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Reflections | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the Name of Allah, |
Muslim God – Is He outside of the World?
God and Monotheism
Is the Muslim God a god outside of the world? Is He the Rock that we need most in dire circumstances to take refuge under yet despair to see Him nowhere in this world? Did He create us and then walked out on us that we may face interminable problems unleashed from within the Pandora’s Box? Bah! I feel quite appalled to read through such a notion presented in a well known contemporary pontifical writing Crossing the Threshold of Hope. Regrettably, it is a mere reflection of a superficial knowledge of the Qur’an and the general Muslim understanding of their God. The deceased Pope, John Paul II, observes:
Some of the most beautiful names in the human language are given to the God of the Qur’an, but He is ultimately a God outside of the world, a God who is only Majesty, never Emmanuel, God-with-us1.
I am afraid the Muslim God is a not a god outside of the world. He is there, everywhere! He is nearer to us than the jugular vein2. He is the light of the earth and heavens3. You take Him out, the world is but a dark vicious circle of life where, at each step, we may stagger and fall, and where every new effort to fashion a utopia may bring more disappointment to mankind than ever.
He is al-Khaliq (the Creator),
al-Rahman (the Compassionate), al-Rahim (the Merciful), al-Hakim (the Wise),
al-Aziz (the Mighty), al-Qadir (the Omnipotent), and al-‘Alim (the Omniscient).
He does not have good names only to make an impression. With these names, He
actually has portrayed Himself in the eyes of men. Obviously, it is not for us
to understand the Lord on our own. This is why He has so mercifully revealed
Himself to us through these names. To succumb to the notion of being deserted by
God is to deny obstinately the Truth that He has revealed in His holy book, the
Qur’an. This truth insists that we accept Him as a God-with-us, Who not only
pours out on us innumerable bounties but also provides us with spiritual food.
To surrender before Him is to embrace His throne – the throne from which only
mercy flows that washes away all sins11.
There is none that can provide for us if He were to withhold His sustenance and
there is none who can bring us fresh water once it were to disappear in the deep
layers of earth12.
He has not turned a blind eye to
disbelievers either. It is utterly wrong that people who deliberately deny the
truth revealed by Him should feel secure. He has sent them clear signs yet they
deny in the face of utmost clarity13.
The duties entailed by the Word must always be fulfilled. They should not feel
that they will be allowed to go scot-free despite their blatant denial and the
horrible sins they perpetrated14.
The Lord indeed has decided a Day of al-fasl15
for mankind – the day on which the bad will be separated from the good like the
farmer separates the chaff from the wheat16.
He has very wisely spread them all on earth like seeds, and He will of surety
reap the harvest on the Day of Judgment
17. Every single soul will
be presented with his record file. He is indeed having everything noted down in
this world18.
He who does as small a good deed as an atom’s weight will see it19.
Likewise, all mistakes, whether major or minor, will not be overlooked20.
Those who deserve remission will be generously forgiven21.
They will be allowed to tread the threshold of Heaven. Those who rebelled
against God will be first given the charge sheet in their left hand and then
handed over to the guardians of hell. They would cry for death as a last resort
but of no avail22.
Allah also expounds upon the
intricate balance of power that He has maintained in this world23.
He it is who brings destruction to any ruthless force that has ambitious plans
to fetter the helpless in a never ending chain of slavery. The thin balance
between the stronger and the weaker does not break down beyond repair for the
wise and sagacious scheme of the Almighty. On the basis of the perfect
functioning of the universe, He draws our attention to the fact that there is no
God except for Him24.
When the evil lets loose their cruel tentacles, He calls upon the believers to
efface them from the face of earth25.
In any case, He brings the despondent against the tyrant to ruin their strength
and bring peace to the world. He says that if it were not for His perfect
scheming, the synagogues, churches, oratories and mosques would have been razed
to the ground – holy places wherein the name of God is mentioned26.
This is just a gist of how the
Holy Qur’an describes the god Muslims believe in. A student of the Qur’an cannot
refute that Muslims believe in a god who has and will remain attached intimately
with His creation. I appreciate that the deceased Pope forwarded generously very
friendly notes to the Muslim community in the book. We are grateful for this and
wish to respond with warmer and more cordial expressions. However, it is of cardinal importance that we state others’ views exactly as they are.
Author: Jhangeer Hanif
URL: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=189
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Reflections | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Read & Reflect
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Debate & Discuss * Discussion Forum: The Directives of Jihad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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* General Discussion Forum: Iblis ... a Two part question....
* Q n As
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Strategy of Preaching
Author:
Javed Ahmad
Ghamidi
ادْعُ إِلِى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُواْ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّابِرينَ (١٦: ١٢٥-١٢٦) Call men to the path of your Lord with wisdom and kindly exhortation and debate with them in the most befitting manner. Indeed, your Lord best knows those who stray from His path and those who are rightly guided. And if you avenge, let this be commensurate with the wrong that has been inflicted upon you. And if you exercise patience, then this is the best way for the patient. (16:125-126)
Although these verses address the Prophet (sws) and his Companions (rta), and as such primarily relate to the indhar of the Messengers, it is obvious that the directive stated in them is general and cannot be confined to them alone. Consequently, in all categories and types of preaching, these verses provide guidance regarding the strategy that needs to be adopted. If one deliberates on these verses, one can derive the following points regarding the guidance they provide us:
Firstly, wisdom, kindly exhortation and sound discussion should permeate the tone of this preaching. By wisdom (hikmah) is meant the arguments present in the verses and kindly exhortation and sound discussion means urging the adressees through sincere reminders. The implication is that whatever is presented should be supported by arguments and presented in the light of knowledge and intellect and one should not be aggressive and forceful in one’s presentation. One’s tone should reflect sincerity and affection. If the stage reaches that of debate and argument, then this should be done in a most befitting manner. If the opponent becomes hostile and antagonistic, then instead of responding in an even more belligerent manner, a true preacher should always remain polite and civilized.
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ (٥٦:٢٨) You cannot guide whomever you please: it is God who guides [according to His Law] whom He pleases and He best knows those who are guided. (28:56)
إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي مَن يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ (٣٧:١٦) If you are anxious about their guidance [it should remain clear to you], God does not guide those whom He [according to His law] leads astray, and God does not help such people. (16:37)
اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُواْ وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ (٦: ١٠٦-١٠٧) Therefore follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord. There is no god but Him, and ignore these polytheists, and [remember that] had God pleased, they would not have indulged in polytheism and [remember also that] We have not made you their keeper, nor are you their guardian. (6:106-107)
فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُسَيْطِرٍ (٨٨ :٢١-٢٢) [O Prophet!] keep reminding; you are only one who reminds; you are not one to force [your message] upon others. (88:21-22)
فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاَغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ (٤٠:١٣) So your responsibility is only to communicate and it is Us who will take [their] account. (13:40)
Thirdly, if the addressees of preaching resort to oppression and inflict harm on the preacher, he is allowed to avenge it in a proportion commensurate with the harm inflicted while remaining within moral limits; however, in the eyes of God, it is better that a person bears this oppression without avenging it; he should not take any measure of revenge; neither should he change his stance after being overwhelmed with hardships. Those who show patience at these instances are promised great rewards. Not only will they face its good consequence in this world, they will also encounter good consequences in the Hereafter. At another instance, the Qur’an has urged the believers to refrain from avenging the harm inflicted on them, and, on the contrary, to display a befitting attitude:
وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (٤١: ٣٤-٣٦) And good and evil are not the same. Requite evil with good, and you will see that he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. [And remember] none receives this wisdom except those who patiently endure and none receive it except those who are truly fortunate. If [in this matter] Satan tempts you, seek refuge in God. Indeed, He hears all and knows all. (41:34-36)
This endurance can only sustain in a person when at the very outset, preachers of Islam are fully aware of the fact that in this endeavour, there can be trials and tests in which a person is robbed of his wealth, orchards are destroyed, hardships are inflicted, limbs are severed and even life is lost. At times, evil tries to allure a preacher and at times intimidate him. Avarice and fear are used to divert him from the right path. At other times, he is put behind bars and subjected to cruel punishments which dislocates his joints; he is suspended in a muddy well; he is stoned to death right between the altar and the holy of holies, and his head is cut and presented to dancing girls.
Preachers should have faith that the Almighty Who has blessed them with guidance and imposed the responsibility of preaching upon them, will definitely help them in hardships and difficulties:
وَمَا لَنَا أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانَا سُبُلَنَا وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى مَا آذَيْتُمُونَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ (١٢:١٤) And why should we not trust in God, when He has already guided us to our paths? We will endure your persecution patiently and [we know that] in God should all the trusting put their trust. (14:12)
It is these three points which form the basis of the strategy in preaching religion. The last of these two do not require much explanation; however, while presenting one’s message with wisdom and with kindly exhortation certain aspects – the source of which is the example set by the prophets – should be kept in consideration. In the following pages, these shall be discussed in detail.
For more URL : http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=95
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Kaiser5
This course said that the Almighty's scheme in this
world is to test man by giving him the right to freely chose his religion. Can u
please provide me with verses from the Qur'an or Hadiths that led to this
conclusion? Another thing, it says that Jihad to spread the truth or force Islam
on others isn't our job but that of the prophets b/c unbelievers deliberately
deny it. Again, i need to be provided with verses or ahadiths that led to this
conclusion.
AbdullahRahim (Moderator)
Kaiser5,
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General Discussion Forum:
Sofian
Asalaam Alaykum Brothers and Sisters. I hope this post finds you all doing
well and enjoying good health in the grace of Allah.
Also, since he chose to be haughty and refused to bow to Adam (pbu) did
Allah already know that would happen and therefore based on that action it
not only manifested His divine plan but brought it to fruition to govern
man's life on earth?
student1
Asalam Aalaikum,
StudentAffairs The two most effective and most utilized weapons of the Devil are to divert the human from the straight path to God (sirat e mustaqeem) by turning his/her attention to 1.Nudity/immodesty and 2.Ego. Most religious people escape his 1st plot but get caught in the 2nd. This is why sadly we find many religious leaders and groups always busy building their own blocks~ in order to keep their individual identities and flags to feed and satisfy their ego; hence fulfilling Satan's mission by breaking up the communities and promoting sectarianism.
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Are Wives Slaves of their Husbands?
Answer:
Behold, men who surrender to Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth, and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere [in righteousness] and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and men who give alms, and men who fast, and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard [their modesty], and men who remember Allah much and women who remember. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward. (33:35)
wassalam
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