Newsletter (1st Oct’15 – 31st Oct’15)
(11/1/2015)



Newsletter

(1st Oct '15 - 31st Oct`15)

 

www.studying-islam.org

Compiled by: Azeem Ayub

 

Reflections

In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious,
the Ever Merciful

 

 

Turning Foes into Friends

 

We live among friends and foes. There are those who are fond of us and are very affectionate, and there are others who are jealous of us and conspire to make us sink in life. Some of these foes are covert while some can be easily identified. We really feel annoyed and frustrated at their attitude. But can we turn foes into friends?

The answer can be in the negative and can also be in the affirmative.

In the negative, if care is not exercised and we end up responding in a negative way and become worse foes to our foes than they are to us.

In the affirmative, if our guideline is the Qur’ānic verse: Retaliate evil with that which is better, and he who is your foe will become your dearest friend. But none will acquire this except those who patiently endure; none will acquire this except those who are truly fortunate. (41:34-35).

In other words, if with patience and endurance, perseverance and forbearance we keep on doing good turns to our foes and adversaries, it can melt their hearts and turn them into our dearest buddies. Moral victory is what we should aim for, as this subjugates hearts and conquers egos. Meeting our foes with a bright smile, extending out a warm hand to them, greeting them with enthusiasm and treating them with respect are just some starters of this journey.

Giving them gifts at opportune moments, hiding their faults when others want to highlight them, praising their abilities when others want to play them down, helping them in times of difficulty when few are there for them are the next steps of this journey.

While doing our part by adopting these measures, we must also turn to God and pray for our foes. We must seek His help and invoke Him to melt their hearts and make them mend their ways.

And more than that seek His help to realize our own flaws and mend our own ways.

 

 

Author: Dr Shehzad Saleem

 

URL: http://www.studying-islam.org/articletext.aspx?id=1364

 

In this Issue

Reflections
* Turning Foes into
    Friends
 

Read & Reflect
* Downfall of the
   Muslims

 

 Debate & Discuss
Discussion Forum:
    Norms of Gender
    Interaction
 

 return to the top ^

Express & Explain
* General Discussion
    Forum: 
Arguments
    regarding the
    Existence of God

 return to the top ^ 
 

Pause & Ponder
*  Istikharah &
    Frightening Dream
s
 

Announcements

*  Successful
    Participants

 

 

  Read and Reflect


 

Downfall of the Muslims
 

Author

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi
(Tr. by Shehzad Saleem)

 

Muslims remained a great power in this world for almost a thousand years. No nation was able to compete with them with regard to knowledge and wisdom, political acumen and affluence. They reigned over the whole world during this period. This kingdom was given to them by God and it was God who has taken it away from them. The law of God regarding the rise and fall of nations is that for rise He selects whichever nation He wants to according to His law of trial; however, once He selects a nation to elevate it, He only changes this state of that nation when that nation itself falls in decadence with regard to scientific knowledge and morality.

Muslims are also faced with another scenario. By origin, most of them have been Arabs. Arabs are mostly the Ishmaelites and about the Ishmaelites it is known that they are the progeny of Abraham (sws). Hence they face the established practice of the Almighty that is mentioned by the Qur’ān for the progeny of Abraham (sws). As per this established practice, if they adhere to the truth they will lead all nations of the world and if they deviate from the truth they will be deposed from this position and will have to face the punishment of humiliation and subjugation.

Hence if Muslims are afflicted with this punishment, then this is not a haphazard happening nor is it the result of some conspiracy hatched by others, as is generally alleged by our religious and political leaders. Behind this punishment are specific reasons. The divine law of rise and fall of nations is the cause of this punishment. If this punishment and humiliation is understood in the light of this divine law, three causes for the downfall of the Muslims can be pin-pointed:

Firstly, Muslims were entrusted with the Book of God. It is not merely a book. It is the yardstick of God revealed to decide truth and falsehood. Muslims should present all their religious differences before it and whatever verdict it gives, they should accept it without any hesitation. It should be the basis of their beliefs and deeds. It should be the source of all matters relating to faith and sharī‘ah. Every research, every opinion and every viewpoint must be kept subservient to it; so much so, even the words of the prophets of God should not be considered authority over it; on the contrary, it should be regarded as having authority over everything. Unfortunately, since the past many centuries Muslims have not been able to confer this status on the Qur’ān in their beliefs and deeds. Hence, as pointed out by Allāmah Iqbal:

 

 

خوار از مہجوریِ قرآں شدی

(You are in a state of humiliation because of leaving aside the Qur’ān.)


Secondly, this world is a place where harnessing potentials produce results. These potentials can be harnessed mostly by having skill and expertise in scientific disciplines. It is this skill through which man can access the treasures which God has concealed in the heavens and the earth. History bears witness that the life and death of man is mostly dependent on the competence he has in these disciplines, what to speak of rise and fall of nations. From the discovery of fire to the invention of the wheel to the astounding advancement and developments of the modern era this fact can be read in every page of history. Though Muslims did show interest in these disciplines yet their intelligentsia mostly engaged themselves in the study of philosophy and tasawwuf, though this was not the least required. The Book of God had already been revealed with answers to questions which philosophy and tasawwuf grapple with. Avid interest in these disciplines made Muslims oblivious to both the Book of God and scientific knowledge. Our age old religious seminaries are still teaching various aspects of philosophy and tasawwuf that can be called the best examples of useless knowledge (‘ilmun lā yanfā‘ū). Thus we can see how far the world has advanced while Muslims gaze in wonder at these advancements.

Thirdly, Muslims have shown an utter indifference to their moral instruction. It is as a result of this disregard that lying, dishonesty, embezzlement, theft, fraud, adulteration, devouring of interest, deceit in weighing, false accusations, breaking promises, involvement in occult disciplines, labelling one another with disbelief and defiance, worshipping graves, polytheistic rituals, detestable forms of entertainment and other similar crimes are so common in their societies that one is struck with wonder. It was these wrong-doings of the Israelites on the basis of which the prophets of God cursed them and they were eternally deprived of God’s mercy. Muslims too have gone far away from it. If a person wants to take a glimpse at them, he should read the Gospel where Jesus (sws) has stated the charge-sheet of the Israelites, of their scholars, their intellectuals and their rulers. The whole milieu and situation of Muslim societies cries out that they are even worse than the Jews in their wrong-doings.

These are the reasons of the downfall of the Muslims. If they want to come out of this scenario of decadence and downfall, then this can neither be achieved through warfare nor resistance movements. The past two hundred years of their history from Sarangapattam to Afghanistan bear evidence to this. To come out of this they will have to take remedial measures to circumvent the causes that have become the reason for their downfall; otherwise humiliation, disgrace and subservience will always remain their fate. The law of God is unalterable. Muslims are now in its grasp. When they want to come out of it by fighting others, they are in fact fighting God because it is He Who has actually let loose His strong men on them. This is God’s punishment. The line of action to avoid it is not the one their religious and political leaders and self-styled mujāhidīn are suggesting them. By adopting this line of action they can neither thwart the influence of big powers in their countries nor can they oust the Jews and Hindus from Palestine and Kashmir. They should study the preaching of the prophets mentioned in the Qur’ān and the Bible. Whether the prophets of God come in the time of the subjugation of Babylon or in the times of Roman emperors, they never suggested this to their followers. They always informed their people of their wrong-doings, while our leaders are adept at pointing out the faults of others and censuring them. The Qur’ān is in our hands. We can read it from the beginning to the end. We will not find a single word in it in condemnation of the Babylonian and Roman emperors. At every place, the Israelites are presented with this charge-sheet of their wrongdoings. The need of the hour is to recount the charge-sheet of the wrongdoings of the Muslims because the promise of God with the Israelites also holds for the Muslims. It was: “If you fill My covenant I will fulfil your covenant; My mercy is waiting; however, if you tread on that path, I will take the path I have already adopted and the lash of My punishment will strike you.” Men of insight should learn a lesson from this!

 

 

Read URL: http://studying-islam.org/articletext.aspx?id=1367

 

  Debate and Discuss

 

Discussion Forum: Norms of Gender Interaction


Bringing Friend Home?

 

Sabihah
I work during the day. Recently I went home during lunch to pick something up I forgot. A friend from work went with me. She walked into our flat with me.

Later on my mother-in-law complained and said this friend of mine should have knocked even if she entered with me.

Is this really necessary?

 

atifrafi
I think to some extent your mother in law is right. I see knocking at the door as a method to inform the house members that someone else wants to enter and asking for the permission.

The point is why anyone needs this permission, what I think, someone may be is in some position where he/she does not like to come in front of anyone else. Knocking at the door provides him/her the time. May be someone wants to cover her face/head.... ( thats just an example )

Now, as you are the family member. Rules for you are obviously different. May be your husband (assuming you are female ) does not wants to come in front of anyone in shorts or without shirt but he can come in front of you in that state.

May be, your friend should have waited outside for a while and once you are sure that everything is fine inside house, you can call her inside then.

This is only my personal view and I am not explaining any rule of Shariah, which I don't think I am in position to do so. So, its not necessary for you to agree with all this.

I hope I have made my point clear.

Jhangeer Hanif (Moderator)
What I see is that your mother in law must have felt uncomfortable to see the guest barge in unexpectedly. To find one of our family members come home at a some unepected moment is but little problem.

However, to meet a guest when we have not been given some time to prepare yourself causes us some irritation. Knocking at the door is to actually allow the residents to prepare themselves for the prospective guest.

Sabihah
Shukran for your comments.

I would have accepted it as such if it wasn't that she doesn't request my husband's friends to do the same. It has happened several times that I was wearing PJs and then he brings friends home without warning.

Jhangeer Hanif (Moderator)
You are right. We usually relate our actions and decisions to what is already in practice.

However, I would suggest that sometimes we need to gauge others' actions too whether they are morally and socially appropriate. If they are not, we can advise them too to mend their ways. I mean instead of following suit, we need to remain in the right side and ask others (our friends, husband, wives and relatives) to correct their behaviour.

Ibrahimblicksjo
I think the best should have been if you informed your mother-in-law that you had a friend with you. Since you brought a friend (guest) then that is your responsibility. Because you have to try not to make any of the parties uncomfortable, not your mother-in-law (because someone she did not expect came) nor your friend.

YusufAbdulWahab
As-Salaamu Alaikum,
I think that if either you or your husbands friends come home with either of you, out of respect for each other as well as others of the family. your friends should wait outside for the approval to enter.

ibrahim
Quran has demanded from us to take permission before entering to anyone's house (for details see Surah Noor 24:27-29) But in the above case a friend, who was a lady, was coming in with a person of that house, so she has her permission with herself. However Quran has also told us that it is better to Say Salam to the people of house where one is living while one enters from outside (24:61). Actually, the Salam is a miled permission in itself as this way one informs the people at home that one has come back now. Therefore the demand of that old lady was not totally wrong.


However That husband must inform his wife & other ladies at home before bringing in his friends. That is compulsory.


URL: http://www.studying-islam.org/forum/topic.aspx?topicid=1250&lang=&forumid=32

 

 

Express and Explain:

 

General Discussion Forum:

Arguments regarding the Existence of God

 

 

aijaz47

Dear Mr. Hanif

 

Existence does not necessarily have to be physical. As regards Mermaids, their existence is imaginary or fictional. Thus if it has a name it exists.

 

Secondly, denial does not mean that that particular thing does not exist. One shall have to provide the prove for the denial. Physical existence is an attribute. So far it seems Mermaids do not have that attribute. Their existence is fictional. Can you deny the fictional existence of Mermaids?

 

Thirdly, Allah is The Creator of Universe and Claims to be so. I have not heard of anyone claiming to be the creator of The Creator. Answer shall be provided when the question arises.

 

student1

This is your reply to Mr. Hanif but I would like to present my comments on your reply and I hope you wont mind.

 

quote:

 

Dear Mr. Hanif
 
You Said:
Existence does not necessarily have to be physical. As regards Mermaids, their existence is imaginary or fictional. Thus if it has a name it exists.

Comment:
I agree with you on that, existence doesn’t necessarily has to be physical since their are many non-physical elements which have existence but they are invisible for us.
As far as Mermaids are concerned, no doubt they are considered to be fictional and imaginary but if it has a particular name, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they exists, take an example of Aliens, they have a name but so far their existence is just a hypothesis and their are no explicit evidence which could really prove their existence.

You Said:
Secondly, denial does not mean that that particular thing does not exist. One shall have to provide the prove for the denial. Physical existence is an attribute. So far it seems Mermaids do not have that attribute. Their existence is fictional. Can you deny the fictional existence of Mermaids?

Comment:
I agree with you, denial doesn’t mean that a particular thing does not exist but if it does exists then their has to be some explicit evidences which should prove its existence.

You said:
Thirdly, Allah is The Creator of Universe and Claims to be so. I have not heard of anyone claiming to be the creator of The Creator. Answer shall be provided when the question arises.

Comments:
According to my limited knowledge, we have not heard anyone claiming to be a Creator of the Creator but history tells us that during the period of Pharaoh, People of Egypt use to worship him since he use to claim that he was (Naoozubilah) God and he gives life and death to people but he never provided any strong evidences to prove himself as God but still people use to blindly worship him because they feared his power of kingdom.

 
Their were several people who claimed to be Gods but how would you convince an atheist that their is no God but Allah (swt)?

 

aijaz47
Main Entry: alien
Function: noun
Date: 14th century

1 : a person of another family, race, or nation
2 : a foreign-born resident who has not been naturalized and is still a subject or citizen of a foreign country; broadly : a foreign-born citizen
3 : extraterrestrial

Main Entry: alien
Pronunciation: ‚†-l‡-„n, ‚†l-y„n
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin alienus, from alius
Date: 14th century


1 a : belonging or relating to another person, place, or thing : strange b : relating, belonging, or owing allegiance to another country or government : foreign
2 : differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility
synonyms see extrinsic
–alien£ly adverb
–alien£ness \-l‡-„n-n„s, -y„n-n„s\ noun

Main Entry: alien
Function: transitive verb
Date: 14th century

1 : alienate, estrange
2 : to make over (as property)

Above are the meaning of the word Alien from the Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictonary.

 

aijaz47

This is in reply to your question "who created Allah?"

My answer is that if it is created then it is not Allah.

Allah is the Supreme Creator.

 

Jhangeer Hanif (modeator)


You write:

Existence does not necessarily have to be physical.

Comments:

I think you want to say that existence does not have to be 'actual'. Because we know that mermaids do not actually exist; they are fictitious in contrast to reality. We are not taking about the nature of God's existence - spirirtual or physical; we are talking about whether it is actual or not. Hence when we talk about mermaids, we know that their existence is not actual or real. Is this the case with God?

You write:

Secondly, denial does not mean that that particular thing does not exist. One shall have to provide the prove for the denial. Physical existence is an attribute. So far it seems Mermaids do not have that attribute. Their existence is fictional. Can you deny the fictional existence of Mermaids?

Comments:

In the second response, you are again confusing 'actual or real' with 'physical'. I am not talking about the nature of existence. I am talking about whether something really exists? Hence the stress is on real. I had written

About second argument, If someone denies the existence of mermaids, they are right in doing so. This does not prove the existence of mermaids - which no one has ever been foolish enough to profess. Does it?
I meant to say that their existence is not actual. So if someone denies that mermaid in reality does not exist, they would be right in doing so.

You write:

Thirdly, Allah is The Creator of Universe and Claims to be so. I have not heard of anyone claiming to be the creator of The Creator. Answer shall be provided when the question arises.
 

Comments:
About the third argument, the atheist would simply say that I do not see him make such a claim. Because, if he were to see God as making a claim, he would not question his existence since it would have been empirical for him.

 

 

 

  Pause and Ponder


 

Istikharah and Frightening Dreams
 

Question:

After doing istikharah, if a person sees a frightening dream he will most probably link it to an indication from God that he should not do what he is planning to do (whatever that may be ). But if common sense tells him to do whatever he is thinking about, then what should a person do? People say that because now you have been given the answer in your dreams it would be incorrect to do something against what the Almighty has suggested. In other words, what should a person do if for instance his dreams tell him not to do that thing but knowledge, common sense and experience tell him to go for it?

 

Answer:

People generally think that only through dreams does one get an indication of Allah’s will after doing istikhārah. It is because of this misconception that they think that an indication through a dream is the only way to know the Almighty’s will in a particular matter. Actually, there are a number of ways in which this indication can come. Dreams are just one of these. There may be several ways. For example, circumstances sometimes become more clear so that a person is able to judge for himself. Similarly, someone might just come along and help a person in his decision. Likewise, the Almighty may directly guide a person by giving him an inner indication.

However, whatever be the source, it is imperative that an indication which is against divine revelation and sense and reason should not be accepted. One should always act according to one’s common sense, since this sense is the foremost guidance provided by the Almighty to man. Generally, dreams help us in deciding when there is an indication from no other source. Again, what is interpreted from them should not refute knowledge, common sense or experience, if it is to be accepted and if it does refute any of these bases, then that interpretation must be ignored.

wassalam


Shehzad Saleem

 

URL: http://www.studying-islam.org/querytext.aspx?id=913

 

 

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