The Doors of Heaven

It is narrated that Abdullah ibn `Umar radhiya allahu anhu [may God be pleased with him] said:  "While we were praying with the Messenger of God ﷺ, a man from the crowd said:  'Allahu akbar kabiran wal hamdu lillahi kathiran wa subhanallahi bukratan wa asilan.' [God is indeed the Greatest, all praises are due to Him, many praises, and all glory is His alone, morning and evening.]

The Messenger of God ﷺ  said:  'Who is the one who said these words?'

A person from the crowd said:  'It is me O Messenger of God.'

The Prophet said:  'They amazed me! They caused the doors of heaven to be opened.'

Ibn `Umar said:  'I have never abandoned these words since I heard the Messenger of God ﷺ say that.'"

Narrated by Muslim

Reciting the Qur'an

Narrated Abu Musa:

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it is like a citron, which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on it is like a date, which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a Raihana (sweet basil), which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth, which tastes bitter and has a bad smell."

(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 579; also, Number 538)

Response to Fishtroller

The following is a response I wrote to an atheist who calls himself "Fishtroller01" over at Daily Kos. This guy is one of your militant atheists. Personally, after reading many of his comments on a number of religious diaries at DKos, I have a rather low opinion of this guy. Still, I decided to respond to one of his comments tonight, and am reproducing it here as it touches on a number of topics that this blog addresses.

So you based your life's perspective on one book?

I've based my moral and religious guidelines upon the Qur'an, yes. Believe it or not, I was once an atheist like you, but I realized the errors of my ways and changed directions. I put in four years of due diligence on the Qur'an after countless years of exploring (raised Catholic, read numerous Buddhist texts), but I've never regretted my decision to become a Muslim. That was my best decision ever.

Do you follow EVERY teaching in that book, or do you just pick and choose the ones that fit your modern conception of the world?

I'm not a "cafeteria Muslim," no. I follow everything in the Qur'an that applies to me to the best of my abilities.

If you do follow all the "guidance" written in that book, you have a problem because many of the teachings are immoral and/or contradict one another.

Now you see, this is where your incredible ignorance of the Qur'an and Islam begins to show. It's very obvious you've read little, if any, of the Qur'an; not that I'm surprised.

I won't go into the numerous times that this book promises hellfire and torture for unbelievers like me...

Yeah? So? His universe, His rules, His rewards and punishments. What makes you worthy of heaven? Your good looks? The minimum requirements, according to the Qur'an, are a belief in Him, a belief in the Day of Judgment, and good works. All three, not just one or two of three. Ignoring the third, how do you qualify? How have you earned the right to go to heaven? This is either/or, not multiple choice. There's no special dispensation simply because you object.

...but it also says that those who believe in the trinity are cursed to hell.

Actually, the Qur'an says nothing of the sort; in fact, several verses (2:62, 5:69) say the exact opposite. Islam is not one of those religions that says only "we" are saved. There's no guarantee a Muslim will be saved either. You have to earn heaven, remember?

Do you agree that women are possessions of men and that men are "a step above" women?

Women as "possessions of men" is the Orientalist view, not the Islamic view. Men a step above women? No, not part of Islam either. The Qur'an does says in part: "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means..." (4:34). But that doesn't mean men are a step above. Men and women in Islam have equal responsibilities. If anything many Muslim men think that Muslim women have it easier than they do.

Do you agree that homosexuality is unnatural and to be condemned?

The underlying theme in the Qur'an is that life is most important. This is not explicitly stated in the text, but can be deduced from the Qur'an's positions regarding various issues regarding life, death and health. Thus, to preserve life and promote healthy lifestyles, sex is forbidden in all cases except between married couples. Thus, premarital sex is haram, adultery is haram, fornication between any non-married person, regardless of gender, is haram. Likewise, all anal sex, even between husband and wife, is haram as well. In Islam, two men or two women may love each other, but the relationship must be platonic. To take the opposite position is unIslamic and promotes unhealthy lifestyles. A lot of people don't like to hear that, but that's their problem and, once again, they'll have to answer for it on the Day of Judgment.

Why didn't Jesus or Mohammed condemn slavery?

I won't speak for Jesus (pbuh), but I will say that while the Qur'an did not expressly prohibit slavery, it did encourage slave owners not only to free their slaves if the latter asked for it, but to pitch in money to the slave so as to make it easier for them. If you knew the history of Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions, you would know that they freed many of the slaves in that time. Try reading the story about Bilal for a good example.

Which in my view renders the texts increasingly useless and invalid.

Your loss. Good luck on the Day of Judgment.

Sawm

This is the fourth in a series of posts about the Five Pillars of Islam. The first diary was about shahadah, the second about salat, and the third about zakat.

Sawm is the required fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan. During this lunar month, nothing may be eaten nor drunk from the break of dawn until sunset. Other prohibitions include no sexual activity nor any smoking. Sawm is the opposite of all the other pillars: with shahadah, salat, zakat and hajj, there is an activity to be performed; with sawm, no activity is done. Instead, while fasting during Ramadan, Muslims focus their day around spiritual matters, using the empty feeling in their stomachs to concentrate their minds.

The month of Ramadan has always been an important month for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), before the first revelation, would retreat to a cave high up on a mountain near Makkah now known as Jabal an-Nur, the Mountain of Light, for prayer and contemplation. It was during the last third of the month of Ramadan that the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to Muhammad (pbuh) and revealed the first verses of the Qur'an on the Night of Power:

Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth, -
Createth man from a clot. -
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, -
Who teacheth by the pen, -
Teacheth man that which he knew not. - (96:1-5)

While fasting was encouraged in the early Muslim community (and became a necessity during the Makkahn boycott of the Hashemites, when many Muslims went without food because the non-Muslims of Makkah wouldn't trade with the Banu Hashim clan), fasting during the month of Ramadan did not become obligatory until 2 A.H., the second year after the Muslims had moved to Madinah and the fourteenth year of the Prophet's (pbuh) mission:

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,- (2:183)

Now, one of the unique features about Ramadan is that the month is not set to any particular season of the year. The Islamic calendar is a true lunar calendar in which no intercalary days or months are included to make the lunar calendar keep in time with the solar calendar. (Leap Day, February 29th, is an example of an intercalary day. Lunisolar calendars include intercalary days; examples include the Jewish, Chinese and Hindu calendars.) Thus, the Islamic calendar is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, making the Islamic calendar roll "forward." For example, my first Ramadan, back in 2000, began just after Thanksgiving and ended just after Christmas. This year, Ramadan begins on July 9th and ends on August 7th. In roughly 33 years, the Islamic calendar will reach the same point in a solar year.

Likewise, because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, this means the length of the month may be either 29 or 30 days. In most countries Ramadan starts and finishes based upon the sighting of the crescent moon after a new moon. Once the moon has been sighted, the month will start on the next day. (In a few countries, including Singapore, a calculation method is used. This method is controversial and stirs up debate among Muslims every year; however, in tropical climates, where sighting the moon can be problematic due to cloud cover, the calculation method works well.)

Moreover, because the Islamic calendar adjusts in comparison to the solar calendar, the length of the day in which a Muslim fasts also changes. This is partly due to the latitude at which a person lives and also due to the season. For myself, because I live very near the equator, the amount of time I fast daily is roughly 13 hours per day, regardless of the season. However, as the Islamic calendar moves closer to the summer solstice, Muslims at higher northern latitudes will face longer and longer hours (theoretically up to 24 hours if they lived above the Arctic Circle) and shorter and shorter hours if they live at the higher southern latitudes.

The time at which the fast ends daily is fairly straightforward: at sunset. However, when fasts should begin in the morning is not quite as clean cut. Especially here in Southeast Asia, we actually begin fasting ten minutes prior to the official start time, but what is the official start time? Most Muslims say that it is the break of dawn, meaning when the faintest glow of sunlight first appears in the morning sky. As the Qur'anic verse reads:

Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint. (2:187)

Should the highlighted section of the verse be taken literally or figuratively? Some of the earliest Muslims took the verse literally; however, it really should be taken figuratively:

When the verses were revealed, 'Until the white thread appears to you, distinct from the black thread,' I took two (hair) strings, one black and the other white, and kept them under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning I went to Allah's Apostle and told him the whole story. He explained to me, "That verse means the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn." (Sahih Bukhari; Chapter 31, Fasting, No. 140)

Not everyone is required to fast during Ramadan; there are a number of exemptions. For example, women who are undergoing their menses are exempt. Young children are also exempt, although they must begin fasting by the time they reach puberty. (Actually, many children begin fasting during Ramadan much earlier than that; it's not uncommon for six and seven year olds to try to fast at least until lunch time.) Those who are ill or traveling a significant distance in a day (commuting doesn't count here) are also exempt, although all of these groups with the exception of the children must make up any days they miss fasting later in the year, up through the next Ramadan. For those who can fast but would only be able to do so "with difficulty" (2:184), i.e, women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or the elderly, they are given the option of either fasting or to feed an indigent person; if they feed the indigent then they are not required to fast. However, for everyone else, fasting is an obligation.

During Ramadan, prayers play a more prominent role during the month than they do the rest of the year. Not only do Muslims pray the five daily prayers (and their associated sunnah prayers), but there are also the nightly tarawih prayers. Tarawih prayers are like regular salat, the formal prayers, except that, instead of a maximum of four raka'at as performed in normal salat, tarawih prayers may be up to eight, twelve or twenty raka'at long. They are also frequently well-attended; in Singapore, tarawih is not only performed at mosques, but also in public spaces (known as void decks) in order to alleviate overcrowding. Tarawih prayers may also include a khutbah (sermon) and the reading of a juz of the Qur'an. (The Qur'an has been split up into 30 juz so that, having recited one juz every night, the entire Qur'an will have been recited during the month of Ramadan.)

Near the end of the month, Muslims are also required to pay a special type of zakat, known as Zakat al-Fitr. This is a small amount of money (frequently about $5 per person) that is collected so that the poorer members of the community may also be to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr. Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on all Muslims (excepting those who would otherwise be recipients); however, it is not uncommon for the heads of households to pay the zakat on behalf of everyone in that household.

During Ramadan, Muslim communities often celebrate the month with various festivities. Middle Eastern countries are known for their soap operas that play each night during the month. In Singapore, we have an enormous bazaar that springs up in the Geylang Serai neighborhood. This bazaar will have on the order of 1000-1500 merchants setting up booths that sell a wide variety of products to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Most booths sell one of three basic types of products: food (for breaking the fast that evening), household products (to spruce up the home for the Eid visits to come; "spring cleaning" is normally done during Ramadan in Muslim homes), and clothing for Eid. While this is the commercial side of the month, it doesn't compare to the Christmas shopping season, especially in the US, as gift-giving is not normally done during Eid.

On the first day of the month after Ramadan (Shawwal 1), Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid ul-Fitr. This is one of the few days throughout the Islamic year where fasting is expressly prohibited. In the morning, many Muslims will attend Eid prayers. Because so many people turn out for these prayers, facilities other than mosques may be used to accommodate the turnout. For example, one year in Phoenix, I went to Eid prayers at the convention center; another time in Singapore Eid prayers for the neighborhood was held in the middle of a soccer field.

Once the Eid prayer is finished, people begin going to various homes to celebrate. In Singapore, the custom is go to the home of the most elderly relative first. Families normally wear a color-coordinated outfit, which makes for very colorful celebrations. At each home, various sweets will be served and possibly a meal (many will beg off on the meal if they've already eaten at someone else's home). This type of celebration will go on not only through the day of Eid, but for the remainder of the entire month of Shawwal, particularly on weekends. Considering the number of aunts, uncles and cousins my wife has, it's difficult to meet everyone (and have our own celebrations) within one month's time.

Although Ramadan is the only time during the Islamic year where fasting is required, many Muslims fast at other times of the year as well. After Eid ul-Fitr has passed, Muslims may encourage each other to fast an additional six days during the month of Shawwal (the six days do not need to be consecutive, as they are during Ramadan). Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar, is also a non-obligatory day of fasting; actually, Muslims normally fast two days at that time: either the 9th and 10th days of Muharram or the 10th and 11th. Finally, many Muslims fast two days of every week during the year, normally on Mondays and Thursdays.

For another diary I've written about Sawm, please see One Day in Ramadan.

Swine and Monkeys

One of my Facebook friends asked me to comment on several verses in the Qur'an that refer to some Jews turning into swine and monkeys. The verses in question are 2:65, 5:60 and 7:166:

And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected." (2:65)

Say: "Shall I point out to you something much worse than this, (as judged) by the treatment it received from Allah? those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine, those who worshipped evil;- these are (many times) worse in rank, and far more astray from the even path!" (5:60)

When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibitions, We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected." (7:166)

Now, my friend had gotten the following comments about these verses on his Facebook wall:

Only one religion says that practitioners of the other two major religions are descendants of pigs and monkeys. Care to guess which one has that written in their holy.book?

The descendants of apes and pigs "comment" is a direct quote from the Koran. In three different verses of the Koran it is said Jews descended from pits and Christians from monkeys. The verses are 7:166, 2:65, 5:60...

So, my friend asked if I could shed some light on these verses. What follows is my reply:

The short answer is no, we do not believe that.

The long answer is that the Qur'an is referring to an incident where a village of Jews (the village of Aylah, on the shore of the Red Sea) broke their covenant of the sanctity of the Sabbath. Before the Sabbath would begin, the villagers would place nets, ropes and artificial pools of water for the purpose of fishing before the Sabbath. When the fish came in on Saturday as usual, they were caught in the ropes and nets. During the night, the Jews collected the fish after the Sabbath ended. In other words, although they were being "efficient," as we might think of it today, the Jews were still working on the Sabbath through the use of their nets, ropes, etc., when they should not have been. For that transgression they were punished by being turned into monkeys (the young) and swine (the old).

Now, several points:
* Not everyone in the village of Aylah suffered this fate, only those who had committed the transgression.
* Those who were transformed died three days later; during that brief time, they could not eat, drink or have offspring (so no modern Jews could possibly have descended from them).
* The Prophet Muhammad was asked if the current monkeys and swine were descended from those who were transformed. He said no, the animals had existed before then.
* The punishment was meant as an example to dissuade the neighboring villages from transgressing as those in Aylah had; thus, others outside the village would have known about the transformation.

The problem with people like your friend (and the other person) is that they rely solely upon a face-value "understanding" of the Qur'an when the real meaning is much, much deeper. There's a tremendous amount of context (historical, theological, linguistic) that most non-Muslims don't have the slightest clue exists as to explain the Qur'an. This is the trap your friend has fallen into. Now whether you or he agree with the above is up to you, but this is what orthodox Muslims believe.

Zakat

This is the third in a series of posts about the Five Pillars of Islam. The first diary was about shahadah, and the second about salat.

Zakat is the formal giving of charity in Islam. It is related to a similar concept, known as saudaqah. Saudaqah is the informal giving of charity that may be done at any time, in any amount, to any recipient. Zakat, however, is more regulated. While zakat may be given at any time of year, many Muslims try to pay their zakat during Ramadan, when spiritual rewards are greater than during the rest of the year. The amount of money (or other material goods being given as zakat) is more specific, and zakat tends to be given to institutions (mosques, foundations and other charities, and some government agencies) as opposed to individuals, which saudaqah is normally given to. Either way, the payment of charity is highly encouraged in Islam.

Indeed, the Qur'an stresses the need to practice regular charity; moreover, the payment of charity is linked to the practice of prayer. The following verse is one of over two dozen verses that encourage Muslims to both pray and give charity:

Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular Prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:277)

In essence, the giving of charity on a regular basis is where the Muslim puts his or her faith in Allah (swt) into meaningful action. As mentioned in the previous essay, prayer (salat) is very important for a Muslim to engage in, but charity (zakat and saudaqah) is just as important. It is the Islamic example of the idiom, "putting your money where your mouth is."

However, not everyone is required to pay zakat. There are several key concepts that regulate what is "zakatable" and what is not. First, an asset that is zakatable must have been owned for at least one haul. A haul is one Islamic (lunar) year, or about 355 days. Secondly, the assets that are zakatable must have a value greater than the nisab. Nisab is equivalent to 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver. Because the values of these precious metals change on a daily basis, the value of the nisab will also change daily. (For example, today, as I write this, the nisab in Singapore dollars is $5,790; various Islamic websites will publish the daily nisab value so that Muslims can easily lookup this information instead of having to calculate it themselves.) As long as the value of the assets remains above the nisab for the entire haul, then zakat must be paid on the value of those assets.

The tricky part about zakat is in deciding which assets are zakatable; not every asset must be included. For the average city-dwelling Muslim, the number of zakatable asset classes is fairly limited. They normally include savings; certain monies received from or deposited into pension funds; stocks, mutual funds and other investments; gold, silver, and other jewelry; the surrender value on insurance policies (for that year, assuming the policy has been in force for over one haul); and any businesses owned by the Muslim in question. Generally speaking, the zakat owed for each of these asset classes is 2.5 percent; thus, if the Muslim had a total of $10,000 worth of zakatable assets, he or she would owe $250 for zakat.

If a Muslim makes his or her living by farming or mining, the methods for calculating zakat change. For example, if a farmer grows produce in a garden or orchard, the rate for zakat is ten percent if the garden or orchard receives its water through rainfall, nearby water channels (e.g., streams or rivers), or if the ground is naturally wet; however, if the land needs to be irrigated, then the rate is five percent. For farmers who raise livestock, the zakat owed depends upon the number and types of animals owned and their ages. For example, if a Muslim farmer owns forty sheep that are over one year in age, then one sheep would be owed as zakat. (The formulas for these types of calculations are somewhat complex, and will not be discussed in depth here.) For miners, the zakat rate is twenty percent of the value of all ores or precious metals that are excavated in the past lunar year.

On the other hand, there are a number of personal assets are never considered to be zakatable; these include personal items, clothing, furniture, computers, cars and homes. Now, for the latter three items listed above, as long as these items are for personal use, then they are not subject to zakat; however, if they are used for business purposes, then zakat must be paid on them. So, for example, if a family owns two homes, residing in one, but renting out the other, then the rental income derived from the property is zakatable.

Which leads to the next point: zakat is not an income tax, it is a tax on wealth. An equivalent secular tax would be a property tax. In this regard, zakat is a progressive tax in that the poorest members of society normally don't pay any zakat at all (although everyone, regardless of their income level, is still encouraged to pay saudaqah as the need arises). The wealthier the person is, the more zakat they are required to pay; there are no caps or limits as to what the wealthiest Muslims are obligated to pay.

Another point to consider is, where does the money go? The Qur'an gives some guidelines as to who can receive zakat money. The relevant verse is:

Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. (9:60)

Thus, the Qur'an gives eight categories of people who are eligible to receive zakat monies. The first two categories, the poor (fakir) and the needy (miskin), are very similar to each other, but have slightly different definitions. The poor are those who may not have enough money for their basic needs, but the needy are those who have neither material possessions nor the means to earn a living, the truly indigent who, out of necessity, are forced to beg for their survival. (In Singapore, this category accounted for over one-third of all zakat monies distributed.)

The third category, those employed to administer the funds, are those employees of the agency that administers the zakat. The Qur'an recognizes that people legitimately work to collect, account for, and distribute the zakat monies, and they are eligible to receive wages from the zakat monies as opposed to volunteering to get the job done.

The fourth category, those whose hearts have been recently reconciled to the truth (i.e., recent reverts to Islam), is perhaps one group of people who don't receive very much zakat money in comparison to the other groups. Very rarely, in my experience, do Muslim organizations (especially in the US) give out any money to recent reverts. In my own case, I only received any money while here in Singapore, when I needed to prove that I was a Muslim in order to marry my wife, that I received a grand total of S$40. Certainly not enough money to become rich on. (To be honest, I was surprised I received any money at all; I certainly hadn't expected it!) I don't know of anyone who's reverted to Islam for the chance to receive zakat money.

The fifth and sixth categories, for those in bondage and in debt, is interpreted somewhat differently now than it used to be in the past. Many Muslim organizations now refer to "bondage" in terms of a lack of education. As a result, zakat monies are sometimes given in the form of scholarships, grants and bursaries, especially to those families with children who are already receiving zakat because of their poor economic status (fakir/miskin). Those who are in debt doesn't mean that they will help to relieve, for example, credit card balances, but that they might help to pay off utility balances or other bills of necessity that the person or family is unable to pay.

The seventh category, in the cause of Allah (swt), also has a more modern interpretation. Today, those funds are often used to pay for religious programs, mosque leadership and administration, school development and assistance, youth development and engagement, Islamic education, and community development.

The eighth and final category, for the wayfarer, is where zakat monies may be given to those travellers who are stranded. The aid given might include financial assistance and a plane ticket home, if necessary.

So, what benefits do Muslims receive for their giving of charity, whether it is zakat or saudaqah? The word zakah actually comes from the root zāy kāf wāw (ز ك و), which literally means "to purify." (There are actually 21 verses in the Qur'an where zāy kāf wāw is used as the verb to purify.) By giving zakat, a Muslim benefits by purifying both his or her own soul and his or her wealth. On the one hand, zakat purifies the soul by helping a person to overcome his or her selfishness, obsession with wealth, and any neglect of the poor. Likewise, giving zakat helps a Muslim the opportunity to cleanse their wealth of the taint it would acquire if it had not gone through the purification process of zakat. Muslims try to earn their incomes in a halal manner; however, people don't always do so. For example, not always giving a full effort at work (e.g., playing games on the computer when one should be working, to use a simple example). Giving zakat helps to purify the manner in which that wealth is earned.

The rewards a Muslim may receive for giving charity may also bring about significant rewards in either this life or in the hereafter. The Qur'an gives a parable that helps to explain just how much reward might be given, insha'allah:

The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is that of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower. (2:261)

By giving zakat, Allah (swt) may reward us up to seven hundred fold, insha'allah, for the acts of charity we have done. Unlike in the so-called "Prosperity Gospel," though, there is no promise of riches in this life for having been charitable. The rewards may come entirely in the hereafter, insha'allah. What we try to acknowledge, however, is that all sustenance comes from Allah (swt), and that the rich are being tried on their ability (or inability) to pass on the sustenance due from them to weaker members of the community. Insha'allah, the rich will pass the test by paying the zakat they owe; otherwise, the punishment for failing to do so may be extremely severe:

Asma bint Yazid reported: "My aunt and I, while wearing gold bracelets, went to the Prophet. He asked: 'Did you pay their zakat?' She related that they had not. The Prophet said: 'Do you not fear that Allah will make you wear a bracelet of fire? Pay its zakat." (Ahmad, 6.461)

Shahadah

Recently, Ojibwa posted a diary at Daily Kos that looked at the Five Pillars of Islam. The descriptions for each of the five pillars were necessarily brief; however, I thought I would expand on each of the pillars in their own diaries. This diary focuses on the first pillar, the shahadah, or testament of faith.

Ash-hadu alah ilaha il-lal-llahu, wa ash-hadu annah Muhammad-ar rasullullah.
I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of God.
The shahadah consists of two statements uttered in a single sentence. The first statement, no god but God, is the Muslim's testification of pure monotheism. We attest that there is no person or thing that is worthy of worship other than God. There are not multiple gods, nor is there anyone or any thing that shares godhood with God. Thus, Muslims reject, for example, the concept of the Christian trinity and the Hindu/Buddhist pantheon of gods. Likewise, we reject the atheist's assertion that there is no god at all. There is only one God, solitary and unique (ahad). To believe in these other concepts is to commit shirk, the one unforgivable sin.

Say: He is Allah, the One!
Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
He begetteth not nor was begotten.
And there is none comparable unto Him.
- Surah Al-Ikhlas (The Unity), 112:1-4, Pickthall translation

The second statement, Muhammad is the Prophet of God, has several connotations that need to be considered. First is the face-value statement acknowledging Muhammad's (pbuh) prophethood. A Muslim could very easily acknowledge the other 24 named prophets (pbut) in the Qur'an in addition to all the thousands of unnamed prophets, and this would be stating the truth. But, by acknowledging Muhammad (pbuh) as a Prophet, we are binding ourselves as Muslims to obeying Islamic law and jurisprudence (shari'ah and fiqh, respectively) as best we can.

The shahadah occupies the first pillar of Islam because of its importance and the frequency with which it is said. In a normal day, a Muslim will recite the shahadah at least nine times throughout the course of the five required prayers; this does not count all the other optional prayers a Muslim may make on any given day. Nor does it count any other time the shahadah might be spoken for other reasons.

The shahadah is also important because it is the normal standard by which people are recognized by the Muslim community as a fellow Muslim. A new Muslim must recite the shahadah publicly (defined as in front of at least two other people) and they must do it with sincerity in their hearts. Simply reading or reciting the shahadah above will not make you a Muslim if you lack sincerity, nor will other Muslims recognize you as a Muslim if you do not say the shahadah at least once publicly. You might be a Muslim in your heart, but that does not necessarily mean public acceptance.

Principles and Foundations of the Islamic Economy

Khutbah from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)
Originally published: 24 February 2012


Principles and Foundations of the Islamic Economy from the Perspective of Al-Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah

Dear blessed congregation,

Let us strengthen our faith by performing what Allah has ordained and refraining from what He has prohibited. Let us stay true to the practices and guidance of Rasulullah (saw). May this bring us closer to the right path that is blessed by Allah (swt).

My beloved brothers,

In the past few weeks, much has been said on Rasulullah (saw) as a blessing to mankind. We reflect on this from the Sunnah of the Prophet which has transformed lives and spread exemplary character through good moral values.

On this note, let us ponder upon a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra):

“I have only been sent to perfect good manners.” Narrated by Imam Al-Bazzar.

Here, an exemplary manner or character encompasses man’s relationship with Allah (swt), with nature and towards ourselves, in the social, spiritual and even economic aspects.

It is no surprise that Islam emphasizes on morals and good character as a key element to overcome challenges in life. Moreover, the laws that Allah (swt) ordained are rooted in principles that we cannot defy – and this includes areas related to economics.

In the sirah of the Prophet, we can see how he held on strongly to moral principles and exemplary character, and it was not abandoned in Rasulullah’s economics transactions and trading activities within the community.

This is illustrated when the Prophet (saw) undertook trading deals on behalf of Sayyidatina Khadijah Binti Khuwailid (ra), where Rasulullah (saw) brought in large profits for the mission. This success was due to none other than the exemplary character of Rasulullah (saw) and his determination in doing trade.

Among the important principles in Islam that Rasulullah (saw) portrayed is being honest in everything that we do, including in economic engagements. Reiterating this, Rasulullah (saw) said:

“Allah blesses those who are charitable in their trade.” Narrated by Imam Bukhari.

That said, my dear brothers, we must know that the emphasis on morality does not mean that we have to reject the idea of a profitable business, or the potential benefits of such transactions to the economy in general.

In fact, this is the benefit of economic activity that Islam acknowledges. It lies in the balance between moral responsibility and material gains. We must bear in mind that, if morals are removed from economics, social balance will be threatened and eventually break down.

This will lead to unhealthy competition and feelings of distrust, when in fact the economic engagements and human interactions within should be on the basis of harmony, cooperation and compassion between one another. Therefore, Allah (swt) reminds us in Surah Al-Takaathur verse 1-2:

“The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you, until you visit the graves (until you die).”

My dear brothers,

Allah has created and preserved an economic system to His will, and the Al-Quran and Sunnah gives assurance to man including those who are associated in aspects of trading and the economy.

While Allah (swt) has commanded man to strive for his sustenance and wealth, let us be reminded that He is the All-Provider. Allah (swt) said in Surah Hud verse 6:

“And no (moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit. All is in a Clear Book – the Luh Mahfuz.”

This assurance by Allah does not at all mean that we should leave everything to fate without effort. Rather, it serves to instill a sense of confidence and peace, as well as faith in destiny when the prosperity we are hoping for does not materialize.

With this, man will not panic nor be demoralized, or even lose hope when their plan fails. Similarly, it reminds us to remember Allah and keep our arrogance in check, when provisions are bestowed upon us. This guarantee of provision by Allah should further motivate us to keep on trying despite multiple failures.

In emulating the exemplary character as propagated in Al-Quran and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (saw), let us pray for success in all that we do, as we seek His pleasure. Amin.

------------------

Glossary:
Amin: Amen.
Hadith: Reports on the sayings and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (saw) or what he witnessed and approved are called hadith (plural: ahadith). These are the real explanation, interpretation, and the living example of the Prophet (saw) for teachings of the Qur'an. His sayings are found in books called the hadith books. Some famous collectors of hadith are Imam Al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam An-Nasa'i, Imam Abu Dawood, Imam At-Tirmizi, and Imam Majah. There are many others.
Luh Mahfuz "Clear Record." "Human knowledge is subject to time, and is obliterated by time. Allah's knowledge is like a Record and endures forever. And His Record has a further quality which human records have not. The most permanent human record may be quite intelligible to those who make it but may be ambiguous to others and may become unintelligible with the progress of time, as happens almost invariably to the most enduring inscriptions from very anceint times: but in Allah's "Record" or knowledge there is no ambiguity, for it is independent of time, or place, or circumstances." Yusuf Ali, Footnote #1450 to verse 10:61.
(ra): Radiallhu Anhu, "May Allah be pleased with him." This phrase is commonly added after mentioning one of the companions of the Prophet (saw).
Rasulullah: The Prophet of God, Muhammad (saw).
(saw): These letters are abbreviations for the words “Salla Allahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam,” which means, “May the blessing and the peace of Allah be upon him.” When the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, a Muslim is to respect him and invoke this statement of peace upon him.
Sirah: Biography; in this case, a biography of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Sunnah: In this context, the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).
(swt): These letters are abbreviations for the words of “Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.” When the name of Almighty Allah is pronounced, a Muslim is to show his respect to Him by reciting this. The meaning of this statement is that Allah is purified of having partners or a son.

Footsteps in Heaven

It is related by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (s) once said to Bilal at the time of fajr: "Tell me about your act from which you expect the most in your Islam, for I have heard the sound of your footsteps in heaven."

"I have done nothing," replied Bilal, "which could give me hope, except that when I perform the wudu' in any part of the day or night I try to offer as much of salah with it as I can." (al-Bukhari)
-- from The Four Pillars of Islam by Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

On Envy

Photo source.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Avoid envy, for envy devours good deeds just as fire devours fuel or (he said) grass.'"
(Sunan Abu Dawud)

Salim narrated on the authority of his father (Ibn 'Umar) that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: "Envy is not justified but in case of two persons only: one who, having been given (knowledge of) the Qur'an by Allah, recites it during the night and day (and also acts upon it) and a man who, having been given wealth by God, spends it during the night and the day (for the welfare of others. seeking the pleasure of the Lord)."
(Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)

Cafeteria Muslim

This is the second post in a series on several questions asked by the husband of one of my readers. The first post was "Human-Made" Rules in Islam. This post will focus on the husband's next comment: "Some [rules in Islam] are not necessary in this modern world."

To which I would first say that much of the next-to-last paragraph in my previous post is just as applicable here as it was before:

All these men over the centuries - the scholars, jurists and imams - who created the rules that Muslims follow, the vast majority of them have significant credentials in terms of their ability to render a judgment. To which I would ask you, what are your qualifications? Why should I trust your judgment? What do you bring to the table?

Who are you to decide which rules in Islam are necessary today and which aren't? But rather than rehash previous arguments, let's move on to some other concerns. First, we cannot just pick and choose which parts of the Qur'an and of Islam we're willing to accept and which parts we want to reject. The Qur'an says in verse 3:7:

He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except God. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.

The Qur'an is an all-or-nothing proposition: take all of it or you might as well not take any of it. The whole of the Qur'an comes from Allah (swt); if a person is truly a Muslim, he or she will reject nothing of the Qur'an, not one verse, not one word! Muslims believe that the Qur'an is for all mankind and for all time. The human condition has not changed significantly enough to justify creating innovations (bid’ah) in Islam. In fact, bid’ah is to be avoided at all costs; the Prophet (pbuh) said,

So if anyone makes an innovation or accommodates an innovator, the curse of Allah, the angels, and all persons will fall upon him, and Allah will not accept any obligatory or supererogatory act as recompense from them. (Sahih Muslim and Sunan Abu Dawud)

The Qur'an strongly chastised the Arab polytheists who created their own religious innovations. The Arabs had declared some foods to be halal when they were haram, and other foods haram when they were halal (see verses 6:40, 6: 138-39, 6:142-44, and 10:59). (The Arab polytheists then compounded the error by attributing the innovations to Allah (swt); that, at least, does not seem to be the case here.) But when the Qur'an says, This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion (5:4), how can any Muslim possibly justify the notion that "Some [rules in Islam] are not necessary in this modern world"? Our religion has been perfected; there is no need for superfluous changes.

Modern society may be very different from Arabian society at the time of Muhammad (pbuh), but that does not justify the rejection of various rules within Islam that may seem inconvenient to the lifestyle you want to live. The most important thing one must do, if one truly desires to be a Muslim, is to embrace Islam to the fullest extent possible:

O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy. (2:208)

Whoever submits his whole self to God, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the most trustworthy hand-hold: and with God rests the End and Decision of (all) affairs. (31:22)

The best way to do that is to put aside egotistical wants and desires as much as possible and to strive to be a better Muslim. This is not easy, but it's the most important thing one can do for one's self. Remember, we all face the Day of Judgment.

To be continued, insha'allah.

Update: Several posts by other writers have come out recently that touch on the topic of this post, the false notion that "Some [rules in Islam] are not necessary in this modern world." Yursil in particular has written two very interesting posts about what he terms "Suburban Capitalist Islam," which is the notion that Islam is watered down through its use as a filter of Western culture:

The situation with Muslims today is that the West defines principles (inputs), and we get a culture out of it (western culture), and then Muslims attempt to filter the result through ‘Islam’. The problem with this approach is that Islam is not just a filter of culture. It contains within it the seeds of creating new culture. ... But if Islam remains a filter, that’s all we’ll ever get. A slightly adjusted version of a culture based on un-Islamic principles.

After reading Yursil's two posts (“Suburban Capitalist Islam” – List of Beliefs and “Suburban Capitalist Islam” – Islam is not a Filter of Western Culture) it seems to me that he and I are touching on a similar issue. In both of our posts, I think we are writing about the notion of Muslims modifying Islam to suit their secular lifestyle. Yursil's case seems to be less extreme than the situation I was presented with: in the American Islam he describes, the Muslims are not necessarily rejecting parts of the Qur'an or Islam, whereas the husband of my reader apparently is. Yursil's recommendation, to move away from Western (and Eastern) culture in favor of Islamic culture, is a step in the right direction.

I would also encourage my readers to check out Naeem's Scourge of Secular Capitalist Islam - Part 1, which was written as a response to Yursil's posts.

Ramadan Reminders

The following came from the Surah Yasin group at Facebook. This is a very nice set of reminders for us Muslims to act upon as we enter the final days of this month of Ramadan:

Rasullulah (pbuh) said, "The dua of a fasting person is not rejected" (Bayhaqi).

He also stated, "The dua of a fasting person at the time of Iftaar is accepted." (Abu Dawood).

Rasullulah (pbuh) said, "Do four things abundantly, two to please your Lord, and two you need for yourselves.

"Things to please your lord:

1. Say La illaha ill Allah abundantly
2. Do Istigfar (seek repentance)

"Things you need for yourself:

1. Ask Allah for Jannah (heaven)
2. Ask Allah to protect you from Janhannam (hell)"

Many individuals see no benefit in asking for the protection from Jahannam if they already ask for Jannah. It is our aqeeda (creed) and belief that an individual may have to spend time in Jahannam in order to be purified from his sins so he may enter Jannah. Jannah is pure and only the pure are allowed to enter.

There is a hadith narrated by Rajab al-Hambali's in Lata'if al-Ma'arif: "A person who does dhikr (the remembrance of Allah (swt)) during Ramadan is forgiven. And a person who asks Allah (swt) in Ramadan will not fail [Allah will give him what he wants]." Therefore do as much dhikr as one can.

Reference:
Shaykh Abdur Raheem ibn Dawood Limbada

What is Riba?

This post is primarily based upon a comment I wrote over at Jay Solomon's blog, The Zen of South Park:

This is one of the trickier questions in Islamic finance. As Jeffrey Harding pointed out in his recent article, The Money That Prays, the definition of riba is problematic, especially for non-Muslims:

After a long study of Islamic finance, the anthropologist Bill Maurer couldn’t settle on ‘interest’ as the perfect translation: it seemed clear at first but became streaky as he looked closer. ‘Usury’ is the obvious alternative, but are we to rely on the older sense of the term – any charge, however small, for the use of borrowed money – or on the way it’s understood today, as extortionate interest only? Wilson, a professor in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham who is intrigued by ‘the influences of religious belief on economic behavior’, holds that riba is usury in the first sense. That’s the view of most practicing Muslims; it seems to echo the meaning of the word in Deuteronomy, where Moses instructs the people of Israel not to lend to their own kith and kin at a rate: ‘Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury.’ Very close to ‘interest’ after all then. Yet if, like Melanie Phillips, you believe Islamic banking in the UK merely hastens the day when a green flag is raised over Westminster, it’s important to think of ‘usury’ in the later sense, in order to insist that Muslim law is either deluded or deceitful: ‘The whole issue of sharia finance,’ Phillips wrote last year, ‘is based on a fabrication . . . sharia does not proscribe interest. It proscribes usury.’

Phillips, a known Islamophobe, would obviously want riba to be "usury" in the modern sense, an excessive interest rate. However, Phillips is not an Islamic scholar by any stretch of the imagination. Riba, in my opinion, is any amount of interest, even one cent above the amount of principal. Consider the following ahadith:

Narrated Abu Salih Az-Zaiyat:

I heard Abu Said Al-Khudri saying, "The selling of a Dinar for a Dinar [gold], and a Dirham for a Dirham [silver] (is permissible)." I said to him, "Ibn 'Abbas does not say the same." Abu Said replied, "I asked Ibn 'Abbas whether he had heard it from the Prophet s or seen it in the Holy Book. Ibn 'Abbas replied, "I do not claim that, and you know Allah's Apostle better than I, but Usama informed me that the Prophet had said, 'There is no riba (in money exchange) except when it is not done from hand to hand (i.e., when there is a delay in payment).' " (Bukhari: 3.34.386)

Abu Salih reported: I heard Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) said: Dinar (gold) for gold and dirham for dirham can be (exchanged) with equal for equal; but he who gives more or demands more in fact deals in interest. I sald to him: Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) says otherwise, whereupon he said: I met Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) and said: Do you see what you say; have you heard it from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), or found it in the Book of Allah, the Glorious and Majestic? He said: I did not hear it from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). and I did not find it in the Book of Allah (Glorious and Majestic), but Usama b. Zaid narrated it to me that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: There can be an element of interest in credit. (Muslim: 10.3876)

Ubaidullah b. Abu Yazid heard Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) as saying: Usama b. Zaid reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: There can be an element of interest in credit (when the payment is not equal). (Muslim: 10.3877)

Ibn 'Abbas; (Allah be pleased with them) reported on the authority of Usama b. Zaid Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as having said this: There is no element of interest when the money or commodity is exchanged hand to hand. (Muslim: 10.3878) [In other words, what is known as a spot transaction.]

What I find interesting is that riba applies even to material goods. Consider:

Abd Sa'id reported: Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) came with fine quality of dates. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: From where (you have brought them)? Bilal said: We had inferior quality of dates and I exchanged two sa's (of inferior quality) with one sa (of fine quality) as food for Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Woe! it is in fact usury; therefore, don't do that. But when you intend to buy dates (of superior quality), sell (the inferior quality) in a separate bargain and then buy (the superior quality). And in the hadith transmitted by Ibn Sahl there is no mention of" whereupon". (Muslim: 10.3871)

Narrated Abu Burda: When I came to Medina. I met Abdullah bin Salam. He said, "Will you come to me so that I may serve you with sawiq (i.e. powdered barley) and dates, and let you enter a (blessed) house that in which the Prophet entered?" Then he added, "You are In a country where the practice of riba (i.e. usury) is prevalent; so if somebody owes you something and he sends you a present of a load of chopped straw or a load of barley or a load of provender then do not take it, as it is riba." (Bukhari: 5.58.159)

In the first hadith, the excess quantity of dates traded (the inferior quality dates) was riba and therefore haram; even an equal trade of inferior for superior dates would be haram as the quality of the two sets of dates would not have been equal. Thus, a halal transaction is two sided, the sale of the inferior dates for cash first, the purchase of the superior dates for cash second.

The second hadith is even more interesting for how commonplace this custom is. "I owe you, and I'm repaying my debt to you, but let me also give you this gift to make up for the fact that I owed you the repayment (and maybe I was late in making payment)." Sound familiar? That's riba, too.

Shaitan as the Wolf

I came across this one hadith I was unfamiliar with, and found it of interest:

Transmitted Ahmad. Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal (r.a.): "Allah's Messnger (s.a.w.) said: 'Verily Satan is the wolf of a man just as the wolf is (the enemy) of a flock. He seizes the solitary sheep going astray from the flock or going aside from the flock. So avoid the branching paths; it is essential for you to remain along with the community.'" (Mishkat [1/184])

The Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) warn us against the dangers of bida and internal division (forming sects and denominations). Those who complain that the "gates of ijtihad" need reopening should reconsider their beliefs. To continue the analogy of the hadith, it is better to be alive, even if one is a "herd animal," than dead, being feasted upon by Shaitan.

Wa Allahu 'alim.

The Hadith of the Whale

I was doing some research tonight on various foods that are halal, and came across some ahadith I was unfamiliar with. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had sent out a military expedition of three hundred men, led by the Abu Ubaida, that came across a dead whale on a sea coast. While land animals that are already dead (maitah, not having been slaughtered) are haraam, animals from the water that happen to be dead are still considered halal. The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said of the sea, "Its water is pure and its dead are permissible." Below is the most complete of the three ahadith:

Sahih Muslim, Book 021, Number 4756:

Jabir reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition) and appointed Abu 'Ubaida our chief that we might intercept a caravan of the Quraish and provided us with a bag of dates. And he found for us nothing besides it. Abu Ubaida gave each of us one date (everyday). I (Abu Zubair, one of the narrators) said: "What did you do with that?" He said: "We sucked that just as a baby sucks and then drank water over that, and it sufficed us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our staffs, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said, 'It is dead.' He then said: 'No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that.' We three hundred in number stayed there for a month, until we grew bulky. He (Jabir) said: 'I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or like a bull.' Abu 'Ubaida called forth thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he took hold of one of the ribs of its chest and made it stand and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed under it (the arched rib), and we provided ourselves with pieces of boiled meat (especially for use in our journey). When we came back to Medina, we went to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: 'That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so that you give to us that?' He (Jabir) said: 'We sent to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) some of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it.'"

The Danger in Damning Someone to Hell

Narrated Abu Huraira: 'I heard Allah's Messenger saying: "There were two fraternal persons among the Children of Israel. One of them was engrossed in committing sins while the other was devoted to worship. The devotee used to see his fellow committing sin and advise him: 'Desist from doing so.' One day when he found his fellow committing sin, he said to him: 'Avoid it.' He fellow said: 'Leave me alone. Have you been sent out as a vigilant on me?' The devotee said: 'By Allah, He will neither forgive you nor admit you to Paradise.' When they died, they were gathered before the Lord of the Worlds. Allah asked the devotee: 'Were you assured of knowing Me or were you having power over what was in My Hands?' Then He said to the sinner: 'Go and enter Paradise by My Mercy,' and ordered the angels about the devotee: 'Lead him to Hell.'"'

After narrating the Hadith, Abu Huraira commented: "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is: One word spoken by the devotee ruined his good deeds in the world as well as in the Hereafter."

-- From "110 Ahadith Qudsi: Sayings of the Prophet Having Allah's Statements"

Jihad

This is such a broad topic that it's difficult to do it justice in a relatively short answer. First and foremost, as I suspect most of you know, jihad does not mean "holy war." Literally, it means "struggle." I think this becomes apparent in a related word, ijtihad or "reasoning." As we all know from school, working through a problem can be a struggle. Those of you who are musicians should understand jihad very well as practicing music can often be a struggle. From a Muslim perspective, virtually any aspect of life can be a jihad. And this is why Muslims get rather upset when non-Muslims mistranslate jihad, because jihad is a concept far broader than many non-Muslims understand and is very highly regarded among Muslims. Fighting back against those who oppress, in Arabic, is qital, which is a completely different term (see below). Qital is part of jihad, but it is far from being the whole of the concept.

Sunni Muslims have developed a hierarchy for jihad. There is:
* Jihad of the heart/soul (jihad bin nafs/qalb) - an inner struggle of good against evil in the mind, through concepts such as tawhid (the oneness of Allah (swt)).
* Jihad by the tongue (jihad bil lisan) - a struggle of good against evil waged by writing and speech, such as in the form of dawah (proselytizing), khutbas (sermons), etc.
* Jihad by the pen and knowledge (jihad bil qalam/lim) - a struggle for good against evil through the scholarly study of Islam, ijtihad (legal reasoning), and through the sciences.
* Jihad by the hand (jihad bil yad) - a struggle of good against evil waged by actions or with one's wealth, such as going on the Hajj pilgrimage (seen as the best jihad for women), taking care of elderly parents, or political activity for furthering the cause of Islam.
* Jihad by the sword (jihad bis saif) - this refers to qital fi sabilillah (armed fighting in the way of God).

Despite the hierarchy, most Muslims think of jihad in two forms: the Greater Jihad and the Lesser Jihad. This comes from a hadith, one variation of which reads:

"Some troops came back from an expedition and went to see the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (pbuh). He said: "You have come for the best, from the smaller jihad (al-jihad al-asghar) to the greater jihad (al-jihad al-akbar)." Someone said, "What is the greater jihad?" He said: "The servant's struggle against his lust" (mujahadat al-`abdi hawah).

The lesser jihad then is the physical fighting in the cause of Allah (swt). The greater jihad is the jihad an-nafs, the struggle against our own desires, our ego. This greater jihad gets into the very heart of the concept of "struggle," because that struggle permeates our lives. As my wife is fond of saying, "We strive to be better Muslims." And that striving is jihad.

Cross-posted at Street Prophets, Daily Kos, and Dunner's.

The Hadith of Jibril

In his recent diary, There is no god but God, Abdur Rahman wrote, "In a very important prophetic tradition, Prophet Muhammad (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is reported to have said: 'Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan..."'"

I thought this hadith was worth expanding on because it provides a very succinct description of Islamic beliefs. The tradition is known as the "Hadith of Jibril," who is also known as the angel Gabriel, and it makes up part of the first hadith in the first book of the first chapter of the sahih ahadith collection by Muslim.

A narration attributed to Umar reports:

While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam ["peace be upon him"], there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.

He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, "O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah, pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the House [i.e., the Ka'ba], if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly."

We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about Emaan (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly."

Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "The one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off.

I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion."

The Value of Taqwa in Our Lives

Khutbah from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)
8 December 2006 / 17 Zulkaedah 1427


Dear Brothers,

Let us try to achieve taqwa towards Allah (swt) in the best way that we can. Because only with taqwa can we attain happiness in our lives here and in the hereafter. Allah (swt) mentioned in surah Ali-Imran, verse 102:

“You who believe, be mindful of God, as is His due, and make sure you devote yourselves to Him till your dying moment.”

Let us look at the verse that was just mentioned. Why did Allah (swt) order us to be righteous and pious towards Him? What exactly is the importance of taqwa to the point whereby it is mentioned every single time the Friday sermon is being delivered? The answer is because, with taqwa, you will be able to find all the goodness of life here and in the hereafter.

With being pious to Allah (swt), a person will be able to gain respect, guidance and happiness, as well as Allah Almighty’s blessings. Moreover, the reminder of being pious and righteous as something vital and important has been the main message by Allah (swt), not only to us but also those before us. In surah An-Nisaa’, verse 131 Allah (swt) says:

”We have commanded those who were given the Scripture before you, and We command you, to be mindful of God. Even if you do ignore Him, everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him, and He is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise.”

Therefore, there is no true goodness or success that we may attain in this life and in the hereafter except by first attaining taqwa. And, conversely, taqwa is the main shield for us to abstain from any badness or evil.

Because taqwa is so important in our lives, we need to know how to attain it and live life with full consciousness of Allah’s presence.


My dear brothers,

So what is taqwa? Does it mean to be “fearful,” just like most of us have understood it all this while? If that is the definition of taqwa as we have understood it, then it does not fully comply with the true meaning of taqwa as intended in the Qur’an as if there is more meaning behind it.

A simple definition of taqwa would be: to perform every act commanded by Allah, and to refrain from all things prohibited by Allah (swt)."

Looking at the meaning of the word taqwa as explained by al-Imam al-Ghazali rahimahu'llah; he has given it three meanings: they are fear, obedience, and the cleansing of oneself from all sins. As we combine these three elements into our lives, only then will we be able to leave a deep and meaningful impression.

So the question now is: how do we develop all three elements in ourselves?

Firstly: we need to know that taqwa is not achievable by simply dreaming of it. It is something that is very valuable. To achieve it, we’ll need to find the key to strengthen our taqwa. Thus, in the end, it all comes down to knowledge.

The status and importance of knowledge is very high. Only with knowledge can a person know of Allah (swt). As mentioned in the holy Qur’an:

“We shall show them Our signs in every region of the earth and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord witnesses everything?” [Fussilat, 41:53]

With knowledge a person’s taqwa will increase toward Allah (swt). By knowing Allah’s greatness, we will feel that we are too small if we were to face Him. As we learn more about Allah’s blessings and love towards ourselves, our hopes to Him for more blessings will never stop. And the more we know about His promises, we will be more careful of what we do throughout our entire lives here on earth.

Secondly: It is very important that we strengthen our taqwa. It will never be achieved if not nourished and strengthened.

The strength of a person’s taqwa is related to the person’s sincerity in obeying Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw).

Let us take a moment to look at our daily actions; are we measuring and carefully considering every act that we do? Think about what Rasulullah (saw) said in a hadith:

From Abi Hurairah (ra), he said: I heard Rasulullah (saw) say: Leave the things that I prohibit you from doing. For the communities before you were destroyed because they questioned a lot and their many misunderstandings with their Prophets. So when I prohibit you from doing something, then leave it. And when I command you to do something, perform it with your utmost ability. (Narrated by Imam al-Bukhari)


My fellow Muslims,

Look, our beloved Prophet (saw) required us to do what he has ordered us to do within our own limits and abilities. But as for the things that he forbade us from, he warned us not only to refrain from them, but also not to ask too many questions about them.

If we unfold this matter deeper, we will realize that the act of doing bad deeds will affect a person’s faith negatively. Subsequently, a person’s taqwa to Allah (swt) will also slowly disappear.

Just look at the problems that our community is facing: divorces, addictions, theft, fornication, and other things happening amongst the people of our community.

We need to deal with these problems in the best way that we can. Counseling and rehab sessions are not sufficient. We need to also include some advice on iman and taqwa. We need to explain that what Allah (swt) has prohibited us from doing will only lead to the destruction of oneself and the community.


My brothers,

Taqwa, other than knowledge and faith, also needs ihsan or kindness for it to be perfectly complete.

With ihsan we can clear ourselves from all the bad habits and characteristics. And with ihsan, we will be able to be more prepared to perform every obligation with wisdom and patience. Allah (swt) said:

"Say, ‘[God Says], believing servants be mindful of your Lord! Those who do good in this world will have a good reward -God’s earth is wide - and those who persevere patiently will be given a full and unstinting reward.” [az-Zumar, 39:10]

A person who is pious to Allah (swt) will become a Muslim who will have a good relationship with Allah Almighty and also to his fellow beings. The righteousness of a person, which is placed in the heart, can only be seen by the person’s actions. Every step and every move of a righteous person will be monitored by Allah (swt) and blessed by Him.

Thus, Let us increase our taqwa by having full consciousness and making full use of what we have heard here in today’s sermon. May all of us be included amongst those who are Muttaqin (pious), insyaAllah.


Glossary:
Ihsan: Kindness, goodness, virtue, doing the best.
Iman: Belief, faith and acceptance of Allah (swt) and his messenger. Belief consists of believing in Allah, his angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, the garden and the fire, and that everything, both good and bad, is by the decree of Allah.
InsyaAllah: The Bahasa Melayu spelling of Insha’Allah, meaning, “If God wills” or “God willing.”
Muttaqin: Pious, righteous and God-fearing.
Radhiallahu 'anhu (ra): This is an expression to be used by Muslims whenever a name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is mentioned or used in writing. The meaning of this statement is: "May Allah be pleased with him."
Rahimahu'llah: "May Allah have mercy on him."
Rasulullah: The Prophet of God, Muhammad (saw).
(saw): These letters are abbreviations for the words “Salla Allahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam,” which means, “may the blessing and the peace of Allah be upon him.” When the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, a Muslim is to respect him and invoke this statement of peace upon him.
(swt): These letters are abbreviations for the words of “Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.” When the name of Almighty Allah is pronounced, a Muslim is to show his respect to Him by reciting this. The meaning of this statement is that Allah is purified of having partners or a son.
Taqwa: The condition of piety and God-consciousness that all Muslims aspire to achieve or maintain. It can be said that one's taqwa is a measure of one's faith and commitment to God. The love and fear that a Muslim feels for Allah (swt). A person with taqwa desires to be in the good pleasures of Allah (swt) and to stay away from those things that would displease Allah (swt). He is careful not to go beyond the bounds and limits set by Allah (swt).

Muhammad (pbuh) - Part 1

"If people only believe in 4 wives, why is it okay he had (9?)?"

The Qur'an states that men may marry up to four women if they can deal justly with each woman (4:3); however, 33:50 exempts the Prophet (pbuh) - and only the Prophet - from this limitation:

"O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee; and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who migrated (from Makkah) with thee; and any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her;- this only for thee, and not for the Believers (at large); We know what We have appointed for them as to their wives and the captives whom their right hands possess;- in order that there should be no difficulty for thee. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful." (33:50)

"Why is it acceptable that a prophet lusted after a girl at only 5, married her at only 6, and consummated the marriage at 9?"

The following was posted by a woman, "Ruqaiyyah," on Beliefnet back in April 2001. (I have taken the liberty of editing for spelling, punctuation and grammar; otherwise, this is as she wrote.) IMHO, this is one of the better answers to this type of question regarding Aishah.

"But let us start at the beginning with the facts; yes, the Prophet (pbuh) was over 50 when he was engaged to Aishah, who was perhaps only 6 years old, their physical marriage commencing three years later when she was 9. My first comment is to let you know that the scholars do actually differ in the information given; all the hadiths claiming that she was only 6 are based on Urwah, and are not from Madinah, which to many Sunni scholars makes them suspect. That is not to say they are not true, but they are 'suspected.' Secondly, you need to know that the birth and death dates of many of the Prophet's (pbuh) companions, including his wives, are not known for certain, and there are several possible dates given for many of them. Most scholars accept that Aishah died at the age of 67, but they give the date of 672 CE/ 50 AH, after a widowhood of 40 years. Just to give you an idea of the complication of it all, I would like to tell you in detail that there are three main theories –

"(1) The most widely accepted in the Muslim world, that Aishah was born in the 4th year of Prophethood, ie.614 CE, based on Ibn Sa'd's work. If true, she was 5 when Khadijah died, 6 at nikah, 9 at marriage, but these sources also suggest she was only 18 when Prophet died; this means she would only have been 58 in 672.

"(2) If she were born 4 years before the Prophethood, she would have been 14/15 when Khadijah died, 15/16 at nikah, 19 at year of marriage, 27/28 when he died, and would indeed have been 67/68 in 672.

"(3) Other hadiths say she was born five years after Fatimah, who was said to have been born 5 years before Prophethood, making Aishah's birth that year - 610. Then she would have been 9 when Khadijah died, 10 at nikah, 14 at marriage, 22 when he died, and 62 when she died. However, Fatimah's dates are also disputed.

"My own conclusion is that she was born in 605-6, and that Ibn Sa'd was cursed by a glaring example of writer's slip that went unnoticed by those who used him as their primary source. The slip, I believe, was that he stated Aishah was born in the 4th year of the Prophethood, when what he actually meant was 4 years before it. So, my first part of my answer is that the whole business of Aishah's age is debatable.

"The second part of my answer is to consider the thorny issue of pedophilia. There is all the difference in the world by adult men committing indecent sexual acts on small children, and the issue of love (which might not even be a physical thing at all) between an adult and a child. The Prophet (pbuh) was well known for his great love for children, but certainly with no sexual content to it whatsoever. He had many children himself, the four girls surviving and two sons dying, at which he adopted his four-year old cousin Ali and brought him up and also adopted a 14-year-old slave-boy, Zayd, and brought him up too. In later life, when he married his other wives, they also brought with him all their children by their previous marriages - for example, Umm Salamah came with 3 (and one born just after their marriage); Sawdah came with 6, etc. There was never any suggestion of pedophilia.

"At the same time, we have to realize that the culture was very different; the usual age for a girl's marriage was once she reached puberty and her periods commenced, thus making her technically 'adult'; it was the same for Jewish people - and we might observe how the Virgin Mary was presumably only 12 years old when she gave birth to Jesus, if the material about her upbringing and family background has any truth in it. Boys tended to marry for the first time round about the age of 15-16. In reality, many little girls of twelve or so have already experienced 'being in love', and boys tend to do so just a little later. It seems to be natural. Whether or not they should be having a sexual relationship at that age has varied in public opinion throughout the ages; in practice, many seem to do so, whether or not their families know about it. Certainly this seems to be the case in the UK. You are probably aware of the Muslim point of view that once a youngster shows signs of sexual urges that are becoming difficult to control, it is more sensible and kinder to get them married, (then they can have as much as they like, honorably), than let them risk all the consequences of sex outside marriage.

"Another aspect I would like you to consider is the very deep love that can exist between an older person and a tiny child. I cannot be the only grandma to whom a little grandson has seriously declared that he loves me, and will marry me when he grows up. I love him, too, more than any other human being. But you will have to take my word when I say there is no question of any pedophilia involved. You will also have to take my word when I tell you that when I was 12 I was deeply in love with our 45-year-old postmaster, at whose office I had a part-time job. I adored him - but again, no pedophilia whatsoever! And at that time, I also had plenty of toys to play with.

"So, I have to conclude that the love between the Prophet (pbuh) and his best friend's daughter - whom he knew from her birth - was not pedophilic at all, but a very sincere and deep mutual love. The fact that he may have engaged her at the age of 6 was not at all unusual - many children were engaged at birth. The physical marriage when she arrived at puberty (which for girls can vary, and is normal, between 9 and 18ish) was also normally accepted. Most of his companions had similar marriages, as did the Virgin Mary and Joseph. According to the Protevangelion (Gospel of James), Mary was 12 and Joseph around 80 - with an already existing grown-up family! He certainly died not long after the marriage, and there is no further Gospel mention of him.

"The fact that the Prophet (pbuh) dreamed about Aishah is nothing suspicious - there was no suggestion whatsoever in the hadith that the dream was of a sexual nature, just that they were destined to marry. So, to get back to your opening paragraph, yes - it was all normal."