Ch 9: Inside the House

Leaving the auspicious and glowing meeting at the house of Ziad b.
Umar, Isabella took the road straight to her home which ran through
the Palace of Martyrs to Suqul Asafir. Isabella's house was just a few
paces away. The meeting had filled her with such joy that, unmindful
of everything around, she walked quietly and soberly with downcast
eyes. Half an hour later she reached home whereher mother was waiting
impatiently for her. On enquiry about the cause of her delay Isabella
named a friend of her's, at whose house she was delayed. On her
mother's order the dining table was set and she immediately sat down
and began to eat. Soon her father (the head priest) also arrived and
the night passed peacefully.
Early next morning the Muezzins called for the Fajr prayer from all
mosques of Cordova. Howpleasant is the sound andhow, in the salubrious
hour of morning, people were being roused for bowing and prostrating
for the Fajr prayer with the name of Allah. How enchanting is the
sound of Allah-o-Akbar, Allah-o-Akbar, (Allah is great, Allah is
great). Now the gongs of churches also began to toll. How jarring and
meaningless is the sound. Truly the condition of each community is
known from its rites. From mosques devotees beganto emerge. Labourers,
traders and cultivators took their respective ways to places of work,
markets and fields. The chirping of birds had somewhat subsided.
Hearing the call of prayerIsabella got out of her bed and went to the
library room of her houseand sitting at a table began to study a book.
Inthe meantime Peter and Michael also came there and Isabella stood up
andreceived them with respect. A little later Isabella's father also
came and took his seat inthe room and Isabella's mother was also
called in. Isabella was frightened at this unexpected, uncalled
andstrange gathering and suspected that these people had assembled
onher account and probably her association with Islam had come to
their knowledge . Colour went out of her face and her heart began to
throb quickly and so, taking theexcuse of thirst, she wentfor water to
another room.
The head priest, addressing Isabella's mother, Peter and Michael said:
Do you know what is the state ofIsabella and how is she trying to
humiliate and degrade us? It is to think about this matter that I have
given you the trouble to come over here.
Peter: Oh ! What is the matter!
Head Priest: It is all very serious. I have been hearing for some time
that Isabella has given upChristian creed and has secretly embraced
Islam.
Helena (Isabella's mother): Fie, fie ! What are you talking? Jesus
Christ may never do it. What is the matter that you are so enraged
todaythat, without any reason,you have made my daughter a Muslim ?
Head Priest: What I am saying is quite true. If nottoday, you will
learn it a few days after.
Peter: Holy father, you have said something strange. Isabella is a
very good girl. She has studied theology. She is not ignorant as to
accept the bloody religion of Islam.
Helena: Well, I am just calling the girl. I do not know what caused
this suspicion in you.
So saying Helena went to the room where Isabella was sitting horrified
in a corner. Helena at once caught the hand of Isabella and said to
her: Listen, daughter, your father calls you. Isabella who had
realised the situation rose up and followed her mother to the large
room and presented herself to the head priest.
Isabella's father beckoned to Michael and asked him to talk to her.
Michael: Daughter, we have heard that you haverevolted from
Christianity. Is it true? If anyone has given wrong report about you,
you may refute it.
Isabella heard this and kept quiet and, lowering her eyes, began to
weep. Warm tears began to drop on her rosy cheeks.
Helena: Just see. Did not I tell you that someone hasfalsely accused
my daughter. What refutation could she give!Her tears speak that the
allegation of her revolt from Christianity is quite false.
Head Priest: You just keepquiet for a while and let Isabella herself
reply. Yes,daughter, tell me what is this report about you?
Isabella continued to remain silent with bowed head. But on persistent
questioning from Peter and Michael she was compelled to open her lips.
Isabella: I have not yet accepted Islam but continue to remain Christian.
Michael: If you have not yet accepted Islam, do you intend to accept
it in future?
Isabella: Why do you ask me about future? I can put the same question to you.
Michael: Then tell me what is your opinion about Islam?
Isabella: I do not abuse Islam like others for in the Muslim sacred
Books Christ is praised and Muslims speak well of him.
Michael: Then you love Islam and Muslims?
Isabella: You may call it love or anything else. Anyway I am not
ungrateful. If Muslims respect our Christ, then I also must respect
their Prophet and their Sacred Book.
Peter: So it is clear now that in your heart you have become a Muslim,
otherwise you would nothave so praised Islam andMuslims. But now tell
me what do you think about the religion you have been believing, that
is Christianity.
Isabella: I have faith in the Bible and all revealedbooks, but I do
not accept the flaws which later Christians have introduced in
religion.
Head Priest (addressing Michael, Peter and Isabella's mother): Now you
have known her ideas. There is no other remedy to it except the sword.
Peter: Please give me time. I will explain to her and she will surely
be reformed. I will remove her misunderstandings. Anyway, she has
studied books on theology.
Head Priest: Well, you may try and see, otherwise I will think of some
other remedy for her.
After this talk the meeting dispersed and the head priest, taking
Peter and Michael with him, left for the great church as there was a
large crowd of Christians of Spain to see the relics (bones, etc.) of
Prophets and the head priest. Theyhad come from long distances to
participate in the ceremony and the head priest had gone to bless
thousands of Christians.
The priests having left, Isabella went to her room and silently
thought about her future. She was now convinced that she was sure to
be put to torture and she will have to face severe trials. Yet she
found her mind at ease and heart strong and prepared to meet all
troubles.
She took out a paper from her table and wrotea letter to her friend
Mirano (daughter of Priest Michael) to the following effect:
"My dear sister!
"Last night at nine I attended the meeting of Muslim divines at which
my spiritual father Umar Lahmi and other divines were present. How can
I describe its atmosphere, my sister ! A wonderful spiritual assembly
it was. My participation in it greatly fortified my heart. I wish you
were also present there. I have made a promise with their spiritual
leader Ziadb. Umar to take you with me tomorrow or day after to them.
A strange thing happened today. It appears that I am going to be put
to trial. Pray that God may keep me ever on the right path. It so
happened that my father got some information about me that I have
embraced Islam and so he called your father [Michael] andPeter to his
house and many questions were asked from me. Now, justfancy with my
father on one side and Michael andPeter on the other, in what
difficult position I was placed. But I also gave them stunning
replies. Now, Peter has given promise to my father that he will make
me understand. If any such occasion comes you must also be present
along with other three friends . Other details I will give you
verbally.
"Your sister, Isabella."
After finishing the letter she called her maidservant and told herto
go to Mirano and bring from her a book. She also gave her the letter
which, she said, was lying with her for some time and asked her to
deliver it to Mirano. The maid-servant did as she was ordered and,
going to Michael's house,gave the letter to Mirano,who immediately
openedand read it and said to the maid-servant that shewill herself
bring the book in the evening.
Isabella and her other friends met together in the evening in the same
garden in which Isabella had first heard the talk ofUmar Lahmi. She
informed her friends all that had happened and consulted them. It was
also decided that next evening they should all go to attend the
meeting of Ziad b. Umar and also inform him of everything. After
enjoying the evening walk of the garden all the girls left for their
respective homes.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

The Benefit of the Worshipper's Standing Before His Lord

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -

The Prayer is a sanctified and holy moment (mauqif) for the worshipper
in the presence of his Lord and Deity in truth. He fulfils (by its
performance) his covenants, obligations and statements of confession
which are contained within and arerequired by the testimony that:
"There is nothing which has the right to be worshipped except Allah
and that Muhammed is His Messenger" and by whose attestation one
becomes a muslim.
These covenants, obligations and resolutions: among them are those of
belief, those of speech and those of action; and the explanation of
that is as follows:
Firstly: The Takbeer: This is a compulsory acknowledgement for the
worshipper, both in belief and speech, that Allah is the greatest,
greater than everything in His Essence, Attributes and in the rights
(owed to Him). Among His rights are the obeying of His commands and
refraining from His prohibitions in regard to beliefs, acts of
worship, characteristics and manners; in all moments and situations.
This acknowledgement penetrates into the various postures of the
worshipper during his prayer, from the qiyaam to the rukoo', to the
sujood, the verbal confessions he makes and after that into the
submissiveness in action; so there does not remain any moment of
heedlessness or inattentiveness and theredoes not remain in his heart
that which pushes out the (awareness of theresponsibility of
fulfilling) the rights of Allah upon His servant; whether it is
persons, property, money, family or progeny and among His rights are
(His) Magnification, Love (for Him greater than for all else), Fear
(of His displeasure and punishment), Hope (in HisMercy) and Obedience.
Secondly: The Rukoo': This is an obligation in action. The worshipper
bends his back and (bows) his head during itout of obedience,
lowliness and humility to his Deity. So by this he fulfils his
covenants of being constant in his obedience, carrying out the orders
of his Deity, refraining from His prohibitions, ruling by His
Sharee'ah in happiness, adversity and every other situation.
Theworshipper returns (to fulfill) these covenants and obligations
every time he performs the rukoo' both in the obligatory prayers or
the supererogatory. Whoeverbends his back in the prayer in obedience
to Allah and after that rebels from some of His commands or shows
boldness towards some of His prohibitions due tothe calling of his
desire or whim, then he has contradicted his fulfillment of this
obligation to the extent of the evil of his action.
Thirdly: The Tasbeeh: Thisis the statement which the worshipper makes
during his rukoo' "How free from every imperfection is my Lord, the
Mighty" (Subhaana-rabbiyal-adheem) and in his sujood "How free from
every imperfection is my Lord, the Highest"
(Subhaan-rabbiyal-a'laa).This is an obligation in speech by which the
worshipper declares his Deity free from every defect and shortcoming
in His attributes, actions and His rights (over the creation). Among
His rights are the declarationof His mightiness in everysituation, the
placing of obedience to Him before obedience to ones soul or parents,
leaders and others besides them. Whoever declares Allah to be free
from all imperfections during his rukoo' and sujood and then shows
boldness towards His disobediencewhen he departed from the prayer, he
has reduced/diminished his glorification of his Deity to the extent of
his disobedience to Him.
Fourthly: The Sujood: Thisis the extremity in, or the end result of
humility; when the worshipper places his noble limbs upon the dust or
the earth. The sujood is a covenant in action. It is an obligation due
to the absolute obedience owed to the Deity in truth in all
situations. There is no exception in this absolute obedience for
moments of desire or moments of the whims ofthe soul (this absolute
obedience incorporates all moments and situations). Whoever covers his
face with dust (due to the performance of sujood) out of
extremehumility, then departs from his prayer and returns to the
obedience of the soul in disobedience to Allah, obedience to the
creation in disobedience to Allah and the following of whims in
disobedience to Allah, then he has been false to himself to the extent
of his disobedience (or sin). But whoever does that, then he must
repent hastily as the Messenger of Allah has said: "All theprogeny of
Aadam (constantly) errs and the best of those who constantly err are
those who (constantly) repent" [1]
Fifthly: Folding of the hands during the Qiyaam: This is a
manifestation from among the manifestations of humility and defeat in
front of the Deity in Truth. Among its implications are subservience
to the divine commandments inthat one does not move except when
commanded and one is not at ease or quiescenceexcept when commanded.
Whoever sought this position of worship for a few moments and after
that lets loose the reigns of his soul then he wanders/trespasses
(while ignorant of Allah's rulings) into the greatest of matters (i.e.
sins) and he has fallen into a type of deception.
Sixthly: Khushoo': This is aposition of total and extreme
submissiveness and humility in front of the Deity in Truth and
thequiescence/tranquility of the heart and the limbs. One does not
move except where commanded and is not atease except where commanded.
It is an obligation in action due to the necessity of obedience and
the abandonment of disobedience to the Deityin Truth. Whoever
discharges this obligation during the prayer then contradicts
it(behaves otherwise) upon departing from the prayer he has caused
diminution/annulment of(his Khushoo') to the extent of his
disobedience.
Seventhly: Whatever is repeated in every raka' from among the
obligations and covenants in speech such as the repetition of his
praises, requesting of guidance to the straight path, the path of
those who have blessings bestowed upon them, not of those upon whom is
anger and they are the Jews and whoever is like them, nor of those who
are astray and they are the Christians and whoever resembles them,and
the likes of what is said in the tashahhud and the meanings of the
various verses and supplications that are repeated in the prayer:
insummary, every movement, every moment of ease, every statement and
every action during the prayer, be it an obligation, covenant,
resolution or confession from the worshipper in front of his Master
and Deity in Truth, which he repeats in every raka', whether itis in
the obligatory or supererogatory, makes free his heart, tongue, limbs
and feelings from associating partners withAllah. He is a muslim, in
submission to Him. He gives for His sake, takes for his sake, acts for
His sake, abandons for His sake. He loves for his sakeand hates for
His sake. The proof for this truth is the saying of Allah (Azzawajall)
{And establish the prayer.Verily the prayer prevents the obscene
andevil deeds}[2]
and the saying of the Messenger (sallallahu-alaihi-wasallam}:
"The example of the five prayers is as the example of an abundant
flowing river by the side of the door of one of you. He washes every
day from it five times." [3]
Therefore know - brother/sister reader - the position and importance
of your prayer and establish as it should be truly established and
gain happiness from it as Allahdesires for you. I ask Allah that he
assists us all and has mercy upon us, verily He is the All Hearer, the
Responder.
1. Reported by [At-Tirmidhi] no. 2501 and [Ibn Majah] no. 4251 and
[Ad- Daarimee] 2/303and [Ahmad] 3/198 with a hasan sanad from Anas bin
Malik.
2. Surah Ankabut 29:45
3. Reported by [Muslim] no. 667 from Jaabir.

No choice but to regret

Once, a group of people were travelling on rocks at night. A voice
came from the sky that whosoever picks up the rocks will regret and
whosoever doesn't pick up the rocks will regret. Now, the people were
confused. How can this be? Whether you pick upthe rocks or not, you
willregret! Anyway, some people picked up the rocks and some didn't.
Inthe morning when they reached their homes, they saw that the rocks
turned into diamonds. Now, those people who didn't pick up the rocks
started regretting saying"If only we had picked up some rocks." Those
people who did pick some rocks also started regretting saying "Why
didn't we pick up more rocks?" Both sides endedup regretting. Dear
Muslims, this same incident will take place with us on the Day of
Judgement. Those people who spent their time in useless things will
start regretting by looking at those who achieved a great position in
Paradise by spending their time in the way of Allah. Now, those who
did achieve a position in Paradise will start regretting by looking at
those who did more than them and are higher in status."Alas! If we had
only done more to please Allah."

Become like flexible water

The following incident took place last year when I was travelling with
an elderly Muslim brother. We call him"Brother Wali". We met aMuslim
family and the family told brother Wali to give them some advice. Here
is what brother Wali told them: A Muslim is like water. Water is so
flexible that where ever you place it, it takes the shape of
thatobject. For example, if you put some water in a glass, it takes
the shape of the glass. If you run the water through a tangled hose,
it will takethe shape of that also. The same way, a Muslim should be
flexible to the orders of Allah. He should fit into whatever Allah
wants. If we put aniron into the glass, then either the glass will
break or the iron will break. The same way, if we are not flexible to
the orders of Allah and become hard like iron, then either we will
break or we will break the orders of Allah.
A hadith states: The believers are very obedient (to Allah), gentle,
and kind, like an obedient camel which when led follows and when made
to sit, even though on a rock, does so obediently. (Tirmidhi).

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -