Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Advocates of Divine Message
Al-Anbiya (The Prophets) Sura 21: Verses 87-88

"And remember Dhul-Nun, when he went away in anger, thinking that We would not force him into a tight situation! But then he cried out in the deep darkness: 'There is no deity other than You! Limitless are You in Your glory! I have done wrong indeed!' So We responded to him and delivered him from his distress. Thus do We deliver those who have faith."

Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him, is here called Dhul-Nun, which means 'man of the whale' because he was swallowed by the whale and then thrown out. He was sent to a particular city, and he called on its people to believe in God, but they rejected both him and his message.

Angry and frustrated he walked away, and found himself sometime later by the sea, where he saw a laden boat. He boarded it. When the boat was in the middle of the sea, it was apparent that its load was too heavy. The shipmaster said that one passenger must be thrown overboard in order to give the rest a chance to survive. They all drew lots and the draw fell to Jonah. The other passengers threw him into the sea, or he might have jumped overboard. It was then that the whale swallowed him and he found himself in a most tight situation. At this moment he cried out to God for help. God answered his prayer and saved him from the distress he was suffering.

There are in Jonah's story some significant points we need to reflect upon:

The advocates of a message must be ready to bear the burden involved in such advocacy, remain patient in the face of rejection and vicious opposition. They must continue to present their message to people and call on them to believe in it, time after time.

Such advocates cannot give in to despair. They cannot give up on people, believing that they will never respond to the truth, no matter how much opposition they face, and how often they are rejected and accused of falsehood.

The way a message must follow in order to touch people's hearts is neither easy nor comfortable. Positive responses may not be forthcoming. A touch on every sensitive receptor must be made to try to find the effective nerve.

It is easy for an advocate of the divine message to be angry when people turn away from him. To give up and quit is always easy. It may enable us to cool down. But of what service is that to the message itself? It is the message that is most important, not its advocate.

We must discharge our duty however hard the opposition we may face. We then leave the matter to God, and He gives guidance to whomever He pleases.

Compiled From:
"In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 12, pp. 65-58

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Praying Quietly

Once, the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, were travelling, and loudly engaging in dhikr (remembrance of Allah). The Prophet Said:

"O people! Be gentle on yourselves, for you are not calling someone who is deaf or absent. Rather, you are calling the One Who hears everything, Ever-close."
[Bukhari]

Ibn Taymiyyah delved into the wisdom of making dua silently, and mentioned a number of benefits to this:

Firstly, it is a sign of strong iman, as the person demonstrates that he firmly believes that Allah can hear even the quietest of prayers and thoughts.

Secondly, it is a sign of respect and manners in front of Allah. For, just as it is considered improper for the servant to raise his voice in front of his master, or the peasant in front of the king, even so it is improper that a slave raise his voice loudly in front of the Creator.

Thirdly, it is a means of achieving humility and humbleness, which is the essence of worship. The one who is humble does not ask except meekly, whereas the one who is arrogant asks loudly.

Fourthly, it is a means of achieving sincerity, since others will not notice him.

The companions of the Prophet understood the importance of saying a dua silently. Ibn Abbas stated: "A silent dua is seventy times better than a loud one!" And al-Hassan al-Basri said, "We used to be amongst a group of people (i.e., the Companions) who would never do any act in public if they could do so in private. And those Muslims would strive in making their dua, and not a sound would be heard from them! For they used to whisper to their Lord."

Compiled From:
"Dua: The Weapon of the Believer"- Abu Ammar Yasir Qadhi, pp. 86-89

Blindspot!

Rancour

Ghill is a malady of the heart that is closely related to rancour, extreme anger, and malice. It comes from the same Arabic root from which the word aghlal originates, which is used in the Quran to mean yokes around the neck (Quran 36:8), as if to say that rancour dwells in a heart bound to rancour and treachery. Rancour is pungent emotion that is rooted in being extremely angry at a person to the point that one wishes harm to come to him. But the ultimate victim of rancour is its carrier.

Imam Mawlud says that if a person feels rancour toward a particular person, he should show that person goodwill. By nature, people are naturally inclined to love those who do good to them. And if one shows a person good, feelings of rancour will fall to the wayside.

If a person has rancour toward another believer, God shall not forgive that person until he forgives his brother, for rancour is a serious affliction that festers in one's heart and blocks good things from coming to one.

Compiled From:
"Purification of The Heart" - Hamza Yusuf, pp.122, 123