Gems

“Be not like those who forgot Allah, as a result Allah caused them to forget themselves, it is they who are the transgressors”
– Surah Hashr V.19

A very powerful ayah in the Qur’an, very powerful indeed for those who ponder and reflect upon the words of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). This one ayah speaks to many amongst our ummah in this day and age at the same time shows us the results of their doings.

Once, a women came to Abu Hanifa (رحمالله) to sell a silk garment. Abu Hanifa asked ” How much is it?” She replied, “one hundred.” He said, “It is worth more than a hundred. How much?”

So the woman increased the price by hundred, and again, and when it reached four hundred, Abu Hanifa said, “It should be more than that.” The woman said, ” you are mocking me.”

So, Abu Hanifa said, “bring a man to value it.” She brought a man, and he valued it at five hundred.

How do we attain money, power, and respect?

The path is easy, you follow the way of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and the commands of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), then inshallah you will attain the money, the power, and the respect. Now it is up to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) whether He blesses you with such things. However, with sincerity in your actions, the chances are high.

The overlying goal is to keep Islam in your heart; thrive for it, live to please Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), do all your actions in accordance to the sunnah, and follow the commands of The Al-Mighty, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). Do not keep these dreams and aspirations in your heart, because surely this is a disease and a footstep towards Shaytan. You may get the wealth and maybe even the power, but the true respect will be lacking, as only Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has the ability to grant someone with respect.

After years of dawah the people of Nuh (عليه سلام), Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) revealed to Nuh (عليه سلام) (interpretation of the meaning) “None of thy people will believe except those who have believed already! So grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds.” (Surah Hud, verse 35)

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructed Nuh (عليه سلام) to build an ark, and that the sinners will drown in a flood. As Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) states in Qur’an (to the interpretation of the meaning): “But construct an Ark under Our eyes and Our inspiration, and address Me no (further) on behalf of those who are in sin: for they are about to be overwhelmed (in the Flood).” Allah later stated (to the interpretation of the meaning): “At length behold! There came Our Command, and the fountains of the earth gushed forth! We said: ‘Embark therein of each kind two, male and female, and your family, except those against whom the Word has already gone forth and the Believers.’ But only a few believed with him.” (Surah Hud, verse 37)

For those of you who regularly write Arabic (and, incidentally, you can generalize this to any language inshallah), you might look at your writing and say, “man, that is ugggggleeeeeee!”

So how do you go about beautifying it? The key here is that you can recognize nice Arabic writing when you see it–and I don’t mean calligraphy.

The solution is surprisingly simple. Grab a mushaf (or, if you have them, one of the three Medinah University Arabic books), Apply your observational skills, and you can easily inshallah detect a few clues on how to improve (or even how to write them!) Check out the letters below:

Inshallah what follows is a small gem from the Qur’an about Maryam (عليها سلام), mother of ‘Isa (عليه سلام).

At the end of Surah Tahrim, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

Translation: And Mary the daughter of ‘Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the Qanitiyn [Surah Tahrim, 66:12]

Ok, so you parents have rights upon you while they live. Most of us know that. What about after they’ve left this life? Is it possible they might still have some rights due from you?

The answer is a resounding yes! Their rights, after they die, are:

1. Janaazah: That you (or someone in the community) washes their body, buries them, etc., and you pray their janaazah prayer with the community.
2. Istighfaar: Among the few surprise good deeds a person finds after they die are from a child who prays for them and seeks forgiveness for them. Provided they’re Muslim, of course–in the Qur’an, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) prohibited praying for dead non-Muslims.
3. Oaths: If they made any (halal) pledges or oaths, or if they wrote a will, fulfill it on their behalf.
4. Friends: Honour their friends. Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه), while riding his donkey, saw an old bedouin man walking. He got off his donkey, said salaam, gave the man his turban, his donkey, and his garment! People asked, why? He said, he used to be my father’s friend. Subhanallah! Visit their friends! Bring them gifts sometimes! The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) used to visit the friends of Khadija (رضي الله عنها), his first wife, after her death.
5. Kinship: Keep the ties of the womb (i.e. kinship) for the sake of our parents.

So fulfill their rights if you outlive them. May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) allow us to be a mercy for our parents and to earn his mercy through them, ameen!

Never, ever, EVER say such-and-such is haram/halal/fard/etc. without knowledge. To say so, is to sign on behalf of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). And who dares to do that without knowledge?

This is the job of the mujtahiduwn — those who research fiqh issues and then issue fatawa. Notice, the best of them always say, “this is the final ruling, and Allah knows best.” Why? Because they are signing on behalf of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). They are really saying, “Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), and his Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم), want you to perform/avoid this action.

Today I have learned a valuable lesson, and I believe its a lesson that all of you readers can benefit from. The lesson itself is very simple, but realizing the importance and understanding the implications it may have in one’s life is what matters the most. The lesson is: you can‘t please everyone. Sounds so simple, right? Many of us are reading this and saying, well duh! So then, if its so obvious why do we keep persisting in our efforts to doing so? It’s not possible!

Anytime Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), or the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) mention Paradise for an action, it means that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) holds that action in high regard. So perform these activities regularly, and with ihsaan!

Inshallah in the coming days, we will expound and narrate some instances where Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), or His messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم), promised paradise — keys that we can use to unlock the doors and, inshallah, enter!