MyISLAM

Friday, 21 February 2025

8 Attempts on the Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) faced countless attempts to silence him.

Enemies of Islam –be they polytheists, disbelievers, hypocrites– defied the final message and wanted to uproot the Muslim faith and nip it in the bud by putting an end to his life.

They left no stone unturned in their endeavor to confront the Prophet and prevent him from delivering his message to all.

They hurt him and tortured his companions.

Moreover, they mocked, belied and made fun of him; circulated misconceptions about Islam and accused the Qur’an of containing legends and to be made of poetry.

They boycotted and economically besieged Muslims; tempted the Prophet to forsake his mission, and asked him for a number of miracles such as splitting of the moon.

When none of these worked, they decided to assassinate him.

Below is a brief account of 8 assassination attempts on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

1. Abu Jahl and the camel with fearful canines

When Quraish failed to convince the Prophet to quit his mission, Abu Jahl told them he had a plan. He would carry a big stone, wait for the Prophet to start performing his prayer at the Ka`bah, and then smash his head with the stone while prostrating himself in prayers (sujud).

The Quraish agreed to the plan and vowed to protect Abu Jahl against all possible consequences.

So, Abu Jahl did as he said; however, he was seen retreating with fear and terror on his face while throwing the stone away.

When asked, he said: “When I approached, a male-camel unusual in figure with fearful canines intercepted and almost devoured me.”

The Prophet was reported to have said, “It was Gabriel, if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would have killed him.”

2. The assassination squad

Following the migration of the Prophet’s Companions to Madinah, the leaders of Makkah gathered to see what to do with the Prophet who was almost alone at that time. They were afraid that he would catch up with his companions, gather a huge army, and then come back to overtake them all.

Therefore, they agreed to carry out Abu Jahl’s suggestion that “a band of young men, one from each tribe, should strike Muhammad simultaneously with their swords so that the blood-money would be spread over them all and therefore could not be exacted, and his people would seek a mind-based recourse for settlement” (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum).

However, Allah saved the Prophet from their bloody hands and he managed to get to Madinah.

3. Suraqah ibn Malik and the horse

After the Prophet managed to leave Makkah, Quraish announced a huge prize for anyone who could capture him.

Suraqah went after the Prophet on his way to Madinah. He actually caught up with him at one point but his horse kept stumbling and he had fallen off.

When Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq spotted Suraqah, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, this one has caught up with us.’

The Prophet replied: ‘Don’t be cast down, verily, Allah is with us.’”

Realizing he was unable to hurt the Prophet, Suraqah begged for his forgiveness. He was granted forgiveness and the Prophet confirmed it with a token written by `Amir ibn Fuhairah.

4. The volunteer assassin

One time, the Prophet had set out with some of his Companions to see the Banu An-Nadeer tribe. He was seeking their help in raising the blood-money for two men killed by mistake.

Banu An-Nadeer agreed but asked him and his Companions to sit next to one of their houses and wait. The Jews held a short private meeting and conspired to kill the Prophet.

`Amr ibn Jahsh volunteered to climb up the wall and drop a large stone on his head.

But Gabriel came down to reveal to the Prophet their wicked criminal intention. So he hurried off back to Madinah and his Companions followed him. (Adapted from The Sealed Nectar)

5. The secret deal

Following the polytheists’ defeat at Badr, the Makkans were overtaken with rage over their horrible loss. Two of their heroes, `Umair ibn Wahab Al-Jumahi and Safwan ibn Umaiyah agreed that the former would murder the Prophet while the latter would discharge the former’s debts and support his family.

`Umair went to Madinah and met with the Prophet. Though he did not utter a word of his wicked intention, the Prophet revealed to him his secret mission.

`Umair was taken by surprise, and immediately took the shahadah.

The Prophet was pleased and asked his Companions to teach `Umair the principles of Islam, the Qur’an and release his son from captivity.

6. A poisoned sheep

After the defeat of Khaibar, a Jewish woman named Zainab bint Al-Harith offered the Prophet a roasted sheep she had poisoned. He took a mouthful but did not like it.

After investigating the issue, the woman confessed her crime. The Prophet forgave her treacherous attempt.

7. A hypocrite turns into a faithful believer

Fudalah ibn `Umair was a hypocrite who attempted to assassinate the Prophet while around the Ka`bah. To his surprise, the Prophet told him about what he already planned, and put his noble hand on Fudalah’s chest above his heart in a way to calm him down.

Suddenly, the terrible hypocrite repented to Allah and turned into a faithful devout believer.

8. Who will save you from me now?

On their way back from the Battle of Dhat Ar-Riqaa`, the Prophet had a short nap after he had hung his sword on a tree. A polytheist (said to be Ghawrath ibn Al-Harith) came and seized the Prophet’s sword. The Prophet woke up to find his sword drawn in the man’s hand.

The Bedouin asked the Prophet (unarmed then): “Who will save you from me now?” The Prophet answered: “It is Allah.”

Suddenly, the man dropped the sword. The Prophet took it up and repeated the same question that the man had asked him moments before: “Who will save you from me now?”

Eventually, the Prophet pardoned him and let him go back to his people safe.

Moral lessons

Two main lessons can be learned from these attempts and the Prophet’s reactions to them.

First, the Prophet’s noble manners as were manifested in his mercy and forgiveness for those who attempted to kill him. Really he was sent as “mercy to all mankind.”

Secondly, a message to the Muslim ummah that Muslims should not despair or be sad as Allah is with them against all odds. The One Who protected His Messenger from being murdered is the One Who preserved His Message from alteration and would prevent the Prophet’s ummah of being uprooted until the end of days.

- aboutislam.net

Thursday, 20 February 2025

What Is the Power of Fasting?

You are keen to learn about the practices of your Muslim colleagues. It is really good to learn about each other’s faith, culture, and thoughts.

In this way, a lot of misconceptions will be removed, and we will be in a better position in terms of our relation with and appreciation of others.

In Islam, Muslims are always encouraged to reflect the rituals of their religion in their manners and dealings with people. One of the rituals of Islam is fasting, which is defined as abstaining from food, drink, and any sexual activities from dawn till sunset.

This is not meant to torture people; rather, it aims at refining their souls as this should be accompanied by good manners and avoidance of any evil deeds that drive the person away from Allah (God) like backbiting, gossiping, foul language, swearing, violence, or bad manners.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made it very clear that if a person abstains from food and drink, yet does not abstain from evil deeds, his fasting will not be fruitful at all.

He who does not abstain from falsehood in words or deeds, Allah has no need for him to abstain from his food and drink. (Al-Bukhari)

Therefore, the main purpose of fasting is to refine the souls of believers, make them feel the sufferings of the poor and the needy, and on top of that, give them control over their desires.

There are many people in the world today who pass away because of starvation; yet many others, in other parts of the world, get rid of their extra food by throwing it in the oceans.

The experience of fasting teaches Muslims how to feel the need of those who are suffering from starvation. It teaches them how to appreciate the gifts of Allah and His overwhelming blessings. It also teaches them how to control their desire for food and drink and realize the main purpose of their existence.

To achieve these glorious goals, the training sessions of fasting should not be short; rather, they should be extended throughout the year. It is because of this that Islam has made fasting a ritual on two levels; obligatory level and voluntary level.

While every sane, adult Muslim of good health is required to observe the obligatory fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan, the voluntary or recommended fasting is to be observed at any time during the year.

Of course, there are times where it is more recommended to observe fasting; specifically if these timings are before the season of the obligatory fasting i.e. the month of Ramadan. Then, fasting at these times will be of a value as it enables Muslims to train themselves in fasting and get ready to observe the month of fasting without difficulty.

One of these times is the month of Rajab, which was and still is, seen as one of the four sacred months. Due to such special status given to the sacred months, fasting a few days in these months is very much appreciated and is highly rewarded.

Since these months are the months of peace and connection with Allah, Muslims are keen to achieve peace of mind through fasting in these months.

Add to this the fact that people who observe fasting during the month of Rajab are definitely training themselves to fast during the month of Ramadan, since the month of Rajab is only two lunar months before the month Ramadan.

Apart from the mere fact that the month of Rajab is one of the four sacred months, Muslims do not ascribe any special merit to the month of Rajab.

In fact, Muslims are encouraged to treat their days as a gift from Allah and a time where they can offer good deeds and make the world brighter and better.

Fasting Muslims, who have emptied their stomachs from the desire of food and refined their manners, are definitely more qualified to fulfill this task of making the world a better place than anybody else. Fasting gives such a power to change the world to a better place.

In its essence, fasting is a process of changing the heart and the soul, disconnecting them from worldly and physical desires and connecting them with the Creator and the Sustainer of this universe, Almighty Allah. Such a connection is a blessed and everlasting one.

May God connect us with His light so that we can change for the better and change the world around us.

- aboutislam.net

Wednesday, 19 February 2025

Is Loving God Enough to Earn Ticket to Paradise?

Is loving God enough to earn a person a ticket to Paradise?

A Christian may say “yes”, and a Muslim may also say “yes” and add that loving God is one of three elements necessary for entry to Paradise.

The other two are fear and hope.

All elements are interconnected and one by itself is not sufficient for a person to reach the ultimate goal of God consciousness which is the vessel that leads a believer to Paradise.

Loving God

Love is the driving force for humans to make any forward movement toward a goal that involves the heart. This love can be driven by physical, mental and spiritual elements.

The love for God starts in a mental level and it is further elevated to the spiritual level by proper nurturing and practices. Islam teaches this through the best manual – the Quran.

As we come to know Him through His ways of dealing with His creations, His love, forgiveness, the vast blessings that He has bestowed on us, as well as His immense guidance, we cannot but grow in love of Him.

But loving God alone is not sufficient.

A Personal Story

In the years when I was practicing Christianity, I grew to love God through continuous reading of the Books of the Old Testament. I was amazed how much caring God showed to humans starting from Adam by sending them Prophets and guidance and how ungrateful His creatures were.

Time and time over He would send Prophets to guide mankind. The consequence of their rejection was repeated defeats by their enemies and their subjugation to the disbelieving nations. But as they repented and obeyed their prophets, God showered His blessings upon them and gave them victories.

I noticed that there were various chapters that included lamentations of their Prophets for continuous disobedience and rebellion of the so-called believers in God.

I realized that the missing element was “fear.” They feared not their God nor did they care for the consequences of their disobedience.

When I put my focus on the New Testament, I noticed that “love” was the driving element that encouraged belief and obedience. I liked that … but there was a problem.

We were told as long as we loved and accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are going to make it to Paradise. Well, this was an easy way to go to heaven. Yet when I noticed that many engaged in sinful acts and still very active in Church and truly believed that they were saved, I questioned the whole concept of redemption.

If Jesus died for my sins, does that mean, by accepting him as my savior I can sin and still make it to Paradise? I don’t think I ever heard the Pastor talk about Hell or any topic containing fear.

It got worse when I felt that the only way to pray was to pray to Jesus, as He was supposedly God. The God that I was searching for did not look like a man-Jesus. But I did and still love Jesus very much, as a righteous Prophet of God.

The continuous missing elements lead me to take a deeper look into Islam. Then, I saw that “fear, love and hope” combined, were my missing links. Islam had the answer.

Why Fear?

If your mother did not warn you, as a child, about burning your hand when getting near the stove, what would happen?

Likewise if your father did not put you on alert about the dangers that are waiting for you out there as a youth, what then? These fear elements may have saved you much trouble.

You had the choice to listen or not. You would face the consequences. Yet Allah warns us about not only the consequence of disobedience of His laws in this world, but also of the Hereafter. He does not compel us to accept but gives us warning.

The fear factor is only beneficial if we realize how fully reliant we are on Allah. On our own, we can never be 100% right all the time. In fact, humans are more inclined to evil than good if they were not brought up conscious of God. So what is the solution?

Let us better define fear from Islamic stand point. No word better than taqwa can fit the purpose.

Taqwa Explained

The word taqwa has various meanings which include God consciousness, awe or fear of Allah which inspires a person to be watchful of wrong actions and strive toward acts which please the Creator.

In this context taqwa and fear are interchangeable. Fearing Allah becomes an honorable state of a worshipper which will lead him to a much higher state than the ordinary person.

Imam Al-Ghazali said:

“Fear rips away desires and maddens luxuries so that cherished sins become reprehensible, just as a honey lover is repelled by it when he learns that it has poison in it. This is how fear burns desires; disciplines the organs; subordinates the heart and gives it tranquility.

It also enables the heart to rid itself of pride, hatred, and envy; and it leaves it absorbed in it (fear). Hence, the heart becomes preoccupied with its own worries and looks towards its best interest in the long run. It is then engaged in only matters like meditation, self-analysis and struggle. It cherishes its time and moments.” (Ihya’ 4/160)

Prophet Muhammad said:

“If, through fear of Allah, tears, even to the extent of a fly’s head, fall from any believer’s eyes and drop on some part of his cheek, he will be kept away from Hell by Allah.” (Ibn Majah)

We can see that “fear” is “taqwa” which is God consciousness in its true sense. But how can we reach this station?

Steps for Gaining Taqwa

1. Recite the Quran while Understanding the Meaning

No words or books train the heart to come to know Allah except His own words. When we contemplate and ponder over the meanings of the verses, our hearts are moved and our limbs are inclined to act upon them.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

“Recite the Holy Quran for it will come as an intercessor for its reciter on the Day of Judgment.” (Muslim)

Many of the Prophet’s companions used to take a long time finishing reciting the Quran because they wanted to reflect, ponder, contemplate and act upon each verse of the Quran. We should also do the same so that we can gain maximum benefit from each verse of the Noble Quran.

2. Remember Allah Often

Allah says:

O ye who believe, remember Allah much. And glorify Him morning and evening. (Quran 33:41-2)

Train your tongue to praise and remember Him often no matter where you are and what you are doing to the point where it becomes a habit. But do not become a repeating machine. Try to ponder and contemplate over His grandeur and magnificence. He has power over all, so remember him in meekness and awe and humble yourself over His greatness and majesty.

Focus and concentrate!

- this article is from Reading Islam

Tuesday, 18 February 2025

What Is the Purpose of Life According to the Quran?

It will surely intrigue the reader of the Quran on how it encourages him/her to think, reflect and ponder on his/her own position and purpose in this world.

Allah says in the Quran:

“Does man think that he will be left neglected?
Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted?
Then he was a clinging clot, and [Allah] created [his form] and proportioned [him]
And made of him two sexes, the male and the female
Is not that [Creator] Able to give life to the dead?” (Quran 75: 36-40)

And he says:

“And We did not create the heavens and earth and that between them in play.” (Quran 44: 38)

Interestingly, the purpose of life according to the Quran was the topic of a lecture delivered by Jeffery Lang, American professor and author who was an atheist before accepting Islam.

Lang narrated his experience reading the Quran and understanding the purpose of life through it in the aforementioned lecture. It is worthwhile to share his reflections here as it highlights how the purpose of life in the Quran could be deeply understood even by a non-Arab, a religious person. With the right intention, sincerity and objectivity, however, one can always see the wisdom.

In his reflections reading the Quran, Lang referred to the scene of man’s creation described in Chapter Two of the Quran in which Allah Almighty says:

“And mention, when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”And He taught Adam the names – all of them.
Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.”They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.”He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.”And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees.
He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.And We said, “O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.”But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, “Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time.”Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.”(Quran 2: 30: 37)

In this scene, one sees God as the Creator who created man and honored him by making him vicegerent on Earth. We see forces of good, the angels that will be in help and service to man in his life journey. We see forces of evil, Iblees who deludes Adam and tempts him to be ungratefulness to his creator.

Lang realized that those verses show Adam- and mankind- as learning creatures. The verses show that Adam is being taught by God, and in life all sons of Adam will continue to learn through all life experiences. Through language and communication, man can learn, not only through personal experiences, but through the experiences of others of different times and locations.

Lang noticed that “time and time again the Quran calls upon man to use his intellectual faculties, and swear by his intellectual faculties and to use them correctly, because they play a fundamental role in guiding him to truth” (Lang).

Lang found that the Quran repeatedly asks the readers to think and reflect. He observed that the word ‘ilm’- which means knowledge-, is mentioned around 854 times. In many locations, the Quran asks the readers “‘have you considered this or that” “Did they not ponder.”

He also found that the Quran stated over 100 times that it was revealed to make things clear, and over 21 times that in the Quran there are signs and lessons for those who are wise and use their reason.

He realized, accordingly, that “to gain truth or faith we need to free ourselves from inherited notions and examine our beliefs rationally. Learning plays a key role in human development. ‘Read!’ the Quran exhorts the reader. God taught us the use of the pen and taught human kind what it otherwise could not know. In life, nature and history there are signs and lessons for those who are wise. God teaches humanity both directly and indirectly and sometimes so subtly that we are unaware of his instruction. Thus, He touches us in multifarious ways.” (Lang)

But it’s not solely an intellectual quest. The thoughtful reader of the Quran would realize that, in essence, the Creator wanted to develop a loving relationship with the human beings, “He loves them and they love Him” (Quran 5:54).

Man is also a moral creature. He/she is created with forces of good and evil, and they have to make a choice.

Unlike angels who are created to be good and obedient, man has a choice. And because of this, he could experience a real sincere loving relationship with His Creator. He could choose to turn away, or he could choose to turn with love to His Creator. He could hate and neglect or he could prove commitment, sincerity and desire of The One who created him.

“It’s very clear when you read the Quran that what [mankind] will achieve in this life- to so much greater degree in the next- is that they will experience a relationship of love with God. They will turn to God in love and God will turn to them in love,” Lang said.

He explained that God’s mercy, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, warmth and all the things associated with God are freely given to all mankind. That is the nature of the name of Allah “ArRahman”, The Continuously Merciful. But when the Quran speaks of God’s love, it’s referring to a more special state. Love is a relationship between two. How can one claim to love someone whom he doesn’t really know or spend time with?

So, Lang realized that if one did not turn to God in love, then he/she receives His mercy, forgiveness, generosity and all that while being in a state of ingratitude and rejection of the Giver. Everything in the human being, everything that keeps him/her alive; the air they breathe, food, sustenance… all of this is a gift from God- whether the human being thanks and acknowledges or not.

“So, we never really experience the love if we didn’t turn to it and open ourselves up to it. It is always there for us, but unless we enter into that relationship and that love that give and take, the relationship is never developed. We reject it, and that’s what the word kufr (disbelieve) mean in Arabic, it means to reject, to turn your back” (Lang).

“O You who believe, if any from among you should [turn back from faith] then Allah will assuredly bring a people He loves and who loves Him…” (Quran 5: 54)

To love someone, you need to know him. We find that throughout the Quran, passages usually end with dual attributes increasing one’s knowledge of Allah. Like; “He is the Beneficent The Merciful,” He is the Forgiving, the Gentle” “He is the Subtle, The All-Knowing” these and the rest of the 99 names of Allah continue to be manifested for the created being in the Quran and in life in order to let him know and experience a relationship with His Creator, sense His presence and grow in faith and longing to Him.

Experiencing love could involve physical nearness. But there is a deeper sense of nearness. The Quran tells the reader that God is closer to man than his/her own jugular veins (50:16), and that He is with them wherever they are (57:4). He is constantly Seeing, Hearing and Knowing of what they do, what they reveal and conceal. He doesn’t sleep, slumber or forsake them.

It is their task, then, to remember Him…. “To worship God as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, know that He Sees you,” this is what Prophet Muhammad said about the excellence in remembering God.

And the relationship includes sharing. In the prayer, for example, the person recites and remembers the words of His Creator in the Quran. Then, he asks Him for whatever he/she wants. One listens to what God says, and then speak to Him, in a communication of intimacy between God and every single human being who seeks Him.

The Quran further reflects what we share with The Creator.

“We share with Him exactly what He gave us. The Quran tells us that when we came into this life, Allah ‘breathes’ into our ‘spirit’ something of His Spirit. [1]” “[… ] We come into this world with a sea of these qualities [Truth, Mercy, Forgiveness, Purity, Justice…etc], and we can either stunt them, or cause them to grow.

When we grow in these, we grow in our ability not just to experience its beauty in our life, but to experience the infinite Source of these qualities; beauty, peace, truth, compassion, mercy…which is Allah! The more we grow in our ability to receive and experience His attributes of perfection, the more we grow in our ability to experience His Being. It’s more than just physical nearness, it’s more than just a convergence of ideas, it’s more than just a convergence of feelings … it’s a convergence of essential beings. It’s the closest type of nearness one can feel or experience.” (Lang)

Reference:

[1] The significance of Lang’s account is that it confirms that the Quran that was revealed 14 hundred years ago in the Arabian Desert- can be deeply understood and explained in an American university, by an American mathematician. This confirms that the Quran is a message from The Creator to mankind irrespective of time, place and ethnicity.

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

Monday, 17 February 2025

Life is Hard…But It Is Also Very Wonderful

We make life so very complicated, don’t we?

It’s not just the tragedy and the violence which we see on the television news that makes our lives so disjointed and confused. Even choosing a career or selecting a course at college becomes the reason for hours of anguish.

Shall I do this or shall I do that? What if I don’t like my choice or I’m not good at the course?

Young people face choices and decisions which seem ready to overwhelm them. Pressure from adults and even from our own friends makes us have to live up to others’ expectations, when all we want is just to get on with our lives.

The pressure on young Muslims is greater still. A well as having the usual pressures of life, there is the additional pressure that society places on Islam and Muslims. We didn’t blow anyone up, yet people look at us as if we did.

We are just ordinary young men and women trying to complete our studies or to succeed in a chosen career, yet the media have managed to make us seem like the enemy within, somehow not a part of the very community in which we live. Sometimes it all seems just more than we can bear.

It’s at times like this that we need especially to pause and to take stock of what life is really like. The whisperers and the cynics and those without belief in anything, would have us believe that there is no hope at all. “What is the use of praying,” they would tell us, “since it won’t do any good?”

Look Around You

Yet, just look around you. From that first moment in what seemed like the middle of the night when our alarm clock told us it was time for the dawn Prayer, Allah’s signs have been all around us, calling us to Himself and assuring us that He is in control and that the world belongs to Him.

Maybe we went to bed too late, spending too much time chatting on the Internet, and so our eyes are not ready to see the beauty of the morning, but beautiful it is.

Maybe we didn’t take the time to have breakfast, because we got up late and had to rush off to work or college, and so we didn’t notice the other members of our family at the breakfast table.

We didn’t have the eyes to notice our dad, who goes out to work day in and day out to provide food for the table. We didn’t have the eyes to see our mum, who has spent here whole life watching out for us, looking for any sign that we are sad or hurt.

And we didn’t have the heart to see that younger brother, who so often is the greatest trial in our lives, yet who means so much to us and for whom we would move mountains if we could.

Miracles Everywhere

These are the miracles all around us, every day, which we fail to notice because we are too busy. What about all those other people on the bus or the subway who we are crushed next to on the way to work, school, or college? If only we could see into their lives! These anonymous people we stand next to every day have lives too.

What happened to them before getting on the bus? Did they have an argument at home, perhaps, or a letter demanding money which they haven’t got?

Or maybe news of a new grandchild or an offer of marriage? Who knows? And yet, their lives, too, are controlled by Almighty Allah and it is to Him that they will return. These people want the best for their children and maybe are looking forward to a holiday after months in a job which they can’t stand. Each one of them is a miracle of Allah’s making.

When Was the Last Time…

What a beautiful world we live in, if only we could have the eyes to see it. When was the last time you took a walk in the park, just to feel with your heart the beauty of Allah’s Creation? When was the last time you walked along a riverbank, or just visited some people in need of help, or walked past a schoolyard full of small children?

Life is hard. Yes, of course it is, but life is also very wonderful. If being Muslim means anything to us, it should mean we can appreciate the world in which we live. It is Allah’s Creation, and Almighty Allah doesn’t make mistakes.

Allah is not only the Lord of this world, but of all the worlds. We say this every time we pray. Yet we have only to open our eyes to see His miracles all around us. Birds, trees, sunshine, rain, flowers, grass and people are all miracles waiting for you to discover them.

No Room for Despair

Muslims never despair, because they are surrounded by proofs of Allah’s existence and control of the world. Even in the midst of invasion or oppression, Muslims can see the signs of their Creator wherever they look. The care which one brother shows to another in time of need is surely a sign of Allah and the Ummah He has Created.

The kindness and the tenderness which a mother shows to her young child; wiping away the tears of bewilderment and fear, is surely an image of the tender love which Almighty Allah shows to those who fear Him.

You see, we don’t need to live next to a beautiful park, filled with rows of well-tended flowers, or open our bedroom window every morning to see snow-capped mountains or crystal-clear lakes, in order to see the greatness of Allah.

Even something as mundane as a cobweb or a spider crawling across the floor, is a miracle of Allah’s making. Even grumpy people, pushing to get onto the bus out of the rain, are a sign of His Creation.

Allah Is the Greatest

We proclaim with our lips many times a day, Allahu Akhbar, Allah is the Greatest. Do we pray and then forget what we have just said, allowing things around us to make us forget our faith and the One in whom we believe? Let us proclaim it with our hearts as well.

Instead of allowing the cares of the world to crush us and blind us to the beauty all around, let us see every day the greatness of Allah. His plan is in action even as we read these words. Let our faith be something real to us; not just mere words or rituals. And let the world see how much we, as Muslims, appreciate what we have. Maybe our wonder at the miracles around us will rub off on those people on the bus. Maybe our reactions to a cobweb or to our little brother will draw others to Islam.

* Original article was published in Sep. 2006.

- aboutislam.net

Sunday, 16 February 2025

Important Advice that Could Save Your Marriage

Barakah (blessings) in marriage is very important, and what guarantees success of marriage is having the blessings of Allah. If you start off a marriage with Allah’s disobedience and without His blessings, how can it continue to be blessed after that? Click this video to watch as Ustadh Saad Tasleem sheds more light on this. - aboutislam.net

Saturday, 15 February 2025

What’s the Reason for Qibla Change?

One of the vital features of the month of Shabaan is the Qiblah change, which occurred on the 15th of Shabaan. Before this, Muslims prayed facing Al-Aqsa Mosque, then Allah (SWT) changed the direction of their prayers to the Qiblah in Makkah. Click on this video to find out why this happened!

In this video, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan teaches us that while the Prophet (SAW) was in Makkah, he used to pray in a position towards the Kabaah facing Al-Aqsa. But that could no longer be possible once he moved to Madina, after Hijrah. This used to upset Prophet Muhammad (SAW), but he never complained to Allah. Find out here why the Qiblah was changed! - aboutislam.net