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The Events Of Bani Isra’il Are A Lesson For Muslim

“And, in the Book, We declared to the children of Isra’il: ‘You will surely spread disorder on the earth twice, and you will surely show arrogance, a great arrogance. So, when came the time appointed for the first of the two, We sent upon you some servants belonging to us having strong aggressive power, who combed through the houses. And it was a promise bound to be fulfilled. Then We gave you your turn to overpower them, and increased your strength with wealth and sons, and made you greater in number. If you do good, you will do it for yourselves, and if you do evil, it will be for you, too. Later, when came the time appointed for the second, (We sent others) so that they spoil your faces, and so that they enter into the Mosque as the former ones had entered it the first time and destroy what they overpower, totally. Maybe your Lord would bestow mercy upon you. And if you do this again, We shall do that again. And We have made Jahannam a prison for the disbelievers. [Surah Al-Isra, Verses 4-8]

The outcome of the events mentioned above is that Allah Ta’ala decreed that the Bani Isra’il will be successful, having the best of both worlds, the material and the spiritual, as long as they continue to obey Allah. But, whenever they deviate from the dictates of Faith, they shall be put to disgrace, and they would be subjected to punishment at the hands of enemies and disbelievers. Then, not only that the enemies run over them destroying their lives and properties, but it would also happen that their Qiblah, their sacred Baytul-maqdis, would also not remain safe against the onslaught of that enemy. Their disbelieving enemies will barge into the Mosque of Baytul-maqdis and defile and damage it. This too will be a part of the punishment of Bani Isra’il themselves.

The Holy Qur’an has told us about two events relating to them. The first one dates back to the time of Mosaic religious law while the second pertains to the Christian. During both these periods, the Bani Isra’il rebelled against the divine law of the time. In the first case, a disbelieving Magian monarch was made to sit over them, and Baytul-maqdis, who brought great destruction upon them. In the second case, a Roman emperor was set against them who killed and pillaged and made Baytul-maqdis all demolished and rendered desolate. Along with this description, it has also been mentioned that the Bani Isra’il – when, on both occasions, they repented from their misdeeds resolving not to go near them again – Allah Ta’ala reinstated their country, wealth, and children.

After having mentioned these two events, Allah Ta’ala declared His Law in such matters by saying: (If you do this again, We shall do that again – 8). This law which means – ‘if you return to disobedience and contumacy, We shall, once again, make a similar penalty and punishment zoom back upon you’ – has been declared as valid right through the last day of Qiyamah. That its addressees were the people of Bani Isra’il who were present during the blessed time of the Holy Prophet serves as a reminder to them. It is being pointed out to them that they should not forget that they were seized by divine punishment twice when they had first opposed the code of Sayyidna Musa, and then the code of Sayyidna Isa.

Now this was the period of the Code of Laws brought by the Holy Prophet. This was a period that would continue up to the Last Day. Let them, therefore, realize that the fate of those who choose to be hostile to it will turn out to be no different. Consequently, this has actually happened. These people became hostile to Islam and the religious code of laws brought by the Holy Prophet. When they did that, they were expelled and disgraced at the hands of Muslims, and finally Baytul-maqdis, their Qiblah, too came under Muslim control. However, the only difference was that their past conquering kings had treated them disgracefully and had desecrated their Qiblah too. Now when Muslims took over Baytul-maqdis, they reconstructed the great Mosque of al-Quds ash-Sharif which had been demolished and desolate for centuries, and thereby reinstated the honour and reverence of the Qiblah of prophets.

The Events of Bani Isra’il are a Lesson for Muslims and What Has Happened to Baytul-maqdis in Our Time is a Part of the Same Chain. Obviously, the purpose of narrating these events relating to the Bani Isra’il in the Qur’an and making Muslims listen to them is to let Muslims understand that there are no exceptions to this divine law. Be it this mortal world or the eternal universe of their Faith, their honor and ascendancy, possessions, and wealth are inseparably tied with obedience to Allah. Whenever they veer away from their obedience to Allah and the Holy Prophet, their enemies and disbelieving tyrants of all sorts shall be empowered to prevail over them. When this happens, the desecration of their places of worship will also not remain too far.

The calamity of the Jewish usurpation of Baytul-maqdis in our time and the added sacrilege of setting fire to it have thrown the world of Islam into acute anxiety. In reality, it is confirming the Qur’an. Muslims forgot Allah and His Rasul, ignored the life waiting for them in the Hereafter, and opted to scrounge for their share in the glamour and grandeur of the mortal world. When they became aliens to the dictates of the Qur’an, and Sunnah, the same divine law stood activated before them.

Truly To Allah We Belong: Serve Allah Alone

[Allah’s Quran – 4:36] “Serve Allah, and associate no one with Him. Be kind and gracious to your parents; (also be kind) to the kinsfolk, the orphans, the needy, the neighbor who is a kin as well as the one who is not, the fellow traveler, the wayfarer, and the slaves (and captives). Of course, Allah does not like the conceited braggarts.”

[ALLAH’S Quran – 2:156] “Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah, we belong and truly, to Him, we shall return”.

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said:
[Bukhari, Book #48, Hadith #822] “Narrated Abu Bakra: The Prophet said thrice, “Should I inform you out the greatest of the great sins?” They said, “Yes, O Allah’s Apostle!” He said, “To join others in worship with Allah and to be undutiful to one’s parents.” The Prophet then sat up after he had been reclining (on a pillow) and said, “And I warn you against giving a false witness, and he kept on saying that warning till we thought he would not stop.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said :
[Malik’s Muwatta, Book #16, Hadith #16.14.42] “If a misfortune befalls someone and he says, as Allah has ordered, ‘We belong to Allah and to Him we are returning. O Allah, reward me in my misfortune and give me better than it afterward,’ Allah will do that for him” (Inna Lillahi wa Inna ilayhi rajiun. Allahumma’ jurniy fi musiybatiy, wa a qibhiy khayran minha, illa faala ‘llahu dhalika bihi.). Umm Salama said, “When Abu Salama died I said that, and then I said, ‘Who is better than Abu Salama?’ ” And then Allah left her the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he married her.”

Prophet Of Islam (Peace Be Upon Him) With Guidance And Knowledge For The Mankind

[ALLAH’S Quran – 9:128] “INDEED, there has come unto you [O mankind] an Apostle from among yourselves: heavily weighs -upon him [the thought] that you might suffer [in the life to come]; full of concern for you [is he, and] full of compassion and mercy towards the believers.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said :
[Bukhari, Book #3, Hadith #79] “Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet said, “The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rain water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it, and for irrigation of the land for cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah’s religion and gets the benefit (from the knowledge) that Allah has revealed through me (the Prophets and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that of a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah’s guidance revealed through me (He is like that barren land.)”

Why Hadith Is Important

The two fundamental sources of Islam are the Qur’an (the word of God) and the Sunnah (the example) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). By Sunnah, we mean the actions, sayings, and silent permissions (or disapprovals) of the Prophet.

The word “Sunnah” is also used to refer to religious duties that are optional. Here, we are concerned with Sunnah in the sense of the recorded sayings (Hadiths) of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In this sense, Hadith is considered to be second to the Qur’an. It is impossible to understand the Qur’an without reference to the Hadith; and it is impossible to explain a hadith without relating it to the Qur’an.

The Qur’an is the message, while the Hadith is the verbal translation of the message into pragmatic terms, as exemplified by the Prophet. While the Qur’an is the metaphysical basis of the Sunnah, the Sunnah is the practical demonstration of the precepts laid down in the Qur’an.

The duty of the Messenger was not just to communicate the message, rather, he was entrusted with the most important task of explaining and illustrating that message. That is the reason why Allah Himself has commanded the following:

{Say: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he (the Prophet) is only responsible for the duty placed on him (i.e. to convey Allah’s Message) and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger’s duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way.} (An-Nur 24:54)

This verse clearly tells us the overriding importance of Hadith to Muslims. They should be eager to learn and follow the teachings of the Prophet as expressed in Hadith. If we are negligent in this respect, it is we who have to answer before Allah.

Speaking of the importance of Hadith, we need to take into consideration two broad aspects of the subject. We know that Allah Almighty revealed the Qur’an to His chosen Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So it is through the Prophet we come to hear the word of Allah, and it is the Prophet himself who can properly explain and demonstrate the precepts in the Qur’an. Without the required explanations and illustrations given by the Prophet, the Qur’an may be misunderstood and misinterpreted by people.

So the Prophet took care to explain and demonstrate to his companions how the Qur’anic verses must be read and understood. That is to say, the importance of Hadith is linked to the importance of the Qur’an. For example, the details of how to perform salah (ritual prayer), for instance, were given by the Prophet through his words and actions, and not by the Qur’an. This means that we wouldn’t know how to pray, fast, pay zakah, or perform Hajj without the examples given by the Prophet as recorded in the Hadith. Indeed, all necessary details are given in the Hadith, not in the Qur’an.

The revelation of the verses of the Qur’an took place at critical junctures in the life of the Prophet. Of course, there are verses of universal application and significance, irrespective of the context in which those verses were revealed. But there are other verses that can be understood or interpreted only in the light of the actual context of the life of the Prophet, which called for that revelation. There are many examples. For instance, the following verse in the Surah Aali `Imran:

{If anyone disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee, Say: Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women, and your women, ourselves and yourselves: then let us earnestly pray. And invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.} (Aal- `Imran 3:61)

This verse talks about mubahalah (invoking the curse of Allah on those who take a dishonest stand); and was revealed when the Prophet was conferring with the Christian delegation from Najran in 631 CE This example clearly shows how we need to refer to the life and example of the Prophet to understand the context, as well as the meaning of verses, such as the above mentioned one in the Qur’an.

The foregoing shows how Hadith, in practical terms, explains, clarifies, and paraphrases the Qur’an. If we reject the Hadith, we may misread the Qur’an; so Hadith is central to a proper understanding of the Qur’an..

In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty commands us not only to obey the Messenger but also to abide by his decisions as follows: {But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make you (the Prophet) judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction.} (An-Nisaa’ 4:65)

And surely we find such decisions only in the Hadith; the duty of Muslims is to accept the Prophet’s decisions wholeheartedly. The Qur’an also orders the faithful to emulate the role model of the Messenger and reckons it to be the only way to gain the pleasure of Allah.

It is therefore obligatory that we look up to the Prophet’s morals and exemplary character and carry them out in our lives. We can never do so without studying Hadith. It is most illuminating in this respect to learn that when `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked to describe the character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), her definitive answer was, “His character was that of the Qur’an.” In other words, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) personified the best ideals and values of the Qur’an. How could we then neglect the Hadith, which alone can lead us to the precise ways in which the Prophet exemplified the Qur’anic ideals?

Professor Shahul Hameed

Sins Of The Tongue

However much we may try to insulate our lives and loved ones from vulgarity and sacrilegious language, it nonetheless floods our ears and is a flame in the worlds we move in. From television to the Internet, it is ever-present, and even in the public spaces of work, the market, and the campus. The truth is for us Muslims nowadays, it is evermore likely to insinuate itself into the speech of our very homes.

Profanity is a sly thing. It seeps into the heart almost undetected. And there it quickly oxidizes the sterling iman that lives there.

For most teenagers, swearing or “cussing” is a rite of passage. Based on the media we provide them and the models before them, many see the use of expletives as a way to appear cool and grown-up in front of their peers. Muslims are just as susceptible to cursing, as our non-Muslim counterparts.

Foul language may seem a small thing to worry about in a world terrorized by bloody bombardments, sieges, ecological assault, and rapacious economics. Yet sins of the tongue are often the most dangerous of all. They spark from parted lips with effortless case and even less thought. The Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, warned against the evil of our words, saying: “He is a Muslim who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And the Muhajir (Emigre for the sake of God) is one who gives up all that Allah has forbidden” (Bukhari).

Worse yet, swearing is exceptionally habit-forming. Once you start, it’s difficult to stop, especially when the pressure’s on or strife is at hand.

We can all benefit from a dose of ‘mouthwash’ to help get a handle on swearing before it takes hold and becomes an unbecoming, and spiritually dangerous, feature of our personalities.

Here are five rules to prevent descent into swearing and to uproot it if it is already there.

1. Respect Others
Respecting others is a major ethic in Islam. The use of profanity, whether directly or indirectly, negates the rights of others not to be subjected to such filth. For Muslims especially, whose hearts have tasted the sweetness of Islam, the use of expletives sours the human heart, which is the seat of all of our affections. Over time, cursing definitely pollutes and weakens the spirit, making it susceptible to the wiles of Shaytan. Keeping your speech clean and free from profanity shows others not only that you respect them but also that you respect yourself.

2. Zero-Tolerance Rules
Making the choice of refraining from vulgar language means taking the crucial step of surrounding oneself with like-minded peers. People who support your elevated linguistic aim and uplift your efforts will truly help you break the impulse to curse. If you keep the company of people for whom swearing is like breathing, you are setting yourself up for failure. It will be beyond tempting for you to join in on the profanity to fit in, or just by default. Many of us face peer pressure when it comes to swearing. If we don’t engage in bad language or are so bold as to openly oppose it, we will likely be labeled as “puritans” or moralizers, open demonstrations of purity and morality being notably great failings in the minds of modern society. We must remember that our Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, never used profane language and spoke only when speech was of benefit to himself and others. Useless and idle talk is notorious for wreaking social havoc.

3. Guarding Your Tongue
If you’ve ever stubbed your toe on a piece of unseen furniture in a darkened room or burned your hand on an open flame, then you know just how easily a swear word can come to mind, let alone sail right out of your mouth. It’s kind of like a raft going over the edge of the falls. Guarding your tongue is an around-the-clock affair. Yet the benefits of a “clean” mouth far outweigh the restraint this imposes. Change the way you react to certain circumstances. Instead of releasing a verbal bomb when you are upset, physically bite your lips together and swallow it. Use the opportunity as a chance, not to get enraged but rather to engage in a deed pleasing to your Creator, such as sincere supplications. Say asthafirullah, O Allah forgive me. Wa atubu ilayh, And I repent to Him. Or send prayers of blessings upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam.. Or ask Allah to remove from you, sins for your pains. These kinds of positive, spiritual exclamations very quickly become noble habits. You may have hurt your toe immensely but you can be thankful to Allah that the injury did not result in a broken bone, which would have been exponentially more painful. Sure your finger now has a molten red blister the size of Kansas City on it, but you can certainly be grateful that you did not set your home or even yourself on fire. Before engaging in something as destructive as cursing, open your eyes to the blessings hidden beneath your displeasure.

4. Paying The Consequences
It may be naive to think that one could simply stop cursing overnight, “cold turkey,” especially if one has been doing it for an extended period of time. Establishing hefty consequences for transgressions or slip-ups can go a long way in deterring future relapses, thus ensuring that you annihilate the habit once and for all. Hold yourself accountable for every swear word that escapes your lips. Perhaps you can donate 10 minutes of your time for a worthy cause for every expletive you utter in a single week. Or charge yourself a quarter for every curse you utter in the course of a month. Fill a jar with all of the coins and donate it to charity. Accountability is the key to success when it comes to breaking the chains of any habit. So hold yourself to a higher degree and be responsible.

5. Responsibility First
Most likely, you learned how to swear from an adult when you were a child. And now the student has the potential to become a teacher. Every word that comes out of your mouth carries great weight and can influence a young (or older) child around you. Be responsible with your speech and take great care not to use swear words in front of your impressionable offspring. The last thing you need on your conscience is the fact that you are responsible for introducing someone you care about to something as heinous as cursing. Instead, speak only words that are necessary and fill the air with proper speech that serves a halal purpose.

Keeping a firm grip on every syllable that passes between your lips should be a source of great achievement. These days, the power of human speech has been lost in a veritable sea of slang and laziness. All Muslims must remember that speech is a gift from Allah Almighty. It should be used wisely and with great care so as not to bring harm upon oneself or others. Breaking bad habits is often an uphill battle. So arm yourself with the shield of eman and the sword of saber, patience, and the knowledge that cleaning up your speech is an achievable goal with countless rewards.

By: Sumayyah Meehan Source: Al-Jumuah