Pious Souls

Maryam (Mary)
Chapter 19: Verse 96

"Allah the Most Gracious bestows love on those who believe and do good."

Allah the Most Gracious evokes everyone's love for believers who are engaged in good deeds. It is significant that the divine attribute of "grace" is especially mentioned in this context. For it represents His mercy and grace. Allah infuses our love for such pious souls.

An authentic hadith, recorded by both Bukhari and Muslim, states that when Allah loves one of His servants, He tells Gabriel: "I love this servant of Mine. You should also love him." The latter passes on this message to other angels stationed at various heavens. So much so that love for this person permeates even the fish in the water and the ants in their colonies.

We have witnessed first hand how Allah showers His grace on His pious servants. They are loved in all the corners of the world. Men are captivated by them. Such a phenomenon is consistent and may be observed by anyone at any time.

Compiled From:
"Guidance from the Holy Quran" - Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, pp. 227, 228

Six Tips To Dealing with TV

It's tough to escape peer pressure when your friends keep talking about the clothes, the music and the stars. Today, Television defines teen culture. With its barrage of alluring advertisements and captivating shows, it tells you what is cool and what is 'in' and 'out. Let Islam, not the media, decide your dress code, morals, and values.

1. Watch what is Halal. Stick to the most "clean" material you can find. TV should be used with discretion to watch educational and insightful programs or decent entertainment.

2. Remove the TV from your room. Having a TV set in your own room encourages you to watch it more. You are less likely to be tempted by Shaytan to watch something indecent when you have a parent, a sibling, or a friend watching with you. Remember, Shaytan loves attacking people who are 'bored', sitting idle, or in a company of bad people. Keep the TV in the main room, where it won't distract you.

3. Adopt and support Islamic media. Hundreds of educational or entertainment multi-media products crafted by Muslim artists, writers, producers, and singers hit the market every year. These cartoons, movies, and songs could be enjoyable for the entire family!

4. Limit viewing time. If you have to watch TV, limit yourself. Write down a number of hours per week and stick to your limit.

5. Keep the box off when you're doing other things. Whether you're eating dinner, doing your homework, or reading a magazine, you dont need the TV to be on at the same time--keeping it on simply encourages you to watch TV more and neglect other activities.

6. Have a TV free get-together with friends. Make the following rule: no one will watch TV or movies in the living room. If you want to go further, make it a rule that the topics of conversation cannot revolve around the latest twist in a soap opera or the most recent plot on a sci-fi show. Play basketball, go for a walk, do anything but watch TV.

Compiled From:
"Turn off TV - Turn on Life" - Young Muslims Publications

Fasting in Shaban

Ayesha said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah fast a complete month except for Ramadan, and I have never seen him fast more in a month than he did in Shaban." [Bukhaari, Muslim]

Usamah ibn Zaid inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, I never find you fasting in any month like you do during the month of Shaban." The Prophet responded: "That is the month the people neglect. It comes between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting." [An-Nasaa'i, authenticated by ibn Khuzaimah. Hasan according to al-Albaani]

Narrated Abu Hurairah, Allah's Messenger said: "When the month of Shaban is halfway, do not fast." [Reported by the five, Ahmad disapproved it].

As-San`aanee says in Subul us-Salaam: "One can fast provided he has to observe a compensatory fasting (in lieu of the Fard - obligatory ones) or the other prescribed ones which may be categorised as Wajib (compulsory). However, the volitional fasting is prohibited lest one should be subjected to exhaustion and weakness that may in turn render the Ramadan obligatory fasting difficult for him."

Source:
Islaam.com

Power Organisation

Al-Isra (The Night Jorney)
Chapter 17: Verse 80 (partial)

"and give me a sultan (i.e. power, authority, government) for my help ..."

It is a reality of our world that power only respects power. For transforming society and the world according to Islamic ideals, great power needs to be acquired and mobilised. This is why the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, prayed and worked for gaining power and authority as mentioned in this verse of the Quran.

Power is crucial for advancing positive values and changes in society and for checking corruption and evil. However, it is only a means and not an objective in itself. Power is for Islam, for implementing Islamic values and justice, for the betterment of humanity and not for any personal or national vested interests. Islam stresses that power should be accountable and accessible, and not become an instrument of manipulation, persecution, aggression and injustice.

Power takes many forms and is generally distributed unevenly through society. Besides faith in Allah, determination, cohesion and moral power, other sources of power that can be mobilised by a movement include: money, material resources, technology, sources of information, media and political platforms, as well as skills and specialised knowledge.

Islam instructs Muslims to seek means for strengthening themselves - they should endeavour to become strong in faith, strong spiritually and morally, strong socially, physically, intellectually, financially, and militarily. Although corrupt elements did their utmost to eliminate the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions and resisted reforms and changes in society, he was however alert to their plots and prepared his social movement well to meet their aggressions and hostilities.

Compiled From:
"Building A New Society" - Zahid Parvez, pp. 203, 204

We Choose, the Power is Ours!

Al-Insan (Humans)
Chapter 76: Verse 3

"We showed him the way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will)."

Satan tries to convince us that we are just pawns in a plan that will play itself out. Allah is the Creator of all things, including men, women and their actions. We are the 'doers' of our actions, i.e. we choose to do certain things and not to do certain things.

While Allah has the power to control our actions, He has given us guidance and left it up to us to follow it. Once we realize that we choose our actions, it only makes sense that we are accountable for what we do.

Dupe Check

With Satan constantly attacking us, we need to check our choices so we please Allah and make it to paradise. How do we know if we are on track or headed for a wreck? We should always keep ourselves in check.

But as the saying goes, 'no one can be their own best critic'. That's why it's important to receive critiques from others with an open mind. No one likes to hear they're doing something wrong, but we should take every opportunity we can to hold ourselves to account before we are held accountable by the All Seeing, All Hearing and All Knowing God.

Compiled From:
"Don't Be Duped!" - Young Muslims Publications

Renaissance of Islamic life

No renaissance of Islamic life can be effected purely by law or statute, or by the establishment of a social system on the basis of the Islamic philosophy. Such a step is only one of the two pillars on which Islam must always stand in its construction of life. The other is the production of a state of mind imbued with the Islamic theory of life, to act as an inner motivation for establishing this form of life and to give coherence to all the social, religious, and civil legislation. Social justice is an integral part of this Islamic life; it cannot be realized unless this form of life is first realized, and it cannot have any guaranteed permanence unless this form of life is built up on solid foundations. It is in this similar to all other social systems; it must have the support of public belief and confidence in its merits. Failing this, it will lose its spiritual foundations, and its establishment will depend on the force of religious and social legislation; this is a force that obtains only so long as evasion is impossible.

Hence Islamic legislation relies on obedience and conviction; it depends on religious belief. Thus we must always keep in mind the necessity for a renaissance of our religious faith; we must cleanse it of all accretions, such as alterations and arbitrary interpretations and ambiguities; only thus can it be a support for the necessary social legislation that will establish a sound form of Islamic life. This form of life will depend upon legislation and exhortation, those twin fundamental methods of Islam towards the achievement of all aims.

We must, then, establish our Islamic theory in individuals and societies at the same time that we set up the Islamic legislation to regulate life.

Compiled From:
"Social Justice in Islam" - Sayyid Qutb, p. 285

Right and Wrong

Sometimes it is beneficial to command, sometimes to forbid. At other times, where right and wrong are mutually inextricable, it is not beneficial either to command or to forbid. It all depends on the nature of specific cases as they arise.

In equivocal cases the believer must seek clarification until the truth becomes obvious to him. For he may not embark upon an act of obedience without knowledge and intention, while if he leaves it undone he is a sinner, since it is sinful to ignore a necessary duty. It is also sinful to do what has been prohibited, however. The implications of all this are far-reaching and there is neither power nor strength except with God.

Under this category falls the concession made by the Prophet, on him be peace, to leading hypocrites and reprobates like Abdullah ibn Ubayy in view of their numerous support. For to have penalized him in some way for his wrong conduct would have entailed the loss of a greater good, through the fury and chauvinism of his tribesmen and through the aversion of people would have felt on hearing that Muhammad was killing his Companions.

Compiled From:
"Public Duties in Islam" - Ibn Taymiyya, p. 81