Mulla Nasurudeen

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Human Kindness in IslamNasiruddin was the slave of a king, and very fond of hunting.One day he came across a very pretty baby deer and picked it up and rode away. The mother deer saw Nasiruddin take her baby and followed him anxiously. Nasiruddin, pleased with the baby dear, was thinking about presenting it to his children to play with.After a time, he chanced to look backand saw the mother deer following him, her expression full ofgrief. He noticed too that she did not seem to care about her own safety. Moved to pity, Nasiruddin set the baby deer free. The mother deer nuzzled and licked her baby fondly and the two deer leapt happily away into the forest. But many times the mother deer looked back at Nasiruddin, as if to express her thanks.That night Nasiruddin dreamt that the revered Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was addressing him: ‘Nasiruddin, your name has been entered in the list of Allah, and you will one day have a kingdom. But remember that whenyou are king you willalso have many responsibilities. Just as you have shown mercy to the deer today, you should bemerciful to all Allah’s creatures. You should not forget your people by falling into a life of luxury.’This dream came true and Nasiruddin did become king, Amir Nasiruddin Subaktagin, father ofSultan Muhammad.If we wish Allah to be merciful to us, wemust be eager to show mercy to all theliving creatures of the earth. When a flower blooms, its colour and scent firsttouch the garden near it, and then spread. In the same way, a Muslim’s acts of human kindness should first touch those nearest to him,his family and his neighbours.

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Discover Islam, - The concept of worship -II

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Worship covers all aspects of life: Worshipping Allaah does indeed necessitate using all one’s limbs in the obedience of Allaah and carrying out His orders. One can worship Allaah by preventing his eyes from gazing at unlawful things and using them to look at what Allaah loves, like a copy of the Quran, books of knowledge etc. He can also worship Him by preventing his ears, hands and feet from all that Allaah forbids and using them in things that He enjoins and loves. Allaah says )what means(:“Say )O Mohammad(; Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen )mankind, jinns and all that exists(. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.”]Quran 6:162-163[.
As for the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, love of worship has penetrated deep into his heart and the greatest manifestation of his worship is that he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, submitted his whole life to Allaah in all his conditions. Allaah says )what means(:“And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face )himself( to Allaah and he is a Muhsin )a doer of good(.”]Quran 4:125[.
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fear Allaah and always seek for His forgiveness.He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “By Allaah! I indeed invoke Allaah for forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.”)Al-Bukhaari( He sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam used to worship Allaah in the night and would keep on standing until his legs became swollen and when he sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was asked,“O Messenger of Allaah! You do this when your former and latter sins have been forgiven?” He sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam would reply: “Should I not then be a grateful slave?”)Al-Bukhaari & Muslim(
However, the most wonderful aspect of the Prophet’s )sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam( worship is that astonishing combination of the highest level of worship and performance of his role as the head of his nation. He sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said:“By Allaah! I am the most fearful of Allaah among you, but I fast, and eat; I pray and I sleep and I marry women. Whoever differs from my way is not of me.”)Al-Bukhaari(
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The heart cannot be good, prosper, have felicity and easiness, enjoy and have tranquillity except through the worship of its Lord alone. Even if it attains all pleasures of this world it will not get peace and tranquillity, for it has a natural spontaneous need to its Lord because He is its Lord…”
Nullifiers of worship, and reasons for rejecting it: Not fulfilling the two conditions of accepting a deed )namely, sincerely and coinciding with the way of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam(, are the foremost reasons one's deed may be rejected as we have mentioned before. One of the Salaf )the righteous predecessors(, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Indeed, Allaah has bestowed His favour upon His servants and commanded them to be grateful as much as they can, for gratitude, however little it may be, is a price for the favour, however big it may be. If one is not grateful, he has exposed the favour to extinction…”
The effort exerted by the Salaf in worship: Our Salaf, may Allaah have mercy upon them … people who’s hearts were full of love for Allaah in all their conditions … they then became delighted … their souls became tranquil … peace ruled over their limbs … then, thoughts of love replaced those of disobedience … the will to move nearer to Him replaced that of displeasing Him … movements of the tongue became that of obedience or contrary to disobedience.
When Naafi’, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was asked about the activities of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, at home, he replied: “He used to perform ablution for every prayer and recite Quran in between them ]i.e. in between ablution and prayer.[” ]End of quote[.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said – while describing efforts of Salaf in worship, “I have met people and I have accompanied groups. They )i.e. the people I have met and accompanied( did not use to rejoice at whatever came their way of the beauties of this world; nor did they use to get sad over whatever departed from them of this world. Rather, the world was less significant to them than the soil over which they walked. They would act by the book of their Lord and the Sunnah of the Prophet. During the night they stood up in prayer, prostrated their faces and wept out of fear of Allaah.” ]End of quote[.
Whenever Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, missed a congregational prayer, he would atone for that by a day of fasting, a night vigil )in prayer( and manumission of a slave.
The wife of ‘Umar ibn Abdul-‘Azeez, may Allaah have mercy upon her, said: “I have never seen anyone who prayed fasted and feared Allaah more than him )meaning her husband(. He would pray ‘Ishaa’ prayer and then sit mentioning Allaah until he was overcome by slumber. He would remember some of the issues of the Last Day while he was on his bed and tremble like a sparrow and then sit down weeping. I would then cover him with a sheet.” ]End of quote[.
Wakee’, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Al-A’mash, may Allaah have mercy upon him, never missed the opening Takbeer )in a congregational prayer( for almost seventy years and I visited him for more than six years, and I have never seen him performing a missed Raka’ah.” ]End of quote[.
Sulaymaan Ibn Hamzah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also said: “I have never prayed an obligatory prayer alone except twice and even then I felt as if I had not prayed it at all.” ]End of quote[. It should be noted that he was almost ninety years old when he died.
Through worship, a believer’s soul becomes tranquil, that tranquillity energises it and tells it, “O soul! Be happy, for the home is near and reunion is imminent”. Therefore, do not terminate your journey and thus be denied reaching the home of the loved ones.
This is how our Salaf, may Allaah have mercy upon them, were… and this how we should be.

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Discover Islam, - The concept of worship - I

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A Muslim should go on in life remembering the purpose of his creation and the objective for which he exists in this life. Allaah clarifies to us this objective saying )what means(:“And I created not the jinn and humans except that they should worship Me )alone(.”]Quran 51:56[.
This verse plainly explains the purpose of our creation; that our lives should not be spent except in worshipping Allaah. Prayer, fasting, alms giving, Hajj, truthfulness, trustworthiness, being dutiful to parents, supplication, reading the Quran, hoping for Allaah’s mercy and being afraid of His punishment are all acts of worship.
The best deed to perform:The greatest type of worship is to perform that which Allaah makes obligatory on His servants and to refrain from all that He forbids. Abu Hurayrah narrated that Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention( said:“Allaah says: ‘The most beloved deeds with which my slave comes nearer to me are what I have enjoined on him.’”)Al-Bukhaari(.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Since the Salaf lived their whole life in worship, it is then necessary for us to know with which type of worship they started, and which one have they given priority.” He then answered: "The best acts of worship are the most pleasing to Allaah in that particular time. The best act of worship during the presence of a guest is to take care of him and not to be distracted from that by other recommended acts of worship. This is also in performing one’s duties towards one’s wife and family. The best act of worship in the night is to be occupied with prayer, reciting the Quran, supplication and Thikr. The best thing during the time of the Athaan )i.e. the call for prayer( is to leave whatever worship one is doing and answer the Mu`aththin )i.e. the one calling the Athaan( by repeating what he says. The best thing during the time of the five obligatory prayers is to exert one's efforts in their prompt performance. The best thing when the poor is in dire need of assistance is to assist him and give that preference over supererogatory Thikr. The best thing to do when your brother is sick or dead is to visit him, attend his funeral, and give that priority over your supererogatory Thikr. And the best thing to do when you are afflicted and suffer people’s harm is to be patient and not to run away from them." ]End of quote[
The Muslim should be moving in between stations of servitude. If you see the scholars you see him with them; if you see those who are devotedly performing acts of worship, you see him with them, and if you see those giving generously in charity, you see him with them!
The conditions of accepting an act of worship:Indeed what has afflicted Muslims in the course of their long history and what is afflicting them today is a consequence of their deviation from the real concept of worship and application of the two conditions for acts of worship to be accepted, which are: sincerity and following the path of the messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. While abandoning sincerity leads to directing acts of worship that are solely Allaah’s to others besides Him; lack of following the path of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, leads to the appearance of various kinds of worship for which there is no permission from Allaah nor recommendation from His Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.
However, some people restrict the concept of worship to rituals only. Whenever this set of people works, they abstain completely from worship and whenever they worship, they keep away completely from work. This is unfortunately the most common belief. It is the people who hold this concept who say, “What does religion have to do with a woman’s dressing and her work?" "What does religion have to do with our personal behaviour?" Their purpose is to remove religion from one’s life and confine it only to the mosque. That is why you see someone who prays, fasts, and reads Quran, yet he cheats, bribes, takes bribes and wrongs others. You also see a woman who prays yet she disobeys laws of Allaah by dressing immodestly and mingling with men.
Deeds which one performs habitually become acts of worship through good intentions. The farmer in his farm, the labourer, the trader, or the practitioner of any other profession is capable of turning his occupation into an act of worship, provided that he does not tarnish it with cheating, lying, tricking etc. This is the concept of worship in its wider sense. To have a full imagination of acts of obedience makes a Muslim full of good, mercy, and benefits for his fellow human beings, thereby encouraging him to do more acts of worship and assist his nation.
It is possible for you to add a viable brick into the structure of this nation and add to your scale of good deeds weighty works, which may appear insignificant to you. Listen to what the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said:“Do you want me to tell you of what is better than the rank of fasting, prayer and charity?”The Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.” He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said:“Conciliating between people among whom there is discord.”)Abu Daawood( He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, also said:“Whoever visits a sick person or a brother of his for Allaah’s sake, a caller will call him thus, ‘You are good and your passage is good. May you take Paradise for an abode.’ ”)At-Tirmithi(.
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said:“While a man was walking along the road, he saw a branch of a tree with thorns lying on the road and he removed it, so Allaah appreciated his deed )and thus rewarded him( for that and forgave his sins.”)Muslim(. It is also reported that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said:“Deeds of my nation – both the good and evil – were shown to me and I found that among their good deeds is the removal of harmful things from the pathway.”)Muslim(.
Restricting righteous deeds to special acts of worship makes seekers of piety spend all their time in repetition of limited deeds as if they do not see that other ways lead to the pleasure of Allaah.

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Discover Islam, - The purpose of creation –II

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The meaning of worship
To understand why human beings need to worship God, one must first understand what is meant by the term 'worship.' The English term 'worship' comes from the old English 'weorthescipe' meaning 'honor'. Consequently, worship in the English language is defined as ‘the performance of devotional acts in honor of a deity’. According to this meaning, man is instructed to show gratitude to God by glorifying Him.
In Chapter An-Nasr of the final revelation, Allaah Says )what means(:"Glorify the praises of your Lord."]Quran 110 : 3[. In glorifying God, man chooses to be in harmony with the rest of the creation, which naturally glorifies its Creator. Allaah addresses this phenomenon in many chapters of the Quran. For example, in chapter Al-Israa, Allaah states )what means(:"The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them glorify Him and there is nothing which does not glorify His praise. However, you do not understand their glorification."]Quran 17: 44[
However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation, worship is called ‘`Ibaadah’, which is closely related to the noun ‘`Abd’, meaning ‘a slave.’ A slave is one who is expected to do whatever his master wills.
Consequently, worship, according to the final revelation, means 'obedient submission to the will of God.' This was the essence of the message of all the prophets sent by God to humankind. For example, this understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by Prophet ‘Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, in the Gospel according to Matthew, 7 : 21: "None of those who call me 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
It should be noted that 'will' in this quote means 'what God wants human beings to do' and not 'what God permits humans to do', because nothing happens in creation without the will )permission( of God. The 'Will of God' is contained in the divinely revealed laws, which the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine law is the foundation of worship. In this sense, glorification also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God's instructions regarding His glorification.
The need for worship
Why do human beings need to worship and glorify God by obeying the divinely revealed laws? This is because obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next. The first human beings, Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and Eve, were created in paradise and later expelled from paradise for disobeying the divine law. The only way for human beings to return to paradise is by obedience to the law.
’Eesaa )Jesus, the Messiah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, was reported in the Gospel according to Matthew to have made obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise: Now behold, one came and said to him: "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So he said to him: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
Also in Matthew 5:19, ‘Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the commandments, saying: "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven"
Divine laws represent guidance for humankind in all walks of life. They define right and wrong for them and offer human beings a complete system governing all of their affairs. The Creator alone knows best what is beneficial for His creation and what is not. The divine laws command and prohibit various acts and substances to protect the human spirit, the human body and human society from harm. In order for human beings to fulfill their potential by living righteous lives, they need to worship God through obedience to His commandments.
Remembrance of God
All of the various acts of worship contained in the divine laws are designed to help humans remember God. It is natural for human beings to sometimes forget even the most important things. Humans often become so engrossed in fulfilling their material needs that they totally forget their spiritual needs.
Regular prayer is ordained to organize the day of the true believer around the remembrance of God. It interweaves spiritual needs with material needs on a daily basis. The regular daily need to eat, work and sleep is linked to the daily need to renew man's connection with God. With regard to regular prayer, Allaah states in the final revelation, Chapter Taa Haa )what means(:"Verily, I am Allaah, there is no god beside Me, so worship Me and establish regular prayer for My remembrance."]Quran 20:14[
Regarding fasting, Allaah stated in Chapter Al-Baqarah )what means(:"O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become God-conscious."]Quran 2:183[
The believers are encouraged to remember God as much as possible. Although, moderation in all spheres of life, whether material or spiritual, is generally encouraged in divine law, an exception is made regarding the remembrance of Allaah. It is virtually impossible to remember God too much. Consequently, in the final revelation, Chapter Al-Ahzaab, Allaah encourages the believers to remember God as often as possible )what means(:"O believers! Remember Allaah often."]Quran 33:41[
Remembrance of God is stressed because sin is generally committed when God is forgotten. The forces of evil operate most freely when consciousness of God is lost. Consequently, the satanic forces seek to occupy people's minds with irrelevant thoughts and desires to make them forget God. Once God is forgotten, people willingly join the corrupt elements. The final revelation, the Quran, addresses this phenomenon in Chapter Al-Mujaadalah as follows )which means(:"Satan got the better of them and caused them to forget Allaah. Those are the party of Satan. Truly the party of Satan are the real losers"]Quran 58:19[
God, through divine law, has prohibited intoxicants and gambling primarily because they cause human beings to forget God. The human mind and body easily become addicted to drugs and games of chance. Once addicted, humankind's desire to continually be stimulated by them leads them into all forms of corruption and violence among themselves. Allaah Says in Chapter Al-Maa'idah of the final revelation )what means(:"Satan's plan is to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?"]Quran 5 : 91[
Consequently, humankind needs to remember God for their own salvation and growth. All humans have times of weakness in which they commit sins. If they have no means of remembering God, they sink deeper and deeper into corruption with every sin. However, those who follow the divine laws will be constantly reminded of God, which will give them a chance to repent and correct themselves. The final revelation accurately describes this process in Chapter Aal 'Imraan )what means(:
" Those who, having done something shameful or having wronged their own souls, remember Allaah and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins…"]Quran 3:135[
The religion of Islam
The most complete system of worship available to human beings today is the system found in the religion of Islam. The very name 'Islam' means 'submission to the will of God.' Although it is commonly referred to as ‘the third of the three monotheistic faiths,' it is not a new religion at all. It is the religion brought by all of the prophets of God, may Allaah exalt their mention, for humankind. Islam was the religion of Aadam )Adam(, Ibraaheem )Abraham(, Moosaa )Moses( and ‘Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt their mention.
God addresses this issue in the final revelation with regard to Prophet Abraham, may Allaah exalt his mention, saying )what means(:"Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was an upright Muslim who did not worship others besides God."]Quran 3 : 67[
Since there is only One God and humankind are one species, the religion, which God has ordained for human beings, is one. He did not prescribe one religion for the Jews, another for Indians, yet another for Europeans, etc. Human spiritual and social needs are uniform, and human nature has not changed since the first man and woman were created. Consequently, no other religion is acceptable to God besides Islam, as He clearly states in Chapter Aal 'Imraan of the final revelation )what means(:"Surely Allaah's religion is Islam."]Quran 3:19[
And )what means(:"And whoever desires a religion besides Islam will not have it accepted, and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter."]Quran 3:85[

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