Assalamu alaikoum wa rahmatAllah,
I am not the only Muslim in my family anymore. :) AlhamdulEllah. My mother and I are very close and she was my greatest teacher growing up. From the time I was old enough to walk, I remember listening to her singing Hamd to God and sitting with her as she read parts of the Injil and Taurah and finding her in her room with her head covered on her knees praying and crying. She was so good with all people, and welcoming. She was always helping others and so loving for the sake of God. She rarely missed church to hear the sermon and to go to bible school and only invited me, never pressuring me to follow her examples.
When I became a teenager, the bible became alive to me. What was once a book of stories with morals, and difficult words, became a live manual for my life. It was what I opened to find comfort and peace when tormented by one problem or another. It was what I opened when I needed to learn how to act in different situations and it was what I opened to learn more about God and how I could love him more and serve him better in my life. But something was off. I became very committed to attending church and bible school yet the more I learned and grew spiritually, the more I felt like we were missing the mark on something.
Most parts of the bible taught me so many good things, yet I began asking myself why do we need to be saved by Jesus when the bible clearly states we have forgiveness from God if we just repent and believe in Him? Even Jesus himself taught this. I felt strange and confused worshiping both God and Jesus. I had no problem understanding the logic based on faith for seeing God and Jesus as one, but I just didn't see why this had to be. I began worshiping God alone when others would be worshipping Jesus' name in hamd, I would focus on just the name of God.
When I would worship Jesus, I felt as though in a way I was offending Jesus and taking away from the message he was brought here to give. Even when I had read the bible many times and reflected on Jesus' words, the idea of ascribing others to God just seemed unnecessary and only seemed to further confuse the concept of worshiping one God. It was so much easier to just focus on one name on one complete entity of God, not a trinity.
When I began praying directly to Allah and worshiping him without worshiping Jesus, it gave me so much peace and allowed me to grow spiritually more than ever. I loved Jesus and it was great to give him his honor as a prophet of God. I loved Jesus and felt I was dishonoring his name by worshiping him as God. It was the message of Jesus that first brought me to the right path, and what motivated me to keep asking the hard questions, and pursuing truth and justice and complete submission to Allah.
When people would ask me later on, if I was the only Muslim in my family, I would tell them I was not the only, I was the first. I was hoping of course that others in my family would someday also find Islam. However, never did I imagine that so soon on of them would do it, and for it to be my own mother was the greatest gift I have ever had. I had a feeling in my heart she might, just because she loved God so much and wanted so much to submit to Him.
What is interesting is that she converted to Islam when I was halfway across the world from her. When I was back home we used to study the Quran together and she used to ask me questions so I gave her a Quran. When I was in Kuwait, we would save part of our phone conversation for talking about Islam. One night, a month ago, my mother told me that she was thinking she might convert to Islam when she would be in Kuwait with me for winter break. But when she was thinking that, she realized she already believed in one God and that Mohammed was also a messenger of Allah. So she converted on her own. AlhamdulEllah.
When she came to Kuwait for winter break, she prayed Eid salat with me for Eid Al-Adhah. It was a beautiful experience to be able to pray in the mosque with my mom and for it to be her first time. We went to Dr. Mohammed Al-Awthy's home and my mom met his family too. He wanted to interview her for his show for Ramadan.
I am sooooo happy for her. I don't have words to express how happy I am for my mom. There is no word that can do justice for what I feel in my heart. AlhamdulEllah. May all of us find the straight path.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful....
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Naciones Unidas - United Nations - اللمميل متاحدة
Assalamu alaikoum,
It has been too long since I last posted. So sorry about that! I have been busy every second for the past month. AlhamdulEllah. Since I wrote last, many things have happened. In this post I will just concentrate on my United Nations experience. I won the diplomacy award at the Model United Nations Conference in Bahrain and I was appointed as Chair of the Atomic Energy Committee for next year. It was a very exciting conference.
I worked day and night on preparing for this. I was required to prepare at least one resolutions for the three issues to be addressed at the conference which were; Women Empowerment, Drug Enforcement, and Illegal Arms Trafficking. I wanted to be extra prepared so I researched well on all three topics in the event I would have an opportunity to submit a resolution for any. I created a resolution for drug enforcement before the conference as that was my main focus, but all three were important to me because I was addressing them all in light of globalization, integration, mechanisms for implementation of resolutions, and education.
As I stated in an earlier post, I represented the Republic of Panama in the General Assembly. I have to say that I feel I couldn't have had a better set of teammates. My university's MUN team was so great. I consider them like family. We really work well together and I have learned so much from each one of my teammates, and I share my award with them because they are also winners and they helped me to succeed in more ways that I can count. They are an inspiration to me. I will miss them all so much when I go back to the states, but they will all be in my heart. The delegate of Eritrea, one of my teammates from Kuwait, is particularly amazing when it comes to public speaking. I wish we could have taped the conference so I could share his speeches and debates with you. There are no words to truly give him justice.
My roommate and closest comrade at the conference was the delegate of Kuwait. We agreed to co-submit a resolution on Women's Empowerment together after we heard USA's and found it to be redundant to what already has been proposed by the UN and NGOs. Our resolution was actionable and sustainable and more well-rounded. We succeeded in persuading more than half of the GA to support ours instead and the USA's resolution failed after a debate was conducted for and against it.
A crisis arose in the middle of our conference; the PKK attacked Turkish troops in Northern Iraq and we had to come together to propose a resolution. We came up with an amazing and diplomatic solution and it past with 54 and 6 against, something like that. Then, it was time to submit drug resolutions. At this point, many delegates approached me and asked if I was doing a drug resolution and that they would sign under mine if I was. Even the delegate of the US choose to sign under me. My resolution had 36 clauses! A record for Model United Nations and it past with 55 for and 1 against, something like that. It was unbelievable.
My approach throughout the conference was the theme of finding mechanisms and ways to make resolutions actionable, not just pretty-sounding. I also focused on the themes of sustainability, education and increasing awareness and knowledge that leads to empowerment, and international cooperation and regional integration. I also emphasized the importance of law enforcement and using innovation to create smarter and more sustainable ways to connect each other and form networks for better communication and exchange of knowledge.
I am so thankful to Allah for the wonderful opportunities he has given me since coming to the Middle East. I am EXCEEDINGLY and ABUNDANTLY blessed, masha Allah. My cup runneth over.... SubhanAllah. Allah is soooo gracious and merciful. I have learned so much in such a short time about myself, my deen, my purpose and so much more here. I have been blessed with the privilege of having so many new oustanding friends and colleagues that I learn from and love more every day that passes. The MUN team is just one example of the many things I have to be grateful for. I hope that the skills I have earned through it will serve to make a difference in Kuwait and wherever else I get the opportunity to contribute in some way to the future of our global community. I am with my mom now, which is something else I must write about, but I have to study for my International Business test and Arabic grammar quiz for tomorrow. I have uploaded the documentary I made of my most recent experience in Bahrain for the Model United Nations conference. I hope you enjoy it!! :)
It has been too long since I last posted. So sorry about that! I have been busy every second for the past month. AlhamdulEllah. Since I wrote last, many things have happened. In this post I will just concentrate on my United Nations experience. I won the diplomacy award at the Model United Nations Conference in Bahrain and I was appointed as Chair of the Atomic Energy Committee for next year. It was a very exciting conference.
I worked day and night on preparing for this. I was required to prepare at least one resolutions for the three issues to be addressed at the conference which were; Women Empowerment, Drug Enforcement, and Illegal Arms Trafficking. I wanted to be extra prepared so I researched well on all three topics in the event I would have an opportunity to submit a resolution for any. I created a resolution for drug enforcement before the conference as that was my main focus, but all three were important to me because I was addressing them all in light of globalization, integration, mechanisms for implementation of resolutions, and education.
As I stated in an earlier post, I represented the Republic of Panama in the General Assembly. I have to say that I feel I couldn't have had a better set of teammates. My university's MUN team was so great. I consider them like family. We really work well together and I have learned so much from each one of my teammates, and I share my award with them because they are also winners and they helped me to succeed in more ways that I can count. They are an inspiration to me. I will miss them all so much when I go back to the states, but they will all be in my heart. The delegate of Eritrea, one of my teammates from Kuwait, is particularly amazing when it comes to public speaking. I wish we could have taped the conference so I could share his speeches and debates with you. There are no words to truly give him justice.
My roommate and closest comrade at the conference was the delegate of Kuwait. We agreed to co-submit a resolution on Women's Empowerment together after we heard USA's and found it to be redundant to what already has been proposed by the UN and NGOs. Our resolution was actionable and sustainable and more well-rounded. We succeeded in persuading more than half of the GA to support ours instead and the USA's resolution failed after a debate was conducted for and against it.
A crisis arose in the middle of our conference; the PKK attacked Turkish troops in Northern Iraq and we had to come together to propose a resolution. We came up with an amazing and diplomatic solution and it past with 54 and 6 against, something like that. Then, it was time to submit drug resolutions. At this point, many delegates approached me and asked if I was doing a drug resolution and that they would sign under mine if I was. Even the delegate of the US choose to sign under me. My resolution had 36 clauses! A record for Model United Nations and it past with 55 for and 1 against, something like that. It was unbelievable.
My approach throughout the conference was the theme of finding mechanisms and ways to make resolutions actionable, not just pretty-sounding. I also focused on the themes of sustainability, education and increasing awareness and knowledge that leads to empowerment, and international cooperation and regional integration. I also emphasized the importance of law enforcement and using innovation to create smarter and more sustainable ways to connect each other and form networks for better communication and exchange of knowledge.
I am so thankful to Allah for the wonderful opportunities he has given me since coming to the Middle East. I am EXCEEDINGLY and ABUNDANTLY blessed, masha Allah. My cup runneth over.... SubhanAllah. Allah is soooo gracious and merciful. I have learned so much in such a short time about myself, my deen, my purpose and so much more here. I have been blessed with the privilege of having so many new oustanding friends and colleagues that I learn from and love more every day that passes. The MUN team is just one example of the many things I have to be grateful for. I hope that the skills I have earned through it will serve to make a difference in Kuwait and wherever else I get the opportunity to contribute in some way to the future of our global community. I am with my mom now, which is something else I must write about, but I have to study for my International Business test and Arabic grammar quiz for tomorrow. I have uploaded the documentary I made of my most recent experience in Bahrain for the Model United Nations conference. I hope you enjoy it!! :)
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Emigration هاجروا (haajaru)
According to Merriam-Webster's definition: em·i·grate 
I was talking the other day with my friend from Iran, Reza. He really has a beautiful mind and spirit mashallah. May Allah give him the success. We were talking about the science competition he did when he was younger which he won first prize in all of Iran. He had the chance to meet the son of Mahmoud Hessabi, the father of physics in Iran that day. Hessabi was a prominent Iranian scientist, researcher and distinguished professor of the University of Tehran. He was also the only Iranian student of Albert Einstein. I had not heard of him so Reza forwarded his biography to me. He pointed out that like me, Hessabi went to live in an Arabian country where he learned the Quran in good way, and went to an American university in an Arabian country.
Reza was telling me how it is a good thing to emigrate for the sake of Allah. He was saying that all great people have traveled, including of course Mohammad (saaws) who emigrated from Mecca to Madinah. He said we should be willing to leave everything we have, everything, and get out of our comfort zone, leave behind what we know, and then gather the new. You really cannot do that without a journey and remaining in another place, and through that journey for Allah's sake we have the hope of obtaining His (swt) mercy and forgiveness.
For example, I took this journey to live in the middle east and to study in Kuwait in order to grow as a Muslim and further development my relationship with Allah (subhana wa ta'ala).
He went on to say there is an aya in the Quran that talks about this idea. In Surat Baqarah (2:218) -
When he gave me this verse, I noticed that in the original Arabic, the word being translated most commonly into emigrate is the word haajaru. It sounded a lot like the word for the Haaj, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the spiritual and physical journey all Muslims try to take at some point in their lives according to the Quran. I wanted to look deeper into the meaning of the root that both words Haaj and Haajaru come from, so I looked at all of the translations of this verse from the Quran and then went to my dictionary. I found that it does mean a type of a journey, of shedding things we hold onto and venturing out leaving the old behind and taking on new things.
The definition for the root of the word هاجروا (haajaru) - " هجرhajara/hijraan هجران " in the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Arabic is:
to emigrate; to dissociate o.s., separate, part, secede, keep away (from), part company, part with, to give up, renounce, forgo, avoid (something), to abandon, surrender, leave behind (something), relinquish, leave, give up, vacate something in favor of something else II to induce s.o. to emigrate III to emigrate; to migrate, drift away (from an area); to be carried away, be in ecstasy, be out of this world (because of, by) IV to leave, abandon, give up (something); to talk nonsense, talk through one's hat VI to desert one another, part company, separate, break up
هجر - hajr: abandonment, forsaking, leaving, separation; avoidance, abstention; separation from the beloved one; hottest time of the day
هجرة - hijra: departure, exit; emigration, exodus; immigration (to); abandonment, giving up (of sth), renunciation (of); الهجرة the hijra, the emigration of the Prophet Mohammad (saaws) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD; الهجرة من الريف rural exodus, migration from rural areas
هجرى - hijri: of the Hegira, pertaining to Mohammad's (saaws) emigration (sana) a year of the Hegira, a year of the Muslim Era (beginning with his emigration)
هجرة - hujra/hijra: agricultural settlement of the Wahabi Ikhwan in Nejd
مهجر (mahjar) - place of emigration, retreat, refuge, sanctuary; emigration; settlement, colony
I highly recommend living some place different from your own. It is such a great learning opportunity and a humbling experience. It has really contributed to my spiritual growth and of course the best of any emigration is the one you do for the sake of Allah and forsaking the bad in your life.
By the way, this is a great link for finding various English translations of the Quran - http://islamawakened.com/Quran/
- Function:
- intransitive verb
- Etymology:
- Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare, from e- + migrare to migrate
Emigrate: to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere
I was talking the other day with my friend from Iran, Reza. He really has a beautiful mind and spirit mashallah. May Allah give him the success. We were talking about the science competition he did when he was younger which he won first prize in all of Iran. He had the chance to meet the son of Mahmoud Hessabi, the father of physics in Iran that day. Hessabi was a prominent Iranian scientist, researcher and distinguished professor of the University of Tehran. He was also the only Iranian student of Albert Einstein. I had not heard of him so Reza forwarded his biography to me. He pointed out that like me, Hessabi went to live in an Arabian country where he learned the Quran in good way, and went to an American university in an Arabian country.
Reza was telling me how it is a good thing to emigrate for the sake of Allah. He was saying that all great people have traveled, including of course Mohammad (saaws) who emigrated from Mecca to Madinah. He said we should be willing to leave everything we have, everything, and get out of our comfort zone, leave behind what we know, and then gather the new. You really cannot do that without a journey and remaining in another place, and through that journey for Allah's sake we have the hope of obtaining His (swt) mercy and forgiveness.
For example, I took this journey to live in the middle east and to study in Kuwait in order to grow as a Muslim and further development my relationship with Allah (subhana wa ta'ala).
He went on to say there is an aya in the Quran that talks about this idea. In Surat Baqarah (2:218) -
ان الذين امنوا والذين هاجروا وجاهدوا في سبيل الله اولئك يرجون رحمة الله والله غفور رحيم | |
| Transliteration | Inna allatheena amanoo waallatheena hajaroo wajahadoo fee sabeeli Allahi ola-ika yarjoona rahmata Allahi waAllahu ghafoorun raheemun |
| Literal | That those who believed and those who emigrated and struggled/exerted in God's way/sake ,those hope/expect God's mercy , and God (is) forgiving, most merciful . |
| Yusuf Ali | Those who believed and those who suffered exile and fought (and strove and struggled) in the path of Allah,- they have the hope of the Mercy of Allah: And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. |
| Pickthal | Lo! those who believe, and those who emigrate and strive in the way of Allah, these have hope of Allah's mercy. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. |
| Arberry | But the believers, and those who emigrate and struggle in God's way -- those have hope of God's compassion; and God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. |
| Shakir | Surely those who believed and those who fled (their home) and strove hard in the way of Allah these hope for the mercy of Allah and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. |
| Sarwar | The believers and the Emigrants from Mecca who fight for the cause of God, indeed have hope in receiving the mercy of God; God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. |
| Khalifa | Those who believe, and those who emigrate and strive in the cause of GOD, have deserved GOD's mercy. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful. |
| Hilali/Khan | Verily, those who have believed, and those who have emigrated (for Allahs Religion) and have striven hard in the Way of Allah, all these hope for Allahs Mercy. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful. |
| H/K/Saheeh | Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of Allah those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. |
| Malik | Surely those who are believers, and migrated and struggled in the path of Allah, they can hope for the mercy of Allah; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."[218] |
| QXP | Those who attain belief and those who emigrate in the Cause of Allah and struggle to establish the Divine Value System, can rightfully hope for the Grace of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Absolver of imperfections, Merciful. |
| Maulana Ali | Those who believed and those who fled (their homes) and strove hard in Allah's way -- these surely hope for the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. |
| Free Minds | Those who believe, and those who have immigrated and strived in the cause of God; these are seeking God's mercy, and God is Forgiving, Merciful. |
| Qaribullah | But those who believe and those who migrate and struggle in the way of Allah, those, have hope of the Mercy of Allah. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. |
| George Sale | But they who believe, and who fly for the sake of religion, and fight in God's cause, they shall hope for the mercy of God; for God is gracious and merciful. |
| JM Rodwell | But they who believe, and who fly their country, and fight in the cause of God may hope for God's mercy: and God is Gracious, Merciful. |
| Asad | Verily, they who have attained to faith, and they who have forsaken the domain of evil and are striving hard in God's cause - these it is who may look forward to God's grace: for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. |
When he gave me this verse, I noticed that in the original Arabic, the word being translated most commonly into emigrate is the word haajaru. It sounded a lot like the word for the Haaj, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the spiritual and physical journey all Muslims try to take at some point in their lives according to the Quran. I wanted to look deeper into the meaning of the root that both words Haaj and Haajaru come from, so I looked at all of the translations of this verse from the Quran and then went to my dictionary. I found that it does mean a type of a journey, of shedding things we hold onto and venturing out leaving the old behind and taking on new things.
The definition for the root of the word هاجروا (haajaru) - " هجرhajara/hijraan هجران " in the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Arabic is:
to emigrate; to dissociate o.s., separate, part, secede, keep away (from), part company, part with, to give up, renounce, forgo, avoid (something), to abandon, surrender, leave behind (something), relinquish, leave, give up, vacate something in favor of something else II to induce s.o. to emigrate III to emigrate; to migrate, drift away (from an area); to be carried away, be in ecstasy, be out of this world (because of, by) IV to leave, abandon, give up (something); to talk nonsense, talk through one's hat VI to desert one another, part company, separate, break up
هجر - hajr: abandonment, forsaking, leaving, separation; avoidance, abstention; separation from the beloved one; hottest time of the day
هجرة - hijra: departure, exit; emigration, exodus; immigration (to); abandonment, giving up (of sth), renunciation (of); الهجرة the hijra, the emigration of the Prophet Mohammad (saaws) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD; الهجرة من الريف rural exodus, migration from rural areas
هجرى - hijri: of the Hegira, pertaining to Mohammad's (saaws) emigration (sana) a year of the Hegira, a year of the Muslim Era (beginning with his emigration)
هجرة - hujra/hijra: agricultural settlement of the Wahabi Ikhwan in Nejd
مهجر (mahjar) - place of emigration, retreat, refuge, sanctuary; emigration; settlement, colony
I highly recommend living some place different from your own. It is such a great learning opportunity and a humbling experience. It has really contributed to my spiritual growth and of course the best of any emigration is the one you do for the sake of Allah and forsaking the bad in your life.
By the way, this is a great link for finding various English translations of the Quran - http://islamawakened.com/Quran/
Friday, October 26, 2007
Making Progress in Kuwait
Assalamu alaikoum wa rahmatAllah wa barakatoh,
Sorry for the delay in posting, it's been a busy week. Every day the past week I have wanted to share with you but by the time I get to posting, I'm too sleepy to write. I hope I can still remember the details of this past week.
On Saturday of last week, I found out at my meeting for the Mock United Nations team that I was selected as one of the 6 delegates to go to the Bahrain MUN conference. I am very excited about that. I will be representing Panama in the General Assembly. It is a way to learn about how the United Nations work while at the same time addressing and learning about important global issues. I feel very honored to be representing my university in Kuwait there. I was also hoping to have the chance to see more of the gulf countries while I was in Kuwait and this gave me that chance!
That same day, I went with some other students at my school to the orphanage here in Kuwait. We took many toys and games and things for the children and played with them all afternoon. It was very nice but at the same time it is hard to see that there is so much suffering in the world. It inspires me to work harder to make a difference. I hope there was some way we could raise funds to improve the facilities there for the children. It seemed pretty barren when we went and to not have a family or parents is hard enough let alone grow up in a miserable place. I hope we can do something about that, insha Allah.
The other day I went with Sofia and Kara to futoor at her in-laws' home and there were about 25 ladies there. It was a lot of fun. We were making up for the days we missed in fasting during Ramadaan. Sofia gave a nice lecture about the pillars of Islam after dinner. Sofia has been so helpful to me while I have been here in Kuwait and she is very gifted at teaching Islam masha Allah.
On Tuesday, the honorable ex-president of Costa Rica came to do a speech at my university. His name is Jose Maria Figures-Olsen. He has done many innovative and inspiring things for the world and for his country and region. He has also inspired many people to do the same, including me. I hope to make a difference in this world in one way or another and insha Allah Allah will help me to do it, and I will give it my best effort. I actually had the chance to meet him. Our first meeting was not at all how I imagined or expected it to be. Before he arrived, I had asked the school if it would be possible for me just to say hello but they told me it was not likely because of his security and because it was a very controlled event. They told me however that he would be answering questions after his speech, so I could try to ask him one. So I went to the speech early, waiting to get a good seat. I was standing outside the conference room with my Kuwaiti friends. People were coming in and out of the conference door as I stood out in the hall preparing for the event. All of a sudden, Mr. Figueres' head poked out of the door. Noone recognized him right away except me. He is very unassuming-looking and so is his character, very approachable. I immediately greeted him with "assalamu alaikoum," to which he responded "wa alaikoum salam," with a very nice accent I might add. I then asked him "como estas??" which is Spanish for; how are you? He responded and from there we got into a conversation. He was shocked to have found a Spanish-speaking person in the middle of Kuwait and more so that I was from a country in his region of Central America. We immediately hit it off and made a connection. We talked some more and I introduced him to my friends and some of my teammates as well. His speech was absolutely amazing. Very well done and very inspiring. It lasted about 2 and a half hours but it went by so fast. Everyone fell in love with his way and his words. He has a way with people that is electric. He has an amazing way of thinking and such an open mind. He has done a lot for my region and my country through his different approach to politics, business and change. His speech was about Global Warming, the impact of business on the environment and how addressing ecological concerns is a business opportunity in itself. He is a big proponent for integration, or regional cooperation and developing regional relationships based on respect. I hope I can work with him in some capacity some day. He made a note to give to my mom who had worked in the Ministry of Agriculture just as he had at one point. She used to do a lot for social problems among the indigenous people in Guatemala and also admires Mr. Figueres. You can read some of his speeches to get a better idea at www.josemariafigueres.org
I am excited because I finally registered for an Arabic course at Kuwait University. AKHEERAN!!!!!! (That's Arabic for FINALLYYY!!!) ALHAMDULELLAH
It will begin on Sunday. It is 2 hours a day for 2 days a week. The teacher seems very good. I also started my Tajweed class today. It is excellent, alhamdulEllah. We learned many aspects of the character of the letters in Tajweed, and the terminology that go with them. It is a very fascinating subject to study. It reminds me of linguistics. Tonight we learned some Tajweed rules and worked on memorizing Surah At-takwir (Arabic: سورة التكوير ) (The Overthrowing). (Recitation of Takwir by Su'ud Shuraim in Mecca http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgcCw_yy5g) If you want to learn more about tajweed rules, you can find some on
http://quran.al-islam.com
Sorry for the delay in posting, it's been a busy week. Every day the past week I have wanted to share with you but by the time I get to posting, I'm too sleepy to write. I hope I can still remember the details of this past week.
On Saturday of last week, I found out at my meeting for the Mock United Nations team that I was selected as one of the 6 delegates to go to the Bahrain MUN conference. I am very excited about that. I will be representing Panama in the General Assembly. It is a way to learn about how the United Nations work while at the same time addressing and learning about important global issues. I feel very honored to be representing my university in Kuwait there. I was also hoping to have the chance to see more of the gulf countries while I was in Kuwait and this gave me that chance!
That same day, I went with some other students at my school to the orphanage here in Kuwait. We took many toys and games and things for the children and played with them all afternoon. It was very nice but at the same time it is hard to see that there is so much suffering in the world. It inspires me to work harder to make a difference. I hope there was some way we could raise funds to improve the facilities there for the children. It seemed pretty barren when we went and to not have a family or parents is hard enough let alone grow up in a miserable place. I hope we can do something about that, insha Allah.
The other day I went with Sofia and Kara to futoor at her in-laws' home and there were about 25 ladies there. It was a lot of fun. We were making up for the days we missed in fasting during Ramadaan. Sofia gave a nice lecture about the pillars of Islam after dinner. Sofia has been so helpful to me while I have been here in Kuwait and she is very gifted at teaching Islam masha Allah.
On Tuesday, the honorable ex-president of Costa Rica came to do a speech at my university. His name is Jose Maria Figures-Olsen. He has done many innovative and inspiring things for the world and for his country and region. He has also inspired many people to do the same, including me. I hope to make a difference in this world in one way or another and insha Allah Allah will help me to do it, and I will give it my best effort. I actually had the chance to meet him. Our first meeting was not at all how I imagined or expected it to be. Before he arrived, I had asked the school if it would be possible for me just to say hello but they told me it was not likely because of his security and because it was a very controlled event. They told me however that he would be answering questions after his speech, so I could try to ask him one. So I went to the speech early, waiting to get a good seat. I was standing outside the conference room with my Kuwaiti friends. People were coming in and out of the conference door as I stood out in the hall preparing for the event. All of a sudden, Mr. Figueres' head poked out of the door. Noone recognized him right away except me. He is very unassuming-looking and so is his character, very approachable. I immediately greeted him with "assalamu alaikoum," to which he responded "wa alaikoum salam," with a very nice accent I might add. I then asked him "como estas??" which is Spanish for; how are you? He responded and from there we got into a conversation. He was shocked to have found a Spanish-speaking person in the middle of Kuwait and more so that I was from a country in his region of Central America. We immediately hit it off and made a connection. We talked some more and I introduced him to my friends and some of my teammates as well. His speech was absolutely amazing. Very well done and very inspiring. It lasted about 2 and a half hours but it went by so fast. Everyone fell in love with his way and his words. He has a way with people that is electric. He has an amazing way of thinking and such an open mind. He has done a lot for my region and my country through his different approach to politics, business and change. His speech was about Global Warming, the impact of business on the environment and how addressing ecological concerns is a business opportunity in itself. He is a big proponent for integration, or regional cooperation and developing regional relationships based on respect. I hope I can work with him in some capacity some day. He made a note to give to my mom who had worked in the Ministry of Agriculture just as he had at one point. She used to do a lot for social problems among the indigenous people in Guatemala and also admires Mr. Figueres. You can read some of his speeches to get a better idea at www.josemariafigueres.org
I am excited because I finally registered for an Arabic course at Kuwait University. AKHEERAN!!!!!! (That's Arabic for FINALLYYY!!!) ALHAMDULELLAH
It will begin on Sunday. It is 2 hours a day for 2 days a week. The teacher seems very good. I also started my Tajweed class today. It is excellent, alhamdulEllah. We learned many aspects of the character of the letters in Tajweed, and the terminology that go with them. It is a very fascinating subject to study. It reminds me of linguistics. Tonight we learned some Tajweed rules and worked on memorizing Surah At-takwir (Arabic: سورة التكوير ) (The Overthrowing). (Recitation of Takwir by Su'ud Shuraim in Mecca http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgcCw_yy5g) If you want to learn more about tajweed rules, you can find some on
http://quran.al-islam.com
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Prophet Mohammad's (saaws) Night Journey to Al Masjid Al-Aqsa
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim,
I was looking at the photo I took of the Aqsa Masjid in Jerusalem. It is one of my favorite photos from my trip. The sky looks amazing, and it was an amazing day being in this holy place, where many of the prophets (pbut) once lived and stood. The spiritual energy was still in the air even today. I was thinking to myself that I had yet to read about the story of the Aqsa mosque and how it related to the Prophet Mohammad (saaws). I had heard the story from many Muslims, and as most Muslims I know believe that he actually prayed there on his magical night journey to Jerusalem from Mecca. I had actually read what was written about this in the Quran when I read the Quran all the way through but had not truly reflected on it until now.
I remembered right away that when I was thinking about where this story was in the Quran that it I would most likely find it again in Surat Al-Isra, because Isra is the word my Muslim friends used when referring to the prophet's (pbuh) night journey.
Here is what I read there about it in Surah Al-Isra:
Exalted is He who took His slave for a journey by night from Al Masjid Al-Haraam to Al Masjid Al-Aqsa, the neighborhood whereof We have blessed in order that We might show him of our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the Al-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Qur'an 17:1]
Subhana allathee asra biAAabdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi alaqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAu albaseeru
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ (17:1)
So clearly our prophet (pbuh) did take a miraculous night journey to Al-Aqsa Masjid from Mecca. Some people might leave it at this, but not me of course. I thought to myself, you know? In Christianity, there is so much focus on "the church." Either insinuating the Vatican where they supposedly have intercession powers for all Christians (Catholics) and have power in dictating doctrine within the religion. Then there is the church in the sense that that is where one goes to worship, and that a Christian is not necessarily a good Christian unless he regularly attends church. Yet, I thought to myself always as a child, is Church any holier than any other place? What makes it holy? I actually loved attending church because it was a chance for believers to come together and pray and worship together and motivate each other and bring tithings and learn from the scriptures. I especially loved the bible studies. But all of these things can happen anywhere really. At someone's home or in the park for example. It is not restricted to a church building.
This is also true with regards to Judaism and Synagogues. They are not restricted to the synagogue, any place can be a place of worship or prayer. Yet, although this is true, I often felt as though the emphasis on the church as a bit over the top. The real church is the actual people.
At any rate, with regards to Islam, I was excited when I first began to consider Islam because I felt there was less emphasis on the building and more on the inward dedication to Allah. The first image that would pop into my head about Islam would not be someone in church clothes walking to church on a Sunday, it would be someone just praying in prostration to Allah. The very first image I see is that.
As for the mosques, I was thinking to myself, hey wait a minute, was Aqsa Masjid really there during the life of the prophet (pbuh)?? It looked old, but still.... Hmmm.... I felt a bit guilty that I was even asking myself this, but I felt like even hard questions we should ask ourselves if we really want to reflect as Allah asks us to.
The holy Quran says that the prophet went to the "farthest mosque," and people say this is referring to the mosque in Jerusalem that is now called "Al-Aqsa," which actually means "The Farthest." So when Allah is saying that he travelled to Al Aqsa, He is saying he traveled to the farthest. It wasn't called Al-Aqsa in the prophet's (pbuh) time however, it was called more similar to what the Jews had called and what it was known as in Abraham's time (Beteyel in Hebrew meaning House of Allah, or also known as Bet Ha-Miqdash) and in Arabic; Bait Al Maqdis, House of Holiness.
Additionally, he mentioned it was a place that was blessed in a special way. What other place can you think of other than Mecca that has a special blessing upon it? The holy city of course, Jerusalem! As for the problem with the mosque not existing yet, or did it? Depends on your choice of words. The word "masjid" is commonly used today to refer to the building shaped like a dome with a little crescent moon on top where Muslims go to worship. But is that what it actually means? All Arabic words have roots, and when we look at this root sa-ja-da (to prostrate), and it was said in Al-Sihah: Masjad with a fathah refers to one's forehead which is the place involved in prostration. So the word masjid means a place where one prostrates. I know there is more to it than that, but with my limited knowledge that is all I can share about it at this point but it is very fascinating so I encourage you to use this to look into it further yourself.
As I was saying, since it actually just means a place of prostration or worship to Allah, then of course the surah still makes complete sense whether there was an actual building there or not. However, there are hadeeth that support that there was a mosque built by that time and that Caliph Umar used to go into it as well. Also, it is known to have existed even in King Solomon's day (pbuh) and that he built it alongside the temple in the name of Allah. It is also said to go even further back, to Abraham's time, named by God as a holy place of worship, and maybe even further than that. What is interesting to me about this other than the obvious reasons, is how something that at first might seem like something soooo separate from Christianity or Judaism when they look at the mosque in Jerusalem, yet if it was actually built by the same prophets all three groups believe in it shows how we are all of the same faith in the same God. So this mosque is actually a symbol of the link between all of us. It is a holy place of worship. Established by our forefathers in the faith.
So it is likely that their was an actual mosque in some form, maybe not exactly as it is structured today, but there was something, according to many scholars. However, the point is not what the building looked like, even if it looked exactly as Aqsa looks now, or if it was totally different, more or less extravagant, bigger or smaller.
You see, my point in this post is that it is not important whether there was a building. Islam is not about a building, it is about our worship and obedience of Allah. So even if people want to claim that the story is a total myth, they should think twice because the Quran is from Allah and all that is from Allah is good, and the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) would have been able to pray in Jerusalem no matter what Aqsa Mosque looked like at the time. Just an interesting thing to point out on the side, not all Muslims pray in mosques as we know them today actually, back in history and even today in some places in the world.
There is a very nice linguistic, scholarly study on this topic that you can read for further inspiration at: http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html
I was looking at the photo I took of the Aqsa Masjid in Jerusalem. It is one of my favorite photos from my trip. The sky looks amazing, and it was an amazing day being in this holy place, where many of the prophets (pbut) once lived and stood. The spiritual energy was still in the air even today. I was thinking to myself that I had yet to read about the story of the Aqsa mosque and how it related to the Prophet Mohammad (saaws). I had heard the story from many Muslims, and as most Muslims I know believe that he actually prayed there on his magical night journey to Jerusalem from Mecca. I had actually read what was written about this in the Quran when I read the Quran all the way through but had not truly reflected on it until now.
I remembered right away that when I was thinking about where this story was in the Quran that it I would most likely find it again in Surat Al-Isra, because Isra is the word my Muslim friends used when referring to the prophet's (pbuh) night journey.
Here is what I read there about it in Surah Al-Isra:
Exalted is He who took His slave for a journey by night from Al Masjid Al-Haraam to Al Masjid Al-Aqsa, the neighborhood whereof We have blessed in order that We might show him of our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the Al-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Qur'an 17:1]
Subhana allathee asra biAAabdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi alaqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAu albaseeru
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ (17:1)
So clearly our prophet (pbuh) did take a miraculous night journey to Al-Aqsa Masjid from Mecca. Some people might leave it at this, but not me of course. I thought to myself, you know? In Christianity, there is so much focus on "the church." Either insinuating the Vatican where they supposedly have intercession powers for all Christians (Catholics) and have power in dictating doctrine within the religion. Then there is the church in the sense that that is where one goes to worship, and that a Christian is not necessarily a good Christian unless he regularly attends church. Yet, I thought to myself always as a child, is Church any holier than any other place? What makes it holy? I actually loved attending church because it was a chance for believers to come together and pray and worship together and motivate each other and bring tithings and learn from the scriptures. I especially loved the bible studies. But all of these things can happen anywhere really. At someone's home or in the park for example. It is not restricted to a church building.
This is also true with regards to Judaism and Synagogues. They are not restricted to the synagogue, any place can be a place of worship or prayer. Yet, although this is true, I often felt as though the emphasis on the church as a bit over the top. The real church is the actual people.
At any rate, with regards to Islam, I was excited when I first began to consider Islam because I felt there was less emphasis on the building and more on the inward dedication to Allah. The first image that would pop into my head about Islam would not be someone in church clothes walking to church on a Sunday, it would be someone just praying in prostration to Allah. The very first image I see is that.
As for the mosques, I was thinking to myself, hey wait a minute, was Aqsa Masjid really there during the life of the prophet (pbuh)?? It looked old, but still.... Hmmm.... I felt a bit guilty that I was even asking myself this, but I felt like even hard questions we should ask ourselves if we really want to reflect as Allah asks us to.
The holy Quran says that the prophet went to the "farthest mosque," and people say this is referring to the mosque in Jerusalem that is now called "Al-Aqsa," which actually means "The Farthest." So when Allah is saying that he travelled to Al Aqsa, He is saying he traveled to the farthest. It wasn't called Al-Aqsa in the prophet's (pbuh) time however, it was called more similar to what the Jews had called and what it was known as in Abraham's time (Beteyel in Hebrew meaning House of Allah, or also known as Bet Ha-Miqdash) and in Arabic; Bait Al Maqdis, House of Holiness.
Additionally, he mentioned it was a place that was blessed in a special way. What other place can you think of other than Mecca that has a special blessing upon it? The holy city of course, Jerusalem! As for the problem with the mosque not existing yet, or did it? Depends on your choice of words. The word "masjid" is commonly used today to refer to the building shaped like a dome with a little crescent moon on top where Muslims go to worship. But is that what it actually means? All Arabic words have roots, and when we look at this root sa-ja-da (to prostrate), and it was said in Al-Sihah: Masjad with a fathah refers to one's forehead which is the place involved in prostration. So the word masjid means a place where one prostrates. I know there is more to it than that, but with my limited knowledge that is all I can share about it at this point but it is very fascinating so I encourage you to use this to look into it further yourself.
As I was saying, since it actually just means a place of prostration or worship to Allah, then of course the surah still makes complete sense whether there was an actual building there or not. However, there are hadeeth that support that there was a mosque built by that time and that Caliph Umar used to go into it as well. Also, it is known to have existed even in King Solomon's day (pbuh) and that he built it alongside the temple in the name of Allah. It is also said to go even further back, to Abraham's time, named by God as a holy place of worship, and maybe even further than that. What is interesting to me about this other than the obvious reasons, is how something that at first might seem like something soooo separate from Christianity or Judaism when they look at the mosque in Jerusalem, yet if it was actually built by the same prophets all three groups believe in it shows how we are all of the same faith in the same God. So this mosque is actually a symbol of the link between all of us. It is a holy place of worship. Established by our forefathers in the faith.
So it is likely that their was an actual mosque in some form, maybe not exactly as it is structured today, but there was something, according to many scholars. However, the point is not what the building looked like, even if it looked exactly as Aqsa looks now, or if it was totally different, more or less extravagant, bigger or smaller.
You see, my point in this post is that it is not important whether there was a building. Islam is not about a building, it is about our worship and obedience of Allah. So even if people want to claim that the story is a total myth, they should think twice because the Quran is from Allah and all that is from Allah is good, and the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) would have been able to pray in Jerusalem no matter what Aqsa Mosque looked like at the time. Just an interesting thing to point out on the side, not all Muslims pray in mosques as we know them today actually, back in history and even today in some places in the world.
There is a very nice linguistic, scholarly study on this topic that you can read for further inspiration at: http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html
Some information from this article:
In 49-50 AH / 670 CE, Bishop Arculfus, a Christian visitor in Jerusalem, reported:
2. What Is A Masjid?On the famous place where once stood the temple, the Saracens worship at a square house of prayer, which they have built with little art, of boards and large beams on the remains of some ruins...[2]
We will begin by dealing with the word masjid from both the linguistic and legal points of view. The Arabic word for "mosque" is masjid. Discussing with the word masjid from a linguistic point of view al-Zarkashi says:
Masjid from a linguistic point of view
The Prophet's night journey was from "the inviolable place of worship" (al-Masjid al-Haram) to "the farthest place of worship" (al-Masjid al-Aqsa). The former is certainly located in Makkah, but what about the latter? The reference to Allah blessing its surroundings (... whose precincts We did bless) suggests a location in the "Holy Land" (cf. 21:81; 7:137; 34:18). Neal Robinson states:
The [Muslim] tradition which identifies it [i.e., al-Masjid al-Aqsa] with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem makes admirable sense in view of the fact that the 'place of worship' (masjid) whose destruction is evoked in v. 7 [i.e., 17:7] is clearly the Temple.[4]
Surah Al-Isra 17:7 - If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.
This view is also shared by many western scholars.[5]
As it was mentioned earlier that masjid refers to a place of prostration without any religious distinction; an excellent example of the usage of the word "masjid" referring to a non-Islamic sanctuary can be seen in the verse 17:7. The verse describes briefly the destruction of the masjid in Jerusalem (i.e., the Temple) by the enemies of Children of Israel.
Since prostration is the most honourable act in prayer because of the nearness of the servant to his Lord, the name of the location was derived from it. This is why we call it masjid [location of sujud / prostration] and not marka` [place of ruku` / inclination].[7]
In summary, masjid from a linguistic point of view means a "place of prostration" without any religious distinction. From a legal point of view the word masjid in shari`ah constitutes every place on earth that is fit for prostration. In other words masjid does not designate a building but only a "place of prostration"; the place may or may not have the building.
Therefore, no one can claim that the word "masjid" in the Islamic terminology refers necessarily to a building.
Prostration is not restricted to any particular place of the earth. It may also be a metaphor of a construction built for prayer. This is due to the fact that once prayer is authorized everywhere on earth it becomes like a mosque for that purpose. Ibn al-Tin said: "The earth has been made for me a masjid and a means of purification" both were given to the Prophet, peace be upon him, while it was only a place for worship for others and was not a means of purification, because Jesus used to walk around and pray whenever prayer was due.
Before we close this issue, one should realize that verse 17:1 also speaks of "The Sacred Mosque" which is in Makkah around the Ka`bah. Did a building for the mosque exist there in the time of the Prophet? The answer is that the Ka`bah was there but there was no building for the mosque. This further adds to the argument that the word masjid in this verse refers to a place of performing the prostration and does not imply the presence of a "building" in the modern understanding.
The above understanding of the word masjid as a place of worship not building per se is also well supported by archaeological and historic evidence. Below we present a picture of an early mosque in a place called Besor in Occupied Palestine.[10]
Figure 2: Besor masjid
Figure 3: Besor mosque, The Qiblah
Moshe Sharon comments about the Besor mosque. He says:
To the west of the village on the top of the hill, overlooking the valley and the houses of the village, was the threshing floor, and to the south of it a small open mosque with a rectangular mihrab made of 3 blocks of stones [bottom figure]. The mosque was built to a height of probably two layers of stones, no more than 0.5 m., and was almost square, about 3 x 3 m. and could contain no more than 8-10 men at a time.[11]
There are many other examples of early mosques from Negev region that are nothing but a few stones arranged to mark the mihrab.[12,13]
Figure 4: Mosque at Nahal Oded with the upright stone showing the direction of the qibla.
Figure 7: Modern Bedouin open mosque in Transjordan
It is clear from the above pictures that a mosque is simply a place where Muslims prostrate in prayer.
Concerning early mosques, Creswell states:
... their [i.e., Muslims'] architectural resources, before they started in their career of conquest, were barely enough to give expression to their needs. In other words Arabia constituted an almost perfect architectural vacuum... The first mosques in the great hiras, or half nomadic encampments of the conquest, such as Basra, Kufa and Fustat, were primitive in the extreme, and in Syria the first mosques were churches that had been converted or merely divided: In fact there is no reason for believing that any mosque was built as such in Syria until the time of al-Walid (705-15) or possibly `Abd al-Malik (685-705), for over a generation the Arabs remained quite untouched by any architectural ambitions...[14]
It is worth noting that the Prophet disliked extravagance and impressive architecture in buildings, especially mosques. The relative simplicity of early mosques is in fact a historical example of how the Prophet's Companions diligently followed his wishes. This is true to a greater extent even today.
3. Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa: A Place Of Prostration For JewsThe Qur'an refers to al-Aqsa as a masjid, a place of prostration. Was this place used for prostration in early times?
Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the surrounding area (i.e., Dome of the Rock among others) is usually identified with the place where the Temple of Solomon once stood. Bet ha-Miqdash, as the Temple is usually known in Jewish literature, was primarily a place of assembly for the entire people, for purposes of sacrifice, prayer, and thanksgiving. It is in the prayer ritual that prostrations were performed by the priests. Encyclopedia Judaica provides an interesting account of the prayer ritual by the priests of the Temple.
The priest who had gathered the coals entered the sanctuary first, scattered them over the incense altar, prostrated himself, and departed. Then the priest who was chosen by lot to offer the incense entered, bearing the pan of incense in his hand. He was accompanied by a priest appointed for this task who instructed him in the proper ritual, and he did not offer it until he was told: "Offer the incense!" The officiating priest waited until the space between the hall and the altar was cleared of people, offered up the incense, prostrated himself, and departed (Tam. 6; Kelim end of ch. 1). During the offering of the incense in the sanctuary, the people used to gather in the azarah for prayer, and even outside the Temple these times were set aside for prayer (cf. Luke 1:10; Judith 9:1). After the departure of the priest who had offered the incense, all the priests filed into the sanctuary, prostrated themselves, and went out again.[15]
It is interesting to note that the Temple was considered as the only place of prostration by some Rabbis and that they would refuse to completely prostrate outside the Temple in Jerusalem.[16]
The Jewish concept of worship has extensive vocabulary, out of which hishtahawah, "to prostrate oneself," is the most frequently used in the Hebrew Bible (86 times).[17]
4. Yet Another Problem!In the same article, the missionaries express another objection:
In Yusuf Ali's commentary on this verse we read: "The Farthest Mosque must refer to the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem..." So, it is interpreted to be not the building itself, but only the site, the location where it had been. I might be wrong, but this seems to be contradicted by a hadith and Muhammad's understanding that Al-Masjid-ul-Aqs-a is something that is built, not just a location. Al-Masjid-ul-Haram after all was a building.
Beautiful portion of a hadith....
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 636:
Narrated Abu Dhaar:
......."Wherever the time for the prayer comes upon you, perform the prayer, for all the earth is a place of worshipping for you."
Abraham supposedly (re)built the Kaaba, (and Abraham lived about 2000 BC) and the Temple was built by Solomon in about 958-951 BC.
They identify the Farthest Mosque with the Temple of Solomon without further justification, and point out an error that they had invented themselves. Let us for example see what Imam Ibn Hajar says about this hadith in Fath al-Bari:
His saying (40 years)
Ibn al-Jawzi said: It raises a problem since Abraham built the Ka`bah and Solomon built Bayt al-Maqdis [another name of al-Masjid al-Aqsa cf. Hebrew Bet ha-Miqdash] and there are 1,000 years between them. His evidence for saying that it is Solomon - peace be upon him - who built the Farthest Mosque is the narration of al-Nasa'i from the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr Ibn al-`As attributed to the Prophet with an authentic isnad that "When Solomon built Bayt al-Maqdis he asked God the Most High for three things etc." and in al-Tabarani from the hadith of Rafi` Ibn `Umayrah that "David - peace be upon him - started building Bayt al-Maqdis but God inspired him: I shall accomplish its building with Solomon" and the hadith has a story. He [Ibn al-Jawzi] said: "The answer to that is that the mention concerns the first construction and the foundation of the mosque and it is not Abraham who built the Ka`bah for the first time nor is it Solomon who built Bayt al-Maqdis for the first time. Indeed, we have narrated that the first one who built the Ka`bah is Adam. Then his progeny spread out on earth. Therefore, it is possible that one of them built Bayt al-Maqdis. Later, Abraham (re)built the Ka`bah according to the Qur'an." Likewise, al-Qurtubi said: The hadith does not indicate that Abraham and Solomon were the first ones to build the two mosques. It was only a renovation of what had been founded by others.[18]
After quoting other opinions, Ibn Hajar insists :
But the possibility mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi is more pertinent. And I found evidence supporting those who say that it is Adam who founded both mosques. For instance, Ibn Hisham mentioned in "Kitab al-Tijan" that when Adam built the Ka`bah, God ordered him to walk to Bayt al-Maqdis and build it and so he did and offered worship in it. And the construction of the House [Arabic: al-Bayt, i.e., the Ka`bah] is famous and we have mentioned earlier the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr that the House was elevated in the time of the flood until God showed Abraham its location. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from the way of Ma`mar from Qatadah: God founded the House with Adam when he descended. But Adam missed the voices of the Angels and their prayers. Therefore, God told him: I sent down a House around which [people] will revolve like it is revolved around my Throne, so set out to it. Adam set out to Makkah - He had descended in India, and his steps were enlarged until he reached the House and revolved around it. It was also said that when he had prayed at the Ka`bah, he was ordered to set out to Jerusalem where he built a masjid [mosque] and prayed therein so that it became a qiblah to a part of his progeny.[19]
In summary, the verse 17:1 refers to the holy locations in Jerusalem and Makkah because they are blessed regardless of the type of mosque at the time of the heavenly trip of Prophet Muhammad. From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi showing that it was Adam who built both mosques for the first time and that the job of Abraham and Solomon was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.
5. ConclusionsThe word masjid from a linguistic point of view refers to a place of prostration without any religious distinction. From a legal point of view the word masjid in shari`ah constitutes every place on earth that is fit for prostration.
The verse 17:1 From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi who have discussed the issue. They have shown that it was Adam who built both mosques for the first time and that the duty of Abraham and Solomon was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.
And Allah knows best!
Further Reading
Arda Wiraz Namag (Iranian "Divina Commedia") And The Prophet's(P) Night Journey
It can also be argued that it was Islam that restored the sanctity of Temple Mount, and made it a place of prostration and prayer, but I'll leave that topic for another post.....
Thanks to the web site for pooling together these hadith and this research. I hope it was a source of education for those who visit my blog and I hope you will read the full article. Just click on the link and I encourage your own research as well.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Eidekum Mubarak!!!
Eid mubarak everybody!!
Ramadan came to an end this weekend. On the day after Ramadan there is a celebration called "Eid al Fitr." The celebration of the breaking of the month-long fast. For my last futoor the night before Eid, my university held a futoor dinner for all the students at a nice cafe called Diva's just off the Gulf. It was a lot of fun and a lot of people showed up for the event. It was cool to see my classmates outside the context of the school. I had a lot of kanafa for dessert. Yum! I am helplessly addicted to kanafa. It is a dessert made out of cheese! yes! cheese!!
Anyway, I went with Dina and Heba and Kara and we also talked with Nizar and my friend Fatma who is on my soccer team. She is a lot of fun and we always have great conversations. Nizar confirmed for us the coming of Eid the next day which is dictated for Kuwaitis by the sighting of the moon in Saudi Arabia. After we finished our futoor, we went to Al-Rashed mosque where I had done Taraweeh before and went to pray our last Taraweeh prayer. However we got so lost for some reason and so we missed it. But we listened to it over the radio in the car as we tried to figure out where we were. Then we finally got back to civilization an hour later. It was actually a fun experience to get lost with my friends. We were laughing the whole time. Then we went shopping for Eid at Marina Mall. It was sooo packed. There were tons of people looking for their Eid outfits. We ate at chocolate bar and then went home. I wanted to pray the special Eid prayer that is done in the morning on the first day of Eid so Dina sent me the information about it:
Assalamu Alaikom Sister!
Here is all the info I found about Salat Al-Eid:
1. It's a Sunnah.
2. It's 2 rak'at long.
3. It has no athan or iqama, unlike the five prayers.
4. Before going to pray, you must eat something. It is Sunnah to eat an odd number of dates.
5. It is Sunnah to wash up and dress in clean clothes--basically look your best in a modest way.
6. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) used to walk to the masjid in one path and return from a different path. The main point is that walking (if you are able to) is better than riding.
7. While waiting for the prayer to begin and on your way to the masjid, it is Sunnah to say:
"Allahu Akbar (7 times), Allahu Akbaru Kabeeraan, wal Hamdulillahi katheeraan, wa subHan Allah bukratan wa aseelaan, la ilaha illa Allah waHdah, a'azza jundah, wa sadaqa 'abdah, wa hazama al aHzab waHdah, laa ilaha illa Allah..." Repeat it over and over until the prayer starts.
8. The prayer: In the first rak'a, the Imam will do 7 "Allahu Akbar" before reading from the Qur'an. And 5 "Allahu Akbar" in the second rak'a. These are called takbeeraat (i.e. saying Allahu Akbar and raising your hand). You repeat after the Imam "Allahu Akbar".
Enjoy the prayers!
In the morning around 5:45 the mosques began calling out "Allahu Akbar" and other praises to Allah. It was beautiful. It went on for like 15 minutes. It was so nice to walk to the mosque in the early morning for the first time. It was a nice feeling seeing everyone up early and walking to the mosque and hearing the praises through the loudspeakers of all the mosques in the community. The sky looked amazing. Masha Allah. I was going to go to the Rashed Mosque which is a beautiful mosque and Alafasy was doing the Takbeer there. But then I thought to myself that it would be best for me to go just to a simple mosque and just focus on the salat, not on where it is or who is leading it. It was very nice and felt just as good to share in prayer with others here as it did to share in prayer at the Grand Mosque. Cuz when u really go under the veil of Allah, and commune with him in prayer, u forget where u r, u just feel u are with Allah and no other detail becomes important at that point. Just worship of him. Just hearing his word and receiving it and praising Him and lifting up His name.
Then after the prayer, I went back home to watch the Eid prayer done in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on live TV. It was amazing. So many people were in Mecca. Even the King was at the mosque praying too. Then I took a nap and then a friend brought over some Kanafa. It was just what I was wishing for!! :) I got many nice txt messages from my friends with Eid greetings. I sent some of my own and then went with my friends to the local public market to look at things and go to the stores. Then we had Zubaidy and Raw kibbeh for dinner and then we had some Arabic coffee and went back home.
It was a very nice Eid. I can't believe Ramadaan is over. The memories I have from this month will last a lifetime.
In the morning around 5:45 the mosques began calling out "Allahu Akbar" and other praises to Allah. It was beautiful. It went on for like 15 minutes. It was so nice to walk to the mosque in the early morning for the first time. It was a nice feeling seeing everyone up early and walking to the mosque and hearing the praises through the loudspeakers of all the mosques in the community. The sky looked amazing. Masha Allah. I was going to go to the Rashed Mosque which is a beautiful mosque and Alafasy was doing the Takbeer there. But then I thought to myself that it would be best for me to go just to a simple mosque and just focus on the salat, not on where it is or who is leading it. It was very nice and felt just as good to share in prayer with others here as it did to share in prayer at the Grand Mosque. Cuz when u really go under the veil of Allah, and commune with him in prayer, u forget where u r, u just feel u are with Allah and no other detail becomes important at that point. Just worship of him. Just hearing his word and receiving it and praising Him and lifting up His name.
Then after the prayer, I went back home to watch the Eid prayer done in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on live TV. It was amazing. So many people were in Mecca. Even the King was at the mosque praying too. Then I took a nap and then a friend brought over some Kanafa. It was just what I was wishing for!! :) I got many nice txt messages from my friends with Eid greetings. I sent some of my own and then went with my friends to the local public market to look at things and go to the stores. Then we had Zubaidy and Raw kibbeh for dinner and then we had some Arabic coffee and went back home.
It was a very nice Eid. I can't believe Ramadaan is over. The memories I have from this month will last a lifetime.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Saying goodbye to Ramadaan :(
Salam,
The last few nights I have been sharing Qiyam prayer with my new friends in Kuwait and attending this late night prayer at the Grand Mosque of Kuwait with them. The last time I went, I went with two of my friends from the university. Their names are Dina and Heba. They are very nice girls. They were so excited because it would be the first time they would be going to the Grand Mosque let alone the late night prayer there. I was also excited for them. We went early and they saved me a spot inside the main inner hall of the mosque in the front rows. It was absolutely breathtaking in there. The spiritual energy in the room was thick like a fog. From the moment we met up to the moment we parted, nothing but the word of Allah was upon our lips, flowing freely from our hearts like a surging spring of water.
We happened to be next to a lady who had converted to Islam from Christianity ten years ago. She was very nice. During the prayers, as I was hearing the beautiful words of Allah in Arabic recited by Sheikh Al-Afasy (yes the same person who prayed in my mosque this summer in the states and who is in the nasheed video posted above), and I still don't understand most of it, although I have noticed I pick up on many more words than before.
Actually, even without understanding it well, the spirit of the word still comes through very strongly. So during this time as I was praising Allah and receiving the spirit of the words of the Quran, a couple things inspired me to suddenly reflect upon our prophet Moses, peace be upon him, and remembering a story from the bible I had read year before about him and his face glowing after having been in communion and talking with Allah.
Whenever he would talk with Allah after the Mt. Sinai experience his face again would shine. Moses would cover his face with a veil so that his shining face would not overwhelm his people. Such is the Glory of God! Imagine when if we will get to see His glory without a veil someday, with our own eyes, imagine that day when we will have that honor if Allah wills it for us insha Allah. A straight forward encounter with the Allmighty Lord of the Worlds. Well, we get that actually. Each day we all can prostrate to our Lord in salat and no veil between his glory and ourselves. He gives us the privilege to commune directly with him every day. Let us remember this when we are in prayer and I think if we do, we can't help but fall to our knees in prostration (or Sujood in Arabic).
Two things inspired me to think upon this story and image of Moses in my head:
1) The beautiful chandeliers and lights from the enormous hall were brightened and the reflection of the lights sparkled into my eyes through the tear drops on my eye lashes during the salat
2) A verse from the Quran my friend next to me, Dina, had just sent to me the day before -
the likeness of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp; the lamp is encased in a glass. The glass is like a brilliant star. It is lit from a blessed tree, an olive tree that is neither of the East nor the West. It is as if its oil would give light even if fire had not touched it. Light upon light. And Allah guides to His light whom He pleases. [This lamp] is in houses that Allah has permitted to be erected wherein His name is oft-remembered. They glorify Him in them in the early morning and evening, men who are not distracted by commerce and trading from the remembrance of Allah. (24: 35-37)
Here is the actual story of Moses' conversation with Allah (swt), these two things inspired me to remember, quoted directly from the scriptures derived from the bible:
Exodus 34:27-35
27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
28 Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
At any rate, the real magical moment for me, other than the light reflecting from my tears inspiring this thought, was that the moment I began thinking upon this image of Moses, at the very same time, the Sheikh Al-Afasy mentioned "Musa" the name of Moses in Arabic. Apparently just as I was envisioning this story, he was reciting from the Quran about Moses, peace be upon him, at the very same moment. SubhanAllah. It was chilling to say the least. Masha Allah. Of course immediately the tears began flowing freely down my cheeks from the power of that moment.
This whole Ramadan has been just one blessing after the other, one amazing moment after the other. AlhamdulEllah.
Last night my good friends Sarah and Salma took me shopping for Eid. It is a tradition to buy a new outfit for the first day of Eid. Eid is the celebration time after Ramadan ends. It was a lot of fun. I really like all my new friends here. They are all so well-behaved, so kind, so positive, so considerate, and their hearts are after the favor of Allah. I feel so blessed, Allah is so gracious to me and to all His servants. Let us remember to be constantly grateful to Him.
It is so inspiring many of my good friends from before and now I haven't talked with in a few days because they are doing Istakaf which means staying in the Mosque for a long time and just dedicating all the time and energy to Allah during that time. Anyone can do it and you can stay as little as one full day or as much as the last ten days. I am so happy for my friends who are doing that it will be so good for them. May Allah accept their efforts and I wish I could do it too but I learned of it too late. I hope to try it next Ramadan inshallah.
The last few nights I have been sharing Qiyam prayer with my new friends in Kuwait and attending this late night prayer at the Grand Mosque of Kuwait with them. The last time I went, I went with two of my friends from the university. Their names are Dina and Heba. They are very nice girls. They were so excited because it would be the first time they would be going to the Grand Mosque let alone the late night prayer there. I was also excited for them. We went early and they saved me a spot inside the main inner hall of the mosque in the front rows. It was absolutely breathtaking in there. The spiritual energy in the room was thick like a fog. From the moment we met up to the moment we parted, nothing but the word of Allah was upon our lips, flowing freely from our hearts like a surging spring of water.
We happened to be next to a lady who had converted to Islam from Christianity ten years ago. She was very nice. During the prayers, as I was hearing the beautiful words of Allah in Arabic recited by Sheikh Al-Afasy (yes the same person who prayed in my mosque this summer in the states and who is in the nasheed video posted above), and I still don't understand most of it, although I have noticed I pick up on many more words than before.
Actually, even without understanding it well, the spirit of the word still comes through very strongly. So during this time as I was praising Allah and receiving the spirit of the words of the Quran, a couple things inspired me to suddenly reflect upon our prophet Moses, peace be upon him, and remembering a story from the bible I had read year before about him and his face glowing after having been in communion and talking with Allah.
Whenever he would talk with Allah after the Mt. Sinai experience his face again would shine. Moses would cover his face with a veil so that his shining face would not overwhelm his people. Such is the Glory of God! Imagine when if we will get to see His glory without a veil someday, with our own eyes, imagine that day when we will have that honor if Allah wills it for us insha Allah. A straight forward encounter with the Allmighty Lord of the Worlds. Well, we get that actually. Each day we all can prostrate to our Lord in salat and no veil between his glory and ourselves. He gives us the privilege to commune directly with him every day. Let us remember this when we are in prayer and I think if we do, we can't help but fall to our knees in prostration (or Sujood in Arabic).
Two things inspired me to think upon this story and image of Moses in my head:
1) The beautiful chandeliers and lights from the enormous hall were brightened and the reflection of the lights sparkled into my eyes through the tear drops on my eye lashes during the salat
2) A verse from the Quran my friend next to me, Dina, had just sent to me the day before -
the likeness of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp; the lamp is encased in a glass. The glass is like a brilliant star. It is lit from a blessed tree, an olive tree that is neither of the East nor the West. It is as if its oil would give light even if fire had not touched it. Light upon light. And Allah guides to His light whom He pleases. [This lamp] is in houses that Allah has permitted to be erected wherein His name is oft-remembered. They glorify Him in them in the early morning and evening, men who are not distracted by commerce and trading from the remembrance of Allah. (24: 35-37)
Here is the actual story of Moses' conversation with Allah (swt), these two things inspired me to remember, quoted directly from the scriptures derived from the bible:
Exodus 34:27-35
27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
28 Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
In the Taurah, it is even mentioned that the divine glory is so much that it might even cause people to die from being near it, so Allah asked Moses to prohibit the people from coming near Mt. Sinai during that time, even the other priests had to sanctify themselves if they thought to come near.You know when I read this again, I see that it is somewhat reminiscent of our time fasting during Ramadan. A long period of fasting, reflecting on the word sent from Allah, and salat.
At any rate, the real magical moment for me, other than the light reflecting from my tears inspiring this thought, was that the moment I began thinking upon this image of Moses, at the very same time, the Sheikh Al-Afasy mentioned "Musa" the name of Moses in Arabic. Apparently just as I was envisioning this story, he was reciting from the Quran about Moses, peace be upon him, at the very same moment. SubhanAllah. It was chilling to say the least. Masha Allah. Of course immediately the tears began flowing freely down my cheeks from the power of that moment.
This whole Ramadan has been just one blessing after the other, one amazing moment after the other. AlhamdulEllah.
Last night my good friends Sarah and Salma took me shopping for Eid. It is a tradition to buy a new outfit for the first day of Eid. Eid is the celebration time after Ramadan ends. It was a lot of fun. I really like all my new friends here. They are all so well-behaved, so kind, so positive, so considerate, and their hearts are after the favor of Allah. I feel so blessed, Allah is so gracious to me and to all His servants. Let us remember to be constantly grateful to Him.
It is so inspiring many of my good friends from before and now I haven't talked with in a few days because they are doing Istakaf which means staying in the Mosque for a long time and just dedicating all the time and energy to Allah during that time. Anyone can do it and you can stay as little as one full day or as much as the last ten days. I am so happy for my friends who are doing that it will be so good for them. May Allah accept their efforts and I wish I could do it too but I learned of it too late. I hope to try it next Ramadan inshallah.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Grace and Mercy two fruits from the same tree
I remember a time when I did not yet understand the meaning of grace. We said it often in church, in our worship songs to God, in our bible study, and it was often preached by the pastor/father. Yet, it took me a while to finally reflect and ask myself, what is this grace from God everyone is talking about and is so often mention in His scriptures? I thought, why are we always saying; Our Lord is so gracious. What do we mean by that?
In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Grace is defined (I did not include all of its meanings but the ones that pertain to this post) as follows:
Main Entry: 1grace
Pronunciation: 'grAs
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin gratia favor, charm, thanks, from gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Sanskrit grnAti he praises
1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
2 a : APPROVAL, FAVOR b archaic : MERCY, PARDON c : a special favor : PRIVILEGE d : disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency e : a temporary exemption : REPRIEVE
I placed unmerited in red bold text because I wanted to emphasize something about grace that I think is what sets this trait belonging to Allah from all the rest. How many people do we know that provide us assistance when when it is unmerited, or in other words, undeserved? When we compete in a race, do we get the trophy if we lose? Or even if we place second? I don't think so. When we need help, do people just hand us favors, or is only the truly kind-hearted and loved ones who stretch out on a limb for us when we need it? Will anyone just give you something without expecting something in return? At least love, or a handshake or a dinner invitation, or maybe more, right? But what does Allah ask of us in return for all that He gives us? What do we owe him for giving us a good day? A job we love? The sun and the rain? A friend? Our health? A son or daughter? Our vision? Our talents? Our food on the table? Our life? Our freedom to choose? Nothing. All of us on earth get things from God even when we might not deserve them, simply because He loves us. That is the real love. There is nothing "Self" about Him.
That is his grace in action. And we speak often of this word in mention of Allah because it is such a special and unique trait. We as humans have the capacity to show grace towards others, and many do indeed at one point or another. But Allah is grace manifested. He is not only gracious, He is what it means to be gracecious. We could praise Allah in our every single one of our prayers for the rest of our lives and still not reach to cover all the worship He deserves just for that one trait He possesses.
Because of His grace we are forgiven, because of His grace we can do everything we do. Because of His grace we are alive right now. Not because of anything we did. Sub han Allah.
It is no wonder we praise Allah for his grace many times in every salat we do every day. It is the very first phrase we say before every single Surat of the Quran that we read or recite or before anything we do.
"Praise be to Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.."
What is interesting, is that if you think about it, mercy and grace kind of go hand in hand. You can't mention one without thinking of the other.
Here is webster-Merriam's definition of MERCY:
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise
1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatmentmercy> b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2 a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b : a fortunate circumstancemercy they found her before she froze>
3 : compassionate treatment of those in distressmercy among the poor>
So in a sense, because of Allah's mercy for us, he gives us second chances, he gives us forgiveness, he gives us life, he gives us blessings, he gives us love, through the channel of grace.
Mercy inspires Grace and Grace is a response to Mercy. And both grace and mercy can come from nowhere except from the heart, they can only be born of love.
Imagine trying to feel mercy, or be gracious to someone without feeling something pulling on the strings of your heart first. You just can't. They are products of love, and what is purer than that? There is no way to have impure mercy or grace without compassion. Love is pure and is kind, it can be the only source and origin of two such beautiful traits of our Lord and traits that he has also given us the ability to possess through the love in our hearts.
What is most interesting actually about both of these traits; Mercy and Grace, is that they come from the same Root in Arabic. Rahmaneer, Raheem (Gracious, Merciful). And that makes sense now doesn't it?
I discovered this when a very dear brother of mine in Islam, Nizar, had translated Rahman to Mercy in English. I was watching Sheikh Mishary Alafasy reciting from my mosque back home on Kuwaiti TV, and I contacted Nizar to inquire what surat Alafasy was reciting. He said surat Arrahman and translated "rahman" as Mercy. And I was like; wait a minute, doesn't that mean Gracious? Then he checked and confirmed with me that I was right. But then he went on further to explain that Grace and Mercy actually come from the same root "RAHEMA". Masha Allah.
We have much to be grateful for to Allah, even if just for his abounding grace and mercy towards each of us.
Think about the Quran, especially in this time during Ramadan in which the Quran is said to have been revealed, even the revelation of the Quran for us was an act of grace by Allah.
"Then We gave the Book (the Qur'an) for inheritance to such of Our slaves whom ... That is indeed a great grace." (Qur'an 35:32).
THE QURAN IS ONE OF THE BIGGESTS ACTS OF GRACE Allah HAS shown us, We have rebelled so much throughout history even after having been shown the way and the truth and the right path, yet still he sent to us yet a clearer and purer guide for us to get back on target...Allah truly is most gracious and most merciful and we should accept this guidance sent to us with much gratitude in our hearts:
I
In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Grace is defined (I did not include all of its meanings but the ones that pertain to this post) as follows:
Main Entry: 1grace
Pronunciation: 'grAs
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin gratia favor, charm, thanks, from gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Sanskrit grnAti he praises
1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
2 a : APPROVAL, FAVOR
I placed unmerited in red bold text because I wanted to emphasize something about grace that I think is what sets this trait belonging to Allah from all the rest. How many people do we know that provide us assistance when when it is unmerited, or in other words, undeserved? When we compete in a race, do we get the trophy if we lose? Or even if we place second? I don't think so. When we need help, do people just hand us favors, or is only the truly kind-hearted and loved ones who stretch out on a limb for us when we need it? Will anyone just give you something without expecting something in return? At least love, or a handshake or a dinner invitation, or maybe more, right? But what does Allah ask of us in return for all that He gives us? What do we owe him for giving us a good day? A job we love? The sun and the rain? A friend? Our health? A son or daughter? Our vision? Our talents? Our food on the table? Our life? Our freedom to choose? Nothing. All of us on earth get things from God even when we might not deserve them, simply because He loves us. That is the real love. There is nothing "Self" about Him.
That is his grace in action. And we speak often of this word in mention of Allah because it is such a special and unique trait. We as humans have the capacity to show grace towards others, and many do indeed at one point or another. But Allah is grace manifested. He is not only gracious, He is what it means to be gracecious. We could praise Allah in our every single one of our prayers for the rest of our lives and still not reach to cover all the worship He deserves just for that one trait He possesses.
Because of His grace we are forgiven, because of His grace we can do everything we do. Because of His grace we are alive right now. Not because of anything we did. Sub han Allah.
It is no wonder we praise Allah for his grace many times in every salat we do every day. It is the very first phrase we say before every single Surat of the Quran that we read or recite or before anything we do.
"Praise be to Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.."
What is interesting, is that if you think about it, mercy and grace kind of go hand in hand. You can't mention one without thinking of the other.
Here is webster-Merriam's definition of MERCY:
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise
1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment
2 a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b : a fortunate circumstance
3 : compassionate treatment of those in distress
So in a sense, because of Allah's mercy for us, he gives us second chances, he gives us forgiveness, he gives us life, he gives us blessings, he gives us love, through the channel of grace.
Mercy inspires Grace and Grace is a response to Mercy. And both grace and mercy can come from nowhere except from the heart, they can only be born of love.
Imagine trying to feel mercy, or be gracious to someone without feeling something pulling on the strings of your heart first. You just can't. They are products of love, and what is purer than that? There is no way to have impure mercy or grace without compassion. Love is pure and is kind, it can be the only source and origin of two such beautiful traits of our Lord and traits that he has also given us the ability to possess through the love in our hearts.
What is most interesting actually about both of these traits; Mercy and Grace, is that they come from the same Root in Arabic. Rahmaneer, Raheem (Gracious, Merciful). And that makes sense now doesn't it?
I discovered this when a very dear brother of mine in Islam, Nizar, had translated Rahman to Mercy in English. I was watching Sheikh Mishary Alafasy reciting from my mosque back home on Kuwaiti TV, and I contacted Nizar to inquire what surat Alafasy was reciting. He said surat Arrahman and translated "rahman" as Mercy. And I was like; wait a minute, doesn't that mean Gracious? Then he checked and confirmed with me that I was right. But then he went on further to explain that Grace and Mercy actually come from the same root "RAHEMA". Masha Allah.
We have much to be grateful for to Allah, even if just for his abounding grace and mercy towards each of us.
Think about the Quran, especially in this time during Ramadan in which the Quran is said to have been revealed, even the revelation of the Quran for us was an act of grace by Allah.
"Then We gave the Book (the Qur'an) for inheritance to such of Our slaves whom ... That is indeed a great grace." (Qur'an 35:32).
THE QURAN IS ONE OF THE BIGGESTS ACTS OF GRACE Allah HAS shown us, We have rebelled so much throughout history even after having been shown the way and the truth and the right path, yet still he sent to us yet a clearer and purer guide for us to get back on target...Allah truly is most gracious and most merciful and we should accept this guidance sent to us with much gratitude in our hearts:
Second chapter of the Quran - Confirmation of guidance
Quran 1-5
Alif. Lam. Mim. - THIS DIVINE WRIT, let there be no doubt about it is [meant to be] a guidance for all the God-conscious - Who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance; - And who believe in that which has been bestowed from on high upon thee, [O Prophet,] as well as in that which was bestowed before thy time: for it is they who in their innermost are certain of the life to come! - It is they who follow the guidance [which comes from their Sustainer; and it is they, they who' shall attain to a happy state!
I
In My Pursuit of Knowledge....
Bismillahir rahmaneer raheem....
“And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allah, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran - Surat Al-Bayyenah 98:5)
Salam brothers and sisters, how are you? I am enjoying Ramadan so much I hope you are too. It feels so good to draw near to Allah. So I am thinking a lot about my development and pursuit of knowledge and it is important to always remember that we must always keep in mind what our motives are for whatever it is we are pursuing. We should have good intentions in what we do. That counts for a lot in Islam in our walk with Allah. For what does it count to pursue knowledge of Allah's word and become scholars of our deen but do it just to seek others' approval or for our own ego. We were put on this earth for nothing but to worship Allah so the reason for my passion for learning about God's words and his commands for my life are driven by my desire to worship Him in the best way I can through my life. This must be the drive behind what I pursue. I need to ask myself and check myself in all things to make sure that is my motive behind what I do because if it isn't, then I am missing the mark.
What does anything mean without our motive to give the glory to god and have love in our hearts behind our actions? Are they now just empty and vain efforts then? What would charity be without caring? What would a favor be without joy in giving? What would a hug be without affection? What would knowing everything about God's word be without having our hearts in the right place when seeking that knowledge? Even the bible discusses how everything we do without love is like a clanging symbol, it makes sounds but it means nothing. We should constantly assess what we place our hearts in and whether or not our hearts are in the right place in what we do, for it will count for nothing if we are just doing it simply to please others or to get credit from those around us. We should do it for love for God and love for others.
We must take care of our intention in all we do. There is a story I wanted to retell here in my blog that I read in a book about the virtues of Ramadan which is actually about how we should take care to remember who it is who considers our deeds, and to remember we should remember Allah in all kinds of worship. Worship can be in many forms; in nasheed (hymns, psalms to Allah), prayer, salat, giving, charity, fasting, and more. Really we can worship Allah in all that we do if when we do it, we are doing it for His sake and for His glory. The word for worship in Arabic in this sense is "IBAADAH." It is Allah who considers all of our actions and deeds and whether or not He will accept them.
So here is the story.... Mohammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) is said to have said: On the day of Qiyaamah (Judgment Day) one of those with whom Allah shall reckon first shall be a Shaheed (a martyr in the path of Allah). Allah will call him and remind him of all of His blessings given to him, which the person will confess. He shall then be asked: "What ave you done by way of expressing gratitude for these favors I have bestowed upon you?" The "Shaheed" shall reply" "I fought in Your cause till I became a martyr. Allah shall reply: It is not so; you have fought so that you can be called a brave man: and so it has been said." There after it shall be commanded that he be dragged, face on the ground and cast into "Jahannam." Then, an 'Aalim (a Scholar) shall be called to the Lord. He too shall be reminded of Allah's favors and asked the same question. He shall reply: "Oh Lord! I sought to acquire knowledge, taught others and for Your sake recited the Quran." Allah shall say" "This is not true. You did all that, merely so that, it may be said that you are learned; and so it has been said." And he will face the same fate as the Shaheed in Jahannam. Many such incidents can be found in Ahaadeeth. So we should care about our intentions.
May Allah accept our deeds and may all that we pursue be pure in intention and strictly for the glory of our Lord. amen.
Here is the verse again from the Quran which summarizes what are purpose is here, and what should be our soul mission, to worship Allah in all we do, with PURE intentions:
“And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allah, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran - Surat Al-Bayyenah 98:5)
Salam brothers and sisters, how are you? I am enjoying Ramadan so much I hope you are too. It feels so good to draw near to Allah. So I am thinking a lot about my development and pursuit of knowledge and it is important to always remember that we must always keep in mind what our motives are for whatever it is we are pursuing. We should have good intentions in what we do. That counts for a lot in Islam in our walk with Allah. For what does it count to pursue knowledge of Allah's word and become scholars of our deen but do it just to seek others' approval or for our own ego. We were put on this earth for nothing but to worship Allah so the reason for my passion for learning about God's words and his commands for my life are driven by my desire to worship Him in the best way I can through my life. This must be the drive behind what I pursue. I need to ask myself and check myself in all things to make sure that is my motive behind what I do because if it isn't, then I am missing the mark.
What does anything mean without our motive to give the glory to god and have love in our hearts behind our actions? Are they now just empty and vain efforts then? What would charity be without caring? What would a favor be without joy in giving? What would a hug be without affection? What would knowing everything about God's word be without having our hearts in the right place when seeking that knowledge? Even the bible discusses how everything we do without love is like a clanging symbol, it makes sounds but it means nothing. We should constantly assess what we place our hearts in and whether or not our hearts are in the right place in what we do, for it will count for nothing if we are just doing it simply to please others or to get credit from those around us. We should do it for love for God and love for others.
We must take care of our intention in all we do. There is a story I wanted to retell here in my blog that I read in a book about the virtues of Ramadan which is actually about how we should take care to remember who it is who considers our deeds, and to remember we should remember Allah in all kinds of worship. Worship can be in many forms; in nasheed (hymns, psalms to Allah), prayer, salat, giving, charity, fasting, and more. Really we can worship Allah in all that we do if when we do it, we are doing it for His sake and for His glory. The word for worship in Arabic in this sense is "IBAADAH." It is Allah who considers all of our actions and deeds and whether or not He will accept them.
So here is the story.... Mohammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) is said to have said: On the day of Qiyaamah (Judgment Day) one of those with whom Allah shall reckon first shall be a Shaheed (a martyr in the path of Allah). Allah will call him and remind him of all of His blessings given to him, which the person will confess. He shall then be asked: "What ave you done by way of expressing gratitude for these favors I have bestowed upon you?" The "Shaheed" shall reply" "I fought in Your cause till I became a martyr. Allah shall reply: It is not so; you have fought so that you can be called a brave man: and so it has been said." There after it shall be commanded that he be dragged, face on the ground and cast into "Jahannam." Then, an 'Aalim (a Scholar) shall be called to the Lord. He too shall be reminded of Allah's favors and asked the same question. He shall reply: "Oh Lord! I sought to acquire knowledge, taught others and for Your sake recited the Quran." Allah shall say" "This is not true. You did all that, merely so that, it may be said that you are learned; and so it has been said." And he will face the same fate as the Shaheed in Jahannam. Many such incidents can be found in Ahaadeeth. So we should care about our intentions.
May Allah accept our deeds and may all that we pursue be pure in intention and strictly for the glory of our Lord. amen.
Here is the verse again from the Quran which summarizes what are purpose is here, and what should be our soul mission, to worship Allah in all we do, with PURE intentions:
“And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allah, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran 98:5)
Here we see that even though a person may seem to be performing acts of devotion and worship to Allah outwardly, if they associate any other intention (to get money, to get fame, to get attention, etc...) or being in this worship, (whether they be angels, prophets, or righteous people), then this deed is not accepted or rewarded by Allah as the reward/consequence will be worldly.
Here is a commentary about this verse from http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/360/
Another aspect of this purity of intention is that a person should never seek any worldly gains through religious service and acts of worship, even if that worldly gain be something permissible. If a person seeks any permissible worldly gain though an action, the Godly reward of the deed diminishes.
Dedicated to Brother Reza who inspires me with his continuing passion for searching the best form of worship of our beloved Lord. And who has an open heart and mind to reflect upon our purpose on earth. May Allah open all of our hearts and minds in the same way.
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