Aspects of God’s Grace
And among His signs is that He sends forth the winds bearing good news, so that He might give you a taste of His grace, and that ships might sail at His bidding; so that you might go about in quest of some of His bounty, and that you might have cause to be grateful. We have certainly sent before you messengers to their own peoples, and they brought them clear evidence of the truth. Therefore, We inflicted punishment upon those who deliberately did evil. It is incumbent upon Us to give support to the believers. It is God who sends forth the winds so that they raise clouds, whereupon He spreads them as He wills across the skies, and causes them to break up so that you can see the rain issuing from within it. As soon as He causes it to fall upon whomever He wills of His servants, they rejoice, even though a short while ago, before it was sent down upon them, they had abandoned all hope. Behold, then, the effects of God’s grace: how He gives life to the earth after it had been lifeless! It is indeed He the One who can bring the dead back to life; for He has power over all things. (The Byzantines, Al-Room: 30: 46-50)
In this passage, the surah speaks of some of God’s signs and how they reflect His grace. God’s signs here include the winds as heralds bearing good news, sending messengers with clear signs, giving support to believers, sending rain to give life to dead land and bringing the dead back to life. This combination is very significant. All these are aspects of God’s mercy and grace, and they are all part of the laws God has set in operation. Indeed there are close links between the system of the universe, the messages of divine guidance preached by God’s messengers, and the victory granted to the believers. All these are among God’s signs, and aspects of His grace. They are important to human life, and they are closely related to the universal system.
“And among His signs is that He sends forth the winds bearing good news.” These winds herald rain. From experience, people know the winds that bring rains, which raise their hopes. “So that He might give you a taste of His grace,” with this prospect of rain, fertility and growth . “And that ships might sail at His bidding,” either with the help of rain or by causing rivers to flow and allowing ships to sail on them. Yet the ships are actually run by God’s bidding, according to the laws He operates in the universe, giving everything its qualities and functions. An aspect of this is that ships are easily carried by water and they float and move, pushed by the wind, either with or against the current. With Him everything is made to measure. “So that you might go about in quest of some of His bounty,” on your business travels, in cultivating the land, and in business exchanges. All this is part of God’s bounty, given by the One who has created everything and perfectly proportioned them all so “that you might have cause to be grateful,” for His grace is in all this. This comment at the end of the verse serves as an indication of how people should behave when they receive God’s bounty.
Why Pay Zakat
ZAKAT (almsgiving) is a required charity of a Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is given by free Muslims (not slaves), who have a certain amount of wealth. “…And perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and lend to Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you send before you for yourselves (i.e. Nawafil non-obligatory acts of worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Haj and ‘Umrah), you will certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward. And seek Forgiveness of Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.” (Qur’an 73:20).
In the verse quoted above, and at numerous other places in the Qur’an, Muslims are directed to pay Zakat from their wealth. Zakat in Islam is a method of wealth redistribution. It makes wealth circulate in the body of the nation.
The Qur’an demands that individuals take material responsibility for poverty and suffering in the Muslim community (Ummah). That is why the Qur’anic revelation demands that each person give up a certain amount of material wealth to support the poor, the indigent, the sick, and the suffering. Generally, charity in Islam is of two types: voluntary and obligatory. A Muslim should pay a certain percentage of his wealth every year; this is Zakat, which is obligatory charity. Other than Zakat, any other money a Muslim spends for the sake of Allah is voluntary charity (Sadaqa). All Muslims, rich or poor are to pay charity proportionally. Muslims should acquire wealth with the intention of spending it on their own needs, and the needs of others.Allah says: “And whatsoever you spend of anything (in the cause of Allah), He will replace it. He is the Best of those who grants sustenance.” (Qur’an 34:39)
There are also many warnings against those who do not spend for the sake of Allah:
“And spend something (in charity) out of the substance which We have bestowed on you, before death should come to any of you and he should say, O my Lord! Why did You not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doers of good? But to no soul will Allah grant respite when the time appointed (for it) has come; and Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that yoy do.” (Qur’an 63:11).
The Muslim, who gives out Zakat, affirms the truth that nothing is dearer to him in life than the love of Allah and that he is fully prepared to sacrifice everything for Allah’s sake.
There is no burden of obligation on one who receives Zakat, and there must be a sense of thankfulness and gratitude on the part of the giver, since he has been enabled by the recipient to discharge his obligation that he owes to Allah and society.
Zakat is the wealth given in the way of Allah to obtain purity of heart and to obtain the blessings of Allah. The root of the word Zakat in Arabic has two meanings:”purity” and “growth.”
“Take alms from their wealth (O Prophet!) in order to purify them with it.” (Qur’an 9:103)
The word (zakat) was specifically used for the wealth a Muslim gives to those in authority to meet the collective requirements of a state. It is evident from the Qur’an that like prayer, Zakat has always remained an essential ingredient of the Shari ‘ah (Islamic legislation) given to Prophets of Allah.
Zakat also pleases Allah and strengthens one’s soul: “And the likeness of those who spend their wealth in search of Allah’s pleasure, and for the strengthening of their souls, is as the likeness of a garden on a height. The rainstorm smites it and it brings forth its fruit twofold. And if the rainstorm smite it not, then the shower. Allah is Seer of what you do.” (Qur’an 2:265)
Caliph Abu Bakr As-Siddiq
Caliph Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) was the dearest friend of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to speak about Abu Bakr, remarking on how he was the only person who never hesitated to accept Islam once he heard about it. Other people who embraced Islam in the early days would think for some time and consider, but Abu Bakr declared his faith immediately.
Before he declared his Islam, Abu Bakr was known as a pious man; he had an essentially good character, and only good was expected from him. He and the Prophet (peace be upon him) were good friends before the Prophet s mission.
Abu Bakr was a wealthy man and was in the habit of using his wealth to benefit others. One of the evil pre-Islamic traditions was the practice of burying baby girls alive. This practice was stopped when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with the message of Islam. This pre-Islamic time is commonly known as the era of ignorance because the people lived without the knowledge of the values and principles of Islam. For this reason, the birth of a baby girl was something for a man to be ashamed of. Men thought that sons would bring more honor on them, their families, and their tribes while girls could potentially bring them and their tribes dishonor; therefore, many men buried their daughters alive. Whenever Abu Bakr heard that a baby girl was to be buried alive, he would go and negotiate with the father and he started something that could be called a boarding house in today’s terms, a place where he put these little girls in the care of women who would look after them while he paid for their maintenance.
Muslims believe that, every human being is born with an innate nature; an ability to tell the difference between good and evil and the knowledge that there is a Creator and a desire to know Him. This nature remains strong in some people and weakens over time with others. Abu Bakr remained firm in his human nature, so that even before the advent of Islam and the sure knowledge and system that came with it, he knew that such things as burying baby girls alive were essentially evil. He knew this in a society that largely accepted this practice.
Goodness is attracted to goodness and comprehends it, so it is not surprising that Abu Bakr befriended the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as he perceived his innate piety and, thereafter, never even hesitated to follow the Prophet until his last breath.
The final days of the Muslims before they emigrated to Madina, witnessed two kinds of extremes: the Muslims gradual sense of success and the continual torment and persecution at the hands of the non-Muslims of Quraish. The Prophet and the believers were hopeful that better days would soon come and that the migration to Madina would soon occur. About one year before the migration, Allah blessed the Prophet (peace be upon him) with something miraculous. This was the event of the Prophet s Night Journey to Jerusalem and then his Ascension to the heavens.
The following day, after this miraculous event, the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about it. This was a test for the Muslims because, from the earthly point of view, such an event cannot be explained by human reason and so those who were weak in their faith doubted. The true and strong Muslims found nothing unusual in Allah granting His prophet a miracle as they believed that He is All Powerful and created all there is by an act of His will. Needless to say, the non-Muslims ridiculed and questioned the truth of this event. They went to Abu Bakr to see his response to this event. When Abu Bakr was asked about it, he asked if the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had said this happened. When they answered in the affirmative, Abu Bakr simply declared that he did indeed verify it. It was due to his response on this most important day that Abu Bakr earned the title of As-Siddiq which means the verifier of truth (Al-Mubarakpuri, 150-51).
Abu Bakr knew that prophets received Allah’s signs to establish their faith. He knew that they were eligible for this in consequence of divine privilege because of the heavy burdens they had to bear, as messengers of Allah. Abu Bakr did all he could to help his friend the Prophet (peace be upon him) carry out his mission in the service of Allah.
The Night Journey, together with other revelations around that time, showed the Muslims the greatness of the civilization which they were in the process of constructing. A coherent society was soon to be established and the call of Islam was soon to be heard throughout the world. Abu Bakr was a significant part of the call and spread of Islam.
Not long after the Night Journey, the Muslims prepared to migrate to Madina. The people of Madina welcomed the Prophet Muhammad and his followers and eagerly awaited his blessed arrival. One by one, the Muslims left the distress and persecution of Makkah and settled in Madina (Lings, 113-15). Abu Bakr, still in Makkah, wished that he would be the one to travel with the Prophet (peace be upon him), but the Prophet did not answer Abu Bakr until he received guidance from Allah to do so.
Quran Rooh Ki Ghiza
Good Manners: Parent’s Best Gift To Their Children
“NO father had given his child anything better than good manners.” – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
“A cursory glance at the history of civilization will show that religion has been the supreme force in the development of mankind to its present condition. That all that is good and noble in man has been inspired by faith in God is a truth at which perhaps even an atheist would not cavil. One Ibrahim, one Musa, one Isa, and one Muhammad (peace be upon them) has, each in his turn and his degree, changed the whole history of the human race and raised it from the depths of degradation to moral heights undreamed of. It is through the teachings of this or that Prophet that man has been able to conquer his lower nature and to set before himself the noblest ideals of selflessness and the service of humanity,” wrote Mohammad Ali Jauhar in his book “The Religion of Islam.”
Islam sets forth very high standards for general conduct and behavior. These principles were personified in Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Holy Qur’an’s verses testify that in “the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is the best example to emulate.” In fact, the Holy Qur’an is replete with verses that expound and impress upon Muslims continuous cultivation of good behavior.
Surah Luqman is the 31st Surah of the Qur’an having 34 verses; of these eight verses are directly related to the message Luqman, the wise, passed on to his son. These verses embody within them an entire manifesto of how one can refine his conduct to be recognized as a good Muslim. It encapsulates within itself the lofty moral standards that ‘behaviors’ must reflect in order to be recognized distinctively as those of the Muslim Ummah. Inevitably, the Qur’an is appropriately called and recognized as ‘the Book of Wisdom’. The entire Surah is about wisdom:
“We bestowed (in the past), wisdom on Luqman.” (Qur’an, 31:12)
Allah here refers to Luqman, as the wise and says further in the same verse in affirmation of what he (Luqman) would have done to earn this mention in the Holy Qur’an,
“…show your gratitude to Allah. Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, Verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.”
The Highest And Lowest Positions In Paradise
Muslim reports from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“Musaa asked his Rabb, “Who will have the lowest position in Paradise?” Allah said, “A man who will come after the people of Paradise have entered Paradise. He will be told, “Enter Paradise”, and he will say, “O my Rabb, how? The people have already taken their places.” He will be asked, “Will you not be content if you could have the equivalent of a kingdom on earth?” He will say, “Yes, my Rabb”. So he will be told, “You will have that and as much again, and as much again, and as much again, and as much again.” On the fifth time, he will say, “I am content with that, my Rabb”. He will be told, “You will have all that and ten times more; you will have whatever your heart desires and whatever will delight your eyes.” The man will say, “I am content with that”.
Musaa asked, “My Rabb, who will have the highest status in Paradise?” Allah said, “They are those whom I choose. I establish their honor with My own hand and then set a seal over it, [and they will be blessed with Bounties] which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human mind can comprehend.”” This confirmed by the words of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, “No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do”. [32:17]
Not Every Calamity Is a Punishment
Suffering is not necessarily a punishment for a sin one has committed, but it may be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Moreover, Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them.
Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah? Is the cause of the problem our own misdeeds?” In that case, we should correct the situation. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test. Believers face sufferings with prayers, patience, repentance and good deeds.
Further, one’s daughter’s/son’s visual impairment may seem a calamity to him/her now, but in time he/she may find that this is offset by other abilities that she/he has. Allah has given one a chance to earn a great reward in Paradise if he/she are patient with her/him and with his/her situation.
In this regard, Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states:
Not every sickness or handicap is necessarily a punishment; rather it may be a test for the child’s parents, by which Allah will expiate their bad deeds or raise their status in Paradise if they bear this trial with patience. Then if the child grows up, the test will also include him, and if he bears it with patience and faith, then Allah has prepared for the patient one a reward that cannot be measured. Allah says : “Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.” (az-Zumar 10)
Islami Hudood Ka Nifaz
Fulfilling Obligations Before Hajj
Preparing for Hajj is one of the most important matters that help in performing Hajj in the right manner and ensuring that a pilgrim’s Hajj is accepted. Muslim scholars confirm that whoever wants to perform Hajj should first requite the rights of others by returning them to their rightful owners.
Almighty Allah says: “And eat up not one another’s property unjustly (in any illegal way), nor give bribery to the rulers (judges before presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully.” (2: 188)
Almighty Allah also says: “O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations … ” (5: 1)
In addition, Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The claimants would get their claims on the Day of Judgment so justly that the hornless sheep would get its claim from the horned sheep.” Abu Hurairah also narrated : “Whoever takes the money of the people with the intention of repaying it, Allah will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it in order to spoil it, then Allah will spoil him.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Moreover, Abu Hurairah narrated : “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘Do you know who the insolvent is? They (the Companions) said, ‘An insolvent man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth.’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘The insolvent of my nation would be the one who would come on the Day of Judgment with prayers and fasts and Zakah (alms) but (he would find himself bankrupt on that Day as he would have exhausted his stock of virtues since) he hurled abuses upon others, spoke slander against others, unlawfully consumed the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others. Thus, every one of them would be given of his virtues ( i.e., his virtues would be credited to the account of those who suffered at his hands). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then their sins would be transferred to his account and he would be thrown into the Hell-Fire’.” (Reported by Muslim)
There are many other Ahadith indicating that a Muslim should return the rights he had usurped to their rightful owners.