Allah Created Sin for the Sake of Forgiveness

Abu Sirma reported that when the time of the death of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari had drawn near, he said,

I used to conceal from you a thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger. He said, "Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven them." (Muslim 37:6620)

Allah created sin so that He could forgive because He, the Most Forgiving, loves to forgive... SubhanAllah!

This should encourage us to never despair of Allah's mercy... No matter what we have done. Of course, this implies us taking the humble initiative to repent, repent and repent to the One who hears all...

Esoterics of of Al-Fatihah

As for the opening chapter of the Qur'an (al-Fatihah), it contains a synthesis of the whole book, and as noted earlier, its recitation marks the beginning of every daily service. It has a role in Islam that is analogous to that of the Shema' in Judaism and of the "Lord's Prayer" in Christianity, and is divided into two parts. The former contains a mention of the divine names, while the latter is a request of guidance and of protection against deviance.

Its words mean:
1. In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
2. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
3. The Merciful, the Compassionate,
4. Master of the Day of Judgment.
5. Thee we worship and Thee we ask for help.
6. Guide us to the straight path,
7. The path of those whom Thou hast favored, not the path of those who earn Thine anger, nor of those who go astray.

Abu Hurayrah, one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, narrated that he heard him say: "God, mighty and sublime is he, had said:

I have divided the service between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds," God says, "My servant has praised Me," and when he says, "The Merciful, the Compassionate," God says, "My servant has extolled Me." When he says, "Master of the Day of Judgment," God says, "My servant has glorified Me." When he says: "Thee we worship and Thee we ask for help," God says: "This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for." And when he says: "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom Thou hast favored, not the path of those who earn Thine anger, nor of those who stray," God says, "This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for."

This mention of divine answers to the recitation of the creature leads us to understand in which sense the service is considered an intimate colloquium between the creature and his Creator. After completing the reading of al-Fatihah, the worshipper adds other verses from the Qur'an, and then bows, to show that he has not added anything to the praise which Allah gives to himself, but as only manifested by means of his created tongue, the uncreated Word which — according to Islam — is one of the divine attributes. After bowing, the believer stands again, and while coming back to the erect position says what means, "God listens to the one who praises him." This is a further clarification of the intimacy with the Divine Essence that is reached by means of the service, since God is not actually listening to the words of his servant, but rather to his own Word, which descended upon the tongue of his servant. As a consequence of this divine epiphany, the same individuality of the creature is temporarily abolished, and the worshipper prostrates with his forehead to the ground, symbolically coming back to the earth he came from. No individuality can stand in front of God, and the prostration represents a condition of extinction (fana' in Arabic) of the created nature, which is like a temporary mirage, like a contingent shining which made God's light manifested. Even so, extinction in God is not conceived in Islam as a permanent condition, but as the first stage, which in the Islamic terminology is referred as "the journey from the creation toward the Truth." It is immediately followed by subsistence in God (baqa'); i.e., by the "journey from the Truth toward the creation." After being extinguished in God, the creature is sent back to himself, and this is represented by the seated position, which follows the prostration. That subsistence through God, the coming back to one's createdness while remembering the precedent, relative union with God, is itself transitory, and is followed by the stage in which the creature is again extinguished through the "extinction of the extinction" (fanu-l-fana'), which is represented by a second prostration.

- Shaykh Abdul-Hadi Palazzi, "What Do We Want the Other to Teach
About Islamic Prayer and Liturgy?"

Oh Allah, You are Peace and From You is Peace

O God,
Thou art Peace and Peace comes from Thee,
And Peace cometh back to Thee.
Let us enter,
Our Lord,
In the abode of Peace
And grant us access to Heaven.
Thy abode is an abode of Peace,
May Thou be blessed and exalted,
Thou art the Owner of Majesty and Generosity.

- Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

Imam Shafi's Love of Truth

Never do I argue with a man with a desire to hear him say what is wrong,
or to expose him and win victory over him.
Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently pray --
O Lord, help him so that truth may flow from his heart
and on his tongue, and so that if truth is on my side,
he may follow me;
and if truth be on his side, I may follow him.

- Imam Ash-Shafi (rahimullah)

A Beautiful Du'a

OH ALLAH, I thank YOU for this day.
I thank YOU for my being able to see and to hear this morning.
I'm blessed because YOU are forgiving and understanding.
Oh Allah, YOU have done so much for me & YOU keep on blessing me.
Forgive me this day for everything I have done,
said, or thought that was not pleasing to YOU.
I ask YOU now for YOUR forgiveness.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm.
Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.
Let me make the best of each and every day;
To clear my mind so that I can hear from YOU.
Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.
Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.
Let me continue to see sin through YOUR eyes and acknowledge it as evil.
And when I sin, let me repent, and receive YOUR forgiveness.
And when this world closes in on me, let me remember YOU;
- To slip away and find a quiet place to make DUA...
It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.
I know that when I can't make DUA, YOU listen to my heart.
Continue to use me to do YOUR will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others.
Keep me strong that I may help the weak.
Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.
I make DUA for those that are lost and can't find their way.
I make DUA for those that are misjudged and misunderstood.
I make DUA for those who don't know YOU intimately.
I make DUA for those that will delete this without sharing it with others
I make DUA for those that don't believe;
But I thank you that I believe.
I believe that Allah changes people and Allah changes things.
I make DUA for all my sisters and brothers.
For each and every family member in their households.
I make DUA for peace, love, and joy in their homes;
That they are out of debt and all their needs are met.
Ameen.

- Author Unknown

Letter to the Editor: Pope’s Speech Being Used to Fuel a Divisive Agenda

The Muslim world is aghast once again at another seeming ‘low-blow’ to the faith by none other than Pope Benedict. Upon reading the Pope’s speech itself rather than relying on press accounts, the Pope makes reference to a dialogue carried on in 1391 by the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, as mentioned in an obscure book written by one Thomas Khoury. In reading the Pope’s words in the context of his full speech, it appears that his only crime is in his choice of using Thomas Khoury’s book and the weak and obtuse arguments presented in it to make a broader scholarly argument about the incompatibility of violence and faith across all religious traditions. Though it is unclear why he chose Khoury’s book and its provocative language as a reference, his arguments can be easily refuted with even basic knowledge of the role of reason in faith from the perspective of Islamic thought. That being said, the Pope’s speech is evidently being manipulated once again by those that aim to benefit from more hatred and violence between the Western and the Muslim worlds, in step with the Danish cartoon incident. Unfortunately, many Muslim leaders and groups are falling for the trap and making irresponsible comments, even after admitting they did not read the speech but based their reactions entirely on what the press had written. Instead of asking for apologies and protests, perhaps the response should come in like form to the Pope’s original statements; that of a scholarly dialogue on the issues discussed in his speech. In so doing, perhaps we could turn another potentially disastrous incident into a positive one by moving toward a dialogue of civilizations rather than a clash of civilizations.

Read the speech here: http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=94748

The Perfection of Awareness

There are three stages to the perfection of awareness (at the end of which you are no longer aware, it is only Al-llah! who is aware). They are:

Islam - Acceptance and Surrender (to the way of the peace and the love) - Surrender begins with the realization that guidance cannot be and should not be 'self-provided', that it must be sought at the hand of a realized teacher; and acting in accordance with that knowing. At this point, according to your level of Himma (willingness), you will be put into contact with the classical Islamic learning process.

Iman - Correct faith (with experientially verifiable certainty). The perfection of faith is its conversion to certainty (Yaqin) yielding correctness in behavior and knowledge coming from the complete realization of Truth and a deep understanding of the human situation. This process has three phases: Hearing the Truth, Seeing the Truth, and Being the Truth.

`Ilm ul Yaqin - Hearing about a knowledge of which you wish to learn more. The Power of the mind used and developed for the accomplishment of this stage is known in Sanskrit as Dharana (concentration, focus, search, contact, discovery, identification), and the accomplishment is achieved by a combination of pure intent and asking the right questions.

`Ain ul Yaqin - This is the stage of actually doing the work necessary to complete understanding. It requires the development of a sufficiency of dedication, determination and commitment, and a continued use and development of the Powers of Dharana, focus of attention or concentration.

You might notice that the development of each one of these powers of the stages of process requires the use of the entire process - identification, contemplation and comprehension.

Haqq ul Yaqin - Being the Truth. Attainment. Becoming the reality (a
carrier) of this Certainty. Complete comprehension.

Ihsan - Perfect guidance (finished, liberated, able to guide others). Spiritual Liberation implies the perfection of one's understanding of purpose and purity of intention. It does not imply the kind of liberty that supports childish behavior and undisciplined carelessness. This is the holy station of 'Salik al Majdhubi", the contained and sober intoxicated; the Sufi who is the union of the way of the walking (Shari`at - Muhammadun Rasulullah) and the Ultimate Reality (Haqiqat - La ilaha illa 'llah).

The completion of this process of alignment is the ultimate fulfillment and the end of personal desire and hence the end of the ruling power of the perverse ego (both your own and others'), since ego is the defensive aggressive tool constructed for the purpose of attaining personal desire. Personality is thence put to the uses that Al-llah! intended for it in the first place, namely service, friendliness and education.

- Ali Ansari

Why Use Drugs to Treat Dehydration?

If you are sick or suffering from chronic illness, please visit the site posted below. I know someone very close to me whose health has dramatically changed for the better since following the advice of this doctor. I know it sounds unbelievable, but it makes so much sense. After dramatically increasing my own intake of water daily, I have seen tremendous increases in my energy levels and stamina.

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The Night of Mid-Sha`ban (laylat al-bara'a)

The Night of Mid-Sha`ban (laylat al-bara'a)

Allah said:

inna anzalnahu fi laylatin mubarakatin inna kunna mundhirin

Lo! We revealed it on a blessed night -- Lo! We are ever warning --

fiha yufraqu kullu amrin hakim

Whereupon every wise command is made clear

amran min `indina inna kunna mursilin

As a command from Our presence -- Lo! We are ever sending --

rahmatan min rabbika innahu huwa al-sami`u al-`alim

A mercy from thy Lord. Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower. (44:3-6)

Although the majority of the commentators consider the "blessed night" in the above verses to refer to the Night of Decree (laylat al-qadr) which is considered to be in the month of Ramadan, yet the commentaries also mention that this "blessed night" may be that of mid-Sha`ban (laylat al-bara'a). This view is based on the profusion of hadiths on the great merits of the latter. Consequently the Shari`a has commended observance of that night. Concerning supererogatory worship on the night of mid-Sha`ban Suyuti says in his Haqiqat al-sunna wa al-bid`a:

As for the night of mid-Sha`ban, it has great merit and it is desirable (mustahabb) to spend part of it in supererogatory worship.

Even Ibn Taymiyya -- the putative authority of "Salafis" -- considered the night of mid-Sha`ban "a night of superior merit" in his Iqtida' al-sirat al-mustaqim:

[Some] said: There is no difference between this night (mid-Sha`ban) and other nights of the year. However, the opinion of many of the people of learning, and that of the majority of our companions (i.e. the Hanbali school) and other than them is that it is a night of superior merit, and this is what is indicated by the words of Ahmad (ibn Hanbal), in view of the many ahadith which are transmitted concerning it, and in view of what confirms this from the words and deeds transmitted from the early generations (al-athar al-salafiyya). Some of its merits have been narrated in the books of hadith of the musnad and sunan types. This holds true even if other things have been forged concerning it.

Among the hadiths stressing the status of laylat al-bara'a are the following:

The Prophet said : Allah looks at His creation in the night of mid-Sha`ban and He forgives all His creation except for a mushrik (idolater) or a mushahin (one bent on hatred).

From `A'isha:

She said: The Prophet stood up in prayer during part of the night and made his prostration so lengthy that I thought his soul had been taken back. When I saw this I got up and went to move his big toe, whereupon he moved, so I drew back. When he raised his head from prostration and finished praying, he said: "O `A'isha, O fair little one (humayra')! Did you think that the Prophet had broken his agreement with you?" She replied: "No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, but I thought that your soul had been taken back because your stayed in prostration for so long." He said: "Do you know what night this is?" She said: "Allah and His Prophet know best." He said: "This is the night of mid-Sha`ban! Verily Allah the Glorious and Majestic look at His servants on the night of mid-Sha`ban, and He forgives those who ask forgiveness, and He bestows mercy on those who ask mercy, and He gives a delay to the people of envy and spite in their state."

Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Ibn Majah relate:

From `A'isha: I missed the Prophet one night so I went out to al-Baqi` (and found him). He said: "Were you afraid that Allah would wrong you and that His Prophet would wrong you?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I thought that you might have gone to visit one of your wives." He said: "Allah Glorious and Exalted descends to the nearest heaven on the night of mid-Sha`ban and He forgives to more people than the number of hairs on the hides of the sheep of the tribes of Kalb."

Ahmad and Ibn Majah relate:

From `Ali ibn Abi Talib: The Prophet said: "The night of mid-Sha`ban let all of you spend in prayer (i.e. partly) and its day (i.e. preceding it) in fasting, for Allah descends to the nearest heaven during that night beginning with sunset and says: Is there no one asking forgiveness that I may forgive them? Is there no one asking sustenance that I may grant them sustenance? Is there no one under trial that I may relieve them? Is there not such-and-such, is there not such-and-such, and so forth until dawn rises."

Two Views of Politics in Islam

The traditional view understands the role of politics in terms of what the Qur’an teaches. It indicates that prophets were sent to humans to teach them truths about God, ethics, ways to achieve prosperity in this world, and beatitude in the hereafter, and to warn about the consequences of injustice and sinfulness. A prophet who is called to preach in a stateless milieu has to assume a role of political leadership; this mantle fell on Moses, as it did to Muhammad (peace be upon both of them). Islamic tradition teaches that when this happens, the two roles are combined by accident; political leadership is not a necessary element of the prophetic mission. By way of confirmation, note that the Qur’an uses different titles to describe the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but none of them refers to his political function. Verses 33:45-46 say that he was sent as a witness (shahid), a bearer of glad tidings (mubashshir), a warner (nadhir), as someone who calls to God (da‘i ila Allah), and as a shining light (siraj munir). Nowhere does it say he was sent as a political leader or a head of state. That the Prophet Muhammad actually had a political role resulted from the social conditions that prevailed in his time, but this was not a necessary part of his prophetic mission.

Islamists, however, have a very different interpretation. For them, building an Islamic state is the central achievement of the prophetic mission. Conflating the role of the Muslim scholar with that of a political leader, they hold that the spread of Islam cannot be separated from the creation of what they call the Islamic state. (The Islamists Have it Wrong, Abdul Hadi Palazzi, 2001)

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Islamists in Malaysia argue that the Prophet (SAW) was a politician, and therefore, Islam cannot be separated from the quest for political power. In my opinion, calling the Prophet (SAW) a politican is almost an insult. Politicians, by the very nature of politics itself, are about one thing -- acquiring worldly power. If one wants to be a politician, fine, no problem. We are not saying that there is anything wrong with politics. But to call Rasulullah (SAW) a politician is rediculous for the simple reason that throughout his 23 years of Prophethood, Muhammad (SAW) repeatedly turned down offerings of power and rank. He was literally offered to be made king by the Meccans and turned it down for to do so would have meant abandoning his mission of spreading the message of Islam. This example alone shows that he knew that his amanah from Allah was only to be a warner and educator. The leadership position of Medina he received after 13 years was not the product of politicking or running for office. Rather, it was bestowed upon him from Allah; the product of total obedience, courage, perseverence, patience, mercy, steadfastness, forgiveness and dedication to his cause and purpose. A leader is not synonymous with a politician. Many leaders come to leadership positions by means other than through political activities.

Politics is the act of vying for worldly power. My political science professor in college defined it as simply "getting what there is to be gotten." It implies the action of seeking and acquiring power, whether for better or worse. Rasulullah (SAW), however, never sought after anything in this world. His heart lived in the Akhirat. He knew his Lord better than any other and when given the option to stay in the world or return to Allah, he chose the latter.

When Faced with Temptation...

When temptation claims your reason,
know that misfortune is about to strike.
Fall down prostrate and begin to pray.
With flowing tears implore the Lord
that He may deliver you
from the throes of doubt.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi"

Blessed are those who...

Blessed are those who honour God in all they do, who believe in the revelations of their Lord, and who worship only their Lord. Blessed are those who, when they give to the poor, do so with hearts filled with awe, knowing that they will soon return to their Lord. Blessed are those who vie with one another for God's blessings; they will be foremost in receiving them.

-Qur'an, Al-Mu'minun, Surah 23:57-61

What I love about this ayah is the 'between the lines' content. It doesn't only stress the 'what' in Islam, but the 'how', which is exactly why we can never judge books by their covers. We can never claim to know what is inside of an individual when they do what they do -- just one more reason why we should leave judgment to Allah.

Removing a Stone from the Road

Affirming the positive is not always positive, but removing the negative always is. (Prophet SAS said that the humblest charity is removing a stone from a pathway.) Positivity exists (and in reality is all there is), negativity does not, except in our minds. Purifying our minds to know, love and live richly, prosperously and benevolently in God is the point of Tasawwuf (Sufism) and of Islam, and the third part of personal and community development in Islam, to wit, establishing Health, providing Education, and achieving personal and social Welfare.

- Ali Ansari

Letter to the Editor: Adult Hypocrisy and our Youth

Adults in Malaysia appear to have an integrity problem when it comes to young people. Recent reports on out of control drug use, sexual promiscuity and others among youth have re-ignited apparent concern about the health and direction of younger Malaysians. In virtually every case, the question always seems to be, ‘what’s wrong with our youth?’ Well, I for one feel that there is nothing wrong with our youth, rather, the problem rests with us adults. In my opinion, young people are merely reacting to the hypocrisy of adults. For example, how often do our young people hear about the need and importance of science and technology? To be world-class scholars, they need much more than schools. We as a nation must create a culture that is inherently intellectual, that desires to know truth and is committed to human excellence in all aspects of life. Knowing this, what do we do toward facilitating this? We give them Malaysian Idol, Mentor, Survivor, Jom Hebot and the like – a steady diet of it. On the one hand, our leaders rightly encourage youth to strive toward becoming world-leading scientists, engineers, doctors and professionals while on the other hand, everywhere they turn they are being seduced into lives of glamour, self-aggrandizement and mind-numbing ‘infotainment’. We frown on classical and traditional arts but spend billions on promoting hip-hop, rap and other contemporary ‘art’ forms that contain virtually no intellectual or cultural value -- all in the name of profits. The bottom line? Young people are used for their consumer power by none other than who? Adults. They are targeted by big corporations because as a collective group, they have money and they like to spend it. Has anyone wondered how much telecommunications companies make off those sms contests? Do these corporations really care that our young people are squandering millions every year for these useless contests when they could be saving their money for things like education and marriage? We don’t really care about our young people, let’s face it. If we did, we would have things like world-class libraries instead of discos, and profits would come second to things that really mattered to them and their future. The next time we feel the urge to criticize our young people, maybe we should start by looking in the mirror and pondering what kind of example we are setting for them.

The Delusion of Selfhood

Wherever the delusion of your selfhood appears — there's hell. Wherever "you" aren't – that's heaven.

-Abu Sa'id in Ibn Munawwar, "Asrar at-tawhid"

Meaning

How does one explore meaning? With conviction, determination, investigation and repetition! The word 'Gnostic' means Knower (of God). The word 'Gnosis' means Knowledge (of God). The word 'agnostic' means to be without knowledge (of God), and therefore, ignorant.

Consider, if you will, the meaning of the word 'ignorant' (Spanish/Latin: ignorante)-one who ignores. To ignore is an act of will and therefore of deliberate denial and uncaring, and therefore unknowing, (of the Divine Nature of Existence). And now consider the consequences of ignorance - singularly the most damaging aspect of human existence. Fear, war, pestilence, disease, all the damaging elements arise from this one human quality. The war of light is always with knowledge, against ignorance.

- Ali Ansari

The Beauty of Problem Solving

When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

~ Buckminster Fuller

How We See Reality

Instead of pouring knowledge into people's heads, we need to help them grind a new set of eyeglasses so that we can see the world in a new way.

~ J S Brown.

Every Moment is a Moment in Creation

When we live in the moment, we fulfill our obligation of living in surrender to the Creator of every moment.
By doing so, akhirat takes care of itself, insha-Allah.
Living for akhirat, however, means living for some other moment, one that does not exist outside of our minds. It is not the same as living for Allah, who is eternal and present all the time and everywhere.
Rather, living for akhirat is living in blindness of Allah, for Allah is the Creator and is known and appreciated by His creation, which occurs continuously every moment of our lives.
He created to be known. He created us as the knower to know Him. How to fulfill the obligation to know Him without paying full attention to Him through his creation?
Though He cannot be known (i.e. His face/essence) with our eyes in this life, He is known through attention and awareness to His Attributes and Names which can only be known by way of His creation, ourselves and His revelation.
A blind man can know many things even though he cannot see with his eyes. The blind man, through the sensitivity of his sharpened inner perception, can even know things at a much deeper level than most of us.
Likewise, we can know Allah even though we cannot see Him, through the purification of our inner Selves and by being fully aware and present every moment...

"Take Wisdom from Wherever You Find It"

Children tell stories,
but in their tales are enfolded
many a mystery and moral lesson.
Though they may relate many ridiculous things,
keep looking in those ruined places for a treasure.

-Mathnawi [III, 2601-2603]

Wisdom from the Most Wise is always manifested from the hearts of the pure ones...