Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Baptism of God
Al-Baqara (The Cow) - Chapter 2: Verse 138

"The baptism of God, and who is better than God in baptism? And we are worshippers of Him."

The baptism of God renders sibghat Allah, which could also be translated "the coloring of God." The verb sabagha means "to dye," which involves plunging cloth in liquid and more generally means to cause someone to enter into something. The baptism of God can refer back to the creed of Abraham or it can be read as an adverbial clause connected to We believe in God. Thus one explanation is that the baptism (sibghah) is the primordial nature (fitrah) in human beings, which they bear the way a cloth bears its original color and which is the upright religion.

Some commentators mention Christian baptism and understand this verse to assert the superiority of Islam, as the true baptism of God, over the Christian rite. Other interpretations include sibghah as "purification" and also as the wont of God, God's "wont" being His unchanging actions in relation to the world. For others the sibghah may denote God's religion. These interpretations can be seen as complementary, as God's wont, religion, creed, and purification have overlapping significance, and all are brought out by the range of meaning in the term sibghah in the sense of an original dye or coloration by God in the fabric of existence.

Compiled From:
"The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary" - Seyyed Hossein Nasr

From Issue: 871 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Powerful Force

Arguably, the disease of hatred is one of the most devastating forces in the world. But the force that is infinitely more powerful is love. Love is an attribute of God; hate is not. A name of God mentioned in the Quran is al-Wadud, the Loving one. Hate is the absence of love, and only through love can hatred be removed from the heart. In a profound and beautiful hadith, the Prophet said, "None of you has achieved faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" [Bukhari, Muslim]. The 13th-century scholar Imam al-Nawawi comments on this hadith saying:

When the Prophet says "brother" we should interpret this as universal brotherhood, which includes Muslims and non-Muslims. For one should desire for his brother non-Muslim that he enter into the state of submission with his Lord [Islam]. And for his brother Muslim, he should love for him the continuation of guidance and that he remain in submission. Because of this, it is considered highly recommended and divinely rewarding to pray for a non- Muslim's guidance. The word "love" here refers to a desire for good and benefit to come to others. This love is celestial or spiritual love and not earthly love or human love. For human nature causes people to desire harm to befall their enemies and to discriminate against those who are unlike them [in creed, color, or character]. But men must oppose their nature and pray for their brothers and desire for others what they desire for themselves. Moreover, whenever a man does not desire good for his brother, it is from envy. And envy is a rejection of God's apportionment in the world. Thus, one is opposing how God meted out sustenance in concord with His wisdom. Therefore, one must oppose his own ego's desires and seek treatment for this disease with the healing force of acceptance of the divine decree and prayer on behalf of one's enemies in a way that suppresses the ego [nafs].

Compiled From:
"Purification of the Heart" - Hamza Yusuf

From Issue: 878 [Read original issue]

From Issue: [Read original issue]