Marriage is not always easy. Spouses fight. Here is a dua to resolve fights between spouses. This is recited by Saad Al Qureshi.
Oh Allah, reconcile us and created the bond of love (harmony) between our hearts. Oh! The Merciful and Compassionate.
اللهم أصلح ذات بيننا وألف بين قلوبنا يا ارحم الراحمين
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Allah looks for any excuse to show His mercy did you know that? Allah tells us when we seek forgiveness, He will forgive us.
If we didn’t seek forgiveness for minor sins, but we are doing good deeds consistently, these good deeds will wipe out the minor sins.
What about the major sins? We can’t just seek normal forgiveness, we have some steps to follow for a specific repentance for a major sin. Once we have fulfilled those conditions of the repentance for the major sin, then we are forgiven.
Allah tells us to seek repentance constantly. This is not because we doubt the mercy of Allah but it is because seeking forgiveness constantly brings us closer to Allah.
The post Allah Looks for any Excuse to Show His Mercy. appeared first on About Islam.
A common question that is both basic yet extremely profound, posed by many critics of the Islamic tradition, is whether or not the Quran is a relevant book.
Does the Quran promote concepts that provide answers for humans to live healthy and beneficial lives – for both themselves and the world around them?
Take a look at how Dr. Joseph Lumbard tackles this issue in the following video:
The Quran, beyond the shadow of a doubt, remains relevant to the questions we have today. One of the things that one can find, for example, is that there is a deep doctrine regarding the natural environment within the Quran.
It is so much so that one author, Reza Shah Qasimi, has said that if in fact the vision of tawheed that you had in the Quran were maintained, you wouldn’t have the environmental crisis.
The morals of the Quran are applicable under different circumstances at any time.
Just take, for example, the verse that reads {eat and drink but not to excess.} (Al-A`raf 7:31) This verse is the basis of modern nutrition. It is the basis of nutrition for all time.
It is also the basis of maintaining a good relationship with the whole of the natural environment.
This verse really tells us what our conduct should be in relation to the environment, in relation to our own health at all times and at all ages. How could it not be applicable?
I mean, this is something that one even finds, for example, in the works of Galen and in the works of modern medicine. So, certainly it is.
In addition to that, one finds in the Quran, for example, the basic understanding of our relationship with wealth.
The Quran makes it clear that wealth is not really ours; it belongs to God. We have to treat it as such and we have to share it with others.
You do not have an income tax, but you have a tax on excess wealth. Imagine, if you had no income tax for people but you had a tax on people’s excess wealth, we would have a far more balanced economy in places like the United States.
If we did that, we would have a far more participatory economy and much less poverty. These are principles in the Quran that can be applied not only in Islamic civilizations but also can be used within other civilizations.
There was even a study done by a German economist that said that; it would be better to put a small tax on people’s residual wealth than to have an income tax and it would be better for the economy.
This scholar did this study having no knowledge of Islamic economics. He just came up with it on her own. And it completely confirms the Islamic, you might say, socio-economic model.
There are many other examples that one could find in the Quran.
The Quran has a message for all time, not only in terms of faith and relationship with God, but also, in terms of how we live in the modern world and how we confront many of the obstacles that we have before us; the Quran does give us solutions for how to overcome them.
Source: Bayan Islamic Graduate School
The post Is the Quran Relevant to Today’s Questions? appeared first on About Islam.
The Islamic Center of St. Joseph is celebrating a decade in Northwest Missouri, leaping forward positively from a basement to an expanding space, enabling it to serve the community and build bridges.
“It’s amazing how something could start, just a small idea. It turns out to be really good thing. You don’t see it that way when you start it,” Imam Amro Nabil said, News Press Now reported.
Over the past years, the Islamic center has continued to host Muslim daily and weekly prayer.
Read Also: American Muslim Group Brings People Together with Art
“We started with a few people. And now … people know about it and they come in and they have proper spot, a proper place to pray,” Sharif Nazar said.
Serving Muslims is not the only role of the mosque, with its leaders opening doors to other faiths, expanding relationships with other faith communities.
“That’s what we work hard for us to do: Establish a base for Muslims to come and worship God and work with our other communities, such as the Christian or Jewish groups, and get to know each other a little bit better,” Nabil said.
“We have had much, much, much dialogue with this community. I’ve had the opportunity to speak and read at just about every church here,” he said.
Read Also: Texas Church Raises Funds to Repair Mosque
Ten years of work have been very rewarding, creating an understanding and respect in the community that tears down misconceptions in the media, TV and movies.
“We’re not going to change each other. We’re in America. So many people out there don’t even believe in God at all. So we believe every person has the right to believe — in peace — what they believe in,” Nabil said.
The Islamic Center consists of a modern, purpose-built 3,000 sq. foot building providing a main musullah (prayer hall) and a private sisters’ musallah, a multipurpose area, office space, and a kitchen.
The Islamic Center of St. Joseph volunteers regularly gives out presentations about Islam and receives visitors at the center.
According to the website, the mosque is open from before sunrise (at Fajr) to two hours after sunset (after Isha). Thus it is open all day to accommodate worshipers attending the five daily prayers.
The post Missouri Islamic Center Celebrates Decade of Serving Community appeared first on About Islam.
A few months ago, I had a very busy schedule, working on a big project with a colleague of mine and coming home to resume the tedious job of nurturing my household.
I was always striving to realize a new goal and meeting the excessive expectations I had of myself at the expense of being the well-rounded woman I was supposed to be.
In the process, I neglected myself. Days rolled in and out and in no time, I began to feel inadequate, looking at my reflection in the mirror and disliking what I saw.
I resented everything around me and my discomfort continued to grow. Then finally, I paused. It took me quite some time to figure out what was wrong and in the end, I realized that I wasn’t taking care of myself. This and not the things around me was what needed to be fixed.
This is not just to boost productivity and a positive life but is also a way of showing gratitude to Allah (SWT) for the precious gift of health and wellness. So many of us get too engrossed in the hurly – burly of life; neglecting ourselves in the process.
However, it won’t be long before we’re battered from exhaustion and we begin to operate in a mental fog which makes it difficult to forge ahead even in the daily activities that consume our time.
How then do we as Muslims set ourselves up for well-rounded success in this life and the next by practicing self-care? The secret lies in looking into the sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) to implement tiny self-care habits into our daily lives. Here are a few tips to ensure a proper care of ourselves:
• Eat in moderation. Narrow your food choices by picking a few healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners and rotating them for the week.
Drink an extra glass of water or add an extra portion of fruits or veggies to each meal. Include super foods from the sunnah like dates, raw honey, watermelon, yoghurt, cucumbers and what you have into your diet.
The Prophet (PBUH) said: “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are a few morsels to keep his back straight. But if he must fill it, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.” (Tirmidhi)
• Get active by taking walks at intervals or going up and down the stairs instead of taking the lift. You can also schedule at least 10 minutes every morning for light exercises. The Prophet(PBUH) used to keep fit by racing, riding horses and playing archery. He said:
“Teach your children swimming, archery and horse riding.” (Sahih Muslim)
• Give your body a treat by picking wardrobe items which feel great on your skin. Get at least ten minutes of the sun especially if you’re in a cold climate.
Squeeze out time at least once a week to pamper yourself by going for a spa or having a massage. Stay a bit longer in the bath tub or under the shower, then breathe, relax and feel refreshed.
• Take quick naps at least for ten to twenty minutes every day. This will reduce your sleep debt and get you ready to take on more tasks. The Prophet (PBUH) encouraged us to take short naps—Qailulah—between the hours of dhuhr and asr.
• Make out some time for meditation and reflection. Unplug yourself from the world for at least one hour. Switch off your cell phones and go somewhere quiet; probably a designated place for an uninterrupted “me” time.
Be still. Sit close to nature, perhaps somewhere green and be quiet for the short time. Tune in to your thoughts, feelings and sensations while breathing and reflect on your immediate environment.
The Prophet (PBUH) used to spend time alone for meditation in the cave of Hira and it was on one of these occasions that he received the first revelation from Allah ﷻ.
•Do a mini de-clutter every now and then by recycling three things from your closet that you don’t really love or wear. You can also fix a small provoking situation at home that’s been nagging you. It could be a leaking sink, a light bulb that’s gone or a broken door handle.
The post Self-Care – The Sunnah Way appeared first on About Islam.
الكل منا يناله نصيبه من البأساء والضراء، وأوقات الشدة تمر بالأفراد والمجتمعات، فهل تفكرنا في ما ينبغي علينا تجاهها؟
يقول الله عز وجل في كتابه الكريم:{ وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ } (الأنعام 42).
تلك إذن حكمة بالغة يغفل عنها الكثير وقل من يقف مع نفسه محاسبا لها، ويحيا يقظا لأنعم الله، شاكرا له عليها، وصابرا على البلاء والشدائد مستأنسا بتضرعه إلى الله.
لهذا صرنا غثاءا كغثاء السيل كما قال رسول الله ﷺ في الحديث الشريف: ” يُوشِكُ الأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا ” . فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَالَ ” بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزِعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمُ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهَنَ ” . فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْوَهَنُ قَالَ ” حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ ” (صححه الألباني).
هذه تذكرة لطيفة من الشيخ علي الطنطاوي -رحمه الله- بهذا المعنى الجليل.
The post هل فهمنا المقصد من البأساء والضراء.. أم قست قلوبنا؟ appeared first on About Islam.
Prophet Muhammad is the best role model for every aspect of life. He represented Islam in the best way and established the religion in the soundest foundations.
He practiced what he preached in his personality and immediate family first. When he invited people to live spiritual life he presented it best through his actions.
Prophet Muhammad’s most noteworthy legacy is his leadership in transforming a society otherwise immersed in centuries of feudal conflicts and disarray.
Limited by time and means, he eradicated all kinds of barbarism and savagery in the Arabian Peninsula and then embedded praiseworthy virtues in their hearts.
He appeared in a time when some people lived in monasteries while others drowned in luxury. He invited people to the balanced life with the Quranic instruction:
{Seek through that which God has given you the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as God has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, God does not like corrupters.} (Quran 28:77)
Indeed Prophet Muhammad was sent to establish balance between the material and spiritual life, reason and soul, this world and the next.
The Prophet inculcated spirituality in the hearts of his companions so deeply that it could be seen in every aspect of their lives. For example, Abu Bakr was elected by Muslims as the first caliph of Islam after the Prophet passed away. When he was offered a glass of cold water he suddenly burst into tears due to remembering an incident which he witnesses at the life of the Prophet. He reports it as follows:
“Once I was with God’s Messenger. He acted as if he were pushing something with his hand. I asked him what he was doing, and he replied:
‘The world appeared to me in the most beautiful form with all its luxury. I pushed it away, saying:
‘Leave me. You can’t seduce me.’
It withdrew and said: “I can’t conquer you, but I swear by God I’ll captivate those who come after you.’”
After narrating this Tradition, Abu Bakr concluded:
“Just now, I thought that the world tempted me with a glass of cold water, and I wept.” (Abu Nu‘aym, Hilyat al-Awliya’ wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya’, 1:30-31.)
Abu Bakr and most companions lived a spiritual life, despite the fact that they had every chance to live in comfort.
God sent Prophet Muhammad to educate people and elevate them to real humanity:
{It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger of their own, to recite to them His signs, to purify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, although they had been, before, in manifest error.} (62:2)
The Messenger was one of these people but being chosen by God, he did not belong to the Age of Ignorance.
However, he was unlettered so that God would teach him what he needed to know and in turn he would educate all people. He taught them about the meanings of the Quran and of creation in a gradual manner, and informed them how to become perfect human beings by striving for spiritual perfection.
Prophet Muhammad did not just purify people’s evil-commanding selves; rather, he raised human hearts, spirits, minds, and souls to their ideal level. His universal call encompasses all principles of economics, finance, administration, education, justice, military, politics, and science. But, in this article we will only focus on his spiritual aspect.
God chose Prophet Muhammad and Islam for all times and peoples, thus, Islam is the perfection of His universal favor upon His creation.
The Prophet Muhammad was a man but best of humanity for he transformed illiterate people into blessed saints and praiseworthy founders of the most magnificent civilization in history.
He was sent in a time when people drank alcohol, gambled, indulged in adultery and committed many other evils. However, he eradicated all these evils in a short period of time and replaced them with such deep-rooted values and virtues. He transformed rocks, coal, and copper into gold and diamonds.
God’s Messenger represented and expressed what he wanted to teach through his actions. He showed them how to be in awe of God, how to be humble, how to prostrate with deep feelings, and how to cry to God at night in his personality.
As a result, whatever he preached was accepted immediately by his followers. His words penetrated their hearts for they witnessed the best spiritual leader guiding them through his actions. Believers who seek purification, devotion to God, and desire to be close to Him should walk in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.
The companions would feel a sense of awe of God when looking at his face. Seeing his face was enough to remember God. He was trembling in his prayers with the fear of Hell and showing his followers how to pray in humility. While he was praying, a sound, like a boiling pot, was heard. He always prayed in tears with a burning heart. His wife A’isha often found him in the prostrating trembling and weeping. (Nasa’i, Sunan, Ishrat al-Nisa’,” 4.)
His behavior inspired everyone around him, thus they presented the best form of Islam. He brought up his companions so perfectly and they became the role models for all humanity.
The evil-commanding self wants people to ignore their God-given abilities and wants them to obey their bodily desires. However, human nature and its evil-commanding self can be trained through worship to the level:
{O self at peace! Return unto your Master, well-pleased, well-pleasing} (89:27-8)
Believers who achieved this level of spirituality are the nearest servants to God. When people see them they remember God, for they are the best representatives of servanthood.
The companions are the best people among human beings because they followed the instructions of Prophet Muhammad and reached moral and spiritual perfection.
The Prophet was the best role model for them by becoming the beloved of their hearts, the teacher of their minds, the trainer of their souls, and the ruler of their spirits. He was not a role model only to the people of his own time and place, rather he is the best example for all humanity in all times.
Many world-renowned individuals have been trained with the instructions of Prophet Muhammad and presented best spiritual lives. For example, Tariq ibn Ziyad, an emancipated Berber slave, when he conquered Spain with 90,000 valiant warriors and went to king’s treasury in Palace he shed tears saying:
“Be careful, Tariq. Yesterday you were a slave with a chain around your neck. God emancipated you, and today you are a victorious commander. However, you will change tomorrow into flesh rotting under earth. Finally, a day will come when you will stand in the Presence of God.” (Fethullah Gulen, Messenger of God: Muhammad, p. 191)
One of the aspects of the Prophet’s spiritual life is his prayers and supplications. He always prayed to God in every parts of life. Because, prayer is a cornerstone of servanthood to God, and the Messenger is the best in this regard.
Due to his knowledge of God, the Prophet loved and feared God most. He was well conscious that everything depends on God for its existence and subsistence, thus the Prophet combined action with prayer and left the result to God with absolute confidence. When we read the Prophet’s prayers and supplications we see profound belief, deep sincerity, absolute submission and complete confidence.
I will give two examples to elaborate the topic better. He was supplicating God with the following words before sleeping:
“O God, hoping for (Your Mercy) and fearing (Your wrath), I submit myself to You, refer my affairs to You, and take refuge in You. There is no refuge or source of safety from Your wrath except You. I believe in the Book You sent down, and the Prophet you raised. (Bukhari, Sahih, “Da‘awat,” 6)
Although God protected Prophet Muhammad from committing a sin even in his pre-Islamic life he was praying with these words:
“O God, put between me and errors a distance as great as that which you have put between East and West. O God, cleanse me of my errors as a white garment is cleansed of dirt.” (Bukhari, “Adhan,” 89)
Prophet Muhammad was extremely sensitive in practicing Islam. Although he was innocent, he spent more than half the night praying and crying, and sometimes fasted two or three successive days. However, he did not want to bring burden his community, he always guided them to the balanced life.
When people complained that an imam was prolonging the prayer, the Prophet mounted the pulpit and said:
“O people! You cause people to dread the prayer. When you lead a prayer, don’t prolong it, for there are people among you who are sick or old or in urgent need.” (Bukhari, “‘Ilm,” 28)
The Messenger regarded himself a traveler in this world. Once he said:
“What connection do I have with this world? I am like a traveler who takes shade under a tree and then continues on his way.” (Bukhari, “Riqaq,” 3)
Once ‘Umar saw him lying on a rough mat and wept. When the Messenger asked him why he was weeping, ‘Umar replied:
“O Messenger of God, while kings sleep in soft feather beds, you lie on a rough mat. You are the Messenger of God, and as such deserve an easy life more than anyone else.”
He answered:
“Don’t you agree that the luxuries of the world should be theirs, and that those of the Hereafter should be ours?” (Muslim, “Talaq,” 31)
Islam does not approve of monastic life. Although the Prophet presented the utmost spiritual life he warned his followers against extremism.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al As reports:
“It was conveyed to the Messenger of God that I observe fast successively and pray during the whole night. The Prophet said:
“It has been conveyed to me that you observe fast continuously and do not break it and pray during the whole night. Don’t do that for there is share for your eyes, share for your own self, share for your family; so observe fast and break it, pray and sleep and observe fast for one day during the ten days, and there is a reward for you (for other) nine days.” (Muslim, Sahih, Siyam, 35)
Humility is the measure of one’s greatness and spiritual life. The Prophet is the greatest of humanity, yet acted in great modesty. Although the companions respected the Prophet at utmost level, he never regarded himself greater than anybody. He lived and dressed like the poorest people. He would sit and eat with slaves and servants.
Once a woman saw him eating and remarked:
“He eats like a slave.”
The Messenger replied:
“Could there be a better slave than me? I am a slave of God.” (Haythami, Majma‘, 9:21)
While the Muslims were building their mosque in Madinah, the Prophet carried two sun-dried bricks; everyone else carried one. (Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, 1: 240.)
While digging the trench to defend Madinah, the companions bound a stone around their stomachs to quell their hunger; the Messenger bound two. (At-Tirmidhi, Sunan, “Zuhd,” 39)
Another time, an insane woman pulled him by the hand and said:
“Come with me and do my housework.” He complied with her request. (Abu Dawud, “Manasik,” 56)
Aisha reported that the Messenger patched his clothes, repaired his shoes, and helped his wives with the housework. (At-Tirmidhi, Sunan, Shama’il, 78)
Although he has the highest rank at God’s side, he regarded himself as an ordinary servant of God.
One day, while sitting with Archangel Gabriel, the Prophet told that he had not eaten for several days. Right after this, God sent an angel and asked:
“O Messenger of God, God greets you and asks if you wish to be a Prophet–king or a Prophet–slave?”
The Messenger replied:
“I wish to be a Prophet–slave, who entreats God in hunger one day and thanks Him in satisfaction the next.” (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:231)
Aisha reported that sometimes no food was cooked for four successive days in their house. (Bukhari, Sahih, “Riqaq,” 17)
Abu Hurayra reports:
“Once I went into the Prophet’s room. He was praying while seated and groaning. I asked him if he was ill. He replied that he was too hungry to stand. I began to sob bitterly, but he stopped me, saying:
“Don’t cry, for one who endures hunger here will be safe from God’s torment in the next.” (Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, 7:199)
Conclusion
All these examples show that Prophet Muhammad is exemplary role model for all humanity in all their affairs. He is the best example for spiritual perfection.
With the best examples in his personal life he taught humanity that by renouncing worldly pleasures and resisting carnal desires they can be real servants of God.
They can live a spiritual life by refraining from sin in fear of God despite the world’s carnal and material aspects by following the footsteps of the Prophet. He taught them that they should renounce this world’s temporary ease and comfort for the sake of eternal happiness in the Hereafter.
Spiritual person is always thankful to God as the Prophet was and refrains from hoarding money and wealth.
Spiritual life is presented by the Prophet as observing the rules of Islam even in moments of depression and living for others’ happiness and comfort.
Prophet Muhammad lived as the poorest of his people and set the most excellent example for his community.
In his spiritual leadership, the Prophet represented the best servanthood by showing his followers in his prayers how to be in awe of God, how to be humble, how to prostrate with deep feelings, and how to cry to God at night. He was trembling in his prayers with the fear of God. He spent more than half the night praying and crying.
I like to conclude this essay with the following verse:
{Assuredly you have in God’s Messenger an excellent example to follow for whoever looks forward to God and the Last Day, and remembers and mentions God much.} (33:21)
The post Prophet Muhammad – The Spiritual Leader appeared first on About Islam.
History has been made with a Scot Muslim being elected to lead Scottish Labour party on Saturday, February 27.
He won the snap election triggered by the surprise resignation of Richard Leonard six weeks ago.
Sarwar, a former deputy leader of Scottish Labour backed by a majority of the party’s parliamentarians, defeated the other candidate Monica Lennon, a less experienced MSP backed on the party’s left, winning 57.6% of the vote, The Guardian reported.
Read Also: Scottish Muslim MP Counters Islamophobia, Xenophobia
“You haven’t had the Scottish Labour party you deserve – with rising injustice, inequality and division, I’m sorry we haven’t been good enough,” he said in his acceptance speech.
“I want to say directly to the people of Scotland, I know Labour has a lot of work to do to win back your trust. Because if we’re brutally honest, you haven’t had the Scottish Labour party you deserve.”
He added: “Today we have elected the first ever ethnic minority leader of a political party in the UK.
“That doesn’t say something about me. That says something great about Scotland and its people. But the fight for equality is far from over.
“And I’ll work with all our diverse communities in Scotland to rebuild the country we love.”
Humza Yousaf, the SNP justice secretary and Scotland’s first Muslim cabinet minister, congratulated Sarwar on his victory.
Will do politics another day, but today can I congratulate @AnasSarwar on becoming @scottishlabour leader – think this makes him first Muslim & Person of Colour leading a political party in UK, an incredible & historic achievement of which I am proud of him for. Well done Anas
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) February 27, 2021
Born in Glasgow in 1983, Sarwar is the son of the first Muslim MP, as his father was elected to Glasgow Central in 1997.
He left his job as a dentist in 2010 for politics, winning the same Westminster seat as his father in an election in which the Labour party lost power after 13 years to a Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition.
Sarwar was elected to be deputy leader of Scottish Labour from 2011 to 2014, taking the job of coordinating the party’s campaign during the independence referendum.
Sarwar was elected at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election on the Glasgow regional list.
Having been defeated in the 2017 Scottish Labour leadership election by Richard Leonard, he has now become a leader of the Scottish Labour Party in the 2021 leadership election.
The post Anas Sarwar Elected First UK Muslim Leader of a Party appeared first on About Islam.
El Sagrado Corán es la última revelación de Dios a la humanidad. Es la última de una larga seria de mensajes, revelaciones, que Dios ha mandado a todas las comunidades. El Corán fue revelado al Profeta Muhammad a lo largo de 23 años. Un estudio detallado de las correlaciones, temáticas, lenguaje, etc. nos muestra muchos de los milagros del Corán que no pueden ser meras coincidencias o fruto del azar y son testamento a su veracidad.
Entre las muchas correlaciones numéricas que encontramos en el Corán está la coincidencia en el número de apariciones de las palabras relacionadas con la equidad, “qist” y sus derivados, y las relacionadas con la balanza, “wazn” y sus derivados.
Vamos a seguir el consejo del propio Corán y verificar la información. ¿Es cierto que los derivados de la palabra equidad y balanza aparecen igual número de veces en el Corán?
Si introducimos la raíz “q-s-t” en nuestro buscador del Corán nos aparecen 25 resultados. Las palabras “tuqsit”, ser justo; “qasit”, más justo; “qist” justicia; y “muqsitin” justos, están todas relacionadas con la justicia o la equidad. No debemos tener en cuenta la palabra “qasitun” que no está relacionada con la equidad, significa precisamente perversos o desviados.
Las palabras relacionadas con la equidad o el “qist” en todo el Corán son 23.
Introduzcamos ahora en nuestro buscador de palabras del Corán la raíz “w-z-n”, balanza. Obtenemos 23 resultados. Es decir las palabras derivadas de la equidad y de la balanza en todo el Corán son exactamente las mismas: 23.
El propio Corán une estos dos conceptos en numerosos versículos. Por ejemplo:
Ser cumplidores en la medida y en la balanza, con equidad.
Corán, 6:152
Estableceremos las balanzas de la equidad el Día de la Resurrección de manera que nadie será objeto de injusticia, en absoluto.
Corán, 21:47
Sopesad con equidad y no causéis pérdida. en la balanza.
Corán, 55:9
Ciertamente hemos enviado a nuestros mensajeros con las evidencias, y hemos hecho descender junto a ellos la ley y la balanza a fin de que establezcan la equidad para las personas.
Corán, 57:25
Este es uno de muchos casos extraordinarios en que vemos que dos conceptos aparecen relacionados a lo largo del Corán, y vemos que al contar el número de sus apariciones, o las apariciones de sus derivados, éstos coinciden.
Tengamos en cuenta que el Corán fue revelado de forma progresiva y por parte durante más de dos décadas y a la muerte del profeta Muhammad, que paz sea con él, no se había hecho un volumen escrito ni se habían numerado los Suras y los versículos; mucho menos se habían contado las palabras.
Este tipo de correlaciones, no obstante, se cuentan por docenas en el Corán.
¿Cuántas probabilidades hay de que esto sea producto del azar?
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Dans cette vidéo, Pr. Franck Amine Hensch nous parle de l’amour envers le Prophète Mohammad (Sallah Allah Alaihi Wa Sallam) ainsi que la façon d’y parvenir.
En fait, le Prophète Mohammad ne fut envoyé qu’en miséricorde pour l’univers (Coran 21 : 107)
Alors comment s’est traduite cette miséricorde? Comment ce Messager a réussi à réformer les cœurs ainsi qu’à réformer les consciences? Bref, comment a-t-il réussi cette mission?
Tout d’abord, le Prophète Mohammad nous rappelle l’une de ses fonctions principales, en disant: «Je suis pour vous à l’image de père qui vous enseigne et qui vous éduque.»
Mais, pourquoi la figure du père ici? Car, le père évidemment est cette personne qui a cet amour inconditionnel et profond pour ses enfants. C’est lui qui est prêt à tout sacrifier pour eux. Le seul qui s’inquiète le plus pour eux et qui leur donne sans compter.
Telle était finalement la relation qu’avait le Prophète Mohammad avec ses compagnons. Il donnait, offrait et était toujours là à l’écoute. C’est pourquoi il avait cette relation toute particulière avec eux. Ainsi, tout le monde aimait le Prophète Mohammad.
Chaque compagnon pensait qu’il était son meilleur ami, tellement il avait cette main tendue, cette oreille tendue à écouter chacun et à l’accompagner.
Mais, cet amour que portait le Prophète Mohammad à sa Communauté, ne s’est pas limité aux compagnons qui l’entouraient. Au contraire, l’amour qu’il porte à toute sa Communauté, se traduit par une parole merveilleuse qu’il annonça un jour à ses compagnons, en disant: «J’aurais tant aimé rencontrer mes frères.» Là, les compagnons se mirent à l’interroger: «Ne sommes-nous pas tes frères, ô Messager d’Allah?!» Il leur répondit: «Vous êtes mes compagnons. Alors que mes frères sont ceux qui vont croire en moi sans m’avoir vu ni connu.»
Regardez cette envie qu’avait le Messager de nous rencontrer. Il avait déjà cet amour qui brûlait son cœur et cette envie de rencontrer tous ceux qui vont jusqu’à la fin des temps, croire en son message. Ce message de la miséricorde, qui était porté par cet homme au cœur d’or.
Nous avons la chance justement de pouvoir le rencontrer à travers sa biographie, son modèle, son comportement et sa Sunna. C’est ainsi qu’on peut continuer à perpétuer cette relation finalement toute particulière entre nous et lui, en cherchant surtout à connaitre son message.
S’il y a vraiment une chose à se rappeler pour se commémorer la naissance de notre bien aimé, le Prophète Mohammad, c’est que ne ce n’est pas la naissance en elle-même qui importe, ni de simplement adhérer à cette croyance de manière traditionnelle ou héritée. Il s’agit plutôt de connaître le Prophète Mohammad à fond afin de pouvoir traduire son modèle, s’en inspirer dans notre quotidien, et refléter enfin cette miséricorde qui était la sienne.
Qu’Allah nous permette de mieux connaître le Prophète, de suivre son modèle, et de traduire la miséricorde qui fut la sienne autour de nous.
The post L’amour Du Prophète Mohammad appeared first on About Islam.
Is it a small thing that you go out of your home shaking both your hands, walking with steady steps, filling up your chest with early morning breath, and enjoying the sunshine in your eyes?
If you are heedless to the healthiness of your body, the integrity of your organs, and the perfection of your faculties… wake up quickly.
In this life, your capital is not the gold and silver you have. Your true capital, your real wealth, is the faculties that God has given you, such as intellect, ability, freedom, and the highest of these gifts – good health.
“Would you sell both your eyes for a billion dollars?” Dale Carnegie wondered:
“What would you take for your two legs and your hands? Your hearing? Your children or your family?
Add up your assets, and you will find that you won’t sell what you have for all the gold ever amassed. But do we appreciate all this?
Ah, no.
As Schopenhauer said:
“We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack.’ Yes, the tendency to ‘seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack’ is the greatest tragedy on earth.”
It was narrated that Ibn Al-Samak, a righteous religious scholar, was attending the counsel of Caliph Harun Al-Rashid who, having asked for water, said to him:
“Advise me.”
With the cup raised to his mouth, Ibn Al-Samak asked him:
“O Emir of the Believers, were this drink of water withheld from you, would you pay your kingdom for it?”
The Caliph said:
“Yes.”
Having drunk it, Ibn Al-Samak asked him:
“Were it held inside you and you could not void it (could not urinate), would you pay your kingdom to void it?”
The Caliph replied:
“Yes.”
Ibn Al-Samak said:
“There is no goodness in a kingdom that is not worth drinking or voiding a gulp of water.”
Without attention, we have, and without effort, we get that which a king might sacrifice his kingdom for – drinking water and passing it out.
Do we remember such a bounty of God upon us? Or do we appreciate it and thank Him for it?
Getting used to being healthy makes us forget or belittle how good being healthy is; sometimes, it takes a crisis or loss of health to appreciate it. But no matter how little or slight it is in the sight of people, it remains complete in the Sight of God and will be wholly, with all its elements, accounted for before Him.
Prophet Muhammad said:
By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, a person will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds which, if placed on a mountain, would weigh it down; then only one of Allah’s Blessings is to come forth (and take what it deserves from the servant’s good deeds) and almost exhausts them all, if not for the Mercy that Allah bestows. (Al-Tabarani)
Hence, God says in the Quran:
And if you would count (the numerous benefits of) a Blessing of Allah, never could you be able to count it. Truly, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (16: 18)
All life is a gift for which God deserves thanking for endowing us with, soul and sensation; and a whole universe abundantly furnished with supplies and replete with signs pointing to the Creator:
How can you disbelieve in God who gave you life when you initially had no life? Then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you (back) to life, and then to Him you will be returned. (2: 28)
Our senses are our tools for interacting with this universe, exploring it, and learning from it, and should, when flooded by its power, beauty, and immensity all around, shake with gratitude to He who honored us with life:
And God has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and given you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allah). (16: 78)
Whenever our sensibilities grow blunt, indifferent, or careless; whenever we no longer value the incessant flow of God’s blessings, a good contemplation, after freeing the mind from the dullness of familiarity and inattention, will help awaken the senses; it will help renew the feelings and open up our eyes to the heavens and earth; all this put in our service, which helps the mind better understand God’s Call:
O mankind, worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, that you may become pious. He Who has made for you the earth a bed (spread out), and the sky a canopy; and sent down water (rain) from the sky, and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. So do not set up rivals (equals) to Allah while you know (that He has no partner, peer, or equal). (2: 21-2)
Carnegie, Dale. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990
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We all have our days where we feel down or disappointed. An argument with a loved one or a bad score on a test can cause these.
Normal moments of sadness will pass and we recover within a reasonable amount of time. Depression will last much longer than sadness and it goes deeper. Depression will impact your behaviors, appetite, thought patterns and more. It causes you to have a distorted and negative perception of the world around you.
People suffering from depression often feel tired, physically as well as emotionally. This takes them away from people and they often isolate themselves, which only makes it feel worse and allows them to wallow in their pain. Depression can lead to self-harm and in the worst situations, suicide.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.
We would like to think that Muslims don’t suffer from depression and other mental health concerns, but that is far from the truth. Muslim mental health professionals are seeing many cases of depression, anxiety and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
This is not surprising when we take into consideration the impact of war, refugees, rising divorce rates and struggling with Islamophobia in western countries.
One study showcased that around 95% of American Imams report having to provide some sort of mental health counseling. Yet these Imams are not trained to do this properly, they do not understand crisis intervention and psychological concerns. This could result in disastrous outcomes depending on the advice they give.
Some people within the ummah question whether Muslims should seek help from mental health professionals. This stigma against psychology exists in small pockets across all cultures and religions, but rest assured psychology is compatible with Islam.
If someone has a broken arm would you tell them they only needed to pray more or would you advise them to seek out medical help while also praying? Mental health is no different and depression can become fatal if not addressed appropriately.
In most cases, therapy alongside faith is not only an effective treatment but it serves double duty as a catalyst to improving one’s own self- awareness and lifestyle choices related to their deen.
Depression is a struggle for not just the individual that is depressed, but also their loved ones. It can be confusing for people that don’t understand and they may wonder if they somehow caused the mood swings or if depression is even real.
Education about the realities of depression will help the individual suffering and those around them. This is another reason why you should seek out a mental health professional; it is not just for yourself.
Here are some symptoms which can be related to depression. If you feel like you have many of these, please reach out for help. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like.
Expressions of Depression
It is not unusual to experience one or more of these symptoms at some point in your life. It is when those symptoms persist for an extended amount of time and start to disturb your quality of life that depression is taking hold.
This is not a replacement for seeking help, but it is an exercise that can help increase your self-awareness and enable you to make positive changes. Draw a circle and inside of that circle put your own name. Draw 6 circles around that one with a line connecting them to you.
In each of these circles you are going to write down a main word then write down things surrounding that main topic which negatively influence your emotions and thought patterns. If nothing is applicable for a certain category that is fine.
Make 6 circles for the following topics; life events, my personality, home environment, illnesses, genetics and faith.
Now look at what you created, what does this say about you and your situation. Yours may say perfectionist under my personality, which will give your life more anxiety and make it difficult to be happy. Perhaps it says rushed and chaotic under home environment, this lets you know that scheduling and time management can help you.
If it says death in the family under life events, of course this is out of your control, but you can work towards healing and letting go of that pain. It is not what happens to you that matters the most, it is how you react to it.
Some of the things you wrote down are out of your hands, but some of this you do have power over. The more you increase your own self-awareness and learn what you have the power to change, the stronger you become. Pick one circle you want to change and write down 3 goals associated with it.
Our faith is a source of strength and support through depression, but depression often needs professional help. That is not to say that treatment has to be separate from faith, absolutely not. Faith can be and should be combined with treatment in order to provide a more balanced and Islamic treatment plan.
Republished with kind permission. First published at the author’s blog.
The post Facts About Depression appeared first on About Islam.
We all have had a bad dream. Did you know we shouldn’t tell anyone about this dream! There are certain things we should do after a bad dream.
The Prophet (PBUH) told us to seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan three times. Then dry spit to the left three times and never tell anyone about it!
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) justified this by saying that because it is from Shaytan and it would not harm it.
Scholars have said if you tell others about bad dreams then there is a possibility that it will turn into a reality as a punishment.
Dreams can be one of three. It can be a glad tiding from Allah. It can be dreams that are a representation of your subconscious. The last one is dreams from Shaytan. These are meant to depress you.
The best thing to do is to move on and don’t pay any attention to it.
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Dua is very important to all Muslims. What should we ask for in dua? What can we ask for in Dua? Check this gem from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When one of you calls upon on Allah, let him hope for the greatest of things. Verily, nothing has any greatness over Allah.”
Do not be afraid to ask Allah for the best things. In fact we should ask Allah for the best things!
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How can we create and maintain effective mosques?
Muslims are the youngest religious demographic in the US. Yet, similar to other respective religious organizations, mosques today are not able to capture the fascination of the younger generation. Imam Mohamed Abutaleb addressed this issue during the 15th MAS-ICNA Convention.
In this lecture, He maintains that the solution lies in reconsidering the priorities of Muslims’ mosques and institutions. Four priorities, in particular, should be on the top of the Muslim community’s agenda to have effective institutions.
Join Imam Abutaleb in this important, eye opining talk.
The post Beautiful Walls & Empty Halls? 4 Steps to Effective Mosques appeared first on About Islam.
With the dawn of Islam on the Bedouin, nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula came enlightenment, not only strictly spiritual in nature, but also with cultural, educational and scientific connotations.
Among the fruits of this enlightenment was the eventual establishment of huge health facilities that, among other things, played an important educational role amongst physicians of the age.
The first bimaristan, as these establishments were called, was built in Damascus in 86 Hijri (707 A.D.) by Caliph Al-Waleed ibn `Abdul-Malik.
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The aim of its construction was the treatment of acute diseases and the care of patients affected with chronic diseases (such as lepers and the blind).
Leprosy patients were not only treated free of charge but were given money to help in supporting their families.
The word bimaristan is of Persian origin and means hospital, with bimar meaning disease and stan meaning location or place; thus the location or place of disease.
The physicians of the Islamic world set up a concise system for bimaristans with two important aims: the welfare of their patients who were treated according to the latest in medical know-how, and teaching medicine to newly graduated physicians .
Bimaristans were constructed on sites that would provide optimum health conditions for patients. They were preferably built on hills or by rivers.
Al-`Adadi’s Bimaristan is a good example of this; it was built in Baghdad by the River Tigris, where the water of the river flowed through its courtyard and halls to return and pour back into the Tigris .
When Haroon Ar-Rashid asked Ar-Razi to build the first general hospital, Ar-Razi selected a site after putting pieces of meat in different areas of Baghdad to look for a location with the best fresh air.
Concerning organization, bimaristans were divided when possible into two sections, one for men and the other for women. Each section was independent, with large halls for the patients.
Each section of a bimaristan contained a hall for every type of disease, while each hall had one physician or more and each group of doctors in a section had a chief doctor.
The halls were specialized: a hall for internal diseases, another for splinted patients (trauma and fractures), another for deliveries and a special hall for each type of disease including communicable diseases.
Click to read more…
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La purificación espiritual es una de las bases del Islam y una de las tareas principales con la que fueron enviados los profetas y que nos han transmitido los eruditos.
La fe es un sentimiento vivo en el corazón que se manifiesta a través de las palabras y de las acciones.
La razón por la que a veces puede parecer que la fuerza de nuestra creencia dista de ser ideal es porque la fe es algo vivo, que hay que alimentar y mantener vivo. Y hay que hacer un esfuerzo consciente para ello.
La ciencia de la purificación espiritual en el Islam trata sobre cómo hacer este esfuerzo.
La purificación espiritual, que a menudo encontramos ausente, debería ser una de las tareas principales para todos los musulmanes y sobre la que se fundamenta todo lo demás.
Una de las misiones más importante de los Profetas, la paz sea con ellos, es trasmitir esta ciencia de la purificación espiritual a todos, hombres y mujeres.
Él es Quien ha hecho surgir para los iletrados un Mensajero que es uno de ellos; y que les recita Sus signos, los purifica y les enseña el Libro y la sabiduría, cuando antes estaban en un claro extravío.
Corán, 62:6
Aquí vemos que, ademas de transmitir el mensaje, transmitir sabiduría y aclarar los preceptos, la purificación es una de las tareas principales de los profetas y mensajeros.
Igualmente os hemos enviado un Mensajero que viene de vosotros mismos y que os recita Nuestros signos, os purifica, os enseña el Libro y la Sabiduría y os enseña lo que no sabíais.
Corán, 2:150
Realmente Allah ha concedido una gracia a los creyentes al enviarles un Mensajero salido de ellos mismos que les recita Sus signos, los purifica y les enseña el Libro y la Sabiduría; ya que antes estaban en un extravío evidente.
Corán, 3:164
Los tres versículos pueden parecer idénticos, pero no lo son, puesto que hay matices que los diferencian y que son muy importantes.
En estos tres versículos hay tres mensajes similares pero para gente diferente.
El primer versículo hace referencia a que el Profeta Muhammad ha sido enviado a toda la humanidad. En el segundo, a los árabes. Y en el tercero, a los creyentes.
En los dos primeros versículos Dios llama a los no creyentes a que s e purifiquen de la idolatría y entren en la creencia mientras que en el tercero Dios exhorta a los creyentes a reconocer el favor que es haber sido agraciados con la creencia y con la purificación.
Habrá triunfado quien se purifique, recuerde el nombre de su Señor y rece.
Corán, 87:14
Esto no indica la importancia de la purificación espiritual, tanto que es una de las misiones de los profetas y mensajero así como de maestros y eruditos, doctos en la ciencia de purificación del alma, tras ellos.
En los Hadiz encontramos que el corazón es la clave de todo puesto que es el órgano que alberga la fe.
Relató An-Numán Ibn Bashír: He oído al Mensajero de Dios ﷺ diciendo:
Ciertamente, lo lícito es obvio y lo ilícito es obvio, y entre los dos hay asuntos dudosos acerca de los que mucha gente no sabe. Quien se guarda de los asuntos dudosos se purifica en su religión y en su honor, y quien cae en los asuntos dudosos, caerá en lo ilícito. Como el pastor que pasta alrededor de un prado vedado, casi pastando en él.
Por cierto que todo rey tiene su vedado, ciertamente el vedado de Dios es lo ilícito, y ciertamente en el cuerpo hay un pedazo de carne, que si está sano, sanará todo el cuerpo, y si se corrompe, se corromperá todo el cuerpo y, este es el corazón.
Bujari y Muslim
La importancia del corazón es que es quien manda y ordena al resto del cuerpo. Por eso, si el corazón está purificado, si se le alimenta bien, estaremos a salvo de caer en lo ilícito. El corazón es como el gobernante y su nación. Si el gobernante es justo y piadoso, su nación podrá prosperar, pero si por el contrario en corrupto y avaricioso, toda la nación se verá afectado por eso.
El profeta, que la paz sea con él, que es el médico del alma por excelencia, nos dice en otro Hadiz, como un certero diagnóstico:
En verdad, cuando el siervo comete una falta, aparece una marca negra en su corazón. Si abandona esta falta, busca el perdón y se arrepiente, entonces su corazón se pulirá. Si vuelve a ella, la oscuridad aumentará hasta vencer su corazón. Es la cobertura que Allah ha mencionado: No, más bien una cobertura está sobre sus corazones de lo que se han ganado.
Tirmidhi
El corazón es donde dejan marca todas nuestras acciones, así que si no prevenimos, si no tenemos cuidado, si no guardamos a nuestras corazón de la corrupción y los males espirituales, como asociar algo con Dios, la envidia, le egolatría, etc. podemos acabar con unos corazones putrefactos.
Y por el contrario, si protegemos nuestro corazón y nos esforzamos por las buenas acciones nuestro corazón se limpia y se abren sus para reconocer la verdad.
La purificación espiritual es tan importante que es considerada como el mayor esfuerzo de la vida. Dijo el profeta, en un Hadiz que es considerado débil en cuanto a su narración pero correcto en su significado:
Habiendo regresado de una campaña militar con sus compañeros, dijo: “Habéis regresado de la yihad menor a la yihad mayor”. Cuando se le preguntó cuál era la mayor yihad, respondió: “La yihad de una persona contra sus deseos”.
Al-Bayhaqi, Kitab al-Zuhd al-Kabir
Esto es tan importante puesto que es algo que hay que hacer diariamente y este esfuerzo diario mantiene al creyente cerca de Dios.
El Corán, los Hadiz y los grandes sabios nos dicen que es a través de la espiritualidad, a través de la purificación, que hemos de entender el Islam.
La purificación espiritual, también conocida como Tazkiyyah, es la ciencia de la purificación del espíritu y el corazón. Es la ciencia de la medicina del alma. Son muchos los grandes eruditos que se han dedicado a ella y muchos los que después de haber conseguido mocho conocimiento y fama han renunciado a ella y buscado el conocimiento de esta ciencia. Entre los grandes ejemplos de esto tenemos al Imam Suyuti o Abu Hamid Al Gazali, dos de los más grandes eruditos del Islam.
Y hemos de recordar que en esto, como en todo lo demás, el Profeta Muhammad, que la paz sea con él, es nuestro mejor maestro.
The post Los afluentes de la fe: la purificación espiritual appeared first on About Islam.
