Showing posts with label ma'idah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ma'idah. Show all posts

Help One Another in Righteousness and Piety


أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 



 Al-Maidah 5:2

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلْهَدْىَ وَلَا ٱلْقَلَٰٓئِدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَٰنًاۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَٱصْطَادُواۚ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَئَانُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُواۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِۚ وَٱتَّقُوا ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ 

O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allah or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect the marking of] the sacrificial animals and garlanding [them] or [violate the safety of] those coming to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] approval. But when you come out of ihram, then [you may] hunt. And do not let the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram lead you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.

_______from Tafsir ibn kathir____

 Allah commands His believing servants to help one another perform righteous, good deeds, which is the meaning of `Al-Birr`, and to avoid sins, which is the meaning of `At-Taqwa`.

Allah forbids His servants from helping one another in sin, Ithm; and committing the prohibitions.

Ibn Jarir said that,

"Ithm means abandoning what Allah has ordained, while transgression means overstepping the limits that Allah set in your religion, along with overstepping what Allah has ordered concerning yourselves and others."

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said,

انْصُرْ أَخَاكَ ظَالِمًا أَوْ مَظْلُومًا 

Support your brother whether he was unjust or the victim of injustice.

He was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! We know about helping him when he suffers injustice, so what about helping him when he commits injustice?"

He said,

تَحْجُزُهُ وَتَمْنَعُهُ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ فَذَاكَ نَصْرُه 

Prevent and stop him from committing injustice, and this represents giving support to him.

Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith through 
Hushaym.

Ahmad recorded that one of the Companions of the Prophet narrated the Hadith,

الْمُوْمِنُ الَّذِي يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنَ الَّذِي لَا يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَصْبِرُ عَلى أَذَاهُم

The believer who mingles with people and is patient with their annoyance, earns more reward than the believer who does not mingle with people and does not observe patience with their annoyance.

________My reflections here______ 

This ayah reminds me to help each other in righteousnous and piety and not to cooperate in sin and aggression. But I am noticing we as Muslims don't cooperate in righteousness and piety while we are told not to cooperate in sin and aggression. Every Muslim organization (school, mosque, charity organisation) big or small starts up with great plans and sooner or later gets divided. Because we Muslims start to believe that we are the best and that creates the disputes among the people in the group. Satan also plays a very important role in creating ill feelings in hearts of Muslims for other Muslims. Family structures are getting affected as well because we have stopped to cooperate on righteousness and piety. Why? Because we are thinking every other person is committing sin. The reason that comes to my mind is because we stopped fearing Allah. And that's what Allah reminded us here. واتقوا الله

How can we know what is actually a sin until we fear Allah? I might actually be committing sins myselves without realizing. To me ruining the honor a muslim brother or a sister is a sin. To me belittling someone is a sin.I don't know when that Muslim brother or sister whose honor i am ruining unjustly become the most beloved to my Lord and just by ruining his or her honor I might become most disliked by my Lord. May Allah save us all from that. Ameen.

Sins are mentioned in Quran. Scholars have compiled books to describe major sins. And yet muslim have a hard time cooperating with people who are not committing major sins. 


May Allah increase our taqwa. Ameen. May Allah help us differentiate between sins and righteousness and piety. Ameen and May Allah help us cooperate in righteousness and piety. And May Allah save us in cooperating in sins and aggression.

Characteristics of a Believing Nation

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

 Al-Ma'idah 5:54

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۧ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ‌وٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ يُجَٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَآئِمٍۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ 

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

_________my comments start here____

Well I have no plan to revert from my religion insha Allah. Oh Allah let no deviate our hearts after You have guided us and grant for us from Yourself mercy. Ameen.

But I am still inspired by this ayah because it tells me about the characteristics of BELIEVING NATION

1.  Allah will love them
2. They will love Allah
3. They will be humble towards believers
4. They will be powerful against disbelievers.
5. They will strive in way of Allah
6. They will not fear the blame of a critic.

I wonder if I am part of the people who have these characteristics. About #1, I will never know until I meet Allah. About #2, yes I love Allah and I want to be around people who love Allah.
About #3, this is hard. Because Satan whispers me a lot. Satan whispers me in a way that may be person I am humbling towards is not a believer. But again how can I judge while Allah is the Best of Judges. About #4, it is easiest for me like all Muslims. About #5, it is hard. Because first fight is against our own soul and that is really hard. Subhan Allah. About #6, that is hard as well because that needs a lot of patience and gratitude. To do #6, patience is needed because blame always hurts and gratitude is needed because I need to thank Allah for having the critics because they help me to become better person insha Allah . Alhamdolillah 

Again doing all these things on individual basis is easy but this ayah is about the nation. Am I with people who are doing this? That is hard as well because we Muslims fight too much among ourselves. There is fighting in every group big or small. May Allah unite us Muslims. Ameen.

Characteristics of our Friends

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

 Al-Ma'idah 5:55

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ‌و وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمْ رَٰكِعُونَ 

Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed -  those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].

______my comments here____

This ayah inspires me because it tells me what kind of friends should I have. So well my friends should at least possess these characteristics

1. Believe
2. Establish prayer
3. Give zakah
4. Bow in worship

#4 was confusing for me initially because I thought we bow only in Ruku in salah. But this is different kind of bowing. This is bowing in worshipping to Lord. This is bowing on doing everything Allah ordered. And that is difficult very difficult.

May Allah grant us those friends who have these characteristics. Ameen.

On a funny note If I want somebody to be my friend, it is embarrassing to ask "do you give zakah". But over a period of 1 year I can find out if this person gives zakah or deserves zakah. So this gives me an idea, that it can take up to 1 year for me to decide if somebody should be my friend. 

Fortunately, if you are reading this post then you are definitely my direct friend or through some of my very close friend. Alhamdolillah. So let's not forget to give our zakah. ch

Sadness by Hastiness of Hypocrites

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

 Al-Ma'idah 5:41

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ لَا يَحْزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا ءَامَنَّا بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْۛ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواۛ سَمَّٰعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّٰعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَۖ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِۧۖ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَٱحْذَرُواۚ وَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ‌و فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ‌و مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْئًاۚ أُولَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۖ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 

O Messenger, let them not grieve you who hasten into disbelief of those who say, "We believe" with their mouths, but their hearts believe not, and from among the Jews. [They are] avid listeners to falsehood, listening to another people who have not come to you. They distort words beyond their [proper] usages, saying "If you are given this, take it; but if you are not given it, then beware." But he for whom Allah intends fitnah -  never will you possess [power to do] for him a thing against Allah . Those are the ones for whom Allah does not intend to purify their hearts. For them in this world is disgrace, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.

________________________________________________________________________________

This ayah inspires me because it was pill for Prophet Muhammad saw to get rid of sadness and what relieved Prophet Muhammad saw is going to relieve me as well insha Allah. Allah acknowledged that His messenger was saddened by the hastiness of those who say "we believe" and hearts of these people don't believe. 

I also sadden by the hastiness of some who say "we believe" and yet to me it seems like their hearts dont believe. But am i not becoming judgemental here? How can i judge a person while Allah is the Best of the judges. And how can i say they are hypocrites? Only Allah knows who is a hypocrite. But Allah mentioned an attribute of hypocrites in this ayah.

And that attribute is that they say " if you are given this then take it and if you are not given this then beware". Subhan Allah. So that is basically pick and choose habit that distinguishes hypocrites from believers. They take from Prophet's judgement only what suits them. So it is basically not entering Islam completely because Islam is obeying Allah and His messenger saw completely. Also these people used to distort words. And this happening today as well that Muslims are given totally different meanings to ayahs that don't conform to Quran and sunnah. Oh Allah save us from being hypocrite. Oh Allah make us believers. Ameen.

Allah also mentioned that these hypocrites are avid listeners to falsehood and to the people who don't come to Prophet Muhammad saw. How do I make sure that I am NOT an avid listner of falsehood? I know Quran is right. So listening to Quran can guarantee insha Allah that I am not avid listener to falsehood. And how do I make sure that I don't listen to those who dont come to Prophet Muhammad saw?  Prophet saw is not alive anymore but his sunnah is alhamdolillah. So I need to make sure that I don't listen to people who don't follow sunnah. 

There is also a warning in this ayah that "whoever Allah wants to put in fitnah, then nobody can do anything about it". Subhan Allah. May Allah save us all from such fitnah. Because these are the people Allah didn't intend to purifyvtheir heart. Oh Allah purify our hearts. Ameen. And for these people There is a disgrace in this world. Oh Allah save us from disgrace in this world and the next. Ameen.