{Quick Reflections 37} The Why 4, The Call 2!

Instead of starting with a question and working our way until we reach a logical answer by the end of the article as usual, this time we will start with the conclusion or the answer to the question and then work our way to consolidate that conclusion.

The topic again is why we do good deeds, that was discussed thrice before, stressing all along on the concept that making the call and living with this should be a basic principle in life whether doing good went noticed or appreciated or not. This is again crucial to the concept of co-existence with the other, regardless of their belief, and how doing good should be intrinsic to our behavior without necessarily meaning to call others for Islaam (the always logic scriptures that confirm that concept will be detailed six articles from now under the title, "First Things First" if God wills).

To start with, we will explore one of the reasons why Allaah (SWT)1 chose Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)2 to be the final Messenger. We will discuss the characteristic that was intrinsic in his personality for 40 years before he (PBUH) ever received the revelation.

For forty years he was nicknamed by his community as “The Truthful, the Trust-Worthy”. His most noble manners were embedded in his personality in spite of the fact that he lived amongst a very corrupt and ill-mannered community in Arabia and world–wide in general. He did not know of a god at that time and he never believed in idols. Accordingly, his behavior throughout those 40 years was not meant to satisfy a god. Moreover, he did not adopt this behavior aspiring for leadership or recognition amongst his community during that period. Why then did he behave in such a way that made everyone respect him?! The answer cannot be that he had it planned, since his early childhood, that he would need such a reputation for the credibility of a message he would start delivering 40 years later; one he never knew about then! Why then did he behave like that?

Doing good and loving others expecting nothing in return is the noblest attribute rooted inside every one and he (PBUH) had an abundance of that characteristic unequaled in any other human being. God says about him, “And indeed, you are of a great moral character” (Qur’aan, 68:4).

When he (PBUH) was never after any personal reward and was there for others expecting nothing in return, he was blessed by being chosen to be the Messenger to all mankind; the ultimate reward a human being can ever be blessed with.

Moreover, this most noble characteristic cannot go without being taught and spread to others and hence is a fundamental message of Islaam with its epitome and Messenger being Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

That is why God says about him, “And in no way have We sent you except as a mercy to the worlds (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” (Qur’aan, 21:107). It is doing good to all, including even non-living things, expecting nothing in return and teaching that to others that is a true mercy to all. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself addresses the issue of why he was sent to mankind in the following hadeeth3, “I was indeed sent to perfect noble manners”4.

Doing what is best and giving and forgiving without expecting anything in return, not even out of setting an example for others or with the intention of telling people about Islaam, is demonstrated in several events in the life of Muhammad (PBUH) even after he became a Messenger.

There is the story of the Bedouin that turned to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for help. He was a stranger who new nothing about the ongoing struggle between the non-believers, headed by Abu-Jahl, and Muslims headed by Muhammad (PBUH) in Makkah at the time. Abu-Jahl had borrowed a sum of money from that Bedouin and refused to return it to him. The Bedouin kept asking around in Makkah for someone to help him get his money back from the mighty Abu-Jahl but no one could help him. He came across a group of people who thought they could get a good laugh out of the situation. They pointed to Muhammad (PBUH), knowing the enmity between him and Abu-Jahl and told him that he is the one that could help him out most! When he went to Muhammad (PBUH), told him of his problem and that those people back there had nominated him as the one who can help him out most, he (PBUH) looked back at them and understood their scheming. He never told the Bedouin that he is the last one who could help him based on the hostile relationship between him and Abu-Jahl. He never told him about Islaam and that he would help him only if he would believe in him. He never made any attempt to clarify the situation for the unsuspecting Bedouin. He simply told him that he will go with him to Abu-Jahl and help him get his money back. They went together to Abu-Jahl’s house and Muhammad (PBUH) asked Abu-Jahl to return the money back to the Bedouin which he very surprisingly did on the spot. (More details of the story will be discussed 13 articles from now under the title, “Miracles, why and when?” if God wills.)

Again, there was the Prophet’s Jew neighbor who used to pester the Prophet everyday by throwing his garbage in front of his house. One day when he stopped doing that the Prophet (PBUH) rushed to visit him thinking he was ill, which turned out to be true.

There was also the old blind lady that the Prophet (PBUH) met and offered to carry her stuff for her. On their way to her house, and as a way to pay him back, she actually advised him not to listen to that "Muhammad" who had started recently claiming to be a Prophet and asking people to follow him. She went on calling him names, not knowing that it is the same kind man that is offering her help. Nevertheless, he did not attempt to clear his name and when she asked him for his name at the end of their journey, he (PBUH) simply said "Muhammad"!

He (PBUH) used to do good for the sake of doing good regardless of how it will be translated. To him, it was simply a way of life.

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1 Subhaanahu wa T`aalaa [Glorified and Exalted Be He].
2 Peace Be Upon Him
3 A saying or action done by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as reported by his companions.
4 Authentic hadeeth reported by al-Zurqaniy in Mukhtasar al-Maqaasid page/number 184.

Humbleness & Communication

The knack for communication. A gift bestowed on us by our Creator to distinguish us from the rest of His creations. You may say that all creations have this knack. Man is no different. Just look at the world of animals, insects and even plants and you will see various forms of communication in action. Yet along with this knack, man was given a brain and an intelligence to channel this blessing in more ways than one; to reach out to each other for a reason.

We speak to each other using words that make up different languages, accents and dialects. We sign to each other and gesture, reflecting what we mean through the science of semiotics. We reach out to each other sending messages full of meaning through the arts and movement. It is not even just a matter of using our tongues, hands or bodies to communicate, we have even managed to resort to tools to aid us in this venture. The pen, paper, books, ink, electronic signals, colours, machines and the list goes on. Our lives revolve around this knack; this means of expression. Everything around us and within us was bestowed to us, given to us, so plainly and simply by our Creator to channel this knack.

Have we ever stopped to wonder whether we are actually using this blessing in a good way? Have we ever even wondered whether the way we communicate with each other does justice to the magnitude of this blessing? Do we say words we should not? Do we speak ill of people? Do we mimic, hurt or belittle?

In the midst of our proverbial glory and might, and as we carry on our lives with an endless array of blessings, time only truly stops for us at one true moment. In the face of a disaster, in the face of sudden death, unexpected calamity or a war, a raw shift in the nature of communication within us comes to the fore. This communicative knack transforms itself and a new sort emerges, directed to The Only One. Our Lord. Through body and soul and with desperate hearts filled to the brim, it is only then that we realise the one and only true meaning of communication. Do we need a moment of truth?

It does not have to take a moment of truth to point to our humbleness. The greatest justice we could ever do to ourselves is through our daily communication with our Lord. The Ever-Bestower of His endless blessings. How do we communicate with Him? Do we need tools? Do we even need words at all?

It is only when we know how to reach out and duly channel this communicative knack back towards our Lord will we find that communicating with each other to be filled with grace, dignity, decency and true modest humbleness.

{Quick Reflections 20} Perfection

As a child my father used to teach me our Beloved's (SAWS) hadith; "Truly ALLAH loves that if any of you performs a deed he should perfect it". I could understand the general meaning and that one should do his best but could not actually "see" how could that be done. One day, as a teenager interested in all kinds of super cars, I saw an advertisement that helped change my attitude in life. It was a magazine ad about BMW which pictured one of their super models. It had only one sentence to describe the car. " Small things make perfection, but perfection is not a small thing". I simply froze for a few minutes. I started comparing all the specifications of that BMW to our Fiat. And yes, they were right! It was all those small details that all piled up to constitute the huge difference between our Fiat and the BMW.
From that day on I started "seeing" the meaning of the above mentioned hadith. Paying attention to the details, without losing the big picture, and meticulously attending to all aspects of an issue make perfection. That issue could be your relation with ALLAH, your work, your personality, your relationships or anything and everything. They all could be dealt with using the same principle.

{Quick Reflections 15} The Staff of Moses

The issue of guiding people to Allaah (SWT) and reforming earth has alway been entrusted by Allaah (TWT) to the people of deepest faith, best manners and strongest persistence, the Prophets. However inspite of the combination of these unique criteria in these unique humans they still needed Divine support in the form of miracles to help them impress people and achieve their goal of delivering the message as loud and clear as they can.

One of the most famous Prophets and most famous miracles were Prophet Moosa (Moses) (AS) and his staff ("asaah).
The story of how Moosa (AS) and Bani-Israeel were caught between the sea infront of them and the Pharao's army behind them is known to all those belonging to all monothesitic religions. They had to either proceed ahead in the sea and die drowned, wait until the Pharao's army catches up with them and die massacred or be saved by a miracle.
Moosa (AS) had the miracle in his hand and all he had to do was to use it by hitting the ground with his staff and all his nation in addition to himself would be saved.

Now let us imagine if someone else was in the place of Moosa (AS) and had behaved differently. We have three possible scenarios;
The first one would have thrown the staff away not believing in the miraculous power it had. He would have ended up losing his and all his nation's life.
The second one would have hugged the staff and clinged onto it half believing in its miraculous power but never actually used it. He too would have ended up losing his and all his nation's life.
The third one would have used the staff with all its miraculous potentials in full nearly like Moosa (AS) did.

I was looking into Prophet Muhammad's (SAWS) life and his achievements in 23 years. Yes he is the best and most beloved creature to Allaah (AWJ). Yes he is the best of all prophets in all aspects but that even necessitated that he (SAWS) be supported by the best miracle ever. His accomplishments in 23 years can not be done by a human. There had to be a Divine interferance through miracles like that happened with all other prophets. I kept searching through the biography of our Beloved (SAWS) for that miracle until I found it. The key, the answer and hint was when Lady "Aa'ishah (RA) said that if you would like to see a living example of the Qur'aan walking on earth, then simply observe Prophet Muhammad (SAWS )" and also when she said that, "His manners were [the manners prescribed by] the Qur'aan". He (SAWS) was a living Qur'aan.
That was the miracle that Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) used continuously for 23 years to achieve what he achieved.

Subhaan Allaah walhamdu lEllaah, unlike the staff of Moosa (AS) that was used only by him and in his life time and inspite of not being prophets we still have the greatest miracle ever, the Qur'aan. All we have to do is use it the way Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) used it to achieve such miraculous results.

So now that we do have the miracle in our hands, just like Moosa (AS) had his staff what will we do with it?
Are we going to be like the first one who threw the staff away and did not believe in its miraculous powers and thus lose our donya and akhirah like all non-Muslims, hypocrits and secularists?
Or are we going to be like the second one who believed in the staff and hugged it and clinged on to it without actually using it and again lose our donya and risk losing our akhirah like all those who hang the mus~haf in their cars and on the shelves of the libraries everywhere, or those who read it continuously or even those who learn it by heart without actually applying it in full to their lives?
Or are we going to be like the third one who used the staff in full nearly like our Beloved (SAWS) did and become living Qur'aans walking on earth?

The miracle is here but it needs to be used to achieve miraculous results. Ummat Muhammad are the only non-Prophets who were given a miracle at their dispense to use any time and all the time.

The staff of Moosa (AS) was used to open a dry way in the middle of the sea saving its users and others who believed or followed, while the Qur'aan can be used to open a way on the siraat for us to cross quickly and pass over hell to enter jannah saving ourselves and others whom we can reach with the message.
May we all make the best use of the miracle we have in our hands, the Qur'aan which is more powerful than the staff of Moosa if used correctly, if it becomes alive inside us.

{Quick Reflections 13} Azkaar?

Kindly visit http://msa.org.ohio-state.edu/flyers/hisn_al_muslim.pdf to download a translated and transliterated short version of different azkaar for non-Arabic speakers.
People don't have to learn them by heart if they cannot but it is rather a reminder to remember ALLAAH and be ALLAAH-consious at all times and in all different situations 24/7.
Another thing to have in mind for example is, "wa-inn min shay' ella yussabih bihamdihee". For example if one forgets ALLAAH one's own clothes that one is wearing all the time on himself remember ALLAAH and mention Him (SWT) so it is shame on us human beings to be less in remeberance of ALLAAH than the clothes we are wearing!! Remembrance of ALLAAH (AWJ) is not only verbal but also in all our actions.
Now the question becomes how to achieve it both verbally and in our actions all the time. The key lies in Andera Ghandy saying what means, "Watch your thoughts as they turn into words, and watch your words as they turn into deeds, and watch your deeds as they turn into habits, and watch your habits as they turn into manners, and watch your manners as they turn to become your life". Accordingly it all starts with the thoughts and ideas. Once we direct all out thoughts and thinking to ALLAAH (SWT) and focus on that step by step and with time all our utterances and actions and hence our lives will be spent in the rememberance and for the sake of ALLAAH.

May ALLAAH accept from us all and make us amongst those who live continuously in His ma"iyyah.

{Quick Reflections 2} The Call

A few weeks ago I had the chance to make the azaan for "Asr prayer in the little prayer room we have at the hospital I work at in the States. As I was standing there on my own making the azaan I started thinking about that "call". Back in Egypt when one had the chance to make the azaan I knew that many would hear and some would respond so I was doing something useful. On the other hand now I am making the azaan in a closed room and my voice will not reach anyone. I then remembered Prophet Ibraheem (SAWS) when Allaah (SWT) ordered him to make the azaan in the middle of the desert with no one around to hear it. When Ibraheem (SAWS) asked Him (AWJ) how would anyone hear him, Allaah (TWT) assured him that all he (SAWS) has to do is to make the "call" and Allaah (TWT) will deliver the "call" to the people in His Own Way. It was only then that i realized the true meaning of the true dependance on Allaah (AWJ) as mentioned in the hadeeth. Allaah (SWT) does not want achievements or results from us. He (TWT) wants us to only make the effort, make the "call", and He (SWT) is the One who achieves and makes the results. He (SWT) says, " And say, "Do (right deeds); so Allah will soon see your doing, and His Messenger and the believers (will see)"(TMQ, 9:105). We are accountable only for the "doing", for making the "call", and not the result or achievement. Our main cause of disappointment in life is lack of achievement in any field in which we aspire for any result, be it financial, social, advancement in career or any other thing in life we want. That disappointment often pushes us back and limits our further pursuing of "doing", of making the "call". But we are mistaken. The only true achiever is Allaah (SWT) and we have only to "do", to make the "call". Imagine if one thinks that way all the time, we will have no burdens, no worries and no disappointments. We will not be driven forward by achievment or backward by its lack as all psychologists say. We will be continuously driven by the deep believe that the achievment is performed by the Ultimate Achiever (SWT). So let us all use our full potential and energy in making the "call" and not worry about how it will be heard.