Let Go with Heart – The Power of Tawakkul

 

He was devastated. His only source of nourishment had disappeared.

Suddenly, the world grew cold, and only strangers surrounded him.It was all he knew, and now it was gone.

The newborn child screamed. He thought his life was over.

What the child did not realize was that there was someone taking care of him. There was a plan for him. And in place of everything that had been taken away, his Protector would provide something better.

The nourishment he had once received only through blood would soon come through his mother’s milk. And the lifeless walls of the womb — once thought to be his only protection — would soon be replaced by the comfort of his family’s arms.

But yet, to the newborn child, it would seem he had lost everything.

Many of us find ourselves like this child. There are times when we feel we have lost everything, or things look broken and nothing like we wished they would be. At times we even feel as though we’ve been abandoned and nothing is working out the way we planned.

Tawakkul & Trust in Allah

Tawakkul is having full faith that Allah will take care of you — even when things look impossible. It is standing in front of the Red Sea — as Prophet Musa did — with an army behind you, and yet not even flinching, knowing that Allah will get you through. It is having full faith that when Allah takes away the umbilical cord, He will replace it with milk.But just like that newborn child, things are often not what they seem, and tawakkul (putting one’s trust in Allah) is realizing that our Protector has a plan for us. Tawakkul is having complete trust that Allah’s plan is the best plan.

There can be no faith without tawakkul; and if there is true faith, tawakkul must always follow. Allah says in the Quran:

For Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear His signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their trust in their Lord. (8:2)

If one truly understands the reality and the power of Allah, one will realize that it is in fact an infirmity of the human mind to not rely on Allah. Nothing in the entire universe happens except by the permission of Allah. Not even a leaf falls from a tree without His leave.

Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power. (67:1)

So how could we not but put our entire trust in Him?

Allah tells the believers in the Quran:

Say: “Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector”; and on Allah let the Believers put their trust. (9:51)

The Quran explains that:

And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. (65:3)

And the reality is that there is nothing and nowhere else that will be sufficient.

Whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. (2:256)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

If you trust Allah with the right kind of tawakkul, He will provide you sustenance as He provides for the birds: They go out in the morning with empty stomachs and come back in the evening with full stomachs. (At-Tirmithi, 2344)

Hoping and Striving and Letting GoAnd just as He does for the birds and the newborn child, Allah provides for us from places we could never imagine.

At first she was terrified. She called out to her husband, who now turned to leave.

“Will you leave us here to die?”

There was no reply. She called after him again. Still there was no reply. Suddenly she called out again:

“Were you commanded by your Lord to bring us here?”

“Yes,” replied Prophet Ibrahim.

It was then that her fear disappeared. Although she suddenly found herself alone in the middle of a desert with her young baby and no sign of water, she knew with full certainty that Allah would never leave her side. Her faith was strong…

But soon after Prophet Ibrahim left, her child, Ismail, began to cry from thirst. And although Hajar had complete tawakkul on Allah, she did not remain sitting, waiting for the water to fall down from the sky.

The reliance on Allah filled Hajar’s heart, but with her limbs she strove with everything she had. She began to run quickly between the mountains of As-Safa and Al-Marwah, looking for any sign of water for her son.

Each time Hajar came to the top of the mountain and found nothing, she did not despair. Her will was unshaken, and she continued to strive. In fact, Hajar strove so hard that her effort was commemorated in the Hajj ritual of Sa’i, which literally means “to strive.”

Many people confuse tawakkul with resignation and the cessation of striving. But by no means does having tawakkul mean ceasing to struggle. The story of Hajar serves as one of the most beautiful examples of this lesson that Prophet Muhammad taught us. One day Prophet Muhammad noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it and he asked the Bedouin:

Why don’t you tie down your camel?

The Bedouin answered:

“I put my trust in Allah.”

The Prophet then said:

Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah. (At-Tirmidhi, 2517)

Tawakkul is not an act of the limbs; it is an act of the heart. And so while the limbs are striving hard, the heart is completely reliant on Allah. This means that whatever the outcome of the limbs’ striving may be, the heart will be completely satisfied, knowing that the outcome is the flawless decision of Allah.

But in order to reach this level, one must hold on to hope, strive with the limbs, and let go with the heart.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)

About Yasmin Mogahed

Yasmin Mogahed received her B.S. Degree in Psychology and her Masters in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing her graduate work, she taught Islamic Studies and served as a youth coordinator. She also worked as a writing instructor at Cardinal Stritch University and a staff columnist for the Islam section of InFocus News. Currently she’s an instructor for  AlMaghrib Institute, a writer for the Huffington Post, an international speaker, and author, where she focuses most of her work on spiritual and personal development. Yasmin recently released her new book, Reclaim Your Heart, which is now available worldwide. Visit her website, yasminmogahed.com , where you can find a collection of her articles, poetry, and lectures. 

THE TRUE RICHNESS (PART 2 OF 2)

 

No matter how much money a person earns, in reality he only utilizes a very small fraction of it.  Ponder over the wise reminder from the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  Abdullah ibn al-Shakhir reported,

“I entered upon the Prophet and he was reciting ‘Alhakum al-takathur’:

“Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you.” (Quran 102:1)

He said,

‘The son of Adam would say: ‘My money!  My money!’ But do you have, O son of Adam, anything of your money, except that which you ate, and it was put to waste, or that which you wore, till it wore out, or that which you gave in charity, so you have sent it forth (to get its rewards in the Hereafter)?’” (Saheeh Muslim)

In this hadith, the Prophet reminded us that, in reality, all of our money is utilized in only three ways.  Firstly, the food that we eat, and this eventually is transformed into waste.  Secondly, the clothes that we wear, and this eventually wears out such that it is unusable.  Thirdly, the money that has been given out for the sake of God, and this is the only part whose benefit remains and returns to us.  So of what benefit is it for a person to gloat over ‘his money’, and boast about it, and be eager for it, when in reality so little of it is actually spent in such a way as to provide eternal benefit?

Because of these factors, the Prophet Muhammad reminded mankind that wealth is not proportionate to the amount of material possessions a person owns.  True wealth is to be content with what one has, and then to use it to strive for the everlasting reward of the Hereafter.  The Prophet said,

“Richness is not in the quantity of possessions (that one has); rather, true richness is the richness of one’s self (or contentment).” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

He also stated,

“That which is little yet sufficient is better than that which is much but distracts.”[1]

And in a third hadith,

“He is indeed successful who has been guided to Islam, and his sustenance was sufficient for him, and he was content with it.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Lastly,

“The best sustenance that you are given is that which is sufficient.”[2]

From this, we can clearly see that true success and wealth is found in the peace and satisfaction which results from sincerity in faith and practice.  The contentment of the heart is what makes a person realize and appreciate this true richness.  The Prophet described this richness in another hadith, where he said,

“Whoever amongst you wakes up, secure in his home, healthy in his body, having the bare amount of food that he requires for the day, then it is as if the entire world has been captured for him, with all that it contains!”[3]

This hadith has many benefits that can be obtained from it.  ‘Whoever amongst you...,’ means the Muslims, indicating the first and greatest blessing, namely, that of Islam; ‘...wakes up...,’ means that one has been blessed with life; ‘..secure in his house..,’ means without fear of attack upon one’s safety or the safety of one’s family; ‘...healthy in his body...,’ means that God has saved him or her from diseases and sicknesses; ‘...having the bare amount of food that he requires for the day...’ indicates that even the minimal amount of sustenance is a great blessing from God, for this is what the body and health requires, and many people do not even have this amount; and lastly, ‘..  .it is as if the entire world has been captured for him, with all that it contains,’ indicating that this is all that a person needs of this life, and everything that is in addition to this bare minimum is an unnecessary luxury.  Contentment with God’s provision, whether large or small, is contentment with life, and hence, the best wealth that a person can have.  The Prophet stated,

“Verily God tests His slave with what He has given him.  So whoever is content with whatever he has been assigned, then God will bless him in it, and give him more!  But whoever is not content (with what he has been given), then he will not be blessed in it.”[4]

Those who are content with their own provision and lot in life will lose concern over the wealth and status of others.  Such people have no concern as to how much money others have, what types of cars they drive, or the size of the houses they live in.  Those with pure hearts in this respect love God, and are grateful to Him, knowing that the goods of this world cannot buy happiness, or the blessings of faith and contentment.  In return, they are loved by God, and by fellow men and women.  This principle is so clearly outlined in the noble Prophetic tradition:

“Give up (hope of attaining) this world, God will love you.  And give up (hope of) whatever is in the possession of other people, and the people will love you.”[5]

In another narration, a person came to the Prophet and asked him, “O Messenger of God!  Narrate to me a hadith, and make it short!”  So he replied,

“Pray your prayer as if it is your last, as if you are looking at Him (God), for even if you do not see Him then He sees you.  And give up hope (of obtaining) what other’s possess and you will live a wholesome life.  And beware of anything that you might (later) have to make an excuse for.”[6]

So whoever sets as a primary goal the pleasure of God and the rewards of the Hereafter will be loved by God, and whoever avoids competing with fellow Muslims concerning worldly matters will be loved by the people.  And this wealth - the love of God and that of mankind — is far greater than any richness that money can buy.

The pious predecessors of this nation also realized this principle.  Awn ibn Abdillah[7] said, “The greatest blessing is that — when things become difficult for you — you appreciate what you have been given of the blessings of Islam.”[8]  So next time you are in severe financial circumstances, instead of looking at the material and temporary pleasures that you are not able to acquire, ponder instead over the “treasure of Iman (Faith)” that God has blessed you with, and appreciate the great fortune of being a Muslim!  Likewise, when you are overjoyed or distressed due to some monetary gain or loss, remember the statement of Muhammad ibn Suqah, who said,

“There are two characteristics which, even though God does not punish us for them, are reason enough for our punishment: we are overjoyed at a small gain that we receive from this world, and yet God has never seen us so happy for a good deed that we do, and we are so worried about a small matter that has missed us concerning this world, and yet God has never seen us so worried about a sin that we commit.”[9]

I will conclude this article by quoting the verse in which God reminded the Prophet and the believers to not long for the wealth of this world — wealth that has been given to those that have rejected submission to God - but rather to strive for the richness of the Hereafter:

“And do not look towards that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.” (Quran 20:131)

READ PART 1 -THE TRUE RICHNESS (PART 1 OF 2)

-islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Abu Ya’la, Ibn Adi and al-Albani authenticated it in al-Sahihah,

[2]Ibn Hibban. See al-Silsilah al-Sahihah

[3]Al-Tirmidhi, Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Ibn Hibban. Al-Albani agreed with al-Tirmidhi in his Silsilah

[4]Reported by Ahmad as mentioned in al-Sahihah.

[5]Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim. Al-Albani also graded it as authentic in al-Silsilah,

[6]Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Al-Tabarani.

[7]Abdullah ibn Masud. When he used to narrate hadith, his beard would become wet with tears. He died around 115 A.H.

[8]Ibn Abi al-Dunya, al-Qana ah wa al-Ta afuf.

[9]ibid

I Do Not Feel Connected with God: What Am I Doing Wrong?

 

You are truly fortunate, masha’Allah. May Allah grant you further guidance and steadfastness upon the Right Path. Ameen.

It is commendable that you are keeping a vigilant eye upon yourself regarding the level of your faith, and the love of Allah in your heart.

This indicates the presence of consciousness of Allah (taqwa), and a desire for self-improvement.

The Importance of Praying 5x a Day, Every Day

While reading your question, this statement of yours particularly caught my attention: “I try to observe five prayers (even if I often do not manage to do them at the correct time),”, and I immediately recognized a problem.

The foundation of Islam lies upon five pillars.

If any one or more than one of these pillars is shaky, weak, or absent; the whole structure remains at risk of collapsing as soon as it undergoes any form of stress.

Monotheistic belief in the oneness of Allah (and His names and attributes) is one of the foundational pillars of our faith in Islam.

Offering the five daily prayers – on time, with proper, unrushed bodily movements and full concentration, is another.

Not being able to pray any one or all of the five daily prayers on time is a red flag that must be immediately addressed and rectified.

The feeling of not being close to Allah that you have described, is one that any Muslim can go through at some point in their lives, however, if this state is allowed to continue, it can prove detrimental in the long run.

You should try to strengthen the faith in your heart in order to increase the love and closeness of Allah that you feel is lacking in it.

The strength of faith comes with a combination of two things: seeking beneficial knowledge and doing righteous actions.

Stay Away From Major Sins

Furthermore, one important thing to remember, is that doing all the obligatory good deeds is not going to increase the closeness to Allah in your heart if it is not accompanied by a proactive effort to abstain from sins, especially the major sins, and repentance for all the sin.

It is well known that sins cause the heart to become black and distant from Allah, unless they are accompanied by quick and timely repentance i.e. seeking forgiveness from Allah for these sins accompanied by a firm resolve to never commit them again.

Even if a Muslim does many righteous deeds, but commits sins at the same time without feeling guilty, they will never be able to feel close to Allah.

Please try to hold a mirror to yourself and find out if you are committing any major sins without regretting them and repenting for them; that could be causing the distance between you and Allah.

Please remember that repentance cannot work if the Muslim doesn’t consider something that Allah has forbidden to be wrong.

Seek Beneficial Knowledge of Islam

Secondly, you should resolve to seek beneficial knowledge of Islam.

In particular, seeking detailed knowledge about the specific branches of the Islamic creed (aqeedah) is very important, because this creed forms our monotheistic belief, which is one of the foundations of our faith in Islam, as I stated above.

Sitting in circles of knowledge with learned righteous people has another added advantage: one’s heart becomes enlightened with the light of guidance and wisdom.

Studying in-depth about all the aspects of our belief is the first step in rectifying our aqeedah, which, if incorrect, can not only render our righteous deeds null and void, but also make us feel distant from Allah, even if we outwardly pray, fast, and give charity.

For example, a Muslim who performs all the daily prayers and fasts during Ramadan, but has a shaky belief in the Akhirah (the hereafter), or in the Divine preordainment (Qadr), will not feel close to Allah no matter how hard he or she tries to perform all of his obligations.

The solution for such a person is to dutifully and studiously seek knowledge of the Quran in order to rectify and strengthen the belief in their hearts first.

Be Sure The Source of Your Income Is Halaal

Lastly, I would like you to check the source of your income, and your food.

When the money that a Muslim earns and with which they purchase the food that they ingest into their body is not completely halal, they end up becoming distant from Allah over time.

Both the source of a Muslim’s income, as well as the food that they eat, should be 100% halal.

Do you observe all the dietary restrictions of a Muslim, erring on the side of caution?

Does your job, or any aspects of your work, involve anything that is impermissible (haram) in Islam?

You should examine closely if anything that you are eating, especially meat, is haram, in addition to your source of income and job.

Make this part of your holistic introspective quest to remove any and every obstacle in your life that could be thwarting the faith and love of Allah in your heart from reaching the greater heights that you want them to reach.

I sincerely pray that Allah increases the faith in your heart, grants you lofty levels of righteousness and piety in this world, and high ranks of Jannah in the next. Ameen.

Allah knows best.

Salam/

---

(From AboutIslam’s archives)

THE TRUE RICHNESS (PART 1 OF 2)

 

Many people mistakenly assume that true wealth and real treasure is that of money.  It is indeed true that wealth is a great blessing from God which He bestows upon His servants.  And the one who earns it purely, and spends it properly, and gives it to those that deserve it, without a doubt earns a great reward from God.

But at the same time, wealth is not the greatest blessing that can be given to mankind.  Furthermore, no matter how much wealth a person has, eventually it will leave him, and pass on into the hands of others.  The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, reminded us of this when he asked the Companions,

“Who amongst you loves the money of his inheritors more than his own money?”[1]

They replied, “O Messenger of God!  There is no one of us except that he loves his own money more than he loves the money of his inheritors.”

So the Prophet replied, “But his money is only that which he sent forth, and the money of his inheritors is what he left behind.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

So in reality most of the money that a person owns will eventually end up in the hands of his or her inheritors, and only that part which was spent for the sake of God will actually benefit one in the Hereafter.

God emphasizes this point in the Quran with the teaching that:

“Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world.  But the permanent righteous deeds are better in your Lord’s Sight (to attain) rewards, and better in respect of hope.” (Quran 18:46)

So money and children can be a comfort and a pleasure of this life, but righteous deeds are what will remain permanently — not one’s family or wealth.  It is these righteous deeds which will bring a person God’s Pleasure, and through which a person can hope for an ever-lasting reward in the Hereafter.  The Quran clearly states,

“And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us, but only he (will please Us) who believes, and does righteous deeds; for such (people), there will be a double reward for what they did, and they will reside in the high dwellings (of Paradise), in peace and security.” (Quran 34:37)

In a well-known and oft-repeated parable, the Quran compares the life of this world to a crop that flourishes after rainfall, only to wither up and shrivel in a short period of time.  The Quran states,

“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris.  And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval.  And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.” (Quran 57:20)

Imam al-Sa’adi summarised the commentary of this verse when he wrote, in a very beautiful passage: In this verse, God informs us of the true nature of this world, and what it is really based on, and He explains its end, and the end of the people in it.  He informs us that it is a mere play and amusement, so our bodies play in it, and our hearts are amused at it.  And we see that this is exactly what the people that are following this world are upon, so you find that they have wasted their entire lives so that they can amuse their hearts.  They are in total ignorance about remembering God, and what they are about to face of rewards and punishments (in the Hereafter).  You see them taking their religion as an amusement and pastime.

And this is in contrast to the people of awareness, and the ones that strive for the Hereafter.  Their hearts are alive with the remembrance of God, and His knowledge, and His love.  And they have busied themselves with actions that will bring them closer to God, whether those actions will benefit themselves only, or also others.  And the phrase, ‘amusement and diversion’ means that they will try to beautify themselves in their clothes, food, drinks, the means of transportation, their houses and palaces, their prestige, and other matters.  The phrase, ‘boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children,’ implies that everyone is attached (to this world), trying to outdo others, so that he will be the victor in all its matters.  He wishes that he can satisfy all of his desires through it.  And (this occurs in money and children), so each one wants to be the one that has more than the other, in terms of money and children.  And this is what is occurring amongst those that love this world and are content with it.

But this is in contrast to the one who realizes this world and its reality, so he made it a passage, and not the goal.  So he competed in coming closer to God, and he took the necessary means to ensure that he would arrive at the promised destination.  So when he sees someone who tries to compete with him in money and children, he instead competes against him with good deeds!

Then, God drew for us a parable of this world.  It is like a rain that falls to the earth, and then mixes with the vegetation that is eaten by men and animals, until, when the earth spreads forth its beauty, and the disbelievers — those who cannot see beyond this life — are amazed at its fruits, the command of God comes upon it.  So it is destroyed, and it withers up, and dries, and it returns to its previous state, as if the land never gave any greenery, and as if no beauty were ever seen on it!

And this is how this world is!  While it is at its prime for its companion, sprouting forth with beauty, whatever he wants of its treasures he can take, and whenever he wants to obtain anything of it, he finds the doors to achieve it are open, when, all of a sudden, God’s decree falls upon it.  So all is the material gain he made from the world is removed from his hands, and his control over it is gone, or he himself is removed from it, so he leaves the world with absolutely nothing of it in his hands. In the end, he would have gained nothing from all of it except a shroud (in which his body is wrapped).  So woe to him who makes it his goal, and sacrifices everything for it, and strives and devotes his entire life to it!

And as for the actions of the Hereafter, then that is what will truly benefit.  It will store for its owner (the fruits of his work), and will accompany him forever.  This is why God stated,

“But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers), and (there is) Forgiveness from God and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers).” (Quran 35:7)

So, the Hereafter will be one of these two matters only.  As for the punishment, then it will be in the Fire of Hell, and its pits and chains, and all of its horrors.  And this will be for one who has made this world his goal, and the end of his journey, so he freely disobeyed God, and rejected His signs, and did not thank His blessings.

And as for the forgiveness from God for one’s sins, and the absolvement of all punishment, and the pleasure of God, then this will be for one who strived for the Abode of Enjoyment (Paradise) — the one who realized the true nature of this world, and therefore strived in truth for the Hereafter.

So all of this should make us lessen our desire for this world, and increase our desire for the Hereafter, and this is why God said, “And indeed, the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.”  So, this (life) is an enjoyment that a person can benefit from, and take his needs from.  No one except a person of weak mind will be deceived by it, and become content with it, and these are the ones that God will allow to be deceived by the Deceiver (Shaytan).[2] - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]In other words, who amongst you loves the money that is in the hands of the people who will inherit from himwhenhe dies (such as one’s sons and daughters) more than the money that he himself owns.

[2]Tafsiral-Sa’adi

KEYS TO HAPPINESS

 

Happiness is the only goal on earth that all people without exception are seeking to attain.  Believers and unbelievers alike seek to be happy, but each party is using different methods.

However, only believers can achieve genuine happiness.  All forms of happiness attained without a firm belief in God, the Almighty, are mere illusions.

The following are tips for the attainment of happiness:

1.    Know that if you do not live within the scope of today, your thoughts will be scattered, your affairs will become confused, and your anxiety will increase.  These realities are explained in the following hadith:

“When you are in the evening, do not expect to see the morning, and when you are in the morning, do not expect to see the evening.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

2.    Forget the past and all that it contained, focus on the present.

3.    Do not completely preoccupy yourself with the future and then discard the present. Be balanced in life,  prepare yourself adequately for all situations.

4.    Do not be shaken by criticism; instead, be firm.  Be sure that in proportion to your worth, the level of people's criticism rises.  Also, make good use of criticism in discovering your shortcomings and faults, and let it drive you toward self-improvement.

5.    Have complete faith in God and perform good deeds; these are the ingredients that makeup a good and happy life.

6.    If you desire peace, tranquility, and comfort, you can find it all in the remembrance of God.

7.    You should know with certainty that everything that happens, occurs in accordance with the divine decree.

8.    Do not expect gratitude from anyone.

9.    Train yourself to be prepared for the worst possibility.

10.  Perhaps what has happened is in your best interest, even though you may not comprehend how that can be so.

11.  Everything that is decreed for the believer is the best for him.

12.  Enumerate the blessings of God and be thankful for them.

13.  Remember that you are better off than many others.

14.  Relief comes from one hour to the next.  Indeed, with each difficulty there is relief.

15.  In both times of hardship and ease, one should turn to supplication and prayer, either patiently contented or thankful.

16.  Calamities should strengthen your heart and reshape your outlook in a positive way.

17.  Do not let trivialities be the cause of your destruction.

18.  Always remember that your God is Oft-Forgiving.

19.  Assume an easy-going attitude and avoid anger.

20.  Life is bread, water, and shade; so do not be perturbed by a lack of any other material thing.

“And in the heaven is your providence and that which you are promised.” (Quran 51:22)

21.  A daunting evil that seemingly will happen usually never occurs.

22.  Look at those who have more afflictions and be grateful that you have less.

23.  Bear in mind the fact that God loves those who endure trials with steadfastness, so seek to be one of them.

24.  Constantly repeat those supplications that the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, taught us to say during times of hardship.

25.  Work hard at something that is productive, and cast off idleness.

26.  Do not spread rumors and do not listen to them.  If you hear a rumor inadvertently, do not believe it.

27.  Know that your malice and your striving to seek revenge are much more harmful to your health than they are to your antagonist.

28.  The hardships that befall you atone for your sins, if you endure with patience. - islamreligion.com

The Scientific Facts in the Quran Caught My Attention

 

Eesa was only thirteen years old when he became a Muslim. And the scientific facts in the Quran that caught his attention.

Then in secondary school his cousin, who was fifteen years old at the time, embraced Islam; she used to come around to the house and tell his family about Islam.Before Islam, when he was still a ten-year-old child he had a normal life of going to school and hanging out with his friends.

The family members all had different opinions and there were many debates; Eesa was quiet and just listened.

One day when he was at home his cousin asked him to come to her house.

She showed him the Quran and asked him if he knew what it was. He said “no”. She explained that it is like the Bible the Christians have and that this is the book of the Muslims.

So he admits that he did not know anything about Muslims. He only knew what his mother had told him about Christianity.

His cousin spoke to him about Almighty Allah. And she said that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the messenger from Allah and that he had brought the Quran from Almighty Allah. She clarified that Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not write it, but was given it.

Scientific Science in the Quran

It was the scientific miracles in the Quran that caught Eesa’s attention. He mentioned how other people talk about a spiritual experience when they embrace Islam; but for him it was facts and figures.

What stands out in Eesa’s mind is the formation of the baby in the mother’s womb, the stars, the oceans. So he was amazed how science today acknowledges all these facts. He was blown away by this; he didn’t know there were people long ago who had talked about the stars and so on and had been right.

Learning About Islam

He decided to concentrate on prayer first. So he had basic books with Arabic transliteration and diagrams of stick figures. He says that since he learned about Islam there has been a lot more material to help new Muslims.Praying five times a day, following the dietary code, and the dress code were not difficult for him. After his cousin explained the basics of Islam, he decided that he would concentrate on one thing at a time.

At first, he did not tell anyone he had become a Muslim; he felt he was not ready to face the comments and criticism. He still did not know exactly what Islam meant.

Eesa asserts that his years of travel and study in Egypt and Yemen have taught him so much about the vastness and mercy of Islam. But back then, he thought he would keep it to himself for a while. He did not know anyone else who was Muslim except his cousin.

He got books on monotheism  from the local Islamic bookshop and books on prayer, fasting, the life of Prophet Muhammad…

After three or four months he attended a talk at the house of Abdur Rahman Green in South London.  The talks were in the front room of the house and everyone was sitting cramped up but listening attentively. Eesa says that he learned many of the basics of Islam in these inspiring meetings.

Growing up a Muslim got Eesa through school and college without getting into trouble. He noted that it is very easy to get involved in the wrong crowd; but all he could think of when he was young was if he performed ablution to be ready for prayer or when is the next prayer is due. Such concerns filled his mind while everyone else at school or in his neighborhood was talking about a rave going on in some place.

He was fifteen when he started to talk about his Islam. He had a friend who also became a Muslim. The two of them were in their own little world and that they hung around together. They often got into trouble for leaving the school in order to attend the Friday Prayer.

Despite his young age, Eesa did not think Islam is strict; he found that it just made sense. He understood why alcohol was prohibited. It made sense to him that people should not drink because he could see all the harm that came from it.

At Green’s home he learned about the kind of places and environment a Muslim should be in, and what he should and shouldn’t do. Eesa sees that there is nothing wrong to interact with non-Muslims until it comes to doing something wrong.Eesa said that he was not isolated from non-Muslims; there was always a line he would not cross, because there were things they were doing that he would not do, like raving.

He said that he and his non-Muslim friends talked and had fun and were nice to each other but when they wanted to go out he made lots of excuses.

Seeking for Knowledge

Speaking about the multitude of different Islamic groups in the UK, Eesa had this to say:

“The Muslim community is made up of so many different groups; but this is because there isn’t enough knowledge. People follow blindly and they do not know. They are given proof and a reason for doing something a certain way and they just do it; but they haven’t searched for the knowledge.”

He says that you can find real information on Islam but you have to search and you should not be lazy. The best place to be sure about the right knowledge is to read the Quran and then examine the Hadith.

Then, Eesa suggests that new Muslims should do some research on the lives of the companions and see how they put Islam into practice.

The companions received Islam from the hands of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)

About Selma Cook

Selma Cook has written a number of books including: Buried Treasure (An Islamic novel for teenagers), The Light of Submission (Islamic Poetry). She has also edited and revised many Islamic books.