Today's Reminder
April 18, 2024 | Shawwal 9, 1445
Living The Quran
Iniquity
Surah Yunus (Jonah) Chapter 10: Verse 23 (partial)
"O you people, surely your iniquity is but against your selves."
Iniquity is defined as harming anything in creation without just cause. The word is a translation of baghi, which is derived from the Arabic word that denotes desire. In this context, the problem is desiring something to the point of transgressing the rights of others to attain it. The iniquity and injustice that people aim at others ultimately work against the perpetrators.
Imam Mawlud makes an analogy between iniquity and a powerfully intoxicating wine (called qarqaf) that makes one shudder when swallowed. This metaphorical wine is the "love of position," which is a major motivation that impels some to wrong others. Even petty office managers oppress their subordinates for the purpose of marking their territory and securing their positions. Tyrants on corporate boards pull off power plays to acquire more authority or remove those whom they perceive to be potential challenges to their authority or position.
But the world's most powerful leaders, after finally achieving what they so badly coveted, taste death. All their power abruptly vanishes at death's door, the great leveler. Their minions die just the same, those who did whatever they could to move closer to people of authority.
Compiled From:
"Purification of the Heart" - Hamza Yusuf, pp, 32, 33
From Issue: 724 [Read original issue]
Understanding The Prophet's Life
Tongue
"Those who believe in God and the day of resurrection should say good things or be silent." [Bukhari, Muslim]
That's because people who truly believe in God fear God's punishment and hope for God's reward. They work diligently to perform what they have been ordered to do and refrain from what they have been asked to stay away from. The most important thing they can do is restrain their body parts, which they have control over.
The flaws of the tongue are plenty. Hence, those who know these matters well and believe truly in God, fear the Lord and pay attention to what their tongues utter. They only say good things or keep silent.
Some scholars said that all acts of goodwill emanate from four hadiths. They mentioned the above saying of the Prophet, may God's peace and blessings be upon him, as one of the four.
Some people said that the hadith means that when people have something good, truthful, and rewarding to say, they should say it. Otherwise, they should keep silent regardless whether the thing is haram, detestable, or neutrally permissible. Based on this, permissible talk must be avoided when it is feared that such talk might lead to something haram or detestable. This usually happens a lot and often.
Compiled From:
"Ibn-Daqiq's Commentary on the Nawawi Forty Hadiths" - Ibn Daqiq Al-Eid
From Issue: 929 [Read original issue]
Blindspot!
Affirmative Action
Women enjoy equal rights in Shariah in respect of ownership, management of financial affairs, civil transactions and contracts. The Hanafi school has extended this position to the contract of marriage, although the majority of other schools have considered marriage an exception and require its solemnization by the legal guardian (wali) even of an adult woman. Since Islamic jurisprudence permits selection (takhayyur, or takhyir) among the leading schools, position which has been utilized in the statutory legislation in many Muslim countries, then there is basically no Shariah issue of concern in this area. Yet patriarchal customary practices, especially among the tribes of Asia and Africa, present obstacles to women's enjoyment of their civil and financial rights. The problem here is essentially not juridical but one of prevalent prejudicial custom and male-dominated family and society.
To give an example, the Quran unequivocally entitles female relatives to specified shares in an inheritance, which is, however, widely denied to them by their male relatives. Prohibitive statutory enactments in many Muslim countries on this and similar other issues have not succeeded in curbing entrenched customary positions. The Lesson one learns here is that prescriptive law reform needs to be followed by a wider campaign on awareness raising, education and policy initiatives.
Muslim women in rural Asia and Africa are not well aware of their rights either under the Shariah or statutory law. Legislation should naturally be continued to lead the way in the campaign for gender equality and economic empowerment of women. In some particularly difficult situations, recourse may be had to affirmative action legislation and quota system, for example, in admission to schools and employment centres, on a temporary basis at least, to promote the objectives of gender equality.
Compiled From:
"Shariah Law - An Introduction" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 271, 272
From Issue: 528 [Read original issue]