Radiant Reality July 2013

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Published From Srinagar.
July. 2013. Vol.14, No: 171.
Contents
1. EditorialControl That Everyday ScourgeIrritation
2. Question Answer
3. Lesson from the Quran
4. Lesson from Sahih al-Bukhari
5. Preparing for the Month of Mercy
10
6. The Fasting of Ramadan
13
7. Common Mistakes in Ramadan
17
8. Tsunami
19
9. Ramadan
22
Yearly: Rs 180/+Postage Rs. 120within country.
10. Be Mindful of Allah
24
11. On the Path of the Beloved - The Battle of Badr
26
12. What is Ramadan
30
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13. Reverts
32
14. Dealing With GriefI
35
15. The Sunnah as per the Quran
38
16. Praiseworthy MoralsShouq
40
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July. 2013
EDITORIAL
All thanks for Almighty, the most Merciful and Exalted
Brothers in Islam! Fear Allah and beware of wasting your life away in useless
matters. Make use of your time by doing
positive things, for it is by doing so that you
can achieve the pleasure of Allah.
Fellow Muslims! In the midst of the
hustle and bustle of this worldly life and the
severe struggle that people are going through
to acquire its treasures, man still realises that
he is desperately in need of a sanctuary in
which he can seek refuge and under whose
shade he can unwind in order to be able to
refresh himself and strengthen his determination to move forward in his journey to success.
Strength is an indispensable provision for a Muslim because it helps him to attain the truth and establish it, helps him to
gain authority on the earth, assists him to be
victorious and subsequently leads him to the
love of Allah and His pleasure. That was why
the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa
sallam) said: The strong believer is better
and more beloved to Allah than the weak
believer, But there is good in both. Therefore, all reasonable people will agree that
one must seek for and exploit all means that
can lead to the pleasure of Allah and His favours.
It is a manifestation of Allahs bountiful blessings on His slaves that He provides a
lifetime of opportunities for them by which
they can they attain this aim. Fasting and the
blessed month of Ramadan are at the forefront of these opportunities.
(Vol.14, No: 171)
Ramadan is a wide and expansive

avenue for developing ones strength in all
areas; abstention from food, drink and marital-relations during the day, being patient on
that, waking up in the night for prayers and
remaining steadfast on these are some of the
apparent means of strengthening ones will.
This is in fact an immense opportunity and
could be a turning point which is an object of
craving for the people who have vision; those
who humble themselves before their Lord
and seek the way of approach to Him. It is a
transformation towards a better way of life; a
change from the ignominy of sins to the glory
of obedience; from weakness and laziness to
strength and vigour; from bad customs and
detestable habits to righteousness and upright conduct.
Brothers in faith! Fasting contains
elements of strength, resoluteness and
strong will that are indispensable tools for
one who wants to attain high degrees and
prosperity in this world and the Hereafter.
Allah says, O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed
upon those before you so that you may become righteous. (Al-Baqarah: 183).
Fellow Muslims! The days of this
blessed month are drawing near. Therefore,
let those who were negligent hasten to recover what has been missed of good deeds.
Let them work in this blessed month for their
future, for the doomed is the one who is deprived of the Mercy of Allah in this month.
July. 2013
Question:
My husband has many female contacts on Facebook, BBM, and Twitter. He is
often on the phone till past mid-night. Once I
happened to see the content on his phone,
including some smses to women he was flirting with. Ever since, he has locked his phone
with a password. I am extremely hurt and
becoming despondent. Please advise what I
should do?
Answer:
Your situation is indeed tragic and
heartbreaking. Chatting with non-mahram
females is also a form of zina. Every form of
zina is a serious and major sin. Allah declares
And do not go close to zina, verily it is immoral and a path of deviation. May Allah
grant your husband hidayat and enable him
to totally refrain from these haraam acts.
You obviously wish to resolve the
issue in such a manner that your marriage is
not destroyed. If you confront him directly on
the issue, due to the intoxication of the
haraam he is involved in, he may react in a
way that may break the marriage. An intoxicated person is not able to think logically. He
cannot see the glaring harm and destruction
in the evil that he is engaged in. He cannot
see the tears of those crying around him. He
is oblivious to the pain and trauma that his
family is suffering due to his actions. Immoral
and illicit activities of any sort gradually intoxicate a person more than alcohol and
Radiant Reality
drugs. He then sinks into such foolish and

reckless behaviour which he too will later
deeply regret, but by then it will be too late
to undo the damage. May Allah keeps one
and all in His protection.
ONLY REAL SOLUTION
Therefore the only real solution is to
develop the consciousness of Allah in his
heart. Daily for at least ten minutes read the
book Fazaaile-Aamaal with the family. Encourage him to participate in the efforts of
Deen and to join the company of the pious.
Also create an atmosphere of Deen at home.
Ensure that salaah is performed on time, everyone in the family is reciting the Quraan
Shareef, engaging in the recitation of
tasbheehaat and zikr, etc. It is also extremely
important to daily engage in dua with great
humility and very earnestly.
Together with the above, it is vitally
important to remove all the tools of vice from
the home, such as the T.V., videos, music,
magazines, etc. May Allah guide us all to the
straight path and save us from the path of
following haraam desires and destruction.
Aameen.
Question:
How can one generate the true natural love for Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) within oneself?
Answer:
(Vol.14, No: 171) 3
Radiant Reality
One of the companions of Rasulullah

(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was Hazrath Anas
(R.A.). He was only ten years old when his
mother left him in the service of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam). He served Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) for ten
years. He loved his master dearly and Allah
Ta'ala's Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) also
loved him dearly.
Once Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to him: "O my beloved son! If it is
possible that you could commence the day or
night in such a condition that your heart is
free of malice for anyone, then do so! (i.e.
you should definitely try to acquire this).
Thereafter Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "This (keeping the heart clean of
any malice) is from my Sunnah. The one who
loves my Sunnah has indeed loved me. The
one who loves me will be with me in Jannah."
This clearly indicates to us how to
acquire the true love of Rasulullah (sallallahu
alaihi wasallam). By loving the Sunnats of
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and
practicing upon them one's love for him will
increase.
Question:
I do not have the enthusiasm and
eagerness to do any work (and to complete
my Tasbeehs, Tilaawat, etc.). I am forever in a
state of uneasiness. Shaitaani thoughts and
inclinations continue to bother me. Please
advise me how to overcome this situation.
Answer:
Generally there are three reasons for
such a condition overcoming a person:
1. Inappropriate company The
condition described could be as a result of
adopting the company of such people who
themselves are not inclined towards Zikr,
(Vol.14, No: 171)
July. 2013
Islaah, etc.
2. Consuming Haraam Often due
to a person consuming what was acquired in
a Haraam manner, he is afflicted with this
condition.
3. Sins A person is sometimes
overcome by this problem due to having
sinned.
Question:
I was very attached to someone. I am
now shattered by his disloyalty. As a result I
cannot even sleep at night. I continuously
perform Salaat-ut-Taubah and make dua, yet
my condition continues to deteriorate. Please
help me to overcome this problem.
Answer:
This world is a temporary place. It is
also very disloyal. It keeps a person for a few
days until he lives and then pushes him away
(to the next world). All the things that one
regarded as his own is also snatched away by
the world.
Similar is the condition of the worldly
people. They have no concept of loyalty. Only
those who regard this world merely as a
guest house (which one will shortly leave and
continue upon ones journey), or those who
regard it as a jail, neither get deceived by it,
nor do they deceive others.
When making zikr of Laa Ilaaha illAllah, imagine that you have removed all other
love from your heart and thrown it behind
you. Then meditate that only the love of Allah
has been firmly embedded in your heart. In
this world He is with us. In the Hereafter also,
He alone will be with us. He will never separate from us.
Try to embed this thought in your
heart as much as possible (insha Allah your
distress will be removed).
July. 2013
Radiant Reality
Commentary: Tafsir Division, Darul Uloom Ilahiya.
Surah Al-Imran (67-71)

Tradition of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (AS)
In order to dissociate Ibrahim from the claim of the People of the Book, Allah said: Ibrahim was
neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was upright1 Muslim (who inclined away from all other
religions towards the upright one); and was not of those who associate partners with Allah. 2
(67) The closest of people to Ibrahim (in point of faith) are those who followed him (in his
time), and this Prophet (Muhammad) and those who believe3 (i.e., the Muslims). And Allah is
the Guardian of all believers4 (Who helps them and gives them good recompense for their
faith in believing in all the Prophets without discrimination). (68)
1. Hanif (upright) means a person who holds fast to the one true path and abandons the false
ones; and Muslim is he who is obedient to Allahs decrees. One should himself ponder as to
who has held fast to the way of Allah and uprightly surrendered before Him; he is the one who
is close to the Ibrahimic (AS) tradition. (Uthmani)
2. He was the first who had the courage to proclaim Allah as the sole Creator of the universe;
to Whose Will all heavenly bodies are subject. (Majidi)
Islam and polytheism are two diametrically opposed doctrines. Islam means the absolute oneness of Allah with everything that this oneness entails. Hence, it can have no common
ground with any form of polytheism. (In the Shade of the Quran)
3. Ibn Abi Hatim (RA) has reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) addressed his
own tribe thus: O Quraysh, People closest to Ibrahim (AS) are those who fear Allah. Follow
this path, and it should not happen that people come to me (on the day of Judgement) bearing
good deeds and you come to me loaded with this world so that I divert my looks from you.
Then he recited this verse. Hasan al-Busri (ra) has added: Every believer is Ibrahims (AS)
friend: both from the past nations as well as those who will follow (until the end of the world).
(Vol.14, No: 171) 5
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
(Allaama Shawkani,- q.f. Ishraq al-Maani )
4. And Allah is the Patron of the believers Patronage between individuals, communities and
generations can only be based on faith. It is faith which unites one believer with another, one
Muslim community with another, and one generation of believers who surrender themselves
to Allah and all other generations, bypassing the limitations of time and place, blood and lineage, race and nationality. They are all united by their belief in Allah Who is the Gurardian of all
the believers. (In the Shade of the Quran)
Misguided People of the Book
When the Jews called some of the Companions to join their religion, the following was revealed: A group from among the People of the Book loves to mislead you (from your religion Islam), while they mislead none but themselves (because the sin for their leading (others)
astray falls upon them), and they do not realise1 (that Allah informs His prophet of this). (69) O
People of the Book! Why do you disbelieve 2 in the verses of Allah (revealed in the former
Scriptures to foretell about the advent of the Holy Prophet?), while you are yourself witnesses
3
(that those texts are the revelations of Allah)? (70) O People of the Book! Why do you confound the Truth with falsehood (by distorting and falsifying the scripture) and conceal the
Truth3 (- the mission of Muhammad, and the description of him) when you know (the reality)?
(71)
1. From the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), the infidels always had this desire
of misleading others and kept devising schemes to realize this, but this only serves to increase
their infidelity. Nowadays also, they do no cease in their efforts to act against the Muslims and
they still do not perceive that it is only enhancing the dark veil upon their hearts. (Illuminating
Discourses on the Holy Quran)
2. The Holy Quran has broadened the meaning of many words and has introduced them as
concepts. For this reason, it is almost impossible to render them in other languages with only
one word. Such words require explanation or description when translated. The original of
unbelief is kufr. It means concealing a truth and rejecting it willfully. In most cases, it originates in vainglory and egotism, obstinacy, mental and spiritual deviation, wrongdoing, having
an incorrect viewpoint, seeking self-interest, and gratifying ones ambitions. (The Quran with Annotated Interpretations)
There is proof in this verse that Allah considers the denial of the truth by deception an
evil act. (Dawat-ul-Quran)
3. Hide the truth, there are many ways of preventing the access of people to the truth. One is
to temper with it, or trick it out in colour of falsehood: half-truths are often more dangerous
than obvious falsehoods. Another is to conceal it altogether. Those who are jealous of a
prophet of Allah, whom they actually see before them, do not allow his credentials or virtues
to be known, or vilify him, or conceal facts which would attract people to him. When people
do this of set purpose, against their own light (while you know it), they are descending to the
lowest depths of degradation, and they are doing more harm to themselves than to anyone
else. (Yusuf Ali)
From these verses we come to know that Jews and Christians are jealous of Muslims
and they will keep on resorting to different methods to drive them away from the right path.
(Dars-e-Quran)
6
(Vol.14, No: 171)
July. 2013
Radiant Reality
Dr. Rafiq Ahmad
The Book of Ablution

Chapter 47 : To perform Gusul and Wudu
from a Mikhdab (utensil), a cup, or a
wooden or stone pot.
Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab
Here Imam Bukhari wants to convey
that two things are important for Wudu, viz.,
1. The water should be Taahir.
2. The water container should also be clean
whether it is a cooking utensil or cup
made of copper, wood stone etc.
Hadith No. 190
Narrated Anas (RA)
It was the time for prayer, and those whose
houses were near got up and went to their
people (to perform ablution), and there remained some people (sitting). Then a painted
stove pot (Mikhdab) containing water was
brought to Allah's Apostles The pot was small,
not broad enough for one to spread one's
hand in; yet all the people performed ablution. (The sub narrator said, "We asked Anas,
'How many persons were you?' Anas replied
'We were eighty or more"). (It was one of the
miracles of Allah's Apostle).
Hadith No. 191
Narrated Abu Musa (RA)

Once the Prophet asked for a tumbler containing water. He washed his hands and face
in it and also threw a mouthful of water in it.
Hadith No. 192
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Zaid (RA)
Once Allah's Apostle came to us and we
brought out water for him in a brass pot. He
performed ablution thus: He washed his face
thrice, and his forearms to the elbows twice,
then passed his wet hands lightly over the
head from front to rear and brought them to
front again and washed his feet (up to the
ankles).
Hadith No. 193
Narrated 'Aisha (RA)
When the ailment of the Prophet became
aggravated and his disease became severe,
he asked his wives to permit him to be nursed
(treated) in my house. So they gave him the
permission. Then the Prophet came (to my
house) with the support of two men, and his
legs were dragging on the ground, between
'Abbas, and another man." 'Ubaid-Ullah (the
sub narrator) said, "I informed 'Abdullah bin
'Abbas of what 'Aisha said. Ibn 'Abbas said:
(Vol.14, No: 171) 7
Radiant Reality
'Do you know who was the other man?' I replied in the negative. Ibn 'Abbas said, 'He was
'Ali (bin Abi Talib)." 'Aisha further said, "When
the Prophet came to my house and his sickness became aggravated he ordered us to
pour seven skins full of water on him, so that
he might give some advice to the people. So
he was seated in a Mikhdab (brass tub) belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet.
Then, all of us started pouring water on him
from the water skins till he beckoned to us to
stop and that we have done (what he wanted
us to do). After that he went out to the people."
Comments
Hadhrat Anas (RA) says that one day
it so happened that the time of Salaah came
nearer. The Sahaaba who were residing
nearby went to their houses to perform
Wudu. The other Sahaaba nearly about
eighty remained behind. There was very little
water for them to perform Wudu. This little
water was brought in a stone pot so small
that it was not possible to freely insert even a
single hand into it. Rasulullah (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) placed his blessed hand into
it and with the Barakah of Allah water started
flowing from the blessed fingers of Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and all the Sahaaba made Wudu with it.
In the second Hadith it is mentioned
that water was brought in a cup. At that time
the cups were usually of wood material.
In the third Hadith, it is mentioned
that the particular cup was made of copper.
In the fourth Hadith, Hadhrat Ayesha
(RA) says that when the terminal illness of
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) got
severe, he sought permission from all his
wives to stay with Hadhrat Ayesha (RA),
which they granted gladly. When his illness
got severe, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) asked the people to sprinkle seven
bags of water over him which was collected
8
(Vol.14, No: 171)
July. 2013
from the seven wells of Madihah. These

seven wells are still famous in Madina and
people take water from them to get blessings.
Chapter 48 : To perform Wudu from an
earthen-jar.
Hadith No. 194
Narrated 'Amr bin Yahya (RA)
(on the authority of his father) My uncle
used to perform ablution extravagantly and
once he asked 'Abdullah bin Zaid to tell him
how he had seen the Prophet performing ablution. He asked for an earthen-ware pot containing water, and poured water from it on
his hands and washed them thrice, and then
put his hand in the earthen-ware pot and
rinsed his mouth and washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it Out thrice
with one handful of water; he again put his
hand in the water and took a handful of water and washed his face thrice, then washed
his hands up to the elbows twice, and took
water with his hand, and passed it over his
head from front to back and then from back
to front, and then washed his feet (up to the
ankles) and said, "I saw the Prophet performing ablution in that way."
Hadith No. 195
Narrated Thabit (RA)
Anas said, "The Prophet asked for water and
a tumbler with a broad base and not so deep,
containing a small quantity of water, was
brought to him whereby he put his fingers in
it." Anas further said, ' noticed the water
springing out from amongst his fingers." Anas
added, ' estimated that the people who performed ablution with it numbered between
seventy to eighty."
Comments
These things have been discussed in
earlier chapters.
July. 2013
Chapter 49 : To perform
Wudu with one Mudh of
water. (Mudh is 2/3 of a
kilo).
Purpose of Tarjamatul Baab
In earlier chapters
Imam Bukhair (RA) was discussing the nature of water
and water containers. Now
he talks about the quantity of
water.
Hadith No. 196
Narrated Anas (RA)
The Prophet used to take a
bath with one Sa up to five
Mudhs (1 Sa'= 4 Mudhs) of
water and used to perform
ablution with one Mudh of
water.
Comments
Islam does not like
the wastage of water. In fact,
it tells upon the habit of a
person if he wastes a thing
which may be of a trivial importance. He carries on with
this habit and a stage reaches
when he starts wasting those
things also which are important or costly. The water is
usually freely available and
one usually over spends it
unnecessarily. We have been
taught not to waste water
even if we are performing
Wudu on a river bank. Here
in this Hadith, it is mentioned
that Rasulullah (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) used to take
his Gusul (bath) with not
more than five Mudhs. In
some Ahaadith even three
Mudhs are mentioned.
Radiant Reality
A Good Neighbour
Sulaiman bin Jahm Al-Ansaari (ra) once offered to
sell his house in exchange for a hundred thousand
dirhams. When those who were interested approached him, he asked them: The house is for sale
in exchange of a hundred thousand dirhams, but
how much will you pay for being the neighbour of
Sa'eed bin 'Aas (ra). They replied: Is that something anyone ever pays a price for? He said:
Then in that case, call this deal off! By Allah, I
can never leave such a neighbour who, whenever he
does not see me he enquires about me and whenever
he sees me, he is most warm and welcoming towards
me. If I leave home for any errand then he takes
special care of whatever belongings Ive left behind.
If I am at home then he always makes himself
available to assist me. If I have to ask him for anything then he grants it to me most willingly. And
when I dont ask then he approaches me enquiring
whether there is anything I need. If any calamity
befalls me then he is first to come to my aid.
When this reached Saeed (ra) he sent a hundred
thousand dirhams as a gift to him. (Risaalatul Mustarshideen pg. 197)
Lesson: Compassion and kindness are very great
qualities. These qualities earn the pleasure of Allah
and are also a means of great blessings in this world
and the hereafter. Equally important is to acknowledge and appreciate the favours of others. Sulaiman
bin Jahm (ra) appreciated these favours and whole
heartedly expressed his appreciation by praising the
good qualities of his neighbour. This gratitude became the means of even more favours showering
upon him. Therefore, always be grateful.
(Vol.14, No: 171) 9
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
Sister Maryam
A lot of us yearn to prepare for
Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start.
Below are a few tips to inshaAllah (Allah willing) help prepare our minds and hearts for
this upcoming Month of Mercy.
enormous, extra-special thing that needs to

be done at a certain time of the day. Many of
your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention inshaAllah.
Make the Intention

Simple to do, with a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and
your other activities, you just have no idea
how to fit in prepare for Ramadan time. Instead of separating prepare for Ramadan
from your daily activities, make your daily
activities a MEANS of preparation for Ramadan.
For example, perhaps your mom
asked you to pick up your brother from
school on the day you finally had time to read
a few extra pages of Quran. Instead of feeling upset as if you have lost a great opportunity to prepare for Ramadan, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to
please Allah (exalted is He) and prepare for
Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping
your family members, building ties of kinshipand the list continues.
The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent,
Do these Easy-to-Reap-Reward Actions

1. Ask Allah to forgive your brothers
and sisters. Whoever seeks forgiveness for
believing men and believing women, Allah
will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman. [Tabarani]
2. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah
RA) said The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) said: Whoever says subhan
Allah wa bi hamdih (praise and glory be to
Allah) 100 times, morning and evening, his
sins will be erased even if they are like the
foam on the sea. [Bukhari, Muslim]
3. If a person says, Subhan Allah
(glory be to Allah), 100 times, a thousand
good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away. [Muslim]
4. Remember Allah (swt) when you
go shopping. Whoever enters a market and
says: Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka
lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa
yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi
yadihil khair, wa huwa ala kulli shayin qad-
10
(Vol.14, No: 171)
July. 2013
eer. [There is nothing worthy of worship

except Allah, alone without partner, to Him
belongs dominion and praise; He causes life
and death and He is the Living and does not
die; in His Hand is all the good, and He is over
all things competent] Allah will write for
them a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels. [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by alAlbani]
Up Your Worship
To help condition your heart for this
blessed month, intensify your worship before
Ramadan begins. Just a small, consistent
amount is enough. The Prophet (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) told us: The deeds most
loved by Allah are those done regularly, even
if they are small. (Bukhari, Muslim)
For example, say I always pray 2
rakàt (units) of sunnah (compulsory prayer)
after ishaa (the night prayer) from this day
until Ramadan beginsand even through
Ramadan, let me make the intention that I
will now pray 2 extra rakàt of sunnah after
ishaa. And every time I pray these extra 2
rakàt, which are more than what I normally
pray, let me remember that I am doing these
with the intention of asking Allah (swt) to
help me be prepared to strive and exert my
utmost effort during Ramadan.
Make a Duà (prayer) List Today
This is THE MONTH to ask for EVERYTHING, both related to this life and the Next.
Let us not wait until the last 10 nights to
make special duà, and then once Èid passes
realize that we completely forgot about fifty
other things we needed to make duà for.
Lets start making our lists now, and add to it
as more things come our way. InshaAllah this
should help us remember to make constant
duà in this month where duaà is accepted,
and help our hearts pour out to the One Who
can make those duà happen, subhanahu wa
Radiant Reality
taala.
Write out Your Objectives for Ramadan
Praying all of your fard (obligatory)
prayers? Praying all of your sunnahs? Reading
the entire Quran? Giving $1 in charity a day?
Making itikaaf (a time for reflection and
prayer in seclusion) in the masjid? Leaving
one serious sin that youve been trying to get
away from for some time now? Sincerely
turning back to Allah (swt)? Write out a list,
put it somewhere you will see it, and make
duà for your success in fulfilling your objectives.
Make a Plan!
Look at your objectives and try to
plan out how to realize them in this month.
For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this
month, realize the enormity of the ajr
(reward) of praying the sunnah prayers. Think
that perhaps these sunnah will be the deeds
that will be heavy on your scale of good
deeds when you are intensely in need of
themon Yawm al-Qiyamah, the Day of
Judgment. Therefore, fight to keep doing
them all throughout Ramadan. If you cant
pray your 2 rakàt after dhuhr (the afternoon
prayer) right away, make sure to do them as
soon as you get the chance.
Your plan might look something like this:
Objective: Pray all of my fardh prayers.
Method: Envision myself on the Day of Judgment seeing the weight of praying my sunnah
consistently during this month. Make sure to
pray sunnah immediately after salah (prayer).
If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity
arisesdont let myself put it off!
Another example is that of finishing
the Quran:
Objective: Finish the entire Quran in this
month.
Method: Read 4 pages of the Quran after
(Vol.14, No: 171) 11
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every salah. 5
prayers X 4 pages =
20
pages.
20
pages= about 1 juz.
1 juz X 30= the entire Quran.
So many
Muslims
have
passed away since
last month. So
many people have
not made it to
Ramadan this year.
Last year was their
very last Ramadan.
Will you make it to
this Ramadan? Will
this be your last
Ramadan?
Aim
to
strive this Ramadan. With a very
small amount of
effort, such as just
making a small intention or adding a
few extra acts of
worship, we pray
that Allah (swt) will
help our hearts
soften and honor
us with making it
easy to turn to Him
and open up to
Him.
May Allah
(swt) make us of
the successful in
Ramadan,
and
make it easy for us
to turn to Him
completely
and
perpetually.
Ameen.
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July. 2013
Submit to Only One

Hadhrat Aisha (RA) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah (by acting on what is
correct) though he may be displeasing people, Allah will save him from
their trouble. And whoever looks for the pleasure of people (By doing what
they want) whereas Allah is displeased with him, Allah will assign him
to them
Advice: The most Treacherous Attack of Shaytaan.

When Shaytaan was rejected and thrown out of the heavens he said to
Allah: I swear that since you have sent me astray, I will lie in wait for
them on the straight path. Then I will Approach them (to mislead them)
from the front, from behind them, from their right and from their left.
The most treacherous attack of shaytaan is that he presents an irreligious
deed as a religious one, so that one engages in it as an act of righteousness
and hopes to get rewarded for it. Since the person performs it as a religious
act, there is no likelihood of him making Tawba. If someone is addicted to
obvious sins like adultery and theft there is a possibility that he may
make Tawba and give them up. However, if someone is doing something
wrong under the impression that it is a religious duty, then the question of
him making Tawba does not arise. Rather he will get more involved in it
day by day. This explains the words of shaytaan: I involved them in sins
but they frustrated my efforts through Zikr, Tawba and Istighfaar, thereupon I confused then in such a manner that it was then impossible for
them to escape.
Imam Ghazali (ra) has reported from Hasan Basri (ra) that shaytaan
says: I presented sinful deeds in an attractive form to the muslims but
they nullified my efforts through Istighfaar, then I presented before them
vices in the garbs of virtues, thus leaving no chance for Istighfaar.
Lesson: It is essential that in all matters of Deen, guidance be sought
from the way of Life of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and of

His Sahabah (RA). Acting contrary to the way of Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) involves a person in sin. Hadhrat Aaisha
(RA) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said,
Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah (by acting on what is correct)
though he may be displeasing people, Allah will save him from their trouble. And whoever looks for the pleasure of people (By doing what they
want) whereas Allah is displeased with him, Allah will assign him to
them
July. 2013
Radiant Reality
The institution of fasting is both unique and a shared experience in human history. From the
very beginning of time, humans have struggled to master their physical and psychological
selves: their bodies and their emotions.
Taha Ghayyur and Taha Ghaznavi

"Fasting in Ramadan develops in a
person the real spirit of social belonging, of
unity and brotherhood, and of equality before Allah. This spirit is the natural product of
the fact that when people fast they feel that
they are joining the whole Muslim society
(which makes up more than one fifth of
world's population) in observing the same
duty, in the same manner, at the same time,
for the same motives, and for the same end.
No sociologist or historian can say that there
has been at any period of history anything
comparable to this powerful institution of
Islam: Fasting in the month of Ramadan. People have been crying throughout the ages for
acceptable 'belonging', for unity, for brotherhood, for equality, but how echoless their
voices have been, and how very little success
they have met..." says Hammudah Abdalati,
in Islam in Focus.
"What is fasting?" "How does the
fasting of Muslims in Ramadan differ from
the fasting of other faiths?" "Why should one
'torture' one's body in the first place?" "What

do you really gain from fasting in the
end?"...These are a few questions that a
number of non-Muslim friends and colleagues often ask us, usually out of fascination with this spiritually-uplifting practice of
Islamic faith, and at times out of pity and
sympathy for us, thinking, why should anyone
suffer from hunger and thirst like Muslims? I
wouldn't be surprised if many of us shared
the same negative perception of Fasting.
It is important to note that Fasting in
Arabic is called, "Sawm", which literally
means 'to be at rest'. Fasting in the month of
Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic lunar
calendar) is one of the Five Pillars upon which
the "house" of Islam is built. During this
month, every able-bodied Muslim, is required
to fast, everyday from dawn until dusk
12 Reasons To Fast!
1. Fasting is an institution for the
improvement of moral and spiritual character
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of human being. The purpose of the fast is to

help develop self-restraint, self-purification,
Allah-consciousness, compassion, the spirit of
caring and sharing, the love of humanity and
the love of Allah. Fasting is a universal custom and is advocated by all the religions of
the world, with more restrictions in some
than in others. The Islamic Fast, as opposed
to mere starvation or self-denial, is an act of
worship and obedience to Allah, thanksgiving, forgiveness, spiritual training, and selfexamination.
2. Ramadan gives us a break and provides us with a rare opportunity to think
about our own selves, our future, and our
families. It is a time to give our selves a mental break and to temporarily forget about the
hundreds of worries and stresses we are constantly bombarded with. In hectic times, such
as ours, and in places like the West, this valuable time to think about our lives, on individual basis, is a luxury and is desperately
needed! It is a unique month of self-analysis,
and of taking stock of one's moral and spiritual 'assets and liabilities'.
3. Fasting indoctrinates us in patience, unselfishness, and gratitude. When
we fast we feel the pains of deprivation and
hunger, and learn how to endure it patiently.
The meaning of this powerful experience in a
social and humanitarian context is that we
are much quicker than anybody else in sympathizing with the oppressed and needy
around the world, and responding to their
needs. "It is the month to visit the poor, the
sick, and the needy to share their sorrows. It
is the month where the food, sustenance and
the earnings of a believing Muslim increases
and they are blessed," says the Final Prophet
of Allah, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), a man who was known for his noble
humanitarian causes, for social justice, and
for being the first to respond to other's
needs, despite the fact that he himself lived a
very simple and humble life. It is only during
14
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July. 2013
such a trying time as Ramadan that we can

reflect on the condition of those in this world
who may not be as fortunate as us.
4. Fasting in Ramadan enables us to
master the art of mature adaptability and
Time-Management. We can easily understand this point when we realize that fasting
makes people change the entire course of
their daily life. When they make the change,
they naturally adapt themselves to a new
system and schedule, and move along to satisfy the rules. This, in the long run, develops
in them a wise sense of adaptability and selfcreated power to overcome the unpredictable hardships of life! A person who values
constructive adaptability, time-management,
and courage will appreciate the effects of
Fasting in this respect as well.
5. It cultivates in us the principle of
sincere Love, because when we observe Fasting, we do it out of deep love for Allah. And a
person, who loves Allah, truly is a person who
knows what love is and why everyone on this
Earth should be loved and treated justly, for
the sake of Allah.
6. Fasting elevates the human spirit
and increases our awareness of Allah. It
strengthens our will-power as we learn to rise
above our lower desires. The institution of
fasting is both unique and a shared experience in human history. From the very beginning of time, humans have struggled to master their physical and psychological selves:
their bodies and their emotions. Hunger is
one the most powerful urges that we experience. Many, through over- or under-eating or
consumption of unhealthy foods, abuse this
urge. Thus, when a person purposefully denies something to their own self that it
craves, they are elevating their mind above
their body, and their reason and will above
their carnal passions. "A fasting person empties his stomach of all the material things: to
fill his soul with peace and blessings, to fill his
heart with love and sympathy, to fill his spirit
July. 2013
with piety and Faith, to fill his mind with wisdom and resolution," says H. Abdalati in Islam
in Focus. The person who can rule their desires and make them work, as they like, has
attained true moral excellence.
7. With the clarity of mind and absence of distractions, also comes a greater
focus. As students, the period of fasting, especially early during the day, serves as a tool
to focus our minds on our academics. In the
month of Ramadan, many Muslims try to
avoid watching TV, listening to music, and
some other leisure activities, which spares
them more time and energy to be spent on
more productive activities such as academics,
intense study of Islam, voluntary prayers,
social and humanitarian causes, and a quality
time with the family, to name a few. It is a
reminder of our duty to Allah, our purpose
and higher values in life, as Allah Himself describes the purpose of fasting as follows, "O
you who Believe! Fasting has been prescribed
for you as it was prescribed for those before
you, so that you may develop consciousness
of Allah" (Quran 2:183).
8. Fasting has numerous, scientifically proven, benefits for our physical health
and mental well-being. The time, length and
nature of the Islamic Fast all contribute to its
overall positive effect. One of the medical
benefits is a much-needed rest to the digestive system. The reduced food intake during
the day allows the body to concentrate on
getting rid of harmful dietary toxins accumulated as natural by-products of food digestion
throughout the year. The length of the Islamic Fast itself (around 12-14 hours) is in
sync with the 'transit time' of food from the
mouth to the colon of the large intestine,
ensuring that no stimulus reaches the stomach or digestive system while it remains in
homeostasis. Therefore, for the vast majority
of healthy individuals fasting poses no medical risks but in fact provides many health
benefits, such as: an increase in serum Mag-
Radiant Reality
nesium, essential for cardio-vascular health

and prevention of heart complications; improvement in the quality and depth of sleep;
improvement in memory and slower skin aging over time; increased production of
growth hormone, etc. Also, as a general note,
it has been observed that underfed animals
live longer than their heavily fed counterparts
and suffer fewer illnesses during their lives.
9. The month of Ramadan provides
us with a sort of "Boot camp." It is a month of
intense moral training. Since we know that
Fasting is a special duty prescribed by Allah,
we learn that any sins may spoil our record of
fasting with Allah, so we go through great
lengths making sure we are on our best behavior. Many people who experience fasting
in this month, feel the impact that this intense training has on their habits, and realize
the power of this transformative tool designed to make us better human beings- the
ultimate goal of any spiritual exercise. The
entire Ramadan atmosphere provides the
driving force for this positive change.
10. It makes us realize the reality of
life and death. Fasting makes us realize how
dependant our lives are on things that we
often take for granted, such as food and water. It makes us think about our dependence
on Allah and Allah's mercy and justice. Moreover, it reminds us of the life after death,
which itself has a great impact on our character and our world-view.
11. Ramadan is a blessed month for a
special reason: It is actually the month in
which Allah first revealed His final message
and guidance for mankind to our beloved
Prophet Muhammad. This message has been
perfectly preserved both orally and textually
in the form of a Book, called the Qur'an (The
Reading/Recital). Therefore, Muslims try to
do an intense study of the Quran in this
month especially, and evaluate their lives
according to the standards and guidance contained in it.
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12. After the

month of Ramadan is
over, Muslims celebrate
one of the two most important holidays in the
Islamic year: EID-UL-FITR,
or the Festival of the Fast
Breaking. It is a day to
thank Allah for the blessing and training that He
provides us with throughout the month of Ramadan.
EID-UL-FITR
is
marked by praying in a
huge congregation at an
Islamic center or mosque,
and by giving a small donation to the poor in the
community. The adults
give the donation on behalf of their children as
well. Dinner parties, family outings, fairs, carnivals,
and great joyous celebrations follow the prayer
and charity.
In a nutshell,
even though the real purpose of the dynamic institution of Fasting is to discipline our soul and moral
behavior, and to develop
sympathy for the less fortunate, it is a multifunctional and a comprehensive tool of change in
various spheres of our
lives, including: social and
economic,
intellectual
and humanitarian, spiritual and physical, private
and public, personal and
common, inner and outer
---all in one!
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July. 2013
Rules of a Muslim Home

Seeking Permission
A home is a place where one finds peace. Allah Himself declares in
the Holy Quran that He has created homes for us to acquire peace
and comfort. One can only enjoy this peace and comfort if one is
safe from unnecessary interferences and disturbances. Islam has
taught us a very important etiquette in this regard which is called
istizaan (to seek permission before entering a home). This will
ensure that the privacy of the inmates of the home is not violated.
The following are some important points regarding seeking
permission:
1. It is obligatory on every person to seek permission before entering another persons home. This is applicable even when visiting
ones mahram.
2. If a husband and wife are living alone, even then it is preferable
to make some sort of sound before entering to make ones arrival
known.
3. When seeking permission to enter, one should clearly mention
ones name in such a manner that the inmates would understand
who he/she is without any difficulty. If need be, he/she should also
mention his/her surname and the place where he/she comes from.
This is to help the host recognise who the visitor is and respond
immediately.
4. When knocking at the door or ringing the bell, one should not
knock so hard or ring so much that the inmates of the home get
upset. It should be done mildly with the sole purpose of letting the
inmates know that there is someone at the door. If after knocking or
ringing there is no answer then one should knock or ring a second
and a third time. If after the third time there is no answer, one
should leave.
5. Whilst standing at someones door, waiting for permission to
enter, one should not peep into the home. The hadeeth very
strongly prohibits one from peeping into the homes of others.
Some issues relating to the telephone:
The scholars have written that some of the laws of
istizaan (seeking permission) also apply when one person
phones another, since one is encroaching on his/her privacy.
Therefore the following points need to be adhered to:
1. Do not phone someone at a time when he/she is resting or busy
with some work.
2. If a person needs to speak for a lengthy period, he/she should
first make this known and request a convenient time when he/she
could be contacted, without any disturbances and imposing on the
other person.
July. 2013
Radiant Reality
By Sheikh Ahmad Musa

Focusing on food; to the extent that
people begin to worry about eating more
then actually fasting. This also goes along
with spending tons of money on Iftaars even
though a person does not need to eat that
much food.
Making Suhoor way before Fajr.
Some people eat Suhoor a few hours after
Taraweeh or Isha Salah, this is wrong. It
should be eaten closer to the time of Fajr.
People don't make Niyyah
(intentions) to fast for Ramadan. This is
something in the heart and does not need to
be verbal. Also it only needs to be done once,
at the beginning of Ramadan and not every
single day.
If you find out late that Ramadan
started, you should stop eating and fast for
that day, making that day up after Ramadan/
Eid ends.
Many people don't think you pray
Taraweeh on the first night of Ramadan (such
as tonight). They believe you pray it after the
first day you actually fast. They forget that
the Islamic calendar runs on the moon,
maghrib is the start of the new day.
Many people believe if you eat or
drink on accident this breaks your fast. This is
incorrect, if you do this on accident then you
continue fasting and do not need to make up

the day.
Some people take the opinion that if
they see someone eating or drinking they
should not remind the person that he/she is
fasting. This incorrect and it is an order from
Allah for us to ordain the good and forbid the
evil. Thus we tell the person, because we are
forbidding the evil this way.
Many sisters believe they cannot use
Hennah while fasting. This is incorrect, they
are allowed to use it during Ramadan.
Some sisters believe when you are
cooking you cannot taste the food to see if it
has the right spices/flavors. This is false, and
allowed in Islam as long as the person cooking is not eating the food. Rather they can
taste it to see if it needs salt, or more spices.
However, this is in case if the family head is
short tempered and get irked by tasteless
food.
Many people think you cannot use a
Miswak during Ramadan. This is false, for the
Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to
use a miswak during Ramadan. However,
people should remain careful with regard to
toothpaste.
Some people make the Fajr Adhan
early. They do this so people will stop eating
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before Fajr and not invalidate their fast. This

is wrong and something we should not do.
Some people make the Maghrib Adhan late. They do this so people will start eating late, just incase Maghrib has not come in
yet. This too is wrong and we should not do
this.
Many people believe you cannot
have intercourse with your spouse during the
whole month of Ramadan. This is false, you
cannot do this only during the times when
you are fasting. Between Maghrib and Fajr it
is permissible to do.
Many women believe that if their
period has just ended and they did not make
ghusl, they cannot fast that day (considering
their period ended at night, and they went to
bed without Ghusl, waking up without having
a chance to make it). This is incorrect, if a
women has not made Ghusl she can still fast.
Many men believe that if he has had
intercourse with his wife and did not make
ghusl (similar to the above) then he cannot
fast the next morning. This is also incorrect,
for he can fast even if he has not made Ghusl.
Some people pray Dhur and Asr
prayers together during Ramadan. (mainly in
Arab countries) This is incorrect and should
be avoided.
Some people believe you cannot eat
until the Muadthin is done calling the Maghrib Adthan. This is incorrect, as soon as he
starts a person can break their fast.
Many people don't take advantage of
making dua before they break their fast. This
is one of the three times when Allah accepts
a person dua.
Many people make the mistake of
spending the later part of Ramadan preparing
for Eid, neglecting Ramadan. This is incorrect
and these people lose the concept of what
Ramadan is about.
Many parents do not let their children fast during Ramadan (young children).
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July. 2013
This is something counter productive to a

child. By allowing him to fast he will grow up
to know he must do this act.
Many people think Ramadan is just
about not eating and forget about controlling
their tempers and watching what they say. In
actuality we are supposed to control our tempers and mouths even more during Ramadan.
People often waste their time during
Ramadan. They go to sleep during the day
and get nothing done. We should be taking
advantage of this blessed month by doing
extra Ibaadat.
Some people don't travel during
Ramadan. They think they have to break their
fast when traveling. This is actually optional,
if you want to break your fast while traveling
you can (with making it up later), and if you
don't you can continue fasting.
Many people who are able don't
make Itikaaf at the masjid. We should take
advantage of our good health and spend lots
of time at the Masjid, especially the last 10
days of Ramadan.
Some people believe they cannot cut
their hair or nails during Ramadan. This is also
false.
Some people say you cannot swallow
your spit during Ramadan. This too is false.
However you cannot swallow mucus that has
entered your mouth.
Some people say you cannot use
scented oils or perfumes during Ramadan.
This too is false.
Some people believe bleeding breaks
the fast. This is not true.
Some people believe if you throw up
on accident it breaks your fast. This is not
true, however if you do it intentionally it
does.
Some people think you cannot put
water in your nose and mouth during wuduh
in Ramadan. This too is incorrect.
July. 2013
A tsunami is a large tidal wave which

reaches heights of approximately 30 meters
and travels at a speed of up to 805 km an
hour. They often come in a series of waves
called a wave train.
Hence the destructive force is greatly
increased as every successive wave crashes
on the shore.
Tsunamis cause widespread destruction and havoc and seriously affect the lives
of thousands of people.
While the tsunamis that come from
the ocean cause disaster on earth, there are
tsunamis of a different form that crash on the
hearts of people. In the terminology of the
Quran and Sunnah, these tsunamis are called
fitna. These fitna tsunamis overturn hearts
and cause havoc and destruction to peoples
Deen and Imaan.
THE FITNA WILL GRAB HIM
Indeed fitnas are very dangerous and
extremely destructive. Allah Himself warns of
the severe consequences of fitnas in the following verse: And fear such a fitna (trial),
the consequences of which will not affect
only the wrongdoers (Al-Anfaal : 24). Thus
those around the wrongdoers will also be
engulfed in the worldly destruction, though
they will be saved from any punishment in
the Hereafter if they did what was in their
capacity to stop the fitna.
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) also clearly warned his ummah that
there will be such fitnas in the future that
Radiant Reality
even the one who peeks at it, the fitna will

grab him.
Among the most widespread fitnas
of the time is the fitna of the misuse of technology. The greatest manifestation of this
fitna is through the cellular phone. Despite its
many benefits, perhaps no other device has
caused as much harm and destruction as the
cellular phone. How many millions of hearts
has it engulfed in severe darkness by means
of the haraam that it provides at the press of
a button? Has not the sanctity of the Musjid
been trampled by cellular phones ringing,
especially with the sinful musical tones? Has
not the serenity of Itikaaf been severely disrupted by this phone? How many marriages
have collapsed and resulted in divorce, primarily due to misuse of the cell phone? How
many young and old have become involved in
numerous vices through the cell phone? In
numerous hands, the cell phone has become
a ticket to Jahannum. It has become a HELLPHONE.
Among the various vices committed
through the hell-phone, viewing porn and
illicit chatting have become a pandemic.
Many parents happily give their young angels highly advanced phones. Not my child,
he is very responsible, is the general answer
and attitude. May Allah make every child very
responsible and a shining example of taqwa.
However, there is also something which scientists call the curiosity factor. When
something is there, and especially if it is
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ple to just check it out. Very often the end

result of such curiosity is described in the
well-known saying curiosity killed the cat.
Most people who are addicted to this evil
initially merely peeked at it out of curiosity.
The fitna then grabbed them in its vice-grip.
July. 2013
not too bad. The crucial aspect though is the

remedy.
The first step of the treatment, and
insha Allah cure, is to acknowledge that one
has a serious illness. If one mis-diagnoses a
cancer as a common flu and treats it with
ordinary anti-biotics, in a short time the cancer will spread and result in the persons
death. Therefore, first accept that one is
dealing with a cancer. Hence emergency
treatment must be undertaken.
STATISTICS
Consider some of the latest statistics:
The average age that most children first see
pornographic material is 11. The largest consumers of internet porn are 12 to 17 year
olds. There are daily 68 million search engine CHEMOTHERAPY
requests for x-rated material. 37% of internet
Cancers are generally treated with
users viewed unsolicited pornographic mate- chemotherapy or radium therapy. These are
rial via pop-up adds, mixed
very harsh forms of treatment
links, etc. There are many more The average age that most and cause much pain and disheartbreaking and terrifying children first see porno- comfort. However, the one who
statistics with regard to the
seriously seeking cure from a
graphic material is 11. iscancer
disaster wreaked by the interundertakes such harsh
net, mainly via the hell-phone. The largest consumers of treatment. Therefore, without
Can one be complacent about internet porn are 12 to procrastinating,
immediately
oneself or ones children in the 17 year olds. There are adopt the following steps:
middle of such a tsunami?
daily 68 million search
Due to becoming inengine requests for x-rated CHANGE YOUR PHONE
volved in such filth from a
If you have misused
young age, many youngsters material. 37% of internet your phone, do not take any
are carrying this filth along into users viewed unsolicited more chances. Curiosity may kill
their marriages. Ulama and pornographic material via the cat again. It may kill your
social organizations are receivshame, marriage, family life
pop-up adds, mixed
ing an increasing number of eand, worst of all, could even
links, etc.
mails and calls from women
destroy your Imaan. Hence
complaining that their husbands are watching change your phone to a basic model which
the nauseating filth of porn. Some have be- does not have any internet or multi-media
come so utterly shameless that they indulge capability.
in this extremely obscene filth in the presIf you cannot bring yourself to
ence of their wives La hawla wa la quwwata change your phone, make a pledge with Allah
illa billah we seek Allahs protection from that if you ever misuse the phone again, you
every fitna especially the fitna of technol- will BREAK it into little bits and pieces!! Likeogy.
wise, if you misuse the computer or any
Merely discussing the above like a other device, pledge to Allah that you will
news item will not solve anything. The reason break it.
for highlighting some of the statistics is solely
Remember death. Sit for a few minto conscientise those who are of the miscon- utes and imagine that while watching someception that everything is OK or that its thing on the phone, you suddenly suffered a
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July. 2013
massive heart attack and

dropped dead. Your parents, spouse and children all came at the
same time to find you
dead with the phone in
your hand still displaying
the filth you were watching!!! There is an excellent section on death in
the
book Fazaail-eSadaqaat (pg. 565). Read
this for a few minutes
daily. By constantly doing this DAILY, it will develop the consciousness
of death and become a
barrier against sins.
Recite a portion
of the Quran EVERY
DAY. Also recite istighfaar and Darud 100
times each.
Spend
some
time daily to ponder and
reflect: Remind yourself
that you have to face
Allah and that involvement in this filth will
destroy you, your marriage and your children.
Ponder about the utter
shame and embarrassment if you are exposed.
Most
importantly, develop a close
bond with the righteous
and pious. Join the gatherings of Deen, where
the greatness of Allah is
constantly discussed.
May Allah protect us from every evil
and make us His true
servants. Aameen.
Radiant Reality
Inspirational Advice
Highway Robber becomes the Saint of the Time
Fudhail bin Iyaadh (RA) was a great saint and

scholar of his time. His initial years were spent in highway robbing. The incident of his repentance is as follows:
One night, as he was climbing a wall to meet a
girl that he was infatuated with, he heard someone reciting the verse:
Has not the time come for the people of imaan that
their hearts surrender to the remembrance of Allah
When he heard this, he immediately replied:
Undoubtedly O my Lord, the time has come, and he
returned. On his way back he took shelter for the night
at a certain place where there were other travellers as
well. He overheard their conversation where in someone had suggested: Let us continue with our journey. Upon this somebody replied: Not before the
morning, because Fudhail will rob us on the road.
He says: This left me thinking. How bad are
you? You are spending your night in vice, whilst other
Muslims are fearing you? It seems like Allah has sent
them for me to take heed. O Allah! I repent to You, and
as part of my repentance, I would pass the rest of my
life in the precincts of the Kabah in ibaadat. (Siyaru
Aalaamin Nubalaa vol. 8, pg. 423)
Lesson: Sometimes there are things that really
tug at our heart and make us want to turn to Allah
Taala. It may be something we perhaps heard in a talk,
or read in a book or just something that was advised by
a friend. These moments are special opportunities
which we should grab with both our hands and immediately sincerely turn to Allah. That moment may
change our lives forever.
(Vol.14, No: 171) 21
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down, a
guidance for the people, and clear verses of guidance and criterion. [2:183]
By: Suheil Laher
It is appropriate that every Muslim
should receive the blessed month of Ramadan with repentance, sincerity, resoluteness
and earnestness. He/she should make the
intention to perform extra acts of devotion
and worship therein, including the Night
Prayer (qiyam), recitation of Qur'an, and
abundant charity to the poor and needy.
On the authority of Anas (RA): The
Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), used to say the following when the
month of Rajab began. "Oh Allah! Bless us in
Rajab and Sha`ban, and bring us, oh Allah, to
Ramadan." [Tabarani, Ahmad]
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) addressed his companions
on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a
blessed month; a month in which is a night
better than a thousand months; month in
which Allah has made it compulsory upon
you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by
night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by
performing any of the (optional) good deeds
in (this month) shall receive the same reward
as performing an obligatory deed at any
other time, and whoever discharges an
obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive
the reward of performing seventy obligations
22
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at any other time. It is the month of patience,

and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is
the month of charity, and a month in which a
believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever
gives food to a fasting person to break his
fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will
be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall
have the same reward as the fasting person,
without his reward being diminished at
all." [Ibn Khuzaymah]
In another hadith, the Messenger of
Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) says,
"Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of
blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins
and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your
competition (in good deeds), and boasts
about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate
one is he who is deprived in (this month) of
the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." [Tabarani]
The preceding hadiths bring attention to readiness and preparation for receiving Ramadan. This is achieved by having a
clear understanding of this month in one's
mind, and greeting Ramadan with love and
yearning. Also, one should have the determination and intention to perform good deeds
July. 2013
and worship, and one should lay down a program to accomplish this in the days of the
blessed month.
It is communally obligatory upon the
Muslims to seek the crescent at the time of
sunset on the 29th day of Sha`ban, and the
29th day of Ramadan, in order to verify the
status of the start and end of their fasting.
When seeing the crescent, it is sunnah for the
Muslim to supplicate with the following supplication, which has been reported from the
Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
On the authority of Talhah ibn Ubaydullah (RA): when the Prophet (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) saw the crescent, he used to
say, "Oh Allah! Cause it to appear over us
with prosperity, faith (Iman), security and
Islam. (Then to the moon:) My Lord and your
Lord is Allah." [Tirmidhi.]
Qatadah said that he was informed
that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
used to say, when seeing the crescent, "A
crescent of goodness and orientation, a crescent of goodness and orientation, a crescent
of goodness and orientation. (To the moon:) I
believe in Allah who created you." (Three
times), and then he would say, "Praise be to
Allah who has taken away such- and-such
month and brought such-and-such
month." [Abu Dawud]
The month of Ramadan has excellences over the other months, as is testified
to by the Qur'an and Sunnah, and out of
these we will bring to attention the following
virtues:
1. It is the month of the Qur'an, with
regards to revelation and study. ("The month
of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the
Qur'an." [Qur'an, 2:185]). On the authority of
Ibn Àbbas: Angel Gabriel used to meet the
Prophet every night in Ramadan and used to
study Qur'an with him.
2. It is the month of seclusion. Ibn
Ùmar said, "The Messenger of Allah
Radiant Reality
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to seclude

himself for the last ten days of the month of
Ramadan."
3. It is the month of generosity. Ibn
Àbbas said, "The Messenger of Allah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to be at his
most generous in Ramadan."
4. It is the month of standing (in voluntary night prayer). On the authority of Abu
Hurayrah: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) said, "Whoever stands (in
voluntary night prayer) during Ramadan, with
faith and in expectancy of reward, his previous sins are forgiven him."
5. It is the month of the compulsory
fast, because of Allah's saying, "So, whoever
among you witnesses the month should
fast." [2:185] A terrible error prevalent
among people is to talk about Ramadan just
as they talk about the obligation of fasting, as
if Ramadan and fasting are synonymous, each
carrying the meaning of the other and not
anything more nor less. Yet, fasting is one of
many acts of worship in Ramadan.
Many reports have been narrated
from the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) explaining the distinction of Ramadan, of which we have selected the following.
"The month of Ramadan has come to
you; a month of goodness and blessing." [Ibn
Khuzaymah]
"The Master of the Months is Ramadan, and the Master of the days is Friday." [Ibn Khuzaymah]
"Whoever fasted Ramadan with faith
and in expectancy of reward, his previous sins
are forgiven him." [Bukhari and Muslim]
"When Ramadan comes, the gates of
Heaven are opened, the gates of Hell are
closed, and the devils are chained." And in a
narration from Nasa'i, the following words
are added: "and a caller calls out every night:
'Oh seeker of Good, draw near! Oh seeker of
Evil, desist!' "
(Vol.14, No: 171) 23
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
Ibn Daqiq Al-Ìd

On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) who said: One day I
was behind the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) [riding on the same mount] and he
said: O young man, I shall teach you some
words [of advice]: Be Mindful of Allah and
Allah will protect you. Be Mindful of Allah and
you will find Him in front of you. If you ask,
then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help,
then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know
that if the Nation were to gather together to
benefit you with anything, they would not
benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to
gather together to harm you with anything,
they would not harm you except with what
Allah had already prescribed against you. The
Pens have been lifted and the Pages have
dried. (Tirmidhi)
Another narration, other than that of
At-Tirmidhi, reads: Be Mindful of Allah, and
you will find Him in front of you. Recognize
and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and
prosperity, and He will remember you in
times of adversity. And know that what has
passed you by [and you have failed to attain]
was not going to befall you, and what has
befallen you was not going to pass you by.
24
(Vol.14, No: 171)
And know that victory comes with patience,

relief with affliction, and ease with hardship.
Explanation of the Hadith
The virtues and outstanding traits of
Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) are more than what
can be enumerated, and the Prophet
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) supplicated for
him and said: "Oh Allah! Grant him understanding (fiqh) of the religion and teach him
the interpretation", and he also supplicated
for him that he be given wisdom twice over.
It has been narrated that he [ibn Abbas (RA)]
said that he "saw Jibril (AS) twice", though
this narration is mursal and is not established. Ibn Abbas (RA) is the ocean of knowledge of this Ummah, and its learned scholar.
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) considered him to be worthy of carrying a legacy/advice from him despite his small
age, and so he said to him: Be Mindful of
Allah and Allah will protect you, and its
meaning is "be obedient to your Lord, ordering whatever He has ordered and forbidding
whatever He has forbidden".
Also the Prophets (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) statement : "Be Mindful of Allah
and you will find Him in front of you" means
"perform your actions for His sake out of
July. 2013
obedience to Him, and let yourself not be

seen to oppose or disobey Him, then you
will find Allah with you in times of difficulty", as happened to the three men who
fled to a cave to seek shelter from torrential
rain, whereupon a huge rock descended upon
the entrance to the cave and sealed it. So
they said to one another: "Look to the pious
actions that you have performed [in the past]
and ask Allah Almighty by them, for verily He
is the only One who can save us from this."
So each one of them mentioned a good action that they had performed previously,
purely for the sake of their Lord, so Allah removed the rock that was blocking the entrance to the cave, and they were free from
their imprisonment, and their story is well
known from the Sahih [of Muslim].
As for the Prophets (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) statement "If you ask, then ask
Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek
help from Allah [alone]", it guides us to having trust and reliance upon our Protector, and
that we should not take any deity except
Him, and that we should not depend upon or
be attached to anyone other than Him in all
our affairs, no matter how small they may be.
Allah Almighty says: {And whosoever puts his
trust in Allah, then He will suffice him}. (AtTalaaq 65: 3)
So according to the degree by which
a person relies upon others than Allah in his
desires and by his heart, or in his hopes, then
proportionately he has turned away from his
Lord to those who cannot hurt nor benefit
him. Moreover, one should not fear others
than Allah, as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) emphasised: "And know that if the
nation were to gather together to benefit you
with anything, they would not benefit you
except with what Allah had already prescribed for you". And this is the essence of
iman in qadr (divine will and destiny), and
having iman in it is obligatory, the good of it
and the evil of it. Once a believer has convic-
Radiant Reality
tion (yaqin) in this then he sees no benefit in

asking from others than Allah or seeking help
from them. Similar to this is the answer of alKhalil, prophet Ibrahim (AS), to the question
of Jibril (AS) when he was in the air having
been thrown towards the Great Fire : "Do
you have any need?" to which he replied: "As
for from you, then no. As for from Allah, then
definitely."
As for the Prophets (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) statement "the Pens have been
lifted and the Pages have dried", it further
emphasises what has preceeded, and there is
no contradiction with that by way of abrogation or change.
The next statement "and know that
victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship" informs him
(Ibn Abbas (RA)) to consider that man in this
world will be presented with trials and misfortunes, especially the pious, due to the
statement of Allah Almighty: {And certainly,
We shall test you with something of fear,
hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but
give glad tidings to As-Sabireen (the patient
ones); who, when afflicted with calamity, say:
"Truly! To Allah we belong and truly to Him
we shall return". They are those on whom are
the salawat (blessings) from their Lord, and
(they are those who) receive His Mercy, and
it is they who are the guided-ones}. (2:155157)
Allah Almighty also says: {Indeed, the
patient will be given their reward without
account}. (39: 10)
Summary
It is allowed for two people to be seated on
a mount if it does not over-burden the animal.
If one takes care about Allah's rights, then
He takes care of him.
If one takes care of Allah's rights, then He
helps him.
Contd on page 31
(Vol.14, No: 171) 25
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
The battle of Badr was the first battle between Muslims and Quraysh, and the first
victory for Islam and the truth against Quraysh and falsehood.
Amr Khalid
Contd from previous issue
The Qur'an talks about the battle in
what can be translated as, "As you were on
the closer embankment, and they were on
the remotest embankment" (8: 42). The Muslim army stood in Udwat duniya (the closer
embankment) and the Quraysh army stood in
Udwat al-Quswa (the farthest embankment).
The two armies could not see each other, and
the area between them would become the
battlefield. The caravan of Abu-Sufyan was
now far away from the battlefield."...and the
cavalcade (of riders) was below you" (8: 42).
"...and if you had made a mutual appointment, you would indeed have differed
about the promised appointment, but that
Allah might decree a Command that was to
be performed" (8: 42).
What is the significance of the places
of the two armies? Look at this miracle! Allah
is going to make it rain. The nature of the
land of the farthest embankment is that
when it rains it becomes muddy. Thus, the
26
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movement of the fighters would become

hard leading the army to be exhausted;
whereas the land in the closer embankment
is solid, so it would become easier to walk on
when it rains. All thanks be to Allah! Notice,
the timing of this miracle! When the Muslims
demonstrated their belief and strength, so
they became worthy of the support of Allah.
"Surely His Command, if He wills a thing, is
only to say to it, "Be!" and it is" (36: 82). Isn't
this nation humiliated nowadays? It could be
tomorrow the greatest among nations. It's
very easy and Allah is capable of that; but do
we deserve it? Allah has His own enactment
in the universe. He does not favor anyone.
The idle one who does not have a message to
carry to the world does not deserve Allah's
help.
On the night of the battle, it began to
rain, and Quraysh got soaked. Their great
number turned out to be a disadvantage as
they could not move freely; whereas the
small number of the Muslims turned out to
July. 2013
be an advantage as they were light and they

moved easily.
The Muslims were afraid and felt
apprehensive for the non-compatible battle.
Allah says what can be translated as, "As also
as your Lord brought you (The prophet (S))
out of your home with the truth, and surely a
group of the believers indeed are hating that.
Disputing with you concerning the truth, after
it had become evident, as though they were
being driven to death while looking (at it)" (8:
5-6). It was Allah who decided the time and
place of the battle. It was as if the battle of
Badr was led by heaven; angels are even going to descend after a little while in order to
help the Muslims.
Being anxious, the Muslims could not
sleep at night. Allah sends another miracle
and describes it in what can be translated as,
"As He was making drowsiness to envelop
you as secure (reassurance) from Him, and
sending down on you water from the heaven
to purify you thereby, and to put away from
you the chastisement of Ash-Shaytan, (The all
-vicious: one"; i.e., the Devil) and to brace
your hearts, and to make firm (your) feet
thereby (TMQ, 8: 11).
In the battlefield, the Muslim army
stood behind water wells so that the wells
were between them and Quraysh. One of the
companions, Al-Hobab Ibn Al-Mundher,
asked the Prophet (SAWS), "Has Allah ordered you to choose this place for the battle?
Or is it a war plan?" The Prophet (SAWS) replied that it was a war plan. Al-Hobab then
said, "The choice of this place is inappropriate." The Prophet (SAWS) asked him, "So,
what do you suggest, Hobab?"" He replied, "I
think we should fill up all the wells but one,
and place our army in front of it. Thus, we
can drink while they cannot. Being thirsty,
they are going to fight us for water, while we
are going to fight for our cause." The prophet
liked his suggestion and implemented it. Have
you seen anywhere where the individual's
Radiant Reality
opinion is respected thus? One of the main

causes of the passiveness of people is that
they know that their opinion is not going to
be heard or taken into consideration. How
great is our Prophet in each and every aspect!
As the prophet (SAWS) prepared the
army, he addressed them concerning Jihad
and its virtues. Any country on the verge of
war encourages its fighters to be brave and
courageous. There is nothing to be ashamed
of in relating the sayings of the Prophet
(SAWS) concerning Jihad and martyrdom in
its appropriate place. As long as it is not cited
to encourage destruction in our land. This is
the first Hadith talking about Jihad, "Vie
swiftly for a garden whose breadth is the
heavens and the earth." Meaning that whosoever dies today in the battle will be admitted to paradise. There comes the Ahadith of
Jihad, in their due time. Thus, we conclude
that the religious discourse should be in the
appropriate time and place; not anything can
be said at any time. We should not make use
of the enthusiasm of youths by the Ahadith
of Jihad when said in a wrong timing.
Umair Ibn-Al-Himam, one of the
Prophet's companions, wondered, "How
wonderful!" I wish I could be one of the inhabitants of paradise today." The Prophet
(SAWS) told him, "You shall be one of its inhabitants." When Umair said these words, he
was eating some dates before going to battle.
He threw them immediately as to not waste
any more time and went fighting until he died
as a martyr. He was one of the very first martyrs of Badr.
Other martyrs included Haritha. He
was an eighteen-year-old young man who
was a devoted worshipper to Allah. He used
to pray Qiyam (night prayer). Before the battle, he was mistakenly shot by an arrow. His
mother came to the Prophet (SAWS) crying
and asked him, "O, Prophet of Allah, is my
son in paradise so that I can rejoice? Or is he
(Vol.14, No: 171) 27
Radiant Reality
elsewhere so that I have right to lament

him?" The Prophet replied, "Mother of
Haritha, it is not one paradise that your son
got into but many; your son is in the highest
level of paradise." An eighteen-year-old
young man is in the highest level of paradise!
This is because he frequently prayed Qiyam
during Ramadan and prostrated himself to
His Lord. Such people are the ones who deserve the highest level of paradise.
The battle began when three fighters
from Quraysh stepped forward for man-toman combat: Otba Ibn-Rabi'a, Shaiba IbnRabi'a and Al-Walid Ibn-Otba. Three Muslims
from al-Ansaar stepped forward to fight
them, but they refused and demanded to
fight their peers (from the migrants). The
Prophet (SAWS) chose the following three: Ali
Ibn-Abu-Talib, Hamza Ibn-Abd-Al-Muttalib
and Abu-Ubaida Ibn-Al-Harith Ibn-Abd-AlMuttalib. Note that whenever sacrifice was
required, the Prophet (SAWS) sacrificed his
own family, not strangers. Are you convinced
now that there is no one in the whole world
who is great in every aspect except our
Prophet (SAWS)? The result of the fight was
the death of Al-Walid and Shaiba by the
hands of Ali and Hamza, respectively. However, Otba and Abu-Ubaida kept fighting until
Abu-Ubaida's leg was cut. When he was in his
last breath, he looked at the Prophet (SAWS)
asking him, "Have I done my duty, Prophet of
Allah?" Do you see the extent of love and
loyalty? The Prophet (SAWS) then said, "O,
Allah. I call You to witness that Abu-Ubaida
has done his duty." Have you done your duty
towards the Prophet? All this sacrifice happened so that Islam, truth, and reform are
spread; have we done our duty towards him?
Then a full-fledge battle began, and
the leaders of Quraysh fell one after another.
A great surprise happened from two boys.
The right wing of the Muslims, was led by
Abdul-Rahman Ibn-Awf (RA), and consisted of
only 15-20 people. He saw among his soldiers
28
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July. 2013
a fifteen-year-old boy called Mu'adh and his

cousin, a fourteen-year-old boy, called
Mu'awwedh. One of the two boys tugged at
his clothes and asked him, "O Uncle, where is
Abu-Jahl?" Abdul-Rahman Ibn-Awf was surprised and asked him about the reason for his
question. He told him that his mother told
him not to return home unless he killed AbuJahl. Then the other boy asked him the same
question and told him the reason he was
looking for Abu-Jahl, "I heard that he abused
the Prophet (SAWS), which is something I
cannot bear. I swear that I am going to take
revenge for the Prophet (SAWS)." AbdulRahman Ibn-Awf said, "They lifted my spirits.
I have never experienced such a feeling of
admiration as I felt towards these two young
men".
The Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS) is
forsaken nowadays. Who is going to defend
the Prophet nowadays? This is not a call for
murder or committing suicide; it is a call for
reforming our country for the sake of the
Prophet, so that we deserve to be part of his
nation.
On a side note, the prophet did not
allow children to participate in wars, in respect for the children's rights. However, he
allowed these two boys after their insistence
and after they proved to him that they can
handle being in the battlefield. The two boys
ran like two swift arrows. They tied the
swords around their arms as they could not
carry them in the normal way, being very
young. They agreed on a plan. Mu'adh told
Mu'awwedh, "You stab the horse so that the
man falls and I am going to stab him." They
implemented their plan as they intended it.
However, Ikrima Ibn-Abu-Jahl ran
after them and cut the arm of Mu'adh so that
it was left barely hanging from his shoulder.
Mu'adh said, "I found that my cousin was
going to reach the Prophet before me; I
wanted to deliver the good news to the
Prophet before him. I put my arm under my
July. 2013
leg and I took it off so that it would not be an

obstacle in my way to the Prophet. Then, I
ran to the Prophet telling him the good news
of the death of Abu-Jahl." Abdullah IbnMas'oud, the weakest among the companions of the Prophet, went to verify the truth
of this piece of news. He found Abu-Jahl in his
last breath, so he killed him. The irony is that
the death of Abu-Jahl took place at the hands
of two teenagers and the weakest man from
the companions of the Prophet.
The Prophet announced to the army
not to kill Abul-Bukhturi Ibn-Hisham, as a sign
of gratitude to him for his attitude with the
Muslims on the days of the siege. Note the
military ethics of the Prophet (SAWS), these
ethics which the world has only known after
World War Two. When one of the companions of the Prophet saw the man, he avoided
him instead of fighting with him. The man
was amazed, and he asked the companion of
the Prophet, "Why don't you fight me?" The
companion replied, "The Prophet ordered us
not to fight you." The man was amazed and
he wondered why. The companion replied,
"In order to show our gratitude for what you
did with us on the days of the siege." However, he ruthlessly asked him, "What if I
started the fight with you?" The companion
answered, "I'm going to flee from you, in
obedience to the Prophet's order." The man
kept chasing him until the companion was
forced to kill him to defend his life. He went
to the Prophet afterwards crying and apologized that he was forced to do so in order to
defend himself. The Prophet (SAWS) replied,
"Take it easy. I just wanted to show them that
we have gratitude."
Angels descend at the end, not in the
beginning, of the battle. This is because the
Prophet (SAWS) in the beginning of the battle
prayed and supplicated to Allah for a very
long time. "O, Allah; if this group of believers
are defeated, You shall not be worshipped on
earth anymore." It was not a matter of vic-
Radiant Reality
tory for the Prophet (SAWS); his main concern was the message, and he was crying.
This is the meaning of "...indeed Allah readily
granted you victory at Badr, and you were
humble" (3: 123). You should be humbled to
Allah in Ramadan so that He grants you victory after Ramadan. Jibril (AS) (Gabriel) descended with a thousand of angels in order to
stand by the believers. "As Your Lord was
revealing to the Angels, (saying), "I am with
you; so make the ones who believe stand
firm. I will soon cast into the hearts of the
ones who have disbelieved horror; so strike
above the necks, and strike every finger-tip of
them" (8: 12).
This is a very important lesson for
you, Muslims, to learn. You should put your
trust in Allah; however, at the same time, you
should exert your maximum efforts. Badr is a
very important lesson - well planning then a
miracle from Allah; the battle was lead by
heaven and at the same time there was a lot
of effort exerted on earth. Courage and seriousness on the part of the Muslims, and at
the same time rain and angels from heaven.
The result was a crushing victory for Muslims.
Everyone who harmed the Muslims in the
past was taken revenge from. Seventy of the
leaders of Quraysh were killed. even AbuLahab, who refused to join the army died in
Makkah in a horrible way. The Prophet
(SAWS) dug a pit called Al-Qulayb, in which
the bodies of the 70 dead people from
Quraysh were buried. He stood in front of the
grave and asked, "Have you found what your
Lord promised to be true?"
The battle resulted in the death of
fourteen of the Prophet's companions, 13 of
which are from al-Ansar and only one from
the migrants; their pledge with the Prophet
(SAWS) was a deal on sacrifice until the last
breath.
Are you going to dedicate your lives
to the message of the Prophet (SAWS)?
Contd on page 31
(Vol.14, No: 171) 29
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
Omar Al Owais
Ramadan. A once in a year opportunity of soul cleansing. A month in which we
are self deprived from food from dawn to
evening, in order to be one with the poor,
and the hungry. A month in which we enrich
ourselves with religiousness and rid ourselves
of the worlds poorness. Not material poorness. In fact, inner poorness is far more perilous than material poorness. It is the unavailability of compassion, sensitivity, tolerance,
acceptance, patience, and most importantly,
love in our hearts. Poorness of the soul is
caused by greed, selfishness and the love of
money.
How should it be spent?
Each and every aspect of our lives is
controlled by Allahs will. Hence, we are in no
knowledge of whether we will live to experience another Ramadan, let alone another
day. Therefore, we should invest all the
power and energy in us, and waste no time in
the process to rebuild our personalities, to be
better people, to be closer to Allah. Good
deeds, when practiced regularly, become
habits, which are inculcated in our souls.
Therefore, if we attempt to refrain from com30
(Vol.14, No: 171)
mitting sins during this sacred month, it will

be part of our nature to abstain from perpetrating sins, once the Holy month ends. In this
month, shall our prayers be in their most sincere form as Allah will respond to our hearts
deepest requests and relieve us from sadness
and depression. Fasting doesnt necessarily
mean to exclusively refrain from eating; fasting means to refrain from practicing all immoral acts, such as lying, backstabbing, slander, greed, etc. Shall they be practiced, then
it is the equivalent of braking our fasts. To
commit such acts throughout the year is as
sin as well, but it holds a graver consequence
during Ramadan. Our time during this holy
month should be occupied by our regular
prayers to Allah on their precise timings,
along with Taraweeh and Qeyam Al Leil
prayers and the recitation and the studying of
the Holy Quran once, twice and maybe even
thrice, along with donating our money, food
and time to the unfortunate.
Exploitation of the consumers
Recently, multiple consumer product
companies, advertising agencies and television companies have tremendously exploited
July. 2013
the consumers during this holy month. How

you may ask? Firstly, production companies
release their best series during Ramadan
and undergo extensive marketing campaigns
months in advance. Secondly, food production companies introduce new items as well
during Ramadan and undergo extensive advertising campaigns, which often depict consumers entering supermarkets in hoards purchasing food items in bulk amounts prior to
Ramadan, which is the unfortunate truth. Out
of all the months of the year, this is the least
month which should be characterized with
over eating or excessively spending money.
Ramadan is an opportunity to detoxify our
bodies, not fatten them. We should allow
ourselves to exhibit patience, tolerance,
moderation, and self restraint during Ramadan, not the complete opposite.
Benefits of Ramadan
The month of Ramadan contains numerous benefits, which will assist us spiritually and health wise. When fasting, we are
taught to endure long periods of time without food, and if done properly, will improve
our digestive system. Due to our everincreasing devotion to Allah, we will be closer
to Him, and He will guide us in living a better
life. Shall we be charitable, our money will be
blessed, as The Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) once said, A mans wealth is
never diminished by charity. Since committing sins is far worse during this holy month
than it is during any time in the year, shall we
abstain from committing immoral acts (lying,
backstabbing, deceiving, impoliteness etc.)
then it will be part of our nature to not commit any immoral act even when Ramadan
ends. Visiting friends and families during religious and cultural events is a principal component of our culture, so we should take advantage of this holy month in strengthening
the bonds and ties between us and the fellow
members of our community.
Radiant Reality
May Allah accept our fasting, forgive

our sins, and guide us all to the Straight Path.
May Allah bless us all during Ramadan, and
throughout the year, with His forgiveness,
mercy, and peace, and bring us all closer to
Him and to each other.
Contd from page 25
One must ask of Allah only, and seek His
help only.
We cannot be harmed or benefited by any-
thing or anyone, no matter how large they

are in number or strong they appear, except by the will of Allah.
What Allah has allowed in our destiny will
definitely occur.
One should remember and take care of
Allah's rights in times of ease, and Allah will
take care of him in times of difficulty.
Victory comes with patience.
Relief comes after suffering.
Ease comes after hardship.
Contd from page 40

THE NATURE OF UNS
Uns is a state of delight and pleasure
induced by true recognition of certain known
attributes of an object. In this state the object
is known only partially, part of it being hidden. The known attributes on which the gaze
Is focussed induce the condition of uns.
Uns is also a necessary corollary of
Muhabbat. Its acquisition is along with Muhabbat of Allah.
Contd from page 40
Are you going to love the Prophet
(SAWS)?
Is the Prophet (SAWS) going to be
satisfied with you?
Are you going to tell him that you
have done your duty towards him ?
(Vol.14, No: 171) 31
Radiant Reality
Moderation and temperance are keynote of

Islam
The simplicity of Islam, the powerful
appeal and compelling atmosphere of its
mosques, the earnestness of its faithful adherents, the confidence inspiring realization
of the millions throughout the world who
answer the five daily calls to prayer - these
factors attracted me from the first.
The broad-minded tolerance of Islam
for other religions recommends it to all lovers
of liberty. Muhammad admonished his followers to treat well the believers in the Old
and New Testament; and Abraham, Moses,
Jesus are acknowledged as co-Prophets of
the One Allah. Surely this is generous and far
in advance of the attitude of other religions.
Moderation and temperance in all
things, keynote of Islam, won my unqualified
approbation.
Col. Donald S. Rockwell
U.S.
Islam alone can satisfy the needs of every
member of the human family
Christianity must go the way of all
things, and henceforth perish and forever to
make room for the True Religion Allah to
mankind, and that is Islam, which is Truth,
32
(Vol.14, No: 171)
July. 2013
sincerity, toleration, looking to the interests

of man and pointing him to the Right Way.
Islam alone can satisfy the needs of every
member of the human family, and Muslims
are the only people among whom can be
found the "True Book of Brotherhood" in reality and not mere "make-belief" as in Christianity.
Sir Jalaluddin Lauder Brunton
England
Islam alone offers the solution of presentday problems
To the Western mind, the chief appeal of Islam must be its simplicity. Admittedly, there are one or two other faiths which
are as easy of approach but they sadly lack
the vitality of the Faith of the Prophet (may
Allah bless him), and the spiritual and moral
elevation which it offers.
Islam must also appeal by virtue of
its tolerance... Strangely Christian intolerance
awakened my first interest in Islam.
The Churches are utterly incapable of
grappling with present-day problems. Islam
alone, offers the solution.
John Fisher
Newcastle
July. 2013
Islam has always attracted me both by its

simplicity and by the devotion of its followers.
Since adopting Islam as my faith I
feel that I have come to a turning point in my
life, and to account for this, to give you some
idea as to why I have become a Muslim. I
have subjected myself to what I might call a
self-psychological analysis.
Islam had always attracted me both
by its simplicity and by the devotion of its
followers ... I was taught to regard all religions other than Christianity as blasphemous
and their adherents as heathens.
Islam has given me a very practical
method of breaking down the barrier of materialism in one of the Five Pillars of Faith,
namely `Prayer.' The Muslim prayer keeps me
constantly aware of my duty to Allah, to my
soul, and to my fellow creatures.
Khalid D'Larnger Remraf
The purity and simplicity of the Islamic Faith
and its obvious Truth made a special appeal
to me!
The purity and simplicity of the Islamic Faith, its freedom from dogma and sacredotalism and its obvious Truth made a
special appeal to me. The honesty and sincerity of the Muslims, too, are greater than anything I have seen in Christians.
Another beauty of Islam is its equality. It is only Islam that has real equality maintained between man and man and no other
religion has anything like it. The Faith of Islam
generates unity.
The Deen of Islam is also the cleanest
religion in the world because Muslims have
to wash the exposed parts of the body five
times a day, a practice not found in any other
religion of the world.
A. W.L. Van Kuylenburg (Known as M.A. Rahman)
In Islam I have found the true Faith for
Radiant Reality
which I had been seeking so long

I devoted a considerable amount of
my spare time to a thorough study of an English translation of the Holy Qur'an, and as I
read over and over again, certain of the
words of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah
exalt his mention), I could not help but see
that here, at last, in Islam I had found the
true faith for which I had been seeking so
long.
I would like to say that I feel confident, that if only people in this and other
Western countries can be brought to appreciate the full meaning of Islam, and what it
stands for, the ranks of Islam will be daily
swelled, only unfortunately there is a vast
amount of misapprehension in the minds of
many 'Free Thinkers' and others who still
cling to their old creed simply because they
require the moral courage to abandon a faith,
with the principles of which they are, at variance, and to embrace Islam.
Walker H. Williams
I have accepted Islam because it fits in so
well with my own ideas
A man becomes a truer Christian or a
Jew by way of Islam, than by any way advocated by the Christian or Jewish people today.
In Islam, there is tolerance and an
acknowledgement of universal brotherhood.
So, I may say, that I have accepted Islam because it fits in so well with my own ideas
about Allah and His beautiful plan. It is the
only Faith I really can understand. Indeed,
such is its simplicity and beauty that even a
little child can understand it.
Amina Le Fleming
Islam is the religion I have been seeking for
Islam is the religion I have been seeking for since my school days. My mind was
dissatisfied all along with the Christian teachings till I was old enough to have independ(Vol.14, No: 171) 33
Radiant Reality
ence of thought to shake them off. I came in

touch with the true religion of Islam. I became interested in Islam, whose keynote is
simplicity - for instance, belief in the Unity
(Unity is not the proper word to use, instead
the word 'Oneness' describes Monotheism in
real sense - Editor) of Allah. This is why it appeals to me.
The religion of Islam has given me
peace and happiness such as I never had before.
Miss Joan Fatima
If Britain and Europe were converted to Islam, they would again be powerful forces
for good
July. 2013
There is no version of Christianity

which is really satisfactory. Christians believe
that because of the fall of Adam and Eve, all
human beings are born in a state of original,
sin, and are unable by their own actions to
merit Heaven. Muslims, however, do not believe that people are punished for the sin of
Adam and Eve. They believe that all human
beings are born of innocence, and can only
lose their hope of Heaven by their own sins
when they are old enough to be guilty of deliberate wrong-doing.
If Britain and Europe were converted
to Islam, they would again be powerful forces
for good. British and European Muslims are
some of the best.
Khadija F.R. Fezoui
Imaan The Recipe to Happiness and Joy

All acts of ibaadat are branches of Imaan. Without imaan, there is no reward for any
act irrespective of the quantity. Amongst these ibaadats are those whose rewards are recurring. For example, the growing of a beard. For as long as a person has a beard, his
reward will be recurring at every moment of his life. Similar is the case of nikaah. Thus,
when this is the situation with some of the branches, then greater would be the case with
Imaan. Its rewards are recurring for as long as a person has faith and imaan.
If we only reflect over the details of Imaan then there would be no reason for any person to
grieve and be sorrowful. With Imaan we believe that Allah is the Absolute Controller of
all affairs. Hence, when we realise this then this is the recipe to happiness. We have the
tendency to look at things negatively and only think of the misfortunes and difficulties
that overcome us. Instead, forget the hardships and think of the many bounties and favours we enjoy.
For perfecting Imaan, there are certain requisites. These are outlined in the Quraan
where Allah explains three requisites: (1) Nabis (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) decision
is final in all matters. (2) There should not be even the slightest reservation within ones
heart and mind regarding the decision. (3) One should wholeheartedly accept the decision
irrespective of the circumstance and situation.
Therefore, for the preservation of our imaan, one simple method would be to make the
following duàa after every salaah: Tawaffanee muslimaw-wa alhiqnee bis saaliheen (O Allah! Make me die as a Muslim and join me in the ranks of the pious.)
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee
34
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July. 2013
Radiant Reality
J. Hashmi
War. Famine. Suffering. Not a day
goes by that the evening news does not report horrific stories of humanity in despair,
and of worldwide misery. On a more personal level, many of us have been stricken
with grief and depression in our day to day
lives. A loved one passes away. A financial
downturn. A cheating spouse. Why then
does Allah allow bad things to happen to
good people? This is a question that people
of many religious faiths have struggled with
for hundreds of years. It is one of the greatest stumbling blocks to faith and has led
countless people to disbelieve in Allah altogether.
Theists have tried to reconcile Allah
and evil in a number of ways. Some pagans
claimed that Allah hates evil, but He is powerless to prevent it. This idea, however, is rejected in the Quran, because it questions Allahs status as The Almighty (Al-Azeez), The
All-Powerful (Al-Jabbaar), The All-Strong (AlQawiyy), and The All Capable (Al-Qadeeir).
Others have claimed that perhaps Allah is
capable of removing evil, but He does not
know when or where evil will happen. This
idea relegates Allah to a fireman who only
comes to the scene of a fire after half the
building has burned down. Yet, this too is an

unacceptable claim, for Allahs Names in the
Quran include The All-Knowing (Al-Aalim),
The All-Seeing (Al-Baseer), The All-Hearing (Al
-Samee'), and The Constant Owner and Controller of Everything (Al-Maleek). In fact, it
would be considered blasphemous to question Allahs Power: if Allah wanted to remove
all evil on this earth, then nothing could prevent Him from that.
Polytheistic religions further another
hypothesis: Allah is good, but there are other
evil Allahs who frustrate His goodness and
spread corruption on this earth. Allah is
therefore locked in a struggle with these
other deities. Perhaps Satan is a counterAllah with whom Allah must constantly battle
with. Yet this ideaof multiple Allahsis
categorically rejected in the Quran, which
calls Allah as The One (Al-Wahid), The One
and Only (Al-Ahad), The First (Al-Awwal), and
The Last (Al-Akhir). The Quran stresses that
there are no Allahs besides Allah; for example, the Quran says:
Your Allah is but one Allah; there is no Allah
other than Him! (Quran 2:163)
With over a thousand verses to this
effect, it would be impossible to believe in
(Vol.14, No: 171) 35
Radiant Reality
multiple deities; rather, there is one and only

one supreme Allah.
The ancient Gnostics had such a
troubling time reconciling the evil of this
world with Allah that they concluded that
Allah Himself must be evil. People who further this claim argue that Allah cannot possibly be All-Powerful and All-Loving at the
same time. If Allah is capable of removing
evil and does not do it, He must therefore be
evil. Yet, this idea is unconditionally rejected
in the Quran, which declares that Allah is The
Most Loving (Al-Wadood), The Most Kind (AlBarr), and The Most Generous (Al-Kareem).
The Quran also refers to Allah as The Most
Merciful (Al-Raheem), The Most Beneficent
(Al-Rahmaan), The Most Forgiving (AlGhaffaar), The Lord of Infinite Grace (Dhul
Fadl al-Adtheem), and the Ultimate Source of
Peace and Safety (Al-Salaam).
Therefore, the Quran affirms that
Allah is both All-Powerful and Most Loving; so
how can these two qualities be reconciled,
given the fact that the world is full of evil?
The Islamic perspective is that Allah causes
bad things to happen in order to achieve a
greater good. Allah afflicts His servants with
suffering in order to mold them into the type
of people He wants them to be. Through
suffering, humans can develop qualities that
last forever: steadfastness and patience in
the face of great adversity, as well as great
humility and meekness. Most importantly,
suffering causes people to turn towards Allah
for help; it establishes and differentiates the
true believers from the false ones.
Suffering Causes People to Remember Allah
Human beings tend to forget Allah
when they are prosperous and only remember Him when afflicted with suffering. The
Quran gives the example of a ship: when the
ship is smooth sailing, then the occupants do
not remember Allah, but when the wind
threatens to capsize the ship, suddenly the
36
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July. 2013
occupants of the ship begin praying sincerely

to Allah. The Quran says:
Your Lord is He that makes the ship go
smoothly through the sea for you that you
may seek of His Grace, for He is Most Merciful
to you. When distress seizes you at sea, you
cry to nobody save Him (Allah), but when He
brings you back safely to the land, you turn
away (from Him). Most ungrateful is
man! (Quran 17:66-67)
This example can be applied to our
day-to-day lives. A person may forget Allah
when his financial situation is good, but if he
were laid off from work, then suddenly hed
be invoking Allah for help. When Prophet
Muhammad declared Allahs Message, it was
the poor and the slaves who made up the
bulk of his followers. The rich and prosperous leaders of Mecca, on the other hand,
continued to live a life removed from Allah.
It is well-known that rich peoplesuch as
actors, singers, and other celebritieslive the
most unAllahly of lives. Meanwhile, the
meek and needy cling to Allah more. This
means that suffering is not necessarily a bad
thing, and prosperity is not necessarily a good
thing. Allah says in the Quran:
But it may happen that you dislike a thing
which is good for you, and it may happen that
you love a thing which is bad for you. And
Allah knows and you do not know! (Quran
2:216)
This is all a part of human psychology: we forget Allah in good times, and we
remember Him during times of distress. So
Allah afflicts us with trials and tribulations so
that we may turn to Him and seek His Grace.
How many countless people have turned to
Allah and were guided to Islam after having
been afflicted with suffering upon suffering?
An example that comes to mind is of a wellmeaning politician who intends to do good,
but once he comes to power, the system corrupts him. Soon, he starts giving and taking
bribes; he begins to live the unAllahly life of a
July. 2013
rich politician, wasteful and extravagant.

Then suddenly, Allah causes him to be arrested; the man loses all of his wealth, his
wife leaves him, and he rots away in jail. Finally, after having pondered over his gains
and losses, the man turns to Allah. So bad
things happened to this man in order that a
greater good could occur. When he was
Radiant Reality
prosperous, he was heading towards Hell, but

when Allah afflicted him with distress, the
man changed his course; the temporary suffering of jail is indeed a small price to pay for
the Eternal Bliss in Paradise. In conclusion,
we see that Allah causes bad things to happen to good people, in order that a greater
good come to them in the long run.
Nasihah
All praise belongs to ALLAH and peace and salutations be upon Rasulullah (S). Our
Nabi (S) has said, The Deen is Nasihah! In other words, Islam means to wish well
for others. The origin of the Arabic word Nasihah is nash which has two meanings.
One meaning is purity and sincerity. It is said in Arabic; nasahal asla i.e. he
cleaned and purified the honey of all impurities and dirt. The second meaning of
nash is to repair or mend as in Arabic nasahas sawba i.e. to mend clothing that has
become torn.
Deen in reality is that a Muslim should be sincere and wish good for others. When
Rasulullah (S) said these words, He was asked, Towards whom? He replied,
Towards ALLAH, HIS Book, HIS Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and the
general body of the Muslims.
So, to be sincere and good towards ALLAH means to believe in HIM, to consider
HIM as HE is with all HIS attributes and to love HIM. It also means being grateful
to HIM for all the bounties HE has granted us, to fear HIM and not to disobey HIM.
And this is also the meaning of Nasihah or goodwill towards Rasulullah (S) that we
should love Him, follow His Sunnah, promote and propogate His way of life and
stand up against those that oppose His Sunnah and the Shariah. Nasihah (i.e. sincerity and goodness) towards the Book of ALLAH entails believing in it, and promoting
and propagating it by the means of Taleem and Tabligh. When the learned and the
leaders of the Muslims take any measures to spread or support the Deen, they should
be assisted, and if they veer off the straight path, ways should be sought to rectify
them, while keeping in mind their honour and respect. To deal with sincerity and be
good towards the general body of Muslims means to provide material and Deeni benefit to them. This includes assisting them and making an effort for them to practice the
whole of Deen.
This Hadith is very significant. The entire Deen can be attained by acting on this
Hadith alone. This is what Imaam Nawawi (Rahimahullah) has mentioned. This periodical has been initiated with the same purpose in mind. May ALLAH TAALA accept it and grant it every success and fulfillment of purpose, AAMEEN!
Maulana Fadlur Rahmaan Azami
(Vol.14, No: 171) 37
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
Ali Unal
The Sunna, the example of the
Prophet (S), is the main source of our religious life, promoted and encouraged by the
Quran. To cite a few verses:
It is not for any believer, man or woman,
when Allah and His Messenger have decreed
a matter, to have the choice in the affair.
Whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger
has gone astray into manifest error. (alAhzab, 33.36)
...Those who indeed believe in Our signs,
those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down
with them in the Torah and the Gospel, enjoining on them the good, and forbidding
them the evil, making lawful for them the
good things and making unlawful for them
the corrupt things, and relieving them of their
loads, and the fetters that were upon them.
Those who believe in him and succor him and
help him, and follow the light that has been
sent down with him they are the prosperers.
(al-Araf, 7.1567)
He Who raised among the unlettered ones a
Messenger from them, reciting to them His
signs, purifies them and instructs them in the
Book and the Wisdom. (al-Jumua, 62.2)
What is meant by the Wisdom in the
last verse is, according to most interpreters
of the Quran and the Traditionists, the
38
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Sunna. the Quran, being of a miraculous exposition, is never otiose nor exceeds the
proper terms: as Wisdom in the verse comes
after Book as a separate word, it must refer
to something different from the Book. the
Book is the Quran and the Wisdom is the
Sunna which expands on what is brief in the
Book and clarifies its ambiguities, specifies
what is unconditional and general and vice
versa, so that general principles or specific
rulings can be understood from what is commanded in the Quran.
The Quran in many verses enjoins
absolute obedience to Allahs Messengers.
This obedience is not due to their person, but
because of their mission as the officials of
Allah in guiding people to truth both individually and socially, materially, intellectually and
spiritually.
We have not sent a Messenger save to be
obeyed by Allahs leave. (al-Nisa, 4.64)
you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him. (alAnfal, 8.20)
Obedience to Allah means unconditional obedience to His Commandments in
the Quran and His laws in life and in the operation of the universe. Obedience to the
Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings,
is following his way in all the aspects of life, in
July. 2013
practicing the Quran, and in all the orders of

the Messenger besides the Quran. the Sunna
contains all the orders and prohibitions,
warnings and encouragements of Allahs
Messenger, who said: Take care! I have been
given the Book and its like together with it.
Verse 20 of al-Anfal warns the Muslims not to turn away from the Messenger.
Therefore, disobedience to the Sunna, even
belittling and criticizing it, amounts to heresy,
even apostasy.
There are many other verses which
emphasize the importance of the Sunna, or
following the example of Allahs Messenger
(S):
O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the
Messenger and those in authority from
amongst you. (al-Nisa, 4.59)
The verse stresses, besides obedience to Allah, obedience to Allahs Messenger, and the repetition of the verb obey in
the imperative mood points to the fact that
the Messenger has the authority to command
or forbid, and that the Muslims must carry
out his commands and refrain from his prohibitions. Besides, where obedience to those in
authority who share the same faith and feelings as the Muslims, is ordered, the Prophet
has a far greater right to be obeyed. Another
verse:
Allah and His Messenger and do not dispute
with one another, lest you should be dissolved
(dispersed) and your strength fade away; and
be steadfast. (al-Anfal, 8.46)
According to this verse, the strength
and unity of the Muslims lie in their submission to Allah and His Messenger. the Sunna is
the unique way or example set by Allahs
Messenger for the Muslims to follow. Also, it
is through the Sunna that a Muslim can live
according to the Quran. by putting the
Quran into practice, Allahs Messenger (S),
established the way which the Muslims must
follow. From this viewpoint, the Sunna is
more comprehensive than the Quran and,
Radiant Reality
without it, the Muslims cannot design their

life according to the Quran. So, obedience to
Allah is possible by obeying the Messenger or
by following his Sunna. This is explicitly stated
in the following verse:
Say (O Muhammad!): If you love Allah, follow
me so that Allah loves you. (Al Imran, 3.31)
Love of Allah is impossible for one to
acquire without following the Prophet, upon
him be peace and blessings. No one can claim
love of Allah, nor can he be loved by Allah,
unless he follows the Sunna. Another verse:
Surely there is for you in Allahs Messenger an
excellent example for him who aspires to Allah and the Hereafter, and mentions Allah oft.
(al-Ahzab, 33.21)
In order to secure himself against
any deviation and to follow the Straight Path
without going astray, a Muslim must cling to
the Sunna of the Prophet (S).
One day a woman came to Abdullah
ibn Masud (RA) and said: I have heard that
you call down Allahs curse upon the women
who have tattoos on their bodies, who pluck
hairs on their faces, who force their teeth
apart in order to look more beautiful, and
who change the creation of Allah. Ibn
Masud (RA) answered: This is to be found in
the Scripture of Allah. the woman objected:
I swear by Allah that I have read whatever is
between the two covers of the Book but
could not find anything in it related to this
matter, Ibn Masud (RA) concluded: Our
Prophet called Allahs curse upon the women
who wear wigs, who join somebodys hair to
theirs, and who have tattoos on their bodies.
And, have you not read in the Quran: Whatever the Messenger brings to you, adopt it,
and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it
(al-Hashr, 59.7)?2
The Quran also declares:
Nay, by your Lord, they will never become
believers until they choose you as judge to
settle the matters in dispute between them.
(al-Nisa, 4.65)
(Vol.14, No: 171) 39
Radiant Reality
July. 2013
Maulana Maseeh-Ullah Khan (RA)

Allah says:
Those who yearn for the meeting with Allah
(should take solace in the knowledge) that,
verily, the Time of Allah is approaching.
Rasulullah (saws) said: I ask of You
(O Allah!) sight of Your Face and Shouq
(eagerness) for meeting You.
THE NATURE OF SHOUQ
The condition of natural desire
(eagerness) which is a physical state to behold and fully comprehend a beloved object
whose perfection is only partially known is
termed Shouq.
Shouq is the initial stage of Muhabbat. At a later stage it develops into uns
(affection). At this stage the conditions prevailing during shouq do not remain. Among
such conditions are profuse crying and absorption in thought to such a degree that this
condition asserts its dominance. Some (along
the journey) consider such conditions to be
the goal (of the sojourn), hence become depressed when these are reduced in the state
of uns. However, there is no need to be concerned at this reduction in such feelings because the goal is not the state of shouq to be
perpetual that one should at all times be
engulfed in this state. The purpose is not to
eliminate natural desires neither is the purpose to create a constant throb in the heart.
40
(Vol.14, No: 171)
Rasulullah (saws), explained the limit of

shouq in the following way:
(O Allah!) I petition You for shouq for meeting You; such shouq which is devoid of hardship and which does not harm; such shouq
which is not a trial leading astray.
Sometimes excessive affection and
love bring about destruction. It brings about a
disturbance in righteous acts (amal) which
are in fact the medium for attaining Divine
Proximity. The true goal is achieved via the
agency of executing the Divine Commands.
Excessive shouq (eagerness) and ishq (love)
interfere with this means. At times when
shouq is overpowering, one transgresses the
limits of respect and makes such statements
which are disrespectful.
Most ush-shaq (those immersed and
lost in love) are guilty of disrespectful statements which they utter in states of ecstasy.
This disrespect is harmful although such disrespect uttered in ecstasy is forgiven. But, it
is not a condition of kamal (excellence). Rasulullah (saws) was perfect in obedience, respect and love, hence he made the dua mentioned above.
ACQUIRING SHOUQ
Shouq being a necessary corollary of
Muhabbat, its acquisition is by inculcating
Muhabbat of Allah.
Contd on page 31

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Published From Srinagar.

July. 2013. Vol.14, No: 171.

3. Lesson from the Quran

4. Lesson from Sahih al-Bukhari

5. Preparing for the Month of Mercy

6. The Fasting of Ramadan

7. Common Mistakes in Ramadan

Yearly: Rs 180/+Postage Rs. 120within country.

10. Be Mindful of Allah

11. On the Path of the Beloved - The Battle of Badr

12. What is Ramadan

14. Dealing With GriefI

15. The Sunnah as per the Quran

16. Praiseworthy MoralsShouq

P.O. Box 974 G.P.O.

All thanks for Almighty, the most Merciful and Exalted

(Vol.14, No: 171)

Ramadan is a wide and expansive

drugs. He then sinks into such foolish and

One of the companions of Rasulullah

(Vol.14, No: 171)

Commentary: Tafsir Division, Darul Uloom Ilahiya.

Surah Al-Imran (67-71)

(Allaama Shawkani,- q.f. Ishraq al-Maani )

(Vol.14, No: 171)

Dr. Rafiq Ahmad

The Book of Ablution

Narrated Abu Musa (RA)

(Vol.14, No: 171)

from the seven wells of Madihah. These

enormous, extra-special thing that needs to

Make the Intention

Do these Easy-to-Reap-Reward Actions

(Vol.14, No: 171)

eer. [There is nothing worthy of worship

(Vol.14, No: 171)

Submit to Only One

Advice: The most Treacherous Attack of Shaytaan.

Lesson: It is essential that in all matters of Deen, guidance be sought

from the way of Life of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and of

Taha Ghayyur and Taha Ghaznavi

'torture' one's body in the first place?" "What

of human being. The purpose of the fast is to

(Vol.14, No: 171)

such a trying time as Ramadan that we can

nesium, essential for cardio-vascular health

12. After the

(Vol.14, No: 171)

Rules of a Muslim Home

By Sheikh Ahmad Musa

continue fasting and do not need to make up

before Fajr and not invalidate their fast. This

(Vol.14, No: 171)

This is something counter productive to a

A tsunami is a large tidal wave which

even the one who peeks at it, the fitna will

ple to just check it out. Very often the end

not too bad. The crucial aspect though is the

(Vol.14, No: 171)