Issue 105 » February 16, 2001 -
General
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QURAN
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Translation:
"You see their eyes overflow with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth."
[Al-Quran- Sura Al-Maidah 5:83]
Tafseer:
Tears in the Eyes: Response to the
Powerful Message
- While reciting and studying the Quran, let the response in your heart, to what you read, overflow through your eyes. These tears of joy or of fear should be your answer to the powerful message of the Quran.
- Only with an inattentive heart, or a dead heart, will the eyes remain dry.
Weeping: Sign of Real Encounter with
the Quran
- The Quran emphasizes this participation of the eyes —not always out of fear, but mostly out of joy on finding the truth, on realizing His infinite mercy, on seeing God's promises being fulfilled: "They fall down upon their faces, weeping" (Al-Isra 17: 109). Often the Prophet, (peace be on him), his Companions, and those like them who had a real encounter with the Quran, would weep when they recited it. By embarking on a journey through Quran, we may also experience it, as the Quran came to everyone one of us.
- The Prophet (peace be on him) is reported to have said: "Surely the Quran has been sent down with sorrow. So when you read it, make yourself sorrowful" (Abu Ya'la, Abu Nu'aym). According to another Hadith: "Read the Quran and weep. If you do not weep spontaneously make yourself weep" (Ibn Majah).
A Reason to Cry: Realization of YOUR
Responsibilities!
- Tears will not take long to well up and trickle down your cheeks once you reflect and think about what the Quran is saying, and that it is addressing YOU. You may make yourself cry, if you think of the heavy responsibilities, the warnings and the good tidings that the Quran brings to you.
[Compiled from "Way
To The Quran" by Ustadh Khurram Murad. Also
available online at http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/]
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From
the Lives of the Prophet (pbuh) & his Companions (R)
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Helping
the Needy- Prophet's Far-sighted Approach
* Story
of how the Prophet (pbuh) taught a person to earn his
living *
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The story
is told of man from among the Muslims of Madinah who came
to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked for some nourishment.
The Prophet (pbuh) never rejected any request for help.
At the same time he did not like to encourage begging or
dependence. He therefore asked the man, "Don't you
have anything in your house?" "Yes," said
the man. "A saddle blanket which we wear sometimes
and which we spread on the floor sometimes, and a container
from which we drink water."
"Bring
them to me," said the Prophet (pbuh), who then took
the items and asked some of his companions, "Who will
buy these two articles?" "I will," said one
man, "for one dirham." Another said,
"I will take them for two dirhams." The
Prophet (pbuh) sold the articles for two dirhams which
he handed over to the man and said, "With one dirham,
buy food for your family and with the other buy an axe and
bring it to me."
The man
returned with the axe. The Prophet (pbuh) split a log of
wood with it and then instructed the man: "Go and gather
firewood and I do not want to see you for fifteen days."
This the man did and after two weeks had made a profit of
ten dirhams. With some of the money he bought food
and with some he bought clothes. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) was pleased and said to him, "This is better than
getting a bolt on your face on the Day of Resurrection."
This true
story emphasizes that as an adult Muslim and in particular
when you have a family, you have the obligation to work.
You are required to use your initiative and whatever resources
you may have, to earn a living. If you fail to do so
you face the prospect of "getting a bolt on your face"
or in other words of suffering some form of disgrace due
to your inactivity and dependence on others.
The story
also points to the most effective method of offering aid
and support to someone. If you provide handouts to people
who are well, able-bodied, and have some resources, however
small, you would not in fact be offering effective help
to that person. You may help to meet an immediate pressing
need, but it will only be a one-off, short term remedy.
You will in fact be encouraging dependence and the lack
of self-respect and esteem in the person you wish to help.
By his simple,
practical and far-sighted approach, the noble Prophet (pbuh)
showed how people can be made to help themselves and
how they can be motivated to seek long-term solutions to
meet their basic needs. "Charity is not Halal (permissible)
for the rich or the able-bodied," emphasized the Prophet
(peace be upon him).
[Taken from "Islam-
The Natural Way" by Abdul Wahid Hamid, pg.
56-57]
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Reflections
on Tazkiya and Self-Development
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Willpower
(Irada), not Desires, is needed!
Following
is one the prerequisites of Tazkiya (Self-development):
4- Sustaining
Willpower (Irada) :
To
achieve the ultimate goal in life requires a sustained
determination to do so, a willpower that is forever responsive
and strong. In Quranic terminology this is called irada.
Irada is basic to all our efforts. Without willing
to do something you cannot do anything. Irada
is the key to our self and character-development
Irada
is very different from
desire. You always hear people reflecting upon unfulfilled
aspirations. One of the main reasons why aspirations and
dreams remain unfulfilled is that they are no more than
desires which faded to assume the status of irada.
The
Quran explains that one of the basic weaknesses in human
nature which prevents our self-development is the weakness
of will. While narrating the story of Adam, Allah
informs: "And, indeed, long ago We made Our covenant
with Adam; but he forgot and We found no firmness of purpose
in him." [Ta Ha 20:115]
Irada
to change you life requires
strength and consistency and is indeed the antithesis
of doubt or hesitation. Once your irada is
firmly in place, then you must have no doubts and you
must not hesitate.
Now,
what purpose should irada serve? The Quran, in 17:19,
makes it clear that this will power must be a firm resolve
to seek the pleasure of Allah because this is the part
of the bargain that you must deliver.
To be continued
in the next issue....
[Taken from "In
the Early Hours" by Ustadh Khurram
Murad (Rahimahullah), edited by Riza Mohammed.
Now also available at http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/default.asp]
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15
Points on the Wisdom of Prohibition of Alcohol
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Following is a list
of reasons and wisdom behind the prohibition of drinking
alcohol in Islam:
10-
Muslims believe that the prophets of God did not taste alcoholic
beverages and that alcohol was prohibited in the original
scriptures of the divinely revealed religions.
11- Alcoholic
beverages have some benefits, but sin and harm resulting
from their consumption are far greater than their benefits,
as Allah says in the Quran, "They will ask you
concerning alcoholic beverages and gambling. Say (to them):
In each of them their lies serious vice, as well as
some benefits for mankind; yet their sin is greater than
their usefulness" (Sura Al-Baqara 2: 219).
12- Alcohol
brings God's (Allah's) curse down on those who drink it,
as well as on those who plant or cultivate its raw materials,
produce, sell or deal with it, and those who participate
in drinking parties, a warning which was given to us
in a Hadith by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
To be continued
in the next issue....
[Compiled from "The
Adolescent Life" by Dr. Ahmad Sakr]