Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Sanctity of Culture
Al-Araf (The Heights) Sura 7: Verse 199

"Accept [from people] what comes naturally [for them]. Command what is customarily [good]. And turn away from the ignorant [without responding in kind]."

The Quran enjoined the Prophet Muhammad to adhere to people's sound customs and usages and take them as a fundamental reference in legislation. Ibn Atiyya, a renowned early Andalusian jurist and Quranic commentator, asserted that the verse not only upheld the sanctity of indigenous culture but granted sweeping validity to everything the human heart regards as sound and beneficial, as long as it is not clearly repudiated in the revealed law. For classical Islamic jurists in general, the verse was often cited as a major proof-text for the affirmation of sound cultural usage, and it was noted that what people generally deem as proper tends to be compatible with their nature and environment, serving essential needs and valid aspirations.

Much of what became the Prophet's sunna (Prophetic model) was made up of acceptable pre-Islamic Arab cultural norms, and the principle of tolerating and accommodating such practices—among Arabs and non-Arabs alike in all their diversity—may be termed a supreme, overriding Prophetic sunna. In this vein, the noted early jurist, Abu Yusuf understood the recognition of good, local cultural norms as falling under the rubric of the sunna. The fifteenth-century Granadan jurisprudent Ibn al-Mawaq articulated a similar outlook and stressed, for example, that it was not the purpose of Prophetic dress codes to impinge upon the cultural integrity of non-Arab Muslims, who were at liberty to develop or maintain their own distinctive dress within the broad parameters of the sacred law.

Compiled From:
"Islam and the Cultural Imperative" - Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

From Issue: 954 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Trading with Allah

"And everyone goes out in the morning and sells himself, either freeing or destroying himself." [Muslim]

Every day humans are faced with new situations. Every morning we get up to do something. Every day we are either going to obey Allah or we are going to disobey Allah. In essence, every day we are going to be setting ourselves free from the Hell-fire or leading ourselves to the Hell-fire and our own destruction. Even those who sit and seemingly do absolutely nothing are, in reality, actually leading themselves to some result.

The one who is successful is the one who sells himself to Allah or buys his freedom from Allah. Trading with Satan on the other hand can never bring about anything beneficial because, in reality, he has nothing to offer. All he can offer are delusions and promises that end up to be punishment in the Hereafter.

People sell themselves for money, power, lusts and so forth. Many times, they are willing to give up on their dignity for these things. In reality, they are simply selling themselves in exchange for the Hell-fire.

Source:
“Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi” - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, p. 894-897

From Issue: 483 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Seven Ways to Peace and Happiness

Rule 1: Let's fill our minds with thoughts of peace, courage, health, and hope, for "our life is what our thoughts make it."

Rule 2: Let's never try to get even with our enemies, because if we do we will hurt ourselves far more than we hurt them. Let's never waste a minute thinking about people we don't like.

Rule 3:
A. Instead of worrying about ingratitude, let's expect it.
B. Let's remember that the only way to find happiness is not to expect gratitude - but to give for the joy of giving.
C. Let's remember that gratitude is a "cultivated" trait; so if we want our children to be grateful, we must train them to be grateful.

Rule 4: Count your blessings - not your troubles!

Rule 5: Let's not imitate others. Let's find ourselves and be ourselves, for "envy is ignorance" and "imitation is suicide."

Rule 6: When fate hands us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

Rule 7: Let's forget our own unhappiness - by trying to create a little happiness for others. "When you are good to others, you are best to yourself."

Compiled From:
"How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" - Dale Carnegie, p. 186.

From Issue: 578 [Read original issue]