Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

The Flight of Time
Al-Asr (The Flight of Time) - Chapter 103: Verses 1-3

"By the flight of time, man is in total loss. Except for those who have faith and do good works; who exhort each other to uphold the truth and to perseverance."

This brief surah summarizes the essence and outcome of all human activity for all time.

Time goes on, and people live and die, generation after generation, and era after era. People of the same generation may live under similar circumstances and traditions, but their destinies may go in totally different directions, depending on their moral and religious beliefs. The moral quality of human life is far more important, and the truth is no less honourable or illustrious if it is recognized by a minority.

Those who deny the sovereignty and power of God shall end up as fuel of hell in the hereafter, whereas the believers who, despite the odds, persevere in upholding the truth shall be the real and final winners in the ordeal of life.

True believers are few and in some generations of human history may even seem odd, but they are promised great rewards.

This surah became a motto, a pledge of loyalty and brotherhood, among the Companions of the Prophet. It was traditional, according to reports, for Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Companions to recite this surah together before they shook hands and departed.

To persevere for the sake of the truth could expose one to persecution and hardship, and therefore to uphold the true faith and triumph with it requires persistence, tenacity, and a strong will.

Compiled From:
"A Thematic Commentary on the Quran" - Muhammad Al-Ghazali, pp. 751, 752

From Issue: 626 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Cleansing the Hearts of Tarnish

Bayhaqi cited a hadith on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Umar, quoted directly from the Prophet, peace be upon him, where he says, 'Everything has its polish, and the polish of hearts is the remembrance of Almighty God. And there's nothing that better delivers from God's punishment than His remembrance.' And when they asked, 'Not even combat [jihad] for his sake?' he answered, 'Not even if someone smites with his sword until it breaks in two.'

Doubtless, a heart grows tarnished like brass or silver, and its polish is by remembrance, which may make it shine like a crystal mirror. So when one neglects the remembrance it tarnishes, and when he returns it shines. Since the heart is tarnished by two things - heedlessness and sin - it is polished by two things: remembrance and asking forgiveness.

Compiled From:
"The Invocation of God" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, pp. 46, 47

From Issue: 547 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Avoid Conflict

Even petty disputes between individuals can be costly. The time, money, and effort spent in the conflict itself, not to mention the mental and emotional cost that's involved mobilizing for the conflict and getting over it, can be heavy indeed.

The least costly way to deal with conflict is to avoid it. Many conflicts are simply not worth having, and with a bit of forethought and prevention, they can be stopped before major damage is done. Abraham Lincoln wrote, "Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbours to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser in fees, expenses, and waste of time."

Take the following steps in order to prevent conflict before it starts:

Know who you're dealing with: One of the characteristics of Japanese businesspeople is to spend a great deal of time checking out people or firms before embarking on business ventures with them. They intend to do business for a long time and want to make sure mistakes are avoided at the outset. Westerners often find the practice tedious and unnecessarily time-consuming. But it does have its merits.

Get it in writing: Spell out as many eventual sources of contention as you can anticipate. An old proverb advises: "Good fences make good neighbours."

Avoid impossible situations: Don't think you are Superman or Wonder Woman. Unless you are expert at turnaround situations, if really good people have failed, you probably will, too.

Check out great deals going in: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. Investigate. Ask for references. Ask hard questions. It's better to risk offending someone than having an economic loss or embarrassment later on.

These tactics can save you a great deal of time and effort in conflict resolutions involving any relationship.

Compiled From:
"Time Tactics of Very Successful People" - B. Eugene Griessman, p. 145-146.

From Issue: 568 [Read original issue]