| Living \r\n the Quran |
Al-Anam \r\n (The Cattle)
One cannot possibly purify his heart unless he puts his mind to work, \r\n allowing faith and security into his heart. Mind and reason are an essential \r\n part of Islamic thought and legislation. One could not exist without the \r\n other. What exactly do we refer to when we talk about the mind? There \r\n are two kinds of reasoning by the mind that have been identified. \r\nThe first is intuitive reasoning \r\n that includes: the capacity to comprehend, make rational conclusions, \r\n form speech and behave sensibly. The second \r\n kind of reasoning is acquired from our environment, such \r\n as the things we have been taught or become familiarized with. \r\nThe Quran refers to the mind in different ways depending on the nature \r\n of the task being dealt with: \r\n\r\n\r\n The qualities of the mind discussed are fairly indisputable and it is \r\n accepted by most people that a person who lacks these qualities will be \r\n seen as unreasonable or lacking in various ways. Thus the Quran has reminded \r\n us that certain behaviours are inconsistent with an intelligent and sound \r\n mind. \r\nWe must remember also that there are many verses of the Quran that do \r\n not specifically mention the mind; but indicate that thoughtful and reasonable \r\n people will be able to follow the way of Allah - making good use of their \r\n God-given gift: the mind. \r\nSource: |
| \r\n Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| \r\n Stop Abusing the Prophet \r\nIt is abusive to partially quote the Prophet Muhammad, \r\n peace and blessings be upon him, thus distorting what he said. How many \r\n times have you heard the Hadith \"Paradise \r\n is under the shadow of the swords?\" I have read \r\n and heard this so many times that I assumed that the Prophet, surrounded \r\n by enemies and a small Muslim community, must have said this to encourage \r\n fellow believers. Well, that's only partly true. \r\nHere is the full text of what he actually said: \r\n\"Do not look for a \r\n fight with the enemy. Beg God for peace and security. But if you do \r\n end up facing the enemy, then show endurance and remember that Paradise \r\n is under the shadow of the swords.\" This is recorded \r\n by Sahih al-Muslim. \r\nThe full Hadith pretty much fits with the historical \r\n context and the character of the Prophet, who was sent as a mercy to \r\n humanity, and cared so deeply about not just human beings, but animals \r\n and other creatures as well. He would go out of his way to maintain \r\n peace and avoid a war, unless the enemy forced him to it. That is why \r\n there is no word in Islam similar to \"holy war\". War is never \r\n holy. It was always a last resort forced upon the Muslims. \r\nBut it is the earlier, partial reading of the Hadith that \r\n is oft repeated by firebrand speakers, since it fits into their theology \r\n of anger, while the full Hadith negates that culture. \r\nOn one occasion, I heard a Muslim argue with the help of another partial \r\n Hadith: \"help your brother whether \r\n he is a wronged or is a wrong doer.\" The person \r\n was using it to justify political support of Muslims, regardless of \r\n if they are right or wrong. This behavior goes against the Quran, which \r\n asks Muslims to be just even towards their enemies, even at the risk \r\n of hurting their self-interest. (Quran 4:135). The Prophet cannot go \r\n against the Quran. What he said in a lengthy statement included the \r\n explanation that \"the way you support \r\n your wrong doer brother is by stopping him from that bad action\" \r\n (as reported by Sahih al-Muslim). \r\nThis above-mentioned selective use of Hadith to support nationalistic \r\n behavior is contrary to Islamic principles. Muslims must never subscribe \r\n to the \"My Country Right Or Wrong\" theory. \r\nSource: |
| Cool \r\n Concept! |
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n The Status of the Heart \r\nThe people of knowledge have said that the body is the kingdom \r\n of the self and its city. The heart is the middle of the kingdom. \r\n The members are like servants, and the inner faculties are like \r\n landed estates of the city. The intellect is like a concerned wazir \r\n (minister) who advises the king. Appetite is a seeker of the servants' \r\n provisions. Anger is a policeman and a foul cunning slave who assumes \r\n the aspect of a counsellor, but whose advice is deadly poison, and \r\n whose untiring habit is always to quarrel with the counselling wazir. \r\n The faculty of imagination is at the front of the brain like a treasurer, \r\n the faculty of thought is in the middle of the brain, and the faculty \r\n of memory is in the rear of the brain. The tongue is an interpreter. \r\n The five senses are spies. Each one of them has been entrusted with \r\n making one of the arts, so the eye has been entrusted with the world \r\n of colours, hearing with the world of voices, and so on for all \r\n the others, for they are means of gathering information. They are \r\n doorkeepers which bring that which they have grasped to the self. \r\n Hearing, sight and the faculty of smell are like capabilities from \r\n which the self looks. \r\nThe heart is the king, so that if the shepherd is sound, the flock \r\n will be sound, and if he is corrupt, the flock will be corrupt. \r\n His soundness is only obtained by his safety from inner sicknesses \r\n such as malice, spite, greed, miserliness, pride, ridicule, showing \r\n off, seeking reputation, deceit, covetousness, ambition, and discontent \r\n with the decree. There are many illnesses of the heart amounting \r\n to almost forty, may Allah heal us of them and make us of those \r\n who come to Him with a sound healthy heart. \r\nSource: \r\n\r\n |
![](\"/_img/quran-issue323.gif\")