Basic Commitments of Muslims.

marts 8, 2008 at 11:58 am (Islam)

 Basic Commitments of

Muslims

Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. 24- And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: “My Lord! bestow on them Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.” 25- Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts: if you do deeds of righteousness, verily He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again (in true penitence). 26- And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: but squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. 27- Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (Himself) Ungrateful. 28- And even if you have to turn away from them in pursuit of the Mercy from thy Lord which you do expect, yet speak to them a word of easy kindness. 29- Make not your hand tied to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that you become blameworthy and destitute. 30- Verily your Lord does provide sustenance in abundance for whom He pleases, and He provides in a just measure: for He does know and regard all His servants. 31- Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin. 32- Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). 33- Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, We have given his heir authority (to demand Qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the law). 34- Come not nigh to the orphan’s property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement, will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). 35- Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight; that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination. 36- And pursue not that of which you have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing, or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). 37- Nor walk on the earth with insolence: for you cannot rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height. 38- Of all such things the evil is hateful in the sight of your Lord. 39- These are among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to you. Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected. (Al-Isra’ 17:23-39)

Surah al-Isra’ was revealed to Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him- in Makkah after his Night Journey from Makkah to Jerusalem. In this Surah Allah mentions some basic commitments of Muslims. Without fulfilling these commitments no individual or groups can succeed. Muslims have to live by these values and should invite the humanity to these principles. These principles are not limited to one race, tribe or group; they are universal in their scope and application. These are also called the Hikmah or the teachings of wisdom. It is wise for every one to follow them. If followed properly they are capable to increase the goodness and wisdom of all people. These principles are:

  1. Worship Allah alone: This means to recognize Allah as the ultimate reality and to recognize Allah as the Lord, to worship Him with all sincerity and to submit to Him in every aspect of life. A Muslim’s life is nothing but total commitment to Allah. We are not only monotheists (people of Tawhid) but we are also theocentric people. Allah is the center of our life and He is our total and ultimate concern.

     

  2. Be respectful and kind to the parents: This is to acknowledge the compassion and kindness of the parents, to be grateful to them and to do one’s utmost to reciprocate that love and compassion. Filial piety and devotion is the second most important commitment of Muslims. Respect and kindness to parents is not just a social duty for us; it is our religious duty and obligation.

     

  3. Be good to your relatives, to the poor and the travelers: This is to remember that we are interconnected in this world. Our responsibilities are not to only towards ourselves and our immediate families, but also to other relatives and to the society at large. We are all in need of each other and we are all fellow travelers in this path of life. We must see what we can do for others. Muslims must live a socially responsible life. Social responsibility begins with the family, other relatives and it includes all those who are in need.

     

  4. Be careful with your money. Do not waste your resources: One should be neither be too tight with one’s money nor be too lose with it. Extravagance is not right, but also one should not become stingy and miserly. A Muslim is committed to the balanced life style. Money should be earned in Halal ways and it should be spent in the right manner. This principle can be applied to all resources that Allah has given us. Wise and conscientious use of resources is a very important commitment of Muslims.

     

  5. Take good care of your children: As we recognize the rights of the parents, we should also recognize the rights of children. Our children are our future. We must see that we raise healthy, intelligent and morally responsible children. Our commitment should be to raise them in safe and healthy environment. We must protect their life as well as their sprit and mind, their morals and manners.

     

  6. Do not commit adultery or fornication: Sexual perversions bring the greatest harm to individuals and societies. Observing the proper rules in this matter lead to health, happiness and good moral society. Muslims are committed to pure, clean and socially responsible life style. Islam teaches that one should not come even close to adultery or fornication. This means proper dress code for males and females, proper behavior in mixed societies and proper control on social relations and entertainments.

     

  7. Respect every life. Do not kill anyone unless in the pursuit of justice: This means that one should recognize the sanctity of all life and should not do anything that may jeopardize life. One should avoid aggression and violence, because these things lead to murder. Every Muslim must be committed to peaceful ways. Conflicts should be resolved by dialogue and negotiations not by killings and murders. However, justice must be maintained, because just punishment brings safety and protects life.

     

  8. Take care of the orphans: Orphans and all those who are vulnerable must be taken care of. Their rights must be recognized and they should be protected from all harms. A Muslim must be deeply committed to the care of young, poor, infirm and handicapped. Kindness and compassion is the basic commitment of a Muslims. It includes every one, including the animals.

     

  9. Fulfill the promises and your commitments: Promises and contracts are an important part of human life and human civilization. When promises are not kept people lose trust in each other and the whole society becomes weak. Muslims must be true to their words. Our commitment must be to speak the truth, to be honest and when we make a pledge we do our best to fulfill our pledges.

     

  10. Be honest in business dealings. Do not cheat in weight or measurement: Honest business brings progress, success and blessings. All business whether it is commercial, social or political must be done with a sense of justice and fairness. A Muslim is committed to fair dealing in everything and with every one. Dealing with a Muslim means dealing with full confidence. A Muslim businessman is the most truthful businessman. A Muslim worker is the most honest worker. A Muslim in any profession should bring honor to that profession.

     

  11. Do things with knowledge. Do not follow the hearsay or act on half- knowledge: The information agencies, the media have a great responsibility. A lot of injustice is done when the misinformation is given or the information is misused. Muslims should be committed to truth in information. They should promote truthful and honest reporting about everyone including their enemies. A report coming from a Muslim source should be the most trustworthy report. In a similar way Muslim should be extremely careful with their actions and reactions. They should not react without proper evidence against anyone. They should show the world how the information is ascertained.

     

  12. Be humble and have no arrogance: Moderation and balance is the best thing in one’s behavior as well as in one’s attitudes toward others. A Muslim is a dignified person, but he/she is humble. A Muslim is not boastful, arrogant or vainglorious. A Muslim thanks Allah for all His gifts. For everything the ultimate praise is for Allah and the real glory belongs to Allah.

     

These are the basic commitments of Muslims, as individuals and as people. These are the principles of wisdom and the universal values of Islam. When they are followed they bring justice, peace and happiness in this world and they will indeed bring success and salvation in the Hereafter. Let us all try to make these our real commitments.

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Islam: The Middle and the Noble Path

marts 8, 2008 at 11:38 am (Islam)

Islam: The Noble & The

 Middle Path 

Thus have We made of you a Middle Ummah, that you might be witnesses over the people, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves… (al-Baqarah 2:143)

Say: “O People of the Book! Make no excess in your religion, trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even Way. (al-Ma’idah 5:77)

Muslims are called Ummatan Wasatan. The commentators of the Qur’an explain the word “wasat” as “justly balanced”, “the best (khiyar or khayr)”. (see al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir etc.) Yusuf Ali says: “The essence of Islam is to avoid all extravagances on either side. It is a sober, practical religion.” (note 143 on 2:143)

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has made this Ummah a moderate Ummah. Muslims have to follow the middle path, the path that has no extremes or excesses.

It is a path that brings together in a harmonious balance:

Revelation and Reason (Wahy and ‘Aql)

Individual and Community (Fard and Mujtama’)

Religion and World (Din and Dunya)

This World and the Other World (Dunya and ‘Akhirah)

Islam teaches gentleness and softness (rifq) in everything. Harshness and hardness (ghilzah) is not accepted in Islam. Islam is the religion of peace and mercy (salam and rahmah). (The Qur’an tells the believers to show “ghilzah” only in the battlefield (see al-Tawbah 9:73; 123; al-Tahrim 66:9). Also it says that do not ignore or avoid Allah’s Hudud out of compassion to the criminals. (al-Nur 24:2) Otherwise it always speaks about gentleness and kindness.)

Islam has middle position in:

Beliefs (‘Aqidah)

Acts of worship (‘Ibadah)

Laws (Shari’ah)

Morals and manners (Akhlaq)

Let us look briefly on these four areas in Islamic teachings:

  1. Beliefs:
    1. Belief about Allah’s being (dhat):
      1. Neither atheism nor polytheism - meaning that God does not exist or there are many gods
      2. Neither monism nor pantheism - meaning that only God exists and nothing else exists or that everything is God.
      3. Neither anthropomorphism or incarnationism nor nihilism -meaning that God is like human beings or God becomes a human being or to say that God is abstract as an energy and power.
      4. Islam teaches Tawhid - There is only one God with beautiful names and attributes. He exists and He has given existence to everything. There is nothing like Him, but He hears and sees everything.
    2. Belief about Allah’s nature (sifat):
      1. He is neither so loving that He does not care about the right and wrong, nor is He so harsh that he cannot forgive and He must punish for every sin and mistake. He is both loving, kind and compassionate but He is also a judge. His justice is so much that he would not do wrong to any one, but his love is so much that when there is sincere faith and repentance He is ready to forgive.
      2. He is neither too transcendent that He become remote and unapproachable not He is so accessible that humans can manipulate Him, make Him to suffer and even kill him. He is very close to us. He loves us and hears our prayers, but He is above and beyond. The eyes cannot catch Him, but He catches the eyes.
      3. He is neither so powerful that we have no freedom. Nor is He so helpless that He does not even know what we are doing and cannot stop us from wrong or help us when we need Him. We believe that He has power over everything. Nothing moves without His permission. He knows the past, present and future, but He out of His grace has given freedom to human being to think, move and work. He will judge them in the things in which He has given freedom to them.
    3. Belief about Human Beings:
      1. Neither animals nor angels. We believe that they are a special and honored creation of Allah. They have the possibility to go higher and higher and they can become the lowest of the low.
      2. Neither born in sin nor perfect. They can succumb to temptations, but they are not helpless before the powers of evil.
      3. Neither absolutely helpless and powerless and not free to do anything, nor absolutely free to do whatever they wish or become fully autonomous. They have a lot of freedom, but they must follow the basic rules of God and must live in obedience to Him.
    4. Belief about the Prophets of Allah:
      1. They were great human beings, but they were not God, the incarnation of God or the sons of God. We must respect them, honor them and follow their way but we must not deify them or worship them.
      2. Prophets were chosen by God. They did not become prophets by their own achievements. They did perform miracles occasionally by the permission of God, but most of the time they had to go through the same pains, trials as other human beings go through.
      3. God sent the prophets in the past, but He made Prophet Muhammad as His last Prophet. There is no new Prophet who will come after him. Thus we believe in the continuation of prophecy but after him there is no prophecy, only inspiration and illumination. Prophets were infallible teachers, but there is no one after them who has this protection. People are allowed to make interpretation but no one other than prophets can claim absolute authority for his/her interpretation.
    5. Belief about the world:
      1. Not a bad place, the place of suffering and pain but also not a heaven or a permanent place. Allah has created this world and it is a good place, but Hereafter is better.
      2. Take your share of this world but do not forget the Hereafter. Do not neglect this world, rather you should try to build, improve, cultivate and plan in this world. Whatever good you do here you shall receive the reward in the hereafter. This is a place of your test.
      3. You are not the master of this world or its slave, but you are Allah’s Khalifah in this world. Everything is a trust and your are given this trust (amanah). Use the resources of this world carefully. Take care of the environment. Do not waste or be extravagant.
  2. Acts of Worship:
    1. Concept of Worship:
      1. Islam gives us some special acts of worship: Salat, Siyam, Zakat and Hajj. These are the main acts of worship.
      2. But worship is not some rituals only, it is the whole life. Whatever a person does in obedience to Allah is worship. Even the most worldly and mundane activities are worship.
      3. Acts of worship (‘Ibadat) are specified and not left to people’s own experiments. This brings unity and harmony.
    2. Methods of Worship:
      1. Islam emphasizes both the individual Ibadah as well as collective ‘Ibadah.
      2. Acts of worship include time, space and money. There are Ibadat Zamaniya (related to time), ‘Ibadat Makaniyah (related to space) and Ibadat Maliyah (related to wealth). Salat and Siyam are ‘Ibadat Zamaniyah. Hajj is ‘Ibadah Zamaniyah and Makaniyah both, while ‘Umrah is ‘Ibadah Makaniyah. Zakat and Sadaqat are ‘Ibadat Maliyah.
      3. In all ‘Ibadat there is a balance between the obligatory and the voluntary aspects. Minimum is made obligatory and Nawafil are left to the individual’s choice.
      4. In prayer especially, there is a harmony and balance between the physical, verbal, mental and spiritual aspects.
      5. In fasting there are timings. One is not asked to fast for too long, but it is also not left to one’s choice to choose whenever and whatever one wants to fast from.
  3. Laws (Shari’ah) The Law in Islam is Universal and comprehensive. It Promotes human dignity, equality and honor. Its basic principles are permanent and it has flexibility according to the conditions of the people and their needs. The basic philosophy of Law in Islam:
    1.  
      1. No obligation beyond capacity (taklif ma la yutaq).
      2. All good things are permissible and all bad things are forbidden.
      3. The basic purpose in obligations is honor and purification, not putting burden or humiliation. (al-isr and al-aghlal).
      4. Recognition of extreme necessity (idtirar)
  4. Morals and Manners (Akhlaq) Islam gives very high place to ethics and morality. It says that a person who has no character has no religion. The basic nature of Islamic teachings on ethics and morality are:
    1. Universal Values - not promoting any specific culture, race or country.
    2. Positive and life affirming - it teaches that you can enjoy the good things of this life.
    3. Not ascetic, monastic, morbid or moribund in nature. Islam wants people to be happy, healthy, optimistic and forward looking.
    4. Practical - take into account human needs, emotions, desires, and aspirations and provides opportunities for their growth.
    5. Egalitarian - There are no double standards - one for religious class and other for laity.

Conclusion

There are some Muslims who do not know Islam and there are some who do not practice Islam in the right way. It is important that we learn Islam and we should learn it in the right way. Islam is neither harsh nor difficult. There is nothing in Islam that is not practical or impossible. The Prophet -peace be upon him- said:

“The religion is easy and whosoever will deal with religion harshly, it will defeat him. So be straight, follow the middle course, give good news and seek help by moving in the morning or the evening or part of the night.” (Al-Bukhari 3 8)

In order to follow Islam you must make an effort and be serious. Learn your faith and pay some attention to it. Do not take your religion casually. Islam is not just a social and cultural thing. Islam is the religion of Allah and it is the most moderate, balanced, beautiful and perfect religion.

 

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