Today's Reminder
April 26, 2024 | Shawwal 17, 1445
Living The Quran
Unique Beauty
Surah Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) Chapter 15: Verses 16-18
"We have indeed set up in the heavens constellations, and endowed them with beauty for all to behold, and We have guarded them from every cursed devil, so that anyone who tries to eavesdrop is pursued by a flame clear to see. ."
The 'constellations' may refer to the stars and planets themselves with their huge entities, or it may refer to their positions which define their orbits.
The reference here to the beauty of the universe, particularly the type seen in the sky, suggests that beauty is an intended purpose behind such creation. It is not merely size or accuracy that are intended, but also beauty which is clearly seen in all its aspects. A quick glance at the sky in a dark moonless night, with so many stars and planets sending their faint light our way, gives us a sense of that unique beauty. The same feeling will be aroused by a similar look at the sky in a night with a full moon, moving along in a romantic air, with the rest of the universe holding its breath so that it does not disturb a happy dreamer. One glance like that is sufficient to indicate the depth of the beauty in the creation of the universe.
With the beauty comes preservation, pure and intact. None can spoil this purity by trying to spread evil in it. Satan is allowed to do his evil work only on earth, to tempt human beings to follow his wicked designs. The sky, which is a symbol for what is exalted and sublime, is beyond his reach. He may attempt to do so, but every attempt he makes is foiled.
Compiled From:
"In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 10, pp. 316, 317
From Issue: 728 [Read original issue]
Understanding The Prophet's Life
Bringing Ease
When two of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) Companions, Muadh b. Jabal and Abu Musa al-Ashari (may Allah be pleased with them both) were leaving as judges to the Yemen, the Prophet instructed them to:
"Be gentle to the people and avoid harshness to them; bring them good news and scare them not." [Muslim]
With regard to the implementation of penalties, the Prophet instructed the judges and rulers to 'Suspend the prescribed punishments (hudud) as far as you can. For it is better to err in forgiveness than making an error in punishment.' [Abu Yusuf]
In a hadith narrated by the Prophet's widow, Aisha, and recorded by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet said: "God is gentle and he loves gentleness in all matters." Then he confirmed in another hadith to say that:
"Gentleness fails not to bring beauty in everything, and it is not taken away from anything without causing ugliness." [Muslim]
A juristic conclusion drawn from these guidelines is that bringing ease to the people and removal of hardship from them is one of the cardinal objectives of Shariah. Hence it is not permissible for a mufti, judge or jurist to opt for a harsh verdict in cases where an easier alternative can be found.
Compiled From:
"Shariah Law - An Introduction" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp, 292-294
From Issue: 725 [Read original issue]
Blindspot!
Immovable Trunk
A personal mission statement is like a personal credo or motto that states what your life is about. It is like the blueprint to your life. Countries have constitutions, which function just like a mission statement. And most companies, like Microsoft and Coca-Cola, have mission statements. But they work best with people.
The most important thing writing a mission statement will do is open your eyes to what's really important to you and help you make decisions accordingly.
A personal mission statement is like a tree with deep roots. It is stable and isn't going anywhere, but it is also alive and continually growing.
You need a tree with deep roots to help you survive all of the storms of life that beat you up. As you've probably noticed already, life is anything but stable. Think about it. People are fickle. You're someone's best friend one day, and they're talking behind your back the next.
Think about all of the events you can't control. You have to move. You lose your job. The country is at war.
Fads come and go. Sweaters are popular one year and on their way out the next. Rap music is the thing. Rap music stinks.
While everything about you changes, a personal mission statement can be your deep-rooted tree that never moves. You can deal with change if you have an immovable trunk to hang on to.
Compiled From:
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" - Sean Covey, pp. 81-83
From Issue: 715 [Read original issue]