Malaysia a Christian Nation?

What do I think? What do you think I think? I am a Muslim. So again, what do you think I think? A yes? No?

Fiqh Medic

What are the legal maxims of Islamic Law (QAWA’ID FIQHIYYAH). Let's say, if a patient is having a colostomy bag (which contains his urine or feces), would the ablution be valid? How about, if a women is in labour (bear in mind that giving birth to the first child can be as long as 19hours); can she still performs Salah? (Let's find the answer here.)

Men VS Women

Let's think critically. Who is the one which better in governing this world!? Men, who have more influencing and have strong character or women, who have emotional values, and boundless cares and love?

Are You Ready to Fall in Love??

What is love to begin with? we might assume that we have that sort of wonderful love, unshakeable by no others even death. We may sacrifice anything to our beloved person. But, if we claimed that we love Rasulullah, where are the proofs? You are willing to sacrifice anything for his sake?

Does God need us?

Now, tell me, what are the differences between this human-made lego tree and the one who created by our almighty creator,our god?

Friday, February 25, 2011

Valentine's Day Vs Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Part 2)

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

"Now has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that you should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful. But if they turn away, say, "Allah suffices me: there is no god but He: on Him is my trust, He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme!"

Surah At-Taubah, (9:128-129)

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim..

This is a continuation of the previous article on Valentine's Day. As we are in the month of Rabi'ul awwal, so it is the month of Prophet Muhammad's birthday SAW. The following will be about him insya Allah.
 
1. I'd like to share this wonderful website that features stories of our beloved Prophet SAW in a very interactive and creative way which I thought maybe you want to go visit and have a look. Below is a snap shot of the website mentioned and to visit, please click here.

(Jazakallah Bro Kareem for sharing this) ;-)
2. Before I move on, let us read some of the comments people made about our beloved Prophet SAW.

"He was the only man in history who was supremely successfull on both the religious and secular level."

-Michael H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of The Most Influential Persons in History-

"It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher."

-Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, page 4-

"By a fortune absolutely unique to history, Mohammed is a threefold founder of a nation, of an empire, and of a religion."

-Rev. R. Bosworth-Smith in "Mohammed and Mohammedanism 1946- 

3. In this short post, it is important to mention, that we praise Allah for His great bounties and His power over all mankind that He created the best of men, our Prophet Muhammad SAW. While we admire Prophet Muhammad SAW, he himself has told us to always place our dependance upon Allah alone and worship none other but Him. He told us that he is only a messenger and because of that, we always have to live with his messages that Allah is one and only, even after the Prophet is no longer around us.

4. Lastly, let me provide some descriptions about Prophet Muhammad SAW as referred from a book by Ali Akbar entitled Israel and The Prophecies of Al-Quran.

a) It was said of him that he is more modest than a virgin behind a curtain.
b) When asked to curse comeone he replied, "I have not been sent to curse, but as a mercy to mankind."
c) He was very fond of children; he would stop them in the streets and pat their little heads.
d) He would say that he was more like Adam than other men, while in morals and disposition he resembled his father, Abraham.
e) He was the most faithful protector of those protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence: those who came in contact with him loved him; those who described him would say, "I have never seen his like." He was of great taciturnity, but when he spoke it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could ever forget what he said.

5. Several physical descriptions below:

a) His height was neither too tall nor too short.
b) His complexion was white, without being wheat-colored or too white but the color was pure white, free from any mixture of yellow, red or any other color.
c) His hair was curly and did not hang straight down; yet it was not bushy.
d) His face was neither long nor circular, but slightly rounded. The eyes of him were large and open, deep and dark, with a tint of redness. His nose sloped downward in just proportion and his teeth were a little interspaced and shining. His lips were beautiful and fascinating. His cheeks were not soft, but firm.
e) His face was more handsome than that of others; Anyone who described his face always compared it with the full moon.

6. IMPORTANT: The above descriptions are quoted from authenticated books of Hadiths such as Sahih of Bukhari and Sahih of Muslim. I have to strictly mention here that Islamic scholars have made it clear that we are prohibited from depicting the image of Prophet Muhammad SAW as in pictures or drawings. So, the above descriptions may at most, make us feel closer to our beloved Prophet that we know him better and we love him more for that matter insya Allah.

With little knowledge that I know, at least one useful importance of these descriptions is that when people claim to see Prophet Muhammad SAW in their dreams, there is reference to rely on and everyone knows that the satans can not disguise themselves as Prophet Muhammad SAW.
 
Through some reading, with His permission, I also found out that the biggest fear for this prohibition of images of Prophet Muhammad SAW is that people may go for idolatry- which is needless to say, a form of syirk, big sin in Islam. That is why again, we admire Prophet Muhammad SAW, we love him and we pray for him for his unparalled love towards us, for his sacrifice and struggle bringing the message of Islam and countless many other but we do not worship him like the Christians do towards Jesus AS, whom they regard as the son of God. May Allah protect us from syirk insya Allah.

7. Let us end by praying to Allah may He bless our beloved Prophet SAW and grant him the best place in Paradise insya Allah.

Wallahua'lam wassalamualaikum wbt.

"Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe! Send your blessings on him, and salute him with all respect."

Surah Al-Ahzab, (33:56)

-Adapted from amirulasyrafhanaffi.blogspot.com-

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Man’s Vicegerency

The concept of man’s Khilafah (vicegerency/caliphate) provides the operational framework for the Islamic scheme of life. This vicegerency is declared before the creation of the first human being:

“Behold, your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth.’ They said: ‘Will place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? While we do celebrate Your praises and glorify Your holy (name)?’ He said: ‘I know what you know not.’” (Qur’an, 2:30 )
It is He Who has made you (His) vicegerents, inheritors of the earth: He has raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has given you: for your Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 6:165)
The story of Adam and Eve is found in almost all religious and major cultural traditions. But in these narrations, fact and fancy are found intermingled. The way the Qur’an narrates this event is crucial to the understanding of the Islamic world-view.
The main outline of the Qur’anic narration is as follows. God declared His intention to send a vicegerent (khalifah) to the earth. He created Adam and Eve they were destined to play this role of vicegerency and were endowed with the ‘knowledge of the things’ to do the job well. Then they were put to a test and were asked not to approach a certain tree. They fell victim to the evil persuasions of Satan and committed sin. But immediately after sinning they repented their mistakes, sought God’s forgiveness and were forgiven. It was after they were forgiven and redeemed that they were sent down to the earth to play their role as vicegerents of God. They were promised Divine Guidance and were assured that those who followed that guidance would be successful. Adam was the first man to receive this guidance and convey it to his progeny.
“ We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors above a great part of Our Creation.” (Qur’an 17:70)
Some very important inferences follow from this: Islam does not contribute to any theory of the ‘fall of Adam’ symbolizing the fall of man. There was no ‘fall’ at all in that sense. Man was created for the purpose of acting as vicegerent on the earth and he came to the world to fulfill this mission. It represents the rise of man to a new assignment, his tryst with destiny, and not a fall.
The role and status of vicegerency is conferred upon the human being as such, and it is shared by man and woman alike. This lays the foundations of their essential equality as human beings, as vicegerents of God on the earth, whatever their different roles in society may be. Islam does not subscribe to the view that woman led man (Eve leading Adam) to sin and disobedience.
According to the Qur’an “Satan caused them both to deflect therefrom”. Both were held responsible for the act, both repented their transgression and both were forgiven. They entered the world without any stigma of original sin on their soul. Human nature is pure and good. Man has been created in the best of all forms. Man and woman are made from the same substance. Every one is born in a state of purity and innocence. Success or failure depends entirely on one’s own beliefs and behavior.
We have indeed created man in the best of moulds” (Qur’an 95:4)
For each (such person) there are (angels) in succession, before and behind him: They guard him by command of Allah. Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls). But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect.” (Qur’an 13:11)
No one is to be responsible for the shortcomings of others. Man has been given freedom of choice. He is free to accept or deny Reality. He is responsible for his actions, but is not to be deprived of this freedom, even if he makes mistakes and abuses it. The uniqueness of the human situation lies in the man’s psychosocial volition. This is the mainspring of human potential - this is what enables him to rise to the highest pinnacle or to fall into the deepest abyss.
The dangers of misuse of freedom continue to confront man throughout his life on the earth. The challenge from Satan is unceasing. To safeguard man against this, Divine Guidance is provided. The trial of Adam and Eve reveals, on the one hand, the essential goodness of their nature and on the other, their susceptibility to error. This demonstrates man’s need for Divine Guidance.
Man has not been totally protected against error. This would involve negation of the freedom of choice. He may commit errors; his redemption lies in his realization of those errors, in seeking repentance and in turning back to the Right Path. The theory of vicegerency affirms that God’s Creation is deliberate and not fortuitous. Man has been created with a purpose. Everything else in Creation has been harnessed to his service. His life on the earth begins with the consciousness of a mission, not through groupings in darkness. The ideal was set before him through Divine Revelation. The criterion for success has been laid down in clear terms. The signposts of the Right Path have been made manifest. Man’s life on earth is in the nature of a trial. It is timebound.
This life will be followed by an eternal life wherein man shall reap the rewards of his actions in this life. And in this lifelong trial, men and women are equal participants and will be judged as such. Neither is a mere shadow of the other, but both are active co-partners. The Qur’an explicitly states that man and woman will get what they strive for and that the same standard is set for them both as the ultimate criterion for their success.
"And the believers, the men and the women, are friends protecting each other; they command what is proper and forbid what is improper, keep up prayer and pay the Zakat (welfare due); and they obey God and His Messenger. It is these on whom God will have mercy. Surely, God is All-Mighty, All-Wise. God has promised to the believers, men and women, Gardens beneath which rivers flow, forever therein to dwell, and goodly dwelling-places in the Gardens of Eden, and greater than anything else, God’s good pleasure (and acceptance from Him). That is the supreme triumph." (Q 9:71-72)
"And whosoever does a righteous deed, be they male or female, and is a believer, We shall assuredly given them a goodly life to live; and We shall certainly reward them according to the best of what they did." (Q 16:97)
"Men who surrender to God and women who surrender to God, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give aims and women who gives aims, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard their modesty, and men who remember God much and women who remember-God has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward." (Q 33:35)
The Qur’an describes the ideal and the model for men and women and the criterion for the Day of Judgement. This defines what is expected of them as Allah’s vicegerents on earth.
Adopted from KHURSHID AHMAD, "THE ISLAMIC APPROACH TO LIFE: THE FOUNDATIONS"
credit for Diana Rizal for the article :)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

As-Shifa' (February 2011)

Salam.

Here are some snapshots of the interactive electronic magazine. Free Download ;-)




The file is in WinRAR format. Please extract first and then click on the icon to start. It won't install on your PC or laptop, it's a portable one, so don't worry. File size: 11 Mb

Please download here.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Valentine's Day Vs Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Part 1)

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)."
Surah Ali 'Imran, (3:85)

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Introduction

Every year, February 14 marks another awaited day especially by couples around the world to celebrate love, though ironically many of them are not married- which brings a question as to whether unmarried love brings with it responsibility in the form of legal agreement to play roles attributed to each other (as husband and wife and later as father and mother). Therefore, love without marriage is always like a game or a trial and error method in search for a true life partner and most of the time there's no love involved at all, no not love seriously- so please go back and learn your English again, without marriage, it deserves a better word- LUST!



Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

1. Insya Allah, as the title goes, I will elaborate on both Valentine's Day and Maulidur Rasul (The Birthday of Prophet Muhammad SAW) as the former takes place on February 14 every year and the latter co-incidentally occurs the day after it this year, on February 15.

2. I am not to compare between both but it's here to note that this time around, there will be a series of articles whereby in correct sequence, will be about Valentine's Day first and Prophet's Birthday in another article. This is therefore put under part one.

3. Valentine's Day is otherwise known as The Festival of Love and is claimed to be a day when people around the world celebrate and appreciate love. It's usual that during this day, people will buy presents and exchange it with their beloved ones, and it may not be necessarily practised by 2 lovers, because some people exchange gifts with their friends instead, as a symbol of friendship love, so-called another form of love.

4. And interestingly, it's not a surprise to hear that JAKIM, The Malaysian Islamic Development Department has now launched an Anti-Valentine's Day campaign, not to forget many circulating articles, flyers etc. that can be found either printed, or more abundant of course in the electronic world, all of which are against this somewhat not uncommon festival in Malaysia..

5. Why does Islam forbid us to celebrate Valentine's Day in the first place? Insya Allah, I will divide my answer into three parts in response to that question- which you can find below. 

First, because by history, this celebration is against our principle in Islam and only ignorance permits many misleading practices contained within the festival. Secondly, it is forbidden because it is not the way Islam teaches us to live. Thirdly, because the essence of celebrating Valentine's Day is entirely destructive to the society.

6. Before I continue, it is essential to make a point here that Islam is a religion that always promotes love and good relationship with not only God but also mankind. A very often used phrase is hablun minallah wa hablun minan nas, Arabic words for relationship with God and relationship with mankind. The difference is that in Islam we don't need one special day to love because we can love and be loved all year round. Also, Islam admonishes us to channel our love in an appropriate means, such as through marriage and not through random pick or lottery as committed in the past during Valentine's Day.

Rasulullah once narrated that, "None of you truly believes (in Allah and His religion) until he loves his brother what he loves for himself." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Historical records suggest that this festival is against Islam by principle and by practices.

7. Now, the problem with Valentine's Day begins right through the origin itself. There are several versions with regard to its origin of course, but none of those has anything to do with Islamic origin, nor Islamic source whatsoever. This means that Valentine's day (which from now onwards will be denoted as V-Day for simplicity's sake) is a construct of men's weak mind, and therefore it has a high tendency to be influenced by the evil whisper of the Satan whom never gives up to lead us astray.

"(Iblis) said: Then, by Your Power, I will put them all in the wrong." Surah Sod, (38:82)

8. History has recorded that the V-Day was celebrated by the Pagan Romans in honor of their goddess of women and marriage, Februata Juno and Roman god of nature, called Pan. Please take note that pagan in this context refers to polytheism (many gods), and not without religion. And they honored these gods by allowing men to randomly choose their girl partners whom placed their names in an urn before the names were drawn by men. They then became sexual partners for either a day, a year or even forever.

9. Clearly, this is an act of syirk because you create a partner to Allah by honoring other gods. We know full well that syirk is a sin that will not be forgiven and Allah will hurl those who commit syirk to Hell fire. Also, it is an act of adultery (zina) because there is sex outside marriage. Hence by principle and by practice, V-Day is certainly against Islam and therefore should be avoided.

10. Let me also mention here that the word Valentine is actually to commemorate a Christian saint (whose name was Valentine) who was claimed to be murdered by the Roman emperor by the name Claudius, for conducting secret marriages between soldiers. What has death of a Christian saint to do with us Muslims? 

11. Also, there was a practice of smearing their bodies with blood of sacrificial goats and dogs which they believed will improve fertility. Any modern and scientific explanation nowadays will deny that, and what's left there is to take it as a practice of religious ritual which is undoubtedly therefore an act of syirk.


Valentine's Day is not our way.

"Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with you unless you follow their form of religion. Say: The Guidance of Allah is the (only) Guidance." Surah Al-Baqarah, (2:120)

12. The above is a warning and reminder from Allah. He knows exactly why should we not follow them. He has full knowledge of their agenda and His orders are ones that protect us. Even our Prophet Muhammad SAW firmly expressed his concern about this when he said that those who copy what others do in their religion, they are actually a part of them (in their religion). Should we bow to their religion, we automatically deny Allah's oneness and because of that, it is the Hell fire that awaits us, nauzubillahi min zalik.

13. The V-Day is not our way, as simple as that. So, let's abandon it now, even if many of our friends don't. Remember, we don't do things because many people do it, but we do it because it is the right (and permissible) thing to do. We have our own way and Islam teaches us all about them.

"Were you to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture; they do nothing but lie." Surah Al-An'am, (6: 116)

14. Allah explicitly reminds us in the above verse not to follow the majority only because it is majority. We are given thoughts and wisdom so we must use them to see the truth. We are weak, so we need guidance. A divine guidance surely does not come from mankind. We can't live with conjecture alone. Our way of life is one that is in line with our primordial nature (fitrah) and the only religion or way of life that in its entirety suits the norm of a life of mankind is no other but Islam. Why? Because Islam comes from Allah, and it's Him whom creates us and our fitrah.

The bigger picture and essence of Valentine's Day.

15. In the Western world, people long for this day as much as they long for free sex. It (the day) is like a switch that triggers a strong desire to commit such practice that is humiliating and embarrassing not only in Islam, but also in Eastern culture in general, which highly appreciates someone's dignity and pride especially women.

16. The essence of this festival is that you can do what ever you want with someone that you love, even if you don't marry her. As though love permits everything. It promotes the destruction of our society in many ways because ultimately, it encourages the act of intimacy between unmarried couples.

17. For one thing, it increases divorce. I am not kidding. If you want facts, here I present them to you. And please be aware that these facts are not taken from Islamic authorities (though of course they have facts too), but just so that you can already rule out bias, the following facts are taken from several researches conducted overseas by independent bodies and parties.

18. A study from the University of Denver, found that couples who lived together before marrying reported lower marriage satisfaction. It further exposed that there is evidence about the fact that cohabiting is associated with lower marital quality and higher divorce potential. Surprisingly, it also confirms that people cohabit because they want to test their relationship, so without marriage, they can easily 'let go' if they are not satisfied with their partner (through sexual relationship). The study finally concludes that cohabiting is the biggest problem in relationship.

19. In addition to that, let us ponder on the following report by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development whereby it says, "Cohabitation, once rare, is now the norm: The researchers found that more than half (54 %) of all first marriages between 1990 and 1994 began with unmarried cohabitation. They estimate that a majority of young men and women of marriageable age today will spend some time in a cohabiting relationship. ... Cohabiting relationships are less stable than marriage and that instability is increasing, the study found."

20. From Islamic perspective, what the above transpires is simple; that if you love someone, then go for marriage. The longer you stay in an outside marriage relationship, you either will fall into cohabiting, or you risk an unstable relationship, be it before or after marriage. 

21. If I put it in a more casual way, I'd say who are you to stop your girlfriend or boyfriend from falling in love and go to another person when you have no proof at all (through marriage) that he or she is yours? Is this not a common sense? 

22. Let us not dwell on another issue that follows this, namely baby dumping, for instance as it is now crystal clear that the impact of treating love in a wrong way by blindly celebrating V-Day is huge and it creates vicious cycle. How do we define love when innocent babies are being cruelly murdered anyway? No, stop giving excuses. What's the big deal if we don't have the V-Day, can you tell?

Conclusion

23. Therefore, I hereby would like to invite all of us to go back to Islam and be careful with the world around us. We always follow things blindly, become excited to copy the so-called latest social trend, and live a deviated life, sometimes without us knowing. So now because we already know, we shall grasp the knowledge fully and pray a lot to Him, Allah the Almighty God so that He leads us to the right path insya Allah.

"And pursue not that of which you have no knowledge, for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)." Surah Al-Isra', (17:36)


May Allah bless us all insya Allah. Wallahu'aklam.

Wassalamualaikum wbt.

Adapted from amirulasyrafhanaffi.blogspot.com

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Heart

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after You have guided us, but grant mercy from Your own Presence; for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure." (3:8-9)

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

1. Some time ago, I posted on my Facebook wall this meaningful phrase that says, "The sign of kafir (unbeliever) is that he is lost in horizons. The sign of Mu'min (believer) is that horizons are lost in him."

2. From the book which I took the phrase, there is no direct interpretation nor explanation about it, but considering the whole context of the writing in the book, I have full conviction that it has much relation with what I am going to elaborate in this article.

3. In medicine, heart refers to one of the vital organs and it functions to pump blood to all parts of the body. However I do not intend to talk about this physical heart, but about the other heart which Al-Quran refers to as Qalb, Fu'ad or Sodr.

4. Let us recall one well-known hadith about heart that says,"Beware. There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that (the flesh ) is the heart." As narrated by An-Numan bin Basyir from Sahih Bukhari.

5. Previously, in my articles about dajjal and feminist revolution, I have stressed on the importance of looking for light (guidance) from Allah as only with it that we can see with another eyes, that belong to our heart. Malay people put it as mata hati, which means the eyes (vision) of the heart.


6. One simple example of the exclusive advantage to see with heart is demonstrated in one of the hadiths by Rasulullah SAW which describes that dajjal has the word kafr (unbelievers) on his forehead which, as stated in the hadith, even the illiterates can read (so long that he is a muslim) while the unbelievers can't. 

7. What it suggests is that people with faith and knowledge can see what others can not see, because they live their life with Al-Quran, which explains everything inside. "And We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy and Glad Tidings to Muslims." (An-Nahl, 16:89)
 

8.   If someone is super extremely nice, we call them angels. But do we know that mankind are created by Allah as the best of creations? Yes, by status, we (mankind) are even more superior than the angels, moulded by Allah in best form. Allah confirms this in Surah At-Tin (95:4), "And We have indeed created man in the best of mould."

9. In sequence to that however, in verse number 5, Allah poses to us with something opposite when He says, "Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low," which in fact, not only makes us lower than the angels, but also indicates that the beast are even better. We are now at the bottom, the worst.

10. But there is exception, which Allah describes in the later verse number 6 that reads, "Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: for they shall have a reward unfailing."

11.  Having mentioned the above, we shall now understand that only with intellect that comes from a pure heart, we will be led to a path that is in accordance with Al-Quran. And it is this pure and guided heart that controls us to be inclined to the righteousness instead of sins. 

12. We have to understand that Allah grants us choices and free will when He gives us wisdom or the aql. Animals, like us, do have brain too, but they don't have the aql or wisdom, so they only do what they are created to do. They eat, they breed, and they sleep, amongst other things, which are also what we do, but we can always choose not to, and therefore find ways not to, because Allah gives us the wisdom.

13. It is with this wisdom as an advantage that Allah gives to us that makes us the best creation to be His vicegerent on earth. He clearly said this in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:30), "Behold, our Lord said to the angels: I will create a vicegerent on earth."
 
14. The conversation that follows between Allah and the angels in the same surah proves to us that with Allah's permission, and because Allah teaches Adam (and us), we mankind know what even the angels don't know. Ultimately, it indicates Allah's absolute power over everything. In a way, why don't we thank Him for such a great status that He gives to us?

15. My intention for this article is so that we know how Islam is a way of life that suits us in all aspects, and only by following what Islam teaches us, we preserve our norm and premordial nature (fitrah), and therefore prosper in life now and in the Hereafter.
 
16. Automatically, going against Islam is going against ourselves (premordial nature) which leads us to nothing but disaster. Disobeying Allah adds more disease into the heart and eventually, invites His Wrath and punishment in Hellfire, may Allah protect us from that.

17. "In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves)." Surah Al-Baqarah, (2:10)

18. I'd like to end this article with 3 powerful prayers that hopefully insya Allah will help us prosper in what ever things we do in life and so that He helps keep our hearts strong to be faithful towards Him, even if we have to die to protect our faith and dependance we put upon Him insya Allah. My prayers that they benefit us all. Ameen~

19. The first 2 can be found in the Quran as follows (translation):
  
a) O my Rabb! Expand me my breast. Ease my task for me, and remove the impediment from my speech, so they may understand what I say. (20:25-28)

b) O my Rabb! Bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous, grant me honorable mention on the tongue of the truth among the latest (generations), make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss." (26:83-84)

c) O Allah! The Turner of the hearts, keep our hearts firm on Your deen. (Sahih Muslim)
Ya Muqallibal Qulub, tsabbit qalbi  'alaa diinik
 20. The third du'a (prayer) above is of special importance to me, as it strongly reminds myself that no matter who we are or how much knowledge we have in Islam, no one can ever escape from misguidance except with the permission of Allah. So, I recommend we read this prayer everytime after solah (solat) insya Allah.

21. May Allah bless us all, He knows best, no doubt, absolutely ;-)

P/S: Authored by Ibnu Hanaffi, as adapted from amirulasyrafhanaffi.blogspot.com

Wassalam ;-)