There are many examples in the Qur’an and Hadith about the virtues of a positive mental attitude and optimism in the face of adversity. However, do you know that saying the word “Alhamdulillah” can bring about patience and a positive outlook on life? Watch this video to see how this word does this! - aboutislam.net
How does our faith increase through reading the Qur’an? The connection with the Qur’an allows us to grow our faith, because the Qur’an is the guardian of our faith. In this video, Sheikh Omar Suleiman urges us to make this a habit in order that we might keep our faith strong!
- aboutislam.net
Ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, “Allah is not too shy to tell the truth.” three times. “Do not have intercourse with women in their back passages.” (Ibn Majah and authenticated by Al-Albani)
This only applies to anal intercourse, which is the introduction of the male’s genital organ into the anus. Since she is a new Muslim, you may try to gratify her needs in whichever way other than the forbidden anal intercourse.
- aboutislam.net
The brain is a fantastic organ; the causes of psychiatric disorders are legion and not well-understood, the spectrum of which spans from a genius to an eccentric. I have given separate answers to the eight queries through the following.
Depression is a clinical syndrome expressing itself in an irritable mood, loss of interest and difficulty in thinking and concentration. Depressed patients may commit suicide. Obsessive compulsive neurosis is characterized by intruding anxiety-provoking thoughts, sometimes accompanied by repetitive impulses to perform certain voluntary actions which may be unwanted.
The psychiatric disorders that you are suffering from [depression and obsessive compulsive disorder] could be due to undesirable electro-chemical signals given by neurons [brain cells] because of a deficiency or abnormal metabolism of one or more of the following nine neuro-transmitters viz. serotonin [5-hydroxy-tryptamine], dopamine, gaba [gamma amino-butyric acid], glycine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, acetyl choline, nor-epinephrine, and substance P [peptides].
Everyone comes into this world having no choice or say in the matter and bringing his/her own destiny. The Quran states:
{And your Lord creates and chooses whom He pleases; to choose is not theirs; glory be to Allah, and exalted be He above what they associate [with Him].} (Al- Qasas 28:68).
It also says in Al-Furqan 25:2 what means:
{He, Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Who did not take to Himself a son, and Who has no associate in the kingdom, and Who created everything, then ordained for it a measure.}
Destiny does not write itself. The Maker writes it. Everyone comes with a mission, and as long as we are alive, our mission is not yet fulfilled…
Afflictions of the Earth and ourselves have been recorded, long before we came into existence, in the Book of Destiny called ‘al-lawh al-mahfuuz’, as the Quran says, what means:
{No evil befalls on the earth nor in your own souls, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence; surely that is easy to Allah.} (Al-Hadid 57:22).
We could have been still-born, born in a royal palace or in a slum, as handsome or ugly, as a boy or girl, with high IQ or a lower one, with no congenital deformity or with many, and with multiple defective genes and hereditary diseases.
Every person’s ID card relating to his anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and all the other characteristics are encoded in the genes of his chromosomes and determined in the womb. Acceptance of destiny acts as a solace in many stressful situations. Allah says, what means:
{Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He pleases; He grants to whom He pleases daughters and grants to whom He pleases sons.} (Ash-Shurah 42:49).
Allah, unlike us, cannot be questioned for His acts. The Quran says, what means:
{He cannot be questioned concerning what He does and they shall be questioned.} (Al-Anbiyaa 21:23).
Allah Almighty bestows His bounties on all, with different shares, in accordance to His will and plan, as the Quran says, what means:
{All do We aid– these as well as those– out of the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord is not confined. See how We have made some of them to excel others, and certainly the hereafter is much superior in respect of excellence.} (Al-Israa 17:20-21).
Yet, we must be thankful to Allah, both in adversity and prosperity, as the Quran says, what means:
{And if We make man taste mercy from Us, then take it off from him, most surely he is despairing, ungrateful. And if We make him taste a favor after distress has afflicted him, he will certainly say: The evils are gone away from me. Most surely he is exulting, boasting; Except those who are patient and do good, they shall have forgiveness and a great reward.} (Hud 11:9-11).
The least we can do is to thank Him for having created life! Not only that, we have to thank Him for having created us as human beings with human features.
As long as there is life, there is hope… You are much better off than others who are born permanently blind, deaf-mute, with cerebral palsy, incurable carcinomas, etc. Psychiatric diseases could be tolerated and treated. Al-hamdu lillah, there are also periods of remissions when the person behaves normal.
Allah Almighty is The Farthest from being oppressor. On the contrary, He is All-Compassionate, All-Merciful. Allah has chosen planet Earth to be a temporary testing ground for the Hereafter. For any test to be meaningful, it requires that the tested should have the freedom of choice, thought, intention, decision and action. This is without any external or internal constraints.
Such freewill is absent during the active phase of mental illness. Allah will judge us, having taken into consideration the prevailing hormonal and other conditions in which we were placed and which influenced our freewill, when we chose one course of action as opposed to another.
Suffering in this world is a trial and a test not only for the mentally ill persons, but also for those with whom they interact, and even incidental onlookers who are expected to respond. It makes some sense when we jokingly say that those who caught sufficient Hell on Earth will go to Paradise. Allah showers His blessings, mercy and guidance on those who patiently persevere when afflicted with calamity on Earth. The Quran says, what means:
{And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: “Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return.” Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and those are the followers of the right course.} (Al-Baqarah 2:155-157).
This also includes psychiatric cases. People who encountered suffering and adversity have better chances to go to Paradise, for Allah says, the meaning of:
{Or do you think that you would enter the garden while yet the state of those who have passed away before you has not come upon you; distress and affliction befell them and they were shaken violently, so that the Messenger and those who believed with him said: When will the help of Allah come? Now surely the help of Allah is nigh!} (Al-Baqarah 2:214).
Also, there is a hadith in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“No worry, calamity, distress, illness or grief strikes a believer, even the prick of a thorn, except that it will expiate the sins from him because of this.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal.)
If any insane or ignorant person commits a sin during the active phase of the disease, Allah shall not hold him/her responsible, especially if he/she repents during the stage of remission. The Quran confirms this in the meaning of:
{Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance, then turn [to Allah] soon, so these it is to whom Allah turns [mercifully], and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.} (An-Nisaa 4:17).
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said:
“The pen does not record the deeds of three persons: the child until the age of puberty; the sleeping person until he wakes up; the insane until he is sane.” (Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi.)
Allah understands human weaknesses and failings, because He Himself created us in weakness and helplessness, weak in flesh and resolution, impatient and fretful. Man is hasty, miserly and tight-fisted, argumentative, ignorant and foolish and in a state of loss. All these are in Allah’s plan and our finite brain cannot fathom His Will and design.
We must not question the logic of having an All-Powerful and All-Knowing God Who creates faulty human beings and then blames them for His own mistakes, because Allah, nastaghfiru Allah, never makes mistakes. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will take into consideration the net result of hormones and neurotransmitters that were responsible for our actions. Allah will never impose a burden on us more than what we can bear. He says, what means:
{Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability; for it is [the benefit of] what it has earned and upon it [the evil of] what it has wrought: Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us, Our Lord do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people.} (Al-Baqarah 2:286).
They could be examples of diversities in Allah’s creative powers. This is as well as for the rest of us to ponder and strive to help out our fellow-men, whether financially or by giving a job to the disabled or through scientific progress in better diagnosis and treatment, etc.
No! Every cloud has a silver lining. Although a hadith says that for every disease there is a cure, the treatment of psychiatric disorders with present-day pharmaceutical products is not satisfactory. This is in spite of drugs such as amitryptaline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine and others not yet in the market. However, the neuro-scientists are busy working at it, and the future does not look bleak.
It may be better and without any cost to have communion with Allah than to consult a psychiatrist, because during prayers, meditations and supplications, just as in fasting and exercise, certain substances are released by the brain called enkephalins and endorphins, which also act as special neuro-transmitters and are responsible for our euphoria (well-being) and tranquility. So, your daily prayers, and fasting in Ramadan and other optional fasts should help you overcome the unpleasant hours.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Nothing can change qadar (destiny) except du`aa’ (supplications and prayers).” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal.)
The most dreaded complication of depression is suicide. However, you should have no fear whatsoever, because you are lucky to be a Muslim and you know fully well that suicide is one of the major sins in Islam.
It is preparing us for Paradise. After having been brought up on planet Earth as the best of creation called ashraf al-makhlukaat, for which no amount of thanks to Allah is sufficient, we are being prepared for entrance to another ‘planet’; Paradise, for further development.
Those of us who have made it to the top of the class in the Earthly exams can get in sooner than those below. Dwellers in Paradise will be the successful ones in conformity with the words of the Adhan (call to prayer):
“Hurry towards prayer;
Hurry towards success.”
Please note that success always follows prayer, in the Adhan.
Man makes his entrance into this world in an animal body with a built-in pure ruh(soul), which enters the fetus during the 4th month of conception. In other words, Man is a soul (ruh) cloaked in an animal body.
This ruh becomes polluted during its sojourn on Earth and has to return to Allah after the last heart-beat. All Earthly diseases and defects, physical or mental, are left behind on planet Earth with the dead body, but the soul (ruh) departs to return to its origin, Allah.
The process of purification of the soul begins with whatever corrective measures needed for it. The soul will be rinsed off, from whatever impurities it had collected during its Earthly sojourn and will be purified before being allowed to enter Paradise where we would have a full vision of Allah for eternity…
In Paradise, all Earthly defects will be corrected and Allah will remove all hatred and bitterness from our hearts. For Allah says, what means:
{And We will remove whatever of ill-feeling is in their breasts; the rivers shall flow beneath them and they shall say: “All praise is due to Allah Who guided us to this, and we would not have found the way had it not been that Allah had guided us; certainly the messengers of our Lord brought the truth;” and it shall be cried out to them that this is the garden of which you are made heirs for what you did.} (Al-Aaraf 7:43).
There will be no sensation of fear nor grief but peace and security and no further death. All sorrow will be removed and joy will prevail. It will be our place of final return. There will even be no headache and no intoxication from the drink.
However, although Al-Bukhari says in hadith (64535) that we will enter Paradise only after we are cleansed, Allah’s mercy is so vast that some of us may be asked to enter Paradise in spite of our sins. The ills and evil tendencies responsible for our mistakes and sins on Earth will be removed from the righteous. Hence, the life after will be a divine makeup for all our sufferings in this materialistic world of today.
- aboutislam.net
By Dr. Saeed Abdul-Azim
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow his guidance.
Divine law recognizes neither favoritism nor leniency: “… and you will not find in the way of Allah any change.” [Quran 33:62] “… and you will not find in the way of Allah any alteration.” [Quran 35:43] The Sharia does not differentiate between equals, nor does it equate those who are unequal. The downfall of the deceitful, the oppressive, and the oath-breaker is a matter of time; time itself is a component of the remedy. Principles and standards must remain firm. Muhammad Ibn Ka‘b Al-Qurazi said, “Three traits, if possessed, will turn against their possessor: deceit (‘… but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.’ [Quran 35:43]), oppression (‘… your oppression is only against yourselves.’ [Quran 10:23]), and breaking covenants (‘So whoever breaks his oath only breaks it to the detriment of himself.’ [Quran 48:10])”
Some Causes of Ruin
These traits contribute to the ruin of those who practice them. There is a strong correlation between cause and effect, between premise and outcome. As the saying goes, “Your deeds determine your fate.” Allah, the Exalted, says: “Whoever does righteousness—it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil—it is against it. Then to your Lord you will be returned.” [Quran 45:15] He also states: “If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves.” [Quran 17:7] The hadith states, “Act as you wish, for you will be recompensed accordingly.” It is authentically narrated, “O My servants, it is your deeds that I record for you, and then I will recompense you for them. So whoever finds good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.”
A man approached a scholar and said, “The sons of so-and-so have conspired against me and united against me.” The scholar replied, “And ‘The hand of Allah is over their hands.’” [Quran 48:10] The man said, “They are deceitful.” The scholar replied, “… but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.” [Quran 35:43] The man said, “But they are numerous.” The scholar responded, “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah.” [Quran 2:249]
The Plotting of Disbelievers Leads to Their Own Destruction
When you yearn for deliverance from disbelievers and wrongdoers, be assured that their plotting, oppression, and treachery will ultimately destroy them. In reality, they destroy themselves with their own hands even before your weapons reach them. The consequences of these vile traits fall squarely upon them alone. Allah, the Exalted, states: “And they planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.” [Quran 3:54] He also states: “And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.” [Quran 6:123]
Plots Turn against the Plotters
The Quran narrates the story of Thamud’s plot against their prophet Salih (peace be upon him). Allah, the Almighty, states: “And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. Then look how was the outcome of their plan—that We destroyed them and their people, all.” [Quran 27:50-51] One interpretation is that they did not perceive the angels Allah sent to protect Salih when they came to kill him. Each of them was struck by a stone and killed, while Salih was saved from their plot. Another interpretation is that they plotted by pretending to travel, then hiding in a cave, intending to return at night and kill him. Allah caused a rock to fall upon the mouth of the cave, sealing it and destroying them. This was Allah’s plan against them.
The polytheists also plotted against the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Allah states: “And [remember, O Muhammad] when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” [Quran 8:30] Allah saved His Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), who migrated safely to Medina. The leaders of the disbelievers, such as Abu Jahl, Utbah, and Shaybah, the sons of Rabi‘ah, were killed at the Battle of Badr. Allah brought Islam to them on the day of the conquest of Makkah, and the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) passed away victorious over them. Allah elevated his name and honored his legacy.
The hypocrites also plotted against him. Allah states: “And those who plan evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the plotting of those—it will perish.” [Quran 35:10] The result of their plotting was corruption and futility. Their falsehood became evident to those with insight and wisdom, for no one conceals a secret except that Allah reveals it through their facial expressions and slips of the tongue. Indeed, no one conceals a secret except that Allah clothes them in its garment—if it is good, then good; and if it is evil, then evil.
The plots of the Jews against the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), their attempts to assassinate him, and their conspiracies with the polytheists are numerous and well-documented. Consequently, some were killed, others expelled, and his cause (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) prevailed. As the Hour approaches, stones and trees will speak to his nation, saying, “O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him,” except for the Gharqad tree, for it is one of the trees of the Jews. Allah will grant this Ummah the conquest of Jerusalem.
Beware of deceit and do not be impressed by those who practice it. Qays Ibn Sa‘d Ibn ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said, “If I had not heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say, ‘Deceit and treachery are in the Fire,’ I would have been one of the most deceitful of people.” [Graded as authentic by Al-Albani]
The Meaning of Allah’s Planning
It is clear that the planning attributed to Allah is befitting His Majesty. It refers to His recompense for those who plot against His allies and messengers, countering their evil schemes with His perfect plan. Their plotting is evil, while His is the best, for it is just and a form of recompense. Similarly, His deception is a recompense for their deception against His messengers and allies. There is nothing better than such planning and such deception.
Oppression and Its Consequences
Just as evil plotting harms its perpetrator, so too does oppression bring about swift punishment. It is said, “Whoever unsheathes the sword of oppression will be killed by it, and the oppressor will ultimately be ruined. Oppression destroys its perpetrator.”
The consequences of oppression are severe. Whoever digs a pit for his brother will fall into it himself. Abandon oppression, for it is despicable. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said, “If a mountain were to oppress another mountain, Allah—Exalted is He—would crush the oppressor.” He also said, “A king once uttered oppressive words while sitting on his throne, so Allah transformed him. It is unknown what he became—a fly or something else—but he vanished and was never seen again.”
Abdullah Ibn Mu‘awiyah Al-Hashimi said, “Abd-ul-Muttalib gathered his sons at the time of his death; they were ten in number. He instructed and advised them, saying, ‘Beware of oppression for, by Allah, Allah has created nothing swifter in punishment than oppression. I have never seen anyone persist in oppression except for your brothers from Banu ‘Abd Shams.’”
Ibn Al-Qayyim remarked:
Glory be to Allah! Within the soul resides the arrogance of Iblis, the envy of Cain, the defiance of ‘Ad, the tyranny of Thamud, the audacity of Nimrod, the oppression of Pharaoh, the greed of Qarun, the wickedness of Haman, the lust of Balaam, the cunning of the Sabbath-breakers, the rebellion of Al-Walid, and the ignorance of Abu Jahl. It also possesses the traits of animals: the greed of a crow, the voracity of a dog, the vanity of a peacock, the baseness of a dung beetle, the disobedience of a monitor lizard, the malice of a camel, the pouncing of a leopard, the aggression of a lion, the immorality of a mouse, the evil of a snake, the mischief of a monkey, the hoarding of an ant, the cunning of a fox, the frivolity of a moth, and the lethargy of a hyena. However, discipline and self-struggle can purge it of these traits.
Texts Condemning Oppression
Numerous texts condemn unjustified oppression. Allah, the Exalted, says: “The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and commit trespass upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment.” [Quran 42:42] Oppression (baghy) refers to acting arrogantly toward others, embodying pride, injustice, corruption, and engaging in sinful acts. It is among the five matters prohibited by divine law, as mentioned in Allah’s statement: “Say, ‘My Lord has only forbidden immoralities—what is apparent of them and what is concealed—and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.’” [Quran 7:33]
It is sufficient for the oppressed to have the promise of Allah’s support. Allah, the Exalted, states: “That [is so]. And whoever responds [to injustice] with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is tyrannized—Allah will surely aid him.” [Quran 22:60] In a hadith, it is stated, “There is no sin more deserving of Allah hastening punishment for its perpetrator in this world, along with what is stored up for him in the Hereafter, than oppression and severing ties of kinship.” [Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it authentic and sound]
The following is also narrated from the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “There is nothing in which obedience to Allah is swifter in reward than upholding ties of kinship. And there is nothing swifter in punishment than oppression, severing ties of kinship, and a false oath, which leaves homes desolate (meaning devoid of inhabitants).” [Reported by Al-Bayhaqi and graded as authentic by Al-Albani] In another hadith, it is stated, “Indeed, Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble, so that no one boasts over another and no one oppresses another.” [Muslim]
Lessons from the Stories of the Past
Reflect on the stories of oppressors, both past and present, and you will find a striking parallel between the observable events of the world and the written scriptures: Pharaoh unjustly oppressed the land, claiming lordship and divinity, saying: “Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me…” [Quran 43:51] He pursued the Prophet of Allah, Moses (peace be upon him), and the Children of Israel who believed with him. He and his soldiers followed them out of arrogance and enmity, so Allah caused the sea to engulf him, sending it crashing down upon him as a fitting recompense. The Egyptians then saw his decaying corpse after they had worshipped him instead of Allah: “So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign.” [Quran 10:92]
Similarly, the Quran narrates the story of Qarun’s arrogance. Allah, the Exalted, states: “Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them.” [Quran 28:76] Among the advice given to him by the righteous was: “And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” [Quran 28:77] Yet, Qarun ignored their counsel, so Allah destroyed him, and he perished unmourned: “And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home.” [Quran 28:81]
The oppression inflicted by destroyed nations upon the prophets and messengers holds lessons and warnings for those with understanding. Allah seized them with the grip of the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Time passed over the people of Noah, ‘Ad, Thamud, and many generations between, until it delivered them to their Lord, presenting them with their deeds: “And how many have We destroyed before them of generations? Do- you perceive of them anyone or hear from them a sound?” [Quran 19:98] -islamweb.net
“I am a Muslim.”
How does it feel to say that out loud?
Do you rather whisper it?
Do you feel the power of this word or do you feel that it makes you weak?
Unfortunately, Islam has been negatively portrayed increasingly these past decades, creating a social stigma to be a follower of its path. It’s a fitnah for sure, but let it not discourage you; stand straight and be proud you are a follower of this powerful religion; the religion of Islam.
Islam lays a foundation for every aspect in life. It teaches us how to be stronger spiritually, mentally, physically, socially, etc.
Allah (SWT) informs us in the Quran::
{By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.} (103)
Allah Almighty makes it clear to us in the Quran that we need two keys in this world to open up the doors to paradise in the hereafter; these keys are belief and righteous deeds.
What is Belief?
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) describes this (an excerpt from a longer hadith) when asked by Angel Gabriel about Iman (Belief):
“It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and in the divine destiny of both good and evil.” (Al-Bukhari)
Along with belief, you need to do righteous deeds too like prayers, fasting, zakah, charity, supplications, etc. You should also practice good Islamic traits such as piety, patience, kindness, generosity, modesty, etc.
Power of a Strong Faith
Allah Almighty says:
{Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector. And upon Allah let the believers rely.} (9:51)
This world is filled with so many hardships and injustice it is truly a challenge to face it with strength. Nevertheless, strong faith is the most powerful tool of strength. If you are a Muslim with strong faith, you are blessed. You have complete trust in Allah and do your best to live in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah, and accept that whatever befalls you after that is already predestined.
If at times certain events may not be in accordance with your will, you know that what comes from Allah is always what is best for you, and this gratefulness is how you reach a constant state of serenity.
Power of a Sense of Purpose
Many people are lost in this world with no sense of purpose. But, how can you feel lost when Allah has revealed to you how this life is but a test to prepare you for the next eternal one in paradise?
Allah Almighty directs us in the Quran to the purpose of this life:
{And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.} (51:56)
Islam gives us a sense of purpose in life. We know why we were created; to worship Allah alone; we pray, supplicate, fast, read Quran, Seerah, Fiqh etc. while growing in spirituality.
We know that this world is but a trial, a station we enter to reach our final destination of eternal blessings. We know what good tides await in the hereafter for those who believed and did good deeds.
Power of Righteous Deeds
Islam sets a clear path for us of how to live rightly in this world. Man has become so obsessed with money, power, lust and entertainment that if he only listens to his body and abandons his soul he will be in loss.
As we were created of both body and soul, Islam seeks to create a balance of both. We can enjoy the pleasures of this world, as long as they are through Halal (lawful) means and are in moderation. However, in the quest of quenching our thirsty spirits, Islam emphasizes that we were created for a more honorable cause; worshipping God and doing righteous deeds.
The Power of Knowledge
As we grow in spirituality, Islam also gives us the advantage to grow mentally through “worldly” knowledge like humanities, social, natural and formal sciences. We are encouraged to learn how the world functions around us and how we can excel through coming up with methods of development.
The Power of Organization
Islam teaches us how to organize our life and how to make the utmost benefit of it. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says:
“There are two blessings in which most people are in great loss: Good health and free time.” (Al-Bukhari)
Islam emphasizes the importance of time in our lives and how we should make use of our good health and free time wisely. Utilize your health and time in knowledge and righteous deeds before you get crippled or busy. Life should not go wasted on constant entertainment and idleness. A day that passes without adding anything beneficial to our lives is one wasted.
The Power of Guardianship
Narrated ‘Abdullah, Prophet Muhammad said:
“Each one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges. The ruler who has authority over people, is a guardian and is responsible for them, a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for them; a woman is a guardian of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for them; a slave is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it; so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges.” (Al-Bukhari)
Another great advantage in Islam is the notion of guardianship. When individuals understand the weight of their roles and the responsibilities entitled, society will move in a smooth pathway. The ruler would be both firm and just with the people, and so forth with any leaders in different positions.
Men would bear responsibility providing and caring for their families, women would understand that even if they chose to work or study they have nonetheless a crucial role in raising their offspring; this is not a minor role as many modern societies preach. How could it be when they are preparing new generations that would shape the progress of the society as a whole?
Follow Islam and you will live in peace, both in this world and in the hereafter. What more, you will have a guaranteed ticket to paradise, yes so powerful is Islam.
- aboutislam.net
What do you do when you have missed prayers? Click on this video to learn from Dr. Shabir Ally as he answers a question on how to make up for missed prayers. Very informative! - aboutislam.net
