Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Door of Hope
Al-Imran (The House of Imran) - Chapter 3: Verse 135

"Those who, when they commit a gross indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and pray for the forgiveness of their sins - for who but God can forgive sins? - and do not knowingly persist in doing the wrong they may have done."

Never does Islam slam the door in the face of a weak sinner leaving him lost in the wilderness. Never does it let him feel permanently rejected, afraid to turn back. On the contrary, it holds for him the prospect of forgiveness. It shows him the way and holds his trembling hand, steadying him and giving him the light he needs to return to his secure refuge. It only requires one thing of him, namely, that his heart and soul are not so hardened so as to make him forget God. As long as he remembers God and keeps alive in his conscience the voice of guidance and maintains in his heart the yearning for God's grace, the light will shine again in his soul and the seed of faith will burst forth with a new plant.

Islam knows that side by side with man's weaknesses and carnal desires there exist strength and sublime aspirations. For this reason, Islam is sympathetic to man in his moment of weakness, places him back on his way to a higher horizon, as long as he remembers God and does not knowingly persist with his wrongdoing. Thus, Islam combines its call to man to aspire to a higher horizon with its mercy and compassion, knowing man's weakness and capability. It ensures that the door of hope is always open in front of man as it motivates him to exert his utmost in his aspiration towards the sublime.

Compiled From:
"In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol 2, pp. 215-217

From Issue: 760 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Good Morals

Abu Dharr, Jundub Bin Junadah, and Abu Abd Al-Rahman, Muadh Bin Jabal, may the Sublime God be pleased with them, said that God’s Messenger, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said, “Fear God wherever you are. Follow a bad deed with a good deed—it will erase it. And treat people kindly and with good morals.” [Al-Tirmidhi]

The virtues of Abu-Dharr are plenty. He embraced Islam when God’s Messenger, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, was in Mecca and the Messenger told him to go back to his people. When the Messenger saw that Abu-Dharr wanted to stay with him and couldn’t leave, he told him, “Fear God wherever you are and follow a bad deed with a good deed—it will erase it.”

The statement of the Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, “treat people kindly and with good morals,” means treat people the way you’d like to be treated and be aware that the thing that counts the most is good morals. The Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The one I like the most of you and the one that will sit next to me on the day of Resurrection is the one with the best morals.” Good morals are the attributes of the Prophets, the Messengers, and the best believers. They do not treat people badly who treat them badly. They forgive, pardon, and act graciously.

Compiled From:
"Ibn-Daqiq's Commentary on the Nawawi Forty Hadiths" - Ibn Daqiq

From Issue: 869 [Read original issue]

Blindspot!

Derision

Derision, ridiculing people, making jest at their expense, mocking them is a form of ignorance, whether it is lampooning, caricaturing, or name calling. Humour and levity are important in human life. But levity as a way of life harms the spiritual heart. And laughter and amusement at the expense of the dignity of others is wholly inappropriate.

Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Do not belittle anyone, for he may be a saint of God." Imam al-Qurtubi once said, "When he was bowing down to idols in Makkah, Umar ibn al-Khattab was still beloved to God." Only God knows the seal of people and their destinies. A Moroccan proverb says, "Never mock any creature of God, for it might be beloved to He who created it."

Compiled From:
"Purification of The Heart" - Hamza Yusuf, pp. 141,142

From Issue: 583 [Read original issue]