Pulling up the blind

Every day, as we go through the same old routine of life, getting up, praying, going to work, dealing with people, going home, sleeping, etc, how easy is it for us to walk with blinders on our eyes?

I thought of this the other day when I was scolded by someone about a thing that I see him or her doing all the time. I thought that I should make them aware of their actions and how it wasn't in line with their speech. Allah says in the Qur'an,

"Oh you who believe, why do you say that which you do not do? Most hated is it in the Sight of Allah that you say that which you do not do!"
[61: 2-3]

People every day talk about practicing what you preach, but how many of us that say this actually do it? Think about it. Of all the people that you have ever tried to remind of Allah or of some aspect of Islam, how much of the advice that you give out do you actually practice yourself? This reflection made me think about what the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) has said in a hadith, "Those who believe, let them speak good or keep silent."

SubhanAllah, Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) was truly as-Sadiq al-Ameen.

Today, people in the West always talk about "keeping it real." This psychology is to be real with people. To not front or put up some kind of false personality of who you really are. Yet, how many of us are living in a shell?.

The worst thing about it is that it is so obvious for people to see right through our fakeness. Children are the best at this. If you want to know if a person is sincere or not, just have them interact with children for a period of time. You will be able to tell if the kids like that person or not if they are "true" so to speak.

As a Muslim, we are supposed to be "real" all the time. It is part of our deen to be that way. This blessed month is one where we have the opportunity to find out who we really are. The Shayateen are locked up, so any foul behavior or actions on our parts can be attributed only to our inner state.

This gives us the opportunity to sharpen our states to one that is pleasing to Allah. It gives us the ability to solidify consistency in our worship and recitation of the Qur'an. It enables us the opportunity to correct any of our actions, including speech, overeating, bad thoughts, places that we go, things we are inclined to do.

This reminds me of a saying that is attributed to Hasan Al-Basri, the great illuminary from the third generation after the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam). He was quoted as saying that for twenty years he did not say a word or retract from saying a word except that he first thought if it was pleasing to Allah.

As the saying continues, he repeats this statement for using all of the senses. Whenever I am reminded of that, I reflect on how much certainty in the unseen Hasan (radiAllahu anhu) had.

We must take benefit from this blessed month of Ramadan. If we do not, then we should cease from all the empty promises and speeches. It is said that Allah will not change a people until they first change what is in their own selves. I ask Allah to forgive us for our sins and to purify our hearts from all the disease and filth that we have accumulated on them.

I ask Allah to give us an opening and victory over our reproachful selves and in this dunya as well as the hereafter. I ask Allah to guide our families to Islam and to preserve us. May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon His final Messenger Muhammad. All Praise is to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds.
Ameen.

Zakat - the most neglected duty?

We all know that Islam is built on five pillars:

Shahadah – Declaration of Faith

Salah – Performing Prayers regularly

Zakah – Paying Charity

Sawm – Fasting during the month of Ramadan

Hajj – Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Ka’bah)

But did you know that it is most likely that the most neglected duty is Zakah?.

"And perform the Salat and give Zakat, and whatever of good (deeds that Allah loves) you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah. Certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what you do."
[Surah Baqarah; 2:110]

Zakat is mentioned many times in the Glorious Qur'an along with Salah. It is a compulsory obligation on every Muslim who owns the Nisab (an amount set by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and His Messenger (Sallallahu 'Alayhi waSalam)) in their wealth which was in his possession for one full year.

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (radiAllahu anhu) fought against those who made a difference between Salah and Zakah during the early days of his Caliphate.

Lets look at the importance of Zakah.

"Take Sadaqah (charity) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it and invoke Allah for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing"
[Surah At-Tawbah; 9:103]

The Arabic word Zakah means, purity, cleanness and growth. In Islamic terminology it means giving a certain amount of ones wealth to deserving Muslims. But Zakah has an even greater significance. It has humanitarian, social and political value.

Zakah purifies the heart of the giver from selfishness and greed and the heart of the recipient from envy, jealousy and hatred. Mutual love and respect and good feeling is created between both parties. If implemented as instructed by The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) it plays a dynamic role in economics, social welfare and fair distribution of wealth.

So what is the Nisab for Zakah?

Nisab is the limit above which it is compulsory to pay Zakah. The Nisab for different type of property is different. The Nisab on Gold, Silver and Currencies is the value 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver valued at the current rate (the day of paying Zakah).

2.5 percent Zakah is to be paid on any amount over this Nisab. For merchandise and livestock, agricultural products etc. there are different rulings, which are detailed in books on Zakah.

Who gets our Zakah?

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala tells us in Surah At Tawbah 9: 60 the eight classes of people to whom Zakah should be paid. There are the Poor (Faqir), the needy (Miskin), collectors of Zakah, to attract the heart of those who are inclined towards Islam, to free slaves (captive), those in debt, for the cause of Allah (Jihad, etc) and the traveler.

Now lets ask ourselves what happens when we defraud the government in our taxes? The answer is obvious. We go to prison or pay a heavy fine. But what happens when we defraud Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala? The Merciful answers this question in the following verse of the Glorious Qur'an:

"They who hoard up gold and sliver and spend it not in the way of Allah, announce to them (O Muhammad) a painful torment. On the day when it all will be heated in the Fire of Hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded with it, (and it will said to them) This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourself, now taste of what you used to hoard."
[Surah At-Tawbah; 9: 34-35]

I pray to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to save us from this punishment.
Ameen!

Style over Substance: How cool is that?

by Umm Rashid

If one does a Google search on “how to be smart”, it yields 254,000,000 results in 0.34 seconds, with thousands of tips on how to exercise smart choices in every aspect of life -- from genomes to cars to clothes to kids to votes to money to FTP servers.

If one runs the same search on “how to be sincere”, the top links the search engine comes up with, are software consultants and watches that go by the brand name Sincere, and a definition of the word in Merriam Webster’s online dictionary.

It’s a clear sign of the times – the world values smart people more than sincere ones. Well-dressed, well-heeled, well-spoken individuals score more brownie points socially, are more popular and more likely to be successful in whatever they set out to do -- regardless of what they may be like within. People in the public eye hire image consultants to make them ‘look good’, who monitor everything about the individual’s public persona – the way they speak, the clothes they wear, the food they endorse, the places they are seen at, the causes they espouse.

Not just public personalities, even ordinary people are within the purview of image experts. Jo Anna Nicholson, author of five self-help books, including Dressing Smart for Men and Dressing Smart for Women has made a fortune out of telling others how to dress and act so that they make an “instant impression” on prospective employers and spouses. Her books include chapters on “Looking As If You Don't Have a Clue”, “How to Look Accidentally Good” and “Looking Promotable.”

Popular magazines and websites abound with pseudo-psychoanalytical articles on what one’s clothes, hair, jewellery or accessories are saying about a person, and how people can carefully tailor their appearance to create maximum impact.

Contrast this with the attitude of the early Muslims. When the Muslims opened Jerusalem, the Christians refused to give the city's keys to anyone except the Caliph. So hadrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) set off from Madinah to Jerusalem. His entourage? One attendant and a mule, which they took turns to ride. It happened to be the attendant's turn to ride on the day they were to reach Jerusalem. The attendant volunteered to give up his turn because it would look “awkward in the eyes of the people” if he rode and the Chief of the Believers walked. hadrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) refused, saying: “yakfeena sharaful Islam – the honour of Islam is enough for us.”

On the way, while walking across a muddy area, hadrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) took off his footwear, put it under his arm and raised his clothes so they wouldn’t get muddy. When hadrat Abu Ubaydah (radiAllahu anhu) who was one of the commanders waiting for him saw this, he ran to hadrat Umar asking him to ride his horse while entering the city. He said they were in a land where the quality of clothes reflected the rank of people.

Hadrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) replied: “I wish someone other than you had said that. Have you forgotten that we were a lowly people and it was Islam that made us honourable? If we seek honour from anything other than Islam, Allah will return us to that state of lowliness.”

For proof regarding the fulfilment of this prophecy, one only has to look around: Muslims are being humiliated, subjugated and oppressed by the very system and people whose ways they seek to emulate, in preference to the Sunnah of their Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and the example of those whom Allah was pleased with.

It’s true, cultivating “coolness” has more immediate pay-offs than cultivating sincerity. Wearing the latest brands and hanging out at the most-happening places is the ticket to gaining entry into the ‘with-it’ crowd – the people with the wittiest repartees, trendiest hairstyles and clothes, fanciest cars and gizmos -- who spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to stay abreast of the latest trends. As opposed to this ‘magic circle’, seen from the outside, the company of sincere people seems unglamorous, even boring.




But scratch deeper, and the truth surfaces


People who try to fit in with a superficial world that subscribes to ever-changing fads, soon discover that the hollowness of their world finds an echo deep within. A deep-seated dissatisfaction with oneself takes a person to stylists and therapists, but make-up and makeovers can’t change one’s personality. They merely reinforce the belief that a person is incapable of being appreciated for themselves, they must use other people’s advice instead of their own judgment to be successful, they must adopt someone else’s idea of beauty to be acceptable in the eyes of others.




How cool is that?


On the other hand, people who set out on the straight and narrow, choosing substance over style, seeking to please Allah as opposed to pleasing people, may not find their popularity ratings soar -- quite the opposite, in fact. Yet, they get strength in the certainty of their belief, that their reward is with Allah in the Hereafter.




What are the signs that a person is seeking to build an ‘image’ instead of developing true faith by their deeds?


“Linguistically riyaa comes from the root “ra’aa” which means to see, to behold, to view. The derived word 'riya' means "eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation; dissemblance." From a shariah point of view, it means “to perform acts which are pleasing to Allah, with the intention of pleasing other than Allah.”
['Riya: The Hidden Shirk', Yasir Qadhi]

The primary cause of riyaa is a weakness in faith (iman). When a person does not have strong faith in Allah, he will prefer the admiration of people over the pleasure of Allah.

There are three symptoms that are indicative of riya, and it is essential that a believer avoid all of them.



The Love of Praise

A hadith mentions the first three people being thrown into hellfire -- the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.



Fear of Criticism: No-one Likes to be Criticised

The dislike of criticism regarding religious practices may be divided into two categories:

The first category is that of a person who neglects a commandment of Allah in order to avoid the criticism of his peers. However, the true believers are described in the Qur’an as follows: "...They do not fear the criticism of those who criticise. And this is the blessing of Allah; He gives it to whomsoever He wishes. Verily, Allah is Self-Sufficient, all Knowing. "
[surah al-Ma`idah :54]

The second category is that of a person who obeys certain commandments of Islam, not for the sake of Allah, but because he fears people will look down upon him and criticise him if he does not do it. For example, a man may make his formal prayers in the mosque because he does not want people to criticise him for praying at home, or to think that he is not praying at all.



Greed for People’s Possessions

If a person covets what other people possess -- whether it is rank, money or power, then he will wish them to envy him similarly. For example, if he is jealous of a certain person’s position in society, he will try by every possible means to attain the same position. Such desires lead people to spend their lives putting on a show for other people so that they will admire their rank, money, or power.”




How Does one go About Seeking Sincerity?


Ibn-al Qayyim al Jawziyyah (rahimullah) says: “If your soul informs you to quest for Ikhlas, turn first towards your yearning and slaughter it with a knife [in a state] of desperation. Then turn [in a state of] asceticism upon praise and commendation… If your quest in slaughtering the yearning, and [the acquisition of] asceticism [against] praise and commendation is successful, your [journey] shall be facilitated in your [quest] for Ikhlas.”

Tameem ad-Dari (radiAllahu anhu) said: the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said thrice (to lay stress): The Deen is naseehah (sincerity and sincere advice)." We said: To whom? He said: "To Allah, His Book, His Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims and the general people."
[sahih Muslim]

Imam an-Nawawi (rahimullah) has a lengthy commentary on this hadith in Sharh Sahih Muslim, in which he says:
“Sincerity to Allah means having faith in Him… avoiding disobedience to Him, to love for His sake and to hate for His sake, to keep good relations with those that obey Him and to have enmity with those that disobey Him. To fight jihad with those who disbelieve in Him. To recognise His favours and to give thanks to Him for them. To have sincerity in all affairs. To call to everything that we have mentioned, and to encourage it. To show kindness to all the people, all those whom you are able to, in this call.”
“..sincerity to the general Muslims … is to guide them to what is beneficial for them, both in the Hereafter and this life. To keep harm away from them, to teach them that which they are ignorant of regarding the Deen... to help them by words and actions, to hide their faults and to fulfill their needs and wants; to remove that which is harmful for them and to bring that which is of benefit to them; enjoin them with good and forbid them from evil, with gentleness, sincerity and compassion for them.

Having respect for their elderly and mercy for their young. To give them good admonition, not acting deceitfully towards them. To love the good things for them, which he would love for himself. To hate the bad things for them, which he would hate for himself. To protect their wealth and reputation and encourage and advise them to take on the character of all that we have mentioned, form all the types of sincerity...”


If you skipped the last three paragraphs, I urge you to scroll up and read them slowly and carefully – they contain the prescription to our problems as an Ummah.

As Muslims, our main concern is not to score points over each other -- it is to help each other gain Allah’s pleasure.

As Muslims, our job in this world is to establish the Truth -- how can we presume to do that when we fail to be honest in our innermost motives?

How can we assume vicegerency over the Earth when we fail to be sincere slaves to our Lord; when we are concerned with outward appearances more than the state of our soul?

Allahumma ij'al batinana khayran min dhahirina; wa-ija'al dhahirana khayran. Ameen.

O Allah! Make the hidden aspects of our personality better than our outer persona; and make our appearance good. Ameen.

The Obsession with Materialism

Humans are good at dreaming, encapsulating themselves in a different world, dreaming of different times. Hence, consider the following dream: you're a top professional earning zillions of pounds, own a fully detached home in the most affluent part of town. With a beautiful wife (or husband if you are the opposite gender), and a top of the range Golf Convertible for your good self and your wife.

Maybe we're just being too modest. No, no, you're a tycoon, owning a massive global conglomerate, with a beautiful partner and equally beautiful children. As the years go by, whatever your snazzy occupation maybe, life is looking up for you. That interest based bank balance is getting bigger, those shares you invested in are paying off handsomely. You and your children are just fine. Hang on, you and your children? Your children, maybe, but your good self?

Now consider the second part of your dream. You and your children grow older. Your children take up the professions you hoped they would. Yet as you grow older, you are a burden to them, They send you off to the top of the range old peoples' home. As years go by you get even lonelier, have only nurses to look after you and the occasional visit from your offspring. Then you've had it, you die; but the insult to your good self does not end there.

The robbery of your lifelong efforts carries on. Your expensive Swiss watch is taken from you, your Armani suits are replaced with white sheets. You are finally 'laid to rest' and eventually forgotten. End of dream - back to reality, or is it? Today's society is reminiscent of the hypothetical dream mentioned. We don't mean to sound pessimistic, like the high and mighty speaker in Hyde Park or Madison Square Gardens, having a dreary outlook on life. Yet, the fact of the matter is that it's happening and it gets worse. Those who are not so well off equally bump off their parents and consequently get bumped off by their children: all this for the obsession for materialism.

Materialism, according to the dictionary definition is "Interest in and desire for money, possessions etc, rather than spiritual or ethical value". As Muslims, our object, as you might have guessed, is not the desire for money or worldly possessions. Nor is it merely interest in spiritual or ethical values. Do we find a sudden furore of gasps and raised eyebrows? Patience pal and all will be revealed. As Muslims, we submit to Islam in totality. As Allah (subhanahu wa Ta'ala) states: "O Believers, enter into Islam completely…" [Surah Al-Baqarah].

Again Allah, in all his mercy, guided us to our role in life by saying "I have only created man and jinn but to worship me", [Surah Adh-Dhariya]. Consider, the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the Earth orbits the Sun and not the other way round. Even within ourselves, our hearts beat in rhythm: all of which are following a law and rule, without any chaos.

Hence it is only natural for us to submit to his laws, to his rule, for his pleasure. Hence, we would live by the kalimah, the decleration of faith said often by 'Muslims' but rarely acted upon. By stating - La ilaha illallah - 'there is no God but Allah' we would negate all authority, all forces that negates the authority of Allah, and affirm his lordship. We would say no to any obstacle to the total worship of Allah (subhanahu wa Ta'ala). This, my friend, includes what we all love and should now hate: the obsession with materialism, and affirm Allah's lordship.

Obsession with materialism, dear reader, is a form of oppression to man and his nature. Oppression because nothing else matters apart from acquiring worldly possession and esteem. The Kalimah liberates man from the oppression and tyranny of other men and the worship of other Gods, which includes obsession with materialism. Again, Allah states in the Qur'an:

"Whoever rejects false deities and believes in Allah, has grasped a firm branch that will never break".

Consequently, we can see that the obsession with materialism is incompatible with Islam. Our life and our possessions are for Allah alone: "Your Lord has purchased, in return for…" Nor is the case dear reader that we aspire for poverty, the last prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) advised "Be of good cheer. Set your hopes on what will bring upon happiness. It is not poverty that I fear for you, but I fear that you will become engrossed with world as those before you did and that you will pursue it as those before you pursued it and that it will destroy you as it destroyed them". This middle path requires us to utilise our resources and talents, of which Allah has so mercifully bestowed upon us, but not to fall prey to obsession with materialism:

"Leave me alone (to deal with him) whom I have created alone and to whom I have granted resources vast…and to whose life I gave so wide a scope and yet, greediliy desires that I give more" [74: 11-15].

It is time maybe to assess our own situation. Do we really only aspire to be that proud owner of a BMW 520 series or that yacht off the Mediterranean. Are we really greedy and desire to be slave to the obsession of materialism?

Possibly, we instead accept the sovereignty of Allah, and proclaim that he is the most supreme. Do we prohibit all that negates His authority, make sure that we totally submit to Him and no other false God, no other false force and no other false obsession? If we really do aspire for the latter option, the option to submit to Allah, then know dear reader that there is hope. Hope because there is Allah's book, the Qur'an, for guidance. Hope also because there is His messenger, Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), and hope because there is a group out there, a common brotherhood striving to seek His pleasure.

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Pag-aalay sa Iba pa Kay Allah

Isang malaking Shirk ang pag-aalay ng iba pa kay Allah. Si Allah ay nagsabi (108:2):

"Kaya magdasal ka sa Panginoon mo at mag-alay,". Ibig sabihin: Mag-alay ka ng hayop kay Allah at sa pangalan ni Allah.

Nagsabi ang Propeta (sas): "IsinuAmpa ni Allah ang sinumang nag-alay para sa iba pa sa Kanya."

Maaari pang magsabay sa pag-aalay ang dalawang ipinagbabawal: ang pagkakatay para sa iba pa maliban kay Allah at ang pagkakatay sa iba pa sa pangalan ni Allah; kapwa ito nakapipigil para maaaring kumain mula sa kinatay na iyon.

Kabilang sa pagkakatay sa panahon ng kamangmangan, na palasak sa panahon natin, ay ang mga pagkakatay para sa mga jinni (mga nilalang na hindi nakikita ng mata).

Kapag nakabili sila ng bahay o nagpagawa nito o humukay ng isang balon ay nagkakatay sila roon o sa bungad nito ng isang hayop dahil sa pangamba sa pamiminsala ng mga jinni.