Allah – Page 2 – madin118

Reflections Jan. 2019 Week2

In the eyes of Allah, it is all positive for us. Allah has given us a heart free of charge. He wants us to worship Him. If He had willed, he could have created us as trees. He chose for us parents. It rains a thick white rain and we get raised from the earth like trees. Parents, children, siblings are tests for us. The family unit is well the society will be well. None shall be worshipped besides Allah. Noone worthy of worship besides Allah. Be kind to your parents. He did not say obey them. Decline respectfully. Some parents abuse their children. People are good, devil is bad. Some people have bad habits. We are all creatures of Allah. Be good to your parents. Allah chose to make me through my parents. Let not problems seep to children. Can also educate parents. You correct someone respectfully. If you don’t correct people, there will be problems in the society. Don’t go behind their back. If you made a mistake, it is not the end. You are still a good person. We look at bad stuff not good. Tell children enjoy school and develop. Don’t stress them. Only one becomes first. May Allah make the end better. When it comes to big decisions, make mashvara. Don’t force children to do what they don’t want. Have a powerful relationship in family. Be very close to your children. Admonish children in a smart way. Turn off the wifi. Don’t over penalise your children. Don’t keep reminding them of bad stuff they did. Remind them of good stuff. Kiss your Children. Want the mercy of Allah, show mercy to your children. Purpose of marriage: sacrifice, work hard on relationships. Look after children. Spend time with them. The person getting married has the biggest say. Facilitate the marriage of your children. If we can resolve issues in the family, we can resolve issues in the society. Having siblings is a blessing. Learn to teach your children to play together. Every child grow at its own pace.

Quran and Hadith are similar to food and water. We need Allah. The biggest gift we have is that we are the Ummah of Quran. We would like Quran to intercede for us. Quran is not the decoration. Quran on the wall should be a means of reminder.

During this life we have limited freedom. We need to recognize the one who gave us this life. We are created so we lead our entire life as Allah has ordained. For this we have to recognize Him .

Life and death in the hands of Allah. Have mercy on your parents. Make dua for your parents. Don’t embarrass them by your deeds. Be kind to them. Don’t be harsh to your children.

Set limits at home . Respect each other. Both ways, husband and wife.

Prophet prayed for those who opposed him. Man looks at a creature of Allah and has an understanding of them. This understanding is affected by circumstances. We respect all the creatures of Allah. Above 70 is bonus. Engage in dhikr and prostration. Allah is in total control of us. We commit sin because of our weakness not to defy Allah. First establish five daily salawat. Allah is instructing us to avoid evil and immorality. Allah says cut it out. One verse is enough to change our life. Intentions could be contaminated if we except something in return instead of expecting allah’s pleasure. Social media has allowed us to multiply sins. We have bottons that can destroy us. Purify heart. Go back to Sunnah to resolve an issue. Love of one self means giving itself preference over others. Purify the heart. Make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today. Masses have lost respect for the leaders. Reason why we losing as an Ummah. Imam,s work is more difficult than ordinary ppl. Religious blackmail. High rank in the day of judgment goes for the muadhen.

The one who has been promised jannah equal to the one who is destined to hell fire? Who is more truthful than Allah?

We hope in Allah alone. Those who believe have special mercy. Allah is merciful to all, but the special mercy goes to and is reserved for the believers.

The problem is that we don’t know our Maker

Reflections Jan. 2019

We worship the one who made me. He is The creator. The relationship is between you and Allah. You confess only to Allah. Not anyone else since anyone else might have sins greater than yours. Allah will judge us on the day of judgment. Neither was he begotten not does He beget. You cannot have anyone at the same level as Allah. All the qualities of the prophet do not come close to Allah’s. If someone claims love, there should be actions associated with it. Words should be proven by actions. How can you love Allah and sleep during Fajr time. Always be conscious of Allah. This is taqwa. This will save you. The development of consciousness of Allah will protect us from His wrath. We don’t render an act of worship to anyone besides Allah. We don’t worship Allah based on how we feel. Iblis said I’m better than him. This was his downfall. This happens to us when we see someone with worldly possessions. We try to label him with accusations of Haram income and Haram conduct. We get inspiration from iblis.

Reflections Dec 2018

I’m a proud Muslim should not make us arrogant. Clean your heart to build bridges. You have a solid relationships with Allah. Money brings temporary happiness. The Best of us is the one whose bridge is stronger with Allah and rasool. We render our actions to Allah not to his rasool. Prophet was a shining example. So follow him in everything you can. When you get closer to Allah, your heart becomes soft. It’s a sign from Allah that your heart is soft. Guidance is in the hands of Allah. Our task is to convey the message. The message of love and peace. We help each other to get closer to Allah. Respect those you disagree with. The same laws that are allowing you to practice your religion is allowing them to practice what they are practicing.We control ourselves from eating junk food so we are healthy. Likewise we control ourselves from committing sins so we have a healthy akhira.Treat the other gender with utmost respect. That’s building bridges. When you reach out to others, they see the beauty of Islam. None of you enters paradise except with the mercy of Allah. How do we get the mercy of Allah? We get the mercy of Allah through our deeds. He wants to see that we are doing our best. Try your best and Allah will give you the rewards. The fact that you do the deed with the correct intention then He will shower you with His mercy. Istigfar is very powerful. Be happy with what Allah has provided to you. Allah looks at the heart and the actions. You worship Allah alone. Treat other creatures with respect. Think good of others. Try and keep trying to get His mercy.Allah wants to forgive, so ask Him to forgive you. Do the deed then protect it. Allah has said: it is your deeds I reckon you with. Whoever finds goodness thank Allah you write your book. So proofread. You can still delete. Write a beautiful chapter everyday. Those who find goodness should thank Allah. We should always be hopeful of the mercy of Allah. One is to search for guidance. Second is to ask Allah for it. Don’t just sit at home and ask for it. Those who strive in our cause, we guide them. You have to try, Allah will do the rest. O Allah guide us to the straight path. Seek clothing from Allah. Ask Him to cover us. He is the one who covers and feeds. Thank Allah for whatever He has granted them. Deeds should bring humility. Do your deeds and be humble. Your hearts need to be cleansed. Whatever is asked of Allah and He bestows it to them, nothing is lowered or diminished from His treasury. Nothing is displaced from His kingdom. Having nothing of this donya, and their deeds are great. Materialistic matters, look at those who have less than you. In terms of Deen, look at those who have passed you. A sign of good deed is your heart being soft. This is a sign of acceptance. Allah requested Moosa to talk to pheroah in kindness.Always start with the name of Allah. He is the greatest. This is tauheed. He is the one who is going to grant us success. Then send blessings and salutation upon Mohammad PBUH. He was chosen by Allah. Allah says acknowledge the prophet the way I acknowledge him. Allah is the one who chooses. If Allah raises you, no-one can drop you. Praise be to Allah, the creator, the norisher, the provider, the protector, the cherisher. The control of the entire existence. Prostration is only for Allah and no-one else. I believe in the names and qualities of Allah without adjusting them. Who is our personal Savior? Allah. He is the one who made me. Mohammad PBUH is the best of creation, but we never render an act of worship for him. Because we believe in Allah. We respect the messenger at the highest level. Only Allah knows the condition of the heart. So never judge others by the condition of their heart. To go to a fortuneteller is an issue of Iman. We only say bismellah. Start with the name of Allah.

These are some reflections I noted while listening to some of the scholars such as Mufti Menk.

Iman & Faith

We all say we have Iman (Faith). One might ask: what is Iman? the word Iman has the same roots as Amn (أمن) which means security or safety. To have faith (Iman) means what we believe from within us or from within our heart is going to give us safety and security. So when we say we believe in One God (Allah), we believe He is going to protect us. Hence He provides safety and security. when our believe is true and free from any forms of hypocrisy, then it will manifest itself on the outside. This is what the above quote says. The actions testify the faith within the heart. Furthermore, this is also what we understand from the Saying that the heart is like the king and the limbs are the subordinates. Whatever the king orders, the subordinates obey and follow. So if the king is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt and there is no place in Jannah for what is corrupt. What we conclude is instead of focusing solely on the outward look, we need to focus more on our inside and try to purify our heart. The beauty within us is going to reflect to the outside. May Allah help us purify our hearts & shine our hearts with light of Iman & grant us entry into His Jannah.

Why does Allah give human beings a hard life?

In islam, our fundamental relationship with Allah is Rabb (Lord/Master) & Abd (slave). The thing about a master is that you don’t negotiate with a master. You negotiate with an employer; you can also negotiate with a partner; you can negotiate with a family member. When there is a master and slave, who negotiates all the terms? The master. The slave’s only position is to follow all these terms. The other thing about a master is that if he gives you something, it is a bonus and if he does not give you something, he did not have to. Because you are not salaried. You are a slave. Slaves are not salaried. Usually when you think of masters, they are oppressive; you think of chains, beatings, etc. that is human masters. Allah is a different kind of master. He is the only kind of master. As Allah states in soora Fatiha: this is the kind of master that before you even know that He is your master, you know that He deserves praise and gratitude. No other master deserves praise and gratitude right off the bat. The first thing you think of a master is someone you should praise; someone you should be grateful to. The only thing a slave would think of is when can I get free of this guy? But for Allah, all you think is praise and gratitude. Now coming to the idea of why Allah does not give me a perfect life. The question assumes that Allah owes you something. Like an employer who owes you something. i.e. your pay-cheque. Your business partner owes you something, your cut. Your parents owe you something. They are responsible to raise you. Your children owe you something, your wife, husband, they owe you something. Allah owes you nothing. He does not owe you anything. As a manner of fact, you owe Him every breath. So when you phrase this question, I should have a perfect life, you have already undercut the idea that Allah is your master, like you are in some sort of position to make demands. Right? When you take that away, it is an uncomfortable thing. ‘’I want God to be my friend; I want Him to be someone who helps me like I pray to Him.’’ You want to dictate what this relationship should look like similar to any relationship, friendship. There are different kinds of friendship. I talk to some friends different from other friends. So in every relationship, we figure out what is going to be the give & take. Some figure they should figure out what their relationship with God is going to be like. For example, they say: I am going to do this for Him, He’d better do this for me. The give & take. The bigger problem with this kind of attitude is you are deciding what the terms are. To put this into perspective, who should decide what the terms are between you and the supreme being? -The one who knows everything. His terms override yours. What you have in mind is less relevant and what He dictates is far more relevant. This might sound harsh, but if you give His terms a chance, for example if you study Quran. Quran is His terms. Here is what it means to be my slave. When you study quran, you find that it is not a book of do this or If you don’t do this, this is going to happen. As a matter of fact, for the most part, it is the relationship of loyalty, gratitude, love, friendship, remembrance, longing. It is a really beautiful relationship. This Master wants me to be a slave who loves Him, who is friend with Him, who talks to Him all the time, remembers Him all the time. He says: remember Me, I will remember you. Who talks like that? That doesn’t sound like a master. right? So Quran shatters your view of what Allah means as a Master. He wants to be your Friend; He wants you to be His friend. But first understand that He is your Master. Then understand that He is your friend. He wants to be a giver of gifts to you, but before He gives you gifts, He wants you to understand that He is your Master and you are the slave and He wants to give gifts to you. He wants to show you love; He wants to show you mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, knowledge. He wants to give you all these stuff. He wants to teach you. He wants to be your teacher too. He wants all of these things. All these relationships. So it is not one relationship. It is a lot of relationships. But at the helm of them all, He is the Master & you are the slave. Which means whatever happens in this relationship, your humility should never go away. Because the idea of slavery is: it is the most humble job description in existence. There is no more humble a job than a slave; you can’t get lower than that. These questions lack humility because they reek of entitlement. “I want, I want, I want” you could still want, but you if you want as a slave, it is different than when you want as someone who is entitled. Allah is not saying you cannot ask. You can ask, but He will decide when to give & what to give. So the answer to this question isn’t actually what Allah decides to do or not to do, but how we perceive Allah ourselves. The problem lies in our perception, so when you correct the perception, the problem is solved. People -around the prophet pbuh- who did not believe. If you were to ask them who made the skies and the earth. They would say Allah. They have no problem accepting Allah as the creator. Ask them who the master is. There is silence because that requires me to be a slave. If I call Him the Master, this makes me slave, makes me humble. If I ask you who made this car and you say lexus or honda. I can accept that. Who is your boss? Who is your ultimate authority? But who owns the car? That is my car. This is the line that has to be crossed when somebody enters into islam. They have to accept Allah as Rabb (Master), they have to accept themselves as slave.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S047WdXLLa0

The Prophet’s Methods of Dealing with People’s Mistakes

1- Hastening to deal with people’s mistakes and not putting it off.

2 – Dealing with mistakes by explaining the ruling (hukm).

3 – Referring people back to Islam when they make mistakes, and pointing out to them the principle that they are breaking.

4 – Correcting misconceptions that are due to something not being clear in people’s minds.

Mistakes generally come about as a result of misconceptions; if the ideas are put right, mistakes will decrease.

5 – Dealing with mistakes by repeatedly reminding people to fear Allaah.

6 – Showing compassion to the one who is making a mistake.

7- Not hastening to tell someone he is wrong.

A person who is seeking knowledge should not be too hasty to condemn any opinion that differs from that with which he is familiar.

8 – Remaining calm when dealing with people’s mistakes – especially when being too harsh could make matters worse and do more harm than good.

a. We should be gentle when dealing with one who is ignorant and teach him what he needs to know without rebuking him.

b. We should, also, hasten to remove anything objectionable when there is nothing to stop us from doing so.

9 – Explaining the seriousness of the mistake.

10 – Explaining the harmful effects of the mistake.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained that exaggeration when praising someone is a mistake which can have bad consequences.

11 – Practical teaching of the one who is making a mistake.

12 – Offering a sound alternative.

13 – Guiding people to that which will prevent them from making mistakes.

14 – Not confronting people directly with their mistakes and addressing the issue in general terms may be sufficient. the benefits:

a. It avoids a negative reaction on the part of the person who has made the mistake, and prevents him from being tempted by the Shaytaan to avenge himself or defend himself.

b. It is more acceptable to people and is more effective.

c. It conceals the person’s mistake in front of other people.

d. It increases the status of the educator and makes the advisor more beloved.

15 – Provoking public opinion against the one who has made the mistake.

This method is only to be used in very limited circumstances, when a great deal of thought has been given to the matter, to avoid any negative escalation of the situation.

Quranic Verse: Chp. 3 V. 104

Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islâm), enjoining Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful” (3:104).

Commentary:

Allah commands the believers to take the most powerful means with which they can establish their religion on a strong basis. This can be achieved if a group among them assumes the collective obligation of:

– “Inviting to all that is good” i.e., the religion with its principles, branches and legislations.

– “Enjoining Al-Ma’rûf” i.e., all that is known to be good from the point of view of religion and reason.

– “Forbidding Al-Munkar” i.e., all that is known to be bad from the point of view of religion and reason.

– “And it is they who are the successful” i.e., those who are fully aware of their duties and who save themselves from all that causes fear.

This group of people includes scholars, seekers of knowledge, the public and private preachers and theMuhtasibs (public inspectors) who compel people to perform prayer, pay the Zakah, abide by the Religious legislations and forbid them from doing evil. So, anyone who invites people to goodness or gives advice, either in public or in private is included in this verse.

See Tafsir Ibn Sa’di, p. 112 (Al-Luwaihiq Edition)

Source: QuranComplex

Quranic Verse: Chp. 34 V. 28

Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a Warner to all mankind, but most of men know not” (34:28)

In this verse Allah states that He did not send His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) except for giving the glad tidings of reward for all mankind and to inform them about the acts bringing about such a reward.

He is also sent to forewarn them of God’s punishment, and make known to them acts that may warrant such reprisal.

On the Authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the holy Prophet said: “By Allah in whose hands my soul is, if anyone of this Ummah (nation) hears about me whether he is a Jew or a Christian and dies without believing in my Message, will be among the dwellers of the Hell-fire.” [Sahih Muslim, the Book of Faith, Hadith no.153]

The word “Ummah” in this Hadith means those whom the call to Islam has reached.

The phrase “If anyone of this Ummah hears about me” means those who lived at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), as well as those who will come after him till the Day of Judgement. In fact, all of them should follow his way. Mentioning just the Jews and the Christians in this context however serves as an alarming note for the followers of other faiths; since the Jews and the Christians have Divine Books while others do not. As the people of the Book are mentioned in this respect, though they are endowed with books of guidance, it thus follows that others, who have not any divine books, are also involved with greater reason. Allah knows best. [An-Nawawi’s Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Vol. II, Hadith p. 188]

Source: QuranComplex

Quranic Verse: Chp. 3 V. 19

Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “Truly, the religion in the sight of Allâh is Islâm. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, then surely, Allâh is Swift in calling to account.” (3:19)

Allah tells us in this verse that:

– Islam is the only religion acceptable to Allah to the exclusion of any other religion.

Islam denotes the inward and the outward submission to Allah in all that He has legislated and ordained either in His glorious Book or through the sayings of His prophet: Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers).” (3:85)

– So, whosoever adopts a religion other than Islam is not on the right path, because he does not follow the way ordained by Allah through His Messenger (peace be upon him).

– Allah [may He be Glorified] tells us in this verse that the People of the Book knew very well that this was the truth but they deviated from it out of oppression and stubbornness.

– And when Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to them, they knew for certain that he was the Messenger of Allah – exactly as they recognized their own children – but envy, oppression and the denial of the signs of Allah kept them away from the right path.

The phrase “And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, then surely, Allâh is Swift in calling to account” means: let those who disbelieve in the verses and the signs of Allah wait; the promise of Allah is already coming and they will be recompensed according to their deeds.

Source: QuranComplex

Quranic Verse: Chp. 7 V. 1-3

Following a certain course is sometimes recommended in the Glorious Qur’an and sometimes it is prohibited.

Among the places where following a certain course is recommended is the following:

1. Following the course of revelation i.e. the Glorious Qur’an. Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “Alif-Lâm-Mîm-Sâd. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. (This is the) Book (the Qur’ân) sent down unto you (O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)), so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby; and a reminder unto the believers. [Say (O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) to these idolaters (pagan Arabs) of your folk:] Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur’ân and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Auliyâ’ (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allâh), besides Him (Allâh). Little do you remember!” (7:1-3)

These verses illustrate the following points:

The greatness of the Glorious Qur’an, which is sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise.
The Glorious Qur’an includes all that mankind need for their spiritual and material life. Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’ân) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allâh as Muslims).” (16:89)
It was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to warn mankind as a whole. Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “And We have not sent you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind.” (34:28)
The commandment to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger (peace be upon him).
The prohibition of following other than what was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) such as the saints whom people invoked either besides Allah or in His stead. Allah [may He be Glorified] said: “Surely the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allâh only.” (39:3) He also said: “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him.” (98:5)

Source: Qurancomplex