Descriptions of a believer

Interesting that Allaah has referenced the Torah and Gospel with regards to some of the descriptions of a believer.   In the Quran, believers are stern toward disbelievers (in confrontations), yet compassionate amongst believers.  Torah points to believers having a mark - from frequent worship, a consistent worshipper and in the Gospel, the believers have their beliefs very firmly rooted.

 Surah Al Fath, ayat 48:29 

( 29 )   Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those with him are stern against the disbelievers, yet compassionate amongst themselves. You see them kneeling, prostrating, seeking blessings from God and approval. Their marks are on their faces from the effects of prostration. Such is their description in the Torah, and their description in the Gospel: like a plant that sprouts, becomes strong, grows thick, and rests on its stem, impressing the farmers. Through them He enrages the disbelievers. God has promised those among them who believe and do good deeds forgiveness and a great reward.

Some descriptions of the believers, Allaah said in this ayat, is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel. I was curious by what was said in the Gospel, this that Allaah mentioned. Alhamdulillaah for internet and search, it's easy to find those information today.

Here is the description found in one of the English version  (New King James Version) of many versions of the Bible under book of  Matthew 13:1-9

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

 Allaah did say, this latest revelation, will confirm what came before (of the original revelations). In the ayat just before ayat 29, i.e. ayat 28 :

It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion. And sufficient is Allah as Witness. 

Why does God lead some people astray?

Bismillaahirrahmanirrahim

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, Most Beneficent

"...He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He sends astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide." (18:17) - among a few other verses on this subject.

This is among some tough questions in Islam.  There is not a straight forward answer and it takes many aspects of our iman to take this in. 

God has answered this question in the Quran.  As Sajdah (32:13) transliterated:  "And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that] "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together."

This is a very big test in gauging our humility, as a servant of God who has no power over God's will.  This puts us in our place.  Only our understanding of God's power and our true humility as a servant of God can make us accept this wholeheartedly - that we accept the fact that we ARE truly at His Mercy.  It is God who has ultimate power over all of us and all of the universe.    We have no power but to SURRENDER OURSELVES to God -  which is what it means to be a true Muslim. Allaahu Akbar.

As Muslims, we understand that God knows best, and we know next to nothing - we, as in we human, including the most knowledgeable of scientists.  We know only what God allows us to know.  (2:32 : "They [the Angels] said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing,1 the Wise.")

We cannot be so arrogant as to demand to know the meaning behind every of God's actions and Words, as if we can understand everything fully.  We cannot encompass and understand the much greater part of God's plans and God's knowledge.  We accept that God knows and we know not.  

But then again, as a Muslim, the other aspect of our iman, tells us to put our full trust in God " for Allah loves those who put their trust in Him." (3:159).  God has promised, and His promise is true, that if we have faith in the One God, we don't assign partners to Him in our worship, we believe in the akhirah and we do good, then, we have nothing to fear.   Put our trust in him and just focus on our iman and good deeds. 

God is Most Merciful, as God most frequently and repeatedly state in the Quran, He is Ar-Rahman.  His Mercy will reign in Akhirah.  "Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:  When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath." Sahih Muslim  

So the answer is to surrender fully, put your trust in Allaah and Allaah will be as how His servants deem Him to be. 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' " Sahih Bukhari

May Allaah grant us humility as His servants, grant us wisdom and understanding, a good iman and a good result in the world and the Hereafter.  Aamiin.

Who to blame for discords in family and friends

Have you, yourself, ever said or did something in the spur of the moment, but regret it right after it happened or even as it was happening - however due to the circumstances do not have the chance to explain or apologise or change it. There are times, we say things or react in a way, we wish we had not. We don't want to. But if we didn't mean to do it, why did we do it anyway? It is from our subconscious mind and syaitan. And insyaaAllaah, both we can slowly overcome, if we habitually remind ourselves and be aware of our words and actions - even if we did not manage to stop it - but we should reflect on it, quickly repent (say astaghfirullah) and TRY our best to avoid it in future. And God knows best. This may also happen to others around us. Always give them this benefit of doubt - that they didn't mean to say or act that way too - most of the time. I believe that everyone has the desire to be good and do good - but sometimes syaitan us off course. Syaitan is human's avowed enemy. In surah Yusuf, Yusuf's brothers were plotting to even kill him, but decided instead to throw him in a well - so maybe someone else will take him away. Like that, Yusuf A.S. was separated from his beloved father for so many many years. I cannot imagine the pain of one losing a child and a child losing his parent. Even then, at the end of it all, Yusuf A.S. forgave his brothers and mentioned of the episode as 'when syaitan had sown dissensions between me and my brothers' (12:100). There is a big lesson for us here. Based on the earlier mentioned consideration and this story of Yusuf A.S. - I also try to have this mindset. When someone among my friends or family does or say (or not say) some thing that may (or may not) have hurt my feelings - I try to remember Yusuf's story. Syaitan has sown it - and syaitan is THE enemy - not our family or friends. With that, it becomes easier to be understanding and to overlook those mistakes and forgive sincerely insyaaAllaah. Then make doa, that Allaah will make us strong and sow love and sincerity in our hearts toward our family, friends and people in general. And that Allaah forgive all of our sins and theirs, for Allaah is Most Merciful and Most Forgiving.

Mary A.S. Mother of Jesus Christ A.S.

There are benefits to understanding the Arabic words of the Quran - even if it's just very basic, i.e. like you have an idea of the meanings, although you cannot translate it word for word. It helps with the Quran memorisation. 

 And then, there are benefits to memorising the Quran with that method as you read those words you roughly or fully understand, again and again, and the message gets to your head and your heart. As we memorise the words, our minds wonder and ponder over the words and the message. 

I don't memorise the Quran page by page from the start. First, I memorised those necessary surahs, or surahs that aids in us trying to accomplish the sunnahs of our prophet S.A.W. E.g. every night we are supposed to read Al-Mulk, so I try to memorise the Al-Mulk in order to better achieve reading it every night. 

After basically memorising those surahs that I want to read regularly, I start to try to memorise surahs that attract me. One example would be Al Qamar - "We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, then who will be of one who remembers?" How apt. This verse, repeated a few times in the surah, attracted me. 

Right now, I am trying to memorise surah Maryam, which is the intended topic of this post. As mentioned, trying to memorise by understanding the words, helps. 

 Now I am at the verses which tells us the story of Mary A.S. when she conceived and gave birth to Jesus Christ A.S. Subhanallaah what kind of a big test she must have been through, to be alone while going through something she is unfamiliar with - pregnancy and the pangs of childbirth up to a point where she wished she becomes one forgotten and forgets. 

 Of course, God inspired her and got her through the childbirth. She was nourished with ripe dates from the palm tree she was under, and with a stream underneath her. "So, eat, drink and cool your eyes (be calm and contented - a nice proverb I would like to ponder and think aloud about, perhaps in another post)". 

Then comes her next big test and sacrifice, to declare to the very next person she meets, of her 'promised act' (nazar) to God, to never again speak to another human being. This is so interesting - the fact that she has to make this declaration to the next person she meets - that would be the last time she would ever speak to a human being, and that would also be her alibi of why she never spoke again - of course this follow up story, was never mentioned or told of in the Quran - it's just something I pondered about and found so measured and wise. 

With this promised act, of course, it would be impossible to defend herself effectively when she goes back to her people with a baby in her arms. 

 True enough her people started questioning her, saying her parents were good people and why has she become like this. She could only gesture to the baby in her arms. The people protested and said, 'How can we speak to a baby in a cradle?!' 

 Then another miracle happened - baby Jesus Christ A.S. - a baby - spoke to defend his mother. Can you imagine how miraculous, how so very cute that is?!?! I can't imagine.. a baby, speaking, I'm sure in his baby's voice right? I don't think he'd speak in a man's voice? Allaahu a'lam. 

He declared, "I am the servant of God, and I have been made a prophet. I have been given the scripture and I am blessed wherever I may be, and ordered to do solat (pray) and give zakah (alms) for as long as I live. I am made to be kind to my mother, and not be a wretched tyrant (arrogant, unblest). So peace be upon me on the day I was born, and the day I would die, and the day I would be raised again." 

 What a powerful message coming from a baby. It's something undeniably miraculous, and can only be true. 

God goes on to say, 'That is Jesus, the son of Mary - the Word of Truth, for which they (people then and people until now) doubt.' 

What a beautiful, beautiful story. I am in love with it, I'm so glad I have been able to memorise up to this point for now - and be able to absorb the beautiful story of Mary A.S. and Jesus Christ A.S. 

 That's all I wanted to share and get off of my exhilarated heart and mind from this verses. :) May Allaah let me keep this verses and the verses I have so far memorised, secure in my heart and mind. Aamiiin. 

 I hope all Christians will come to learn of this portion of the beautiful story of Mary A.S. and Jesus Christ A.S. that is not explained in the Bible and find it so very meaningful. May it also be a source of guidance. Aamiin. 

 Have a blessed life all. #quran #muslimliving #muslimlife #jesuschrist #jesussonofmary #quranbookforchristiansandjews #dohashtagsworkonblogger ? #noharmtrying

The mountains shall pass away like clouds

I was listening about atoms many years ago, how it is actually mostly empty inside. It's just empty space and protons moving around in patterns using and causing energy. In that video lesson is says that if we remove all the empty space from the atom, and really consider the actual mass in an atom, the solid building we see, will actually be just like dust, so little mass.

I was immediately reminded of the ayat about mountains at the end of the world :

And the Day when the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and the earth will start in fear, save him whom Allaah wills, And all come unto Him humbled.
And you see the hills/mountains, you deem them solid, flying with the flight of clouds - the doing of Allaah who perfects all things. Lo! He is informed of what you do.

An Naml 27:88-89

This is a wild theory of how I perceive that ayat, after learning about atoms. When the world ends, energy breaks and perhaps the protons will no longer be dancing in the atoms that make up the mountains, and it truly becomes just mostly empty, no longer solid and can fly away like the clouds, and be leveled to the ground. God has also said in other parts of the Quran, that at the end of Time, the earth will be leveled... no mountains or high plains.

God knows best. Subhanallaah.
I'm just always in awe at how advanced and truly deep the Quran is.

Other people may understand the meaning of that ayat to be related to other phenomenons (I saw one linking it to the continents moving/drifting 1-5cm per year).

The amazing thing about the Quran is, it could be that all of it is correct - the truly advanced delivery of one ayat that can mean more than one thing, and all of them true. But one thing for sure, it has never been wrong or contradicting.

The amazing Quran. Alhamdulillaah for this Book.

The world forgetting by the world forgot.

Self note:

Masyaa Allaah, I have found a term in the Quran that also gives an idea of this line "The world forgetting by the world forgot" presented in 2 words "nasyan mansiyan"  (نسيًا منسيًا)

It is in surah Maryam (Mary) 19:21, while she was in the pangs of birth.  In translation, it just says "completely forgotten"  But the meaning of each word is much deeper than that

Nasiyan is to be in a state where one forgets.
Mansiyan is to be one who is forgotten.

- and I feel that the phrase is nicely described by that line mentioned above.

And among His Signs - the barren land.

Death Valley, California is the lowest, hottest, driest location in North America. It is one of the hottest places on earth, nothing grows. However in 2004 6.9" rain fell on Death Valley and it comes to life.

From this barren land :

to this :

Read more on about Death Valley and this phenomenon, here (NBC News) and here (Educational Transformation).

And by the way, in Educational Transformation, the Ken Robinson talk that he was referring to is this inspirational talk.
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"And among His Signs in this: thou seest the earth barren and desolate; but when We send down rain to it, it is stirred to life and yields increase. Truly, He Who gives life to the (dead) earth can surely give life to (men) who are dead. For He has power over all things."
Al Quran, Fussilats 41:39 (translation of the Quran by Yusuf Ali)