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Ethics & Values New Muslims

Good and Evil in Islam: From Moral to Legal

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It has been enjoined on Muslims by clear mandatory injunctions to refrain totally from everything that has been declared haram.

The Shari`ah shapes Islamic society in a way conducive to the unfettered growth of good, righteousness and truth in every sphere of human activity. At the same time it removes all the impediments along the path to goodness. And it attempts to eradicate corruption from its social scheme by prohibiting evil, by removing the causes of its appearance and growth, by closing the inlets through which it creeps into a society and by adopting deterrent measures to check its occurrence.

Ma`ruf (Good)

The Shari`ah classifies ma`ruf into three categories: the Mandatory (fard and wajib), the Recommendatory (matlub) and the Permissible (mubah).

The observance of the mandatory (ma`ruf) is obligatory on a Muslim society and the Shari`ah has given clear and binding directions about them. The recommendatory ma`ruf are those which the Shari`ah wants a Muslim society to observe and practice. Some of them have been very clearly demanded of us, while others have been recommended by implication and inference from the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Besides this, special arrangements have been made for the growth and encouragement of some of them in the plan of life enunciated by the Shari`ah. Others still have simply been recommended by the Shari`ah leaving it to the society or to its more virtuous elements to look to their promotion.

This leaves us with the permissible ma`ruf. Strictly speaking, according to the Shari`ah everything which has not been expressly prohibited by it is a Permissible ma`ruf (i.e., mubah). It is not at all necessary that an express permission should exist about it or that it should have been expressly left to our choice.

Consequently, the sphere of permissible ma’ruf is very wide so much so that except for the things specifically prohibited by the Shari`ah, everything is permissible for a Muslim. And this is exactly the sphere where we have been given freedom and where we can legislate according to our own discretion to suit the requirements of our age and conditions, of course in keeping with the general spirit of the Shari`ah.

Munkar

The munkar (or the things prohibited in Islam) have been grouped into two categories: haram, i.e., those things which have been prohibited absolutely and kakruh, i.e., those things which have been disliked and discouraged. It has been enjoined on Muslims by clear mandatory injunctions to refrain totally from everything that has been declared haram.

As for the makruh (disliked) acts the Shari’ah signifies its dislike in some way or another, i.e., either expressly or by implication, giving an indication also as to the degree of such dislike. For example, there are some makruh bordering on haram, while others bear affinity with the acts which are permissible. Of course, their number is very large ranging between the two extremes of prohibitory and permissible actions. Moreover, in some cases, explicit measures have been prescribed by the Shari`ah for the prevention of makruh, while in others such arrangements have been left to the discretion of the society or of the individual.

The Shari`ah, thus, prescribes directives for the regulation of our individual as well as collective life. These directives touch such varied subjects as religious rituals, personal character, morals, habits, family relationships, social and economic affairs, administration, rights and duties of citizens, judicial system, laws of war and peace and international relations.

In short, it embraces all the various departments of human life. These directives reveal what is good and bad, what is beneficial and useful and what is injurious and harmful. What are the virtues and which are the evils for which we have to suppress and guard against.

books

The Shari`ah prescribes directives for the regulation of our individual as well as collective life.

All-embracing Way of Life

What is the sphere of our voluntary, untrammeled, personal and social action and what are its limits. And finally, what ways and means we can adopt in establishing such a dynamic order of society and what methods we should avoid.

The Shari`ah is a complete plan of life and an all-embracing social order; nothing superfluous, nothing lacking.

Another remarkable feature of the Shari`ah is that it is an organic whole. The entire plan of life propounded by Islam is animated by the same spirit. Hence, any arbitrary division of its plan is bound to harm the spirit as well as the structure of the Islamic order. In this respect, it might be compared to the human body which is an organic whole.

A leg pulled out of the body cannot be called one-eight or one-sixth man, because after its separation from the living body, the leg can no longer perform its human function. Nor can it be placed in the body of some other animal with any hope of making it human to the extent of that limb.

Likewise, we cannot form a correct opinion about the utility, efficiency and beauty of the hand, the eyes or the nose of a human being separately, without judging its place and function within the living body.

The same can be said in regard to the scheme of life envisaged by the Shari`ah. Islam signifies the entire scheme of life and not any isolated part or parts thereof. Consequently neither can it be appropriate to view the different part of the Shari`ah in isolation from one another and without regard to the whole, nor will it be of any use to take any part and bracket it with any other ”ism”.

The Shari’ah can function smoothly and can demonstrate its efficacy only if the entire system of life is practiced in accordance with it and not otherwise.

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The article is an excerpt from the author’s book “The Islamic Way of Life”. 

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Ethics & Values New Muslims

What Is Unique about Islamic Ethics?

 

balance in life

Individuals who are honest, sincere, and from whom nothing but good can be expected, have always formed the basis of any healthy human society.

A moral sense is inborn in man and, through the ages, it has served as the common man’s standard of moral behaviour, approving certain qualities and condemning others. While this instinctive faculty may vary from person to person, human conscience has consistently declared certain moral qualities to be good and others to be bad.

Justice, courage and truthfulness have always found praise, and history does not record any period worth the name in which falsehood, injustice, dishonesty and breach of trust have been praised; sympathy, compassion, loyalty and generosity have always been valued, while selfishness, cruelty, meanness and bigotry have never been approved of by society; men have always appreciated perseverance, determination and courage, but never impatience, fickleness, cowardice and stupidity.

Universal Code

Dignity, restraint, politeness and friendliness have throughout the ages been counted virtues, whereas snobbery and rudeness have always been looked down upon. People with a sense of responsibility and devotion to duty have always won the highest regard, those who are incompetent, lazy and lacking in a sense of duty have never been looked upon with approval.

Similarly, in assessing the standards of good and bad in the collective behaviour of society as a whole, only those societies have been considered worthy of honor which have possessed the virtues of organization, discipline, mutual affection and compassion and which have established a social order based on justice, freedom and equality. Disorganization, indiscipline, anarchy, disunity, injustice and social privilege, on the other hand, have always been considered manifestations of decay and disintegration in a society.

Robbery, murder, larceny, adultery and corruption have always been condemned. Slander and blackmail have never been considered healthy social activities, while service and care of the aged, helping one’s relatives, regard for neighbours, loyalty to friends, aiding the weak, the destitute and the orphans, and nursing the sick are qualities which have been highly valued since the dawn of civilization.

Individuals who are honest, sincere and dependable, whose deeds match their words, who are content with their own rightful possessions, who are prompt in the discharge of their obligations to others, who live in peace and let others live in peace, and from whom nothing but good can be expected, have always formed the basis of any healthy human society.

These examples show that human moral standards are universal and have been well-known to mankind throughout the ages. Good and evil are not myths, but realities well understood by all. A sense of good and evil is inherent in the very nature of man.

Hence in the terminology of the Qur’an good is called ma`ruf (a well-known thing) and evil munkar (an unknown thing); that is to say, good is known to be desirable and evil is known not to commend itself in any way, as the Qur’an says:

God has revealed to human nature the consciousness and cognition of good and evil. (Ash-Shams 91:8)

Why Differences?

The question that now arises is: if what constitutes good and evil is so clear and universally agreed, why do varying patterns of moral behaviour exist in the world? Why are there so many conflicting moral philosophies? Why do certain moral standards contradict each other?

What lies at the root of their differences? What is the unique position of Islam in the context of other ethical systems? On what grounds can we claim that Islam has a perfect moral systems? And what exactly is the distinctive contribution of Islam in the realm of ethics?

Although these are important questions and must be squarely faced, justice cannot be done to them in the brief span of this talk. So I shall restrict myself to a summary of some of the points crucial to any critical examination of contemporary ethical systems and conflicting patterns of moral behaviour:

1- Through their failure to prescribe specific limits and roles for the various moral virtues and values, present-day moral structures cannot provide a balanced and coherent plan of social conduct.

2-The real cause of the differences in the moral systems seems to lie in their offering different standards for judging what constitutes good and bad actions and in their laying down different ways to distinguish good from evil.

Differences also exist in respect of the sanction behind the moral law and in regard to the motives which impel a person to follow it.

3- On deeper reflection we find that the grounds for these differences emerge from different peoples’ conflicting views and concepts of the universe, the place of man in it, and of man’s purpose on earth.

The various systems of ethics, philosophy and religion are in fact a record of the vast divergence of views on such vital questions as: Is there a God of the universe and, if there is, is He the only one or are there many Gods?

What are the Divine attributes? What is the nature of the relationship between God and human beings? Has He made any arrangements for guiding humanity through the vicissitudes of life or not? Is man answerable to Him or not?

And if so, in what spheres of his life? Is there an ultimate aim of man’s creation which he should keep in view throughout his life? Answers to these questions will determine the way of life, the ethical philosophy and the pattern of moral behaviour of the individual and society.

It is difficult for me, in this brief talk, to take stock of the various ethical systems in the world and indicate what solutions each one of them has proposed to these questions and what has been the impact of these answers on the moral evolution of the society believing in these concepts. Here I have to confine myself to the Islamic concept only.

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The article is excerpted from the author’s book “The Islamic Way of Life”.

 

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The Moral System of Islam: Motives and Practices

The Moral System of Islam: Motives & Incentives

sunset-nature

The love and fear of God become the real motives which impel man to obey the moral law without external pressures.

The fact that a man voluntarily and willingly accepts God as his Creator and obedience to God as the aim of his life and strives to seek His pleasure in his every action provides sufficient incentive to obey the commandments which he believes to be from God.

Belief that whoever obeys the divine commands is sure to be rewarded in the Hereafter, whatever difficulties he may have to face in his life on earth, is another strong incentive for leading a virtuous life.

And the belief that breaking the commandments of God will mean eternal punishment is an effective deterrent against violation of the moral law, however tempted a man may be by the superficial attractiveness of a certain course of action.

If this hope and fear are firmly ingrained in one’s heart, they will inspire virtuous deeds even on occasions when the immediate consequences may appear to be very damaging, and they will keep one away from evil when it looks extremely attractive and profitable.

This clearly indicates that Islam possesses a distinctive criterion of good and evil, its own source of moral laws, and its own sanctions and motivating force; through them it shapes the generally recognized more virtues in all spheres of life into a balanced and comprehensive scheme and ensures that they are followed.

It can therefore be justifiably claimed that Islam possesses a perfect moral system of its own. This system has many distinguishing features and I will refer to three of the most significant ones which, in my opinion, form its special contribution to ethics.

Distinctive Features

1- By setting divine pleasure as the objective of man’s life, Islam has set the highest possible standard of morality, providing boundless possibilities for the moral evolution of humanity.

By making divine revelation the primary source of knowledge, it gives permanence and stability to moral standards, while at the same time allowing scope for reasonable flexibility and adjustment, though not for perversions or moral laxity. The love and fear of God become the real motives, which impel man to obey the moral law without external pressures.

And through belief in God and the Day of Judgment, we are motivated to behave morally with earnestness and sincerity.

2- The Islamic moral order does not, through a mistaken love of originally and innovation, seek to lay down any new moral standards; nor does it seek to minimize the importance of the well-known moral standards, or give exaggerated importance to some and neglect others without cause.

Rather, it takes all the recognized morals and assigns a suitable role to each within the total scheme of life. It widens the scope of their application to cover every aspect of man’s private and social life – his domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his activities in the political, economic, legal and educational fields.

It covers his life at home and in society, literally from the cradle to the grave. No sphere of life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. These ensure that the affairs of life, instead of being dominated by selfish desires and petty interest, are regulated by the dictates of morality.

3- The Islamic moral order guarantees for man a system of life which is free from all evil. It calls on the people not only to practise virtue, but also to eradicate vice. Those who respond to this call are gathered together into an Ummah (a community) and given the name ‘Muslims’.

The main purpose underlying the formation of this community is that it should make an organized effort to establish and enforce goodness and suppress and eradicate evil. It would be a day of mourning for this community and a bad day for the entire world if its efforts were at any time directed towards establishing evil and suppressing good.

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The article is excerpted from the author’s The Islamic Way of Life. 

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New Muslims Qur'an & Sunnah

Our Relationship with the Qur’an & Its Effect on Our Lives

Qur'an

The Qur’an is the source of every good: it will give whatever and as much as you ask from it.

Muslims are the only people in the world today fortunate enough to possess the word of God preserved in its original form, free from all distortions, and precisely in the wording in which it was sent down upon the Prophet (blessings and peace be on him).

Paradoxically, these same Muslims suffer the misfortune of being denied the countless blessings and benefits which the word of God must give to those who believe in it. The Qur’an was sent to them, for them to read it, understand it, act upon it, and, with its help, establish on God’s earth the rule of His law.

The Qur’an came to grant them dignity and power. It came to make them true vicegerents of God on earth. And history shows that whenever they acted according to its guidance, it did make them the leaders of the world.

Irreverence and Misuse

But now the Qur’an’s usefulness, for many Muslims, consists only in keeping it in their houses to drive away jinns and ghosts, in writing its verses on amulets to hang round their necks or washing those amulets with water and then drinking it, or in reading its contents without comprehending their meaning in the hope of receiving some reward.

No longer do they seek guidance from it for their lives. No longer do they ask it to tell them what should be their beliefs, morals and actions, nor how they should conduct transactions, what principles they should observe while dealing with enemies and friends, what the rights are of their fellow beings and of their own selves. Nor do they turn to it to find what is true and what is false, whom they should obey and whom disobey, who their friends are and who their enemies, where honor, well-being and benefit are to be found and where disgrace, failure and loss.

We Muslims have given up looking for answers to these important questions in the Qur’an. Instead, we now ask kafirs (unbelievers), idolaters, misguided, selfish people, even our own ego and desires and follow what they advise.

What invariably happens to those who ignore Allah and follow the precepts of others has happened to us too. We are reaping only what we have sown everywhere in the world in Palestine, the Middle East, Pakistan, Indonesia and many other places.

The Qur’an is the source of every good: it will give whatever and as much as you ask from it. If you seek from it such trivial, frivolous and spurious things as how to scare away jinns and ghosts, how to cure coughs and fevers, how to succeed in litigation and find a job – then you may get them, but only them. If you seek supremacy on earth and the power to rule the world you may get that too. And if you wish to reach near God’s throne (`arsh), the Qur’an will take you there.

If you receive only a few drops from the ocean, do not blame the Qur’an, blame yourselves. For the whole ocean is there waiting for him who knows how to take it.

Incomprehensible Contradictions

The cruel jokes, brothers, which we Muslims play with the Book of Allah are so inane that if we saw someone else doing such things in any other sphere of life, we would mock them and even brand them as lunatics.

Tell me, what would you say if somebody got a doctor’s prescription and hung it round his neck after wrapping it in a piece of cloth or washed it in water and drank it? Would you not laugh at him and call him a fool?

Yet this is the very treatment being given before your eyes to the matchless prescription written by the greatest of all doctors to provide a cure for all your ailments – and nobody laughs! No one even reflects that a prescription is not meant to be hung round the neck nor are its words to be washed in water and drunk.

Tell me, what would you think if someone who was ill picked up a book on medicine and began to read it, believing, thinking that this would cure him? Would you not say that he was deranged? Yet this is how we treat the Book which the Supreme Healer has sent for the cure of our diseases.

We think that just by flicking through all its pages, our diseases will disappear without our following the directions given in them or abstaining from the things which they pronounce harmful. Are we not in the same situation as the man who considers that reading a book on medicine will cure his illness?

If you receive a business letter in a language you do not know, you go to a man who knows the language to find out what it says. You remain anxious and restless until you have found out what the letter says, even though it will bring only some paltry worldly profit.

But the letter sent to you by the Lord of the worlds which can bring you all the benefits of this-world and the eternal life is carelessly set aside. You do not show any uneasiness at not understanding its contents. Is this not astonishing?

I am not trying to make you laugh. Reflect for a while on these facts and your hearts will tell you that the greatest possible injustice is being done to the Book of Allah.

Ironically, the culprits are the very people who proclaim their faith in it and proclaim their readiness to sacrifice their lives for it. No doubt they do have faith in it and love it more than their lives, but the pity is that it is they, more than anyone else, who treat it outrageously.

reading qur'an at mosque

Qur’an is the matchless prescription written by the greatest of all doctors to provide a cure for all your ailments.

And the consequences of such treatment are quite plain to see.

The Consequences

Understand fully that Allah’s word does not come to bring misery, disgrace and suffering to man:

We have not sent down the Qur’an upon you that you be wretched. (Ta-Ha 20:1-2)

On the contrary, the Qur’an is the source of happiness and success. It is impossible for a people to possess God’s word and yet suffer disgrace and ignominy, live under subjugation, be trampled on and kicked around, and carry the yoke of slavery on their necks, being led by the nose like animals. People meet this fate only when they do injustice to the word of God.

Look at the fate of the Israelites. They were given the Tawrah and the Injeel, and were told:

ad they established the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to them by their Lord, they would surely have partaken of all the blessings from above them (heaven) and beneath their feet (earth). (Al-Ma’idah 5:66)

But they adopted a wrong attitude towards these Books of Allah, and reaped the consequences:

An ignominy and helplessness were laid upon them, and they were laden with the burden of God’s anger. That, because they used to disbelieve God’s messages and slay the Prophets against all right; that, because they disobeyed and were transgressors. (Al-Baqarah 2:61)

If people possess Allah’s Book and still live in disgrace and subjugation, they are surely being punished for doing injustice to Allah’s word. The only way to save yourselves from

Allah’s anger is to turn back from this grave sin and start trying to render His Book its due. Until you do, your condition will never change – even if you open colleges in each and every village, all your children graduate from universities, and you amass millions through unscrupulous means.

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The article is an excerpt from Abul A`la Al-Mawdudi’s book “Let Us Be Muslims”. 

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New Muslims Qur'an & Sunnah

The Qur’an and Our True Identity as Muslims

What does it mean to be Muslim? Put differently, what does make one worthy of being Muslim? What role does the Qur’an play in your life and identity as Muslim?

Two most important things every Muslim must know to do justice to the Book of God, the Qur’an: who is truly a Muslim and what the word ‘Muslim’ means, what defines our identity as Muslims.

Human beings who do not know what humanity is and what the difference is between man and animal will inevitably indulge in behavior unworthy of the human race and attach no value to being human.

Similarly, people who do not know the true meaning of being Muslims and how a Muslim is different from a non-Muslim will behave like non-Muslims and will not be worthy of being Muslims.

Identity of Muslim

Every Muslim, adult or child, should therefore know what it means to be a Muslim, what difference being a Muslim must make to his life, what responsibilities devolve on him, and what limits are set by Islam within which a man remains a Muslim and by transgressing which he ceases to be a Muslim.

Islam means submission and obedience to God. To entrust yourselves completely to God is Islam. To relinquish all claims to absolute freedom and independence and to follow God’s will is Islam.

To surrender yourselves before the sovereignty of God is Islam. If you bring all the affairs of your lives under God you are Muslims and if you keep any of the affairs in your own hands or entrust them to someone other than God you are not Muslims.

To bring your affairs under God means to accept unreservedly the guidance sent by God through His Book, and His Messengers.

It therefore becomes necessary to follow only the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah. Muslims follow no authority other than that of God, whether it be their reason or customs.

In every matter they seek guidance from God’s Book, the Qur’an, and His Messenger (peace be upon him) to find what they should do and what they should not do. They accept without hesitation whatever guidance they get from there and reject whatever they find opposed to it.

Such total surrender to God is what makes one a Muslim.

Source of Guidance

By contrast, people are certainly not Muslims who, instead of following the Qur’an and the Sunnah, obey the dictates of their own reason and desires, follow the practices of their forefathers, accept what is happening in society, and never bother to ascertain from the Qur’an and Sunnah how to run their affairs, or refuse to accept the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah by saying: ‘They do not appeal to my reason’, or ‘They are against the ways of my forefathers’ or ‘The world is moving in an opposite direction’. Such people are liars if they call themselves Muslims.

The moment you recite the word: ‘La ilaha illa Allah and Muhammad rasulu Allah’ (There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) ) you accept that the only law you recognize is the law of God, only God is your sovereign, only God is your ruler, only God you will obey, and only the things given in God’s Book and by His Messengers are true and right.

It means that as soon as you become Muslims you must renounce your authority in favour of God’s authority.

Consequently, you have no right to say, ‘My opinion is this, the prevalent custom is this, the family tradition is this, that scholar and that holy person say this.’

In the face of Allah’s word and His Messenger’s Sunnah, you cannot argue in this manner. You should judge everything in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah; accept what is in conformity with them and reject what runs counter to them, irrespective of the people who may be behind them.

It is a contradiction in terms to call yourselves Muslims on the one hand, and, on the other, follow your own opinions or the customs of society or some person’s words or actions as against the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Just as a blind person cannot claim to have eyes, nor a deaf person to have ears, so a person who refuses to subordinate the affairs of his life to the dictates of the Qur’an and the Sunnah cannot call himself a Muslim.

Once Being Muslim…

No one who does not want to be a Muslim can be compelled to be one against his will. You are free to adopt any religion you like and call yourselves by any names you like.

But, once having called yourselves Muslims, you must fully understand that you can remain Muslims only as long as you stay within the bounds of Islam. These bounds are: to accept the word of God and His Messenger’s Sunnah as the ultimate criteria of truth and justice and to consider everything opposed to them as wrong.

If you remain within these bounds you are Muslims, but if you overstep them you cease to be part of Islam. To continue, in such circumstances, to consider yourselves and call yourselves Muslims is tantamount to both self-deception and deception of others.

Whoever so judges not according to what God has sent down, they are the unbelievers. (Al-Ma’idah 5:44)

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The article is an excerpt from Abul A`la Al-Mawdudi’s Let Us Be Muslims.

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New Muslims Qur'an & Sunnah

How to Build a Lifelong Relationship with the Qur’an

Prolonged companionship with the Qur’an must become one of your most cherished desires and occupations. Read it, therefore, as often and as much as you can. Spend as much time with it as you can find, especially the hours of night.

How to Build a Lifelong Relationship with the Qur’an

Reading the Qur’an is certainly the best way to remember Allah.

In this manner were the souls of the Prophet (blessings and peace be on him) and his Companions schooled in the way of Allah, to prepare them to shoulder the huge and weighty task that the Qur’an placed upon them.

There are a few guidelines and rules in this reward that you must bear in mind.

How Often to Read?

Every day you must read some of the Qur’an. In fact do not consider a day complete unless you have spent some time with the Qur’an. It is better to read regularly, even if it be only a small portion, than to read long parts, but only occasionally.

“Allah likes things which are done regularly, even if little”, said the Prophet (peace be on him). (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).

He also warned especially that you must attend to the Qur’an regularly, otherwise you may easily lose your gains.

“The parable of the companion of the Qur’an is like a tethered camel; a man holds on to it so long as he attends to it, and it escapes if he lets it loose. (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

How Much to Read?

There can be no fixed answer. It will vary from person to person, and from situation to situation. The guideline must be what Allah, after taking into account all human factors, has said: “Read whatever you can with ease”. (Al-Muzzammil 73:20)

The practice of the Companions and those who followed them varied considerably. Some used to finish the whole Qur’an in two months, some in one month, some in ten days, some in one week, some even in one day. You should, however, bear in mind the following hadith as the governing criteria:

“One who reads the Qur’an in less than three days does not understand it.” (Abu Dawud & At-Tirmidhi)

Once, when Ibn `Umar upon being asked by the Prophet to read the Qur’an in one month insisted on doing so in less time, he told him:

“Read it in seven days and do not increase on this.” (Al-Bukhari)

That the Qur’an is divided into 7 hizb (groups) and 30 juz’ (parts) gives some indication of what is considered desirable.

In this respect Al-Nawawi’s advice is very sensible: One who can discover deeper meanings by contemplation should read less, similarly one who has to devote time in pursuits like education, affairs of government, or important tasks entrusted by Islam may read less. (Kitab Al-Adhkar)

The quantity of reading will very much depend on the purpose of reading. If you just want to spend time with the Qur’an, or get a quick overview, you may read much faster and, therefore, more. If you want to ponder and reflect, you may read much slower and, therefore, less. This is what Al-Ghazali means when he quotes someone as saying ‘I complete the reading of the Qur’an sometimes on every Friday, sometimes every month, sometimes every year. And (in one type of reading) I have been trying to complete it for the last thirty years but have not yet done so’. (Ihya’).

Under our present circumstances, I think, most of us should aim to finish a general reading of the whole Qur’an at least once every eight months. This should not take more than 5-15 minutes every day, depending on whether you understand the meaning directly or through a translation.

But, at least on a few occasions in your lifetime, you should also attempt to finish one reading in seven days. Or, in one month, especially in the month of Ramadan. Some time should also be devoted to reading slowly, with pondering and reflection, though not necessarily daily.

When to Read?

No time of the day or night is unsuitable for reading the Qur’an, nor is there any physical posture in which you may not do so. Allah says:

Remember the name of your Lord at morning and in the evening and part of the night. (Al-Insan 76:25)

Those who remember God when they are standing, and when they are sitting and when they are lying. (Aal `Imran 3:191)

Reading the Qur’an is certainly the best way to remember Him. The Companions and those who followed them, says An-Nawawi, used to read it during all hours of the day and night, whether they stayed in one place or were travelling.

Yet there are some specific times which are more desirable as they are recommended by the Qur’an and the Prophet (peace be on him); those moments are more rewarding and fruitful. So too there are certain recommended postures.

The Qur’an & Night Prayers

The most excellent time to read is at night, and the most desirable posture is to stand in Prayer. In one of the earliest surahs, Al-Muzzammil, as in numerous other places, the Qur’an tells us so:

They are not all alike. Of the People of the Scripture there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate (before Him). (Al ‘Imran 3:113)

And some part of the night awake for it, a largess for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised estate. (Al-Israa’ 17:79)

Is he who prays adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed. (Al-Zumar 39:9)

It also explains why reading the Qur’an during night-Prayers enables your heart to remain with your reading and strengthens your will in surrendering yourself to Allah’s guidance and fulfilling the mission He has entrusted to you.

To do so, however, requires that you should (a) memorize some portions of the Qur’an, and (b) remain awake for some time during the night.

All of you may not therefore be able to do so all the time for various reasons; the Qur’an recognizes such limitations. It, therefore, permits you to read ‘whatever you can do with ease’ which means ‘whatever portion’, at ‘whatever time’, and in ‘whatever position’.

The great need and immense benefits of reading the Qur’an in Prayer during the night however remain. Hence you should assign at least some time, however little, even a few minutes with some regular frequency, however long, say weekly or even monthly, for this purpose.

To keep as near as possible to the ideal way, it may be desirable if you read the Qur’an after or before Fajr and `Isha’ Prayers, or at dawn, or before going to bed. “Reading the Qur’an at dawn is especially commended in the Qur’an.

Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur’an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur’an at dawn is ever witnessed. (Al-Israa’ 17:78)

To read the Qur’an while sitting on a chair, resting against a pillow, lying in bed or on a couch is not desirable, but is not prohibited. But never do so without excuse, nor make it a habit.

However, if one totally misses reading the Qur’an only because one cannot afford to sit in a proper posture, one loses something more precious.

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The article is excerpted from the author’s Way to the Qur’an.

 

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New Muslims Qur'an & Sunnah

Nouman Ali Khan: The Impact of Following the Qur’an

Why do we fellow the Qur’an? How does following the Qur’an impact every aspect of our lives? Why do we have to live by the Book of Allah? What change does it bring, and to what aspects of one’s life? Put differently, does it affect this life or the Hereafter?

The following is an illustrated video by brother Nouman Ali Khan explaining how following the Qur’an impacts every aspect of our lives and brings a positive change in everything we do.

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New Muslims Qur'an & Sunnah

The Qur’an: Allah’s Divine Mercy

By Khurram Murad

It is beyond man’s power to comprehend, or to describe, the greatness and importance of what the Qur’an holds for him. Yet, to begin with, you must have some idea of what it is and what it means to you, such that you are inspired to immerse the whole of yourself in the Qur’an, in total commitment, complete dedication and ceaseless pursuit, as it demands.

The Qur’an Allah’s Divine Mercy

What you read in the Qur’an is the word of Allah which He has conveyed to you in a human language, only because of His mercy.

The Qur’an is Allah’s greatest blessing for you. It is the fulfillment of His promise to Adam and his descendants:

There shall come to you guidance from Me, and whosoever follows My guidance no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow. (Al-Baqarah 2:38)

Best Companion

It is the only weapon to help your frail existence as you struggle against the forces of evil and temptation in this-world. It is the only means to overpower your fear and anxiety. It is the only ‘light’ (nur), as you grope in the darkness, with which to find your way to success and salvation. It is the only healing (shifa’) for your inner sicknesses, as well as the social ills that may surround you.

It is the constant reminder (dhikr) of your true nature and destiny, of your station, your duties, your rewards, your perils.

It was brought down by one who is powerful and trust- worthy in the heavens – the Angel Gabriel (Jibreel). Its first abode was that pure and sublime heart, the like of which man has never had – the heart of the Prophet Muhammad, blessings and peace be on him.

To Get Closer

More than anything, it is the only way to come nearer and closer to your Creator. It tells you of Him, of His attributes, of how He rules over the cosmos and history, of how He relates Himself to you, and how you should relate to Him, to yourself, to your fellow men and to-every other existence.

The rewards that await you here are surely many, increasing manifold in the Hereafter, but what awaits you at the end of the road, promises Allah in the hadith qudsi, “the eye has seen not, nor the ear heard, nor the heart of man ever conceived”, and, adds Abu Hurayrah: read if you wish (in Al-Sajdah 32:17): “No human being can imagine what joys are being kept hidden for them in reward for all that they did”. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Infinite Mercy and Majesty

Most important to remember is that what you read in the Qur’an is the word of Allah, the Lord of the worlds, which He has conveyed to you in a human language, only because of His mercy and care and providence for you:

The Most-merciful, He has taught the Qur’an. (Ar-Rahman 55:1-2)

A mercy from your Lord. (Ad-Dukhan 44:6)

The majesty of the Qur’an, too, is so overpowering that no human being can comprehend it. So much so that, says Allah:

If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, split asunder out of the fear of Allah. (Al-Hashr 59:20)

This act of Divine mercy and majesty is enough to awe and overwhelm you, to inspire you to ever-greater heights of gratitude, yearning and endeavor to enter the world of the Qur’an. Indeed, no treasure is more valuable and precious for you than the Qur’an, as Allah says of His generosity:

O men! There has come to you an exhortation from your Lord, healing for what is in the hearts, and a guidance, and a mercy for believers. Say: In (this) bounty of Allah, and in His mercy – in it let them rejoice. It is better than whatever they amass. (Yunus 10:57,58)

Hazards and Perils

Rejoice you must, in the mercy and blessing and generosity of Allah. Seek you must, for the treasures that await your search herein. But the Qur’an opens its doors only to those who knock with a sense of yearning, a sincerity of purpose and an exclusive attention that befit its importance and majesty.

And only those are allowed to gather its treasures, while they walk through it, who are prepared to abandon themselves completely to its guidance and do their utmost to absorb it.

It may quite possibly happen therefore that you may read the Qur’an endlessly, turn its pages laboriously, recite its words beautifully, study it most scholarly, and still fail to make an encounter with it that enriches and transforms your whole person.

For, all those who read the Qur’an do not profit from it as they should. Some remain unblessed; some are even cursed.

The journey has its own hazards, as it must, just as it has its own precious and limitless rewards. Many never turn to it, though the Book always lies near at hand, and many are turned away from its gates.

Many read it often, but come back empty-handed; while many others who read it never really enter its world. Some do not find, but are lost. They fail to hear God even among His own words; instead, they hear their own voices or those other than God’s. Still others, though they hear God, fail to find inside themselves the will, the resolve and the courage to respond and live by His call.

Some lose even what they had and, instead of collecting priceless gems, they return with back-breaking loads of stones which will hurt them for ever and ever. What a tragic misfortune it would be if you came to the Qur’an and went away empty-handed- soul untouched, heart unmoved, life unchanged; ‘they went out as they came in’.

The Qur’an’s blessings are limitless, but the measure of your taking from it depends entirely upon the capacity and the suitability of the receptacle you bring to it.

So, at the very outset, make yourself more deeply aware of what the Qur’an means to you and what it demands of you; and make a solemn determination to recite the Qur’an in an appropriate manner, so that you may be counted among “Those whom We have given the Book, they recite it as it ought to be recited; it is they who believe in it”. (Al-Baqarah 2:121)

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The article is excerpted from the author’s Way to the Qur’an.

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New Muslims Qur'an & Sunnah

For a Fruitful Relationship with the Qur’an: Basic Prerequisites (Part 1)

By: Khurram Murad

Certain basic states and attitudes of heart and mind are a necessary prerequisite to any fruitful relationship with the Qur’an. Develop them as much as you can. Make them part of your consciousness, keep them ever alive and active. Integrate them in your actions. Let them penetrate the depth of your being.

For a Fruitful Relationship with the Qur’an Basic Prerequisites (Part 1)

Come to the Qur’an with a strong and deep faith that it is the word of Allah, your Creator and Lord.

Without the help of these inner resources you will not receive your full measure of the Qur’an’s blessings. They will be your indispensable companions, too, throughout your journey.

These inner resources are neither difficult nor impossible to find. Through constant awareness and reflection, through appropriate words and deeds, you can acquire and develop them.

The more you do so, the closer you will be able to come to the Qur’an; the closer you come to the Qur’an, the greater will be your harvest.

Faith: The Word of God

First: Come to the Qur’an with a strong and deep faith that it is the word of Allah, your Creator and Lord.

Why should such a faith be a necessary prerequisite? No doubt such is the power and charm of the Qur’an that even if a man takes it up and starts reading it as he would an ordinary book, he will still benefit from it, should he read it with an open mind. But this book is no ordinary book; it opens with the emphatic statement: “This is the Book (of God), there is no doubt in it.” (Al-Baqarah 2:2)

Your purpose in reading and studying it is no ordinary purpose; you seek from it the guidance that will transform your whole being, bring you and keep you on the Straight Path: “Guide us on the Straight Path” (Al-Fatihah 1:5) is the cry of your heart to which the Qur’an is the response.

You may admire the Qur’an, even be informed by it, but you cannot be transformed by it unless its words soak in to awaken you, to grip you, to heal and change you. This cannot happen unless you take them for what they truly are the words of God.

Without this faith you cannot come to acquire all the other inner resources you will need to reach the heart of the Qur’an and absorb its message. Once it comes to reside in your heart, you cannot but be filled with the qualities and attitudes such as sincerity of purpose, awe and reverence, love and gratitude, trust and dependence, willingness to labor hard, conviction of its truth, surrender to its message, obedience to its commands, and vigilance against dangers which stalk to deprive you of its treasures.

Think of His majesty and glory and power, and you will feel awe and reverence and devotion for His words.

Reflect on His sustenance and mercy and compassion, and you will be filled with gratitude and love and longing for His message. Know His wisdom and knowledge and kindness, and you will become willing and eager and ready to obey His commandments.

That is why the Qur’an reminds you of this important truth again and again: in the very beginning, in the opening verses of many surahs (chapters), and frequently in between.

That is why even the Messenger, blessings and peace be on him, is instructed to proclaim his own faith: “Say: I believe in whatever God has sent down in this Book.” (Ash-Shura 42:15)

In his faith all believers must join him: “The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him by His Lord, and all believers too.” (Al-Baqarah 2:285)

You must, therefore, always remain conscious that each word that you are reading, reciting, hearing, or trying to understand, has been sent for you by Allah.

Do you truly have this faith? You do not have to look far for an answer. Just examine your heart and behavior.

If you have it, then, where is the desire and longing for companionship with the Qur’an, where is the labor and hard work to understand it, where is the surrender and obedience to its message?

How do we obtain this faith, and how can it be kept alive? Although there are many ways, I will mention only one here . The most effective way is reciting the Qur’an itself. This may look as if we are moving in a circle, but this is not really the case.

For, as you read the Qur’an, you will surely recognize it as being the word of God. Your faith will then increase in intensity and depth: “Believers are only those who, whenever God is mentioned, their hearts tremble with awe; and whenever His revelations are recited to them, they increase them in faith …” (Al-Anfal 8:2)

Purity of Intention and Purpose

Second: Read the Qur’an with no purpose other than to receive guidance from your Lord, to come nearer to Him, and to seek His good pleasure.

What you get from the Qur’an depends on what you come to it for. Your niyyah (intention) is crucial. Certainly the Qur’an has come to guide you, but you may also go astray by reading it should you approach it for impure purposes and wrong motives.

Thereby He causes many to go astray, and thereby He guides many; but thereby He causes none to go astray save the iniquitous. (Al-Baqarah 2:26)

The Qur’an is the word of Allah; it therefore requires as much exclusiveness of intention and purity of purpose as does worshiping and serving Him.

Do not read it merely for intellectual pursuit and pleasure; even though you must apply your intellect to the full to the task of understanding the Qur’an. So many people spend a lifetime in studying the language, style, history, geography, law and ethics of the Qur’an, and yet their lives remain untouched by its message.

The Qur’an frequently refers to people who have knowledge but do not derive benefit from it.

Nor should you come to the Qur’an with the fixed intention of finding support for your own views, notions and doctrines. For if you do, you may, then, hear an echo of your own voice in it, and not that of God.

It is this approach to the understanding and interpreting of the Qur’an that the Prophet (peace be on him) has condemned. “Whoever interprets the Qur’an by his personal opinion shall take his place in the Fire.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Nothing could be more unfortunate than to use the Qur’an to secure, for your own person, worldly things such as name, esteem, status, fame or money. You may get them, but you will surely be bartering away a priceless treasure for nothing, indeed even incurring eternal loss and ruin.

Indeed, the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “If anyone studies the Qur’an seeking thereby a living from people, he will rise on the Day of Resurrection with his face as a fleshless bone.” (Al-Bayhaqi)

He also said that one who learns, recites and teaches the Qur’an for worldly acclaim will be thrown into the Fire. (Muslim)

You may also derive other lesser benefits, from the words of the Qur’an, such as the healing of bodily afflictions, psychological peace, and deliverance from poverty. There is no bar to having these, but, again, they should not become the be all and end all that you seek from the Qur’an nor the goal of your intention. For in achieving these you may lose a whole ocean that could have been yours.

Reading every single letter of the Qur’an carries with it great rewards. Remain conscious of all the rewards, and make them an objective of your intention, for they will provide you with those strong incentives required to spend your life with the Qur’an. But never forget that on understanding, absorbing and following the Qur’an you have been promised much larger rewards, in this-world and in the Hereafter. It is these which you must aim for.

Not only should your purpose be pure, but you should also, once you have the Qur’an with you—both the text and its living embodiment in the Sunnah—never go to any other source for guidance. For that would be like running after mirages. It would mean a lack of confidence, a denigration of the Qur’an. It would amount to divided loyalties.

Nothing brings you nearer to your Lord than the moments you spend with His words. For it is only in the Qur’an that you enjoy the unique blessing of hearing His ‘voice’ addressing you. So let an intense desire to come nearer to Allah be your one overwhelming motive while reading the Qur’an.

Finally, your intention should be directed to seeking only your Lord’s pleasure by devoting your heart, mind and time to the guidance that He has sent to you. That is what you barter when you surrender yourself to Allah:

There is such as would sell his own self in order to please God. (Al-Baqarah 2:207)

Purpose and intentions are like the soul of a body, the inner capability of a seed. Many seeds look alike, but as they begin to grow and bear fruits, their differences become manifest. The purer and higher the motive, the greater the value and yield of your efforts.

So always ask yourself: Why am I reading the Qur’an? Tell yourself constantly why you should. This may be the best way to ensure the purity and exclusiveness of purpose and intention.

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The article is excerpted from the author’s Way to the Qur’an.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

Hajj: Unity Towards the Centre

Hajj….

Close your eyes and visualize what it must be like to see people from countless communities and countries converging on one ‘Centre’ through a thousand and one routes from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

the kabah

The differences of nationality, country and race are obliterated and a universal community of God-worshippers is constituted.

Their faces are different, their colours are different, their languages are different, but on reaching a frontier near the ‘Centre’ all exchange the varied clothes they are wearing for a simple uniform of the same design.

This single, common uniform of ihram distinguishes them as the army of one single King. It becomes the insignia of obedience and service to one Being; all are strung in one cord of loyalty and are marching toward one ‘Capital’ to file past their ‘King’.

Hajj: Universal Community

When these uniformed soldiers move beyond the frontier, the same cry issues forth loudly from their mouths:

“labbayka Allahumma labbayk, la sharika laka labbayk”.

(Here am I before You, 0 God, doubly at You service, there is no partner unto You, here am I.)

There languages are different but the words they utter are the same; they have the same meaning.

As the center approaches, the circle containing the pilgrims contracts. Caravans from different countries continue joining each other. All perform their prayers together in one and the same manner.

All are dressed in similar uniforms, all are led by one Imam (leader), all are moving simultaneously, all are now using the same language, all are rising, sitting, bowing down (ruku`) and prostrating themselves (sujud) at one signal of Allahu akbar (God is the Greatest), and all are reciting and listening to one Arabic Qur’an.

In this way the differences of nationality, country and race are obliterated and a universal community of God-worshippers is constituted.

Around the Centre

When these caravans pass on, loudly raising with one voice the call of labbayka, labbayka, when at every ascent and descent the same words resound, when at the time of meeting of caravans these same voices are raised from both sides, and when at the time of every Prayer and at dawn these exclamations reverberate, a unique atmosphere is created whose exhilarating effect makes a man forget his self and become absorbed in the ecstasy of labbayka.

After reaching the Ka`bah comes the act of circumambulation, then the doing of sa`i by all together between Safa and Marwah, then the encampment of all at Mina, then the departure of all towards `Arafah and the listening to their leader’s address, then a night’s sojourn by all at Muzdalifah, then the return of all together towards Mina.

Then comes the throwing of stones in unison by all at jamarat, then the animal sacrifice performed by all, then the return of all together to the Ka`bah for further circumambulation, and then the offering of salah by all together around the center all this carries within itself an effect which has absolutely no parallel.

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The article is an excerpt from the author’s “Let Us Be Muslims”.

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