Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Yusuf (Joseph)
Chapter 12: Verse 55

Civil Servant
(Joseph) said, "Give me charge of the treasures of the realm; I am trustworthy and competent."

It is important to note here that Joseph, peace be upon him, had pointed out both moral as well as the corporeal qualities that were necessary to qualify him for the post he had agreed to accept. In other words, he was not merely a virtuous and trustworthy man, but was also competent and capable of assuming fully his responsibilities over the state's resources. Moreover Joseph was able to propose himself for a role in public office because there was no other person in Egypt at the time as suitable and qualified for the post as he was. The public interest could only be best served by appointing a strong and honest person to take up the responsibilities that the position demanded.

Seeking leadership or public office is a grave matter if undertaken for reasons of self-aggrandizement and greed for power, privilege or domination. History is replete with the examples of many great nations that have been led to ruin and humiliation by despotic and power-hungry individuals.

Source:
"A Thematic Commentary on the Quran" - Muhammad al-Ghazali, pp. 244-245

From Issue: 475 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Takfir

The Shariah forbids the attribution of disbelief, blasphemy or heresy to a Muslim. This is a normative principle which is applied even to cases where one suspects another of disbelief (kufr). Thus, if a believer observes a fellow Muslim uttering words or indulging in acts which might be suggestive of disbelief, he must give him the benefit of the doubt, and avoid charging him with disbelief in all cases which fall short of self-evident proof. Even in the latter event it is strongly recommended that people should avoid charging others with infidelity and disbelief. Apart from the emphatic tone of a large number of prohibitive Hadiths on this subject, the issue is so sensitive and complex that only a judge or jurisconsult (mufti) who is wellversed in theological sciences is authorised to determine what exactly amounts to disbelief.

Since unity in faith is the very foundation of the Islamic fraternity, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has warned the believers to avoid accusing one another of disbelief. Thus, according to a Hadith reported by Abd Allah Ibn Umar: "When a man calls his brother 'kafir' one of them is afflicted with the charge. Either it is as he says or [if the accusation is not true], it befalls the person who uttered." [Muslim]

According to yet another Hadith, reported by Abu Dharr al-Ghaffari: "Whoever charges another person with disbelief, or calls him an 'enemy of God', while this is not so, will have the charge rebound upon himself." [Mishkat]

The message in the preceding Hadiths is not confined to the prohibition of takfir, but extends also to transgression or sin (fisq) and the unfounded attribution of crime and sin to others. A Muslim is thus forbidden from charging others with fisq. This is the purport of another Hadith which declares in the brodest of terms: "No man accuses another of transgression (fisq) or disbelief (kufr) without partaking of it himself if the accused is not what the accusation claims he is." [Mishkat]

All that a person may do when he suspects that disbelief, heresy or apostasy is being committed by another is to give him good advice in the true spirit of the Quranic principle of hisbah (promotion of good and prevention of evil). A person who witnesses the incidence of heresy and disbelief would have fulfilled his duty if he provided the necessary evidence to establish the truth, and then left the matter in the hands of the authorities.

Compiled From:
"Freedom of Expression in Islam" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 186-189

From Issue: 860 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Lonely Ramadan

For most Muslims, Ramadan is family time. You get up together, eat Iftar together, pray together, etc. But what if you don't have your family near you?

Waking up in a lonely apartment and eating food you've sometimes burnt in an effort to catch Suhur in time are some of the realities of being a single Muslim in Ramadan. But there are ways to make Ramadan special when you're on your own. Here are few ideas.

1. Establish a Suhur telephone tree
Get a couple of friends together and establish a telephone tree to wake each other up for Suhur. Establish a time to call and a schedule of who will call whom. Make it a little exciting by adding some funny phrases every week that will really wake everyone.

2. Invite people over for Iftar
Even if even you couldn't eat the food the last time you cooked, invite people over for Iftar. Make it a potluck, order pizza or if you can afford it, get it catered. The food isn't the thing. The blessing is in the company, and you'll be rewarded for feeding everyone. Make sure to especially invite those who are away from their families.

3. Attend prayers at the local mosque/MSA
Even if the Imam's recitation isn't the best and the behavior of other Muslims can be more than annoying, try to attend Tarawih prayers organized by your local mosque or your Muslim Students' Association (MSA). While praying alone in peace and quiet is great, praying shoulder-to-shoulder with other Muslims with whom you have nothing in common except your faith is a unique and uplifting experience.

4. Keep the Quran playing when you are alone
It's often tempting to keep the TV or radio on when we're alone to avoid the silence. This Ramadan, find a Quran reciter you like and play their recitations during those moments when you want to fill your place with some sound. Choose selections you'd like to memorize, like the 30th part of the Quran.

5. Take care of others
Know a new person at the school/office? Is a friend who lives nearby having problems with their spouse? Or is someone you know having money problems? This Ramadan, reach out with an attentive ear, a generous hand, and most importantly, an open heart to others. Don't let these small opportunities for gaining blessings slip you by.

6. Pick and pursue Ramadan goals
Choose at least three goals to pursue this Ramadan. Whether it's curbing a bad habit or starting a good one, doing this will help you focus and work harder this month to change for the better. It takes 21 days to establish a good habit. With Ramadan, we've got 30. Why not make the best of it by picking up the good? 

Compiled From:
"A single Muslim's guide to Ramadan" - SoundVision.com

From Issue: 694 [Read original issue]