qur’an « Seeking His Pleasure Through Patience

Surah Ar-Rahman

April 15, 2009 at 00:08 | In Dzikr, qur'an | 2 Comments
Tags: allah, ar-rahman, dzikrullah, islam, koran, qur'an, reflections, zikrullah

Assalaamu’alaikum everyone!

I hope you’re all doing fine, Insya’Allah. Yours truly? Haha, I’m having a wee bit of a cough right now. No worries, though, it’s just due to a week full of camps and abrupt temperature changes =)

Oh yes, and Thank You Ya Rabbi for Blessing me with the strengths that I prayed for. Truly, You Are The Most Merciful.

Today, I’d like to share with you a wonderful Surah that was presented in a camp I attended in late March. Masya’Allah what a wonderful reminder it was and still is.

Yes, it’s none other than Surah Ar-Rahman. It made me realise just how much Allah swt Loves us… and how ungrateful we always are.

I think the translation is pretty clear about the message the Surah intends to convey, so I’m not going to decipher it. I’m not even qualified to do so! =)

So with that I shall leave you with a recitation (with English translation) of the Surah.

There is just one ayaah that struck me. That really really struck me.

Perhaps that is why Allah swt Has Chosen to repeat it after every two or three ayaahs =)

Wallahu’alam

Fi Amanillah =)

Retaliation

January 8, 2009 at 09:12 | In Articles, Patience, Politics, islam, qur'an | Leave a Comment
Tags: allah, ash-shura, consultation, hamas, islam, israel, Mumbai attacks, Muslims, Patience, patient, peace, retaliate, retaliation, terrorism, terrorist

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim

Ash-Shura (The Consultation)
Chapter 42: Verses 39-42

Principles of Retaliation

“And those who, when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on them, (are not cowed but) help and defend themselves. The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God: for (God) loves not those who do wrong. But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them, against such there is no cause of blame. The blame is only against those who oppress men and wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a penalty grievous.”

The believers do not fall prey to the tyrants. Their tender heartedness and forgiving nature is not the result of any weakness. Their nobility demands that when they are victors they should forgive the errors of the vanquished; when they possess the power, they should avoid vengefulness and when a weak or subdued person happens to commit a mistake they should overlook it; but when a powerful person, drunk with authority, commits violence against them, they should resist and fight him with all their might.

These verses introduce three basic principles of retaliation:

1. The right limit of retaliation is that one should return the same sort of ill treatment that one has received; one has no right to return a greater ill treatment.

2. Although it is permissible to retaliate against the one who has committed violence, wherever pardoning can be conducive to reconcilement, pardoning is better for the sake of reconcilement than retaliation. And since man pardons the other by suppressing his own feelings, Allah says that the reward of such a one is with Him, for he has suppressed his own self for the sake of reforming the evil-doers.

3. One should not become a wrongdoer oneself in the process of avenging a wrong done by the other. It is not permissible to do a greater wrong in retaliation for the wrong done. For example, if a person slaps another, the other can return only one slap; he cannot shower his blows and kicks. Likewise, it is not right to commit a sin in retaliation for a sin. For example, if a wicked man has killed the son of someone, it is not right to go and kill the son of the former. Or, if a person has violated the chastity of another person’s sister or daughter, it is not lawful for him to rape the former’s sister or daughter.

Compiled From:
“The Meaning of the Quran” – By Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol. 4, pp. 551, 552

http://www.fridaynasiha.com

Can someone please show this to:

1. The extremists/terrorists

2. Hamas

2. The U.S.

3. Israel

4. Well, generally Muslims everywhere since it’s applicable to daily life as well.

Nearly 700 dead in Gaza as of this morning. Astaghfirullah…

His Love.

January 7, 2009 at 10:11 | In Dzikr, Patience, People, qur'an | Leave a Comment
Tags: allah, dzikrullah, ideology, islam, muhasabah, reflections, shari'ah, zikrullah

Subhan’Allah.

Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alamin.

Blessings like these are what keeps me going, Masya’Allah.

Yesterday had a rough end. I received a message from my mum, saying that she was sending my Dad to a friend’s house for treatment. I thought, okay, nothing serious I guess.

When I got home from work, a few minutes after Maghrib, she called me and said that my Dad might have suffered a small stroke.

I was shaken. Who wouldn’t be, right? But I couldn’t show it, I had to be strong for my family. My biggest challenge was my paranoia. I kept imagining worst-case scenarios, Astaghfirullah. I couldn’t even bring myself to eat dinner.

When my Mum and uncles finally brought him home, he was able to walk, but weak. I only talked to him after my uncles left, and it broke my heart to hear him talking in a slur. I had to pull a poker face to put up a strong front for him, and for my family.

He couldn’t move the right side of his body. I don’t know if he’d be paralysed but I hope not, Na’udzubillah min dzalliq.

I was feeling down till this morning. I’m just grateful to Him for Allowing me to observe the Sunnah Ashura fast yesterday and today, or I might end up eating excessively to ease my sadness.

I decided to bring along my English tarjamah (Qur’an translation) for emotional support. I wanted to be able to read some motivating verses if I felt horrible at any point of time today.

Usually, before I go into the office, I like to sit under a shelter near the bus stop. I’d spent my time reflecting on anything and admire the trees, and simply observe the cars zooming by and the people walking.

So today my usual spot was taken by a middle-aged man catching his forty winks. It’s a pretty big shelter actually, it’s like the ones you can find at the beaches here. So I sat on the opposite side and made my usual preparations for the day ahead.

About 5 minutes later, he woke up. I think he must’ve talking to me for a few seconds, because I only pulled my headset out of my ears after I noticed that he was facing me.

He asked what was the book next to me. I said it was my English tafsir. What was I going to do with it, he asked. I said I was going to read during my spare time, during lunch break. Read what? I replied saying that I was going to read the meanings.

We sat in silence for a while, then he started saying how there’s no point in reading the Qu’ran if you don’t apply what it instructs you to do to your life.

Intrigued, I kept quiet, sensing he had more to say.

He quoted some verses, one about the rope of Allah (Al-Imran:103). He said that if we were to follow man-made laws and ideology such as democracy, capitalist, communist etc, we’d never fully succeed . We’d be better off following the Shari’ah, because it came from Allah swt.

He reiterated the point several times before he finally got up to head home. He hopes that I’d be given His hidayah and thanked me. I wonder for what now, haha.

I was really awed. There I was, feeling down because of what happened the night before, and Allah swt Sent to me this man, this stranger, to lift my spirits up and as a reminder. Subhan’Allah…

Look at His Love. His Mercy. I’m completely flabbergasted by it. Masya’Allah…

Alhamdulillah, I feel less sad now. It’s random moments like this that reminds me that there is hope for mankind after all. That there are people who do love Islam and want to live the way Allah Has Instructed us to.

Subhan’Allah…

I pray that everyone will get random moments like these so that they can be reminded of Allah swt (:

And I pray for my Dad to get better. Surely there is a blessing in disguise somewhere in this ordeal.

Not forgetting our Palestinian brothers and sisters as well, of course. May Allah swt Give them the strength and the patience to endure their ordeal. Which, by comparison, is much worst than mine.

We have much to be thankful for, don’t we? (:

Fi Amanillah…

Easygoing

January 1, 2009 at 22:19 | In Articles, islam, nabi muhammad, prophet muhammad, qur'an, sunnah, young muslims | Leave a Comment
Tags: allah, islam, Prophet, Rasulullah, sunnah

Assalaamu’alaikum!

2009 already Masya’Allah. How time flies, eh?

Anyway, I wanna share with you one of my favourite web haunts. It’s this initiative by Young Muslims Canada called Friday Nasiha.

It’s like a weekly reminder series, and divided into three categories: Discussions on a verse of the Qur’an, the Sunnah and useful tips from books and websites. It’s really good, it’s like getting mini khutbahs every Friday

Here’s the Sunnah part for last week. Feeling slightly brain-dead right now so I shan’t discuss this but perhaps we can discuss through the comments

The Prophet (peace be upon him) once mentioned to his followers a covenant that the Arabs had concluded which had brought peace to their clans. He said that if he were ever invited to enter into such a treaty, he would do so. The treaty he spoke about had taken place before the advent of Islam.

It was a treaty which brought the people together at the same table to affirm their rights and their human dignity, and which put an end to the endemic warfare that they had been suffering from and that was consuming their lives and wealth.

Though the treaty took place before Islam, it was nevertheless in accordance with the innate moral sentiments that all human beings acknowledge. We all know that it is better to learn from one another and prosper. We all agree that hatred, conflict, and rancour are hated by God and condemned by mankind.

Clemency and flexibility in religious matters restore to people a healthy outlook, allowing them to live their faith in a way that is genuine and that accords with the nature that God has placed within them. It makes religion easy on the people, the way God intended it to be.

Once, a desert-dweller came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) complaining that Muadh prolonged the prayer too much. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked the desert-dweller: “What do you say in prayer?”

He answered: “When I offer my tashahhud, I say: ‘O Allah! I ask You for Paradise and seek refuge with You from the Fire.’ As for me, I am not good at droning on the way you and Muadh do.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: “It is basically these things that we drone on about.” [Sunan Abu Dawud (22), and Musnad Ahmad (15333)]

We can see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not impose upon the man to memorize what was too difficult for him. He took into account the man’s abilities. Maybe he was an old man, or had a weak memory, or was poorly brought up.

It is significant that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not interrogate the desert-dweller about his intentions. No doubt, the word the desert-dweller used to describe the prayer of Muadh – and of the Prophet himself – was quite unflattering and could easily have been construed as an insult. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not take offence. Instead, with his answer, he comforted the desert-dweller and reassured him that the simple words he was using in his prayers were essentially what Muadh was saying.

Clemency and an easygoing nature should be the spirit of our personal conduct and our social interactions. This attests to the truth that our innate, easygoing religious awareness is better than imposing difficulties in religion. It is also farther away from the dangers of pretentiousness, conceitedness, and showing-off.

I’ve recently been reading a book regarding Hijaab and Subhan’Allah… I’ve learn so much. I will share it with you soon Insya’Allah.

Fi Amanillah!