Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Man Wrongs Himself
Al-Baqara (The Cow) Chapter 2: Verse 231 (partial)

"Whoso does that [i.e transgresses the limits set by God] has wronged his soul [or himself] (zalama nafsahu)"

The world Zalim is generally translated in English as 'wrong-doer' or 'evil-doer', and the corresponding nominal form zulm variously as 'wrong', 'evil', 'injustice', and 'tyranny'. The root plays an exceedingly important role in the Quran. It is not too much to say that it is one of the most important negative value words in the Quran. Indeed, we encounter the root on almost every page of the Scripture, under a variety of forms.

The primary meaning of ZLM is, in the opinion of many of the authoritative lexicographers, that of 'putting in a wrong place'. In the sphere of ethics it seems to mean primarily 'to act in such a way as to transgress the proper limit and encroach upon the right of some other person.' Briefly and generally speaking, zulm is to do injustice in the sense of going beyond one's own bounds and doing what one has no right to. The Quran repeats everywhere that God does not wrong anyone 'even by the weight of an ant' or 'by a single date-thread'. A good deed He will double, a bad deed He will punish; in any case man will never be wronged.

Thus Men are made to bear the consequences of their own deeds. Even the torment of the Fire which all evil-doers are to suffer will after all be their own making. Hence the concept of zulm al-nafs (lit. 'wrongdoing of the soul', i.e. 'doing wrong to one's own soul, or one's self) which we find expressed very frequently in the Quran in connection with that of the divine chastisement of evil-doers. 'God wrongs nobody; man wrongs himself.'

Compiled From:
"Ethico Religious Concepts in the Quran" - Toshihiko Izutsu, p. 164-166

From Issue: 776 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Shadow of the Spear

In these unhappy times disputes have spread throughout the Muslim nation, causing Muslims to kill one another. The deaths resulting from this destructive infighting are greater in number than those killed in fighting Christian colonialism and Zionism. In general, governments in Muslim countries have far poorer records in respect of justice and cleanliness than the majority of non-Muslim governments. The Muslim masses possess little by way of culture, productivity and capacity in life and its duties. Their prevailing customs are very far from Islam in both spirit and action. The Muslim Community is now the one in the greatest need of teaching, education and self-recognition.

In spite of the fact that this is our current situation, some people still produce the hadith, "I was sent with the sword before the Hour and my provision was put under the shadow of my spear, and abasement and belittlement are heaped on those who oppose my command..." [Ahmad] My reply to them is: "I too wish that you had a sword with which to defend the Truth and repel its enemies from it. The truth is drowning and no one calls for help. Would that you had a spear under whose shade you could receive provision! You are asking for your provision from the crops of your enemy. He is the one who makes the weapons which you buy at such a high price, for purposes which Allah alone knows! What do you have to do with this hadith? .... I will pass over the weakness of this hadith from the point of view of its isnad, and I will not attack its soundness, although it has been attacked. But I ask, 'Why do you not study the deen and its fiqh and act on it and then call people to it in a proper manner? What is the role of the sword in your hands when you wrong one another and stray from the path of right guidance?'"

Today there exists an infantile Islamic tendency which desires to gain sole control over the reins of the Community. When those with intelligence listen to their discourse, they bow their heads in sorrow. The alarming thing is that it is an infancy of intellectuals which includes people with beards and people of importance and stature. They read hadiths which they do not understand and then present a form of Islam which evokes repulsion and fear. Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said many things and his words must be respected and obeyed. But it is only possible to learn what is meant by the things he said if we ascertain the exact circumstances in which he said them.

Compiled From:
"The Sunna of the Prophet" - Muhammad al-Ghazali

From Issue: 941 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it.

1. Do Itikaf

It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for Itikaf.

Those in Itikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs.

Itikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well.

2. Make this special Dua

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' "(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi).

The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee"

3. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran

Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you've heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level.

4. Make a personal Dua list.

Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things:

• Ask Allah to give you those things
• Think about what actions you have taken to get those things
• Develop a work plan to get those things in future.

5. Evaluate yourself.

Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah's sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above.

6. Have Iftar with the family

If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you'll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely.

7. Finish reading a book on the Prophet

Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice.

Compiled From:
"16 things you can do on the Night of Power" - Abdul Malik Mujahid

From Issue: 546 [Read original issue]