The past few days my mind has still been elsewhere, entrenched somewhere in the ethos of the Spanish colonial past and the loss of Chinese culture under the repressive policies of Mao Ze Dong. And it made me wonder at these two separate cultures, so different from American culture that we as Singaporeans are constantly being bombarded with on mainstream media and the internet, and open my eyes to alternative realities.
With the Chinese, their sense of collectivism, that one for all, all for one spirit that can make it seem like they treat each other with misrespect sometimes, or too harsh, but it really is with the person's own value in mind as part of society. With the Spanish, their sense of pride in their Catalan language, so different from Spanish and closer to French, the ability to express so much in their expression and body language, the sensuality and vibrance they emphasize in their dressing, their interactions, their lifestyle and their architecture. How did each of these cultures shape to be the way they are?
The Chinese have their culture back to 3 millenias, and so do the Spainiards, if they consider the Iberians who first crossed the Iberian Peninsula in 1000BC and conquered Spain. The Spanish history was then followed by conquests and wars, resulting in the intermarriage of Iberians, Celts, Basques, Andalusian Muslims, Greeks and Roman Catholics that give rise to the Spanish people of today. Much of who they are are tied to their unique history, unique, dashing and painful as it may be.
Which gives rise to my question: As Singaporeans, what are our roots? Are we more closely tied to our ancestral homelands as we consider ourselves to be? Or are we part of a fresh generation bounded by no cultural norms, part of a really global class that is dominated by American culture? Just who are we?
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
"Secure attachment results if the caregiver is readily available and
responsive when the child seeks attachment, anxious/ambivalent
attachment results if the caregiver is inconsistently available or
responsive when the child seeks attachment, and avoidant attachment
results if the caregiver neglects or rejects the child’s entreaties
for attachment. These attachment styles are theorized to be
systematically linked to exploration. Secure attachment is hypothesized
to allow the child to explore the environment in unimpeded
fashion, because the child expects the caregiver to be available and
responsive when needed (i.e., the caregiver serves as a secure
base). Both types of insecure attachment, avoidant and anxious/
ambivalent, are thought to hamper exploration."
-Elliot & Reis.(2003) Attachment and Exploration in Adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
So if you extend and draw paralells this relationship between mother and child to our relationship between God and ourselves, we can see that if we are secure and believe strongly in our role as vicegerants of Allah who are responsible for the well-being of mankind and all other creatures on Earth, only then we can grow and develop in a particular direction.
The inverse of that secure position explains much of confusion that will probably never end.
responsive when the child seeks attachment, anxious/ambivalent
attachment results if the caregiver is inconsistently available or
responsive when the child seeks attachment, and avoidant attachment
results if the caregiver neglects or rejects the child’s entreaties
for attachment. These attachment styles are theorized to be
systematically linked to exploration. Secure attachment is hypothesized
to allow the child to explore the environment in unimpeded
fashion, because the child expects the caregiver to be available and
responsive when needed (i.e., the caregiver serves as a secure
base). Both types of insecure attachment, avoidant and anxious/
ambivalent, are thought to hamper exploration."
-Elliot & Reis.(2003) Attachment and Exploration in Adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
So if you extend and draw paralells this relationship between mother and child to our relationship between God and ourselves, we can see that if we are secure and believe strongly in our role as vicegerants of Allah who are responsible for the well-being of mankind and all other creatures on Earth, only then we can grow and develop in a particular direction.
The inverse of that secure position explains much of confusion that will probably never end.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Towards Understanding the Quran
Taken from 'Towards Understanding the Quran', abridged version of 'Tahfim al-Quran' by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi. Originally in Urdu, it was translated into english by Zafar Ishaq Ansari.
The student of the Quran should grasp, from the outset, the fundamental claims that the Quran makes for itself. Whether one ultimately decides to believe in the Quran or not, one must recognise the fundamental statements made by the Quran and by the man to whom it was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be the starting point of one's study. These claims are:
1. The Lord of creation, the Creator and Sovereign of the entire universe, created man on earth (which is merely a part of His boundless realm). He also endowed man with the capacity for cognition, reflection and understanding, with the ability to distinguish between good and evil, with the freedom of choice and volition, and with the power to exercise upon his latent potentialities. In short, God bestowed upon man a kind of autonomy and appointed him His vicegerent on earth.
2. Although man enjoys this status, God made it abundantly clear to him that He alone is man's Lord and Sovereign, even as He is the Lord and Sovereign of the whole universe. Man was told that he was not entitled to consider himself independent and that only God was entitled to claim absolute obedience, service and worship. It was also made clear to man that life in this world, for which he had been placed and invested with a certain honour and authority, was in fact a temporary term, and was meant to test him; that after the end of this earthly life man must return to God, Who will judge him on the basis of his performance, declaring who has succeeded and who has failed.
The right way for man is to regard God as his only Sovereign and the only object of his worship and adoration, to follow the guidance revealed by God, to act in this world in the consciousness that earthly life is merely a period of trial, and to keep his eyes fixed on the ultimate objective-success in God's final judgement. Every other way is wrong.
It was also explained to man that if he chose to adopt the right way of life- and in this choice he was free-he would enjoy peace and contentment in this world and be assigned, on his return to God, the abode of eternal bliss and happiness known as paradise. Should man follow any other way-and he was free to do so-he would experience the evil effects of corruption and disorder in the life of this world and be consigned to the eternal grief and torment when he crossed the borders of the present world and arrived in the Hereafter.
3. Having explained all this, the Lord of the Universe placed man on earth and communicated to Adam and Eve, the first human beings to live on earth, the guidance which they and their offspring were required to follow. These first human beings were not born out of a state of ignorance and darkness. On the contrary, they began their life in the broad daylight of Divine Guidance. They had intimate knowledge of reality and the Law which they were to follow was communicated to them. Their way of life consisted of their obedience to God (i.e. Islam) and they taught their children to live in obedience to Him (i.e. to live as Muslims).
In the course of time, however, man began to deviate from the true way of life and began to follow various erroneous ways. They allowed true guidance to be lost through heedlessness and negligence and sometimes, even deliberately, distorted it out of evil perversity. They associated with God a number of beings, human and non-human, real as well as imaginary, and adored them as deities. They adulterated the God-given knowledge of reality, (al-'ilm in the Quranic terminology) with all kinds of fanciful ideas, superstitions and philosophical concepts, thereby giving birth to innumerable religions. They disregarded or distorted the sound and equitable principles of individual morality and of the collective conduct (al-Shari'ah in the Quranic terminology) and made their own laws in accordance with their base desires and prejudices. As a result, the world became filled with wrong and injustice.
4. It was inconsistent with the limited autonomy conferred upon man by God that He should exercise His overwhelming power and compel man to righteousness. It was also inconsistent with the fact that God had granted a term to the human species in which to show their worth, that He should afflict men with catastrophic destruction as soon as they showed signs of rebellion. Moreover, God had undertaken from the beginning of creation that true guidance would be made available to man throughout the term granted to him and that this guidance would be available in a manner consistent with man's autonomy. To fulfil this self-assumed responsibility God chose to appoint those human beings whose faith in Him was outstanding and who followed the way pleasing to Him. God chose these people to be His envoys. He had His messages communicated to them, honoured them with an intimate knowledge of reality, provided them with the true laws of life and entrusted them with the task of recalling man to the original path from which he had strayed. These men were Prophets and Messengers of God.
5. These people were sent to different peoples of different lands and over a period of time covering thousands and thousands of years. They all had the same religion; the one originally revealed to man as the right way for him. All of them followed the same guidance; those principles of morality and collective life prescribed for man at the very outset of his existence. All these Prophets had the same mission-to call man to this true religion and subsequently to organise all who accepted this message into a community (ummah) which would be bound by the Law of God, which would strive to establish its observance and would seek to prevent its violation. All the Prophets discharged their missions creditably in their own time. However, there were always many who refused to accept their guidance and consequently those who did accept it and became a 'Muslim' community gradually degenerated, causing the Divine Guidance either to be lost, distorted or adulterated.
The word Muslim represents a group of people committed to obeying the true guidance of God as revealed to His Prophets. Here the word "Muslim" is not used in the sense of followers of the last Messenger of God, Muhammad (peace be upon him), but in the wider sense, meaning all those who, at various periods, both before and after the advent of the Last Prophet, committed themselves to live in submission to God.
6. At last the Lord of the Universe sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Arabia and entrusted him with the same mission that He had entrusted to the earler Prophets. This last Messenger of God addressed the followers of the earlier Prophets (who had by this time deviated from their original teachings) as well as the rest of humanity. The mission of each Prophet was to call men to the right way of life, to communicate God's true guidance afresh and to organise into one community all who responded to his mission and accepted the guidance vouchsafed to him. Such a community was to be dedicated to the two-fold task of moulding its own life in accordance with God's guidance and striving for the reform of the world. The Quran is the Book which embodies this mission and guidance revealed by God to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The student of the Quran should grasp, from the outset, the fundamental claims that the Quran makes for itself. Whether one ultimately decides to believe in the Quran or not, one must recognise the fundamental statements made by the Quran and by the man to whom it was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be the starting point of one's study. These claims are:
1. The Lord of creation, the Creator and Sovereign of the entire universe, created man on earth (which is merely a part of His boundless realm). He also endowed man with the capacity for cognition, reflection and understanding, with the ability to distinguish between good and evil, with the freedom of choice and volition, and with the power to exercise upon his latent potentialities. In short, God bestowed upon man a kind of autonomy and appointed him His vicegerent on earth.
2. Although man enjoys this status, God made it abundantly clear to him that He alone is man's Lord and Sovereign, even as He is the Lord and Sovereign of the whole universe. Man was told that he was not entitled to consider himself independent and that only God was entitled to claim absolute obedience, service and worship. It was also made clear to man that life in this world, for which he had been placed and invested with a certain honour and authority, was in fact a temporary term, and was meant to test him; that after the end of this earthly life man must return to God, Who will judge him on the basis of his performance, declaring who has succeeded and who has failed.
The right way for man is to regard God as his only Sovereign and the only object of his worship and adoration, to follow the guidance revealed by God, to act in this world in the consciousness that earthly life is merely a period of trial, and to keep his eyes fixed on the ultimate objective-success in God's final judgement. Every other way is wrong.
It was also explained to man that if he chose to adopt the right way of life- and in this choice he was free-he would enjoy peace and contentment in this world and be assigned, on his return to God, the abode of eternal bliss and happiness known as paradise. Should man follow any other way-and he was free to do so-he would experience the evil effects of corruption and disorder in the life of this world and be consigned to the eternal grief and torment when he crossed the borders of the present world and arrived in the Hereafter.
3. Having explained all this, the Lord of the Universe placed man on earth and communicated to Adam and Eve, the first human beings to live on earth, the guidance which they and their offspring were required to follow. These first human beings were not born out of a state of ignorance and darkness. On the contrary, they began their life in the broad daylight of Divine Guidance. They had intimate knowledge of reality and the Law which they were to follow was communicated to them. Their way of life consisted of their obedience to God (i.e. Islam) and they taught their children to live in obedience to Him (i.e. to live as Muslims).
In the course of time, however, man began to deviate from the true way of life and began to follow various erroneous ways. They allowed true guidance to be lost through heedlessness and negligence and sometimes, even deliberately, distorted it out of evil perversity. They associated with God a number of beings, human and non-human, real as well as imaginary, and adored them as deities. They adulterated the God-given knowledge of reality, (al-'ilm in the Quranic terminology) with all kinds of fanciful ideas, superstitions and philosophical concepts, thereby giving birth to innumerable religions. They disregarded or distorted the sound and equitable principles of individual morality and of the collective conduct (al-Shari'ah in the Quranic terminology) and made their own laws in accordance with their base desires and prejudices. As a result, the world became filled with wrong and injustice.
4. It was inconsistent with the limited autonomy conferred upon man by God that He should exercise His overwhelming power and compel man to righteousness. It was also inconsistent with the fact that God had granted a term to the human species in which to show their worth, that He should afflict men with catastrophic destruction as soon as they showed signs of rebellion. Moreover, God had undertaken from the beginning of creation that true guidance would be made available to man throughout the term granted to him and that this guidance would be available in a manner consistent with man's autonomy. To fulfil this self-assumed responsibility God chose to appoint those human beings whose faith in Him was outstanding and who followed the way pleasing to Him. God chose these people to be His envoys. He had His messages communicated to them, honoured them with an intimate knowledge of reality, provided them with the true laws of life and entrusted them with the task of recalling man to the original path from which he had strayed. These men were Prophets and Messengers of God.
5. These people were sent to different peoples of different lands and over a period of time covering thousands and thousands of years. They all had the same religion; the one originally revealed to man as the right way for him. All of them followed the same guidance; those principles of morality and collective life prescribed for man at the very outset of his existence. All these Prophets had the same mission-to call man to this true religion and subsequently to organise all who accepted this message into a community (ummah) which would be bound by the Law of God, which would strive to establish its observance and would seek to prevent its violation. All the Prophets discharged their missions creditably in their own time. However, there were always many who refused to accept their guidance and consequently those who did accept it and became a 'Muslim' community gradually degenerated, causing the Divine Guidance either to be lost, distorted or adulterated.
The word Muslim represents a group of people committed to obeying the true guidance of God as revealed to His Prophets. Here the word "Muslim" is not used in the sense of followers of the last Messenger of God, Muhammad (peace be upon him), but in the wider sense, meaning all those who, at various periods, both before and after the advent of the Last Prophet, committed themselves to live in submission to God.
6. At last the Lord of the Universe sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Arabia and entrusted him with the same mission that He had entrusted to the earler Prophets. This last Messenger of God addressed the followers of the earlier Prophets (who had by this time deviated from their original teachings) as well as the rest of humanity. The mission of each Prophet was to call men to the right way of life, to communicate God's true guidance afresh and to organise into one community all who responded to his mission and accepted the guidance vouchsafed to him. Such a community was to be dedicated to the two-fold task of moulding its own life in accordance with God's guidance and striving for the reform of the world. The Quran is the Book which embodies this mission and guidance revealed by God to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Ignorance, Indifference or Intelligence...Which will you choose?
Okay, so among my youtube forays, I came across this account that seeks to misconstrue Islam in a really horrid light. It can't be that bad...you say? Ok well see for yourself: check out this profile on youtube: Tottingcowboy.
So amidst the comments that were villified, one-sided and completely and utterly shameless in bashing up Islam WITHOUT any positive note towards their religion, I decided to ask him why he was doing this.
TottingCowboy
To: TottingCowboy
Subject: hello 30 Apr 2008
okay, I come in peace.
Just a simple question to prove my point.
Why do you have to put down Islam just to bring up yourself and your religion? It's simply letting people have a very negative view of yourself and what you believe in, and sympathise with Muslims all the more. Honestly, I really don't see what you're trying to prove through your actions. Propagate love and the goodness of your religion all you wish, but not hatred for others.
Sincerely,
A concerned fellow human being.
Attached: Re: Fitna the Movie: Geert Wilders' film about the Quran part 2
Soon after I received an email from him. And I was totally bracing myself for facts, clarity of thinking and at the very least a concise argument of where he was coming from. Instead, there was an emotional:
From: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
Its not for my glory, I simply tell the truth. When I say Islam is violent, satanic, disgusting I have proofs from the Quran and sunnah to back up my arguments.
LOL. Very, very convincing my friend.
To: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
you do not answer my question and my main arguement, which is how does denouncing other religions create a better impression of you and what you stand for? This method that you are undertaking and most of the comments that I have seen propagate hate, which seems that those are the values that you profess, and the values of the religion that you believe in.
I only want enlightenment to come to you and see that examplary conduct is the best way to convince others of your religion.
And as for proof of a very kindly example, do allow me to quote from the Quran:
Surah Al-Tur: 29-37
29: So exhort (reasons from them and clarify their doubts and clear their minds of ignorance) O Prophet, for by your Lord's Grace, you are neither a madman nor a soothsayer.
30: Or do they say: "He is a poet for whom we await an adverse turn of fortune".
31: Tell them: "Wait, I too am waiting with you."
32: Do their minds prompt them to say such things, or are they a people immersed in transgression?"
33: Do they say: "He has himself fabricated the Quran?" No; the truth is that they are altogether adverse to believing.
34: (If theyare truthful in this), then let them produce a discourse of similar splendour,
35: Did they come into being without any creator? Or were they their own creators?
In my own words, I think the Quran is saying, in morden day terms:
BRING IT ON, HONEY, because you simply cannot produce a holistic book, as thorough, complete and true in terms of spiritual, moral and social guidance as the Quran has.
Learn about it carefully from the truest sources before you judge.
How do you know which are the right sources?
Let me help you by giving you some below:
Some online resources:
Tariq Ramadhan, an eminent Cambridge Muslim Scholar:
http://www.tariqramadan.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=6
An article on Yusuf Qardawi, another eminent Muslim scholar from the west:
http://www.islamonline.net/english/News/2001-09/13/article25.shtml
Online Islamic learning websites:
http://sunnipath.com/
http://www.fonsvitae.com/Foundation%20Spiritual%20Path.pdf
freelance islamic education websites:
http://www.themodernreligion.com
P.s. Attached is a video of Allah's attributes. You may acknowledge through the video that a rock god can't have even a minute fraction of any one of those attributes stated. :) Please reflect and be honest to yourself.
Peace, love and everything that is good for you,
May Allah bless you and your companions,
A sincerely concerned friend
Sami Yusuf - Asma Allah
Asma Allah by Sami Yusuf from his new album 'Without You' due out in August 08 سامي يوسف - أسماء الله
Two hours later, a reply:
From: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
Hi,
Muhammads quran (actually Uthmans) is nothing but uncoherent poetry that he copied from the satanic talmud. A group of ex Muslim Imams have already taken up this challenge and have produced a book like it, and its much more coherent might I add and flows beautifully in Arabic.
Here is a link to this amazing rendition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_hWGn7gQzQ
Cheers,
The satanic talmud? Who in the world keeps a copy of that? LOL. All I know is the jewish talmud, and boy, they're a bunch of very intelligent people. Why would they follow a satanic book?
And I suppose these ex-Muslim imams have nothing better to do??
Ok, so he replied to my last point, but still, not my first point.
Anyway, if you do follow the link, the book is a complete JOKE. Please don't even if you have the time. It'll only give that link more hits. Right now it stands at a pathetic 300. For a book that stands truer than the Quran, it doesn't get much coverage aye.
To: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 01 May 2008
ok, firstly, you have avoided my question directed towards you. This proves that you cannot comprehend a single question in its entirety and respond to it in a clear, concise and coherent manner. It follows thus that you have also not fully grasped and are not capable of grasping the true meaning of other logical, coherent and well-meaning arguments for Islam.
Which essentially means that all that you claim and say is absolutely ridiculous. This is, following a logical argument that (1)you cannot understand a simple claim and (2)forsee a simple answer to a very simple question, your logical reasoning and critical thinking is flawed. You cannot rectify and give credibility to your actions. This simply denounces and does not give any meaning in all that you do.
I pity you my friend.
Secondly, the link you have given me has 300 views, mostly I believe from you. It sounds horrible and not even a franction close to the real imams like Misyari. I understand little arabic, essentially for prayer and dua, but from your claims and general analysis of your background, you probably know none at all. To my very simple hearing of well-versed arabic, it already sounds painful and totally insulting even to the intelligence of the imam reading it. As you claim, and again to my logical mind, no former Imam, of great character and vision, would denounce a religion that he left if he's been guided to the right one in your case, Christianity. It just attests to a central flaw in their character and logical reasoning that they would denounce a religion so wholesome and very much like theirs in practice. What I'm trying to say is that even I believe your practitioners (these so called former Imams) are above doing this.
Please watch the videos I send you. They're very meaningful and hope they'd touch your heart someday. May Allah bless you and fulfill your wishes to find guidance, beauty, wholesomeness and truth in this world and the hereafter. Amin.
Following this, I shall put up this email correspondence in a link and put it up whenever you post deconstructive comments about Islam on youtube in the future. Thus all that you say and do in the future will be linked to this conversation that we had, and would seek to undermine your credibility as a rationale, thinking person as well-versed in Islam as you claim.
It shall then be for others reading your comments to judge on their validity and reply in an intelligent and well-versed manner.
Attached: Surah al-Fatihah & al-Baqara by Sheikh Muhammad Siddîq Al-Mi
A beautiful mujawwad recitation of surah al-Fatihah and the first few verses of surah al-Baqara by one of the greatest Qaris of all-time, Sheikh Minshawi(May Allah have mercy upon him). Arabic, English and transliteration provided.
Let's try to combat ideological indifference or worse, ignorance through intelligent debate and knowledge. I was hoping that tottingcowboy would bring me questions and queries that I can bug my religious teachers with. To widen my own perspectives and bridge further understanding. Well, I was severely disappointed. He's really not worth any hate comments on youtube. He's not worthy of any attention at all.
So amidst the comments that were villified, one-sided and completely and utterly shameless in bashing up Islam WITHOUT any positive note towards their religion, I decided to ask him why he was doing this.
TottingCowboy
To: TottingCowboy
Subject: hello 30 Apr 2008
okay, I come in peace.
Just a simple question to prove my point.
Why do you have to put down Islam just to bring up yourself and your religion? It's simply letting people have a very negative view of yourself and what you believe in, and sympathise with Muslims all the more. Honestly, I really don't see what you're trying to prove through your actions. Propagate love and the goodness of your religion all you wish, but not hatred for others.
Sincerely,
A concerned fellow human being.
Attached: Re: Fitna the Movie: Geert Wilders' film about the Quran part 2
Soon after I received an email from him. And I was totally bracing myself for facts, clarity of thinking and at the very least a concise argument of where he was coming from. Instead, there was an emotional:
From: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
Its not for my glory, I simply tell the truth. When I say Islam is violent, satanic, disgusting I have proofs from the Quran and sunnah to back up my arguments.
LOL. Very, very convincing my friend.
To: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
you do not answer my question and my main arguement, which is how does denouncing other religions create a better impression of you and what you stand for? This method that you are undertaking and most of the comments that I have seen propagate hate, which seems that those are the values that you profess, and the values of the religion that you believe in.
I only want enlightenment to come to you and see that examplary conduct is the best way to convince others of your religion.
And as for proof of a very kindly example, do allow me to quote from the Quran:
Surah Al-Tur: 29-37
29: So exhort (reasons from them and clarify their doubts and clear their minds of ignorance) O Prophet, for by your Lord's Grace, you are neither a madman nor a soothsayer.
30: Or do they say: "He is a poet for whom we await an adverse turn of fortune".
31: Tell them: "Wait, I too am waiting with you."
32: Do their minds prompt them to say such things, or are they a people immersed in transgression?"
33: Do they say: "He has himself fabricated the Quran?" No; the truth is that they are altogether adverse to believing.
34: (If theyare truthful in this), then let them produce a discourse of similar splendour,
35: Did they come into being without any creator? Or were they their own creators?
In my own words, I think the Quran is saying, in morden day terms:
BRING IT ON, HONEY, because you simply cannot produce a holistic book, as thorough, complete and true in terms of spiritual, moral and social guidance as the Quran has.
Learn about it carefully from the truest sources before you judge.
How do you know which are the right sources?
Let me help you by giving you some below:
Some online resources:
Tariq Ramadhan, an eminent Cambridge Muslim Scholar:
http://www.tariqramadan.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=6
An article on Yusuf Qardawi, another eminent Muslim scholar from the west:
http://www.islamonline.net/english/News/2001-09/13/article25.shtml
Online Islamic learning websites:
http://sunnipath.com/
http://www.fonsvitae.com/Foundation%20Spiritual%20Path.pdf
freelance islamic education websites:
http://www.themodernreligion.com
P.s. Attached is a video of Allah's attributes. You may acknowledge through the video that a rock god can't have even a minute fraction of any one of those attributes stated. :) Please reflect and be honest to yourself.
Peace, love and everything that is good for you,
May Allah bless you and your companions,
A sincerely concerned friend
Sami Yusuf - Asma Allah
Asma Allah by Sami Yusuf from his new album 'Without You' due out in August 08 سامي يوسف - أسماء الله
Two hours later, a reply:
From: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
Hi,
Muhammads quran (actually Uthmans) is nothing but uncoherent poetry that he copied from the satanic talmud. A group of ex Muslim Imams have already taken up this challenge and have produced a book like it, and its much more coherent might I add and flows beautifully in Arabic.
Here is a link to this amazing rendition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_hWGn7gQzQ
Cheers,
The satanic talmud? Who in the world keeps a copy of that? LOL. All I know is the jewish talmud, and boy, they're a bunch of very intelligent people. Why would they follow a satanic book?
And I suppose these ex-Muslim imams have nothing better to do??
Ok, so he replied to my last point, but still, not my first point.
Anyway, if you do follow the link, the book is a complete JOKE. Please don't even if you have the time. It'll only give that link more hits. Right now it stands at a pathetic 300. For a book that stands truer than the Quran, it doesn't get much coverage aye.
To: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 01 May 2008
ok, firstly, you have avoided my question directed towards you. This proves that you cannot comprehend a single question in its entirety and respond to it in a clear, concise and coherent manner. It follows thus that you have also not fully grasped and are not capable of grasping the true meaning of other logical, coherent and well-meaning arguments for Islam.
Which essentially means that all that you claim and say is absolutely ridiculous. This is, following a logical argument that (1)you cannot understand a simple claim and (2)forsee a simple answer to a very simple question, your logical reasoning and critical thinking is flawed. You cannot rectify and give credibility to your actions. This simply denounces and does not give any meaning in all that you do.
I pity you my friend.
Secondly, the link you have given me has 300 views, mostly I believe from you. It sounds horrible and not even a franction close to the real imams like Misyari. I understand little arabic, essentially for prayer and dua, but from your claims and general analysis of your background, you probably know none at all. To my very simple hearing of well-versed arabic, it already sounds painful and totally insulting even to the intelligence of the imam reading it. As you claim, and again to my logical mind, no former Imam, of great character and vision, would denounce a religion that he left if he's been guided to the right one in your case, Christianity. It just attests to a central flaw in their character and logical reasoning that they would denounce a religion so wholesome and very much like theirs in practice. What I'm trying to say is that even I believe your practitioners (these so called former Imams) are above doing this.
Please watch the videos I send you. They're very meaningful and hope they'd touch your heart someday. May Allah bless you and fulfill your wishes to find guidance, beauty, wholesomeness and truth in this world and the hereafter. Amin.
Following this, I shall put up this email correspondence in a link and put it up whenever you post deconstructive comments about Islam on youtube in the future. Thus all that you say and do in the future will be linked to this conversation that we had, and would seek to undermine your credibility as a rationale, thinking person as well-versed in Islam as you claim.
It shall then be for others reading your comments to judge on their validity and reply in an intelligent and well-versed manner.
Attached: Surah al-Fatihah & al-Baqara by Sheikh Muhammad Siddîq Al-Mi
A beautiful mujawwad recitation of surah al-Fatihah and the first few verses of surah al-Baqara by one of the greatest Qaris of all-time, Sheikh Minshawi(May Allah have mercy upon him). Arabic, English and transliteration provided.
Let's try to combat ideological indifference or worse, ignorance through intelligent debate and knowledge. I was hoping that tottingcowboy would bring me questions and queries that I can bug my religious teachers with. To widen my own perspectives and bridge further understanding. Well, I was severely disappointed. He's really not worth any hate comments on youtube. He's not worthy of any attention at all.
Thinking Styles in the Quran
I picked up this book from the library:
Creative Thinking: An Islamic Perspective by Jamal Badi, Mustapha Tajdin
It covered pretty much higher thinking thought processes that we as students undergo in schools and universities. It aims basically to align our thoughts towards Allah via understanding the contents of the Quran that adress approaches to thinking and learning.
One fascinating chapter, "Thinking Styles in the Quran" explains that different thinking styles used in the Quran is a mode of expressing it's true message to reach out to a wide scope of intellectual cultures. These thinking styles are also used to fulfil certain objectives to widen the scope of human perception to have a much better understanding of the Quranic message.
In addition to this, thinking styles of the quran is complementary to, but not limited to, learning about the world around us via (1) our five senses and (2) moral intuition or conscience.
Anyway the first thinking style mentioned in the book was:
(1) Inquisitive thinking style of asking questions getting people to think and question the world around them.
Surah Al-Tur Ayat 29-43
29: So exhort (reasons from them and clarify their doubts and clear their minds of ignorance) O Prophet, for by your Lord's Grace, you are neither a madman nor a soothsayer.
30: Or do they say: "He is a poet for whom we await an adverse turn of fortune".
31: Tell them: "Wait, I too am waiting with you."
32: Do their minds prompt them to say such things, or are they a people immersed in transgression?"
33: Do they say: "He has himself fabricated the Quran?" No; the truth is that they are altogether adverse to believing.
34: (If theyare truthful in this), then let them produce a discourse of similar splendour,
35: Did they come into being without any creator? Or were they their own creators?
36: Or is it they who created the heavens and the earth? No; the truth is that they lack sure faith.
37: Or do they have your Lord's treasures in their keeping? Or have absolute authority over them?
38: Or do they have a ladder whereon they can climb and attempt to listen (to what is transpiring in the Higher Realm)? Then, let any one of them who has listened to it produce a clear proof of it.
39: Or does Allah have daughters whereas you have sons?
40: Or is it that you ask of them any recompense so that they should fear to be weighed down under the burden of debt?
41: Or is it that they have access to (the Truths in) the realm beyond sense-perception which they are writing down?
42: Or are they contriving a strategem against you? If so, that strategem will rebound against the unbelievers.
43: Do they have any god other than Allah? Exhalted be Allah above whatever they associate (with Him in His Divinity).
Other surahs that cover inquisitive thinking styles:
Surah An-Nisa Ayat 97
Surah Al-Kahf Ayat 49
Surah Al-Isra' Ayat 40
Surah Al-A'raf Ayat 172 & 155
Surah Fatin Ayat 3 & 44
Surah Al-Baqara Ayat 28, 255, 258
As-Saffat Ayat 95
Surah Yunus Ayat 35 & 42
Other thinking styles found in the Quran:
(2) Objective thinking style
(3) Positive thinking style
(4) Hypothetical thinking
(5) Rational thinking
(6) Reflective thinking
(7) Visual thinking
(8) Metaphorical thinking
(9) Analogical thinking
(10) Emotional thinking
(11) Perceptual thinking
(12) Conceptual thinking
(13) Intuitive thinking
InsyaAllah I'll type out what was stated in the book, together with Quranic translations and commentaries. One last bit of information to ponder about:
The very first word that was reveal to Muhammad through the angel Jibril was "Iqra", which can be translated into "read!" or "recite or rehearse!" or "proclaim aloud!" Allah's message.
This was message for Muhammad, but for us, (in my own words) in following his benovelent example, has at least 3 meanings:
(1) Seek true knowledge that would reaffirm your faith
(2) Apply that knowledge into your daily lives and dealings with others
(3) venture forth to share this knowledge with others.
All quranic translations taken from:
The Holy Quran: Text, translation and commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
& Towards Understanding the Quran, Abridged version of Tafhim al-Quran by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi. Translated and Edited by Zafar Ishaq Ansari
Creative Thinking: An Islamic Perspective by Jamal Badi, Mustapha Tajdin
It covered pretty much higher thinking thought processes that we as students undergo in schools and universities. It aims basically to align our thoughts towards Allah via understanding the contents of the Quran that adress approaches to thinking and learning.
One fascinating chapter, "Thinking Styles in the Quran" explains that different thinking styles used in the Quran is a mode of expressing it's true message to reach out to a wide scope of intellectual cultures. These thinking styles are also used to fulfil certain objectives to widen the scope of human perception to have a much better understanding of the Quranic message.
In addition to this, thinking styles of the quran is complementary to, but not limited to, learning about the world around us via (1) our five senses and (2) moral intuition or conscience.
Anyway the first thinking style mentioned in the book was:
(1) Inquisitive thinking style of asking questions getting people to think and question the world around them.
Surah Al-Tur Ayat 29-43
29: So exhort (reasons from them and clarify their doubts and clear their minds of ignorance) O Prophet, for by your Lord's Grace, you are neither a madman nor a soothsayer.
30: Or do they say: "He is a poet for whom we await an adverse turn of fortune".
31: Tell them: "Wait, I too am waiting with you."
32: Do their minds prompt them to say such things, or are they a people immersed in transgression?"
33: Do they say: "He has himself fabricated the Quran?" No; the truth is that they are altogether adverse to believing.
34: (If theyare truthful in this), then let them produce a discourse of similar splendour,
35: Did they come into being without any creator? Or were they their own creators?
36: Or is it they who created the heavens and the earth? No; the truth is that they lack sure faith.
37: Or do they have your Lord's treasures in their keeping? Or have absolute authority over them?
38: Or do they have a ladder whereon they can climb and attempt to listen (to what is transpiring in the Higher Realm)? Then, let any one of them who has listened to it produce a clear proof of it.
39: Or does Allah have daughters whereas you have sons?
40: Or is it that you ask of them any recompense so that they should fear to be weighed down under the burden of debt?
41: Or is it that they have access to (the Truths in) the realm beyond sense-perception which they are writing down?
42: Or are they contriving a strategem against you? If so, that strategem will rebound against the unbelievers.
43: Do they have any god other than Allah? Exhalted be Allah above whatever they associate (with Him in His Divinity).
Other surahs that cover inquisitive thinking styles:
Surah An-Nisa Ayat 97
Surah Al-Kahf Ayat 49
Surah Al-Isra' Ayat 40
Surah Al-A'raf Ayat 172 & 155
Surah Fatin Ayat 3 & 44
Surah Al-Baqara Ayat 28, 255, 258
As-Saffat Ayat 95
Surah Yunus Ayat 35 & 42
Other thinking styles found in the Quran:
(2) Objective thinking style
(3) Positive thinking style
(4) Hypothetical thinking
(5) Rational thinking
(6) Reflective thinking
(7) Visual thinking
(8) Metaphorical thinking
(9) Analogical thinking
(10) Emotional thinking
(11) Perceptual thinking
(12) Conceptual thinking
(13) Intuitive thinking
InsyaAllah I'll type out what was stated in the book, together with Quranic translations and commentaries. One last bit of information to ponder about:
The very first word that was reveal to Muhammad through the angel Jibril was "Iqra", which can be translated into "read!" or "recite or rehearse!" or "proclaim aloud!" Allah's message.
This was message for Muhammad, but for us, (in my own words) in following his benovelent example, has at least 3 meanings:
(1) Seek true knowledge that would reaffirm your faith
(2) Apply that knowledge into your daily lives and dealings with others
(3) venture forth to share this knowledge with others.
All quranic translations taken from:
The Holy Quran: Text, translation and commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
& Towards Understanding the Quran, Abridged version of Tafhim al-Quran by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi. Translated and Edited by Zafar Ishaq Ansari
Monday, April 21, 2008
Our Spiritual Path
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
9
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
9
Foundations of the
Spiritual Path
By Sidi Ahmad Zarruq
Translated by Hamza Yusuf
The noble scholar, the unique of his age, the regulator of
the scholars and the saints, Sidi Ahmad Zarruq al-Barnusi
al-Fasi, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote the
following:
If anyo n e i s asked about the foundations of his path, he should
reply,
The foundations of our path are five:
} Taqwa – mindfulness of Allah, privately and publicly
} Adherence to the Sunna in word and deed
} Indifference to whether others accept or reject one
} Contentment with Allah in times of both hardship and ease
} Turning to Allah in prosperity and adversity.
The realization of mindfulness of Allah is through scrupulousness
and uprightness. The realization of adherence to the Sunnah is
through caution and excellent character. The realization of indifference
to others’ acceptance or rejection is through patience and trust
in Allah. The realization of contentment is through acceptance of
what one is given and turning over the management of one’s affairs to
Allah. The realization of turning back to Allah is through praise and
gratitude in times of prosperity and taking refuge in Him in times of
affliction.
The foundations of the preceding five are in the following five:
} Exalted aspirations
} Maintaining Allah’s reverence
} Expending oneself in excellent service of others
} Fulfilling one’s resolves
} Magnifying one’s blessings.
He whose aspirations are exalted is raised in rank. Allah maintains
the respect of he who preserves His reverence. He whose service is for
others is ennobled by it. He who does that which he resolves to do is
assured continual guidance. He who deems blessings to be great by
his own eye has shown gratitude. And he who is grateful ensures an
increase in blessings from the Giver of gifts according to the promise
of the Truthful One.
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
10
the stomach’s intake of food and drink
} Taking refuge in Allah from harm
when it actually occurs
} Vigilantly avoiding places where one
fears misdeeds will occur
} Continually asking forgiveness of Allah
coupled with devotional prayers upon
the Prophet, peace be upon him, in both
solitude and gatherings of people
} Keeping company with one who guides
to Allah. Unfortunately, such a one no
longer exists!
Abu Hasan Shadhili, may Allah be pleased
with him, said,
My beloved counseled me not to put my
feet anywhere except where I hoped for
Allah’s reward, not to sit anywhere except
where I was safe from disobedience to
Allah, not to accompany anyone except
someone in whom I could find support in
obedience to Allah, and not to select anyone
for myself other than those who
increased my certainty, and how rare they
are to find!
He also said, may Allah be pleased with
him,
Whoever directs you to this world has
cheated you; whoever directs you to deeds
has exhausted you; but whoever directs you
to Allah has truly counseled you.
He also said, may Allah be pleased with
him,
Make piety (taqwa) your abode, and the
delight of your selfish soul will do you no
harm so long as it is discontent with its
faults and does not persist in acts of disobedience
nor abandons the awareness of
Allah in solitude.
I say that being content with the self,
persisting in disobedient acts, and abandoning
awareness of Allah are the foundations
of all illnesses, tribulations, and pitfalls.
The foundations of right conduct are five:
} Seeking sacred knowledge in order to
fulfill Allah’s commands
} Keeping company with spiritual
guides and the fraternity of aspirants to
gain insight into one’s faults
} Foregoing dispensations and interpretations
concerning injunctions for one’s
own protection
} Organizing one’s time with the
remembrance of Allah to maintain
presence of heart
} Suspecting the selfish soul (nafs) in
everything in order to free oneself from
its whimsical desires and to be safe from
destructive circumstances.
The pitfall of seeking knowledge is the company
of sophomoric people, whether due to
their age, intellect, or deficient religious
practice – in other words, those who do not
refer to sound principles of guidance in
their actions.
The pitfall of keeping company with the
spiritual guides and the fraternity is elitism,
deception, and self-righteous meddling in
the affairs of others.
The pitfall of foregoing dispensations
and interpretations concerning injunctions
is self-pity due to hardships.
The pitfall of organizing one’s time with
devotional works is ostentatious practice
and ritualized perfunctory devotion.
The pitfall of constantly suspecting the
selfish soul is inclining towards its upright
states and goodliness, yet Allah says, “Were he
to offer every kind of compensation, it would not
be accepted from him” (Quran 6:70).
Moreover, the noble son of the noble
one, Joseph the son of Jacob, peace be upon
them both, says, in the Quran, “I do not say the
selfish soul was free from blame. The selfish soul
indeed commands to evil acts – except for those on
whom my Lord has mercy” (12:53).
The foundations of what will cure the sickness
of the soul are five:
} Moderation achieved by lightening
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
11
I have also seen that the seekers of this age
are afflicted with five things:
} The preference of ignorance over
knowledge
} Being deluded by every spiritual
impostor
} The inability to prioritize important
matters
} Using the spiritual path as a means to
inflate the selfish soul
} Attempting to expedite a spiritual
opening without fulfilling its prerequisite
conditions.
This has resulted in five other afflictions:
} Preferring innovations as opposed to
the tried and true prophetic practice
(Sunna)
} Following the people of claims and
conceit as opposed to the truth
} Acting on capricious desires in all of
their affairs, even the most celestial
} Preferring fantasies to realities
} The manifestation of claims without
sincerity.
From these last five, five more have
emanated:
} Obsessive compulsive thoughts in acts
of devotion
} Laxity in matters of habitual practice
} Perfunctory devotional gatherings of
invocation and chanting that lack inspiration
} Inclination toward people of rank and
authority
} Companionship of those immersed in
worldly matters, even mixing with the
opposite sex and childish companions,
based upon far-fetched rationalizations
they extrapolated from witnessing the
like among real people of the path. They
will even mention such people’s states
and stations as a justification. On the
other hand, had they had true enlightenment,
they would have understood that
seeking one’s provision is a dispensation
for those lacking certainty, and that
includes only the necessities of life without
exceeding the necessary. Anyone lax
in these matters is distant from Allah.
As for devotional gatherings, they are
permitted for people overpowered by their
states or as a respite for people of excellent
character. Indeed, such practice is akin to
settling upon the carpet of truth if done in
accordance with its requisite conditions
among suitable people and in an appropriate
place, not to mention fulfilling its
required courtesies and protocols.
Obsessive-compulsive thoughts arise
from innovation, the basis of which is in
ignorance of the prophetic practice or in
some psychological affliction.
Any propensity toward creation is by
nature the lack of such toward the truth.
This is especially so coming from an obsequious
chanter, a heedless tyrant, or an
ignorant sufi.
The company of the immature is harmful,
as well as a worldly and otherworldly
shortcoming, and an acceptance of such
company even worse. Shaykh Abu Madyan
said, “‘The immature’ means anyone who is not
in conformance with the spiritual path you are
on, even if it were someone who reached ninety
years of age.”
I say the immature are those who are not
firmly rooted in principle; they accept
things at face value and are impassioned by
them. The vast majority of such people are
those who are pretentious in their associations
with a spiritual group and prefer
conversations to real spiritual work. Avoid
them to the utmost of your ability.
Anyone who claims to have a station with
Allah while any of the following five happen
to emanate from him is either a liar or
deluded:
} Allowing any of his members to fall
into sinful disobedience
} Affectations in his devotional practice
} Expectations from the creation
} Backbiting against the people of Allah
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
12
} Lacking the proper respect for
Muslims in accordance with the
commands of Allah. Indeed, such people
rarely die in a state of grace.
The qualifications of the spiritual guide with
whom the seeker may safely entrust his self
are the following five:
} Unadulterated spiritual experience
} Sound outward knowledge
} Celestial aspirations
} A pleasing state
} Penetrating inner perception.
Whoever has any of the following five
cannot be a true spiritual guide:
} Ignorance of the religion
} Disregard for the reverence of other
Muslims
} Engaging in matters of no concern to
him
} Following his caprice in his affairs
} Unashamed displays of bad manners
followed by lack of remorse.
The spiritual courtesies of a student with his
or her spiritual guide and fellow wayfarers
are also five:
} Following the directions of the
guide, even if it is contrary to one’s own
preference
} Avoiding what the guide forbids, even
if it would appear to be highly adverse to
the student
} Maintaining utmost reverence for
them in their presence and absence,
during their lives and after their deaths
} Giving them their due according to
one’s ability without stint
} Relinquishing one’s own understanding,
knowledge, and leadership to that of
the teacher, unless these are already in
accordance with one’s teacher.
Should the seeker not find a guiding
teacher or find one who is lacking in any of
these five conditions, he should depend on
him only in those conditions the teacher fulfills.
As for areas he is wanting in, he should
treat him like a brother regarding them.
Thus ends the five foundations with the
praise, help, and perfect success of Allah.
It is necessary to read this every day, once or
twice, and if that is not possible, then at least
once a week until its meanings are imprinted
on one’s soul and manifest in one’s
behavior. Indeed, it contains that which
the counsel of imam nawawi
[Translator’s note ] In addition to the above work, there is a large portion about the path to Allah that
appears in the great Imam Nawawi’s al-Maqaasid, which Sidi Ahmad Zarruq did not mention in his
work; it is a wonderfully succinct summation of the path to Allah. Imam Nawawi, may Allah sanctify
his secret, says,
One reaches Allah Most High by repenting from all things, unlawful or offensive;
seeking sacred knowledge in accordance with one’s needs; maintaining ritual purity; performing
the obligatory prayers in the first of their time and in congregation, including the
Sunna prayers that correspond to each of the obligatory prayers; adhering to the eight
raka’ats of the midmorning prayer (Duha) and the six raka’ats after the sunset prayer and
before the night prayer; performing the night prayers (tahajjud ) after awaking from one’s
sleep; fulfilling the witr prayer; fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and on the three days of
the full moon – i.e. the 13th,14th, and 15th of the lunar month – and also the days of the
year in which fasting is recommended; reciting the Quran with the heart’s presence coupled
with reflection upon its meanings; frequently asking forgiveness of Allah (istighfar);
maintaining prayers and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him; and, finally,
adhering to the meritorious invocations of the morning and the evening that have come to
us from the Sunna (adhkaar as-sabaah wa al-masa’ ).
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
13
enables one to dispense with many books
and much advice, and it is said, “Surely
they have been denied arrival by their neglect
of the foundations.” Whoever reflects
deeply on what we have said will acknowledge
its truth, and he will continue to have
recourse to it, using it as a reminder for him.
Success is ultimately by Allah. finis
the counsel of sidi ahmad zarruq
[Translator’s note] Finally, we add an extraordinary counsel from Sidi Ahmad Zarruq, may Allah
sanctify his secret, taken from his two books The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance (Kitab al-‘Iaana)
and The Principles of Tasawwuf (Qawaa’id at-Tasawwuf). It is as follows:
Know – may Allah give you and us success, rectify our worldly and otherworldly lives,
and grant us adherence to the way of the Truth in our journeys and our sojourns – that
repentance (taubah) is a key, piety (taqwa) is vast, and uprightness is the source of rectification.
Furthermore, a servant is never free of blunders, shortcomings, or lassitude.
Therefore, never be neglectful of repentance; never turn away from the act of returning to
Allah; and never neglect acts that bring you closer to Allah. Indeed, any time you fail to do
one of these three things, repent and return. Any time you make a mistake, listen and obey.
Anytime you display shortcomings or show lack of enthusiasm, don’t desist in your efforts.
Let your main concern be to remove from your outward state anything displeasing, and
then continue to work on your outward state through continuous counsel.
Continue doing this until you find that fleeing from anything outwardly displeasing is
second nature to you and that your avoidance of the boundaries of prohibited things is as if
it has resulted from a protective net that was placed before you. At this point, it is time to
turn inward toward your heart’s presence and to its reality with both reflection and remembrance.
Don’t hasten the end result before you have completed the beginning, but,
likewise, don’t begin without looking toward the end result. This is so because the one who
seeks the outset at the end loses providential security, and the one who seeks the end at the
outset loses providential guidance.
Act in accordance with principles and the appropriate legal rulings and not in accordance
with stories and fantasies. Don’t even consider stories of how things went with others
except as a tonic to strengthen your resolve, certainly not as a reference based upon their
outward forms or what they seem to be revealing. In all of this, depend upon a clear path to
which you can refer and a foundation upon which you can rely no matter what your state.
The best of these is the path of Ibn ‘Ata Illah because it gives clear direction to Allah. Do not
take from others’ words unless it is in accordance with your own path, but submit to their
implications if you desire realization. Avoid all forms of vain and foul speech to your
absolute utmost. Put aside anything if unable to discern its benefit immediately. Beware of
being extremely hard on your selfish soul (nafs) before you have obtained a mastery over it,
but also beware of being too lax with it regarding any of the sacred rulings. This is so because
it is constantly fleeing from moderation in everything, and it inclines toward extremism in
both matters of deviance and guidance!
Seek out a companion to help you out in your affair, and take his counsel concerning
matters that occur from both your inward states and your outward affairs. If you do indeed
take his companionship, then treat him in a manner commensurate with his state, and give
him of yourself based upon his inabilities and abilities because the perfected companion
can no longer be found. Indeed, in these times, even a suitable companion who is agreeable
rarely lasts. Furthermore, beware of the majority of people concerning both your religious
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
14
and worldly affairs, unless you have ascertained they have a sound relationship with their
Lord, rooted in knowledge which is free of caprice and love of leadership, and they are in
possession of sound intellect, free of the pitfalls of hidden agendas. Do not be heedless of
the machinations of others or their hidden states. Consider these two from both their origins
and their actions. People of high character and family distinction are almost always
beneficial; on the other hand, excruciating circumstances compel a person of low character
and origin to forsake others in need.
Be extremely vigilant of the dominant qualities of a given people in any given land, and
don’t be heedless of the Divine wisdom in the creation; notice gathering in separation.
Some of this we have already covered in the book, al-Qawaa’id, so study the subject further
there.
Organize your hours in a manner appropriate to each time’s specific needs, using a gentle
and tolerant approach all the while being very wary of the extremes of rigidity and laxity.
With laxity, this is especially necessary given that too much latitude in permitted matters sets
the heart back on its journey to such a degree that even a man of resolve ends up looking like
a foolish child.
Work for this world as if you will live forever, but work for your next life as if tomorrow you die. In
other words, do not neglect the externals of your worldly needs, all the while keeping in
mind your end and final resting place. Be extremely vigilant about avoiding positions of
leadership, but should you be tried with such matters, know your own limitations. Be
absolutely sincere to Allah with the sincerity of one who knows full well the One who is placing
demands upon him. Surrender completely to His decree with the submission of one who
knows he can never overcome Him. Have a firm foundation in all of your affairs, and you will
be safe from their pitfalls. Organize your devotional practices, and you will find your time is
extended due to the grace that pervades it.
Never be fanatical about anything, whether it is the truth or not, and your heart will
remain in a state of soundness toward others. Never claim anything to which you are entitled,
not to mention that to which you are not entitled, and you will be safe from connivance
and treachery. Indeed, anyone claiming a rank above his own will fall, scandalized and
humiliated. Moreover, those who claim a rank they warrant will have it stripped from them.
Conversely, those who claim a lesser rank than their own will be elevated to an even higher
one than they deserve.
Never reveal to your companion anything of your state other than what his own state warrants.
The reason is that if you go down to his level, he’ll have contempt for you; whereas if
you attempt to raise him up to your level, he’ll forsake you.
Never demand a right from anyone, whether an intimate or a stranger. The reason is simple:
a stranger owes you nothing, and one close to you is too important to direct your blame
toward. Never assume that anyone in this world can really understand your circumstances
other than from the perspective of his own circumstances, because, in reality, people see
things only in accordance with their frames of reference and their personal path. However,
when aims, purposes, and aspirations are similar, people tend to work together toward a
common goal.
Never belittle any talk that concerns absent people even if there is no harm in it due to the
likelihood of harm entering into it. Guard your secrets even if you feel safe with someone
because the one to whom you divulge your secret is not a safer vessel than your own heart
before you revealed it.
15
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
Never leave an atom’s weight of your regular devotional practice. Never be lenient with
yourself in either relaxed times or those of high resolve. Indeed, should you miss some of
your practice at a given time, redress it later. If you are not able to do your usual practice, at
least occupy yourself with some other similar practice. Never obey your selfish soul even for
a moment nor believe any of its claims no matter what it says. To the utmost, guard your
resolve in all affairs; and should you resolve to do something, do it immediately before it
abates or dissipates. Examine your soul constantly in matters you are obliged to do or those
that you should do. Leave off anything you don’t need to do, even the recommended – in
short, do not involve yourself in anything other than the absolutely necessary or that in
which a real discernible need exists.
Treat others just as you would want to be treated, and fulfill what is due. All of this is
epitomized in the words of the poet when he said,
The source of these words is in fact the traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
when he said, “Be vigilant of Allah wherever you are, and follow a misdeed with a good deed, and it
will remove it; and treat others with the most excellence of character.”
In another, he, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said, “Every child of Adam makes
mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who seek to redress them.”
He also said, “The Holy Spirit inspired my heart’s core that no soul will die until it fulfills its
decreed portion of this world and its appointed time here, so be conscious of Allah, and make your
requests with dignity.”
In summation, repentance, awareness of Allah, and uprightness are the foundations of
all benefits. The truth is manifest, and its details are weighty and significant. The affair
belongs to Allah. Success is in His hands. Peace. finis
from al-qawaa’id
Our Shaykh Abul ‘Abbaas al-Hadrami said:
Spiritual training was elevated [to a science] due to the development of a technical
vocabulary, but benefit from it is derived only as a result of aspiration and spiritual states, so
adhere to the Book and the prophetic practice without omitting or adding anything. This
applies to all of your transactions with your Creator, the creation, and yourself. As for what
is between you and God, three matters are concerned: fulfilling obligations, avoiding
prohibitions, and submitting completely to His decrees. As for dealing with the self, this
also involves three necessities: an unbiased approach to the truth; abandoning defense
mechanisms, such as self-justification; and guarding against the dangers of the self in
respect to its attractions and aversions, its acceptances and rejections, and its comings and
goings. As for dealing with people, this concerns three requirements also: ensuring their
rights are fulfilled; virtuous lack of desire for their possessions; and absolute avoidance of
anything that adversely affects their hearts unless it concerns an obligation to the Truth
that cannot be ignored.
Any aspirant of this path who inclines toward the following preoccupations will perish:
horseback riding; general self-interests; occupation with changing social wrongs or with
If you desire to live such that your religion is safe
And your portion is full and your honor is sound
Guard your tongue; never mention another’s faults
For you too have faults and others too have tongues!
Take care the eye, when it reveals another’s faults
Saying, “O my eyes, remember the eyes of others!”
Live treating well all others and avoid aggression
And should they oppress, repel it but with kindness.
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
16
fighting in military jihads while neglecting the acquisition of personal merit and virtue
believing that he is in no need of rectifying his own soul or that he can obtain all of the
virtues; seeking out the faults of his brothers and others; excusing himself by claiming abandonment
of the world; spending all of his time in religious devotion; spending a good deal of
time in public gatherings or seeking company, not for teaching or learning but simply for
human companionship; inclining toward the people of wealth, claiming he is doing so for
religious reasons; preoccupying himself with spiritual matters of the heart before learning
the basis of sound transactions or the rectification of his faults; thrusting himself forth as a
spiritual teacher without being appointed by a true spiritual master, scholar, or Imam; mindlessly
following anyone who says, “follow me,” whether his words be true or false, without
ascertaining the details of his state; belittling someone who is among the people of Allah,
even if he should deem that person insincere based upon some proof he has; inclining
toward dispensations and interpretations; putting the inward before the outward; being satisfied
with the outward to the detriment of the inward; extracting from one what contradicts
the other; being content with knowledge devoid of action or with action devoid of an inward
state or knowledge; believing that an inward state suffices without the other two; or having
no principle to which he has recourse in his actions, knowledge, states, or religious practices
from the accepted principles in the books of the Imams, such as the books of Ibn ‘Ata Illah
concerning inward matters, especially at-Tanwir, and, concerning outward manners, the
book of Ibn al-Hajj, Madkhal, and those of his Shaykh, Ibn Abi Jamrah, as well as of others
who follow the same path from among the realized masters; may Allah have mercy on all of
them. Any aspirant who is of the above mentioned types is in fact ruined and has no salvation
on this path, but whoever holds to the Book and the prophetic practice will be safe and
Godspeed arrive. Protection is from Him alone, and success is by Him.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was once asked about Allah’s words, “Tend to
your own souls.”
He replied, “If you see covetousness obeyed, passions and whims followed, and every opinionated
person marveling at his own opinions, then tend to your own soul.”
He, may Allah grant him peace and blessings, also said something to this effect:
In the Tablets of Abraham, upon him be peace, it is written, “An intelligent person should
know the age in which he lives; he should hold his tongue and mind his own business. An
intelligent person should have four portions of his day for the following: a portion to take
his soul to account, a portion to converse with his Lord, a portion to spend time with his
brothers – meaning those who help him to see clearly his faults and direct him to his Lord –
and a portion to indulge in his own personal recreation from the permissible appetites of
man.”
May Allah provide us with that and help us to fulfill it. May He always maintain us in a state
of grace, for we cannot survive without His bestowal of grace and prosperity. Allah is enough
for us, and God is the best of protectors. May prayers and peace be upon our master
Muhammad and his family and his companions.
9
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
9
Foundations of the
Spiritual Path
By Sidi Ahmad Zarruq
Translated by Hamza Yusuf
The noble scholar, the unique of his age, the regulator of
the scholars and the saints, Sidi Ahmad Zarruq al-Barnusi
al-Fasi, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote the
following:
If anyo n e i s asked about the foundations of his path, he should
reply,
The foundations of our path are five:
} Taqwa – mindfulness of Allah, privately and publicly
} Adherence to the Sunna in word and deed
} Indifference to whether others accept or reject one
} Contentment with Allah in times of both hardship and ease
} Turning to Allah in prosperity and adversity.
The realization of mindfulness of Allah is through scrupulousness
and uprightness. The realization of adherence to the Sunnah is
through caution and excellent character. The realization of indifference
to others’ acceptance or rejection is through patience and trust
in Allah. The realization of contentment is through acceptance of
what one is given and turning over the management of one’s affairs to
Allah. The realization of turning back to Allah is through praise and
gratitude in times of prosperity and taking refuge in Him in times of
affliction.
The foundations of the preceding five are in the following five:
} Exalted aspirations
} Maintaining Allah’s reverence
} Expending oneself in excellent service of others
} Fulfilling one’s resolves
} Magnifying one’s blessings.
He whose aspirations are exalted is raised in rank. Allah maintains
the respect of he who preserves His reverence. He whose service is for
others is ennobled by it. He who does that which he resolves to do is
assured continual guidance. He who deems blessings to be great by
his own eye has shown gratitude. And he who is grateful ensures an
increase in blessings from the Giver of gifts according to the promise
of the Truthful One.
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
10
the stomach’s intake of food and drink
} Taking refuge in Allah from harm
when it actually occurs
} Vigilantly avoiding places where one
fears misdeeds will occur
} Continually asking forgiveness of Allah
coupled with devotional prayers upon
the Prophet, peace be upon him, in both
solitude and gatherings of people
} Keeping company with one who guides
to Allah. Unfortunately, such a one no
longer exists!
Abu Hasan Shadhili, may Allah be pleased
with him, said,
My beloved counseled me not to put my
feet anywhere except where I hoped for
Allah’s reward, not to sit anywhere except
where I was safe from disobedience to
Allah, not to accompany anyone except
someone in whom I could find support in
obedience to Allah, and not to select anyone
for myself other than those who
increased my certainty, and how rare they
are to find!
He also said, may Allah be pleased with
him,
Whoever directs you to this world has
cheated you; whoever directs you to deeds
has exhausted you; but whoever directs you
to Allah has truly counseled you.
He also said, may Allah be pleased with
him,
Make piety (taqwa) your abode, and the
delight of your selfish soul will do you no
harm so long as it is discontent with its
faults and does not persist in acts of disobedience
nor abandons the awareness of
Allah in solitude.
I say that being content with the self,
persisting in disobedient acts, and abandoning
awareness of Allah are the foundations
of all illnesses, tribulations, and pitfalls.
The foundations of right conduct are five:
} Seeking sacred knowledge in order to
fulfill Allah’s commands
} Keeping company with spiritual
guides and the fraternity of aspirants to
gain insight into one’s faults
} Foregoing dispensations and interpretations
concerning injunctions for one’s
own protection
} Organizing one’s time with the
remembrance of Allah to maintain
presence of heart
} Suspecting the selfish soul (nafs) in
everything in order to free oneself from
its whimsical desires and to be safe from
destructive circumstances.
The pitfall of seeking knowledge is the company
of sophomoric people, whether due to
their age, intellect, or deficient religious
practice – in other words, those who do not
refer to sound principles of guidance in
their actions.
The pitfall of keeping company with the
spiritual guides and the fraternity is elitism,
deception, and self-righteous meddling in
the affairs of others.
The pitfall of foregoing dispensations
and interpretations concerning injunctions
is self-pity due to hardships.
The pitfall of organizing one’s time with
devotional works is ostentatious practice
and ritualized perfunctory devotion.
The pitfall of constantly suspecting the
selfish soul is inclining towards its upright
states and goodliness, yet Allah says, “Were he
to offer every kind of compensation, it would not
be accepted from him” (Quran 6:70).
Moreover, the noble son of the noble
one, Joseph the son of Jacob, peace be upon
them both, says, in the Quran, “I do not say the
selfish soul was free from blame. The selfish soul
indeed commands to evil acts – except for those on
whom my Lord has mercy” (12:53).
The foundations of what will cure the sickness
of the soul are five:
} Moderation achieved by lightening
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
11
I have also seen that the seekers of this age
are afflicted with five things:
} The preference of ignorance over
knowledge
} Being deluded by every spiritual
impostor
} The inability to prioritize important
matters
} Using the spiritual path as a means to
inflate the selfish soul
} Attempting to expedite a spiritual
opening without fulfilling its prerequisite
conditions.
This has resulted in five other afflictions:
} Preferring innovations as opposed to
the tried and true prophetic practice
(Sunna)
} Following the people of claims and
conceit as opposed to the truth
} Acting on capricious desires in all of
their affairs, even the most celestial
} Preferring fantasies to realities
} The manifestation of claims without
sincerity.
From these last five, five more have
emanated:
} Obsessive compulsive thoughts in acts
of devotion
} Laxity in matters of habitual practice
} Perfunctory devotional gatherings of
invocation and chanting that lack inspiration
} Inclination toward people of rank and
authority
} Companionship of those immersed in
worldly matters, even mixing with the
opposite sex and childish companions,
based upon far-fetched rationalizations
they extrapolated from witnessing the
like among real people of the path. They
will even mention such people’s states
and stations as a justification. On the
other hand, had they had true enlightenment,
they would have understood that
seeking one’s provision is a dispensation
for those lacking certainty, and that
includes only the necessities of life without
exceeding the necessary. Anyone lax
in these matters is distant from Allah.
As for devotional gatherings, they are
permitted for people overpowered by their
states or as a respite for people of excellent
character. Indeed, such practice is akin to
settling upon the carpet of truth if done in
accordance with its requisite conditions
among suitable people and in an appropriate
place, not to mention fulfilling its
required courtesies and protocols.
Obsessive-compulsive thoughts arise
from innovation, the basis of which is in
ignorance of the prophetic practice or in
some psychological affliction.
Any propensity toward creation is by
nature the lack of such toward the truth.
This is especially so coming from an obsequious
chanter, a heedless tyrant, or an
ignorant sufi.
The company of the immature is harmful,
as well as a worldly and otherworldly
shortcoming, and an acceptance of such
company even worse. Shaykh Abu Madyan
said, “‘The immature’ means anyone who is not
in conformance with the spiritual path you are
on, even if it were someone who reached ninety
years of age.”
I say the immature are those who are not
firmly rooted in principle; they accept
things at face value and are impassioned by
them. The vast majority of such people are
those who are pretentious in their associations
with a spiritual group and prefer
conversations to real spiritual work. Avoid
them to the utmost of your ability.
Anyone who claims to have a station with
Allah while any of the following five happen
to emanate from him is either a liar or
deluded:
} Allowing any of his members to fall
into sinful disobedience
} Affectations in his devotional practice
} Expectations from the creation
} Backbiting against the people of Allah
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
12
} Lacking the proper respect for
Muslims in accordance with the
commands of Allah. Indeed, such people
rarely die in a state of grace.
The qualifications of the spiritual guide with
whom the seeker may safely entrust his self
are the following five:
} Unadulterated spiritual experience
} Sound outward knowledge
} Celestial aspirations
} A pleasing state
} Penetrating inner perception.
Whoever has any of the following five
cannot be a true spiritual guide:
} Ignorance of the religion
} Disregard for the reverence of other
Muslims
} Engaging in matters of no concern to
him
} Following his caprice in his affairs
} Unashamed displays of bad manners
followed by lack of remorse.
The spiritual courtesies of a student with his
or her spiritual guide and fellow wayfarers
are also five:
} Following the directions of the
guide, even if it is contrary to one’s own
preference
} Avoiding what the guide forbids, even
if it would appear to be highly adverse to
the student
} Maintaining utmost reverence for
them in their presence and absence,
during their lives and after their deaths
} Giving them their due according to
one’s ability without stint
} Relinquishing one’s own understanding,
knowledge, and leadership to that of
the teacher, unless these are already in
accordance with one’s teacher.
Should the seeker not find a guiding
teacher or find one who is lacking in any of
these five conditions, he should depend on
him only in those conditions the teacher fulfills.
As for areas he is wanting in, he should
treat him like a brother regarding them.
Thus ends the five foundations with the
praise, help, and perfect success of Allah.
It is necessary to read this every day, once or
twice, and if that is not possible, then at least
once a week until its meanings are imprinted
on one’s soul and manifest in one’s
behavior. Indeed, it contains that which
the counsel of imam nawawi
[Translator’s note ] In addition to the above work, there is a large portion about the path to Allah that
appears in the great Imam Nawawi’s al-Maqaasid, which Sidi Ahmad Zarruq did not mention in his
work; it is a wonderfully succinct summation of the path to Allah. Imam Nawawi, may Allah sanctify
his secret, says,
One reaches Allah Most High by repenting from all things, unlawful or offensive;
seeking sacred knowledge in accordance with one’s needs; maintaining ritual purity; performing
the obligatory prayers in the first of their time and in congregation, including the
Sunna prayers that correspond to each of the obligatory prayers; adhering to the eight
raka’ats of the midmorning prayer (Duha) and the six raka’ats after the sunset prayer and
before the night prayer; performing the night prayers (tahajjud ) after awaking from one’s
sleep; fulfilling the witr prayer; fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and on the three days of
the full moon – i.e. the 13th,14th, and 15th of the lunar month – and also the days of the
year in which fasting is recommended; reciting the Quran with the heart’s presence coupled
with reflection upon its meanings; frequently asking forgiveness of Allah (istighfar);
maintaining prayers and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him; and, finally,
adhering to the meritorious invocations of the morning and the evening that have come to
us from the Sunna (adhkaar as-sabaah wa al-masa’ ).
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
13
enables one to dispense with many books
and much advice, and it is said, “Surely
they have been denied arrival by their neglect
of the foundations.” Whoever reflects
deeply on what we have said will acknowledge
its truth, and he will continue to have
recourse to it, using it as a reminder for him.
Success is ultimately by Allah. finis
the counsel of sidi ahmad zarruq
[Translator’s note] Finally, we add an extraordinary counsel from Sidi Ahmad Zarruq, may Allah
sanctify his secret, taken from his two books The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance (Kitab al-‘Iaana)
and The Principles of Tasawwuf (Qawaa’id at-Tasawwuf). It is as follows:
Know – may Allah give you and us success, rectify our worldly and otherworldly lives,
and grant us adherence to the way of the Truth in our journeys and our sojourns – that
repentance (taubah) is a key, piety (taqwa) is vast, and uprightness is the source of rectification.
Furthermore, a servant is never free of blunders, shortcomings, or lassitude.
Therefore, never be neglectful of repentance; never turn away from the act of returning to
Allah; and never neglect acts that bring you closer to Allah. Indeed, any time you fail to do
one of these three things, repent and return. Any time you make a mistake, listen and obey.
Anytime you display shortcomings or show lack of enthusiasm, don’t desist in your efforts.
Let your main concern be to remove from your outward state anything displeasing, and
then continue to work on your outward state through continuous counsel.
Continue doing this until you find that fleeing from anything outwardly displeasing is
second nature to you and that your avoidance of the boundaries of prohibited things is as if
it has resulted from a protective net that was placed before you. At this point, it is time to
turn inward toward your heart’s presence and to its reality with both reflection and remembrance.
Don’t hasten the end result before you have completed the beginning, but,
likewise, don’t begin without looking toward the end result. This is so because the one who
seeks the outset at the end loses providential security, and the one who seeks the end at the
outset loses providential guidance.
Act in accordance with principles and the appropriate legal rulings and not in accordance
with stories and fantasies. Don’t even consider stories of how things went with others
except as a tonic to strengthen your resolve, certainly not as a reference based upon their
outward forms or what they seem to be revealing. In all of this, depend upon a clear path to
which you can refer and a foundation upon which you can rely no matter what your state.
The best of these is the path of Ibn ‘Ata Illah because it gives clear direction to Allah. Do not
take from others’ words unless it is in accordance with your own path, but submit to their
implications if you desire realization. Avoid all forms of vain and foul speech to your
absolute utmost. Put aside anything if unable to discern its benefit immediately. Beware of
being extremely hard on your selfish soul (nafs) before you have obtained a mastery over it,
but also beware of being too lax with it regarding any of the sacred rulings. This is so because
it is constantly fleeing from moderation in everything, and it inclines toward extremism in
both matters of deviance and guidance!
Seek out a companion to help you out in your affair, and take his counsel concerning
matters that occur from both your inward states and your outward affairs. If you do indeed
take his companionship, then treat him in a manner commensurate with his state, and give
him of yourself based upon his inabilities and abilities because the perfected companion
can no longer be found. Indeed, in these times, even a suitable companion who is agreeable
rarely lasts. Furthermore, beware of the majority of people concerning both your religious
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
14
and worldly affairs, unless you have ascertained they have a sound relationship with their
Lord, rooted in knowledge which is free of caprice and love of leadership, and they are in
possession of sound intellect, free of the pitfalls of hidden agendas. Do not be heedless of
the machinations of others or their hidden states. Consider these two from both their origins
and their actions. People of high character and family distinction are almost always
beneficial; on the other hand, excruciating circumstances compel a person of low character
and origin to forsake others in need.
Be extremely vigilant of the dominant qualities of a given people in any given land, and
don’t be heedless of the Divine wisdom in the creation; notice gathering in separation.
Some of this we have already covered in the book, al-Qawaa’id, so study the subject further
there.
Organize your hours in a manner appropriate to each time’s specific needs, using a gentle
and tolerant approach all the while being very wary of the extremes of rigidity and laxity.
With laxity, this is especially necessary given that too much latitude in permitted matters sets
the heart back on its journey to such a degree that even a man of resolve ends up looking like
a foolish child.
Work for this world as if you will live forever, but work for your next life as if tomorrow you die. In
other words, do not neglect the externals of your worldly needs, all the while keeping in
mind your end and final resting place. Be extremely vigilant about avoiding positions of
leadership, but should you be tried with such matters, know your own limitations. Be
absolutely sincere to Allah with the sincerity of one who knows full well the One who is placing
demands upon him. Surrender completely to His decree with the submission of one who
knows he can never overcome Him. Have a firm foundation in all of your affairs, and you will
be safe from their pitfalls. Organize your devotional practices, and you will find your time is
extended due to the grace that pervades it.
Never be fanatical about anything, whether it is the truth or not, and your heart will
remain in a state of soundness toward others. Never claim anything to which you are entitled,
not to mention that to which you are not entitled, and you will be safe from connivance
and treachery. Indeed, anyone claiming a rank above his own will fall, scandalized and
humiliated. Moreover, those who claim a rank they warrant will have it stripped from them.
Conversely, those who claim a lesser rank than their own will be elevated to an even higher
one than they deserve.
Never reveal to your companion anything of your state other than what his own state warrants.
The reason is that if you go down to his level, he’ll have contempt for you; whereas if
you attempt to raise him up to your level, he’ll forsake you.
Never demand a right from anyone, whether an intimate or a stranger. The reason is simple:
a stranger owes you nothing, and one close to you is too important to direct your blame
toward. Never assume that anyone in this world can really understand your circumstances
other than from the perspective of his own circumstances, because, in reality, people see
things only in accordance with their frames of reference and their personal path. However,
when aims, purposes, and aspirations are similar, people tend to work together toward a
common goal.
Never belittle any talk that concerns absent people even if there is no harm in it due to the
likelihood of harm entering into it. Guard your secrets even if you feel safe with someone
because the one to whom you divulge your secret is not a safer vessel than your own heart
before you revealed it.
15
seasons | spring | summer 2003 |
Never leave an atom’s weight of your regular devotional practice. Never be lenient with
yourself in either relaxed times or those of high resolve. Indeed, should you miss some of
your practice at a given time, redress it later. If you are not able to do your usual practice, at
least occupy yourself with some other similar practice. Never obey your selfish soul even for
a moment nor believe any of its claims no matter what it says. To the utmost, guard your
resolve in all affairs; and should you resolve to do something, do it immediately before it
abates or dissipates. Examine your soul constantly in matters you are obliged to do or those
that you should do. Leave off anything you don’t need to do, even the recommended – in
short, do not involve yourself in anything other than the absolutely necessary or that in
which a real discernible need exists.
Treat others just as you would want to be treated, and fulfill what is due. All of this is
epitomized in the words of the poet when he said,
The source of these words is in fact the traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
when he said, “Be vigilant of Allah wherever you are, and follow a misdeed with a good deed, and it
will remove it; and treat others with the most excellence of character.”
In another, he, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said, “Every child of Adam makes
mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who seek to redress them.”
He also said, “The Holy Spirit inspired my heart’s core that no soul will die until it fulfills its
decreed portion of this world and its appointed time here, so be conscious of Allah, and make your
requests with dignity.”
In summation, repentance, awareness of Allah, and uprightness are the foundations of
all benefits. The truth is manifest, and its details are weighty and significant. The affair
belongs to Allah. Success is in His hands. Peace. finis
from al-qawaa’id
Our Shaykh Abul ‘Abbaas al-Hadrami said:
Spiritual training was elevated [to a science] due to the development of a technical
vocabulary, but benefit from it is derived only as a result of aspiration and spiritual states, so
adhere to the Book and the prophetic practice without omitting or adding anything. This
applies to all of your transactions with your Creator, the creation, and yourself. As for what
is between you and God, three matters are concerned: fulfilling obligations, avoiding
prohibitions, and submitting completely to His decrees. As for dealing with the self, this
also involves three necessities: an unbiased approach to the truth; abandoning defense
mechanisms, such as self-justification; and guarding against the dangers of the self in
respect to its attractions and aversions, its acceptances and rejections, and its comings and
goings. As for dealing with people, this concerns three requirements also: ensuring their
rights are fulfilled; virtuous lack of desire for their possessions; and absolute avoidance of
anything that adversely affects their hearts unless it concerns an obligation to the Truth
that cannot be ignored.
Any aspirant of this path who inclines toward the following preoccupations will perish:
horseback riding; general self-interests; occupation with changing social wrongs or with
If you desire to live such that your religion is safe
And your portion is full and your honor is sound
Guard your tongue; never mention another’s faults
For you too have faults and others too have tongues!
Take care the eye, when it reveals another’s faults
Saying, “O my eyes, remember the eyes of others!”
Live treating well all others and avoid aggression
And should they oppress, repel it but with kindness.
| spring | summer 2003 | seasons
16
fighting in military jihads while neglecting the acquisition of personal merit and virtue
believing that he is in no need of rectifying his own soul or that he can obtain all of the
virtues; seeking out the faults of his brothers and others; excusing himself by claiming abandonment
of the world; spending all of his time in religious devotion; spending a good deal of
time in public gatherings or seeking company, not for teaching or learning but simply for
human companionship; inclining toward the people of wealth, claiming he is doing so for
religious reasons; preoccupying himself with spiritual matters of the heart before learning
the basis of sound transactions or the rectification of his faults; thrusting himself forth as a
spiritual teacher without being appointed by a true spiritual master, scholar, or Imam; mindlessly
following anyone who says, “follow me,” whether his words be true or false, without
ascertaining the details of his state; belittling someone who is among the people of Allah,
even if he should deem that person insincere based upon some proof he has; inclining
toward dispensations and interpretations; putting the inward before the outward; being satisfied
with the outward to the detriment of the inward; extracting from one what contradicts
the other; being content with knowledge devoid of action or with action devoid of an inward
state or knowledge; believing that an inward state suffices without the other two; or having
no principle to which he has recourse in his actions, knowledge, states, or religious practices
from the accepted principles in the books of the Imams, such as the books of Ibn ‘Ata Illah
concerning inward matters, especially at-Tanwir, and, concerning outward manners, the
book of Ibn al-Hajj, Madkhal, and those of his Shaykh, Ibn Abi Jamrah, as well as of others
who follow the same path from among the realized masters; may Allah have mercy on all of
them. Any aspirant who is of the above mentioned types is in fact ruined and has no salvation
on this path, but whoever holds to the Book and the prophetic practice will be safe and
Godspeed arrive. Protection is from Him alone, and success is by Him.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was once asked about Allah’s words, “Tend to
your own souls.”
He replied, “If you see covetousness obeyed, passions and whims followed, and every opinionated
person marveling at his own opinions, then tend to your own soul.”
He, may Allah grant him peace and blessings, also said something to this effect:
In the Tablets of Abraham, upon him be peace, it is written, “An intelligent person should
know the age in which he lives; he should hold his tongue and mind his own business. An
intelligent person should have four portions of his day for the following: a portion to take
his soul to account, a portion to converse with his Lord, a portion to spend time with his
brothers – meaning those who help him to see clearly his faults and direct him to his Lord –
and a portion to indulge in his own personal recreation from the permissible appetites of
man.”
May Allah provide us with that and help us to fulfill it. May He always maintain us in a state
of grace, for we cannot survive without His bestowal of grace and prosperity. Allah is enough
for us, and God is the best of protectors. May prayers and peace be upon our master
Muhammad and his family and his companions.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
A good balance of the spiritual and society
Islam: Between Ritual Worship and Development of Society
Written by Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
Translation by Umm Hajar (ummhajar@gmail.com)
In the world of Islam, we often have to face two types of conception that weaken this majestic religion. First is the conception that only restricts the effectuation of Islam to matters of ritual ibadah (act of worship) only without regarding or paying less attention to the issues of civilization growth and the survival of the ummah (Muslim community). It is as if Allah will only question personal matters on Judgment Day. On the other hand, issues on surrounding world or the relationship between Muslims or others seem to be excluded from the list of matters to be questioned and its reward weighed by Allah on Judgment Day. This conception has actually become a poison that sterilized some pro-religion groups throughout time.
The second conception that threatens this religion comes from those that trivialize or belittle the emphasis or discussion on matters of ritual ibadah in this religion. To these people, full emphasis must be given to matters of physical and economic development as well as the establishment of the external image of the ummah. Issues on ritual ibadah are too marginal and we do not have to ask too much about it. To them, it is as if on Judgment Day Allah will only question about matters of human relation only without questioning about the relation between humans and their Lord.
Both conceptions have actually disregarded the reality of Islam. Islam is a religion that stresses the importance of matters relating to the association of a soul with his Lord in his ritual ibadah. Similarly, Islam also put an emphasis on the association among humans specifically in fostering this world with the development of culture and civilization that is based on the teachings of Allah and His Messenger. Allah says in describing the humiliation that befell the previous human societies (translated as): “Shame is pitched over them (like a tent) wherever they are found, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah and from men…” (surah Ali Imran: 112)
Abdullah bin al-Mubarak was a prominent scholar that became one of the main references for understanding al-Kitab (al-Quran) and al-Sunnah. His comprehension and appreciation of Islam was unrivaled. In year 177H, he wrote to his comrade who was also a prominent scholar named al-Fudail bin ‘Iyad. Al-Fudail was an avid worshipper in Mecca and Medina and was so involved in his worshipping activity that he seemed to forget about the jihad (holy struggle) in defending the Islamic authority at that time. In his letter, he wrote a poem that was full with deep meanings. Among the verses that he wrote were:
O the worshipper of the Two Holy Lands, if you look at us,
Surely you will know that indeed you are being superficial in your worship,
Whoever submerges his neck in his tears (due to his deep meditation),
Verily, our neck is submerging in blood,
Whoever tires his horse riding through a worthless path,
Verily, our horses are getting weary in the battlefield.
(refer to: al-Zahabi, Siyar A’lam al-Nubala, 8/412, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah).
In that poem, he intended to portray that the ibadah of an individual who is not concerned about the survival and destiny of the ummah is not a genuine ibadah. The deep concentration in worship and the tears shed is meaningless if one abandons the holy struggle while the others sacrifice and being sacrificed in fighting in Allah’s Cause. The journey undertaken for performing ibadah on an individual basis is worthless if we just let the others fight to their death in defending the ummah.
A true Muslim makes his life journey to be in balance between focusing to matters of ritual ibadah and focusing to the development of ummah in realizing his caliph duty on the face of this earth. The focus on ritual ibadah includes restoration of the soul from the angle of sincerity and perseverance as well as matching the original examples set by the Prophet s.a.w without producing add-ons that are not taught in the sunnah. In the meantime, the focus on developing the ummah should involve issues on the directions taken that are meeting the requirement set by Allah and His Messenger and the effectiveness of actions being performed as well as the strategy to ensure the glory of the ummah. To be neglectful of either of the two perspectives is considered as negligence towards this grand religion. No one is allowed to assume that either one of the two segments is not important or trivial.
The relationship between a person and Allah is the core of human civilization. The connection happens when the emotion and soul always remember Allah and ritual ibadah is performed using the methods shown by Allah through His Messenger. In truth, the need for a person to connect with Allah through ritual worship is being shared by all human beings who have humanistic characters. Only those who have altered their natural habit refuse to turn back to the Lord. That is because human beings are created with a natural tendency to be submissive and in connection with the Lord. This is the answer to the question of why almost the entire humankind on the face of the earth embraces religions. Whatever religion it may be, it is a reflection of the human needs to be close to the Lord or to ask for His help. However, other than the basic of belief, Islam is differentiated from the others by its specific way of connecting humans with the Lord that is depicted by the Lord Himself through His official envoy that is Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. In another words, this is the acknowledged method in preserving the relationship between humans and the Lord.
If not, it can only be classified as deviant teaching that does not receive any endorsement from the Lord. Therefore, no method in performing ritual ibadah is accepted unless it is given an emphasis on the sincerity of intention and the authenticity of its method as it is showed by the certified representative of the Lord that is Muhammad the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. If a Muslim takes lightly the issues of ritual ibadah such that he says “Just perform your ibadah in any way as long as you’re performing it” or “Just perform your prayer in whatever way as long as you’re performing it”, then he actually fails to differentiate between the religion of the Lord that was revealed to the Lord’s certified representative and the fabricated religion that is originated solely by the human’s idea or need. Allah says (translated as): “What! Have they partners (in godhead), who have established for them some religion without the permission of Allah?” (Surah al-Syura:21) ‘A’isha reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected.” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Subsequently, Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi said: ”A Muslim must, in his ibadah, adhere to the boundaries prescribed for him. It is not enough to just aim for the blessing of Allah but the ibadah must be performed in the form that is authorized by Allah with the kaifiyyat (manner) that is blessed by Him. The ibadah of a Muslim is not supposed to be something that is fabricated by people based on their own desires and supposition. It is forbidden for anyone among the imams of Muslims even though his academic level is astronomical, and also forbidden for any educational body even though its status is tremendous, and also forbidden for any academic institution or for any groups of the Muslims be it small or big to fabricate (ibtida’) a new ibadah in the religion of Allah, or to add on to the ibadah specified in this religion, or to change the way ibadah was done during the time of the Prophet s.a.w. This is because only Allah is the maker of sharia (Islamic Law) and the Messenger s.a.w is the one who conveyed it while we are just the followers. All goodness is in al-ittiba’ (abide by what had been specified by Allah and His Messenger)”. (Al-Qaradawi, Al-`Ibadah fi Al-Islam, pg. 165-167, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah).
Therefore, although Amina Wadud the woman who led Friday prayer a few years ago probably had a good intention of upholding women development to prove – in her view – gender equal rights but that was not the way to do it. Ritual ibadah in Islam cannot be performed without the illustration provided by Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. Although there is no specific prohibition, ibadah cannot be performed without any examples from the Prophet s.a.w. If we were to search the textual evidence that prohibits a woman from leading Friday prayer, surely we would not find any. As for the hadith from Jabir that was reported by Ibn Majah, “Do not let women to lead the prayer of men, the Bedouin to lead the prayer of the migrators and an evil person to lead the prayer of the Believers.” Its chain of narration is weak and it cannot be used as a point of reasoning. Instead, in a hadith from Umm Waraqah that was reported by Abu Daud with a hasan (good) chain of narration states that the Prophet s.a.w asked Umm Waraqah to lead the prayer of her household members in which one of them was a man. This hadith is a proof for enabling women to lead the prayer of men in their houses. It is like a mother leading prayer in her house and is followed by her son.
This is the standpoint supported by many ulama and among them is Dr ‘Abd al-Karim Zaidan in his book Al-Mufassal fi Ahkam al-Marah. However, Aminah Wadud wanted more than that. She inferred this hadith in a way that justified her desire to lead the Friday prayer. During the time of the Prophet s.a.w, Friday prayer was performed every week. There was not any woman appointed by the Prophet to become the imam of any of the mosques during that time whereas the women back then were more religious than Aminah Wadud. When Allah’s Messenger s.a.w passed away, some of his wives were still alive including ‘Aisya, Hafsah and Umm Salamah. Their knowledge was vast taken directly from the Prophet s.a.w in both the understanding and application of Islam. Still, it never crossed their minds to lead the Friday prayer. Furthermore, none among the Muslims who loved and adored them so much offered them to lead the Friday prayer. This was because that particular practice was never done during the time of the Prophet s.a.w. Therefore, ritual ibadah cannot be performed without any evidence to verify it although there is no evidence that indicates it is prohibited. In ritual ibadah, we cannot say that because the Prophet s.a.w did not prohibit it then we are free to do anything as long as there is no prohibition. Instead, in ritual ibadah, we must ask if the Prophet s.a.w instructed it or did it. This is the correct question to ask because if not, people will make all kinds of add-ons in ibadah. Even if he performed the subuh (dawn) prayer for eight rakaat (prescribed number of bows in prayer), he would just say: “I was sincere (in doing it). There was no prohibition from the Prophet s.a.w regarding the eight rakaat and the most important thing is sincerity.” If that happened, then the authenticity of the religion would be tainted.
Humans are allowed to be innovative and creative in other matters concerning their lives but not in matters of ritual ibadah. Allah harmonized all of us as a symbol of a united ummah in one religion. However, when we cross this forbidden ground, we will then see the Muslim society having various ways of ibadah that are different from each other. Differences in methods of ibadah between sufi groups, races, countries and so on. Subsequently, sectarian feelings emerge with words such as “This is our way” or “This is the way of our country or region” echo everywhere. They should be thinking of saying this is the way demonstrated by Allah’s Messenger s.a.w in his hadith and we are all his followers. Even more, some religious teachers only use custom as the basis of their teachings without knowing the relevant textual evidence.
Thus, it is not surprising if the ummah fail to be united when being oppressed by the enemy since even in matters of ibadah some have sectarian attitude. Unfortunately, in this world where we are required to be innovative and creative to enable us to manufacture quality products that are beneficial for humankinds and able to elevate the status of this ummah, we do not progress much. In fact, the part of Islamic world that has many editions of new methods of ibadah fail to produce or develop new materials or products for the world to use.
Thus, the emphasis on ritual ibadah is not to be deemed as trivial. There is a need for a balanced development between spiritual and physical, between the authentic way of ibadah and the progress of the mind as well as a creative and innovative civilization. Once again, I would like to cite the words of al-Qaradawi: “However, what we would like to assert from the beginning is that the hadarah (civilization) Islam intends to build is not like other civilizations that emphasize more on the body and the desire of a person, that emphasize on instant pleasure in this world. Thus, it places the world as the biggest matter to be concerned of and that is the limit to its knowledge. It does not allocate to Allah a position that is mentioned in its philosophy. There is no room for the Afterlife in its system of thought and education. This contradicts with hadarah al-Islam (Islamic Civilization). It connects human with Allah, ties the earth with the heavens. It makes the world for the Afterlife, blends the soul with materialism, balances the mind and heart and unites knowledge and religious belief. It puts a lot of concern on the fineness of manner as it does on material development. It is actually both spiritual and material civilization, dreams and reality, godly and humane, personal conduct and development and individual and communal. It is a civilization that is balanced and moderate.” (Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Al-Sunnah masdaran li al-Ma’rifat wa al-Hadarat, pg. 204, cetakan: Dar al-Syuruq, Mesir.).
Unfortunately, we always meet with those who put strong emphasis on matters of ritual ibadah but neglect issues of the development of ummah civilization. At the same time, we also meet with many who discuss issues of civilization but are so inattentive and forgetful over matters of ritual ibadah. Therefore, born were religious groups without strength, professional groups without guidance. Ibadah only fails to make us into leaders of the world and material civilization only fails to make us into servants of Allah. Do revert to a balanced way of putting emphasis.
Source: http://drmaza.com/english_section/?p=38
Written by Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
Translation by Umm Hajar (ummhajar@gmail.com)
In the world of Islam, we often have to face two types of conception that weaken this majestic religion. First is the conception that only restricts the effectuation of Islam to matters of ritual ibadah (act of worship) only without regarding or paying less attention to the issues of civilization growth and the survival of the ummah (Muslim community). It is as if Allah will only question personal matters on Judgment Day. On the other hand, issues on surrounding world or the relationship between Muslims or others seem to be excluded from the list of matters to be questioned and its reward weighed by Allah on Judgment Day. This conception has actually become a poison that sterilized some pro-religion groups throughout time.
The second conception that threatens this religion comes from those that trivialize or belittle the emphasis or discussion on matters of ritual ibadah in this religion. To these people, full emphasis must be given to matters of physical and economic development as well as the establishment of the external image of the ummah. Issues on ritual ibadah are too marginal and we do not have to ask too much about it. To them, it is as if on Judgment Day Allah will only question about matters of human relation only without questioning about the relation between humans and their Lord.
Both conceptions have actually disregarded the reality of Islam. Islam is a religion that stresses the importance of matters relating to the association of a soul with his Lord in his ritual ibadah. Similarly, Islam also put an emphasis on the association among humans specifically in fostering this world with the development of culture and civilization that is based on the teachings of Allah and His Messenger. Allah says in describing the humiliation that befell the previous human societies (translated as): “Shame is pitched over them (like a tent) wherever they are found, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah and from men…” (surah Ali Imran: 112)
Abdullah bin al-Mubarak was a prominent scholar that became one of the main references for understanding al-Kitab (al-Quran) and al-Sunnah. His comprehension and appreciation of Islam was unrivaled. In year 177H, he wrote to his comrade who was also a prominent scholar named al-Fudail bin ‘Iyad. Al-Fudail was an avid worshipper in Mecca and Medina and was so involved in his worshipping activity that he seemed to forget about the jihad (holy struggle) in defending the Islamic authority at that time. In his letter, he wrote a poem that was full with deep meanings. Among the verses that he wrote were:
O the worshipper of the Two Holy Lands, if you look at us,
Surely you will know that indeed you are being superficial in your worship,
Whoever submerges his neck in his tears (due to his deep meditation),
Verily, our neck is submerging in blood,
Whoever tires his horse riding through a worthless path,
Verily, our horses are getting weary in the battlefield.
(refer to: al-Zahabi, Siyar A’lam al-Nubala, 8/412, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah).
In that poem, he intended to portray that the ibadah of an individual who is not concerned about the survival and destiny of the ummah is not a genuine ibadah. The deep concentration in worship and the tears shed is meaningless if one abandons the holy struggle while the others sacrifice and being sacrificed in fighting in Allah’s Cause. The journey undertaken for performing ibadah on an individual basis is worthless if we just let the others fight to their death in defending the ummah.
A true Muslim makes his life journey to be in balance between focusing to matters of ritual ibadah and focusing to the development of ummah in realizing his caliph duty on the face of this earth. The focus on ritual ibadah includes restoration of the soul from the angle of sincerity and perseverance as well as matching the original examples set by the Prophet s.a.w without producing add-ons that are not taught in the sunnah. In the meantime, the focus on developing the ummah should involve issues on the directions taken that are meeting the requirement set by Allah and His Messenger and the effectiveness of actions being performed as well as the strategy to ensure the glory of the ummah. To be neglectful of either of the two perspectives is considered as negligence towards this grand religion. No one is allowed to assume that either one of the two segments is not important or trivial.
The relationship between a person and Allah is the core of human civilization. The connection happens when the emotion and soul always remember Allah and ritual ibadah is performed using the methods shown by Allah through His Messenger. In truth, the need for a person to connect with Allah through ritual worship is being shared by all human beings who have humanistic characters. Only those who have altered their natural habit refuse to turn back to the Lord. That is because human beings are created with a natural tendency to be submissive and in connection with the Lord. This is the answer to the question of why almost the entire humankind on the face of the earth embraces religions. Whatever religion it may be, it is a reflection of the human needs to be close to the Lord or to ask for His help. However, other than the basic of belief, Islam is differentiated from the others by its specific way of connecting humans with the Lord that is depicted by the Lord Himself through His official envoy that is Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. In another words, this is the acknowledged method in preserving the relationship between humans and the Lord.
If not, it can only be classified as deviant teaching that does not receive any endorsement from the Lord. Therefore, no method in performing ritual ibadah is accepted unless it is given an emphasis on the sincerity of intention and the authenticity of its method as it is showed by the certified representative of the Lord that is Muhammad the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. If a Muslim takes lightly the issues of ritual ibadah such that he says “Just perform your ibadah in any way as long as you’re performing it” or “Just perform your prayer in whatever way as long as you’re performing it”, then he actually fails to differentiate between the religion of the Lord that was revealed to the Lord’s certified representative and the fabricated religion that is originated solely by the human’s idea or need. Allah says (translated as): “What! Have they partners (in godhead), who have established for them some religion without the permission of Allah?” (Surah al-Syura:21) ‘A’isha reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected.” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Subsequently, Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi said: ”A Muslim must, in his ibadah, adhere to the boundaries prescribed for him. It is not enough to just aim for the blessing of Allah but the ibadah must be performed in the form that is authorized by Allah with the kaifiyyat (manner) that is blessed by Him. The ibadah of a Muslim is not supposed to be something that is fabricated by people based on their own desires and supposition. It is forbidden for anyone among the imams of Muslims even though his academic level is astronomical, and also forbidden for any educational body even though its status is tremendous, and also forbidden for any academic institution or for any groups of the Muslims be it small or big to fabricate (ibtida’) a new ibadah in the religion of Allah, or to add on to the ibadah specified in this religion, or to change the way ibadah was done during the time of the Prophet s.a.w. This is because only Allah is the maker of sharia (Islamic Law) and the Messenger s.a.w is the one who conveyed it while we are just the followers. All goodness is in al-ittiba’ (abide by what had been specified by Allah and His Messenger)”. (Al-Qaradawi, Al-`Ibadah fi Al-Islam, pg. 165-167, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah).
Therefore, although Amina Wadud the woman who led Friday prayer a few years ago probably had a good intention of upholding women development to prove – in her view – gender equal rights but that was not the way to do it. Ritual ibadah in Islam cannot be performed without the illustration provided by Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. Although there is no specific prohibition, ibadah cannot be performed without any examples from the Prophet s.a.w. If we were to search the textual evidence that prohibits a woman from leading Friday prayer, surely we would not find any. As for the hadith from Jabir that was reported by Ibn Majah, “Do not let women to lead the prayer of men, the Bedouin to lead the prayer of the migrators and an evil person to lead the prayer of the Believers.” Its chain of narration is weak and it cannot be used as a point of reasoning. Instead, in a hadith from Umm Waraqah that was reported by Abu Daud with a hasan (good) chain of narration states that the Prophet s.a.w asked Umm Waraqah to lead the prayer of her household members in which one of them was a man. This hadith is a proof for enabling women to lead the prayer of men in their houses. It is like a mother leading prayer in her house and is followed by her son.
This is the standpoint supported by many ulama and among them is Dr ‘Abd al-Karim Zaidan in his book Al-Mufassal fi Ahkam al-Marah. However, Aminah Wadud wanted more than that. She inferred this hadith in a way that justified her desire to lead the Friday prayer. During the time of the Prophet s.a.w, Friday prayer was performed every week. There was not any woman appointed by the Prophet to become the imam of any of the mosques during that time whereas the women back then were more religious than Aminah Wadud. When Allah’s Messenger s.a.w passed away, some of his wives were still alive including ‘Aisya, Hafsah and Umm Salamah. Their knowledge was vast taken directly from the Prophet s.a.w in both the understanding and application of Islam. Still, it never crossed their minds to lead the Friday prayer. Furthermore, none among the Muslims who loved and adored them so much offered them to lead the Friday prayer. This was because that particular practice was never done during the time of the Prophet s.a.w. Therefore, ritual ibadah cannot be performed without any evidence to verify it although there is no evidence that indicates it is prohibited. In ritual ibadah, we cannot say that because the Prophet s.a.w did not prohibit it then we are free to do anything as long as there is no prohibition. Instead, in ritual ibadah, we must ask if the Prophet s.a.w instructed it or did it. This is the correct question to ask because if not, people will make all kinds of add-ons in ibadah. Even if he performed the subuh (dawn) prayer for eight rakaat (prescribed number of bows in prayer), he would just say: “I was sincere (in doing it). There was no prohibition from the Prophet s.a.w regarding the eight rakaat and the most important thing is sincerity.” If that happened, then the authenticity of the religion would be tainted.
Humans are allowed to be innovative and creative in other matters concerning their lives but not in matters of ritual ibadah. Allah harmonized all of us as a symbol of a united ummah in one religion. However, when we cross this forbidden ground, we will then see the Muslim society having various ways of ibadah that are different from each other. Differences in methods of ibadah between sufi groups, races, countries and so on. Subsequently, sectarian feelings emerge with words such as “This is our way” or “This is the way of our country or region” echo everywhere. They should be thinking of saying this is the way demonstrated by Allah’s Messenger s.a.w in his hadith and we are all his followers. Even more, some religious teachers only use custom as the basis of their teachings without knowing the relevant textual evidence.
Thus, it is not surprising if the ummah fail to be united when being oppressed by the enemy since even in matters of ibadah some have sectarian attitude. Unfortunately, in this world where we are required to be innovative and creative to enable us to manufacture quality products that are beneficial for humankinds and able to elevate the status of this ummah, we do not progress much. In fact, the part of Islamic world that has many editions of new methods of ibadah fail to produce or develop new materials or products for the world to use.
Thus, the emphasis on ritual ibadah is not to be deemed as trivial. There is a need for a balanced development between spiritual and physical, between the authentic way of ibadah and the progress of the mind as well as a creative and innovative civilization. Once again, I would like to cite the words of al-Qaradawi: “However, what we would like to assert from the beginning is that the hadarah (civilization) Islam intends to build is not like other civilizations that emphasize more on the body and the desire of a person, that emphasize on instant pleasure in this world. Thus, it places the world as the biggest matter to be concerned of and that is the limit to its knowledge. It does not allocate to Allah a position that is mentioned in its philosophy. There is no room for the Afterlife in its system of thought and education. This contradicts with hadarah al-Islam (Islamic Civilization). It connects human with Allah, ties the earth with the heavens. It makes the world for the Afterlife, blends the soul with materialism, balances the mind and heart and unites knowledge and religious belief. It puts a lot of concern on the fineness of manner as it does on material development. It is actually both spiritual and material civilization, dreams and reality, godly and humane, personal conduct and development and individual and communal. It is a civilization that is balanced and moderate.” (Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Al-Sunnah masdaran li al-Ma’rifat wa al-Hadarat, pg. 204, cetakan: Dar al-Syuruq, Mesir.).
Unfortunately, we always meet with those who put strong emphasis on matters of ritual ibadah but neglect issues of the development of ummah civilization. At the same time, we also meet with many who discuss issues of civilization but are so inattentive and forgetful over matters of ritual ibadah. Therefore, born were religious groups without strength, professional groups without guidance. Ibadah only fails to make us into leaders of the world and material civilization only fails to make us into servants of Allah. Do revert to a balanced way of putting emphasis.
Source: http://drmaza.com/english_section/?p=38
Friday, April 18, 2008
A long overdue poll
[nus_muslimsoc] What a Billion Muslims Think?
From: nus_muslimsoc@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Amir Hussain (syedamirhussain@nus.edu.sg)
Sent: Wed 4/16/08 2:22 PM
Reply-to: nus_muslimsoc@yahoogroups.com
To: nus_muslimsoc@yahoogroups.com
What a Billion Muslims Think?
By Aijaz Zaka Syed
Opinion polls fascinate me. They are, if honestly conducted, perhaps
the best possible way to gauge public opinion. At a time when spin is
the norm and global media is controlled, manipulated and dictated by
powerful cliques, corporate interests and governments, it's not easy
to get a clear picture on any given issue.
This is especially true when the story involves marginalised
minorities and dispossessed groups. And of late the Muslims, currently
the world's favourite punching bag, have been at the receiving end.
After the spectacular assassination of Marxism and disintegration of
Soviet Union, the West found itself a new enemy in Islam.
The 9/11 attacks in the US and 7/7 strikes in the UK were only
excuses, not the causes, to hasten this process. They might have
contributed to the current hysteria against everything Islamic but
they never were the Original Sin as we've been given to believe.
Myths like this have been demolished in a most interesting survey
conducted by Gallup. What makes this opinion poll like no other is
that it has been conducted over a period of six years, beginning after
the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Gallup conducted research in 35 Muslim countries, interviewing more
than 50,000 people, to come up with what it calls the first
comprehensive survey of Muslim world opinion.
And the results have also given birth to a book called, Who Speaks for
Islam? What a billion Muslims really think by John L. Esposito and
Dalia Mogahed.
The poll and the book offer a much-needed reality check on the
relations between the West and Muslim world. Some of the findings are
genuinely surprising and revealing even for someone like me who has
been obsessed with the issue.
Many conclusions of the poll only go to confirm what we in the Middle
East and Muslim world have always known but couldn't succeed in
putting them across to our friends in the West.
For instance, the fact that it's not Islamic teachings that drive some
individuals to violence but historical injustices inflicted and
perpetuated by some Western powers.
Which is why one so hopes that the urgent message this poll seeks to
convey reaches the Western audience — and the wider world. It would be
such a shame if it doesn't.
Because, as Dalia Mogahed argues in the book, Who Speaks for Islam…,
this ostensible conflict between Islam and West is far from inevitable.
Many concerned commentators including this humble hack have repeatedly
argued that what is fuelling the so-called clash of civilisations is
not some absurd hatred of the Christian West sanctioned by Islam but
Western ignorance about Muslims. The poll backs this argument.
A huge majority of Muslims regardless of where they live, whether in
Sunni Saudi Arabia or Shia Iran, they are surprisingly well informed
about the West, its values and ideals.
In fact, most of them admire the West for its scientific achievements,
economic progress and celebration of knowledge and excellence. The
West is admired by the Muslims for the political freedom, democracy
and rights it offers its people.
There are other findings that are equally interesting. Contrary to
common perceptions in the West, the majority of respondents think men
and women have equal rights.
A whopping 94 pc of Indonesians, the world's largest Muslim nation,
share this view. In Islamist Iran, the figure is 89 per cent. And in
the much-reviled Saudi Arabia, it's 73 percent.
A great majority of Muslims also believe a woman can work outside her
home in any job for which she is qualified (88 pc in Indonesia, 72 pc
in Egypt and even 78 pc in Saudi Arabia). And they also believe women
should be able to vote without interference (87 pc in Indonesia, 91 pc
in Egypt, 98 pc in Lebanon).
What about the legendary Muslim sympathy for terrorism? While 6 pc of
the Americans think attacks involving civilians are 'completely
justified,' in Saudi Arabia, this figure is 4 pc. In Lebanon and Iran,
it's 2 percent.
And mark this, it's important. The majority of Muslims absolutely
rejects violence and terrorism. In fact, many of the respondents
quoted Quranic verses to point out that extremism goes against Islamic
teachings.
Going by these findings, would any reasonable person in his right mind
blame Islam of championing extremism and violence? And remember, this
survey was not sponsored by Al Jazeera, Bin Laden's favourite channel,
but by Gallup, the biggest name in the business.
So what is it then that drives the West and Muslim world apart? The
answer lies in Western indifference, nay casual contempt, for a
billion believers and all that they believe in. I am not saying this;
Gallup poll does.
Again this shouldn't come as a surprise. While admiring Western values
such as democracy and freedom, Muslims feel these values are
conveniently cast aside when it comes to applying them to Muslim world.
More than 65 pc of Egyptians, Jordanians and Iranians believe the US
will never allow people in the Middle East to run their own affairs
and chart their own course.
When the Gallup pollsters asked Muslims around the world what the West
could do to improve relations with the Muslim world, the most frequent
responses were for the West to demonstrate more respect for Islam and
to regard Muslims as equals, not as inferior.
The Western contempt for Islam, especially the ignorance of Americans,
is not something that is imagined by us. The poll findings speak for
themselves.
The majority of Americans (66 pc) admit to having "some" prejudice
against Muslims; one in five say they have 'a great deal' of
prejudice. Almost half do not believe US Muslims are 'loyal' to their
country; and one in four doesn't want a Muslim as a neighbour!
Given these views, is it any surprising that Muslims are invariably
portrayed in the US media, including that big propaganda machine
called Hollywood, as terrorists?
If the Muslims harbour some degree of anti-US sentiment, it's not
because of what the Americans are; it's because of what they do or
have been doing in the Muslim world. But how would you explain the
deep-seated paranoia and Islamophobia in the US and West?
Whatever its causes, this divide is most unfortunate and unnatural.
Because there is a great deal lot that unites the Muslims and the
Americans. In an increasingly materialistic world, they continue to
hold on to their belief in God.
Unlike in Europe and much of the world, religion plays a healthy and
positive role in the day-to-day life of the Americans as well as
Muslims. They both cherish universal values like honesty,
truthfulness, hard work, accountability and being always loyal to your
family.
Just look around. What we have in common is much more than what we do
not — notwithstanding what the Bushes and Bin Ladens of this world
would have you believe. Which is why this divide is such a tragedy. We
Muslims want to bridge this gulf. Is the other side equally willing?
-Aijaz Zaka Syed is a senior editor and columnist of Khaleej Times. He
contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com
© Copyright 1999-2008 PalestineChronicle.com. All rights reserved
From: nus_muslimsoc@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Amir Hussain (syedamirhussain@nus.edu.sg)
Sent: Wed 4/16/08 2:22 PM
Reply-to: nus_muslimsoc@yahoogroups.com
To: nus_muslimsoc@yahoogroups.com
What a Billion Muslims Think?
By Aijaz Zaka Syed
Opinion polls fascinate me. They are, if honestly conducted, perhaps
the best possible way to gauge public opinion. At a time when spin is
the norm and global media is controlled, manipulated and dictated by
powerful cliques, corporate interests and governments, it's not easy
to get a clear picture on any given issue.
This is especially true when the story involves marginalised
minorities and dispossessed groups. And of late the Muslims, currently
the world's favourite punching bag, have been at the receiving end.
After the spectacular assassination of Marxism and disintegration of
Soviet Union, the West found itself a new enemy in Islam.
The 9/11 attacks in the US and 7/7 strikes in the UK were only
excuses, not the causes, to hasten this process. They might have
contributed to the current hysteria against everything Islamic but
they never were the Original Sin as we've been given to believe.
Myths like this have been demolished in a most interesting survey
conducted by Gallup. What makes this opinion poll like no other is
that it has been conducted over a period of six years, beginning after
the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Gallup conducted research in 35 Muslim countries, interviewing more
than 50,000 people, to come up with what it calls the first
comprehensive survey of Muslim world opinion.
And the results have also given birth to a book called, Who Speaks for
Islam? What a billion Muslims really think by John L. Esposito and
Dalia Mogahed.
The poll and the book offer a much-needed reality check on the
relations between the West and Muslim world. Some of the findings are
genuinely surprising and revealing even for someone like me who has
been obsessed with the issue.
Many conclusions of the poll only go to confirm what we in the Middle
East and Muslim world have always known but couldn't succeed in
putting them across to our friends in the West.
For instance, the fact that it's not Islamic teachings that drive some
individuals to violence but historical injustices inflicted and
perpetuated by some Western powers.
Which is why one so hopes that the urgent message this poll seeks to
convey reaches the Western audience — and the wider world. It would be
such a shame if it doesn't.
Because, as Dalia Mogahed argues in the book, Who Speaks for Islam…,
this ostensible conflict between Islam and West is far from inevitable.
Many concerned commentators including this humble hack have repeatedly
argued that what is fuelling the so-called clash of civilisations is
not some absurd hatred of the Christian West sanctioned by Islam but
Western ignorance about Muslims. The poll backs this argument.
A huge majority of Muslims regardless of where they live, whether in
Sunni Saudi Arabia or Shia Iran, they are surprisingly well informed
about the West, its values and ideals.
In fact, most of them admire the West for its scientific achievements,
economic progress and celebration of knowledge and excellence. The
West is admired by the Muslims for the political freedom, democracy
and rights it offers its people.
There are other findings that are equally interesting. Contrary to
common perceptions in the West, the majority of respondents think men
and women have equal rights.
A whopping 94 pc of Indonesians, the world's largest Muslim nation,
share this view. In Islamist Iran, the figure is 89 per cent. And in
the much-reviled Saudi Arabia, it's 73 percent.
A great majority of Muslims also believe a woman can work outside her
home in any job for which she is qualified (88 pc in Indonesia, 72 pc
in Egypt and even 78 pc in Saudi Arabia). And they also believe women
should be able to vote without interference (87 pc in Indonesia, 91 pc
in Egypt, 98 pc in Lebanon).
What about the legendary Muslim sympathy for terrorism? While 6 pc of
the Americans think attacks involving civilians are 'completely
justified,' in Saudi Arabia, this figure is 4 pc. In Lebanon and Iran,
it's 2 percent.
And mark this, it's important. The majority of Muslims absolutely
rejects violence and terrorism. In fact, many of the respondents
quoted Quranic verses to point out that extremism goes against Islamic
teachings.
Going by these findings, would any reasonable person in his right mind
blame Islam of championing extremism and violence? And remember, this
survey was not sponsored by Al Jazeera, Bin Laden's favourite channel,
but by Gallup, the biggest name in the business.
So what is it then that drives the West and Muslim world apart? The
answer lies in Western indifference, nay casual contempt, for a
billion believers and all that they believe in. I am not saying this;
Gallup poll does.
Again this shouldn't come as a surprise. While admiring Western values
such as democracy and freedom, Muslims feel these values are
conveniently cast aside when it comes to applying them to Muslim world.
More than 65 pc of Egyptians, Jordanians and Iranians believe the US
will never allow people in the Middle East to run their own affairs
and chart their own course.
When the Gallup pollsters asked Muslims around the world what the West
could do to improve relations with the Muslim world, the most frequent
responses were for the West to demonstrate more respect for Islam and
to regard Muslims as equals, not as inferior.
The Western contempt for Islam, especially the ignorance of Americans,
is not something that is imagined by us. The poll findings speak for
themselves.
The majority of Americans (66 pc) admit to having "some" prejudice
against Muslims; one in five say they have 'a great deal' of
prejudice. Almost half do not believe US Muslims are 'loyal' to their
country; and one in four doesn't want a Muslim as a neighbour!
Given these views, is it any surprising that Muslims are invariably
portrayed in the US media, including that big propaganda machine
called Hollywood, as terrorists?
If the Muslims harbour some degree of anti-US sentiment, it's not
because of what the Americans are; it's because of what they do or
have been doing in the Muslim world. But how would you explain the
deep-seated paranoia and Islamophobia in the US and West?
Whatever its causes, this divide is most unfortunate and unnatural.
Because there is a great deal lot that unites the Muslims and the
Americans. In an increasingly materialistic world, they continue to
hold on to their belief in God.
Unlike in Europe and much of the world, religion plays a healthy and
positive role in the day-to-day life of the Americans as well as
Muslims. They both cherish universal values like honesty,
truthfulness, hard work, accountability and being always loyal to your
family.
Just look around. What we have in common is much more than what we do
not — notwithstanding what the Bushes and Bin Ladens of this world
would have you believe. Which is why this divide is such a tragedy. We
Muslims want to bridge this gulf. Is the other side equally willing?
-Aijaz Zaka Syed is a senior editor and columnist of Khaleej Times. He
contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com
© Copyright 1999-2008 PalestineChronicle.com. All rights reserved
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)