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Issue 98 » December 29, 2000 -

General

QURAN

Translation:

"The earth shall be inherited by My righteous servants. "

[Al-Quran- Sura Al-Anbiya 21: 105]

Tafseer:

This verse has been seriously misinterpreted by some people; this has led to a view that strikes at the very root of Quranic teachings and negates the whole world-view of Islam.
 
The misconception:
- This verse guarantees the inheritance of the earth (i.e. governance of and control over the resources of the earth) only to the righteous; that God will bestow this bounty on them alone.
 
Conclusion based on the misconception:
- The enjoyment of political power is the criterion of righteousness; that those who enjoy it are righteous; whilst those who do not have it are unrighteous.
 
Reason for the misconception:
- This is because of some Muslims' obsession with material progress, a progress which has caused them to lose their poise and allowed them to without hesitation, distort the teachings of Quran.
 
The proper meaning:
- Taking into consideration the whole of the Quran and the context the verse was revealed in, it means that in the World to Come, the inheritors of the earth will be righteous.
- In accordance with God's will, the temporary inheritance of the land is conferred on believers and as well as unbelievers, and both the sinners and the righteous share it. Being a trial, conducted in accordance with God's law, it is served on different communities in turn.
 
 [Compiled from "Towards Understanding the Quran", by S. Abul Ala Maududi, vol. V]
 
Signs Before the Hour- What have we prepared for it?
 > Other Major Signs<
 
The Ulama (scholars of Islam) differ concerning the order in which the other greater signs of the Hour (i.e. signs other than appearance of Dajjal, Prophet Jesus, Imam Mahdi, Yajuj and Majuj) will come about. They are:
  • The destruction of the Kabah (in Holy Masjid in Makkah) and the recovery of its treasure
  • The rising of the sun from West
  • The emergence pf the Beast from the Earth
  • The Smoke
  • A wind will take away the souls of the believers
  • The Quran will be taken up into the heaven
  • A fire will drive the people to their last gathering place
  • The Trumpet will be blown: at the first sound everyone will feel terror; at the second sound or blowing, all people and creation will be struck down; at the last sound all will be resurrected (for final judgment in front of Allah)
[Taken from "The Signs before the Day of Judgment", by Ibn Katheer (Rahimahullah)]
 
Hadith
SIX DAYS OF SHAWWAL- Another Opportunity!
 
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "He who fasts Ramadan, and six (days) of Shawwal, it will be (equivalent to) as if he fasted a whole year (in terms of rewards)."
 
(Reported by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ahmad, Ibn Majah)
 
Explanation: In commenting on the above mentioned Hadith, As-Sananee said in Subul us-Salam: "If the thirty days of Ramadan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Shariah (Islamic law), each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 days with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year of Islamic calendar. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadan. Some believe that it is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct."  
 
(Taken from http://www.islaam.com )
 
Reflections on Tazkiya and Self-Development
What is TAZKIYA and our Ultimate Goal?
 
The path to God is only illuminated when a person recognizes the central place of God, Allah, in his or her own life and strives hard to develop his or her self accordingly. The Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him) said, "If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the sight of God, he has to only look at what place he gives to God (in his heart and life)," (Hakim).
 
The term nearest to "Self-Development" in the Quranic vocabulary is TAZKIYA. Tazkiya means purification and refers to: (1) the cleansing of the human self from all that is unwholesome, undesirable, and unwelcome; (2) it also refers to the nurturing and strengthening of all the qualities within human self that are essential for growth and development, for blossoming and flowering.
 
The Goal in Life:
 
Success and happiness in this world and the Hereafter depend on Tazkiya- i.e. the purification and nurturing of our personality. The Quran states that the true success is only reserved for those who seek to purify themselves: "Successful indeed is the one who purifies his self," (Sura Ash-Shams 91:9). Our personality comprises not only the physical body but also the mind and the heart, feelings and attitudes, character and behavior. Proper nurturing and development of these elements will produce desirable goals. When goals are desirable, the process of aspiring to and working towards them also become desirable. This is part of the human nature. It is critical, therefore, that we recognize and understand the true nature of our ultimate goal in life.
 
For the Believer, the most coveted goal in life is to seek the good pleasure of Allah and Janna (Paradise). Know, however, that attaining the pleasure of Allah takes precedence over seeking Janna but the two are closely connected. Paradise can only be attained through seeking Allah's pleasure, and when Allah's pleasure is gained, we will indeed be granted Paradise. As Allah says in the Quran: "Indeed Allah has purchased from the Believers their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise, in return," (Sura Al-Tawba 9:111).
 
The alternate to attaining Paradise in the Hereafter is to be placed in Jahannam (Hellfire) and to receive punishments. What is it that makes a person deserving of such a suffering? The answer is to be found in Sura Al-Hadid (57:20): "...for life of this world is nothing but enjoyment of self-delusion." Hellfire, therefore, is for those who seek as their ultimate goal in life, not the pleasure of Allah or Paradise, but the enjoyment of worldly gains. The pursuit of worldly gain is but a mirage. All worldly gains are left behind when you die. All that remains on earth is bound to perish, while Allah and His good pleasure will remain for ever!
 
To be continued in the next issue....
 
[Taken from "In the Early Hours" by Ustadh Khurram Murad (Rahimahullah), edited by Riza Mohammed]
 
[A book review of "In the Early Hours" is available at: http://www.youngmuslims.ca/bookreview/default.asp]