Anjung Maresmart 94/95

Rajab 5, 1428, A.H. - July 20, 2007, C.E.

Living the Quran

Surah al-Ghafir (The Forgiver) Chapter 40: Verses 2-3 Attributes of God "The revelation of this Book is from Allah, Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge,Who forgiveth Sin, accepteth Repentance, is Strict in Punishment, and hath a Long Reach (in all things). There is no god but He: to Him is the Final Goal." "Exalted in Power" He is Dominant over everything. His every decree concerning anybody is always enforced; none can fight Him and win; none can escape His grasp. "Full of Knowledge" He does not say anything on mere conjecture, but has the direct knowledge of everything. He knows in what lies the true success of man and what rules and laws and commands are necessary for his well-being. His every teaching is based on wisdom and correct knowledge, which does not admit of any error. Nothing from the acts and deeds of man can remain hidden from Him; so much so that He even knows the intentions of man, which are the real motives of his deeds. "Forgiveth Sin, accepteth Repentance" This attribute brings hope and causes inducement, which has been mentioned so that the people who have led lives of sin, should not despair but should reform themselves with the hope that if they refrained from their behaviour even now, they could still be redeemed by Allah's mercy. But one should remember that the concession of forgiveness of errors only refers to those believers who are free from defiance and who committed sins due to human weakness and not persistence in pride and sin. "Strict in Punishment" By this the people have been warned that just as Allah is Merciful for those who adopt the way of His service, so is He stern for those who adopt an attitude of rebellion against Him. When a person transgresses the limits where he can still deserve pardon and forgiveness from Allah, then he becomes worthy of His punishment, and His punishment is so dreadful that only a fool would persist in his wrongdoing. "Hath a Long Reach" He is Generous and Beneficent: all creatures are being showered with His blessings and favours every moment. Whatever the servants are getting, they are getting only through His bounty and beneficence. After these five attributes, two realities have been stated expressly: (1) That none but Allah is the Deity no matter how many false gods the people might have set up; and (2) that to Him everyone must return: there is no other deity which can call the people to account and reward or punish them. Therefore, if somebody makes another his deity, apart from Him, he will himself face the consequences of his folly. Source: "Towards Understanding the Quran" - Abul A'la Mawdudi

Understanding the Prophet's Life

Justice of the Heart The Prophet, peace be upon him, held one of his Companions, called Abu Lubabah, in great esteem, so much so that he had left him in charge of Medina when he had left for the first Badr expedition. Some time later, a young orphan came to Muhammad to complain that Abu Lubabah had taken from him a palm tree that had long been his. The Prophet summoned Abul Lubabah and asked him to explain. Investigations showed that the palm tree did belong to Abu Lubabah, and the Prophet judged in the latter's favour, greatly disappointing the young orphan, who thereby lost his most precious belonging. Muhammad privately asked Abu Lubabah, justice having now been rendered, to give the tree to the young orphan, for whom it was so important. Abu Lubabah adamantly refused: he had gone to such lengths to assert his right of ownership that to concede to this request was inconceivable. This obsession veiled his heart and compassion. Revelation was to recall, on both the individual and collective levels, the singular nature of the spiritual elevation that makes it possible to reach beyond the consciousness of justice, that demands right, to the excellence of the heart, that offers forgiveness or gives people more than their due: "God commands justice and excellence." [Quran 16:90] It was not a question of giving up one's right (and Abu Lubabah had been justified in requiring it to be acknowledged); rather, it involved learning to sometimes reach beyond, for the sake of those reasons of the heart that teach the mind to forgive, to let go, and to give from oneself and from one's belongings, moved by shared humanity or love. The Prophet was saddened by the reaction of his Companion, whom he held in great esteem: he realized that Abu Lubabah's almost blind attachment to one of Islam's recommendations, justice, prevented him from reaching the superior level of justice of the heart: excellence, generosity, giving. Eventually, another Companion, Thabit ibn Dahdanah, who had witnessed the scene, offered Abu Lubabah an entire orchard in exchange for that single palm tree, which he then gave away to the young orphan. Muhammad rejoiced at that outcome and did not resent Abu Lubabah's attitude. He later entrusted him with other missions. Source: "In the Footsteps of the Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, p. 133

Blindspot!

Sabr Sabr: refrain, stop Sabr means to stop ourselves from despairing and panicking, to stop our tongues from complaining to people and to stop our hands from striking our faces and tearing our clothes at times of grief and stress. Scholars say: “The one who has patience is the one who has trained himself to handle difficulties.” - Abu Uthman ” Patience means to keep close to Allah and to accept calmly the trials He sends, without complaining or feeling sad.” - Amr ibn Ithman al-Makki “Patience means to adhere to the rules of the Quran and Sunnah.” - Al-Khawwas “Patience means to seek Allah’s help.” - Ali ibn Abi Talib “Patience means not seeing any difference between times of ease and times of hardship, being content at all times.” - Abu Muhammad al-Hariri Source: "Patience and Gratitude" - Ibn Qayyim al -Jawziyyah