Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Five Morals
Al-e-Imran (The House of Imran) Sura 3: Verse 17

"They are the steadfast, the truthful, the humble; they spend in the cause of Allah, and seek forgiveness in the small hours of the morning."

This verse mentions five moral characteristics: sabr, sidq, qunut, infaq and istighfar.

Sabr, in essence, means to stand firm and to pursue the truth steadfastly under all kinds of conditions and circumstances, whether easy or difficult, whether one is afflicted with poverty, disease, or distress and even when faced with bitter hostility. To pursue truth with fortitude and to confront whatever comes one's way patiently — without despairing or losing heart, without regret or complaint and refusing to surrender to falsehood come what may. A major portion of the din — the religion of Islam – is based on sabr or patience and fortitude. In essence, Islam has appropriately been described as half gratitude and half patience. Human experience shows that in the absence of patience one cannot even be truly grateful.

Sidq, in essence, means being in full harmony with reality or facts. It signifies firmness and solidity of substantial nature. A spear with patently strong joints is described as sadiqa-l kuub, which when tested, is actually found to be strong, firm and reliable. Some of the manifestations of sidq are harmony between heart and tongue, words and deeds, the apparent and the internal life of a person, and consistency between one's beliefs and actions.

As to qunut, its essence is humility and self-abasement before Allah, born out of the realisation of a sense of gratitude for the countless blessings of Allah and His limitless power, glory, and majesty. Qunut transforms any blessing received into a form or means of showing our gratitude to Him, while any misfortune or hardship encountered along the way offers yet a fresh opportunity to exercise patience. Qunut is thus the direct opposite of the proud and arrogant attitude born out of the mistaken notion that whatever Divine blessings one receives are one's by right for which no gratitude is due to anyone. Qunut initially denotes humility of mind and heart and it is essentially reflected in one's appearance, speech, gait, and character.

As for infaq, it is obviously the opposite of spending on worldly pleasures for one's selfish gratification. The characteristic of spending on others is a clear proof that in one's eyes the life hereafter and its enduring blessings are more important and worth striving for rather than wasting one's energies on worthless trinkets of this transitory life on earth.

Istighfar means calling upon Allah and supplicating to Him in humility to cover one's lapses, sins, and shortcomings. Such a lament and cry for help is the result of the humility and fear induced in a person on realising the infinite blessings of his Sustainer upon him along with the thought that He is the Lord of impeccable justice and retribution. The addition of the words "who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning" shows that this is the most suitable time for the acceptance of supplications for forgiveness. This time is most secure against the hazards of showing off and most appropriate for concentrating the mind and pondering earnestly over the messages of Allah. It is indeed a great bounty of our Most Generous Sustainer that He has not only directed us to make istighfar but has also at the same time taught us about the most suitable time for its acceptance.

Compiled From:
"Pondering Over The Qur'an: Surah Ali Imran" - Amin Ahsan Islahi

From Issue: 970 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Helping the Poor

Clothing

Ibn Abbas related that the Prophet said: Any Muslim who gives a Muslim a garment to wear will be in Allah's safekeeping as long as a shred of it remains on him. (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

Feeding

Safwan ibn Salim related that the Prophet said: Anyone who looks after and works for a widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah's cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari)

Anas related that the Prophet said: If any Muslim plants something or sows seed from which a man, a bird or an animal eats, it counts as a charity for him. (Bukhari, Muslim)

Relatives who are needy

Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said: The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents. (Bukhari)

Salman ibn Amer reported that the Prophet said: To give something to a poor man brings one reward, while giving the same to a needy relative brings two: one for charity and the other for respecting the family ties. (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Tirmidhi)

Compiled From:
"The Quran and Hadiths on the poor and needy: a topical index" - SoundVision.com Staff Writer

From Issue: 668 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Ramadan Family Time

“Ramadan is family time,” one Muslim mother said recently in discussion about plans for the upcoming blessed month. She described how her busy household was usually scattered in different places throughout the year, with school and extracurricular activities taking precedence. But in Ramadan, everyone gathered to at least eat Iftar together.

While this may be true for some families, it is not for all. For many, there are scheduling conflicts. But hours on the job can be readjusted, classes can be rescheduled, and other activities can take a back seat.

If even this is not possible, you can still make time, as impossible as that may seem. If you and your family can commit to a daily Ramadan ritual of 20 minutes or less, it will go far in strengthening not just personal faith, but family bonds as well. Here are some ideas that offer ways to do that.

Set the timer to 10 minutes. Everyone gather in the same room in their pajamas. Take turns sharing or reading short Islamic stories. Suggestions for Islamic include "Treasury of Islamic Tales," "Companions of the Prophet," "Stories from Islamic History," among others. If the story is long, read only 10 minutes of it. Continue the following day. Be, and encourage all readers to be, as dramatic as possible in his or her presentation to retain audience interest.

Most prayers easily take 20 minutes or less, in fact 10 minutes or less if you are praying only the required Rakat. Choose which prayer can be offered together and encourage all to participate.

Some of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "We eat but are not satisfied." He said, "Perhaps you eat separately." The Companions replied yes. The Prophet then said, "Eat together and mention the Name of Allah over your food. It will be blessed for you” (Abu Dawud).

Eating together is about so much more than food, as this Hadith makes clear. It is about satisfaction not just of our physical appetites, but our spiritual and emotional need for companionship as well. And who better to build that companionship with than our families?

Arts and crafts can be fun and therapeutic. But you don’t need hours in front of an easel to enjoy them. Google “fast and easy crafts” to come up with some great ideas that you can adopt and adapt for Ramadan. Make sure older kids in the house also participate. Also, have all of the materials and preparations done beforehand so the actual craft work really does take 10 minutes or less.

This can be done right after the family has prayed together, or if that is not possible, at any other point in the day that everyone is in the same place, be it the home or the car. Begin by praising Allah, and then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. After this, each person takes turns making one Dua. It could be for better health for a family member, a pet, or a gift wish for Eid. Make sure to set a timer and to remind participants to keep their duas short and meaningful so that everyone gets a chance to share.

Compiled From:
"Reconnect with family this Ramadan- in 20 minutes or less" - Samana Siddiqui

From Issue: 795 [Read original issue]