Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

True Believer
Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War) Chapter 8: Verses 2-4 (partial)

"Only those are [true] believers who, whenever God is mentioned, their hearts quiver, and when His signs are recited to them, they increase them in belief, and upon their Lord they place reliance, those who attend divine service steadfastly, and expend [in alms] of what We have bestowed upon them. These are the believers in the true sense."

Iman, 'belief' or 'faith', is the very centre of the sphere of positive moral properties. 'Belief' is the real fountainhead of all Islamic virtues; it creates them all, and no virtue is thinkable in Islam, which is not based on the sincere faith in God and His revelations.

In the above passage, 'belief' is considered exclusively in its religious aspects. This passage furnishes an almost perfect verbal definition of the 'true believer'. This verbal definition pictures 'the believer in the true sense of the word' as a genuinely pious man, in whose heart the very mention of God's name is enough to arouse an intense sense of awe, and whose whole life is determined by the basic mood of deep earnestness.

Compiled From:
"Ethico Religious Concepts in the Quran" - Toshihiko Izutsu, pp. 184, 185

From Issue: 784 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Humbleness

Some people behave humbly with others, but at the same time, they think and feel that they are superior to them! This is arrogance and has nothing to do with humbleness. Humbleness should come from the heart. A person who is humble with others thinks that he is indeed inferior to them.

The question is, how does one reach that feeling of humbleness? By considering faith. Perhaps someone is clearly inferior in terms of position or wealth, however, if faith is a criterion for status, perhaps he is much closer to God than others, or his belief is much stronger. Perhaps he is afflicted with real trials in this life and he is enduring them patiently and wisely for the sake of God. He could very well be better than others in the sight of God.

Sahl al-Saidi narrated that: A man passed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Prophet asked his Companions: "What do you say about this man?" They replied: "If he asks for a woman's hand, he ought to be given her in marriage; and if he intercedes for someone, his intercession should be accepted; and if he speaks, he should be listened to." The Prophet kept silent, and then a man from among the poor Muslims passed by, and the Prophet asked them: "What do you say about this man?" They replied: "If he asks for a woman's hand in marriage he does not deserve to be married; and if he intercedes for someone, his intercession should not be accepted; and if he speaks, he should not be listened to." The Prophet said, "This poor man is better than the earth's fill of the first man." [Muslim]

The first evaluation given by the Companions was based on material standards. The real evaluation considers the criterion of faith alone, and this what the Prophet applied. The second man, in terms of faith, is better than billions of the likes of the first man.

Real humbleness is to see yourself as inferior to others because piety is the criterion for status and nobility and this criterion is known only to God. God knows best as to who is pious. A humble person is not the one who thinks that he is above his act of humbleness. A humble person is the one who thinks he is below his act of humbleness.

Compiled From:
"A Journey to God: Reflections on the Hikam of Ibn Ataillah" - Jasser Auda

From Issue: 965 [Read original issue]

Cool Tips!

Creating Change

When we talk about individual and collective change, it's important to realize that not all of us are going to engage in political action, advocacy or even small group efforts. Some of us may create change by changing the way we interact with people or changing our relationships. Others may raise critical awareness with friends and family members.

We need to find a method of change that moves and inspires us. Sometimes, as individuals, our efforts vary depending upon the issue. Whether we are trying to change something at our child's school, fighting to have offensive magazines removed from our local convenience store, trying to get better maternity leave at work or struggling to change national policy, the following six Ps work:

Personal: Even the most personal changes often have a powerful ripple effect through the lives of our families, friends and colleagues. Change can take many forms - there is nothing more inherently political than breaking through social-community expectations so we can live our lives at our full potential and help others do the same. Practicing courage, compassion and connection in the face of shame is a political act.

Pens: Write a letter. Most organizational leaders and legislators will respond to letters, e-mails or faxes. If you see an advertisement that's incredibly offensive, e-mail the company.

Polls: Vote. Find out how candidates feel about the issues that affect your life and vote.

Participation: Learn about the organizations that support your issues. Join them in the fight. Most organizations make it very easy to stay up to date on issues by e-mailing updates.

Purchases: The dollar is mightier than the sword; stop buying from people who don't share your values. Marketing research shows that women are the decision makers in an estimated eighty-five percent of household buying decisions.

Protests: A protest is not always a million people marching on the capital. Sometimes a protest is four or five people showing up at a school board meeting or in someone's office. Regardless of size and scope, when we come together to ask for what we need, some people will label our actions as "protest." If that stops us, we have to ask, "Who benefits by that?"

Reaching out to others allows us to identify and name what we share in common and creates the opportunity for both personal and social change.

Compiled From:
"I Thought It Was Just Me" - Brene Brown, pp. 131-134

From Issue: 719 [Read original issue]