\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 \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Living \r\n the Quran | al-Waqiah \r\n (The Inevitable Event)
\r\n Chapter 56: Verses 83-87 \r\n Translation: \r\n When a man's \r\n soul reaches his throat and is about to leave him, and you are looking \r\n on, and We are closer to him than you, although you cannot see Us, \r\n why then, if you are not accountable, can you not bring the soul \r\n back, if you claim to be truthful? \r\n Commentary: \r\n Death is inescapable \r\n and unpreventable; an inevitable event in every \r\n man's life that comes at a predestined moment, totally beyond human \r\n control. \r\n Being totally preoccupied with their day-to-day \r\n lives and worldly affairs, the majority of people cannot think \r\n beyond their material or physical existence. Many \r\n of them are, to say at least, skeptical about the resurrection and \r\n are quite adamant in their belief that death is the end of their \r\n existence. \r\n Death is a most profound truth; today's dead are \r\n buried by those who too will die one day, and yet the latter continue \r\n to ignore death and live as if it would not happen to him. It seldom \r\n moves them to think or reflect on \r\n the convictions or conduct. \r\n By his very nature, man is argumentative, contentious, \r\n and stubborn. However, once this great cataclysmic event is suddenly \r\n set in motion, the curtain will fall \r\n and no human power will be able to stop it. \r\n [compiled from "A \r\n thematic Commentary on the Quran" by Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali, \r\n pp. 607-608, 624] | Understanding \r\n the Prophet's Life | Pride: \r\n The Fuel of Disbelief \r\n "Pride \r\n is dissatisfaction with the truth, and belittling the people."
\r\n "He will not enter Paradise who has even a speck of pride in \r\n his heart."
\r\n [narrated by \r\n Muslim] \r\n Pride is one of the blameworthy qualities and it \r\n is forbidden to have it. As far as its reality is concerned, you \r\n should know that pride is divided into inward and outward pride. \r\n Inward pride is a \r\n quality within the self, and outward \r\n pride is action which appears through the limbs. \r\n As far as its cure is concerned, there are two parts: \r\n the knowledge-cure and the action-cure. The remedy can only be effected \r\n by joining the two of them. The knowledge-cure \r\n is to know and recognise yourself and to know and recognise your \r\n Lord. That will be enough to remove your pride. Whoever knows and \r\n recognises his own self as it should be known and recognised, knows \r\n that it is not worthy of greatness, and that true greatness and \r\n pride are only for Allah. The action-cure \r\n is to humble yourself to people in a constrained unnatural manner \r\n until it becomes natural for you. \r\n [compiled from "The \r\n Purification of the Heart from Kibr (Pride)" by Imam Uthman \r\n dan Fodio] | Our \r\n Family | Our Society | Positive \r\n Contributions Towards Society \r\n In addition to sharing Islam with society, \r\n the Islamic methodology directs change agents towards exerting efforts \r\n for enjoining good and forbiding wrong in society and the state. \r\n \r\n Enjoining good includes the promotion \r\n of Islamic values in society such as: \r\n \r\n - truth,
\r\n - honesty,
\r\n - chastity,
\r\n - family values,
\r\n - respect and care for the elderly,
\r\n - care and proper upbringing for the young,
\r\n - a moral and balanced education,
\r\n - just social policies,
\r\n - the equitable distribution of wealth, \r\n
\r\n - care for orphans, and
\r\n - support for the poor. \r\n \r\n Furthermore, acting on such good \r\n in one's private life is not enough according to \r\n Islam. Public life and the state must also conform to equitable \r\n and moral principles. In fact, anything that is not firmly established \r\n in collective life cannot be sustained for long in the private sphere. \r\n This is why all the Messengers of Allah, according to Islam, did \r\n not solely preach individual morality, they also strove to build \r\n public life on strong faith and Islamic moral code. \r\n Thus, in the light of Islamic guidance, \r\n crime, corruption and social evils should not only be the concern \r\n of the victims or the police, rather they \r\n must be everyone's concern. Muslims are duty bound \r\n to rid society of immoral, depraved, dishonest and unjust practices. \r\n All forms of corruption, injustice and acts of oppression have to \r\n be fought against - this includes: \r\n \r\n - gambling,
\r\n - prostitution,
\r\n - pornography,
\r\n - alcohol,
\r\n - drugs,
\r\n - political corruption,
\r\n - economic injustice, and
\r\n - harmful legislation and social policies. \r\n \r\n [compiled from "Building \r\n a New Society" by Zahid Parvez, pp. 250-251] |
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