The Mirror

In urdu there’s a famous saying, “mujhko ‘aina dhika diya” the rough translation being “they showed me the mirror.” This phrase means in essence that the mirror was turned to you, so you could see your own fallacies instead of jus everybody elses.

When you look around you, you see the fallacies and problems within the Muslim Ummah. We all see them and are always talking about just what these problems are and how to solve them. For now, I’m trying to quell my frustrations with other Muslims. Partly because when I look at my own self, (By Allah’s Grace) my reason uncovers traces of these same problems that exists within me, that are either expressed when triggered by a certain spark or have the potential to manifest themselves into something permanent in my behavior and thinking. I don’t look for the faults in others, but I do notice them because I’m familiar with them… in myself. Really it’s hard sometimes to change others, because you know you’re still a work in progress, and your past sometimes still haunts you. But there really is no ultimate level we can reach, perfection is impossible…and we aren’t asked to be perfect, just to try to get as high as we can and when we fall, to get up and climb even harder. And we will fall, it’s almost guaranteed, but that’s why theirs that rope of Allah to hold on to.

“O you who believe, beware of Allah as is befitting Him and die not except in a state of submission. And hold tight to the rope of Allah all of you and do not divide yourselves. And remember the generosity of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He joined between your hearts and so you became – by His grace – brothers. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus, Allah explains His signs to you that perhaps you become guided.” (Qur’an 3:102-103)

And yes we do have a duty to tell as many people to hold on to that rope as possible and to help them hold it, even if we ourselves have a light grip. Because we are believers and we are all auliyah (protectors, friends) of each other. InshaAllah someone will be there to help you strengthen your grip as well. And really we are so blessed, but at the same time don’t realize how close we are to the edge of true belief. Often times we walk very close to the edge of true belief, the other side being a big fall (disbelief) and we think that we are safe. We don’t know how many times we cross over the line and by His mercy are able to cross back over, for the most part unscathed. So many things we take for granted and place little value on. Many of us take a thing like waking up for fajr very lightly, I know I used to. I would think if you don’t wake up, “whatever it is okay, sleep is an excuse.” But salaah is a duty; however the ability to perform that duty is also a right that can be taken away. We don’t understand this too well because that’s not always true of things in the material sense. In this dunya we have rights that can be taken away, but those rights are not always obligatory to do. It is obligatory for our body to breathe oxygen, and someone (Allah) gave us the right to breathe the oxygen. If it is taken away, then we simply die. Allah can take that away from us, the ability to make salaah. To know that you are being denied that opportunity for the blessing is scary, and that there is a severe punishment for it. And it’s due to something of our own doing, because Allah is Just and Merciful. He is not going to strip you of your rights if you committed no crime that you haven’t repented for. Allah is sufficient in our affairs. The more we struggle in the right direction the more some things will become easier for us. At the same time, there will be things that will become difficult and we WILL fail sometimes. But don’t despair because this is too a blessing from Allah if we have patience and steadfastness.

Allah knows best. May Allah give us all the hikma to know what’s right and wrong, to patience and steadfastness to bear our trials and stick to the straight path, to have Taqwa of Allah and to increase us in our Imaan, and let us die not except in the state of Islam. May Allah strengthen our hearts to love Him and His Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him. Ameen.

The Believer is Precious

The dunya is a poacher, and his desire is of treasure. And who of men is more wealthier than the true believers. Those whose hearts are made of gold buried deep in a mortal coil of clay. Those who measure for themselves little, but for others give a full load. Those whose souls are scattered with diamonds from the great pressure that they bore. Those in whose hands are carved the scars of toil yet they are silk to the touch. Those who are shadowed by grief still their faces reflect the light of a thousand full moons. Those whose struggles in this life bear no fruit for them to taste, yet they are firm in their belief that the sweetness of paradise is worth their patience. So gaurd your tears, for they are more precious than pearls. And Allah has right over all things.

Drowning in Minor Details

“O you who believe, enter into Islam wholeheartedly.” [Al-Baqara: 208]

The beauty with Islam is that everything is complete. Everything you will need is already given to you and it all makes sense. Any misconceptions, misunderstandings, and confusion is brought upon by our own shortcomings. We tend to overcomplicate things and forget the essence of what really matters. There is no doubt that when it comes to religious matters, nothing can be completely ignored. Not even the smallest detail should be excluded from the whole of Islam. However, Islam is not just mere belief; it’s an entire way of life. Encompassing things from worship, behavior, business transactions, and even down to the proper way to relieve ones self.

It took 23 years for the Message of Allah to be fully revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to be conveyed to the people by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The time-span was completely up to Allah and His Wisdom, but that amount of time was needed by men to be able to fully know and comprehend this beautiful way of life. When you analyze the Qur’an and the chapters and verses you find that the early surahs (during the Makkan period) generally focused on the topics of Tauheed (Islamic Monotheism), the Day of Judgment, and righteous conduct. These were simple yet very important matters that were needed to be set as a foundation of what was to come next. The primary role of the Messenger (peace be upon him) at this point was to be an announcer and a warner. The later revelations (during the Madinan period) also talked about the earlier stated issues but also introduced new issues that were pertinent as the Ummah was expanding and so on.

The point being that in everything there are major and minor details. The major details would be such that neglecting them would take us out of Islam, such as our prayer. The minor details would be ones that we are not punished for if we do not do them, such as fasting extra days of the year. Nothing can be ignored, without the major details you have nothing, and the minor details only support the major. However, everything must be taken in strides and depending on ones own abilities, distinctions must be made on how to approach the major and minor. It is not rational to come to the masjid every night for Taraweeh during Ramadan, and neglect the five daily fard prayers. Today many muslims drown themselves and others in what can be called the minor details and lose sight of the major issues such as Tauheed, Charachter, and Salah. We spend years of time and reasearch and dialougue on topics so far our of reach and so irrelevant that could have been better spent on an issue such as perfecting or character. Disunity, ignorance, and the complete lack of sincerity in the Ummah is what has resulted from the excessive overemphasising these minor details.

To draw an analogy, the point I’m trying to make holds evident in the human body as well. The heart, respiratory system, brain, etc. are vital to our existence; but if we lose a toe or a finger we can still live and be healthy.

“say: Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds.” [surah al-An'aam: 162]

We must never stop the struggle to improve ourself. Trying to do too much at one time, especially if one isn’t prepared for it will just lead to an “iman burn out” and can leave you at a worst position from where you started. This is what I have learned from my own personal experience. When you take it with ease and patience and work to perfect a smaller number of things at a time, you will find that it is much easier to do and it becomes more solidified, InshaAllah. We should fear Allah the best we can in our striving to reach the highest imaan. Punishment comes only after knowing the Truth. There is no punishment before knowledge, and after knowledge there is no excuse; and Knowledge is obligatory. Allah knows best. May Allah increase us in our imaan and knowledge and save us from ignorance and evil. Ameen

To Whom Does Mercy Belong

A man was on a journey, walking through the scorching desert. For miles he treks as the sun beats down upon him and the hot sand leaves blisters on his feet. The only water in the area was his sweat and tears. Along the way he encounters scorpions and snakes not allowing him to stop for respite. He presses on, continuing his journey though the merciless desert. It was high noon and the sun was relentless when he reaches a valley in the middle of which he sees a house next to two hills. He wonders to himself, “who could possibly live here? in the middle of this God-forsaken desert!” As he approached the simple square house built from bricks of mud, he notices there is a well next to it. Gathering up the last bit of energy he runs toward the well. He eagerly lowers the pail and brings it back up full of cool water. He sits against the wall in the shadow of the house to drink. The water returns life into his frail body and quickly lifts his spirits. He drinks his full and then begins to wash himself with the water, cleaning his face and body of dirt and impurities. After he finished he thought to himself, “I should thank the owner of this well for it has saved my life when surely I thought I was doomed.” He approaches the house but quickly notices that there are no doors to enter. He calls from the outside to whomever maybe inside. He receives no reply. “How am I to thank the owner of this well? He must be around here somewhere.” As he was about to leave he notices an inscription on the wall of the house:

“Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, The Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists, Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Chair extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is The Most High, The Most Great.” (Holy Quran 2:255)

Inspirational Innocence

The greatest thing about children is that their thoughts and emotions are completely uncorrupted and unmasked. They have a spirited nature that hasn’t had any boundaries installed yet. As we grow older, we learn those social tricks such as: saying something and meaning something else, masking our emotions, or domesticating our thoughts. That natural innocence is what makes children’s responses and questions all the more valuable, I think. A view of the world through a child’s pure eyes is not only sacred but something I find comfort in.

What was turning out to be an uninspiring and discouraging day, I was able to find deliverance in the words of my little sister. One thing she enjoys is when we talk about Jannah. The idea of having every toy and sour patch candy flavor you can imagine in a place of no limits or bounds is spectacular to young minds (to a lesser extent, even old ones). Thursday being the day of ‘Ashoora I had fasted and was pretty exhausted when I came home. I began to tell my sister about ‘Ashoora and the virtue of fasting on this day, as it was expiation for one year’s worth of evil deeds. When I told her this, her face turned into one of regret and she said to me:

“Bhaijaan, can you please fast for me too…”

Her statement was incredibly overwhelming for me. For us, expiation of one year’s sin is as good as redemption from a lifetime of sin. For a child of only 7 years, who is still incapable of any wrong, commiting any injustice or malice toward anybody, to give a response of such sincere concern and worry is paramount, mashaAllah. I didn’t need an earthquake, her one sentence shook me hard enough to wake me from my false presumption of being forgiven. If someone who couldn’t even gather a pebble’s worth of sin feels such a strong need to seek forgiveness, then where do I stand with my empty pleas and shallow du’as? For a mountain shadows me.

To have heard such inspiration from her reminded me of the Louis Armstrong song when he says…

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Sahar

sahar ki laabon par tabassum nahi,
uski aankhon par shabnam bhi nahi,
aaj sirf door se apni roshni paysh kari,
mujhse na sune koi shikayaat khabi…

The Road Less Traveled…

The student of knowledge walks a dangerous and narrow path. The beaten trail winds through the toughest terrain ultimately leading to a very rewarding destination, Insha’Allah. I think most of us have experienced some point in our life when we begin to slowly drift away from Islam or are already firmly on a doomed path when Allah by His Grace, guides us back to the Truth. We begin to realize the importance of our deen and see the verity of it reflected in our lives. The thirst for ‘ilm is increased by our abandonment of the dunya and overzealous use of Arabic words. Brush that little peach fuzz you started to grow, stick a miswak in our pocket and roll up, not your sleeves, but your pants and you’re ready to roll. With our rejuvenated enthusiasm and zeal we embark on the sacred quest for knowledge. Here is where this heroic epic turns ugly.

In all the great change you made, you also made someone really upset in the process. Unfortunately being a student of knowledge, you make a couple of enemies. This is no comic villain, but one that swore to Allah long before your birth that he was going to do everything in he could to ruin your afterlife. Who is this arch nemesis? No, not the government, but shaytan of course. (Audhu billahi minashaytan nirrajeem) He is indeed the most evil of devils and the most cunning in his ways. The devil shaytan has a way of twisting thing around to make them seem like something else, for example a bad thing can be made to seem good

On the path for ‘ilm there are many ways to divert into often fruitless and detrimental paths that could lead you further back from where you started. In my own experiences I have found that shaytan has a way of convincing us to forgo, for example, the fundamentals of our deen, and pursue some off the wall topic such as ““The Social Implications of Shari’ah on a Western Society””… I’m just making this up, you understand my point. But sometimes we have this great desire to learn something just to be able to say that we know it. However, shaytan hides that from us and covers it up with the idea of seeking some advanced knowledge. That’s the scary thing about it, we don’t even realize we are doing it to show off! May Allah protect us from this hidden shirk.

Today you find many people who have knowledge of Shari’ah, Qur’an, Usul al-Fiqh, etc etc. but lack the fundamentals and foundation that is needed to build upon, such as Tauheed, Salaah, and Manners. If we made an honest effort we would be spending the majority of our time trying to improve and solidify these basics, because they require that much. The devil will resort to any way to divert you from good, even if it means calling you to a lesser good, or to preoccupy you with something that is not bad or haraam but has no benefit either. He will lead you away from a sucessful path into one that either takes you in cricles our backwards away from your goal. These are few of the many ways shaytan preys on the student of knowledge. Not to mention the responsibility the knowledge carries on the student to spread it and act on it. This is another incredibly challenging aspect all together.

May Allah guide us and continue to bestow His Mercy upon us. May He purify our intentions, give us patience and steadfastness in our means and success in the end.

Reflections on Light

I was reading a blog the other day which contained an enlightning line of wisdom discovered in a fortune cookie, “What is to give light, must endure the burning.”

Food doesn’t get much deeper or thought provoking than that. Reflecting on the wisdom of this quote the ominous question entered my mind, what is “light’? What is it exactly that it is providing for us this “light” at the expense of it enduring an obviously painful and difficult “burning”?

Typically, in poetry and literature, light refers to inspiration, goodness, or a glowing beauty. It’s also necessary to point out the difference between giving light and reflecting light, such as the difference between the sun and the moon.

What began to strike me was the ‘ayah in the Qur’an in Surah Nur:

Allâh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allâh guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allâh sets forth parables for mankind, and Allâh is All-Knower of everything. (An-Nur 24:35)

Before you read on just reflect on it for a minute…

It’s time to consult Ibn Kathir (Abridged version, Vol. 7). In the Qur’an Allah refers to himself as An-Nur, The Light. This is reffering to Allah’s attribute as a Guide of all that is in the heavens and the earth. Ibn Abbas said regarding this ayah thatthis is acknowledging that He is controlling the affairs of His creation.

Ibn Abbas also said in an authentic hadith, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to always say when rising for the night prayer:

“O Allah, to You be praise, You are the Sustainer of heaven and eath and whoever is in them. To You be praise, You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them.”

Ibn Abbas also comments on the part of the ayah, “The parable of His Light, is as a niche…” saying that this reffered to Allah’s guidance in the heart of a believer. There is also a second opinion that the pronoun “His” in the ayah refers to the believer and the parable is that the light in the heart of a believer is a niche. So the heart of the believer is what he is naturally inclined to of guidance and what he adds to it from the Qur’an.

Continuing the rest of the ayah, “His light is a niche and within it a lamp: the lamp is a glass, the glass as it were a star Durriyyun…” The heart of the believer in its purity and clarity is likened to a lamp in a transparent and jewel-like glass. The Qur’an and Shari’ah by which it is guided are likened to good, pure, shining oil in which there are no impurities or deviations. The word Durriyun can have different meanings such as to mean “pearls”, or “reflection.” However in either case the point is to acknowledge that the glass increases the brightness and clarity of the lamp.

The ayah continues, “lit from a blessed tree, an olive,…” which means that it’s oil is derived from olive oil, from the blessed tree. Olives are one of the things by which Allah swears by in the Qur’an in Surah Teen. The olive is also the best for it’s oils and is a tree that is not shaded by any other tree or mountain as Ibn Abbas said.

“Niether of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself)…” This means that it is not in the eastern part of the land so that it does not get any sun in the first part of the day, nor is it in the western part of the land so that is only exposed to the sun before sunset, but it is in a central position where it gets sun all day producing a rich oil. The oil itself shines, without flame.

“Light upon Light” Ibn Abbass commented on this part saying that it meant the light of faith and the light of deeds of a person. That their lights can only give light when they are combined, both are necessary for each other, without either there is no light given forth.

“Allah guides to His Light whome He wills…” Allah shows the way to the ones whom He choses, as it says in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad, “Allah created His creation in darkness, then on the same day He sent His Light upon them. Whoever was touched by His Light on that day will be guided and whoever was missed will be led astray. Hence I say: the pens have dried in accordance with the knowledge of Allah, may He be glorified.”

“And Allah sets forth parables for mankind, and Allah is All-Knower of everything.” Allah ends this ayah meaning He knows best who deserves to be guided and who deserves to be led astray, and He has given us clear explanation of this for us to understand.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith:

“Hearts are of four kinds: the heart that is clear like a shining lamp; the heart that is covered and tied up; the heart that is upside-down; and the heart that is clad in armor. As for the clear heart, it is the haert of the believer in which is a lamp filled with light; as for the covered heart, this is the heart of the disbeliever; as for the upside-down heart, this is the heart of the hypocrite, who recognizes then denies; as for the armor-clad heart, this is the heart in which there is both faith and hypocrisy. The parable of faith in it is that of legume, a sprout that is irrigated with good water, and the likeness of the hypocrisy in it is that of sores that are ged by blood and pus. Whichever of the two prevails is the characteristic that will dominate.” (Ahmad)

Obviously, Allah does not “burn” to give Light so the quote definitely does not apply there. However, you can say that when that lamp is placed in our hearts, it may shine clear possibly being recognize by others. It shines through toward the outward primarily in our imaan, ikhlaas, and khuluq (faith, sincerity, and character). However we know that that there are perils in striving toward Allah. Shaytan our constant enemy tries to dim our lights by tainting the clear shining glass the lamp is housed in. Acting upon guidance is difficult, once we recieve it there are armies standing at the gates trying to prevent us, and it constantly a struggle to translate that guidance and belief into action. This process might be considered the burning: the burden of guidance. For once you have recieved guidance you are responsible and will be accounted for it. Also, once we are given this light, we become it’s keepers and must try to keep it burning and not let it be extinguished. We must strive to brighten it. The actual use of the guidance (light) we recieve from Allah is what I would consider to be as the quote says enduring the “burning.”

Reflections on Black History Month

Throughout Islamic history there have been prominent black Muslims that contributed a great deal to the advancement of Islam. They were Sahaba, leaders, scholars, and warriors. Among these great Muslims were: Bilal ibn Rabah(ra), Al-Najashi, MalcolmX and more (really too many to go into, so just three famous ones for now). The color of their skin held no place in their position in Islam, however race has always been an issue of division throughout recorded history. Islam came to end division and prejudice based on race and established that the only difference in one man from another was his faith in Allah and piety. In the last sermon by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as he was nearing his death stated: “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood….” (Ahmad).

It is amazing and truly beautiful to witness something like hajj where people of all colors and all walks of life gather together wearing similar white garments to worship Allah. Such a thing happens nowhere else in the world and is truly a testament to the greatness of Islam, Alhamdulillah. In spite of Islam’s clear purpose to unite people of different backgrounds, a racial divide is still prevalent in our communities. It is apparent in our masjids and in our social gatherings. Just think back to how diverse your friends are or the people you would invite to your house. It is a natural tendency for people to feel comfortable with and to associate with people that are similar to them. Often we base our acquaintances on similarities in age, language, and ethnicity. I don’t feel as if the majority of us harbor any type of negative feelings toward Muslims of other ethnicities, but nonetheless there is a wall that needs to be destroyed. Each individual ethnic group within the Muslim community feels isolated by the other and vice versa. It’s an unfortunate occurrence that we all need to personally root out within ourselves and change.

Allah says in the Qur’an: “Ohumanity! We have created you from a single male and female and have made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another (not that you may have pride over one another). Verily the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the one most pious.”(Qur’an, 49:13)

Among the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) companions were men from many different backgrounds, for example: Bilal the Abyssinian, Salman the Persian, Suhayb the Roman, and Abdullah the Hebrew (may Allah have mercy on them). They all originally spoke different languages and weren’t native to the region, yet were still equally treated by the Messenger (peace be upon him). Diversity is one of the strengths of our Ummah, and its ignorance and arrogance that lead to racism. We are all the creation of Allah, stemming from Adam and Huwa, the blood of every Muslim is the same. Shaytan finds ways to separate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in faith which is a tie that runs as strong as kinship, if not stronger. May Allah strengthen and unite the Ummah. Ameen.

We Defined Muhammad, They Only Drew Him

Friday’s Khutbah got me rethinking the whole Danish newspaper Muhammad (peace be upon him) charictature issue. The khateeb said that Muslims were to blame for the vile representation of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by the cartoonist. The reason he said they did it was because they don’t know any better. They don’t know Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) intimately, they don’t know what a wonderful man he was. Had they known, they would certainly not dare to even think about defaming him. The reason they don’t know lies with the injustice that Muslims commit toward the rest of humanity by not following his example. The only reason why they drew those cartoons, is because we told them what to draw.

We all claim to know Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), just look how many people claim to be of his lineage. But very few people understand the man that was, his character, his courage, his humanity, his morals, his concern. And even fewer actually are able to implement this mode of behavior into their lives. The fact is that our relationship with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) remains as mere wise sayings and history. We do not take them as commands and guidance from the greatest man, the greatest guide, the greatest leader to have ever lived. If there is anything in his life that we implement it’s only the physical exterior aspects such as his beard and dress. These things are important, but they bear no major influence on what we really need to be focused on.

Allah says in the Qur’an very beautifully,
Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day and remembers Allâh much. (Al-Ahzab 33:21)

Our failure, to put it mildly, to embody Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) way of life and instead our successes in doing just the opposite have defined who Muhammad (peace be upon him) is. All the different prophet’s (peace be upon them), the nations that they came to reflected on them. The outcome of previous nations after their Prophets had passed away reflected on the rest of the people’s perception of the Prophet. The success or failure of a leader was based on the success or failure of his followers. Alhamdulillah however Islam will flourish regardless of the behavior of Muslims and those who associate themselves with them. Still, it is only the violence, injustices, and crimes that Muslims commit that ring in the ears of everybody around us. Our contributions to society wherever they may be are rarely brought to attention. The reason for this is probably because our contributions to society are rare. It’s no wonder people have this perception of Muhammad (peace be upon him) because all eyes are on us. We have succumbed to apathy and disregard in regards to our duties and extreme emotion and reaction when our rights are violated. For us, duty comes before right. Before we exert a right we must justify it by not failing in our obligatory duties whether they be to Allah, family, or society. If we were truly involved and motivated in our duties especially to society, one we particularly lack on, then all doubt of Islam being an evil religion would be removed. This is how Islam became so poular and this was the method of Da’wah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Positive human interaction and genuine concern for your neighbor, your community, the poor, etc. are where are focus should lie. And I’m probably going to be made to eat crow on my last post, what they did was wrong, but the responsibility and guilt lies on us.

I still have faith in the Muslims. We only require a slight change in the right direction to get back on our feet. And that slight change starts with you and me. Get involved in humanity work on a local level in your community be it Muslim or non-Muslim, not as a publicity stunt, but as a genuine effort to model our lives after the Prophet (peace be upon him), inshaAllah.