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Rabiul Awwal

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:25:29 +0000

The month of Rabi’-Ul-Awwal is considered to be amongst the most special and significant months, because mankind was blessed with the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw).

The month of Rabi’-Ul-Awwal is considered to be amongst the most special and significant months, because mankind was blessed with the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). Regarding this special event Allah (swt) has stated in the Holy Quran “We have sent him (Muhammad saw) as a source of mercy for the A’alimeen (humans, jinns and all else that exists),” (Surah 21.Al- Anbiya: Verse 107).

Muhammad (saw), the master of the prophets was born in the holy city of Mecca on Monday morning, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th of Rabi’-Ul-Awwal. Ibn Sa’d reports that Muhammad’s (saw) mother, Aamina, stated regarding the birth of her son “When He (saw) was born, there was a light that issued out of my pudendum and lit the palaces of Syria.” (Mukhtasar Seerat-ul-Rasool)

As is mentioned above Allah (swt) has stated in the Glorious Qur’an: “We have sent him (Muhammad saw) as a source of mercy for the A’alimeen.” Not only was Rasulullah (saw) a source of numerous blessings after receiving the task of prophethood, but from his birth up to his death and until the day of judgment billions of people have and will continue to benefit from his blessings. A clear example of this is when Halimah, the daughter of Abu Dhu’ayb who was accompanied by her husband Harith and a new born son of their own, decided to undertake a journey from a small village situated south east of Mecca to the actual city of Meccah Mukarramah. This was in order to acquire a nursling. She narrates: “It was a year of drought, and we had nothing left. I set forth on a gray she camel of mine, and we had an old she camel with us which could not even yield one drop of milk. We were kept awake all night by our son who was crying due to hunger, for I didn’t have enough in my breast to feed him; and that she camel of mine was so weak and emaciated I often keep the others (Tribe of Bani Sa’d Ibn Bakr) waiting.”

Once everyone began looking for nurslings, Rasulullah’s (saw) mother Aamina offered her son first to one and then to another until finally she had tried them all and they had all refused. “That” said Halimah, “was because we hoped for some compensation from the child’s father.” “An orphan” we said, “what will his mother and grandfather be able to do for us?” Not that they would have wanted direct payment for their service, since it was considered dishonorable for a woman to take a fee for suckling a child. The recompense they hoped for, though less direct was of a far wider scope. For example, creation connections and links with people from the city.

On the other side, though the foster-parents were not expected to be rich, they must not be too poverty-stricken, and it was evident that Halimah and her husband were poorer then any other of their companions. Whenever the choice lay between her and another, the other was preferred and chosen; and it was not long before everyone of the Bani Sa’d women except Halimah had been entrusted with a baby. Only the poorest nurse was without a nursling; and only the poorest nursling was without a nurse.

“When we decided to leave Mecca,” said Halimah, “I told my husband: ‘I hate to return in the company of my friends without having taken a baby to suckle. I shall go to that orphan and take him.’ ‘As you wish’ he said. ‘it may be, that God will bless us through him.’ So I went back and took him, for no reason except that I could find no baby but him. I carried him back to where our mounts were stationed, and no sooner did I put him in my bosom, my breasts overflowed with milk. He drank his fill, and with him his foster-brother drank likewise, his fill. Then they both slept; and my husband went to that old she camel of ours, and amazingly her udders were full. He milked her and drank of her milk and I drank with him until we could drink no more and our hunger was satisfied.

We spent the best of nights, and in the morning my husband said to me: ‘by God, Halimah, it is a blessed creature that you have taken.’ ‘That is indeed my hope,’ I said. Then we set out, and I rode my camel and carried him with me on her back. She outraced the whole troop, nor could any of their camels keep pace with her. ‘Wow!’ They said to me, ‘Wait for us! Isn’t that the same camel you came on?’ ‘Yes by God,’ I said, ‘She is the very same.’ ‘Some amazing thing has happened to her,’ they said.

We reached our tents in the Bani Sa’d, and I know of no place on God’s Earth more barren than that. But after we brought him to live with us, my flock would come home to me and would be full of milk. We milked them and drank and when others had no milk; our neighbors would say to their shepherds. ‘Go graze your flocks where he has grazed his’, meaning my shepherd. But still their flocks came home hungry, yielding no milk, while mine came well fed, with plenty of milk; and we ceased not to enjoy this increase and this bounty from God until the baby’s two years passed.”

During the pre-Islamic days of Arabia, everyone including the Romans and Persians were in the midst of ignorance and darkness. They were amongst the most uncivilized people the world had seen. Not only were they indulged in evils and vices such as adultery, fornication, incest, rape, stealing and murder they went to the extent of burying their baby daughters alive! Allah (swt) has stated in the Holy Quran “And when the news of the birth of a female child is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the Earth? Certainly their decisions are evil.” (Surah 16. An-Nahl: verse 58-59)

Nevertheless the Holy Prophet (saw) was sent to this world with the light of monotheism, eradicating all ignorant and uncivilized customs, rituals, practices and beliefs. Allah (swt) has stated in the glorious Quran “Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when he sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad saw) from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses, (The Quran) and purifying them, (from sins by their following him) and instructing them (in) the Book (Quran) and Al-Hikmah, (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet saw) before that they had been in manifest error,” (Surah 3. Al-Imran: Verse 164).

Source:Madania.org

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Rabiul Awwal

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:25:28 +0000

Source:Madania.org

No related posts.

London: Muhammad cartoon row leads to resignation

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:23:26 +0000

London: Muhammad cartoon row leads to resignation Via the BBC (h/t Talk Islam ): The president of a London university atheist society has resigned over a row about an image of the Prophet Muhammad. The society at University College London (UCL) published an image on its Facebook page showing “Jesus and Mo” having a drink at a bar. The atheist group was asked by the UCL union to remove it, but refused and started a petition defending its freedom of expression

London: Muhammad cartoon row leads to resignation

Via the BBC (h/t Talk Islam):

The president of a London university atheist society has resigned over a row about an image of the Prophet Muhammad.

The society at University College London (UCL) published an image on its Facebook page showing “Jesus and Mo” having a drink at a bar.

The atheist group was asked by the UCL union to remove it, but refused and started a petition defending its freedom of expression.

A student Muslim group began a counter-petition asking for its removal.

(source)

Walking to the Mosque in the Dark

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:49:47 +0000

Burayda reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Give good news to those who walk to mosques in the dark that they will have full light on the Day of Rising.” [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi] Related posts: White Hair Abu Dawud

Finding the Jesus of Islam in Early Christianities

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:06 +0000

By Camilla Morrison In the early days of Islam, a few companions of the Prophet were fleeing persecution in Mecca and sought refuge in Abyssinia.

By Camilla Morrison

In the early days of Islam, a few companions of the Prophet were fleeing persecution in Mecca and sought refuge in Abyssinia. The Christian ruler of the land, Ashama, demanded the companions to read aloud from their scripture and, when one of them recited from the sura of Mary, Ashama and his court were moved to tears. When they were told to make known their beliefs about Jesus, they said that Islam considers Jesus to be a messenger of God, the word of God, and the miraculously born son of the Virgin Mary. After hearing this, Ashama is said to have drawn a line in the sand and said that the differences between them were no more than that thin line. He then decreed that Muslims were allowed safe refuge in his kingdom[1].

It would be nice to think that this story could be applicable to modern Christians and Muslims, but take one look at the news and that thought disappears.

The Qur’an contains ninety-three passages in reference to Jesus and, together, they present a clear picture of what Muslims believe. Chronologically, this begins with Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Qur’an tells the story of Mary’s birth and describes how God graciously accepted her, making her grow in goodness, and entrusting her to be raised by Zachariah[3][4]. God chose Mary above all other women as the most pure and sent angels to give her news that she was to give birth to a pure son[5] called Jesus, the Messiah[6]. The angels tell her that Jesus “will be held in honor in this world and the next”, he “will be one of those brought near to God”, “he will speak to people in his infancy”, and “he will be one of the righteous” [7]. Mary has an entire sura named after her, one of only eight people to have this honor, and is affirmed to have given a virginal birth and to have afterward remained a virgin[8]. It is believed that Jesus was able to speak as an infant; after Mary gives birth to Jesus and carries him back to her people, she is accosted with accusations and it is then where Jesus speaks his first words and defends her honor[9]. In these first words, Jesus declares himself as a prophet and a servant of God who will be raised up after death and return at the final judgment[10].

Throughout his life, Jesus is believed to have performed several miracles by the permission of God; he transforms a clay bird into a real one, heals the blind and the leper, and brings the dead back to life[11]. He was sent to follow in the footsteps of previous prophets and to confirm the Torah that had been sent before him[12]. The Qur’an also says that God gave Jesus the Gospel with guidance, light, and confirmation as a guide and lesson for the followers of God[13]. Jesus is believed to be a fully human prophet; he is never said to claim divinity but instead attributes all he does to the power of God. When asked by God if he ever said for people to take him as a god, Jesus replies, “I would never say what I had no right to say”[14]. The Qur’an also mentions the disciples of Jesus, although not by name. The disciples are said to follow Jesus and declare themselves as Muslims[15].

Regarding the death of Jesus, the Qur’an denies that Jesus actually died or was ever crucified[16]. Muslims believe that Jesus physically ascended into heaven and that the disbelievers claimed victory only because “it was made to appear like that to them”[17]. The Qur’an states that Jesus will return again at the end of days when everyone will be judged on their adherence to Islam[18].

In addition to the Qur’an, Muslims look to the Hadith as an authority on Jesus. Several Hadith expand upon elements of Jesus described in the Qur’an, particularly about the end of his existence on Earth and what comes after. The Hadith present an “image of Jesus as an end-of-time figure”[19]. In one Hadith, Muhammad says, “the son of Mary will come back down among you very soon as a just judge”[20] and in another he says that he has been shown that Jesus will return to defeat the Antichrist[21]. This supports the general thought that Jesus is currently awaiting the end of time when he will “descend to the earth and fight against the Antichrist, championing the cause of Islam” and “point to the primacy of Muhammad” before dying a natural death[22]. Muslims see Jesus as a precursor to Muhammad and believe that Jesus predicted Muhammad’s coming in the canonical Gospel of John.

Many believers of both Islam and Christianity would be shocked at the number of similarities that lie in their sacred texts. Since the Bible was written and compiled before even the birth of Muhammad and therefore can contain no commentary on him or Islam, many Christians would be especially surprised to learn that Muslims regard Jesus as one of Islam’s most important prophets. American Christians in particular have a distorted view of Islam imposed by media and therefore can be entirely unaware of what the religion actually entails. The Qur’an actually contains references to over fifty people and events that are also found in the Bible. It also repeatedly affirms the legitimacy of the Torah, the Hebrew bible, or the Old Testament as Christians call it.

Muslims agree with the biblical stories that are also present in the Qur’an but firmly refute those which contrast with their beliefs. For the stories that are present within the Bible that are not found in the Qur’an and also do not conflict with anything in Islam, Muslims are told to neither believe nor disbelieve them. In the Hadith, Muhammad tells his followers, “Don’t believe what the Jews and Christians tell you, but don’t call them liars either. Say ‘We believe in God and in what has been revealed to us…’[23]”[24] Islam teaches that it is most important to just believe in what has been revealed by God.

People on either side often simplistically explain these similarities between the Bible and the Qur’an to affirm the legitimacy of their own religion. Secular scholars suggest that the Qur’an contains these narratives as a result of pre-existing traditions that existed even before the Bible; Christians say that the Qur’an simply borrowed their stories; and Muslims explain them as the truth that was revealed to Muhammad by God. However, when texts outside of the Bible or the Qur’an are brought to light, it leads to a far more complicated picture.

To say that Jesus didn’t found Christianity would immediately anger many people. However, upon closer inspection of the phrase, it is difficult to say otherwise. The earliest book that came to be in the New Testament was written decades after Jesus’ death and the Christian doctrines and creeds were created centuries later. The reality is that Christianity didn’t exist until after Jesus’ time and therefore couldn’t have been created by him[25]. After Jesus’ departure, many people took to writing down what had happened and what it meant. The first problems for Christianity arose when these writings turned out to be very different from each other. In fact, the practices and beliefs of people who called themselves Christians during the first three centuries were so varied that the differences between modern Christian sects pale in comparison[26].

During the second half of the second century, with the growing number of prophetic and perceived heretical movements among Christians, there was great need for a fixed canon[27]. Christian groups such as the Marcionites, the Ebionites, the Gnostics, and the proto-orthodox all insisted that they correctly upheld the teachings of Jesus and were all in competition to become the rightful version that would eventually be adopted by the Roman Empire[28]. The proto-orthodox, named as such because of its eventual victory, was ultimately endorsed by Constantine as the primary religion of the Roman Empire. As the proto-orthodox text “developed into the dominant religious, political, economic, social, and cultural institution of the West”[29], the other defeated texts were labeled heretical and were “rejected, scorned, maligned, attacked, burned, [and] all but forgotten”[30].

Just four gospels came to be included in the New Testament but modern archeology has rediscovered dozens of other gospels that “at one time or another, at one place or another…. were revered as sacred, inspired, [and] scriptural”[31] by different Christian groups in the first few centuries[32]. These gospels tell their own stories about who Jesus was, some in accordance with canonical gospels but many more of them different. When thinking outside the bounds of Christianity, several of these ancient texts overlap curiously with Islam and with what the Qur’an and Hadith teach of Jesus.

One such gospel is known as the Proto-Gospel of James. Other titles for the gospel have been found and include “The Birth of Mary”, “The Story of the Birth of Saint Mary, Mother of God”, and “The Birth of Mary; The Revelation of James”[33]. It is called the Proto-Gospel of James because it deals primarily with events that took place before the birth of Jesus. The author calls himself James and it is usually understood that this is James, the half-brother of Jesus who is mentioned in the New Testament. In this text he is “assumed to be Joseph’s son by a previous marriage”[34]. Since this book is proved to have been already known to the church father Origen in the early third century, and most likely also to Clement of Alexandria at the end of the second century, it is believed to “have been in circulation soon after 150 CE” and was “enormously popular in the later centuries”[35]. The text describes in great detail the circumstances of Mary’s birth and her upbringing until her eventual pregnancy with Jesus and it very much aligns with passages about Mary in the Qur’an.

Both texts mention the excitement of Mary’s mother at discovering she would bear a child and also that she will devote her child to God. In the Qur’an she says, “Lord, I have dedicated what is growing in my womb entirely to You; so accept this from me. You are the One who hears and knows all” and, upon learning the child is female says, “I name her Mary and I commend her and her offspring to Your protection from the rejected Satan”[36]. The Proto-Gospel of James describes her as saying, “As the Lord God lives, whether my child is a boy or a girl, I will offer it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it will minister to him its entire life,” and, upon giving birth and learning the child is a girl says, “My soul is exalted today”[37]. Both texts tell of God’s acceptance of Mary with “Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness”[38] in the Qur’an and “the Lord God cast his grace down upon her. She danced on her feet, and the entire house of Israel loved her”[39] in the Proto-Gospel of James. In both texts, Mary is raised in a temple by a man named Zachariah (Qur’an) or Zacharias (Proto-Gospel of James) and she leads a pure and chaste life[40] [41]. Although the Proto-Gospel of James does not mention the infant Jesus speaking, as the Qur’an does[42], it does tell of the infant Jesus performing a miraculous deed as he heals the burning hand of the midwife[43].

The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter is another early Christian text that corresponds to Islamic thought and teaching. Thought to have been written in the third century, it is allegedly written by Simon Peter, the disciple of Jesus[44]. The book’s message is one that is stressed in numerous places throughout the Qur’an. In it, Jesus issues “dire warnings against the teaching of heretics who propagate falsehoods” and, strikingly in accordance with Qur’anic thought, it labels the heretics as “the bishops and deacons of the proto-orthodox churches, and their false teaching [that] Jesus was himself the Christ who suffered a literal death on the cross”[45]. The text maintains that the real Jesus is raised up above the cross while the people are crucifying what they think is Jesus, but is actually a substitute[46]. The author mocks the proto-orthodox view that Jesus actually died on the cross, seeing it as “laughable”[47]. The author believes that the true significance of Jesus’ apparent death is much deeper than what proto-orthodox leaders believe and that, even though the people believed they crucified the flesh of Jesus, he was actually far removed from the perceived suffering[48]. The author says that those “who beheld the cross with full knowledge” should know that it was not actually Jesus on the cross but merely his outward appearance and he likens this to how “simple-minded Christians are nothing but the outward appearance of the living ones who have been fully enlightened by the spiritual truth” of the risen Jesus[49].

When aligned with Qur’anic verse, this book seems to propagate the same message concerning the false belief Christians hold about Jesus. The author’s implication that “simple-minded Christians are nothing but the outward appearance of the living ones who have been fully enlightened by the spiritual truth” can be taken to correspond to Muslims’ view that Christians have witnessed the same as Muslims have regarding Jesus but have essentially missed the point in assigning him divinity instead of attributing it to God. The language of this book when regarding those who believe they have killed Jesus is very similar in its mocking tone to verses in the Qur’an, “[they] said, ‘We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition: they certainly did not kill him- No! God raised him up Himself. God is almighty and wise.” [50] Like the author of the Coptic Apocalypse of Peter, in this passage the Qur’an takes an attitude of derision toward the “People of the Book,” whom Jesus will be a witness against on the Day of Resurrection[51]. Also, the insistence in the text that only those with “full knowledge”[52] will be spared from eventual suffering correlates with the Qur’anic verse, “For those of them that reject the truth we have prepared agonizing torment. But those of them who are well grounded in knowledge and have faith do believe what has been revealed to you [Muhammad], and in what was revealed before you- those who perform the prayers, pay the prescribed alms, and believe in God and the Last Day- to them We shall give a great reward”[53]. Both texts place a high importance on true knowledge as the way to be saved in the end and escape suffering.

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is one of the earliest surviving accounts of Jesus as a child[54]. Allegedly written by “Thomas, the Israelite”, it remains unclear who the author intended to be perceived as. Many early Christians recognized him as Judas Thomas, Jesus’ brother and therefore a reliable authority[55]. The book tells stories of the young Jesus beginning at age five and relates a number of miraculous incidents in his childhood. These anecdotes portray a mischievous streak[56] in the young Jesus and relate encounters with other children, his teachers, and his father. The first known quotation from the text is by Irenaeus of Lyon, in 185 CE[57], which establishes a latest possible date of composition. The earliest possible date is thought to be around 80 CE because of the author’s evident knowledge of twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple from the Gospel of Luke[58]. However, it is generally agreed upon by scholars that the text began to circulate during the first half of the second century[59].

The book begins with the author’s explanation that he “[made] this report to all of you, my brothers among the Gentiles, so that you may know the magnificent childhood activities” of Jesus[60]. It contains eighteen anecdotes of varying length, the first being the story of the Jesus and the clay sparrows. It begins with a five-year-old Jesus playing by the ford of a stream, collecting water and making it pure. “He then made some soft mud and fashioned twelve sparrows from it.” Several other children were playing near by and “a certain Jew” ran away to report to Joseph, “Look, your child at the stream has taken mud and formed twelve sparrows. He has profaned the Sabbath!” Joseph came over and cried out, “Why are you doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath?” But Jesus simply “clapped his hands and cried to the sparrows, ‘Be gone!’ And the sparrows took flight and went off, chirping.” When all of the other Jews saw this, they were amazed and dispersed to go tell their leaders what they had seen Jesus do[61].

This same story can be seen referenced twice in the Qur’an; first in the third sura, The Family of ‘Imran. In this sura, Mary is learning about Jesus, the son she will bear, and then Jesus speaks and tells of the miracles he will complete in the future, by the power of God. He begins with a reference to the story in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will make the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breathe into it and, with God’s permission, it will become a real bird…” [62] The story is referenced again in the fifth sura, The Feast, where God is reminding Jesus of all He has done for him and for Mary. God says, “Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favor to you and to your mother: how I strengthened you with the holy spirit, so that you spoke to people in your infancy and as a grown man; how I taught you the Scripture and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel; how, by My leave, you fashioned the shape of a bird out of clay, breathed into it, and it became, by My leave, a bird; how, by My leave, you healed the blind person and the leper; how, by My leave, you brought the dead back to life; how I restrained the children of Israel from harming you when you brought them clear signs, and those of them who disbelieved said, ‘This is nothing but sorcery’; and how I inspired the disciples to believe in Me and My messengers- they said, ‘We believe and bear witness that we devote ourselves to God.’”[63] In these verses God reminds Jesus of the fact that everything he has been allowed to do has been by the power and will of God.

According to these two suras, the story of the clay birds is significant in Jesus’ life as one of the major testaments to the power of God working through Jesus. The story in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas does not specifically attribute the deed to either the power of God or the divinity of Jesus but, in the context of other Christian works, it would be assumed to refer to the latter[64]. The two suras make sure to emphasize that Jesus was only able to accomplish this act with God’s permission.

This alludes to the greater issue present between Islam and Christianity. Upon reviewing their fundamentally accepted occurrences having to do with Jesus, it is clear that they should agree for the most part. They both believe that Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin, and performed many miraculous deeds and preached the word of God. They both believe that, although he was thought by the crucifiers to have perished on the cross, he rose into heaven and will come again at the time of judgment. These facts are not so much a point of contention as is the interpretation of them. The difference lies in the focus, the lens through which both religions view these actions of Jesus. Christians focus on these miracles of Jesus as being indicative of his divine nature and hold this central in their faith. For Christians, other prophets such as Moses were able to perform miracles but, like his splitting of the Red Sea, it was all made possible by the power of God[65]. Jesus is the only one whose miracles are attributed to his own divine power. Here is where Muslims explain the discrepancies between the two religions as a result that Christians have missed the point of Jesus. Muslims see Jesus, as the Qur’an says, in a succession of prophets who are fully human and not divine and culminate with Muhammad.[66] Muslims believe that, if Christians accepted this view, all would be explained. Christians on the other hand take the approach that Muslims created a false and unnecessary new religion and believe that any similarities between the sacred texts are a result of Muslims borrowing from the Christian tradition[67].

Attempts have also been made by secular scholars to explain these consistencies between the two religions as the result of pre-existing historical trends even before the time of Jesus. There are many examples of similar narrative structures that have been found in texts dating back hundreds and even thousands of years that are present within the Bible[68]. Western scholars have also seen these trends as related to the rapid expansion of Islam in its early period[69]. They believe that unrest and civil war during the rise of Islam led to the widespread expectations of Muslims that the end of the world was near and, some scholars believe, the Qur’anic descriptions of Jesus as an end of time figure would have been “a reassurance to Muslims that their cause was not in vain” and that they “had recognized the side of righteousness in a confusing world of socio-political currents.”[70]

The Jesus of Islam is arguably the same as the Jesus of Christianity and can clearly be seen within Christian sources of all kinds but these sources are scattered and disputed amongst the Christians. The confusion arises because of the inconsistencies of Christian sources, both canonical and non-canonical, and is largely the result of the early Christians leaders who assembled faulty compilations and allowed for politics or their own agendas to play too much into the construction of the canon[71]. It is an indisputable fact that although the Bible is the Christian sacred text, it contains numerous significant contradictions. Just in the seemingly simple Genesis flood story there are three separate versions with different accounts of fundamental aspects of how the flood occurred[72]. Muhammad and his contemporaries like Abu Bakr had the foresight to record and compile the Qur’an right away so as to ensure purity of content. Just the same as Christianity, there were undoubtedly Muslims or other hopefuls who attempted to author false sacred texts but the manner in which the Qur’an was compiled did not allow for it. Even the Hadith can for the most part trace all its sayings back directly to the prophet.

However, no amount of criticism over the compilation of ancient works will change what happened and both Muslims and Christians are guilty of wasting too much ink over attempts to disprove the other. Scholars of both religions have for centuries tried to point out the opposite sacred text’s references to Jesus in a way to affirm their own faith when instead they should be focusing on commonalities and ways to move forward. It is ironic that Muhammad spoke so well of Jesus while Christian writings have always been harshly critical of Muhammad[73]. Andalusia was a perfect example of what can come of harmonious interaction between religions[74]. Spain under Muslim rule was the epitome of intellectual and cultural exchange, with Christians, Muslims, and Jews all coexisting and creating positive outcomes[75]. However, just because such harmony was possible in Andalusia at that time, doesn’t mean that is necessarily possible or the answer today.

These “lost” early Christian doctrines are often dismissed today, especially by church leaders, for the sole reason of being non-canonical and, therefore heretical. What many do not stop to consider is the fact that, at one point, all of these books were considered legitimate to a certain group. The significance of the victory of proto-orthodox Christianity is “almost impossible to exaggerate” and it left a number of marks on the history of Western civilization, “none of which has proved more significant than the formation of the New Testament as a canon of scripture”.[76] When faced with the question of why the other Christianities were defeated by Paul’s proto-orthodox version, church leaders and other believers will often attribute it to the will of God. Many do not question whether the “right” version won out. Many Christians do not realize that “Christian Scriptures did not descend from heaven a few years after Jesus died” and either do not know or do not want to know that the books that eventually came to be collected into the sacred canon were written by a variety of authors over a period of sixty or seventy years, in different places and for different audiences[77]. This is honest historical fact. When considering this process, it is simply not enough to affirm that “decisions made about the canon, like the books themselves, were divinely inspired” and in order to get a proper understanding, it is necessary to consider the actual history of the process and to “ponder the long, drawn-out arguments over which books to include and which to reject.”[78] The process took centuries, and even then there was not unanimity[79]. The fact that the real process behind these decisions was political allows for entertainment of the thought of what Christianity and our world would be like if another version had won; the early Christian texts that correspond to Islamic teaching might not be heretical but could have been canonical. It is just not right or thorough to dismiss these similarities between the texts without proper consideration.

What all of the overlaps of texts such as the Proto-Gospel of James, the Coptic Apocalypse of Peter, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas allude to is that there is more to the concordance between Islam and Christianity than is commonly thought. The collections of texts within the two religions hint at the existence of a shared historical narrative waiting to be further revealed. Many of the most influential and important ancient texts have been discovered in the last few generations and, aside from the fact that scholars have not finished understanding them yet, there are undoubtedly more discoveries to follow. All it takes is one text to shake the foundations and create new perspectives; the recent discovery of the Gospel of Judas presented an entirely opposite view of Judas from traditional Christianity[80]. Only just translated in 2006, the Gospel of Judas shows how even in a world where we think we have everything already figured out, there is no assurance that we won’t have to revaluate at any time. There is still much work to be done in the study of these ancient texts. The current connections between early Christian books and the Qur’an paint only part of the picture and there is still much more to learn about the real historical narrative of Jesus’ life. As for the question of whose books and whose ideas should be considered “correct”, only God can say.

In 2007 an Episcopalian priest was defrocked when, after deep thought, she considered herself both a Muslim and a Christian. People labeled her as idiotic and irrational, because such a thing is surely impossible. Isn’t it?

The Martyrdom of Husayn

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:08:40 +0000

In his eloquent, emotional, charismatic style, Shaykh Zahir Mahmood, describes the Sunni view of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib and his family and companions (Radi’Allahu Ta’ala Anhum Ajma’in Wa Rahmat’Allah Alayhim Ajma’in) in 61 AH in the sands of Karbala, in present-day Iraq. In this lecture, Shaykh Zahir Mahmood gives some insight into the life of Al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali.

Muharram and Ashura

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:55:28 +0000

MUHARRAM is the first month of the Islamic calendar. Muharram means “Forbidden.” Even before Islam, this month was always known as a scared month in which all unlawful acts were forbidden, prominently the shedding of blood. It is one of the four sanctified months about which Allah Ta’ala says: “The number of months in the sight of Allah are twelve, so ordained by Allah, the day He created the heavens and the earth; Of them four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so wrong not yourselves therein.” (Surah Tawbah – verse 36)

The four sanctified months according to authentic Ahaadeeth are the months of Zul- Qa’dah, Zul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. The sanctity of these months was observed in the shariah of all the previous Prophets. “Allah Ta’ala made them (i.e. the four months) sacred and increased their sanctity. Hence He declared a sin therein more severe and increased the virtue of good deeds and the reward thereof.” (Ibn Katheer Vol.2)

The best of fasts besides the month of Ramadhaan is the fast during Allah’s month of Muharram and the best of Salaah besides the Faraaidh (obligatory salaah) is the Tahajjud Salaah (performed after midnight). (Muslim,Vol. 1)

THE DAY OF AASHURAH( 10 TH OF MUHARRAM)
The Tenth of Muharram, known as the day of Aashura, is a very significant day in the Islamic Calendar. Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has exhorted the Ummah to fast on this day. Hadhrat Aaisha(rahiyallahu anha) reports that Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ordered the observance of
the fast of Aashura.

However, when the fast of Ramadhaan became compulsory, Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) left the fast of Aashura (i.e. it’s compulsion). Thereafter, whoever desired, kept the fast of Aashura and whoever desired not to keep the fast did not observe it. (Bukhari, Vol. 1)

Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallahu anhu) says: “I did not see Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) anxiously await the fast of any day, which he gave preference to (over other days), except this day of Aashura and the month of Ramadhaan. ” (Bukhari, Vol. 1)

VIRTUE OF THE FAST OF AASHURAH
The Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has said: “The best fasts after the fasts of Ramadhan are those of the month of Muharram.”
Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not obligatory, yet, the one who fasts in these days out of his own will and choice is entitled to a great reward by Allah Almighty. The Hadith cited above signifies that the fasts of the month of Muharram are most rewardable ones among the Nafl fasts i.e. the fasts one observes out of his own choice without being obligatory on him.

The hadith does not mean that the award promised for fasts of Muharram can be achieved only by fasting for the whole month. On the contrary, each fast during this month has merit. Therefore, one should avail of this opportunity as much as he can.

Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) was asked with regard to the blessings of this fast, he replied:” It is a compensation for the sins of the past year.” i.e. Allah will forgive the sins of the past year.”
(Muslim, Vol 1). Abu Qataada (radhiyallahu anhu) has related that the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has reported to have said, ” It is my thought that by fasting on the 10th of Muharram Allah Ta’ala will pardon the sins of the past year.” (Tirmizi). Note: For the forgiveness of major sins Taubah and Istighfaar is a pre-requisite.

Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallahu anhu) narrates that when Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting on the day of Aashura he inquired, ” What is the significance of this day on which you fast? ” They replied, ” This is the day Allah saved Nabi Moosa(alaiyhis salaam) and his followers and drowned Fir’oun and his army. Moosa(alaiyhis salaam) fasted on this day as a token of thanks – giving, thus we too fast on this day.” Nabi (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: ” We are more worthy of Moosa(alaiyhis salaam) than you and we are more closer to him than you are.” Thereafter he fasted on this day and ordered the Sahaabah to do the same”. (Muslim, Vol 1)

According to another hadith, it is more advisable that the fast of ‘Ashurah should either be prefixed or suffixed by another fast. It means that one should fast two days: the 9th an 10th of Muharram or the 10th and 11th of it. The reason of this additional fast as mentioned by the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) is that the Jews used to fast on the day of Aashurah alone, and the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) wanted to distinguish the Islamic-way of fasting from that of Jews. Therefore, he advised the Muslims to add another fast to that of Aashurah.

Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) is reported to have said: ” Observe the fast of Aashura and oppose (the ways of) the Jews. Fast a day before it (also) or a day after.” Hence, it is better to fast on the 9th and 10th or on the 10th and 11th.

GENEROSITY TO ONE’S FAMILY
Some traditions signify another feature of the day of ”Ashurah. According to these traditions one should be more generous to his family by providing more food to them on this day as compared to other days. These traditions are not very authentic according to the science of hadith. Yet, some Scholars like Baihaqi and Ibn Hibban have accepted them as reliable.

It is mentioned in a Hadeeth: ” He who will be generous to his family on the day of Aashura, Allah will be generous to him for the entire year.”

EVENTS OF MUHARRAM:-
1.Sayyidina Hussain (R.A.), the grandson of Rasullullah(sallahu alaiyhi wassallam) was martyred in this month in Karbala.
2.Shaykhain Tirmizi and Haakim has narrated from Anas(radhiyallahu anhu) that the following verse: “Allah may forgive thee of thy sins that which is past and that which is to come.” (Al-Fath) was revealed on the 10th of Muharram.
3.Prophet Muhammed(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) went to defeat Bani Muhaarin and Bani Tha’laba (Tribes of Bani Gatfan) in the month of Muharram in the year 4 A.H. (Asahhus-siyar)
Prepared by Al-Islaah Publications from Islamic Months & Nurul Huda Pamphlet on Muharram.
Courtesy: www.everymuslim.com

The Best of Stories: Pearls from Surah Yusuf | Part 15 (Conclusion)

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:56 +0000

Lecture by Yasir Qadhi | Transcribed by Sameera This lecture is brought to you by the Memphis Islamic Center (MIC). For more information about MIC, please visit www.memphisislamiccenter.org [ The following is the video and transcript of part 15 (the conclusion) of Shaykh Yasir Qadhi's lecture series "The Best of Stories: Pearls from Surah Yusuf." The transcript includes slight modifications for the sake of readability and clarity.

Lecture by Yasir Qadhi | Transcribed by Sameera

This lecture is brought to you by the Memphis Islamic Center (MIC). For more information about MIC, please visit www.memphisislamiccenter.org

[The following is the video and transcript of part 15 (the conclusion) of Shaykh Yasir Qadhi's lecture series "The Best of Stories: Pearls from Surah Yusuf." The transcript includes slight modifications for the sake of readability and clarity.]

Click here to view the embedded video.

Alḥamdulillāh, we thank Allāh ‘azza wa jall who has allowed us the opportunity to study this entire sūrah beginning to end in 15 sessions. As I promised you in our last lesson, in one of the last verses of the sūrah, it is as if Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) is saying, “Now you have read it once and benefitted from it at a basic level.” I just recited for you “āyātu li’l-sā’ilīn.” You have lessons for those who are curious and want to ask. In the end, Allāh says, “In this sūrah, there is ‘ibrah li’uli’l-bāb.” There are profound wisdoms to learn for those of intellect and contemplation. It is as if at the beginning Allāh is saying, “Read this sūrah at a cursory level. Understand it at a basic level.” Once we get to the end, Allāh is saying, “Now think about it. Ponder over it and you will find much wisdom to learn and benefit from.” We will obey the commandment of Allāh ‘azza wa jall and take a swift relook at the entire sūrah in a holistic manner. We will try to derive some of the overall benefits.

I am not going to quote you verse by verse. We have already done that. We are just going to quickly go over, and I have compiled around 50 to 60 of such benefits from the beginning of the sūrah until the end. We are going to go over them one by one.

Of the benefits of the sūrah is that the believer is concerned for his or her family and his or her children. The believer looks out for the welfare of one’s children and offspring and tries one’s best to protect them at a physical and at a spiritual level. When Yūsuf told his dream to his father Ya‘qūb, immediately Ya‘qūb wants to protect Yūsuf. Instead of jumping for joy, and instead of saying, “what a proud father you have made me,” he is protecting him. He wants the best for his dīn and his dunya. A sign of īmān (faith) is to want the best and to want a nurturing environment for your family.

Of the blessings and wisdoms of this sūrah is that dreams are a constant motif of this entire sūrah. The sūrah begins with a dream and that is the dream of Yūsuf. The sūrah has a dream in the middle and that is the dream of the two prisoners who saw themselves being killed and saw the birds eating from his head and the dream of the king. Dreams are a constant theme in this sūrah. Of the blessings we derive is that true dreams are from Allāh. True dreams are a blessing that Allāh gives. The interpretation of dreams is a science that only Allāh can teach you. We learned this from this sūrah and went over it many, many times.

Of the wisdoms of this sūrah is that the wise and intelligent person does not flaunt his or her blessings. The wise and intelligent person does not show off worldly or spiritual blessings because showing off is not only egotistical and a lack of humility, but also it causes dangers and harms and problems. That is why when Yūsuf had the dream, his father said, “Don’t tell your brothers. Don’t show off. They might get jealous of you.” The wise person does not boast of his blessings, rather he hides them to the greatest extent possible. These blessings are both religious and worldly blessings. You don’t flaunt the good that Allāh has given you, or else you will suffer the consequences in this world and perhaps even in the next.

Of the wisdoms we derive from this sūrah is that Shayṭān is every eager to cause problems between believers, especially between family members. This was a successful plot of Shayṭān that he caused the brothers of Yūsuf to hate Yūsuf so much that they even intended at one point in time to kill him. Of the benefits we learn is that Shayṭān is ever eager to cause problems. He always wants to cause disunity amongst the ummah, especially amongst family members. SubḥānAllāh, it is so true that every single family has its own issues and problems even though they are blood and even though they are family. Every single family has problems either with the siblings, uncles, or aunts. It is human nature, but Shayṭān makes it worse. This story shows us this.

Of the wisdoms of this sūrah is that a good household produces good offspring. Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) mentions at the beginning of the sūrah: “This is how He will perfect His favors upon you as He perfected it upon your forefathers before you, Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq.” I.e. because there was Ibrāhīm there was Ishaq and because there was Isḥāq there was Ya‘qūb and because of Ya‘qūb there was Yūsuf. A house of piety will produce children of piety. When one parent and one generation strives to be righteous, then the general rule is that the piety is transferred down to the next generation. This is shown by the verse in the Qurʾān where Allāh says, “This is how We will perfect your favors as We perfected the favors upon your forefathers before you.”

Of the wisdoms of this sūrah that we learn is the importance of being fair, equitable, and just to all people. In this particular case, Ya‘qūb with his children. We are told in our religion that we are not allowed to prefer one child over another and we cannot give a gift to a child and leave another. We cannot show any outward favoritism. Ya‘qūb tried his best to be fair, but he couldn’t control one thing and that is his emotions. His children sensed his emotions, but his children could not complain that he spends more time with Yūsuf or that he gave Yūsuf a present that he hasn’t given to them. All they could say was that he loves Yūsuf, and love is an emotion of the heart, and you are not held accountable for emotions of the heart. We learn to be equitable and just to people from this issue here.

Of the wisdoms we learn from this sūrah is that jealousy drives a person insane. Jealousy is one of the most destructive emotions known to man. Jealousy makes a person who is otherwise rational become irrational. People will do things out of jealousy that you will not believe they could have done. Here we have young adults plotting and planning to murder their brother who is only 7-8 years old. Jealousy has caused such enragement and such anger. Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) warned us, “I warn you from jealousy. I caution you from being jealous because jealousy destroys your good deeds like a fire eats up wood.” Jealousy is destructive in any form. That is why we should seek refuge in Allāh from jealousy and try to solve jealousy as soon as it exists. We also seek Allāh’s refuge from the effects of jealousy: min sharri ḥāsidin idha ḥasad. This is of the blessings we learn from this sūrah.

Of the wisdoms we learn from this sūrah is repentance before committing the sin is not a true repentance. If you commit a sin and say, “Oh, I know I’m guilty. May Allāh forgive me,” that is not a true repentance. Before they committed a crime, the brothers of Yūsuf said, “We’ll do the crime and then God will forgive. We are going to make up for it. We are going to be righteous after it.” Their repentance was not accepted at that point in time. It was accepted at the end of the sūrah when they genuinely come and say, “Oh our father, forgive us. We were sinners.” Inna kunna khāṭi’īn. In the beginning of the sūrah, Allāh glosses over it. This is not repentance; this is a joke. You are going to murder your brother and then say, “May God forgive us, we are going to be good after that.” A true repentance has to have the intention not to return to the sin. If you have the intention that you are going to commit the sin, then this is not a true repentance. A true repentance has to have the niyyah (intention) that this is the last time you are committing the sin. As we mentioned before, if it so happens that you do return to the sin, it doesn’t nullify your repentance. The point is that you should have a sincere attempt to not return to the sin. If you do return, you do another repentance. And if you return again, then you repent again. The point is that Allāh does not look at the quantity of sins. Allāh looks at the quality of repentance. It is not the number of times you have committed the sin but the quality of the repentance every single time you commit the sin.

Of the benefits we learn from the sūrah is that giving an excuse to someone whom you don’t trust may backfire on you. In other words, handing over excuses to somebody who has some evil or some disposition to harm you might actually come back to haunt you. Ya‘qūb was the one who gave them the excuse they needed to cover up their capture of Yūsuf and abduction of Yūsuf. Ya‘qūb was the one who said, “I am worried that wolf will eat him.” He said this to try to get away from the real issue, which is: “I don’t want to send my son with you.” He used a secondary tactic, and what happened? It backfired because they used that very tactic. When they came back in the evening, they said, “A wolf ate your son.” These are kids, and they wouldn’t have been able to think of an excuse. They are young men, maybe 18 or 19, and they would not have been able to think of a legitimate excuse of what happened to their brother. Ya‘qūb unknowingly and unwittingly gave it to them. This shows us that one needs to think a little bit more before speaking in this regard. We learn from this mistake that Ya‘qūb fell into.

Of the wisdoms of this sūrah is that the believer’s firāsa is true. Firāsa means intuition and a gut instinct. We believe that a gut instinct is something Allāh sometimes blesses you with. It is not something you can use in a court of law. You cannot consider someone guilty in a court of law because you feel that way. The more righteous you are, the more your moral compass and gut instinct will be rightly guided. This instinct in Arabic is called firāsa. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Beware of the firāsa of the believer because the firāsa of the believer is always true.” Where is the benefit here? When the children came back to Ya‘qūb and said, “Oh, sorry, your son has been eaten by the wolf,” Ya‘qūb knew something was wrong. There was no solid evidence, but his heart is telling him, “My kids are up to no good, and something is wrong. Yūsuf is alive, and they’ve done something wrong.” He doesn’t have any evidence, but he still charges them with a crime. “I don’t know what you’ve done, but you have done something wrong.” The firāsa or inner instinct of the believer is true. When can you use this? You cannot use this to charge anybody with a crime and cannot use it in a court of law. If somebody comes and wants to have a business transaction with you and outwardly he looks like a trustworthy person, but inside you feel that something doesn’t feel right, you are not obligated to engage in a business transaction or in a marriage proposal. If somebody comes and proposes for your son or daughter and you don’t feel about it, it is not a court of law that you have to explain why. If something doesn’t feel right and if this is from Allāh ‘azza wa jall, then there is a reality to it. As we said, the closer you are to Allāh, the more true your intuition is going to be. This is a blessing of being close to Allāh that your intuition will then be rightly guided.

Of the wisdoms and blessings of this sūrah is the permissibility of using secondary evidence. We mentioned this on more than one occasion. The first time this comes up is when Ya‘qūb is being told that his son has been killed by a wolf, but he sees the shirt untorn. He sees the shirt that has been bloodied but with no tear in it. This is a secondary evidence. In our Sharī‘ah, you are allowed to use secondary evidence and are allowed to take into account external factors even if there are no two witnesses and no direct evidence. We use our common sense and compile the facts and look at the evidences and then place a verdict.

Of the wisdoms of this sūrah is that no matter how evil the crime, you should always advise the criminal to fear Allāh first. Before you get to your own concerns with him, the first thing you should do is advise him to fear Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) and to remind him of the gravity of the sin. The first thing that Ya‘qūb does is say, “You have committed an offense. Your souls have misguided you. Qāla bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amra. Your souls have led you to destruction. Before we get to what you have done to me, let me remind you that you have a God who is watching you. Let me remind you that there is something between you and Allāh ‘azza wa jall.” Unfortunately a lot of times we jump this step and if somebody does you wrong, you immediately defend your rights and say, “How could you have done that to me?” The reality is that you begin with the rights of Allāh. Don’t you realize that you have done a sin and are accountable to Allāh? And then you are also accountable to having taken my money or backbitten or whatever the crime is that has been done. Begin by reminding them of Allāh ‘azza wa jall.

Of the benefits that we learn from this sūrah is that patience is of different types. In the lecture that we gave, we clarified that Islamically patience can be of three types. The first type is patience during a calamity. This means that we don’t say things that should not be said. We don’t say, “O Allāh, why are you doing this to me? O Allāh, I don’t deserve this; I haven’t done anything wrong.” We don’t accuse Allāh of being unjust. We withhold and restrain our tongues and say only that which is right. We are patient in times of a calamity.

The second type of patience is patience in restraining yourself from committing sins. We don’t commit sins. We have the capacity to commit sins but withhold ourselves from committing sins. The third type is to persevere in the worship of Allāh. To pray regularly. To remember Allāh regularly. When it comes to the lowest category of patience in an adversity or patience in a calamity, even this is of levels and types. The best type of patience is ṣabrun jamīl because Allāh praises Ya‘qūb for having ṣabrun jamīl. What is ṣabrun jamīl? Ṣabrun jamīl is the beautiful patience. What is the beautiful patience? What is the pinnacle of patience when you are suffering? What can you do? We learn it from Ya‘qūb. You don’t seek the pity and the sympathy from the rest of humanity. You seek Allāh’s blessings only. You don’t go and want people’s shoulders to cry on. There is nothing wrong with that and there is nothing wrong with feeling human, but the perfection of faith and the perfection of trust in Allāh means that you turn only to Allāh and you don’t complain to the people. You don’t say, “Woe is me! Why is this happening to me?” You expect your reward from Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) and you don’t try to get the sympathy from other people because at the end of the day, their sympathy is not going to lift your calamity. Their pity will only bring about a type of humiliation in your own personal life. Do you really want people to pity you? Does that make you feel like a better person? No! It should not make you feel like a better person. You do not want the people to pity you. You want Allāh’s Mercy to shower upon you.

Again, I clarify, there is nothing wrong with getting the pity of people, but there is no question that this is not the pinnacle of faith in Allāh. The pinnacle of faith is bearing every calamity with a type of fortitude and a type of patience – ṣabrun jamīl. This is the height of patience that you don’t complain to other people. You only address your grievances directly to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla).

Of the blessings that we learn from this sūrah and of the morals that we learn from this sūrah is that we learn that if you protect your faith and chastity in your youth and young life, Allāh will protect you in your old life. This means that the young man or woman who has a strong relationship with Allāh rarely does such a person lose that faith later on in life. When you protect Allāh in your youth, Allāh will protect you in your elder age. When you protect the commandments of Allāh as a young man, Allāh will protect you as an older person. We see this in the story of Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) always having that connection with Allāh. We learn it in the ḥadīth of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) when he says that one of the seven people whom Allāh will shelter on the Day of Judgment is a young person (man or woman) who grew up immersed in the worship of Allāh. If you can worship Allāh in your childhood, and by childhood we mean teens and twenties. Shāb means young – child is not the correct word. In your teens and your twenties, and some scholars have said even up until your early thirties you are still a shāb. When you are religious in this phase of your life, and we know from personal experience that if you are religious when you are in your twenties, you hardly ever come across a person who leaves religion when they are 50 or 60. We come across this in the story of Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) as well.

Of the lessons and morals that we learn from this sūrah is the dangers of interacting with the opposite gender when there is temptation. The owner of Yūsuf was attracted to Yūsuf, and they are alone for long periods of time, and this is fueling her desire more. That is why our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that a man and a woman should not be alone when nobody else can see them unless they are relatives or married. They should not be alone and should not be in an area where these things can happen because it is human nature. Men and women are naturally attracted to this feeling, and our religion teaches us to channel it to that which is permissible.

Of the lessons that we learn is that Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) saves the righteous when they most need him. No matter how difficult the situation will be, if you turn to Allāh, Allāh ‘azza wa jall will help you. We learn this from the situation of Yūsuf being the young man and being the slave and being tempted by a woman of beauty and being tempted by his own owner, not just a stranger. She has power over him and no one can see them. We told you all of the stories of how she locked the door and prepared herself and did everything. Typically, it would be almost impossible – dare I say without faith in Allāh it would be impossible – for any other man to have said no, but Yūsuf turned to Allāh. Yūsuf invoked Allāh and said, “O Allāh, I need You to divert their plot away from me. Wa illa taṣrif ‘anni kaydahunn. Unless You help me, I will be of those who commit a sin.” This blessing here is that Allāh saves the righteous when they most need Him. No matter how difficult the situation is, Allāh ‘azza wa jall will save you.

Of the blessings here is that without Allāh saving you, you are not going to be saved. These are two blessings that go hand in hand. In other words, the only factor that can possibly help you overcome many of the passions of the soul, many of the passions of the body, many of the diseases of the heart and soul is to turn to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) because Allāh says in the Qurʾān: “kadhālika linaṣrif ‘anhu’l-sū’ wa’l-faḥshā’. This is how We averted evil and lewdness from him.” How? Yūsuf turned to Allāh. Yūsuf turns to Allāh, and Allāh says, “Because he turned to Me, I turned to him.” What this shows, brothers and sisters, is that there is no disease that you have and no passion that you might have and no lust or desire that might plague your heart except that if you are sincere in leaving that lust and desire for the sake of Allāh, Allāh will give you protection against it. The problem is not in Allāh giving you the protection. The problem is in your sincerity and my sincerity. Are you really sincere in your desire to give up this sin? If you are, you will turn to Allāh sincerely. If you turn to Allāh sincerely, Allāh says, “I will turn to you and I will protect you.” This is what Yūsuf did. In a situation the likes of which, as I said, it is humanly impossible to imagine otherwise, yet Allāh saved him in the middle of this fortress and in the middle of these locked doors. Allāh ‘azza wa jall answered his plea and call and saved him. Why? Because he made du‘ā’ to Allāh: “O Allāh, I need You now. Unless You protect me, no one will protect me.” When he begged and pleaded with Allāh from the heart, Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) responded back and said, “This is how We averted evil from him.” Any time you are afflicted with a habitual sin, realize that if you truly want to give that sin up, nothing can stop you because Allāh is going to be on your side. The question is, do you really want to give it up? That is where the problem comes and we talked about that when we discussed those verses.

Of the morals and benefits that we learn from this sūrah are the evils of gossip, slander, and backbiting. We mentioned that the believer does not talk about issues that are of no concern to him. People are gossiping about so-and-so and this is human society, but the believer rises above this, and the believer does not allow his tongue to mention that which is of no concern to them. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Of the perfection of one’s faith is that he leaves that which does not concern him.” We see what happens when the women of the town begin gossiping about Yūsuf. We see how the situation becomes complicated when the wife of ‘Aziz feels so much pain because of her ego. Of the wisdoms is that we learn the dangers of the ego and the dangers of the self and the dangers of caring so much about what other people know and view you to be. The true believer is only concerned about how Allāh views him. If Allāh ‘azza wa jall views him in a positive manner, then who cares how the rest of the world views you. Conversely, if the whole world views you in a positive light but you have not established your credentials in front of Allāh, of what use will their positive attitude be towards you? That is why the true believer understands that praise and criticism from people will not affect him. It is the pleasure of Allāh that will affect him unlike the wife of ‘Aziz whose whole concern was her reputation and ego. Because of that, she did an even more dastardly deed and a deed that really showed she lacked complete hayā’ and modesty. She lacks it because he is openly boasting about what she has done and is enticing Yūsuf in front of the other ladies. This shows us the evils of gossip and the evils of being concerned with one’s ego and one’s prestige.

Of the wisdoms we learn from Sūrah Yūsuf is that we should appreciate the blessings that have been deprived from us just as we appreciate the blessings that we have been given. What do I mean by this? Realize that for many of us, certain blessings will become curses because we don’t know how to handle them. Certain blessings will become trials and tribulations because we are too weak. If we truly believe that Allāh loves us, then we will have faith that Allāh will give us that which is beneficial for us. Imagine if one of us had even a fraction of the beauty of Yūsuf. Could we have withstood even a fraction of what he withstood? Imagine if one of us was blessed with a fraction of the wealth of Qārūn or of the ‘izzah of Abu Lahab in his town of Makkah and the Quraysh. Imagine if we had that which many of us are jealous of others when they have it, and we are greedy about it and we are salivating and want that power and money. Calm down and think. If Allāh had given it to you, perhaps it would lead you to your destruction. That is exactly what the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said. He said, “Sometimes I give money to people even though I see others are needy of it because I am worried that if I give him that money, it will lead him to the fire of hell. It will be too much for him, and he will do things that he should not do.” The believer puts his trust and faith in Allāh. O Allāh, you know me best, and You know what I should have deserved and gotten and what I shouldn’t have. I know that whatever I don’t have, there is a wisdom that You know why I don’t have it, and I put my trust in You. We learn this from the story of Yūsuf. Imagine if you had this beauty. Who amongst us could have withstood those temptations.

Of the simple theological wisdoms we learn, and this is a wisdom that all of humanity knows, is that angels are beautiful creatures. That is why when the women saw Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām), they thought he is an angel. That is why every society considers angels to be beautiful. In the Western society, they consider them to be innocent babies. We of course don’t imagine angels and cannot imagine them, but angels are created in the most beautiful fashion. Any religion that believes in angels ascribes beauty to the angels.

Of the blessings and wisdoms we learn from this sūrah is that inner beauty also plays a role along with outer beauty. Inner beauty is good virtues, good manners, chastity, living a good and wholesome life. When Yūsuf refused the seduction of the wife of ‘Aziz and then she invited the other ladies and said that he is not doing it and he is still refusing, they became even more eager for him. Why? Because his inner beauty of piety appealed to them despite the fact that they lacked piety. Allāh created human nature to admire perfection and beauty. Deep down inside no matter how people live their lifestyles, they know certain things are wrong and immoral. It is engrained inside of us. Living a chaste and virtuous life is something that everybody knows is a good life. These women want to commit a crime, but when they see that Yūsuf does not want to commit the crime, it makes Yūsuf even more attractive. Why? Because it is inner beauty of holiness, of chastity. This shows us that even in a society that doesn’t believe in God – remember that the people of Egypt were pagans and not worshippers of the true God – but they know what is right and wrong. They know that casual intimacy and sex is not something that is encouraged and permissible, so when Yūsuf says, “No, I don’t want to do that,” automatically it adds more beauty to his outer beauty. This shows us Allāh has created humanity. They didn’t have a book and they didn’t have a Sharī‘ah, but they still knew what is right and wrong. How and why? Morality is engrained in human beings. Certain things are engrained in us, and this is one of them.

Of the benefits that we learn from this sūrah is that a believer must call out to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) to help and overcome any sin. Once again, Yūsuf is saying, “Unless You help me overcome it and fortify me against the seduction, I will never be able to withstand this temptation.” When you are in a state of temptation and attracted to a sin, we learn from the story of Yūsuf that when you are thinking of the sin, you should start thinking of Allāh. A lot of people have this concept that if they are thinking of evil, then they will do the evil and not think of Allāh because they think it is not the right time to think of Allāh. Allāh says, “She desired him and he desired her.” We explained that there is nothing strange about this. He is a normal man and a young man and has come of age. Just like every man, he has the same thing on his mind. He desired her, and during this state of desire, what did he do? He made du‘ā’ to Allāh. There is a clash going on inside Yūsuf between the forces of good and the forces of evil. It is an excellent clash to happen because you don’t want to ignore the forces of good and let the forces of evil win over and not think of Allāh right now. No – he is battling his desire for this temptation, and during this battle, he turns to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla). You must turn to Allāh when thoughts of evil come to you. It is the only way to protect yourself. You must turn to Allāh when you are flirting with evil. There is no other way to protect you.

Of the benefits we learn from this sūrah is that actions precede words when it comes to calling people to Islam. This is one of the fundamental mistakes we make here in America. We think that all we have to do is preach to the people and tell them about our religion. The fact of the matter is that we have not established our social credentials and have not shown them who we are. We haven’t explained to them about charity and taking care of the poor and the status of the orphan. We haven’t demonstrated that we are morally responsible for the weak and the elderly and for the dispossessed. This is our religion. Look at Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) and what he does in jail and throughout the entire story. He always establishes his moral character, mercy, tenderness, iḥsān. What did the criminals say in the prison? Inna narāka min al-muḥsinīn. He hasn’t even opened his mouth to preach, but within a few days, the prison is abuzz that this is a good guy. Once that is established, then the opportunity presents itself and then Yūsuf starts preaching the message. A lot of times we do the exact opposite and begin preaching when we haven’t shown the mercy and tenderness of our religion.

Of the wisdoms we learn from this sūrah is that you need to speak to people at a time and place they are comfortable with. When the two prisoners come to Yūsuf for the question, what does Yūsuf say? The first thing he says is, “Okay, I have heard your question, and I will respond before food is delivered.” They must have had a time when the food comes and they know that time. Yūsuf is saying, “Before the food comes, I will answer your question. Listen to me for a bit.” He prepares them mentally for listening to the da‘wah. This is another issue where I think a lot of us fall into errors. Personally, I don’t believe in knocking door to door to preach about Islam. I’m not saying that should never be done. Perhaps in some scenarios it is good, but would you like people to come to your door? Prepare the environment properly. This is what Yūsuf did. They come to him with the question of interpreting the dream, and Yūsuf understands, “Now I have your attention for a few minutes, so let me use this opportunity. Give me five minutes.” He then preaches Islam to them. This shows us that if you do want to tell people about your religion, make sure that the time and the place is appropriate. Don’t try to shove the religion down their throats. Don’t try to be in your face. This is a very beautiful point that we learn from Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām).

Of the wisdoms that we learn from the story is that when we do call to Islam, we should call to tawḥīd and monotheism. This is the gist of our religion: la ilāha illa Allāh. The entire two paragraphs that Yūsuf is talking about with the prisoners is all about: who is my Lord? What do I do? We spent a whole lecture on the one paragraph where he explained Islam and how beautiful that paragraph was. It combined the three types of tawḥīd and combined the three pillars of our religion. I say over and over again, brothers and sisters, what sets our religion apart from other religions is our simplistic creed in our Lord. It is so simple: there is one perfect God; worship Him alone. This is our religion, and we need to keep on hammering this point instead of going on to different tangents. What really makes our religion so precious to us? The shahādah. la ilāha illa Allāh Muḥammadan rasūlullāh. This is what Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) preached to the people, and that is what you continue to tell to the people who do not know your faith. It is a very simple religion. There is One, All-Perfect God and you continue to worship Him as long as you live.

Of the benefits that we get from this sūrah is the necessity to use the means to get to the goals. What does this mean? Yūsuf wanted to be free. Yūsuf wanted to get out of jail. He didn’t just sit down and say, “Allāh will free me when He desires.” He did what he could. What could he do? A person was going to be freed and next to the king, so Yūsuf tells him, “Mention my case to your lord.” There is nothing wrong with that at all. He wants to be freed, and he realized that in order to be free, there has to be a court case and hearing and judge looking into it. He goes through the process. Why do I say this? Because, once again, a lot of Muslims have this weird concept of trusting Allāh which for them means that you sit back and do nothing. That is not trusting Allāh but that is acting foolishly. Trusting Allāh means he realizes that Allāh can free him, but he has to walk through the path and get to the means. In our case, it would be fighting in the courts and hiring a lawyer. In our case, it would be if you are sick then go to the doctor and go to the hospital and get your treatment done. Tawakkul doesn’t just mean that you sit at home and expect Allāh to take care of you. It means that your heart is attached to Allāh, but you walk the path to get to the goal. The point is that Allāh created the goal, and let’s that it is to be freed. Allāh also created the path to get to the goal, and that is fighting in the court and going to the lawyers, etc. You realize that both the path and the goal will come from Allāh, and you need to walk the path to reach the goal while your heart is attached to Allāh.

Of the benefits of the sūrah is that hastiness does not bring about good. Patience brings about that which is best. The fruits of patience are always going to be sweet. The messenger comes to Yūsuf, and he has been in jail at least seven years in conditions that only Allāh knows. At least in our times the jails are much more humane and clean and there are no rats running around. Can you imagine the jails of those time? How filthy and how despicable. This is a prophet of Allāh, a noble man. He has been put in a place where we would not even want our worst enemy to be put in. No doubt that back then these are inhumane conditions. This is a prophet of Allāh subjugated to such filth and lack of ‘izzah. Now somebody comes knocking on the door and says, “The king wants you.” What did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say? “May Allāh have mercy on Yūsuf. Had I been in that jail as long as he had been, I would have rushed to the door. I would have demanded that the king release me before I interpret the dream.” Even our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is saying, “Wow, māshā’Allāh.” Yūsuf acted patiently and resisted hastiness. Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Hastiness is from the devil. Patience and to act with contemplation is from Allāh.” By doing things in a long-term manner patiently, he sends the messenger back. Realize that it is going to take a few days now. “Go back to your lord and tell him to find out the story of those women. I didn’t do anything, and I want my name cleared.” What happens? Had he not done this, the king would have given him money and let him go, but by proving his innocence, the king says, “I trust you, O Yūsuf, what can I do for you?” He makes him a minister instantaneously. He takes him from the filth of the jail and makes him the most powerful person in the entire country, which is the minister of finance. Why? Because he acted long-term and without haste and putting his trust in Allāh and acting patiently.

Of the wisdoms of the sūrah is that you will not succeed until you have failed, and you will not rise until you have been debased and humiliated. You don’t expect life to be a bed of roses. We talked about the sine wave. This is a prophet of Allāh born in the household of a prophet – what a high point – and then thrown in the well to die, a low point. He was sold into slavery. SubḥānAllāh. He gets to a palace and they treat him nicely – a high point. Thrown into jail – what a low point. Then what happens? He becomes the minister. Up, down, up, down. The whole story is like that. Why? You are not going to succeed until you have shown Allāh that you can deal with failure. You have to continue moving. Allāh is not going to bless you when you haven’t deserved or earned that blessing or at least shown Allāh that you are worthy of that blessing. You need to go through the well and the prison in order to get to the palace and the ministry. You need to go through the well and the prison in order to be blessed with the blessings of this world. Realize the next time you are in a struggle and the next time you are in a down point in your life, that is your well and that is your prison. If you turn to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla), inshā’Allāh the metaphorical palace is right around the corner. You have to go through this to get to the heights in life. If you put your trust in Allāh ‘azza wa jall, you will see the fruits just like Yūsuf did.

Of the wisdoms we learn from this sūrah is the perfection of being generous with one’s guests. This is something that our religion prides itself on. Honestly, I have to say, no matter what the problems are of the ummah and no matter how much fitnah, fasād, fāḥishah and corruption exist in the ummah, the one thing alḥamdulillāh we can be proud of throughout the Muslim world is that we are known for our generosity, and anybody who has traveled Muslim lands and gone and visited any country will testify and witness that Muslims are hospitable and generous to their guests. They give their own food to their guests before they will eat. This is something alḥamdulillāh we have learned from the prophet Ibrāhīm. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The prophet Ibrāhīm was the first person to begin the tradition of honoring guests.” Before the prophet Ibrāhīm, guests were not honored. When the three angels came, the prophet Ibrāhīm (‘alayhi’l-salām) bought a fat, juicy calf and cooked it for them and gave it to them. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us the first person to begin the tradition of being hospitable was our father the prophet Ibrāhīm (‘alayhi’l-salām). It remained in our religion, and we see when the brothers came to Yūsuf, he sends them back to their own father and said, “Wasn’t I the best of all hosts?” He opens their heart by being a good host. SubḥānAllāh, brothers and sisters, alḥamdulillāh as I said this is alive in the ummah, and we should make sure it never goes away. When somebody comes visiting you and when somebody comes from out of town, it is a part of religion and our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, – and wallāhi, think about it and why a prophet would say this ḥadīth unless it was so important – “Whoever truly believes in Allāh and the hereafter, let him honor his guest.” What a beautiful religion this is. If you believe in Allāh, honor your guests. Give him your food, and show him the dignity and respect that you would want to be shown. Alḥamdulillāh, as I said, this is one thing we can say is still alive in the ummah – Arab, Pakistani, Bengali, wherever you are, alḥamdulillāh we treat our guests well. We learn this from the story of Yūsuf as well when Yūsuf says, “Wasn’t I the best host to you? When you go back, tell your father what a great host I was.”

Of the wisdoms that we learn from the story of Yūsuf is the permissibility of using ḥalāl tricks to get to ḥalāl goals. In our religion, we don’t believe that the ends justify the means. However, we do believe in ḥalāl tricks if the goal is ḥalāl. What is a ḥalāl trick? A ḥalāl trick is something where you are not taking the rights of anybody else and are not lying and not stealing, but you do something that might not be the standard in order to get to a ḥalāl or permissible conclusion. What was the standard or conclusion? Yūsuf wanted to keep Binyamin in the country, but there was no law of the land that would allow him to keep Binyamin, so what did he do? Allāh told him of a ḥalāl trick. The goal was ḥalāl: he wants to protect his brother, and there is nothing ḥarām in that. If the goal is ḥarām, it doesn’t matter how you get there, it is ḥarām. If the means is ḥarām, then even if the goal is ḥalāl you will be sinful. In our religion we do not ever believe that the ends justify the means. That is a Machiavellian concept. We don’t believe that in our religion. In our religion, if it is ḥarām to do it, even if the net result is good it is ḥarām. That is why we don’t believe, for example, that you can give ḥarām money to build a masjid. If you have ḥarām money from interest or any type of activity that is ḥarām, you are not allowed to give it to the masjid, and it is ḥarām to give it. Allāh will not accept it. Do you think that the people will accept it from you? Some people ask if they do have that money, what should they do. Give it to building other facilities around the masjid but not the actual masjid itself. The musallah has a special fiqh and ruling. The buildings around the musallah and parking lots have other rulings. If you have surplus money from interest, we know interest is not allowed, and you want to get rid of it, you can give it to secondary causes but don’t expect reward from Allāh. Overall, from this we learn that it is permissible to have a ḥalāl trick to get to a ḥalāl goal.

Of the benefits and wisdoms, in America we have certain groups who say that it is not allowed for us to participate in the American electoral process and it is ḥarām to vote. We have all heard of such groups saying we should not vote and should not participate in the system around us. Yet Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) participates in the system of the king in order to get to the conclusion of keeping his brother. Allāh says in the Qurʾān: “He could not have kept his brother according to the laws of the king” unless Allāh worked this trick out for him. He worked with the system in the system to keep his brother. Therefore, in this land we are in the middle of the two extremes and say that alḥamdulillāh we have full legal (Sharri‘) permissibility to fight for our rights in the court system and take advantage as long as what we are asking for is permissible. We are not allowed to use the system against our religion. We cannot go and get something from a person that the Sharī‘ah would not have allowed us. Unfortunately some people do this. The Sharī‘ah would allow you to take x amount and you know that the court will give you double that amount, and some people are willing to go to the court to get double the amount, and this is something that is obviously not good as well. They are misusing the system. Alḥamdulillāh, there is no problem to use it for a legitimate means.

Of the wisdoms that we learn from this sūrah is that the believer is always cautious. The believer is not naïve and is not a fool. When the brothers come to Ya‘qūb and say, “Hand over Binyamin. We are going to take him as well.” Ya‘qūb is not a fool and says, “Do you think I am going to hand him over just like I handed his brother over?” The believer acts cautiously. Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said in a beautiful parable, “The believer is never stung from the same hole twice.” This is a parable now in Arabic, but our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the first to say it. The believer is not naïve but is a man of wisdom and understands that if a problem has come from one area, most likely it will come again. When the brothers come and say, “Hand over Binyamin,” he says, “I’m not going to do that.” What happens?

We get to the next wisdom. Generosity and good manners is the best way to get to someone’s heart. How did Yūsuf win over his father’s heart when he didn’t know he was Yūsuf? By returning the goods to the brothers and handing them back the merchandise. When they came back, the father said, “No way I’m going to give you Binyamin.” They open up the bag and find all of the money returned. They can now have an excuse against their father and they say, “O our father, look at this. Do you really think we would want to cause harm now? This man has treated us nicely and has been hospitable and look at how generous he has been.” Being kind, hospitable and generous will work miracles. Ya‘qūb would never have given up his son unless Yūsuf (and he did not know it was his son) had demonstrated his gentleness and kindness. If you want to get to somebody’s heart, good manners will win and not harshness and miserliness.

Of the benefits of this sūrah is wisdom in planning. Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) has planted the cup in the sack of his brother, and now he wants to open up those sacks. He begins with the sacks of the older brothers and works his way to the younger one. This shows us the believer, once again, is not naïve. He knows that if he were to go straight to the sack of Binyamin, people are going to say, “Wait, hold on a second. How did you know it was in that sack? He is planning things through and has foresight. These days we have a whole science called management. Yūsuf demonstrates that and thinks things through. In our times, the chess player thinks ten steps ahead. Yūsuf is thinking. This is a sign of īmān. The mu’min is not foolish. The mu’min is a wise person. Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) demonstrates this.

Of the wisdoms that we learn from this sūrah is that even evil people have streaks of good in them. Even the worst sinner can eventually repent if he turns over. This is learned from the brothers of Yūsuf. To me, this is one of the most fascinating lessons of this story: where the brothers of Yūsuf began the story and where they end the story. They began by plotting to murder their younger brother. As I said, how many amongst us have done such a dastardly deed? Alḥamdulillāh, I hope nobody is that bad amongst us. Yet they ended up like the stars. Even an evil person has good in them. We see this right now in the part of the story when the brothers realize that Binyamin is not going to come back, they feel so guilty. The eldest one says, “I am going to stay here. I am going to impose an exile on myself because we made a mistake in Yūsuf and now we made another mistake. We are in big trouble. I want my father to know that I know I committed a crime and I know I am guilty.” This shows that there are elements of good. This shows us that even if there is somebody who at one point in their lives wanted to murder their younger brother, it doesn’t mean that they are going to be pure evil. There is a beautiful saying attributed to ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib – it is not a ḥadīth – that is that: “Hate your enemy with a little less hatred (I other words, don’t be full of hate even towards your enemy. Lessen the hate against your enemy.) One day it is going to be very likely that he is going to be your friend.” Hate your enemy with a little bit less hatred. In other words, calm down, don’t be full of hate. One day this very enemy might be a good friend of yours. Allāh says in the Qurʾān: “Repel evil with good and you shall see the one who was your worst enemy becomes a bosom friend.” It is a very common thing.

Of the wisdoms and benefits of this sūrah is it is a sign of īmān to always think the best of Allāh ‘azza wa jall and to have the best thoughts of Allāh and to never lose hope. At least thirty or forty years have gone by and Ya‘qūb has gone blind in his grief, but his faith in Allāh only increases and never goes down. To the very end when all three sons are missing and he has gone blind, what does he tell his children? “O my children, go find Yūsuf. You will find him. And never give up hope of Allāh’s Mercy.” He is the one demonstrating this. Never give up hope of Allāh’s Mercy. The only people who can do that are the qawm’l-kafirūn.

Of the wisdoms that we learn is that complaining to Allāh is actually a sign of īmān if it is done properly, and complaining to the people is not a sign of īmān. Ya‘qūb says, “I complain of my situation to Allāh.” When the most difficult situation in his life ever happened, which was Ṭā’if by his own testimony – ‘Ā’ishah said, “Was there any day worse than Uḥud?” He said, “Yes, there was the day of Ṭā’if.” What was the du‘ā’ of Ṭā’if? “O Allāh, to You I complain…” What does shakwa mean in this sense? Many of us when we think of complaining, we think of “Why is this happening? I don’t deserve this.” That is not what we are talking about. The complaint here is a complaint that is done to elicit Allāh’s sympathy and mercy. This is what the complaint means. “O Allāh, You see the situation I am in. O Allāh, this is a distressing situation.” This is complaining. A factual description. Not: “O Allāh, why is this happening to me?” The believer never speaks in such a manner.

Of the wisdoms that we learn from this sūrah is that the believer always ascribes good to Allāh and evil to the Shayṭān. Notice in the end of the sūrah Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) says, “How generous my Lord has been when He saved me from the prison and caused you to leave the bedouin lifestyle and come into the city.” At the end of the sūrah, Yūsuf says, “Allāh has granted us His blessings.” All blessings are described to Allāh. A problem happens: “it was Shayṭān who caused problems between my brothers and I.” All good was ascribed to Allāh. Evil does not come from Allāh. We ascribe good to Allāh. We don’t ascribe evil to Allāh. This is the proper way to phrase it. We ascribe evil to other than Allāh ‘azza wa jall, and of course primarily the source of this type of evil comes from the Shayṭān.

Of the wisdoms that we learn from this sūrah is that it is a sign of perfection of one’s īmān to not hurt the feelings of other believers. Yūsuf exemplifies this in a manner that is unbelievable. He bends over backwards to never mention the crime. In the very last page, when he talks about the blessings of Allāh, he never mentions the well or the slavery because those were caused by the brothers. When he said, “From now on there shall be no blame on you,” he lived up to his word. No blame was put. Therefore, he went out of his way to make sure that his brothers’ feelings were not hurt. This is of the perfection of īmān. Innuendos, hinting, double meanings, and derogatory snide remarks are not the way of the believer. To do so goes against perfection of one’s īmān.

Of the wisdoms we learn is to forgive when you have power is the height of excellence; therefore, how much more so should you forgive when you don’t have power? You have to forgive. To forgive when you have power is what Yūsuf did. He was the king’s right hand man and controlled the country. The brothers came to him realizing they made a mistake, and Yūsuf forgives despite his power. Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was told through this sūrah: “A day will come when your own brethren are going to come to you and you must say the same thing.” That is exactly what he did standing on the doors of the Ka‘bah. He stood on the doors of the Ka‘bah, and the people of the Quraysh were around him, and he said, “What do you think I should do to you? What do you think you deserve?” They were petrified. They deserved death and they knew it. They deserved execution because of what they had done for the last twenty-three years. Now they come trembling and scared. “You are the son of a noble brother and one of us. Remember us.” They didn’t remember him back in the day, but now they come. What did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say? He said exactly what Yūsuf said, and he never once mentioned the faults of the Quraysh after this, just like Yūsuf. He never once brings up the past that has happened. Khalās, everything and everyone are forgiven, including those who have personally tried to assassinate him. Everyone was forgiven down to the last man just like Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām) did, and no sins and crimes were mentioned after that. If this is the case when you have power, then how much more so for me and you when somebody does us wrong. Shouldn’t we also then say, “May Allāh forgive them”? Forgive in your hearts.

Of the blessings that we learn from this sūrah is that asking people’s forgiveness for wrongs that you have done and publicly announcing your public sins is a part of īmān. The general rule is that your sins are private. If you have made a public mistake, then you need to issue a public apology. The brothers made a public mistake and harmed their father. They come in public and say, “ya abbāna-staghfirlana dhunūbana inna kunna khāṭi’īn.” A public mistake requires a public apology. A mistake that is done to a person requires that you seek forgiveness from that person. This is not a private sin between you and Allāh ‘azza wa jall.

Of the blessings of this sūrah is that our religion tells us to treat our parents with honor and respect. We know this for a fact. Yūsuf demonstrates this many times. When they enter Egypt, Yūsuf goes out to meet them, and he makes a du‘ā’ for them. He puts them on the throne. Physical, mental, spiritual exaltation. No human being is more worthy of your veneration other than your parents. In terms of natural love and dedication, there is no second to them. Yūsuf demonstrates this over and over again.

Of the wisdoms and blessings of this sūrah is that Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) can always bring about reconciliation between two people who are fighting and enemies of one another. The brothers of Yūsuf and Yūsuf. Imagine how much hatred much have existed in the brothers’ of Yūsuf hearts, and imagine how much pain in Yūsuf’s heart. Yet, in the end, what happens? All is forgotten and forgiven. Allāh says in the Qurʾān regarding the mushrikūn who had accepted Islam (i.e. regarding the muhājirūn and the anṣār): “If you had given this entire world to try to make them friends and bring reconciliation, they would never have become friends. Allāh has brought about that friendship and reconciliation.” Anybody you have some problem with and are distressed with, realize that it is only a matter of time inshā’Allāh. Turn to Allāh and make du‘ā’ to Allāh to bring about that reconciliation. Make this du‘ā’ to Allāh: “O Allāh, bring our hearts together.” If Allāh can bring together the hearts of the brothers of Yūsuf and Yūsuf, then surely your enemies and my enemies and your problematic situations and scenarios whether within the family or outside of the family, surely Allāh can bring about a reconciliation as well. This is of the benefits we learn from this sūrah.

Of the blessings we learn, is that what is important in the eyes of Allāh is the state that you die in. The state that you die in dictates your place in the hereafter and not the state that you began in. This is one of the biggest sources of optimism in the life of the believer. It is never too late to change. It is never too late to turn over a new leaf. It is never too late to give up a lifestyle of evil and start a lifestyle of righteousness. The brothers of Yūsuf are a primary example of this. They began the story in one state and ended in another and that is what is important. Another manifestation of this wisdom is the du‘ā’ of Yūsuf: “Cause me to die in a state of Islam.” What is important is your state at the time of death.

Of the blessings of this sūrah is the whole page conclusion is the miracle of the Qurʾān. This is a powerful tool that we don’t utilize to the extent that we should. A powerful tool to talk about our religion is to talk about the Qurʾān. Where did it come from, the style, the recitation, the beauty, the melody. Everything about the Qurʾān is miraculous. In the last two lessons we talked about the beauty of the Qurʾān.

We talked about the three levels of patience. Notice that Yūsuf perfected all three levels. The lowest level of patience is patience in the face of adversity. Somebody dies, something happens, you lose your job – how do you react? This is patience. Yūsuf reacted with the utmost patience in all that happened: in the well and the prison and in all that happened, he is reacting with patience.

Norway: Trial opens for Mohammed cartoonist attack plot

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:27:27 +0000

Norway: Trial opens for Mohammed cartoonist attack plot Via Deutsche Welle : Three men accused of plotting to bomb the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, for printing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed pleaded not guilty in a Norwegian court on Tuesday. The trio of Norwegian citizens, believed to have ties to al-Qaeda, is suspected of planning an attack and acquiring ingredients to make explosives to bomb the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper for printing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, which is considered blasphemous in Islam

Norway: Trial opens for Mohammed cartoonist attack plot

Via Deutsche Welle:

Three men accused of plotting to bomb the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, for printing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed pleaded not guilty in a Norwegian court on Tuesday.

The trio of Norwegian citizens, believed to have ties to al-Qaeda, is suspected of planning an attack and acquiring ingredients to make explosives to bomb the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper for printing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, which is considered blasphemous in Islam.

They have been charged with “conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack.” If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison.

(source)

Five Things to Act Upon

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:09:25 +0000

It is related by Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu: “[Once] the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said to us: ‘Who is there to learn these few things from me, and, then, to act upon them and to tell them also to others who will act ?’ I replied, ‘O Apostle of Allah! I am present.’ The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam thereupon, held my hand [in affection] and said, ‘Refrain from the acts Allah has forbidden and refrain from them strictly. If you will do so, you are a very great worshipper [and this worship is better than the abundance of supererogatory (nafl) prayers]. Secondly, remain satisfied with what Allah has fore-ordained for you. If you do so, you will attain contentment and become very rich. Thirdly, be kind and gentle in your behaviour towards the neighbours. If you will do so, you are a perfect believer. Fourthly, desire for yourself what you desire for others. If you do so, you will become a true Muslim. Fifthly, do not laugh much for too much laughter kills the heart.”
Musnad-i-Ahmed, Tirmidhi

Commentary
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam wanted to tell the five above mentioned things. In order to attract the attention of the listeners, he first said, “I want to tell a few special things. Who among you will like to learn them? But he will have to pay back their claim by acting upon them himself, and, also, relating them to others so that they, too, may profit.”
It shows that there are two claims on anyone who acquires the knowledge of faith, he should act according to it and, also, pass it on to others. Even if he does not carry out into practice fully what he learns, he must not refrain from imparting it to others.

The five things the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam has taught in this Tradition are of fundamental importance.

(i) He is most devout bondsman and a great worshipper who abstains from what is unlawful though he may not be offering up a great deal of supererogatory (nafl) prayers and observing much of supererogatory fasts.

(ii) One derives immense satisfaction and peace of mind from being content with what Allah has decreed for him.

(iii) Good and noble behaviour towards the neighbour is a prerequisite of perfection in Faith.

(iv) A true Muslim must always wish well of others to the extent of desiring for them what he desires for himself.

(v) One should not laugh much because excessive laughter deprives the heart of feeling and makes it insensitive.

Riayduljannah.com