Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Words Unlike Others
Al-Alaq (The Blood Clots) - Chapter 96: Verses 1-5

"Read! In the name of your Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a leech-like clot. Proclaim! And your Lord is Most Bountiful. He Who taught [the use of] the Pen, Taught man that which he knew not."

Appearing before Muhammad (peace be upon him) suddenly one day while he was secluded in a cave, Jibril commanded him to read; he replied that he did not know how to read. The angel repeated his demand thrice, and received the same confused and frightened answer thrice, before revealing to this unsuspecting Prophet the very first verses he was to hear of the Quran.

Shaken from this unexpected encounter and carrying this greatest of burdens, Muhammad returned trembling to his wife Khadija and implored her to conceal him, till some measure of calmness had returned to him. As an Arab he was familiar with all sorts of Arabic expressions, with poetry and prose, but nothing bore resemblance to these verses; he had heard something the likes of which he had never heard before. These ineffable Words, this Quran, became the first and greatest miracle bestowed upon him. In another time and place Moses had been granted his own miracles - light emanating from his hands, the transformation of his stick into a slithering snake - as signs of his prophethood. Compare that to the subtlety of Muhammad's case: in the solitude of a mountain cave an angel beckons an unlettered man to read. His miracles included no snakes, no plagues, no curing of lepers or raising of the dead, but Words unlike anything that had ever fallen on human ears.

Compiled From:
"The History of the Quranic Text" - Muhammad Mustafa Al-Azami, pp. 47, 48

From Issue: 875 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Rest and Relaxation

Turning to the Islamic sources, one finds clear instructions in the teachings of the Prophet, who went on record to ask the workers to avoid a work regime that would drive them into exhaustion: “You are required to work to the extent of your abilities, for God is not impatient unless you yourselves become impatient.” [Jami Al-Saghir] This is an advice, evidently, of caution to workers to be aware of their own limitations and avoid overindulgence and fatigue. For this is not what their faith expects of them. The same message is endorsed in another hadith wherein the Prophet instructed the believers to “Refresh your hearts hour by hour (every now and then).” [Tirmidhi] There is also an addition to this hadith that says, according to a report by Abdullah ibn Masud, the hearts tend to go blind when they are denied of a (needed) reprieve.

Rest and relaxation is just as necessary for the well-being of people as is the work itself. Leisure time and vacation should therefore be given due attention in the determination of rules that regulate labour relations. This is also the purport of the hadith in which the Prophet has reportedly said: “Your body has a right over you,” and one of those rights is to avail it of rest and relaxation at regular intervals. [Riyad Al-Saleheen] One should be able in the meantime to see to one's other responsibilities as a spouse, father, mother, and offspring, as the case may be. For these are likely to suffer in the event where a worker is exhausted and overtaken by fatigue. The Prophet has in yet another hadith warned against overexertion, infliction of severity upon oneself, and indeed of developing such into a recurrent practice and expectation: “Do not be harsh with yourselves lest you be dealt with harshly, for some people were harsh with themselves, and Allah dealt with them harshly.” [Abu Dawud]

Compiled From:
"The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam: The Qur'anic Principle of Wasatiyyah" - Hashim Kamali

From Issue: 854 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Time-Management Tips

1. First things first: Figure out the real priorities in your life. What's worth spending an hour on? What comes first? What is a must-do and what is good-to-do?

2. Allocate time consistently to activities that matter. Unless you plan for and schedule time for community work, or studies, or attending to parents, spouse, or children, on daily basis, it's not considered important enough to you; chances are you will eventually start neglecting these high priority actions.

3. Schedule your day around five daily prayers. No compromises. This will not only develop your discipline but also your will-power to live a purposeful life.

4. Plan for significant events in your life yearly. Whether it's getting married, or applying for university, or going to Hajj, or paying Zakat, or attending a conference, or organizing a community event, plan for it so other trivial matters do not distract you from your goal.

5. Be an early riser. Schedule your important tasks, especially that require mental exercise, earlier in the day, and see the Baraka (blessings) from Allah do the magic!

6. Honour other's time. Aim to make it to the meetings, classes, events 10 minutes before the start time. If you are running late, inform the other parties. Honouring other's time is part of fulfilling your promise. Breaking a promise not only causes inconvenience to others but also makes you lose respect in their sight.

7. Just do it! Don't waste any opportunity to do good. Don't wait to 'get old' to fix your life. If you are not willing to live a purpose-driven, productive life now, then how do you expect Allah to give you a chance in the future?

8. Be optimistic and futuristic. Do not let failures and disappointments in life distract you from your lofty goals. Look beyond the temporal realities and plan for the future that matters. Otherwise, you may remain a loser now, as well as in the future.

9. Think of a positive legacy you would like to leave, regardless of the time you have. Make your intention today to make a positive difference in your life and the lives of others. If you die tomorrow, your intention will count as your plan for a mission-driven life. But it won't happen if you don't act today to develop a firm intention and plan.

Compiled From:
"9 Things You Can Do To Revive the Prophet's Time-Management Sunnah" - Taha Ghayyur

From Issue: 973 [Read original issue]