Drop By Drop
One of the students of Hadith used to crave and yearn for seeking knowledge. He would sit in the gatherings of scholars and learn from them.
When some time passed, he felt it did not benefit him, as he could not gain any knowledge. So he thought to himself, “I am not fit for this knowledge.”
He gave it up thinking he didn’t have the capacity and that he was not qualified for seeking knowledge.
After having left the circles of knowledge, one day, he passed by a rock on which water was falling, drop by drop. The continuous dripping of water (over the years) had affected the rock to the point that it had made a hole in it. The man stood there for a while, contemplating and reflecting, and thought, “This water, in spite of its softness, had an effect on this hard rock. My mind and heart are surely not harder than this rock and neither is knowledge softer than water.”
(This left a deep impression on him and) he was determined to go back seeking knowledge, which he did and excelled at. He later became one of those referred to because of knowledge.
– Al-Jaami’ Li-Akhlaaq-ir-Raawee Wa Adaab As-Saami of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi
The Different Stages of Man’s Life
In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Most Merciful
It is God who creates you in a state of weakness, and then after weakness He brings about strength in you, and then after strength He brings about your weakness and old age. He creates what He wills; and He alone has all knowledge and power. When the Last Hour strikes, the evildoers will swear that they had not tarried on earth longer than an hour. Thus they used to delude themselves. But those who were endowed with knowledge and faith will say: “Indeed, you have tarried, in accordance with God’s decree, until the Day of Resurrection. This is, then, the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know it.” And so on that day their excuse will be of no avail to those wrongdoers, nor will they be allowed to make amends. (The Byzantines, Al-Room: 30: 54-57)
Having shown us numerous signs of God’s power and limitless range of His creation, the surah now takes us on a new round, requiring us to look within ourselves, contemplating the different stages of our life on earth. This is a prelude to a fresh reference to the next life and the close link between the two: “It is God who creates you in a state of weakness, and then after weakness He brings about strength in you, and then after strength He brings about your weakness and old age. He creates what He wills; and He alone has all knowledge and power.”
They see the beginnings in their own life, and they see the end brought to them in a vivid image as though it were happening before their very eyes. They only need to have a receptive mind to gather the inspiration behind these verses.
“It is God who creates you in a state of weakness.” Literally, this is given in Arabic as “it is God who creates you from weakness,” which suggests to the Arabic reader that weakness is the substance from which man is made. The weakness in man’s formation meant here has several aspects to it. It includes the physical weakness of the single, tiny cell that makes the foetus, which goes through several stages, remaining weak throughout all of them. This weakness continues during childhood, until the person reaches adolescence and the prime of youth. Another weakness is that of the substance from which man is made, which is clay. Had it not been for the breath of God’s spirit, man would have remained in the physical image of clay or in an animal image. Both of these are very weak compared to man. There is also the psychological weakness that makes man yield to desire, passion and lust. It is again the breathing of God’s spirit into him that gives him the ability and resolve to resist such emotions. Without this spirit man would have been weaker than animals that behave according to their natures.
Fajr Prayer
The fajr (dawn) prayer is amongst the most important acts of worship, being one of the five obligatory prayers. Unfortunately many of us have become so used to missing it at its prescribed time, which ends at sunrise – that we have forgotten its position in our religion, and barely feel anything is wrong when we wake up in the morning for work or school without having performed the fajr prayer. On the other hand, if one of us was to miss a job interview or a flight, we all know how disappointed he or she would feel. Therefore I thought I’d prepare this article as a reminder to myself first, then to all my brothers and sisters.
Muslims should know the great status of fajr in the sight of Allah. Allah (SWT) says (interpretation of the meaning) “Establish regular prayers at the sun’s decline till the darkness of the night, and the recital of the Qur’an in the fajr prayer, for the recital of the fajr is witnessed” (Al-Israa 17:78) In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever prays the fajr prayer in congregation, it is as if he (or she) had prayed the whole night long.” [Muslim & Tirmidhi].
Now, to show the seriousness of missing this prayer, we present the Hadeeth of the Prophet (PBUH) “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are ishaa and fajr, but if they only knew what they contain, they would come even if they had to crawl.” [Ahmad]
The practical aspect of dealing with the problem includes a number of steps which we can take in order to get used to praying fajr regularly in congregation:
Having a sincere intention and being determined, when going to sleep, that you will get up for fajr
Remembering Allah as soon as you wake up. Allah’s Apostle (PBUH) said, “During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, ‘The night is long, so keep on sleeping.’ If that person wakes up and remembers Allah, then one knot is undone. When he (or she) performs ablution (wudu) the second knot is undone. And when he (she) prays, all the knots are undone, and he (she) gets up in the morning lively and in a good mood, otherwise he (she) gets up dull and gloomy.” [Bukhary]
Sleeping early. According to an authentic Hadeeth, the Prophet (PBUH) used to dislike sleeping before ishaa and talking after it. The kind of talk that is discouraged in this case, as the commentators explain, is that in which there is no clear benefit. However, if it is for good reason, such as studying, speaking to a guest, or spending time with one’s family, then there is nothing wrong with it. This has no connection with the reasons for which many people stay up late nowadays, to do wrong and commit sins.
Family members should encourage one another, and likewise roommates sharing the same apartment.
If you know a friend who normally wakes up on time, ask him or her to give you a call at prayer time. I have been using this technique on and off for quite some time now, and have found it to be extremely effective.
If you find that you switch off the alarm clock then go back to sleep, you might want to place it a few feet from your bed. This way you will actually have to get up and walk to the clock in order to turn it off.
Try using an alarm clock with the snooze feature.
Avoid eating too much before going to bed. Overeating makes you fall into a deep, heavy sleep.
Finally, true devotion to Allah is the best thing to motivate a person to get up for prayer, because Allah alone controls all means of help. I ask Allah Almighty to facilitate this prayer for us, and to guide us to what pleases Him.
Contributed by : Hany Omar
“Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience and make us victorious over the disbelieving people.” – Surah Al-Baqarah (2) Ayah 250
Naram Khoi
Moral Factors Decide A Nation’s Fortunes
“My people! Ask your Lord for forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will send down abundant rains upon you from the heaven, and will add strength to your strength. Do not turn away as those given to guilt.” (Qur’an, 11:52)
The above verse of the Holy Qur’an underlines the fact that seeking forgiveness from Allah and turning to Him in repentance which is the essential requirement of piety yields a person Allah’s bounties and blessings.
Verses 3 of Surah Hud says, “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment until an appointed term.” Here is the reiteration of the same statement. If a person turns to Allah in sincere devotion, He will enable him to spend his life felicitously. Allah will lavish upon him His bounties, confer on him a variety of blessings, provide a life of prosperity, grant peace and tranquility, and cause him to live honorably rather than in ignominy and disgrace. The verse dispels the Satanic misconception that good people are inevitably destined to live in abject poverty and utter misery.
We also learn here that the rise and fall of a nation’s fortunes depends on moral factors. For Allah’s rule over the world is based on moral rather than physical laws which are bereft of all distinction between good and evil, truth and falsehood. The Qur’an has repeatedly mentioned that. When a nation receives Allah’s Message through a Prophet, the fate of that nation depends entirely on how it responds to it. If that nation accepts the Message, Allah lavishes His bounties and blessings upon it. However, if that nation spurns the Message, it is destroyed.
This is a provision of the moral law according, to which Allah deals with human beings. Another provision of this law is that any nation which, deluded by its worldly prosperity, slips back into wrongdoing and sin, is doomed to destruction. However, if the people in question while proceeding speedily towards their tragic end, realize their mistakes, give up their disobedience of Allah and sincerely return to His worship and obedience, their evil end is averted and their life term is extended.
Great People Flock To A Great Man
The early companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who accepted Islam in its early days when it was opposed by the powerful, the rich and the nobles of their community, were a group of great men.
It is only a person of high caliber that accepts a message that declares at the outset that it aims to change the life of individuals and society, doing so only after he examines it carefully, sets aside hostile propaganda and identifies its merits. Hence, we are not surprised that this elite group included a long line of great people. Yet they exhibited different aspects of greatness. Among them there were those who excelled as military commanders and those who were superior in moral courage. Some were distinguished by high family descent, yet were personally of high caliber. Others showed nobility of character. Some had great minds and souls, but lacked the material means to achieve the sort of distinction they deserved, while others came to Islam from a highly distinguished social position. What brought them all together was their profound faith in Islam and their love of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
When a person excels in a particular field, it will not be surprising that his closest friends would be interested in that field. An excellent sportsman will attract people who are enthusiastic about sport, whether they play a particular game or are simply viewers who enjoy watching it. A scholar will attract only those who are interested in learning and reading. Indeed, a great Prophet will be surrounded by pious people, just like Jesus had his group of disciples. In the case of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) we find that great people who excelled in a wide spectrum of areas getting very close to him. Every one found with him what responded to his own greatness. None felt out of place with him. In fact, it is very difficult to say that a particular type of greatness was closer to him. All these people felt very close. What is more is that they recognized their own differences and respected each other’s excellence. When they were called upon to provide leadership in different areas, they proved to be great indeed. With the Prophet, however, they were close friends, followers and supporters. Each one was ready to lay down his life for the Prophet’s sake.
A Happy Family Life
Perhaps nothing is more important to a person who is charged with bringing about a fundamental change in the life of his community than having a settled and happy family life. When the home front is established on sound basis and characterized by love and care between all its members, the head of the family can evaluate matters in public life more accurately. This will help him to address problems and define priorities. By contrast, if his family life is plagued with problems, or mistrust, or lack of mutual care, his vision of public life will be impaired. How can he bring about the desired change, or establish proper reforms?
Long before the beginning of his mission, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) enjoyed a very happy and settled family life. His wife, Khadijah, belonged to a distinguished family from the Quraysh. She was wealthy and in her womanly prime. She was a mature woman who had had a previous marriage and given birth to two children. Although it is commonly thought that she was forty years of age at the time of her marriage to Prophet Muhammad, this is far from certain. On the contrary, the fact that she gave Muhammad six children over a period of ten years suggests that she was much younger. According to a report by Ibn Abbas, she was no more than 28 at the time when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married her.
It was Khadijah who proposed marriage to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). She was a woman of sound judgment, and she discovered all his good qualities. Most important to her were the facts that he was true to his trust, always speaking the truth. Moreover, she made certain that he had no design to lay his hand on her wealth. On the contrary, he was content with what he lawfully earned. Yet when they were settled in their home, she discovered in him more of his fine qualities: his kindness, humility, care for the weak and vulnerable and his keen sense of fairness. She was later to describe him in the following terms: “By God, you are faithful to your trust, kind to your kinsfolk and you always tell the truth.”
Numerous are the reports that tell us of the care each of the two spouses took of the other. Yet this was manifest throughout their marriage. During the few years that preceded the first divine revelations, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)used to seek solitude in a cave in a mountain close to Makkah. He would take food and water to drink, sufficient for a few days. He would then return home to replenish his stock. When he was late on one occasion, she sent some of her servants to look for him. She told him that she was worried. Later, during his mission, he would go out to speak to people in Makkah, telling him about his message and that God wanted them to believe in His oneness. He would try to convince everyone of the truth of his message. But he often received the same type of stubborn rejection. He might be at his task for the best part of the day, then he would go home tired, exhausted and full of sorrow. As soon as he got home, he was always sure to be received by a caring, loving wife who comforted and encouraged him, so as to start again on the following day, full of vigor and enthusiasm.
– By Adil Salahi
Insan Ki Hurmat
Some Aspects Common Among Prophets Of Allah
ALLAH, praise be to Him, sent His Prophets and Messengers to humanity to guide people to the right path and elucidate His legislation. Reading the life history of all the Prophets and Messengers would reveal that although they were sent to different peoples and tribes following different methods and strategies in their Da’wah, yet there are common features that connect them together. In this article, I would shed some light on some of these common features.
1. They all start their Da’wah by stressing the importance of monotheism because it is the basis of every religion, civilization and human existence. In other words, they call to common principles, values and ethics. This is why we, as Muslims, should believe in all of them in whatever they call for as stated in the Holy Qur’an, “The Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers” – and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” (Qur’an, 2:285). Most of Allah’s Prophets worked as shepherds. Muslim scholars say that this job in particular gave Prophets three advantages:
• It gave them the chance to contemplate this vast universe and Allah’s miracles revealed everywhere.
• It was a kind of intensive course on how to deal with human beings, that is, if they are truthful and compassionate in dealing with animals, they will be more truthful and compassionate in dealing with human beings.
• It taught them patience which will later be an important quality in dealing with people especially those who will oppose them. They were free from physical deformity or moral deviation and were ideal examples to their people to follow. This is why although the polytheists in Makkah vehemently fought the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Companions, none of them dared to doubt the Prophet’s integrity and honesty and this is why they used to call him “the truthful and the honest.”
2. They were opposed by their people first who did not accept their teachings. This is apparent in the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as he and his Companions suffered a lot at the hands of his people.
3. They always reminded their people that they seek to convey the message of Allah, that is, they never seek worldly reward (money, social prestige or position), “O my people! I ask of you no reward for this (Message). My reward is from none but Him who created me: Will you not then understand?” (Qur’an, 11:51)