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Post by Musalman on Oct 5, 2004 11:14:16 GMT
Our Prophet, peace be upon him, had taught us that there are three signs of a hypocrite: "When he speaks, he lies; when he is entrusted, he breaches his trust, when he makes a promise, he breaks it." This hadith is a perfect standard for every Muslim to check if he is one-third, two-thirds or a complete hypocrite. I think very few Muslims today will be to satisfy themselves that they do not suffer from one or more of these signs of hypocrisy…
Now let us see why we have come to this impasse? We repeat every day in one form or another that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is His servant and messenger but our outward behaviour fails to testify that we even understand the meaning of shahadah, let alone act and behave according to this belief.
Our mosques are still full but seldom a face betrays the signs of humility, piety and fear of Allah which should be the direct outcome of salat (Qur'an - 29:45).
We fast in Ramadan but abstinence from what Allah has prohibited is not visible in our daily lives. Ramadan, instead, has become a season for culinary competition and gluttony in all Muslim societies. The month of abstinence is the month of wasteful consumption for us.
We go to Hajj, which is the combination of all Islamic forms of worship, but the returning hajis show that almost nothing has changed in their lives. They were more busy shopping for the latest electronic gadgets in Makkah and Madinah than spending time in the blessed House of Allah and the Prophet's Mosque.
Some of us still pay zakat but not as an obligation and responsibility but as a favour to the poor. No attempt is made to pay it to a reliable fund or to the beneficiaries named by Allah (1. Poor, 2. needy, 3. collectors of zakat, 4. new converts, 5. [to set free] prisoners, 6. debtor, 7. in the cause of Allah and 8. travellers - Qur'an - 9:60). Rather zakat is paid these days to the seasonal beggars who make a beeline to the doors of wealthy Muslims during Ramadan or to the mushrooming madrasahs whose entitlement to zakat is questionable except to the extent of spending zakat on poor students. These days a few known madrasahs mop up most of the zakat funds while really needy Muslims remain deprived, especially those who do not beg whom Allah has specifically named as a beneficiary of charity (51:19, 70:25).
Having deprived every Islamic "pillar" of its spirit, we have turned them into rituals. Every religious act today is a mere ritual which is performed again and again without any attempt to understand its underlying spirit and demands on our daily life and character as individuals and as a community.
Ramadan, when life slows down all over the world of Islam, is a good time to pause, think and try to regain some lost ground. This alone will change our plight: "Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves" (13:11). q
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Jamil
Valued Member 
The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer
Posts: 1,749
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Post by Jamil on Oct 5, 2004 14:37:39 GMT
Mashallah, Mashallah, many thanks for the article Musalman.
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Post by ya habibi on Oct 5, 2004 19:55:10 GMT
I think everyone should be made to this article.This last para sums it up..........
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Post by simnani on Oct 5, 2004 22:06:12 GMT
Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." [Bukhari] ...
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Post by Qadiri Ashrafi on Oct 7, 2004 16:41:00 GMT
The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam delivered a thought provoking sermon on the last day of Sha'baan in which he said : " Oh Believers ! Be alert ! An auspicious month is about to dawn upon you , whose greatness and sanctity is not easy to comprehend.
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MRT
Senior Member
Posts: 1,214
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Post by MRT on Oct 8, 2004 0:32:42 GMT
This is an excellent thread brother Musalman, and you have chosen the perfect heading for it.
Certain aspects of our calendar do seem ritualistic, but doesnt everything, can you really judge another person's piety without 'living with him and knowing him' and who are we to judge anyway !
Seems crazy, but in some ways part of me agrees with the article and part of me doesnt. Didnt our Nabi s.a.a.w.s. say that contemplation is better than reading the Qur'an ?
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nizamuddin
Senior Member
Verily, Allah does not look towards your bodies nor towards your appearances.
Posts: 642
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Post by nizamuddin on Oct 8, 2004 14:34:23 GMT
Those who fear Allah subhanu tala the most pray there Namaz with sincereity and dignity, that is the difference brother.
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Javed
Senior Member
An ordinary Muslim is not equal to a practising Muslim.
Posts: 1,429
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Post by Javed on Oct 8, 2004 15:55:03 GMT
Subhanallaah.
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Faith
Senior Member
Posts: 670
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Post by Faith on Oct 13, 2004 19:57:37 GMT
mashallah brother. exellent thread!!!  |
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Post by sunnirazvi on Oct 14, 2004 21:22:22 GMT
One should be carful before making such sweeping statement, though the point is valid, not all worships of all people have become spiritless rituals. Everything is down to intention, so we need to make the right intention before doing these 'rituals' before eating, sleeping, walking, working, etc. "Therefore remember Me so that I remember you..." (Quran 2:152) So as long as one remembers Allah Ta'ala, i.e has the right intention, then ALL actions are worship inshAllah. The thread is based upon hypocrisy so there is that angle to it, but the author has written it very carefully and his words are chosen wisely. |
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Post by NoorSeeker on Oct 15, 2004 8:00:30 GMT
Apologies - post deleted.  |
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Post by blackburnashrafi on Oct 17, 2004 13:48:02 GMT
Ramadan, when life slows down all over the world of Islam, is a good time to pause, think and try to regain some lost ground. This alone will change our plight: "Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves" (13:11). q Salaam, Thanks Brother Musalman for this article. Ramadhan is definitely the time for us all to be doing a vigorous 'moral audit' (muhasibah) on ourselves. The purpose is to try and see what kind of Muslim we really are, what kind of Muslim we need to be and how to become a better Muslim. Insha-Allah Allah (the Rahman) will do the rest as he has promised in the Almighty Quraan "Vuj qurnee aj qurkum", "if you remember me, I will remember you". |
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Post by ya habibi on Oct 19, 2004 19:13:02 GMT
353)Hadith Number 5.
Abu Talhah Radiyallahu 'Anhu says: "We complained to Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam about the severe pangs of hunger, and showed him the stones fastened on our stomachs. A stone was fastened on the stomach of every one of us due to severe hunger. Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam showed us two stones fastened onto his stomach". (Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam experienced more hunger than we did, and he had spent a longer period than us since he had last eaten).
Commentary
It was a custom among the people of Madinah that they fastened stones onto their stomachs when they experienced severe pangs of hunger. This was done so that they do not feel weak while walking and that wind might not build up in the stomach. Some of the 'ulama are of the opinion that this is a special type of stone of Madinah known as mishba'ah. Allah Ta'aala has put this peculiarity in this stone that if it is worn it will cool the pangs of hunger. The first explanation is clearer, because even today this is done, that when severe hunger is experienced a cloth is tightly fastened around the stomach, which is beneficial for weakness and soothes the pangs of hunger. Some 'ulama say it is possible that wind collects in an empty stomach, and by fastening a stone or a heavy object, it gives relief from hunger. Some of the 'ulama have written that when the stomach is altogether empty, it is feared that the intestines will come down, especially when walking, and by fastening the stomach this fear does not remain. Also when the stomach becomes altogether empty, the back also becomes bent. It is possible that worms may appear. An objection may occur that in many ahaadith it is stated Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam fasted for many days continuously, and when the Sahaabah intended to do so, Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam forbade them to do so, and said: 'This is specially for me, that I can fast for many days without eating, because Allah Ta'aala feeds me and gives me to drink'. How is this eating and drinking? This is on its place, but we find that by outwardly not eating, hunger did not have an effect on Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam. In this case the necessity to fasten a stone on the stomach does not remain. Since there are many ahaadith on the fasting of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam, for this reason some of the 'ulama have according to the principles and rules of hadith regarded this as a da'eef (weak) hadith but the findings of the majority of the muhadditheen is that there are many narrations on this subject. The differences between this hadith and the ones on fasting are not of such a nature, that it cannot be said that these were on different occasions. Therefore, the necessity does not arise to judge these ahaadith as weak. Many sayings have been mentioned on these two hadith. (a.) The narration of fastening a stone was in the early periods. It is a fact that Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu. 'Alayhi Wasallam progressed spiritually as time went by. Therefore the narration on fasting will be that of a later period. (b.) The eating and drinking are particular with fasting. This is witnessed by the general Muslims too, that while in the state of fasting one does not feel the effects of hunger and tiredness as much as when one is not fasting. In this case what could be said regarding Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam when his fasting was of a high calibre and reached completeness. (c.) According to the different times both conditions are of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam, like it is with the mashaa-ikh of suluk (spiritual guides), that at different times they experience different conditions. In this manner it will not be necessary to regard this hadith as that of the early periods. It is possible that in later times both conditions were experienced. (d.) Surely the effect of hunger did not affect Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam. The fastening of stones was in sympathy and joining the poor and needy by becoming part of them. It is a general rule, that when the great experience some hardships, the fortunate young ones do not pay much attention to their own difficulties. In this case, what could be said of the Sahaabah Radiyallahu 'Anhum? whose love for Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam knew no bounds. (e.) Allah Ta'aala feeding Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam was surely in honouring him, and not something incumbent. At times when the Sahaabah experienced great poverty and hunger, and it reached such a stage where stones had to be fastened on the stomach, at such a time Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam did not take the benefit of such favours. When a child suffers hunger, food does not go down a mother's gullet. In such a manner what could be said about Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam, when his love for the ummah exceeded the love of thousands of mothers.
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