noora1
Statue of Liberty under the clouds! :D
Inquiry is the Basis of Faith
Knowledge Mandates Action
Once a person is inquisitive and questions his surroundings, his own self, his relationships, his faith, it opens the door to knowledge and wisdom. Allah SWT has created us as inquisitive beings that are governed by basic guidelines and manners. We as Muslims know that we are created by Allah SWT and are not the creators. From this knowledge stems the understanding that we as a creation cannot question Allah SWT yet He holds the right to question us. Staying within the realm of manners you can inquire the meaning and some of the wisdom and purpose that He SWT has shared with us and wants us to know.
A young Muslim asked me a few questions. This is not the first time I have received such questions, but it was such a comprehensive list that I decided to share it with my readers hoping that it will answer others who might be struggling with similar uncertainties. The questions are listed below:
1. If duniya (this world) is so dirty and insignificant, what are we doing here?
2. Why have we been created?
3. Why do we have desires?
4. Why do we have feelings of love, hate, destruction, greed, lie, envy etc?
5. How do we love Allah SWT in this corrupt duniya?
6. How can we understand Allah’s greatness while being surrounded by the temptations of this world?
7. How can we sincerely worship Allah when we are surrounded by the cruelties of duniya?
8. How can we obey Allah when Shaytaan (satan) rules our mind?
9. Why does it happen that every time I try to be good, I fall back and behave badly again?
10. Why is it that every time I supplicate sincerely, the next moment I go back to committing sins?
11. Why after every time I promise myself to respect, love and care for my spouse, I revert to shouting, screaming, and fighting?
12. Why every time I love Allah, the next moment I end up disobeying His commands?
13. Why am I not strong?
14. Why am I not committed?
15. Why am I unstable in my faith and character?
16. Why am I not righteous?
17. How can I become an exemplary Muslim living in this duniya?
All these questions are legitimate and all of us are living with these on different levels. According to the knowledge and the status of Iman of a person, these questions can be diminished completely. Once I receive questions like this, it shows me that the person is lacking basic Islamic knowledge and that he/she is in a dangerous and vulnerable spiritual state. These questions can be answered by the person himself once he embarks on the journey of knowledge and journey of Iman. Here I will try to answer these questions in brief points; though each point has its own knowledge which can explain further what the person are looking for. If you comprehend what I tell you and do your homework, it will work like medication for you, Insha’Allah.
About the question of existence; you cannot deny your existence. We have already been created and exist in this world. Since we, as Muslims, cannot question the wisdom of the Creator, the question now should be how to cope with this reality of my existence in this world. My efforts and concern now should be how to be wise and productive enough to reach a successful exit from this world; but you cannot escape reality.
There are many ahadeeth about the insignificance of this duniya and life, except whatever is for Allah and the remembrance of Allah. We have been sent here for a period of time as a trial; He SWT created us weak, vulnerable, with many defaults, weakness for duniya, temptation, and desire. Allah SWT also created shaytaan the cursed one and gave him weapons and ability to attack us. In the meantime He SWT sent us guidance and a book which—if we follow—contains the map, the direction, the instruction, the wisdom, the weapons, and the ability to overcome all of the above mentioned hindrances. If we take the medication properly, with the right guidance, regularly and daily the way He SWT instructed us, our weakness becomes strength and this life becomes the farmland for our hereafter. Since you cannot go to the hereafter until you pass this life and you will go to the hereafter with the crops that you have harvested in this life--good or bad, it is up to you to decide what kind of seeds you want to plant. Therefore, the answers to these questions are fairly easy. If you follow the format I am about to give you, you will discover the answers to all these questions by yourself in detail.
You have to seriously start your journey of Iman which requires the right companion, reading Quran regularly (daily), study your own faith and the purpose of life, read good books such as Men Around the Messenger which gives you a glimpse of how earlier Muslims understood the message and their presence in this world. And above all, remember Allah, get to know Him and call Him SWT.
Another advice I will give you is to go to my website www.noora1.com and read the articles there. There are many beautiful articles that will help you answer all your questions little by little. Just be patient, it will come to you slowly step by step. Once this routine becomes a principal of your life, Allah SWT will guide you to the rest and settle all your affairs, thoughts, doubts and anxieties. He SWT will give you a new vision and understanding of life as can be seen from the following Hadeeth Qudsi:
"My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him.
"When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks.
"Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him."
May Allah SWT protect us from the traps of Shaytaan and allow us to overcome our defaults and shortcomings. May Allah SWT allow us to establish a consistent and steady relationship with Him SWT and allow us to devote a portion of our time daily for Him SWT. Ameen.
Today we can, tomorrow we cannot.
By Da'ee Ahmed Moait Thanks for reading! All feedback welcome!
More articles like this can be found here! http://noora1.com/articles_page.htm
Knowledge Mandates Action
Once a person is inquisitive and questions his surroundings, his own self, his relationships, his faith, it opens the door to knowledge and wisdom. Allah SWT has created us as inquisitive beings that are governed by basic guidelines and manners. We as Muslims know that we are created by Allah SWT and are not the creators. From this knowledge stems the understanding that we as a creation cannot question Allah SWT yet He holds the right to question us. Staying within the realm of manners you can inquire the meaning and some of the wisdom and purpose that He SWT has shared with us and wants us to know.
A young Muslim asked me a few questions. This is not the first time I have received such questions, but it was such a comprehensive list that I decided to share it with my readers hoping that it will answer others who might be struggling with similar uncertainties. The questions are listed below:
1. If duniya (this world) is so dirty and insignificant, what are we doing here?
2. Why have we been created?
3. Why do we have desires?
4. Why do we have feelings of love, hate, destruction, greed, lie, envy etc?
5. How do we love Allah SWT in this corrupt duniya?
6. How can we understand Allah’s greatness while being surrounded by the temptations of this world?
7. How can we sincerely worship Allah when we are surrounded by the cruelties of duniya?
8. How can we obey Allah when Shaytaan (satan) rules our mind?
9. Why does it happen that every time I try to be good, I fall back and behave badly again?
10. Why is it that every time I supplicate sincerely, the next moment I go back to committing sins?
11. Why after every time I promise myself to respect, love and care for my spouse, I revert to shouting, screaming, and fighting?
12. Why every time I love Allah, the next moment I end up disobeying His commands?
13. Why am I not strong?
14. Why am I not committed?
15. Why am I unstable in my faith and character?
16. Why am I not righteous?
17. How can I become an exemplary Muslim living in this duniya?
All these questions are legitimate and all of us are living with these on different levels. According to the knowledge and the status of Iman of a person, these questions can be diminished completely. Once I receive questions like this, it shows me that the person is lacking basic Islamic knowledge and that he/she is in a dangerous and vulnerable spiritual state. These questions can be answered by the person himself once he embarks on the journey of knowledge and journey of Iman. Here I will try to answer these questions in brief points; though each point has its own knowledge which can explain further what the person are looking for. If you comprehend what I tell you and do your homework, it will work like medication for you, Insha’Allah.
About the question of existence; you cannot deny your existence. We have already been created and exist in this world. Since we, as Muslims, cannot question the wisdom of the Creator, the question now should be how to cope with this reality of my existence in this world. My efforts and concern now should be how to be wise and productive enough to reach a successful exit from this world; but you cannot escape reality.
There are many ahadeeth about the insignificance of this duniya and life, except whatever is for Allah and the remembrance of Allah. We have been sent here for a period of time as a trial; He SWT created us weak, vulnerable, with many defaults, weakness for duniya, temptation, and desire. Allah SWT also created shaytaan the cursed one and gave him weapons and ability to attack us. In the meantime He SWT sent us guidance and a book which—if we follow—contains the map, the direction, the instruction, the wisdom, the weapons, and the ability to overcome all of the above mentioned hindrances. If we take the medication properly, with the right guidance, regularly and daily the way He SWT instructed us, our weakness becomes strength and this life becomes the farmland for our hereafter. Since you cannot go to the hereafter until you pass this life and you will go to the hereafter with the crops that you have harvested in this life--good or bad, it is up to you to decide what kind of seeds you want to plant. Therefore, the answers to these questions are fairly easy. If you follow the format I am about to give you, you will discover the answers to all these questions by yourself in detail.
You have to seriously start your journey of Iman which requires the right companion, reading Quran regularly (daily), study your own faith and the purpose of life, read good books such as Men Around the Messenger which gives you a glimpse of how earlier Muslims understood the message and their presence in this world. And above all, remember Allah, get to know Him and call Him SWT.
Another advice I will give you is to go to my website www.noora1.com and read the articles there. There are many beautiful articles that will help you answer all your questions little by little. Just be patient, it will come to you slowly step by step. Once this routine becomes a principal of your life, Allah SWT will guide you to the rest and settle all your affairs, thoughts, doubts and anxieties. He SWT will give you a new vision and understanding of life as can be seen from the following Hadeeth Qudsi:
"My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him.
"When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks.
"Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him."
May Allah SWT protect us from the traps of Shaytaan and allow us to overcome our defaults and shortcomings. May Allah SWT allow us to establish a consistent and steady relationship with Him SWT and allow us to devote a portion of our time daily for Him SWT. Ameen.
Today we can, tomorrow we cannot.
By Da'ee Ahmed Moait Thanks for reading! All feedback welcome!
More articles like this can be found here! http://noora1.com/articles_page.htm