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Compiled by: Azeem Ayub |
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Reflections | |
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In the Name of Allah, |
Cutting the Branches off...The Correct Order
“Don’t tune to that channel.
It’s not very decent.”
Author: Dr Henna Khan
Topic URL: http://www.studying-islam.org/articletext.aspx?id=1164
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In this Issue | ||
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Reflections | ||
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Read & Reflect
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Debate & Discuss * Discussion Forum: Islamic Customs & Etiquette | ||
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* General Discussion Understanding each Other | ||
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Successful
Recent Additions
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Author Javed Ahmad
Ghamidi
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَى وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنْ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (٣١: ١٤-١٥) We enjoined man to show kindness to his parents, for with much pain his mother bears him and he is not weaned before he is two years of age. We said: ‘Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me shall all things return. But if they press you to serve besides Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. Remain kind to them in this world, and turn to Me with all devotion. To Me you shall all return, and I will declare to you everything you have done’. (31:14-15)
All divine scriptures instruct man to show
kindness to the parents. Various verses of the Qur’ān also direct the
believers to be well behaved to the parents1.
The above quoted verses however specifically determine the limits of good
behaviour with the parents. The details of this directive as stated in these
verses are:
1. It is the parents who bring into existence a new life and become the
means to nourish it. No doubt, the care and affection of the father is quite
a lot, however the hardships a mother encounters in bringing up the child
starting from her pregnancy, to childbirth and then breast feeding the child
are unmatched and no child can repay her for this great service. On these
very grounds, the Prophet (sws) has regarded the right of the mother as
three times that of the father.2
Consequently, the Almighty exhorts man to be the most grateful to his
parents after his Lord. This gratitude must not be expressed merely by the
tongue. It should manifest into good behaviour towards them. He should
respect them and never become fed up of them. He must not utter a single
word of disrespect to them. Instead, he should be soft, sympathetic, loving
and obedient to them. He should listen to them and be caring and
affectionate to them in the tenderness of old age. The Qur’ān says: وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنْ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُلْ رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ إِنْ تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا (١٧: ٢٣-٢٥)
Your Lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him, and to show kindness to
your parents, If either or both of them attain old age in your dwelling,
show them no sign of impatience, nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind
words. Treat them with humility and tenderness and say: ‘Lord, be merciful
to them. They nursed me when I was an infant’. Your Lord best knows what is
in your hearts. If you remain obedient, He will forgive those that turn to
Him. (17:23-25) Ibn Mas‘ūd (rta) narrates that he asked the Prophet (sws): ‘Which deed does God like the most’. The Prophet (sws) replied: ‘To say the prayer on time’. I inquired: ‘After that’. He replied: ‘To be well-mannered with the parents’.3 Abū Hurayrah (rta) reports from the Prophet (sws): ‘Humiliation to that person, humiliation to that person, humiliation to that person’. ‘For whom’, asked the people. He replied: ‘Whose parents or any one of them reached old age in his presence and he in spite of that could not enter Paradise.4 ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Umar (rta) says that once a person asked the Prophet (sws) to participate in Jihād. At this the Prophet (sws) inquired: ‘Are your parents alive?’. The person replied in the affirmative. The Prophet (sws) then remarked: ‘Keep serving them. This is Jihād.5 Abū Sa‘īd Khudrī (rta) says that a person from the people of Yemen migrated and came to the Prophet (sws) in order to participate in Jihād. The Prophet (sws) asked: ‘Do you have any relative in Yemen?’ He replied that he had his parents there. The Prophet (sws) remarked: ‘Did you ask their permission?’ He said: ‘No’. The Prophet (sws) then said: ‘Go back and seek their permission and if they grant permission then only should you take part in Jihād, other wise keep serving them’.6 Mu‘āwiyyah narrated from his father Jāhimah that he came to the Prophet (sws) and said: ‘O Messenger of God! I would like to participate in Jihād and have come to consult you [regarding this]’. The Prophet asked: ‘Is your mother alive?’ He said: ‘Yes’. At this the Prophet said: ‘Stay with her and serve her because Paradise is beneath her feet’.7
‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Umar (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): ‘The pleasure of
the Almighty resides in the pleasure of the father and the wrath of the
Almighty resides in the wrath of the Almighty.8
Abū Dardā (rta) says that he heard the Prophet (sws) saying that the best
door to Paradise is the father; so, if you want you can waste him and if you
want you can protect him.9
‘Umar Ibn Shu‘ayb narrates from his mother who narrates from her grandfather
that once a person came to the Prophet (sws) and said: ‘I have some wealth
and I also have children but my father needs this wealth’. The Prophet (sws)
replied: ‘Both you and your wealth belong to your father’.10
2. In spite of the status that Islam confers upon parents they do not have
the right to force their children to baselessly associate someone with the
Almighty. The Prophet (sws) has said that showing disobedience to parents is
the greatest sin after polytheism11;
however the above quoted verses of Sūrah Luqmān say that the children should
openly disobey their parents with regard to polytheism and should follow the
way of those who follow God. Any calls to evade the Almighty must not
receive any positive response even if it is parents giving the call. On
these very grounds, the Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: ‘No one can
be obeyed if he calls to disobey the Almighty; one can only obey what is
good’, (Bukhārī, No: 7257).
Consequently, all other
directives of the Almighty shall also be considered subservient to this
directive, and one cannot disobey these directives if the parents ask them
to do so.
3. Even if the parents force their children to commit a sin as heinous as
polytheism they must always be treated in a befitting manner. Their needs
should be met as far as possible and a prayer of guidance be continued to be
made for them. This is what the words ‘وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي
الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا’ (Remain kind to them in this world) of the
verse quoted above entail. The children may have a right to disobey their
parents if they insist upon disobedience to the directives of religion but
they must still not be slack or indifferent, in any way, to their duty
towards their parents.
The last part of the verses
‘ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ
فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ’
caution a person that one
day he has to return to the Almighty to give account of his deeds. While
commenting upon this part of the verse, Imām Amīn Ahsan Islāhī writes:
This part of the verse addresses both the parents
and the children and carries both a warning and an assurance. One day, each
person will have to return to the Almighty. Whatever he would have done
would be brought before him. If some parents had violated the rights given
to them regarding their children by making them deviate from the path of the
Almighty, they will have to face punishment for this attitude and if
children duly recognized the rights of the Almighty together with those of
their parents, as well as remaining steadfast in following the obligations
these rights entail, they will be rewarded for their perseverance.12
1. See for example 17:23-4, 29:8 and 46:15 2. Bukhārī, No: 5971 3. Bukhārī, No: 5970 4. Muslim, No: 4627 5. Bukhārī, No: 5972 6. Abū Dā’ūd, No: 2530 7. Nasā’ī, No: 3104 8. Tirmadhī, No: 1899 9. Tirmadhī, No: 1900 10. Abū Dā’ūd, No: 3530 11. Bukhārī, No: 5976 12. Islāhī, Amīn Ahsan, Tadabbur-i-Qur’ān, 2nd ed., vol. 6, (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1986), p. 130
Read URL: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=1010
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Course ihsan In module 1, there is not mention of shaking hands when greeting others. Is this also considered part of the sunnah also?
Jhangeer Hanif (Moderator) Shaking hands is a cultural practice and does not have a religious significance attached to it. In other words, shaking hands does not have the status of Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sws). Nevertheless, I find myself appreciating it as a cultural practice since it portrays warmth and friendly connection in your relationships. We must know that Allah and His Prophet (sws) has left many traditions to the discretion of the Muslims. It does not mean that such traditions are worthless.
ihsan
One of the reasons I brought this particular
point up is because, from my experience with various Muslim countries, their
greetings incorporate the taslim, along with their own respective cultural
traditions. For example, in UAE, the men touch their noses together, and in
other countries, they may kiss the cheeks three times. So what do you think of these varying practices? Can you tell me what criteria should be applied to determine the appropriateness of cultural practices?
ihsan I believe that these cultural practices are expressions of human nature and make things more "exciting". All societies, even those that have similar religious traditions, have unique practices. I would think such practices fall under the verses "We have gathered you into tribes and nations so that you may come to know one another."
In terms of criteria in accepting them, then, in
my view, they should not entail:
falumujib
Assalaamu Alaikkum
The Holy Prophet (sws) prescribed the words 'Assalamu
alaykum' for the time when two persons meet. As he explained, the best way to
initiate your dialogue is to first send the blessings upon the other person. When I found out what 'Assalamu alaykum' meant I truly felt it in my heart. After years of being brought up in a Catholic church, I had never had anyone say something so sweet to me.
Yes, it is the most beautiful supplication that we make for each other.
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saba2 In Pakistan we live in constant fear,violence is on the rise intolerence and isolation of factions is leading to more and more to misunderstanding. Is this going to be our legacy to our children? Will they be always looking over their shoulder? Why cant we talk to each other accept each others' point of view, can all people come together express their point of view without fear on this forum.
My first question Pakistan was created for muslims to practice Islam and live without fear. Whose version of Islam? and are we living without fear?
aboosait quote: ..........Whose version of Islam?.........
Of course the version of the
One who named us Muslims. وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ
And strive in His
cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline).
"Why cant we talk to each
other accept each others' point of view, can all people come together express
their point of view without fear on this forum."
Thank you for the
warm welcome Hina.
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Magical Spells
Question My mother recently went to offer her 'Umra. When she went to the roza-e-rasul she made a prayer to find a good spouse for me. That very night she saw her aunt who does black magic and she saw in the dream that her daughter in laws are warning my mother to run away as the aunt has started to weave magic spells on my mother's family. I want to ask that whether is there any connection between the dua and the dream. Can it be black magic?
Answer:
We do not believe
that God would respond to humans by actively entering into some kind of
interaction. He may and may not listen to our prayers but does not necessarily
take the responsibility to communicate these things to humans. This dream can be
an outcome of some psychological process or of someother factors but we can
never be sure about the reason. Hence it is better to leave this matter to God.
The best remedy of such situations is to keep praying to the Almighty and
seeking refuge in Him through the last two surahs of the Qur'an.
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