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Compiled by: Azeem Ayub |
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In the Name of Allah, |
To Humble before Knowledge
The traditional approach to education in Islamic Sciences is the most appealing to my mind. The teaching method of personal tutelage seems to fit not only the psychic structure of the students but also conforms to the spiritual make up of the teachers, who wish to transmit the invaluable treasure of knowledge. In the maze of insuperable enigmas, teachers guide their pupils how to find the way out. In the unfathomable ocean of delusional questions, they take their hands and swim to the surface to help them breathe clarity and certitude.
The tunnel of ignorance which the ‘toddlers’ are liable to trip up in is lit by the enduring flame fueled by the compassion of the teachers. As long as the ability to learn is accompanied by the insatiable desire for knowledge, the compassion remains in a perpetual state of burning. Despite the fact that many a time the teachers provide for the sustenance of their students, they do not feel crossed when their premises are dauntlessly questioned and their conclusions are audaciously challenged by their students. The more questions are debated, the more intensely the flame burns – and sheds light on the hitherto hidden aspect of the problem. Having a first hand knowledge of the personal inhibitions of students puts the teachers in a very favorable position vis-à-vis communication of knowledge is concerned. More often than not, an impregnable bridge soon comes into being to let the traffic of ideas moves about speedily in highly sophisticated parlance – which only aim at utmost precision and exactitude. The theme which was obscured in the mist of confusion, of surety, comes into the veritable sunlight.
The expedition of learning which begins by studying the scholarly masterpieces of the earliest great Muslims ends with the investigation of the works of the contemporary scholars. Each and every important sentence is debated, and the themes presented are voraciously devoured in sheer hunger of knowledge. Objective analysis and free inquiry into the sources signify the hallmark of this expedition. While this is done, time is taken to understand and appreciate the works, and due regards are paid to the authors. Whatever discipline is studied, the teacher stands at the focal point of this activity. To sit before him is to humble before knowledge – that always eludes the bigheaded and makes friends with the humble
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Author: Jhangeer Hanif
Topic URL: May 2005 www.monthly-renaissance.com
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The Basic Premise of the Religion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Debate & Discuss * Discussion Forum: Norms of Gender Interaction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Basic Premise of Religion
Author: Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Tr. by Shehzad Saleem
The basic premise of religion is that this world has a creator; He has created this world as a trial; thus He has sent man in this world for a specific period of time; at the conclusion of this period, this world will necessarily end and its earth and heavens shall be replaced by a new earth and new heavens; a new world will then come into being. All mankind shall be raised up there and shall be rewarded or punished on the basis of their beliefs and deeds.
Religion requires us to accept this reality. Obviously, it is essential that such a reality be very well known to man. Consequently, from the very first day of creation the Almighty has made arrangements that no one should be able to deny this reality on the basis of knowledge and intellect, and this reality should remain so evident before people that those who deny it would not be able to present any excuse before the Almighty on the Day of Judgement.
Intuitive Evidence How was this reality communicated to people such that they were not left with any excuse to deny it? The Qur’an informs us that an acknowledgement of the providence of the Almighty is found innately in man’s nature. It says that this matter manifested itself in the form of a pledge. The Qur’an refers to this event as a real-life incident and not something metaphorical. Since man has been sent here for trial, the whole incident has been erased from his memory; however, its essence is etched on his heart and ingrained in his soul and nothing can obliterate it. Consequently, if man is reminded of it in the absence of any hindrance in his surroundings, he leaps to it the way a child leaps to its mother even though it never saw itself emerge from her womb and is drawn towards her with such conviction as if it already knew her. A person feels that this pledge of his with the Almighty was the answer to a very natural need found within him. The Qur’an says that this testimony of man’s inner-self is so undeniable that as far as the providence of God is considered, man will be held accountable before God merely on the basis of this testimony:
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ أَوْ تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ وَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (٧: ١٧٢-١٧٤) And remember when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the progeny of Adam their children and made them testify against themselves. He said: “Am I not your Lord?” They replied: “We bear witness that You are.” This We did lest you should say on the Day of Judgement: “We had no knowledge of that,” or present the excuse: “Our forefathers had already adopted idolatry and we later became their children so will You destroy us on account of what these false-doers did?” [We have fully explained things here] and thus do We explain Our revelations [so that people are left with no excuse to deny the truth] and so that they may return to the right path. (7:172-174)
Same is the case with good and evil. A person has innate knowledge of good and evil. The Qur’an says: وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا (٩١: ٧-١٠) (And the soul bears witness and the perfection given to it. Then [God] inspired it with its evil and its good, 91: 7-10). In some other verses of the Qur’an, this aspect is referred to by the words: إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ (٧٦:٣) (We inspired in him the way of good and evil, (76:3)) and (١٠:٩٠) وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (Have We not shown him both the paths? (90:10)). In the above quoted verses, the Qur’an has made it clear that just as the Almighty has blessed a person with eyes to see and ears to hear, similarly, he has blessed him with a moral faculty which distinguishes good and evil for him. This aspect of our soul as per which it can be called the reproaching soul which admonishes us like a preacher on an evil committed springs from this faculty. Thus we see that distinguishing good from evil and the awareness that good is good and evil is evil are universal realities which no one can deny. The Qur’an says that after this testimony of a person’s inner-self, no one can deny reward and punishment. It says:
لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَنْ نُسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَة فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ يَقُولُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ بَلِ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ (٥٧ : ١ -٥ ١) [They think that the Day of Judgement will never be]; By no means! I present as evidence the Day of Judgement itself. And [they think that the Day of Judgement is a far-fetched reality]. By no means! I present as evidence this reproaching soul [within you]. Does man think that We will not be able to bring together his bones? Why not? We can put together his very finger tips. [No this is not so]; in fact [the truth is that] man wants to be mischievous before his [conscience]. He asks: “When will the Day of Judgement be?” But on the day when the sight is dazed and the moon eclipsed and the sun and the moon brought together, this very man will say: “Whither to flee?” – No! there is no refuge now! Towards your Lord that Day is the resting place. On that Day will man be informed what he sent forth and what he left behind. [No, he cannot deny it]; in fact, he himself is a witness upon his own self however much he may put up excuses. (75: 1-15)
Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, while explaining this argument of the Qur’an, writes:
Now the question is that if a person has a guardian within his conscience which chides him on every evil that emanates from him, then how can it be imagined that man will be not be held accountable for his deeds. Why would he go scot-free if he spends a life in whatever manner he wants to while negating the calls of his conscience? If a person will not be held accountable for his deeds, then where has this chiding conscience come into him from? If his Creator is unconcerned about the good and evil which emanates from him, then why and from where has He given him the feeling of being elated at a good deed and being pricked by his conscience at a bad one? Then from here another question arises: If God has set up a miniature court of justice in every person, then why will He not set up a greater court of justice which will hold the whole world accountable for good and evil which emanate from it and not reward and punish people accordingly? Any person who deliberates on these questions while disregarding his desires will reach the conclusion that the very being of a person bears witness that he has innate knowledge of good and evil; he will not be left unaccountable; there definitely shall come one day when he will be punished for any misdeeds he may have done and be rewarded for his good deeds. To remind a person of this very Day, the Almighty has placed a miniature court of justice within a person’s soul so that man does not remain indifferent to it, and if ever he becomes indifferent he can catch a glimpse of it by merely reflecting on his inner-self. It is this very reality which sages have taught us by saying that man is a miniature world and within this miniature world there is a reflection of the greater world. If a person has a true comprehension of his own self, he is able to comprehend both God and the Hereafter.[1]
Topic URL: July
2007 http://www.monthly-renaissance
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Topic: Module 2 Using Perfumes
Jhangeer Hanif (Moderator) What is the implication that the Holy Prophet forbade Muslim women to wear strong perfumes, when going outside.
Sweet16
Always pray that all of u brothers & sisters in
ISlam are good by the grace of Allah (SWT).
Jhangeer Hanif (Moderator)
Indeed, we improve
day by day, insha Allah, if we set our eyes on the nobler ideals.
Sweet16 The part where you have said that we must "gain knowledge as much as it realties to our daily affairs" has touched my heart and it is very true, something I really believe in as we all should too. Inshallah as soon as I collect more information on how drinking and sprinkling something like alcohol can be compared then I will provide you with the details ASAP.
jeffrey Just a thought regarding the wearing of perfumes, fragrances, and the like.
Jhangeer Hanif (Moderator)
jeffrey
I stand corrected
regarding my comments that alcohol used for cosmetics is haraam-it's apparent
to me that the Quran's references are to alcohol forbidden in consumption, as
taken into the body. But I do believe that cosmetics should be used modestly,
to create a nice fragrance, but not to advertise oneself.
Aidan aslamu alaikum! I have a confusion about this perfume matter. Here in Pakistan in extreme hot weather and humidity, using perfume is an absolute necessity, I try not to wear the strong perfumes but deodorants and mild perfumes are necessary in order to mask the severe smell of sweating, is this haraam?
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Hkhan (Moderator)
The matter of salman rushdie's knighthood is indeed another test for us and out
faith, for our love for the beloved prophet Muhammad sws whom we are supposed to
love more than our blood relations; yet it is a test of our patience at the same
time. we ought to hold tight to wisdom; we have to act no doubt but in the most
appropriate way utilize this opportunity to clarify the situation.
Mujahid
Yes, sister Henna it is a big test again. I sincerely hope we respond to this
the way our beloved prophet pbuh and his family responded in such circumstances. Understanding Islam UK
salmant
Dear Mujahid/Dr. Henna,
salmant A very nice article from today's Newspaper on this issue: http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/jun2007-daily/25-06-2007/col4.htm
salman
Hkhan (Moderator)
thx for the link S;
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The status of a
Justification of Jihad against Innocent Civilians
Answer:
Most Islamic jurists generally agree that the
underlying cause for slaying an enemy is their direct engagement in combat
against Muslims. Certain contemporary individuals have suggested that tax-paying
citizens are 'indirectly' waging war against Muslims. However, there is no
provision within the history of Islamic jurisprudence or Shari'ah for 'indirect'
engagement in combat. For instance, most jurists are in agreement that old
people and disabled individuals cannot be slain. However, these individuals
still contributed taxes to their governing authority even centuries ago. In
fact, because modern times have led to the clear distinction between commoner
and soldier, something not present in the past, it is far easier to distinguish
which individuals are directly engaged in combat.
see: http://www.studying-islam.org/querytext.aspx?id=639
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