Friday Nasiha

Al-Nisa \r\n (Women)
\r\n Chapter 4: Verse 58

Delivering \r\n Trust
\r\n "Allah commands you to deliver whatever \r\n you have been entrusted with to their rightful owners."

The basic and most important trust is that which God has \r\n implanted in human nature. This is the one which the heavens, the earth \r\n and the mountains refused to accept, but which man undertook. It is that \r\n of willingly and deliberately recognising \r\n Divine guidance and believing in God. Giving testimony \r\n in favour of Islam is an important way of delivering this trust.

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• This takes the form firstly of striving \r\n hard within oneself so that one's life, feelings, actions and behaviour \r\n become a practical translation of faith.
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• Another way of giving testimony in favour of Islam \r\n is to call on people to believe in Islam, \r\n explaining its values and principles.
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• Testimony is further given by taking \r\n steps to help implement Islam as a code of living for the Muslim community, \r\n and in human life in general.
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Another trust which is implied in the above is that of \r\n dealing with people and delivering to them \r\n whatever they have entrusted to us. That includes honesty \r\n in daily transactions, giving \r\n honest counsel to rulers and ruled, \r\n taking good care of young children, protecting \r\n the interests of the community and defending it against hostile forces \r\n and observing all duties and obligations \r\n outlined by the Divine code.

The verse can also be translated as "Allah \r\n commands you to deliver trusts to those worthy of them." \r\n This forewarns Muslims against the evils which had afflicted the Israelites. \r\n One of the fundamental mistakes committed by the Israelites was that in \r\n the time of their degeneration they had \r\n handed over positions of trust (i.e. \r\n religious and political leadership) to incompetent, \r\n mean, immoral, dishonest and corrupt people. The result \r\n was that corruption spread throughout the nation. The Muslims are directed \r\n to take heed of this, and to entrust positions \r\n of responsibility only to those who are capable of shouldering the burdens \r\n of such positions.

Source:
\r\n "In \r\n the Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, vol 3, pp. 193, 194
\r\n "Towards \r\n Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, vol 2, pp. \r\n 49

Fasting \r\n in Shaban

Ayesha said: "I \r\n never saw the Messenger of Allaah fast a complete month except for Ramadan, \r\n and I have never seen him fast more in a month than he did in Shaban." \r\n [Bukhaari, Muslim]

Usamah ibn Zaid inquired: "O Messenger \r\n of Allaah, I never find you fasting in any month like you do during the \r\n month of Shaban." The Prophet responded: "That \r\n is the month the people neglect. It comes between Rajab and Ramadan. It \r\n is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds. I \r\n love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting." \r\n [An-Nasaa'i, authenticated by ibn Khuzaimah. Hasan according to al-Albaani] \r\n

Narrated Abu Hurairah, Allaah's Messenger \r\n said: "When the month of Shaban is \r\n halfway, do not fast." [Reported by the five, Ahmad \r\n disapporoved it].

As-San`aanee says in Subul us-Salaam: "One \r\n can fast provided he has to observe a compensatory fasting (in lieu of \r\n the Fard - obligatory ones) or the other prescribed ones which may be \r\n categorised as Wajib (compulsory). However, the volitional fasting is \r\n prohibited lest one should be subjected to exhaustion and weakness that \r\n may in turn render the Ramadan obligatory fasting difficult for him." \r\n

Source:
\r\n Islaam.com