent that he did not forget to remind Muslims to treat them kindly, in his farewell sermon (khutbat hijjat al-wadaa) This is the khutbah in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) reiterated the essential points of Islam when he realized that this was the last time he would stand and address the Muslims during Haj. He did not omit to advise Muslims to treat women kindly, beginning his words concerning women with a warning that is indicative of his care and concern:
“…Interact with women kindly, for they are prisoners and you have no other power over them than that, if they are guilty of open lewdness, then refuse to share their beds, and beat them, but not severely, but if they return to obedience, (then) seek not against them means of annoyance. You have rights over your women and they have rights over you. Your right over them is that they should not entertain at your hearth (or commit adultery with) anyone whom you dislike, and not to allow into your home anyone whom you dislike, and their right over you is that you should feed and clothe them well.”
This is good advice, in which every sincere Muslim husband recognizes the wisdom of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in defining the rights and duties of husband and wife in a framework of mercy and compassion towards women which leaves no room for even thinking of oppressing or harming one’s wife.
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Zulm-O-Sitam
Keep Away From Mutual Enmity
When a quarrel intensifies and its roots go deeper, its thorns become branches that only increase in number. Faith is adversely affected. Softness, sympathy, satisfaction, and peace, which are encouraged by Islamic teachings, receive a setback. Worship loses its righteousness and one may get no benefit out of it.
Many a time mutual quarrels perturb the persons who claim to be wise. When this happens, they take recourse to lowly and superficial things and sometimes indulge in dangerous acts which only increase difficulties. When a man is displeased, his eyes become prejudiced. Such eyes do not appreciate the beauty of the peacock, for they only see its ugly feet and claws.
If a slight defect is present, he makes a mountain out of a molehill. And sometimes the internal rancor and jealousy affect him so badly that he does not hesitate in inventing imaginary stories. Islam disapproves of all these manifestations of ill-feeling. In fact, avoiding them has been declared as the most virtuous form of worship.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Listen, may I not tell you something more important than Salah, fasting, and charity?” The people requested him to do so. He said:
“To keep the mutual relationship on the right footing, because a defect in a mutual relationship is a thing which shaves a thing clean. I do not mean that it shaves the hair, but that it shaves (removes) the religion.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
Satan may not be able to persuade wise men to worship idols, but since he is very keen to misguide and ruin men, he manages to succeed in driving them away from Allah, so much so that these wise men become more indifferent in respecting the rights of Allah than the idolaters themselves! The method the devil uses best for this purpose is that he sows seeds of enmity in the hearts of people. When this enmity develops into a fire that results in open hostility, he enjoys the scene. This fire burns man’s present and future into ashes and totally destroys his relationship and virtues.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Satan has been disappointed that he would not be worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula, but he has not been disappointed from kindling the fire of fighting among the people.” (Sahih Muslim)
This happens when wickedness takes roots in the hearts, so people start hating love and brotherhood. When such virtues are destroyed, people revert to cruelty and enmity. They break all relations and ties that Allah has commanded to be upheld and end up spreading corruption on earth.
– Adapted from The Muslim Character
– By Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali