Ihsan Center – Islam From The Heart

Shavuot

The Wilderness and Shavuot

Written by Moshe Kempinski

Shavuot occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer and is understood to be the day that the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. Read more…

Jerusalem Insights Magazine : News, Views, and Insights from Israel – The Wilderness and Shavuot.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

السلام عليكم

As salaam alaykum. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam. A few years ago I was listening to the radio and I heard a story on the news that I wanted to relate to you because it relates to us. The story is that many of the Catholics in the Boston area had petitioned the bishop there to release them of the rule not to eat meat on Good Friday because there was going to be some kind of sporting event going on and they wanted to be able to eat hot dogs. Now some of us might find this funny, but in truth it is not. And to his credit the Bishop did not accede to this request and instead said, instead, that the scheduling of this game on Good Friday was insensitive to the needs of Catholics in Boston and that he would not be watching the game. So, brothers and sisters why do I bring this up? I am not here to disparage or certainly to promote the Catholic church but rather I am using this to point out to you and to remind myself of the power of our nafs and of Shaytan to fool us into forgetting to obey the commands of Allah (SWT).

You know this comes after many years when the Catholic church prohibited the eating of any meat on any Friday. Then they relaxed this rule and only made it a rule on Good Friday. See how sneaky Shaytan is?

And how does this affect Muslims? Well, we are not that different. How many of us want to bend the rules just a little in order to make life a little easier? And what does that lead to? I will tell you a story about a shepherd guarding the flock of the village. He grazed the sheep in a field that bordered a forest that was the land of a cruel king. Anyone wandering into the forest was arrested and executed after being tortured, and any livestock the wandered in, became the property of the king. The shepard was told to graze the flock in the middle of the field so none of the sheep could wander into the king’s property accidentally. The shepherd was not all that obedient and saw that there was a patch of grass near the edge of the field that looked very good to graze. So he brought the flock over there. Very soon one of the sheep had wandered into the forest and was immediately confiscated by the guards who had been waiting there watching what the shepherd had done. Not only had he lost the sheep, but now the flock was wandering in as well and he had to try and stop them. As soon as each sheep crossed over it was taken and as soon as the shepherd crossed over he was arrested and later executed. If he had kept the flock to the middle of the field none of this would have happened.

So you see, little by little, we enter further and further into the grey areas that are close to our own borders of obedience to Allah (swt) until we no longer know how to stop and eventually find ourselves on the wrong side of the line.

We must use the intelligence that Allah (SWT) has given us. We must avoid even the slightest hint of getting close to the grey areas, because we do not know when to stop.

I once read a tract written by Ayatollah Khomeini (may Allah be pleased with him) on the prohibition of alcohol. It was written in a Q and A form. In it he explained the reasons for the prohibition from the Quranic perspective and from Sunnah and Shariat. One of the questions asked if it was ok to take just a little alcohol, since that did not affect us much but rather made us just relaxed. His answer was that this may be so. And perhaps, if we could stop there Allah (SWT) would have said no more than such and such an amount, but the truth is that we as human beings are weak and cannot stop at that point, that we have the tendency to over do it and do not know when to stop. Because of that it is forbidden altogether.

This is a part of our natural human-ness. We are constantly vigilant for these characteristics within ourselves. Bad habits are far too easy to develop and far too hard to break, and good habits are the opposite, they are very hard to develop and fall away so easily.

I want to remind you and myself again about what Allah (SWT) says in the Quran Sharif

wa- al- ‘asr
‘inna al- ‘insaan ala- fe khusr
‘illaa ‘alladhena ‘aamano wa- ‘amilo as saalihaati wa- tawaasaw bi- al-haqq wa- tawaas.aw bi- as- sabr

By the time through the ages!

Surely mankind is in loss,

except those who believe and do good deeds; exhort one another to the truth and exhort one another to patience.

And it does not have to be through the ages! It is happening minute by minute now even in every day of our lives. The ticking of the clock tries to wear at our iman all the time.

But the good news is that Allah (SWT) has promised us that if we do keep the good deeds and if we do keep our faith in him then our reward is in this life and in the next.

And he has given us clear guidance:

dhaalika al- kitaab laa rayb fe -hi huda(n) li- al- muttaqen

‘alladhena yu’minon bi- al- ghayb wa- yuqemon as-salaah wa- min maa razaqnaa -hum yunfiqon

wa- ‘alladhena yu’minon bi- maa unzila ‘ilay -ka wa- maa unzila min qabli -ka wa- bi- al- ‘aakhirah hum yoqinon

‘olaa’ika ‘alaa huda(n) min rabb -him wa- ‘olaa’ika hum al- muflihon

This is The Book in which there is no doubt. It is a guide for those who are God conscious, who believe in the Unseen, who establish Salah (five regular daily prayers) and spend in charity out of what We have provided for their sustenance; who believe in this Revelation (The Qur’an) which is sent to you (O Muhammad) and the Revelations which were sent before you (Torah, Psalms, Gospel…) and firmly believe in the Hereafter.

They are on True Guidance from their Rabb and they are the ones who will attain salvation.

And what an amazing gift this is. Such a clear light of guidance.

Part 2

And do we ask for Allah (SWT) to relieve us of these obligatory tasks when it is inconvenient for us? Oh Allah, there is a ball game on Friday, can I skip my prayers that day? Oh Allah, I live where it is very difficult to get Halal meats and other food, can I eat pork just once or twice? No!

But you know what? Allah (SWT) has already known about this, he knows what is in our hearts and in our minds, he never tires and does not sleep:

and he is vigilant in our cause. He has given us that which we cannot ask from him, when we are traveling, do we not get a dispensation on prayers and even on the fast in Ramadhan? If Allah (SWT) wanted to make it impossible for us to follow our deen believe me IT WOULD BE! But it is not.

And in return for this what does Allah (SWT) ask of us? Simply that we follow that which he has commanded us to do, and to avoid those things which he has forbidden for us and that we worship him with all our hearts and souls.

wa allahu alim

And Allah (swt) knows best.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

As salaam alaykum!

Islam attaches great importance to the concept of pardoning of sins by Allah (swt) so that we may be saved from Hellfire. On several occasions, The Holy Quran gives such prayers as

rabbana la tu-akhithna in naseena aw akhta/na rabbana wala tahmil ‘alayna isran kama hamaltahu ‘ala allatheena min qablina rabbana wala tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bihi wao’fu ‘anna waighfir lana wairhamna anta mawlana faonsurna ‘ala alqawmi alkafireena

Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith.”

Allah assures us that no matter what our sin, if we truly repent and seek His forgiveness, and take steps to put right our wrongs, He will forgive us. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “My heart is clouded until I have asked God’s forgiveness seventy times during the day and night.”

And just as we can depend on the mercy and forgiveness of Allah (swt) we are likewise asked to show mercy to our fellow humans.

Allah (swt) says in the Quran Sharif:

thumma kaana min ‘alladhena ‘aamano wa- tawaas.aw bi- as.- sabr wa- tawaasaw bi- al- marhamah

Then will he be of those who believe and enjoin patience (constancy and self-restraint) and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion.

Since God is Himself forgiving, He desires that people should cultivate this attribute and show forgiveness to other human beings.

wa- laa ya’tali ‘olo al- fadl min -kum wa- as- sa’ah ‘an yu’to ‘ole al- qurbaa wa- al- masaaken wa- al- muhaajiren fe sabel ‘allaah wa- li- ya’fo wa- li- yas-fah-o ‘a-laa tuh-ibbon ‘an yaghfir ‘allaah la-kum wa- ‘allaah ghafor raheem

Let not those among you who are endowed with grace and amplitude of means swear to withhold their help from their relatives, the indigent and those who left their homes for the cause of Allah – rather let them forgive and overlook – do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught his followers that the individual who pardons his enemy, even while having the power to extract revenge, will be nearest to God in the Hereafter. Once the Prophet (saw) was asked, “How many times are we to forgive our servants’ faults?” He remained silent. The questioner repeated his question. But the Prophet gave no answer. But when the person asked a third time, he said, “Forgive your servant seventy times a day.”

And Allah (swt) is aware of the problems, trials and tribulations that we go through in our daily lives. The pressure of families and of work and living in this world are great. Even then we must remember the kindness and mercy which is shown to us by Allah (swt) should guide our actions towards our family members as well. Allah (swt) says in the Quran Sharif:

yaa ‘ayyuhaa ‘alladhena ‘aamano ‘inna min azwaaj -kum wa- awlaad -kum ‘adow la-kum fa- ih-dharo -hum wa- ‘in ta’fo wa- tasfah-o wa- taghfiro fa- ‘inna ‘allaah ghafor raheem

O believers! truly sometimes your spouses and your children are like enemies to your faith: so beware of them! But if ye forgive and overlook and cover up (their faults) verily Allah is Forgiving and Most Merciful.

And when we are greeted in our lives with that which makes us angry. Allah (swt) makes it clear in the Holy Quran that a strong, adverse, emotional reaction such as anger does not befit the true believer, and instead cites as a mark of excellence the quality of forgiveness:

wa- ‘alladhena yajtanibon kabaa’ir al- ‘ithm wa- al- fawaah-ish wa- ‘idhaa maa ghad-ibo hum yaghfiron

And those who shun the worst of sins and indecencies and, when they are angry, they are forgiving

We must take these instructions to our hearts, we know that when we are far from Allah (swt) in our actions then our hearts become hardened and our remembrance of Allah (swt) in our daily lives becomes less. We must resolve ourselves to these right actions and behave in accordance to the way Allah (swt) has shown us. Be more forgiving of others just as Allah (swt) is forgiving of us.

Part 2

Some sayings reported from the Salaf that can serve as an encouragement to do good deeds:

Taubah ibn Samat used to take account of himself and is reported to have counted the number of days in his life at the age of sixty. He found there were 21,500 days and shrieked: “What will happen to me if I meet the King with 21,500 sins? What will happen if there are 10,000 sins in each day?”

Al-Hasan al-Basri would say, “From the signs that one has drowned in sins, is lack of delight in fasting in the day and praying through the night.”

Alqamah Ibn Qais asked Abu Nu`aim – who was a devout worshipper – why he was hard on his body. “I want this body to be comfortable later on,” he replied.

Of Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qays it is reported that he was once told: “You are an aged elder; fasting would enfeeble you. But he replied: ‘By this I am making ready for a long journey. Obedience to Allah, Glorified is He, is easier to endure than His punishment.'”

So I remind myself as well as I remind you my brothers and sisters to go from here today, resolved to show forgiveness and raheem to ourselves and to those around us, to shun harsh emotions such as anger and that which comes with it. And to do those good deeds, such as fasting, which we can do to prepare ourselves for this journey to Allah (swt). Wa Allahu alim.