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Reflections |
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In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious,
the Ever Merciful
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Enhance thy Radiance of Faith
Perhaps
the greatest asset of a person is his faith. It helps us in warding off
evil. The greater the level of faith, the deeper is one’s relationship with
the Almighty. Like a lamp, faith illuminates the places where light falls. A
true believer is a person who not only benefits from the radiance of his
faith, but also helps illuminate the path of others. The glow of faith he
carries with him needs not only to be fueled, but also to be protected from
the onslaughts of adverse winds.
To
constantly think about enhancing the level and extent of our faith is
something which pleases the Almighty and which earns us His special help in
this regard.
Here are
a few measures which may prove helpful to us:
1) We
need to take out some time regularly, everyday to study the Qur’ān with
specific stress on its meanings.
2) We
need to develop a habit of gradually memorizing parts of the Qur’ān. This
will make us feel closer to God and will also make our prayers more
involving. Needless to say, we should have an idea of all that we are
reciting in our prayer.
3) We
should memorize the supplications (Ad‘iyah) of the Prophet (sws), and
remember to recite them at appropriate times of the day.
4) We
should try to spend as much time as is possible in the company of pious
people. It is difficult to fight evil and more so when one is alone.
Environment makes a great difference. The cleaner it is the more the
strength to subdue evil.
5)
Whenever we feel depressed or low, we need to recount the blessings of Allah
which we have, and which others around us may not have. With the
vicissitudes of life, one is bound to face trying circumstances. One needs
to pull one’s self up and fight one’s way through. Remembering the blessings
of Allah in such times keeps a person in a positive frame of mind and gives
him the opportunity to earn more reward by being patient and steadfast.
May Allah always bless
us with the concern of increasing our faith: this in itself is a sign of
faith.
Author:
Shehzad Saleem
Topic URL:
http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=309
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In this Issue |
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Reflections
* Enhance thy
Radiance of Faith
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Read & Reflect
* Moral & Morality
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Debate & Discuss
* Discussion Forum:
Interpreting the
Qur'an
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Express & Explain
*
General Discussion
Forum: What is
Taqwa?
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Pause & Ponder
* Repentance
Announcements
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Successful
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Recent Additions
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Read and Reflect |
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Moral and Morality
Author
Javed Ahmad
Ghamidi
(Tr. by Shehzad Saleem)
Īmān (faith) is a religious term. If
something is accepted with the certitude of the heart then this is called īmān.
The foundation of this word is īmān (faith) in God. If a person accepts the
Almighty such that he submits his heart and mind to Him to the utmost, then in
the terminology of the Qur’ān, he is a mu’min (believer). It is this very
essence of faith on account of which the Qur’ān demands from a person that
besides substantiation from the heart, his words and deeds should also testify
to it. Thus it calls every act of virtue emanating from īmān an essential
quality of a believer.
No doubt, in the eyes of law every
person who professes faith in Islam with his tongue is a Muslim. The extent of
his faith can also not be ascertained as far as law is concerned; however, as
far as true faith is concerned, it is never static. The faith of a person grows
stronger when he remembers God and hears His revelations and witnesses His signs
in the world within him and in that around him. The Qur’ān has compared faith to
a tree whose roots are deep in the soil and branches spread in the vastness of
the sky.
Same is the case of one’s faith
growing weaker. Thus if a person instead of making it stronger through sound
knowledge and righteous deeds does acts which are against the requirements of
faith, it grows weaker, and in some cases is totally wiped out.
It is evident from this that both
faith and righteous deeds are essential to one another. Thus just as righteous
deeds are necessary for faith, similarly faith is necessary for righteous deeds.
At all places, the Qur’ān has stated this professing faith to be the very first
condition for salvation.
This faith consists of the following
five:
1. Belief in God
2. Belief in the Angels
3. Belief in the Prophets
4. Belief in Divine Books
5. Belief in the Day of Judgement
Belief in God
Allah is the name of the being Who
is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all other creations. Since the
very beginning this name has been specifically used for the Lord of this world.
Before the advent of the Prophet (sws), in the times of Arab jāhiliyyah also
this name was used for Him. This word was also one of the remnants of the
religion of Abraham (sws) which the Arabs inherited.
An acknowledgement of the existence
of God is found innately in man’s nature. The Qur’ān says that this matter
manifested itself in the form of a pledge. It 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. Once he found it, it was as if all the requisites and demands of his
psyche were fulfilled. The Qur’ān 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.
Besides this innate guidance, man
has also been equipped with the ability of deriving conclusions from what he
hears, sees and feels – conclusions which are actually beyond these faculties. A
simple example to illustrate this is the law of gravitation. An apple falls on
the ground. When a stone is to be lifted from ground, strength must be exerted.
It is difficult to ascend stairs than to descend them. The moon and the stars
move in the skies. Man has been witnessing all these phenomena for centuries
until it was Newton who discovered that they are a result of the law of
gravitation. This law itself cannot be observed; however it is accepted as a
scientific reality in the whole world. The reason for this is that all theories
and known facts are in harmony with it. All observable realities are explained
by this law and as yet no other law is able to explain various phenomenon as it
has done.
This process obviously is the
derivation of the tangible from the intangible. When a person makes use of this
ability of his and studies the universe which stretches around him, then this
study of his also vouches for this very reality found in his inner-self.
Thus he sees that everything of this
world is a miraculous manifestation of creativity; everything has deep
meaningfulness; it has been created with great diligence and thoroughness; there
exists amazing wisdom, planning, usefulness and order; there are found superb
mathematical and geometrical realities whose only justification is the fact that
they have a Creator and this Creator is not an uncontrolled and unrestrained
being. On the contrary, He has an unfathomable mind. This is because if power
does not emanate from a wise and all-knowing being, then it should be mere
tyranny; the truth of the matter is that this is not so: this expression of
power and strength has aptness about it; it is also very harmonious and is very
advantageous and produces great marvels which cannot be produced by an
uncontrolled and unrestrained force.
Although these testimonies were
sufficient, however in order to leave people with no excuse in rejecting them
the Almighty took a step further: He initiated mankind by a human being who
directly heard from God, saw his angels and in this manner bore direct witness
to the truth. The Almighty took this step so that after the death of Adam, the
first human being, this information could be transmitted to the descendents of
Adam generation after generation and so that the concept of God and the
Hereafter should not become alien in any period of time, in any place on the
earth and in any generation of mankind.
Not only this, once Adam and Eve
were sent to live in this world, the Almighty, for a considerable period of
time, made a means for them to know and judge if their faith and deeds were
acceptable to God or not. This was like making every person of that time
directly experience and observe the truth so that he too could become among the
witnesses along with his progenitors. The means adopted for this purpose was
that people would offer sacrifice before God; then, as a sign of divine
acceptance, fire would descend from the heavens to consume this sacrifice.
It is evident from this discussion
that the existence of God is an obvious reality whose conception has been
transmitted to man from his ancestors and whose testimony is borne by both
matter and by life. However, who is this being? What are His attributes? What
are the laws and practices He has set for Himself? These are the questions which
arise in the mind of a person for comprehending Allah. This comprehension is
essential for faith. When the Qur’ān demanded from people to profess faith in
God, it answered these questions. In the following pages, we will take a look at
these answers.
Read URL: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/viewissue.aspx?id=171
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Debate and Discuss: |
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Discussion Forum:
Interpreting the Qur'an
Topic:
Module 4:
Regarding the definition of
Kafir
simam7f42
What are the basic
differences among the Mushrikin, Kafirs and the People of the book?
As the module repeatedly defines kafirs as those
who deny the truth knowingly (denial not due to the ignorance), then the
following question arises. How those Kafirs know about the truth in the first
place that they deny deliberately?
As for the Mushrikin, they simply deny the truth
because of their ignorance and perhaps for their family traditions. They CAN
NOT know the truth because there is no way for them to verify the truth. At
best, they can be convinced about the truth but not with certainty. So, their
denial does not fall into the category of Kuffar.
As for the kafir, there has to be a source for
the truth which he denies. What this source could be if it not the Divine book
that he received? In other words, People of the book knew from their
scriptures about the arrival of the last Prophet (swallellahu Alihe Wassalam).
So, whoever amongst them deny this falls into the category of Kuffar and
becomes kafir.
So, can it be deduced safely that the Kafirs are
a sub set of the People of the book?
Please comment on my reasoning.
Tariq Hashmi (Moderator)
I believe that it has been adequately explained
in the modules that no ordinary human or even the Messenger can understand and
determine when a groups has become open kaafir by deliberately denying the
truth. The addressees of the Messenger are not declared kaafir on the basis of
their rejection of the truth manifest to them beforehand either through
rational thinking or received knowledge. The Messengers do their utmost in
explaining to them the truth under the direct guidance of the Almighty Allah.
There sole duty is to preach, explain, respond to the objections clarify their
questions. It is only the Almighty Allah who knows and then determines for the
Messenger when they have preached to the extant that the addressees are not
left with any excuse to deny it. It is at this point the Messenger is
commanded by the Almighty Allah to migrate from the land of the rejectors. If
the Messenger has enough support to establish a rule somewhere else he does so
and prepares the believers to strike the rejecters otherwise divine punishment
is meted out to the rejecters through natural calamities.
This rejection is rejection of the message of the
Messenger (the source of truth) which of course correspond to their innate
guidance and earlier revelations but their status as kaafir is not determined
on these forms of prior knowledge.
The polytheists, in the case of the Prophet
Muhammad were considered and declared the rejecters of the first order. They
were meted out the severest form of punishment. The reason was that the
Messenger was raised among themselves who spoke their tongue, lived among
them, preached to them for a long time and could communicate to them more
easily and his character was more clear to them any other party.
We believe that the rejecters could be among any
of the groups among the addressees of the Messengers. The polytheists of
Makkah were declared kaafir earlier than the other groups like the Jews and
the Christians.
salahuddinzafar
Your definition of "Kafir" is different than
what is common among Muslims?
Can you please give the source of your definition
of "Kafir" and its authenticity?
One more thing that it is mentioned in module 4
that not all the kafirs will go to hell. i want to ask that the "kafirs" who
ll go to hell, will they abide there forever?
Also Will all the Muslims go to heaven (either
directly or via jahannum). Will there be any Muslim who ll live in jahannum
forever?
Muslims and non-Muslims involved in different
sins like killing, theft, etc which are related to society and not with "eeman",
do they both receive the equal punishment. After receiving that punishment,
will they (both Muslims and non-Muslims) go to heaven?
ibrahim (Moderator)
Source of our definition of Kafir is Quran itself. According to it all Deniers
of Messengers (Rasool) are declared as Kafir & their punishment is death.
In the sentence "not all the kafirs will go to
hell" Kafir is in the meaning of non-Muslim & yes they will abide there
forever.
Yes two type of Muslims may live in jahannum
forever:
one are those who were known as Muslims in this
world but their faith or status of Muslim will be rejected by Allah.
the others are those who has done such an act
whose punishment is Jahannam forever like Murdering deliberately.
Lastly, The case of Muslims is clear. If the need
to get any punishment of their crimes, they'll go to Heaven after getting it &
same case will be of those non-Muslims who will be declared eligible of
entering the Heaven. The others will be living in the Hell forever.
I hope this will help you.
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Express and Explain: |
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What is Taqwa?
aslam
What is Taqwa?
How can a person attain Taqwa?
usmani790
(87:14)But those will prosper who purify
themselves,
(87:15)And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord,
and (lift their hearts) in prayer.
Loveall
Taqwa/Piety
means having absolute fear of Almighty Allah at each and every step and breath
in our lives.
For different view see the following link of this
site.
http://www.studying-islam.org/forum/topic.aspx?topicid=345&lang=&forumid=1
Asim2
No,
fear is different, and taqwa is different.
I think you should research properly.
Taqwa is derived from the word "waqa". "waqa" means
"to guard, to protect, to save"
Even I could have given this kind of an answer
immediately but that's not the point, the point is to present the correct
research and if you haven't researched, you should keep quiet like me.
Loveall
QUOTE:
I think you should research properly. Even I could have given this kind of an
answer immediately but that's not the point, the point is to present the correct
research.
You are right. I also have no research. I have
mentioned what read and heard from the others.
By the way, if we do not proceed on the literal
meanings of Taqwa, PRACTICALLY only those can guard (Waqa) against evils who
have an absolute fear of God. So the real sense of Taqwa seems to be based
ENTIRELY on the fear of God otherwise it (Taqwa) is absolutely impossible to
attain. Isn’t it?
By the way, for example, should someone remain
hungry and thirsty till evening after knowing ONLY the literal meanings of the
Arabic word “Saom” in Quran or should someone distribute money to the needy
people after knowing ONLY the literal meanings of the Arabic word “Zakat” in
Quran and similarly with the many other words?
QUOTE: and if you haven't researched, you should
keep quiet like me.
I disagree. If someone is keeping quiet how can
learn the things. For example if I were quiet, perhaps would have not known
about Taqwa derived from the word Waqa otherwise I had already known the literal
meanings of Taqwa.
gohar
Loveall I have to appreciate your quality to accept your mistake.
Though you show a bit approval of the previous when
u define things.
I would rather say questioning and
negating is the first step to understanding.
Anyway, your argument about "fear" as the base of "taqwa"
in the following words
quote:
By the way,
if we do not proceed on the literal meanings of Taqwa, PRACTICALLY only those
can guard (Waqa) against evils who have an absolute fear of God.
is a
bit limiting a very vast quality of human character excellence.
Keeping in view of
all the human's major lusts in view, we can assume that fear is the tool that
can be used to keep him away from these sins
but don't you think that caring/love/commitment to
God is the stronger tool, which if one uses can not only be misled but would
also strive for excellence in character. Coz if you believe in someones highness
and you owe commitment/care/attachment to him/her you not only obeys him/her but
you also try to show efficiency.
And this "efficiency" actually drives us forward
and gives us way not only to have better life after death but also progress in
this world.
Asim2
Why fear, why not love? Taqwa is a very broad
word and fear is a limited word and you have limited it even further by using
absolute.
You can
guard/protect/save your self from ALLAH's disapproval, due to deep and sincere
love for ALLAH, and due to fear not to earn HIS disapproval. Hasn't ALLAH, being
providing you with so many Blessings, you can never count ALLAH's Blessings and
favours on you, then why do you insist on only fearing and a limited concept of
fearing. I fear ALLAH's disapproval because HE has been so kind on me, HE has
created me, and given me countless Blessings and I pray that HE would give me
Countless blessings and Gifts in the Hereafter . You know what I fear, I fear
ALLAH's disapproval and fear not loving and obeying ALLAH as wholeheartedly as I
should.
Asim2
For an indepth
analysis:
www.Quranicteachings.co.uk/taqwa.htm
www.Quranicteachings.co.uk
Loveall
Dear
gohar,
In the beginning of my post I said, “I have
mentioned what read and heard from the others” They may also be WRONG LIKE YOU
otherwise their thoughts seems to be more near the logic (See blow).
QUOTE: Keeping in view of all the human's major
lusts in view, we can assume that fear is the tool that can be used to keep him
away from these sins but Dont u think that caring/love/commitment to God is the
stronger tool, which if one uses can not only be misled but would also strive
for excellence in character.
You also seem to be right but for a while have a
look at the difference of the results of the LOVE and the FEAR, in the following
examples.
Suppose, if you do some good deed, which one of the
following options will you select, to be rewarded?
1. One door of the paradise is opened for you?
OR
2. Release from the hell fire (due to some of your
previous sins)?
Now which one is stronger to make you good and make
you refrain from the bad deeds to attain Taqwa. If you select not to be burned
in any ditch of the hell fire, then your syllogism seems to be no more than the
product of your overconfidence, flight of ideas or some occult discrepancy on
your part.
By the way which one, LOVE or FEAR does man acquire
more quickly and effectively to influence the outcomes of the deeds. Suppose an
office opens at 8am and closes at 2pm, how many pious/caring/loving and
committed people like you are there who come and leave in the time to make their
monthly salary Halal. One day if they know that their salary will be deducted
and their promotion will be delayed, no one surely be culprit next time. So
which tool is stronger?
If you know the psychological and path
physiological aspects of the Love and the Fear, explain on the logical grounds,
not merely a syllogism, to consolidate your assertion- Love is stronger than the
fear. You must know very well that we are now in 21st century and No syllogistic
thoughts, by the illiterate and the ignorant ones would be entertained at all.
QUOTE: I appreciate your mistake…(gohar)
You may be right and if so, please answer the
following question.
Suppose all others do not understand the real sense
of the subject then what qualifications, trainings and thinking you or like you
people have and from which institution and approved by which Government and
furthermore which brand of the shampoo and the almond oil you and they apply on
their heads to understand every thing same as God had said. I shall be obliged
for this kind help.
CONCLUSION: I agree that LOVE WITH GOD in addition
to the FEAR OF GOD is also the tool to attain Taqwa BUT NOT POWERFUL one than
the latter.
I do not know exactly how many times God says, in
Holy Quran, about the hell fire, destruction of the nations, and the Arabic
words like “Fa wail lullil musalleen…. (107: 4)” and in this world about cutting
hands of the thief, flogging the fornicator and the fornicates and other
punishments etc….. and how many times God says, in Holy Quran, about the
paradise and rewards in this world etc….. Is there any balance or any one
SUPERSEDES?????? If so, what can be the wisdom of God behind His sayings to
remind us REPEATEDLY with the both equal or anyone superseding??????
From the above paragraph, I mean to say, if the
chastisements are mentioned more than the rewards then FEAR is more powerful, if
the rewards are mentioned more than the chastisements then LOVE is more
powerful, and if the chastisements and the rewards are mentioned equally then
the LOVE and FEAR are equally powerful because God knows better than us while
using these words (the chastisements and the rewards) to guide us to make us
pious. THIS IS THE REAL DATA OF SAYINGS OF GOD NOT THOSE OF MEN, FOR DOING THE
RESEARCH FOR ATTAINING TAQWA. Isn’t it?
OTHERWISE
If you disagree, explain on the logical grounds
living in the 21st century, not merely the syllogistic thoughts of the
illiterate and the ignorant ones, to consolidate your assertion and surely NO
one will find any incompatibility.
QUOTE: Dont u think that caring/love/commitment to
God is the stronger tool.
In addition to the fear of God,
caring/love/commitment to God is right but if you say it the stronger, I
DISAGREE with these syllogistic thoughts of yours unless, otherwise, you prove
as I requested above i.e. comparison of the Love and the Fear in light of Quran
or the logical approach of the 21st century not at all incompatibility with
Quran.
**************************
Dear Asim2
See please the same mail, as above.
In addition, if you have an objection on “Absolute
fear of God”, do not you mean by it? Absolute fear of God means, “Fear only of
God”. It does not mean that you can’t add the love with God.
Wassalam with God know better!
ibrahim (Moderator)
"Taqwa"
means "to avoid" & "Taqwaof Allah" means "To Avoid from Displeasing Allah"
Further may be seen at:
http://www.studying-islam.org/forum/topic.aspx?topicid=1527&lang=&forumid=1
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Pause
and Ponder: |
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Repentance
Question asked by
Nazir N. Harb.
Posted on: Monday, January 24, 2005 - Hits: 983
Question
When must one seek
forgiveness, that is, do ‘Tauba’?
Answer:
Despite firm
resolutions, human beings are prone to committing errors and sins. Whenever true
believers fall into errors and commit sins, they must turn to God for
forgiveness. We can, however, err again even after sincere repentance and firm
determination to avoid committing a sin again. Therefore, a more appropriate
attitude will be to turn to the Almighty each time we sin and seek His
forgiveness. However, this does not mean that we should stop seeking God’s
pleasure and forgiveness for sins that we may have no knowledge of. Pious
servants of God always try to repent for all intentional or inadvertent sins.
Regards,
Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Research Assistant, Studying Islam
See:
http://www.studying-islam.org/querytext.aspx?id=237
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