Civilizations

The civilization of unbelievers is mostly founded upon five negative principles:

1. It is based upon power, and power is inclined toward oppression.
2. It seeks to realize individual self-interest, even though this causes people to rush about madly trying to earn possessions.
3. It considers life as a struggle, which causes internal and external conflict.
4. It unifies through national and/or racial separatism, and feeds this selfish solidarity by swallowing the resources and territories of "others," both of which engender terrible conflict.
5. It strives to satisfy novel caprices or aroused desires (whether the satisfaction is real or not), and so brutalizes people's tastes and aspirations.

Islamic civilization on the other hand is founded upon five positive principles:

1. It rests upon right (not power), which requires justice and balance.
2. It encourages virtue, which spurs mutual affection and love.
3. It considers life as consisting of mutual help, which leads to unity and solidarity.
4. It unifies people through a common religion in a common state, leading them to internal peace, and brotherhood and sisterhood, and it creates a willing self-defence against external enemies, guiding people to the truth.
5. It elevates people, through knowledge and moral perfection, to higher ranks of humanity.

Compiled From:
The Words, "The 12th Word," Said Nursi, p. 147

Productive Morning

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) asked Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) to bless us in the early morning hours, he said: “O Allah, bless my Ummah in its early hours” [Tirmidhi]

If you find yourself not doing much during Ramadan because you’re tired most of the time or feel sleepy because you’re fasting, here’s a little cool productivity tip to get lots of work done during a Ramadan day:

Get ONE of your most important tasks done first thing in the morning right after fajr prayer.

Here are 2 reasons why this technique would work:

1. You just had suhoor before fajr, therefore, your energy levels should be at its highest (note: assuming here that you have suhoor as late as possible).

3. If you get this ONE important task done after fajr, guess how you’ll feel rest of the day? Super productive! This feeling will propel you to be productive rest of your day and just hack through your workload so effortlessly!

Compiled From:
ProductiveRamadan.com, ProductiveMuslim

Repel the Evil with Good

Al-Rad (Thunder) Chapter 13: Verse 22 (Partial)

"... and (those who) repel the evil with good."

This phrase has several meanings:

• Whatever evil people have done, or whatever sin they have committed, they repel (its effect) immediately by repentance.
• Whatever evil they have done, they immediately do a good deed in atonement for it.
• They repel the evil done to them by doing good to those who did evil to them.
• "When they are deprived (of anything), they give; and when they are wronged, they forgive."

Fethullah Gulen writes about this matter:

The most distinctive feature of a soul overflowing with faith is to love all types of love that are expressed in deeds, and to feel enmity for all deeds in which enmity is expressed. To hate everything is a sign of insanity or of infatuation with Satan.

Accept how God treats you. Make it the measure by which you treat others, so that you may represent the truth among them, and be free from the fear of loneliness in either world.

Compiled From:
"The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, p. 506

A Quick Checklist Of Ramadan

• Make a resolve to win the maximum favour of Allah: perform extra voluntary prayers (Nawaafil), make frequent Du'a and increase remembrance (Dhikr).
• Try to recite some Quran after every Prayer. In fact if you read 3-4 pages after every Prayer you can easily finish the entire Quran in Ramadan! Study theQuranic Tafseer (commentary) every morning.
• Invite a person you are not very close with to your home for Iftar, at least once a week. You will notice the blessings in your relationships!
• Bring life to your family! Everyday, try to conclude the fast with your family and spend some quality time together to understand each other better.
• Give gifts on 'Eid to at least 5 people: 2 to your family members, 2 to your good friends, and 1 to a person whom you love purely for the sake of Allah.
• Commit to an Islamic study circles to enhance your Islamic knowledge and practice. Plan to complete reading a book on Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life in these 30 days.
• Donate generously to the masajid, Islamic organizations, and any where people are in need. "This is a month of sharing!"
• Share Ramadan and its teachings of love & patience with your neighbours.
• Initiate a project to promote or revive a ‘forgotten’ social cause in the Muslim and non-Muslim community: fight against racism, AIDS, drugs, cancer, smoking…etc.
• Did you know, our society, which constitutes only 20% of world’s population, actually consumes 80% of world’s resources! Volunteer at food bank or Anti-Poverty campaign, while fasting!
• Seek the rare and oft-neglected rewards of 'the night better than a 1000 months', Laylatul-Qadr.
• Weep in private for the forgiveness of your sins: It is the month of forgiveness and Allah's Mercy! It's never too late.
• Learn to control your tongue and lower your gaze. Remember the Prophet's warning that lying, backbiting, and a lustful gaze all violate the fast! Abandon foul language forever.
• Encourage others to enjoin and love goodness, and to abandon everything evil. Play the role of a Da'ee (one who invites to Allah) with passion and sympathy.
• Experience the joy of Tahajjud prayers late at night and devote yourself purely and fully to Allah in the I'tikaf retreat during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Sincerity

Once, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took an oath, invoking sincerity (nasiha) on the part of his Companions. What was meant by this was that mutual relationships should be free from insincerity. One should always work for the welfare of others and try to do good for them. One should not let any harm touch others. All of one's efforts should be directed towards helping others. One criteria of this is that one should prefer for others what one likes for oneself. The Prophet speaks of this as a prerequisite of faith. He observes: "By Him in whose hand is my life, one does not attain faith until one prefers for others what one chooses for oneself." (Bukhair, Muslim)

Compiled From:
"Inter Personal Relations" - Khurram Murad, pp. 10, 11

Hurtful Speech

Al-Nisa (The Women) Chapter 4: Verse 148

"God loves not the public utterance of hurtful speech except by one who has been wronged. God is ever Hearer and All-Knowing."

This verse is perhaps one of the most far-reaching of the Quranic enactments which offer guidelines on the restrictions that may be imposed on freedom of speech.

Words uttered in public which hurt another person by violating his/her honour or causing him/her physical harm or loss of property, whether directly or indirectly (such as by abusing his close relatives or homeland), are all covered by this verse. Hurtful speech, in this text, comprises that which is addressed to an individual, to more than one person, or to the community at large. Furthermore, the text is broad enough to comprehend all modern methods and facilities which are used for publicity and broadcasting.

In their commentaries on this verse, the commentators (mufassirun) indicate that the text here denounces the utterance of offensive speech absolutely, that is, regardless of the end it may serve or the context in which it may occur. The text does not, for instance, draw any distinction as to whether the speech so uttered consists of truth or falsehood, or whether it contemplates any kind of benefit. The only exception here is made for a person who has been wronged, and his/her cry for justice must be granted a hearing even at the expense of it being hurtful.

Compiled From:
"Freedom of Expression in Islam" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 167, 168