Issue 98 » December 29, 2000 -
General
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QURAN
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Translation:
"The earth shall be inherited by My righteous servants. "
[Al-Quran- Sura Al-Anbiya 21: 105]
Tafseer:
This verse has been seriously
misinterpreted by some people; this has led to a view that
strikes at the very root of Quranic teachings and negates
the whole world-view of Islam.
The misconception:
- This verse guarantees
the inheritance of the earth (i.e. governance of and control
over the resources of the earth) only to the righteous;
that God will bestow this bounty on them alone.
Conclusion based on the misconception:
- The enjoyment of political
power is the criterion of righteousness; that those who
enjoy it are righteous; whilst those who do not have it
are unrighteous.
Reason for the misconception:
- This is because of
some Muslims' obsession with material progress, a progress
which has caused them to lose their poise and allowed them
to without hesitation, distort the teachings of Quran.
The proper meaning:
- Taking into consideration
the whole of the Quran and the context the verse was revealed
in, it means that in the World to Come, the inheritors of
the earth will be righteous.
- In accordance with
God's will, the temporary inheritance of the land is conferred
on believers and as well as unbelievers, and both the sinners
and the righteous share it. Being a trial, conducted in
accordance with God's law, it is served on different communities
in turn.
[Compiled
from "Towards Understanding the Quran",
by S. Abul Ala Maududi, vol. V]
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Signs
Before the Hour- What have we prepared for it?
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>
Other Major Signs<
The Ulama
(scholars of Islam) differ concerning the order in
which the other greater signs of the Hour (i.e. signs other
than appearance of Dajjal, Prophet Jesus, Imam
Mahdi, Yajuj and Majuj) will come about.
They are:
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The destruction of the Kabah (in Holy Masjid in Makkah) and the recovery of its treasure
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The rising of the sun from West
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The emergence pf the Beast from the Earth
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The Smoke
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A wind will take away the souls of the believers
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The Quran will be taken up into the heaven
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A fire will drive the people to their last gathering place
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The Trumpet will be blown: at the first sound everyone will feel terror; at the second sound or blowing, all people and creation will be struck down; at the last sound all will be resurrected (for final judgment in front of Allah)
[Taken from "The
Signs before the Day of Judgment", by Ibn
Katheer (Rahimahullah)]
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Hadith
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SIX
DAYS OF SHAWWAL- Another Opportunity!
Abu
Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "He who
fasts Ramadan, and six (days) of Shawwal, it will be (equivalent
to) as if he fasted a whole year (in terms of rewards)."
(Reported
by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood,
Ahmad, Ibn Majah)
Explanation: In commenting on the above mentioned Hadith, As-Sananee said in Subul us-Salam: "If the thirty days of Ramadan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Shariah (Islamic law), each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 days with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year of Islamic calendar. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadan. Some believe that it is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct."
Explanation: In commenting on the above mentioned Hadith, As-Sananee said in Subul us-Salam: "If the thirty days of Ramadan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Shariah (Islamic law), each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 days with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year of Islamic calendar. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadan. Some believe that it is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct."
(Taken
from http://www.islaam.com
)
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Reflections
on Tazkiya and Self-Development
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What
is TAZKIYA and our Ultimate Goal?
The
path to God is only illuminated when a person recognizes
the central place of God, Allah, in his or her own life
and strives hard to develop his or her self accordingly.
The Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him) said, "If
someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the sight
of God, he has to only look at what place he gives
to God (in his heart and life)," (Hakim).
The
term nearest to "Self-Development" in the Quranic
vocabulary is TAZKIYA. Tazkiya means purification
and refers to: (1) the cleansing of the human self from
all that is unwholesome, undesirable, and unwelcome; (2)
it also refers to the nurturing and strengthening of all
the qualities within human self that are essential for growth
and development, for blossoming and flowering.
The
Goal in Life:
Success
and happiness in this world and the Hereafter depend on
Tazkiya- i.e. the purification and nurturing of our personality.
The Quran states that the true success is only reserved
for those who seek to purify themselves: "Successful
indeed is the one who purifies his self," (Sura
Ash-Shams 91:9). Our personality comprises not only
the physical body but also the mind and the heart, feelings
and attitudes, character and behavior. Proper nurturing
and development of these elements will produce desirable
goals. When goals are desirable, the process of aspiring
to and working towards them also become desirable. This
is part of the human nature. It is critical, therefore,
that we recognize and understand the true nature of our
ultimate goal in life.
For
the Believer, the most coveted goal in life is to seek the
good pleasure of Allah and Janna (Paradise). Know,
however, that attaining the pleasure of Allah takes precedence
over seeking Janna but the two are closely connected.
Paradise can only be attained through seeking Allah's pleasure,
and when Allah's pleasure is gained, we will indeed be granted
Paradise. As Allah says in the Quran: "Indeed Allah
has purchased from the Believers their lives and their possessions,
promising them Paradise, in return," (Sura Al-Tawba
9:111).
The
alternate to attaining Paradise in the Hereafter is to be
placed in Jahannam (Hellfire) and to receive punishments.
What is it that makes a person deserving of such a suffering?
The answer is to be found in Sura Al-Hadid (57:20):
"...for life of this world is nothing but enjoyment
of self-delusion." Hellfire, therefore, is for those
who seek as their ultimate goal in life, not the pleasure
of Allah or Paradise, but the enjoyment of worldly gains.
The pursuit of worldly gain is but a mirage. All worldly
gains are left behind when you die. All that remains on
earth is bound to perish, while Allah and His good pleasure
will remain for ever!
To be continued
in the next issue....
[Taken from "In
the Early Hours" by Ustadh Khurram
Murad (Rahimahullah), edited by Riza Mohammed]
[A book review of "In
the Early Hours" is available at: http://www.youngmuslims.ca/bookreview/default.asp]