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Issue: "108"
Section:
ID: "4"
SName: "General"
url: "general"
SOrder: "1"
Content: "\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
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| \r\n QURAN \r\n |
Translation:
\r\n"Well, \r\n [O Muhammad] it may be that you will exhaust yourself to \r\n death, following after them, with grief that they do not \r\n believe in this Message."
\r\n[Al-Quran- \r\n Sura Al-Kahf 18:6]
\r\nTafseer:
\r\nCONSISTENT EFFORT \r\n & PASSION OF THE PROPHET IN CONVEYING THE MESSAGE
\r\n- \r\n
- The communication of \r\n the Divine Message was the most essential characteristic \r\n of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. \r\n We are troubled whenever we are hungry or thirsty, or \r\n when we have difficulty in breathing; but this unselfish Preacher \r\n was troubled if a day passed when he could not find someone \r\n to whom he could convey the Divine Message. \r\n
- He was so concerned about \r\n the guidance of people, and so physically pained by unbelief, \r\n that Allah advised him in this verse to be careful of \r\n his health. \r\n
- The Prophet (peace be \r\n upon him) is here consoled, and told that he was not to \r\n exhaust himself to death in conveying Allah's Message: \r\n he was nobly doing his duty, and, as after-events showed, \r\n the seed of Truth was already growing, although this was \r\n not visible at the time. \r\n
PROPHET'S STRUGGLE IN MAKKA \r\n & HIS LOVE FOR HIS UNCLE
\r\n - \r\n
- There was nobody left \r\n in Makka whom Allah's Messenger had not invited in public \r\n or in private to Allah's path. He had called some, like \r\n Abu Jahl who was extremely stubborn, at least fifty times. \r\n One of those whom he particularly desired should believe \r\n was his beloved uncle Abu Talib, who protected him against \r\n the cruelties of the Makkan polytheists. In the eleventh \r\n year of his Prophethood, when Abu Talib was on his death-bed, \r\n Allah's Messenger again invited him to belief, but the \r\n Makkan chiefs surrounded him so as to prevent his embracing \r\n Islam. \r\n
- The Prophet was so grieved \r\n at Abu Talib’s unbelief that he said: "I will ask \r\n forgiveness from God for you as long as I am not forbidden \r\n to." \r\n
- A verse was revealed \r\n some time later, forbidding him to do this: "It is \r\n not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that \r\n they should invoke (God) for the forgiveness of the polytheists, \r\n even though they be near of kin (to them) after it has \r\n become clear to them that they are companions of the Fire." \r\n (al-Tawba, 9:113) \r\n
- Abu Bakr, the closest \r\n Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew how \r\n much Allah's Messenger had desired his uncle’s belief. \r\n He took his aged father to the Prophet, upon his conversion \r\n on the day of the conquest of Makka, and doing so, sobbed \r\n bitterly. When Abu Bakr was asked why he was weeping, \r\n he explained: "O Allah's Messenger, I desired very \r\n much that my father should believe, and now he has believed. \r\n But I desired the belief of Abu Talib even more than that \r\n because YOU desired it. However, God did not grant him \r\n belief. That is why I am weeping." \r\n
LESSONS & OUR CONDITION \r\n TODAY:
\r\n - \r\n
- This captivating verse \r\n makes us really think about our own state of Dawa \r\n (effort to convey Allah's message). It makes us realize \r\n how little we are concerned about the state of Iman \r\n (Faith) of our own close relatives even, unlike the \r\n Prophet's passion and love for his uncle's salvation. \r\n
- It's surprising that \r\n we see so many Muslims and non-Muslims in this society, \r\n go through great difficulties in their lives, such as \r\n stress, suicides, violence, teenage pregnancies, drug \r\n addiction....etc., yet our hearts remain unmoved, our \r\n actions unchanged, and our Dawa efforts remain stagnant \r\n and inefficient. \r\n
[Compiled from "Prophet \r\n Muhammad- The Infinite Light", by Shk. Fethullah \r\n Gulen. Also available at www.fethullahgulen.org] \r\n
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\r\n
\r\n | \r\n Signs \r\n Before the Hour- What have we prepared for it? \r\n \r\n |
Abu Hurayra, may Allah \r\n be pleased with him, reported: The Prophet Muhammad \r\n (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'There \r\n are five things which nobody knows except Allah.' Then \r\n he recited:
\r\n "Truly, \r\n knowledge of the Hour is with Allah - and it is He Who sends \r\n down rain, and it is He Who knows what is in the wombs - \r\n and no self knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no self \r\n knows in what land it will die. Truly Allah is All \r\n - Knowing, Aware." \r\n (Quran: Sura Luqman - 31:34). \r\n
\r\n (It was \r\n related by Muslim)
\r\n According to Hadith collections, \r\n most of the minor signs of the ultimate end of time are \r\n prevalent. Those Muslims who are not in complete heedlessness \r\n know about and recognize these signs in themselves and in \r\n the farthest horizons.
\r\n Among \r\n these signs are:
\r\n \r\n
\r\n => the poor and the \r\n destitute build tall buildings in which people glorify themselves; \r\n
\r\n => that the slave \r\n girl gives birth to her mistress, one meaning of which is \r\n that a mother who is enslaved by her work situation has \r\n children who grow up to be uncontrollable and who dominate \r\n and tyrannize the family situation;
\r\n => that women greatly \r\n outnumber men;
\r\n => that there are \r\n many women who never give birth to children;
\r\n => that family ties \r\n are neglected or abandoned;
\r\n => that there is an \r\n abundance of food, much of which has no blessing; \r\n
\r\n => that when a person \r\n is offered food it is refused;
\r\n => that time is short; \r\n
\r\n => that there are \r\n many people who are hard hearted and mean;
\r\n => that there are \r\n many people who bare false witness;
\r\n => that the truthful \r\n are disbelieved and the liars are believed;
\r\n => that the strong \r\n devour the weak;
\r\n => that few are wise \r\n and many are ignorant;
\r\n => that the leader \r\n of the people is the worst of them;
\r\n => that people fear \r\n a tyrant so much that they dare not even tell him that he \r\n is a tyrant;
\r\n => that there is much \r\n fighting and killing of people;
\r\n => that the ones who \r\n do the killing do not know who is being killed, and the \r\n ones who are killed do not know why they have been killed; \r\n
\r\n [Written and Contributed \r\n by Br. Muttakin Reza, T.L. Kennedy High \r\n School, Mississauga]
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\r\n
\r\n | \r\n \r\n \r\n Thought-provoking \r\n Bits from Islamic Literature \r\n \r\n |
"Revival \r\n of the Individual"
\r\n ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ \r\n
\r\n "Your \r\n person is the key to your Movement and your 'heart' is the \r\n key to your person. Make your heart belong to Allah alone; \r\n let Him alone be the prize you seek. And let His love be \r\n uppermost in your heart. Once it is so, every duty will \r\n turn into pleasure, to pray will be a delight, to indulge \r\n in politics for the sake of Allah will be a blessing. To \r\n nourish the seed of Iman and the love of Allah \r\n in your heart, you have three means at your disposal! First \r\n is the Quran; second is Brotherhood; third is Dawa. We \r\n need persons who will make every endeavour and offer every \r\n sacrifice to change the entire world around them through \r\n a social Movement, in the light shown by the Quran and the \r\n Prophet who brought the Quran to us." \r\n
\r\n - Ustadh Khurram \r\n Murad -
\r\n [Taken from "Journey \r\n Through Islam", pg 74]
\r\n [Contributed by Br. \r\n Morshed Abul Ala, University of Toronto, Toronto] \r\n
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\r\n
\r\n | \r\n Reflections \r\n on Tazkiya and Self-Development \r\n \r\n |
Tazkiya: \r\n All-embracing Process \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
"
ID: "18"
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Following \r\n is one of the prerequisites of Tazkiya (Self-development): \r\n
\r\n 7- Tazkiya: \r\n All-embracing Process:
\r\n Islam \r\n does not subscribe to the type of asceticism where we \r\n purify our hearts and yet remain immersed in political, \r\n economic or social corruption. Tazkiya must encompass \r\n our entire life - the privacy of our thoughts as well \r\n as their social manifestations in our daily life. Everything \r\n must be in conformity with Allah's will. \r\n
\r\n This \r\n will of God also requires you to seek and maintain a delicate \r\n balance between the various obligations that demand your \r\n attention; between your obligations to Allah, your obligations \r\n towards others and your obligations towards yourself. \r\n The Prophet advised us against extremism of any kind. \r\n It is reported that he said to Abdullah ibn Amr: \r\n
\r\n `Have \r\n I heard right that you fast everyday and stand in prayer \r\n all night?' Abdullah replied, `Yes, O Messenger of God.' \r\n The Prophet said, `Do not do that. Fast, as well as eat \r\n and drink. Stand in prayer, as well as sleep. For your \r\n body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon \r\n you, your wife has a right upon you, and your guest has \r\n a right upon you.' (Bukhari, Muslim.) \r\n
\r\n Unless \r\n you approach tazkiya as an all-embracing process, you \r\n will find that your life is compartmentalized, certain \r\n parts impeding the development of others. This can only \r\n result in a life of disharmony and unhappiness. Approached \r\n as a comprehensive and all-embracing process, however, \r\n you will find that each part of your life will complement \r\n some other part. This should, God willing, make your struggle \r\n on the path to God and Janna, easier and full of grace. \r\n
\r\n As \r\n you struggle to make headway on the path to God, always \r\n remember that you have an excellent example before you. \r\n This is the example of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless \r\n him and grant him peace. Often we would like to emulate \r\n our sports heroes, our parents, our teachers, our friends \r\n or others who attract our attention. For your spiritual \r\n development, however, the most beautiful example is that \r\n of the Prophet. Allah says in the Quran: \r\n
\r\n You \r\n have, indeed, in the Messenger of God an excellent exemplar, \r\n whoever places his hopes in God and the Final Days and \r\n who remembers Allah much. [al-Ahzab 33: 21] \r\n
\r\n To be continued \r\n in the next issue....
\r\n [Taken from "In \r\n the Early Hours" by Ustadh Khurram \r\n Murad (Rahimahullah), edited by Riza Mohammed.] \r\n
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