     Nur | Friday, February 16, 2001 - 06:47 pm
Dear Brothers and sisters,
Sister ASRAR, a regular on this forums has asked me to elaborate in detail on past ( SALAF ) Arabic terminologies and its present day meaning.
Before I treat terms she wanted to understand and their present day connotation, I thought a discourse on the first and most important term of all is in order. The term is ILAAH.
So , I begin.
We live in the 21 century, 15 centuries ago, Allah sent a prophet (SAWS) for mankind, he was raised in Makkah, present day Saudi Arabia, from a tribe called qwuraish who are the decendants of Ismail and Abraham (aleyhimaa assalam).
He was sent to an Arab speaking people, therefore he communicated with them in Arabic language.
Quraish was the center of attention of all Arabs at the time as it controlled the holly Kaaba, a tribute erected by Abraham and his son Ismail for the remembrance og Allah on earth.
These days, life was simple, there was no TV, Radio, newspapers, sitcoms, tabloids and the WWW.
So people communicated one-on-one and they enjoyed poetry and oratory in public places, similar to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
They mastered the language early in their childhood, and as adults they were quick to understand the meaning of every word.
When the prophet SAWS called for Islam, they asked him about the essense of his message.
The prophet told them ( My message is laa ilaaha illa Allahu)
A bedouin responded, (then all Arabs and non Arabs wil fight you).
The bedouin new the meaning of the word ILAAH in Arabic language.
This brings us to the core issue, TERMINOLOGY. understanding these terminology the way the SALAF understood it, will make us do what they did.
SALAF is not a group of people,it is a time period in history, in which Islam blossomed, and the word of Allah reached the corners of the world.
Today we are trying to understand what used to drive these people to do monumental achievements in every sphere of life.
The key in that understanding lies in the components of the very word that changed history
" Laa ilaaha Ilaa Allah)"
Once Quraish heard the word, they became alarmed.
why? because they understood its far reaching meaning more than most muslims understand today.
This strategy to present this Word before all the detais of Islam's social change was not the choice of our prophet Muhammad SAWS. He was commanded. There is a Hikmah.
So, how can the decendants of the father of TAWXIID Ibraahim, Caleyhi Salaam, put three hundered and fifty asnaam (Gods) inside a house dedicated to the sole reverence of Allah, the one and only?
It is all about terminology.
Just like Satan persuaded Adam and Hawaa, to eat from the forbidden tree, calling it ( Shajaratul Khuld), Satan inspired Quraish to worship extensions of Allah through what they have claimed as his daughters, just as Christians today ascribe a son to Allah as an extension of the Real Ilaah (subhaanahu wa tacalaa camma yaquuluuna culuwan kabeera).
So Sheitaan inspired them to select the names of these goddesses from the root name of Allah, to make it easy for people ta accept it (like copying a trade mark with slight change, like naming your supermarket SAFESTWAY instead of SAFEWAY, or naming your autopart shop TRECKAUTO instaead of TRAKAUTO).
So they named the first godess ( Al Laata, from Allah and Al Uzza, From Al Azeez etc.)
This tactic in Arabic language is called ILXAAD, Allah mentioned in the Quraan saying " Inna ladeenu yulxiduuna fee asmaaih laa yakhfowna calaynaa)". (Those who change the purpose behind the meaning of His Names, are not hidden from our view)
It means swaying the purpose apart from the name.
Just like unsuspecting SAFEWAY customers can shop at a phony store called SAFESTWAY, The decendants of Abraham were sawyed by SATAN to worship others beside Allah therby sheitan scored a point to support his promise to mislead mankind.
When Prophet Muhammad came with his message, he challenged quraish that all but Allah is fake as an ILAAH.
But what does ILAAH mean.
The root meaning of the word ILAA caomes from the Arabic word (ALIHA) the masdar of this word means among others:
1. To seek a protection ( Like an infant seeks mother's love , wormth and protection)
2. To seek a rescuer ( in times of distress)
3. To seek the highest authority, no one scapes from ( Jurisdiction and Sovreighnty).
4. It meant leadership. ( ZACIIM UL QOWM)
5. Any thing one follows even desires is called ilaah
Now when all these meaning were assigned to Allah alone, Quraish had a reason to be alarmed. After all they were the masters of the Arabs at the time. They controlled the trade routes, the Pilgramage and the business it created, The slave trade, Gambling, fornication, drinking and all social evils. They were the losers if the system changed and Muhammad came with a very radical view of the world and how it should be run.
They offered him to lead Quraish as their Zaciim, if he stops this word.
They offered him money, and most beautiful women.
But Mohammad SAWS said his famous statement " If they place the sun on my right palm, and the moon on my left palm, I would not stop preaching that man should submit to his creator willingly)
(note that all creatures are submiting to Allah unwillingly since they have no control on their creation and death and all natural causes).
" and then Allah ( ISTAWAA) on the heavens while it was smoke ( Dust particles) and said to them and the earth "submit willingly or unwillingly" they said, we submit willingly,....."
before him Jesus (aleyhi salam) delivered the same message, and the Romans with the help of Jews, planned for his murder, but Allah lifted him up to the heavens and saved him from their wickedness.
Today, the word exists, but there is no correspondense between this word and the reality of those who say it, hence, saying shahaada today is like a tenant signing a rental agreement he did no understand,
Is such a document binding? scolars say NO.
A further proof for the above observation is that this word has not stirred in our lives, what it has stirred in the lives of the SALAF AL SAALIX, before us.
They said the word, and its effects were detected in their lives and the entire world.
We also said the word, and it has no significant effect on our lives.
A wise person shouldn't then fool themselves that the King has still some clothes.
A good way to measure understanding of this word, is a measure of actions it creates in our lives.
If the actions are not there. There is no gold in the Bank to validate the currency. The root cause, the meaning of the word and the belief may not be there.
Something is terribly wrong. |
| Nur | Friday, February 16, 2001 - 07:42 pm
This was my response to sister Now and again who was worried like Omar iBnul Khattab, of being a Munaafiq. Bismillah, I begin.
Dear Now and Again
Maa Shaa Allah, Tabaaraka Allah. May Allah bless you, you are in the path of Allah and InshaAllah, Allah will not mislead you.
You have indeed raised a very important question on this forums.
I will try to simplify a rather difficult question, please read very carefully:
1. No Soul will go o Jannah who is not Muslim
2. No one can be Muslim without Shahaada
3. Shahaada is information, you are required to believe it
4. The test to see if you indeed believe in Shahaada is your deeds:
So our faith is composed of a
A. set of information we are required to believe,
B. Set of orders we are ordered to obey
The extent of your belief in the information that our Prophet SAWS delivered is measured by the extent of orders that you obey.
In other words, your obedience to the orders of Allah, is a reflection of your belief in the information delivered to you.
So , Islam is a set of information, like Allah, Jannah, angels, etc. and a set of orders such as Salat, Fasting, Justice, etc.
The orders are subdivided in to two categories:
1.Orders to do something
2.Orders to stay away from something
If Allah orders you to do something, and you fail to don so, the reason could be:
a. You do not believe in the information
b. You believe it but you are arrogant
c. You are stupid
If (a) that is clear kufr
If (b) That is also kufr, the type of Sheitan
If (c) You may be the same case like a crazy person, No intelligence , no responsibility.
If you are ordered to stay away from something, and you do not, we have the following scenario:
a. You do not believe in the information
b. You are arrogant
c. You can not resist temptation
d. You are stupid
All but case (c) are covered.
If case (c) That is called disobedience (macsiya) a sin and it is what Adam and Hawaa aleyhimaa assalaam have commited. It does not make you a kaafir
To generalize the above.
If a person does something he is ordered not to do, the driver is more likely weakness against temptation, and that person is not a kaafir, this is the case of Adam and Eve, Aleyhimaa assalaam.
If a person refuses to do something he is ordered to do, the driver of his action is more likely arrogance, like the case of Sheitan.
Now we visit a new territory;
There is a principle in detecting iman developed by Sheikh Ibn Taymiyah. I will simplify it for you again.
The inside and the outside of a person are always working in unisom. Except when an outside disturbance influences that person. The outside does contrary of what is inside.
meaning.
In electronics, when we input a signal into a system, we observe an output that reflects the action of the original signal + the function of the system that operated on the signal.
In the absence of outside disturbance, we can always predict the output. But when an outside element disturbs the system, the output will not be predictable.
A person who is a kaafir therefore will normally act as a kaafir. Sabeelul kaafireen
And a person who is a muslim will act normally like a Muslim. Sabeelul Mumineen
But when, a Kaafir lives with Muslims, he will act like Muslim, to avoid problems. He is called a Munafiq.
And a Muslim who lives with Kufaar will act like kuffar, to avoid problems. He is called Mukrah.
Now, a Somali person who lives in Somalia, US or Europe, is free to practice his faith, so if that person does not practice, his actions are an indicator of what is missing in his heart.
However a Muslim who lives in tyranny, his actions may not be indicator of his belief.
Allah says : Are they same he who spends all his nights praying and prostrating, alert for aakhirah, and the one who is in darkness..............................."
That is it for today, let me know if I helped.
Nasalu Allaha al caafiyah. Aamin |
| Nur | Friday, February 16, 2001 - 07:45 pm
This was my response to JahnnyJake who wanted to know if there were different degrees of being a muslim. Bismillah I begin.
JohnnyJake
Islam literally means submission to a higher authority.
As such, one gives up his power over his life at will, taking direction of how to live from that higher source.
To be a Muslim, just like graduating from college, there is minimum requirements. Once these minimum requirements are met, a person is a muslim.
Islam is composed of a word to utter and actions to perform
The word to utter is further divided into two categories.
A. The word of the heart, which is belief in what has been revealed.
B. The word of the mouth, which is uttering the manifestation of the singularity of the authority that created the universe and everything in it, and following the course of the messenger who delivered this mesage.
Deeds are further divided in to two parts.
A. Deeds of the heart, which is the intention that drives our actions.
B. Physical deeds, like prayers, fasting etc.
If a person does not utter the word of the heart, meaning he does not believe, he is not a Muslim
If a person does not utter the word of the mouth, eventough he believes in his heart, he is not Muslim, he is like Sheitan, or Abi talib , the uncle of the prophet SAWS.
If a person's heart does not do the deeds of the heart, meaning he has no intention to do something, that person, is not a Mulsim, The prophet said " (Inamaal aamalu bil niyaat) the validity of deeds are conditional to having the right intention. That is why manslaughter is a lesser charge than murder.
If a person does not do physical deeds, then, we look in to what drives that person to do or not to do what he is been ordered or prohibited from.
If he does not do what has been ordered to do, that person is usually driven by disbelief,arrogance, or stupidity. All of which make him not a Muslim
If he does something prohibited, he is more likely driven by strong desire or Lust, arrogance, disbelief or stupidity. All but Lust will make him a non-Muslim,
Doing something prohibited because of lust and uncontrollable desire, is called a SIN and it does not make a person by itself a non-Muslim. Accumulation of sins lead to disbelief in the long run, just like sand pepples form mountains, A Muslim, therefore, does not trivilize sins, but looks up to the authority that he?she is disobeying.
For more detailed explanation on this topic, please look into my last posting on this page.
WaL Salaamu Alaa man ittabaca al hudaa. |
| Nur | Friday, February 16, 2001 - 07:53 pm
This was my response to Ehlumuslim who wanted to know the degrees of ahlul Jaanah, al muqarrabeen, and other categories. Bismillah I begin.
Ehlul Islam
You asked " Can you please, give us more information on the list you made on earlier postings, regrading
1.Almuqarabiin
2.Asxaabul yamiin
3.Asxaabul shimaal And the other one,(already forget. I Remember Surtul Rahmaan is talking about two groups of ehlu janna and one group of ehlu Naar, what is the other group? "
You see dear Ehlumuslim, Heaven has ranks called Darajaat, and hell has depths called darakaat ( acaadanaa Allahu minhaa, aamiin, even writing it scares me)
Allah has sent his messenger who taught the Quraan, and set for us an example to emulate.
He taught us suuratul faatiha which we read seventeen times a day, and more if we offer nawaafil prayers.
In suuratul faatixa we ask Allah, (Ihdinaa Siraadul Mustaqeem) O Allah guide us to the straight path.
The path of the prophets, the sidiiqiin, shuhadaa, saalixiin.
The path these righteous people have taken in their life time is the one we are ordered to take in our life time.
This path is covered with all things our souls hate.
many people choose to take easier paths, in this life, and they miss out siraatul mustaqeem.
Sheitan tries to divert people from this path. Sheitan has arsenal of diversion instruments in his disposal, that he will try one after the other until, we succumb to his desires and get off track and leave the siraatul mustaqeem.
This path as you see is not an easy one for an absent minded person to follow. One has to choose it, and be patient with it. This choice is verification of the shahaada and oath we took from Allah.
There is another siraat (path) in the day of judgement.
That path is also straight.
It is also scary, below it there is hell, and if one slips , one can fall in it.
Below the siraat there are hooks, like fishing hooks.
Each hook has the name of some one written on it ( kuulu nafsin bimaa kasabat raheena)
Each hook is waiting to capture the passers by whose name it carries.
Some hooks are big,
some are small.
Everytime we do a sin, an error message is created in our records in aakhira, this error message is the HOOK.
If the sin is big, a big HOOK is placed under the Sirratul aakhira waiting for that sinner who has not repented from that sin.
Like wise for small sin.
So the firmer our foot on the siraat (path) on this world with all the temptations, sheitan, nafs, etc.
The firmer our foot on the siraatul aakhira becomes.
So in the day of judgement, some people will pass the siraat with the speed of light, almost no hooks waiting for them to pull them down or even scratch them, there is no resistance on their path to Jannah so they get to Jannah and do not even hear the burning of hell fire ( la yasmacuuna xasiisahaa )
Others who have some sins that are not forgiven (unpaid bills) will be be caught by the Hooks waiting on the sides of the siraat.
If the sins are significant (kabaair), The hooks will be big, and they will pull the sinner to hell.
If the sins are not significant, the hooks will be small and they will not be able to pull the person down to hell, but they will scratch and hurt the sinner, and slow him down significantly, thus reducing his speed down to crawling, depending on how many sins that person has.
Now for those who finally make it to Jannah, they have seven doors to eneter.
Every door is divided so that specific groups are accepts at these gates.
Some gates are for what we call today the ( VIP ) gate in which the highest ranked group enters.
This is the gate we ask Allah in our Salaat seventeen times a day in Faatiha (allatheena ancamta caleyhim) those who Allah has bestowed upon them his (nicma) bounty.
In UHUD battle, the prophet asked " who is going to protect me aginst these (mushriliin trying to kill the prophet) and will be in my company in the Jannah? " each time someone volunteers and got killed, why did they die, they wanted to be in the day of Judgement with prophet Muhammad SAWS"
The remaining doors are for special admissions.
For example, Al saabiroon, ( the Tolerant) have their gate
Al Tawaaboon, The repenters.
Al mutasadiquun, the philanthropists
Al Saadiquun, the honest, truth speakers. Their actions represent their word an their intentions.
and so on .
Some peaople are given the dignity of entering Al Jannah from any door they please, depending on how many different good deeds they have done.
Once people make it inside Jannah
Their are three main groups,
1. Al Saabiquun, ( Speed of Light) Muqarrabuun.
2. Asxaabul Yameen ( Crawlers)
3. Asxabul Shimaal ( fell in the pit)
Al Saabiquun are those who are first to respond to Allah's Call in everyhting, it is said , they are:
a. The first who accepted Islam
b. The first who migrated to Madina
c. The first who attend the mosque after the adaan
d. The first who respond for the call of struggle in sabeelilllah
and so on, as you see Allah says in the Quraan, speaking of some of the prophets " Wa kaanuu yusaaricana fil khayraat" They were reponsive to do good in a hurry"
Asxaabul Yameen, The second category are the majority of the muslims.
These have attained the minimum requirements for being muslim, ( Tawxiid) some have done a lot of khairaat but they are short of joining the Saabiquun. Others have just came up with enough credits to pass, like passing with a (D-) they are extremely happy.
Asxaabul Shimaal, The last group consists of people who may have done a lot of good deeds, even mre than the middle group, but they lack (Tawxiid), these people, will see their deeds shreaded in front of them, and they can not claim any of their deeds foe their salvation.
This group is the most unlicky of all, since they have done good deeds , but they, did not do it for the devotion of Allah, but for other objectives.
This group have many members who held high ranking positions in the first life of the world ( Fircown). Some where respected leaders whose pictures adored walls, and people sang for them. Some were very wealthy ( Mutrafeen) and those elite in every society (Al Malaa) who despise the rest of people like they rae lizards.
That is all for today.
Anything that is right above is from Allah
Anything wrong above, I take full credit, and ask Allah to forgive me, and I ask readers to seek forgiveness for me.
Jazaakumullah khairan for reading. |
| Anonymous | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 04:00 am
Thanks bro. |
