tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43658348867478403852024-02-20T11:41:29.205-08:00Ideal MosqueSultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-56546566916754593722017-02-20T06:18:00.002-08:002017-02-20T06:18:38.443-08:00Seek to Create Permanent Value<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">On February 6<sup>th</sup>,
during our regular meeting in the NYC, we discussed Chapter 46 from the <i>Quran
and the Life of Excellence</i>. Our discussion is based on the following
ayas:</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sura 17, Ayas 18-21</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If anyone seeks
transitory things, We hasten to him what We will of them, to whom We
wish: then We bring him hell where he is miserable and unwanted.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And if anyone seeks
for the future and strives for it, as it should be striven for, and has faith,
his effort is greatly appreciated. </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To everyone We give,
to this one and that one, from the gifts of your Lord; and the gifts of your
Lord are not restricted.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">See how We make some
of them excel over others; but the hereafter is of higher order and greater in
merit. </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">These ayas are looking
to remind us, as the entire Quran is looking to do, that the work we do,
whatever it is, and the thoughts we think, whatever they may be, will, in time,
bring a net result. We are continuously asked by God to reflect upon our
lives, that is, to examine our thoughts regularly as well as what we do every
day. We are asked to choose to do good works and focus our minds on what will
bring about those good works. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We can see why these
constant reminders by God are needed because we don’t often realize how quickly
time moves while we are looking to get through our days here. Eventually,
this should not be an additional something we need to add to the list of tasks
for the day. If we are serious about living a life worthy of God’s attention,
it will become a consistent and faithful practice of ours, just like living a
life of faith needs to be the only life we should eventually be leading and
striving for as we look to gain proper understanding of God’s message -- that
being the purpose of our asking for His guidance every day. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And it all starts with
our reflecting and thinking regularly about who we are and what we are looking
to achieve while here. By now, we should probably understand that it is
not about earning a livelihood and raising children which, in and of
themselves, are good works. But not thinking about how to transform our own
lives and make a difference in the lives of our children as well as those
around us, that is, not thinking about how we can become the best human beings
we can become -- through whatever work we do daily -- and propel ourselves
higher in God’s estimation, is missing the mark.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is not easy but God
reminds us, again and again, that those whose minds’ eyes are fixed on becoming
the best versions of themselves will never be the same as those who seek for
things that mean very little and will pass away as they pass away.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Commentary/Summary by
Alma Subasic</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-85760847748487296352017-02-19T07:42:00.001-08:002017-02-19T07:42:34.997-08:00Think Carefully About What You Wish For
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On January 9<sup>th</sup> 20017,
during our regular meeting in NYC, we discussed Chapter 44 from <i>The
Quran and the Life of Excellence</i>. Our discussion was based on the
following excerpts\ from the Quran:</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sura 17 Aya
11 </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People ask for things
that are bad as if they were asking for something good, for people are prone to
be hasty./People pray for things that are bad as if they were praying for
something good, for people are prone to be hasty.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Man is a creature of
haste (21:37)</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These words tell us
what God is seeing among people and is asking us to think things through before
asking for something. This clearly addresses what God is repeatedly
emphasizing throughout the Quran, which is that we need to take heed and
reflect on what we are doing because neither a prayer without conscious belief
nor an unexamined life will get us what we are hoping for and feel we are
entitled to because, in our mind, we follow God’s precepts to the best of our
ability. Only, and we can clearly say, <i><u>only</u></i> a
life that incorporates our having consciously striven to understand what God is
looking to teach us through our own unique difficulties and lenses will, with
patient perseverance and holding on to His rope at difficult moments, in time,
lead us to the right kind of understanding, increased faith, and a life truly
lived in service to Him and through that, in service to the humanity. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To bring this closer
to each of our lives, what is important to understand here is that we cannot
assume that the self-evaluation and a plan made at the age of 20 is the same as
at the age of 40. Because each one of us is unique, we each have a unique
combination of skills meant to produce a specific result for this world.
The wise thing to do is to reflect as much as possible but to also ask for an
advice from people whose opinions we value at that stage in our lives. If
we think deeply about that, it is very possible that each of us will be able to
come up with one such person. I say this because by reading this chapter, we
may be quick to say to ourselves that it is of course true that when we make
any plan, those who have thought about it, benefit. But life isn’t very clear
for a good number of us depending upon our life experiences leading up to the
time when we have to make any decision. We constantly make decisions that
are based on incomplete and sometimes conflicting information, to which we must
add the time variable that we feel is pressing on us. Oftentimes, decisions are
made for us. The idea is to incorporate within ourselves the notion that with
God’s help we will continue to adjust and will continue to keep growing from
each and every experience and through all of that to understand God’s work and
wisdom behind it all -- that however painful and uncomfortable it
currently is or has been, that each and every experience/amount of burden was
measured out/calculated to help us eventually reach a better and more peaceful
state in this life as well as the next.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Summary/Commentary by Alma Subasic</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-45708639518102412382017-02-19T07:40:00.002-08:002017-02-19T07:40:34.346-08:00Prophet Abraham as a Role Model
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On December 12<sup>th</sup>,
2016 during our regular meetings in the New York City, we discussed Chapter 42 of The Quran and The Life of Excellence,
which is based on the following ayas:</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sura 16, Ayas 120-123:</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abraham was indeed a
role model, obedient to God, true in faith, and he joined not gods with God.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He was grateful for
the favors of God; He selected him and guided him to a straight path.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And We gave him the
best in the world, and in the hereafter, he will be among the worthy.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So We have taught you
this inspired message, “Follow the way of Abraham the true in faith, and he
joined not gods with God.”</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These ayas are
teaching us the most important lessons we need to internalize in order to reach
the goal every believer is looking to reach: that of being rightly
guided. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God is telling us not
to join gods with Him. Looking at our lives today, we need to be careful
about allowing influences of this world to overwhelm us. We need to
examine our lives and look to avoid giving people around us, our family, our
jobs, and our bosses power over us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These ayas also teach
us whom God guides: those who are grateful to Him. This means that
it is of utmost importance that we spend some time every day expressing our
gratitude to God. But before we can express that gratitude, it is important
to think about what we are grateful for. If we truly focus our attention
on the many favors God has granted us, we will begin to see that we really have
so much to be thankful for as we begin to realize that we cannot move one step
nor think a single thought without so many things coming together within our
bodies to make it so. Consistent and regular thanks will, in time, help
us reach our goal of being rightly guided. That was God’s promise to us.
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our prophet Abraham
was one of those who was rightly guided and when God describes him to us to
give us a true example to follow, He doesn’t tell us what Abraham looked like
or where he lived or what he did for a living because none of those things
matter when it comes to living a life worthy of God’s attention.
Therefore, the idea is to understand the principle of what makes one a role
model as opposed to copying the role model’s external behavior. The
copying of the prophet’s external behavior limits us because we live in a
different time and place. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary by Alma
Subasic </span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-14178320297364091292016-11-28T07:36:00.000-08:002016-11-28T07:36:01.288-08:00God Has Blessed Us in So Many Ways<div class="h7 " role="listitem" style="clear: both; max-width: 100000px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px;" tabindex="-1">
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On November 14<sup>th</sup>, 2016, during our meeting in NYC, we discussed Chapter 36 from the book, <i>The Quran and the Life of Excellence</i>. Our discussion was based on the following ayas:</div>
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Sura 16; Ayas 78-81</div>
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<b><i>And God has brought you out from your mothers’ bodies not knowing anything – but He has given you hearing and sight and feelings, so that you may be grateful.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Have they not seen the birds flying in the air? None but God holds them up. In this surely there are messages for people who have faith. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>And God has given you houses as places of rest, ad tents from skins of animals – easy for you to handle when you travel and you camp – and furnishings and goods for temporary use from their skins and their wool and their hair. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>And God has made for you, in what He created, means of protection: thus, He has given you places of shade in the hills, and garments to protect you from heat and cold, as well as such garments that protect you from danger.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>In this way, He bestows blessings on you, so that you might acknowledge Him. </i></b></div>
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Looking at the ayas above, we can see the emphasis God places on acknowledging Him and His favors as we contemplate the world around us through the senses which have been given to us. It is clear that we are not responsible for having the bodies we have and for sensing what we sense. It is all created to serve one God and He is asking us to help ourselves by simply taking heed for a few minutes every day. To the extent we think about Him regularly, we will come to the conclusions expressed in the Quran. </div>
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Focusing more specifically on how we can help ourselves, we need to make sure that we acknowledge many gifts we have in our lives. Even if we are facing great problems, there are some things we can think of which are helping us and for which we can feel grateful, such as: we have a room or a home to rest in, we have clothes to protect us from hot or cold, we have the ability to her and speak, etc. Changing our focus from what is bothering us to what is helping us, shifts our spiritual energy from negative to positive. </div>
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We clearly can’t ignore our problems because we have to protect ourselves as that is our inherent need. It is the mindset with which we approach our thinking and doing anything about our problems that makes the difference. Talking about our problems continuously prevents our minds and bodies from getting out of the negativity which we have attracted within and without ourselves, but when we look to see how else we can approach the predicament we are in, will, in time, bring some ideas that we can use to resolve our problems. God is here to help us go through everything we face in life, not to constantly intervene and remove problems from our lives. If we think about it, we will, in time, realize that no strength of spirit or of body can come without significant amount of work. </div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">Summary by Alma Subasic</span></div>
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Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-31203054024156334682016-11-28T07:31:00.002-08:002016-11-28T07:31:37.444-08:00Banish Satan When You Read the Quran<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
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On September 12th, during our regular meeting in the NYC, we discussed chapter 40 from the book by Dr. Abdulhameed. The chapter is based on the following ayas:</div>
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<em><strong>Sura 16 Ayas 98-100:</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong>When you read the Quran, seek refuge with God from Satan, the accursed. Behold, he has no power over those who have developed faith and place their trust in their Lord. He has power over those who take him as their master, and who thus ascribe to him a share in God’s divinity.</strong></em></div>
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We are all aware that both good and evil reside in us and that we have a tendency to express compassion and love as much as we have a tendency to express arrogance, envy, and deceit. Our honest efforts to lessen the influence of evil tendencies through genuine asking for help with it and to increase the influence of divine tendencies within us will eventually inform how far we come in our efforts to live a happy and fulfilled life, to the extent we understand that the life in God’s presence is the only truly fulfilled life. </div>
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We have all experienced and continue to experience difficulties and sometimes feel that our good intentions simply fade away no matter how hard we try to eradicate it from ourselves. When we read the Quran, we see that God reminds us regularly that shaytan’s work to obstruct and oppose us is never-ending and that he is a true enemy to us. That reminder should help us understand that we are actively being opposed in our efforts and that we need to continue our good work of purifying ourselves patiently and the help from God will come.</div>
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It is, therefore, important that we approach Quran as the book that is here to explain to us what is taking place within and without ourselves so that we understand ourselves and by extension, the world around us, better. We should not approach Quran with impatience expecting to immediately understand everything it is saying given that God had been preparing Prophet Muhammad for years so that he might understand it properly. We must not approach it with arrogance expecting it to support us as we are or expecting it to support our views of superiority over other people, and we must not approach it with a rebellious state of mind because we are angry with what it is saying. If we think about it seriously, we will realize that the consistent and the patient seeking for the truth is the only way to receive true answers. Of course, it is not easy, but as we all know, anything worth our while requires patience and considerable effort on our part. We only must want to do it.</div>
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Summary/Commentary by Alma Subasic</div>
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Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-12215865838163533742016-11-28T07:27:00.000-08:002016-11-28T07:27:00.024-08:00Advice on Food<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">On October 17</span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: small;">, 2016 during our Quran study session in the New York City, we discussed chapter 41 which is based on the following ayas:</span></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Sura 16, Ayas 114-115:</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">So eat what God has provided you, lawful and wholesome, and be grateful for the favors of God if it is God that you serve.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">God has forbidden to you only what has died of itself, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and anything offered up to other than God. But if anyone is compelled by necessity, without wanting to or being excessive, then God is very forgiving, very merciful.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Eat the wholesome things We provided for you, but not to excess, lest My anger descend on you. And whoever My anger settles upon has already fallen.</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Most of the food practice in the Muslim culture has been around prohibitions. It is, however, equally important to focus on the other information in these ayas and understand the deeper message behind God’s words. We now understand a lot about food compared to generations before us and we can easily understand that the above prohibitions were articulated to us to keep us healthy. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">In addition, God specifically indicates that when we eat, we must be careful about how much we eat. This is something that we now understand is important for our health given all the problems that come from over-eating. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">We will also notice that every aya concerning food specifies that we eat what is wholesome. That is clearly because by eating wholesome food, we keep our bodies healthy. When we are healthy, we can do whatever we set our mind upon, while illness, especially prolonged illness, causes pain and we depend on others and are unable to do much. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Therefore, it seems very clear after we break these ayas down that living healthily and making that our priority – that being the absolute basis of our being able to do anything else in life – should be a matter of common sense.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The exercise accompanying this chapter states as follows:</span></div>
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Think of a habit you have that you know is bad for your health. Write a paragraph in your journal on how your future life will be damaged if you continue this habit. Make a plan to get rid of this habit as soon as possible.</div>
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Think of a healthy habit you would like to add to your lifestyle. Write a paragraph in your journal on how your future life will be improved if you succeed in adopting this new habit. Make a plan to change your daily routine to include this habit. </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Summary by Alma Subasic</span></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-86660345439238246002016-08-02T04:55:00.000-07:002016-08-02T04:55:21.472-07:00Make a Lasting Contribution<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On July 25<sup>th</sup>, 2016 during our Quran study meeting in New York City, we discussed Chapter 38 from <i>The</i> <i>Quran and the Life of Excellence,</i> by Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed. The chapter is based on the following aya:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sura 16, Aya 96<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is with you passes
away, whereas that which is with God is enduring. And We shall give to those who patiently
persevere their reward according to the best they did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A human
being is good by nature, but it is up to each one of us to uncover those
characteristics within us that will help us live a life of lasting significance
as opposed to satisfying the most immediate needs and wants and living in the
moment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We make that
choice for ourselves. We either make a
choice to strive in God’s cause to make a lasting contribution while on Earth,
or we follow blindly what others around us do.
While enjoyment, rest, and relaxation are needed for our well-being, this
aya reminds us indirectly that persevering in our effort to uncover our true
goodness is a path to making a lasting contribution in this world and at the
same time, a path to uncovering one’s purpose in life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This process of uncovering divine values
within ourselves in an effort to make a lasting contribution is a hard one,
which is why it is mentioned in the Quran.
It requires consistent prayer and self-evaluation and above all,
perseverance during the long periods of apparent stagnation. Here is where the divine characteristic of
patience becomes extremely important, which is the reason why patience is
mentioned on almost every page of the Quran.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We won’t be
able to successfully go through the tests of life, the burden apportioned to us,
and achieve lasting peace as well as a life worthy of God’s agent here on Earth
unless we learn the lesson of patience.
So, while we look to uncover the divine characteristics within us as we
work to make a positive influence on people around us, we are uncovering our
own purpose and finding that we are slowly but surely becoming who we have
always wanted to become – God’s friend and an example of how we should be
living our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Summary by
Alma Subasic</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-3904122700745362192016-07-11T07:08:00.000-07:002016-07-11T07:08:06.731-07:00Be Fair and Generous<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">During our meeting in New York City on June 27<sup>th</sup>, 2016, we discussed Chapter 37 of <i>The Quran and the Life of Excellence</i> book by Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed. The chapter is based on the following aya:</span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Sura 16, Aya 90</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Behold, God enjoins justice and the doing of good, and generosity towards people and He forbids all that is shameful and that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; and He exhorts you repeatedly so that you might bear all this in mind</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">These ayas indicate a series of characteristics that should manifest within believers as well as a series of characteristics that believers should work on eliminating within themselves. We are constantly being asked by God to exert ourselves in the cause of justice by being just ourselves first of all, and then by demanding justice of and for others. We are constantly being asked by God to do good deeds and if we read the Quran carefully, we will notice that every time God lists characteristics of those who can hope for His kindness and forgiveness, He lists belief in the first place, and then He lists the characteristic of doing of good deeds before He continues to list any other characteristics. Doing good is therefore extremely important.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Then we are told of the negative traits that we should work on discarding because they stand in the way of spiritual growth and attainment of a purer state of ourselves, which is every believers aim. We should avoid acting shamefully, which means that whatever our conscience considers to be shameful, we should avoid because sooner or later it will degrade us and cause us mental suffering. We are also asked not to do things that are counter to reason, one of the most important exhortations in the religion of Islam. It should be viewed as an exhortation to free our minds from oppressive thoughts and ideas as they are most likely oppressive because we haven’t consciously examined their source and reasoned our way through them. This is also one of the most important exhortations precisely because using our reason means applying our thinking process.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"> Our process of thinking leads us to examine ourselves and our beliefs and through it, we discard superstitions and cultural influences and stand firmly in our faith before God who is now showing us the faith that He contemplated for us and is making us His agent here on Earth. We will also notice that God mentions envy often and that He would like us to resolve that issue within ourselves because there will always be people who will have more than us and people who are better than us. Envy, like any other negative human characteristic, spreads “toxins” throughout our bodies and we “emit” the same energy around us. By its nature, it stands in the way of our continuous work of self-improvement. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">While we all know that it is easier to say things than to do them precisely because we all come with our own deep-rooted set of beliefs and ideas as well as our subconscious which has been absorbing much of what we have been experiencing throughout our lives, God is here to remind us and encourage us to keep working on ourselves to discard as much of what is bad for us as possible, knowing that it is one of the hardest things to do. Some of the hardest things we will ever do in our lives is continually monitoring our thoughts and keep asking for forgiveness and guidance in removing what’s shameful and envious but as we all know, nothing that will benefit us in the long run and is worth our while is ever easy to do. Only those who actually go through the process achieve permanent success and change for the better. We need to genuinely want to do this. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Some of the thoughts expressed by those present during this class state that we decide that we will start behaving differently but there is inner resistance which is where the difficulty lies – breaking through that wall of resistance through genuine desire to change is the key; Spiritual growth means that we were in a certain way, living under the influence of inferior choices but we consciously decided to change ourselves and live under the influence of better choices.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"> Spiritual growth occurs when we learn what is taking place inside of us and we decide to change; The Prophet spent a large part of his day in contemplation; We need to spend some portion of the day sitting quietly in order to notice what patterns run through our minds and then we become aware of what we think; Once we are aware of what we are thinking we should decide to change those thoughts that we want to change; We need to be aware of our rules of living and choose what we want/don’t want; This is a central struggle in a lot of people’s lives; People want to be certain way but they are not able to do it easily because of their inner patterns; In a state of low self-awareness, people look outside of themselves and blame others for what happened to them. We learn the best and the most lasting lessons from the most difficult people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Summary by Alma Subasic </span></span></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-78800453809501031472016-06-19T17:09:00.001-07:002016-06-19T17:09:46.275-07:00Self-Evaluation in Ramadan
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Self-Evaluation in Ramadan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">June 13, 2016, New York City<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">During this meeting, we discussed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Self-Evaluation in Ramadan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>We
were contemplating a hadith by Prophet Muhammad which states, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Anyone
who fasts and engages in self-evaluation in Ramadan will find heaven.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The practice of fasting is widely followed in the Muslim community,
but the practice of self-evaluation has been forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Self-evaluation is the spiritual component of
Ramadan and it is something in which the Prophet engaged on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regular self-evaluation helps us realize at
the intellectual level that God and everything He said to us are things that
really touch our lives and aren’t ideas that stay outside of us because we are
busy and need to go to work and this is not the same time as when Prophet
Muhammad lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we think about it, we
will realize that we can live our lives without once contemplating why we are
doing what we are doing and that we are doing it because our family has been
doing it for decades. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Self-evaluation helps us identify aspects of our lives that
we would like to make better and then ask God to help us make them better. There
are four aspects of our lives that are important to most people:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spiritual growth, personal relationships,
health, financial freedom, and professional success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to see ourselves change for the better
every day and when we feel that we are stagnating, it causes frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making sure that our prayer (salat) is
personally meaningful to us by first making sure we understand the words we are
saying and then by contemplating ideas behind those words we are saying regularly
in the prayer should help us make our prayer more meaningful and in time, we
should see the change in ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
need to make sure that when we fast we attempt to realize that it is a method of
self-discipline and among many of its facet, one important one includes proving
to ourselves that we are not subject to our bodies cravings but that we can and
will do what is required of us in order to help God guide us where we want to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our satisfaction in life also
depends on the health of our personal relationships. Criticizing or blaming the
other person for an unhappy relationship will not make it better, but finding
out positive ways by which important relationships will become better is what
will, in time, make them better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It goes
without saying that we can’t do much of anything unless we are healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good number of us lives in the world today
where we can find healthy food and facilities for exercising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deciding on a healthy habit and keeping it is
the way to achieve our goal of remaining healthy and avoiding diseases of our
ancestors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor financial situation is
one of the main reasons for unhappiness for a good number of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making plans for saving a portion of our
income and giving away a portion of our income to worthy causes are the ways of
increasing our wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, many people are unhappy with their
jobs so finding ways to change our profession or make certain adjustments if a total
change is not needed, can only come through thinking about, that is, evaluating
what we can do to make this change or adjustment take place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Setting up a plan with a career counselor as
to the steps to follow to change our profession or make whatever adjustments
may be necessary is one concrete way to see a positive change in this respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall, none of the above is possible without our first taking
the time to think through what is making us unhappy and then attempt to see
what we can actually do about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
one of the purposes of fasting:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Self-evaluation
to understand where we have been and where we are going so that, in time, when
we ask ourselves (before we are asked by God), we can say to ourselves that we
didn’t waste a life given to us for a particular purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That purpose is what we are getting at when
we engage in the practice of self-evaluation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the ideas that came to mind to those who were
present during this class include a notion that with self-evaluation comes
planning – what is it that we want to see happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aspect of thanking God is extremely
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All Prophet’s duas
(supplications) start with giving thanks to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prophet also said that saying thanks to God
is the best prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Person who lives in
a state of gratitude is in a stream of benevolence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God clearly said that if we are thankful, He
will give us more. A person becomes what he or she thinks about most of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our thoughts constantly revolve around
what is going on at present, we become trapped in it. The present is constantly
becoming a thing of the past so we should focus on what we want to see a week from
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dua means that we are unhappy about
certain aspect of our life and that we are thinking about our lives, so we
formulate an idea in our minds about what we want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is very important is that we need to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>realize</u></i></b>
what we are thinking of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we think
about what is bothering us all day long and spend 2 minutes on dua, that isn’t going
to help us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may pray for certain
things but it is good to think through what we are asking in order to try to
understand why we feel certain way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
thinking about future, it is much better to utilize writing because it forces
our minds to concentrate and think with specificity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being healthy was a huge part of Prophet’s
religious practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Fast, so you shall be healthy,”</i></b>
is also what he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Summary
by Alma Subasic</span>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-75589872739614343912016-05-29T14:45:00.002-07:002016-05-29T14:45:34.108-07:00Chapter 35, Make Yourself Strong and Resourceful <div style="-ms-word-wrap: break-word;">
On May 16th, we discussed chapter 35, "<strong><em>Make Yourself Strong and Resourceful,"</em></strong> which is based on the following Ayas:<div>
</div>
<div>
<b style="font-size: 14px;">Sura 16; Ayas 75-76:</b></div>
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<div>
<i><b>God gives an example - someone enslaved, owned by another, has no power over anything, and someone else whom We have given good resources from ourselves and who spends from it at will, both privately and publicly. Are these two equal? Praise and thanks be to God: but most of them do not understand it.</b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b></b></i> </div>
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<i><b>And God gives the example of two men - one of them dumb, powerless, and a burden on his master: to whichever task is he directed he brings no good.</b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b>Can such a one be considered the equal of someone who commands justice and is on a firm path?</b></i></div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div>
The ideas expressed in these ayas convey an important evolution in religious thought: seclusion and constant praying without doing much else, thought of as a mark of true religiosity/piousness throughout history, isn’t what God meant. Those who understand where their resourcefulness comes from, work to use it to improve the future of humanity, and command justice are the ones who are on the right path and are truly pious. This is where it becomes very important how we understand and interpret religion or what God is looking to say to us. If we interpret it in a way where we are bogged down by following others’ (“authoritative”) interpretations involving endless rules and regulations as to how we are to behave, that interpretation leads to constriction and lack of productivity. If we focus on the spirit of what God is looking to explain to us and dig deep within ourselves, then we start to focus on our own resourcefulness and to see how we can join the forces of our fellow human beings who have made and continue to make this world a better place for all. There are, of course, plenty of negative examples stemming from narrow-minded interpretations, but that is precisely why we are asked to first work to understand what the ayas say, then be generous in all our dealings, professional or private, and command justice. On the face of it, it seems that these ayas also suggest that God gives someone less than others, but if we focus on His repeatedly telling us that He does not deal unjustly with a single human being, then we must see that the majority of people in this world are given the resources and that the majority’s job is to improve the conditions of the minority. The truly enlightened understand the spirit of His message and are constantly finding ways to use their resources, everyone according to his or her capacity. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some of the thoughts that came to mind to those present during this class include the notion that we can be enslaved by our own mind patterns. A good number of people want to feel accepted by their society (through cultural conditioning) and therefore feel that permission has to be granted for them to do anything. Respect and love are important but value of our life is also important. We need to do things to make life better for us and others and we must learn to strengthen ourselves so that we don’t run away from life’s challenges. A successful person is one who demands justice and is on a firm path. People are not using their tremendous potential to change things. It is not enough to pray - we must pray and act. What is happening in our lives is the direct result of what we are thinking. Everybody should spend at least a year trying and really looking to understand the words of prayer. It seems as though Islamic societies tend to discuss social rules that restrict people. There seems to be a general narrowness of focus among Islamic societies and a focus on the wrong things. We rarely hear an imam say to a woman that learning is mandated to all by Islam, but we hear them all too often say that a woman should cover herself. An interpretation of Islam that doesn’t inspire us to uplift people in whatever capacity we can must be the wrong one because it contradicts pages and pages of Quran that focus on doing good. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The exercise developed by Dr. Abdulhameed for this chapter states:</div>
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</div>
<div>
Look up the names of Prophet Muhammad. These are the attributes of strength for which he was known.</div>
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</div>
<div>
a) Identify three of these attributes you already possess. What can you do to manifest these traits consistently so that people will know you through them? Write down your answer to this question in your journal. </div>
<div>
b) Identify three other of these attributes that you would like to develop. In what ways can you change your behavior to manifest these attributes? Write down the answer to this question in your journal. </div>
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</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Summary by Alma Subasic</span></div>
</div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-43689515367576220492016-05-15T10:58:00.001-07:002016-06-19T17:10:38.128-07:00Chapter 34 – Uplift Those Below YouChapter 34, Part 1 – Uplift Those Below You<br />
<br />
During this lesson we discussed what the following aya says to us:<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Sura 16; Aya 71:</em></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em> God has bestowed more resources on some of you than on others: yet they who are more abundantly favored are often unwilling to share their gifts with those who are under their authority so that they might be equal in this respect. What! Will they, then deny that these favors are from God?</em></strong><br />
<br />
While there are many opportunities in life, all of us cannot take advantage of them equally. That is because some people are born in better circumstances, some people are more intelligent than others, some people are more resilient than others and so on. What this aya tells us is that while this “unequal state of things” among us is and will continue to be a fact of our lives and that the world is that way for a particular reason, it means that it is expected of those who are better situated in life to share with others, that is, to teach those who need coaching so that they can be equipped with tools to succeed, to provide financial help to those who are in need, or both. Those who do this understand the purpose behind what God is continually saying to us in this and many other ayas where he exhorts us to help one another. By helping others in whatever capacity we can, we understand that we are interconnected and depend, first of all on God, and then on others whose help we used to get to where we are in life: in order to survive, we need millions of people who produce food to bring that food to us; to get a job we have, we depend on schools where we are given knowledge that’s been condensed in books we read and which books contain compilations of knowledge accumulated through centuries. <br />
<br />
By thinking deeply about what God is saying in this aya, we should eventually come to the very logical conclusion that we must help because we wouldn’t be here unless we were helped every step of our way. Our faith deepens and we reach higher levels of understanding once we do this because by doing the act of helping, it means we understood the true meaning behind God’s words. He promises us that it will only bring us closer to attaining a happy state.<br />
<br />
Some of the thoughts that came to mind to those present during this lesson include: We are freed from the ego and experience a great expansion when we realize who we are (i.e., that we have been greatly blessed by God in many areas of life and have His divine spirit within us).The principle underlying giving is a spiritual one that states that we will receive abundance the more we give. If we worry about whether the other person will reciprocate, we are trapped in a small experience, away from God's stream of abundance. In order for spiritual growth to happen, we must “uncondition” ourselves, unlearn what we have learned, what we believe from our previous lives. All limiting beliefs can be unlearned. Quran always says: Give out of what We have given you. Everything that happens is from God and everything that we have is from God. You become one with the spirit if you give, you become part of the stream. The basic premise of the Quran is that God is Most Compassionate and Merciful. We are born in this stream and can be uplifted by it. The stream/God uplifts those who uplift others. Then you become an agent of God, but if you withhold it, you are outside this stream. We will never feel isolated or alone if we think of being part of this stream. Everything is from the Mercy of God. It is part of this stream. For example, if we read a good book and learn something from it, it is from the Mercy of God. Spend time to think about specific ways in which you are blessed. Do it regularly, for a long time. You will internalize this idea and will always feel blessed. By doing this, we eliminate the rust in our hearts (there is no shine because there is rust in the hearts). Then, we will always be happy, no matter what is happening outside. A good teacher will want you to be as good as he is. You want to make others equal to you, give them what you have. There is no limit to how far to mentor or encourage someone. You are a leader only if you are a servant. We benefit if we implement what we know within our own circle of influence. Unless we make something a habit, we don't do it: Make gratitude a habit. Opposite of gratitude is complaining. If you learn to be grateful, you won't need to ask for something because you will get a flood of abundance.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Summary by Alma Subasic</span>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-82645631462704508892016-04-30T17:25:00.002-07:002016-04-30T17:25:48.924-07:00Chapter 33; What Do You Believe?, Part 2<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Chapter 33; What Do You Believe?, Part 2</div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
On April 18th, we again discussed Chapter 33 from Dr. Abdulhameed's book, "The Quran and the Life of Excellence" and those present were reacting to the below quoted Surah that inspired Chapter 33 by Dr. Abdulhameed. The summary of that chapter was provided in Part 1 on April 11th.</div>
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<i><b>Those who ascribe divinity to other than God say: “Had God so willed we would not have served anything other than Him – neither we nor our forefathers; nor would we have forbidden anything without His sanction.”<br />Thus also said those who went before them. Yet what is the mission of messengers except to communicate clearly.</b></i></div>
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During our second discourse on this Surah and the chapter, we said that if we wanted to grow spiritually, we had to think. The trouble is, as we all know, that if we repeat things over and over and never ask questions, there can be no change in our spiritual development. What we attract is what we receive. If we sit down and quiet ourselves and think deeply about ways in which we have been helped, we will keep finding how we have been helped. Over the years, that becomes a deeply held belief in us -- that we truly have been and by consequence, will continue to be helped. That will lead us to fully realize that God is truly compassionate and merciful.</div>
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This is a call to reform and improve one's view of God. The society influences our belief and it is extremely hard to break away from that environment but we are responsible for actions that we take and where we end up. Other people are not responsible for our lives. There is a strong social pressure on young Muslims to subscribe to what their ancestors did and said and no deviation is allowed. That promotes conformity and stifles creativity and individual progress. All spiritual and social progress that is taking place in Muslim countries now is actually a result of Western cultural influences which Muslims decry.</div>
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We are looking for conformity no matter where we are so that we feel that we fit in. Conformity happens because we want to avoid criticism. If we want to grow as a person, we need to do what is difficult. People here in the United States always tell us not to live in our comfort zone.</div>
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A very high priority in our lives is to be in a group of people who are helping us grow. We need to seek company of people who love us for who we are and who help us grow. One Islamic teaching not shared in Muslim countries very often is that Imam Ali said that when children are under the age of 7, parents should play with them. When children are under the age of 14, parents should teach them and when children are over the age of 14, parents should be friends to them. Another fact that is also not shared in Muslim countries very often is that Prophet Muhammad used to spend a portion of his day every day by himself in introspection and in self-evaluation. Islam of today, for the most part, as judged by the behavior of many Muslims, is reduced to mindless repetition. We cannot then expect much progress no matter how much we want it. Each of us will have to go through a considerable process of serious self-evaluation in order to change what is inside of ourselves before God changes our condition. We will all agree that this is exactly what God Himself told us.</div>
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The exercise for this chapter states:<br />1) Is there an experience or an aspect of your life that shows that God is helping you?<br />2) Consider a prohibition that your parents believed in but you have discarded it. What are the reasons for this change?</div>
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The benefit from doing these exercises increases greatly if you not only think about them but also write down your responses. It is very useful to keep a journal for this purpose. Reading what you wrote over a period of time will make you aware of the insights you have gained.</div>
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Summary by Alma Subasic</div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-42113146467838657082016-04-10T21:43:00.002-07:002016-04-30T17:26:35.721-07:00Chapter 33; What Do You Believe? (Part 1)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What Do You Believe? (Part 1)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On April 4th, during our regular meetings in New York City,
we discussed Chapter 33 from Dr. Abdulhameed’s book entitled "The Quran
and the Life of Excellence."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The chapter is based on the Sura 16 Aya 35:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Those who ascribe divinity
to other than God say: “Had God so willed we would not have served anything
other than Him – neither we nor our forefathers; nor would we have forbidden
anything without His sanction.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thus also said those
who went before them. Yet what is the mission
of messengers except to communicate clearly.</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This chapter explains that the above quoted ayas address 4
questions that deeply impact everyone’s life:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1) What do
we think about God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2) How do we
relate to what we have been taught by the previous generation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3) How do we
decide what we can and can’t do; i.e. what prohibitions are important?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4) What is
the role of a teacher?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1) It is
important that each of us examine what we are thinking about when we think
about God. The reason for that is that
depending upon what we think about, those thoughts shape our lives and our
lives will develop according to the beliefs that result from our thoughts. Many people have believed in God for
thousands of years, but often in ways that have limited them. The first aya cited above refers to the
argument put forth by those who ascribe divinity to other than God and it
states that if God is in charge of everything, why doesn’t He make everyone
believe in Him? This argument is based
on the notion that God controls people.
If that is the case, then we don’t have the freedom to choose and we are
told by God Himself that we are free to choose what we are going to believe in.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2) It is of
utmost importance to our lives to pay attention to what we are thinking about
when we think of God <u>in order</u> to improve our notion of Him. This needs to be an independent examination
as we work through the process of clearing out our previous ingrained notions
of God that we heard from others as we were growing up. Each of us alone builds a relationship with
God in an effort to raise his/her life above commonality and traditional views
of what we should believe. Our spiritual
power begins to gather when we focus on improving our personal view of God. We must recall Hadith Qudsi in which God
says: “Whatever My servant assumes of
Me, that is how I am to him, and I am with him as he remembers Me.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3) The
second part of the first aya cited above states: “...nor would we have
prescribed prohibitions other than His.”
This is where the limiting aspect of an unexamined belief clearly comes
to forefront. Precisely because our
families and people that make up the culture we grew up in believe that, for
example, smiling is forbidden, or that music is forbidden, or that a man
without a beard cannot lead prayer, or that we should never speak of a good
thing that happens to us because it can bring bad luck, we now have a sense of
God, and consequently of religion, that is contrary to everything that is
natural which in turn causes strain in our minds. It is clear that this aya is asking us to
reflect and examine what it is that our forefathers believed in and question
the taboos prevalent in our surroundings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next aya cited above states: “Thus also said those who
went before them”. If we allow superstitions
and prejudices of those who lived before us dictate how we will live our lives,
then we ascribe divinity to other than God.
It cannot be stressed enough that this aya, along with so many others,
ask us to reflect on what we believe so that we may reflect on what we are
doing. Without examining and
reevaluating ideas and notions that we have been told by previous generations,
we are not really living, but stifling our own nature and our own individuality
and by the same token, we are closing the door to one more expression of God’s
wishes for the humanity that He expresses through the potential of human
beings, His vicegerents, on Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4) The last
aya refers to the role of the messengers.
The aya explains that the role of a teacher is to explain to the best of
his/her ability and not to control or judge people who do not respond in the
way a teacher thinks they should. Each
person understands in accordance with his/her own capacity and responsibility lies
on each individual soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of the thoughts that were expressed during this meeting
include the idea that we try our best to be the highest selves and that each
day we need to understand that He helps us raise the standard. One considerably damaging aspect of following
practices we were taught by prior generations without our reexamining the same
is the fact that it can be quite difficult to discard those ideas because they
become ingrained within us. We don’t
realize to what extent we labored under a false notion that those ideas are what
God means to us without us coming to any conclusion as to what God means for
us. Beliefs have great power even over
thought. Faith is expressed by challenging our beliefs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The exercise for this chapter states:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1) Is there
an experience or an aspect of your life that shows that God is helping
you? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2) Consider
a prohibition that your parents believed in but you have discarded it. What are the reasons for this change?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The benefit from doing these exercises increases greatly if
you not only think about them but also write
down your responses. It is very
useful to keep a journal for this purpose.
Reading what you wrote over a period of time will make you aware of the
insights you have gained. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will be discussing the same chapter during our next
meeting in NYC on April 18th. Stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Summary by Alma Subasic </span></span>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-72769736892226070102016-03-27T15:08:00.000-07:002016-04-30T17:30:24.052-07:00Chapter 32; Those Who Do Good Find Good, Part 2<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.32px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b>Those Who Do Good Find Good, Part 2</b><br />
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
(Chapter 32 in “The Quran and the Life of Excellence” by Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed)</div>
</div>
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<em><b>And when it is said to those who are conscious of God, “What is it that your Lord has revealed?” They say, “What is good.” For those who do good, there is good in this world, but the reward in the hereafter is better still; for how excellent is the abode of the God conscious!</b></em></div>
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During our regular bi-monthly Meetups in New York City which are based on the book by Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed, our practice is to discuss one chapter from Dr. Abdulhameed’s book two times in a row. On March 7th, we discussed Chapter 32 (summary of the chapter and some thoughts of those present were posted previously) and on March 21st, we discussed the same chapter again.</div>
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When we thought about this chapter again, we thought that a person of faith is always hopeful and always tries to help self and others. It seems that a majority of Muslims is stuck and so paying attention to what we think about when we think about God, if we at all think about Him - which in and of itself is a problem - and reevaluating our beliefs should be our priority. We must understand that by following rituals blindly, memorizing Quran without reflecting on it and doing what others tell us we should do because that means piety, we tend to not think about what we are doing nor do we think about God. It is possible to go through our lives without once reflecting on what it is that God wants to tell us. Consider an example of an engineer memorizing a book on building a bridge; who among us would say that that bridge would not collapse? Being passive and accepting misery are states that are opposite of what this aya teaches because in order to do good and receive good, one has to actually think about what one wants to achieve and then act, that is, do something.</div>
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Reflecting back on the part of the chapter where Dr. Abdulhameed stated that a lot of us feel that we need an expert to tell us what is the right way to think because we are not learned in religion, we feel that trying to live through someone else’s mindset makes our lives complicated and difficult because that other person, that is, an expert, did not have the experiences in life we had. If we try to live our lives through someone else’s eyes, then we tend to compare ourselves to others. What can comparing ourselves to others mean to us and for our own lives? We must lay ourselves bare before our own selves because we are bare before God no matter what. So, why not be honest and brave with ourselves and ask ourselves what is it that we believe and why do we believe that and what is it that we want to achieve in life? We must ask so that we may receive.</div>
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What complicates things in many Muslim communities is that when we were taught the basic tenets of our religion, we were not taught to quiet ourselves so that we can hear ourselves and think deeply about God and the things He said to us. Our Prophet used to spend a third of the day and a third of the night by himself. Why? So that he may quiet himself in order to think and reflect. Any deep insight is not gained by cursory reading. If we think about something deeply, then we become resourceful.</div>
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Dr. Abdulhameed has also developed an exercise for each chapter to help us internalize the ideas behind the chapter. The exercise for this chapter states:</div>
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1) Write a paragraph about an interpretation of religion which results in harm. Describe an alternate interpretation of the same teaching that can be beneficial.<br />
2) Write a paragraph abut a belief you had in the past out of which you have evolved. Describe how this change occurred.<br />
3) What part of your life can be described as doing good to others?</div>
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Summary posted by Alma Subasic</div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-37596379448541422772016-03-27T12:08:00.001-07:002016-04-30T17:32:17.085-07:00Chapter 32; Those Who Do Good Find Good, Part 1<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Those Who Do Good Find Good, Part 1</b>(Chapter 32 in “The Quran and the Life of Excellence” by Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And when it is said to those who are conscious of God, “What is it that your Lord has revealed?” They say, “What is good.” For those who do good, there is good in this world, but the reward in the hereafter is better still; for how excellent is the abode of the God conscious!</span></strong></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em></em><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During our regular bi-monthly meetings in New York City, we discuss one chapter from Dr. Abdulhameed’s book and the following is the summary from our meeting on March 7th, 2016:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The purpose behind the aya that says that those who do good will find good in this world is that it refers to a formula for success and what it takes is that we need to focus on continually doing good. The religion has been used as a source of good, wisdom, and morality and at the same time, it has been and continues to be, used as a way to justify many injustices in the world. In addition, it has been used as a source of authority for those that want to keep the authority and advantages they have over others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The teaching of this chapter is very simple and it says that we need to train ourselves to overcome our negative tendencies in order to let the true light within us shine, so that we can show with our own lives what is truly meant by this aya: positive thoughts, speech and action, thinking well of ourselves and others, creating a positive intention within our minds when we do something, not looking down on what God gave us in our person or our experience, letting go of anger, jealousy, hopelessness and self-pity, and never wishing to harm anyone. These are not lofty ideals that are unattainable or attainable only by a select few. The idea is to work on internalizing, that is, seriously thinking about and looking to understand what it means to be God-conscious - something that the first part of the aya is asking us to do - by making a concerted effort and being honest with ourselves as to what we are trying to do. If we try to contemplate this idea of God-consciousness a couple of times, an encouragement is surely to follow. Once God consciousness has been achieved, it become easier and natural to want to do good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We must remember that the Quran and consequently, the religion of Islam, is not what it has come to mean for many people, judging by their behavior – a set of complex rules and obligations that burden. Working on true understanding of ayas is like any other effort that we do because we think it will be worth our while in the long run: we get as much out of it as we put into it. We must remember that if we don’t try, it doesn’t make sense to expect God to try. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore, we must try to work on achieving God-consciousness by interpreting God’s ayas by ourselves and for ourselves without asking anyone whom we consider to be an authority in these matters to do it for us. We, of course, can consult the writings of those who have thought about the subject for a long time, but we must remember that everything we read must make sense to us so that it takes root within us. As we work on achieving the state of God-consciousness, we will begin to see encouragement along our way. Then, it becomes natural to want to do good and with a heart that is in alignment with our wishes, our wishes that now begin to reflect His will. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Abdulhameed has also developed an exercise for each chapter to help us internalize the ideas behind the chapter. The exercise for this chapter states:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Write a paragraph about an interpretation of religion which results in harm. Describe an alternate interpretation of the same teaching that can be beneficial.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) Write a paragraph abut a belief you had in the past out of which you have evolved. Describe how this change occurred.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) What part of your life can be described as doing good to others? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our practice is to discuss each chapter during two consecutive meetings so Part 2 will be discussed on March 21st. Stay tuned!</span>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-41297027422648854932016-03-19T09:29:00.000-07:002016-04-30T17:34:18.726-07:00Chapter 31; There are Resources Everywhere<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chapter 31; There are Resources Everywhere</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During our meeting in New York City on February 22nd, 2016 we discussed what the Sura 16, Ayas
10-18 mean or say to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This Sura reads as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is He who sends water from the skies; from it you drink and so do
the plants which your cattle eat.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With it He causes
crops to grow and olives and dates and grapes and all the fruits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely, in this there is a message for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">people who think</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And He has made the
night and the day and the sun and the moon subservient to you; and the stars
are subservient by His command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely,
in this, there are messages for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">people
who use their reason</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what He created on
the Earth has many shades of colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely, in this, there is a message for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">people who reflect</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And He it is who has
made the sea subservient, so that you can eat fresh meat from it, and take from
it ornaments you wear.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And on the sea you see
ships going through the waves, so that you may seek to enrich yourself of His
Abundance, and thus may be grateful.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And He has placed firm
mountains on earth, lest it sway with you, and rivers and roads, so that you
can find your way, as well as many landmarks: and by the stars people find
their way.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is, then, he who
creates like one that cannot create? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do
you not consider this?</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For, should you attempt
to count God’s favors, you could never exhaust them.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Abdulhameed’s commentary on the above Sura states that
our lives are shaped by perspectives we adopt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One view of nature is that it is vast and that it works by its own rules,
irrespective of our existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
view of nature is expressed by admiring its beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another view is that the physical world is a
source of danger and hardship for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The quoted ayas allow for a perspective that
nature is subservient to our needs and that we can use it for our benefit by
finding creative ways as to how to make it benefit us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is of great importance that we fully
realize within ourselves that nature has resources that sustain us, enrich us,
and guide us because we can then live with an attitude of appreciation and
gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This helps us in two
ways:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it teaches us the benefit of
positive thinking and it allows us to live in harmony with the creation, which,
in turn, allows for a continuous flow of goodness to come our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At any moment we can encounter events and
situations that cause fear and frustration but we do have an option of shedding
such thinking and asking ourselves what benefit can be derived from such a seemingly
harmful event/situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we ask this
question and are serious about finding an answer to it, then we are sure to
find it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another very important aspect of the ayas quoted above
points to inherently human qualities that when employed the way we are asked to
employ them, should guide us in the direction of a better understanding of our
existence and ultimately to what God is trying to teach us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Namely, we are being asked to reflect, to
think, to use our reason, and to consider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By reflecting, thinking, and considering we are able to understand how
we can make our lives better as these ayas were a source of inspiration for
early Muslims who explored nature and became leaders in science and
technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at the same time, as with
anything else that God said and created, there are multifunctional aspects to
each and every word and to each and every made thing, and that is that in
addition to using our human faculties of refection, thinking, and reasoning in
order to find ways to better our lives, we are reminded to use those faculties
to deepen our faith in Him so that we can act decisively, bravely and at the
same time conscientiously in the process of our doing anything as we move
through the world and attempt to achieve a happy state here as well as in the
next life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the thoughts that came to mind to us, personal
growth seekers, as we worked through this chapter stated that the same exact
thing can be seen as bad or as a source of benefit and that it depends on how
we look at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Idea is for us to realize
that as we try to realize the benefit in something seemingly bad, we are
thinking deeply, hopefully unlocking our own unique and true spirit of
creativity as we do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we passively
accept everything, then there will be no benefit to discover for us or for
anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Said in a different way, if
we look at things superficially, we are not aware that there are deeper
possibilities in what we are looking at. Our world is inexhaustible in its
richness; it is about how much creativity we bring to what we see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obstacles and resistance is within and
without each of us; it depends on how we look at them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a spiritual dimension to it all. The
idea is to come to the point where it becomes natural to say that God is great
and for us to be truly grateful, reflecting back to the idea of the
multi-functionality of every word He said and of every thing He made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of each discussion, Dr. Abdulhameed provides an
exercise that can be used to help us think more deeply about what has been
discussed and reflect back on the quoted ayas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The exercise for this chapter states:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Think of an aspect of your life which you
perceive as limiting or unpleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
can be in your environment or in your personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of how it can be made into a source of
benefit for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recall an experience in which you acted
creatively; you found a solution to a problem, or you had a new idea, or you
made a drawing or a painting, or you wrote a piece you liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of how good it feels to be creative,
and ask how you can find time to be more creative in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-76221895365333555652015-01-27T14:22:00.004-08:002015-02-09T03:49:15.084-08:00Human Dignity<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b>On Human Dignity: Sura
17, Aya 70</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b>“Indeed,
We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam, carried them over land and
sea, provided for them nourishment out of good things, and endowed them far
above most of Our creation”.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> This aya points to an
important spiritual reality: the intrinsic worth of man because of his great
potential. Everyone knows this truth instinctively. For this reason, the most
important need of a human being is to feel valued, to be respected and to be
honored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We don’t need to earn our self-worth by accomplishing anything;
it was given to us by God. However, when we internalize this truth, great
achievement is inevitable. We must first become conscious of the fact that we
were made by the Most Magnificent God and that we have a degree of His
magnificence within us. If we reflect on this idea regularly until it becomes a
conviction, we begin making favorable choices in every situation and,
eventually, these accumulate, resulting in a spectacularly successful life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We
are blessed as Muslims because a solid understanding of our religion gives us
freedom and power. God infused us with His spirit and therefore, we have
inherent great worth. Through this understanding, we are saved from the agony
of desperately seeking to conform to externally imposed ideals. We are
preciously unique creatures and do not need to prove our worth by spending our
lives chasing after material and social standards of success dictated by
society or imitating the artificial beauty norms established by the latest
trends. This never-ending chase destroys a person’s self-esteem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In contrast, when we have high self-esteems, we treasure our
lives and spend our time wisely. We take care of our minds by constantly
learning, of our souls by reflecting and praying, and of our health and bodies
by eating well and exercising. Our bodies and our souls were given to us by God
as a trust; they do not belong to us. We are accountable for them and must take
excellent care of them. If we follow this path, the path of Islam, we manifest
an inner and outer beauty so radiant and powerful that no superficial approach
could ever match it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The
Quran and the Life of Excellence teaches us that in order to benefit from this
knowledge: “we should act in ways that recognize our self-esteem, irrespective
of our circumstances. Train yourself to behave with poise, to walk like a
dignified person, and to talk like a noble person. Do not use words of inferior
meanings and never use foul language. You create your self-esteem by how you
conduct yourself when you are alone. Always be aware that the way you dress,
sit, stand, talk or eat, even when you are by yourself, makes a statement about
the value you place on yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-48145967600895998552014-06-02T18:18:00.000-07:002014-06-02T18:18:44.183-07:00Reading the Quran Without Understanding Does Not Bring Any Benefit.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Reading the words of the Quran can bring great benefits if
we think about them and understand them. Reading or reciting without
understanding does not produce any benefit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">People doing salat in their daily routine recite some surah
in the prayer. Many people don’t understand what the surah means or why they
are reciting it.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">When someone dies, family and friends gather and do a
reading of the Quran, thinking that it will earn benefits for the deceased,
even though nobody understands what they read.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many people read through the whole Quran during Ramadan,
thinking that it earns them ‘thawab’ or credits even though they do not
understand what they read.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">During Ramadan, traveeh prayers are held in mosques in which
the Imam recites through the Quran at a rapid rate. Most people who attend
traveeh<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have no idea what the recitation
means. Their minds wander everywhere during the prayer and they become
restless.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Quran is a book of wisdom, instruction and inspiration.
Reading its text without understanding does not bring any benefit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is better to read one or two ayas and think about them
rather than read many pages without understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></span>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-67498447337949759432014-05-12T14:10:00.003-07:002014-05-12T14:10:51.857-07:00Understanding the Quran versus Its Memorization<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Sura 47 Aya 24 <span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">أَفَلَا
يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Quran, or
are their hearts locked up by them?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This aya asks us to earnestly seek to understand what is in
the Quran, because wisdom is not grasped by superficial reading. The Arabic
word ‘tadabbur’ is used in the aya, which means to think and understand deeply.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note that there is no instruction in the Quran for people to
memorize it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Memorization like a parrot dulls the mind and it does not
produce understanding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A major reason for social and spiritual stagnation in the
Muslim world is rooted in the belief that recitation of verses you don’t
understand brings you closer to God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People repeat
memorized suras that have no personal meaning for them, and believe they are
earning credit in salat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note that people engaged in violent sectarianism and groups
like the Taliban and Boko-haram believe they are very religious because they
continuously recite memorized suras and dzikr phrases.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In most mosques the imam is someone who has memorized the
Quran, but has little understanding of how life works, and many people ask him
for guidance in solving their problems.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the early days memorization was the only way to preserve
the text so Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged people to memorize. But there is
no need for it now because we have printing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In any case, it is a mistake to believe that that Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) wanted people to memorize the Quran without thinking about what
is in it, as is the common practice now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If some people memorize an engineering textbook without deeply
analyzing and understanding its contents, a bridge they try to build will
collapse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Quran teaches how
you and I can raise ourselves to a life of excellence. This is not possible if
we memorize some or all of it and keep reciting what we memorized. It becomes
possible if we make an earnest and sustained effort to understand the amazing insights
it gives to uplift our lives.</div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-9346227240316611492014-05-08T03:38:00.001-07:002014-05-08T03:38:41.706-07:00A misunderstanding that prevents people from understanding the Quran<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a very common misunderstanding that blocks people
from understanding the Quran. It is the assumption that the Quran is a
continuous reading.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all know that the Quran was revealed over a period of 22
years. Five short ayas were revealed when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was forty
years old. Many months passed before the second revelation came and it is in a
different sura. Afterwards revelations came when the Prophet (pbuh) needed guidance
or inspiration. Each revelation has a different purpose and a different
insight. And they came at irregular intervals. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But now we have the Quran as a Book and it feels natural to
read it in sequence. You can open the Book and read from page 1 to page 15 in
half an hour. When we re read like this we get confused because there is a
different insight after every few lines.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can overcome this difficulty by focusing on only one or
two ayas and think about them. Pick ayas that appeal to you. Ask yourself “What
is this aya telling me”? “How does this relate to my life”?, or “What is the
benefit in this teaching”?. You may have to think like this for a long time.
But in due course you will find answers to your questions and your
understanding of life will grow.</div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-18425697322962630462013-10-17T07:24:00.000-07:002013-10-17T07:24:00.376-07:00Those Who Earned Allah’s Anger and Those Who Have Gone Astray<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Recently I received a question about the meaning of the last
two verses in Al-Fatiha. The Question is given below followed by my response.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Question</b>: In Al-Fatiha, it says</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Iyya-ka na`budu wa iyya-ka
na-sta`een. Ihdi-na as-sirata al-mustaqiim<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">You alone we worship and You alone we seek the help of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Guide us to the path straight<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Sirata allathina an`amta
`alay-him ghayr il-maghdubi `alayhim wa la </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">ad-daallin</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The path (of) those You have given grace, not those who Your</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">anger (is) on them and not those who went astray</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the later ayat, who are those that have Allah’s anger and
who are those </span><span style="font-size: large;">that have 'gone astray' ?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Traditionally and in many English translations this is
viewed as the Jews </span><span style="font-size: large;">and the Christians. I find this disrespectful to people
honesty following a </span><span style="font-size: large;">faith in good conscience. .If indeed that is an appropriate
rendering, then I am troubled, for I do not feel that monotheistic faiths are
mutually exclusive</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">(yes, there are
differences, but) I feel that these differences can be respected rather than
picked over. Do you have any thoughts on this?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reply</b>:<br />
The interpretation you refer to is
based on this Hadith:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Narrated Adi bin
Hatim: I asked Allah’s Messenger about the aya: "<i>Ghairil maghdubi ‘alaihim</i> [not (the way) of those who earned Your
Anger]," he replied: "They are the Jews". And : "<i>Walad dallin</i> (nor of those who went
astray)," he replied: "The Christians, and they are the ones who went
astray".</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> This Hadith is quoted
by Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It refers to the Jews and Christians in <st1:city w:st="on">Medina</st1:city> who struggled against Prophet Muhammad
and his companions. Sura 2 has many statements accusing those Jews of acting
against what they learned from the Torah. The Christians were criticized for
being exaggerated in their devotion to Jesus, declaring him to be God and not a
man who was a Prophet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But note also aya 62 in sura 2 which says:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those who believe (in the Quran), and those who follow the
Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in
Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with
their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This shows that the hadith quoted above is not a
condemnation of all Jews and Christians. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Moreover it is said
in sura 4 aya 93 : “If a man kills a believer, his recompense is Hell, to
abide therein, and the anger and curse of Allah are upon him.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">From this aya we can infer that the majority of those who
are earning Allah’s anger at this time are from the Muslims because of their readiness
to kill people, Muslims of other sects and non-Muslims simply because they
don’t agree with them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Those who are astray<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This refers to people who abandon truth out of exaggerated
devotion and ignorance. An illustration of this is provided by the present day
worshippers among Muslims who pray day and night but don't know what they are
saying in their prayers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Go to <i>traveeh</i> in a mosque in Ramadan. There
are hundreds of people praying but most have no idea of what is being said in
prayer. They worship Allah in a manner that is misguided and devoid of
knowledge.</span></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-41117367226957947032013-05-26T17:45:00.000-07:002013-05-26T17:45:10.405-07:00Religious Tolerance<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">Sura 22 Aya 67<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">To every community We have given ways of worship which they observe. Therefore, do not let them draw you into disputes on this matter, but invite people to your Lord, for you are on the right way.</span></i><span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">An attitude of religious tolerance is described in this verse. It is in recognizing the authenticity of the different ways of worship found among different people. Different religious traditions represent different possible paths to God-consciousness, and it is a mistake to argue with people about their traditions and rituals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">The opposite attitude is to consider our own particular ritual of prayer as the only one acceptable to God. An extension of this belief is that all other ways are misguided and those who follow them are bound for hell. This belief is the root of intolerance. It has caused enmity and bloodshed between religious communities for centuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">When Muslims were a new community on <st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place> in the 1980s, they formed an association but did not have a building of their own. They approached a church, and the elders of the church gladly gave them permission to hold their prayers in the church. The church elders demonstrated the wisdom conveyed by this aya. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">In a few years, the Muslim community collected enough funds to build a mosque of their own and moved their congregation to the new building. A few years later, a group of Ismaili Muslims approached them because they were new to the area and did not yet have a building of their own. They asked the officials of the mosque for permission to hold their prayer services in the mosque. The mosque officials denied them permission. “The Ismailies are misguided people, and their prayer is not correct,” said one of the mosque trustees. The mosque trustees did not understand the message of this aya. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">This attitude is common in mosques throughout the world. It is at the root of the deep suspicion many Muslims display toward peoples of other faiths, not only non-Muslims, but also Muslims with alternate traditions. In many countries Muslims following the teachings of different imams are alienated from each other, and sometimes hostile to each other. Minority Muslim populations such as the Ismailies, the Druze, and the Ahmadies feel isolated and persecuted in many Muslim countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An essential part of Muslim reformation is to recognize that tolerance is not a Western idea, but it is a universal concept from the Quran. It is beneficial to everyone who practices it. Societies where people accept each other irrespective of religious beliefs are strong and dynamic, and societies where there is intolerance among faith groups are splintered and weak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;">The attitude of self-righteous intolerance comes partly from feelings of insecurity about your own ways. If you have not thought about your rituals of worship deeply and are not sure why you do them, you feel threatened by the alternatives offered by others. If, on the other hand, you are sure that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you are on the right way</i> as the aya above points out, you will gladly acknowledge that other people have their own authentic ways of worshipping God. This tells us that we should focus on improving our own prayer and other rituals, so that they bring peace and fulfillment to us, rather than criticizing what others do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-85513139963907178412012-08-23T10:01:00.000-07:002012-08-23T10:01:09.182-07:00Women's Place in the Mosque<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hadith reported in the Book of Muslim:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Umm Hisham who was the daughter of Haritha who was the son of Ne’man said the following: “I memorized sura Qaf from hearing it from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) because he used to recite it often during his khutbah on Fridays</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Remember that there were no loud speakers in the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). How far from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">minbar</i> do you think women were in the mosque of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Madina. Umm Hisham memorized Sura Qaf (sura no. 50 which has 45 ayas ) by hearing it again and again because Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite it in his Friday khutbah. Perhaps 20 feet or maybe 30 feet away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How does this compare with the place of women in the mosque you go to? Can the women see the khateeb? , or are they behind a wall or curtain, or maybe on a different floor of the building?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The way women were in the mosque of the Prophet (pbuh), they felt part of the Muslim community. Do women feel part of your community, or are they treated as outsiders and a nuisance for the men?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lived more than 1400 years ago. Women were welcome in his mosque and they were at a forward place in the mosque.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other cultures have moved forward since that time in recognizing the contributions women can make to a community. They welcome women in their houses of worship and give them important positions in their affairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But Muslim society has gone the other way. Muslim women have less status in the mosques of today than 1400 years ago. This is because the affairs of mosques are decided by narrow minded men who got their religious education by rote-memorization and not by thinking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">An important step in Muslim reformation is to change this sad state of affairs. At the very least women should be in the main hall of the mosque. In a mosque which upholds the progressive spirit of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), women should be integrated into all its affairs. The roles assigned for different functions should not be based on discrimination by gender, but by learning and leadership qualities of the individual.</span></div>
Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-2874765066155827022012-04-04T09:20:00.000-07:002012-05-20T08:44:37.403-07:00Boredom in Prayer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many people feel bored in prayer. In the mosque we see people yawning in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> and shifting from side to side. The majority are hurrying to complete the required number of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rakat</i> and leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One reason people feel bored is because their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> is according to a formula they have memorized which they repeat again and again. They have repeated it so many times that they don’t pay attention to the words they are saying. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salat</i> is something to be done and “be done with”. Your heart is not in it and your mind wanders everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is important to know that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not pray according to a fixed formula. He changed what he said in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> according to how he felt. This is very clear when we read about the Prophet’s prayer in books of Hadith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To give a simple example, when people are in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ruku</i>, they say “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">subhana rabbi-al- azeem</i>”. Many do not know what it means. Most of those who know the literal meaning have never thought about how it relates to their lives. This is what they were taught and this is what they say every time. In Hadith we find that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said different things at different times in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ruku</i>. You can count more than five different supplications and affirmations people heard him say in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ruku</i>. And this is a count of what people <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">heard</i> him say. We can guess that the Prophet spoke with spontaneity in his private prayer also.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also, the Prophet recited verses from the Quran in his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> but when he was particularly moved by some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aya</i> he would stop the recitation, raise his hands and make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dua</i>, then he would resume his recitation, and later when he was so moved he would again raise his hands and make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dua</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The main point to understand is that we are not following the Prophet’s example when we are doing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> by repeating a fixed formula again and again in an absent minded manner. His <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> was spontaneous and inspiring to him. When was the last time you were inspired in your prayer?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We should know that boredom is a negative emotion. It creates a feeling of helplessness, and if continued leads to depression. You can see how bored people in your mosque are. They are apathetic and not able to do even simple things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everyone knows that prayer can help you if it comes from your heart. That is how the Prophet’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat</i> was. Prayer according to a fixed formula in which you are bored and distracted is very different, and it does not help.</span></div>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4365834886747840385.post-58670256170784219372012-04-04T09:13:00.000-07:002012-04-04T09:13:31.588-07:00Mindless Prayer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">An important insight about prayer or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat, </i>which is almost never discussed<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i>is in Sura 107 Ayas 4–5:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">There is calamity for those who are praying,</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Who are unmindful in their prayer.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">As everyone knows mindless prayer is very common. You are praying and your mind is somewhere else. This is because you don’t find <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inspiration or purpose in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salat.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Children</span><span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> are made to memorize the Arabic words, the correct pronunciation and the body postures, with frequent reminders that any departure from the prescribed routine makes the prayer <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unacceptable to God. People are told that it may be better for them to know the meaning of the words, but it is not necessary; what matters is that you utter the words with correct Arabic pronunciation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">The important fact that your innermost thoughts and feelings are the real prayer is never discussed. There is no mention of creating a high purpose for your life, and prayer a means of achieving it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">With absence of meaning and purpose, people often find their attention wandering everywhere. They experience boredom, frustration and dejection. They also experience guilt for feeling like this. These are the emotions they convey to God in their prayers day after day and month after month. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">How these attitudes produce calamity is discussed in the commentary on the above given <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ayas</i> in chapter 13 of my book ‘The Quran and the Life of Excellence”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Calamity that has resulted from unmindful prayer can be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>seen everywhere. People in almost any mosque are divided into groups quarreling with each other, as are Muslims outside the mosque. Everyone says Muslims should be united by holding on to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the rope of Allah”</i>, but the feelings of enmity in the hearts are so strong they cannot agree even on simple matters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">How many times did you meet a person who prays regularly and on meeting him you said to yourself: ”Vow, this is a wonderful person, a great role model, I want to be like him”?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">I believe that a mosque should provide education about prayer not in the traditional method of memorization, but by holding discussions on how to create a positive purpose for your life. How can we contribute to the society around us? How can we learn to live life such that when we are gone, people will remember us as doers of good?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salat </i>is then a way of finding help to achieve such a purpose. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="color: #444444;">We should remind people of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) teaching that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an hour of thinking is better than a year of prayer.</i></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Sultan Abdulhameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17959402501236003042noreply@blogger.com1