Is the Quran an Unstructured Book?

By: Dr. Mustansir Mir

One of the long-standing objections leveled against the Quran by its non-Muslim critics is that it appears to have no regular form or structure. It is said that its verses follow one another with little sense of interconnection and its surahs seem to have been arranged in a sequence based on the crude principle of diminishing length, the longest coming first and the shortest going to the end. Almost every surah, it is complained, is riddled with unsettling shifts of scene, address, and subject and one cannot with any amount of certainty predict what is going to come next. It is concluded that the Quran is, at best, a remarkable compilation of unrelated passages, or a book of quotations. That though it is full of pearls, the pearls are lying in a promiscuous heap.

The actual words used by those who have raised this objection are much more stern and caustic. We will not quote them, partly because they may be found in any book written on the Quran by any critic of Islam and partly because their pungency does not add to the gravity of the objection. We shall only note that new as well as old orientalists have made the point often and that for all the difference in their approaches to the Quran , they are all agreed that the Quran completely lacks anything of the kind of orderly arrangement. Some of them have actually tried to rearrange the Quran either chronologically or according to some other self-devised principle.

The response of Muslim scholars to this objection has been, generally, concessive. They grant that the Quran does not have the arrangement of a well-planned book, but then, they say, it was never meant to have one. The revelation of the Quran, they point out, was completed in twenty-three years and during that period the Quran dwelt on such a large number of diverse subjects that no act of compilation could have given it greater unity and coherence than that it now possesses. The Quran, they say, dealt with the lives, activities, and problems of a whole nation for a long span of time and so any objection based on the concept of a research thesis is bound to be misplaced.

This reply, though it has almost always served to satisfy Muslims and at least silence non-Muslim critics, fails to take one very important fact into consideration, that of the arranging of the Quran, by the Holy Prophet . At the same time that it was being revealed, the Quran was being rearranged in a certain form, under direct divine guidance, by the Holy Prophet . The completion of the arrangement of the Quran was conterminous in time with the completion of its revelation. In respect of order and sequence, therefore, the Quran as it was compiled was different from the Quran as it was revealed. In other words, the Quran had two arrangements, one revelatory and the other compilatory. The question is, why was the revelatory arrangement abandoned in favor of a compilatory arrangement. Was the latter adopted without any special reason? If so, why was chronology not considered a sound enough basis for arranging the Quran? And is one today at liberty to discover, if possible, the chronological arrangement of the Quran and recite the Quran according to that arrangement? Or, if chronology was not an acceptable guide, why was not some rule, that for example of dividing the Quran into surahs of about equal length, employed. Nor does the principle of the progressive diminution of the size of surahs go very far because the diminution is not so progressive: We frequently find that long surahs are followed by shorter surahs which are again followed by long surahs and so on. The question continues to stare one in the face: Why a different arrangement ?

Imam Hamid al-din Farahi (India, d: 1930) gives another answer to the objection. He maintains that the Quran has a superb structure. The verses and surahs of the Quran, he says, are arranged in an impeccable order that together form a whole which has remarkable integration and symmetry. And beautiful as that structure is, adds Imam Farahi, it is not merely of incidental value; it is essential to the meaning of the Quran, nay, it is the only key there is to the meaning of the Quran.

The seminal ideas of Imam Farahi have been expounded by his most eminent disciple, Mawlana Amin Ahsan Islahi. Taking his cue from the principles his great teacher had enunciated, Mawlana Islahi has written a commentary (in Urdu) on the Quran in which he has shown how the Quran is the systematic book Imam Farahi claimed it to be. Mawlana Islahi modestly terms his work elaborative, but as anyone can see, it is highly original in any respect. In fact, he is not only the most authentic exponent of Imam Farahi’s thought, he can be said to have new-modeled that thought. Below is given a brief statement of his views on the structure of the Quran. These views have been summarized from the ‘Introduction’ to ‘Tadabbur-i-Quran’ (Reflection on the Quran), which is the name of his commentary.

1. Each Quranic surah has a dominant idea, called the axis of that surah, around which all the verses of that surah revolve. Thus no verse, or no group of verses, stands alone but has a direct relation with the axis of the surah and is part of the coherent scheme of the surah.

2. The surahs of the Quran exist in pairs, the two surahs of any pair being complementary to each other and, together constituting a unit. There are a few exceptions, however. The first surah, Fatihah, does not have a complement, because it is a kind of a preface to the whole of the Quran. All the other exceptions too are not exceptions in the real sense of the word since each one of them is an appendix to one or the other surah.

3. The 114 surahs of the Quran fall into seven groups. The first group comes to an end at surah 5, the second at surah 9, the third at surah 24, the fourth at surah 33, the fifth at surah 49, the sixth at surah 66, and the seventh at surah 114. Each group contains one or more Makkan surahs followed by one or more Madinan surahs of the same cast. Like individual surahs or each pair of surahs, each group has a central theme which runs through all its surahs, knitting them into a distinct body. In each group, the themes of the other groups also occur but as subsidiary themes.

4. Each group logically leads to the next, and thus all the groups become variations on the basic theme of the Quran, which is: ‘Allah’s call to man to adopt the right path’.

While speaking of coherence in the structure of the Quran, we must distinguish between connectedness and organic unity. A connection, howsoever weird and far-fetched, can be established between any two objects of the universe. But organic unity implies the presence of a harmonious interrelationship between the components of a body or entity which produces a unified whole, a whole which is over and above the sum total or the components of and has worth and meaning in itself. The verses and surahs of the Quran are not simply linked up with one another, they have their place, each one of them, in the total scheme of the Quran and are related not only to one another but also to that total framework. The Quran is an organism, of which its verses and surahs are organically coherent parts.

Another point to be taken note of is that, as hinted above, the methodical nature of the Quran is not just an incidental matter in the study of the Quran, it is integral to the meaning of the Quran. In plain terms, since the Quran has an organic structure, every verse or group of verses and every surah has a definitive context and interpretation of any portion of the Quran must be based on a correct understanding of that context.

It is unfortunate how some people misuse the Quran. Too often its verses have been torn out of context to prove some particular juristical opinion or sectarian notion. Frequently its terms and phrases have been misconstrued by those who come to it seeking, in some odd verse, support for views they have already formed on other than Quranic grounds. It is indeed a great irony that all heresies have been claimed by their propounders to have their basis in the Quran. And if these heresies looked plausible to many, it was because the context of the verses constituting the so-called ‘basis in the Quran’ was not properly understood. As Mawlana Islahi has shown, contextualization gives to countless verses a construction different from the one usually placed on them; it throws new light not only on the doctrinal and creedal aspects of the Quranic message but also on the methodological aspects of the message; it lends new significance not only to the moral and legal injunctions of the Quran but also to the stories and parables narrated by the Quran; and it affords a deep insight not only into the continually changing style and tone of the Quran but also into the varied patterns of logic it employs.

Source: IslamiCity

 

When the Night Equals A Thousand

By Muhammad Al-Shareef

It was narrated that in the days that Musa (Peace be upon him) wandered with Bani Israel in the desert an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa (Peace be upon him) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.

It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israel whom had disobeyed Allah for more than forty years of his life. “Let him separate himself from the congregation,”Allah told Musa (Peace be upon him). “Only then shall I shower you all with rain.”

Musa (Peace be upon him) then called out to the throngs of humanity, “There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought.” That man, waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one.

The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity.

He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with a humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said: “O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!”

As Musa (Peace be upon him) and the people of Bani Israel awaited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Musa (Peace be upon him) asked Allah “O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward.” And Allah replied, “O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israel with water.”

Musa (Peace be upon him),wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, “Show him to me O Allah!” Allah replied, “O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?”

Allah revealed the Quran in the most blessed month; the month of Ramadan, the month in which the Quran was sent down.

On the most blessed night, the Grand night: Laylatul Qadr; “Verily, we revealed the Qur’an on the night of Qadr.”

Ibn Jareer narrates, on the authority of Mujahid that there was a man from Bani Israel who used to spend the night in prayer. Then in the morning he would fight the enemy in the Way of Allah during the day, until the evening and he did this for a thousand months.

And so Allah revealed the Surah: “Verily, We sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr” until the verse “The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months” That is, standing in prayer on that night is better than the actions of that man.

Sufyan ath-Thawri reports, on the authority of Mujahid (also), that the night of Al-Qadr being better than a thousand months means that the good deeds performed on it, fasting on it, and standing in prayer on it are better than a thousand months good deeds, prayers and fasting. [Narrated by Ibn Jareer]

It is reported from Abu Hurairah that he said:

“When the month of Ramadan came, the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The month of Ramadan has come, a blessed month in which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast; in it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained. In it is a night better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable.’” [Narrated by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasa'i]

It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever stood in prayer on the night of Al-Qadr, in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, he will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The sincere believer who worries day and night about his sins and phases of neglect in his life patiently awaits the onset of Ramadan. During it he hopes to be forgiven by Allah for past sins, knowing that the Prophet (Peace be upon him)promised that all who bear down during the last ten days shall have all their sins forgiven. To achieve this, the believer remembers the Prophet’s (Peace be upon him) advice in different sayings wherein he used words like “seek”, “pursue”, “search” and “look hard” for Laylatul Qadr.

Laylatul Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. The Mu’min should search for it in the last ten nights of Ramadan, passing the nights in worship and obedience.

For those who catch the opportunity, their gift is that of past sins wiped away.

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) illustrated for us some of the things we should be doing on this Grand Night. From his blessed Sunnah we find the following:

Praying Qiyam (Night Prayer)

It is recommended to make a long qiyam prayer during the nights on which Laylatul Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many ahadith, such as:

“Whoever stands (in qiyam) in Laylatul Qadr [and it is facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation (of Allah’s reward), will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

the addition “and it is facilitated for him” is recorded by Ahmad from the report of ‘Ubadah Bin as-Samit; it means that he is permitted to be among the sincere worshippers during that blessed night.

Making Supplications

It is also recommended to make extensive supplication on this night.

‘A’ishah reported that she asked Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) “O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylatul Qadr, what should I say during it?” And he instructed her to say: “Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee – O Allah! You are forgiving, and you love forgiveness. So forgive me.” [An authentic Hadith recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi.]

Abandoning Worldly Pleasures for Worship

It is further recommended to spend more time in worship during the nights on which Laylatul Qadr is likely to fall. This calls for abandoning many worldly pleasures in order to secure the time and thoughts solely for worshipping Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala).

‘A’ishah reported: “When the (last) ten started, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would tighten his izar (i.e. he stayed away from his wives in order to have more time for worship), spend the whole night awake (in prayer) and wake up his family.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

And she said: “Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) used to exert more (in worship) on the last ten than on other nights.” [Muslim]

Have We Estimated Allah Correctly?

The opportunity of Laylatul Qadr is coming in the next few days. Life is about people that take advantage of their opportunities to win the love of Allah, and this is indeed one of those chances. Abu Dah Daah was one of those who found an opportunity and won that which is greater than the heavens and the earth. An adult companion of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) cultivated his garden next to the property of an orphan. The orphan claimed that a specific palm tree was on his property and thus belonged to him. The companion rejected the claim and off to the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) went the orphan boy to complain. With his justness, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) measured the two gardens and found that the palm tree did indeed belong to the companion. The orphan erupted crying. Seeing this, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) offered the companion, “would you give him the palm tree and to you is a palm tree in Jannah?” However, the companion in his disbelief that an orphan would complain to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) missed the opportunity and went away angry.

But someone else saw the opportunity, Abu Dah Daah (may Allah be pleased with him) . He went to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and asked, “Ya Rasul Allah, if I buy the tree from him and give it to the orphan shall I have that tree in Jannah?” The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) replied, “Yes.”

Abu Dah Daah chased after the companion and asked, “Would you sell that tree to me for my entire garden?” The companion answered, “Take it for there is no good in a tree that I was complained to the Prophet about.”

Immediately, Abu Dah Daah went home and found his wife and children playing in the garden. “Leave the garden!” shouted Abu Dah Daah, “we’ve sold it to Allah! We’ve sold it to Allah!” Some of his children had dates in their hand and he snatched the dates from them and threw them back into the garden. “We’ve sold it to Allah!”

When Abu Dah Daah was later martyred in the battle of Uhud, Rasul Allah (Peace be upon him) stood over his slain body and remarked, “How many shady palm trees does Abu Dah Daah now have in paradise?”

What did Abu Dah Daah lose? Dates? Bushes? Dirt? What did he gain? He gained a Jannah whose expanse is the heavens and the earth.

Abu Dah Daah did not miss his opportunity, and I pray to Allah that we do not miss our opportunity of standing to Allah on Laylatul Qadr.

Dear brothers and sisters, we do not obey, worship and revere Allah in a way befitting of His Majesty.

Allah revealed: “No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him. On the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand: Glory to Him! High is He above the partners they attribute to Him.” [Noble Quran 39:67]

Everything that we have belongs to Allah. When someone dies we say, Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un, Indeed to Allah we belong and indeed to Him we shall return. This is not a supplication just for when a soul is lost. It is a supplication for every calamity that befalls a believer, even if his sandal were to tear. Why? Because everything belongs to Allah and everything shall come back to him. Sit and try to count the blessings Allah has bestowed upon you. Have you ever tried to count stars?

“And He give you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favors of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude.” [Noble Quran 14:34]

We have not understood the weight of this Quran that we rest on our high shelves, this Noble book that was sent to give life to the dead. For even if our hearts were as solid as rock they would have crumbled to the ground in fear and hope of Allah’s punishment and Mercy. Could it be that our hearts are harder than that mountain?

“Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and split asunder in fear of Allah.” [Noble Quran 59:21]

Dear brothers and sisters, as you fill the Masajid for Qiyamul Layl in the last ten nights of Ramadan, remember what Allah wants you to know:

“Know ye that Allah is strict in punishment and that Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Noble Quran 5:98]

There shall be a night, some night in your life that you shall awaken in Jannah or Hell fire. Anas ibn Malik, on his deathbed, prayed to Allah, “O Allah, protect from a night whose morning brings a journey to hell fire.” Think about that morning.

Peace shall descend on Laylatul Qadr until the dawn. It may be that you shall leave the Masjid after Fajr one day soon forgiven by Allah, Glorious and Most High.

 

The Obligations Muslim Owe the Qur’an

By: Israr Ahmad

The pathetic and disastrous condition of the Muslim Ummah throughout the world is due to the abandoning of the Qur’an by the Muslims. The attitude of indifference that we constantly show towards the last of the Allah’s Revelations, along with our hypocritical lip-service, is tantamount to ridiculing it. Instead, we must clearly understand our responsibilities towards the Qur’an and try our very best in fulfilling them. We can neither expect any improvement in our worldly state of affairs nor hope for salvation in the Hereafter, unless we carry out all the obligations that we owe the Qur’an.

Five things that the Qur’an demands from every Muslim are as follows:

The Muslim is required to believe in the Qur’an,
He is required to read it,
He is required to understand it,
He is required to act upon its teachings, and
He is required to convey its teachings to others.

OUR FIRST OBLIGATION is to have faith (Iman) in the Divine origin of the Qur’an. Iman has two phases: verbal profession (iqrar bil-lisan) and heart-felt conviction (tasdiq bil-qalb). To have faith in the Qur’an means that we should verbally profess that the Qur’an is the Word of Almighty Allah that was revealed by Him through His angel Gabriel to the last of His Messengers, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

This is a legal requirement for the acceptance of a person as a member of the Muslim society. Having done that, however, we also need to develop a deeply felt certitude in the Qur’an. It is only when we have real conviction in that verbal declaration that our hearts and minds would come under the influence of the Qur’an, leading us towards genuine devotion and veneration of the Glorious Book.

Unfortunately, there is a woeful lack of staunch faith in the Divine origin of the Qur’an among the Muslims of today. This lack of faith is the reason why we neither find any reverence for the Qur’an in our hearts, nor feel inclined to study it, nor evince any interest in pondering over its meanings, nor ever think of seeking its guidance in conducting our lives.

It might be asked as to how can we acquire true faith? The answer is that the source of Iman is the Qur’an itself. If the Book is studied and its meanings are pondered upon in an authentic quest for truth, all the veils of darkness shall be lifted from one’s heart, and the inner self – the soul – will get illuminated by the light of true faith.

Note that faith is not something that can be planted in us from the outside. It is an embodiment of fundamental truths that already exist inside us; the practice of pondering over the verses of the Qur’an serves to bring them to the surface of our consciousness.

OUR SECOND OBLIGATION is mindful and thoughtful reading of the Qur’an with correct pronunciation, generally described as Tilawah, Tartil, and Tajwid. Note that Tilawah is not only an important form of worship, but it is also an effective method of continually refreshing our faith.

The Qur’an is not a book to be read once; it is a Book that needs to be read again and again. We must read it carefully, reflecting on its messages, constantly seeking guidance for our lives. Just as our material body is in constant need of food for its sustenance, our spiritual soul or Ruh is also in perpetual need for its nourishment. And just as the food for our bodies is derived from the earth, the diet for our souls is obtained from the Word of God, the Qur’an itself.

Moreover, a regular and constant program of reciting the Qur’an is also needed because it is a means of refreshing and reviving our faith, and a weapon for surmounting the obstacles in the path of Almighty Allah. The ideal way in which the Glorious Book should be recited is that one should stand in the post-midnight prayer before his Lord and recite its verses in a slow and patient manner, pausing at proper places so as to enable one’s heart to imbibe its influence. (Though reading the Qur’an in all times is virtuous, reading it at mid-night is more virtuous.)
OUR THIRD OBLIGATION is to understand and comprehend the Qur’an. The Qur’an has been revealed so that it may be understood and pondered upon. Of course, there are numerous levels and grades of comprehension, accessible to different persons according to their respective planes of intellect and consciousness.

The first stage in the comprehension of the Qur’an is called Tazakkur, a term which alludes to the fact that the teachings of the Qur’an are not at all foreign or alien to the human Fitrah (pure instinct). Instead, they represent the eternal truths dormant in the human soul itself, and the reading or listening of the Qur’an only facilitates the recalling of these forgotten verities.

The Qur’an has been rendered very easy, by Almighty Allah, for the purpose of gaining this level of guidance. It does not matter if a person’s intelligence is limited, or his knowledge of logic and philosophy is poor, or if he has no fine sense of language and literature. In spite of these drawbacks, he can still understand the basic message and practical guidance of the Qur’an, provided he has an untainted nature not perverted by any crookedness.

The second stage in the comprehension of the Qur’an is far from easy. Tadabbur is described as a penetrating study, an intense reflection, as thorough deliberation of the Qur’an as possible, and diving deep into the bottomless ocean of its wisdom.

This kind of understanding is impossible unless one is to devote his entire life, all his talents, and all his energies for the sole purpose of comprehending the Qur’an. Obviously, not everyone is capable of such a high level of devotion and effort to acquire such insight and comprehension. But there must be a number of persons, at all times, who are engaged in this enterprise.

Such scholars cannot be produced unless we have a network of universities throughout the Muslim world, which concentrate on the Qur’anic research and make this Book the focus of all their intellectual activity.

OUR FOURTH OBLIGATION is to act upon the teachings of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the “Guidance for mankind.” The purpose for which this Book has been revealed will be fully realized only when people act upon its teachings and make it the guide for them in every sphere of their lives. If we disregard the injunctions of the Qur’an, then the reading and understanding of the Glorious Book, instead of doing us any good, will only make us more guilty before Almighty Allah.

At an individual level, it is imperative for every Muslim to mold his or her life according to the teachings of the Qur’an. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “None of you can become a true believer until his desires become subordinate to what I have brought.” The best way to benefit from the study of the Qur’an is to go on changing our life-styles and mending our ways in accordance with its teachings.

At the collective level of the community, it is equally imperative for us to try and establish the system of Social Justice as given by the Qur’an. The Muslims are, as a whole, responsible for establishing the Sovereignty of Almighty Allah in the public as well as the private sphere, and each of us is obligated to try his utmost in this path. The struggle for the establishment of such a just and equitable order in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an is the bounding duty of its followers.

OUR FIFTH OBLIGATION is to propagate the message of the Qur’an to every nook and corner of the world. This was originally the responsibility of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who fulfilled his own obligation by conveying the Divine message to the Ummah; since Prophethood has been concluded with the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who is the last of the Divine Messengers, it is now the duty of the Muslims to deliver that message to all humanity.

Unfortunately, the proclamation of the Divine message to the whole world appears like a far-fetched and fantastic idea, because, at the moment, the Muslims themselves are ignorant of the teachings of the Qur’an.

Therefore, a powerful intellectual and academic movement – back to the Qur’an – is needed in order to propagate and disseminate the knowledge and wisdom of the Qur’an, both on a general scale for the benefit of our masses and on the highest level of scholarship in order to convert the educated and intelligent elite of the Muslim society.

Source: Islam Online

 

Half of your Faith

By: Tariq Ramadan

How many men and women prepare themselves to live as a couple, as a family?

Some think about it, others are already committed to it. We hear of stories… and one is sometimes moved by the expectations and hopes of some, and sometimes saddened by the painful life experiences of others. Perhaps you are also, sisters and brothers, preparing yourselves to engage in this life experience of marriage, known as half of your faith. Or perhaps you have already started sharing your life with someone. In this, your expectations, thank God, were more than met but sometimes doubts have emerged. This… is not what you had expected.

Brothers and sisters, nothing should be idealized.

The perfect husband or the perfect wife only exists in your dreams. God has given you, as He has given others, noble qualities and intelligence. God has given you, as He has given others, faults and deficiencies. Perfection is not given to you or any human being.

It is not enough to share the same faith, the same principles and the same hopes to make an ideal couple. How many young couples have been under the illusion that their future life will be harmonious as if being Muslim was enough for a successful marriage? As if their union was based solely on the meeting of two worlds founded on the same principles that one respects or on the rules which one applies.

This illusion, which yesterday promised a small earthly paradise, today makes life a difficult struggle How many speak about “the principles of marriage in Islam” and actually live the reality of a torn, ravaged and frustrated existence?

Today, more than ever, living as a married couple has become a real challenge. Around us, men and women meet and leave each other in a modern society in which they confuse freedom and the absence of accountability as love and flexibility.

Living as a couple is not without its challenges – preparing yourself, learning and constantly trying to reach out to the other with patience, depth and tenderness. Although it is true that the principles of Islam bring you together, or will bring you together, you must remember each day that the person with whom you share your life comes with his or her own history, wounds, sensitivities and hopes. Learn to listen, to understand, to observe, to accompany.

Living as a couple is the greatest of tests: a test of patience, of attention, of the ability to listen for unspoken words, of self-control, of mending one’s faults, of healing the wounds. In each of these tests, there are two parties. It isn’t easy. A meaningful effort has to be grounded in the deepest sense of spirituality, a jihad, in the most intense meaning of the term. The jihad of love which reminds that feelings have to be taken care of. They are maintained, deepened, rooted through your shared challenges and your patience

Patience and attention to the hearts, in a couple, will lead them towards the light, God willing. Remember, brothers and sisters, the last of the Prophets (peace be on him), an example for eternity, so attentive, so tender, and so patient. He did not only remind the Umma of principles, he enlightened with his presence, his listening, and his love.

Before being the mother of his children, his wife was a woman, his spouse, a person he discovered each day, a person whom he accompanied and who accompanied him; subject of his attention, a testimony of his love. He knew the meaning of silence, the power of a touch, the complicity of a shared glance, the pleasure in a smile, and the kindness found in being attentive.

There are those who idealize the other so much they never really see their partners and those who leave each other too quickly without taking the time to know each other. We are reminded of the principles Islam, its depth, its spirituality, its essence. Living as a couple, forming a relationship, being patient in adversity, loving to the extent of enduring, grounding by way of reforming is an initiation to spirituality. Knowing how to be one with God assures greater comfort in being together as two. A challenge, a test, far from the ideal, close to reality.

Sisters and brothers, you must prepare yourselves to live one of the most beautiful tests of life. It requires all from you, your heart, your conscience, and your efforts. The road is long. One must learn to demand, to share, and to forgive…indefinitely.

Of the things permitted by God, divorce is the most detested. Living as a couple is difficult: remember that your wife is woman before being the mother of your children; remember that your husband is a man before being the father of your children. Know how to live as a couple, within your family…in front of God and in front of your children.

This meeting place, these efforts will result in a sense of protection: They are your garments and you are their garments. Know how to be patient, learn how to be affectionate, offer forgiveness, and you will attain the spirituality of the protected, the proximity of the ones that are close. Faith then becomes your source of light and “his or her” presence, becomes your source of protection; the test of your heart, the energy of your love, half of your faith.

I pray to God that this love be the school of your efforts and the light of your patience.

Source: Tariq Ramadan

 

It Won’t Be Easy…

By: Tariq Ramadan

Muslims in the West bear an enormous responsibility, and it falls to them to commit themselves to building their future.There is no doubt that some will continue to identify themselves over and against the West, as “the other,” and to complain that in these places no one loves Islam or Muslims. They will thus maintain the unhealthy victim mentality, hoping that their salvation will come from scholars and thinkers in the East. But there are clear signs today, particularly among women, that things are changing and that more and more Muslims are aware of the challenges they have to confront. To remain Muslim in the West is a test of faith, of conscience, and of intelligence, but the only way to deal with it is to stand up and get involved-armed with the “need of Him,” humility, and determination.

The reform movement that is in the process of being born has as its first requirement knowledge of the comprehensive message of Islam, its universal principles, and the tools available to help human beings to adapt themselves to their society as well as to change the world. All Muslims are invited first of all to this study, this initiation, this self-knowledge. This process must naturally continue to deepen and extend. At the same time, we must not short-change study of the Western world, the history of its societies and their institutions, cultures, and collective psychology. This is the route that must be traveled if we are to feel at home and apply in a positive way the Islamic principle of integrating all that does not contradict the prohibitions and making it our own. This reform movement requires a true intellectual revolution that will make it possible to be reconciled to the universality of Islamic values and to stop considering ourselves a marginalized minority, on the brink of adapting or integrating, and trying to do no more that protect ourselves from an environment we consider dangerous. In order to achieve this, Western Muslims need to free themselves of their double inferiority complex -in relation to the West (and the domination of its rationality and technology) on the one hand and in relation to the Muslim world (which alone seems to produce the great Arabic-speaking spirits of Islam who quote the texts with such ease) on the other. We shall have to liberate ourselves from these faults by developing a rich, positive, and participatory presence in the West that must contribute from within to debates about the universality of values, globalization, ethics, and the meaning of life in modern times. In addition, it is time to be committed to forms of religious education that will encourage independence of mind and in-depth consideration of the application of Islamic principles in the West and the meaning of being a European, American or Australian Muslim. The foregoing pages make humble claim to opening the way to the first steps on this road, but there is still much to be achieved and many obstacles to be overcome. One of these is the reclamation by Muslims of complete political and financial independence: they must in-creasingly reject control, intervention, and surveillance by foreign states such as Western governments in order to be able to speak freely and credibly. Muslims increasingly have the means of doing this. This certainly does not mean that they should refuse to be in contact with the Islamic world for mutual advantage, but exchange is one thing and being under guard-ianship is another, here or anywhere else. As citizens of states that recognize human rights, Muslims are no longer under the law of foreign states or former colonies and they should reject the status of subcitizens that is the product of a perverse internal neocolonialism. To regain confidence in oneself, one’s values, one’s role also means, in practice, reclaiming one’s rights and respect. Though involvement in education reform, social and political participation, economic resistance, interreligious dialogue, and contributions to culture, people will be much more successful than if they persist in solitary confrontation and continual complaint. It is a struggle, a jihad -that goes without saying, but for principles, not against people, and if the people around one, willingly or unwillingly, forget the principles, the struggle consists in reminding them of those principles and making them apply them. In this way, the normalization of the Muslim presence will not be a trivialization: their presence, their contribution, their participation should make a difference, not because of their otherness but because of the singular richness they bring to their society.

Western Muslims will play a decisive role in the evolution of Islam worldwide because of the nature and complexity of the challenges they face, and in this their responsibility is doubly essential. By reflecting on their faith, their principles, and their identity within industrialized, secularized societies, they participate in the reflection the Muslim world must undertake on its relationship with the modern world, its order, and its disorder. Does the Islamic world have an alternative to offer? Does it have the means to implement new proposals? How should we engage in the debate between civilizations? Huntington’s thesis on the “clash of civili-zations” has been much criticized, and progressive, optimistic thinkers en masse have rejected this prophecy of doom. My many visits to the Muslim world and to European, Australian and American societies, especially after shocks like that of 11 September 2001, indicate that if the clash is not a reality, the ingredients that could lead to it are very present in current mentalities: on both sides, the lack of knowledge of the other (and of self), the acceptance of simplistic and absolute caricatures and final judgments, not to mention conflicting political and geostrategic interests, are objective features that could lead to the breakdown. In my view, the future dialogue between civilizations will not take place at the geopolitical frontiers between “the West” and “Islam” but rather, paradoxically, within European, Australian and American societies. Here again, Western Muslims will bear a heavy responsibility for demanding that the debate be opened and that it be conducted at a serious and deep level that requires listening to and exchanging with their fellow-citizens. They may be able to bring about the avoidance of a breakdown and the emergence of a path to fair dialogue and reconciliation.

This will not be easy. Prejudices, racism, and Islamophobia are tangible expressions of the hard reality of Western societies, and Muslims must not naively think that these will simply disappear as they become citizens settled in their societies. Increasingly, and for a considerable period, they will have to become accustomed to facing political security measures, discrimination, accusations of “double-talk,” menacing, malevolent looks, and acts of surveillance and control. Distrust is so great and suspicion so widespread that times of mutual trust seem still to be far away. But rather than complaining sadly, it seems to me that there is only one response to this state of affairs: to hold to one’s convictions; express one’s principles and hopes; make clear comments and criticisms; keep to one, open way of speaking (with Muslims and with one’s fellow-citizens); participate in society for good in partnership with all human beings who, in conscience, reject a world without conscience; and, armed with one’s faith and a critical mind, reject dualism and keep one’s head by cultivating patience and long-suffering.

Spirituality is a priority: the effort and the process of spiritual initiation that lead us in our hearts toward the Transcendent are the best provisions for the journey. Through this teaching, we learn perseverance, which gives us the key to success: to stand firm in the face of people who trade in prejudice, who are responsible for oppression and who spread hatred, while retaining the presence of mind to say, “Salam!” “Peace!” and not to give up one’s efforts along the way, offering the brotherhood of one’s soul and humanity to all people of conscience, from one’s heart and in love, and inviting them to travel with one, training oneself to keep on resisting and learning how to be a friend, faithfully.

 

The Ramadan Nutrition and Workout Plan for Success

By: Rehan Jalali

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is how can I workout and eat properly while I am fasting? Most people see the blessed month of Ramadan as a time when they will surely lose strength and or muscle mass and some people think they can only “maintain” during this month. This cannot be further from the truth. In fact, if you use some of the strategies I am about to share with you, you can make some of your best gains during this month! It’s all about maximizing nutrient uptake, maintaining proper hydration, and modifying key fat burning/muscle building hormones in your favor during this month.

First of all, let’s look at what happens to your body during Ramadan. While you are fasting, obviously you become more dehydrated at rest–but actually less than if you had exercised aerobically for over an hour (so exercise causes greater dehydration for that time period versus fasting). Your main metabolic fuel source for bodily function during fasting is mainly fat, which is a good thing. There is a great advantage fasting when the days are shorter as more meals can be eaten during the night. So the goals during Ramadan are to maximize metabolism (even though your metabolism will slow down due to less frequent meals), preserve and enhance as much lean muscle mass as possible (which will inherently increase metabolic rate and allow you to burn more calories at rest), and maximize your workout (both cardio and weight training). During Ramadan, depending on your goals, I really recommend that you limit cardio to 2 days a week at the most. This is again to preserve as much lean muscle tissue as possible. There is actually research showing the health benefits of fasting. It is truly a physical purification.

Training Times

Ok, enough of the background, let’s get to the meat of it! I am going to set the record straight here. The best time to do a weight training workout is NOT while fasting. This can create way too much muscle breakdown and cause a significant rise in the catabolic hormone cortisol. Training while in a state of dehydration can decrease strength significantly. In fact, research indicates that dehydrating a muscle by as little as 3% can cause a 12% loss in strength. Training while you are fasting can actually be more detrimental than beneficial! The best time to weight train during Ramadan is after Taraweh prayers at night. This will insure that you will have several meals and plenty of water in your system before going to the gym. This will also allow you to consume your all-important post workout meal or shake which is essential to muscle growth and even fat loss. If this is too late then the next best time to weight train is about 1 hour after Iftar before taraweh prayer. The best time to do cardio work for maximum fat loss is before suhur—yep that’s the truth. Of course, most people I know will not want to get up at around 3: 30 AM and do cardio! If you CAN pull this off then the best thing to do is get up and drink plenty of water with a cup of coffee or green tea, wait 30 minutes and perform 30-45 minutes of moderate intensity cardio work like a brisk walk on a treadmill. If this is out of the question for you, then the next best time to do cardio is approximately 30-45 minutes after a “light” iftar (I will define this shortly).

So now you know when to train, it’s time to learn what to eat and drink (think water, water, and more water!).

Suhur meal (morning/pre-dawn)

For suhur, it is imperative to drink plenty of water, eat a good blend of protein, carbohydrates, and essential fat—that’s right “good fats” have many fat burning and muscle building properties and their importance is even greater during Ramadan. Some good “suhur” foods include:

Egg whites (1 yolk)
Chicken breast
Oatmeal
Cream of wheat
Protein shake
Cinnamon
Bananas
Raw, Dark Honey
Raisins or dates
Fibrous vegetables –This will help increase the feeling of fullness as well.
All natural peanut butter
Flax seed oil
Olive oil – preferably extra virgin (which means it’s cold processed and the essential fatty acids are preserved)
Plenty of water

It is important to take a solid Multi-Vitamin/ multi-mineral supplement with suhur as well to make sure daily minimum requirements of key nutrients are met. One good one is Opti-Pack by Super Nutrition. Taking extra vitamin C and vitamin E can also be helpful. It is very important to watch your sodium intake at this time as high sodium can cause greater dehydration plus increase thirst during the day—not good for fasters. Avoid high sodium foods like soups, sauces, condiments, gravies, high sodium bread products, and canned meats.

Iftar meal

This is a key time for rehydration. The wisdom in Islam is never ending. We break our fast with dates and water but if you investigate this nutritionally, you will see that dates are very unique in their nutrient content. They contain very high levels of potassium, a key re-hydration mineral and a special carbohydrate blend that enhance hydration above and beyond water alone. So basically when you eat a date and water for iftar your body gets hydrated again much faster than with water alone (this is a complex topic but I don’t want to bore you with the details—You can think of dates and water as a very advanced form of Gatorade?). You should also eat some quality protein at this time as well. I recommend three dates and a meal replacement protein powder like ZI Diet MRP from VPX Sports, Lean Body by Labrada, or Myoplex from EAS. Of course, drink plenty of water. Then 1- 1.5 hours later have a food meal (or follow the schedule above for cardio). Then during taraweh, depending if you pray 8 or 20 rakahs, have a protein bar in the middle (not while you are praying of course!) or have another small protein and complex carbohydrate meal after the 8 rakahs—drink plenty of water if you have a protein bar. Then go train about 30-45 minutes after eating the bar. After the workout, have another nutrition shake (as mentioned a few lines ago) with plenty of water. Eating small meals at night can trick your body into speeding up metabolic rate (not to mention increase nutrient absorption and stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels). Your body loves homeostasis and wants to maintain a certain balance—you literally have to shock it constantly to lose fat and gain muscle over the long run! There is so much wisdom in “Eat and drink but not to excess” and we should try and follow that especially during Ramadan.

SAMPLE Ramadan MEAL PLAN for fat loss and muscle gain
(*This plan is for a 170 lb male, please adjust amounts for body weight)

Suhur:

Eat 6-8 egg whites (one yolk)
One bowl of plain oatmeal w/ cinnamon, raisins and a banana
1 teaspoon all-natural peanut butter or olive oil or flax seed oil
Plenty of water (16-24 oz.)
Opti-pack by Super Nutrition (one pack) –multi-vitamin/mineral

Iftar (the evening opening of the fast):

Three Dates and a Nutrition Shake (ZI Diet MRP from VPX Sports, Lean Body by Labrada, or Myoplex from EAS)
Plenty of water

For cardio wokouts –Do cardio 45 minutes after this meal for 30-45 minutes at a moderate pace or do a sprint workout if you have less time and then have the next meal before taraweh. (Have a cup of green tea with Iftar on cardio days)

For weight training days: Eat another food meal before Taraweh like chicken breast (or baked salmon), brown rice and some veggies OR
Baked Fish (Salmon, Tuna, Orange Roughy, or Mahi mahi), sweet potato, and a garden salad or some steamed vegetables.

Drink plenty of water during taraweh–Go to the gym after taraweh. (If you pray 20 rakahs, then have a protein bar in the middle of taraweh). Drink plenty of water during the workout and you can even have Powerade™ or a sports drink during the workout.

After the workout, have another Nutrition Shake –lots of water of course. Then sleep 45 minutes later or stay up all night eating and working like I do!

Following these simple workout and nutrition tips can really help you make great gains during this blessed month. May God help give us patience and strength in this month and throughout the year and make us strong mentally, internally, spiritually, and physically!

 

The System of Tauheed: The Decisive Cure For Post Traumatic-Shirk Disorders?

by Imam Qasim Ahmed

“I have not created Jinn or Man except for My worship” Holy Qur’an

The purpose of this presentation is to provide insightful research into the idea of the Oneness and Purity of the worship of Allah or Tauheed, which is the nature of the entire universal order of creation, and when man deviates from the order of his role as a worshiper, he corrupts his potential to reach the goal intended for him by Allah, thus creating a condition that can be referred to as “Post Traumatic Shirk Disorders”.

There are two major influences shaping the life of human beings and their thinking ability. These influences can be observed through the concept that ‘if your worship is right, your thinking will be right.’

The first influence involves ‘correct worship or tauheed.’

When we think in the natural and ordered environment created by Allah, this promotes peace, harmony, law, order, and obedience, which consequently results in a life that grows and prospers under the influence of correct worship. This gives the human being freedom and responsibility and makes him more productive to evolve to higher planes of existence with a greater dimension for social benefit and harmony. This great potential in humanity to follow the divine laws that Allah has provided them with through revelation, results in the harmonious growth and balanced expressions of the human personality in changing environments. Understanding the systems of tauheed and its intricate systems of purity and unity promotes a healthy mental and spiritual existence in the life of the human being.

The second influence that shapes the life of the human being involves ’corrupt worship or shirk.’

Shirk is the antithesis of tauheed, and is defined as taking a partner with Allah. In other words, it entails giving a right that is due to Allah to a created object instead. So if a person enters into shirk, he automatically exits from tauheed, since tauheed, by its very definition, is the purifying of one’s actions for the sake of Allah. Corrupt worship creates a confused, disordered, immoral and disfigured environmental setting, through miscalculation and misinformation of life’s natural processes and movements, thereby retarding its human potential and excellence. If the human being realizes that the sin of shirk is the greatest sin and the biggest evil, and is the one sin that Allah has promised not to forgive, then he will realize the great importance of avoiding this deadly disease. The study of tauheed and its opposite, shirk, brings us to understand that our nature is created to worship G-d and G-d alone, thus bringing forth from that nature, more productivity and progressive advancement in its life form.

The Concept of Tauheed in the Universal Order

“Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see; is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He does regulate all affairs, explaining the Signs in details, that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.

“And it is He Who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and (flowing) rivers; and fruits of every kind He made in pairs, two and two; He draws the night as a veil over the day. Behold, verily in these things there are Signs for those who reflect!” Holy Qur’an 13:2-3

The greatest evidence of the unity (Tauheed) of Allah before us is His creation. Nature itself and our study of nature, both bear witness to the fact that there is but one G-d, who in His infinite wisdom has created and continues to sustain the entire universe. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an in Surah 2 ayat 255:

“Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as he wills. His throne does extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them, for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).”

By ignoring or rejecting this truth, we plunge ourselves into darkness, ignorance and the evils that follow.

The standard view of the physical phenomena in creation is that they can ultimately all be reduced to a few fundamental interactions of prescribed laws that operate fully by the command of Allah. This implies that every physical system follows a unique design and course of evolution. It is obvious even at a casual glance that the universe is remarkably ordered and systematized in harmony on all scales, from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy. Allah has distributed throughout the vastness of space uniformed and organized structures that are identifiable in what may seem to be a very complex system. We see the miracle of universal harmony and order, and we marvel at the divine blessings of Allah. His versatile mastery is Akbar (The Greatest). With omniscient genius and incomparable efficiency, He brought forth, from nowhere countless stars and their satellites, placed them into extraordinary orbits throughout intangible space with invisible ties, and holds them whirling and moving in such mathematical precision that we can foretell the occasion of an eclipse, or the visit of a comet years in advance. So perfectly are factors in the universe coordinated that the unity of the whole is secure from violation. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an in Surah 67:3,

“He who created the seven heavens, one above another; No ant of proportion will you see in the creation of (G-d) Most Gracious. So turn your vision again; do you see any flaws?”

The cosmos, with its vast expanse, its rich diversity of forms, and above all, its coherent systematic unity, cannot be accepted simply as accidental, but must be seen as the work of All Mighty Allah, who deserve all praise and thanks from His Creation. This is proof conclusively that Tauheed is the supreme purpose of the physical universe.

The Human Being Cannot Escape Worship

“You alone do we worship and You alone do we seek help.” Holy Qur’an 1:5

In Al-Islam, the concept of Tauheed supports all other concepts, and no other concept in the Muslim language exists except that it is supported by Tauheed. Therefore, the concept of worship in Al-Islam finds its base in Tauheed. In every human being there exist, dormant or active, a spiritual need and overwhelming desire for worship. “Man cannot escape worship; he can only fail to worship G-d on the high level that he was intended for, but he cannot escape worship.” If one offers worship to anyone other than Allah, the Creator of everything, he is indulging in polytheism or shirk. Allah says in the Qur’an in surah 31:13,

“Behold, Luqman said to his son by way of instruction, “O my son! Join not worship (others) with G-d; for false worship is indeed the highest wrong doing.”

False worship in the Qur’an is called “Zhulm.” One of the meanings of zhulm means to put something in the wrong place or somewhere it is not meant to be. For example, when the fish is taken out of its natural environment (water), and placed upon land, it will flip flop around, and may appear to be full of life by someone without knowledge. In reality, the fish is traumatized, because it has been taken out of its natural environment for worship. Similarly with the human mind and soul, if you put it in an oppressed environment, it will have an appearance to be alive, but will be suffering from post-traumatic shirk disorders. A meaning of trauma is a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from mental or emotional stress or physical injury. By turning to anyone or anything other than Allah to fill the psychological vacuum that every normal human being feels is also an instance of zhulm. This is similar to putting the right feeling or “Love” in the wrong place or giving to others what should be given to Allah. People naturally want to turn to their true Lord and Creator to satisfy their spiritual hunger. However, under the influence of irreligious circumstances and environments, they begin to fill the inner vacuum from wrong sources. This post-traumatic shirk disorder happens in the lives of people everyday all over the world. Millions of people, who do not believe in G-d or attach any weight to religion, can be seen bowing down before gods of their own making. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah 43:23,

“Then see you such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire” G-d has, knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight. Who, then will guide him after G-d (has withdrawn Guidance)? Will you not then receive admonition?”

Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh) has said, “None of you can truly believe until his desires are made to follow the (Guidance) I have brought.” He has also stated, “Of all ‘gods’ worshipped under the heavens, none are more repugnant to G-d than hawaa (desires).” Post-shirk traumatic experiences temporarily shatter the human being’s relationship with G-d, diminishing their feelings of security, adequacy, self-esteem, and causes unwarranted fears and anxieties.

SHIRK PRODUCES ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

The influence of shirk causes abnormal conditions in the human life, and as a result, it produces serious psychological effects and makes one insensitive toward the moral obligations to the individual, family and community life. Since the word abnormal literally means “away from the normal,” it implies deviation from some clearly defined norm. In the case of physical illness, the norm is the structural and functional integrity of the body, and the boundary lines between normality and the essential nature of disease can usually be clearly drawn by medical science. For example, in order to understand the abnormality of a diseased heart or kidney, you have to have a healthy model to make a comparison. The healthy model has been created by G-d. On a psychological level, however, science has no “ideal model” or even “normal model” of man to use as a base for comparison. Thus they suffer considerable confusion and disagreement as to just what is or what is not normal, and this confusion is aggravated by the rapid change and upset of old, established norms.

The confusion of what is normal and abnormal that confronts the scientific community does not exist in the basic teaching of Qur’an and the life of Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh). Allah says in the Qur’an:

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent Pattern/model of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.” 33:21

“Say: I am a but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your G-d is One G-d; whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” 18:110

Whereas the scientific community has accepted G-d’s created models of the material world for research and development and has achieved remarkable advancements in the created world, they have rejected the created model for the development of the soul that was illuminated and refined in the life of Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh), the perfected man. This perfection was achieved through his obedience and loyalty to his inherent nature created by G-d, and his ultimate rejection of corrupt worship, shirk. He grew in Arabia surrounded by idolatry, and remained pure, honest, decent and truthful to his created human form. Allah made this soul the example for all times. He is the perfect man, with the perfect book and the perfect religion. Imam W. D. Mohammed stated that the birth of Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh) began with the birth of the Revelation of the Qur’an. Faith for the human being can be established through our belief in the Prophet (pbuh) and the perfection of his human nature through the revelation of the Qur’an. We have to have faith in that model human being. Having faith in Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh) will motivate us towards reaching our highest potential. Then we will get closer and closer to that acceptable model that G-d approves of.

Prophet Muhammad is the model for the healthy psychology of humanity.

Social psychology is the higher field of psychology, which deals with the behavior and social interaction of man. Healthy human beings are sociable and amenable creatures, and those that engage in anti-social behavior are experiencing psychological illnesses of post-traumatic disorder. When a human being becomes diseased in the mind, one of the most notable signs or symptoms is the decline in his social instincts and neglect of family responsibilities, by becoming socially immature. It has always been recorded that the psychologically insane are an anti-social group of people.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TAUHEED’S INFLUENCE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH

The healthy development of the human being is of basic importance and it emphasizes his ability to live harmoniously in a changing environment as an essential ingredient of mental health. One definition of psychological health is to develop optional modes of personal and social conduct in order to produce the harmonious utilization of inborn potentials and capacities, which brings about or cultivates better physical, intellectual and emotional aspects of the individual, so far as this is compatible with that of other individuals. The society that promotes this development of its members, while at the same time ensures its own development, and is tolerant towards other societies promotes a healthy environment that brings about sound mental health. The concept of tauheed develops sound psychological health that seeks to prevent mental disorders that are formed from environmental influences that run contrary to the natural patterns that are designed in creation to progress human thought processes and potentials.

The Holy Qur’an Promotes Sound Mental Health

The idea of tauheed expressed in the Holy Qur’an promotes, in the most effective way, mental hygiene, mental health and mental harmony. In examining the term posttraumatic shirk in this presentation, we would like to emphasize that the pre-existing condition of worship in the original nature of the human being was whole and pure. By returning back to this nature, which is tauheed, it becomes the ultimate cure-all for this horrific disease. This purity of worship keeps the moral life of the human being in its proper design and ordered structure. As a worshipper and servant of G-d, the Muslim must stay in constant communication through the principle of prayer, and by recognizing Tauheed, the purity of worship.

Mental health is the knowledge of the rational application of the human mind that acquires information and knowledge from a unified creation and gives and distributes this knowledge unselfishly to promote the intellectual growth of the total society. The more conscientious and knowledgeable a person is about the Will and Laws of G-d, the more he will seek to obey and follow those laws, thereby, bringing about a peace and harmony in his life, and elevating his worth to the society.

Human harmony rest in recognizing and respecting the universal laws of creation that stem from one G-d, who has provided these laws for His most excellent creature to manage justly and fairly for the rest of the creation. The awareness that these laws are nature based, will give rise to man’s inherent nature to promote social justice and harmony for all creatures of Allah. Therefore, the study of Qur’an is the most important study a person can make for the proper cultivation and success of all human beings.

Human Nature as a Witness For Tauheed and a Witness Against Shirk

“And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam from their loins Their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves , (saying): “Am I not your Lord (Who cherishes and sustains you)?” They said: “Yes! We do testify!” (This), unless you should say on the Day of Judgment, “Of this we were never mindful.”

“Or unless you should say: “Our fathers before us may have taken false gods (shirk), but we are (their) descendants after them: will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who were futile?” Holy Qur’an 7:171

As stated earlier, the human being cannot escape worship. The above verse establishes the witness for the existence of G-d as it relates to the human soul. There is in the nature of every human being a witness or a consciousness of the existence of G-d. This inner consciousness of each human being is telling him that there is a higher being, a G-d or a Creator. We acknowledge that G-d is our Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer, therefore, we acknowledge our duty to Him as a witness. We also testify concerning ourselves, and we assume the obligation as a witness, as it springs forth from our very nature when it is pure and uncorrupted.

Allah again says in the Qur’an in Surah 22:78,

“And strive in His cause as you should strive (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you and has imposed no difficulty on you in religion; It is the way of your father Abraham. It is He who has named you Muslim, both before and in this (Revelation); that the messenger maybe a witness for you, and you be witnesses for mankind!” and in verse 2:143 “Thus have We made you an Ummat justly Balanced that you may be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves.”

These verses emphasize that the human nature is created to stand as a witness against corrupt worship or shirk. It keeps them balanced and sane by promoting in the consciousness the perfection of worship, which brings about the harmony and order that the human being has been created with.

If the human soul has such a clear consciousness and is a witness for the existence of G-d, then how is it, the question may be asked, that there are men who deny the existence of G-d? Two things must be borne in mind. The first involves the inner light within each man, which makes him conscious of the existence of G-d, but is not equally clear in all cases. With some, as it is with prophets and messengers that come through the will of time, that light shines fourth in its full glory, and their consciousness of the Divine presence is very strong. In the case of ordinary men, consciousness is generally weaker and the inner light more dim. There may even be cases in which that consciousness is only in a state of inertia, and the inner light has almost gone out. In the second case, even the atheist or the agnostic recognizes a Higher Power, though he may deny the existence of a G-d with particular attributes, and occasionally that consciousness is awakened in him, and the inner light asserts itself, especially in times of distress or affliction. Allah says in the Qur’an,

“And when We show favor to man, he turns away and withdraws himself; but when evil touches him, he is full of lengthy supplications” (HQ 41:51). “And when harm afflicts men, they call upon their Lord turning to Him” (HQ 30:33). “And when a wave like awnings covers them, they call upon Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. But when He brings them safe to the land, some of them follow the middle course” (HQ 31:32). “And whatever good you have, it is from Allah; then when evil afflicts you, to Him do you cry for aid” (HQ 16:53).

Post-traumatic shirk disorders creates imbalance, imperfection and disharmony, thus darkening the light of the soul. The Arabic word “Jarraha” which is form two of the verb “Jaraha” is one of the words used to indicate wound, injure or hurt (trauma). This form of the verb means to invalidate (a testimony), to challenge, and declare unreliable (a witness). It invalidates you as a witness for G-d. Verb form eight is to commit (an outrage or a crime). According to this verb form eight, the post-traumatic shirk is an outrageous crime or sin against the nature of the human being. The witness who is testifying that there is no G-d but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger becomes a criminal through the cross-examination of Satan, because of his lying and denial of G-d.

The Muslim and the Believer’s declaration of faith clearly states, “I witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” This declaration of faith must be said by everyone who comes to the consciousness of its relationship as a servant of G-d. The Satan, who is the enemy to man begins his cross-examination of the Believer says,

“I will lie in wait for them on your straight way; then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their left and their right; nor will find, in most of them gratitude (for Your Mercy) Holy Qur’an 7:16-17.” Allah also of Satan in the Qur’an surah 59-16, “like the evil one (Satan) when he says to man, (deny G-d; but when (man) denies G-d, the (evil one) says, “I am free of you; I do fear G-d, the Lord of the Worlds.”

Post-traumatic shirk disorders impede ones ability to follow divine guidance, when they have turned away from it, thus making the person unable to produce according to their created nature. When it comes time to respond as a witness for that life, they cannot hear the call. Allah says in the Qur’an in surah 8:24,

“Oh you who Believe, give your response to Allah and his messenger, when He calls you to that which gives you life; and know that G-d comes in between a man and his heart, and it is He to whom you (all) shall be gathered.” Allah also says, “One day shall We gather them all together. Then shall we say to those who join g-ds (with Us): “To you your place! You and those you joined as ‘partners’.” We shall separate them, and their “partners” shall say: “It was not us that you worshipped. “Enough is Allah for a witness between us and you: we certainly knew nothing of your worship of us.”

Life is about choices; you make the right one or the wrong one, but you must make a choice. Given the choice of foods, comforts or culture, we invariably take that what we think will please or benefit us most. We value what is useful and we seek what is worthy. Our difficulty is the inability to determine what is most beneficial. Allah says in the Qur’an in surah 39:18:

“Those who listen to the word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones who are endued with understanding.” And in surah 39:55, it says, “And follow the Best of (the courses) Revealed to you from your Lord, before the penalty comes on you-of a sudden, while you perceive not!”

The most difficult thing for the human life is the management of his or her life according to the plan given by Allah for that life. Proper and correct worship enables one to discriminate, and know at a glance, the faults and the evils that hinder human progress. Life begins wanting agreement and to have that agreement, life disagrees. The major force or urge in life is agreement, and we don’t know it until we know G-d or until we have a relationship with G-d that we appreciate, or is conscious of. We need agreement with His plan, His purpose, and His will for our existence. We need this agreement so that we will find our proper relationship with G-d, and everything else will be pleasing and acceptable. Tauheed is the unity that produces and brings about this order and perfection. The perfect objective in all things is order, and the control and direction of that order is Allah. Order is as vital to any fulfillment as breath is to the fulfillment of a newborn life. It is important to know this, not only for personal guidance, but particularly, in the relationship of the human experience in charting their course in this magnificent creation. Therefore, we must abandon all superstitions, all prejudices, all conceits and selfishness, as well as, proud or smug contentment and resort to the factors that are real and necessary to fulfillment in efficiency, perfection, and order. The key to this is submission and obedience to the will and plan of Allah. How this is accomplished in the universe itself is a phenomenal revelation that we find in the whole creation.

We must see post-traumatic shirk as a major disease that unravels the wholeness of the perception of G-d in our lives, and this disorder and disharmony can only be cured and made whole by the concept of Tauheed or oneness of G-d. Nothing can penetrate the wholeness and the oneness or unity of Allah. His unity is preserved pure, perfect and eternal. It’s given in the words (Allahu Samad), which means that He exist by Himself because of His own G-d nature of Divine Existence. He stays protected. He will always be G-d, the Perfect, the One, and the Unitary Whole in itself, all complete and needing nothing from outside. This is only true of G-d, and is true of nothing else He created. Everything else that He created has to depend on something from outside.

Source: MANA

Imam Qasim Ahmed is Founder of the Islamic Learning Institute in Tampa, a member of Imam W.D. Mohammed’s community, and member of MANA’s Diwan and Majlis Ash Shura.

 

A Daughter of Detroit

by Najah Bazzy

It shall not be time that leaves its imprint on me,
but rather I leave my imprint on time.

Bint Al Houda, sister of Imam Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr.

I was born on April 15 in Downtown Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital on a Christian holiday, Good Friday, to a blue collar Arab Muslim family, while all of America was rushing to the post office to mail their taxes, in a decade called the Sixties that would belong to civil rights, civil strife, old glory, grief, and greatness.

With such a start I can’t pretend to be surprised that a lot of my life has since been shaped and defined by civil rights, human rights, grief and sadness, joy and greatness. My father called me Najah, (it means ’success’), after an artist named Najah Salam. Salam, the root word of Islam, means ‘peace.’ I learned early in life that a person who aspires to peace would model success, while a person who aspires to success may not always be peaceful. I am a Muslim by birth and by choice, a person who submits her will to God in a collaborative partnership between Creator and Created. The message of Islam in the Holy Qur’an, coupled with the example of the Messenger Muhammed and his holy family’s way of life, play key roles in shaping who I am, what I do, how I do it, and why.

Being a Muslim is not rooted in the rote performance of religious rituals. It is based on living your faith every moment of the day. Islam is cellular to a devout Muslim. It is a blue print for humanity, a blue print I use daily as a guide. I pay reverence to my Lord, and I reference His messengers, including Muhammed, Jesus, Moses, Noah and Abraham. It is, however, the life of Muhammed that has most influenced how I conduct myself and make decisions. He was the most complete of human beings, a mosaic of man and prophet, who taught us how to live a faithful life through his day-to-day example. He was, to paraphrase one of his contemporaries, the living Quran manifested in humanity. For Muslims, he is the divinely inspired messenger whose teaching completes the divine ring of dialogue between humankind and the Creator, beginning with Judaism and ending with Islam.

*

I measure my daily life by my impending death, as did the Prophet Muhammad. For me, he remains a constant reminder of the sacredness of time. He did not waste time. He utilized every moment to be of service to his Creator. For Muslims, Muhammad is the exemplary manifestation of a principled life. He has taught me that each breath is a gift, as is every thought. He has taught me to be efficient.

As a Muslim nurse, I am doubly aware of my physical body and its miracle. How it moves, walks, talks, sees, hears, speaks, and regenerates itself. Muhammad’s prayers and supplications have been handed down to us. Through them, I have learned to thank God for all of these faculties, which allow me to be productive as a human. I might have been created a bird, or an animal that slithers on the floor. I might have been born to crawl on my belly or carry a burden on my back. Instead, I was born a human, with a brain, free will, a heart that loves, and a womb that can bear children. How grateful I am to this Creator, and how worthy He is of my admiration and acknowledgment.

Raising a righteous family has been a primary goal in my life. I sometimes ask myself about the legacy or imprint I want to leave behind. When I depart this life what will my children say about me? I look to Muhammad’s legacy to help me answer these questions. On his deathbed he said, “I leave behind two weighty things, the Holy Quran and my revered Family. And he who holds firm to these two will never go astray; they will meet me at the fountain of abundance in Heaven.” I draw from these words the notion that our legacy lies in our most inspired actions and in our children.

Islam has taught me how to live with a conscious difference. It has taught me to be a nurse of a different kind, one that advocates for the rights of patients to exercise their faith, so that as they lie sick in their hospital beds their faith can play its proper role in their healing or their dying. Islam has taught me to be a daughter of a different kind, often through lessons derived from the life of the Prophet’s glorious daughter, Fatima. The Messenger taught me how to be a parent of a different kind, one that would not favor a son over a daughter, one that would love children and grandchildren. Islam has taught me how to be a wife of a different kind, one who understands that a marriage is a society’s strongest unit, because the family rests on its foundation. Islam and the Prophet have taught me how to exercise modesty as a testimony to the status of women. It has taught me that women are not commodities to be exploited by a billion dollar pornography industry. A woman is precious, valuable. She is not for sale. In all these ways, Islam has taught me how to hold my physical nature back, and move my humanness forward. This is the way I’d like to be remembered. This is the legacy I want to leave my children.

My favorite “watch words” are called the Key to Success. They were written by an unknown author. When I was in junior high school, it was a tradition for the ninth-grade class to pass down the “Key to Success” to upcoming students. It was a large, white key made of hard cardboard wrapped with red ribbon. The words inscribed on the key became a creed for me. It was presented to me as an upcoming class representative, and the following year I presented it to the next class. I quote it here because it expresses the legacy I’d like to leave behind. Its message is the cellular message of Islam.

“She was a success because she lived well, laughed often and loved much. She gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of little children. She filled her niche and accomplished her task whether by a kind gesture, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul. She always looked for the best in others and gave the best she had to give. For mom was a person for whom peace was a noun, verb, adjective, and an article of her faith. Her success was that she was a Muslim, she loved Islam, the faith of peace, and to God she did indeed humbly submit.”

Every person should have a mission and vision, says Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Today, corporate America looks to Mr. Covey to teach principle-centered guidelines to run profitable businesses with integrity. I was introduced to his lessons and philosophy as part of a corporate training seminar for the health care system I worked for. Covey says that to be effective you need to start with the end in mind, as your first guiding principle. His second guiding principle is, Put first things first. I became enthralled with Mr. Covey’s message because it expresses Islam’s code of conduct in plain English. Its value system has been around for 1500 years, (somewhat longer than Mr. Covey). As I listened to the trainers teach the seven habits for success, I thought to myself, How interesting: I grew up with the seven habits rooted in my faith. Using Covey’s frame of reference, the developer of my program is God, the trainer is Muhammed, and the training manual is the Holy Quran. As a nurse in my field, these principles resonate with the tone of who I am now and who I will continue to be.

Through everyday learning experiences like this one, I have come to see that the principles I was taught as a child are principles worth sharing. For a Muslims, to “think with the end in mind” means to strive each day on earth to be worthy of Heaven. “Putting first things first” means giving God first place in life, my family second, and all else will follow. This coordination of priorities is powerful and effective in building a character of peace and success. Islam is indeed a way of life. Muslims believe that everything we do is a form of worship. Even sleep is a form of worship.

*

My first conscious memory, at the age of three-and-a-half, is marked with vivid images I still recall.

My mom was opening the oven to baste the turkey and, as always, I was under foot. I remember the smell, and the hustle of the kitchen laid with gray and red tiled linoleum. I remember my mother in her white shirt and apron, and how pretty I thought she was. Then I heard a sudden scream from the living room and my mom rushed to my father, who stood motionless, crying out loud. Seeing my father cry surprised me; I’m not sure that I understood anything except the sadness. I also recall a few days later, televised pictures of the hearse and seeing a little boy about my size saluting his daddy’s flag draped casket. I remember the death of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

More than pictures, the sadness remains imprinted on my brain. This first impression of grief, I am sure, remains the unconscious base of my deep feelings for the dying and for those they leave behind. Today in my practice as a nurse, I am keenly aware of the power of grief and how it manifests itself in the many patients I see and serve.

I am one of those privileged people whose work permits me to listen often to the war stories of men, women and children. Over the last decade, many of my patients have immigrated from Bosnia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq. When they relate heart-wrenching stories of losing their homes, their babies, their spouses, their parents, their hope and even their minds, I listen and cry along with them, wondering at our cruelty and hoping that one day mankind will grow up. If it weren’t for my faith in Islam, and my belief in a Judgment Day that will bring justice to oppressors and joy to those oppressed, I would not be able to do my work. It is hard to fathom the mind of a child who has watched a bomb falling on his home. It is difficult to hear elders speak of the black skies over Iraq after the air strikes, the fleece of white sheep turned black by debris, the wanton destruction of life in the years following the Gulf War. Yet with each painful story comes a surrender, an acceptance, and a proof that the human spirit has the capacity to endure somehow, some way. It is one of the aspects of my work that intrigues and attracts me and keeps me coming back.

Certain events in the Prophet Muhammad’s life affirm my own responsibility to the poor, the orphaned, the wayfarer, and even to one’s enemies. I keep these stories close to me.

According to one report, the Prophet had a neighbor, a pagan Meccan with a tribal mentality who hated him. Every night, the man would place his household trash in front of the Prophet’s door to humiliate him. Each morning the Prophet would open his door to leave his home and be greeted with the man’s garbage. In time, however, the neighbor fell ill, and the Prophet knocked at his door and went in to visit him. When the Prophet sat by his bedside, the man was so surprised, he asked, “What would bring you here to see me? Don’t you know I don’t like you?” The Prophet said, “Yes I know, but I am a man of principle, and my faith tells me to take care of my neighbors and to visit the sick. You are my neighbor and you are sick.”

This story has always been dear to me. Through it, I’ve been taught something about humility, grace, and caring for the ill. And because the man was of Jewish descent, the story also teaches me to respect people whose faith differs from mine.

*

One day I was giving a lecture to a group of nurses on caring for Muslim mothers. I was out of state and speaking at a hospital that served a high concentration of Muslim women seeking obstetric services. My lecture was on Women in Islam the first hour, and Care of the Muslim Mother the second hour. I was explaining the ethical code of Islam concerning birthing, death, burial of babies and fetuses, abortion, genetic counseling, grief counseling and other related issues. When the discussion ended, a managing nurse came to me and asked if she could see me privately. She wore a troubled expression. Of course I obliged. When we were alone, she began by asking if I had a strong stomach. Then she invited me to visit their pathology laboratory. As I followed her through the corridors, she unlocked one door after another. I could feel a coolness as we approached the room, and then we entered a typical pathology lab. There the woman raised her hands and gestured to the shelves lining the walls. “Here is our museum of babies,” she said. “I don’t know what to do with them all. I’ve had them on shelves here for years.”

I could see by their dated labels that some of the containers were seven years old. I looked at the white tubs filled with human beings, little bodies of people in formaldehyde, and my eyes welled. Some of the containers held two and three babies settled on top of each other. They ranged in fetal age from 12 weeks to full term. Little hands and feet, little faces and bodies. I thought of the Prophet.

Each day as he left his home, on the way to his Mosque in Medina, he would stop at the cemetery along the way. He would stop on the way and again coming back and say Salaam, the salutation of peace, to the people in their graves.

I asked to be left alone for a while. When the nurse had gone, I began to lift down the containers one by one. I said “Assalamu Aleikum, little ones, from me and your Messengers.” As I looked over the lab file of 220 babies with no names, I thought of the Prophet’s warning to care for the orphaned and those who are homeless and helpless. I wondered what to do and knew from his teaching that Muslims must be buried. But the responsibility, I slowly realized, was not just to bury the Muslims among these babies (of which I found none), but to bury all of them, since Islam concerns itself with everyone.

In the old days in Arabia, before Muhammad became a prophet, there was a widespread practice of burying babies alive- especially baby girls. Later, Muhammad put a stop to this. The Holy Quran contains a verse that says babies buried alive will call out a question on Judgment Day, before God’s eternal tribunal of justice, asking what sin they had committed to warrant being buried alive.

I recall all this now because it taught me two things: The babies in their bottles were orphaned, homeless, helpless. And I was guided.

On another occasion a mother miscarried her fetus, which fell into the toilet.

The mother became so upset that the nurse panicked. I was entering the room to visit the mother and heard the commotion. Luckily, I caught the nurse, who was about to flush the toilet, grabbing her hand. Then I found a sifter and lifted the baby. As we rinsed it, it lay in the palm of my hand, about 10 weeks old. That baby was buried, like the others.

*

When I was about fifteen, I began to assist in the ritual washing of the Muslim women who have died. The first person I attended was my aunt, who passed away suddenly. She was the love of our lives and many of us grieved for her. I remember watching as we wrapped her body with the plain sheets Muslims use to shroud the dead. I recall how we placed a scarf-like head covering over her hair. I remember thinking, How interesting it is, that we are born without clothes but die shrouded. I wondered: Were we born naked and innocent, only to die shrouded, as if to cover up a life of sins? I wasn’t learned in the rites of Islam at 15. I was a practicing young Muslim girl, who observed modesty in my character and clothing, but there was a lot I didn’t understand.

One day a few years later, I came across a book called simply, Muhammed. It was a biography. Near the end, when I reached the part about his death, I wept over the story. How does the world lose an Abraham, a Moses, a Jesus, a Muhammad? How does the world recover from such a loss? He died in his home, in the arms of his beloved cousin and son-in-law Ali. In my tradition Ali, who was raised by the Prophet, washed, shrouded, and buried the Prophet’s body. Reading about this, I recalled the shrouding of my aunt, and realized that if the Prophet was shrouded, it must teach us something about death: The body is a dignified gift and carrying case, and even in death the genitals should be covered and the body clothed. I began to revise my thought of a few years before, about shrouding and sin, for I realized that Muhammad was a man without sin, yet in death he was shrouded.

From that time on, the circumstances surrounding death became sacred moments for me. Today, I spend many of my working hours helping people through the dying process, the grieving process, and more. I advocate for improved hospice services, and I belong to several coalitions dedicated to treating people with dignity near life’s end.

*

When I was growing up my grandmother lived with us. She was my love and I was hers. We shared the same bedroom. She would tell me stories of the old country and her youth. One day she called me to our room. I was about 20 at the time. . She told me to get a pad and paper and write her last will down. I wasn’t ready to live without my grandmother. I would never be ready. But I sat with her, and as she spoke her wishes, I wrote them down. She asked me to be sure her shroud was white and green, to visit her grave often, to always plant flowers at her grave. She asked me to be sure her daughters and I washed her and to be sure no one other than us saw her. She held me to this Amana or trust, that I would care for the elderly and that I would never as a nurse be harsh with the ill or the elderly. I have until this day lived up to the promise. Tomorrow, God willing, I’ll go on.

The Prophet Muhammed was once brought to a dying man who was suffering so terribly with a lingering illness. The Prophet asked many questions and discovered that this was a man who had been harsh with his mother, and she in turn was unforgiving of him for it. The Prophet went to speak to the mother. “Will you forgive your son? He is suffering because you have not forgiven him for what he has done to you.” The woman replied, “He was too harsh with me, after I gave him all I had in my life.” At this point, the Prophet of God instructed his companions to build a bonfire. And he said to her, “Then push your son into this fire.” She said, “Prophet of God, you ask me to do what I cannot, he is my son.” The Prophet replied, “If he dies without your forgiveness the fire will be his eternal home.” The mother quickly forgave her son, and he died in peace.

I carry these stories with me. They are living lessons of a dynamic faith.

*

This year my mother joined me on the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. It was the second time each of us had performed these sacred rites. Holding her hand, praying next to her, eating with her, and hearing her supplication for her children, as she made her circuit around the holy Ka’ba, are among the peak memories of a lifetime. I looked at my mother often on our trip.

A young person once asked the Prophet, “If my mother and father call me at the same time, to whom should I respond?” the Prophet replied, “Your mother.” “And the second time?” The Prophet replied, “Your mother.” “And the third time?” The Prophet replied,”Your mother.” “And the fourth time?” The Prophet replied, “Your father.”

Although I am 42 years of age, my mother looked after me constantly while we were on the pilgrimage. She tried to feed me and felt concerned about my whereabouts every minute that I was not with her. In short, she worried about me as though I were a baby. I thought, “Yes indeed, all six of her children will always be her babies. Just as all four of my children will always be my babies.” I watched her with sadness in my heart because she was aging, slowing down and, when fatigued, forgetful.

There we were in Mecca, the Prophet’s birthplace, and then Medina, his chosen place of refuge, the two holiest cities in Islam, and I was with my mother. I couldn’t help recalling in those surroundings that the Prophet Muhammed had lost his father soon after his birth, or that he had lost his mother a few years later. I wondered about the trials of a child without parents, how much he must have missed them. He knew what it was to be orphaned. When he called upon his people to care for orphans, he knew first hand the lonely heart of a child without parental love. At the age of seven or so, he came into the protecting arms of his grandfather, Abu Muttalib, but lost him too before long, then passed into the hands of a loving uncle, Abu Talib, who raised him into adulthood. No wonder this safety net, the extended family, remains important in Islam. For me, it is as important as the nuclear family.

In Mecca and Medina, I could feel the presence of this man, this messenger, Muhammed. I could feel his spirit and his blessings in my life. In Mecca when I prayed before the Ka’ba, and again in his Mosque in Medina, I recommitted myself to being the best example of a human being that I can be. I recommitted myself to the principles laid down by this most complete human being: a man and a messenger, a father and husband, an advocate for human rights, founder of a just and fair government. If more people knew his story and the world in which it took place, they would understand that Muhammad liberated women and the voice of the oppressed. He exiled racism, freed slaves, married widows, and protected orphans. Moreover, his message lived after him, and soon united much of the world under the banner of monotheism. Muhammad’s teaching lives on today, attracting new people, revitalizing the lives of those who learn about him. He makes me proud to be a Muslim.

Najah Bazzy, a second generation American, is a critical care nurse in Dearborn, Michigan. She also conducts workshops to help bridge the gap in understanding between hospital staff and their Muslim patients, many of whom are immigrants.

Source: PBS

 

With the Poor

Taken from Enjoy Your Life by Dr. Muhammed ‘Abd Al-Rahman Al-Arifi

Many people today view manners in a commercial light. To them, only rich people’s jokes are worth laughing at, and only their faults are considered small and worthy of overlooking. As for the poor, their jokes are unbearable and only worthy of ridicule, while their faults are magnified and they are shouted down.

As for the Prophet (pbuh), his kindness extended to both rich and poor alike.  Anas — may Allah be pleased with him — said, “There was a man from amongst the Bedouins whose name was Zahir bin Haram.  Whenever he came to Madinah for a need, he brought something for the Prophet (pbuh) as a gift, like cottage cheese or butter.  Likewise, the Prophet (pbuh) would prepare something to give to him whenever he wanted to leave, such as dates and so on.  The Prophet (pbuh) used to love him and say: “Zahir is our Bedouin and we are his city-dwellers.” Zahir was not very good looking.  One day, Zahir — may Allah be pleased with him — left the desert and came to Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) but did not find him.  He had some merchandise to sell so he went on to the marketplace.

When the Prophet (pbuh) found out about his arrival, he went to the marketplace looking for him.  When he arrived, he saw him selling his merchandise with sweat pouring down from his face, and he wore Bedouin clothes, which did not smell good either.  The Prophet (pbuh) hugged him tightly from behind, while Zahir was unaware and could not see who it was.

Zahir became scared and said: “Let me go! Who is this?”  But the Prophet (pbuh) remained silent.  Zahir tried to release himself from his grip and started to look right and left.  When he saw the Prophet (pbuh) he relaxed and calmed down, placing his back against the Prophet’s chest.  The Prophet (pbuh) began to joke with him, saying to the public: “Who will buy this slave?! Who will buy this slave?!”

Thereupon, Zahir looked at himself and thought of his extreme poverty, for he had neither wealth nor good looks.

He said: “You will find me unmarketable, O messenger of Allah.”

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “But you are not unmarketable with Allah.  You are very precious to Allah.”

It was no surprise then that the hearts of the poor were attached to the Prophet (pbuh).  He would gain their respect and love by such an attitude.  Many poor people may not accuse the rich of miserliness in terms of wealth and food, but they can certainly accuse them of miserliness in terms of gracious and kind treatment.  How often do you smile at a poor person and make him feel he is worthy and respectable, so that perhaps at night he might supplicate for you and cause Allah’s mercy to descend upon you from the heavens?

There may be a person with disheveled hair who is rejected and not cared for, but if he ever asks Allah for something he is always responded to.  Therefore, always be humane with the weak.  Therefore, always be humane with the weak.

 

Shed Crazy from your Life

By Running Muslimah

It’s a harrowing experience faced by women everywhere: entering a department store fitting room. As our eyes catalog every wrinkle, dimple and pimple, the well rehearsed spiel begins: If only I did more crunches…If only I didn’t eat that chocolate croissant…If only I walked more…If only I didn’t have such a stressful job…If only I had time to work out…

You know what I’m talking about. There’s a pretty good chance it’s a variation of “Eat Less, Move More.”

Across this planet there are scores of Muslim woman trying on pants, shirts, skirts, jilbabs, hijabs, abayas, shalwar kameez, and dresses, to name a few articles of clothing. It is very likely you have been one of these women.

Perhaps you have looked in the mirror with a sort of dejected horror as the pants don’t fit (the infamous Muffin Top comes to mind), the shirts look misshapen, the skirts hang a good two inches off the ground due to your enormous thighs (you are convinced they look like beached whales when you sit, and nothing anyone says will convince you otherwise), the hijabs highlight your double chin quite nicely, (no amount of tugging under the chin will cover it, as scarf is determined to slip back to original location) the abayas and jilbabs which once upon a time slid on effortlessly now catch at alarming points on your hips, and no amount of embroidery on the shalwar kameez will disguise the rolls of fat on your belly.

Perhaps most of this is an exaggeration, but one thing is for sure: Few are the women, Muslim or otherwise, who relish a trip to the fitting room.

Why is this? For Muslim women in the United States, the culture of thinness/fitness/ideal body type resembles the inside of a schizophrenic patient’s brain. Stick-thin models gaze alluringly at us from the glossy covers of magazines, right next to the packages of Ferrero Rocher and Snickers Bars. Shiny, happy THIN people on the telly bite delicately into a Dove chocolate bar, crunch potato chips, nosh on McDonald’s French Fries whilst sucking down carbonated beverages through plastic straws, all with a smile on their faces. The sad reality is that someone somewhere is forlornly eating her way through a package of Dove chocolate bars, or wiping grease stains and crumbs off her fingers as she reaches the bottom of the Doritos bag, or feeling bloated and overstuffed because she just got off from work and gave in to the fast-food drive thru.

We are bombarded by artificiality everyday: pretend women with pretend bodies on billboards, advertisements, television, movies; fake food with fake natural ingredients and fake coloring; empty promises as every diet and exercise machine claims to give us the body we want, the body we deserve to have, the body we CAN have with just 5 payments of $19.95. Limited time offer, don’t delay.

We live in a culture of Satisfaction Now. The amount of choices in any super center chain, for example, is staggering. Hundreds of makeup choices, dozens of toothpastes, breakfast cereals, shampoos, anything you want is available in every color, shape and size.

It’s a war zone out there. And many of us find ourselves ill-equipped to fight. What can we do? I started writing this as an article for Muslim women about shedding weight, but I now dub it, “Shedding Crazy From Your Life.” Weight is simply one symptom of a larger problem.

Some things I’ve learned:

1. Turn television/internet/Facebook OFF.

This right here, ladies, is probably one of the main reasons we’re packing on a few pounds too many. Watching America’s Next Top Model will not make you skinny by osmosis. Regarding the internet, I admit my weakness is Facebook. I log on to check my email and find myself drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Before I know it, half an hour has gone by and all I’ve done is read a few useless emails and found out one of my girlfriends scored as “Hot Hijabi” on the “What Kind of Hijabi are You?” quiz.

We need to lock away that laptop and start living! Which leads me to…

2. Walk.

This is the most beneficial exercise we can do, period. While cross-country skiing may burn a billion more calories per hour than walking, chances are pretty good that in your lifetime, you’re going to walk more than you ski. Especially if you live in Florida. If you aren’t currently engaged in exercise and think walking is too easy, try walking for just half an hour. Believe me, it’s tough, especially if you’re just starting out. Instead of watching television or eating out of boredom, put on some sneakers and hit the pavement. The great thing about walking is you don’t need any special equipment for it. If you don’t feel safe walking in your neighborhood you can go to a mall or a gym. Many parks and middle/high schools have quarter-mile tracks. Get moving, girl, and not only will you feel better, you’ll look better too!

3. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.

If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, there’s a pretty good chance you don’t want that stuff in your body. If the ingredient list takes up half the packaging, that is also not good. Food that comes out of the earth is always the best. Try experimenting with cooking your own meals and buying your own produce. The best feeling in the world is knowing exactly what you’re eating, made to your own specifications, and just how beneficial it is to your body. Onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, squash, carrots, pomegranate, peaches, apples, bananas, lentils, blueberries, strawberries…the list is unending. So many delicious and healthy options that Allah (SWT) made for us! Look up recipes you want to try online or in a cookbook, and ask friends and family for their favorite recipes. Pretty soon anything artificial will taste just that: artificial.

(Another note: stay far, far away from genetically modified/engineered produce. They’ve been given the equivalent of plant steroids. Anytime you see a super huge tomato or banana, the chances are pretty good it’s been genetically altered.)

4. Purge.

I don’t mean the “bent over the toilet, sticking a finger down your throat” purge. I mean the, “Do I really need another purple hijab?” type purge. Our environments are a reflection of ourselves. When we maintain a clean, organized, and clutter-free living space, it helps us feel organized and clutter-free inwardly as well. It’s a positive feedback loop. Donate any clothes, books, or bric-a-brac you aren’t using to a local shelter or among your family and friends. Recycle old scrap paper. Dust off that ceiling fan. The best thing is you’ll find all your missing hijab pins.

5. Read.

There is nothing like living vicariously through the lives of someone on paper. Books and stories transport us to the past, hurtle us into the future, or keep us in the here and now. Books open up whole new worlds for us. We are inspired, shaken, moved, amused, angered, heartbroken. There is nothing else quite like it. Read for fun, read for education, read for knowledge, read for the thrill of it. Just READ!

6. Learn something new.

Now that we’ve put away the computer, what do we do with all this free time that’s suddenly sprung up? Why not start learning Arabic, or memorizing the Quran? Maybe you’ve wanted to learn to knit, or take horseback riding lessons, or learn how to play tennis or go skydiving. Do it, girl! And when you’re done, teach the rest of us!

7. Help someone else.

More often than not, we look to others who have more than us as a barometer for our situation in life. Why not look to those who are not as well off? Try volunteering at a local shelter or Habitat for Humanity, or find out if there are Muslims in your community who need assistance. By helping them, you will truly appreciate how fortunate you are and it will insha Allah change your whole outlook on life.

8. Be grateful.

Give thanks to Allah (SWT) for everything you have. Most of us have all the faculties of seeing, hearing, taste, touch and speech. We have roofs over our heads, food to eat, and a comfortable bed to sleep in. We have educational and vocational opportunities, we have clean water to drink, we have peace of mind when we leave our homes that we will not be shot at or bombed. We have so much to be thankful for, alhamdulillah.

9. Keep yourself busy, and DON’T GIVE UP!

Nothing like idle time to start a pity party. Your daily routine should not allow for time to mope about and feel sorry for yourself. Yes, you’re overweight, yes, that paper is due tonight, and yes, gas is still approaching what you’d like your GPA to look like. The latter you can’t do anything about (except try to drive as little as possible…there’s an idea!) but as for the other options, you CAN change your habits. Don’t give up. With patience and perseverance you can attain your goals. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. When you’re feeling emotional or overwhelmed, instead of reaching for those Goldfish crackers, take a deep breath. Sit down, or lay down. Think about what’s really bothering you. Ask Allah (SWT) for guidance and patience. Catalog the steps you need to take to eliminate or deal with the stressor, and then methodically go about doing it. Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for a better time, don’t procrastinate, jump up and do it!

10. Treat yourself with respect.

“You have probably noticed that the lady of your acquaintance who thinks of herself as a duchess may cause a good many laughs, but usually, in the main, is treated like a duchess–in so far, at least, as her friends know how a duchess should be treated. It is equally true that it is the lady who expects orchids who gets them, while you and I are pinning on a single gardenia.”

Marjorie Hillis may have penned this 73 years ago, but every word still applies today. In order to gain respect, we must act in a way deserving of it! So enough with the self-deprecation, enough with the human garbage disposal act if there is leftover food, enough with thinking we are unworthy of love or appreciation or attention. We ARE worth it. Our bodies and minds are a trust given to us by Allah (SWT) and we should treat ourselves as something precious to be treasured. Let us let only the finest, most wholesome food pass through our lips; engage ourselves in thought-provoking and positive pastimes; avoid vain talk; maintain positive, cheerful attitudes that uplift those around us, and cherish the time that Allah (SWT) has given us on this earth.

11. If you don’t love it, don’t buy it.

Well, MAYBE if I lose a few more pounds/kilograms, this might fit… NO. Just, NO. Stop right there sister. If you don’t positively, absolutely love it, don’t buy it. It’s just that simple. Don’t project into the future, don’t buy clothes that MIGHT look good on you only IF you lose weight, just don’t do it. Buy clothes that fit the body you have now. And if you’ve been holding onto those jeans you fit into in high school or college, be realistic. If you know deep down that you may never fit into them again, give them away. If you think you might fit back into them without your legs looking like sausage links…go for it. Keep a pair or two to celebrate your victory in. But please don’t keep your entire jean collection from way back when. Does anyone really want to see those clothes again?

As for workout clothes, “modest” is not synonymous with “crappy.” You can still workout in modest clothes that look nice and make you feel good about yourself. Many clothing stores have nice loose workout pants and long shirts or hoodies. Check the clearance racks, especially now with the start of summer. You’ll find a lot of nice, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Add a coordinating hijab and you’re good to go!

12. Drink water.

There is nothing more refreshing than a nice, tall glass of cool water on a hot day. Cut down or completely eliminate artificial sodas, juices, and mix drinks. They’re full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. If you need some sugar have a piece of fruit or mix some lemon/lime juice and honey into water to make a refreshing lemonade or limonade! Keep a bottle of water with you and sip throughout the day. It keeps your body fresh and flushes toxins out of your system. Many times when you think you’re hungry, your body is actually trying to tell you it’s thirsty! So drink up!

13. Learn the power of “No.”

This is a tough lesson to learn. There will always be another event, another party, another fundraiser, baby shower, wedding, halaqa, weekend seminar, online seminar, lunch date, dinner date, breakfast date, brunch date, conference call, and so on and so forth. Learn that you don’t have to attend every single one. “No” is such a simple yet loaded word. We’re so afraid of alienating and offending people we agree to do everything. On top of what we need to do, we’re overloaded by what we CHOOSE to do, many times reluctantly. When someone asks you to do/attend something that you don’t want to, politely but firmly decline. They won’t hate you. They won’t think you’re a bad human being. If they do, good riddance to them. This also goes back to the respect thing. When people see you are judicious with your time and how you spend it, their respect for you will increase. They will see you aren’t throwing yourself aimlessly at any and every social call or event that comes your way. A phrase I learned from a very wise woman is, “Ek ‘hain’, sau dookh, ek ‘na’ sau sookh.” Roughly translated this means, “With one yes, a hundred hurts, with one no, a hundred reliefs.” I’m not saying eliminate extracurricular from your life. Just choose wisely and realistically.

I hope this has been helpful. This, by no means, is an exhaustive or complete list. I’m sure there are many more good points that I have failed to cover. I do hope you, dear reader, will comment with your own tips and suggestions!

The inspiration for the title came from one of my counselors at college. I came to the fitness center at school while she was working out. I hadn’t seen her for some time, and I remarked on how much weight she had lost. “Shed,” she corrected me. “Shed. Because if I ‘lost weight’ it means I wanted it found on me to begin with!”

If I have said anything incorrect, it is from my own ignorance and shortcomings, and if I have said anything correct it is from the grace and mercy of Allah (SWT).

Source: Running Muslimah

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