Patience and Silence

In the name of Allaah, Most Gracious Most Merciful

 

If silence is a sign of patience, then I need to be silent more

 

If silence is a sign of wisdom, then I need to be silent more

If patience is a sign of wisdom, then I need to be patient more

If a prayer is better uttered in silence, then I need to be silent more

But how is it that one can be silent when one sees suffering and even abuse

It is that one practises wisdom through patience

But patience may require silence but never inaction

Thus practise wisdom with patience and a measured silence

Such that there is no need to wail and beating the chest

Such acts are best replaced by silence

But the silence is broken when the wisdom has been relayed to a tongue

That speaks out against abuse and injustice

But there is beauty in patience

but excellence in wisdom

While silence is golden when little is to be said.

 
And the best jihad is patience

for this is the real jihad

 

Eloquence and Majesty of a Book

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, Most Merciful

 It is late spring and the weather has been rather cool lately. Today it has been a little warmer. There are approximately 800 people - men, women and children - crammed into a mosque to attend a unique program. So the temperature inside is rising. The program is just about to put a different dimension on the “heat”.  In daily sessions, lasting 3 hours, for the next 13 days the Quran will be translated (into English) to the public word-for-word. Yes, “translations” of the Quran are available in various languages but this program, in the manner of presentation, is unique.

It’s Day 1. Barely an hour into the program, there is a small break. Then there is an announcement. A 19-year old girl, who came as a guest of a friend, declares her shahadah, i.e. she declares her faith and her acceptance of Islam. What did she hear that was so profound? What impact did the atmosphere have? Situations like these are not unique. Situations where people are exposed to Quran and accept Islam is not unique. The part of the Quran this girl would have heard was about Moses (peace be upon him) and the Jews – yet it somehow impacted.

Here was a case recently where someone attended a Islamic exhibition purely out of curiosity. He hears the recitation of Quran (in Arabic) – not understanding a word he is touched by it. He enquires about its meaning and declares his shahadah.

These are but two examples of the effect Quran has on people. There are countless. Those sincere in seeking the truth will no doubt be touched by it. The style and beauty of Quran is without comparison for it is none other than the words of a superior being, the Lord of the worlds, the Creator of us all.

I have recently listened to a lecture where this “pastor” tried to refute Quran, but alas the more he tried the more he confirmed it to be the truth. He questioned the preservation of Quran but he did not count on the fact the Quran is an oral text. He did not consider that Quran was memorised and guarded in the hearts of people from the very first revelation of Quran more than 1400 years ago. How amazing that the majority people (millions of them) who today have memorised Quran are non-Arabs who may not understand Arabic. It’s difficult enough to memorise something in one’s own language let alone 6236 verses in a foreign language. This is the medium the Almighty has chosen to preserve His word. Children from 3-4 years old and older people into their seventies are memorising Quran. No other book has withstood the test of time. No other book has the eloquence that even the pagan Arabs who at the height of their poetic era had to acknowledge that these words are from a superior being. The style and manner in which it was first recited is very much still preserved and taught.

The program continues. Speaker after speaker, people who teach Quran and yet in each one there is still a hint of being mesmerised by this book every time they talk about this Glorious book. The emotions on the faces of the audience is a picture to behold and a reflection of one’s own heart and emotions.

And in the end it, this program, is a reminder of the first five verses revealed by Allaah to Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – via angel Gabriel –peace be upon him in the cave of Hira on  the Mountain of Light on the outskirts of Mecca more than 1400 years ago:

Read [O Muhammad!] in the name of your Lord who created. (96.1) He created man from a clot. (96.2) Read, and your Lord is the Most Honorable (96.3) who taught with the pen, (96.4) taught man what he did not know. (96.5)

Quran – 96: 1-5

We need to do ourselves this favour and read this book

The Wheel of Time is spinning

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Sitting on a ferris wheel how quickly did you complete the circuit and see you are back at the start. You continue circuit after circuit and before long your time is done. Aw man – already?

Just a little ealier I heard the now all too familiar conversation about time and where has the year gone. Indeed where? It’s gone, never to return except for some snippet we hold in our memories, never to be relived or reclaimed. A year has gone like the circuit of the ferris wheel. With each circuit another year has passed. How much have we benefited ourselves? How much of this benefit is short-term and how much is the real long-term benefit?

We are on the threshold of a new year  (the Islamic/Hijri new year is in a day or two while we are only a month away from 2012 CE). As Muslims we celebrate our new year by fasting on the 9^th and 10^th days of the new year (in the month of Muharram). This is an optional fast but a strongly recommended fast. There are no wild celebrations/parties, no music, no street parades, but rather a reconnection with the Creator. With the Mercy of our Lord at every turn, days like these are reminders of that Mercy. And why should we not pick the fruits of that Mercy by concerning ourselves with dialling 255224 – oh by the way that is “ALLAAH”  - and committing your pledge – your pledge of time for doing good, your pledge for giving more charity, your pledge of being mindful of time, your pledge for getting involved with those who do good)

So to my Non-Muslim friends: We do not celebrate your new year since we have our own. We celebrate differently to the way you do. We leave you to do what you do. We do not wait for midnight like you do, we do not pop the corks (no alcohol), we do not party (jiving or whatever you may call it). So you will find us in our homes and/or mosques when you are celebrating your new year. We trust too though that your new years resolutions will give consideration to the real issues at hand while,sadly, in a time of ecstacy that we forget the suffering and oppression.

As we receive news of change in weather patterns, the political turmoil in specifically the Arab world, the financial crisis in Europe, and even our own home-grown problems – is this not the time to reflect?

Have you noticed that you are getting older and have you noticed that many people that you knew, some older and some younger, have departed from this world just this past year. Where have they gone? Where will they be going? How much time do you have left on this earth and where will you be going after this? Have you scripted a book that will be a best-seller at the grand opening of the Garden of Bliss?

The ferris wheel is turning and the sands of time is running out.  Soon the doors of 1433 AH (after Hijrah) and 2012AD will open and the doors to their predecessors shut. In a blink you will read this message again and the numbers would have changed (forward). Will you be asking “what happened?” in a sleepy voice.

Amnesty

AMNESTY

The call has been made. It is my turn to apply for amnesty. I have travelled a long way to attend this conference. The crowd is large and growing. This amnesty of a lifetime is for one day only. Those not called here can apply for minor amnesties.

I am certainly dressed for the occasion. My garb is simple. If you will look carefully, I am the one dressed in two pieces of cloth. Oh my, and so is everyone else. So this is the dress-code of this convention. I do carry another garb and the one which I, with much help, have sewn onto my self.

I have done the registration at a place nearby. I spent the day there yesterday. This was quite important as it allowed me to check myself one last time before that important appearance and application for amnesty.

Now the time has arrived. How long do I have? What am I to say? I step forward. A thin layer of cloud has dimmed the heat of the sun. The moment though does cause me to perspire somewhat. I raise my hands and present myself finally: “Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.

All Praise be to the Lord of the worlds. Peace and Blessing upon Our Leader, Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family, his friends and all those who follow him until the appointed time.

O our Lord, we have harmed ourselves and if You, O Allaah, do not forgive us we will certainly be of the lost ones.”

These words seeking forgiveness, first uttered by our father Aadam (peace be upon him) in the very place I am now, brings fear to me as I wondering whether I am deserved, yet there is hope because these words were accepted from Aadam (Peace be upon him)

My words are interspersed with trying to control my tears which by now is streaming down my cheeks. My beard is soaked and my voice even I cannot recognise. How fortunate am I to be Muslim and how more fortunate am I to be given this opportunity. If I pass here, and I continue to wear my garb tightly, the garb of taqwa, the garb of God-consciousness, then perhaps the next time I present myself to my Lord, that ultimate time, that perhaps then my passage on that day will be easy.

How did I commit so much sin, O my Lord, I have been oblivious of you when you have blessed me with much. I cannot thank You enough, but please please dear Lord, do not forsake me. I am but weak, and I humbly present myself to Thee. Cleanse me O Lord, Cleanse me, Forgive me and show mercy to me. O My Lord have mercy on  my parents as they showed mercy on me when I was little. And as they have grown old, make me one that show mercy to them.

O my Lord, our dear children, take care of them, and make them standard-bearers for Islam until the end of time. O Lord, You know we live in difficult times, make us and them the strangers that Your Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about (when he- peace be upon him- said "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.")

O My Lord, Thou who are Most Merciful, forgive us, our wives, our brothers, our sisters, our children, our families, our friends and all Muslims.

Let not my actions be in vain, please O Lord accept from me.

As those not here have been involved in the minor amnesty through their fasting and other acts of worship, what a truly amazing day.

The feeling though, the feeling standing there on the plains of ‘Arafah, can never truly be explained, it has to be experienced. If for no other reason, that feeling of that day alone makes me long to repeat my Hajj.

The unity of the Ummah is captured on this day when we stand before the Almighty as equals. Certainly we need to inculcate that into our lives.

The Mercy of our Lord is certainly understood on that day. Certainly, it is something we need to seek out every day and Praise Him who is Most Merciful.

To those currently on Hajj, We pray that Allaah Almighty accepts from them their standing and repenting on ‘Arafah. To those not there we pray that your wuqoof through your fasting is accepted and that you too may be forgiven.

For those who have not been there, may Allaah increase in you that desire to present yourself on this glorious day and may He indeed make it a reality for you.

For those who have been there, no doubt you still have that yearning, may He, the Most High, make it easy that we may yet have another opportunity.

“Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.

All Praise be to the Lord of the worlds. Peace and Blessing upon Our Leader, Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family, his friends and all those who follow him until the appointed time.

O our Lord, we have harmed ourselves and if You, O Allaah, do not forgive us we will certainly be of the lost ones.”

Allahumma taqabbal minnaa wa minkum

Ettiquette

Really why don’t I blog more often … one gets busy and does one blog for the sake of blogging.

Something happened and I was not sure of the ideal forum to respond – so I blog again :)

So yesterday I watch a video on youtube – it was of a religious nature – and is my nature that I often can’t resist commenting. But I try to add meaningful comments. Yet what is disturbing is that the response to my comment is vulgar, from a person supposedly defending his religiously viewpoint. Now I take no personal affront to this as insults since I am merely a creation of Almighty Allaah. However, it is not uncommon to find this type of responses on religious (and political) forums. Perhaps it is such that some people go onto these forums not to engage in discussion/debate but only to hurl insults and abuse. This has sadly lead to the closure of some forums where good discussion did take place, but sadly hijacked by those who have no meaningful way to express themselves except being crude and vulgar.

As stated earlier, that personal insults one can take, but then these people go beyond that and start abusing aspects of the religion itself. We may have opinions and we may thus differ on important aspects of religion, but certainly that can be done in civil manner. Yes, I do admit that sometimes one can type something and the reader may infer something from the tone – but that may be a perception and it may be the reader itself having a particular frame of mind at that time.

So as a Muslim I would find it difficult if a fellow Muslim becomes abusive regarding another religion or even adherents to that religion. We may though find that certain questions or comments may have connotations of ridicule but may such comments or questions may be better understood through further engagement. This is rather different from someone making blatant comments in a threatening way.

Islam, through the Quran and the practices and teaches of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), teaches us that clearly. As Muslims we accept all the Prophets before him, Muhammad (peace be upon him), and we send our greeting upon them all. It is blasphemous to speak ill of any of them and among them are Abraham, Moses, David, John the Baptist and Jesus – peace be upon them all. Some of these Prophets (peace be upon them) were given scriptures which we as Muslim acknowledge. We further acknowledge that they – peace be upon them – all taught the same message of the worship of One God.

There are meaningful ways of finding out about Islam and engaging Muslims. The snippets in news broadcasts and the print media and the portrayal of Muslims in movies do not do justice to the religion in any way.

 Let's talk and respect each other - lets have some ettiquette