Mirror Image: Is your Heart worthy of Allah's gaze?
Bismillahi Rahman Roheem.
In The name of Allah the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
All form of Praises is due for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Soul and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and I also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
To become a true Muslim it necessary to have complete faith in Muhammad (SAW) and to affirm that he is Allah last and true messenger; his teachings are absolutely perfect free from any defect or error; and he is the last among the prophets of Allah, after him no Prophet will be sent by Allah to mankind till the Day of Accountability and any personage that appear among people is definitely an impostor.
The Happy Days are here again, the days to maximize ones' profit, to clean oneself from the dirt of different sins, the known and the unknown, the open and the hidden Sins.
What a wonderful destiny is yours! Created to be the vicegerent on earth! Yet beguiled by evil! Set for a season on this earth on probation to purge thy stain, with the promise of guidance and hope from the Most High, From the Oft-Returning, and Merciful! Wilt thou choose right and regain thy spiritual home with Allah?
Before this Ramadan there has been frequent reminder and sermons from diverse local scholars in your society. You receive eye-opener reminder before and now comes one confirming it. Its first appeal should be to you, are you to be the first to reject it? And reject it for what?
Allah's Signs are worth more than all your paltry considerations. And the standard of duty and righteousness is to be taken from Allah, and not from priests and customs.
Allah says:
“And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship). Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand?” Q2:42-44.
Again Allah says:
“When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah hath revealed, they say: "Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! Even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance? The parable of those who reject faith is as if one were to shout like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries; deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom”. Q2:170-171
If you reject all faith, the highest wisdom and the most salutary regulations are lost on you. You are like "dumb driven cattle" who can merely hear calls, but cannot distinguish intelligently between shades of meaning or subtle differences of values.
Where we are told that the rejecters of faith are "deaf, dumb and blind: they will not return to the path." Here the consequence of their not using their senses is that they have no wisdom. In each context there is just the appropriate deduction.
As if to emphasize again a warning against deadening formalism, we are given a beautiful description of the righteous and God-fearing man. He should obey salutary regulation, but he should fix his gaze on the love of Allah and the love of his fellow-men. We are given four heads:
1. Our faith should be true and sincere;
2. We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellowmen;
3. We must be good citizens, supporting social organization; and
4. Our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all circumstances. They are interconnected, and yet can be viewed separately.
The month of Ramadan is here to help train ourselves in doing righteous deed and after Ramadan we should maintain these actions. It is not only abstaining during the day from food, drinking, etc that Ramadan is all about.
Allah Says:
“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint’’. Q2:183
As it was prescribed; this does not mean that the Muslim fast is like the other fasts previously observed, in the number of days, in the time or manner of the fast, or in other incidents; it only means that the principle of self-denial by fasting is not a new one.
Ramadan helps one to shape into concrete forms, to suit times and circumstances and the varying needs of average men and women; the food to be clean and wholesome; based on eternal principles of righteousness and fair dealing, Cleanliness and sobriety, Honesty and helpfulness, to help the weak and the needy and check all selfish wrongdoings; sanctified as a symbol of unity; Charity and help to the poor.
Faith is not merely a matter of words. We must realise the presence and goodness of Allah. When we do so, the scales fall from our eyes, all the falsities and fleeting nature of the Present cease to enslave us, for we see the Last Day as if it were today.
The Quran tells us:
“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces toward East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing”. Q2:177
Practical deeds of charity are of value when they proceed from love, and from no other motive. In this respect, also, our duties take various forms, which are shown in reasonable gradation:
■ Our kith and kin;
■ Orphans (including any persons who are without support or help);
■ People who are in real need but who never ask (it is our duty to find them out, and they come before those who ask);
■ the stranger, who is entitled to laws of hospitality;
■ the people who ask and are entitled to ask, i.e., not merely lazy beggars, but those who seek our assistance in some form or another (it is our duty to respond to them);
■ And the slaves (we must do all we can to give or buy their freedom). Slavery has many insidious forms, and all are included.
Charity and piety in individual cases do not complete our duties. In prayer and charity, we must also look to our organized efforts: where there is a Muslim State, these are made through the State, in facilities for public prayer, and public assistance, and for the maintenance of contracts and fair dealing in all matters.
Allah says:
“By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth Allah knoweth it well”. Q3:92
The test of charity is:
■ Do you give something that you value greatly, something that you love?
■ If you give your life in a Cause, which is the greatest gift you can give.
■ If you give yourself, that is, your personal efforts, your talents, your skill, your learning, that comes next in degree.
■ If you give your earnings, your property, your possessions, that is also a great gift; for many people love them even more than other things.
And there are less tangible things, such as position, reputation, the well-being of those we love, the regard of those who can help us, etc. It is unselfishness that Allah demands, and there is no act of unselfishness, however small or intangible, but is well within the knowledge of Allah.
Quran says:
“Fear the fire, which is prepared for those who reject faith. And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy. Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous. Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; for Allah loves those who do good”. Q3:131-134.
Real prosperity consists, not in greed, but in giving, the giving of ourselves and of our substance in the cause of Allah and Allah's truth and in the service of Allah's creatures.
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!
O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for all my sins.
I ask You to forgive me for all my wrongdoings [mazalim] against people that You have recorded, for there are many rights [huquq] and dues [mazalim] owed to Your servants that I am burdened with and for which I am hostage [murtahin]. O Allah, even if these (wrongdoings) are many they are insignificant in comparison with the magnitude of Your forgiveness. O Allah, any male or female servant of Yours who has rights upon me, in either that I have unjustly taken from him [ghasabtu] in regards to his land, possession, honor, body; whether he was absent or present; or he or his representatives demanded it from me and neither was I able to return it to him nor did I seek release of it from him. So I ask You through Your benevolence, generosity, and abundance of what You possess that You satisfy them on my behalf, and not give them a position over me that will decrease my good deeds; for You possess what You can satisfy them with on my behalf and I do not possess what to satisfy them with; and do not allow for their bad deeds to find a path over my good deeds on the Day of Judgment.
May Allah bless us to serve Him in all aspects of our lives.
Wa Salaam Alaikum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu.
In The name of Allah the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
All form of Praises is due for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Soul and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and I also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
To become a true Muslim it necessary to have complete faith in Muhammad (SAW) and to affirm that he is Allah last and true messenger; his teachings are absolutely perfect free from any defect or error; and he is the last among the prophets of Allah, after him no Prophet will be sent by Allah to mankind till the Day of Accountability and any personage that appear among people is definitely an impostor.
The Happy Days are here again, the days to maximize ones' profit, to clean oneself from the dirt of different sins, the known and the unknown, the open and the hidden Sins.
What a wonderful destiny is yours! Created to be the vicegerent on earth! Yet beguiled by evil! Set for a season on this earth on probation to purge thy stain, with the promise of guidance and hope from the Most High, From the Oft-Returning, and Merciful! Wilt thou choose right and regain thy spiritual home with Allah?
Before this Ramadan there has been frequent reminder and sermons from diverse local scholars in your society. You receive eye-opener reminder before and now comes one confirming it. Its first appeal should be to you, are you to be the first to reject it? And reject it for what?
Allah's Signs are worth more than all your paltry considerations. And the standard of duty and righteousness is to be taken from Allah, and not from priests and customs.
Allah says:
“And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship). Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand?” Q2:42-44.
Again Allah says:
“When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah hath revealed, they say: "Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! Even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance? The parable of those who reject faith is as if one were to shout like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries; deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom”. Q2:170-171
If you reject all faith, the highest wisdom and the most salutary regulations are lost on you. You are like "dumb driven cattle" who can merely hear calls, but cannot distinguish intelligently between shades of meaning or subtle differences of values.
Where we are told that the rejecters of faith are "deaf, dumb and blind: they will not return to the path." Here the consequence of their not using their senses is that they have no wisdom. In each context there is just the appropriate deduction.
As if to emphasize again a warning against deadening formalism, we are given a beautiful description of the righteous and God-fearing man. He should obey salutary regulation, but he should fix his gaze on the love of Allah and the love of his fellow-men. We are given four heads:
1. Our faith should be true and sincere;
2. We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellowmen;
3. We must be good citizens, supporting social organization; and
4. Our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all circumstances. They are interconnected, and yet can be viewed separately.
The month of Ramadan is here to help train ourselves in doing righteous deed and after Ramadan we should maintain these actions. It is not only abstaining during the day from food, drinking, etc that Ramadan is all about.
Allah Says:
“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint’’. Q2:183
As it was prescribed; this does not mean that the Muslim fast is like the other fasts previously observed, in the number of days, in the time or manner of the fast, or in other incidents; it only means that the principle of self-denial by fasting is not a new one.
Ramadan helps one to shape into concrete forms, to suit times and circumstances and the varying needs of average men and women; the food to be clean and wholesome; based on eternal principles of righteousness and fair dealing, Cleanliness and sobriety, Honesty and helpfulness, to help the weak and the needy and check all selfish wrongdoings; sanctified as a symbol of unity; Charity and help to the poor.
Faith is not merely a matter of words. We must realise the presence and goodness of Allah. When we do so, the scales fall from our eyes, all the falsities and fleeting nature of the Present cease to enslave us, for we see the Last Day as if it were today.
The Quran tells us:
“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces toward East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing”. Q2:177
Practical deeds of charity are of value when they proceed from love, and from no other motive. In this respect, also, our duties take various forms, which are shown in reasonable gradation:
■ Our kith and kin;
■ Orphans (including any persons who are without support or help);
■ People who are in real need but who never ask (it is our duty to find them out, and they come before those who ask);
■ the stranger, who is entitled to laws of hospitality;
■ the people who ask and are entitled to ask, i.e., not merely lazy beggars, but those who seek our assistance in some form or another (it is our duty to respond to them);
■ And the slaves (we must do all we can to give or buy their freedom). Slavery has many insidious forms, and all are included.
Charity and piety in individual cases do not complete our duties. In prayer and charity, we must also look to our organized efforts: where there is a Muslim State, these are made through the State, in facilities for public prayer, and public assistance, and for the maintenance of contracts and fair dealing in all matters.
Allah says:
“By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth Allah knoweth it well”. Q3:92
The test of charity is:
■ Do you give something that you value greatly, something that you love?
■ If you give your life in a Cause, which is the greatest gift you can give.
■ If you give yourself, that is, your personal efforts, your talents, your skill, your learning, that comes next in degree.
■ If you give your earnings, your property, your possessions, that is also a great gift; for many people love them even more than other things.
And there are less tangible things, such as position, reputation, the well-being of those we love, the regard of those who can help us, etc. It is unselfishness that Allah demands, and there is no act of unselfishness, however small or intangible, but is well within the knowledge of Allah.
Quran says:
“Fear the fire, which is prepared for those who reject faith. And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy. Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous. Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; for Allah loves those who do good”. Q3:131-134.
Real prosperity consists, not in greed, but in giving, the giving of ourselves and of our substance in the cause of Allah and Allah's truth and in the service of Allah's creatures.
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!
O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for all my sins.
I ask You to forgive me for all my wrongdoings [mazalim] against people that You have recorded, for there are many rights [huquq] and dues [mazalim] owed to Your servants that I am burdened with and for which I am hostage [murtahin]. O Allah, even if these (wrongdoings) are many they are insignificant in comparison with the magnitude of Your forgiveness. O Allah, any male or female servant of Yours who has rights upon me, in either that I have unjustly taken from him [ghasabtu] in regards to his land, possession, honor, body; whether he was absent or present; or he or his representatives demanded it from me and neither was I able to return it to him nor did I seek release of it from him. So I ask You through Your benevolence, generosity, and abundance of what You possess that You satisfy them on my behalf, and not give them a position over me that will decrease my good deeds; for You possess what You can satisfy them with on my behalf and I do not possess what to satisfy them with; and do not allow for their bad deeds to find a path over my good deeds on the Day of Judgment.
May Allah bless us to serve Him in all aspects of our lives.
Wa Salaam Alaikum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu.
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