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Issue 116 » May 4, 2001 -

General

QURAN

Translation:

"Behold, the Hypocrites (Munafiqeen) seek to deceive Allah, but it is they who are being deluded by Him. When they rise to Prayer, they rise reluctantly, and only to be seen by other persons. But little do they hold Allah in Remembrance. They dangle between the one and the other (between faith and disbelief), and belong to neither completely. And he whom Allah lets go astray, for him you can find no way."
 
[Al-Quran, Sura Al-Nisa 4:142-143]
 
Tafseer:
 
Background
In the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) a person could not be identified as a member of the Islamic community, unless he prayed regularly. We know that even the secular associations today consider the absence of any member from their meetings, without a valid excuse, as a sign of lack of interest, and if the member persists in it, his membership may even be cancelled.
 
Even the Hypocrites attended the Congregation of Prayer
Similarly, in those days, a person's absence from congregational Prayers in the mosque was considered a clear indication of his indifference towards Islam. Therefore, even the worst of hypocrites had to attend the Five daily Prayers in the mosque.
 
Reluctance of Hypocrites vs. Remembrance of Believers
  • In these verses the methods and motives of the hypocrites are thoroughly unmasked. What distinguished a true believer from the hypocrite was that the former came to the mosque with devotion, fervor, and his heart in the Remembrance of Allah, came there well before the appointed time for the Prayer, and did not rush out of the mosque as soon as the Prayer was over.
  • Whereas the call to the Prayer for the hypocrite seemed like the announcement of an unavoidable calamity. When such a person set off for the mosque, he walked as if he were dragging the entire weight of his being. No wonder, that, as soon as the Prayer was over, he escaped like a prisoner released from jail. His entire demeanour testified that the Remembrance of God was not what he really had his heart in.
Believers Today:
We should examine our practice of Islam and the condition of our hearts. Today, our hearts, talks, and thoughts lean often more towards the glitters of a mall, rather than the Paryers in a masjid. Our attitudes may change if we begin to view the Salah (prayers) the way the first community of Believers saw it. As long as our hearts and actions remain 'two-faced', we may not be able to realize the role that the Prayers and mosques play in transforming individuals and communities.
 
[Compiled from "Towards Understanding the Quran" by S. Abul Ala Maududi,, Vol. II, p. 98]
HADITH- To Soften our Hearts [Ar-Riqaaq]

"What should I do then?"

"You (Muslims) will one day be ruled by men who will kill the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions), violate the orders of Islam, and delay the time of Prayer," said the Prophet (peace be upon him) once.

A man named Ibn Masud asked, "What should I do then?"

"Don't you know what to do? Whoever disobeys Allah must not be obeyed," the Prophet answered.

[Collected by Ibn Majah and Ahmad]
 [Taken from "What Islam Is All About?" by Yahiya Emerick, p. 385]

DAWA - Time to Come Out of our Boxes!  

After realizing the need to accept the responsibility of doing Dawa on individual and collective level, the following few concepts and tips may be useful for Dawa in future:

Dawa is not just about handing out pamphlets on streets or in prisons. It is about sharing and living Islam through our behavior and preaching. Therefore, if we do something immoral or indecent in public, obviously it will harm our Dawa efforts. Immodest clothing, usage of foul language, or interacting with the people of opposite gender beyond the limits set by Islam, will project a negative image to non-Muslims... [To be continued in the next issue]

[Taken from the article "DAWA: Time to Come Out of Our Boxes" @ www.youngmuslims.ca]

Modesty [Haya] in Islam and Manners of Dressing

*DRESS: Symbol of the Civilizing Power of Islam*

Our Dress serves three functions:

  • to protect the body from the weather, from heat and cold, wind and rain;
  • to adorn and beautify the human personality;
  • to help to safeguard the modesty and decency of a person and safeguard the moral ideals of a society. Dress therefore has a moral function.
Appropriate dress both for men and women is naturally important for a society where sexual relations is confined to marriage.To make it easy for people to live within the bounds of morality, they are required to wear clothes that conceal and not reveal or accentuate their bodily charms and thus reduce or eliminate temptations.
 
Islam, being a universal religion, has not prescribed a particular form, fashion, or style of dress. However, it sets certain requirements of dress whatever the climate or region. These requirements apply to both men and women:
  1. Dress should cover a person's 'AWRAH:
    • A man's 'Awrah extends from the navel to the knee;
    • A woman's 'Awrah is the whole body with the exception of face, hands, and feet.
  2. Dress should not be transparent.
  3. Dress should be loose-fitting.
  4. Dress outside the home should not be worn for the sake of showiness, whether it is glamorous garments that make for pride or excite admiration and lust among the members of opposite genders, or promote envy among the same gendered people.
  5. On the other hand, our garments should not be torn and rough either, worn in order to draw attention to poverty or alleged piety.
  6. Men are not allowed to wear silk or gold and women should not wear perfume outside the home.
Proper dress is one of the outer symbols of the civilizing mission and power of Islam.
 
[Taken from "ISLAM: The Natural Way", by Abdul Wahid Hamid, p. 88]
Quiz Yourself!

Last week's Answer: What is referred to as the "Spirit of Truth" in the BIBLE? (correction: it is not supposed to be in the Qur'an): c) Muhammad (SAW).

Note for example the following verse: John 16:13 "When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come," which is quite an accurate description of the purpose and mission of the Last Prophet!

This week's Question: Muslims date their calendars from the Hijrah, the historic event in the life of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers that is of paramount importance to Muslims of all times because of what it signifies and represents. What does the word  'Hijrah' literally mean?

a) Migration    b) Departure    c) Journey    d) Severance of blood ties

[The correct answer will be provided in the next issue]

[Taken from Online Quiz @ www.youngmuslims.ca]

Friday Nasiha