Today's Reminder
July 14, 2025 | Muharram 19, 1447
Living The Quran
True Implications
Al-Jumua (The Congregation) - Chapter 62: Verses 9-10
"O you who believe, when you are called to prayer on the Friday (lit. the "day of congregation"), hurry to the remembrance of prayer and cease all business. That is better for you if you only knew. Then when the prayer is finished, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of God and remember God frequently so that you will prosper."
In this passage, the verbs "hurry," "cease," "disperse," and "seek" are all in the imperative form. However, scholars understand only "hurry" and "cease" to create an obligation (farida), while "disperse" and "seek" imply permission (nadb), not obligation. That is, believers must make a sincere effort to get to the Friday prayer on time and must not engage in business after the call to prayer is made. On the other hand, believers are not required to leave the mosque and go to work when the prayer is finished. If they like they can go home for a nap, have lunch, stay in the mosque and study, etc.
The question arises, how do scholars distinguish which verbs imply obligation and which imply permission if all of them are expressed in the imperative form? Clearly, it is only by bringing some other factors to the text that it is possible to make such a distinction. The Sunna of the Prophet, the consensus of the scholars, and other considerations are brought in to the interpretive process to help understand the true implications of any Quranic verse. Given that so many variables are considered relevant to the analysis of any Quranic passage, it is not surprising that scholars will arrive at different conclusions.
Compiled From:
"The Story of The Quran: Its History and Place in Muslim Life" - Ingrid Mattson, pp. 189, 190
From Issue: 858 [Read original issue]
Understanding The Prophet's Life
Transmission
Our Community has a long history of protecting its prophetic legacy and defending it against being misconstrued, and it considers lying about the Messenger to be something which will take anyone who does it to eternal punishment in Hell because it involves falsification of the deen and forging lies against Allah. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said, "Lying about me is not like lying about anyone else. Whoever lies about me deliberately will take his seat in Hell." [Bukhari]
Scholars who study the Sunna have laid down five preconditions for the acceptability of hadiths of the Prophet: three concern the isnad (chain of transmission) and two the text itself.
1. The isnad must be comprised of transmitters with good memories who are precise in respect of what they hear and then report it accurately.
2. As well as having an intelligent grasp of the text, they must also have unimpeachable morals and a conscience which fears Allah and refrains from any temptation to adulterate it.
3. These two qualities must be applied to every one of those who make up the chain of transmitters. If any chain is lacking in one transmitter or one of the men in the chain is unsure, then the hadith is less than sound.
When the isnad has been found to be acceptable on this basis, then we examine the text transmitted by it. i.e. the text of the hadith itself.
4. It must not be aberrant.
5. It must not have a fault which renders it unacceptable.
Aberration arises when the text concerned contradicts a reliable transmission from a more reliable transmitter. When those with expertise see such an impairing fault in the hadith, that moves them to reject it.
These preconditions provide an adequate guarantee of the precision of the transmission. Indeed, in the whole history of human culture, there is nothing comparable to this firm establishment and determination of reliability of any other tradition. The important thing is to apply these criteria properly.
Compiled From:
"The Sunna of the Prophet" - Muhammad al-Ghazali
From Issue: 1013 [Read original issue]
Cool Tips!
Ramadan Goals
- Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.
- Give a dollar a day in charity...or five or ten
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.
- Go to Tarawih prayers
Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least one week.
- Go on a technology diet
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.
- Read 5 minutes of Quran a day...just five, not more, not less
Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.
- Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too?
If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.
Compiled From:
"10 great goals for this Ramadan" - SoundVision.com
From Issue: 590 [Read original issue]