Most Muslims find it rather odd that their religion, which strikes a beautiful balance between faith and action, could be accused of being “fatalistic”. Perhaps this misconception came about because Muslims are taught to say “Praise be to God!” whenever anything good or bad happens. This is because Muslims know that everything comes from Almighty Allah, who is the All-Knowing Sustainer of the Universe, and that since a Muslim should rely completely on Allah, whatever happened must have been for the better. However, this does not mean that Muslims are not taught to take action in life — just the opposite is true. Islam requires not only faith but action — such as regular prayer, fasting, and charity. To be more precise, in Islam actions are part of one’s faith. Islam totally rejects the extreme beliefs of some religions that teach that you shouldn’t go to a doctor when sick, but only pray for God to heal you. Islam’s outlook is very positive since it teaches that human beings can take positive action in this life. This was certainly what was taught by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to his followers — since they obviously took the action of spreading Islam from Spain to Morocco in a very short period of time. Even though Islam teaches that Allah knows what human beings will do before they do it, human beings still have free will. Certainly, Allah, who is All-Knowing and All-Wise, knows what is going to happen to everyone before it happens — to deny this would be a denial of Allah Himself. However, if human beings did not have free will, it would be ridiculous and unjust for Allah to demand that they do certain things and believe certain things. Far from being “fatalistic”, Islam teaches that a human being’s main purpose in life is to be God-conscious. Due to this, Muslims worry less about material matters and view their earthly life from a proper perspective. This is due to the fact that Islam clearly teaches that if people worship and depend on Almighty Allah alone, then they have nothing to worry about – since Allah wants what is best for them. True freedom, from the Islamic perspective, does not mean aimlessly following all of your human desires for food, drink, wealth, and sex. On the contrary, freedom means being able to control one’s base desires and fulfilling them in a proper and legal way. This brings one’s desires in tune with what God wants for us — only then is a person truly free!
TAG: Human Beings
The Start Of Man’s Life
It is God who creates you all out of the dust, then out of a gamete. He then makes you into two sexes. No female conceives or gives birth without His knowledge. No one attains to old age or has his life cut short unless it be thus laid down in (God’s) decree. All this is easy for God. (The Originator, Fatir, 35: 11)
Having referred to the fact that all life starts with water, the surah now refers to the start of man’s own life, beginning with pregnancy and followed by a term in this world, which can be long or short as God determines: “It is God who creates you all out of the dust, then out of a gamete. He then makes you into a couple. No female conceives or gives birth without His knowledge. No one attains to old age or has his life cut short unless it be thus laid down in (God’s) decree. All this is easy for God.”
Reference to man’s origin as a creature made from dust in the first place is often mentioned in the Qur’an, as is the first element in producing a pregnancy, namely the gamete. While a gamete is something that carries the potential of life, dust has no trace of life. The first miracle is ‘life’ itself, and no one knows where it came from or how it was mixed with the first element. This remains a closed book as far as humanity is concerned. Yet it is a fact we all see and have no option but to accept and recognize. The evidence it provides, pointing to the Creator who gives life, is irrefutable.
The transformation that gives life to what is lifeless represents a bridge over a gap that is far greater than any distance in time and place. Contemplating such transformation will never tire a mind that looks at the great secrets of the universe. Again, the gap separating the stage of one cell, a gamete, from that of a fully formed embryo, when a male is distinguished from a female, is again too wide to imagine. It is to this latter stage that the Qur’an refers to in the sentence, “He makes you into a couple,” whether this is a reference to a couple, male and female, in the embryo stage, or to married couples after they have become adults. How far removed is the one-cell gamete from the greatly complex human constitution, which includes numerous systems and functions, and also from a human being with its many characteristics?
Look at the senseless fertilized egg as it divides and multiplies, and then each group of cells it produces joins together to form a particular organ with a specific nature and function. Look how all these organs fit together and group to make a single creature, which is remarkably distinct from all other creatures of the human race, including those who are most closely related to him. Thus, no two human beings are exactly and completely identical. Yet all of them come from gametes that carry no distinctive mark of any sort, or at least that we can make out. Then look at these cells and follow their way until they become couples able to restart the cycle once more, with new gametes that follow the same line and the same stages, without deviation. All this is amazing, truly wonderful. This is the reason for the repeated references in the Qur’an to this miraculous process, or indeed processes, involving unknown secrets. People should listen to these references and set their minds thinking about this process of creation. It may awaken their spirits to its message.
Next comes an image of God’s absolute knowledge, which is akin to the images given in the preceding surah, Sheba: “No female conceives or gives birth without His knowledge.” The reference here is not merely to women, but to all females, including animals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, and others, which we may or may not know about. All of them conceive and give birth, including those, which lay eggs. An egg is an embryo, which does not fully develop inside its mother’s body. It is laid in the form of an egg, and is then incubated, either by its mother or in an incubator, until it completes its development, and breaks its shell to continue its growth. God’s knowledge includes every conception, of every form, and every birth throughout the universe.
Describing God’s absolute knowledge in this way is not something a human mind normally follows, neither in conception nor expression. By itself it is proof that the Qur’an is a revelation from God: it confirms its divine source thereby.
The same applies to the reference to age in the same verse: “No one attains to old age or has his life cut short unless it be thus laid down in (God’s) decree. All this is easy for God.” Let our imagination follow every living thing in the universe, including trees, birds, animals, humans, and others, with their different shapes, sizes, kinds, races, abodes, and times. No one can imagine the total number of all these. Yet imagine that every single one of them may be allowed to attain old age, or may have its life cut short and that whatever happens is according to specific knowledge concerning this individual, and indeed concerning every part of every individual. A leaf in a tree may be allowed to remain green, extending its life span, or it may dry up and fall. A bird’s feather may remain in its wing or fall and be blown by the wind. A horn may remain in an animal or get broken in a quarrel. A human eye, or a hair, may stay or be removed. Yet all this occurs in accordance with specific knowledge, which is ‘laid down in God’s decree’ that is part of His comprehensive knowledge. It neither requires an effort nor constitutes a burden: “All this is easy for God.”
If we let our imagination follow this line and look at what it entails, our amazement is endless. It is a line that human imagination does not normally follow, nor does it normally try to understand or describe facts in this way.
By: Sayyid Qutb
The Purpose Of Creating Humans
When a powerful heavenly creature, Satan, thought that he could be a god besides God, he provoked a Great feud among the heavenly creatures. The human beings were ignorant. They wanted to verify his baseless thoughts and thus, committed a grave mistake!
“Say, “Here is awesome news. That you are totally oblivious to. I had no knowledge previously, about the feud in the High Society.” (Quran 38:67-69)
“We have offered the responsibility to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it. But the human being accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.” (Quran 33:72)
“Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy? And that you shall worship Me alone? That is the right path.” (Quran 36:60-61)
God Almighty summoned all the souls of the human beings, including the prophets, the messengers, and the saints, prior to sending them to this world for the redemption of their sin!
“Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They all said, “Yes, We bear witness.” Thus you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were not aware of this.” Nor can you say, “It was our parents who practiced idolatry, and we simply followed in their footsteps. Will You punish us because of what others have innovated?” (Quran 7:172-173)
Merciful God created death and life to give all human beings a final chance to redeem their sin.
“How can you disbelieve in God when you were dead (before coming to this world) and He gave you life (in this world), then He puts you to death (in this world), then He brings you back to life (in the Hereafter), then to Him you ultimately return (in the Day of Resurrection) ?” (Quran 2:28)
“Yet, they set up beside Him gods who do not create anything-they themselves are created-and who possess no power to even harm or benefit themselves, nor do they possess any power to control life (in this world), or death(in this world), or resurrection (in the Hereafter).” (Quran 25:3)
Adam’s soul was chosen as the first human being for the redemption of his sin. The first human body was created from aged mud and Adam’s soul was assigned to it by Merciful God.
“Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being from aged mud, like the potter’s clay. Once I perfect him and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him.” (Quran 15:28-29)
The physical bodies of all the souls of the children of Adam are subsequently reproduced from the tiny drop.
“We created the human being from a certain kind of mud. Subsequently, we reproduced him from a tiny drop, that is placed into a well-protected repository.” (Quran 23:12-13)
“Your women are the bearers of your seed. Thus, you may enjoy this privilege however you like, so long as you maintain righteousness. You shall observe God, and know that you will meet Him. Give good news to the believers.” (Quran 2:223)
“Does the human being think that he will go to nothing? Was he not a drop of ejected semen? Then He (God) created an embryo out of it! He made it into male or female! Is He then unable to revive the dead ?” (Quran 75:36-40)
It takes a male sperm about ten hours to navigate the female productive track. Fertilization begins when it makes its way through a female egg. The fusion of the sperm and egg nuclei marks the creation of the zygote!
“And God made for you spouses from among yourselves, and produced for you from your spouses children and grandchildren, and provided you with good provisions. Should they believe in falsehood, and turn unappreciative of God’s blessings?” (Quran 16:72)
“…Have they found idols besides God who created creations similar to His creations, to the point of not distinguishing the two creations? Say, “God is the creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.” (Quran 13:16)
The zygote, created by the fusion of the male sperm and female egg, begins to multiply which results in formation of a mulberry shaped morula. About four days after fertilization, the morula enters the uterine cavity. Cell division continues, and a cavity known as a blastocele forms in the center of the morula. With the appearance of the cavity in the center, the entire structure is now called a blastocyst. The presence of the blastocyst indicates that two cell types are forming – the embryo-blast (inner cell mass on the inside of the blastocele), and the trophoblast (the cells on the outside of the blastocele). The amniotic cavity and yolk sac arise within the inner cell mass. These are separated by the embryonic disk, which gives rise to the three germ layers that develop into the embryo proper. The blastocyst wall of the trophoblast gives rise to auxiliary structures. The zygote now enters the uterus and implantation occurs !
“O people, if you have any doubt about resurrection, (remember that) we created you from dust, and subsequently from a tiny drop, which turn into a hanging (embryo), that it becomes a fetus that is given life or deemed lifeless. We thus clarify things for you. We settle in the wombs whatever we will for a predetermined period. We then bring you out as infant, then you reach maturity. While some of you die young, others live to the worst age, only to find out that no more knowledge can be attained beyond a certain limit. Also, you look at a land that is dead, then as soon as we shower it with water, it vibrates with life and grows all kinds of beautiful plants.” (Quran 22:5)
During implantation, the three germ layers of the embryonic disk give rise to the principal organ systems, and the embryo begins to show the human form !
“He is the One God; the Creator, the Initiator, the Designer. To Him belong the most beautiful names. Glorifying Him is everything in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most Wise.” (Quran 59:24)
“With Him are the keys to all secrets; none knows them except He. He knows everything on land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls without His knowledge. Nor is there a grain in the depth of the soil. Nor is there anything wet or dry, that is not recorded in a profound record.” (Quran 6:59)
The three germ layers of the embryonic disk are Endoderm, Mesoderm, and Ectoderm. The endoderm will form the lining of the lungs, tongue, tonsils, bladder, digestive tract, urethra, and associated glands. Mesodern will form the muscles, bones, lymphatic tissue, blood cells, heart, lungs, reproductive and excretory systems. The ectoderm will form the skin, nails, hair, lens of the eye, the lining of the internal and external ear, nose, sinuses, mouth, anus, tooth enamel, pituitary gland, and all parts of the nervous system. Finally, a human baby is born for the purpose as outlined in this verse of the Quran –
“The One who created death (before coming to this world) and life (in this world) for the purpose of distinguishing those among you who would do better. He is the Almighty, the Forgiving.” (Quran 67:2)
“Then we developed the drop into a hanging (embryo), then developed the hanging (embryo) into a bite-size (fetus), then created the bite-size (fetus) into bones, then covered the bones with flesh. We thus produce new creatures. Most blessed is God, the best Creator. Then, later on, you die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be resurrected.” (Quran 23:14-16)
“Initiator of the heavens and the earth. He created for you from among yourselves spouses – and also for the animals. He thus provides you with the means to multiply. There is nothing that equals Him. He is the Hearer, the Seer” (Quran 42:11)
The average length of time from conception to birth is 280 days, with a normal range of 259 days to 287 days. Infants born prior to the 259 days are classified as premature, and those born after 287 days are post-mature.
“We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him, and the load got heavier and heavier. It takes two years (of intensive care) until weaning. You shall be appreciative of Me, and of your parents. To Me is the ultimate destiny. If they try to force you to set up any idols beside Me, do not obey them. But continue to treat them amicably in this world. You shall follow only the path of those who have submitted to Me. Ultimately, you all return to Me, then I will inform you of everything you have done.” (Quran 31:14-15)
The Quran educates us to reflect on the creations of God so that we can reinforce our appreciation of the Merciful Lord.
“In the creation of the heavens and the earth, the alteration of night and day, the ships that roam the ocean for the benefit of the people, the water that God sends down from the sky to revive dead land and to spread in it all kinds of creatures, the manipulation of winds and the clouds that placed between the sky and the earth, there are sufficient proofs for people who understand.” (Quran 2:164)
“O people, here is a parable that you must ponder carefully: the idols you set up beside God can never create a fly, even if they banded together to do so. Furthermore, if the fly steals anything from them, they cannot recover it; weak is the pursuer and the pursued.” (Quran 22:73)
Sadly, majority of human beings are unappreciative of Merciful God! (Quran 2:243, 7:17, 10:60, 12:38, 27:73, 40:61
“He created you from one person (Adam). Subsequently, He gives every man a mate to find tranquility with her. She then carries a light load that she can hardly notice. As the load gets heavier, they implore God their Lord: “If You give us a good baby, we will be appreciative.” But when He gives them a good baby, they turn His gift into an idol that rivals Him. God be exalted, far above any partnership.” (Quran 7:189-190)
These are some of the many reminders of the Quran:
“O you who believe, do not be distracted by your money and your children from remembering God. Those who do this are the losers. You shall give from your provisions to you before death comes to you, then you say, “My Lord if only You could delay this for a short while! I would then be charitable and join the righteous!” God never delays the appointed time of death for any soul. God is fully Cognizant of everything you do.” (Quran 63:9-11)
[31:33] O people, you shall reverence your Lord, and fear a day when a father cannot help his own child, nor can a child help his father. Certainly, God’s promise is truth. Therefore, do not be distracted by this life; do not be distracted from GOD by mere illusions.
“We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him arduously, gave birth to him arduously, and took intimate care of him for thirty months. When he reaches maturity and reaches the age of forty, he should say, “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.” (Quran 46:15)
“GOD is the One who created you weak, then granted you after the weakness strength, then substituted after the strength weakness and gray hair. He creates whatever He wills. He is the Omniscient, the Omnipotent.” (Quran 30:54)
The majority of people will fail to take the final opportunity to worship God Alone and to redeem their sin. The majority of people will fail to uphold the covenant that was made with God before coming to this world!
“Most people, no matter what you do, will not believe. You are not asking them for any money; you simply deliver this reminder to all the people. So many proofs in the heavens and the earth are given to him, but they pass by them, heedlessly! The majority of those who believe in God do not do so without committing idol worship.” (Quran 12:103-106)
M. Irtaza
The Origin Of Man
Indeed, We create man out of the essence of clay, then We place him, a living germ, in a safe enclosure. Then We create out of this living germ a clot of congealed blood, and out of the clot, We create an embryonic lump. Then We create within the embryonic lump bones, then We clothe the bones with flesh. We then bring this into being as another creation. Exalted be God, the best of creators.
(The Believers, Al-Mu’minoon, 23: 12-14)
The surah givers a detailed account of the qualities and characteristics of believers. The verses quoted above point out the indications available within man himself leading to faith. They speak of the various stages of development of a human being, starting with the very beginning of human origin, and ending with resurrection on the Day of Judgment, to establish a firm link between this life and the life to come.
The gradual formation of man, following the same sequence, confirms first the truth of the Originator, and also the deliberate planning in the course it follows. This cannot be the result of a blind coincidence. Nor can it be a random beginning at first and then a consistent line that never fails or deviates, when we could reasonably think of numerous courses it could have followed. The truth is that human beings come into existence in the way they do because their Creator wants it this way, and He does things according to His own plan and design.
Moreover, giving this full picture with the different stages shown to follow each other without fail also indicates that belief in the Creator who plans everything and following the course of action believers follow, as indicated in the first eleven verses of this surah, is the only way to achieve the perfect standard human beings can achieve in this life and in the hereafter. Thus, the two opening passages of the surah are interlinked.
“Indeed, We create man out of the essence of clay.” This statement implies that there are stages in the creation of human beings, without specifying them. The implication is much clearer in the Arabic original where the term is given in English as ‘essence’ also connotes a chain of development. Hence, it means that man goes through different stages, one leading to the other, from the very first beginning of clay to the eventual creation, man. This is a truth we get to know from the Qur’an. We do not need any confirmation for it from scientific theories concerned with the origin of man or other living things.
The Qur’an establishes this truth, presenting it as an area for contemplation on God’s work and design. Thus, we can deeply contemplate the great divide between the clay and man who came from that clay through a succession of stages. The details of this succession are not mentioned because it is unimportant to the wider aims of the Qur’an. Scientific theories try to find a definite ladder for the origins and evolution so that they can establish the chain leading from the clay to man. In their attempts, these theories may come up with some true conclusions and may make mistakes. We may not confuse the truth established in the Qur’an, which mentions the succession of stages, with the attempts made by scientists to establish the different stages of succession. These attempts are always open to error, proving today what it may disprove tomorrow in the light of advanced techniques and technologies.
This truth is sometimes expressed very briefly in the Qur’an, when it says: “The creation of man began with clay.” Here we have no reference to the stages through which man’s creation goes. The ultimate reference then is the most detailed Qur’anic text, which refers to a “succession of stages”. We should remember that the Qur’an uses a more general or shorter text, only because it is more suitable to the context in which it occurs.
How has man evolved from the essence of clay is not given in the Qur’an, because it is not part of the Qur’anic objectives. The stages of this succession may be exactly as scientific theories suggest or may be different. It may happen that man will be able to formulate an accurate idea of such succession. However, the parting point between the Qur’anic view of man and the way scientific theories look at him is that the Qur’an honors man, stating that a measure of God’s spirit has been breathed into him to make him a man with the qualities and characteristics that distinguish man from animals. In this, the Islamic view is fundamentally different from that of all materialist theories. God certainly tells the truth.
This applies to the origin of the human race: It starts from the essence of clay. As for individual human beings, they go through well-known stages: “We place him, a living germ, in a safe enclosure.” The creation formula that brings about new individuals of the human race, and their method of reproduction, follows a line set by God. A drop of fluid is discharged from the man to settle in the woman’s uterus. It is not the whole drop; rather, a single cell out of hundreds of thousands forming this drop. It settles in this ‘safe enclosure’ in the uterus which is supported by the hipbones, protecting it from the shocks and knocks that occur to the body as one moves about.
The Qur’anic text makes the sperm a stage in the succession of man’s creation, coming immediately after the existence of man. This is true, but it also deserves contemplation. A human being in his full stature, and with all his features, elements, and characteristics, is enclosed within this cell of sperm. It then develops into an embryo when it begins its new existence through a new series of stages.
The Reality of Fasting
The crescent of a noble month has been sighted, marking the start of a blessed season. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to give glad tidings to his companions upon the arrival of this month.
O, Believers! Therefore, glad tidings to you for the month of Ramadhan, the month in which Allah ordained fasting and revealed the Qur’an. He made this month a season of worship and hard work, a season of goodness and blessings. He made it a time of action and striving for four things: fasting, Qur’an, worship, and other righteous deeds – these are the most obvious gifts and features of this month. I shall talk about these four things during the coming Fridays of this month, Allaah willing.
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “When Ramadhan arrives, the gates of Heaven… (and in another narration) …the gates of Paradise… open, the gates of the Hellfire are sealed, and the Shayaateen (devils) are chained.” (Bukhaari & Muslim). He sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said: “On the first night of Ramadhan, the Shayaateen and the leaders of the Jinn are chained.” (Ibn Maajah). This means that their ability to tempt people is diminished during this month. Evil and disobedience decrease, because, although the causes of disobedience are many, the greatest factor of all is the whispers of Satan. However, not all Shayaateen are chained during this month for other narrations prove that only the leaders of the Shayaateen are chained. That is why, even though evil and disobedience diminish during this month, it does not come to a complete halt.
There are many other sources of evil that still remain, one of them is the human soul, which is naturally inclined toward evil and accompanies one at all times. Human devils are another reason for immorality in addition to man’s own lusts and desires. Yet another reason is that the remaining soldiers of the devils that do not get chained continue to misguide people. Nevertheless, all of these reasons and causes have a lesser effect on fasting people because fasting bestows upon them a certain blessing.
O Muslims! This is the value of Ramadhan, the month of fasting. Allah ordained fasting during this month whereby people refrain from food, drink, and conjugal relations from dawn until sunset. When the sun sets, a fasting person can eat and drink and have marital relations. The nations that came before us were not allowed to touch their spouses, even at night, and if a person from them fell asleep before he had the chance to eat or drink anything, then it was forbidden for him to eat or drink after that; he had to continue fasting until the end of the next day.
However, Allah has made it easy for this Nation. It is from Allah’s mercy that He made all of this permissible, thus releasing the believers from the heavy burdens that were upon the previous nations. As soon as the sun sets, it becomes lawful for the fasting person of this Nation to eat, drink, and to have relations with his/her spouse. Allah says that which means: “… Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to magnify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.” (Al-Baqarah: 185).
Moreover, in another verse, to demonstrate to this Nation His favors upon it, Allah says that which means: “It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your women [for sexual relations]….” (Al-Baqarah: 187). This means, in other words, that this was not lawful for the people before you but now it is lawful for you, O Nation of Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
Of the signs of ease of this religion and the mercy that Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam came with is that the ill person and the traveler can break his fast and make it up at a later time after Ramadhan. Also, the elderly who cannot bear fasting, as well as people who have no hope of a cure (i.e., the chronically ill), can feed the needy and they do not have to make up for their missed fasting. It is not righteous to fast while traveling, nor is it better for the ill to fast if it is difficult for them to do so. In these cases, they are to make use of the permission that Allah has furnished them with because He likes it when people take heed of the mercy that He has endowed.
O Muslims! Know that fasting is a protection from wrongdoing. This month is an opportunity for you to purify yourselves and release yourselves from the effects of sins, so take advantage of it. During Ramadhan, a Muslim has fewer burdens as his desires are diminished and he acquires more goodness from being involved in fasting; one can rid himself of bad habits, such as overdoing matters which are lawful, such as overeating, talking too much, and being over indulgent in sexual relations with one’s spouse; we must stop the awful habit of going to extremes in fulfilling these desires.
Some people fail to understand the reality of fasting. They refrain from eating and drinking in the daytime but do not abstain from sin or oppression. They continue their practices as usual or if they do stop in the daytime, they continue with their normal routine as soon as they break the fast. They spend their mornings hungry and thirsty and their evenings are full of sin and evil. They spend the whole night watching television with their wives and children. Others refrain from food during the daytime, and after sunset, they eat all night long to make up for the food they missed. Therefore, fasting is nothing for such people except a change in the times of eating – for they eat during the night rather than the day. When night comes, all kinds of foods are put forth for them to consume – one kind of food is not sufficient for these people – and they stuff their stomachs with all these various types. It is as if these people have never heard of the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “The believer eats in one stomach, and the disbeliever and the hypocrite eat in seven.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).
In another narration of this Hadeeth, it is mentioned: “A man by the name of Abu Ghazwaan came to visit the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This was before Abu Ghazwaan had become Muslim. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was the most generous of all people. He milked seven sheep for him, so the man drank all of the milk. Then the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to him: “Isn’t it time you became a Muslim?” He replied: ‘Yes’ and became Muslim. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam then stroked his chest (while supplicating for him). The next day, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam milked only one sheep for him, but Abu Ghazwaan, may Allah be pleased with him, was not able to drink all of the milk. So, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked: “What is the matter Abu Ghazwaan?” He, may Allah be pleased with him, responded: ‘I swear by the One Who sent you as a Prophet, I have had enough.’ So the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Last night you had seven stomachs while you were a disbeliever and today you only have one stomach.” (At-Tabaraani). This saying of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam means that a believer can eat less and control his desires more since he does not eat to enjoy nor to fulfill a desire, but rather to stop hunger and become stronger so that he can worship Allah. The disbeliever, however, who does not believe in the Day to come, eats with a strong desire and the lust of animals, as Allah describes him in the Qur’an saying that which means: “…But those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.” (Muhammad: 12).
O Muslims! One type of cooked food is enough; let us not be like the Children of Israel who would not settle for only one kind of food. O people who observe fasting! When you put these different types of foods on the table in front of you, remember before you begin to eat, that the master of all the creations of Allah, the leader of all Messengers and creation, the Seal of the Prophets sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would remain without lighting a fire in his house (i.e. without cooking) for one or even two months. “He and his family only ate dates and drank water.” (Bukhaari). One or two months! This was not because he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam could not have obtained it and that he had no choice because he could have had all he had wanted. It was only due to the fact that he stayed away from worldly pleasures, living an ascetic life, and aimed to draw ever closer to Allah. Even though Allah offered him control of the treasures of the earth and the opportunity to live like kings, having a nice, easy, and comfortable life, he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam chose to live in poor conditions, eating as a slave eats, sitting as a slave sits. He sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to say: “O Allah! Let me live as a Miskeen (humble servant) and resurrect me with the Masaakeen (humble).” (Tirmithi & Bayhaqi).
O Muslims! Let this month be an opportunity that we take full advantage of. Let us get used to these customs – the customs of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Let us get rid of the habit of overeating like animals. Let this month be a chance to purify ourselves and become elevated from lusts, desires, and trivialities that are of no real value. Let us elevate our souls to the heavens with faith – we can elevate them from the pleasures of this world to the pleasures of the world to come.
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Fasting is a shield (protection), so when one of you fasts, let him not touch his wife (for sexual relations) and let him not badmouth anyone; and if someone fights him or upsets him, let him say, ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’ I swear by the One in Whose Hand my soul is! The smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” Also, Allah says as reported in a Hadeeth Qudsi: “He left eating and drinking and his desires for My sake. Fasting is for Me and I give reward for it – one blessing (for fasting) is multiplied ten times.” (Bukhaari).
Worship In Islam Not Limited To Religious Rituals
IN the Holy Qur’an, God tells human beings that they were created in order to worship Him alone and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islam encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience, and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty Allah is the only judge of human righteousness.
The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God has given people free will, and the measure of one’s faith is one’s deeds and actions. However, human beings have also been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently “corrupt” or in need of repair. This is because the avenue of repentance is always open to all human beings, and Almighty Allah loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience while believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair.
In light of this, Islam teaches that: only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord. Additionally, the Holy Qur’an, which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), contains a great number of teachings about life hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Due to this, Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Almighty Allah will be both Merciful and Just, and people will only be judged for what they were capable of. Suffice it to say, Islam teaches that life is a test and that all human beings will be accountable before God. A sincere belief in life hereafter is key to leading a well-balanced and moral life. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes human beings to become utterly selfish, materialistic, and immoral.
Islam teaches that true happiness can only be secured by living a life full of God-consciousness and being contented with what God has given us. Additionally, true “freedom” is freedom from being controlled by our base human desires and being ruled by man-made ideologies. This stands in stark contrast to the view of many people in the modern world, who consider “freedom” to be the ability to satisfy all of their desires without inhibition. The clear and comprehensive guidance of Islam gives human beings a well-defined purpose and direction in life.
In addition to being members of the human brotherhood of Islam, its well-balanced and practical teachings are a source of spiritual comfort, guidance, and morality. A direct and clear relationship with Almighty Allah, as well as the sense of purpose and belonging that one feels as a Muslim, frees a person from the many worries of everyday life. In short, the Islamic way of life is pure and wholesome. It builds self-discipline and self-control through regular prayer and fasting and frees human beings from superstition and all sorts of racial, ethnic, and national prejudices. By accepting to live a God-conscious life, and realizing that the only thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their consciousness of Him, a person’s true human dignity is realized.
Creation Of Human Being, Allah Knows Everything
Volume 4, Book 54, Number 430:
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Mus’ud:
Allah’s Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, “(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in
the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period.
Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature’s) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him.
So, a man amongst you may do (good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire.
And similarly, a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise.”
Volume 4, Book 54, Number 506:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, “When any human being is born. Satan touches him at both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed, for he touched the placenta-cover instead.”
Tolerance And Solidarity Through Process Of Education
There has since been persistent effort to break the barriers of strangeness among peoples and bring about fraternal bonds among religions, races, cultures, ethnicities and civilizations. Based on the premises of unity of God and faith, Islam has invited peoples of all hues and creeds to congregate together to usher in a better tomorrow for everyone. In this spirit of peace and justice, fraternity and affinity, and spirituality and amicability, Islam once again stands ready to remedy the maladies in which the contemporary world is badly entrenched.
The balanced growth of the total human personality can be achieved through the process of education. For Muslims, according to the Holy Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the ideal model, (Uswatul hasana). One way of teaching this concept has been to try to live in that sublime image. Believers get accustomed to this norm by emulating the best virtues. The Holy Qur’an and the revered Sunnah thus provide Muslims with a compendium and source of moral truth, which has a definitive and interpretable dimension. Education, teaching and preaching thus furnish one with applicable principles useful in individual and collective life.
In defining a believer, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said that in general he trusts in God, and in particular he adheres to a religion. Elaborating further, he explained that the believer is one with whom people’s lives, belongings, properties and monies are safe. With his gracious conduct, he would provide due protection and care to those who come into his contact and would not cause any harm to them.
Human values came from the first man and do not belong to Islam alone. Even a little child has an innate sense of right and wrong, an innate love for truth and mistrust for falsity, and repulsion to cruelty and hatred. This consciousness of justice and love for veracity cannot be a product of the physical self. Justice, truth, righteousness, honesty, love, beauty, mercy and compassion are in essence transcendent values. In every religion, civilization, culture and society, there are appreciable attributes. Islam completes them and therefore, by due recognition of others, it contributes and improves over them.
The Islamic approach to world peace is through the belief and establishment of the unity of all human beings. Another is through acknowledging all the Prophets of Allah and heeding their teachings, which boil down to the same message, i.e., the unity of the Almighty and faith in His injunctions. There are the two fundamental dimensions of Islam, i.e. moral excellence and global peace. In theory as well as in practice, Islam is the religion of tolerance, justice and coexistence. It does not compel people into its folds, as there is no compulsion in religion. Muslims treat others at equal footing and do not discriminate against them because of their color, creed, origin, status, race or language. But they also expect others to reciprocate likewise, as a matter of spiritual congeniality.
One should carefully note the ethics of peace, justice, cooperation, and tolerance in Islam. These aspects of harmony, in their various manifestations are alone what Islam desires on the face of the Earth. It harbors no ill will towards anybody and has no ulterior motives against anyone.
It does not approve of aggression, offense, violence and arrogance; but at the same time it wants to secure itself. “Anyone taking your land, persecuting you, killing your fellow Muslims, killing human beings generally, in that case, you have to act, defend the oppressed, the weak and the innocent.”
Similarly, when anyone is interfering in their way of life and their sovereignty, forcing injustices on them, Muslims have to fight for their cause. In Islam, the ethics of war prohibit the killing of civilians, women, children, priests and animals. It also interdicts torture, mutilation, cruelty, maltreatment or other inhuman perpetrations. Cutting trees, ruining property, destroying crops and food, poisoning water, or other scorched-earth measures are shunned. In fact, many current humanitarian provisions ought to be improved in the light of Islamic proprieties.
Like any other religion, Islam can be and should be judged only by its principles and the conduct of those who are the embodiments of them. Those who have gone astray represent neither the religion of Islam nor the community of the faithful. Peace and solidarity should be the goal of every religion, so that justice and harmony may be brought back among nations and the planet may bloom with the flowers of amicability and fraternity.
Let people forget their petty differences, revert to the essence of religion and rediscover the interrelationship between the spiritual, moral, intellectual, emotional and physical aspects of human existence.
All the religious communities have to work jointly and unitedly for the promotion of human solidarity and world tranquility. It is possible for persons belongings to different religions and cultures to come together on common grounds to formulate an amicable paradigm to coexist as a global community, adhering to the norm of “unity with diversity.” Instead of working against one another, they should pool their resources for the advancement of mutual causes towards a better future.
Institutionally, for the suppression of disruptive forces and enhancement of enshrined goals, a world council on ethico-moral values may be established with appropriate organizational and operative criteria. In the sublime interest of humanity, such efforts ought to be continued with genuine sincerity and vigor.
Islam: Universal Call For Mercy Towards All Human Beings
Islam is a universal call for mercy toward all human beings. It urges Muslims to rush to the help of their fellow afflicted humans, especially in times of distress.
It goes without saying that helping Muslims who are in need of our help is one of the most virtuous deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever meets the need of his brother, Allah will meet his need.” And he (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever relieves a believer of some of the distress of this world, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever eases an insolvent’s loan, Allah will make things easier for him in this world and in the Hereafter. Whoever conceals a Muslim’s faults, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah will help a person so long as he helps his brother.”
Here, we’d like to start with the words of the prominent Muslim scholar, the late Saudi scholar in which he states the following:
When there is an earthquake or some other sign such as an eclipse, strong winds, or floods, we should hasten to repent to Allah and pray to Him for safety, and to remember Him much, and seek His forgiveness, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reported to have said when there was an eclipse: “If you see anything like that, hasten to remember Him, call on Him, and seek His forgiveness.”
It is also mustahab (recommended) to show compassion to the poor and needy, and to give charity to them because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Show mercy so that you will be shown mercy.” The Prophet also said: “Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Have mercy on those who are on earth, and the One Who is in Heaven will show mercy to you.”
Almighty Allah also says: “. . . Verily Allah will help those who help His (cause). Truly, Allah is All-Strong, All-Almighty. Those (Muslim rulers)who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat-as-Salat [i.e. to perform five compulsory congregational Salat (prayers), to pay Zakat and they enjoin Al-Ma’ruf and forbid Al-Munkar. And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures).” (15: 40-41)
Allah is the One Whom we ask to remedy the affairs of all Muslims to bless them with a proper understanding of Islam and help them to adhere steadfastly to it and repent to Allah of all their sins.
Moreover, Sheikh Abdul-Khaliq Hasan Ash-Shareef, a prominent Muslim scholar and da’i sheds light on this issue and states:
Such earthquakes are surely among the natural disasters that affect large numbers of people. It is surely permissible for rich Muslims to pay a part of their zakah to help alleviate the pains and sufferings of those afflicted by earthquakes. If the relevant governments in the quake-stricken areas open an account to receive donations for helping the victims and their families, then it is permissible for Muslims to pay a sum of their zakah to such accounts. Likewise, if there is any other trustworthy Islamic charitable organization that takes the responsibility of delivering such funds to the victims and their families, then there is nothing wrong in paying part of the zakah to them for this purpose.
It is noteworthy that Muslims in such afflicted areas are permitted to receive assistance and financial aid through organizations that help distribute aid to the victims while abiding by the humanitarian relief accords and agreements governing such issues. If any place in the world is afflicted by natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, all countries should rush to help their people according to international agreements.
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