Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Al-Ankabut (The Spider)
Chapter 29: Verse 56

Spacious Earth
"You servants of Mine who have believed! Spacious is My earth; worship Me alone, then."

This verse is addressing the believers who suffer persecution at the hand of the unbelievers, who aim to prevent them from worshipping God. It tells them to try to flee from persecution so that they can truly practise their faith. This is given in the form of a loving address that touches one's heart.

The Creator of these hearts who knows all their feelings, fleeting thoughts, perceptions and ideas address them with love, inviting them to emigrate for the sake of their faith. These words, right from the onset give them a feeling of their true status, linking them to their Lord: 'Servants of Mine!'

This is the first caring touch, while the second is felt in what comes next: 'Spacious is My earth." You are My servants, and this is My earth, which is spacious and can comfortably accommodate you. What keeps you, then, in a hostile place where you are oppressed and persecuted on account of your faith, and where you cannot worship God in freedom? Leave this narrow and restricted place and find somewhere else in My spacious earth, to enjoy freedom of worship.

Sorrow at leaving one's own homeland is the first feeling which stirs in the mind of one who is invited to leave his home. Hence, these words stress closeness to God and the earth's spaciousness. Since it is all God's earth, then the place to be loved most is that where one enjoys freedom to worship God alone.

Compiled From:
"In The Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 13, pp. 340, 341

From Issue: 528 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Angels

Imam Ahmad relates from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "No one leaves his home but finds two banners waiting at his door: one of them in the hand of an angel and the other in the hand of a devil. If he intends to do what pleases Allah the angel will follow him with his standard, and he remains under the banner of the angel until he returns to his house, but if he sets out for what displeases Allah the devil with his banner follows him about, and he remains under the devil's banner until he returns to his house."

Muslim and Ahmad relate on the authority of Abdullah ibn Masud that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There is none among you but has been assigned two companions: a jinn and an angel." Somebody asked: "Even you O' Messenger of Allah!" "Yes, even me," answered the Prophet, "but Allah helped me, therefore it can direct me only to good."

Both the angels and the devil play only a persuasive role, which on the whole has no practical effect on the human will as such, with the result that man remains free to choose whichever way he may want to move without any outside intervention or interference. In other words, he and he alone is responsible for all his actions. Nevertheless in some ahadith great emphasis is laid on good relations between believers and angels and the need to make these bonds still closer and stronger for noble and good ends. Concern about improving one's relations with angels leaves no room for the devil's machinations. The emphasis and the oft-repeated advice about fostering good relations with angels shows that it cannot be accomplished but through a voluntary effort by man: hence the need to warn him against the hazards of neglecting them in the course of his life.

Compiled From:
"Freedom and Responsibility in Quranic Perspective" - Hasan Al-Anani, pp. 83-86

From Issue: 802 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Seeking Power

Laylat ul-Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. If a believing person is zealous to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to encounter this night and to pass it in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.

There is no consensus of the Ummah over when the night of Qadr occurs. Imam Razi has a few novel points to offer on why that is the case:

Allah concealed its knowledge from His slaves since His rida (approval and pleasure) is concealed in devotions to Him, and in concealment of the night is the cause of increase in devotions. This is following His general method: He concealed His friend (waliyy) among the people in order that all people might be respected; He concealed His response to supplications in order that they might resort to it oftener; He concealed His Great Name (Al-Ism al-A'zam [some scholars believe that Allah is the Ism al-A'zam. YMFN ED]) in order that all of His Names might be revered; He concealed the accepted prayer in order the people pay special attention to every Prayer; He concealed the time of death in order that the people never be oblivious of it.

Again if the night of Qadr been known, the sins of the sinners in that night would have weighed heavily upon them, since, to commit sins on a known blessed occasion is greater in enormity than when committed on the same blessed occasion but without the sinner knowing that it is a blessed occasion.

Three Ways to Seek Laylat ul-Qadr

1. Performing Night Prayer (Qiyam)

It is recommended to make a long night prayer during the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many hadiths, such as the following:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever stands (in qiyam) in Laylat ul-Qadr [and it is facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward), will have all of his previous sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad]

2. Making Supplications

It is also recommended to make extensive supplication on this night. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that she asked Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), "O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylat ul-Qadr, what should I say during it?" And he instructed her to say: 'Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fafu annee - O Allah! You are forgiving, and you love to forgive. So forgive me.'" [Recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmithi. Verified to be authentic by Al-Albani]

3. Abandoning Worldly Pleasures for the Sake of Worship

It is further recommended to spend more time in worship during the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr is likely to be. This calls for abandoning many worldly pleasures in order to secure the time and thoughts solely for worshipping Allah. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "When the (last) ten started, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would tighten his izaar (i.e. he stayed away from his wives in order to have more time for worship), spend the whole night awake (in prayer), and wake up his family." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Compiled From:
"Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani" - Syed Iqbal Zaheer
“How to Seek Laylat ul-Qadr” – Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani

From Issue: 647 [Read original issue]