Tag: Obedience to God

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New Muslims Prayer

Why Must the Slave of Allah Perform Prayer?

Success requires fulfillment, which requires nourishment by the purest means.

Success requires fulfillment, which requires nourishment by the purest means.

‘Hayya `ala-s-Salah… Hayya `ala-l-Falah…’ (Hurry to prayer… Hurry to real success…)

Yes, success. What perfect placement of these phrases: come to pray and take your success. Like macaroni and cheese, it’s plain and simple. Placed so cleverly and poetically within the Adhan, (the Islamic call to prayer), we hear this 5 times a day, but how often do we listen and follow?

Amidst chow downs, midterms, and movies, finding time to pray for youth has become somewhat of a difficult task. Many of us spend countless hours engrossed in the latest songs and tabloids, immersed in worldly matters or even grueling over a school assignment; those have become our priorities in dunya (this world). But, what about our priorities for the akhira (Hereafter)?

Nowadays, some of us find it a chore to spend scarcely 5 minutes out of the 1440 minutes in a day prostrating to our Lord in repentance for our sins and seeking refuge from our worries. We have stopped giving salah (prayer) the importance it holds.

Prayer is an obligation, not a choice—as many Muslims these days make it out to be. Salah is one of the things that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (Glorified is He) has Himself prescribed; I say prescribed, because it is the one true remedy to our worldly worries.

Guard strictly the Salah, especially the middle Salah. And stand before Allah with obedience. (Al-Baqarah 2:238)

Salah reminds you of Allah (Exalted is He), when you get up in the morning, it reminds you three more times when you are busy during the day, and once again before you go to bed.

There is No Fulfillment for Anyone but Us via this Act

Success requires fulfillment, which requires nourishment by the purest means. What better nourishment for yourself than the mercy, guidance, and rewards from the Almighty? Allah lures us to worship with lavish descriptions of Jannah (Paradise), whilst simultaneously warning us of repercussions of disobedience—the wretchedness of hellfire.

And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shade will be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low within their reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passed around amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure of them according to their wishes. They will be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabil, and a fountain called Salsabil (a spring in Paradise). Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth. If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. When you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink. (Al-Insan 76:12-21)

The earliest known story of the universe begins with the concept of prayer—the story of the residents of Paradise. When Allah created Adam (peace be upon him), all beings were asked to prostrate to him, not as a form of worship, but to recognize the beauty fashioned by the Creator. Iblis (Satan) refused and the outcome was eternity in hellfire.

As life on earth progressed God brought forth Prophets to deliver a message; a message of worship. Performing prayer can be traced to the earliest of generations beginning with the blessed Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication. (Ibrahim 14:40)

As we dig deeper into the Qur’an we encounter many instances where prayer is mandatory upon the Prophets and their people.

Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance. (Ta-Ha 20:14)

And establish prayer and give zakat and bow with those who bow (in worship and obedience). (Al-Baqarah 2:43)

As I sit among peers and the clock winds down for prayer, I slyly wander off to an empty room to fulfill my duty to my Creator, careful not to offend those who choose to ignore this obligation. The reasoning is ridiculous. The act of worship is a form of da`wah (invitation).

This should not be something I am afraid to do and have to hide or feel uncomfortable sharing; rather, it should be something enjoined together and encouraged, a journey to purification in tandem. But why is it that as I leave the room to go pray, I find myself feeling guilty, or awkward, for telling my Muslim friends that I am performing salah while they choose to sit idly? This taboo of praying is something that needs to be rectified.

As a convert, this seems bewildering. To have a Muslim choose not to pray seems oxymoronic and unconventional. Islam conveys the consequences of not, and the benefits of praying very clearly. Every salah prayed counts towards good deeds on the Day of Judgment. We have been told there will be instances when those who have prayed, but their good deeds do not outweigh the bad, will wind up in hellfire. Once their term is served, they will be granted Jannah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) describes the Hereafter, and in which he says:

“…When Allah has finished judging mankind, and wants to bring whomever He wills out of Hell by His Mercy, He will order angels to bring forth those upon whom He wishes to bestow His mercy of the people who never associated anything in worship with Allah, and who said, ‘Laa ilaaha illaah Allah’. The angels will recognize them in Hell, and will know them by the mark of sujud (prostration) on their foreheads. The Fire will consume all of a man except the mark of sujud which Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume. They will be brought forth, having been burned in the Fire, the water of life will be poured on them, and they will grow like seeds left by still after a flood.” (Sahih Muslim)

Let’s try to fathom this concept. Salah will distinguish the devout from the non-believer in hellfire.

What is between Belief and Disbelief is Leaving Prayer

Rarely do we glimpse a follower of another religion devote his entire being to the worship of his Lord prior to, or in addition to, supplication. Prayer in Islam envelopes both mind and body to the sole worship of God; glorifying Him, praising Him, exalting the Benevolent. This form of worship differs from other religions in the sense that other religions use supplication as the sole act of worship, whereas for Muslims, they serve two completely different purposes.

In modern day society, the pressures facing the Ummah (Muslim community) are great; however, the remedy can be just as simple—by keeping steadfast in the daily prayers and having tawakkul (reliance on God), we make ourselves vulnerable to Allah’s help and mercy. We all have an inherent thirst, a thirst for feeling whole, complete, accepted. A thirst quenched by prayer. The Creator can give and He can take. The more we rely on Him, the easier our lives become. The further we go from Him, the further He goes from us, too.

Abu Hurairah (may God have mercy on him) reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ”The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication (in this state).” (Al-Bukhari)

For our iman (faith) to grow, we need the proper infrastructure. Buildings use pillars to support their structure. Growth is weak without a solid foundation. Salah is the second pillar in Islam, the foundation of the religion. There are five pillars in Islam which a Muslim considers the basis of faith: Shahadah (testimony of faith), salah, zakat (charity tax), sawm (fasting), and hajj (pilgrimage). If a person is ill, he/she is excused from fasting; if a person is poor, he/she is excused from paying zakat or performing hajj; however, there is no excuse for salah (aside from the monthly impurities women face). If a person is sick, he may pray sitting down. If he cannot do so, then he may pray lying down, if that is impossible, then he may pray with his eyes. Case in point, no excuses.

Allah has commanded us to indulge in the purification of our souls. The modern day focus lies on perfecting the physical appearance; whereas, the Islamic perspective is rooted in perfecting the inward appearance. Insha’Allah (God willing), we take a few minutes out of our day to hurry to success and thank the Almighty, to ask from the Almighty, and to worship the Almighty.

May we uphold His decree to the best of our abilities and be rewarded with Jannah.

Ameen.

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Source: suhaibwebb.com

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Categories
Divine Unity New Muslims

What Disbelief Says about God and Existence

sky_nature

It’s when man witnesses a superb plan in the universe, but fails to see the Planner behind it.

Disbelief: A Crime against Whom?

There is a man who, although a born Muslim and unconsciously remaining one throughout his life, does not exercise his faculties of reason, intellect and intuition to recognize his Lord and Creator and misuses his freedom of choice by choosing to deny Him. Such a man becomes an unbeliever; in the language of Islam, a kafir.

Kufr literally means ‘to cover’ or ‘to conceal’. The man who denies God is called kafir (concealer) because he conceals by his disbelief what is inherent in his nature and embalmed in his own soul, for his nature is instinctively imbued with ‘Islam’.

His whole body functions in obedience to that instinct. Each and every particle of existence, living or lifeless, functions in accordance with ‘Islam’ and is fulfilling the duty that has been assigned to it. But the vision of this man has been blurred, his intellect has been befogged, and he is unable to see the obvious.

His own nature has become concealed from his eyes and he thinks and acts in utter disregard of it. Reality becomes estranged from him and he gropes in the dark. Such is the nature of kufr.

Kufr is a form of ignorance, or, rather, it is ignorance. What ignorance can be greater than to be ignorant of God, the Creator, the Lord of the Universe?

A man observes the vast panorama of nature, the superb mechanism that is ceaselessly working, the grand design that is manifest in every aspect of creation; he observes this vast machine, but he does not know anything of its Maker and Director.

He knows what a wonderful organism his body is but is unable to comprehend the Force that brought it into existence, the Engineer Who designed and produced it, the Creator Who made the unique living being out of lifeless stuff: carbon, calcium, sodium and the like. He witnesses a superb plan in the universe, but fails to see the Planner behind it.

He sees great beauty and harmony in its working, but not the Creator. He observes a wonderful design in nature, but not the Designer!

How can a man, who has so blinded himself to reality, approach true knowledge? How can one who has made the wrong beginning reach the right destination?

He will fail to find the key to reality. The right path will remain concealed for him and whatever his endeavours in science and arts, he will never be able to attain truth and wisdom. He will be groping in the darkness of ignorance.

Not only that; kufr is a tyranny, the worst of all tyrannies. And what is ‘tyranny’? It is an unjust use of force or power. It is when you compel a thing to act unjustly or against its true nature, its real will and its inherent attitude.

We have seen that all that is in the universe is obedient to God, the Creator. To obey, to live in accordance with His will and His law or (to put it more precisely) to be a Muslim is ingrained in the nature of things. God has given man power over these things, but it is incumbent that they should be used for the fulfillment of His will and not otherwise.

 Greatest Tyranny

Anyone who disobeys God and resorts to kufr perpetrates the greatest injustice, for he uses his powers of body and mind to rebel against the course of nature and becomes an instrument in the drama of disobedience. He bows his head before deities other than God and cherishes in his heart the love, reverence and fear of other powers in utter disregard of the instinctive urge of these organs. He uses his own powers and all those things over which he has authority against the explicit will of God and thus establishes a reign of tyranny.

Can there be any greater injustice, tyranny and cruelty than that exhibited by this man who exploits and misuses everything under the sun and unscrupulously forces them to a course which affronts nature and justice?

Kufr is not mere tyranny; it is rebellion, ingratitude and infidelity. After all, what is the reality of man? Where do his power and authority come from? Is he himself the creator of his mind, his heart, his soul and other organs of his body, or have they been created by God? Has he himself created the universe and all that is in it, or has it been created by God?

Who has harnessed all the powers and energies for the service of man; man or God? If everything has been created by God and God alone, then to whom do they belong? Who is their rightful sovereign? It is God and none else.

And if God is the Creator, the Master and the Sovereign, then who would be a greater rebel than the man who uses God’s creation against His injunctions, and who makes his mind think against God, harbors in his heart thoughts against Him, and uses his various faculties against the Sovereign’s Will.

nature_creation

If God is the Creator, the Master and the Sovereign, then who would be a greater rebel than the man who uses God’s creation against His injunctions, makes his mind think against Him.

If a servant betrays his master you denounce him as faithless. If an officer becomes disloyal to the state you brand him as a traitor and renegade. If a person cheats his benefactor you have no hesitation in condemning him as ungrateful. But such acts cannot begin to compare to the one which the disbeliever commits by his kufr.

All that a man has and all that he uses for the benefit of others is a gift of God. The greatest obligation that a man owes on this earth is to his parents. But who has implanted the love of children in the parents’ heart? Who endowed the mother with the will and power to nurture, nourish and feed her children? Who inspired the parents with the passion to spend everything in their possession for the well-being of their children?

A little reflection would reveal that God is the greatest benefactor of man. He is his Creator, Lord, Nourisher, Sustainer, as well as King and Sovereign. So what can be greater betrayal, ingratitude, rebellion and treason than kufr, through which a man denies and disobeys his real Lord and Sovereign?

How Does It Affect, Whom?

Do not think that by committing kufr man does or can do the least harm to Almighty God. Insignificant speck on the face of a tiny ball in this limitless universe that man is, what harm can he do to the Lord of the Universe Whose dominions are so infinitely vast that we have not yet been able to explore their boundaries even with the help of the most powerful telescope; Whose power is so great that myriads of heavenly bodies, like the earth, the moon, the sun and the stars are, at His bidding, whirling like tiny balls; Whose wealth is so boundless that He is the sole Master of the whole universe; and Who provides for all and needs none to provide for Him? Man’s revolt against Him can do Him no harm; on the other hand, by his disobedience, man treads the path of ruin and disgrace.

The inevitable consequence of this revolt and denial of reality is a failure in the ultimate ideals of life. Such a rebel will never find the thread of real knowledge and vision; for knowledge that fails to reveal its own Creator can reveal no truth. Such a man’s intellect and reason always run astray, for reason which errs about its own Creator cannot illumine the paths of life.

Such a man will meet with failures in all the affairs of his life. His morality, his civic and social life, his struggle for livelihood and his family life, in short, his entire existence, will be unsatisfactory.

He will spread confusion and disorder. He will, without the least compunction, shed blood, violate other men’s rights and generally act destructively. His perverted thoughts and ambitions, his blurred vision and distorted scale of values, and his evil activities will make life bitter for him and for all around him.

Such a man destroys the calm and pose of life on earth. And in the life hereafter he will be held guilty for the crimes he committed against his nature. Every organ of his body; his brain, eyes, nose, hands and feet will complain against the injustice and cruelty he had subjected them to. Every tissue of his being will denounce him before God Who, as the fountain of justice, will punish him as he deserves.

This is the inglorious consequence of Kufr. It leads to the blind alleys of utter failure, both here and hereafter.

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The article is an excerpt from the book “Towards Understanding Islam” by Abul A`la Al-Mawdudi.

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Categories
Family New Muslims

Wife Beating

Are women inferior to men? How can understand verse 34 of Surat an-Nisaa’? What about wife beating? How did the Prophet deal with his wives? Did the Prophet ever beat them? Watch Yusuf Estes answering these questions and more.

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Categories
ABC's of Islam New Muslims

Islam is Not Merely Ideas

Islam does not draw a distinction between the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ aspects of life, between belief and actions

No Muslim can accept the categorization of Islam as merely an “idea”. Islam is based on the word of God, revealed syllable by syllable to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) 1400 years ago. Thus, it is not merely idea; rather it is an idea, ideology, the truth and a complete way of life. As the Qur’an states:

Whoever wishes for a way of life other that Islam, never will it be accepted from him and in the Hereafter he will be amongst the losers. (Aal `Imran 3: 85)

God mentions that this religion has been completed and perfected, and has no need for alteration or adjustment:

This day I completed your religion for you and perfected My favor upon you and chosen for your way of life Islam. (Aal `Imran 3:85)

The Prophet also said: “There is not one thing that shall bring you closer to the Paradise and away from the Fire without me having informed you of it, and there is not one thing that will take you away from Paradise and towards the Fire except that I have warned you about it.” (Musnad Ash- Shafi`i and others)

It is true that Islam does not draw a distinction between the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ aspects of life, between belief and actions, religion and politics; in reality, such distinctions are fallacious. Man’s beliefs are the foundations and prime motivators for actions, for what is held to be true on the inside must manifest itself outwardly.

Indeed, the very first task given to Prophet Muhammad was to correct the false beliefs. It was not that the pagan Arabs did not believe in God, the Creator. In fact, the Qur’an tells the Prophet:

If you ask them who sends down rain from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death? They would certainly say ‘Allah!’ Say: ‘All praise and thanks be to Allah!’ Nay! Most of them have no sense. (Al-`Ankabut 29:63)

The pagan Arabs used to worship Allah, pray to Him and sacrifice to Him in times of need and distress, as did the Jews and Christians, and they even claimed to love Him, but Allah rejected their actions  and referred to them as ‘senseless’, ‘astray’ and ‘disbelievers’. Hence, this is the reality concerning most of the men and Jinn; they claim to believe in Allah and worship Allah, but what they believe about Him is incorrect and the way they worship Him is incorrect.

Most of them do not believe in Allah except while joining partners with Him (Yusuf 12:106)

There is one common cause for this rejection, that is, thinking and speaking about God without knowledge, and thus ascribing to Him that which should not be ascribed to Him, such as sons, or daughters, or human qualities and weaknesses; claiming that some of the creation possess His powers and abilities, or by claiming that He, the Majestic, is pleased by some action that in fact angers Him, or that He is angered by some action that in fact pleases Him.

Thus,  the idol worshippers call upon that which can neither benefit nor harm them; the Christians call upon Jesus ; the Jews believe their racial origins guarantee His good pleasure; and there are those who believe that power and wealth are means of success — all have put their faith and trust in something in vain. This in itself is a great evil, for they have only wasted their time and effort, yet this is least of the evil consequences.

As for that which is most severe- those who have fallen into associating partners with God, have earned His anger and wrath, and upon them shall fall humiliation in this life and a most terrible fate in the next:

Surely Allah will not forgive al-Shirk (the association of partners with Him), but He forgives sins less than that of whomever He wishes. (An-Nisaa’ 4:48)

So Shirk or ascribing partners to God (whatever form it may take) is an unforgivable sin, because it is the source of all evil, the greatest injustice, the worst oppression and wrongdoing. For, if one is unafraid of speaking about Allah without knowledge (and this knowledge is attained only through Him, for He is the best knower of Himself and His will) and that which pleases and displeases Him, then what will one be afraid of speaking about ignorantly?

Witnessing the destructive forces of nature and the untold misfortunes and miseries over which God alone has ultimate power and control, both in this life and the next, anyone would realize that God is the most worthy of being feared. Similarly, anyone contemplating the miraculous order, precision and symbiosis within the earth and universe, must realize the unparalleled knowledge and wisdom of its Creator.

If one is heedless of transgressing the laws of Allah, and attaches little or no importance to them, or worse considers them bad, evil, and outdated, then what of the laws conceived in the limited minds of men? If one is ungrateful to his Lord, the Provider of all, then of what little consequence to such a one is ingratitude to the creation? If one denies the rights and dues of Allah, which are the most worthy of being fulfilled, then what rights and dues will such a person be fearful of denying?

Imagine the case of a fictional worker in a company owned and run by you, who believes you are the lavatory cleaner and the lavatory cleaner is the director! Would there not be evil results? Would you tolerate such a person? If so, for how long?

Now envisage this fool teaching this to others and insisting on it, so that the majority of the company came to believe it, ignoring your orders and prohibitions and inventing their own rules, making the lavatory cleaner who is deaf and dumb their guide!

The true causes of the evils that beset mankind are disbelief, sinfulness and ingratitude to God:

And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much. (Ash-Shura 42:30)

The Prophet said: “There is none who has a greater sense of ghayrah (a feeling of great fury and anger when one’s honor and prestige is injured or challenged) than Allah, and so He has forbidden shameful deeds and sins. And there is none who likes to be praised more than Allah does.” (Al-Bukhari)

Allah is more infuriated by the disobedience of His slave than a man of honor who finds his wife fornicating with another man. So how is His fury with those who insult Him by ascribing rivals and partners with Him, while He is Glorious above such things! In addition, the evil consequences are not limited to this life, as the Qur’an says:

Verily, those who disbelieved and die while they are disbelievers, the whole earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom. For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers. (Aal `Imran 3:91)

The Prophet explained:

“On the Day of Judgment, the disbeliever will be asked: ‘Suppose you had as much gold as to fill the earth, would you offer it to ransom yourself from the hell-fire?’ He will reply: ‘Yes!’ Then it will be said to him: ‘You were asked for something easier than that; that you should join none in worship with Allah, and submit yourself to Him, but you refused.’”  (Al-Bukhari)

The message of all the Prophets (peace be upon them) is one and the same:

Verily, We have sent to every nation a Messenger, saying: ‘Worship Allaah and avoid false objects of worship.’ (An-Nahl 16:36)

Indeed this is the very purpose for which Allah created mankind, as He says:

I did not create the Jinn and mankind except for My worship (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

Hence,  shirk (ascribing partners to God) is in contradiction to the reason for which we exist- which is to single out God for worship, avoiding all false deities and to worship Him completely, with sacrifice, supplication, submission, subjugation, obedience, compliance; and with love, fear, hope, trust and reliance upon Him, seeking only His pleasure and not the admiration of His creatures; and to do all of that according to that which was revealed to His last and final Messenger Muhammad and not according to whims, desires and mere conjecture.

Furthermore, of immediate relevance to the discussion, are those qualities unique to Allah that single Him out, such as Al-Hakam (The Judge); Al-Hakeem (The Wise) and Al -‘Alim (The All-Knowing). Not only is Allah the Creator, Controller and Sustainer, He is also the Sole Possessor of the wisdom and knowledge, to legislate for mankind and to determine what is good and what is evil, what is right and what is wrong, what is lawful and what is prohibited; thus extending to the laws we should judge by and the social, economic and political system we should utilize:

And no partner in legislating has He – He is Alone. (Al-Kahf 18:60)

Allah admonished the Jews and Christians and called them disbelievers:

…taking their priests and rabbis as lords besides Allah. (At-Tawbah 9:31)

If God blamed the Jews and Christians for accepting changes and alterations made by the men learned in the Scripture and Divine legislation, for making the forbidden allowed and vice versa, then how about those who accept such actions from every Tom, Dick and Harry, who have no scripture, no wisdom and only pure speculation, whims and desires?

Islam makes no distinction between outward and inner, private and public life. People should not adopt ways of the worst error: disobedience to and rebellion against Allaah and not commit the unforgivable sin of ascribing partners to Him.

 

 

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Source: Islamweb.net

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