Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Taking A Stand Surah Al-Imran (The House of Imran) Chapter 3: Verse 139 "So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For you must gain mastery if you are true in Faith." When a Muslim loses his physical power and is conquered, one's consciousness (taqwa) and faith (iman) does not depart from him. If one remains a Believer, he or she looks upon his or her conqueror from a superior position. One remains certain that this is a temporary condition which will pass away and that faith will turn the tide from which there is no escape. Even if death is his portion, he will never bow his head. It is the wisdom of God that belief remains independent of the glitter and glamour of worldly allurements, such as closeness to the ruler, favour from the government, popularity among the people or the satisfaction of desire. Indeed, the Believer does not borrow his or her values, concepts and standards from people, but takes them from the Sustainer of the people, God, and that is sufficient for the Believer. The person who takes a stand against the direction of the society - its common mode, its values and standards, its ideas and concepts, its error and deviations - will find himself or herself a stranger, as well as helpless, unless his or her authority comes from a source which is more powerful than the people, more permanent than the earth, and nobler than life. Let falsehood have power, let it have its drums and banners, and let it have its throngs and mobs; all this cannot change anything of the truth. He or she is a Believer, and whatever be the conditions and the situation, he or she cannot exchange error for the truth. Indeed, God does not leave the Believer alone in the face of oppression to whimper under its weight, to suffer dejection and grief, but relieves him of all this with the message: "So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For you must gain mastery if you are true in Faith." Compiled From: "The Noble Quran" - Abdullah Yusuf Ali, "Milestones" - Sayyid Qutb, pp. 274-279

Understanding the Prophet's Life Hygiene The practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is to be always clean, wearing fresh and neat-looking dress and having a pleasant fragrance. Imam al-Bukhari narrates the Prophet saying, "Allah will forgive the sins of the previous week for a person, who on Friday takes a bath, cleanses himself, puts on his [regular] perfume or any perfume available in the house. Then, he goes out [to Friday Prayer] and avoids separating two friends. Then he prayers wherever he can and listens to [the sermon of] the Imam." To take a bath on Friday is specifically required as it is the 'weekly Eid' of Muslims and a time for gathering and joy for the community in their homes and masjids. That of course does not mean that one should bathe only on Fridays but as often as is necessary for optimal health and hygiene. The Prophet did not set aside any specific time for bathing and would do so whenever he wished to, sometimes even in the middle of the night as Lady 'Aisha reported! Do not forget to keep with you a small bottle of perfume and to use it regularly to bring pleasure to yourself and those around you, as the ahadith clearly recommend. It is loved by humans and angels alike, and Allah loves what pleases His creation. Compiled From: "Islamic Manners" - Abdul Fattah Abu Ghudda

Blindspot! Paths to Peace Only in the crucible of self-mastery can freedom be smelted. Far from how others see us, far from our constant complaining, we all have a deep need for silence and introspection: the silence of our conscience. We need to listen to our hearts, to recognize our needs. Islam—like all spiritual traditions—teaches that we can never fully realize ourselves, never attain our freedom by acting against others, or in relation to the judgments—founded or unfounded—of others. To be means to return to our conscience, to our intelligence and our heart, and to pledge, to the full extent of our abilities, to know and to educate ourselves. Knowledge of God, the Qur’an reminds us, lies “between man and his heart”: God invites us to know ourselves, to rely upon our conscience, to seek responsibility. But above all God summons us to understand our faith, our practice as believers and ourselves. The Unique calls upon humans to become beings of conscience, to take themselves fully in hand and to become—overcoming all obstacles—forces for good, for human well-being and peace. It is time to stop lamenting if life fails to ease our suffering and our tears. Muslims must reconcile themselves with the full force of this message. Must rediscover the Divine One in intimate dialogue, and then, in confidence, find themselves. Must become responsible: such is the first freedom. Never lose hope: such is the ultimate message of Islam. To be, to know one’s self, to be thankful and to serve in the deep belief that peace lies in the intention and the meaning of all we do, and not in the visibility of the result or the sound of applause. The philosopher noticed: “What does not kill you makes you stronger”… life, which by definition does not definitely kill us, must be the way that strengthen us spiritually. Time, confidence and silence will be required; we must learn to care for ourselves. Islam needs Muslims—women and men—who understand its teachings, who attempt to live by them and who bear witness before humanity and Nature of its simple, luminous and yet demanding message: if you believe you seek; when you seek you love; if you love you serve; when you serve, you pray. Self-reconciliation, the empowerment of autonomy and freedom, can only come about through the mediation of those around us, with their respect, and in their service. Like the signs of the universe that remind us of the signs of our deepest intimacy, like the order of the cosmos that reflects peace of heart, we must learn, understand, step outside ourselves. To love and to serve means to step outside ourselves: to step outside ourselves holds the promise of self-reconciliation. A paradox, and such a beautiful truth. Compiled From: "Paths to Peace" - Tariq Ramadan