The Wrappings of Gratitude

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most-Compassionate, Most-Merciful

Why do we live? For what purpose do humans exist? What great thing is there on earth to compel us to want to continue our lives in the midst of the darkness of space. The light of this earth is just a comfort, a type of
illusion, because surrounded on all sides of it is the darkness and coldness of space. So if we are here on earth then why are we here? And if our time is only limited, only very short, then how should we spend it? If we are going to face the judgement of God then what do we need to take with us of our good deeds in order to stand a chance of being successful in the judgement? If we do attain good deeds then how do we really know whether they will be accepted by Allah? Although good deeds are the aim of believers, what is the purpose behind good deeds? It is pleasing Allah, but the degree with which Allah is pleased with us does not necessarily depend on the extent of our good deeds but the sincerity of those deeds. But what affects sincerity? If the sincerity of our heart cannot be known except by Allah, and not all the good deeds in the world can be taken as a sure sign of our sincerity then how do we improve on our sincerity, how do we know if we are on the path to improving our sincerity?

In order to understand our sincerity we must understand Surah al-Ikhlas. This verse of the Quran was revealed when one the of the companions of the prophet peace be upon him, asked ‘Who is Allah’? The answer was, “Say, He is One, the Eternal”. This verse unlike many others was not entitled by a particular story or message in the verse, but its association of Divine Unity was made with sincerity. In other words one cannot know Allah without sincerity, and sincerity is not only defined by our actions and intention, but also through consistency of observance of the Quran and Sunnah. But how do we know Allah? Allah is known to us through the means He has chosen to make Himself known to us, which are His noble attributes. Thus a test of our sincerity, which is indeed the purpose of our existence, is to be invited to know Allah through His attributes. Hence if a person seeks to know Allah that is one sign of his sincerity, if he seeks to know Allah through His attributes, that is another. But the greatest sign of sincerity is contained in a person that seeks to know Allah through His attributes, who is then tested, and perhaps severely so as were the Sahaba, but still continue to desire to know Allah. This is the truest test of a persons sincerity.

One aspect of the test of the sincerity is to be tested in love, that is to say to be tested to the degree to which we believe in ar-Rahman – the attribute of Allah that means the Most-Compassionate. If a person claimed to believe in love but when he was tested gave up that belief, he is not only giving up a belief in love and compassion but also in Allah the Creator and Originator of Love. Below is an excerpt of an article I wrote last year about the test of love. I hope you will find benefit in it insha’Allah.

The Test of Love

Love is something worth living for, love is the greatest virtue, indeed it is the highest of all virtues. And when I was in the depths of my mind searching for the answer when there appeared to be nothing left, it was love that appeared a shining light. Love is, I believe, the greatest of the gifts of Allah to His creation. It is love that a mother possesses for her child, it is love that protects her child from harm, it is love that believers possess for one another to care and look after one another even though there may not be any blood relation between them. It is love that compels a believer and even some disbelievers to care for complete strangers. It is love that compels to look after and protect animals, to feed them, to give them water and the warmth of shelter when they may not have any, or when they are injured. It is love that compels to care for the elderly, the young, the sick, the injured. It is love that compels to fight injustice. It is love that is placed between a husband and his wife, and between the wife and her husband that compels both to defend the honour of the other. To be loyal to each other, and to be patient with each other when one is being tried with difficulty. It is love that has been placed in the hearts of mankind, and more so in the hearts of the believers so that they may walk in the path of the noble messenger, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The one endowed with the greatest love for humanity in his heart, who never wavered, who never doubted the help and decree of Allah, who continued to strive for the goodness and wellbeing of others despite their rejection of him and his love. He cared only for others, that they may realised the best of themselves, that they may be witnesses to reality, so that they may ultimately stand before their Lord in the best of conditions and carry with them the best of their actions. It is love that compels, and it is for all these reasons that life is worth living with some meaning, for without possessing love, what meaning does life hold for a person? He may carry the most noble of intentions and perform the most worthy of deeds, his deeds would not be lessened in the slightest, but their reward cannot compare to the one who performs good deeds for the sake of love.

Ultimately, it is all for the sake of Allah, but we cannot know Allah directly. We can only know Allah through the divine attributes by which He has described Himself and the way in which He has praised Himself. But how do we know whether we are acting for the sake of love alone or for the sake of Allah? The proof for this is that if we act for the sake of Allah and seek to help others for the sake of love but our help is rejected, and
yet we continue to strive to help, then this is a proof that we are genuinely acting for the sake of Allah. The prophet, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, acted for the sake of Allah and for the sake of love, because he continued to strive to help those even when they bitterly rejected his help and persecuted him for wanting only the best for them. Those that want to follow the prophetic example, can only know they are emulating the actions of the best of creation when they forgo everything for the sake of Allah and for the sake of love, continue to believe in Allah and in love, continue to strive to help people even in the face of rejection, and turn back to Allah continually for strength, guidance, wisdom and understanding when everyone else has turned against them. Then they are the ones that have purified their intentions and their hearts and know that they are truly striving for the sake of Allah, but only as long as they hold firmly to the Quran and Sunnah. One can still be deceived by endeavour and perseverance because he may think he is acting out of love, but the rejection of people has caused him to contradict the laws of Allah and thus such a person seeks to justify his actions towards others as the decree of Allah or justifying his actions of the sake of the people. But if those actions fall outside the Quran and Sunnah, and if ijtihad contradicts the principles of the Quran and Sunnah, then such a person is not acting for the sake of Allah. Allah is pure and all good, and true love within a person is pure and good, love is perhaps the greatest expression of the belief in God that a person can possess. Therefore love cannot lead to causing people harm and suffering. Love can of course punish because a lesser pain is better than a greater one, and that punishment can only be within the prescribed limits of faith. But love is a self-governing principle because out of true love cannot come hate, jealousy, envy, greed, insincerity, covetousness and so on. And that is why to be governed by love and love alone is the greatest human guide for the hearts of man, but when done only for the sake of the Lord of the worlds, One Who created the beautiful entity called love, gifted mankind with it and placed it in their hearts. Of all the love in the world it is yet only one part of a hundred, the other ninety-nine Allah has reserved for His creation on the day of judgement.

If true love is the closest experience of Allah within a human being then is it true to say that in the hearts of every human being has been placed the love of Allah. That is to say love, which is the highest of all virtues and the greatest of the divine attributes. Is it true to say that love itself means the love of Allah, but then how that love is interpreted depends on the individual, whether they choose to attribute that love to other than Allah or to Him through acting solely for His sake. To attribute love to other than Allah would be to love His creation for its own sake, for the sake of love alone, instead of for the sake of the creator of love. Allah is not love, but true love is indeed the closest that one can get to emulating a great virtue, which is closest to the highest divine attribute of Ar-Rahman. Therefore is it true to say that love in its purest form has been created ultimately to be directly solely for the love of Allah, that all other loves, as noble as they may be, are not as pure as the love for others for the sake of Allah.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most-Compassionate, Most-Merciful

I wanted to repost this article which follows a recent theme of the core belief of Muslims, the belief that governs every other aspect of our lives, La illaha illall’la Muhammadur Rasul Allah – there is no god worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is His messenger. As many of you have noted most of my articles follow a distinct theme, one of love, loving Allah, giving our complete selves to Him by embodying the Shahada, and thus following in the footsepts of the noble messenger (s). I originally wrote this post because, and as a culmination of many years of observing this, it is concerning to see how many Muslims are abandoning the Shahada and as a result also abandoning the Quran and Sunnah in the process. Whether this is intentional or not is not examination of this post, but rather whether it is inadvertant or through lack of understanding, the effect is still the same, that we are adhering to the Quran and Sunnah according to the standard required of us, and hence as an Ummah we are facing the tribulations we are by Allah. Again, that is not to say that all Muslims are doing this consciously in all cases but in order to place this problem in context we must seek to understand what specifically defines a Muslim. One defination I would like to put before you is simply that a Muslim is one that observes the Quran and Sunnah. Conversely, if the one that doesn’t observe the Quran and Sunnah and yet thinks that simply by saying the Shahada he will be saved, is sadly mistaken. The proof of this is that even a Munafiq can say the Shahada, but doing so will not bring him the mercy of Allah. The only distinuishing factor between believers, and disbelievers, is not only La illaha ill’lala but the complete observance of the Quran and Sunnah and this is what separates the two. That separation is what makes the two different from each other, that is to say, ‘not like’. And being different here means not seeking to be ordinary but extraordinary, is the natural occurance of observing the Quran and Sunnah with sincerity, which is the message in the post below. Insha’Allah may it be of benefit to you and me.

Let’s Talk

Let’s talk. You and me. Let’s have an intimate conversation about life, about things general and specific. Let’s be frank so that in our exchange we might find some benefit for each other, we might gain something good from each other, and then you never know where this may take us.

So what shall we talk about? Well I’ve been thinking, actually I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but its only recently that this idea has been gaining greater clarity. What I mean is that the idea has always been there, stubbornly refusing to budge, adament in its belief, but now that intuitive and semi-present idea has entered into the forefront of my mind. That idea is, who wants to be normal? Who cares to be like everyone else? Who cares for ordinary when God has made us to be extraordinary, to have extraordinary? How could we want ordinary on earth and expect extraordinary in the heavens? Should we not start now? Trading in our ordinary garments for extraordinary ones?

If God sent us an angel, which said to you and me, you have two choices tonight and you must pick one of them. Either you can live a long, happy and prosperous life, but you will be ordinary, average, like everyone else. Or you have one week to live, but you will be extraordinary, special, blessed, enlightened, bright, illuminated, like a lamp, illuminating and guiding. Which one would we choose, which one would you choose? Actually my mind had been made up a long time ago, and perhaps without even its own choice because as events came to pass, following the run-of-the-mill was never going to be something that would satisfy. But let’s think about this seriously. Do we really want to be ordinary, dim and normal, or do we want to shine like the stars, like the moon, reflecting the light of the sun, the noble prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. And where does his brilliant light come from but from the source of all light, Allah.

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ
لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things. (An-Nur, 24:35)

Even if for one night we could be extraordinary, wouldn’t it all have been worth it? I for one think it would. We don’t want to simply fade into the night. Allah has not made the universe in this way, everything He has created, has been created to be extraordinary, nothing is ordinary, ordinary does not figure in His creation. And if you don’t believe me then just look at everything He has created and tell me what is ordinary about the mountains, about the vast oceans, about the awe-inspiring space within which we exist? Which one of these is ordinary? Ordinary is not the language of the universe, it does not figure in it anywhere. So if we know this to be true then why should we chose ordinary for ourselves, when Allah has not chosen it for us?

I say this to you, to myself. Let us shine and shine bright. Let us not strive to be ordinary, but extraordinary. Let us not be ordinary people but great people, extraordinary people. Let us fulfil the vision with which our Lord created us, when He chose to bring us to life, and chose for us our names and our colours, our tongues, and our spirit. And none of these He gave us were ordinary because they came from Him and He most certainly is not ordinary. For He is most extraordinary. As the prophet once spoke of Allah, ‘You are beautiful and You love beauty’. Then what of true beauty is ordinary? True beauy has always been so extraordinary that it has astounded people. The truest of true beauty is a beautiful spirit, for in the human being there is nothing more beautiful than his spirit, when that spirit submits to its Lord and reflects the light of Divine Guidance. This is true beauty and this beauty is extraordinary, with the power to bring light where there is darkness. For what else is darkness, but an absence of light?

So what do you say?

Should we not be as the stars?
Should we not shine?
Shine even if it’s for one brilliant moment?
A moment that will last for eternity?

·01 Rabi-Al-Thani 1429·

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most-Compassionate, Most-Merciful

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was born in Makkah in 570CE. An example for all of humanity, he was a remarkable man that excelled in every aspect of his life not only as a Messenger and Prophet, but as a ruler, philosopher, orator, soldier, husband, friend, father, uncle, nephew, and a grandfather. He was a man of complete love, and patience, of courage, wisdom, generosity, intelligence and magnitude who inspired, and continues to inspire countless millions from every walks of life throughout the world. Of the prophet, Allah says in the Quran:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.”

(Al Anbiya 21:107)

He belongs not only to the Muslims but to humanity, and may we all be benefitted by his immense noble character. Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, had the best manners among all human beings” (Bukhari and Muslim). God says in the Quran of the prophet that he was sent as a mercy for the people of the world, we cannot ever gain a true estimation of the prophet, nor of the honour bestowed on him to be a guide to all of humanity, an honour that had not been granted to any of the prophets or messengers before him, peace be upon them all. Although to gain a true estimation of our prophet is a life long undertaking, we can still see that no other human being has received such Divine Love as that of our own prophet, whom we are so fortunate to have been chosen to follow.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا

وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا

وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ فَضْلًا كَبِيرًا

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner,-

And as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.

Then give the Glad Tidings to the Believers, that they shall have from Allah a very great Bounty.

(Ahzab 33:45-47)

But truly beautiful are the words of Allah when He says of the prophet:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect”

(Ahzab 33:56)

The Final Sermon

Shortly before his death, the Prophet Muhammad (s) delivered a sermon during Hajj pilgrimage, which came to be known as his “Final Sermon”. This final sermon was not only a reminder to his followers, but an important admonition for the rest of time. His words ring unerringly true in our times they did the day they were spoken. In those words are contained the illumination of problems with solutions, rights conferred to the weak and poor, the responsibilities of the strong – justice and mercy, and above all God-consciousness – remembering God in all of our actions. Thus it was that on the 9^th of Dhul Hijjah, in the 10^th Islamic year, the Messenger of Allah did stand for the final time before such a gathering of the faithful. The circle was complete and exactly ten years after the Muslims had been forced to migrate from Makkah for the sake of their religion and under considerable persecution, so did Allah return them ten years later with victory. And now did the faithful believers stand, patiently, ever eager to listen to the words of their beloved prophet, to recount them over and over to others generation after generation.

After praising, and thanking God, the Prophet, may God send His praises upon him said:

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. God has Judged that there shall be no interest, and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn Abd’al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived…

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under a trust from God and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you have the means.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”

Thus the beloved Prophet completed his Final Sermon, and upon it, near the summit of Arafat, the revelation came down:

“…This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion…” (Al-Maidah 5:3)

Though the Prophet has left this world, his words are still living in our hearts. May we all be guided by his beautiful light. Ameen.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most-Compassionate, Most-Merciful

What does ‘La Il-laha Il-lal’la’ – there is no god but Allah – really mean and how do we truly live according to its meaning? These words which comprise the essence of Muslim belief are beautiful words which, as this belief requires, are embodied through the words and actions of Muslims in their daily activities. However, we also find that when this simple yet profound statement begins to become eroded from the hearts of the believers, it has a corresponding and profound effect on every aspect of a persons life. But how do we know whether we are living according to an idea that forms our core belief – that of believing only in the One true God. It stands to reason that we ought to know how to live according to this principle and we ought to also know when we’re not living according to it. Both points will be examined in this post so that insha’Allah it may cause us to hold ourselves to account according to the highest ideals before we are one day held to account.

On one level La Il-laha Il-lal’la, the Shahada, is an affirmation of our belief that there is literally no god worthy of worship except Allah, which is an affirmation of the truth that there is only One God – He is absolute and eternal – and hence cannot be compared to anything of the created world. On another level it also means, for all of the pursuits in life, nothing may be comparable to that of the existence of God and that everything else is contingent on His power, His authority and undertaken by His permission. Nothing should be placed before Him because as Allah says:

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

“Think he, that none hath power over him?” (Al-Balad 90:5)

Nothing we do, whether it is permissible or impermissible is possible without His power, because all power comes from Him. Hence our ability to study is based on possessing an intellect, granted to us by Him. Our ability to travel is dependent on our desire to want to travel, which comes from Him, as well as the means of doing so. Our ability to work, both the work and our capabilities have been created by Him, and so on. So everything is dependent on His power and from that power, from His mercy, He grants to whomever He wills. Hence to say there is no god but God, is to affirm that everything is contingent and dependent on the power of Allah, and that the means in themselves have no power to gain success. However, the necessity of addressing the Shahada here has arisen because we find many Muslims today not living for Allah, not living according to the absolute belief in La Il-laha Il-lal’la, but instead are deluded into thinking that if they imitate the non-Muslims they will acquire success in this life and next. Many Muslims today are living in their own world where they are competing with non-Muslims and seeking to compete with them on their own terms rather than the foundational principles brought by the prophet, peace be upon him, that there is no god but God, and hence our only concern. Many Muslims today take it almost entirely for granted that simply being Muslim, simply believing in Allah and His messenger will be sufficient for them to gain the mercy of Allah, and in doing so they neglect the Quranic verse:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُون

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, “We believe”, and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false” (Ankaboot 29:2-3)

One of the main reasons why Allah took away from the Jews and Christians their scriptures is because they grew arrogant in thinking that their chosen status would grant them success without accountability, they were mistaken. The same standards applied to them as they did to non-believers. In the same way, the Muslims today are living under the same misconception that they will not be held to account, that a different set of rules apply to them on account of their beliefs. This is entirely false, a miscalculation of immense proportion because nothing could be further from the truth as the above verse indicates. But how does, not living according to, La Il-laha Il-lal’la manifest itself in peoples lives? The most serious way in which this error manifests itself is found in its opposite, which is to consider oneself self-sufficient and independent of Allah, which is the exact definition of a disbeliever.

أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَى

“…he looks upon himself as self-sufficient” (Iqra 96:7)

A disbeliever is not a disbeliever because he performs acts of goodness which many do, but because he considers himself independent of the power and authority of God, and by doing he is actually denying a fundamental truth, that God exists. In this respect what difference is there between a Muslim that acts as though he is independent of God and a non-Muslim that performs good deeds without knowledge of them? Who then is deserving of greater mercy from Allah? Whereas to say La Il-laha Il-lal’la affirms that we are in complete and constant need of Allah, conversely, to consider oneself self-sufficient is to make oneself independent from Allah, which is a delusional and false state. Given that most Muslims know this to be true, we find over and over the same situation of Muslims competing with non-Muslims as though their success and failure was entirely dependent on the same means that non-Muslims consider will bring them success, such as education, a career, wealth, possessions, splendid houses, children and so on. How do we guard ourselves from falling into the pitfalls of the illusion of self-sufficiency? Consider for example the Quranic injunction continually enjoined that of constant charity:

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ

“Who are active in deeds of charity” (Al-Mu’minoon 23:4)

And yet amongst the non-Muslims we will find those that donate considerable amounts of their wealth to charity and considerably out-do Muslims in the same regard. Can the Muslims in this situation consider themselves as better than the non-Muslims? Take for example the environment. The prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Tread lightly on the earth”, one interpretation of which is that one should minimise ones impact on the environment. If Muslims sought to compete with non-Muslims in this regard they would unable because amongst the non-Muslims we find people that devote their entire lives towards the implementation of this hadith, such as climatologists, environmental activists, environmental engineers and so on. Whereas it is common to find Muslims amongst some of the least educated and most ignorant people when it comes to environmental matters. Consider another example, that of excellence in manners, considered very highly in Islam, called Adab in Arabic. We will find in general non-Muslims people possess much higher levels of Adab, etiquette, manners, protocol, than many Muslims. And the comparison may be made with morals, principles, fairness, equality, and justice, in that non-Muslims are implementing the Quran and Sunnah much better than the Muslims themselves. Hence can and should Muslims really consider themselves to be better than non-Muslims? If on the basis of these criteria non-Muslims outperform Muslims, on what grounds do Muslims consider they are better or superior than non-Muslims? Islamic history has demonstrated, what Allah has warned us about over and over in the Quran, about what will happen if we abandon our beliefs and traditions and seek to compete with the non-Muslims. The result is that Allah will humiliate us for seeking, not only to abandon His guidance, but to exchange His guidance for life in this world. Our history, and that of countless powerfeul civilisations testifies to this truth – that neglecting the very core of our religion, ‘there is no god but God’, does not lead to success but failure. This is not a new idea, it has always been this way from the beginning but we seem to love to forget.

Hence, many Muslims, both in the East and West, today are living under the illusion that simply being Muslim will grant them the mercy of Allah and that they will enter paradise without any accountability, without striving in the same way as the first community of Muslims did. Hence they are making the same mistake as the Jews and Christians made which was to think they were better than everyone else. And yet over and over again Allah is showing us that we will not gain any success by competing with the non-Muslims whilst thinking that competition alone, and in itself, will bring us success. What I have mentioned thus far represents a large segment of the Muslim population that has become extreme through their belief in imitating the non-Muslims. There is also another majority that has occupied an extreme at the other end of the spectrum, people who see the latter group and develop their position relative to theirs. Hence there is a over- corrective reactionary position which inclines itself to excessiveness and thereby intolerance. Neither of these reactions are part of normative Islam because the normative position of the religion as commanded by Allah is a balanced middle-course.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ

“Thus, have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced” (Al Baqarah 2:143)

However, when the heart loses balance, perspective and context the results are always identical in that people begin to occupy the extremities of the religion and eventually fall outside of its limits. Their hearts are no longer occupied with Allah but with the dunya, and Allah will not occupy the hearts of those occupied with the dunya. This has been the lesson in particular for the past five-centuries, that failure will be the result of placing others before Allah, of not living according to the Shahada. So how do we modify our state, how do we help ourselves and the Ummah to ensure that we not only have success in this life but in the next? The only sure way to do this is to have a heart which is full of La Il-laha Il-lal’la and nothing else. One that not only believes in La Il-laha Il-lal’la but lives it. A heart which believes without any doubt that it is only through a whole-hearted commitment to La Il-laha Il-lal’la that success will come, because all success comes only from Allah. As Allah says:

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ

“Allah does not change a people’s condition unless they change what is in their hearts. But when (once) Allah will’s a people’s punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect”. (Ar-Rad 13:11)

It does not get any clearer than this verse which gives three distinct commands. Firstly it states, begin with yourself and concern yourself only with your own state, and if you alter your own state, only then will the state of your people and society change. In other words, be the change you would like to see in others. Secondly, it commands the altering of ones heart, for all the ills in society are a manifestation of the diseases of the heart, whether those diseases are greed, covetousness, arrogance, pride, miserliness or any other. And thirdly the verse indicates that all change and hence all good ultimately comes from Allah alone. So after we have worked to embody the principles of the Quran, and after we have placed all of our trust in Allah, and after believing that all success comes from Allah – only then might we expect Allah to turn to us aid us, and by His will grant us success both in this life and the next. But even after we have done all this we should not expect success or reward for our efforts but simply be content in living according to La Il-laha Il-lal’la, for in these beautiful words for which the early Muslims had to strive considerably, in these beautiful words is contained all the success we could ever want or imagine.

Conclusion

So what is the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims? On what basis do Muslims consider themselves better than non-Muslims when the latter are actually out-performing the Muslims in living according to the same principles as commanded in their own faith? Out-performing them in charity, care for the environment, knowledge, manners, etiquette, morals, principles, justice and fairness. These are all Quranic injunctions to the Muslims and yet we find that Allah has elevated and honoured the non-Muslims in performing these noble tasks better and with greater sincerity than Muslims. So what is the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims? On what basis do Muslims consider themselves better than non-Muslims? There is only one difference which does not make Muslims superior, but humbler which is to live according to La Il-laha Il-lal’la. This means not competing on the same basis as non-Muslims in terms of good deeds alone, or thinking that good deeds alone will be sufficient, or that being a Muslim will be sufficient, but to perform good deeds with La Il-laha Il-lal’la, is the only difference between Muslims and non-Muslims, and has the potential to elevate anyone to the heavens. Because to truly live for Allah, and to live solely believing in La Il-laha Il-lal’la is the difference between the heavens and the earth. A difference so great that it is possible for the believers to attain the mercy of Allah, because they placed their faith on their Creator and not on His creation, and in doing so they showed humility before their Lord’s majesty.

This is not intended by any means as a message of distress but rather of hope and change, that it is very realistically possible to change our condition but only if we are willing to turn back to Allah, and place nothing before Him or after Him, for He is Al-Awwal (the First, the Beginning), and Al-Akhir (the Last). Finally, humiliation in Islam is a beautiful concept because it means to be honoured through humility before Allah.

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ إِلاَّ أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ

“Whenever We sent a prophet to a town, We took up its people in suffering and adversity, in order that they might learn humility” (Al Araf 7:94)

Thus when Allah wants to honour a person He will bring them low before His majesty, and if Allah wills a person punishment He will cause that person to grow in arrogance as a result of his tribulations. How we respond in both these cases depends entirely on our piety, and it is only on that basis that Muslims can consider themselves different.

“The believers must (eventually) win through,-

Those who humble themselves in their prayers;

Who avoid vain talk;

Who are active in deeds of charity”

(Al Mu’minoon 23:1-4)

•15 Jumada al-Thani 1429•

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most-Compassionate, Most-Merciful

The title of this post is taken from a well-known reply of Imam al-Ghazali to one of his students, translated in his book, Dear Beloved Son. The student sought knowledge that would benefit him the most in his life, and in his death, and sought to abandon that knowledge which would be of no benefit, and to hold onto that knowledge which would benefit him the most, thus following the prophetic tradition. As the prophet, peace be upon him, once prayed to Allah, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge which does not benefit”.

The following is the seventeenth of twenty-four counsels Imam Al-Ghazali gave to his student. This one is entitled “Companionship”. I chose this particualar one because I think the wisdom of these words is deep and will be of benefit to us all, insha’Allah.

Companionship

My Dear Son…

If you understand this tradition, there is no need for too much knowledge. There is also another story to mediate and reflect over. Hatim Al-Asam was among the friends of Shaqiq al-Balkhi (may Allah have mercy on them both). One day Shaqiq asked Hatim: “You have kept my company for thirty years what have you gained in the course of these years?” Hatim replied: “I have gained eight benefits from the knowledge which is sufficient for me. I hope my salvation and safety are embodied in them.” Shaqiq asked Hatim to mention them. Htim al-Asam said:

“The first benefit is that I observed the creation and saw that everyone had a loved one and one passionately desired whom he loved and longed for. Some of the beloved accompany the lover up to the brink of sickness and death, and others up to the gate of the graveyard. All of them return and leave him there alone. No one goes into the tomb with him. I looked into the matter and said to myself: ‘The best beloved is that which would enter the tomb with the lover to console him’; I found it nothing else but good works, so I took this as my beloved, to illuminate my grave for me and to comfort me in it and not leave me alone.

“The second benefit is that I saw that people were following their lusts and hastening towards the desires of the souls; and I mediated on the saying of Allah the Exalted: “But as for whoever has feared the majesty of his Lord and has refrained his soul from lust, truely the Garden shall be his resting place”. (An-Naziyat 79:40-41). Convinced that the Quran was true and right, I began to deny my soul [its pleasures] and hurried to combat it and refuse it its passionate desires, until it enjoyed real satisfaction in obedience to Allah the Exalted.

“The third benefit is that I saw that every human being is striving to accumlate as much as he can from the wreckage of this world and then holding on strongly to it. I mediated on the Quranic verse: “What is with you must vanish; what is with Allah must endure”. (Maryam 19:96). So I gave freely my worldly possessions for HIs sake by distributing them among the poor so that it would be my provision in the future with Him the Exalted.

“The fourth benefit is that some people whom I observed think that their dignity and honour lie in the multitude of their family and large clans. They were facinated by these things. Others claimed honour and dignity in abundance of wealth and children, and they were proud of it. Some believed honour and power abide in appropriating the wealth of others, doing injustice to them and shedding their blood. Others considered dignity to consist extravagance and spending wealth in a foolish manner. I mediated upon the saying of the Exalted: “The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you”. (Al-Hujurat 49:13). I chose righteousness for myself, convinced that the Quran is right and true and those claims and opinions of the people are all false and temporal.

“The fifth benefit is that I found the people slandering each other and speaking ill of one another out of envy of fortune, power and knowledge. I mediated upon the saying of Allah: “It is We who divide their livelihood among them in the life of this world”. (Az-Zukhruf 43:32). I realised that the process of dividing livelihood is entirely in the Hands of Allah since the beginning of time. Therefore I never envied anyone and was satisfied with the distribution of Allah the Exalted.

“The sixth benefit is that I saw people becoming enemies of each other for different reasons. I mediated upon the saying of Allah: “Verily, Satan is an enemy to you; so treat him as an enemy”. (Fatir 35:6). I realised that enmity with anyone except Satan was not permissible.

“The seventh benefit is that I saw everyone working very hard, exhausting themselves to obtain food and sustenance, tempted by doubts and forbidden things. They degraded themselves in humiliation. I pondered over the saying of Allah the Exalted: “There is no moving creature on earth but that its sustenance is dependent on Allah” (Hud 11:6). I knew that my livelihood is guarenteed by Allah the Exalted, so I engaged myself in worship and cut off my coveteousness of all else, other than Him”.

“The eighth benefit is that I saw that everyone relied on some created thing some on the dinar and dirham, some on wealth and property, some on trade and craft and some on creatures like themselves. I mediated on the saying of the Exalted: “And whosever places his reliance on Allah, sufficient is [Allah] for him. For Allah will surely accomplish Hi purpose. Verily, for all things has appointed a due proportion.” (At-Talaq 65:3). I therefore placed full trust in Allah the Exalted. He is sufficient for me and He is the best Disposer of affairs.

At this point Shaqiq said: May Allah bless you and grant you success. I looked into the Old Testament, the New Testtament, the Zabur, and the Quran and have found that the four books revolve around these eight benefits. Whosoever works according to them is working according to these four books.”

May this knowledge be of benefit to us all, and may Allah grant us the means by which we can attain the courage of heart required to excel in each one of these precious wisdoms so that it may be of benefit to us as it was insha’Allah to the student of Imam Al-Ghazali, both in this life and insha’Allah in the next. Ameen.