Posted by: Abdul-Salam | April 23, 2010

Lifelong learning and values of appreciation that have moved me

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Holy Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, at all times.

This posting (note) was actually published on (account of) facebook… As time goes, I find it necessary to refer to it for personal self reflection. Visitors of my (humble) blog may also find it useful.

The following is the actual article:

“Islam has always emphasized on the importance of knowledge and the importance of seeking it, hence, it has encouraged mankind to seeking knowledge at all times, it even goes further to make pursuit of knowledge an obligatory on every Muslim. Allah (s.w.t) says in Surah Al-Zumar: 9 “Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed”. And it is reported that the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w) has said: “Pursuit of knowledge is an obligatory on every Muslim”. The term ‘knowledge’ here refers to the knowledge that will keep one’s belief and religion accurate.

I’m writing this note to share with my FB friends what I have humbly experienced since I started having Quran recitation classes with Hajj Burhan and his Mrs.

Hajj Burhan, 58, and his Mrs, 54, are good living example of lifelong learning couples. They have been reciting the Holy Qur’an with me for the last seven months or so (as of 16th August 2009). I remember I told them in the beginning; “you are good readers already, and may not need to repeat reading the Holy Qur’an again and again with me”. They insisted! “Since you insist, please allow me to be very strict with you, as I use to be in teaching Qur’an recitation, as far as tajweed rules are concerned, and you will have to bear with me, if you won’t mind” I said. They agreed. I told them that, because they are already no longer beginners in recitation. They are even better that some intermediates. Masha Allah, since we started, they never fail to attend the one-to-two classes, unless there is an emergency. Even when I’m very busy and may not be able to attend to them on our usual time, they will still be patient and wait for me to finish and attend to them. Subhana Allah!

Looking at them reading, with full of passion, patience and rare focus, I become motivated towards teaching and learning (upgrading myself) rather than motivating them to keep up the lifelong learning.

They never hide their eagerness for knowledge! A good example is the way they put their questions very precisely. They always make sure they have done their homework (practice) properly before attendance. Allahu Akbar! I was not up to that level of hardworking when I was in school; even now that I’m still schooling, I’m yet to work hard as they are!!

They never finish pouring words of appreciation after each lesson; by mentioning this, I will always remember some students in Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah who always taught me an unforgettable lesson whenever I finished having periods with them; they used to come to me after lessons to say “Ustaz, Thank you for teaching us” Subhana Allah! Words that have always touched my heart to the bottom. This way of appreciation is one of the values that I almost forgot until I met those brothers and sisters in Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah. It kept on reminding of the days when I was in school and in the university. To put this value, which I don’t want to lose into practice again, in my daily and practical life, I try to go to my lecturers in Informatics Computer School, at the end of every lesson to repeat the same sentence, “Mr/Mm (… ), Thank you for teaching us” .. Subhana Allah, and you can imagine the facial reaction of the lecturers. Sorry! I can’t elaborate further here!

I believe a knowledge seeker needs to combine the above mentioned values (eagerness for seeking knowledge, being gratitude after receiving it and showing respect for the knowledge itself and for the teacher) in his/her study life to become an exemplary knowledge seeker or scholar. Knowledge as knowledge, can be good or bad; as it can be used for either intentions, until it is polished with some values that will definitely make it blessed insha Allah.

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At end this note, I would like to thank Hajj Burhan and his wife, for the indirect motivation they give me anytime we have the Quran recitation lesson. Also, I would like to thank the following students from Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah (just to encourage and motivate them to keep up the good habits and values. No intention to praise them, though they deserve to be praised), some of those students are: Aminnursalihin, Mu’az Bin Mohd Abdul Halim (Funny in his own way , btw, hehe2) Muhd Nurhakim Rezawan, Muhd Hannan, Muhd Hariz, Syafeeq Mardi, Zahratur Rofiqah, Ihsan Ghazali, Abdul Haqq (P6, 2009), and to those I cannot recall their names at the time of writing this note; you are also included! These are those who were able to verbally express some of their feelings. I know, and I am aware of some who did express similar feelings in their own way; You are all included.. and you have been noted insha Allah.

I make du’a that Allah (s.w.t) guide us and all Muslims at all times, purify our hearts from all sort of evil thoughts and fill them with true faith, bless our deeds with sincerity, and bless our life with good relations with Him and with His creatures (Hablun min Allah, wa Hablun min Annas).

Wassalam.”

Abdul-Salam Abdul-Hameed
GSalam.Net

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | March 20, 2010

The best amongst us are the good actors, for the sake of Allah, SWT

It was in the classroom when an issue was raised that a particular student (the only one) is loved by all teachers in the school.  Oh yes, the student is loved by all his teachers of different subjects and from both genders. He is even highly respected by all his classmates and many of his schoolmates.

Although I knew the reason, I asked, “What is the cause of that?” “Why is he loved so much by all?” I added “What makes him unique among all the students?” Various answers were poured in by the class (the class of the above mentioned student). Some said, “He has good conduct”. “He is good in studies”, said by someone. Some referred to his politeness, and I heard someone said “He is good in acting!” “Did I hear someone saying that the boy is good in acting?” I said. And the answer was: “Yes.” I said, “This is exactly the answer I’m looking for!”, “Good Actors” “Good in acting” and in fact, “All of us are actors in every aspect of our lives.” The class was surprised when I said “It’s good to be a good actor, honestly.” But I explained…

We are all actors… Yes, we are all good actors… Sometimes, we tend to be even better actors than professional actors. We tend to be different people from whom we are at home, once we are in the street. We refrain from being seen in the same mode we wake up in, nor been in seen in our sleeping gowns. We speak differently in front of our parents from the way we speak in front of our siblings, friends, teachers, and strangers.

We are good actors because we tend to be very generous when a beggar asks us in public, but we are very penny-pinching when our relatives need our help. We tell others only what will please them when we want them to be pleased, whereby we only deliver to them the most annoying words when we are not happy with them. Our approach to our heads is totally in the contrary with our approach to our subordinates and colleagues. No one dares to voice out all the thoughts in his mind; our words are carefully processed before they are made heard.

We all act differently in different situations just to adapt with the various situations and hence, to please those we are dealing with in the various situations.

Now, what makes this particular student unique is that he tends to ‘act’ by showing good behaviour while other students overlook that. He tends to study hard to excellence, while other students are stuck (busy) with FB, blogging, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and etc.  This student shows obedience to rules and regulations of the school system though he might not like some of the rules, nor believe in them, while other students always break school rules and regulations, so they may draw attention or perhaps demonstrate their existence or ability to lead or influence others.

In the other hand, those of us who are not actors may prefer to appear or behave the way they want to; bypassing all religious restrictions, social and cultural morals, values and principals; and ignoring laws and regulations of individual systems (countries, organizations, institutions, schools and etc…)

When this happens, we may see some “Muslims” drinking ‘fire water’, smoking, engaging in unlawful affairs, neglecting their religious obligations and responsibility towards Allah, Rasulullah, the society and the individuals. When this happens, we may see some people in the street care not about social values, morals and principals, such being considerate by giving priority to the elderly, the pregnant, and the sick people in crowded places, such as in trains, buses, hospitals, shopping places, at the pedestrian crossings and etc… We also see some (unfortunately many) adults who fail to lead the younger ones by example.

When this happens, we see people only obey rules and regulations when they are in very restricted zones. CCTVs must be installed in every corner of a country in order for them to behave or show some level of maturity; for example, citizens of some ‘developed countries’ are loyals, obedients and compliants to rules and regulations only when they are in their respective countries. The moment they cross the territories of their countries, they become citizens of ‘the 7th world!’.

When this happens, a student finds it not a problem to break his/her school rules every other day, as long as he/she still schools at that school.

That is why our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “Among what people realized that were words of prophecy: If you do not feel embarrassed, do what you want.” [Bukhari: 3484] It is also Narrated by Bukhari: 9 and Muslim: 35, that Rasulullah SAW said, “Faith (iman) has seventy-odd branches or sixty-odd divisions, the best of it is saying: “There is no god but Allah”, and the lowest of it is removing something harmful from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith.”

Now, we have come to a fact that people are divided into two main groups: Actors and Non-Actors. And the actors are actually divided into two subgroups:  Actors to please other people; and actors to please Allah, SWT

We all know that, anything we do for the sake of people (to please them or to appear to them as ‘angels’), will never last longer; a day will come that we will prefer not to do that anymore. What we also know is that anything we do for the sake of Allah (to please Him, SWT, with sincerity) will remain connected forever, insha Allah. This is the secret behind this student being loved by all his teachers. This is what makes this particular student unique among all students in his school. And this is why the best amongst us are the good actors, but for the sake of Allah, SWT.

Abdul-Salam Abdul-Hameed

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | January 10, 2010

THE NEED FOR SETTING PRACTICAL TARGETS BESIDE THOSE THEORETICAL, IN STUDIES

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Holy Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, at all times.

As schools have reopened in some countries, every student is likely to have set targets for his/her grades in each individual subject of studies. Some even go farther to engage their parents to put down their signatures “of witness and approval” at the end of the target lists.

This exercise has been going on for some time. Upon observation, we can see many students –if not all- who are able to hit their targets and beyond, but in reality and practically, we may find a contrary image.

It is important for us (students) to realize that, although we need to set targets and try to achieve them and beyond, the real objectives of these targets are not “the numbers”, but they are rather the practical application. We may be able to achieve the targeted “numbers” (grades), but it may not be able to make us “We” unless we have applied them in our life.

It saddens when some of us (students) can excel in Tarannum and Tahfeez (Al-Qur’an) for example, and yet fail to apply the basic ‘adabs’ (values) of Al-Qur’an in our daily life.

It saddens when some of us can hit the highest grades in Arabic Language, and yet are unable to converse in Arabic Language for five minutes continuously.

It saddens when some of us can be outstanding in Fiqh for example, and yet fail to properly perform ablution, not talking about performing salat (prayer) which is the backbone of our Islamic religion.

How shame it is, when some of us are able to reproduce 100s of Hadeeth in ‘Akhlaq’ (Morals) during examinations, seminars and congregations, and yet, we are the first to show bad attitudes once we step into the crowd to deal with them practically!

It’s is very obvious that some things are wrong somewhere, but we are going to highlight on one single thing and try to apply it since we are still in school and receiving education. The remaining may be highlighted in different posts or platforms.

We may consider setting two targets for each subject rather than the one traditional target. The first target will be in grades (in form of #s, As and *s), and the second target should be in real practical life.

Islam and Islamic religious knowledge is to be practiced more than be theorized. We may memorize all the knowledge of all planets, but if we fail to practice them, all that knowledge can be considered as ‘non-beneficent’ to us, to the society and to mankind as whole.

Therefore, our practical targets are not less importance than our theoretical ones, although we have to put effort to achieve the latter effectively.

I wish all my brothers and sisters who are back to school all the best! May Allah shower us with knowledge that is beneficial and can bring peace to mankind once extended to them. May this academic year 2010 be better than 2009 in terms of achievement, theoretically and practically.

Allah knows best.
Wassalam.

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | January 9, 2010

Islam… a religion and a way of life for Muslims

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Holy Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, at all times.

There’s no doubt about the fact that Islam is a religion, as it is also a complete way of life. If Islam is a religion, this means it is solely for Muslims (its followers) in its teachings and regulations. In that case, it is not a way of life; how can it be a way of life, since a way of life is expected –to some people- to be for mankind rather than for a particular group of people (Muslims)?

One can easily notice that in the Holy Qur’an, Allah s.w.t addresses His servants (people) sometimes with “Oh mankind!” and with “Oh those who believe!” some other times. How do we conciliate between these two different approaches used in the Holy Qur’an?

In the Qur’an, when “Oh mankind!” is mentioned, Allah s.w.t. draws the attention of mankind to a common reality, regardless of the differences in the beliefs of mankind, and regardless of whether they will accept the truth that is meant is this address or not. Some of the common reality mostly reveal information and emphasize the oneness of Allah, s.w.t., the trueness of the prophecy of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, s.a.w, creations, differences in languages, races, nations and cultures; differences in time, day and night, winter and summer, rain and dry; and etc.

Examples of some common reality which Allah s.w.t. draws the attention of mankind to are the following:

  1. “O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become the pious. Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped). And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur’an) to Our slave (Muhammad Peace be upon him), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful” [Al-Baqarah: 21-23].
  2. “O mankind! Verily, there has come to you the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) with the truth from your Lord, so believe in him, it is better for you. But if you disbelieve, then certainly to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise” [Surah Al-Nisa: 170].
  3. “O mankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then verily! We have created you (i.e. Adam) from dust, then from a Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge i.e. offspring of Adam), then from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood) then from a little lump of flesh,— some formed and some unformed (as in the case of miscarriage), that We may make (it) clear to you (i.e. to show you Our Power and Ability to do what We will).  And We cause whom We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term, then We bring you out as infants, then (give you growth) that you may reach your age of full strength. And among you there is he who dies (young), and among you there is he who is brought back to the miserable old age, so that he knows nothing after having known. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth).”[Surah Al-Hajj: 5]
  4. “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqûn. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." [Surah Al-Hujurat: 13]

 So, when Allah s.w.t addresses His servants by “Oh mankind” it does not make everyone who listens a Muslim until he believes in Allah, s.w.t. and obeys His orders. That is why it is not anyone who can fluently read the Qur’an is a Muslim until he declares openly his ‘Shahadah’ which entitles him into Islam. Anyone who perfects the actions of salat without prior ‘Shahadah’ is just performing aerobics, and hence, cannot be regarded as a Muslim. And he/she is not obliged to the various regulations of Islam. The logic here is that, many non-Muslims, although they are not Muslims, they do agree with what have been revealed in the Qur’an with regards the realities and truths mentioned in the above verses of Qur’an.

 When Allah s.w.t. addresses Muslims in the Qur’an with “Oh those who believe!”, we can notice that such kind of approaches in Qur’an are followed with orders, teachings, explanations and hence, obligations. Such orders and instructions include Faith in Him s.w.t., Salat (the prayers), fasting, Hajj (the Pilgrimage), obedience and etc.

And the logic here is that, the one who believes you, trusts and loves you is the one who will follow your instructions and obey your orders, and hence, they deserve to be addressed with the “Oh those who believe!” approach.

Examples of such orders and instructions that comes with “Oh those who believe!” are the following:

  1. “O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salât (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sâbirun (the patient.)” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 153].
  2. “O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 183].
  3. “O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations. Lawful to you (for food) are all the beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you (herein), game (also) being unlawful when you assume Ihrâm for Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage). Verily, Allah commands that which He wills. O you who believe! Violate not the sanctity of the Symbols of Allah, nor of the Sacred Month, nor of the animals brought for sacrifice, nor the garlanded people or animals, and others nor the people coming to the Sacred House (Makkah), seeking the bounty and good pleasure of their Lord. But when you finish the Ihrâm (of Hajj or ‘Umrah), you may hunt, and let not the hatred of some people in (once) stopping you from Al-Masjid-Al-Harâm (at Makkah) lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.” [Surah Al-Maidah: 1-2]
  4. “O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janâba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.[] Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour to you that you may be thankful.” [Surah Al-Maidah: 6]
  5. “O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât (prayer) on Friday (Jumu’ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing), That is better for you if you did but know!” [Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 9]
  6. “O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?” [Surah Al-Saff: 2]

Islam is a religion; a religion for Muslims in its teachings and commandments. “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût (Evil) and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” [Al-Baqarah: 256]. ‘Muslim’ here refers to believers of all times, those who believed and obeyed the Prophets and Messengers of their respective times, and did not deny or reject any of the Prophets and Messengers of other times. “Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in calling to account.” [Surah Aal-Imran: 19]. That’s why when a Muslim commits crime in Islamic state, he’s supposed to be punished according to Islamic rulings. When he passes away, he’s buried according to Islamic teachings. Same thing applies to his marriage, distribution of wealth after death, and etc. So it shouldn’t be a surprise when the zakat that are paid by Muslims is distributed among Muslims or given to Muslims.

Although Islam is a way of life for Muslims, anyone who wishes to live a life with full of happiness will find the Islamic way of life the best for him.

 It is also important for us remember that, even non-Muslims are addressed particularly in many occasions, in the Qur’an.

  1.  “Say (O Muhammad SAW): “O you Jews! If you pretend that you are friends of Allah, to the exclusion of (all) other mankind, then long for death if you are truthful.” [Surah Al-Jumu’ah: 6]
  2. “O people of the Scripture! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah Īsā (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, (“Be!” – and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rûh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allah is (the only) One Ilâh (God), glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All¬Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.” [Surah Al-Nisa: 171]
  3. “O people of the Scripture! (Jews and Christians): “Why do you disbelieve in the Ayât of Allâh, [the Verses about Prophet Muhammad SAW present in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you (yourselves) bear witness (to their truth).” O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): “Why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?” [Surah Aal-Imran: 70-71]

May Allah, s.w.t. accept and our intentions before our deeds. And may He, s.w.t. guide us through righteous deeds, and fill our hearts with His Love. Ameen.

Allah knows best.
Wassalam.

Abdul-Salam Abdul-Hameed

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | December 11, 2009

What is faith (iman), its definition and the true fact of it?

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Brothers & Sisters in Islam,

May Allah bless you at all times and make every single moment in our lives ‘ibadah’.. Ameen.

Just to share with you, brothers and sisters, this article was written in an attempt to understand the true fact of iman (faith), and have some reflections from it. May Allah grant us guidance and preserve us in all actions and sayings.

Generally, any feeling that can move one’s emotions and shape or direct his attitudes is regarded as faith or belief. And in Islam, Iman means to believe in the heart, to confess with the tongue and to demonstrate in physical actions.

Iman is the soul of hearts and bodies, it is the key to happiness, it is the way of salvation in this world and the Hereafter, it sends contentment and satisfaction to the heart, and the higher a person climbs in the levels of iman the more he gets the sweet tastes of it, and his soul (the true soul) gets satisfaction from it. Rasulullah said: “three of which, if found in anyone, he gets the sweetness of iman; to make God and His Messenger dearer to him than anything else, to love a man just for the sake of Allah, s.w.t., and to hate to be back into disbelief as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.

Basically, iman has six pillars that every Muslim has to believe in them, accept them and be fully convinced with them. Each of these six pillars requires a stand-alone article.

These six pillars are, to believe in: 

  1. Allah (SWT).
  2. His Angels.
  3. His Messengers.
  4. His Books.
  5. The Last Day.
  6. Divine Preordainments, good or bad.

The true fact of iman that was brought by our beloved prophet, Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, is based on three components, of which if any of it is missing, the iman may not be valid and may not be considered as a genuine one. These three components are:

  1. To believe in the heart;
  2. To confess with the tongue;
  3. And to demonstrate in physical action.

In fact, the second and the third parts (components) are true reflections of what the heart is carrying. In other words, the heart is a common ground for what the tongue expresses and what the body physically demonstrates.

The first component itself (belief in the heart) consists of two parts:

  1. Adoption of the heart, whereby the heart recognizes and accepts that , whatever  Allah and His Messenger have told is true; that God and His Messenger are Just in whatever judgment they make; and does not have any doubts in this adoption and acceptance.
  2.  The work of the heart, which means, the heart is to practice whatever is instructed to by Allah (s.w.t.), such as having love for God and His Messenger, and the believers; and not keeping love for the non-believers.

Allah says: “The bedouins say: “We believe.” Say: “You believe not but you only say, ‘We have surrendered (in Islam),’ for Faith has not yet entered your hearts…” [Surah Al-Hujurat: 14], He also said: “You (O Muhammad SAW) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts…” [Surah Al-Mujadilah: 22].

These verses are actually to draw our attention to the fact that heart is the original source of iman.

The second component; confess with the tongue: This happens by saying the ‘shahadah’ (witness); there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger. There is something important about confessing with the tongue (shahadah), which is, it must be intended and meant, and should not be just a fact of pronunciation.

The third component of iman is to demonstrate in physical actions that is meant by doing what Allah (s.w.t.) has commanded, and staying away from what Allah (s.w.t.) has forbade. Allah (s.w.t.) says in Surah Al-Hujurat, 15: “Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful.” He (s.w.t) also says in Surah Al-Anfal, 2-4: “The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’an) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone); (2) Who perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and spend out of that We have provided them. (3) It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise). (4)”

It is narrated by Bukhari and Muslim that Rasulullah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “I am ordering you with faith in Allah alone. Do you know what faith in Allah alone is? Said (the sahabah): Allah and His Messenger know best, he, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “to certify that there is no god but Allah, to establish prayer, pay zakat, and give away one fifth of your gains (spoils).”

Rasulullah also said in a Hadeeth narrated by Muslim: “Faith has seventy-odd branches or sixty-odd Divisions, the best of it is saying: “there is no god but Allah”, and the lowest of it is removing something harmful from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith”

We can find this Hadeeth as an explanation to the fact that iman is a base with various branches, every branch is also called iman (or a division of iman), solat for instance is part of iman, as well as fasting, Hajj and Zakat, and other invisible deeds like modesty and inner trust (tawakkul) are also part of iman.

Some of these branches may cause invalidity to the base of iman once they are no longer recognized by the person; such as ‘shahadah’. And some may not cause any invalidity to it, such as removing something harmful from the road. And there are various branches in between these two branches (shahadah and removing something harmful form the road) that vary in their strengths and weaknesses, some are in the same strength level as ‘shahadah’ or closer to it, and some are in the same level of weakness as ‘removing something harmful from the road’ or closer to it.

 

This is the truth of faith, followed with the components of it, and it is a requirement for faith in (by) the heart to be accompanied with faith in physical actions at all times, which means, the quantity and quality of our physical actions (with faith) reflects the strength of the acceptance of the faith by our hearts, and our tongues will play the part of verbal expressions.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri (r.a.) once said: “Faith is not by wish and adornment, but something that settles in the heart and been proved by deed.”

Allah knows best.

Wassalam.

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | November 24, 2009

Why did Allah s.w.t. created us, although we did not ask to be created?

My Beloved Muslim brothers and sisters, facebookers and bloggers,

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Holy Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, at all times.

Many people may ask this question: “In the Quran, it is stated that we are created to worship Allah (s.w.t)… But why must He test us? What is the reason of Him (s.w.t) creating us and then sending us to heaven and hell. What is the logic behind the creation of the soul by Him (s.w.t)?”  In fact, thoughts like these have come across my mind some time ago, but I didn’t bother to find answers to them because I thought it was a disturbance from the Satan. And, it was a disturbance from the Satan indeed. But now, I’ve found it is necessary to sit down and think of answers to them, especially that, one of my dear brothers and friends voiced it out, and insisted his question must be answered.

One of the things we need to take a look at is the relationship between Allah, the Creator and us, the creatures. Let’s find out the relationship between a parent and his/her child, between an employer and his/her employee; and between a government and its citizens. We will find that these three groups are made up of two similar parties each. These two parties are: a higher level party and a lower level party.

In many cases, decisions are made by the higher level party, and it may be not negotiable (no dictatorship here, though), the lower party usually looks at things from a very narrow perspective, and due to that, it may oppose a lot of decisions made by the higher level party. Sometimes it takes some time for the lower level party to understand and willingly accept the earlier –opposed- decisions been made by the higher level party.

At the same time, because the higher level party (mostly) looks at things from their bigger pictures, it may not need to consult the lower level party before making decisions. Thus, whether or not the lower level party understands and accepts the decision, it will have to obey and abide.

In fact, this is the relationship between a master and his servant/slave. And the most superior relationship between a master and his servant/slave is the one between Allah, the Creator and us, the creatures (heavens and earths, human beings, animals, tree, the seen and the unseen worlds all together), Although there’s no way of comparison of the relationships that lie between creatures amongst themselves and the one that lies between the Creator and His creatures. Allahu Akbar!

Another thing is that, human being (Insan) may be very knowledgeable, very curious, and hence, discovering. But no matter how, our capabilities to understand and comprehend are very limited; they are limited to the only extent that Allah s.w.t wants them to reach. they can never go beyond that. That’s why many things can only be determined through revelation (Wahyu), and no other means of true spiritual discovery. An example is the world of Jinn, soul, life after death and life, the Day of Judgment, and etc, etc… Even, it is scientifically said that, the seen world, which we are proud of many discoveries in it, we are yet to discover 97% of it. This means man has so far been able to discover only 3% of the seen world. Subhana Allah!

Once we agree that the relationship between Allah s.w.t and us is the relationship of a master and his servant/slave, we have to be open minded and accept the fact that He favourably created us human beings in the first place. We shouldn’t compose questions that will never be answered. A Master is not to be questioned, as far as Allah s.w.t is concerned. He does and creates, gives and takes, permits and forbids whatever He wants. No questions to be asked, although, creatures (man) are subject to be questioned for their deeds. This is what the Master s.w.t. wants!! If He created me anything other than my present creature, -for instance- I would have been grateful to Him too. Because I would still be His creature! But He s.w.t has given me the honour and the privilege; and created me Insan and then He set all the other creatures to be at my service (for my usage), and He asks me after all, to show some respect, and He will make me happier (by sending me to Jannah), or else, He will take away the blessings He’s given me (by making the hell fire my home) Laa ilaaha illa Allah!!

Now, instead of spending my time to show respect and be thankful, so I can be granted the eternal happiness, Iblis (the satan) keep on whispering in my ears to mislead me from going through the right path. So that I will be his (Iblis) companion in the Hell fire.

We (Muslims and Non-Muslim) all believe in the existence of ghosts (jinn) and soul, but no one can really identify what ghost or soul is, and what are the exact natures of them. The reason is the limitation of our understanding.
A question like this will never be answered! And keeping on finding answer for it will lead us to a question ‘How did God come to existence?’ ‘Who created Him?’. And etc, etc.

If we think we are lucky to be created whom we are, then we should be grateful by surrendering ourselves to Him. This will open our hearts to look for more ways to do good deeds in order to achieve more happiness here and in the hereafter.
We benefit from worshiping Him s.w.t., whereby He never loses anything from our disobedience. Laa ilaaha illa Allah :’( :’( :’(

Allah s.w.t says in Surah Al-Anbiya: 23: “He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned”.

Also He says in Surah Al-Qasas: 70: “…and His is the command, and unto Him you will be brought back.”

He also says in Surah Al-Shuraa: 49: Unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He createth what He will.”

Finally, I would like anyone reading this note (starting with myself) to take note of this, ‘No one will tell us the particular reason why Allah s.w.t has created us, although we didn’t ask to be created. But some will always try to their best help us come to a convincing thoughts regarding Allah s.w.t. But please try to convince yourself, and accept what Allah s.w.t Himself has said in Surah Al-Zhariyaat: 50: “And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”.

May Allah preserve each one of us for the benefit of the ‘Ummah’.

Wassalamu alaikum.

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | November 19, 2009

Adding Web Address to my Useful Links Page

Assalamu alaikum wr. wb.

Brothers and Sisters,

Hopefully you’re all doing good, insha Allah.

I’m in the process of adding web addresses to the Useful Links  page. Such addresses include those of  Islamic scholars and figures, organizations, universities and colleges, education and learning resources, well known political figures with good influence, kids education, growth and entertainment,  etc and etc. If you have anyone or anything in mind, please leave a response below.

You may also leave your personal blog/website to be added. Please ensure your blog/website is objective and of benefits to people outside your circle of relatives and friends. :)

Allahu Hafiz..

 Thank you… Wassalam.

Abdul-Salam

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | November 18, 2009

We are not experts, but we can also contribute

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah,

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and upon his family and companions, at all times.

Brothers and Sisters,

I know many of you are looking forward to read my postings, some of whom are friends (observers, stalkers and spies of course. Ehemsss) and foes. But at the ‘end of the day’ we are all brothers and sisters, either in Islam or in humanity.  So I’m not worried of what your reactions may be after reading my “writings”. I know any mistake made by the Baby Sufi, (Abdul-Salam) will be forgiven, and corrected professionally and accordingly. Let us as someone says “look and see” Hahaha a thousand :) Subhana Allah.

Some may be wondering, “What will he be writing in his blog, uh?”, “I would like to see in which language he will be writing”, “This is a good opportunity to read his mind and collect evidences to prove to the authorities that he is an extremist, fundamentalist, terrorist, Wahabi, Salifi, Sufi, Muslim”, “We can detect his limits of Islamic knowledge”. I have to be honest with here, beside all the above mentioned, I know that there are some who are eager to read my “postings” because of the Islamic brother and true friendship that have brought us together. I’m happy they are there, and I know that they will never hesitate to constantly give their feedback and comments. I love you all :) .

Well, I’ve delayed to post a “significant” blog so far, because I’m experiencing ‘migrane’ since four days now. Did I say migrane or migraine? It doesn’t matter, as long as my “beloved readers” know what I mean. No need to waste time referring to dictionaries. Mr Alfred, my English teacher when I was in Azhariya Islamic School, Mr Aidal Kalam, Mr Haidad and Ms Noorliza, my friends who are English teachers right now, and those out there with good command in English, please forgive me, because I won’t be grammar-conscious here. Ehemsss. Luckily I didn’t say ‘migrate’. By the way, I’m not thinking of migrating anymore. Singapore has become my second home, and I’m looking forward to the ‘they’ (day) I will be awarded PR, insha Allah. Thank you Singapore for allowing “me” to settle here :) . So I’m still right (not left) to use ‘migrane’.

Although, this is the first time on this blog I’m telling you that I’m ‘hafing’ (having) headache for the past few days, but it’s also going to be the last time I’m doing so. Please look forward not to read about my daily activities, personal problems, work complains and nags, gossips and blah2 here on gsalam.net. We are already having enough of that on facebook.com/abdulsalam Full stop!

So, I will not tell you in future that my cat was stolen from our house, back in Ghana. You may not read about my cute son. :) You may not come to know that when everyone drives away his BMW (Be My Wife) and Motorcycle from the Singapore Islamic Hub (SIH) basement car park, someone comes out from the same car park bicycling. J

There will be no any sort of presenting articles in this blog to prove our (my) level of knowledge. I honestly have to admit to the fact that I’m yet to master the ‘basic of the basics’ of Islamic knowledge, nor am I’m not an intellectual. But I also believe that, less knowledge combined with minimum practice is better than lots of knowledge separated from least demonstration.

Here, we will be sharing ideas and thoughts and talking seriously and religiously on social and moral problems. Yet, our discussions and arguments will be very simple, insha Allah. Hoping that, that will be a very simple and very humble contribution to the communities we proudly belong to, in finding solutions to those problems, insha Allah. We are not experts, but we believe that “the one, who gives you ¢20 when he has only $1 in his possession, is the one who will give you $200 when he owns $1,000.”

I will rarely blog in languages other than English, though there will be a few in Arabic, insha Allah. Ehemsss! This is to avoid been asked by my Arabic language students for translation (not explanation). I better save that time of “explanation” for mind cracking. J I believe I’ve given them enough references in Arabic.

This post is also good clarification to those who increase the amount of traffic (visitors) to this blog just to spy on the “cute me”. It’s for them to take note of the language that is going to be used here, and that they will rarely need translators. They don’t have to worry in the first place, because, there won’t be any illegal articles, nor bad influence. We will remain transparent as usual. Allahu Hafiz J .

There will be no any kind of ‘copy and paste articles’ to be posted by me, insha Allah. The www is full of Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. The only Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V stuff will be basically quotations from Quran and Hadeeth and their translations! Quotes from our blessed scholars and wise men (regardless of their “mazhabs”) and other authors will be clearly credited to them accordingly, insha Allah.

Well, gentlemen and ladies.. Oops! Ladies and gentlemen, J I mean brothers and sisters J, it’s 03:14 right now as I’m typing this particular line and paragraph. I need to go and close my eyes for the next two hours or so, my head is still ‘vibrating’. Work starts at 0730hrs as usual. Well, for your info, I just woke up two hours ago.  So no much worries, insha Allah. Take note that, I won’t write about personal activities anymore, insha Allah.

May Allah guide us in all our sayings and actions. Until my ‘migrane’ is over, see you next time in higher level of iman and better condition of health. Allahu Khairun Hafizan…

Wassalam

Abdul-Salam

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Posted by: Abdul-Salam | November 15, 2009

Hello world! Welcome to my First Blog!

Assalamu alaikum (May God’s peace be upon you).

First of all, All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Holy Prophet, Muhammad, at all times.

May you all be in good condition of Iman and health while and after reading this very first humble blog of mine. Ameen.

This is my very first blog (outside facebook) which I’ve just signed up for. Hoping that it’s going to be a blessed platform to be in touch with friends and “foes”, who prefere not to facebook. :) Haha, lucky that I still can’t detect who is actually my foe. Subhana Allah.

While dropping by or passing by my blog, please feel free to leave your comments and feedback. I’m more than open to them, insha Allah. But please, be realistic and not emotional, (as I use to be, but quitting gradually, hehe).

Finally, May Allah grant us His guidance and preserve us in our words and actions. Allahu Hafiz.

Wassalamu alaikum.

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