| Living \r\n the Quran |
Maryam (Mary)
Negligence and abandoning Prayer are the very first step in a people's \r\n slide towards their decline. For Prayer \r\n is the primary link between man and God. Prayer keeps \r\n a person constantly in touch with God, during all hours of the day and \r\n night. Prayer prevents a person from moving away from a life of devotion, \r\n worship and obedience of Him. As soon as this bond is broken, man increasingly \r\n begins to draw away from God. This may even happen to such an extent that \r\n not only is man's relationship with God reduced to naught on a practical \r\n level but also on an intellectual level. It is for this reason that the \r\n Quran expounds here a general rule: that the \r\n corruption in a nation which originally followed a Prophet began the moment \r\n that nation abandoned Prayer. \r\nFollowing one's lust and desires rather than truth and justice naturally \r\n results from the weakening of one's God-consciousness. When \r\n a person becomes heedless of God and abandons Prayer, he comes increasingly \r\n into the grip of his own carnal desires. Eventually, he \r\n becomes impervious to all God's commands despite the fact that these had \r\n earlier shaped his morality and conduct. Instead, bit by bit, he begins \r\n to follow, all those ways which conform to his own likes and dislikes. \r\nSource: |
| \r\n Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| \r\n Prophetic Wisdom on Neighbours \r\nA slight nod of the head, a brief hello in the hallway or perhaps helping \r\n with a car stuck in the snow during winter. That's usually the most \r\n communication many of us have with those who are physically closer to \r\n us than most of our relatives, our neighbours. \r\nThe Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) once said, \"Jibril \r\n kept recommending treating neighbours with kindness until I thought \r\n he would assign a share of inheritance\" (Bukhari \r\n and Muslim). \r\nWow, our inheritance. \r\nBut let's think of something smaller. How about food? It's been said \r\n that food unites. While we all have our own tastes, \"American\" \r\n food (i.e. fruits, veggies, chips, cookies, chocolate cake, frozen pizza, \r\n etc.) can be found in virtually all of our homes, even those who staunchly \r\n cling to their ethnic identities. When was the last time we offered \r\n a bag of chips or cookies to the kids downstairs? When was the last \r\n time we cut up some watermelon on a hot day and offered it to our neighbours? \r\n \r\n\"O Abu Dharr! Whenever you prepare \r\n a broth, put plenty of water in it, and give some of it to your neighbours,\" \r\n the Prophet advised his Companion in a Hadith in Muslim. \r\nIt's not just about hunger. In America, the land of plenty, Alhamdu \r\n lillah, we won't find the shortage of food we would in many Muslim countries. \r\n Here, food really is about uniting people, sharing what's common to \r\n our humanity. It's also about building neighbourly relations through \r\n small acts of kindness. \r\n\"By Allah, he is not a believer! \r\n By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer,'' \r\n the Prophet said. It was asked, \"Who \r\n is that, O Messenger of Allah?'' He said, \"One \r\n whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil\" \r\n (Bukhari and Muslim). \r\nMaybe we're not so bad. At least we don't yell and scream at our neighbours, \r\n threaten them, cheat them or lie to them. But we're reminded of our \r\n negligence towards our neighbours when we realize that how we treat \r\n them relates to our relationship with God, which is the very core of \r\n who we are as Muslims. \r\nThe Prophet said, \"the best of companions \r\n with Allah is the one who is best to his companions, and the best of \r\n neighbours to Allah is the one who is the best of them to his neighbour\" \r\n (Tirmidhi). \r\nAfter 9/11, Muslim leaders in America have emphasized the need to share \r\n Islam with our neighbours to encourage better understanding and to build \r\n bridges. The future of Islam in this country doesn't only depend on \r\n this exchange of values and information. Our \r\n very faith and connection to Allah is reflected in how we treat our \r\n neighbours. Perhaps this is the push we need to start \r\n connecting with them so we can better our relationship with God. \r\nSource: |
| Blindspot |
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Moral Consistency\r\nFor a Muslim the end never justifies \r\n the means, no matter what the aggravation. Unlike \r\n most un-Islamic movements, who are Machiavellian even in excess of \r\n their own teachings, the Islamic movement must be principled in action. \r\nHow many people or parties actually practice what they preach in \r\n either the executive or legislative branch of government? These people \r\n and parties do not subscribe to a spiritual and moral creed designed \r\n to protect them from the hypocrisy endemic in the arena of politics. \r\nThe interests of secular people change and are translated into party \r\n programs, and these are often directed toward the self-serving advantage \r\n of party leaders, who sell out the interests of their supporters for \r\n personal gain. They gain power easily and manipulate it even more \r\n easily, because they are not constrained by religious and moral obligations. \r\n Instead they have objectives, strategies, and tactics that need to \r\n he accomplished regardless of the cost. \r\nIn contrast, the labourers in the Islamic field do not work for themselves. \r\n They are bound by religious and moral obligations, which they cannot \r\n discard or change. \r\nThis characteristic of moral consistency is based on five principles: \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Sources: |
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