Wisdom from my Teachers {Part 1}

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Unity and love, coming together, staying together and helping one another. This is very important so that we can help, encourage and inspire one another to enjoin good and forbid wrong. 

This is our responsibility.

Our religion is not a religion of selfishness. Our religion is a religion of helping and caring, having mercy and being compassionate to each other. The more we do this, the more Allah will help us.

When a group comes together, helping one another and when they are united, then Allah will make decisions of mercy, goodness, blessings and peace for this group.

Allah helps His servant so long as the servant helps his brother.

The most important thing is that we have to stay united.

Life is too short to hate one another. Life is too short to have jealousy in our hearts for someone else. 

It's not worth it.

Wasalaam!

The First Freedom Fighter

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

She lived in the greatest palace of her time, with many slaves, male and female at her command. Hers was a life of luxury and ease.

Her name was Asiyah bint Muzahim, wife of Pharaoh - may Allah be pleased with her - one woman, physically weak, but she was a believer who was at peace in her palace. The light of faith had dawned in her heart and she challenged the system of ignorance at the head of which was her husband.

She had deep insight and did not care about palaces and luxurious furnishings or having many slaves and servants. Hence, she deserved to be mentioned by the Lord of the Worlds in His Holy Book, where she is given as an example for those who believe, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said: "My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his work, and save me from the people who are wrongdoers.

(Quran 66:11)

The scholars said, commenting on this verse:

Asiyah chose the Hereafter over this world. She also deserved to be mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) among the perfect women, when he said:

Many men attain perfection, but no women attained perfection except Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh and Maryam bint Imran, and the superiority of Aishah over other women is like the superiority of tharid (bread, meat and broth) over other foods.

This is Asiyah the believer, the lamp that shone in the darkness of Pharaoh's palace. Who could light a lamp for us that shines with such patience and steadfastness, calling us to Allah, the Almighty?

(Dr. A'id al-Qarni)

Wasalaam!

Ar-Rahim: The Merciful

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

There is no god but He, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.

(2:163)

Rahim is another attribute, also in the intensive form derived from rahma (mercy). Here, mercy implies pity, patience and forgiveness, all of which sinners need. 

O My servants who have transgressed against their souls; do not despair of Allah's mercy; surely, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate.

(39:53)

Allah is more merciful than vengeful. In a Hadith Qudsi, He says:

My mercy surpasses my wrath.

(Bukhari and Muslim)

In the Hereafter, Allah is All-Compassionate to the believers only.

My mercy embraces all things, and I shall prescribe it for those who are god-fearing.

(7:156)

Do you think this mother would throw her infant child in the fire? Allah is more merciful to His servants than she is to her child.

(Bukhari and Muslim)

To be merciful is essential for a Muslim. 

The merciful ones will be given mercy by the All-Merciful. Be merciful to those who are on this earth, and the One in heaven will have mercy on you.

(Al-Bukhari)

One who craves Allah's mercy shows compassion to others.

Wasalaam!

Islamic Perspective on Spying

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

(Surah Hujurat - Verse 12)

The part of the verse which we will be concentrating on is where Allah says,

And do not spy ..

A person should never endeavour to unravel what another person does privately, and should never search for another persons' faults. A person who spies on others will be punished in both worlds and will be disgraced in both worlds.

Spying is usually prompted by suspicion, which has been outlawed in the same verse. As Muslims, we should conceal the faults of our Muslim brothers and sisters, and should never seek to pursue the matter to condemn the person.

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said,

“When a person sees something in another which he thinks is inappropriate to disclose, and conceals it, he will receive the great reward of bringing back to life an infant girl who was buried alive”.

(Mishkaat)

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saw) once mounted the pulpit and called out aloud:

“O those who have verbally accepted Islam, but in whose hearts Imaan (faith) has not reached! Do not harm the Muslims, do not insult them, and never spy on their private lives. The person who seeks to expose a hidden fault of another, Allah will expose him until he will be disgraced even in his own home”.

(Tirmidhi)

To investigate a person’s faults or sins is also regarded as spying. One will also be regarded as a spy when one pretends to be sleeping with the intention of listening to the private discussions of others. All forms of spying are haraam.

May Allah give us all the ability to keep away from spying on our fellow Muslims - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

Islamic Perspective on Excessive Assumptions

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

O you who believe, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

(Surah Hujurat - Verse 12)

The part of the verse which we will concentrate on is where Allah says:

O you who believe, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin.

Assumptions pave the way for many sins such as slander and backbiting.When assumptions are allowed to develop, it leads to many evils and serious conflict between people.

An assumption is nothing more than a personal opinion which most likely proves to be not true.

Allah says:

And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.

(Surah An-Najm, Verse 28)

We should always have good thoughts about others and we shouldn’t have bad thoughts about any Muslim.

The Prophet (saw) said,

Beware of suspicion because suspicion is the falsest of all statements.

(Mishkaat)

The verse in Surah Hujurat makes it clear that all types of opinions about others are not sinful because Allah says that only SOME assumptions are a sin. There are also those assumptions that are encouraged e.g. having the good opinion about Allah that He is most merciful and forgiving while also abstaining from sins.

We should also have good opinions about fellow Muslims especially the pious Muslims.

The Prophet (saw) said,

Good opinions are part of good worship.

(Mishkaat) 

It is imperative for Muslims to stay away from such places, deeds and words that will lead others to suspect him of evil. It is not appropriate for a Muslim to live under a cloud of suspicion.

May Allah make us from those who always think the best of their fellow Muslims - Ameen!

Wasalaam!