Issue 166 » April 19, 2002 -
General
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Living the Quran
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Translation:
Surah al-An'aam (The Livestock)
Chapter 6: Verse 33
"We know indeed the grief which their words cause you [O Muhammad]: for it is not you that they deny, but it is the Ayaat (verses) of Allah that the Zalimoon (oppressors) reject!"
Commentary
The fact is that before Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) began to preach the message of God, all his people regarded him as truthful (al-Saadiq) and trustworthy (al-Ameen), and had full confidence in his veracity. Moreover, before Islam they would often turn to him for judgement and consultation, such as in the incident of the Black Stone.
It was only after he had begun to share the message of God with his people that they rejected him. Yet even during this period none dared to say that the Prophet had ever been dishonest in personal matters.
When Heracleus, the emperor of Byzantine, asked a leader of disbelievers in Makkah: "Have you ever accused him of lying before his prophecy?" Abu Sufyan admitted: "No!"
We Believe Muhammad, But Disbelieve His Message!
Even his worst enemies never accused him of lying in any worldly affairs. When they did accuse him of 'falsehood', they did so in opposition to the prophetic mission. Abu Jahl, for instance, was one of the staunchest enemies of Islam. According to a tradition from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Jahl once said to the Prophet: "We do not disbelieve you. We disbelieve only your message."
In fact, it was due to personal envy and tribal rivalries that that many of Makkan leaders refused to accept the authority of Islam. It is narrated that three people of the ruling and influential clan of Quraysh, including Abu Jahl himself, each separately and secretly listened to some verses of the Qur'an. Later, this secret was uncovered and one of them asked Abu Jahl what he thought of the message of Muhammad, who was born of a different clan. He answered: "We competed for the honour of leadership and generosity with Banu 'Abd Munaf and shared equal privileges competitively. Then they began to boast saying that a Prophet rose among them upon whom Revelation came down from heavens. Now, where are we going to get a Prophet from? I swear we will never believe in him!" [Ibn Katheer]
Kufr: Rejection After Knowing The Truth
It is interesting to note that this form of Kufr (disbelief) is classified as deliberate "denial and rejection", which involves concealing the truth and not submitting to it outwardly, whilst recognizing it and knowing it inwardly. Allah says of such people in the Quran: "then when there came to them that which they had recognised, they disbelieved in it." [al-Baqarah 2:89]
Reason for Revelation And Its Relevance Today
Here God (subhana wa ta'ala) comforts His Messenger Muhammad (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) by reminding him that it is not his personal character or integrity that is the cause of the disbelievers turning away from him, but their own arrogance in the face of Truth. Their judgement is with God alone who endlessly endures their accusations and has no need to impose or coerce anyone to accept the Truth, leaving them free to choose between submission (islam) or denial (kufr). The Prophet need not to feel undue pain as his is an exalted moral status.
In light of this verse, it is important for Muslims today to realize that when Islam is accused of 'promoting terrorism', when God's revelation is presented as 'an extremist's manifesto', when innocent Muslims are made targets of humiliation, degradation, oppression and genocide and then criminalized, while the oppressors and tyrants know and realize the Truth, our response should be that of patient endurance of hate and propaganda directed towards us as the Prophet exemplified.
Allah reminds us today as He addresses the Prophet: We can not change dead hearts, we can not make the zalimoon see the truth, we can not please everyone, but we can not sit idle in self-pity for fear of accusations or personal attacks on our characters. There is obviously more that you and I can do to alleviate the problems and suffering of this Ummah than turn on Catastrophic News Network (CNN) for the latest body-counts!
[compiled from "Tafsir Ibn Katheer" by Imam Ibn Katheer" and
"Towards Understanding the Quran", Vol II, by Sayyid Abul 'Ala Mawdudi]
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Personal Development
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:: Assessing Your Spiritual State ::
Should a person wish to know whether they are rising or falling in their deen (religion), they should look at how his or her state and conduct had been a month or a year ago. If he finds that they are better than his present state and conduct, he should know that he is descending into degradation; whereas if she finds that that her present state and conduct are better, she should know that she is rising and improving.
It has been handed down that "he who finds that his day resembles the previous day has been cheated, and he who finds that his day is worse than the previous day is accursed". Accursed here means remote from a particular and specially accorded mercy. He who is not increasing is diminishing. To explain, if when thinking about previous days, you feel that you then had no desire for the world, were eager for the hereafter, scrupulously avoided doubtful things, were quick to good actions, quick to obedience, remote from transgressions, and by comparison are now no better or are to any extent worse, then know that you are going down, deteriorating in the deen, in your aspiration for God, and in striving for the hereafter. You should then feel apprehensive and fearful and then begin to show resolution and exert effort.
If, on the other hand, you find that you have more aspiration and eagerness than before, then thank God the Exalted even more, remember His gifts and grace, and be ever attentive to them. You should not feel pleased with yourself, nor think that it is due to your own ability and power, for as God has said, "Had it not been for the favour of God upon you, and His mercy, not one of you would ever have grown pure; but God purifies whom He wills, and God is all-Hearing, all-Knowing". [Quran 24:21]
translated by Mostafa al-Badawi (The Starlatch Press, Chicago, 2001)]
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Quotes
to Ponder Upon
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Under this scenario, powerless people doing trivial acts are the major terrorists of the world whilst major powers perpetrating terrorism in many parts of the world are civilised barbarians.
[extract from 'Islam and Terrorism' by Khurram Murad (1995), rahimahullah]
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Community
& Society
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How do we keep the bonds of Islamic brother/sisterhood intact to fulfill our goals as an Ummah, especially in North America, where our diversity is even more marked than in other parts of the world? In the continuing series, we will present ten practical ways you and your community can build unity.
7) Reach out across ethnic |b|o|u|n|d|a|r|i|e|s|
The ignorant practice of maintaining "ethnic mosques" is, alhamdu lillah, slowly but surely disappearing in North America. But there is still a long way to go. All of our institutions, functions and communities in general must become more ethnically diverse and open to the needs and concerns of Muslims of all backgrounds. Muslim leaders and individuals have a duty to ensure that no Muslim, regardless of their ethno-cultural background, feels shut out of the community, ignored or neglected.
This can only be done by Muslim leaders and individuals taking the first step and reaching out to Muslims who may have been traditionally isolated because of ethnicity in mosques and other institutions. It is not enough to just open the door to all. A direct effort has to be made to solicit feedback, advice and support from all Muslims so that they feel a part of the community.
Another, more personal way of reaching out is to invite Muslims of diverse backgrounds to your home for food. Extend this invitation to non-Muslims as well to break barriers and share Islam.