Do We Need God?

Good question!

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamualaikum wbt.

1. My answer to that question would be in a form of pantun (a Malay traditional poem). Err.. I mean, in a form of another question instead i.e:

2. Does God need us?

3. Ok it's done there. That's my answer. I hope it answers your question, thank you.

4. What? 

5. Right, let me share with you this one ayah (verse) in the Quran. Allah SWT says:

"I do not want from them any provision. Nor do I want them to feed me."

Surah Az-Zariyat, ayah number 57.

6. Do you know what is so interesting about this particular verse?

7. The verse before it!

8. Allah SWT says:

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."

Surah Az-Zariyat, ayah number 56.

9. So do we need God?

10. To those who don't believe in the need for God, I hope I have firstly made it clear above, that we the believers of God in Islam believe firmly that God is free of all needs. He doesn't need us AT ALL.

11. Now going back to your question, the straight forward answer is yes we need God.

12. But I begin by including the above verse to explicitly explain the purpose of creation, that implies our need for God, while trying to acknowledge the critical importance of denying a misunderstanding that may arise from it i.e do we need God because God needs us? By now you should know that the answer is BIG NO NO.

13. Think of a relationship between a shop owner and a customer. The shop owner needs the customer's money, and the customer needs the shop owner's goods. They both need each other. However this type of relationship doesn't apply to Creator-creation relationship. No symbiosis. No interdependence. Period.

14. Now, to substantiate my answer, let me divert you to another different way of looking at your question.

15. Instead of asking do we need God, what about asking this: Do we (mankind) have any needs?

16. And going a wee bit further than that, who then provides us these needs?

17. Based on these newly constructed queries, I will elaborate on why eventually no one can deny the need for God.

18. Are you hungry?

19. Then you need food.

20. Assuming that you don't want to cook, or don't know how to cook or don't have time to cook (please choose one LOL) then you have to buy food from outside. Say, a restaurant.

21. Now reflect on this, who provides the food? You have to make a deep reflection here and you'll see how astoundingly a large numbers of people are involved in making the food available for you.

22. I'll break it down for you extensively, but I'll try to make it as short as possible insya Allah (God willing).

23. First, you need money to buy food. Who gives you the money? Your employer. Or if you are a student, then the money is from your parents' employers. Where does he get that money from? Well, possibly from a bank. Then who prints the money? The government maybe.

24. Now do you drive a car to get to the restaurant? Who build the road? The car? And all components of the car? The engine? The steering wheel? The foot pedal?

25. The food itself, who cooks it?

26. What kind of food is it? Say, a pizza. What makes a pizza? A flour maybe? Where do you get the flour? From a plant. Who grows the plant? A farmer.

27. The list goes on and on and by now it is never possible for you to deny the fact that you need the employer, the cook, the road builder, the farmer and not to forget you need the land on which the farmer use to grow the plant you get your flour, hence pizza from.

28. If you don't just stop there, you should be able to ask, what if all the people and things I mention above do not exist? Your needs are not fulfilled and eventually you will die.

29. So the next relevant question to ask here is that, who or what causes all of them to exist?

30. And here is when you will realize the relevance of asking on the existence of God, hence the need for Him.

31. Because without Him, all the people and the things that you need will not be there, and this consequently easily proves that because what you need also have the need to be created by God, then you need God.

32. Or if I were to put this in one simple sentence, say you need a car to go to work, and the car needs a road to travel on, automatically it means that you also need the road, no matter how indirect.

33. But it doesn't work that way with God. Our need for God isn't indirect. Instead, we always believe that our need for God is more direct than any direct need for others, because indeed, He to us is the nearest. The Quran says:

"And when My servants ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, indeed I am near..."

Surah Al-Baqarah, ayah number 186

34. Previously you ask this question. Do we need God? Let me now ask you my question instead. 

Do you need a break? LOL. If so, then go take a break, but please do not break anyone's heart, and then come back again here to continue with our discussion.

35. Now, let's continue.

36. In short, what I intend to bring forward here is that if we use our sound and healthy mind, we will realize that denying the need for God is like denying our own needs.

37. Imagine a tree made of LEGO.

38. It doesn't need anything to grow. Well because in fact it doesn't grow.

39. But to make the tree larger, you ought to add more LEGO bricks on it and this means that someone and not the tree itself has to do that for it.

40. However what about the real tree? How does it grow?

41. Who provides all nutrients it needs to grow? Mankind? Have you counted how many trees, and leaves for that matter, that exist in this world? Do you think men can really manage to take care of every single one of them?

42. Also, have you heard of a virgin forest? It is 'virgin' because it not 'touched' by mankind.

43. But undoubtedly, this type of forest is greener and more beautiful in comparison to others. The question is, who designs it, sustains it and causes it to grow?

44. Now how about animals in the wild land? Who feeds them? Or do they go to school to learn some survival skills?

45. Compare this with those captured and kept in zoos. The zoo keepers have to feed them regularly or otherwise the animals will die. 

46. And if you think of this world as a gigantic zoo with no real boundaries, then you will realize that there is a 'hand' involved in making provision to all these animals to live. And I as a Muslim believes as also prescribed in the Quran, that the One who provides these needs to the animals is Him, God Almighty.

"And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register."

Surah Hud, ayah number 6.

47. Actually, a very important question you need to ask before you question the need for God is actually whether God exists in the first place.

48. And then reflect upon your own existence in this world. Think about it. Who created you? Did you self-create?

49. Al-Quran poses the same question, yet in a more eloquent way:

"Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or they create the Heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm belief."

Surah At-Tur, ayah number 35-36

50. Think about that. You are the one with question. And you are the one with uncertainties. We instead, already found the answers of all mysteries surrounding our life, through the teaching of Quran. This is our belief, our way of life, called Islam.

51. Before I wrap up, let me touch on two more things here, very quickly.

52. First, our job as a Muslim is simple that we share Islam with the world, but Islam is not a religion of force.

53. Having said that, we believe that who ever that has come across the message of Islam, has to make a firm decision on whether to accept it. For that, I kindly want to share how the Quran describes those who rejected the message, when they (as we believe) are burnt in Hell fire in the Hereafter.

"Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not (now) be amongst the Companions of the Blazing Fire."

Surah Al-Mulk, ayah number 10

54. Plenty other verses (ayah) in the Quran explain exactly about the same subject, on how terrible and enormous is the regret or remorse of the people who (for what ever reasons they have) rejected Islam when they are alive on earth.

55. I shall end by talking about our heart. Yes, it's an organ that pumps blood throughout our body. 

56. And let's ask a simple question here. Our heart, does it exist? And secondly, do we need it?

57. We do not see our heart. I've never heard of anyone who has seen his own heart. I mean seeing it live. I don't know, maybe someone has.

58. But it does exist right?

59. What about its need? Do we need it? 

60. Of course we do right? But do we think of our NEED for it everyday?

61. Take a deep breath and think hard now, do you agree with me that there are many things in life, that they exist and we need them but we seldom acknowledge their existence and their importance? Or maybe most of the times we simply forget that we have them?

62. Until?

63. Until we lose them!

64. How many people wake up in the morning and then he counts how many organs are still intact with his body?

65. What about a person who's got an eye sore?

66. He will be reminded of his eye, for as long as the eye sore is there!

67. It is pain (and in a way could also mean absence) of something that would make we start to appreciate what we have.

68. Likewise, we grossly take things for granted when we forget this earth that we live on today are in full harmony and in perfect order. As if we deny the existence, hence the need for its Designer and Sustainer, without whom life on earth is never possible.

69. And for some people, they keep asking blatantly, "O God, if you really exist, why do we have so many sufferings on earth? What are you actually doing? Sleeping?"

70. Although the real question they should be asking is, "O God, if you really exist, why don't you just vanish me to mere dust, and make me perish when I deny your existence and when I deny my total need for you?"

71. Because if you think you should have asked that second question instead, by right you should now FEEL the huge Mercy of Him, that even at a time when you deny His existence, He is giving you a chance to come back to Him.

72. Now the choice is yours. You have intellect. You have a brain. You have a decision to make.

73. Having said all the above, I am closing this article by throwing back the same question to you.

"What do you think? Do we need God?"

74. Allahuaklam. (Truly Allah knows best). Wassalamualaikum wbt. (And peace be with you)

75. P/S: You may read another article (in Malay language though) about an almost similar subject i.e Does God Exist? or Benarkah Allah Wujud? here. Thanks and take care ;-)

-Ibnu Hanaffi

Ex-IMU

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A Leader, a Fighter and a Lover

A leader 

Legend speaks so highly of you, 

As the greatest leader ever existed, 

You open up a country full of virtues, 

The best nation ever created. 

You were invited by two fighting tribes, 

As a leader to bind them together, 

With islam, you finally made them realize, 

And with islam they befriended each other. 

Then come the time of hijrah, 

With the grand arrival of you, ya Rasulullah, 

Together with the Muslim people from Makkah, 

And finally it is formed, the city of Madinah. 

From the birth of this one city, 

Islam had spread enormously, 

As a hard prove of Rasulullah’s audacity, 

And his leadership regardless of his illiteracy. 

Ya Nabi-Allah, 

You successfully shaped a country, 

When I can’t even manage a university.

You moved those around you with love and compassion, 

When I don’t even have such contribution to mention. 

You guide friends and foes, 

Toward greatness here and after, 

While I… 

Hmm… 

A failure trough and trough ain’t I? 

Not even a flicker of light around you, 

Not even a glimpse of shadow behind you, 

Nothing! 

Just another pebble by the street, 

Just another bubble in the sea, 

Just another cloud in the sky, 

Just another dead leaf under the shrub. 

Insignificant! 

A fighter 

Narrators narrated a great deal about you, 

About countless wars you were into, 

About the bravery and strength, 

Of your soul and might, 

A great feat non can easily begets, 

A legend not can easily forget. 

As a warrior you fight for the love of your heart, 

That is Allah, Islam, and us, your ummat, 

You win, you lose, countless of your fight, 

You scarred, you bruised in the fight for our right, 

You were slashed, were stabbed, for us, you’ve never met, 

For us, you have never met, 

For us, whom you, ya Rasulullah, have never met. 

Ya Ummati! 

Ya Ummati! 

Ya Ummati! 

Even in the bridge of death, 

You only spoke of us, think about us, 

Still loving us, care about us, 

Never, ever disappointed with us. 

While us, 

No…while I, ya Rasulullah, 

Only think of myself, 

Here, now and forever, 

Me, myself and I, 

Selfish! 

Hedonist! 

How can I ever say that, 

I wish to follow your footsteps, 

When all I ever do, 

Is 180 degree away from the trail you left, 

SHAME ON ME! 

Owh…I should talk on strength here 

Oh well… 

It’s the strength of heart I guess, 

The boundless strength of heart, 

The strength that seeps into others, 

Strengthening all other hearts, 

Awakening them from their slumbering nights, 

To fight for the truth, for the right, 

With the strength unknown by most, 

For the sake of Islam, the love of our heart. 

A lover 

Books told stories, 

Of your love for Khadijah, 

That transcends even death, 

Deeper than the deepest sea, 

This makes me wonder, 

When she was taken away from you, 

When you were left alone to wonder the endless sea, 

Don’t you feel cold and lonely? 

How can you stand the enormous pressure? 

Are you not suffocated? 

Is there any shackles trying to bind you, 

Pulling you deeper into the lonely sea? 

Did the darkness not blinds you, 

Pulling you away from the right path? 

You were left alone to wonder, 

Beneath the deep, vast sea after all. 

Alone in the deep sea of love, 

Crushed and suffocated by the unforgiving water. 

Believe me, even now, 

I am freezing in the cold sea, 

Suffocating while being crushed by the huge pressure, 

Fighting not to stray away from my path, 

Trying to free myself from this invisible shackle, 

In the frightening, cold sea, 

Shallower than yours. 

Dreaming that one day, 

I am going to be saved, 

By a little mermaid, 

Who doesn’t even realized that, 

I was there, still there, somewhere, 

Along the way, 

In her journey, 

Searching for the sky. 

Owh…the sky! Now I get it, 

I was too obsessed with the ocean, 

I forget that the sky is so magnificent, 

I was possessed by the mythical creature, 

I forget these creatures only exist in myths, 

And I won’t ever meet her, 

Unless I create my own myth, 

And most importantly, I forgot about the creator of all creatures. 

I forgot that you, ya Habiballah, 

You were crushed by the sea, 

But freed by the sky, 

By the bright, boundless sky, 

Warm, soothing and lovely sky, 

Your love for Allah is sky high, 

That it frees you from the sea, 

Protecting you from any harm, 

By giving you soothing warmth 

That the bright light shines your way, 

Preventing you from going astray, 

You were never alone to begin with! 

For Allah is always with you, 

For you love Him as He do you. 

While I… 

Epilogue 

Ya Allah, ya Rabb al-‘alamin, 

I know that I can never be 

As great a person as he is, 

But please, show me the way, 

To be the shadow that follows his every footstep, 

And the footstep of those, 

Whom you shine your light upon. 

I can’t ever be, 

As great a warrior as he is, 

But give me the strength, 

To fight for those whom he fights for 

To protect those he sacrifices for, 

And to help those he wishes to help. 

I can never be, 

A true lover as he is, 

But give me the heart, 

To love those he loves, 

To love those who loves him, 

And to love those who loves you, 

So that you, in return ya Allah, 

Will love me more than my love for others 

Ya Majid, ya Halim, ya Latif, ya Jalil, ya Mujib. 

Amiin. 

By,

MSoc Committee 2011/12

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How to be a Contributing yet a loving Muslim

Assalamu’alaikum warahmarullahi wa barakatuh. 

When my dear friend’s message on my phone reminding me to come up with an article for MSoc blog came to mind, I immediately thought of sharing some words of Prof. Tariq Ramadhan on ‘In the Footstep of the Prophet’ at IIUM, Gombak Selangor. The topic of the talk was mainly on how muslims should contribute to the world, and Professor managed to deliver it in such an awesome way that the two and a half hours talk felt as if it passed just like that.... He made you want to listen to him more but due to the time constrain, you just could not. 

Prof. Tariq started his talk with the notion of ‘loving Allah instead of feeling scared of Him’. Here, he recited the hadith saying that ‘submit to Allah SWT as if you see Him but if you could not, then do it as if He sees you’. Many muslims subconsciously interpret the hadith by thinking Allah SWT only sees the mistakes done by them. Professor reminded us that Allah does not only see but he was very close to innermost intentions of a person. As He is the most loving of all, He is welcoming His servant’s intentions rather than being a punishing God. Therefore, he said, a muslim should love Allah instead. A true love has to be manifested, so keep in touch with Him via the prayers and by following His lover, the Prophet Muhammad SAW. If we love God, we follow the Prophet. Insyaallah, the Prophet would love you and Allah in turn would love you too. Hence, try to turn your relationship with Allah into a love story that you enjoy throughout your life. 

According to Prof. Tariq, muslims would contribute to the world if they see things just like how the Prophet Muhammad SAW sees things. And the Prophet sees things the way as how Allah SWT wants his creations to see. The starting point is the way we see the Nature and the universe. In many verses of the Quran, Allah SWT told the muslims to observe His creations – the earth, the animals, the sun, the moon, the stars and many, many more. Apart from that, He also let his servants know that all of those creations belong to Him and only Him. Thus, a muslim should always remind himself that he owns nothing in this world, including himself. Once he has this consciousness, he would see the Nature and everything above the earth and below it as a gift from Allah the Almighty. He would never destroy it, because he knows it never belongs to him. Instead, he would do his best to make this world a prosperous place to live in and protect the balance of the ecosystem. This is the basis of the khilafah concept, where we use the gift from the Creator for the best interest of everyone with the faith that the gift is not ours, but God’s property. 

Change the way we look at the poor. The Prophet during his time always treated his people with compassions and care. Ignoring the needs of the poor means you are being arrogant. Arrogance is the key factor that leads to total destruction as what happened to the Satan when he was asked to bow before Adam by Allah SWT. Satan was condemned by his Creator and chased out of the Heaven. Thus, arrogance is an act very close to the Satans. Through the syariah law, Allah SWT demanded the muslims to pay zakat in order to cultivate love for the poor among the muslims. He ordered us to fast during the Ramadhan month to allow us to feel the pain of the impoverished people. At this point, Prof. Tariq expressed his disappointment on the muslims attitude during the fasting month. Many muslims failed to spiritually understand the significance of Ramadan by eating excessively when breaking the fast and lazing thoughtlessly during the day. 

Change the way we look at our family members. For the men, see the women in your family as companions. When we look as the children, never see them as possessions as one day they would leave us or the other way round. Instead, always see them as the mercy from the Most Merciful. And more importantly, always treat the parents with full respect, as they are the gateway to the Paradise. In short, in order to be a muslim that contributes to this world, one has to view this world like how the Prophet sees it, as in this person lies all excellent examples to be a successful believer. According to Prof. Tariq, there are four qualities of the Prophet we the muslims must attain- confidence, trustworthy, ambitious and courageous. Feeling confident does not mean that you never doubt yourself in everything you do, but to confidently do your best with the belief that Allah is protecting you. When you are being ambitious, you aim with Allah’s will by praying to Him. 

In the latter half of his talk, Professor pointed out an interesting statement – ‘celebrate this life because this life is important’. He rejected the views saying that this world is a place to suffer in and a muslim must refrain himself from enjoying this life. This is because victimising attitude is not compatible with human’s nature as socialising creations. Hence, Prof. Tariq urged the muslims to believe that both life now and hereafter are equally important. If you live happily in this life with Islamic principles, you will, God willing, live happily after death as well. Hence, a muslim should celebrate this life but at the same time, never forget that he would die one day. Remember that death would be coming to you, but yet do not forget your share in this life. 

Finally, Prof. Tariq stressed the essence of spreading the awareness of being the real khalifah, which is by educating the ummah with meanings. We should be consistent with what we say to others, and show to them that the Islamic way of life is not the harsh one but the right one. And what we say to other people should be in coherent with our actions as well, as actions always speak louder than words. When we are inviting others to engage in Islam, avoid stressing on the rules and regulations. Instead, we should guide them with the akhlak of the Prophet, which is full with tender and compassion. Apart from that, the muslims must always glorify human’s dignity and justice. A true muslim would never differentiate a muslim from a kaffir, and he would always promote solidarity among the human beings without considering their races and backgrounds. We must always bear in mind that the best among us the humans are those with God consciousness. Allah SWT shows His mercy on all of His creations, therefore what right do we have to be unfair towards others? This is one of the questions the muslims should take into account when dealing with the non-believers as well as the muslims who are strayed from the path of Allah. 

In conclusion, a contributing muslim is indeed the one that follows the Prophet’s footstep by looking at things the way he did, treating others with love as he did and trying to achieved all of his good qualities. That muslim is also the one that treasure this life and he always learns to forgive. Last but not least, he is also a muslim that tells the people he loves ‘I love you’.

By:

Cotton-Candy

MSOC Committee 2011/12

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Are You Ready to Fall in Love??

Assalamu’alaikum wbt 

“Your face was brighter than the sun

Your beauty equaled by none 

You are Allah’s Chosen One 

Muhammad Khaira Khalqillah...”

We all know this song. We have already memorised the lyric by-heart. Some of us might even go as far as re-playing the music video spontaneously in their brains scene by scene whenever the song is on the radio. This song, without doubt is a good song. A wonderful wasilah or approach to attract modern audience especially the younger generation to know more about the personalities and character of our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Sometimes, we whine, why do youngsters nowadays know more about singers, pop stars and celebrities more than they do of Rasululllah? Isn’t Rasulullah the one we Muslims should idolised? Isn’t his the kind of lifestyle and personality we should look up to? Isn’t he the best of mankind? 

Please, do not put the entire blame on them. The reality of today’s so-called modern world which prioritizes hedonism over anything else does not seem to help the young muslims to truly adore the Prophet. The slanders and propaganda made by the Western media in effort to jeopardise the image of Rasulullah further exacerbates the situation. But hang on, before we start wildly pointing our fingers and blame the West for everything, let’s look at ourselves and reflect. Do we really know Rasulullah? When we say “Your beauty equalled by none”, do we really mean it, or is it just because the words are there in the lyric? How do we know he is indeed wonderful? Have we met him? Do we really love him? How do we love someone without knowing how he looks like, how his voice sounds like, how he speaks, how he eats, how he treat others? Imagine falling in love with the air. How can you develop feelings for an entity you cannot even visualise? And, true indeed that the key to love is none other than understanding. 

Is there any way we can understand Rasulullah? Of course there is. Like the saying goes, whenever when there is the will, there is the way. Apart from our main source, al Kitab al-Quranul Karim, there are numerous hadiths depicting the personal life of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. In this humble, short article, I would like to introduce you to an interesting work written by Imam Tirmizi radhiallah Anhu. The title is simple, yet meaningful - Syamail Muhammadiyah. Literally it means ‘the Characteristics of the Prophet’. This book presents in great details of how Rasulullah physically looked like, his behaviour, his lifestyle down to his favourite perfume and his preferred types of food. Also included in this wonderful log are the kinds of ibadah the Prophet pbuh frequented, his other names and a brief discussion of his entire life from birth till his last day. Now, are you ready to explore the personality of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam and along the way, fall in love with his beautiful way of life? I take that as a perfect ‘yes’. 

How Rasulullah sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam looks like? Is he good-looking? Well, it is undeniable that the Prophet was indeed one of the most eligible bachelors among his people. As narrated by a companion Al-Bara’ bin Azib r.a., 

“ Rasulullah was a man of average built ( neither too tall nor too short), the distance between his two shoulders was wide ( his shoulder was broad). His thick hair fell down to his ears. When he dressed in red, I had never seen anyone as handsome.” 

Saidina Ali bin Abi Talib Karamallahuwajhah, the Prophet’s cousin who was also Rasulullah’s son-in-law described Rasulullah’s physical look in a very detailed manner. 

“Rasulullah was not too tall nor he too short. He was a man of average height among his people. His hair was neither curly, nor was it plain straight but in between. He did not have a very fleshy face, neither was it completely round, rather it was only slightly so.” 

He further added, “He was white skinned, having a reddish tinge. His eyes were large with jet black pupils and his lashes were long. His joints were large as was his upper back. He did not have hair all over his body but had a line of fine hair extending from his chest to his navel. When he walked, he would walk briskly as if descending a slope. When he turned, he would turn his whole body and between his two shoulders was the Seal of Prophethood ( khatamun-nubuwwah ).” 

On Rasulullah’s social life, he narrated, “He was the Seal of the Prophets; he had the most giving of hearts; he was the most truthful of people, the best of them in temperament, and the most sociable amongst them. Whoever unexpectedly saw him would stand in awe of him and whoever accompanied him and got to know him would love him. Those who described him would say, ‘I have never seen anyone, before him or after him, who was comparable to him.” 

Adding to Messenger of Allah’s fine features was a description by Jabir bin Samurah r.a, “I saw the Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on a clear night wearing a red dress and I paused and looked at him and then the moon and found that, in my view, he was more beautiful than the moon..” 

Physical aside, let’s look at Rasulullah’s preferences in daily life. The Ummul-Mukmineen Ummu Salamah r.a. stated that the Prophet’s most preferred clothing was the qamis. Asma’ bin Yazid further related that the sleeves of Rasulullah’s qamis reached his wrists. Anas bin Malik r.a said, 

“The sheet (body wrap) most liked by Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam was Al-hibarah ( a Yamaani printed sheet made from cotton)." 

Apart from qamis, Rasulullah was also reported of putting on other types of garments as reported by Aisyah r.a. , “Rasulullah once left the house in the morning, wearing a sheet made of black fur.” Mughirah bin Shu'bah stated that at the time of Ghazwah Tabuk, Rasulullah wore a Roman jubbah with narrow sleeves. Regardless the types of clothing, Rasulullah always express his gratitude to Allah subhanawataala. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri r.a recalled, 

“When Rasulullah s.a.w put on a new garment, he would in happiness mention that garment's name, such as turban, qamis or sheet. Then, he would recite the du’a: 

'Allahumma lakal hamdu kama kasauw- tanihi, as-aluka khayrahu wa-khayra ma-suni'a lahu wa-a'u- dhu bika min sharrihi wa-sharri ma-suni'a lahu'. 

“Oh Allah, all praise and thanks to You for clothing me with this (garment). I ask You for the good of it and the good of what it was made for, and I ask Your protection from the evil of it and the evil of what it was made for.” 

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w loved to apply kohl on his eyelids, and the type of kohl he preferred the most was ithmid. From Ibnu Abbas r.a., Yazid bin Harun said, 

“ Rasulullah had a container for kohl he applied every time he went to bed, three times on each eye.” 

As reported by Jabir bin Abdullah r.a., Rasulullah encouraged applying kohl on the eyes as it brightens the eyesight and facilitates the growth of eyelashes. As for shoes, Rasulullah once had a pair of jet-black shoes given to him by King an-Najasyi. When he took wudhu’ Rasulullah just spread some water on the shoes. Rasullah also wore sandals. As narrated by Aisyah r.a., Rasulullah always liked to begin with the right while combing his hair, while putting on his sandals and while performing wudhu’. 

It is interesting to know the type of food that the Messenger of Allah consumed. Ummul Mukmineen Aisyah r.a. recalled that, “the family members of Rasulullah s.a.w never eat wheat bread till full for two consecutive days until his demise.” Ibnu Abbas added, 

“ Rasulullah and his family once had to endure starvation for several nights as they were out of food. The type of bread they ate was bread made of wheat called sya’ir. 

Sya’ir was a type of wheat bread of lower quality compared to other types of bread. From Aisyah r.a., it was known that Rasulullah liked vinegar and recommended olive oil in food and cooking. 

Anas bin Malik r.a related, “Rasulullah liked pumpkins. When food was served or when there was any invitation, I would follow him and served him the pumpkins as I knew he loved them.” Anas bin Malik also narrated in another hadith how he saw Rasulullah s.a.w was looking for pumpkins in his plate. In addition to those, Aisya r.a. described the Prophet’s liking for halwa’ (sweet things) and honey. A hadith from Abu Hurairah r.a. described a very interesting preference of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. 

“ Rasulullah was once served a meat. The forequarter (the leg portion) of the meat was given to him. It was his favourite portion. Therefore he ate it.” 

As for drinks Aisyah r.a. reported that Rasulullah liked sweet and cold drinks. =) 

I leave the rest of other beautiful and interesting characteristics of Rasulullah for you to unravel from the book. There are numerous other facts about our Prophet that majority of Muslims do not know and supposed to be highlighted. I believe that as you journey through the pages of this book, you can slowly beginning to see the Messenger of Allah from a new, better perspective. Learn about him, know him, understand him, see the world as he saw it, and live the life as he lead it. In the meantime, keep your heart widely open to fill it with your love for him. At the end of your reading, you may, insya-Allah have Rasulullah s.a.w in a special place inside your heart. All due to blessings from Allah the Almighty. Before I end this simple article, I would like to deeply apologize for the slightly misleading title. As you can see, there is nothing related to munakahat in this article. Now, I challenge you to pick up this special book, Syamail Muhammadiyah by Imam Tirmizi and ask yourself – ‘ Are you ready to fall in love?’ 

Written by, 

Pink Marshmallow,

Msoc Comittee 2011/12,

July 7, 2012

based on Syamail Muhammadiyah by Imam Tirmizi, PTS ISLAMIKA Sdn Bhd, 2011. 

Footnote: 

- The song lyrics at the beginning of the article is from the Chosen One by Maher Zain. (in case there are people who don’t know…) 

- Ghazwah Tabuk: Battle of Tabuk 

- Kohl: a type traditional cosmetic, similar to eyeliner. (in BM: celak..) 

- Qamis: the Arabic dress, jubbah, similar to shalwar kameez 

- halwa’ or halva: sweets made from honey or dates.

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Estawoo!

Nowadays, when people talk about Islam, they will always associate Islam with terrorism and a religion which oppress its believers especially the women. The truth is, Islam is a beautiful religion and it is like a manual on the way we should lead our lives. However, because of the propaganda made by the West, people only see Islam as they see it now. But, in a program called ONE FAMILY on MAJD channel, the beauty of Islam was potrayed when the speaker, Dr.Yahya Alyahya (head of the CALL to Islam Committee) shared his story.

Dr. Yahya Alyahya said that Muslims are never disorganized; they just need to be CONVINCED. Then he told a story of a non-muslim American who was discussing with him about Islam while watching a live broadcast of Isha’ prayer from Makkah.

The American man was so amazed of how crowded was the masjid, more than 3 million Muslims were there at the last nights of the holy month of Ramadan, so crowded, so disorganized and scattered everywhere around the mosque.

The sheikh then asked the non-muslim man, “How long do you think they'll take to organize themselves in rows and start the Salaat?”

The man answered, “At least 2-3 hours”.

Then the sheikh said, “But the masjid (HARAM) of Kaaba has 4 floors”.

The man said, “Oh, this will make it about 12 hours then”.

The sheikh said, “Put in your mind that they are from countries all over the world with different languages”.

The American man said: “THEN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO ORGANIZE THEM BY ANY MEANS!!”

Then the Salaat time came, and Sheikh Sudais of Makkah stood up and said, “ESTAWOO” (Arrange yourselves).

And within seconds, the whole scene changed and the crowd of 3 million Muslims arranged themselves in well-organized rows in NO TIME ! 

The American man stared at the TV screen for a moment, and then said:

ASH-HADU ALLA ILAAHA ILLA ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASULULLAH. 

By:

Lilac Girl

Msoc Committee 2011/12

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Naseehah vs. Humiliation

"O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers."

"Wahai orang yang beriman! Janganlah suatu kaum memperolok-olokkan kaum yang lain, boleh jadi mereka (yang diperolok-olokkan) lebih baik daripada mereka (yang memperolok-olokkan), dan janganlah pula wanita-wanita (memperolok-olokkan) wanita-wanita lain, boleh jadi mereka (yang diperolok-olokkan) lebih baik daripada mereka (yang memperolok-olokkan), dan janganlah kamu mencela diri kamu sendiri, dan janganlah kamu panggil memanggil dengan gelaran yang buruk. Seburuk-buruk nama (panggilan) ialah (panggilan) yang fasik (jelek) sesudah iman, dan sesiapa yang tidak bertaubat, maka mereka itulah orang yang zalim."

Al-Hujurat [49:11]

I guess many of us have already recited or listened to the verse above, and have understood its meaning thoroughly and I believe those who understand the verse is better than me. Insha’Allah.

Let me begin with one best example of the situation relating to this. Someone once asked me did Al-Quran ever mention anything about sticking up for not only religion but for yourself? Because when someone puts you down or say anything about you that clearly not true, should you just ignore it or stand up and defend yourself? So, what should you do? 

First of all, let me emphasize a little bit about the idea of this verse. From my own perspective, there are two groups of people, one who ridicule and insult others, and the other who are being ridiculed and insulted. Islam does not discourage sticking up for yourself in any way, however one should not curse, or shout or speak with anger in retaliation, as that will just be sin for you. Think of what’s in your best interests, if people are not treating you respectfully, then it’s probably best to avoid them and to try and not be around them, or give them advice, in a CALM MANNER (do not advise them with humiliation! Whether you realise it or not, hurting people feeling will not do any good but harm, informing them that what they are doing is not correct in the way that Islam has told us. By HIKMAH.

So, How to advise (naseehah) with HIKMAH? 

1. Seeking the Pleasure of Allaah by giving Naseehah 

It is necessary that a person has the intention of seeking the pleasure of Allaah when giving naseehah. Only such an intention deserves reward from Allaah and acceptance from His slaves.

If the intention is other than that, then that person deserves the anger and wrath of Allaah as well as the hatred and rejection of the people - including the one being advised.

2. Not slandering the one being advised

This is an affliction that has befallen many Muslims. Many times, after taking a closer look, we find that the person giving naseehah actually wants to slander the person he is advising because of personal hatred. This does not befit the one being advised and may lead to a worse situation with no benefit resulting from the naseehah.

3. Naseehah is to be given in secret

Naseehah is most likely to bear its fruit when given to a person when he is by himself, for in such a situation the person is less likely to be affected by the thoughts of others. The sincere advisor should not aid the Devil over his brother by publicly rebuking him and letting Shaitaan beguile his brother into not taking the naseehah. This closes the doors of goodness and acceptance, and reduces the chances of the naseehah from being accepted.

This is why our pious predecessors used to give naseehah in secret.

Hafidh Ibn Rajab writes, "When the righteous predecessors intended to give naseehah to someone, they admonished him privately, to the point that some of them said, "The one who exhorts his brother between him and himself , then it is naseehah. The one who exhorts him in front of people, then it is merely scolding!"

Fudail Ibn Ayyadh, one of the pious scholars from our predecessors, said, "A believer covers up and gives naseehah, whereas an evildoer exposes and humiliates." Ibn Rajab commented on Fudail's saying, "It is naseehah if it is with a cover, while humiliating is with broadcasting".

4. Naseehah is to be given with kindness, gentleness and softness

A sincere advisor must be kind, soft and well-mannered in giving naseehah to others, as this might get the desired response from the one he is advising. One must understand that accepting naseehah is like opening a door, and that the door will not open without the proper key. The one who is given naseehah has a heart that has a lock in some matter - for he has abandoned something that Allaah has demanded from him, or has committed something that Allaah had forbidden him from. There is no better key to unlock the heart than kindness in giving advice, gentleness in exhortation and softness in speech as the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, "Kindness is not to be found in anything but that it adds to its beauty, and it is not withdrawn from anything but it makes it defective." [Muslim]

5. Choosing the proper time to give Naseehah

The one giving naseehah must choose the right time to give his advice, since a person is not always ready to receive naseehah. A person may be angry about something, upset about not getting what he wanted, grieved for something he may have lost, or there may be some other reason that might prevent him from responding to the naseehah.

Abdul Hamid Bilali writes, "Choosing proper time and place is one of the greatest causes for the acceptance of naseehah and eradicating evil", and as Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said, "Hearts (sometimes) yearn and are attentive, but (sometimes) they go through lapses and feed repulsion. So take from them when they are (in a state of) yearning and are attentive, and leave them alone when they go through lapses and are feeling repulsion".

However, Islam encourages us to forgive and forget rather than to hold resentment and grudges in our hearts, as we know that this life is temporary and justice will be given in the hereafter.

"And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah . Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers."

"Dan (jika kamu hendak membalas maka) balasan sesuatu kejahatan ialah kejahatan yang bersamaan dengannya; dalam pada itu sesiapa yang memaafkan (kejahatan orang) dan berbuat baik (kepadanya), maka pahalanya tetap dijamin oleh Allah (dengan diberi balasan yang sebaik-baiknya). Sesungguhnya Allah tidak suka kepada orang-orang yang berlaku zalim."

Ash-Shuuraa [42:40]

May this sharing benefits us all. Insha Allah. 

By:

Aishin,

Msoc Committee 2011/12

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