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From Issue: 392 [Read full issue]

Living the Quran

Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract)
Chapter 15: Verse 5

The Appointed Term
 "No nation can outstrip its term nor can they lag behind."

Every community - and, in the widest sense of this term, every civilization - has a God-willed, organic span of life resembling in this respect all other living organisms, destined to grow, to reach maturity and ultimately to decay.

In this verse there are many shades of meaning implied:

1. For every people, as for every individual, there is a definite Term assigned: their faculty of choice gives them the opportunity of moulding their will according to Allah's Will, and thus identifying themselves with Allah's Universal Law. During that Term they will be given plenty of rope; after that Term is past, there will be no opportunity for repentance.

2. Neither the righteous nor the ungodly can hasten or delay the doom: Allah's Will must prevail, and he is All-Wise.

3. The destruction of a people is not an arbitrary punishment from Allah: the people bring it upon themselves by their own choice; for the fixed Law or Decree of Allah is always made known to them beforehand, and in many ways.

Source:
"Message of Quran" - Muhammad Asad
"The Meaning of the Quran" - Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Understanding the Prophet's Life

Birds of A Feather

Believers need two things: both to protect themselves from the religious and worldly dissension afflicting their fellows and to contend with the tendency in themselves: because they have lower selves and satanic forces just as others do, and the example of their fellows intensifies their own inclination. This is a fact. And so the impulse strengthened both by the contents of a person's own soul and his devils, and by the influence of what others like him are doing. How many there are who intend neither good nor evil till they see another - especially someone like themselves - doing it, and then they go and do the same! For it is the nature of human beings to imitate one another, as birds of a feather flock together.

Therefore one who initiates something good or something evil gets the same reward and carries the same burden as those who follow him, as the Prophet, on him be peace, said: "He who establishes a good precedent gets the reward for it, and the reward of all who act upon it till the Day of Resurrection, without diminishing their rewards in the least. And he who sets a bad precedent bears the guilt of it and the guilt of all who act upon it till the Day of Resurrection, without in the least diminishing their guilt."

Source:
"Public Duties in Islam" - Ibn Taymiya, p. 99
Blindspot

Let the Scrubbing Begin!

Have you noticed that each year, Ramadan goes by faster and faster? This blessed month can’t be left to become a blur in our memories. It has to be more than that time of the year we squeeze in fasting amongst the other things we do daily.

One way to make the most of Ramadan is to plan beforehand. Here are five reasons why you should plan for Ramadan:

Reason #1: To be in "Ramadan mode"
If you plan, you will mentally prepare for it, and it will force you to see it as the special month it is outside of your regular routine the rest of the year.

Reason #2: To adjust your schedule
By planning in advance, you can adjust your work, sleep and meal schedules in such a way as to make time for Suhoor, Iftar, etc. That means, for instance, that if you usually study late, you can instead sleep earlier and start studying after Suhoor in the early morning hours.

Reason #3: You can plan Ramadan family time
Calling a family meeting about a month in advance, explaining the importance of Ramadan, its implications for the family and the need to eat Iftar together when possible as well as to attend Tarawih prayers, for example, will allow all family members to adjust their work and school schedules accordingly. That will, Insha Allah, make Ramadan a blessing not just to every person in the family, but to the family as a whole.

Reason #4: To do good at high Sawab times
Match Ibadat with specific times that carry more reward. Prepare to do Itifkaf, increase asking Allah for forgiveness in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Plan to give increased Sadaqa this month. Plan to visit that relative you may have not seen for months, if not years.

Reason #5: You can plan Dawa activities during Ramadan
Some Muslims have gone to soup kitchens and made meals during Ramadan, while they were fasting. This is a great Dawa opportunity to explain what Ramadan and Islam are about. Planning in advance for such an activity gives you the time to call up a soup kitchen in your area, explain what you want to do, and get your act together. You can also plan school Dawa activities in Ramadan by planning in advance, by meeting with the principal or teacher beforehand, preparing a presentation, etc.

To find out more on how to revive yourself in Ramadan read "RAMADAN: A Time For Revival Or Survival?"

Source:
"Nine reasons why we must plan for Ramadan" - SoundVision.com

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