General
From Issue: 426 [Read full issue]
| Living the Quran |
Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) In human nature two qualities are not unknown to us: (1) the admiration of greatness, and (2) the acknowledgement of kindness. When you see a precision instrument or a latest appliance, or an exquisite picture, or an eloquent article, you do not stop talking of its beauty until your praise extends to its creator. The deep wisdom or skill of the individuals makes you bow your intellect to them involuntarily in respect and admiration. Likewise, when someone does you a favor, you always remember it, and your tongue expresses gratitude just as your heart is filled with praise and awe! A poet says: "Your favor has gained you three things from me: My hand, my tongue, and my hidden heart." The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) came to arouse these two qualities in the hearts of humans towards the One Who is most deserving of them. Do you not admire the greatness and salute its possessor? Do you not appreciate kindness and show gratitude to its doer? You surely admire the inventor of the aeroplane, and every time you see it streaking through the atmosphere your praise of his genius increases. So what do you think, therefore, of the One Who causes the thousands of stars to move in space without stopping or deviating? What do you think of Him Who created the mind of that inventor and deposited intelligence in the folds of his brain so that he could produce such things that arouse our admiration? Is not your Lord and the Lord of all things more deserving of your praise for His greatness and favors? Why are our hearts so hardened today? When you truly recognize His Mercy and Greatness through the magnificence of His creation and blessings to us, you would be ashamed to attack Him, or disobey Him, or neglect His guidelines for leading our worldly life, or to attribute anything unworthy to Him. You would surely exclaim, together with the people of knowledge and intelligence, the above verse: Rabbana, ma Khalaqta hazha Baatilan! Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
Tie your Camel: Do your Part One day Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, "Why don't you tie down your camel?" The Bedouin answered, "I put my trust in Allah." The Prophet then said, "Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah" (Tirmidhi). Muslims must never become fatalistic. Although we know only Allah is in control and that He has decreed all things, we are each responsible for making the right choices and doing the right thing in all situations of our lives. We must take action. We must work to alleviate the hardships we, our families and our communities face. Ask yourself the following questions if you are worried about the state of the world: are you part of the peace movement? Is your Masjid part of the peace movement? Are you part of an interfaith group with an agenda of peace and justice? Are you working with a group fighting discrimination? If your answer is no, it is time that you sat down to plan your share of time and money in finding solutions to the problems you face. Turn each worry into a Dua and each Dua into an action plan. That will show your commitment to your request and will focus your energy in the right direction. Source: |
| Towards Better Writing |
Purpose Writing is a many-faceted tool. We write to inform, persuade, inspire, or even threaten others. It is important to write well because writing can:
As a tool for communication with others, writing must be sharpened through practice. Our choice of words and subject matter are very important in making our writing not only clear and precise but also understandable and interesting. Compiled
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