Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Yesterday morning I finished Ali Imran. It was an expanding experience. I had a conversation with Master Yoda which I was never previously able to engage in. Not only did I gain a better understanding of sura Baqara, but I also learned about how and who can interpret Qur'an, the place of Christians and Jews in Islam, lineage of the prophets, Saint Maryum (Mary) God's peace be upon her, and so much more.
I feel like I've entered a peaceful room. Ali Imran has satiated my thirst for a cool drink of water and created a stream of knowledge to my heart. I hope I continue to be illuminated by the endless knowledge Allah has revealed to us in this sura. May Allah firmly establish it in our hearts.
Let's see. Maybe we can summarize some of it's awesomeness.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tha-moon? What's that?
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Do you know what a thumun is? What about a nisf? A rubu'? Yeah I didn't either. But these are all divisions of the hizb which is 1/2 of a juz. There are 30 ajzaa' (juz plural) in the Qur'an so there are 60 ahzab (hizb plural I think) in the Qur'an. When taking a memorization approach to the Qur'an it is the hizb that serves as the main marker of progress, not the juz. For me it seems to make it easier to get through more of the Qur'an faster. While the divisions of the hizb make it easier to revise and maintain the memorization.
A hizb is divided three ways. First is in half, simple enough. One half hizb is one quarter juz, easy. This is called a nisf. Next is the rubu' one quarter of a hizb or 1/8 of a juz. Followed by the smallest division, a thumun, one eighth of a hizb or 1/16 of a juz.
I had to learn this because in order to memorize Qur'an I must have structure and form, both of which I must struggle to attain. But isn't that what Islam is? To train the self in the inner and outer forms of worship? Which brings me to the new Qur'an schedule: a thumun a day five to six days a week. And that's all I'm going to say about that. Pray... for me.
It used to be that I could not sit for two hours and read Qur'an non-stop. But now that I am able to do that (ALLAHU AKBAR) I must move on to the next stage, which is to be able to sit and read three or more ajza' nonstop, from memory, without being distracted. This is hard. Oh My!!! This is hard.
It's more intense than Master Yoda's training in the art of using the force. I have to free my mind from everything around me and concentrate fully on Allah and His last message to humanity. Then suddenly I'll hear the kettle whistling in the kitchen and I'll start thinking about peppermint tea with cream and honey. "No, no! Focus, concentrate." I tell my self. Then the phone rings. Then I have to use the bathroom. Then I can't remember my place so I have to go back to the last aya I remember reciting and continue on from there. Then My stomach starts talking to me, and I take a few sips of water to quiet it because it's not not for a smoothie break yet. and on, and on and on...
Trying to control my thoughts is like being on the battle field with Satan, sword in my hand, and he keeps throwing spit balls at me. I'm so annoyed from the slime hitting my face and sides (wham, whAM, SPLASH) that I cannot get close enough to cut him down at last. But that's the battle. And as long as I remain on the field of Qur'an, I will win it eventually.
Master Yoda once told me that if a person dies while in pursuit of memorizing the Qur'an, she/he gets the reward of completing it. That is a comforting thought.
As salaamu alaikum,
Do you know what a thumun is? What about a nisf? A rubu'? Yeah I didn't either. But these are all divisions of the hizb which is 1/2 of a juz. There are 30 ajzaa' (juz plural) in the Qur'an so there are 60 ahzab (hizb plural I think) in the Qur'an. When taking a memorization approach to the Qur'an it is the hizb that serves as the main marker of progress, not the juz. For me it seems to make it easier to get through more of the Qur'an faster. While the divisions of the hizb make it easier to revise and maintain the memorization.
A hizb is divided three ways. First is in half, simple enough. One half hizb is one quarter juz, easy. This is called a nisf. Next is the rubu' one quarter of a hizb or 1/8 of a juz. Followed by the smallest division, a thumun, one eighth of a hizb or 1/16 of a juz.
I had to learn this because in order to memorize Qur'an I must have structure and form, both of which I must struggle to attain. But isn't that what Islam is? To train the self in the inner and outer forms of worship? Which brings me to the new Qur'an schedule: a thumun a day five to six days a week. And that's all I'm going to say about that. Pray... for me.
It used to be that I could not sit for two hours and read Qur'an non-stop. But now that I am able to do that (ALLAHU AKBAR) I must move on to the next stage, which is to be able to sit and read three or more ajza' nonstop, from memory, without being distracted. This is hard. Oh My!!! This is hard.
It's more intense than Master Yoda's training in the art of using the force. I have to free my mind from everything around me and concentrate fully on Allah and His last message to humanity. Then suddenly I'll hear the kettle whistling in the kitchen and I'll start thinking about peppermint tea with cream and honey. "No, no! Focus, concentrate." I tell my self. Then the phone rings. Then I have to use the bathroom. Then I can't remember my place so I have to go back to the last aya I remember reciting and continue on from there. Then My stomach starts talking to me, and I take a few sips of water to quiet it because it's not not for a smoothie break yet. and on, and on and on...
Trying to control my thoughts is like being on the battle field with Satan, sword in my hand, and he keeps throwing spit balls at me. I'm so annoyed from the slime hitting my face and sides (wham, whAM, SPLASH) that I cannot get close enough to cut him down at last. But that's the battle. And as long as I remain on the field of Qur'an, I will win it eventually.
Master Yoda once told me that if a person dies while in pursuit of memorizing the Qur'an, she/he gets the reward of completing it. That is a comforting thought.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Ali 'Imran: Ayah 7
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Ramadan Mubarak.
He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
3:7
So finally we have reached aya 7. Praise God!!! And there is much contained within this verse. We also get more examples of the link between Ali 'Imran and Suratul-Baqara, but I'm not going to go into that just yet.
This aya explains the types of verses that are found in the Qur'an, and what our approach to understanding each should be. There are at least two types of ayaat: the fundamental verses of established meaning, which are the basis of the book, and the allegorical -open to interpretation- verses, the others.
Since Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has given us verses that are open to interpretation, He has also given us clear guidelines, based on the fundamental verses, whereby we may interpret the allegorical verses. In other words the allegorical verses can only be interpreted into a meaning that is supported by the clear verses of the Qur'an.
In the dictionary allegory means: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. This definition further clarifies my intended meaning, in that a hidden meanings in the Qur'an can become apparent to anyone but those meanings must be supported by the established verses of the Qur'an in order to be valid. The difference, however, is that these verses go beyond the mere interpretability indicated in the definition, rather Allah has intended with them more than one meaning, and we diminish our understanding of the Qur'an if we try to suppress some of its meanings for any reason.
A good example of this is in sura Al-Baqara aya 228:
And the divorced women should keep themselves in waiting for three courses
Is the meaning of "three courses" three menstrual cycles or three cycles of purity? The answer is both. Both meanings are intended and both are used. One of the wisdoms I see in this is the lenience and mercy of Allah to us. He gives us different ways to do the same thing so that everyone can practice at least one thing easily.
Then aya 7 says:
But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings
My first impulse from reading the english interpretation of this aya is that it must be bad to "follow the part that is allegorical," but is that what Allah is saying? Reading the verse in arabic as Allah revealed it, (with the help of master Yoda of course) I see that "following the part that is allegorical" is connected to something else "seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings." And all of that together is the attribute of one with a perverse heart. And that leads to my next question
What does it mean to have a perverse heart and to seek discord? I'm thinking hard now, because there is much from the Qur'an that we use to divide ourselves. Could an example of this perversity be in those who want to practice homosexuality and claim that it is not a sin by twisting and reshaping the words of Qur'anic interpretations? Or could an example of this be some of our sisters who don't want to cover their hair and they twist the words of the Qur'an stating that it is only necessary to cover the "bosom." Hmmm...
I wonder what can be at the root of all this? The common threads I keep returning to are a lack of submission and a lack of knowledge. The Qur'an is clear and everything that is unclear is explained in detail in the hadith. So what's the problem? I hope the end of this aya can explain this for us.
"but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge..."
In the Qur'an there is no punctuation so let me show you another meaning of this aya without the punctuation.
"but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge"
Here Allah shows us the qualification for one to interpret the Qur'an: a firm grounding in knowledge. The Prophet interpreted the Qur'an and gave some of his companions the ability to do this as well. The best example I can think of is Ibn Abbas.
Back to that point about submission. How can we submit to Allah if we don't know what He has commanded us to submit to? This part of the aya demonstrates to us who has the right to interpret the Qur'an: those firmly grounded in knowledge. Like the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. And those among the companions who were given permission to interpret the Qur'an like ibn Abbas, and the scholars of the past who systematically categorized knowledge so that the later generations would have access to it.
يقولون (They) "say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding."
I believe in the book the whole of it is from Allah, and I pray He makes us people of understanding.
P.S.
Yes I know those last two paragraphs are redundant. But I couldn't figure out a better way to say it. hmmm.................hmmm........... nope....
I got nothing
As salaamu alaikum,
Ramadan Mubarak.
He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
3:7
So finally we have reached aya 7. Praise God!!! And there is much contained within this verse. We also get more examples of the link between Ali 'Imran and Suratul-Baqara, but I'm not going to go into that just yet.
This aya explains the types of verses that are found in the Qur'an, and what our approach to understanding each should be. There are at least two types of ayaat: the fundamental verses of established meaning, which are the basis of the book, and the allegorical -open to interpretation- verses, the others.
Since Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has given us verses that are open to interpretation, He has also given us clear guidelines, based on the fundamental verses, whereby we may interpret the allegorical verses. In other words the allegorical verses can only be interpreted into a meaning that is supported by the clear verses of the Qur'an.
In the dictionary allegory means: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. This definition further clarifies my intended meaning, in that a hidden meanings in the Qur'an can become apparent to anyone but those meanings must be supported by the established verses of the Qur'an in order to be valid. The difference, however, is that these verses go beyond the mere interpretability indicated in the definition, rather Allah has intended with them more than one meaning, and we diminish our understanding of the Qur'an if we try to suppress some of its meanings for any reason.
A good example of this is in sura Al-Baqara aya 228:
And the divorced women should keep themselves in waiting for three courses
Is the meaning of "three courses" three menstrual cycles or three cycles of purity? The answer is both. Both meanings are intended and both are used. One of the wisdoms I see in this is the lenience and mercy of Allah to us. He gives us different ways to do the same thing so that everyone can practice at least one thing easily.
Then aya 7 says:
But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings
My first impulse from reading the english interpretation of this aya is that it must be bad to "follow the part that is allegorical," but is that what Allah is saying? Reading the verse in arabic as Allah revealed it, (with the help of master Yoda of course) I see that "following the part that is allegorical" is connected to something else "seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings." And all of that together is the attribute of one with a perverse heart. And that leads to my next question
What does it mean to have a perverse heart and to seek discord? I'm thinking hard now, because there is much from the Qur'an that we use to divide ourselves. Could an example of this perversity be in those who want to practice homosexuality and claim that it is not a sin by twisting and reshaping the words of Qur'anic interpretations? Or could an example of this be some of our sisters who don't want to cover their hair and they twist the words of the Qur'an stating that it is only necessary to cover the "bosom." Hmmm...
I wonder what can be at the root of all this? The common threads I keep returning to are a lack of submission and a lack of knowledge. The Qur'an is clear and everything that is unclear is explained in detail in the hadith. So what's the problem? I hope the end of this aya can explain this for us.
"but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge..."
In the Qur'an there is no punctuation so let me show you another meaning of this aya without the punctuation.
"but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge"
Here Allah shows us the qualification for one to interpret the Qur'an: a firm grounding in knowledge. The Prophet interpreted the Qur'an and gave some of his companions the ability to do this as well. The best example I can think of is Ibn Abbas.
Back to that point about submission. How can we submit to Allah if we don't know what He has commanded us to submit to? This part of the aya demonstrates to us who has the right to interpret the Qur'an: those firmly grounded in knowledge. Like the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. And those among the companions who were given permission to interpret the Qur'an like ibn Abbas, and the scholars of the past who systematically categorized knowledge so that the later generations would have access to it.
يقولون (They) "say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding."
I believe in the book the whole of it is from Allah, and I pray He makes us people of understanding.
P.S.
Yes I know those last two paragraphs are redundant. But I couldn't figure out a better way to say it. hmmm.................hmmm........... nope....
I got nothing
Monday, May 3, 2010
The End of My Challenge
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
May 1, 2010 was my deadline for the challenge. No I didn't win and complete the sura, but I made it to aya 43 (yaay!!!) and that was a challenge indeed. How did you do? Did you get at least 1 aya? If you did alhamdulillah. If you didn't alhamdulillah.
But I tell ya... Even though I completely bummed out, I didn't make it halfway to my goal :( , I surely am excited. Even though I can still, just audibly, hear the creeping whispers of shaitan trying to discourage me from moving forward, I am mightily excited indeed. I'm sure you're wondering why I am so excited even though I didn't complete the sura. So I'll tell you.
The reason I am memorizing Qur'an is not only to finish it and be able to know that I memorized the book of Allah, but it is so that I can be purified, completed, and perfected by the book of Allah. Any progress I make towards that goal is mightily exciting indeed.
The only thing I am disappointed about is that I failed to keep you posted as I progressed through the signs of Allah. I got stuck on aya 7, and just couldn't seem to get passed that blockage. But with the help of Allah, anything is possible. So Bismillah (in the name of God) on with the show!
As salaamu alaikum,
May 1, 2010 was my deadline for the challenge. No I didn't win and complete the sura, but I made it to aya 43 (yaay!!!) and that was a challenge indeed. How did you do? Did you get at least 1 aya? If you did alhamdulillah. If you didn't alhamdulillah.
But I tell ya... Even though I completely bummed out, I didn't make it halfway to my goal :( , I surely am excited. Even though I can still, just audibly, hear the creeping whispers of shaitan trying to discourage me from moving forward, I am mightily excited indeed. I'm sure you're wondering why I am so excited even though I didn't complete the sura. So I'll tell you.
The reason I am memorizing Qur'an is not only to finish it and be able to know that I memorized the book of Allah, but it is so that I can be purified, completed, and perfected by the book of Allah. Any progress I make towards that goal is mightily exciting indeed.
The only thing I am disappointed about is that I failed to keep you posted as I progressed through the signs of Allah. I got stuck on aya 7, and just couldn't seem to get passed that blockage. But with the help of Allah, anything is possible. So Bismillah (in the name of God) on with the show!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
2:243
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
[2:243]
Bethink thee (O Muhammad) of those of old, who went forth from their habitations in their thousands, fearing death, and Allah said unto them: Die; and then He brought them back to life. Lo! Allah is a Lord of Kindness to mankind, but most of mankind give not thanks.
As salaamu alaikum,
[2:243]
Bethink thee (O Muhammad) of those of old, who went forth from their habitations in their thousands, fearing death, and Allah said unto them: Die; and then He brought them back to life. Lo! Allah is a Lord of Kindness to mankind, but most of mankind give not thanks.
Challenge Update
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Yes I have been slacking- I mean serious slackeration- in these post. Pardon me and may Allah pardon us all. No time to dwell on the past however, only time to seek forgiveness and run forward.
This is sooo exciting. I hardly know which words to type first, the excitement of memorization is jumbling my thoughts. I am on aya 20. InshaAllah Sunday morning I will memorize up to line 25, then I'll have to write some more to make sure I get ya'll caught up. Life is good when I do Qur'an. Life stands still when I don't.
If you're taking the challenge good news... Your time has been extended!!! YAAAAYY!!! WOoooHooooo. Yes I'm lame on occasion, but I don't mind. You now have until May 14 to finish 61 ayaat. That is 1 aya a day. I however must be finished on May 1 or sooner. So challengers to your corners. Put on your memorization gloves and give it a go. You definitely won't be losing out.
As salaamu alaikum,
Yes I have been slacking- I mean serious slackeration- in these post. Pardon me and may Allah pardon us all. No time to dwell on the past however, only time to seek forgiveness and run forward.
This is sooo exciting. I hardly know which words to type first, the excitement of memorization is jumbling my thoughts. I am on aya 20. InshaAllah Sunday morning I will memorize up to line 25, then I'll have to write some more to make sure I get ya'll caught up. Life is good when I do Qur'an. Life stands still when I don't.
If you're taking the challenge good news... Your time has been extended!!! YAAAAYY!!! WOoooHooooo. Yes I'm lame on occasion, but I don't mind. You now have until May 14 to finish 61 ayaat. That is 1 aya a day. I however must be finished on May 1 or sooner. So challengers to your corners. Put on your memorization gloves and give it a go. You definitely won't be losing out.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
This Sura is the Bomb!
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
[3:2]
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being!
This second aya begins just as Ayatul-Kursi began. Remember we spoke about that sisterhood between Suratul-Baqara and this one. Here we see that theme clearly.
Oh yes it's about to get good! So the Christian delegation from Nejran came and questioned the messenger, as you read below. If you didn't read it you might want to take a look. No sooner does this sura begin than Allah affirms the truth about Himself and debunks all falsehood. Who is He? Allah. What are His attributes? He is living; He needs nothing, and He produces and maintains all.
[3:3]
Step by step has He bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, setting forth the truth which confirms whatever there still remains [of earlier revelations]: for it is He who has bestowed from on high the Torah and the Gospel.
Then Allah affirms the Qur'an as His book. نزّل ا nazzala is the word Allah uses to tell us how He revealed it. Nazzala means to come down in stages. We know that the Qur'an was revealed slowly over a span of 23 years. And أنزل anzala is the word Allah uses to tell us how He revealed the previous scriptures. Anzala means to come at one time, because the previous scriptures came as a whole. They weren't revealed in portions. Not only did Allah reveal the Qur'an, but He also revealed the books of Moses and Jesus. So why would anyone believe in only some of what has come from Him although He has claimed them all?
[3:4]
aforetime, as a guidance unto mankind, and it is He who has bestowed [upon man] the standard by which to discern the true from the false. Behold, as for those who are bent on denying God’s messages – grievous suffering awaits them: for God is almighty, an avenger of evil.
In the past the Injeel (book revealed to Jesus pbuh) and the Torah (book revealed to Moses pbuh) were a means of guidance for their people. And with those books Allah sent clear proofs in the form of miracles. Remember the Prophet S is speaking to the delegation of Christians who have come and Allah is responding to them through the Qur'an. So it is Allah who told them then, and is telling us now: "whoever disbelieves in My signs will have a severe punishment." Allah is powerful and the owner of retribution. So those who say that God will not punish them for their deeds or their disbelief should perhaps rethink their position.
[3:5]
Verily, nothing on earth or in the heavens is hidden from God.
[3:6]
He it is who shapes you in the wombs as He wills. There is no deity save Him, the Almighty, the Truly Wise.
What's left to say? Allah is clear. He makes us, shapes us, fashions us, feeds us, clothes us, cures our illnesses, and still gives us the choice to believe in Him or to disbelieve, 2:256. And this is why it is so important to memorize Qur'an instead of just reading it through. Memorizing Qur'an gives us a holistic view of the ayaat and chapters. Only when we have it memorized can we contemplate the verses that have a particular phrase in them all at the same time. Or jump between meanings and ayaat and suras as we seek a better grip on Allah's words.
It is getting deep. I can just see it in my mind. I can just see the look of buhita (utter speechlessness) on their faces. Is it so hard to move from Christianity to Islam? My mother did, and my father. My in-laws did. Perhaps the struggle can be equated somewhat to the embarrassment a child feels when they do something wrong and everyone knows about it. The child, to hide his shame, might deny the misdeed or try to change the facts so that he doesn't feel so badly about it. But regardless of his attempts at concealment his actions were already made plain and clear to all who have eyes. He is the only one deceived by his cover-up, 2:9.
The difference, however, is that children grow up and can laugh at all the silly things they did as children. As adults we can either change and move on to something better, or die and return to God in whatever condition and state we die upon. I pray Allah give us all good deaths and grants us ease in death, and to die while He loves us. I pray He gives us ease in changing our character as we learn what He loves.
Ameen
As salaamu alaikum,
[3:2]
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being!
This second aya begins just as Ayatul-Kursi began. Remember we spoke about that sisterhood between Suratul-Baqara and this one. Here we see that theme clearly.
Oh yes it's about to get good! So the Christian delegation from Nejran came and questioned the messenger, as you read below. If you didn't read it you might want to take a look. No sooner does this sura begin than Allah affirms the truth about Himself and debunks all falsehood. Who is He? Allah. What are His attributes? He is living; He needs nothing, and He produces and maintains all.
[3:3]
Step by step has He bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, setting forth the truth which confirms whatever there still remains [of earlier revelations]: for it is He who has bestowed from on high the Torah and the Gospel.
Then Allah affirms the Qur'an as His book. نزّل ا nazzala is the word Allah uses to tell us how He revealed it. Nazzala means to come down in stages. We know that the Qur'an was revealed slowly over a span of 23 years. And أنزل anzala is the word Allah uses to tell us how He revealed the previous scriptures. Anzala means to come at one time, because the previous scriptures came as a whole. They weren't revealed in portions. Not only did Allah reveal the Qur'an, but He also revealed the books of Moses and Jesus. So why would anyone believe in only some of what has come from Him although He has claimed them all?
[3:4]
aforetime, as a guidance unto mankind, and it is He who has bestowed [upon man] the standard by which to discern the true from the false. Behold, as for those who are bent on denying God’s messages – grievous suffering awaits them: for God is almighty, an avenger of evil.
In the past the Injeel (book revealed to Jesus pbuh) and the Torah (book revealed to Moses pbuh) were a means of guidance for their people. And with those books Allah sent clear proofs in the form of miracles. Remember the Prophet S is speaking to the delegation of Christians who have come and Allah is responding to them through the Qur'an. So it is Allah who told them then, and is telling us now: "whoever disbelieves in My signs will have a severe punishment." Allah is powerful and the owner of retribution. So those who say that God will not punish them for their deeds or their disbelief should perhaps rethink their position.
[3:5]
Verily, nothing on earth or in the heavens is hidden from God.
[3:6]
He it is who shapes you in the wombs as He wills. There is no deity save Him, the Almighty, the Truly Wise.
What's left to say? Allah is clear. He makes us, shapes us, fashions us, feeds us, clothes us, cures our illnesses, and still gives us the choice to believe in Him or to disbelieve, 2:256. And this is why it is so important to memorize Qur'an instead of just reading it through. Memorizing Qur'an gives us a holistic view of the ayaat and chapters. Only when we have it memorized can we contemplate the verses that have a particular phrase in them all at the same time. Or jump between meanings and ayaat and suras as we seek a better grip on Allah's words.
It is getting deep. I can just see it in my mind. I can just see the look of buhita (utter speechlessness) on their faces. Is it so hard to move from Christianity to Islam? My mother did, and my father. My in-laws did. Perhaps the struggle can be equated somewhat to the embarrassment a child feels when they do something wrong and everyone knows about it. The child, to hide his shame, might deny the misdeed or try to change the facts so that he doesn't feel so badly about it. But regardless of his attempts at concealment his actions were already made plain and clear to all who have eyes. He is the only one deceived by his cover-up, 2:9.
The difference, however, is that children grow up and can laugh at all the silly things they did as children. As adults we can either change and move on to something better, or die and return to God in whatever condition and state we die upon. I pray Allah give us all good deaths and grants us ease in death, and to die while He loves us. I pray He gives us ease in changing our character as we learn what He loves.
Ameen
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Back Story
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
The Delegation of Nejran refers to the Christian delegation that came to the messenger to question him about his religion. This is what happened.
There were 60 people in the group. Fourteen from among them were dignitaries with three of those being the highest ranking. Of the three there was their leader named, Abdul-Maseeh (servant/worshipper of the Messiah). The second was the advisor whom they called Sayyid. His name was Ayhem. The third was their scholar the most knowledgeable among them and the head of all their schools his name was Abu Haaritha, Habr.
The Byzantines used to honor Abu Haaritha and give him money. When the group left from Nejran to meet the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, Abu Haaritha was riding his mule and his brother, Karz, was next to him. As they were underway Abu Haaritha’s mule stumbled and his brother said, “May he perish.” Meaning the messenger. (And we seek refuge with Allah from that.) But Abu Haaritha responded, “No. Your mother will perish.”
“Why brother?” Karz said. (I assume he was shocked at his brother's reply talking about his own mama, but let's get back to the story.)
“He is the prophet we’ve been waiting for.” Abu Haritha said.
“So what’s stopping you from believing in him while you know this?” His brother questioned.
“The kings give us much wealth and they honor us. If I believe in Muhammad they will take all of these things away from us.”
This conversation had a serious affect on the Karz, and after he accepted Islam he used to tell this story.
So they arrived and met with the prophet (S) and began speaking to him about the differences of their religions. Sometimes they would say Jesus was God, the son, or one of three. They argued that Jesus was God based on his bringing life to the dead and that his curing the leper, the blind, and sicknesses; and he would talk abou the unseen, and he would blow into clay shaped as a bird and it would fly away. They would try to prove he was the son of God by saying that he had no father and that no one knew his father so God must be his father. They would say he was one of the trinity based on God’s using the royal "we" in the scripture “We did,” or, "We created."
So the Prophet said to them. “Aslimu (submit).”
They responded, "We have already submitted."
So the Prophet (S) said to them “You are lying. How can your submission be sound when your fixed on God having a son, and you worship the cross, and you eat pig.”
So they said, “Then who is his Father?” And the Prophet was silent. Then Allah revealed the first 80-some ayaat of sura Ali Imran. And the Prophet S began to debate with them.
He said, "Don’t you know that Allah is living and does not die, and that death comes to Jesus?"
They said “Yes.”
Then he said, “Don’t you know there is no son except that he is like his father?”
They said, “Yes.”
He said, “Don’t you know that Our Lord sustains everything: preserving it. protecting it, and providing for it. Does Jesus possess this Quality?"
They said, “No.”
So he said, "Don’t you know that nothing is hidden from Allah not in the earth nor in the heavens? Does Isa (Jesus) know any of those things except that which he was taught?”
They said “No.” [He doesn’t know except what he was taught.]
The Prophet said, “Our Lord has fashioned Isa in the womb however he willed. Do you know that our Lord doesn’t eat food, doesn’t drink, and doesn’t use the bathroom. And you know that a woman was pregnant with Isa like any woman is pregnant, and she gave birth to him like any woman gives birth. Then he ate food and drank and used the bathroom?”
They said, “Yes.”
He said, “ So how could the matter be as you've claimed?” And they knew he was truthful but they stubbornly denied it insisting on disbelief.
They said, "Don’t you claim that he is the word of God and a spirit from Him?’
He said, “Yes.”
To which they responded, “That’s enough for us.” And Allah revealed aya 7.
[3:7]
He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in and by themselves – and these are the essence of the divine writ – as well as others that are allegorical. Now those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out [what is bound to create] confusion, and seeking [to arrive at] its final meaning [in an arbitrary manner]; but none save God knows its final meaning. Hence, those who are deeply rooted in knowledge say:
"We believe in it; the whole [of the divine writ] is from our Sustainer – albeit none takes this to heart save those who are endowed with insight.
Then Allah commanded the Messenger S to curse them if they would curse him. So the Prophet S summoned them and asked if they we ready to call the curse of Allah on whoever was lying.
They said, “Let us consult with ourselves then we will be ready to do what you want.”
They left and the 3 leaders said to each other, “What do you think?” One of them said, ”By God! Oh Christians you know that Muhammad is a prophet sent and he has come with definitive proof about your companion (Jesus). And you know that a prophet never curses a people except that their young and their old partake of it. And that it will annihilate you utterly if you do it. And you have refused to believe in anything except your religion and to remain on what you already believe. So bid farewell to the man and go back to your country.
So they went to the prophet and said, “We have come to the conclusion that we will not curse you and we will leave you on your religion, and we will return upon our religion. So send a man from among your companions with us so he can judge between us in financial matters that we differ upon. For you are a people we are pleased with."
The Prophet said, “Come to me this evening and I will send with you a strong trustworthy judge.”
Umar used to say “I never wanted authority or power except on that day out of hope I would be the person [the prophet called strong and trustworthy].” So when we prayed thuhr with the prophet, and he salaamed out, he looked right and left and I was trying to extend myself so that he could see me. But he kept looking until he saw Abu Ubaida ibn Jarah. He called him and said, “Go with them and judge between them with truth in what they differ in.”
Umar said, “And Abu Ubaida left with the prize.” Meaning he got to be the one the Prophet S had called strong and trustworthy.
As salaamu alaikum,
The Delegation of Nejran refers to the Christian delegation that came to the messenger to question him about his religion. This is what happened.
There were 60 people in the group. Fourteen from among them were dignitaries with three of those being the highest ranking. Of the three there was their leader named, Abdul-Maseeh (servant/worshipper of the Messiah). The second was the advisor whom they called Sayyid. His name was Ayhem. The third was their scholar the most knowledgeable among them and the head of all their schools his name was Abu Haaritha, Habr.
The Byzantines used to honor Abu Haaritha and give him money. When the group left from Nejran to meet the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, Abu Haaritha was riding his mule and his brother, Karz, was next to him. As they were underway Abu Haaritha’s mule stumbled and his brother said, “May he perish.” Meaning the messenger. (And we seek refuge with Allah from that.) But Abu Haaritha responded, “No. Your mother will perish.”
“Why brother?” Karz said. (I assume he was shocked at his brother's reply talking about his own mama, but let's get back to the story.)
“He is the prophet we’ve been waiting for.” Abu Haritha said.
“So what’s stopping you from believing in him while you know this?” His brother questioned.
“The kings give us much wealth and they honor us. If I believe in Muhammad they will take all of these things away from us.”
This conversation had a serious affect on the Karz, and after he accepted Islam he used to tell this story.
So they arrived and met with the prophet (S) and began speaking to him about the differences of their religions. Sometimes they would say Jesus was God, the son, or one of three. They argued that Jesus was God based on his bringing life to the dead and that his curing the leper, the blind, and sicknesses; and he would talk abou the unseen, and he would blow into clay shaped as a bird and it would fly away. They would try to prove he was the son of God by saying that he had no father and that no one knew his father so God must be his father. They would say he was one of the trinity based on God’s using the royal "we" in the scripture “We did,” or, "We created."
So the Prophet said to them. “Aslimu (submit).”
They responded, "We have already submitted."
So the Prophet (S) said to them “You are lying. How can your submission be sound when your fixed on God having a son, and you worship the cross, and you eat pig.”
So they said, “Then who is his Father?” And the Prophet was silent. Then Allah revealed the first 80-some ayaat of sura Ali Imran. And the Prophet S began to debate with them.
He said, "Don’t you know that Allah is living and does not die, and that death comes to Jesus?"
They said “Yes.”
Then he said, “Don’t you know there is no son except that he is like his father?”
They said, “Yes.”
He said, “Don’t you know that Our Lord sustains everything: preserving it. protecting it, and providing for it. Does Jesus possess this Quality?"
They said, “No.”
So he said, "Don’t you know that nothing is hidden from Allah not in the earth nor in the heavens? Does Isa (Jesus) know any of those things except that which he was taught?”
They said “No.” [He doesn’t know except what he was taught.]
The Prophet said, “Our Lord has fashioned Isa in the womb however he willed. Do you know that our Lord doesn’t eat food, doesn’t drink, and doesn’t use the bathroom. And you know that a woman was pregnant with Isa like any woman is pregnant, and she gave birth to him like any woman gives birth. Then he ate food and drank and used the bathroom?”
They said, “Yes.”
He said, “ So how could the matter be as you've claimed?” And they knew he was truthful but they stubbornly denied it insisting on disbelief.
They said, "Don’t you claim that he is the word of God and a spirit from Him?’
He said, “Yes.”
To which they responded, “That’s enough for us.” And Allah revealed aya 7.
[3:7]
He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in and by themselves – and these are the essence of the divine writ – as well as others that are allegorical. Now those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out [what is bound to create] confusion, and seeking [to arrive at] its final meaning [in an arbitrary manner]; but none save God knows its final meaning. Hence, those who are deeply rooted in knowledge say:
"We believe in it; the whole [of the divine writ] is from our Sustainer – albeit none takes this to heart save those who are endowed with insight.
Then Allah commanded the Messenger S to curse them if they would curse him. So the Prophet S summoned them and asked if they we ready to call the curse of Allah on whoever was lying.
They said, “Let us consult with ourselves then we will be ready to do what you want.”
They left and the 3 leaders said to each other, “What do you think?” One of them said, ”By God! Oh Christians you know that Muhammad is a prophet sent and he has come with definitive proof about your companion (Jesus). And you know that a prophet never curses a people except that their young and their old partake of it. And that it will annihilate you utterly if you do it. And you have refused to believe in anything except your religion and to remain on what you already believe. So bid farewell to the man and go back to your country.
So they went to the prophet and said, “We have come to the conclusion that we will not curse you and we will leave you on your religion, and we will return upon our religion. So send a man from among your companions with us so he can judge between us in financial matters that we differ upon. For you are a people we are pleased with."
The Prophet said, “Come to me this evening and I will send with you a strong trustworthy judge.”
Umar used to say “I never wanted authority or power except on that day out of hope I would be the person [the prophet called strong and trustworthy].” So when we prayed thuhr with the prophet, and he salaamed out, he looked right and left and I was trying to extend myself so that he could see me. But he kept looking until he saw Abu Ubaida ibn Jarah. He called him and said, “Go with them and judge between them with truth in what they differ in.”
Umar said, “And Abu Ubaida left with the prize.” Meaning he got to be the one the Prophet S had called strong and trustworthy.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Day 1
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Here we go. The Challenge has begun. It is March 1st 2010. InshaAllah on May 1st it will officially end. I'm kinda starting to get nervous. The excitement is too much, but o the joy of knowing the Qur'an. I really have been waiting to do this my whole life. Every time Master Yoda gives me a new page it feels like my birthday. I am however still trying to figure out the exact format I'll use to discuss these ayaat. All suggestions are welcome.
Ali 'Imran is the third Sura (chapter) in the Qur'an. It has 200 ayaat and is 6 pages (i think) passed a juz long. The first 80 ayaat were revealed in response to the Christian delegation form Najran that came to question the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. So this sura is where the concerns of the Christian and Jews, but Christians in particular are addresses.
[3:1]
Alif. Lām. Mīm.
Just as chapter Al-Baqara, Ali 'Imran begins with the letters whose meaning only Allah knows. These two are the only suras reavealed in Madina that begin with letters, which further emphasizes their sisterhood and reciprocal partnership. All the other suras that begin with letters are Makki, revealed in Makka.
When suras begin with letters, they seems to me to speak to a higher inquisitiveness of the human mind. Throughout our history and experience we have been searching for the answers to untold questions. Spurred on by the echos of past hardship and pain, we launch forward in the hopes that our children won't suffer, however long or short, the ails which pained us. Much is learned and much is forgotten as each generation lives in it's own time and experiences the repercussions of failed and achieved successes.
As we move forward it is the lessons of the past that hold the most value for our faith. The knowledge that lives beyond the confines of minutes and hours, and reaches generations and centuries ahead to show us how to live. Sometimes the knowledge warns us of the inevitable consequences of our actions, and sometimes it gives us the fortitude and strength to build upon the qualities and behaviors that Allah loves. And despite all else it gives us an awareness of the constant truth, "There is nothing to worship except Allah." Only with that knowledge can we make our time on this earth splendidly magnificent.
These letters also strike another parable in that we don't know what they mean and we will never know, difinitively, what they mean. Unless Allah teaches us we do not know. We cannot understand or preserve a Qur'an that is not in our hearts, written upon our souls and our minds, such that our tongues can recite it, our faith can be fortified, our thoughts can be enlightened, our hearts can be soothed and our feet can walk towards Allah.
There are some things that we will never know because that knowledge is not for us. But just because we have limitations doesn't mean that we can't reach the highest levels of human endeavor if we choose to act, and trust in Allah. I have a dream that I want to see before I die. Maybe it's not a dream but an actionable hope. I want my children, and my family, and my people to know the Qur'an. I want us to express it from that same place we emit love, happiness and fear. I want us to rely on it more than a child upon her mother. And I want us live it everyday, freeing our spirits from the taints and confined of corruption.
As salaamu alaikum,
Here we go. The Challenge has begun. It is March 1st 2010. InshaAllah on May 1st it will officially end. I'm kinda starting to get nervous. The excitement is too much, but o the joy of knowing the Qur'an. I really have been waiting to do this my whole life. Every time Master Yoda gives me a new page it feels like my birthday. I am however still trying to figure out the exact format I'll use to discuss these ayaat. All suggestions are welcome.
Ali 'Imran is the third Sura (chapter) in the Qur'an. It has 200 ayaat and is 6 pages (i think) passed a juz long. The first 80 ayaat were revealed in response to the Christian delegation form Najran that came to question the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. So this sura is where the concerns of the Christian and Jews, but Christians in particular are addresses.
[3:1]
Alif. Lām. Mīm.
Just as chapter Al-Baqara, Ali 'Imran begins with the letters whose meaning only Allah knows. These two are the only suras reavealed in Madina that begin with letters, which further emphasizes their sisterhood and reciprocal partnership. All the other suras that begin with letters are Makki, revealed in Makka.
When suras begin with letters, they seems to me to speak to a higher inquisitiveness of the human mind. Throughout our history and experience we have been searching for the answers to untold questions. Spurred on by the echos of past hardship and pain, we launch forward in the hopes that our children won't suffer, however long or short, the ails which pained us. Much is learned and much is forgotten as each generation lives in it's own time and experiences the repercussions of failed and achieved successes.
As we move forward it is the lessons of the past that hold the most value for our faith. The knowledge that lives beyond the confines of minutes and hours, and reaches generations and centuries ahead to show us how to live. Sometimes the knowledge warns us of the inevitable consequences of our actions, and sometimes it gives us the fortitude and strength to build upon the qualities and behaviors that Allah loves. And despite all else it gives us an awareness of the constant truth, "There is nothing to worship except Allah." Only with that knowledge can we make our time on this earth splendidly magnificent.
These letters also strike another parable in that we don't know what they mean and we will never know, difinitively, what they mean. Unless Allah teaches us we do not know. We cannot understand or preserve a Qur'an that is not in our hearts, written upon our souls and our minds, such that our tongues can recite it, our faith can be fortified, our thoughts can be enlightened, our hearts can be soothed and our feet can walk towards Allah.
There are some things that we will never know because that knowledge is not for us. But just because we have limitations doesn't mean that we can't reach the highest levels of human endeavor if we choose to act, and trust in Allah. I have a dream that I want to see before I die. Maybe it's not a dream but an actionable hope. I want my children, and my family, and my people to know the Qur'an. I want us to express it from that same place we emit love, happiness and fear. I want us to rely on it more than a child upon her mother. And I want us live it everyday, freeing our spirits from the taints and confined of corruption.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Up for the Challenge
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Okay, are you ready? Here's the challenge. I'll call it the Ali 'Imran challenge. For every four ayaat I memorize you have to memorize 1. We have two months, and Ali 'Imran has 200 verses. All you have to do is memorize 61 verses. Yes I know 50 not 61 is 1/4 of 200, but I have to make it challenging. At least a little bit.
61 ayaat in the mushaf (book) is eight pages. So what I'll make sure I do is post up one page at least every three days, inshaAllah (God Willing). That way you'll have a taste of the tafsir (explanation) on the verses. So do you think you can handle it? Are you up for the Challenge? Do you think you can defeat me and win a gazillion million blessings inshaAllah?
Racers to you corners. Drum roll please...
As salaamu alaikum,
Okay, are you ready? Here's the challenge. I'll call it the Ali 'Imran challenge. For every four ayaat I memorize you have to memorize 1. We have two months, and Ali 'Imran has 200 verses. All you have to do is memorize 61 verses. Yes I know 50 not 61 is 1/4 of 200, but I have to make it challenging. At least a little bit.
61 ayaat in the mushaf (book) is eight pages. So what I'll make sure I do is post up one page at least every three days, inshaAllah (God Willing). That way you'll have a taste of the tafsir (explanation) on the verses. So do you think you can handle it? Are you up for the Challenge? Do you think you can defeat me and win a gazillion million blessings inshaAllah?
Racers to you corners. Drum roll please...
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
I guess I will leave my comments on the last verses of sura Baqara in favor of your personal discovery and simply continue forward with Ali 'Imran, the next chapter. I'll be starting it today or tomorrow inshaAllah. And the excitement is returning. I can hardly wait.
My last moments with Baqara were sweet to my soul. It ends just as it began with hope and faith, and the perfect balance of fear, mercy, and praise. The Qur'an is divided into 30 juz, and Ali Imran is about a juz shorter than suratul-Baqara. I want to finish it in two months so pray for me. I know that Allah can do what he wants. So if He allows me to, and I work hard out of hope and faith in Him, I will finish before May inshaAllah.
And if He wishes me to have a long drawn out bout with my character and my laziness, if He wishes me to struggle and cry, and grow and I don't finish Ali 'Imram for a year, that is okay too. It's not about feelings and empty words and this "God knows what's in my heart so I don't have to obey Him," foolishness. It's about whether or not I do what Allah has commanded. That is all I am responsible for.
If I study Qur'an for 7 hours a day and I still don't know the next juz by the end of the year, then I have done my part and must trust in Allah. But if all I do is hope for the best and don't follow up that hope with hard work, then the blame is mine and the failure as well. So I leave you with the last words of suratul Baqara. Words that have eternally existed and will never fade even as we forget and turn away from them.
[2:284]
Unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. And whether you bring into the open what is in your minds or conceal it, God will call you to account for it; and then He will forgive whom He wills, and will chastise whom He wills: for God has the power to will anything.
[2:285]
THE APOSTLE, and the believers with him, believe in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer: they all believe in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any of His apostles; and they say:
"We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, O our Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys’ end!
[2:286]
"God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favour shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does.
"O our Sustainer! Take us not to task if we forget or unwittingly do wrong!
"O our Sustainer! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those who lived before us! O our Sustainer! Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear!
"And efface Thou our sins, and grant us forgiveness, and bestow Thy mercy upon us! Thou art our Lord Supreme: succour us, then, against people who deny the truth!"
May Allah grant this to all of us until the Day of Judgement. Ameen
As salaamu alaikum,
I guess I will leave my comments on the last verses of sura Baqara in favor of your personal discovery and simply continue forward with Ali 'Imran, the next chapter. I'll be starting it today or tomorrow inshaAllah. And the excitement is returning. I can hardly wait.
My last moments with Baqara were sweet to my soul. It ends just as it began with hope and faith, and the perfect balance of fear, mercy, and praise. The Qur'an is divided into 30 juz, and Ali Imran is about a juz shorter than suratul-Baqara. I want to finish it in two months so pray for me. I know that Allah can do what he wants. So if He allows me to, and I work hard out of hope and faith in Him, I will finish before May inshaAllah.
And if He wishes me to have a long drawn out bout with my character and my laziness, if He wishes me to struggle and cry, and grow and I don't finish Ali 'Imram for a year, that is okay too. It's not about feelings and empty words and this "God knows what's in my heart so I don't have to obey Him," foolishness. It's about whether or not I do what Allah has commanded. That is all I am responsible for.
If I study Qur'an for 7 hours a day and I still don't know the next juz by the end of the year, then I have done my part and must trust in Allah. But if all I do is hope for the best and don't follow up that hope with hard work, then the blame is mine and the failure as well. So I leave you with the last words of suratul Baqara. Words that have eternally existed and will never fade even as we forget and turn away from them.
[2:284]
Unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. And whether you bring into the open what is in your minds or conceal it, God will call you to account for it; and then He will forgive whom He wills, and will chastise whom He wills: for God has the power to will anything.
[2:285]
THE APOSTLE, and the believers with him, believe in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer: they all believe in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any of His apostles; and they say:
"We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, O our Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys’ end!
[2:286]
"God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favour shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does.
"O our Sustainer! Take us not to task if we forget or unwittingly do wrong!
"O our Sustainer! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those who lived before us! O our Sustainer! Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear!
"And efface Thou our sins, and grant us forgiveness, and bestow Thy mercy upon us! Thou art our Lord Supreme: succour us, then, against people who deny the truth!"
May Allah grant this to all of us until the Day of Judgement. Ameen
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The End is Nearly Close
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
On Thurdsay, February 18, about an hour after 'Isha, I completed the last four ayaat (verses) of Sura Baqara. I reread the page once twice then three times. I closed the Qur'an, then slowly stretched my legs from underneath me. And slowly they moved heavy from immobility. I never thought that I'd actually succeed. Alhamdulillah
Sura Baqara has 286 ayaat which contain 6121 words. So now I am carrying 6121 words that Allah specifically gave to Angel Gibra'il (Gabriel). The same words that travelled down through the seven heavens and were engraved upon the heart of the last messenger. Al-Baqara was revealed in Madinah after the hijrah of the Messenger (S), and it contains everything.
It details the different types of people that exist in the world and introduces a phenomenon that was not known in Makkah: hypocrites. It contains laws on how Muslims are to live socially, from what foods we should and shouldn't eat, to the meaning of piety, to the punishment for murder, to the rulings for fasting and hajj. It also has rulings for inheritance, fighting in the sacred months, marriage, divorce, breastfeeding, the rights of widows. And much more.
Sura Baqara has 4 names. 1) Al-Baqara: refering to the story during the time of Musa when a man was killed and Musa's people asked him to find out 'who done it.' 2) Suratul-Kursi: because it contains ayatul-Kursi the greatest aya in the Qur'an. 3) Sinam ul-Qur'an: for when the prophet said: "Everything has a Sinam and the sinam of the Qur'an is suratul-Baqara." (Sinam: hump of a camel, where all the good life preserving stuff is contained). 4) Az Zahraa' (flower) because the prophet said: "Read the two Flowers, Al-Baqara and Ali 'Imran." Ali 'Imran is the third sura in the Qur'an.
It is strange. Or perhaps it is simply one of many changes I will notice in my mannerisms as I proceed on this path. I'm not excited. I was a bit thrilled on thursday when it was finally finished but I know it's not over. It will never be over as long as I'm alive. Memorization was perhaps the easiest part. Now I have to completely overhaul my character in alignment with what Allah has taught me.
This second journey, within the first, is the real thing. Instead of excitement I feel the weight of it all pushing at me. But I know I can never turn back. I have too much staked on this accomplishment. I have too many needs that only the Qur'an can fulfill. And I have too much hope that my children will be better aware of the Qur'an than I am.
The deepest impression this sura has written on my thoughts is this: "Allah can do anything." Thinking back to two years ago before I memorized this sura, of course I knew that Allah can do anything. Dah. But I didn't know it then like I know it now. I didn't know about the man who died for 100 years then Allah revived him. His food hadn't aged a bit but his donkey was... Well it was a donkey that was dead for 100 years. Then in front of the mans eyes the bones came back together and Allah clothed them in flesh. The man's knowledge reached its pinnacle and Allah made him a sign for the people.
Some might ask, "Did that really happen? I mean like... seriously???" The answer is, "Of course it did. It's in the Qur'an. Allah is the witness for everything in the Qur'an. And Allah says it's true."
I couldn't imagine such a thing happening nowadays, but if a Michael Jackson came back to life and it was actually him, would you be in denial or mesmerized? Or would you say Allah does what He wants? That's what I would say now that I know it.
When magicians levitate, or fly, or drink a gallon of poison and live why are we amazed or stunned or shaken? Some foolish people go so far as to worship magicians. If anything seeing "miracles" should only reaffirm our faith. If Allah caused a man to die for 100 years then brought him back, surely it is no issue to simply stop poison from killing a person or any other small or great thing.
But when I didn't know sura Baqara I had no guidance informing my thoughts when I saw amazing things. I had no meter whereby to judge what was happening or if it was okay to believe it really happened. Memorizing Qur'an with meanings allows me to have a constant reference guide for all information that comes into my personal sphere. What is your reference guide?
As salaamu alaikum,
On Thurdsay, February 18, about an hour after 'Isha, I completed the last four ayaat (verses) of Sura Baqara. I reread the page once twice then three times. I closed the Qur'an, then slowly stretched my legs from underneath me. And slowly they moved heavy from immobility. I never thought that I'd actually succeed. Alhamdulillah
Sura Baqara has 286 ayaat which contain 6121 words. So now I am carrying 6121 words that Allah specifically gave to Angel Gibra'il (Gabriel). The same words that travelled down through the seven heavens and were engraved upon the heart of the last messenger. Al-Baqara was revealed in Madinah after the hijrah of the Messenger (S), and it contains everything.
It details the different types of people that exist in the world and introduces a phenomenon that was not known in Makkah: hypocrites. It contains laws on how Muslims are to live socially, from what foods we should and shouldn't eat, to the meaning of piety, to the punishment for murder, to the rulings for fasting and hajj. It also has rulings for inheritance, fighting in the sacred months, marriage, divorce, breastfeeding, the rights of widows. And much more.
Sura Baqara has 4 names. 1) Al-Baqara: refering to the story during the time of Musa when a man was killed and Musa's people asked him to find out 'who done it.' 2) Suratul-Kursi: because it contains ayatul-Kursi the greatest aya in the Qur'an. 3) Sinam ul-Qur'an: for when the prophet said: "Everything has a Sinam and the sinam of the Qur'an is suratul-Baqara." (Sinam: hump of a camel, where all the good life preserving stuff is contained). 4) Az Zahraa' (flower) because the prophet said: "Read the two Flowers, Al-Baqara and Ali 'Imran." Ali 'Imran is the third sura in the Qur'an.
It is strange. Or perhaps it is simply one of many changes I will notice in my mannerisms as I proceed on this path. I'm not excited. I was a bit thrilled on thursday when it was finally finished but I know it's not over. It will never be over as long as I'm alive. Memorization was perhaps the easiest part. Now I have to completely overhaul my character in alignment with what Allah has taught me.
This second journey, within the first, is the real thing. Instead of excitement I feel the weight of it all pushing at me. But I know I can never turn back. I have too much staked on this accomplishment. I have too many needs that only the Qur'an can fulfill. And I have too much hope that my children will be better aware of the Qur'an than I am.
The deepest impression this sura has written on my thoughts is this: "Allah can do anything." Thinking back to two years ago before I memorized this sura, of course I knew that Allah can do anything. Dah. But I didn't know it then like I know it now. I didn't know about the man who died for 100 years then Allah revived him. His food hadn't aged a bit but his donkey was... Well it was a donkey that was dead for 100 years. Then in front of the mans eyes the bones came back together and Allah clothed them in flesh. The man's knowledge reached its pinnacle and Allah made him a sign for the people.
Some might ask, "Did that really happen? I mean like... seriously???" The answer is, "Of course it did. It's in the Qur'an. Allah is the witness for everything in the Qur'an. And Allah says it's true."
I couldn't imagine such a thing happening nowadays, but if a Michael Jackson came back to life and it was actually him, would you be in denial or mesmerized? Or would you say Allah does what He wants? That's what I would say now that I know it.
When magicians levitate, or fly, or drink a gallon of poison and live why are we amazed or stunned or shaken? Some foolish people go so far as to worship magicians. If anything seeing "miracles" should only reaffirm our faith. If Allah caused a man to die for 100 years then brought him back, surely it is no issue to simply stop poison from killing a person or any other small or great thing.
But when I didn't know sura Baqara I had no guidance informing my thoughts when I saw amazing things. I had no meter whereby to judge what was happening or if it was okay to believe it really happened. Memorizing Qur'an with meanings allows me to have a constant reference guide for all information that comes into my personal sphere. What is your reference guide?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Countdown to the End
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum!!!
From aya 275 to aya (verse) 286 and I'm finished. I will have completed my memorization of the longest chapter in the Qur'an. I am so excited I could scream and jump around acting a nut. But I'll reserve that for later.
It's three pages in my Mushaf, and the ayaat are quite long. In fact I will finally learn the longest aya in the Qur'an. And what else could it be about but... Hahaha I think I'll just leave you in suspense until I get to it.
The end is in sight and it has only increased my desire to learn. I want to know the Qur'an so well that I can pinpoint every word in it. If someone asks me, "Blackseed where can I find earth mentioned in the Qur'an?" I want to be able to list every aya about it and the explanations of those ayaat (verses).
Ooohhhh, I can't wait. I am such a state of anticipation I might have to learn the whole thing tonight. We'll see. May Allah make our struggles for knowledge easy and fulfilling. And may He shower His mercies upon us without end.
As salaamu alaikum!!!
From aya 275 to aya (verse) 286 and I'm finished. I will have completed my memorization of the longest chapter in the Qur'an. I am so excited I could scream and jump around acting a nut. But I'll reserve that for later.
It's three pages in my Mushaf, and the ayaat are quite long. In fact I will finally learn the longest aya in the Qur'an. And what else could it be about but... Hahaha I think I'll just leave you in suspense until I get to it.
The end is in sight and it has only increased my desire to learn. I want to know the Qur'an so well that I can pinpoint every word in it. If someone asks me, "Blackseed where can I find earth mentioned in the Qur'an?" I want to be able to list every aya about it and the explanations of those ayaat (verses).
Ooohhhh, I can't wait. I am such a state of anticipation I might have to learn the whole thing tonight. We'll see. May Allah make our struggles for knowledge easy and fulfilling. And may He shower His mercies upon us without end.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Under Allah's Guidance: 2:258
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
So we left off at the beginning of page 43, with aya (verse) 257, "Allah is the protector of those who have faith..." What an awesome comforting verse. But at the same time it was a strict warning and reminder. And afterwards Allah gives us three examples that illustrate its meanings and so many more. But to fully understand the coming examples/ayaat (verses) we'll need a quick recap of the page before and even the first verse on this page.
Remember on the page before we talked about ayas 253-256. We went into how Allah gives different people different gifts. Then came Allah's command to spend from what He has given us. Then Allah explained to us who He is, and some of His characteristics and attributes. The page ended with Allah telling us His established order in the world: There is to be no forcing in matters of faith. The signs are clear. Everyone knows who Allah is and they get to choose for themselves.
Then we have the first aya on the current page 257, 'Allah is the protector of the faithful. From the depth of darkness he leads them forth into the light...' So with all this in mind we continue, remembering all the main points of what we read before, and that Allah gives us sequence and order for a reason. So on with the blessings.
ART THOU NOT aware of that [king] who argued with Abraham about his Sustainer, [simply] because God had granted him kingship?
Lo! Abraham said: "My Sustainer is He who grants life and deals death."
[The king] replied: "I [too] grant life and deal death!"
Said Abraham: "Verily, God causes the sun to rise in the east; cause it, then, to rise in the west!"
Thereupon he who was bent on denying the truth remained dumbfounded: for God does not guide people who [deliberately] do wrong. 2:258
So the aya starts. Keep in mind I'm talking about the arabic. The english interpretations, even my minor word translations, can only be used as a guide, not the real thing. It begins: "...الم تر الى" Meaning, 'Have you seen,' or, 'Have you turned your sight toward,' the one who argued with Ibrahim (peace and blessings upon him) about his Lord.
From this point we are introduced to a new character. Allah doesn't mention a name, therefore the man's name and identity are unimportant. What we need to focus on is what he says and what he is doing. He is debating a prophet concerning Allah. Ibrahim says, 'My Lord gives life and death.' And the mans says, 'I give life and death.' The man doesn't deny the power of Ibrahim's Lord. The mans problem is that he thinks he has as much power as Ibrahims Lord.
In the aya (verse) Allah says that He gave the man a kingdom. There are a few things going on with that point. Firstly, the man has a kingdom, so he's not an average person. Secondly he foolishly attributes his status to his own doing instead of realizing that it is from Allah. And thirdly he wrongly assumes the powers of that position originate from him instead of knowing that Allah is only allowing him to act.
Remember in aya 253, Allah tells us that He gives blessings to some that He doesn't give to others. Here is an example of a blessing that Allah gave, but the man attributes it to himself. So when Ibrahim (pbuh) says, 'My Lord gives life and death,' the man basically says, 'me too.' His folly is that he equates himself with God.
So Ibrahim uses an example that will dispel any illusions this man has. He says, 'Allah raises the sun from the east. You rise it from the west.' The man is بهت speechless, gripping for a reply and finding none. Why doesn't he have a reply? It's simple. He knows he can't make the sun come up from the west. And he knows that whoever in the vicinity is watching knows he can't do that either. One of the Qur'an exegetists says that this debate happened after Ibrahim (pbuh) was thrown in the fire. So whoever is questioning Ibrahim (pbuh) knows that he is no ordinary man.
Debating 101. Don't get lured into tangents. Stay on topic. Ibrahim could have directly crushed the mans delusions in thinking that he could originate life and death, but that was not the point. Ibrahim (pbuh) listened and correctly analyzed and pinpointed the man's problem. The man thought he could do what Allah does. So Ibrahim used a clear obvious example that the man couldn't get around no matter what contortions or acrobatics his mind went through.
And that was the end of that
The aya (verse) ends, 'Allah does not guide the wrongdoing folk.' This doesn't mean if you sin you will not be guided. This means: if you refuse to accept the truth you will not be guided. If you actively and deliberately persist in sinful behavior, that behavior acts as a barrier between you and Allah's guidance. Only when you desist in your wring actions and actively seek light is Allah's guidance reopened to you. And Allah is all-Forgiving, Wise.
When Master Yoda. First gave me this verse I was kind of blown away. I am (hopefully was) most definitely a stubborn person. And this verse silenced me. There was nothing I could say. What can a person say in response to Allah's words? I really had to have an intimate conversation with myself about how this verse revealed a particular bad aspect of my character.
It's not just that Allah said He doesn't guide the people who refuse to be guided. But it was the fact that I plainly saw my character reflected in the arrogance of the man who contended with Ibrahim, peace be upon him. And then I read the last phrase, and the lowliness of my existence became clear. I wanted to hide. But where could I go that Allah wouldn't see me and know me. May Allah forgive me now and always.
I'm only on sura Baqara, the second of 114 chapters. If one aya in Baqara can give me this kind of slap, God only knows what is in store in the next thousand verses. I hope I can handle it. And I pray that we all grow. Especially me. I need it.
As salaamu alaikum,
So we left off at the beginning of page 43, with aya (verse) 257, "Allah is the protector of those who have faith..." What an awesome comforting verse. But at the same time it was a strict warning and reminder. And afterwards Allah gives us three examples that illustrate its meanings and so many more. But to fully understand the coming examples/ayaat (verses) we'll need a quick recap of the page before and even the first verse on this page.
Remember on the page before we talked about ayas 253-256. We went into how Allah gives different people different gifts. Then came Allah's command to spend from what He has given us. Then Allah explained to us who He is, and some of His characteristics and attributes. The page ended with Allah telling us His established order in the world: There is to be no forcing in matters of faith. The signs are clear. Everyone knows who Allah is and they get to choose for themselves.
Then we have the first aya on the current page 257, 'Allah is the protector of the faithful. From the depth of darkness he leads them forth into the light...' So with all this in mind we continue, remembering all the main points of what we read before, and that Allah gives us sequence and order for a reason. So on with the blessings.
ART THOU NOT aware of that [king] who argued with Abraham about his Sustainer, [simply] because God had granted him kingship?
Lo! Abraham said: "My Sustainer is He who grants life and deals death."
[The king] replied: "I [too] grant life and deal death!"
Said Abraham: "Verily, God causes the sun to rise in the east; cause it, then, to rise in the west!"
Thereupon he who was bent on denying the truth remained dumbfounded: for God does not guide people who [deliberately] do wrong. 2:258
So the aya starts. Keep in mind I'm talking about the arabic. The english interpretations, even my minor word translations, can only be used as a guide, not the real thing. It begins: "...الم تر الى" Meaning, 'Have you seen,' or, 'Have you turned your sight toward,' the one who argued with Ibrahim (peace and blessings upon him) about his Lord.
From this point we are introduced to a new character. Allah doesn't mention a name, therefore the man's name and identity are unimportant. What we need to focus on is what he says and what he is doing. He is debating a prophet concerning Allah. Ibrahim says, 'My Lord gives life and death.' And the mans says, 'I give life and death.' The man doesn't deny the power of Ibrahim's Lord. The mans problem is that he thinks he has as much power as Ibrahims Lord.
In the aya (verse) Allah says that He gave the man a kingdom. There are a few things going on with that point. Firstly, the man has a kingdom, so he's not an average person. Secondly he foolishly attributes his status to his own doing instead of realizing that it is from Allah. And thirdly he wrongly assumes the powers of that position originate from him instead of knowing that Allah is only allowing him to act.
Remember in aya 253, Allah tells us that He gives blessings to some that He doesn't give to others. Here is an example of a blessing that Allah gave, but the man attributes it to himself. So when Ibrahim (pbuh) says, 'My Lord gives life and death,' the man basically says, 'me too.' His folly is that he equates himself with God.
So Ibrahim uses an example that will dispel any illusions this man has. He says, 'Allah raises the sun from the east. You rise it from the west.' The man is بهت speechless, gripping for a reply and finding none. Why doesn't he have a reply? It's simple. He knows he can't make the sun come up from the west. And he knows that whoever in the vicinity is watching knows he can't do that either. One of the Qur'an exegetists says that this debate happened after Ibrahim (pbuh) was thrown in the fire. So whoever is questioning Ibrahim (pbuh) knows that he is no ordinary man.
Debating 101. Don't get lured into tangents. Stay on topic. Ibrahim could have directly crushed the mans delusions in thinking that he could originate life and death, but that was not the point. Ibrahim (pbuh) listened and correctly analyzed and pinpointed the man's problem. The man thought he could do what Allah does. So Ibrahim used a clear obvious example that the man couldn't get around no matter what contortions or acrobatics his mind went through.
And that was the end of that
The aya (verse) ends, 'Allah does not guide the wrongdoing folk.' This doesn't mean if you sin you will not be guided. This means: if you refuse to accept the truth you will not be guided. If you actively and deliberately persist in sinful behavior, that behavior acts as a barrier between you and Allah's guidance. Only when you desist in your wring actions and actively seek light is Allah's guidance reopened to you. And Allah is all-Forgiving, Wise.
When Master Yoda. First gave me this verse I was kind of blown away. I am (hopefully was) most definitely a stubborn person. And this verse silenced me. There was nothing I could say. What can a person say in response to Allah's words? I really had to have an intimate conversation with myself about how this verse revealed a particular bad aspect of my character.
It's not just that Allah said He doesn't guide the people who refuse to be guided. But it was the fact that I plainly saw my character reflected in the arrogance of the man who contended with Ibrahim, peace be upon him. And then I read the last phrase, and the lowliness of my existence became clear. I wanted to hide. But where could I go that Allah wouldn't see me and know me. May Allah forgive me now and always.
I'm only on sura Baqara, the second of 114 chapters. If one aya in Baqara can give me this kind of slap, God only knows what is in store in the next thousand verses. I hope I can handle it. And I pray that we all grow. Especially me. I need it.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Five Words But Endless Meanings
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Alhamdu leellaahi rabbeel 'aalameen
I begin today with the second Aya of surat-ul-Fatiha. It is commonly interpreted as 'Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.' But this is only part of what it means, which is why I say it is commonly interpreted as, instead of it is commonly translated as. Because the word interpretation means 'one of many meanings', whereas a translation is a written or spoken rendering of the meaning of a word, speech, book, or other text, in another language. Which simply cannot be done with the Qur'an. The meanings are limitless, even down to the arabic letters used to make the sounds of the words.
So what else does it mean? Alhamdu leellaahi rabbeel 'aalameen, Jalalain says that "Alhamdu leellaahi" is an informative sentence meaning 'all praise belongs to Allah.' So the essence of praise for a thing or gratitude for a thing is that Allah owns that praise and gratitude.
And what in the heavens or the earth is not owned by Allah? What blessing befalls us but that Allah allowed it to happen? What exists but that Allah created it? What amazingly delicious meal does your mother make for you, but that Allah gave her the ability to make it?
But even with that the choice is still there. Aya 256 Baqara: "There is no forcing in matters of faith." Allah has shown us the truth. It is clear. We either accept it and believe in it. Or we reject it and disbelieve in it. And those who disbelieve only oppress themselves, aya 254 Baqara.
Those who disbelieve in the meeting with Allah and who don't take death seriously will inevitably oppress themselves. Why? Because everything we have belongs to Allah and is owned by Allah. So how can we use what Allah has given us to disobey Him, or to disbelieve in Him?
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said what is interpreted as: "A small deed performed consistently is more beloved to Allah than a grand deed that is not consistent." It is easy to see at least one reason why this is so. Small acts of worship- easy acts of worship- build up our defenses against Shaitan (satan), who has to break down our outer defenses in order to make us disobey our Maker. If we don't have any outer defenses, small deeds, we will regularly fall into major sins.
So lets build up those defenses. Let us all commit to consistently never doing a small sin again. Just one small thing that is easy to let go of. Some people call others names, some curse, some gossip, and some do other sins/things that they may think insignificant, but when it comes to behavior that Allah does not like, nothing is insignificant. You know the bad things you do and so do the people closest to you. If you can't think of any small sin that you are willing to give up for the sake of your Creator, Who sustains your life, then ask that person who loves you the most to help you.
I know what I am going to let go of for Allah's sake, and that is enough. I know that Allah has seen me do wrong, and He will see me when as I try to do right. He is the Helper and the Protector of the faithful. He will help me and He will help you. As long as you are willing to help yourself.
Promise yourself that you will be a better person today than you were yesterday and better person tomorrow than you were today. Don't be one of those Allah describes in the Qur'an as "the oppressors." Those who deny good for themselves because they use what Allah has given them to commit sins. Allah gave you feet. Don't walk to haram (illegal actions). Allah gave you a tongue and a voice. Don't say bad things. and above all remember that He sees you, He is watching you, and He will help you be better. For He is your Lord and my Lord: "The Lord of the worlds."
As salaamu alaikum,
Alhamdu leellaahi rabbeel 'aalameen
I begin today with the second Aya of surat-ul-Fatiha. It is commonly interpreted as 'Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.' But this is only part of what it means, which is why I say it is commonly interpreted as, instead of it is commonly translated as. Because the word interpretation means 'one of many meanings', whereas a translation is a written or spoken rendering of the meaning of a word, speech, book, or other text, in another language. Which simply cannot be done with the Qur'an. The meanings are limitless, even down to the arabic letters used to make the sounds of the words.
So what else does it mean? Alhamdu leellaahi rabbeel 'aalameen, Jalalain says that "Alhamdu leellaahi" is an informative sentence meaning 'all praise belongs to Allah.' So the essence of praise for a thing or gratitude for a thing is that Allah owns that praise and gratitude.
And what in the heavens or the earth is not owned by Allah? What blessing befalls us but that Allah allowed it to happen? What exists but that Allah created it? What amazingly delicious meal does your mother make for you, but that Allah gave her the ability to make it?
But even with that the choice is still there. Aya 256 Baqara: "There is no forcing in matters of faith." Allah has shown us the truth. It is clear. We either accept it and believe in it. Or we reject it and disbelieve in it. And those who disbelieve only oppress themselves, aya 254 Baqara.
Those who disbelieve in the meeting with Allah and who don't take death seriously will inevitably oppress themselves. Why? Because everything we have belongs to Allah and is owned by Allah. So how can we use what Allah has given us to disobey Him, or to disbelieve in Him?
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said what is interpreted as: "A small deed performed consistently is more beloved to Allah than a grand deed that is not consistent." It is easy to see at least one reason why this is so. Small acts of worship- easy acts of worship- build up our defenses against Shaitan (satan), who has to break down our outer defenses in order to make us disobey our Maker. If we don't have any outer defenses, small deeds, we will regularly fall into major sins.
So lets build up those defenses. Let us all commit to consistently never doing a small sin again. Just one small thing that is easy to let go of. Some people call others names, some curse, some gossip, and some do other sins/things that they may think insignificant, but when it comes to behavior that Allah does not like, nothing is insignificant. You know the bad things you do and so do the people closest to you. If you can't think of any small sin that you are willing to give up for the sake of your Creator, Who sustains your life, then ask that person who loves you the most to help you.
I know what I am going to let go of for Allah's sake, and that is enough. I know that Allah has seen me do wrong, and He will see me when as I try to do right. He is the Helper and the Protector of the faithful. He will help me and He will help you. As long as you are willing to help yourself.
Promise yourself that you will be a better person today than you were yesterday and better person tomorrow than you were today. Don't be one of those Allah describes in the Qur'an as "the oppressors." Those who deny good for themselves because they use what Allah has given them to commit sins. Allah gave you feet. Don't walk to haram (illegal actions). Allah gave you a tongue and a voice. Don't say bad things. and above all remember that He sees you, He is watching you, and He will help you be better. For He is your Lord and my Lord: "The Lord of the worlds."
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Aya 257
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Allah is the protector of the faithful. Isn't that a comforting thought. After reading ayatul-Kursi and reflecting on the Attributes of the Lord of us all, and after Him telling that He does not want there to be force in religion, isn't it such a comforting that to that if we choose belief in Our Creator He will protect us. I know I feel good right now. But it doesn't stop there. He takes those protected people out of the darknesses and into the light.
The word used for darkness in this aya(verse) is ظلمات . Thulumaat-darknesses. Why is it significant that Allah would use darknesses in a plural sense? Ok. I know that was an easy question, but sometimes the easy ones need to be written down. Darknesses signifies the numerous means by which people are led astray. Misguidance is as numerous as people on the planet. And why shouldn't it be we're all different, with differing weaknesses and strengths. But...
Truth is one. Light is one. Just as God is One. All misguidance and darkness dissipates in the light of truth. May Allah make us of the faithful and protected.
As salaamu alaikum,
Allah is the protector of the faithful. Isn't that a comforting thought. After reading ayatul-Kursi and reflecting on the Attributes of the Lord of us all, and after Him telling that He does not want there to be force in religion, isn't it such a comforting that to that if we choose belief in Our Creator He will protect us. I know I feel good right now. But it doesn't stop there. He takes those protected people out of the darknesses and into the light.
The word used for darkness in this aya(verse) is ظلمات . Thulumaat-darknesses. Why is it significant that Allah would use darknesses in a plural sense? Ok. I know that was an easy question, but sometimes the easy ones need to be written down. Darknesses signifies the numerous means by which people are led astray. Misguidance is as numerous as people on the planet. And why shouldn't it be we're all different, with differing weaknesses and strengths. But...
Truth is one. Light is one. Just as God is One. All misguidance and darkness dissipates in the light of truth. May Allah make us of the faithful and protected.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lastly
[2:254]
O YOU who have attained to faith! Spend [in Our way] out of what We have granted you as sustenance before there comes a Day when there will be no bargaining, and no friendship, and no intercession. And they who deny the truth – it is they who are evildoers!
All the ayas in the Qur'an blend into each other with a perfection that no human can reinvent or copy. In this aya there is a warning and a mercy. Allah addresses the believers and gives us knowledge of one of the attributes we should strive to attain. He says spend from what we have provided for you. Allah's provision is everything that He has given us. In the previous aya (verse) we are told that Allah gives different bounties to different people, and that's the way He wants it. In this aya Allah tells us what we should do with those bounties. Spend from them for His sake. We don't own anything that Allah didn't give us and when we use these bestowed gifts for His sake He rewards us. (More on that in 2 pages on aya 261)
Here we get a taste of how the ayas (verses) fit together. First Allah tells us what He has given us. Then He tells us why and how we should use those blessings. In order to have a functioning community we need many people with many different skills. This is just another reason not to covet the abilities of any other person. If we were all the same communities wouldn't be able to take care of themselves. There wouldn't be enough skills from within to handle all of our needs.. Hhmmmm.... Isn't that what's happening now. hhhmmm.... I wonder...
The warning in this verse is this: A sign of disbelief is that a person doesn't spend from what Allah has given to him/her. A person who spends for Allah must realize on some level that he will return to Allah. Right? Does that mean that people who don't spend in some sort of charity, those who horde the gifts of God to themselves trying to earn bigger profits for the next quarter, that those people don't believe in God or don't realize the inevitability of the return to Him?
Those people are the ones who only oppress themselves. They have no savings in the bank of deeds. Come to think of it, how much have I saved in that bank? Are we a people who stop ourselves from attaining paradise because we're too ashamed to give a quarter to Allah. Don't be.
Allah is the Lord of the day in which there is no trade, no friendship, and no intercession, except what Allah permits. And with all His might He has given us an easy way to seek His favor, His friendship, and His pleasure. Nothing is too small to give to Allah. if you see a hungry person and you have nothing but and apple, give the apple. Put some money in your bank account before a day comes when that account is sealed and nothing can be added but deeds can be taken out. There is only one Master that day.
[2:255]
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being.
Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave?
He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain].
His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous.
And who is that Master? Allah. Nothing that ever existed has a claim to be worshipped except Him. He is Alive right now and always, and completely free of any need from anyone, but all things are dependent on Him. Nodding off, dozing sleeping becoming tired, needing to rest, these things have no place with Allah. They do not take Him. They do not touch him. Everything belongs to Him. And with that who of us, which of the angels, what being has ever existed that has any weight with Him, or can speak on its own behalf without Allah giving it permission to use the lips that He created. He knows the future the present and the past. He knows everything we have done, want to do, or will do. If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no person hears, know that it is Allah who caused it to fall in the first place. His throne His might, His power, His will extends over the entire expanse of everything we know about and everything we don't know about. He keeps them. He maintains them and it's no thing. Why? Because He is the Highest the Supreme.
[2:256]
THERE SHALL BE no coercion in matters of faith.
Distinct has now become the right way from [the way of] error: hence, he who rejects the powers of evil and believes in God has indeed taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing.
And still after all that He doesn't force us to believe, and He doesn't allow anyone else to either, because He has chosen for there not to be any compulsion in life choice. The truth is plain and everyone can distinguish it clearly from falsehood. And here Allah gives us the choice again, and encourages us in that choice. Believe! Reject falsehood and you will be secure for all eternity.
But the choice is yours and the choice is mine. Allah is merciful. Allah is kind.
O YOU who have attained to faith! Spend [in Our way] out of what We have granted you as sustenance before there comes a Day when there will be no bargaining, and no friendship, and no intercession. And they who deny the truth – it is they who are evildoers!
All the ayas in the Qur'an blend into each other with a perfection that no human can reinvent or copy. In this aya there is a warning and a mercy. Allah addresses the believers and gives us knowledge of one of the attributes we should strive to attain. He says spend from what we have provided for you. Allah's provision is everything that He has given us. In the previous aya (verse) we are told that Allah gives different bounties to different people, and that's the way He wants it. In this aya Allah tells us what we should do with those bounties. Spend from them for His sake. We don't own anything that Allah didn't give us and when we use these bestowed gifts for His sake He rewards us. (More on that in 2 pages on aya 261)
Here we get a taste of how the ayas (verses) fit together. First Allah tells us what He has given us. Then He tells us why and how we should use those blessings. In order to have a functioning community we need many people with many different skills. This is just another reason not to covet the abilities of any other person. If we were all the same communities wouldn't be able to take care of themselves. There wouldn't be enough skills from within to handle all of our needs.. Hhmmmm.... Isn't that what's happening now. hhhmmm.... I wonder...
The warning in this verse is this: A sign of disbelief is that a person doesn't spend from what Allah has given to him/her. A person who spends for Allah must realize on some level that he will return to Allah. Right? Does that mean that people who don't spend in some sort of charity, those who horde the gifts of God to themselves trying to earn bigger profits for the next quarter, that those people don't believe in God or don't realize the inevitability of the return to Him?
Those people are the ones who only oppress themselves. They have no savings in the bank of deeds. Come to think of it, how much have I saved in that bank? Are we a people who stop ourselves from attaining paradise because we're too ashamed to give a quarter to Allah. Don't be.
Allah is the Lord of the day in which there is no trade, no friendship, and no intercession, except what Allah permits. And with all His might He has given us an easy way to seek His favor, His friendship, and His pleasure. Nothing is too small to give to Allah. if you see a hungry person and you have nothing but and apple, give the apple. Put some money in your bank account before a day comes when that account is sealed and nothing can be added but deeds can be taken out. There is only one Master that day.
[2:255]
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being.
Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave?
He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain].
His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous.
And who is that Master? Allah. Nothing that ever existed has a claim to be worshipped except Him. He is Alive right now and always, and completely free of any need from anyone, but all things are dependent on Him. Nodding off, dozing sleeping becoming tired, needing to rest, these things have no place with Allah. They do not take Him. They do not touch him. Everything belongs to Him. And with that who of us, which of the angels, what being has ever existed that has any weight with Him, or can speak on its own behalf without Allah giving it permission to use the lips that He created. He knows the future the present and the past. He knows everything we have done, want to do, or will do. If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no person hears, know that it is Allah who caused it to fall in the first place. His throne His might, His power, His will extends over the entire expanse of everything we know about and everything we don't know about. He keeps them. He maintains them and it's no thing. Why? Because He is the Highest the Supreme.
[2:256]
THERE SHALL BE no coercion in matters of faith.
Distinct has now become the right way from [the way of] error: hence, he who rejects the powers of evil and believes in God has indeed taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing.
And still after all that He doesn't force us to believe, and He doesn't allow anyone else to either, because He has chosen for there not to be any compulsion in life choice. The truth is plain and everyone can distinguish it clearly from falsehood. And here Allah gives us the choice again, and encourages us in that choice. Believe! Reject falsehood and you will be secure for all eternity.
But the choice is yours and the choice is mine. Allah is merciful. Allah is kind.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Ayat-ul-Kursi The verse of the Throne (continued)
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
Ayat-ul-Kursi is aya (verse) 255 of the longest chapter in the Qur'an. Its on page 42 in my Mus-haf (book) along with 3 other verses.
[2:253]
Some of these apostles have We endowed more highly than others: among them were such as were spoken to by God [Himself], and some He has raised yet higher. And We vouchsafed unto Jesus, the son of Mary, all evidence of the truth, and strengthened him with holy inspiration.
And if God had so willed, they who succeeded those [apostles] would not have contended with one another after all evidence of the truth had come to them; but [as it was,] they did take to divergent views, and some of them attained to faith, while some of them came to deny the truth. Yet if God had so willed, they would not have contended with one another: but God does whatever He wills.
There are two main topics discussed in this aya, messengers, and God's will. As for the messengers Allah is telling us His sunnah (established order) in regards to them. Not all messengers are the same. Allah chose specific gifts to give to specific prophets. Allah spoke to Moses. Allah gave Isa (Jesus) clear signs and aided him with the ruuhil-Qudus (holy spirit). (When Ruhil Qudus is mentioned in the Qur'an it is usually means angel Gabriel.)
These examples that all people, Muslims and everyone else know about, are to let us know that Allah did give messengers (peace be upon them all) ranks and levels. His established order in the world is that some people have been given special gifts that no one else has, and have not been given certain gifts that others may have.
And this is fine. It's all good. This is the way its supposed to be. Some people have really good hearing, and they are blind. It's almost as if Allah replaces their eyes with their ears. Others can see, but can't walk. And others have no intellect coupled with no reckoning on the day of judgement. They will go straight to heaven.
It isn't necessary to be dissatisfied when you see a bounty that Allah has given someone else that He hasn't given to you. It may be that Allah will give you something better in the future. Or He has already given you something better than what He gave that other person but you are to ungrateful to notice. May Allah make us grateful, kind, and merciful to our families. ameen.
This post will be continued and reposted later inshaAllah. Until then read the next verses and see what you can take form them before I write my next piece.
[2:254]
O YOU who have attained to faith! Spend [in Our way] out of what We have granted you as sustenance ere there come a Day when there will be no bargaining, and no friendship, and no intercession. And they who deny the truth – it is they who are evildoers!
[2:255]
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being.
Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave?
He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain].
His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous.
[2:256]
THERE SHALL BE no coercion in matters of faith.
Distinct has now become the right way from [the way of] error: hence, he who rejects the powers of evil and believes in God has indeed taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing.
As salaamu alaikum,
Ayat-ul-Kursi is aya (verse) 255 of the longest chapter in the Qur'an. Its on page 42 in my Mus-haf (book) along with 3 other verses.
[2:253]
Some of these apostles have We endowed more highly than others: among them were such as were spoken to by God [Himself], and some He has raised yet higher. And We vouchsafed unto Jesus, the son of Mary, all evidence of the truth, and strengthened him with holy inspiration.
And if God had so willed, they who succeeded those [apostles] would not have contended with one another after all evidence of the truth had come to them; but [as it was,] they did take to divergent views, and some of them attained to faith, while some of them came to deny the truth. Yet if God had so willed, they would not have contended with one another: but God does whatever He wills.
There are two main topics discussed in this aya, messengers, and God's will. As for the messengers Allah is telling us His sunnah (established order) in regards to them. Not all messengers are the same. Allah chose specific gifts to give to specific prophets. Allah spoke to Moses. Allah gave Isa (Jesus) clear signs and aided him with the ruuhil-Qudus (holy spirit). (When Ruhil Qudus is mentioned in the Qur'an it is usually means angel Gabriel.)
These examples that all people, Muslims and everyone else know about, are to let us know that Allah did give messengers (peace be upon them all) ranks and levels. His established order in the world is that some people have been given special gifts that no one else has, and have not been given certain gifts that others may have.
And this is fine. It's all good. This is the way its supposed to be. Some people have really good hearing, and they are blind. It's almost as if Allah replaces their eyes with their ears. Others can see, but can't walk. And others have no intellect coupled with no reckoning on the day of judgement. They will go straight to heaven.
It isn't necessary to be dissatisfied when you see a bounty that Allah has given someone else that He hasn't given to you. It may be that Allah will give you something better in the future. Or He has already given you something better than what He gave that other person but you are to ungrateful to notice. May Allah make us grateful, kind, and merciful to our families. ameen.
This post will be continued and reposted later inshaAllah. Until then read the next verses and see what you can take form them before I write my next piece.
[2:254]
O YOU who have attained to faith! Spend [in Our way] out of what We have granted you as sustenance ere there come a Day when there will be no bargaining, and no friendship, and no intercession. And they who deny the truth – it is they who are evildoers!
[2:255]
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being.
Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave?
He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain].
His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous.
[2:256]
THERE SHALL BE no coercion in matters of faith.
Distinct has now become the right way from [the way of] error: hence, he who rejects the powers of evil and believes in God has indeed taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Ayat-ul-Kursi The verse of the Throne
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
The Last Messenger of God, sent to all mankind said what is translated as:
"The master of Humanity is Adam, And the master of the Arabs is Muhammad and it is no boast. And the master of speech is the Qur'an. And the master of the Qur'an is Al-Baqara. And the master of Al-Baqara is Ayat-ul-Kursi."
Ayat-ul-Kursi is the bomb! You know it's true. The prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said so many wonderful things about this ayat like, 'Whoever reads Ayatul-Kursi consistently, there is nothing between that person and paradise except death." And, "Whoever reads ayatul Kursi when he [she] lies down Allah will secure him, his neighbors, his neighbors neighbors, and all the houses around him. So here we go.
As salaamu alaikum,
The Last Messenger of God, sent to all mankind said what is translated as:
"The master of Humanity is Adam, And the master of the Arabs is Muhammad and it is no boast. And the master of speech is the Qur'an. And the master of the Qur'an is Al-Baqara. And the master of Al-Baqara is Ayat-ul-Kursi."
Ayat-ul-Kursi is the bomb! You know it's true. The prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said so many wonderful things about this ayat like, 'Whoever reads Ayatul-Kursi consistently, there is nothing between that person and paradise except death." And, "Whoever reads ayatul Kursi when he [she] lies down Allah will secure him, his neighbors, his neighbors neighbors, and all the houses around him. So here we go.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Saying of the day/week/month/year/beyond
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
"Al Inaa'u yakhruju maa feehee."
"What comes out of a vessel is what's in it"
Master Yoda just dropped this bit of knowledge on my mind and I had to share. "What comes out of a vessel is what's in it." Or, "What's in a vessel is what comes out of it." What do you think that means? Post some comments and let me know. I'll be back in a day or a week to tell you what it means to me.
As salaamu alaikum,
"Al Inaa'u yakhruju maa feehee."
"What comes out of a vessel is what's in it"
Master Yoda just dropped this bit of knowledge on my mind and I had to share. "What comes out of a vessel is what's in it." Or, "What's in a vessel is what comes out of it." What do you think that means? Post some comments and let me know. I'll be back in a day or a week to tell you what it means to me.
Al Baqara
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
What does sura (chapter) Baqara mean to you? Have you even been asked that question? I know I never thought of the Qur'an in terms of what it means to me until several months ago. Which goes into a bit of a problem I sense in having real discussions about the Qur'an. But that's a topic for another time.
Baqara means cow in arabic. And what a befitting title it is for the longest sura in the Qur'an. Name that part of a cow that no one can use... As soon as you find it let me know, I've given up looking for it. I just did a search on cow eye recipes and got over 17 millions hits. I couldn't even think of one reason to use a cows eyes, but there's at least 17 million, so there you go.
In the same way, and so much greater, sura Baqara has endless uses and meanings. I remember when I was learning ayah 17:
Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in utter darkness. So they could not see.
This verse reminded me of a particular memory I have from when I was 5. Whenever I recall it, this memory appears dark, although I am no longer frightened. My family at the time was living in an apartment complex. Forget cats and dogs, it was storming buckets and waves outside. The thunder hammered so loudly that the building shook. I was so frightened I couldn't even cry. I went to the bathroom and turned the light on, knowing that if the thunder scared the pee out of me and onto someone's lap I'd be in trouble. No sooner did I sit down than the great hammer struck the apartment building again and the power failed. I was in the bathroom. I was in the dark. and the pee was scared out of me.
That moment of darkness is what this verse reminds me of. But imagine if it wasn't the lights of the building that turned off, but the light in my heart the light in your heart. When I was in that bathroom I knew the lights were off. But what about all the people who don't know they are wandering through the world in darkness. What about three years ago when I didn't know this verse and a certain darkness had settled upon me too. Is this the ultimate end of not knowing the Qur'an? To be left in darkness?
The difference between visible darkness and spiritual darkness, in my opinion, is that one is obvious to all and the other is only obvious to the poeple who have light. Perhaps reading the Qur'an is the proactive way to be enlightened. Why wait until someone tells you what you don't want to hear anyway. And that is what I got out of ayah 17 of sura 2. And yes every ayah is like this and even beyond.
That's just one idea for why Baqara is the cow. So much benefit in one part of it or the whole thing.
If you want to know the verses leading up to ayah 17 here's a link to a Qur'anic interpretation by Yusuf Ali.
http://www.harunyahya.com/Quran_translation/Quran_translation2.php
Just thought I'd end with a passage Master Yoda gave me. I can't wait till I get there in memorization.
O People of the Scripture! Now hath Our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which ye used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture,
Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path. Qur'an 5:15
As salaamu alaikum,
What does sura (chapter) Baqara mean to you? Have you even been asked that question? I know I never thought of the Qur'an in terms of what it means to me until several months ago. Which goes into a bit of a problem I sense in having real discussions about the Qur'an. But that's a topic for another time.
Baqara means cow in arabic. And what a befitting title it is for the longest sura in the Qur'an. Name that part of a cow that no one can use... As soon as you find it let me know, I've given up looking for it. I just did a search on cow eye recipes and got over 17 millions hits. I couldn't even think of one reason to use a cows eyes, but there's at least 17 million, so there you go.
In the same way, and so much greater, sura Baqara has endless uses and meanings. I remember when I was learning ayah 17:
Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in utter darkness. So they could not see.
This verse reminded me of a particular memory I have from when I was 5. Whenever I recall it, this memory appears dark, although I am no longer frightened. My family at the time was living in an apartment complex. Forget cats and dogs, it was storming buckets and waves outside. The thunder hammered so loudly that the building shook. I was so frightened I couldn't even cry. I went to the bathroom and turned the light on, knowing that if the thunder scared the pee out of me and onto someone's lap I'd be in trouble. No sooner did I sit down than the great hammer struck the apartment building again and the power failed. I was in the bathroom. I was in the dark. and the pee was scared out of me.
That moment of darkness is what this verse reminds me of. But imagine if it wasn't the lights of the building that turned off, but the light in my heart the light in your heart. When I was in that bathroom I knew the lights were off. But what about all the people who don't know they are wandering through the world in darkness. What about three years ago when I didn't know this verse and a certain darkness had settled upon me too. Is this the ultimate end of not knowing the Qur'an? To be left in darkness?
The difference between visible darkness and spiritual darkness, in my opinion, is that one is obvious to all and the other is only obvious to the poeple who have light. Perhaps reading the Qur'an is the proactive way to be enlightened. Why wait until someone tells you what you don't want to hear anyway. And that is what I got out of ayah 17 of sura 2. And yes every ayah is like this and even beyond.
That's just one idea for why Baqara is the cow. So much benefit in one part of it or the whole thing.
If you want to know the verses leading up to ayah 17 here's a link to a Qur'anic interpretation by Yusuf Ali.
http://www.harunyahya.com/Quran_translation/Quran_translation2.php
Just thought I'd end with a passage Master Yoda gave me. I can't wait till I get there in memorization.
O People of the Scripture! Now hath Our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which ye used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture,
Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path. Qur'an 5:15
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A Few Lines
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
From time to time I hope to post Short messages about previous ayaat that I've already memorized. And if a particular page is taking me a long time we'll just have a blast from the past.
As salaamu alaikum,
From time to time I hope to post Short messages about previous ayaat that I've already memorized. And if a particular page is taking me a long time we'll just have a blast from the past.
Two Down 28 To Go
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,
YAAAY! Allahu Akbar. I have just completed the second juz. I am so Happy. Thank you Allah. Wooohooooooo!!! On this latest page I did there were four verses. Here is an interpretation of these verses by Yusuf Ali.
249. When Talut set forth with the armies, he said: "(Allah) will test you at the stream: if any drinks of its water, He goes not with my army: Only those who taste not of it go with me: A mere sip out of the hand is excused." but they all drank of it, except a few. When they crossed the river,- He and the faithful ones with him,- they said: "This day We cannot cope with Goliath and his forces." but those who were convinced that they must meet Allah, said: "How oft, by Allah.s will, Hath a small force vanquished a big one? Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere."
250. When they advanced to meet Goliath and his forces, they prayed: "Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm: Help us against those that reject faith."
251. By Allah.s will they routed them; and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever (else) He willed. And did not Allah Check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief: But Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds.
252. These are the Signs of Allah. we rehearse them to thee in truth: verily Thou art one of the apostles.
When I receive a new page from my teacher (whom I will be referring to as master Yoda for the purposes of this blog) we go through the tafsirs (Qur'anic explanation) of Jalalain and/or Fakhr-ud-Deen ar-Razi. So I will be summarizing their explanations along with the added insights of Master Yoda.
In the first aya Talut has left the limits of the city with his army and they are headed off to meet the enemy. It's a hot day and they are about to come upon a river. What is about to happen is that the believers will be separated from the disbelievers. Those who believe show their belief through obedience and those who disbelieve do not obey the laws of God. In Aya 250 we are shown what to do when faced with difficult situations. Pray. The specific Qur'anic words used in this prayer are afrigh which means empty, empty out patience on us, and thabbit aqdaamana, root our feet so we don't run. Together they mean something like give us the perseverance to outlast the enemy and the strength to stay on the battlefield.
The aya that really struck me from this page was 251. The first half of the aya states how the enemy was vanquished. But the second half really emphasizes an issue that many poeple have these days. Dont judge me!!! The nature that Allah has given the world is to have one group fight another if the first group is oppressive. We see this balance in every layer or creation. Plants, animals, everything. There is always a predator and a prey. Even lions, tigers and bears, animals who may not have natural predators, get sick and die. And if that is the nature God gave the world why do so many people say "mind your own business and leave me alone." I guess its for the same reason that oppressors oppress. People get comfortable in their sins and don't want to change. Which is probably why it was so difficult for me to get serious about memorizing Qur'an. I sure didn't want to be told that I was procrastinating and preventing myself from attaining my goals. But I realized that being unwilling to change for the better would only oppress me. I would be the one harmed. It would be me who didn't have any knowledge of the Qur'an. Master Yoda told me this many times I guess it just took a while for me to believe it in my being. If we are unwilling to correct others the world will fall into corruption. And if we don't obey God we will be left behind at the river while the troops of God rush forward to victory.
The last aya leaves us with this thought. These words are true. These people are real and a part of the story of this world. Take heed and practice the lessons, or be left behind.
As salaamu alaikum,
YAAAY! Allahu Akbar. I have just completed the second juz. I am so Happy. Thank you Allah. Wooohooooooo!!! On this latest page I did there were four verses. Here is an interpretation of these verses by Yusuf Ali.
249. When Talut set forth with the armies, he said: "(Allah) will test you at the stream: if any drinks of its water, He goes not with my army: Only those who taste not of it go with me: A mere sip out of the hand is excused." but they all drank of it, except a few. When they crossed the river,- He and the faithful ones with him,- they said: "This day We cannot cope with Goliath and his forces." but those who were convinced that they must meet Allah, said: "How oft, by Allah.s will, Hath a small force vanquished a big one? Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere."
250. When they advanced to meet Goliath and his forces, they prayed: "Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm: Help us against those that reject faith."
251. By Allah.s will they routed them; and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever (else) He willed. And did not Allah Check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief: But Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds.
252. These are the Signs of Allah. we rehearse them to thee in truth: verily Thou art one of the apostles.
When I receive a new page from my teacher (whom I will be referring to as master Yoda for the purposes of this blog) we go through the tafsirs (Qur'anic explanation) of Jalalain and/or Fakhr-ud-Deen ar-Razi. So I will be summarizing their explanations along with the added insights of Master Yoda.
In the first aya Talut has left the limits of the city with his army and they are headed off to meet the enemy. It's a hot day and they are about to come upon a river. What is about to happen is that the believers will be separated from the disbelievers. Those who believe show their belief through obedience and those who disbelieve do not obey the laws of God. In Aya 250 we are shown what to do when faced with difficult situations. Pray. The specific Qur'anic words used in this prayer are afrigh which means empty, empty out patience on us, and thabbit aqdaamana, root our feet so we don't run. Together they mean something like give us the perseverance to outlast the enemy and the strength to stay on the battlefield.
The aya that really struck me from this page was 251. The first half of the aya states how the enemy was vanquished. But the second half really emphasizes an issue that many poeple have these days. Dont judge me!!! The nature that Allah has given the world is to have one group fight another if the first group is oppressive. We see this balance in every layer or creation. Plants, animals, everything. There is always a predator and a prey. Even lions, tigers and bears, animals who may not have natural predators, get sick and die. And if that is the nature God gave the world why do so many people say "mind your own business and leave me alone." I guess its for the same reason that oppressors oppress. People get comfortable in their sins and don't want to change. Which is probably why it was so difficult for me to get serious about memorizing Qur'an. I sure didn't want to be told that I was procrastinating and preventing myself from attaining my goals. But I realized that being unwilling to change for the better would only oppress me. I would be the one harmed. It would be me who didn't have any knowledge of the Qur'an. Master Yoda told me this many times I guess it just took a while for me to believe it in my being. If we are unwilling to correct others the world will fall into corruption. And if we don't obey God we will be left behind at the river while the troops of God rush forward to victory.
The last aya leaves us with this thought. These words are true. These people are real and a part of the story of this world. Take heed and practice the lessons, or be left behind.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Where to begin
Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum (May the peace of paradise be upon you)
With the name of the Most Gracious, Most Merciful Allah. Where to begin? I first learned to read arabic when I was 6. My parents made sure to give us good Islamic education and good academics. So I definitely never went to public school. My relationship with the Qur'an has been an up and down battle, with more mountains that hills, and more hills than valleys. But through all the Qur'an summer camps and spending weeks on the same three lines of one sura (chapter), I never quite gave up the dream. I always imagined that one day I would be hafiz (preserver of Qur'an). I always hoped that I could teach Qur'an to my children and the children of whatever community I would be a part of. But as I got older and entered my late teens I put my dreams in a safe place somewhere in the back of my mind. I took them out every now and then and imagined all the things I could do if those dreams were realities. And when I was finished looking at them and dreaming about them I returned them to that same safe place not knowing if they would ever be fulfilled.
Well, as you could have guessed, my dream for being hafiz didn't stay in the safety box. But that doesn't mean the dream floated down a passive stream and I just scooped it out as it passed me either. It took two years and about a quart of tears before I reached a point of commitment and contentment that could not be shaken. When it gets hard I no longer want to give up. I just take a break and restart later. I've got two juz (section) down and 28 to go. So Bismillah...
As salaamu alaikum (May the peace of paradise be upon you)
With the name of the Most Gracious, Most Merciful Allah. Where to begin? I first learned to read arabic when I was 6. My parents made sure to give us good Islamic education and good academics. So I definitely never went to public school. My relationship with the Qur'an has been an up and down battle, with more mountains that hills, and more hills than valleys. But through all the Qur'an summer camps and spending weeks on the same three lines of one sura (chapter), I never quite gave up the dream. I always imagined that one day I would be hafiz (preserver of Qur'an). I always hoped that I could teach Qur'an to my children and the children of whatever community I would be a part of. But as I got older and entered my late teens I put my dreams in a safe place somewhere in the back of my mind. I took them out every now and then and imagined all the things I could do if those dreams were realities. And when I was finished looking at them and dreaming about them I returned them to that same safe place not knowing if they would ever be fulfilled.
Well, as you could have guessed, my dream for being hafiz didn't stay in the safety box. But that doesn't mean the dream floated down a passive stream and I just scooped it out as it passed me either. It took two years and about a quart of tears before I reached a point of commitment and contentment that could not be shaken. When it gets hard I no longer want to give up. I just take a break and restart later. I've got two juz (section) down and 28 to go. So Bismillah...
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