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The Aim Of Education

The greatest objective of education is to prepare the young generation for leadership.

Islamic education, of course, has the highest objective. The aim of Islamic education is character building. Growth and development of an Islamic personality should be the final goal of any Islamic school. Islamic values are the foundation of the Islamic personality.

As Muslims our educational aim is to develop the personalities of our children fully so that they will be conscious of their responsibility to Allah (the Creator) and to fellow humans. The aims and objectives of Islamic education have been defined in the Recommendation of the Committee of the First World Conference on Muslim Education as:

“Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through training of the human spirit, intellect, rational self, feelings and senses. The training imparted to a Muslim must be such that faith is infused into the whole of his/her personality and creates in him/her an emotional attachment to Islam and enables him to follow the Qur ‘an and Sunnah and be governed by Islamic system of values willingly and joyfully so that he/she may proceed to the realization of his/her status as Khalifatullah to whom Allah has promised the authority of the universe.”
We need to prepare the younger generation having leadership quality and not to be the followers of alien ideologies but to play the role of torchbearer by their excellence in knowledge, character, and positive action.

Some scholars believe that this quality can be developed in Muslim youth by a direct study of the Qur’an with a view to solve the problems of life in its light.

Every Muslim parent is advised to raise his or her children well and properly.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said whoever is not kind to young people is not one of us and the best teaching that a parent can give a child is the teaching of good manners and character.

The Muslim child absorbs the Islamic values from its parents, teachers, peers, friends and the environment, including the care-givers

Nip it in the bud is the best advice. Otherwise once the Muslim child develops undesirable habits and unethical values, it becomes extremely difficult to reform the child into a good Muslim.

5 Things About Dates

The tradition of eating dates during Ramadan dates back to the 7th century when it is said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used the dates to break his fast. Here are some facts about dates:

 

  1. Eating a date after fasting all day helps the body start the digestive process and it gives the body the energy it needs to deal with more complex foods. Dates are also very high in fiber, and fiber will fill one up faster than other foods, and this may help prevent over eating.
  2. For Bedouin Muslims, dates are an incredibly important part of their diet. They are easy to transport, they keep well without refrigeration, they are readily available they are a rich source of vitamins. Dates regularly sold at desert oases and are considered a staple food.
  3. The health benefits of dates are incomparable. Ripe dates contain about 80 percent sugar. These sugars are natural sugars. Sugar travels to the liver faster than anything else, and the sugars are converted to energy faster than other nutrients. Simple sugars are not healthy. Dates contain sugars that come from a complex carbohydrate.
  4. Dates are high in vitamins A, B6, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, iron and natural sodium. They also contain a small amount of protein, some good fats, and additional minerals including copper, sulphur and fluoric acid. They are extremely beneficial for the stomach and for the digestive tract because they can prevent bad parasites and bacteria from infiltrating the digestive tract and causing all sorts of digestive and intestinal problems.
  5. Dates are valuable as medicine for their tonic effect. Milk in which clean and fresh dates have been boiled is a very nourishing and restorative drink to children and adults alike, especially during convalescence.

Why Do We Follow The Sunnah?

Actually, some people claim that the Qur’an is so inclusive that there is no need for the Sunnah (the Prophetic Tradition). They support their claim by citing the Qur’anic verse, “…And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything” (16: 89)

However, this claim is completely wrong and rejected by the Qur’an itself. Allah Almighty says: ” .. And We have sent down unto you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’an)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” (16: 44)

In addition, Allah declares that obeying the Prophet is obligatory, as it is part of obedience to Him (See: 3: 31; 4: 80; 33: 36; 47: 33; etc.) Therefore, it is not proper for a Muslim who knows Islamic law to say that following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not required.

By and large, the Qur’an sets the general rules without details. For example, there is no mention in the Qur’an that there are five obligatory prayers to be performed daily. Nor is the number of rakahs of each prayer specified, as well as the percentage of wealth to be paid in Zakah; the details in the rituals of Haj, and other such ordinances and dealings.

All of these details are elaborately dealt with in the Sunnah.

Avoiding Nightmares And Sleep Disturbances

Most nightmares have their basis in our waking lives. They can stem from something we have seen or from what had been preoccupying our minds during the day. They can be the consequence of stressful or frightening experiences.

Nightmares are most common among small children. Their frequency generally decreases with age up to the time of puberty.

Someone who has a nightmare should not become worried. A major cause of nightmares is eating late at night right before going to sleep.

Apart from that, it is recommended for a Muslim to sleep in a state of ritual purity. This mean it is best to perform wudu (ablution) before going to bed.

It is also recommended to lie on the right side when going to sleep. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to sleep on his right side and instructed his followers to do so.

He said (Sahih al-Bukhari (247) and Sahih Muslim (2710)):

If you come to your sleeping place, perform your ablutions as you would for prayer, then lay down on your right side, then say:

“O Allah, I have submitted myself to You and have entrusted to You my affairs, and I have taken refuge in You, in both hope and fear of You. There is no refuge or sanctuary from You except with You. O Allah! I believe in Your Book that You have revealed and Your Prophet whom You have sent.”

If you die in on this night of yours, then you will be on the natural faith. Make these words the last thing that you utter.

Not Everyone Suits To Be Your Friend

Friends have a large influence on our lives. Islam has emphasized on choosing companions who are upright and noble. The Prophet (peace be upon him said), “Man is on his friend’s religion. Therefore, man should see with whom he is making friends.” (Abu Dawood, no.4815).

Friendship that leads one to Allah’s disobedience is not worth it. Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi mentions in his book Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin (pg. 126-132) some valuable points on this topic:

Know that not everyone is suitable to be your friend. You must verify that this potential friend has the necessary characteristics that make friendship with him something to be desired. The one you seek to befriend must have five characteristics:

• He must be intelligent, as there is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one who understands things as they are, either on his own, or if they are explained to him;

• He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him;

• He must not be a fasiq, as such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted;

• He must not be an innovator, as his over-indulgence innovation is feared from befriending him;

• He should not be eager in seeking the dunya.”

The Islamic Concept Of Life

In Islam, man’s entire individual and social life is an exercise in developing and strengthening his relationship with Allah. The starting point of our religion consists of the acceptance of this relationship by man ‘s intellect and will. Islam means submission to the will of Allah in all aspects of life. The Islamic code of conduct is known as the Shariah. Its sources are the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).

The final Book of Allah and His final Messenger stand today as the repositories of this truth. Everyone who agrees that the concept of Reality expounded by the Prophet, and the Holy Book is true, should step forward and surrender himself to the Will of Allah. It is this submission which is called Islam, the result of Iman in actual life. And those who of their own freewill accept Allah as their Sovereign, surrender to His Divine will and undertake to regulate their lives in accordance with His commandments, are called Muslims.

All those persons who thus surrender themselves are welded into a community and that is how the ‘Muslim Society’ comes into being. It is an ideological society, radically different from those which are founded on the basis of race, color or territory. It is the result of a deliberate choice, the outcome of a ‘contract ‘ which takes place between human beings and their Creator. Those who enter into this contract undertake to recognize Allah as their Sovereign, His guidance as supreme and His injunctions as absolute Law. They also undertake to accept, without question, His word as to what is good or evil, right or wrong, permissible or prohibited. In short, freedoms in the Islamic society are limited by the commandments of the Omniscient Allah. In other words, it is Allah and not man whose will is the primary source of Law in a Muslim society. When such a society comes into existence, the Book and the Messenger prescribe for it a code of life called the Shariah and this society is bound to conform to it by virtue of the contract it has entered into. It is, therefore, inconceivable that a real Muslim society can deliberately adopt any other system of life than that based on the Shariah. If it does so, its contract is ipso facto broken and it becomes ‘un-Islamic. ‘

But we must clearly distinguish between the everyday sins of the individual and a deliberate revolt against the Shariah. The former may not mean a breaking of the contract, while the latter most certainly would. The point that should be clearly understood is that if an Islamic society consciously resolves not to accept the Shariah, and decides to enact its own constitution and laws or borrows them from any other source in disregard of the Shariah, such a society breaks its contract with Allah and forfeits its right to be called ‘Islamic. ‘

Refuge In Allah Alone

 

SEEKING refuge with Allah against things a person fears or is cautious about is one of the aspects of worship.

Allah mentions in the Qur’an:

Say: “I seek refuge with (Allah), the Lord of the daybreak. (Qur’an, 113:1)… until the end of the Surah.

Also, (Allah said about Musa in the Qur’an):

Musa (Moses) said: “Verily, I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant who believes not in the Day of Reckoning!” (Qur’an, 40:27)

Also, in the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Whoever comes to rest at a place says this supplication – ‘I seek protection in Allah’s complete words from the evil that He has created’ – nothing shall harm him until he moves from that place where he is.”

Allah also informed us that the Mushrikeen (polytheists) who the Prophet (peace be upon him) fought against, used to seek refuge in deities other than Allah. Whoever seeks refuge in the Jinn, the dwellers of the graves, the dead, or an angel so that they may avert some harm from him or bring some benefit, then seeking refuge in the created being in this way is something which is not permissible because Isti’adhah (seeking refuge) is an act of worship and should be directed to Allah alone.

Allah said:

“And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression.” (Qur’an, 72:6)