Are Women an Evil, Dangerous Fitna For Men?

 

We have to say that some people are definitely sending you an incorrect vibe.

So, let’s analyze this issue briefly here.

Are women bad and evil?

Absolutely not! This isn’t the Islamic view, anyway.

It was narrated by Abdullah bin Amr that the Messenger of Allah said:

“This world is but provisions, and there is no provision in this world better than a righteous wife (woman).” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

Women are “the counterparts of men,” as the Prophet said. [Sunan Abi Dawud]

Allah honored women; we have discussed this on the website repeatedly.

There is an entire chapter in the Qur’an called “The Women”, and another titled after a noble woman “Mary” (peace be upon her).

Allah says about her:

“O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer].” (Qur’an 3: 42-43)

Women are also equal to men as worshippers before Allah Almighty.

Exploitation of women on account of their beauty

However, it is a fact that women are more beautiful; Allah honored them with a special beauty.

He says:

Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. (Qur’an 3:14)

As a result of this beauty, it is not a hidden fact that women are exploited and abused by those who don’t fear Allah.

You can read tons of research and books on how women are objectified, sexualized, exploited and demeaned in the mainstream media.

The American Psychological Association (APA) recently released a report on the sexualization of women in media and found that “massive exposure to media among youth creates the potential for massive exposure to portrayals that sexualize women and girls and teach girls that women are sexual objects.”

Sadly, you can see women’s hips, waists, chests, legs or lips being discussed in the media.

And those identified as celebrities are known for their bodily features, which is utterly demeaning and disgraceful to human dignity.

Women’s beauty is used to sell products and market commodities.

You can read how one of the biggest industries in the world, the unfortunate and utterly disgracing porn industry, is based on exploiting women.

The origin of the word actually means “prostitute” or female slave, and hardly anyone is actively working on stopping this evil humiliation of human beings.

This is the real evil, deluding women and exploiting them in this manner.

Allah created women beautiful, but He asked them to cover their beauty where appropriate, be modest, and not expose their beauty except in the right context.

This is why He ordinated hijab (women covering) and modesty in physical appearance and behavior.

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (Qur’an 33:59)

So what is the Fitna?

Fitna means a trial or a test.

Women are beautiful, and if women don’t have taqwa (God-consciousness that affects their looks and behavior) it becomes a big test for men.

Will they obey God and lower their gaze? Or will they give into their lust and allow their nafs to control their behavior?

Narrated Usama bin Zaid: the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said,

“After me, I have not left any trial more severe to men than women.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]

It’s not a mystery that some women who don’t observe modesty do try to seduce men by their looks, speech or attitude. And some men do fall for that.

Men Are Responsible, Too

But, this isn’t to say that “women are evil,” just that they need to observe Islamic modesty in their dress.

Believing men need to lower their gaze and observe their modesty, as well.

If they do so, there is no problem. But if women are immodest/immoral and men are weak/immoral, then this is the disastrous combo.

We are simply meant to help one another, not destroy one another.

The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have mercy on them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (Qur’an 9:71)

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dina Mohamed Basiony

Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Cairo, Egypt. She specializes in Islam and spirituality. Dina holds an MA and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

Where’s Love in the Quran?

 

Are you a Muslim reading the Quran for the first time as a believer to apply it to your life and recite it in prayer, or reading just for research or comparison to other Scriptures. The difference lies in the angle from which you choose to see the text, and the senses you choose to engage while reading.

You are right that if you search the Quran more carefully you’ll find a lot of very moving beautiful verses. You are also right about translations not doing the Quranic text justice. You can try reading M.A.S. Abdel Haleem’s modern English translation for a clearer picture.

The Quran is not only a book of prayer; it’s a unique book chartering a complete system for a human’s life, so it contains a wide array of information, from creed to legislation, to historic lessons, to scientific phenomena, to rules for handling domestic, social, and business affairs, thus giving Muslims a practical manual of how to run their lives according to God’s laws in the universe.

However, all of these topics are woven with fantastic literary brilliance into one solid and mesmerizing text, touching the depths of the soul, and speaking both to the mind and the heart of the reader. It’s important to engage your senses in exploring the Quran in order to get the full scale of the experience.

What About Love in the Quran?

Love is definitely one of the prominent topics of the Quran, although it is illustrated in a highly evolved, sophisticated manner, both linguistically and intellectually.

According to dictionaries, the verb “to love” in English means:

1- To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person):We love our parents. I love my friends.

2- To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person.

3- To have an intense emotional attachment to something or someone.

In Arabic, the same verb carries more than just the simple emotional meanings illustrated above, as Arabic is a very rich and complex language. Moreover, the deep shades of love could be expressed very eloquently without mentioning the word “love” at all in the way we do in English.

Expressing the manifestations of love and its obligations and responsibilities of compassion, care, esteem, respect, self sacrifice, humbleness, forgiveness, and so on, is a very beautiful form of expressing love in Arabic, the original language of the Quran.

God’s love for His creation, and of believers’ love for God

The Quran is full of verses with practical manifestations of God’s love for His creation, and of believers’ love for God. In Islam, faith is a practical deed, not just an emotion. It has to be expressed practically in deeds as well as verbally in prayers. Consequently, you will find that in the Quran whenever faith is mentioned, it will always be coupled with “doing good deeds”.

Similarly, whenever God’s love is mentioned, it’s coupled with the practical gifts this love will bestow on believers, as the practical application of their love for God brings them closer to Him.

The Quran’s approach to human nature is balanced: it recognizes that emotions sway between positive and negative, and people are not expected to be angels who do not know weakness or negative feelings. Consequently, the Quran regulates emotions and disciplines manners, while rewarding the reader with amazing tenderness, hope, and soft emotions interwoven into the text.

Some of the most beautiful verses of the Quran that can be recited as prayers are those spoken by the prophets to invoke God, and those spoken by God to the believers detailing His rewards promised to them in this life and the next, and even to the wrongdoers, promising them forgiveness and limitless mercy if they repent and return to His path.

There are also magnificent verses with the beautiful names of God, recited to sing His praises and exalt His grace.

Prayers

When a Muslim meets God in prayer, this is seen as the ultimate expression of love through humbleness and obedience from a loving respectful creature to his or her exalted Creator.

It is also seen as a chance to “talk” to God directly five times a day through reciting the Quran, as well as one’s own simple, honest, and spontaneous words pouring straight from the heart during prostration.

The same applies to all the forms of practicing Islam, whether mandated or optional, rituals or conduct. God’s answer and rewards to such honesty of feelings and sincerity of deeds is detailed in the Quran, and felt daily by millions of worshipers. What more would one need to prove a mutual love relationship?

Jeffrey Lang addressed this subject in his book Losing My Religion: A Call for Help, so let me borrow so
me of his thoughts:

Worship in Islam is holistic. Self-surrender to God is revealed more by our day-to-day conduct toward others than only by our practice of religious rites. Righteous living enhances our relationship with God.

The Quran frequently speaks of the love of God for the good-doers (2:195; 3:134; 3:148; 5:13; 5:195) the repentant (2:222), those that purify themselves (2:222; 9:108), the God-conscious (3:76; 9:4; 9:7) the persevering ones (3:146), those that put their trust in God (3:159), the upholders of justice (5:42; 49:9; 60:8), and those who struggle in the path of God (61:4).

God’s names and attributes mentioned in the Quran sum up the virtues that enable us to attain His love. The most frequently occurring names are associated with God’s attributes of mercy, compassion and forgiveness: the purest manifestations of love. Therefore, we find the relationship between the sincere believer and God consistently characterized as a bond of love.

Since God is the perfection of the virtues we should acquire, the more we grow in them, the greater our ability to get closer to Him. The more we grow in mercy, the greater our ability to experience God’s infinite mercy. The more we develop compassion, the greater our ability becomes to know God’s infinite compassion. The same could be said of love. (90;295)

In the Biblical verse you quoted, it’s clearly stated that love is an absolute, greater in value than deeds, however good, and that it is more important than faith.

In Islam, this doesn’t hold true, since faith is the supreme source of everything related to a human’s relationship with God.

Faith, therefore, is where love comes from, blooming to generate and strengthen faith, thus producing more love to fortify faith even more, and so on, in an eternal golden circle.

Works Cited:

Lang, Jeffrey. Losing My Religion: A Call for Help. Beltsville, MD: Amana Publications, 2004.

- aboutislam.net

About Sahar El-Nadi

Sahar El-Nadi is an Egyptian freelance journalist who traveled to 25 countries around the world and currently based in Cairo. Sahar also worked in many people-related careers in parallel, including presenting public events and TV programs; instructing training courses in communication skills; cross cultural issues; image consulting for public speakers; orientation for first-time visitors to the Middle East; and localization consulting for international educational projects.

Why Do I Wear Hijab? Definitely Not Because of Oppression

 

I often wonder whether people see me as a radical fundamentalist and terrorist Muslim who hides an AK-47 assault rifle underneath her jean jacket. Perhaps, they see me as the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere. I am not sure which of the two it is. I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances.

Hijab covers my head, my neck, and my entire body except my face and hands. I wear it because I am a Muslim woman who obeys the commands of her Lord and believes that her body is her own private concern. Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab, reinterpreting it in light of its original purpose, and restoring their ultimate control over their own bodies.

The Noble Qur’an teaches us that men and women are equal and that individuals should not be judged according to their gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege. The only thing that makes a person better than another is his or her character.

Nonetheless, people have a difficult time relating to me. After all, I am a young university graduate who was born and raised in Canada. “Why should you wear the hijab?” they ask.

People who do not know me speak to me in loud, slow English and often appear to be playing charades. They politely inquire whether I like it here or not and whether the cold weather bothers me or not. If I am in the right mood, it can be very amusing.

But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American upbringing, suddenly at 21 want to cover myself with the hijab and the modest clothes, letting only my face and hands show? The answer is simple: Because it gives me freedom.

Women are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness. They, therefore, feel compelled to pursue the abstract notions of beauty, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile and endless.

Strangely, when women reject this form of oppression, they face ridicule and contempt. When they refuse to wear makeup or expose their bodies, the entire society has some trouble dealing with them.

In the West, many people regard the hijab as a symbol of either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it is neither. It is simply a woman’s assertion that judgment of her physique plays no role in social interaction.

Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention paid to my physical self. My appearance is no longer subjected to public scrutiny; my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the realm of what can legitimately be discussed. No one knows whether my hair looks as if I have just stepped out of a hair salon, whether I can pinch an inch, or even whether I have unsightly stretch marks. And because no one knows, no one cares.

Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is tiring and often humiliating. I spent my entire teenage years trying to do it, until I was a borderline bulimic. Needlessly, I spent a lot of money I did not have on potions and lotions in hopes of becoming the next Cindy Crawford.

The definition of beauty is ever-changing: waifish is good, waifish is bad, athletic is good — sorry, athletic is bad. Narrow hips? Great. Narrow hips? Too bad. In fact, women are not going to achieve equality through the “right” to show of their bodies what men can show, as some people would like to have us believe. On the contrary, such conduct would only make women party to their own objectification. True equality will be had only when women abstain from displaying themselves to get attention and when they do not need to defend their right to keep their bodies to themselves.

---

This article was published in 2009. It has been taken with modifications from Geocities.com.

- aboutislam.net

About Naheed Mustafa

Naheed Mustafa is an award-winning journalist based inToronto, Canada. She worked in print for eight years before moving into radio broadcasting in 2000. She worked in both news and current affairs and was, most recently, a show and documentary producer with CBC Radio's foreign news program Dispatches. Naheed also produces her own documentaries, focusing on stories from Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Her work has been featured on CBC Radio, CBC Television, Radio Netherlands, World Vision Report, and the Toronto Star, among other places.

Sins and Obedience: Do They Affect God? Ibn Atta Answers

In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa’illah As-Sakandari says:

Your obedience does not benefit Him, and your sins do not harm Him. He ordered you to this and forbid you from this only for what benefits you.

It is a fact that Allah the Almighty does not benefit from anyone’s obedience, for He is the Most Wealthy and the Most Gracious.

No one’s sins do harm Him neither do the sins of all people, for He is dignified beyond any harm from anyone because of His unreachable Glory.

He ordered obedience and forbade sin for reasons that only bring man limitless benefit and profit. One should always be thankful for this blessing and always be mindful of it.

The legislations sent by Allah the Almighty upon His servants and worshippers were and still are the best means for them to ensure a good life – as described in the Quran (An-Nahl 16: 97).

These legislations do regulate the relationship of the individual with his own self, his fellow Muslims and the human society.

The legislations sent by Allah the Almighty upon His servants and worshippers were and still are the best means for them to ensure a good life – as described in the Quran (An-Nahl 16: 97).

As for the Legislator Himself, Allah the Almighty, He was, still is, and will be in no need of any of His creation. It is beyond imagination that the Creator be in need of what He has created or originated; rather, the contrary is what can be understood and digested as rational and logical.

Allah the Almighty says in His Ever-Glorious Quran what may mean,

{I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Lo! Allah! He it is that giveth livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable Might.} (Adh-Dhariyat 51: 56-58)

Allah the Almighty originated the universe and subjugated it to the service of man in a way that cares about and caters for his existence, interests and needs. If I give my pen free rein, it will need to write volumes and volumes on the details of creation and neither it, nor I or anyone else will ever be able to count or calculate the marvels of Allah’s Creation in the seen universe; then, what about the unseen universes and worlds?!

All that lies in the heart of the earth and all that grows on it are designated to fulfill man’s needs and wishes. Similarly, the space and skies and what is therein are designed to help man arrange his time and seasons in a way that may help him; without which he may get lost in certain circumstances such as when he is in either the desert or sea. In short, Allah the Almighty made this whole universe a sincere servant of man; acting as man may demand, need, or even wish for.

Likewise, Allah the Almighty sent man a legislation system regulating his relationship with the whole universe which He created and subjugated for man to ease his life on earth. Through that legislation system, one is shown how to deal with himself, his fellow human beings, and the whole universe; it is Allah Who commands, rather than advises, us to observe that system for our own good and benefit.

Hence, we should understand that Allah’s orders and prohibitions are nothing but a gift from Him to us; through which we can attain happiness and prosperity in both this present life and the hereafter.

The Ever-Glorious Quran explains to us that Allah the Almighty does not – through these legislations – want us to go through any hardship or difficulty; rather, He wants us to gain all goodness and welfare as much as we can depending on our obedience to Him and excellence in carrying out His Orders. He says in His Ever-Glorious Quran what may mean,

{…This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My Favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion AL- ISLAM.} (Al-Ma’idah 5: 3),

{Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily We shall quicken with good life, and We shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.} (An-Nahl 16: 97),

{…Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you.} (Al-Baqarah 2: 185), and

{…He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship.} (Al-Hajj 22: 78)

Consequently, Allah the Almighty revealed to us the creed (`aqidah) to help us know something about His Divine Self and to assure us that everything lies in His Hand and that He is the Only One Who can cause benefit or harm to anyone.

As for the Acts of Worship (`ibadat), we need them as they are the food needed for strengthening the (`aqidah) within the self, mind, and heart and to come to the level of certainty (yaqin) through it.

We ask Allah the Almighty to grant us a degree of certainty that does not involve the slightest sign of doubt or suspicion. Amen!

Now, let us summarize the above word of wisdom by Ibn `Ata’illah as follows: Your obedience does not benefit Allah and your disobedience does not harm Him. He has only ordered you to do this and prohibited you from doing that for your own gain; you have to be a hundred percent quite sure of this!

Finally, let us live for a few minutes with the following lengthy and beautiful Qudsi Hadith that is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (May Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) as he relates from his Lord (May He be glorified) the following:

“O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not wrong one another.

O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you.

O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you.

O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you.

O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you.

O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me.

O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.

O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything.

O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than that a needle decreases the sea if put into it.

O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good praise Allah and let him who finds otherwise blame no one but himself.” (Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Ali Al-Halawani

Dr. Ali Al-Halawani is Assistant Professor of Linguistics and Translation Studies. He is an author, translator, and writer based in Canada. To date, Al-Halawani authored over 400 original articles on Islam and Muslims, most of which can be accessed on www.aboutislam.net and other famous websites. He has recently started to self-publish his articles and new books, which are available on Amazon and Kindle. You can reach him at alihalawani72@hotmail.com.

4 Styles of Communication that Will Break Marriage

Are you aware of the warning signs of a marriage in danger? There are 4 communication habits that lead to divorce. Test yourself in this video to see if you have any of these communications styles. - aboutislam.net

The Unlimited Forgiveness of God

 

We’re continuing our discussion about the beautiful Names of Allah Almighty and today let’s talk about His Name Al-Ghafoor – The Most Forgiving.

Allah’s Names come from intensity in meaning; they indicate that He embodies the most intense form of the meaning of the word.

The Most Forgiving

So with the name Al-Ghafoor, it means that He’s intensely forgiving, the Most forgiving, in fact He’s constantly forgiving.

There are other forms of this word found in the Quran one of that indicates that Allah is immediately forgiving, He forgives immediately, not like us, get upset or insulted and we need time to cool down and to finally come around and say “ok I forgive you”.

Allah Almighty Al-Ghafoor, He forgives immediately. He forgives abundantly; there is absolutely no limit to His forgiveness.

In the Hadith, we find that if one of us were to come seeking forgiveness would come to Allah with sins that fill the entire earth or from the earth to the limits of the heaven, Allah would match that amount of sins with His forgiveness; He would forgive all of it, His forgiveness is limitless.

There is a chapter in the Quran that is entitled Ghafir (the Forgiver), Allah said in the third verse describing Himself {The forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance} (48:3)

Then He goes on to say that He is severe in punishment, and that He mentions that He is the owner of abundance. There is no deity except Him and to Him is the final destination.

So He affirms that He is the Forgiver here, but He reminded us in this verse that this is not our final destination. We’re all travelling back to Allah and this worldly life has a purpose, therefore there are consequences.

The Concept of Sin

The concept of sin, I think is not fully grasped in some aspect of the society, especially the secular side that lack religious knowledge. They say: “why would God care about what I wear or what I say, or how I live my life?”

But in Islam we understand that we have not been created aimlessly, we are not here for no reason; we do have a purpose and it must be fulfilled in order to be successful.

Sins are not haphazard, Allah Al-Ghafoor, describes sin as being against ourselves. When we sin, we are the only ones to get harmed.

Allah Almighty is free of need, we can’t harm Him, we can’t hurt Him, we can’t do anything to Him, or take anything away from Him and He doesn’t gain anything by us doing good deeds or by us staying away from sin.

In chapter Az-Zumar verse 3, Allah says:

{Say, O my servants who have transgressed against themselves by sinning, do not despair by the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins. Indeed it He who is the forgiving the merciful.} (39:3)

Here, He’s commanding us. First of all, He’s pointing out that when we do wrong then that we are transgressing against our own souls. But He’s commanding us that do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Do not give into those sins. Do not give into losing hope.”

Hope in Allah’s Mercy

Always have hope in the mercy of Allah Almighty so as we turn to Him. He goes on in the chapter to talk about returning to Him in repentance submitting to Him and following the guidance that He revealed.

So it’s a very simple recipe basically. We just stay in contact with our Lord and constantly come back to Him, seeking His forgiveness, being aware of our actions, and then we submit to His Will and we follow the guidance that we have so graciously, generously, and mercifully revealed.

If we deny this generous gift that He’s giving us in this guidance and this opportunity and the countless of opportunities that He gives us to turn back to Him and instead we decide that we want to turn away, then we’re ultimately destroying ourselves, and that’s the ultimate loss.

When I think about turning to Allah and when I think about the idea of fleeing to Him, it reminds me of my daughter. She’s just 4 years old, she’s really cute, and when she does something wrong and she realizes she’s in trouble, she runs to me, crying, usually tears streaming down her face. Her face is getting red and she hugs my legs and she would say “I love you mommy” or she told me that she’s sorry… so adorable, so sincere and genuine and it’s so endearing and honestly it’s quite affective.

So comparing that a child runs to his or her parent in remorse out of love wishing and hope that their love would not be removed.

The child is fearing that the love of their parent, their affection will somehow be taken away from them, that it would be changed. They’re crying from that fear, that the beautiful relationship they have will be altered…

Comparing that to us, as believers, we need to run to Allah Almighty Al-Ghafoor in a similar way to this.

In fact we should be running to Him with more love than a child would to their parents and with more fear.

He’s the one who’s given us life. He’s the one who provides us with every single bit of sustenance and happiness and family that we have and it is to Him that we’ll return and if we fail, we have a lot more to lose than a child would by losing in their parent.

Turn to Him

The fact that Allah has promised us His forgiveness no matter how many times we come back asking for it. It reminds me of a psychologist of parenting, they tell parents even “don’t tell your child that you are ungrateful, you are stupid, for example…” you never tell the child that they are the embodiment of a bad action. Instead, you correct them by pointing out the action that they did, like when you say that, you are ungrateful, to say that or it was not a wise decision when you did this.

Instead of saying: “you’re not wise, you’re stupid, you’re ungrateful…” you don’t characterize the child by their actions, instead you pick the action out and you explain why it is incorrect.

So what I learn from the fact that Allah Almighty is Al-Ghafoor, that He’s constantly forgiving, it means that we don’t embody our sins, we’re not characterized by our sins. Our sins are actions that we may do, but we can break free from them, we can rid ourselves from them, we can be netter than that.

So if I did something wrong, it doesn’t mean that I’m that way, that means we’re separate from our actions, that we can change, we can go forward in life and we can be better.

It means that the doors to self improvement are always open as we are alive and well. Isn’t that beautiful?

Forgive Others

I want to make one last point, in chapter An-Nour, Allah Al-Ghafoor says:

{Part and overlook, would you not like that Allah should forgive you. Allah is the Most Forgiving Most Merciful} (24:22)

He’s pointing out, reminding us that our state that we desire to be forgiven. When one we love doesn’t like to forgive us, it causes us pain and turmoil. The thought of running to Allah seeking His forgiveness and then not being forgiven! Just imagine if that were the case… it would be devastating.

But that’s not the case, instead He wipes away our misdeeds and covers them up. So this needs to translate into our own actions and the way that we deal with our fellow human beings.

This verse basically points out that we should be treating others as we hope to be treated. We desire forgiveness from Allah, therefore we should strive to also be pardoning and lenient with people, and avoid wishing any less on anyone than we would hope for ourselves.

By striving to be more forgiving and merciful ourselves, we can completely alter what kind of energy we are in the world. Imagine how it would change your life if you were to let things go more easily, if you were to turn to people you love most especially with mercy instead of anger and resent.

I pray to Allah that we might be of those people who constantly remember and turn back to Allah Al-Ghafoor, knowing with certainty that He is the Most Forgiving, the most abundantly, constantly forgiving.

I pray that each one of us, you and I, can ponder over this Name as we read it throughout the Quran, in our prayers, in duas, supplication such that it transforms us into more forgiving, loving and merciful people. Ameen.

Thanks for listening.

- aboutislam.net

About Danielle LoDuca

Danielle LoDuca is a third generation American artist and author. Drawing inspiration from personal life experiences, her writings highlight the familiarity of Islam in a climate that increasingly portrays the Islamic faith as strange. She holds a BFA from Pratt Institute and has pursued postgraduate studies in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Foundation for Knowledge and Development. LoDuca’s work has been featured in media publications in the US and abroad and she is currently working on a book that offers a thought-provoking American Muslim perspective, in contrast to the negative narratives regarding Islam and Muslims prevalent in the media today

Assalam Alaikum – The Islamic Greeting

 

Islam covers every aspect of life; it is not a religion that is only practiced once a week or during specific celebrations.  Islam, through the words of God in the Quran, and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, offers advice and guidance from dawn till dusk, from birth until death.  Islam even teaches the believers the best way to greet each other; it is a complete way of life.

What exactly does the word Islam mean?  It is an Arabic word that comes from the root, sa - la – ma, that means submission to the will of God. It also shares the same root for the Arabic word meaning peace.  However, it is a descriptive word that entails more than tranquillity and calmness, it also encompasses the concepts of safety, security and submission.  In fact, Islam in the legal sense means submission to the One God who grants us safety, security, peace and harmony.  The word Muslim (i.e. the one who submits to the will of God) is also derived from the same root, as is the Islamic greeting - Assalam.

In previous articles we have discussed the fact that all believers are linked together by various means.  Most importantly is the belief that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger.  This is what distinguishes believers from non-believers.  However, believers are also reminded of the bonds between them whenever they greet one another.  The Islamic greeting –‘Assalam’, is in fact an invocation whereby one asks God to grant protection and security to his fellow Muslim brother. This greeting encourages believers to be a worldwide community unencumbered by tribal or nationalistic loyalties and bound together by peace and unity.

Prophet Muhammad commanded us to to greet our fellow Muslims whom we know and those whom we do not know.[1]  Thus believers try to establish peace and friendly relations by greeting and meeting one another.  When Muslims of any nationality, ethnicity or colour meet they will greet each other as family.  Believers also have rights over one another.

The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should greet him with ‘salaam’, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and ask God to have mercy on him when he sneezes.[2]

The Islamic greeting is  Assalam Alaikum (May God grant you protection and security).  The response to this is wa Alaikum Assalam. These brief Arabic words let Muslims know that they are among friends, not strangers.  A few words of greeting reveal so much.

“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, God is Ever a Careful Account Taker of all things.”(Quran 4:86)

Better Islamic greetings include, Assalam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah, which means, May God grant you protection, security and mercy, and Assalam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh, which means, May God grant you protection, security, mercy and may He bless you.  Greeting in return with something better would be, for example, after hearing the words Assalam Alaikum you would respond, wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullah.

Making that small effort to greet others in this manner at every opportunity increases rewards.  Each time a believer says the words Assalam Alaikum  or responds to this greeting, his bank of good deeds is increased.

One day a man passed by the Prophet Muhammad while he was sitting with some men, and said “Assalamu Alaikum”.  The Prophet said “He will have 10 rewards”. Another man passed by and said “Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah”.  The Prophet said he will have 20 rewards”.  Another man passed and said “Assalamu alaikum wa rahmat ullaah wa barakaatuh”.  The Prophet said, and  he will have 30 rewards.[3]

In addition, throughout the Quran, God repeatedly points out that this is the Islamic greeting. God assures us that struggling to please Him will result in peace and security in Paradise, and when the believer enters paradise he will be greeted by the words Assalam Alaikum.

“And those who believed (in the Oneness of God and His Messengers and whatever they brought) and did righteous deeds, will be made to enter Gardens under which rivers flow, - to dwell therein for ever (i.e. in Paradise), with the Permission of their Lord.  Their greeting therein will be, salam!” (Quran 14:23)

“Salam Alaikum for you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!” (Quran 13:24)

“When those who believe in Our Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) come to you, say, “Assalam Alaikum”; your Lord has prescribed Mercy for Himself, so that if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying God), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran6:54)

“Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state (i.e. pure from all evil, and worshipping none but God Alone) saying (to them), Assalam Alaikum enter you Paradise, because of that (the good) which you used to do (in the world).” (Quran 16:32)

“But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from God, As-salamu Alaikum - blessed and good.” (Quran 24:61)

“And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups and  when they reach it the  its gates will be opened and the keepers will say, Salam Alaikum, you have done well, so enter here to abide therein.” (Quran 39:73)

Prophet Muhammad reiterated God’s message when he said, “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another.  Shall I tell you about something which, if you do it, will make you love one another?  Greet each other with Salam”.[4] - islamreligion.com

Footnotes:

[1]Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim

[2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[3]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[4]Saheeh Muslim