Friday Nasiha

General

Surah Bani Israel (Children of Israel)
[aka. Al-Isra (the Ascension)]
Chapter 17: Verse 11

Translation:

Man prays for evil in the manner he ought to pray for good. Man is ever hasty.

Commentary:

This is in response to the foolish demands that the unbelievers of Makka occasionally made upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). Again and again they asked the Prophet (peace be on him) to bring upon them the punishment of which he had so often warned them.

This particular statement follows the preceding verse which promises a large reward for those who believe and do good and a painful chastisement for those who do not believe in the After-Life, and is intended to jolt the persons concerned into recognizing their folly. For, instead of asking for good, they are asking for God’s punishment. Do they have no idea at all of the havoc that God’s punishment wreaks upon those who are smitten by it?

Implicit in this statement is a subtle warning to the Muslims as well. Irked by constant persecution at the hands of the unbelievers the Muslims sometimes prayed that God’s scourge might seize the unbelievers. They did so without realizing that there were many among the unbelievers who were to embrace Islam and uphold its cause all across the world at one time or another during the future.

Hence, it was deemed necessary to point out that man is impatient; that he is prone to ask for whatever he is immediately in need of and which he wants to have forthwith. However, after the passage of time, it becomes evident to him that had his prayer been answered instantly, it would have been no good for him.

[compiled from "Towards Understanding the Quran" Vol. V by Abul Ala Mawdudi, (The Islamic Foundation, UK), p. 27]

Beware of Greed

"Beware of greed (avarice) for indeed greed destroyed those who came before you. It ordered them to cut off ties of relationship so they cut off ties of relationship, and it ordered them to be miserly so they were miserly, and it ordered them to commit sins so they committed sins."
[Abu Dawud, Al-Hakim]

al-Qaadee `Iyaad said: It is possible that this destruction is destruction in the Hereafter - and this is more apparent, and it is possible that it means destruction in both this world and the Hereafter. A number of people have said that avarice/greed (shuhh) is more severe than miserliness (bukhl) and causes the person to withhold to a greater degree. Some say that it is miserliness combined with covetousness. Some say that miserliness is with reference to specific actions whereas avarice/greed is general. Some say that miserliness is in particular actions and avarice/greed is with reference to wealth and good actions. Others say that avarice/greed is desiring that which one does not possess and being miserly about what one does possess."

[Compiled from http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=604]

"The debasement of the poeple proceeds from the corruption of their rulers, who get perverted on account of the demoralization of the doctors of religion. Had there been no self-seeking judges and religious scholars, the rulers would not have become so corrupt, for, in that case, they would have had to be mindful of the warnings of the Ulama."

[Ihya Ulum id-Din, Al-Ghazali, Vol II, p. 132]