Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Al-Isra (The Night Journey)
Chapter 17: Verse 16

Crime of Luxury
"And when it is Our will to destroy a town, We command its luxury-loving citizens, and they deal corruptly in it; thus the sentence upon it is justified, and We destroy it utterly."

Luxury is the cause of destruction in the course of history, as it is the cause of audacity. And equally certainly, luxury is a reason for punishment in the world to come, because it results in grave sin. But, it is not only the individual who loves luxury who will suffer destruction and punishment; the community that permits the existence of such luxury will be similarly afflicted.

The 'will' here referred to in the verse is not predestination in the commonly accepted sense, but rather the law of cause and effect, or of reason and result. If there are luxury-loving individuals in a community and the community allows them to remain so, doing nothing against them; if it refrains from checking the causes of luxury; if it leaves the luxury-loving to pursue their corrupt way; then all these factors, because of their very existence, are causes that will inevitably result in the destruction and the downfall of the community. Such is the meaning of 'will' in this verse. That is to say, the results are related to the reasons, and the effects must follow where the causes occur; for such is the normative pattern which Allah has laid down for the universe and for all life.

There must be some outlet found for excessive resources. Generally, these outlets are trivial and take their form from the period and the social environment; but there comes a time when they pass this limit of triviality and take the form of license and depravity, both physical and mental, impeding not only themselves but also their followers in pursuing the way of truth; for so long as there are such, there will be weaklings who will flatter their pride, minister to their desires, and lose their personality like insects. Nor, is there anything strange in this; for lovers of luxury must have their easy, perverse, and sickly life; they must gratify their desires and have their pleasures; they must have around them followers and courtiers who are submissive.

This is what Islam sees in the crime of luxury; it is a crime that is basically individual, but when the community submit to it and does not check such an evil with hand and voice and heart, then it is a crime that produces its own fruits. The disease extends to the whole body of the community and issues ultimately in its destruction.

Source:
"Social Justice in Islam" - Sayyid Qutb, pp. 156-160

From Issue: 482 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

God's Power

The cause of covetousness, according to Sidi Ahmad al-Zarruq, is heedlessness (ghafla). A person permits himself to forget that blessings are from God alone. No good or harm can come to one except by God's leave. This level of heedlessness is not a casual lapse of memory. People can become so terribly preoccupied with seeking things from other people, they become heedless of God's power and ownership. When this happens, a person opens his or her heart to all kinds of spiritual diseases. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Know that if an entire nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that God had already prescribed for you. And if [an entire nation] were to gather together to harm you, it would harm you only with something that God had already prescribed for you." [Tirmidhi]

When the topic of God's power is discussed, questions often arise about those who hold rancor in their hearts to the degree that they wish harm to come to others. There is real concern about the affliction these people can cause. It is necessary to remember that when a person is straight with God—observant of His commands, avoiding what He has prohibited, and going beyond the mere obligations and remembering Him often through litanies, voluntary acts of worship, and generosity in charity—the evil prayers of others will not prevail.

Compiled From:
"Purification of the Heart" - Hamza Yusuf

From Issue: 989 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

A Quick Checklist Of Ramadan

• Make a resolve to win the maximum favour of Allah: perform extra voluntary prayers (Nawaafil), make frequent Du'a and increase remembrance (Dhikr).
• Try to recite some Quran after every Prayer. In fact if you read 3-4 pages after every Prayer you can easily finish the entire Quran in Ramadan! Study theQuranic Tafseer (commentary) every morning.
• Invite a person you are not very close with to your home for Iftar, at least once a week. You will notice the blessings in your relationships!
• Bring life to your family! Everyday, try to conclude the fast with your family and spend some quality time together to understand each other better.
• Give gifts on 'Eid to at least 5 people: 2 to your family members, 2 to your good friends, and 1 to a person whom you love purely for the sake of Allah.
• Commit to an Islamic study circles to enhance your Islamic knowledge and practice. Plan to complete reading a book on Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life in these 30 days.
• Donate generously to the masajid, Islamic organizations, and any where people are in need. "This is a month of sharing!"
• Share Ramadan and its teachings of love & patience with your neighbours. Learn how at http://www.soundvision.com/info/ramadan/
• Initiate a project to promote or revive a ‘forgotten’ social cause in the Muslim and non-Muslim community: fight against racism, AIDS, drugs, cancer, smoking…etc.
• Did you know, our society, which constitutes only 20% of world’s population, actually consumes 80% of world’s resources! Volunteer at food bank or Anti-Poverty campaign, while fasting!
• Seek the rare and oft-neglected rewards of 'the night better than a 1000 months', Laylatul-Qadr.
• Weep in private for the forgiveness of your sins: It is the month of forgiveness and Allah's Mercy! It's never too late.
• Learn to control your tongue and lower your gaze. Remember the Prophet's warning that lying, backbiting, and a lustful gaze all violate the fast! Abandon foul language forever.
• Encourage others to enjoin and love goodness, and to abandon everything evil. Play the role of a Da'ee (one who invites to Allah) with passion and sympathy.
• Experience the joy of Tahajjud prayers late at night and devote yourself purely and fully to Allah in the I'tikaf retreat during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Compiled From:
"Ramadan: A Time for Revival or Survival?" - Young Muslims Publication [Download and distribute]

From Issue: 543 [Read original issue]