Good And Evil

Surah al-Maidah (The Table)

Chapter 5: Verses 100 (Partial)

Good and Evil

"The evil and the good are not equal, even though the abundance of the evil things might make you pleased with them."

This verse outlines for us a standard of evaluation quite distinct from the standards used by the superficial people of our world today. For such people, for instance, a hundred dollars are worth more than five dollars, since a hundred is more than a five.

But, according to this verse, if those hundred dollars have been earned through corrupt means, entailing the disobedience of God (such as by stealing, usurping the wealth of orphans or the weak, selling Haram or forbidden things, or through Riba or interest), the entire amount becomes unclean.

On the other hand, if a person earns five dollars while obeying God, then this amount is clean and honourable; and anything which is unclean, whatever its quantity, cannot be worth more than that which is clean.

A drop of perfume is more valuable than a heap of filth; a just ruler is more worthy of obedience and allegiance than a thousand evil, corrupt, and tyrannical leaders of the nations; a young boy or girl who spends his or her youth remembering Allah, helping others physically and spiritually, studying hard, calling others for the establishment of good, peace, and justice in the world, and helping others stay away from evil, is far more productive and dignified than hundreds of superficial youth surrounded by and subservient to their own desires, devoid of any higher purpose in life, driven by the latest fad and fashion, and who are consumers of whatever the media wants them to know, see, and buy! Surely they can't be equal!

Yusuf Ali (rahimahullah) writes:

"People often judge by quantity rather than quality. They are dazzled by numbers: their hearts are captured by what they see everywhere around them. But the people of understanding and depth judge by a different standard. They know that good and bad things are not to be lumped together, and carefully choose the best, which may be scarcest, and avoid the bad, though evil may meet them at every step," such as through ads, media, peer pressure, cultural practices, etc.

It is interesting to note the following incidence, related by Imam al-Shafi'ee (rahimahullah), in this connection:

When 'Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (a renowned righteous and just Caliph from Umayyad dynasty) cancelled all the tyrannous taxes and returned the wealth and property that had been misappropriated by the rulers before him, one of his governors wrote to him and complained that by annulling taxes and returning the wealth to their owners, 'Umar had emptied the state treasury. Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (rahimahullah) wrote back to him this verse.

Source:

"Tafseer Ishraq Al-Ma'ani" - Syed Iqbal Zaheer, and

"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Abul A'la Mawdudi

How to Approach and Understand the Quran

Surah al-Anfal (The Spoils of War)

Chapter 8: Verse 24 (Partial)

"O you who believe, respond to Allah and His messenger as they call you to that which gives you life"

The Quran came to change the beliefs, behavior and outlook of all who are astray. It came to guide them to the true happiness and the way of life that one should follow in this life. Al-Suddi, an early commentator on the Quran, stated that this verse means that Islam gave the Companions true life after they were truly dead in disbelief.

The difference between faith and disbelief is truly comparable to the difference between life and death. Knowing the Quran, that source of life to which Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) is calling every human, as opposed to not knowing it is also comparable to the difference between life and death.

The effect of the Quran can clearly be seen in the first generation of Muslims. These were the people who were given life by the Quran. They were taken from darkness into light. The example they set is the example that all later generations who believe in the Quran must aspire to.

THE CHANGE IN THE ARABS BROUGHT ABOUT THROUGH THE QURAN

Perhaps one of the best descriptions of the change that took place among the Muslims can be seen in the famous statement of the Companion Jafar ibn Abu Taalib who was asked by the Negus of Abyssinia about the mission of the Messenger. He told him:

“O king, we were an ignorant people, worshipping idols, eating carrion and indulging in sexual pleasures. We teased our neighbors, a brother oppressed his brother, and the strong devoured the weak. At this time a man rose among us, who had already been known to be truthful, noble and honest. This man called us to Islam. And he taught us to give up worshipping stones, to speak the truth, to refrain from bloodshed, and not to defraud the orphans of their property. He taught us to provide comfort to our neighbors and not to bring a slander against chaste women. He enjoined upon us to offer prayers, observe fasts and give alms. We followed him, gave up polytheism and idolatry and refrained from all evil deeds.”

That generation, in turn, took the message to the rest of the world. They were clearly a people who were taken from darkness into light and to the straight path of Allah. When asked by the Emperor of Persia what brought the Muslims to their lands, two different Companions answered in similar terms: "Allah has sent us to take whoever wishes from the servitude of mankind to the servitude of Allah and from the tightness of this world to its expanse and from the injustice of the ways of life [in this world] to the justice of Islam."

WHY DOESN'T THE QURAN HAVE THE SAME EFFECT TODAY?

The reason why the Quran does not have the same effect today has nothing to do with the essential nature of the Quran— as it will always be the true guidance that is ever available to take mankind from darkness into light. The source of the problem is in the way that many of today's believers approach the Quran. The possible reasons for this kind of situation could be many. In general, though, four, which were mentioned in the introductory chapter, stand out glaringly:

(1) Some Muslims emphasize secondary aspects of the Quran while ignoring its more important primary aspects;

(2) Too many Muslims do not recognize and understand the primary goals of the Quran; therefore they read it but do not get out of it what it desires

(3) In addition, some Muslims do not approach the Quran in the proper manner, missing the essential link between what it teaches and how it is to affect mankind; and

(4) Even when the above obstacles or problems are overcome, still some Muslims do not interpret the Quran in the proper manner and, hence, although they read it they do not get its correct teachings from it.

Source:

“How to Approach and Understand the Quran” - Jamal ad din Zarabozo

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

Living the Quran

Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow) - Chapter 2: Verses 17-20

Hypocrites

"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. Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path). Or (another similitude) is that of a rain-laden cloud from the sky: in it are zones of darkness, and thunder and lightning: they press their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunderclap, the while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of Faith! The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (helps) them, they walk therein, and when the darkness grows on them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things."

The first parable means that when a person, Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), spread the light of Truth that discriminated right from wrong and virtue from vice, those who used their faculties properly began to distinguish between these things. But the hypocrites, who were blinded by self-interest, could not see the right path even with the help of this light.

Allah deprives of the sight only he who is not a seeker of truth; who chooses error for himself instead of guidance, and who shuts his eyes to the truth. When the hypocrites themselves turned away from the light of truth and chose to wander only in the darkness of falsehood, Allah also let them go astray. And thus they become "Deaf" to hearing the Truth, "dumb" to speaking the Truth and "blind" to seeing the Truth.

In the second parable, by thrusting their fingers into their ears, the hypcorites delude themselves for a while that they have escaped destruction. But they cannot, in fact, save themselves because Allah, with all His powers, is encircling them on all sides. The first parable depicts those hypocrites who in their inmost hearts did not believe in Islam at all, but had become 'Muslims' for the sake of self-interest or expediency. The second parable gives a description of those hypocrites who were suffering from doubt, suspicion and lack of faith. Though they were not wholly unbelievers, they practiced Islam only to the extent, which may not involve them in trouble.

In this parable rainfall stands for Islam which came as a blessing to humanity; pitch darkness, thunder and lightning stand for the impending obstacles, the threatening dangers and the glaring difficulties which were being experienced on account of the strong resistance from the opponents of Islam.

When the situation eased a little, they began to move onward on the path of Islam, but when the clouds of difficulties began to appear, or when they were given such commands as were against their self-interest or their superstitious beliefs and prejudices, they again stood still in sheer perplexity.

Finally, it is important that we realize that Allah could, if He so willed, totally deprive these hypocrites also, of the power to see the Truth just as He deprived the hypocrites described in the first parable. But Allah does not do so because it is His will to give them respite to see the Truth and hear the Truth to the extent they want to see and hear it. That is why He left them with only as much power as they made use of in seeing and hearing the Truth.

Source:

"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi

Reconciliation Through Coexistence

Surah al-Fussilat (Revelation Well-Expounded)

Chapter 41: Verses 34-35

Reconciliation through coexistence

"Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate! And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune."

When the Caliph Umar b. al-Khattab entered Jerusalem to receive the keys to the city, he was invited to pray inside the church, but he declined. He refused to do so, though he was in a position of strength and could do as he pleased. He refused, though he did not in any way disdain praying in the church. He said, showing great foresight and sensitivity:

“I fear that if I pray inside, the Muslims of future times will wish to pray in the same spot and will cause discomfort for the church’s congregation.”

Umar, instead, prayed outside the church and spoke a guarantee to the Christians for their lives and security.

Too many people see the idea of coexistence as merely a strategy to resort to in times of weakness. This is not true at all. What we see if we observe the world is that coexistence really comes into full flower and sets its roots deep when there is strength.

The societies, which have the power to promote coexistence and peace, are the same ones who have the power to instigate and successfully conduct a war. By contrast, those who are weak can neither conduct war nor bring about peace. It is, indeed, at times of weakness and instability that we find the noble idea of coexistence to be most imperiled.

Though Richard the Lionhearted had once killed 2,700 Muslim prisoners of war on a single occasion and hung their bodies around the walls of the city of Acre, breaking the agreement he had made with the Muslims, we see that Saladin, when he retook Jerusalem, guaranteed the lives of everyone, Jews and Christians alike, though he was more than capable of exacting revenge. He instead entered into the Treaty of Ramla with Richard on the 2nd of September, 1192, whereby the city would stay in Muslim hands but would remain open to Christian pilgrimages. This is one of the hallmarks of coexistence in medieval history.

Muslim history, which is full of periods of strength and victory, is at the same time a testament to coexistence in action. It is a history of peace treaties, agreements, and covenants with others.

The success of coexistence depends upon the airing of rational voices willing to engage in fruitful dialogue, through which desired results can be achieved with ease. By contrast, the failure of coexistence is ensured when irrational and foolish voices take over, of people who care nothing but for the gratification of their own interests. Such people rely upon the discourse of strength and coercion in their understanding of the world and in their decision-making. Such are people who see conflict as the key to dealing with others. They cannot look at things from the vantage point of our shared humanity, our universal values, and the common needs and interests that all people have.

Kind treatment, genuine concern and friendship, treating others well in words and in deeds – these are the ways to bring an end to hatred and reconcile people as mentioned in the verse.

Coexistence preserves human life. It opens the doors to dialogue. It is the atmosphere in which the Message of Islam prospers, where it can present itself with the reason, evidence, and logic that so enriches the Quran.

Source:

"Coexistence is Strength" - Salman al-Oadah

Repressing Anger

Al Imran (House of Imran)

Chapter 3: Verse 134 (Partial)

Repressing Anger

"… Those who repress anger and are able to forgive. And Allâh loves those who do good."

Self-control helps one avoid physiological and psychological harm as well as gain great rewards from Allâh being patient. In the verse above people who control their anger are put among those whom Allâh makes a promise to forgive and admit into Paradise.

Islamic Perspective

A man came to The Prophet of Allâh, peace be upon him, saying, “O Prophet of Allâh, command me.’ The Prophet replied, “Do not lose your temper.” (Bukhari). The Prophet also said, “Strength is in the power to control oneself in anger, not in the size of the muscles.”

The advice of the Prophet to control one’s temper was based upon his knowledge of the harmful effects of stress and anger on the person himself as well as on those surrounding him. At the same time he knew that this advice was not easy to follow so he described a strategy that a person may use to control his anger. He was asked, “So messenger of Allâh, what is the treatment [for anger]?” The Prophet said, “If a man gets angry while he is standing up, he should sit until he regains composure. Otherwise, he should lie down.” (Ahmad and Bukhari).

Scientific Breakdown

The feeling of anger creates hormonal activities in the body. A gland named the adrenal gland located on top of each of the kidneys controls this activity. The hormone adrenaline is secreted by the adrenal gland in response to any physical or emotional stress the body undergoes. Such stress could be fear, anger, or a drop in blood-sugar level, disease or surgery. The adrenal gland also secretes another hormone, noradrenalin, even though the main source of this hormone is the sympathetic nerve endings at the heart. Both of the hormones are related to each other and are secreted into the body together.

One of the effects of anger is the increased production of these two hormones. Since one of the two hormones is secreted by the heart, in a situation of anger, the heart is caused to work harder. The heartbeat becomes faster and with an irregular pattern. This change in the heart is so intense, it can be felt by some people while they are under stress. In addition, by becoming angry and overworking the heart, the contractions of the heart muscles increase in order to supply more oxygen, placing pressure on the arteries. For this reason, people with heart problems endanger their health when they become angry. Patients with narrow arteries are at risk for heart attacks, as their arteries may not withstand sudden rush of blood to the heart. Increased levels of the two hormones in the body also increase blood pressure, another health hazard for blood pressure patients. Diabetics too are advised t

Some anger may throw the entire body into turmoil and trigger serious health conditions for many people. Perhaps, this is why the Prophet of Allâh emphasized the avoidance of anger by repeating his advice three times: “Do not get angry.”

Harrison, a renowned medical writer, states: “It is scientifically proven that the amount of noradrenalin in the blood can double or triple while standing quietly for five minutes. Adrenaline is raised slightly by standing. But different kinds of mental stress can significantly increase the blood adrenaline level.”

Simply standing quietly for five minutes may double the noradrenalin in the blood while slightly raising the adrenaline, a hormone mainly increased by anger and stress. Obviously becoming angry while standing would place great pressure on the body. Such is the value of the words of the Prophet of Allâh fifteen centuries ago, before the development of sophisticated medical investigation and study. “If a man becomes angry while standing, he should sit down until he regains his composure. Otherwise, he should lie down.” A medical prescription for all times.

Compiled From:

“When Tempers Hit Boiling Point” - Dr. Hassan Shamsi Basha

The Supreme Transaction

Al-Tawba (Repentance)

Chapter 9: Verse 111

The Supreme Transaction:

"Verily God bought from the believers their selves and their possessions in exchange for Paradise."

People ask: “Everything will leave our hands, perish, and be lost. Maybe there is a way to make it eternal, to preserve it.?” While engaged in such thoughts, they suddenly hear the Quran’s heavenly voice say: “There is a beautiful and easy way that offers five advantages or profits.” What is this way? To sell the trust - your body, spirit, and heart, and so on, as well as your outer and inner senses (e. g., sight, taste, intelligence, imagination.) – to its real owner. The resulting five profits are:

First Profit: Transient property becomes everlasting. This waning life, when given to the Eternal and Self-Subsistent Being of Majesty and spent for His sake, is transmuted into permanence and gives everlasting fruits.

Second Profit: The price paid is Paradise.

Third Profit: The value of each bodily limb and sense is increased a thousand fold. For example, if you sell your eyes to its All-Seeing Maker and use it on His behalf and within His limits, it rises to the rank of a reader of the Great Book of the Universe, a witness of the miracles of His creation, a blessed bee sucking on the blossoms of Mercy in the garden of this world.

Fourth Profit: If you do not rely on the All-Powerful One of Majesty, trust in and submit to Him with full confidence, your conscience remains troubled by vain torment, pain and regret, all of which destroy your understanding.

Fifth Profit: Those who unveil the true nature of things and experience the truth agree that the reward for worshipping and glorifying God performed by your limbs, senses, and faculties will be given at the time of greatest need, in the form of Paradise’s fruits.

If you refuse, you suffer the following five-fold loss:

First Loss: Your beloved property and off-spring, your adored self and its caprice, your foolishly loved youth and life all are replaced by pain and sin.

Second Loss: You are punished for betraying the trust, for you wrong yourself by using the most precious tools on the most worthless objects.

Third Loss: By debasing your precious faculties to a level much inferior to animals, you insult and transgress God’s Wisdom.

Fourth Loss: In your helplessness and poverty, you shoulder life’s heavy burden and continually groan under the blows of transience and separation.

Fifth Loss: You convert the Compassionate One’s fair gifts, meant to be used for laying the foundations of everlasting life and blessedness in the Hereafter, into ugliness.

Why do many people not want to sell? Is it so hard? By no means! The resulting burdens are not hard. The limits of the permissible are broad and adequate for your desire, and so you do not need to indulge in what is forbidden. The duties imposed by God are light and few. To be His servant and soldier is an honour beyond description.

Source:

"Humanity, Belief, and Islam" - Said Nursi pp. 40-48

Culture of Insults

Culture of Insults

Al-Hujurat (The Chambers)

Chapter 49: Verse 11 (Partial)

"Neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoever does not repent, such are evil-doers."

Some people are disposed to be rude and abrasive. They speak harsh words that show no strength of argument or evidence, but are full of insults and abuse.

There is nothing wrong with people disagreeing and arguing with each other, especially in these troubled and confusing times. However, the way to handle disagreements is with lucid arguments and temperate speech. A person's mode of discussion should show the purity of his intentions, the strength of his intellect, and the nobility of his character.

It is apparent to everyone that the Muslim world is being stifled by numerous crises. It is like a ship being tossed about in a storm and the people on board are afraid that they will drown. Their voices all mix together. Some voices are merciful and concerned. Some are calm. Others are angry and seething. Then there is that voice that spews forth curses and insults left and right – but that voice always spares itself. Indeed the worst possible person is the one who sees only good in himself and evil in everyone else. Our brothers and sisters are part of ourselves, and we need to esteem them with the same regard that we esteem ourselves.

The Internet has provided us with a new way to insult and defame each other – the electronic insult. Now people can disseminate their insults and slanders free of charge and without any accountability, and have their names published along with their choice of words. Those who engage in this behavior openly are truly flaunting their own sinfulness.

The Internet also provides the opportunity to be anonymous, to hide behind a false name, and this allows the slanderer can forego all of his inhibitions. Unfortunately, sensible and balanced speech is often not much of an attention-getter. The electronic slanderer, on the other hand, is encouraged by the attention that he gets, both from those who support him and those who criticize him. He might even fool himself enough to think that he is making history!

This abuse of the electronic media is unscrupulous and unprincipled. Those who exhibit such behavior expose themselves as people bereft of values, people who are controlled by their basest passions and by the blindest of anger, and who are motivated by petty spite. Those who think that they are upholding the truth or defending the faith by behaving in such a way are only the more deceived.

Those of us who wish to keep on the straight path in this culture of insults need to do the following:

1. We can turn away from such behavior and from those who exhibit it. One of the Prophet's characteristics was that other people's ignorant behavior only made him behave more gently.

2. We can respond with something better. This means that we can pray to Allah on behalf of the other person and beseech Allah to forgive him. We can say something nice and counter a bad word with one that is good.

3. We must keep our composure and stay calm. Life is a long road, and we need rest and tranquility. Live your domestic life in contentment and serenity. Carry out your livelihood – be it commerce, industry, Islamic work, management, or whatever else Allah appoints for you in this world – quietly, serenely, patiently, and with a cheerful countenance. Do not pay any mind to those voices that seek to bring you down.

4. We should not waste time responding to and refuting what they say. Leave that to others. Not everything that we say is necessarily correct, and not everything that others say is wrong. We should spare ourselves the insults and abuses.

5. We must never let our animosities and other's disrespect goad us into denying the truth, uttering falsehood, or persisting in an error. We must make self-assessment and self-correction our habits.

6. We should remember that we have committed mountains of sins. We have looked at forbidden sights. We have said things we should not have said. We have been neglectful in our duties. Allah, in His kindness towards us, chooses for us the easier afflictions of this world to expiate for our sins or to elevate our status or to bring us to heights that we could never have reached with our good deeds alone.

Source:

"A Modern Culture of Insults" - Salman al-Oadah

Individual Responsibility

Chapter 3: Verse 165 (Partial)

Individual Responsibility

".. do ye say? "Whence is this?" Say (to them): "It is from yourselves: for Allah hath power over all things."

The Basis

The individual is, without doubt, a part of society and an essential aspect of the Islamic way of life.

Indeed, the very idea of the resurrection and the judgment in the Hereafter is founded on the concept of individual responsibility. The same can be said for our creation.

When we observe itikaf in the mosque, one aspect of the wisdom behind our doing so might be so we can restore to ourselves our awareness of our individual responsibility. This is because itikaf frees us from the outside pressures of our group affiliations and of society as a whole, pressures that normally weigh heavily on our thoughts. When we observe a retreat in the mosques, we as individual Muslims can restore the health and natural state of our minds.

The Crisis

Each individual has to wrestle with most of the concerns that people generally have. When a Muslim faces problems without the awareness of individual responsibility that Islam seeks to cultivate in him, that person finds it easy to foist the blame on outside influences. He starts talking about globalization, Zionism, hidden hands, and shadowy powers playing some clandestine game. He might blame the government, the scholars, fate, or history for whatever crisis he faces.

He will never think of blaming himself. He takes his own innocence for granted. His views and opinions are always right. He knows it all. If only everyone else would follow his lead, everything would be alright.

We might find this same person incapable of solving his own domestic problems, unable to put one and one together to make two, inexperienced, unschooled, and indecisive. He might be incapable of overcoming his bad habits and character flaws.

This is a great personal failing and it contributes the general crisis facing the Muslims today and contributes nothing to the solution.

The Responsibility

Individual responsibility varies from person to person depending on the importance of that person’s position in society, his knowledge and his expertise. Individual responsibility exists within a historical context and is not something that just appears overnight. Responsibility means having to bear burdens, fulfill obligations, uphold rights, and do what is proper.

Though individual responsibility is by definition focused on the individual, it reaps rewards for society as a whole. The individual obligations discussed in the classical books of Islamic Law are nothing other than individual responsibilities. All of those obligations are prescribed to develop a person’s Islamic character so that the person can make a positive contribution to society.

The Way Out

Therefore, in order to solve the problems of the world, we have to start by rectifying ourselves as individuals. The first steps on the long road to reforming society are the steps we take to reform ourselves.

We are easily distracted by the general problems and crises that erupt around the world and forget about the serious problems that exist within our own selves. We neglect the important task of developing ourselves and our thinking – which will contribute to solving our general problems. All of the individuals that make up the organizations, institutions, and nations of the world they have considerable power to make a difference, though they may be unsung by history and unknown in the media.

Islamic civilization is not to be credited only to the caliphs and rulers, but to all the workers, artisans, thinkers, planners, and investors who built that civilization, though history might only remember the names of the rulers associated with it.

The meaning of individual responsibility is embodied in the teachings of the Quran and Islamic thought. It is the essential building block of society. A building is made of many individual bricks.

Source:

"Individual Responsibility" - Salman al-Oadah

The Gifts

Al-Insan (The Humans)

Chapter 76: Verse 2

The Gifts

"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight."

We are not like the trees and animals that the object of our creation be fulfilled on the earth itself, and we should die and perish here after we have played our appointed role over a period of time according to the law of nature. This world is neither a place of punishment for us, as the monks think, nor a place of rewards as the believers of the law of transmigration think, nor a place of entertainment and enjoyment, as the materialists think, nor a battlefield, as the followers of Darwin and Marx think, but in fact it is a place of test and trial for us. That which we regard as our age, is in fact the time given to us for the test. Whatever powers and capabilities we have been given in the world, the things that have been placed under our control and authority, the various positions and capacities in which we function, and the relationships that we enjoy with others, all these are the countless papers of the test and this test continues till the last breath of our lives.

The result is not to be announced in this world but in the Hereafter when all our answer-books will be assessed, decision will be given whether we have come out successful or failed. And our success or failure wholly depends on what we thought of ourselves while we functioned here and how we answered the papers that were given to us here.

The word sami (hearing) and basir (seeing) in the original actually imply being "sensible and intelligent". These words of the Arabic language are never used with respect to the animal although it also hears-and sees. Thus, hearing and seeing here do not imply only the powers of hearing and seeing which have been given to the animals too, but those means through which we obtain knowledge and then draw conclusions from it. Besides, since hearing and seeing are among the most important means of knowledge for us, only these two have been mentioned briefly; otherwise it actually implies giving us all those senses of the body by which we gather information.

Then the senses given to man are quite different in their nature from those given to animals, for at the back of every sense he has a thinking brain, which collects information gained through the senses; arranges it, draws conclusions from it, forms opinions, and then takes some decisions which become the basis of his attitude and conduct in life. Hence, after saying, "We created man in order to try him," to say, "therefore, We made him capable of hearing and seeing" actually contains the meaning that Allah gave us the faculties of knowledge and reason to enable us to take the test. Obviously, if this were not the meaning and the meaning of making man hearing and seeing just implied the one who could hear and see, then a blind and deaf person would stand exempted from the test, whereas unless a person is utterly devoid of knowledge and reason, there can be no question of his being exempted from the test.

Source:

"Towards Understanding The Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi

The Declining Day

Al-Asr (The Declining Day)

Chapter 103: Verses 1-3

Declining Day

"I swear by the declining day, that man is a certain loser, save those who have faith and do righteous deeds and counsel one another to follow the truth and counsel one another to be steadfast."

This short surah of three verses outlines a complete system for human life based on the Islamic viewpoint. It defines, in the clearest and most concise form, the basic concept of faith in the context of its comprehensive reality. In a few words the whole Islamic constitution is covered and in fact, the nation of Islam is described in its essential qualities and its message in one verse only: the third. This is the eloquence of which Allah alone is capable.

The great fact which this surah affirms is simply that throughout the history of man there has been one worthwhile and trustworthy path - that which the surah indicates and describes. All other paths lead only to loss and ruin. As it says in outline, that path is first the adoption of faith, followed up with good deeds and exhortation to follow the truth and to steadfastness:

1. What does the adoption of faith then signify? Faith is the characteristic by which the minute, transient human being attains closeness to the Absolute and Everlasting Originator of the universe and all that exists in it. He thus establishes a link with the whole world, which springs from that One Origin, with the laws governing it and with the powers and potentialities created in It. As a result, he breaks away from the narrow boundaries of his trivial self to the broadness of the universe, from his inadequate power to the immensity of the unknown universal energies, and from the limits of his short life to the "Eternity" that Allah alone comprehends.

2. Godliness is the second quality of dignified humanity. This quality determines for man the source from which he derives his concepts, values, criteria, considerations. doctrines, laws and whatever brings him into relation with Allah, the world at large and with human beings. Thus, equity and justice replace personal desires and self-interest. This strengthens the believer's realisation of the value of his way of life and keeps him above ignorant concepts, values and interests and above all strictly mundane values.

3. A third quality of faith and dignified humanity is the clarity of the relationship between the Creator and the created, the restricted creature is connected with the Everlasting Truth without any mediator. It supplies man's heart with light, his soul with contentment and gives him confidence and purpose. It eliminates from his mind perplexity fear, anxiety and agitation as well as unlawful haughtiness on earth and unjustifiable tyranny over people.

4. Steadfastness along the path ordained by Allah is the next quality of such humanity. This must be maintained so that good does not occur casually, incidentally or without deliberation but springs from definite motives and heads towards certain aims. People united for Allah's cause collaborate. Thus, with a single definite purpose and a single distinguished banner, the Muslim community is raised. This is true for all generations that are similarly welded together.

Consequently, whenever two companions of the Messenger of Allah were about to depart from each other, they would read this surah, after which they would shake hands. This was indicative of a pledge to accept this doctrine fully, to preserve this faith, piety and a willingness to counsel each other to follow the truth and remain steadfast. It was a mutual compact to remain good elements in an Islamic society established according to that doctrine and to preserve the foundation of this society.

Source:

"In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb