Muhammad RasoolAllah (s.a.w)

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

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Assalam alaikum once again. We read about the Event that took place in Taif with Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in my note – ‘Are you forgiving enough to let go?’

This note is an upshot to it as I would like to highlight two other events that took place during the life of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w).

This verse from the Holy Qur’an says-

 And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], but as a mercy to the worlds.

[Al-Quran: 21:106-107]

Indeed, God's last and final Messenger was the kindest of men in the same way as he excelled all others in courage and valor. Being extremely kind-hearted, his eyes abounded with tears at the slenderest sign of inhumanity. Here is one of the accounts.

The Garbage thrower-

Even before the first ray of sunlight had entered her window, she was busy sweeping her house. She saved all the garbage in a basket, placed it on the roof of her house and arrogantly looked at it for a while, then with an impatient look on her face, she looked at the street that she lived on, and thought, "No one has ever seen him angry. Everybody will praise me when they will see him shouting at me and getting mad. They will laugh at him and make fun of him." She looked at the basket again and grinned.

Meanwhile, she heard footsteps, announcing the approach of the end of her waiting. "Finally my prey has arrived," she thought, as she saw a man dressed in clean, white clothes coming that way. She picked up the basket in her hands and threw all the garbage on him when he passed by. Much to the woman's disappointment, he did not say anything and continued on his way.

She did the same the following day thinking, "Maybe this time I will be able to annoy him." But he was too gentle to shout at a woman. She misinterpreted his attitude as fear and decided to repeat the same mischief everyday in order to keep him terrified, so that he might stop preaching the Oneness of God.

This gentleman whom the woman hated so much was Muhammad (s.a.w), the last prophet of God Almighty. He did not want to disappoint the woman and so continued to walk down the street everyday, instead of picking an alternate route, and prayed for the woman to recognize the Truth.

One day, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) did not find the woman to be on the roof of her house with the basket. This concerned him, because he thought something must have happened to her for not being over there. So he knocked at the door.

"Who is it?" asked a feeble voice. "Muhammad bin Abdullah," was the reply, "can I come in?" The woman feared, "I am sick, and too weak to fight or talk back, therefore Muhammad has come to take revenge for what I have been doing to him." But the permission to enter her house was in such a gentle voice that she allowed him in.

Muhammad (s.a.w) entered the house and told the woman that not finding her on the roof had worried him and he thus wanted to inquire about her health. On finding out how ill she was, he gently asked if she needed any help. Hypnotized by the affectionate tone in the Holy Prophet's (s.a.w) blessed voice, she forgot all fear and asked for some water. He kindly gave her some in a utensil and prayed for her health, while she quenched her thirst. This made her feel very guilty for being so cruel to him in the past and she apologized for her mean behavior. He forgave her and came to her house everyday to clean it, to feed her and to pray for her, till she was on her feet again. The kind attitude of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) inspired her into the recognition of the Truth, and his prayers were answered in the form of yet another addition into the growing number of Muslims.

One day Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was going somewhere at noon and it was too hot in the desert when He (s.a.w) saw an old woman carrying her luggage on her head. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) helped her and took the luggage from the woman and carried it for her.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) asked the woman that where she was going and why? She said that I am leaving this town as I have heard that a magician named Muhammad (s.a.w) is in town. As Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was very patient and kind, He (s.a.w) didn't say a word and kept listening. The old lady kept complaining that why she was leaving the town. In short the basic reason of her to leave the town was her misconception about Muhammad (s.a.w), who was walking beside her and she didn't know it. When they reached the destination, Muhammad (s.a.w) put down the bag and was about to leave when the old woman said,

 "O, kind person! At least tell me your name!”

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) replied, "I am the person because of whom you left the town." The old lady was amazed to listen that and said that such a kind, helping and true person can never be wrong and therefore she also accepted Islam.

Alhamdulillah.

May God almighty help us in following the ways of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

Ameen!

Jesus Christ- In Islam.

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

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Assalam alaikum to one and all. The reason why I wish to throw some light upon this topic on the basis of the Holy Qur’an is a talk I had with a friend lately. It instigated me to put forth what we  as Muslims acknowledge and believe about Christ, the son of Mary (Peace be upon him).

The Qur'an, most emphatically tells us about the life of Jesus Christ (pbuh) and his teachings. God brings into focus his[Jesus's] miraculous birth and the miracles he performed by God's permission, and his life as a respected and honored Prophet of God through the verses reveled to the last and final messenger of God, Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w). Nevertheless it is repeated and reminded to all that Jesus Christ (pbuh) was a human Prophet sent by God and not God!

The Holy Qur’an narrates the Birth of Jesus(pbuh) in a beautiful manner in Chapter 3-

 Behold! The angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah. He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous.                              

 She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a matter, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!”

[Al-Qur’an 3:45-47]

In one of the verses God almighty describes the creation of Jesus Christ(pbuh) as that of Adam(pbuh).

Be! And it is!

Furthermore, the position of this mighty messenger of God is very clear. It is obligatory on every Muslim to believe in Jesus Christ(pbuh) and his miraculous birth. We believe that he performed miracles like the other Prophets did but by God’s permission. e.g Moses (pbuh) parted the seas by God’s permission.

We already know that many prophets were sent to warn people of every nation. One of those, was Jesus Christ(pbuh). Refer to my note-Prophets in Islam.

Int the following verse from the 5th chapter, God almighty says-

"Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how God makes His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!"

[Al-Qur’an 5:75]

Now one may ask, why the statement- “They had both to eat their (daily) food” ??

This is because God wants us to know that He doesn’t require eating. Instead, He is the one who provides us all to eat. The one, who eats, needs to digest and as a matter of fact needs to attend the call of nature. This isn’t a quality of God, He is free of all wants!  This verse is a logical, simple answer to those claiming Jesus Christ and His saintly mother to be divine.

The Holy Qur’an also talks about Jesus’s (pbuh) first miracle. He spoke to the jews questioning his Mother when he was in his cradle.                                                        

"He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah. He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.                                  
 It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be", and it is." [Al-Qur’an 19:30-35].

Jesus (pbuh) was in fact a humble prophet of God almighty. He was sent to the children of Israel (Jews) with the message of God as they had forsaken the right path. But they denied him bitterly and charged him of blasphemy that Jesus (pbuh) claimed divinity.

   "And behold! God will say [i.e. on the Day of Judgment]: 'Oh Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods besides God?' He will say: ‘Glorified are Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was a witness over them while I lived among them. When You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things'" [Al-Qur’an  5:116-117].

It is absolutely clear that the Holy Qur’an exalts the position of Jesus Christ (pbuh) who is popularly known as Isaa in Arabic. His name is mentioned among the 25 Prophets spoken about in the Holy Book.  When we further analyze the teachings of Jesus Christ (pbuh) we realize that he never preached anything else but what was ordained unto him and the other Prophets by God almighty.

It is mentioned in the Bible that Jesus Christ (pbuh) when asked about the first commandment by the scribes said the following statement-

  "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." [Mark 12:29]

We Muslims believe in Christ as the Messiah (anointed one) and accept his teachings.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know."

[Acts 2:22]

Lastly I would like to explain what the term Muslim means-

A Muslim in Arabic means the one who submits his will to God almighty. In simple words- A person who follows the will of His Creator, God by obeying His commandments.  So anyone who does this is a Muslim or is fit to be called so.  Jesus Christ (pbuh) is recorded to have said the following statement in the Gospel of John-

" I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father (God) which hath sent me." [John 5:30]

Alhamdulillah.

Do you have a reason to be thankful?

As young children we were always told to read the Qur’an as much as possible and then when Ramadan came along we were expected to read all of it. We should ask ourselves how many times do we read the Qur’an, and ponder upon its meanings.Reading the Qur'an reminds me that thanking Almighty Allah is an obligation upon all of us. In order to thank Almighty Allah, we must first remember the blessings we have been given, and we should also keep in mind what can happen if we are not thankful, and how we should show our gratitude.

• Do you remember the first day you lived away from your family?
• Do you remember all the times you took your mother’s cooking for granted?
• Do you recall the free time you had, and compare it to the times when you were busy?

Try to remember the times when you had energy and the times when you were too sick to walk.

Remembering Allah’s Blessings

It is important for us to appreciate the blessings we have. Everyday, at least seventeen times, we recite ‘al-hamdu lillahrabbil alamin’(thanks be to Allah the Lord of all that exists).. This verse in Surat Al-Fatiha is short yet powerful. The word ‘rabb’ here means Lord, the only one Who has the right to be worshipped, legislates, and tells us what to do.

Think about this amazing fact; research has disclosed that if a person slept eight hours at night the body moves at least 400 times. If the body was to stay in one position it would become paralyzed, but Almighty Allah through His mercy allows our bodies to move. Also, if we did not have a strong immune system, after a couple of breaths we would get very sick, due to the amount of toxins that enters the body. How many breaths did you just take? These are just two of the blessings that Almighty Allah has bestowed upon us. Many people in the world today are blessed with so much like nice homes, cars, food, and much more; however, such things are often taken for granted.

The Fateful Test

It was narrated that there were three men; one blind, one deaf and one with a skin disease. Their only wish was to be cured and live a normal life, so Allah the Almighty, through the angel Jibril (may Allah be pleased with him), cured them. Later on, they all became wealthy. Then a blind man approached the one who had been blind and asked for help but the man refused to do so and turned him away. The man reminded him of his previous situation, but it had no affect. The same thing happened with the man who was deaf. Shortly afterwards both lost all their wealth, as this was a test from Almighty Allah. The man who asked for help was Jibril (may Allah be pleased with him). They failed the test because they simply forgot to be grateful to Almighty Allah.

Unlike the man who was deaf, and the man who was blind, the one who had suffering from a skin disease offered all that he had. As a result, his wealth increased. Almighty Allah reminds us in the Qur’an that if we thank Him, He will increase what we have. We should take a moment now to reflect and think of all the bounties that have been bestowed upon us.

Throughout history those who refused to thank Almighty Allah were ultimately the losers. On the Day of Judgment all those who rejected Allah the Almighty will wish that they did not exist, and every Muslim will wish for one more second of life.

Those who are studying are aware when the exams will take place, but no one knows when death will face us. Therefore, we should take heed before it is too late. Being a Muslim is the greatest blessing a person can have. Almighty Allah reminds us that He has taken us from darkness to light, but if we fail to acknowledge His bounties and commands, we are at loss.

It is explained in the saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), that a person has shelter as well as the other basic necessities of life, he is considered a rich person. We are also taught to never look at those who have more than us when it comes to matters of this worldly life. Instead, we should think about those who are less fortunate than us.

In order to read this note, you must have a computer and internet access. Now think about how many people there are around the world who do not have these two things. There are many who do not have the blessings that you have! Thank Almighty Allah because truly we are blessed.

Think about the people who haven't got the message, and thank Almighty Allah that we got it as a gift. After receiving such a blessing, we should do good so as to thank Almighty Allah. On the Day of Judgment our book of good deeds will be presented alongside the blessings we received

I pray that we will all take Islam seriously and learn and educate ourselves so we can put it into practice.

 Almighty Allah loves us and showers upon us so much mercy.Undoubtedly, if we read and study the Qur’an it will make our life much easier. If we do so, when we see what is happening in Gaza, Iraq and the rest of the Muslim world, we will know how to react, and more importantly our hearts will be at ease. Let’s remember to thank Almighty Allah for all His many blessings

Life is But once!!

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

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Today I would love to share something that has been in my mind since a few months. Before I begin I would like to quote a verse from the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an tells us the absoluteness of man’s nature:

 

It is Allah Who created you in a state of weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength, gave you weakness and a hoary head: He creates what He wills, and He is the All-knowing, the All-powerful

 [Al-Qur’an 30:54] 

We all have seen men with hunched backs, gray hair, lost teeth and finding it difficult to walk. A man who has reached his old age; if not a lot has some difficulty in doing a lot of things which He used to do with ease and comfort in his days of youth. He finds it wearisome praying, fasting, eating and drinking.  Ask any aged person and he would tell you that those yesteryears feel just like yesterday. 50 years, 60 years, 70 years or 80 years just flew by. He too as young men do, walked, played and entertained himself.

One may think it happens to everybody! So what is the big deal about it?? The big deal is,

God almighty has given us Humans free will. It is by our will we choose good or bad for ourselves. But is it by our will that we come into this world? Is it by our own authority that we can call upon life or death?

The answer is an emphatic No!! Life is but once!

After a person has become old and weak, afflicted with many ailments it is not possible in the least bit for him to revive the past. And if He has spent or wasted his life in vain play and worthless actions, He cries over the time that has gone by, the strength which has departed him.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said :

“There are two bounties which people do not

give their due thanks (do not utilize properly): health and spare time (leisure)”.

Every new day, every hour, every minute is an Amaanaah (Amaanat). It is a valuable gift from God almighty which is given to us so that we may bank upon and make the most out of it. This man who has not utilized his days of youth in obedience of Allah swt continues to live a life of disappointment and regret. He wants to pray but does not have the strength to worship Allah due to his weakness and old age and finds it difficult to prostrate or even bend in front of his lord. He wishes to fast, but cannot.

We all have heard many when they say- ‘I will do so and so when I grow up.’  “I just want to enjoy my youth right now”

And most of them quote “ Abhi toh zindagi padi hain, kar lenge baad mein” 

I want to ask a simple question to all-

Who can guarantee that you will live until then? Until tomorrow?

I am sure you all know that death comes but suddenly and no one is spared.

The holy Qur’an says-

Every soul shall have a taste of death; In the end to Us shall you be brought back. [Al-Qur’an 29:57]  

Many generations before us that existed have perished. Some repented before time and some didn’t even get a chance to.

Why do you remain heedless and delay repentance when you know that death comes out of the blue,

 “And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you may succeed.” [Al Qur'an 24: 31].

Friends! What assurance do you have that when you do reach 50, 60, 70 or even 80 you will still have your strength and ability to do all good charitable deeds in the best fashion, as you claim? Or do you even know if you would be fortunate enough to live that long?

God almighty has given us this life so that he may test which one of us is better in deeds. He also gives us the privilege of repenting at any moment we wish. Indeed He is most Merciful and most compassionate!

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, while advising a man,

 “Take advantage of five things before five other things occur; your youth before you become old, your health before you become sick, your wealth before you become poor, your spare time before you become busy, and your life before death”

Let me make this absolutely clear that

Fulfilling our wishes and enjoying life is not wrong and neither to have fun. We should all enjoy, have fun but there should be certain limits for enjoyment in order to prevent ourselves from becoming enslaved by our desires.

Lastly I would like to elaborate; why am I sharing my thoughts on this topic.

 This incident took place when I was offering prayers in the Mosque. After the obligatory prayers I usually look around and feel good looking at people of all ages making Du’as and beseeching God Almighty. An old person was offering prayers right next to me. He was gradual in his movements; bending forth and prostrating were a task for him. But for the love of God, he was there. I cannot quite figure out why I couldn’t take my eyes of him. I was wondering at him and at myself, knowing that I am also going to be like him someday. Old and feeble!!

 By God’s grace he was in a condition to pray. My eyes had gone moist by now. I joined my hands and prayed to God asking Him to let me serve Him till my Last breath and the best would be when death becomes me while I am at sajda(prostration). I thanked God for all the mercies and blessings He has bestowed upon me and all. We can walk, talk, do everything that a normal person can but we do not value these gifts.

   I think we spoke for long enough, so why don’t we start acting? I agree that it is difficult at first, like it was for me few years back but remember the saying of the Prophet (pbuh)

 “There are two bounties which people do not give their due thanks (do not utilize properly): health and spare time”

We are in the age of strength and health, and have a lot of time to utilize, so let us make the most of this time by using it to do what brings us closer to God and benefits you in the Hereafter?

Let us remember,

That this life is an Amaanaah(Amaanat), and it is only once!

Let us know our Lord, our God and follow His commandments.

Let us be at our best with our parents.

Let us be good to our neighbors.

Let us do charity if not with wealth but at least with a good word.

And let us all repent for all the wrong we have done and pledge to do good henceforth.

Ameen.

Are you Forgiving enough to let go?

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

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

I dedicate this note to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Indeed, He (s.a.w) was the most sublime (in character) and the most generous among people.   He (s.a.w) was the humblest even at the zenith of his achievements. The Holy Qur’an tells us-

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.   [Al-Qur’an 33-21] 

And Most Certainly, thou (O Muhammad) are of most sublime and exalted character.   [Al-Qur’an 68-4] 

 Doesn’t it take great courage to forgive someone who has treated
you really badly?

 Even thinking about the ways to “Give it back” makes some of us feel excited, and if something bad happens to the one who has hurt us, it pleases us. One of the greatest qualities of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was that he never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always forgave even his firm enemies. Let’s see how the greatest person in the history of mankind acted when he encountered hatred and mischief.

In the tenth year of his prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) visited the city of Ta’if, which is situated in a valley between great mountains. Until then, he had found very little success in preaching the message of God to the leaders of Makkah, who were not welcoming this message and were making life miserable for the few who did become Muslims. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), with his companion Zaid, decided to spread the message to other places and made Ta’if their destination.

The people of Ta’if were very happy with their lives; they had a beautiful valley to live in, enjoyed good food and passed their time in ease and comfort. They also were not willing to listen to this newcomer who was telling them to give up their evil ways and to listen and bow to this One God who they couldn’t even see.

When Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and Zaid reached Ta’if, the leaders of the city made it impossible for the two of them to preach the message of God, and treated Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in the worst possible manner. They made street boys run after our beloved Prophet and his companion and throw stones at them. These boys were merciless and they pelted Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)  to such an extent that his shoes filled with blood. They took refuge in a garden and laid down to rest.

God, the Exalted, the Mighty, sent down angel Jibril (Gabriel) to tell Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) that if the Prophet so wished, God would crush the whole valley of Ta’if along with its non-believers under the mountains surrounding them.

And what do you think our dear Prophet said? Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was such a compassionate and forgiving person that instead of asking for revenge on the people of Ta’if, he asked God, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful, to forgive them and made Du’a that God may show the people of Ta’if the right path.

He spoke unto Angel Gabriel the following words- “so what if these people have rejected faith today, their future generations will”. This was the level of compassion and mercy that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) had for his enemies, for the people who had caused him great pain and had completely rejected him and his message.

I believe if we have even a small portion of that compassion in our hearts, in our lives, we would not only be better human beings, but would also make everyone around us happy and content. Isn’t it easier to make up and forgive than to nurture thoughts of enmity and revenge and torture our own selves and others? So, if we want to become a little like our dear Prophet (s.a.w)  and follow his ways, let us do it now:

Forgive others and ask forgiveness for our actions that may have hurt others.

Ameen.