Spiritual Muscles

Every part of you must beexercised in order to grow stronger. Those
who memorize Quran, study for advanced degrees, or perform other
difficult mental tasks know that it becomes easier with time. The
brain responds by building neural connections that, essentially, make
you smarter.
With the body it's obvious, right? A weightlifter lifts 100 pounds one
week, his muscles get stronger, andthe next week he can lift 105. As
long as he keeps challenging himself, his muscles continue growing, to
the limits of his genetic capacity. If hequits working out, his
muscles shrink.
As for the soul, it is exercised through hardship. There's no getting
around this. Our spiritual muscles are developed by confronting pain
and loss.
Allah says,
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a
loss of wealth and lives and fruits…" - Quran, Al-Baqarah, 2:155-157
My friend Bilal Mustapha comments on this verse,
"God has to test us with lost of life, property, love ones, health,
money, beauty, power, influence,prestige, ego, relationships,
knowledge…etc. to provethat we are who we say we are or claim to be,
and there's no shortcut or easy way around it. True Believers have to
be separated from the Fake Ones. With that said, LET'SGET READY TO
RUMMMMMBLLLLLE!!! (in my Michael Buffer voice)"
(Yes, Bilal is much more interesting than I am).
This is why the Prophet Muhammad (sws) said, "When Allah desires
goodfor someone, He tries himwith hardships." (Al-Bukhari)
A bodybuilder must lift huge weights in order to challenge himself. A
believer is tested more severely than the average person because he's
already powerful. A lesser test would be no test at all. It's got to
hit hard, it's got to be heavy.
Then why bother? Wouldn't it be easier to be a weak, apathetic
non-believer and not be afflicted with tests?
Let's read the rest of the ayah quoted above:
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a
loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the
patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeedwe belong to
Allah , and indeed to Him we will return. Those are the ones upon whom
are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is thosewho are the
[rightly] guided." - Quran 2:155-157
Those tests bring blessings and mercy fromAllah, in ways we see
anddon't see. They help us lead lives of meaning, and if we are
patient then the results accrue for us in Jannah. From the moment we
die, we see the results of all the tests we suffered. We see light,
and ease, and comfort. I know this because I have been told so in the
Quran and by the Messenger of Allah (sws), and I believe it. It makes
sense to me, and it's confirmed by countless anecdotal near-death
experiences from cultures all over the world.
Don't be jealous when you see that those who commit evil on earth are
living in luxury. The tyrants of the world who steal billions, or the
capitalists who build wealth on the suffering of others, or any who
gain coin through haram means; and even those whose work is halal but
who hold their money back from the needy :- that wealth is an anvil
around their necks. It is their test, and most of them are failing
miserably.
Don't fear hardship. When the time comes to exercise your spiritual
muscles, stay firm in faith. This is how we grow into our potential,
how we prove ourselves. In the words of Helen Keller, who was blind
and deaf from childhood and yet became an author and women's rights
advocate, "We could never learn to be brave & patient, if there were
only joys in the world."
This is Allah's manhaj , His way, His methodology of life. It makes
perfect sense because it's rooted in the way things really work. So
let's welcome the opportunity to use our spiritual muscles.
This is not all theoretical for me. The day I wrote this article, I
was treated badly by someone close to me, I was stressed about the
future, and I was berating myself for not being as good a father as I
would like. Strangely enough it was also the day of the Eid picnic,
and amid the crowd of Muslim families I found myself feeling very
alone.
So I wrote this piece for all of you and as a reminder to myself,
because I do know the solution: Pray, meditate, contemplate Allah's
love and care for you. Enjoy what you have. Appreciate the small
things in life. Be brave. Dare to dream, and then make those dreams
happen. Lift that weight, move that rock, and forge ahead with a
straight back and clear sight.

Getting Through Mini-Depressions

Many people periodically go through short depressions when they feel
negative about everything in their lives. There are ways we can
minimize these depressions, and steps we can take to ensure wedon't
sabotage our relationships when we'refeeling blue.
In my case, I go through regular periods of mini-depression every few
months. My mood will be utterly black, my mind filled with
self-critical thoughts: "I'ma failure, I'm a hypocrite, I have no real
friends, I've wasted my life…" But even in the depths of depression I
know that the mood will not last. One good night's sleep will restore
me to normal, Insha'Allah. So I keep my mouth shut and do not express
those negative thoughts to family or friends, becauseI know I will
regret it later if I do….
Does this happen to you? If so, then pay attention to your own
emotional cycles so that you know what to expect. Control yourself
when you're feeling down. Speak onlywhat is good, or stay silent.
Let's be very clear: You should not ignore genuine problems in your
life. If something is missing or making you unhappy, work on it
Insha'Allah. I'm also not saying that you should remain silent about
real issues that you face. If you've got problems in your family, it's
important to communicate to resolve them. It's also good to talk to a
therapist or counselor.
But when you are depressed, your viewpoint becomes skewed, and it's
not necessarily representative of reality. So when you have those dark
thoughts that say, "My life is worthless and Ihate everyone," don't
express those to anyone except your therapist or counselor. Don't call
up your best friend and say, "You're not a true friend, you don't care
about me." That's not productive and will only destroy your
relationship.
When you're depressed, hold on to your lifeline with God, eat well and
get plenty of rest, and be patient until the mood passes Insha'Allah.
Try to fill your life with good things: people you care about, work
that matters,hobbies you love, good books to read, exercise you enjoy…
these good things provide a safety net when you're feeling blue.
For example, photographer and human rights activist Asmaa-Deanna Dee
says, "When I am feeling low and downtrodden I just find a quiet place
and sit alone with my favorite book (the Quran)! When Iturn each of
its miraculous pages my heart begins to feel lighter and the world
around me brighter! The love, warmth and security of each word sets in
and it is in these very moments that I know for sure in my heart how
much Allah really loves me! Alhamdulillah! Subhanallah! Allahu Akbar!"
Also remind yourself of the good things in your life, and try to be
gratefulfor them. Do not look to those who have more than you, but
those who have less. Think of the times in your life when God has
helped you, guided you, and saved you. He will do so again.
By the way, I don't get those mini-depressions as often anymore. I'm
notsure why, but it could be that I exercise every day now. Also, I am
active in the Muslim community, I write passionately about subjects
that are important to me, and I have a daughter who I love… my life is
full of good things Alhamdulillah.
May your life also be full of good things.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Holidays Are Part of the Complete Deen

After the above lengthy discussion which, as stated earlier, is meant
toprovide general guidelines concerning celebrations and other related
matters, we comeback to apply what we have learnt so far to the
subject at hand.
Prophet Muhammad (S) once saw the Ansaar celebrating a certain day.He
inquired about that and was informed: This isone of two days that we
used to celebrate in Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islaamic ignorance) and we
continue to do so. He replied: Nay! Allaah has substituted for you two
better days: the day of al-Fitr and the day of al-Adhhaa. [Authentic;
narrated by Ahmad, an-Nasaaee, and others]
In addition to these two days, the Jumu ah (Friday) is an eid day.
TheProphet (S) said: This is a day which Allaah has designated as an
eid for Muslims. [Authentic] Fromthis and the previous hadeeth, we
conclude that Muslims have only three eid days, a weekly eid every
Friday, and twoannual eids, al-Fitr and al-Adhhaa.
Also, Islaam instructs us as to how to celebrate our eids. No fasting
is allowed on these days (Friday is excepted undercertain conditions).
On eid days, Muslims take a bath and wear their best clothes. They
avoid all forms of sinning which people tend to commit when they are
in a state of rejoice. The major partof the celebration is not eating
or drinking. Rather, it is a prayer which gathers Muslims together to
remember Allaah's bounties and to chant His glory and greatness.
It becomes clear then that Allaah alone has the right:
1. to prescribe eids and toset their dates, and
2. to prescribe the manner of celebrating them.

Completing That Which Had Been Completed?

The completeness of Islaam obviously means that it cannot be completed
further. Whether people realize itor not, believing otherwise would
imply one or more of the following dangerous conclusions:
1. that Allaah (T) was not truthful in declaring this completeness (I
seek refuge in Allaah from such a blasphemous thought.)
2. that Allaah (T) has forgotten or missed some details needed to
complete the Deen (again, I seek refuge in Allaah from such a
blasphemous thought.)
3. that Muhammad (S) hasneglected or forgotten to convey to us some
matters needed to complete the Deen (andagain, I seek refuge in Allaah
from such a blasphemous thought.)
This shows why Islaam warned so strongly against introducing bid'ahs
into the Deen. Wehave cited in the Introduction above the Prophet's
(S) words warning of bid'ahs. Imaam Maalik (r) said, Whoever innovates
in Islaam what he believes to be a good bid'ah would be [implicitly]
claiming that Muhammad(S) has betrayed the trust (of delivering the
full Message) He then recited the above aayah (8) from al-Maaidah.
Distinct Muslim Identity - Is there a Choice?
To some people, the universality of Islaam means that Muslims have the
full choice to resemble and behave in coherence with other people in
their localities (or in other locations as well). You continue to hear
questions like the following: Is it all that important for a Muslim
tohave a clear distinctive identity? Is it not sufficient to have a
strong belief within the heart and to perform Islaam fully but
privately?
Based on simple Islaamic principles, we can immediately conclude that
the answer to the first question is, simply, yes! And the answer to
the second question is, simply, no!
A true Muslim is always eager to associate with his fellow believers:
If anyone contends with the Messenger even after the Guidance has been
plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that of the
believers, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him
in Hell: What an evil abode! [An-Nisaa (4:115)].
And a true Muslim is very anxious to be distinctive and different from
the non-believers. This attitude follows from the repeated
instructions of the Messenger (S): Be different from the Jews and the
Christians [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim], Be different from the
disbelievers [Al- Bukhaaree and Muslim], and: Whoever imitates a
people is one of them. [Authentic; narrated by Ahmad]
Why is it so important to be distinctive and different from the
disbelievers? For the following reasons:
1. a) We Muslims are blessed with the best guidance. The Guidancefrom
the Lord of lords, from Allaah (T). This gives us true dignity and
pride that no one else has a claim to: Honor belongs to Allaah, to the
Messenger, and to the Believers . [Al- Munaafiqoon (63) 8]
2. b) The disbelievers are misguided, and their ways are based on sick
or deviant views concerning their societies, the universe, and their
very existence. Their actions frequently reflect their deviant
opinions. Why then would anyone ever think of imitating them? Yet
Muslims sometimes do just that -they imitate them in their most
unintelligible acts! The Messenger (S): You [Muslims] will [in
futuretimes] follow the ways of those [disbelieving] nations who
preceded you very closely; even ifthey enter into the holeof a lizard
you would follow them into it. [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]
3. c) There is a substantial amount of evidence in Islaam leading to
the important rule: externalagreement or similarityresults in real
similarity and agreement of the hearts. Thus, resembling
disbelieversis Satan's first step in leading Muslims to behave and
believe likethe kuffaar (9) .
Differing from the kuffaar is of different levels or types, some of
which are more important than others. They can be broadly classified
as follows:
1. Islaam requires us to bedifferent from non-Muslims in matters which
are particular to their beliefs or worships, such as: wearing a cross,
attending their religious services, wearing monks' attires,displaying
or valuing their idols, etc. Imitating the kuffaar insuch matters
constitutes a major sin which is most possibly aform of disbelief that
leads to permanent abode in the Hell Fire (may Allaah (T) save us).
2. Islaam requires us to bedifferent from the kuffaar in matters which
are representative of them or are characteristic of their identity,
even if the religious aspect were not apparant in such matters.
Examples of this type of requirements: growing beards and trimming
moustaches, dying white hair, not to totally abandon womenin their
menses, etc.
3. Matters which can be classified under the above two types shouldbe
treated similarly, even if there is no specific text to require such
treatment. Examples: wearing the Western hat or wedding bands,
carrying pictures of family members, walking dogs, wasting time in
watching sportsgames and soap operas, etc.
4. As for other matters which are done by the kuffaar but are not
specific to them, the above texts inform us that we should still try
to be distinctive from them as much as possible.
5. What is stated above should not be taken to mean, for instance,
thatwe should not learn thesciences or use technology because
thekuffaar are currently itsleaders. Islaam requiresus to learn and
benefit from such forms knowledge, and this does not have to do with
the subject of being different from the disbelievers.