Musings Quranic

17/08/2024

“More of what? Solace? Well, that's the one million dollar question, sister.

Basically, you will never be able to attain solace until you know your destination and you know the value of this life.

And if you really know the value of this life, you will never grieve over what you miss in this life.”

‎مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَا إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ۝

‘No afflictions befalls you on the earth or in yourselves, except that it is inscribed in a book before we bring it to existence. Verily, this is easy for Allah.’

‎لِكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

[God is saying] ‘I am telling you this so that you do not grieve over what you missed and do not have excessive joy over what you have gained. And Allah does not like the boastful, the proud.’

So to believe in predestination, to believe that things have been inscribed way before we were created in a book, in the preserved tablet, gives us a great deal of solace.

Actually, Henry Benson from the Mind Body Institute of Harvard University said that there is nothing that quiets the mind more than knowing that all things are under the control of One Hand. There is nothing that quiets the mind more than knowing that all things are under the control of one hand. That is exactly what we have.

That is our aqidah in qadr.”

From Sheikh Hatem al-Haj: Hadith 2 [of the 40 of Imam Al Nawawi]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QxfZ7WVm4csgXnxZUdtbs?si=slZ4rct3Sr-GW4NI3YnCOg

Episode · Hatem al-Haj ·

18/11/2023

▶️ Watch this reel https://www.facebook.com/share/r/NzbP2mzWFyYZeLRg/?mibextid=q8x1r0

31/08/2023

https://fb.watch/mLK_ruYQiO/?mibextid=qC1gEa

16/02/2023

“….And recite the Qur-ān in slow, measured rhythmic tones.”
Al Muzzammil:4

14/06/2022

“I have come across three different readings of Quran 76:3 —“Inna Hadaynahus Sabila Imma Shakiran Wa Imma Kafuran”.

The general reading with an emphasis on CHOICE is: “We have showed open the way for man: now let him be of the thankful or the rejectors”.

There is a reading focusing on the insistence of the OBVIOUSNESS OF THE TRUTH: “We already showed open the way for man, whether he was of the thankful or the rejectors”.

A third reading points towards a certain INEVITABILITY AND NECESSITARIANISM innate in the verse: “We showed open the way for man. He will be of the thankful or the rejectors”.

The first reading is from the normal ethical-practical point of view: as human beings living in time we can’t forego or deny the factor of choice. The second reading is centered around the epistemology of truth: truth remains truth no matter if we are unaware or negligent of it. The last reading is the deepest and from God’s eternal perspective: God already knows the thankful and the rejectors and will deal with them as He deems fit.

The third reading doesn’t “fatalizes” the previous two. It is not that the readings are mutually contradictory: it is only a matter of the layer of reality being described. The transcendent omniscience of God doesn’t abolish the immanent factors of choice and truth, it rather grounds them and “finalizes” them. Similarly, the need for the practicality of choice and theory of truth in the world doesn’t nullify God’s pre-planning of all the events, but is a part of that plan. We have to trust that God is the best of all the planers, but this trust and belief at the same time is meant to rouse an attitude of thankfulness and servitude in us.

So the three readings are more like a tripartite dialectical whole than mutually exclusive entirely separate sets of statements.”

—Arif Umer

08/05/2022

“In a Qur’an dars recently, a student asked about matters of intention/niyah in relation to the Qur'an during one's Qur'an/Hifdh journey. He asked about the challenges of kibr, tasmee', riyaa etc.

The sheikh answered with reference to the book penned by Imam Al Nawawi, Al Tibyan fi adab hamalat al Qur’an, in which the Imam discusses these issues with reference to the sayings of the salaf and the ahadith. Two sayings in particular seemed incredibly relevant not just for the Qur'an but as a way to judge one's sincerity generally.

Imam Nawawi quotes Al-Sari in regard to intention, saying, "Do not do anything for the sake of others, and do not abandon anything for their sake. Do not cover anything for them, and do not reveal anything for them."

And then quotes Al-Qushayri, who said, "The most superior truthfulness is when the secret and public are equal”.

Powerful barometers for sincerity across the board. And the sheikh said with a smile "nothing more needs saying after these words!”
— Nomani

21/01/2022

In the Quran, in Surah al Kahf, God recognises well the troubles and toils of the world we face, troubles we cause ourselves and the ones the troubled world itself causes:

• We may be religiously persecuted (10-16)
• We may be overrun by the powerful in the community (21)
• We may be politically persecuted (79)
• We may suppose the worldly good times will remain (35-36)
• We may be poor, lacking capital (39)
• We may be childless or find it difficult to conceive (39)
• We may suppose religion is 'not for us' given our philosophy (45-54)
• We may be lacking knowledge and understanding and need to strive (66-68)
• We may be the working-poor (79)
• We may be orphaned (82)
• We may suppose we have no inheritance yet have blessings in our lives due to the good deeds of our ancestors (82)
• We may be trialed, having to judge between people with justice (86)
• We may suppose our misguided beliefs and deeds worthwhile (103-106)

Though God calls us still to take His invitation (55-58)

"Lo! those who believe and do good works, theirs are the Gardens of Paradise, for welcome, Wherein they will abide, with no desire to be removed from thence." (107-108)

03/12/2021

Money matters found in Surah Al Kahf

Even if you're young and broke, or even ~309 years old and broke, whenever, even if just possessing a ‘silver coin’ in the pocket, try to avoid junk food! Perhaps avoid inferior goods altogether: “see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof.”

Try to buy good quality or don't buy at all; it's amazing how much we can do without.

If you're doing well in your business or somehow you have abundance of profits, no financial year “withheld naught thereof,” never for a silly moment think ‘my hands built this’ and allow this door of self delusion to grow on you. The least hardest way to discover that “protection only from Allah” would be if it got wiped out in one fell swoop when you'd then “wring his hands for all that he had spent upon it, when (now) it was all ruined.”

Consider how the "thunderbolt" of competition, random new regulation, A.I. automation, ‘random’ pandemic etc. should/could get in the way.

Your fancy enterprise came together despite such 1001 reasons, yet it could be all lost overnight, that is an indication that Someone has put it together for you. How could you not attribute it all to Him?

Richness is never lost, because it is instantly accessible: it is in the wealth of possessing Imaan and Tawakkul.

“[the poor man said to the rich man]
Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a drop (of seed), and then fashioned thee a man? But He is Allah, my Lord, and I ascribe unto my Lord no partner.

All human dignity, too, is found only in these, even if you're financially broke, childless, and wealth inequality around you is ridic (one has double + bells and whistles, whilst neighbour/brother/friend has zilch).

“[the poor man said to the rich man]
If only, when thou enteredst thy garden, thou hadst said: That which Allah willeth (will come to pass)! There is no strength save in Allah! Though thou seest me as less than thee in wealth and children…”

The currency of the hereafter is decisively “good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better in respect of hope” whereas “wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world.”

The poet says:
“O Contentment, make me rich,
for besides thee there is no wealth.”

Moreover if you find yourself saying the sort of things like "He is Allah, my Lord, and I ascribe unto my Lord no partner ...That which Allah willeth (will come to pass)! There is no strength save in Allah!" then this is the land you ought to cultivate further.

It's argubly more correct to suppose you can't have the best of both worlds because it seems to mimic “whose effort goeth astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.”

There is a trade-off between the dunya and the Aakhirah, but consider you can still be utterly dignified, even with mere coins in the digital wallet, even whilst being persecuted for your beliefs by political class “though they bring no clear warrant,” even whilst single and with a seemingly bleak looking future, or poor working conditions whilst you “belonged to poor people” and burdened by the embezzling regime, or whilst childless, and the like.

Good grief, stop trying to monetise everything, especially if you suppose you're doing charity and “thou couldst have taken payment for it.” It is a really really bad mix fam

02/12/2021

Main man Sheikh Yasir Qadhi explains in just 15 minutes that the opening Verses of Surah al Qalam contain (1) a succinct description of positive character, followed by (2) ten very negative traits of character to avoid

Here’s me summary

Positive:
• being blessed with sanity and thereafter having a sound mind (Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman)
• being inclined to good/rewardable deeds (And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing)
• having good manners (And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature)

He pointed out these good things are succinctly presented in the Verses here (meaning they need more commentary), and seemed to imply they’re hard to obtain, but at least work to avoid the bad things as described next in the Verses that follow:

Things to avoid
• taking Allah name in vain, making false oaths often,
(…feeble oath-monger),
• being ignoble (حَلّٰفٍ مهين) by establishing a reputation as such, and spreading things [even truthful] about people (مشّاء بنميم) that cause discord by ‘walking between people’, putting people down and breaking bonds
(Detractor, spreader abroad of slander)
• not only not being of benefit, but preventing people from doing good (منّاع للخير) and involved in taking others’ rights (معتَدٍ) also a sinner in private (أثيم)
(Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor)
• possessing (عُتُل) terrible manners, brutish (a sharp tongue, people don’t want to be around him), (زنيم) pretends to be someone he is not
(Greedy therewithal, intrusive)

Have a listen, very listenable even on 1.5x (ten minutes then):
https://muslimcentral.com/yasir-qadhi-the-best-worst-of-character-akhlaq/

27/11/2020

Abū Dharr (ra) reported that the Messenger ﷺ said to him, ❝O Abu Dharr, if you leave in the morning to learn one verse of the Quran, it is better for you than praying 100 units of prayer and if you leave to teach one chapter of knowledge, whether it is acted by or not, it is better than praying 1,000 units of prayer.❞

— Al-Mundhirī (Ḥasan)

13/10/2020

A small amount of effort over a long amount of time can make a big difference.