Why Islam? The question "why?" demands a rational answer. However, many people think that it is not possible to give rational answers to ideological commitments (by ideology, we mean a system of thought). They believe that a commitment to any theistic ideology is an irrational act.
One cannot deny the fact that many people do commit themselves illogically to various ideologies and continue to hold onto them only because they find themselves to be raised up in particular communities. They accept such ideologies in just the same way as they would accept a traditional form of dress handed down to them through the generations. For example, a person might be deeply committed to a nationalistic ideology simply because it may be the best way to win the support of the masses and thereby gain personal political power.
Let us analyze two commonly found views regarding ideological commitments:
The first states that a commitment to any ideology which involves some type of deity must neccessarily be irrational.The premise of those who say this is that the fundamental claims of all such ideologies are beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Those who have accepted such a premise have concluded that all types of such 'belief' must be based on irrational and imaginary thoughts rather than on reality.
The opposite view is held by people who seek to justify their 'belief' in certain irrational ideas by claiming that reason is limited. In fact, the followers of this ideology state that people should commit themselves to such ideas by simply having 'faith'. The conclusion of these people is that ultimate reality must be irrational in essence and therefore incomprehensible to the human mind. They go on to say that their ideology must be accepted or 'believed' without reason, in order to attain some type of 'salvation'.
This kind of argument is very difficult to accept because as human beings, we may ask: What do we have other than the usage of our minds for acquiring knowledge? If we are told to 'believe' in something that is irrational (i.e. beyond all reason), such as a type of being which is both mortal and immortal, we cannot possibly digest such an idea. Therefore it does not seem unnatural for us to demand that our way of thinking and living be based solely upon those concepts which can be verified as being true.
Going back to the first view regarding ideological commitments, we see that this view contends that we cannot and should not believe in that which we cannot comprehend. The emphasis lies on the word comprehend, and so it must be defined.
It is true that one cannot have an adequate mental picture of some mathematical and scientific facts. For example, one cannot have an adequate mental or visual picture of the curvature of space, or one of the mathematical concepts of infinity. Nor can we really have an adequate mental picture of the way in which certain animals experience things, such as the way in which bats 'see' by using ultrasonic waves. However, we know these concepts to be true because of solid evidence and not because of some non-rational ideas. Therefore we can say that we do indeed comprehend them.
Now what about the concept of a singular, all-knowing entity which has created the universe? It is impossible to have any mental or visual picture of such an entity, for evidence tells us that this entity must be unlike anything in the universe because this entity must be independent of space and time. The evidence for the existence of this single intelligence lies in the design of nature itself, which we can freely examine; hence, such an ideology is rational. If one realizes this - through confirmation - then one can proceed to answer the question: Why Islam?
One of the main problems with an atheistic ideology is that it cannot explain intelligence in the processes of the universe. Another problem is that it tends to deprive life of meaning. Furthermore, we know that human beings are naturally inclined to be honest; however, in atheism there is a denial of an ultimate originator and of anything beyond death, which creates a contradiction and leads to an inconsistency in behaviour - on the one hand a person would be inclined to be honest, and on the other to be dishonest 'to make the most of this world'.
[If everyone insisted on 'making the most of this world', society as we know it would not exist. As a case in point, let us suppose that all those who wanted to 'make the most of this world' resorted to thievery. If this happened, no one would be producing the goods (growing food for instance) that the rest of us could steal. Hence it seems that 'making the most of this world' as a system of action is doomed to failure. Could it then be a viable system of belief?]
Broadly speaking, with regard to theistic ideologies we have the revealed, the distorted and the man-made. One can easily say that a way of life communicated to humankind by the creator of this universe is preferred to man-made ideologies. If one wants to follow the advice of that which has made the universe and all that it contains - regarding what is beneficial or harmful - then it is better to refer to pristine communication from this originator, than to that communication which has been fabricated or distorted by man.
Those ideologies claiming to be based on revelations can be subjected to a number of tests, the first and most important of which is that of consistency. We must look for two types of consistency: internal and external.
Internal consistency means that a statement made in a book must not contradict another statement in the same book.
External consistency means that a statement made in a book must not contradict facts as we know, be they psychological, physical, chemical, historical, geographical, biological and so on.
Applying these tests, consider the most important truth that all the supposedly revealed ideologies proclaim, that is, the existence and perfect attributes of God. God for all ideologies, that claim to be revealed, is supposed to be all knowing, all merciful, everlasting, etc. However, some books imply that God's knowledge is limited and imperfect by saying that, for example, God was deceived by a human. In contrast, the Qur'an provides the perfect concept of an all-knowing, singular originator of this universe.
This leads us to the next test - that of authenticity. The question that should be asked is whether the scriptures that we have today are indeed a communication from the originator to humankind. A study of the history of Islam would show that the present Qur'an is exactly the same as that which was communicated about one thousand four hundred years ago. During its revelation it was committed to memory by a large number of people and also written down.
Yet another test is that of comprehensiveness. A truly comprehensive ideology, revealed to humankind by the designer of the universe, would describe the most beneficial system in all spheres of life including the political, economical, social, medical and environmental spheres.
Lastly, we might look at the test of universality. Clearly, an ideology which is historically or graphically bound is not as good as that which is applicable to all human beings, irrespective of the time and place of their origin.
In conclusion, if one uses the criteria of universality, comprehensiveness, authenticity and above all, consistency, one would find the Qur'an unique and worthy of investigation. It is interesting to note that the Qur'an itself stresses the above-mentioned approach. For example, in verse 82 of chapter 4, it is said, "Will they not ponder about the Quran? If it had been from other than God, then they would have surely found in it many inconsistencies."
It's true tragedies at times have a proclivity to bring families closer. A kind of blessing in disguise recognized only in hindsight.
A beautiful irony.
But what of a tragedy perpetrated at the hands of the family AGAINST the family who then in turn betrays and abandons the victims of the tragedy to shelter the criminals from justice and accountability? Subsequently uniting and strengthening in bond among themselves? Can we classify this as unity in essence or is this more symbolic to the transitory facade of unity dispersed in response to the tragedy that was 9/11?
Retrospectively, the comparison is unfair. Be it so that this sort of disingenuous unity contains a far stronger, more lethal dose of hypocrisy.
Commit to righteousness and justice even if it be against yourself. For the alternative is a blatant display of cowardice and hypocrisy that subjects one to absolute failure. In this life (obvious or not) and the life to come.
Is this the description of a loving kinship? The qualities of an average, decent human being? An example of a Muslim who adores the Sunnah of their Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam? Who is inspired and marvels at the bravery, loyalty and steadfastness marked in the stories of as-Sahabah radiallahu 'anhumma?
Any closeness or pride you feel among yourselves in this event is a farce and a curse by which Shaytan himself joins you in celebration.
"Does man think they will be left alone on saying: "We believe", and that they will not be tested? Indeed We tested those before them and Allah knows those who are true from those who are false. Do those who practice evil imagine they will get the better of Us? Evil is their judgement!" -Surah al-Ankabut ayat 2-4
All praise naturally and rightfully belongs to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. We seek His Help and Forgiveness; we are penitent to Him. We seek refuge with Him from the evil within our selves and from the evil of our actions. Whomever Allah guides , none can misguide and whomever Allah misguides , none can guide. I bare witness and testify none is worthy of worship except Allah and I witness and testify that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His last Prophet and Messenger.
Among the severest matters in this life, which a day does not pass except we are confronted with them, are the matters of ibtilaa’. Al-ibtilaa’, a concept appearing in word and in theme numerous places throughout the Book of Allahu ta’ala, is an Arabic term that is moreorless translated into English to mean “tried” or “tested”. Ibtilaa’ is indeed a Sunnah of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala whose purpose serves to remind us of the reality of this life and purpose of our creation, our existence. To worship Him, our Lord, through gratitude, patience and adhereing to that which He has Commanded. “Wama khalaqtu al-jinna wa’l insa illa liya’budun.” (I have not created the spirits and mankind except to worship Me)
This dunya (world) is but testing grounds. It is neither a reward nor a punishment. It does not contain absolute goodness nor does it contain absolute evil. Rather it contains but examples and constant transitions of both by which we all are tested by our Lord. With the good of it, our sukr (gratitude) to Him is tried. With the bad of it, our sabr (i.e. patience, steadfastness) is tested. And in both cases it is our overall sincerity towards Allah that is being tried. Allah says that which means:
“Every soul shall taste death and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial and unto Us will you return.” –Surah an-Anbiya’ ayah 35
Ibn Abbas, radiallahu ‘anhu, said concerning this ayah: “We will test you with hardship and with ease, with good health and with sickness, with wealth and with poverty, with the halal and with the haraam, with obedience and with disobedience and with right guidance and with misguidance - in order that we may establish how you have shown gratitude (for the “profitable” tests) and how you have remained steadfast (in the face of the “bad” tests). ‘And unto us will you return’ - so that Allah will reward each and every soul according to their actions.
It is only with perfect reason, in both timing and nature, that Allah tests us. And we should always be patient with those calamities with which we have no control over; complaining only to Allah, burdening no one else, unnecessarily, with our troubles. (The exception, of course, being of those calamities we can possibly control, such as an injustice afflicted upon us from others, we should do whatever physically or verbally possible to either prevent or combat this evil action to protect ourselves. Silence or passive non-resistance in these cases is in itself sinful.)
Great scholar and Tabi, al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad, rahimahullah, put it simply: "Whoever complains about a calamity which comes his way it is as if he has complained against his Lord.”
And Shuraih al-Qadhi, rahimahullah, explained thoroughly to a close friend he observed complaining to others about his problems: "Beware of taking your troubles to other than Allah. For the one to whom you confide can only be either a friend or an enemy. If he is a friend, then you will make him sad for you and he cannot benefit you anyway. If he is an enemy, he will be pleased and take some advantage over you. Look at this eye of mine. By Allah, I have not seen any person or the way to go with it for fifteen years and I have never told anyone about it until this moment. Have you not heard the statement of the righteous slave, Ya’qub: "I only raise my distress and my grief to Allah"? So, make Allah the one to whom you take your troubles and your grief when anything bad happens to you. He is the most gracious of those who are asked and the closest of those who are called.”
Bismillah wa inna alhamdulillahi wahadu wa salallahu wa salaamu 'ala Rasulullah wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi wa 'ala man'itiba huda. Amma ba'd...
With sincere compassion do I advise an attentive ear and heart be lent to this profound and emotionally climactic lecture discoursing one of the most noble roles and characteristics of our beloved Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, as a warrior. Learn how from the moment of his conception in the womb he was being prepared for his role as a warrior by the Lord of all worlds. Learn how and why the Salaf as-Salih rahmatullah 'alayhim studied the battles of the Prophet 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam as they would the Qur'an itself. Witness the bravery and determination our Prophet 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam externalized in his battles; maintaining justice and equity throughout his life against his enemies!
Only in the most intense, crucial and trying of moments do the colors of one's character truly take center stage. It is for this reason we marvel at the illustrious character of our beloved Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam at the time of battle and hardship. As al-Fudayl ibn Iyaad rahimahullah said: "As long as people are doing fine, their true nature is concealed, but once calamity strikes, their true natures are revealed. So the believer resorts to his faith and the hypocrite resorts to his hypocrisy."
Compellingly, a non-Muslim and French poet, writer and politician attested to this unparalleled aspect of our Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam quite nobly in his "Historie de al Turquie'":
"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, WHO COULD DARE COMPARE ANY GREAT MAN IN HISTORY WITH MUHAMMAD? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in 1/3rd of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.
Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs... The founder of 20 terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?"
Finally, the lecture which follows expounding on this tremendous quality of our beloved and illustrious Rasul salallahu 'alayhi wa 'ala alihi wa salaam is our dear brother Jalal ibn Sa'eed. May Allah perserve him, reward, increase him in good and grant him and all the du'at Jannat al-Firdows al-'ala. Ameen. Enjoy and benefit...
Bismillah, alhamdulillah wa-salaatu wa-salaamu 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salaam tasleeman katheerah. Amma ba'd...
What would make us to understand and make severe the issue of allowing the preoccupation of this world, where the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah is not involved, to distract us from our purpose? Is it not clear that it is mainly the love and attachment of this world that has weakened this Ummah and subjugated us to calamities, oppression and all sorts of evil? Ya Muslimeen, this world belongs not in our hearts, but in our hands.
Our beloved and illustrious Prophet 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam told us:
"The whole of this world is cursed and cursed is all it contains except the remembrance of Allah and what is connected to it."
Fulfilling our purpose, observing the rights Allah has upon us and securing ourselves an excellent Akhirah are the only items of any worth and blessing in this world. But how loosely and how soon do the sincerely intended righteous acts creep their way to the bottom of our list of priorities? This path bares a simple formula: lose your deen, lose yourself, lose your Akhirah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide us and grant us istiqamah that we may remain distant from the path of the losers. Ameen.
Rasulullah salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam told us if this world were worth a single wing of a mosquito, Allah would not allow even a sip of water to the disbeliever. In so many ways and words, not to mention the countless supportive adillah from Qur'an and Sunnah, could the appropriate manner for the believer to view and handle this world be illustrated. But it is the statement of one of our classical scholars, Sheikh ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah that frames it in one of the finest perspectives. He, Ibn Taymiyyah, said: "Treat this world as you would a lavatory, you only enter to clear your body and you leave it."
Likewise, we find in at-Tirmidhi the famous story related about the Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam walking through a marketplace and stumbling upon the carcass of a sheep. Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam asked his Companions: "Who of you would take this for one coin (dinar)?" One of them pointed out that the ears of the carcass were cut off and so it was said: "Even if you offered us this carcass for free we would refuse it." Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wa 'ala alihi wa salaam said: "This world is MORE worthless to Allah than this rotting carcass is to you." May Allah increase our taqwa and consciousness to take our Akhirah more serious than our hayyat ad-dunya (life in this world). May this world be removed from our hearts and placed in our hands where it belongs. Allahumma ameen!
And what is there to emphasize the point that it is the love and attachment to this world that thrust us into this poor and humiliating state besides what Muhammad 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam told us about wahn (weakness)? He, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, warned the Ummah through saying to his Companions:
"The nations will one day invite one another and come upon you just like the eating invite others to their dish." He, 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam, was asked: "Ya Rasulullah, will it be because we are little in numbers?" He, 'alayhi salaatu wa salaam, said: "No, the Muslims will be numerous, but they will be like the froth on the sea overtaken by the current. And so Allah will remove from the hearts of your enemies, fear, and place into the hearts of our Ummah, wahn." They asked: "Ya Rasulullah, what is wahn?" And he, salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, said: "It is love for this world and the hatred of death."
Verily, the destroyer of pleasures is ever afoot, so may we and please make dua that I too make use of this world only to prepare and secure for ourselves an easy and blissful Akhirah. Ameen ya Rabb ul 'alameen!
Bismillah wa-salaatu wa-salaam 'ala Rasulullah Among the qualities of the believer is a helpless compulsion to criticize themself. The sincerity in their efforts to gain closeness to their Lord through amilu salih (righteous deeds) has them to find little satisfaction in their performance. An unintended tactic to persistently pursue the path of improvement. A sort of consequent motivational drive to achieve and/or sustain the great level of ihsan (i.e. perfection and beauty in doing virtuous deeds). In any form of ibadah (i.e. worship; actions beloved to Allah commited for His sake), be it prayer, supplicating Allah in the opening and completion of every occassion, benefiting our families, fasting, showing kindness, baring times of ease and trials with patience, etc... more often than not the believer convinces themself that they could have done it better in some regard. Not that they think the intention and effort missed the pleasure of Allah, rather they remind themselves the potential to have pleased Allah even greater. This is because the true believer refuses to be content with what they have in terms of knowledge and deeds; they strive always for more knowledge and in not only doing more deeds, but perfecting them with better manners. Not merely out of the obligation binding upon them as believers, but because of the geniune love they have for Allah tabarakata wa ta'ala and the Sunnah of His beloved Rasul salallahu 'alayhi wa salaam.
A classical scholar of the Tabi'een, al-Hasan al-Basri rahimahullah, sharply expressed this point in his commentary on the second ayah of Surah al-Qiyaamah where Allah swears by this quality in saying what means:
"Say, I do swear by the criticizing self..." -Surah al-Qiyamah ayah 2
al-Basri said of this: "A believer will always be critical of himself in his food, his drink and in his speech. A sinner will NOT criticize himself. A believer is a guardian over himself; he accounts himself for Allah. Those who take account of themselves in this world will be audited lightly in the Hereafter. Those who take this issue lightly will find their auditing (in the Hereafter) extremely difficult."
May Allah azza wa jall make us among those who commit with sincerity and special care the deeds He Loves. May He make us among those who especially during this most holy and blessed month of Ramadan strive to perfect the actions we do for His sake, His Mercy, His Pleasure and reward. Ameen thumma ameen!
“I would like to repent and change my ways but my former evil companions pursue me wherever I go. No sooner do they know of a change in me than they launch an attack on me. I feel myself weak against them. What should I do?”
The answer is, bear it with patience for this is the way of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is how He tries His slaves in order for everyone to know who are true in their claims from those who are false, and in order that He may expose the pervert from the righteous. Allah says what means:
“Do they think they will be left alone on saying: “we believe” and that they will not be tested. Surely, We will test them as we have tested those before them, and Allah will make clear those who are true from those who are false.” –Surah al-‘Ankabut ayat 2-3
Once you have taken the path to goodness, persevere in it. These evil people who are Shayateen (among jinn and men) will conspire with each in order to turn you back from the path of reformation, therefore, listen to them not. They will say about you as you begin on this new line, that this is an infatuation that will not last, that it is a passing crisis and soon you will be out of it. In fact, once it was heard that a man said about his former companion who had begun to change his life, “what an evil he has fallen into!”
It is for such situations that Allah has revealed what means:
“Say, I take refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind. From the evil of the secret whisperings… of the one who whispers in the breast of mankind… among the jinn and mankind.” –Surah an-Nas ayat 1-6
You should then ask yourself: “Is your Lord then more worthy of obedience or these evil companions?”
You should also know that they will chase you in every place and will employ every means to win you back to their ways. One of the means these evil companions of sin will employ to entice you would be to remind you of the pleasures of sins of the past, through insinuations, contacts, notes, pictures, letters and so on. But do not pay any attention to them, and be reminded of the story of Ka’b bin Malik radiallahu anhu who had stayed back from the Tabuk battle. When, by way of punishment, the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam ordered that he be boycotted by everyone until Allah cleared the way for him, the Ghassanid King wrote to him a letter in which he said: “I am to learn that your man (meaning Muhammad salallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam) has abandoned you. But you are not the kind of man to be placed in the situation in which you can be belittled and wasted. Join us. We will treat you much better.” And so what was the reaction of this Sahabi? Well, Ka’b bin Malik radiallah anhu said: “When I read the letter, I said to myself, this is yet another trial from my Lord. Then I threw it into the oven and burned it.”
This is how, my dear young brother or sister, you should treat those things sent to you to win you back. Burn them to ashes and remember Allah says:
“Be patient. For Allah’s Promise is true. And let not those who do not believe weaken you.” –Surah ar-Rum ayah 60
