Daud and Sulaiman

Have you heard the story 

Of a man who sings praises to his Lord 

And they join him in harmony - 

the mountains and the birds 

Loyalty to the One Creator he preached 

He seeks no reward from the people he reached 

He aims for the World of eternal bliss 

A land where no sadness nor pain exist 

Have you heard the story 

Of a man who commands the wind 

Genies and the birds abide by him 

Teleportation a breeze 

Loyalty to the One Creator he preached 

He seeks no reward from the people he reached 

He aims for the World of eternal bliss 

A land where no sadness nor pain exist

~madame blossom ~

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.

The scientifically advanced Quran

I am always in awe at how scientific the Quran is, subhanallaah.  However, scientific ayats are easily missed as we read through the Quran, perhaps because they appear as any other ayats and surahs in the Quran.  There is no major attention given to it, e.g. like a having a specific chapter on 'Stem Cell Biology'.

These advanced or scientific facts are often mentioned in just one or two ayats, or a few.   Only God knows best, but from my perspective it makes sense.  God does not have to say much, because this is something too easy for God.  God mentions it so we, man, can know and learn more about it.   

We only talk about a subject more, and explain them in detail when we are excited or amazed, or when it takes effort for us to achieve the subject.  Imagine us, in modern cities, getting clean drinkable water just by turning on the tap - we may inform our guest, "get drinking water from the tap."  However, if our guest is from a place without easy access to water, they would describe it in much more detail to others back home.

One example of the numerous awesome scientific facts in the Quran is in Al Qiyamah 75:3-4, 

أَيَحْسَبُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُۥ(3) بَلَىٰ قَٰدِرِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّسَوِّىَ بَنَانَهُۥ (4)

translated by man as :

Does man think that we will not assemble his bones? Yes, in fact, we are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers.

This would be something beyond man's abilities - i.e. to re-create the whole living human being.  However, this idea should not be too strange to the modern man because, already, we applaud and are amazed at how scientists are now able to grow cells for the purpose of mending or replacing some parts of the human body, and they are still studying to actually create a whole human organ - look up 'stem cells current application and studies'.  These with man's very limited knowledge.   

At this age, with man's current advancements in science and technology, the Words in the Quran should make more sense and give us further solid proofs that the Quran is indeed the truth and that it is way advanced, beyond man's knowledge.

There are too many valuable information in the Quran, overlooked or not studied in detail yet,  This book is an all encompassing guide for man, if only man study and ponder over it's every Words.  masyaaAllaah.

Reading aloud - Iqra

In an article in the Reader’s Digest Canada on Why Reading Aloud is Good for You, the writer quoted that the second-century Greek doctor Antyllus prescribed reading aloud to his patients, suggesting that it is kind of a health giving tonic and that epic verses are good for one’s health.  [1]

In recent studies conducted by Colin Macleod, a psychology professor at the University of Waterloo Canada  shows how reading aloud is better for memory retention.  This is known as the ‘production effect’ in memory.[2]

MasyaaAllaah, yes because I love the Quran, I immediately connected to how God instructs us to recite the Quran.   Quran are always, normally, recited – read aloud.  It is so ingrained that it feels incomplete if you just read it in your head.  We don’t do silent reading of the Quran. 

96:1 “Recite in the name of your Lord who created”

87:6 "We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget, " (illa masyaaAllaah).

73:4 Muzammil. ‘..and recite the Qur'an in (slow) measured [rhythmic tones / recitation].”

7:110 Al-Isra “…Neither speak thy Prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between.”

God said, recite the Quran not in a loud tone, nor in a soft voice but a middle voice.  I’m sure this in itself also has it’s benefits.  For one thing, others can hear it.  When Quran is read too loud, well, I don’t know about others, but for me, it is quite stressful and not pleasing to hear.   I personally prefer to listen to Quran read in a moderate voice.   I digressed a little.

The point is, again, God knows best what is best for us – the instruction to recite the Quran, as in read aloud, apparently is beneficial to us in terms of health (jogging your memory and brain) and also in terms of memory (remembering the reminders in the Quran).

So in any case, if you’re studying, make it a habit to read aloud to yourself, if you want to understand and memorise what you’re studying.    Also, there is another verse with regards to studying or being taught.  Writing. 

God says,

96:4-6  Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen— taught humanity what they knew not.

For another read, research and ponder.

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[1] Reading aloud health benefits - Why Reading Aloud Is Good for You | Reader's Digest Canada

[2] This time it’s personal: the memory benefit of hearing oneself by Noah D. Forrin &Colin M. MacLeod. Memory - Volume 26, 2018 - Issue 4 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09658211.2017.1383434 

Islam is good for you

Islam means submission.  Submission to what?   Submission to God's will.

Submitting to God's will is also a tool for mental health.  It helps to know that we are taken care of, that all the things that is happening was planned.  It helps to be assured that God planned all of it, and ALWAYS in the end, it's for our own good. 

Everything God tells us to do is also truly for OUR own good.  Allaah does not need our prayers or fasting or charity.  It is us, our mind and soul that needs all those to be mentally, spiritually and physically healthy.

Too many examples, but I just want to bring up about our five daily solahs (the Muslim's specific prayers)

Our five daily solahs is a fixed routine that God has set for us.  Other than the spiritual and physical health benefits of solahs- there is also a benefit for our mental health.

One that I'm sure many will already think of, is that solah is our meditation, one that has recently always been advocated in modern times.  These are the moments you take a break from your daily grind to focus on yourself, reflecting on purpose of life and connecting to God.   

If you are lazing around, then the five daily solahs work the other way, it forces you to take a break from  your lazing around, binge-watching or game-playing, to have some physical, spiritual and mental activity. 

Our five daily solahs is a set routine for the Muslims.  I recently came across an article about how having a routine is beneficial for your mental health.   This idea clicked right away.  

In whatever state our life is in, we still can have some order in our lives when we do our five daily solahs. If nothing else is in order in your life - the five daily prayers provides to you some order, and some sense of control, insyaaallaah.

So, if you want a healthier lifestyle, try to adhere religiously (pun intended) to the five pillars of Islam - our solahs being the second one.