Planting Trees

Whoever plants a tree will be rewarded not only every time a person makes use of its shade, eats from its fruit or benefits from it in any way, but every time a bird or any other creature benefits from it in any way too. Deforestation or uprooting trees and plant life with no proper reason is a sin. It is destructive to the environment and disturbing to the natural ecosystem. Islam has taught this centuries ago.
Mufti Ismail Menk

Surah al-Waqiah

Surah al-Waqiah recited by Qari Ziyad Patel of South Africa

 

The Educated Young Man

There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite some time. When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 questions. Finally, his parents were able to find a Muslim scholar.

Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?

Scholar: I am one of Allah (SubHana Wa Ta`ala )’s slaves and inshaAllah (God willing), I will be able to answer your questions.

Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.

Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah(SubHana Wa Ta`ala ).

Young man:I have 3 questions:
1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.
2. What is takdir (fate)?
3. If shaitan (Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end will he be thrown into hell that was also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?

Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man’s face very hard.

Young man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?

Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.

Young man: I really don’t understand.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: Of course, I felt the pain.

Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?

Young man: Yes.

Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!

Young man: I cannot.

Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God’s existence without being able to see His shape.

Scholar: Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?

Young man: No.

Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?

Young man: No.

Scholar: That is takdir (fate).

Scholar: My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?

Young man: It is created from skin.

Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?

Young man: Skin.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: In pain.

Scholar: Even though Shaitan (Devil) and also the hell were created from the fire, if Allah wants, inshAllah (God willing) the hell will become a very painful place for Shaitan (Devil).
Source: Muftisays.com

Four Habits to Possess

It is related by Abdullah Ibne Amr radhiyallahu anhu that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:”Four things and habits are such that if you possess them then there is no harm if the world [and its blessings]are lost or do not come to [your] hand. [These are] :

(1) safe-keeping of trust;

(2) truthfulness in speech;

(3) good manners; and

(4) caution and abstinence in food.”

Musnad-i-Ahmad and Bayhaqi

Commentary
The word ‘trust’ is used in a very wide sense in the terminology of Islaam. It includes the fulfilment of the rights of Allah and of men as well as the carrying out of covenants and promises. Thus, a person who is trustworthy, i.e., who fulfils the rights of Allah as well as of men honestly and is truthful when he speaks and possess good manners and noble qualities of mind and character and exercises self-restraint in food and drink and does not over eat or partake of things that are forbidden or of a doubtful nature is, positively a very fine specimen of humanity. He is not only a perfect man in this world but in the never-ending life of the hereafter, too. Such exceptional favours will be conferred upon him that each one of them will be more valuable than all the blessings of the world put together. If a man like him remains poor in the earthly existence, he should not grieve for what he has is far superior to all that the world has to offer.

The Priceless Pearl

Moulana Jalaluddin Rumi (R.A.) mentions in his Mathnavi, a story of Sultan Mahmood: One day the Sultan decided to test his ministers and ordered them to crush the most prized pearl of his treasury. One by one, each of 65 ministers declined, stating that the pearl was far too valuable to be destroyed.

The King then summoned his closest and trusted courtier, Ayaaz, and ordered him to crush the pearl. Without any delay or hesitation, Ayaaz crushed the pearl into fragments. When the ministers expressed disbelief and shock at such audacity, the King asked Ayaaz to inform them as to the reason for him having broken the pearl.

In response, Ayaaz asked these ministers: ‘Which is more important, the Royal Decree or the pearl?’

The question we pose to ourselves is: ‘Which is more important, the command of my Allah or the desire of my heart?’

The desires of the heart are akin to pearls, which appear to be quite beautiful but we should not fulfil these desires at the cost of breaking the decrees of Allah.

Ayaaz attained closeness to the king through his loyalty and faithfulness and his obedience and submission. Similarly, we will gain the extreme nearness and intimate closeness to the King of Kings through loyalty and faithfulness. This in turn is dependent upon sincere obedience and complete submission to His decrees.

Budget Correctly

“To budget correctly is half of success in one’s livelihood” We are taught to strike the correct balance between our income and expenditure, ensuring we do not spend unnecessarily or extravagantly. Not adjusting our lifestyle downwards when our income drops or prices rise, can have serious effects on our contentment, marriages and even our mental condition. Living simply makes it easy to adjust to all conditions.
Mufti Ismail Menk

Obtaining Wealth for Virtuous Ends

Shaykh Manzoor Nu‘maani

It is related by Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “Whoever seeks to obtain wealth by legitimate means (and) with the object that he may not have to beg from others and can provide his dependants with the necessities and pleasant conditions of life, as well as lend a helping hand to neighbours, will appear before Allah on the Day of Judgment, in such glory that his face will be radiant like a full moon. And whoever seeks, though by legitimate means, to obtain wealth with the object that he may become very rich and can give himself airs before others and be able to practice liberality in order to win the admiration of men will appear before Allah in such a state that He will be severely displeased with him.”
(Bayhaqi)

Commentary
It shows that the earnings of wealth by lawful means and for a worthy purpose is not only permissible but a virtue of such a high order that there will be a special favour of the Lord on him on the Day of Judgment due to which his face will shine like the full moon. But if the aim and purpose of obtaining wealth may only be to become rich and important and to make an ostentatious display of one’s prosperity, even if it is earned fairly and honestly, it will be so sinful that Allah will be very angry with such a bondsman on the Day of Requital. Ill-gotten wealth, in any case, is a curse of the highest degree.

It is related by Abu Kabshah el-Anmari radhiyallahu anhu that he heard the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam say: “There are three things for which I can swear and, in addition to them, there is another thing which I want to tell you. So, remember it. The three things for which I can swear are:

(i) No one will become poor by spending in the way of Allah (i.e., Allah will bestow prosperity on him and multiply his wealth);

(ii) Injustice will not be done to a bondsman Ð an injustice on which he remains patient, Allah will raise him in esteem in return for it (i.e., when a wrong is perpetrated on a person and he bears it patiently, Allah will cause an increase in his high rank and good reputation); and

(iii) No one will open the door of begging but Allah will open the door of poverty for him (i.e., whoever will make it his habit to extend a begging hand towards others will be condemned to want and indigence by Allah).

The thing that I want to tell you and which you should remember, apart from these, is that this world is for four types of men (i.e., four types of men are found here).

(i) The bondsmen whom Allah has granted wealth as well as the knowledge of the correct way of life; they fear Allah in the expenditure and utilisation of their goods and show kindness to relatives by means of them and spend them in the way it ought to be done for the good pleasure of the Lord. These persons are of the highest grade.

(ii) The bondsmen whom Allah has endowed with correct knowledge (and the right spirit) but has not given them wealth; their intention is sound and they (honestly) feel and say that if they come into wealth, they too will spend and utilise it as such-and such a (virtuous) man does. The recompense of both these types of men is equal (i.e., people of the second category will be rewarded in the same way as those of the first due to the purity of their intention).

(iii) The bondsmen whom Allah gave wealth but not the knowledge (and spirit) of using and spending it properly; they spend their goods foolishly and in wrong ways and without the fear of Allah, and do not show kindness to relatives through their worldly possessions nor spend them as they ought to be spent. These are the worst kind of men.

(iv) The bondsmen whom Allah gave neither wealth nor right knowledge (and spirit); they say that if they obtain wealth, they, too, will spend it as such-and-such a (wasteful and self-indulgent) man does. Such is their intention and the sin of both these types of men is equal (i.e., the fault of the people of the last category will be identical, due to their evil intention, to that of the people belonging to the third category owing to their misdeeds).
(Tirmidhi)

Commentary
The meaning of the above Tradition have been explained in the course of the translation. It is, however, necessary to bear in mind that the intention of evil conduct which has been condemned here as equivalent to the evil conduct itself belongs to the class of resolve and determination, i.e., the bondsman may be eager and bent upon committing a sin but cannot do so owing to an incapability or lack of opportunity. When the intention of a person is of that degree, it will amount to the commission of the sin and will be deserving of punishment in the same way as the transgression upon which his heart is set.

Remove a Harmful Thing

‎”Removing anything harmful from the path is part of faith.” We are taught to be concerned about the safety and well being of all human beings to this degree. If a road or pathway that is used by people, be they Muslim or not, has anything that may cause harm upon it, then in the same way that we would like to save ourselves, we should like that for all. One day we will have been saved due to a similar deed by others.
Mufi Ismail Menk

Lack of updates

Assalamalaykum
You may have noticed the lack of updates recently to the site and blog, this is because I am unwell at the moment.  Once I am feeling better inshallah, normal posting will resume.

Please remember me in your Duas.
Wasalam alaykum

On a Joyful Day

On a day of joy we should reflect upon our spiritual condition & remember the less fortunate, the elderly, the sick, the homeless, the oppressed, the disabled & the deceased. We should consider ourselves blessed & be thankful to the Almighty. We should resolve to eradicate our evil qualities & bad habits. We should forgive others as far as possible & mend broken relations amongst us. We should be kind to our parents & family members & exchange a good word! Have a Blessed Day!

Mufti Ismail Menk