Posts

Taubah and Astaghfar

Image
Everyday, in every namaz, we ask Allah to guide us to the straight way. And whenever we deviate from that Sirat Mustaqeem, we are expected to return to it asap. This is called Taubah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has told us that man is prone to sin; every man deviates from the straight way all along his life.  كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ [Ibn Majah] And every time man deviates and sins, a black dot is stamped on his heart. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once said: “Verily, when the slave (of Allah) commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. When he refrains from it, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is polished clean. But if he returns, it increases until it covers his entire heart. And that is the ‘Raan’ which Allah mentioned: ‘Nay, but on their hearts is the Raan which they used to earn.’” [Abu Hurairah ؓ, Jami` at-Tirmidhi] Thus, if man repents for that sin, that black dot is washed away, and the heart is returned to its pristine state - Qalb e Sal...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Have Very Little Time Left

Image
I am in an examination hall carelessly writing my paper. Just then the bell rings. Time's up, but I have so much left to write. I was idling away my time, and now I am frantically trying to write whatever I can in the few seconds that I have left. The invigilator starts collecting papers. She is moving towards me and my heart begins to pound. “No! Give me some more time; I have so much left to write, so many corrections to make.” But she doesn't listen. I let go of my paper with the ink still dripping from my pen. It's all over! This is not a dream. I wish it was. This is something that I keep imagining every other day. I really have very little time left. Of the five compulsory questions we would be asked on the Day of Judgement, one is ‘What did you do with your life?’ But a more specific one is, ‘What did you do with your youth?’ We know from the Qur’an (Surah Ahqaf, ayat 15) that youth lasts till the age of 40. And I am going to turn 40 in a few weeks from n...
3 comments
Read more

Sexual Discipline in Islam

Image
Sex is nature's way of ensuring the survival and propagation of species through reproduction. But it does have a huge element of pleasure to it, especially when it comes to human beings. This balance between function and pleasure has been the subject of discussion and debate all along the history of human civilization. When it comes to sexual expression, there are three major ideologies that are most prevalent: 1. Monasticism  2. Islam 3. Hedonism  1. Monasticism : This idea holds the view that sexual life is inherently incompatible with piety. Priests practice monasticism and abstinence (ब्रह्मचर्य), while the common men treat is as a ‘necessary evil’ required for procreation.  But the Qur'an says that God did not ordain this practice of monasticism to begin with, and those who chose this way - ostensibly to please God - could not abide by its strict code either. وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ٱبْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَـٰهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ رِضْوَٰنِ ٱللَّهِ فَمَ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The most reassuring ayat of the Qur'an

Image
There are plenty of ayaat which tell us that God would forgive us our sins if we repent to Him. Towards the end of Surah alFurqan, He even says that He would forgive those who call upon others besides Him and commit murder and zina, provided they repent, believe in Him and perform good deeds. In Surah Zumar, he reaches out to the sinners and quite affectionately tells them not to lose hope of God's mercy: قُلۡ یٰعِبَادِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَۃِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ جَمِیۡعًا ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِیۡمُ But by far, the most reassuring ayat on forgiveness that I have come across in the Qur'an is the 70th ayat of Surah Anfal. It says, یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ قُلۡ لِّمَنۡ فِیۡۤ اَیۡدِیۡکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡاَسۡرٰۤی ۙ اِنۡ یَّعۡلَمِ اللّٰہُ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِکُمۡ خَیۡرًا یُّؤۡتِکُمۡ خَیۡرًا مِّمَّاۤ اُخِذَ مِنۡکُمۡ وَ یَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ This ayat was revealed in the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

God's Little Secret - The Purpose of Human Creation

Image
Several million years ago, when God decided to create a new species we now call human beings, he gathered the angels and informed them,  اِنِّیۡ جَاعِلٌ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِیۡفَۃً Khalifa means a person who has been delegated some authority and power by the one who originally possesses that authority and power. The political successors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were hence called Khalifa, because they ruled in his name, by the authority vested in them by virtue of being the Prophet's political successors. Similarly, spiritual leaders too make their most accomplished students their Khalifa, which essentially means that they too would now deem to have the same spiritual authority that they have. So when God said that He would create a new species which would act as His Khalifa, what He meant was that this new species (man) would be delegated, in some measure, some of God's own powers and attributes that other species on earth do not possess. But as all Spiderman fans know, With great po...
1 comment
Read more

Would you keep your promise?

Image
Would you keep your promise? A set of ayaat that struck me and stuck with me this Ramazan was the 14th-15th of Surah alAhzab: وَ لَوۡ دُخِلَتۡ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنۡ اَقۡطَارِہَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا الۡفِتۡنَۃَ  لَاٰتَوۡہَا وَ مَا تَلَبَّثُوۡا بِہَاۤ   اِلَّا  یَسِیۡرًا وَ لَقَدۡ کَانُوۡا عَاہَدُوا اللّٰہَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَا یُوَلُّوۡنَ الۡاَدۡبَارَ ؕ وَ کَانَ عَہۡدُ اللّٰہِ مَسۡئُوۡلًا  “And if they had been invaded from all sides, and fitnah (i.e. disobedience/ betrayal) had been demanded of them, they would certainly have obliged without much hesitation. And they had already promised Allah that they would never turn their backs and flee. And a promise made to Allah would certainly be accounted for.” [Surah alAhzab, ayaat 14 and 15] Since the Qur’an is all about introspection, I kept wondering where I stand vis-a-vis these two ayaat. These ayaat speak about those Muslims who reside in Muslim societies and follow Islam in their routine lives, but they falter when...
Post a Comment
Read more

Khajoor khana Sunnat NAHI hai

Image
Khajoor khana Sunnat NAHI hai!  What? Wait? But this is what we have been told all along - that khajoor khana Sunnat hai. Even I felt so until I attended a lecture by Maulana Dr. Athar Habib Nadvi sahab some time back who explained to us that apne ilaqe ka sabse sasta khana khana Sunnat hai, na ki khajoor khana, per se. 7th Century Arabia me gareeb se gareeb aadmi bhi khajoor afford kar sakta tha. Gharo me kuch na hota tab bhi khajoor aur pani hota. Isiliye Huzoor ﷺ khajoor khana pasand karte the, because that was something even the poorest could afford. Aap ne kabhi zaitoon/olives import kar ke nahi khaye. Aap India me hote to khajoor bhi import kar ke na khate; yahañ ka staple diet pasand karte jo yahañ ka har aadmi afford kar sakta hai (daal, roti, chawal). This is because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was a mass leader. He had once famously told a poor host that vinegar is the best food (because that is all he had in his house at that time to serve him with bread), even though it is estab...
Post a Comment
Read more