General
From Issue: 255 [Read full issue]
| Living the Quran |
Al-Kahf
(The Cave)
This part of the verse is essential instruction for the Blessed prophet Muhammad, and indeed for all Muslims alike, that we should not follow, in action or speech, any type of person in whose personality we find the above mentioned traits; that of the heedlessness of God's Remembrance, of the desire to totally and passionately obey the self without much due care or concern to God's revealed laws, and that of exceeding all the dictated basic moral bounds of Islam in pursuit of ruthless bids to achieve ungodly aims. The person and character that God is asking us not to follow is of a leader who brazenly abandons the truth, and involves little in the Remembrance of God, thereby giving preference to accomplishing things only according to what he himself desires, even in opposition to what God and His Messenger desire for us. The core of this message is indeed also true and fully applicable in our present contexts where our society's corrupt elite are found to turn a deaf ear to the message of Islam, primarily because of their presumed self-sufficiencies and claimed independence of God's help. Even for us as Muslims today, their lies no justification in the fact that we follow and 'campaign' for self-proclaimed community leaders who satisfy little or nothing of the prescribed Islamic requirements for good leaders, and only exemplify those traits that God in the above mentioned verse, has clearly warned us of. The lives of all those who become slaves to their base desires as a result of relegating God to oblivion become devoid of balance and proportion. To obey such a person [as leader] means that one should abandon one's own sense of proportion and indulge in immoderation and stumble in all directions in one's effort to follow leaders who are not bound by any limits. In simpler terms, “one ought not to follow a person who is heedless of God, nor submit to him, nor accept his command.” Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
The Hasty One It is reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him said: The scholars explain that the “hasty one” is the one who lost the companionship of his fellow travellers because he caused his mount to become fatigued. The perfectionist is similar to the hasty one: he asks others to do more than what they can bear, and in the process he causes them to be fatigued. This is not healthy behaviour, especially when dealing with children. Source: |
| Blindspot |
Narrow Mindedness The one who suffers from this ailment does not want to allow any concession to others in life. Following are few more characteristics of such individuals:
This tendency, if allowed to grow, takes the form of fault finding and quibbling. He would scrutinize even the most insignificant faults of others but would cry hoarse if criticised in turn. Another phase of this narrow mindedness is susceptibility to unpalatable remarks, irritability of temperament and absence of forbearance. A group composed of narrow minded persons and those lacking in the capacity for forbearance, will automatically break into fragments and drive away other people also who come in contact with it by creating hatred in their minds. Source: |
