Friday, November 27, 2009
Vande Matram, what's the controversy about?
By the will of Allah, I recently had the priviledge of reading Anandmath, I call it a privilege because majority of us have never bothered to read it. For us that’s pretty normal also because we find it easy to make our opinions based on hearsay than based on true knowledge.
For the uninitiated, this is the same novel, which contains the controversial song Vande Matram. This song has been a subject of debate since pre-independence period till this day. And only Allah knows best for how long this controversy will drag on and will serve as the fodder for the so called “patriots”, who never fail to incite passions of the general public to achieve their ulterior motives. But one thing I can assure you about is that unless and until we stop ourselves from being spoon-fed by others in general and media in particular, we will continue to be exploited by evil forces to achieve their heinous goals, even at the cost of disintegrating this nation into bits and pieces.
I must tell you that people who never get tired of beating their own trumpet and calling themselves saviors of national spirit are hell bent on tearing the fabric of Hindu and Muslim brotherhood. They have got the knack of touching the most sensitive issues and playing with our sentiments. And it is none but we ourselves are to be blamed for this.
I keep saying and I repeat again that we never try to find out the truth on our own. No matter how much peace and unity of our nation in particular and humanity at large be at risk, we just love to be spoon-fed, specially by the media. The role of the media is no more to reveal the truth. Their sole purpose is to make money. It has become a conglomerate concentrated in few hands. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative for the people who feel pain and suffering for humanity to come forward and do their bid.
There is so much said and written about Vande Matram, but nobody has ever bothered to know the background of this novel which contains this “national song”. I am sure there would be people who must have read it, but for some reason, nobody has bothered or dared to speak about this venomous novel. Far from promoting national unity and national integration, this “national song” strikes at the very root of Hindu-Muslim unity. This could only be understood when one reads Anandmath.
At his juncture I would like to deviate a bit and draw the attention of the readers to Satanic verses (S.V.) by Salman Rushdie. I mention S.V. because I want to illustrate what the callous attitude of the general public can result into. And I assure you that this callousness is found throughout the globe. It’s really amazing that a writer of a book such as S.V. is being conferred with titles and honours and looked up as model for budding writers. I can assure you that even those “discerning” people who appreciated his “master piece” didn’t know what he had written. He used the filthiest language that he had at his disposal. He didn’t spare anyone. Though generally we know that he wrote blasphemous things about Islam in his novel. But you would be amazed to know that he didn’t spare Ram, worshipped as god by Hindus. He didn’t spare Margaret Thatcher, an ex-prime minister of United Kingdom. And this filth (S.V.) catapulted him into a prominent literary person. Such is the way of the modern world, which honours people for writing filth. Such is the world that we live in. We must pat our backs for accepting and honouring such people and accepting them as our role models.
Coming back to Anandmath, the theme of this novel is to oust Muslims from this country as they are considered unjust. The purpose of Santaans (sons of mother India) is to liberate their “mother”. The Santaans are Hindus, who have devoted themselves for the cause of liberating their “mother” from the hands of the Muslims. The “mother” is given the form of a goddess.
Mahendra Singh, the main character of this novel, is shown by the leader of Santaans, couple of idols, representing different condition of mother India. The first idol, which Mahendra Singh is shown is of goddess Kali. She is shown standing on the dead body of her own. This represents the present pitiable condition of the “mother”. The second idol represents the “mother” in all its glory and power with enemies under its feet. This represents the future state of the “mother”, which is the goal of Santaans. And this state of “mother” could only be achieved by annihilating Muslims. Another thing worth noting in this novel is that these so called Santaans welcome the British rule. Now my analysis of this venom spewing novel:
Since, I am not a student of history, therefore, it would not be right for me to comment whether Muslim rule during the said period was just or not. Even if it is presumed that Muslim rulers were unjust, even then nobody can have the license to burn and loot Muslims’ houses and kill them as they please with the intention to finish them without any trace as mentioned in the novel. There have been so many instances is history where the entire community had to bear the brunt, due to some crazy act of someone belonging to that particular community. This is absolutely unjust and crazy. Only the criminal should be punished rather than his/her whole family or community.
The second basis of rejecting this novel is that it welcomes the British rule. Its pity that despite Muslims fighting shoulder to shoulder with Hindus for the freedom of this country, the novel incites passion amongst Hindus to oust Muslims from this country and free their “motherland”. The language used in this novel is barbaric and incites communal passions amongst Hindus to annihilate Muslims. It can only sow the seeds of discord and animosity amongst Hindus and Muslims. This novel goes on to show the mentality of Bankim Chandra Chatterji.
One might question, how I can say something about a person of repute like Bankim Chandra Chatterji, who has been hailed as the “creative genius” of Bengali literature by none other than Rabindarnath Tagore. I say it simply on the basis of this novel because it creates hatred in the hearts of Hindus for Muslims. Secondly, as an Indian, how can it welcome British rule, when people coming from different religions and regions fought as one force to oust the Britishers? This should be absolutely unacceptable for every Indian.
We all must read this novel and try to understand why the Muslims are opposed to Vande Matram. I have a humble advice for both Hindus and Muslims with regard to this novel. Muslims should not get carried away by such stuff. They should understand that this novel is written by a mortal named Bankim Chandra Chaterji and doesn’t necessarily represent the feelings and sentiments of entire Hindu community. No matter who endorses it or rejects it, our decision should be guided by the teachings of Islam, which are for entire humanity. It is only Islam which declares unequivocally the oneness of God and entire humanity as one family. Be it regional, national or any other kind of man-made boundary, it transcends all and unite entire humanity as one family. And the only unique force that can unite us all is the worship of one true God, besides whom there is none worthy of worship.
To our Hindu brothers and sisters, I say that they too should desist from associating partners unto God. Nothing is worthy of worship save God. Many Hindus say that we don’t worship the motherland (like so many other arguments they give for worshiping so many other objects). They say that we just give respect to it, as it gives us so many things. Far from giving respect to motherland, this novel represents India as a goddess representing a particular community. How possibly can a land be given religious connotations and associated with a particular community?
I fail to understand that how can a land which we trample under our feet, day in and day out, the land on which we urinate and do all the activities can become worthy of worship? This is not how something that is worthy of worship is to be treated. The same is with idols that we worship. Just walk around and see their (idols) pitiable state. Just the other day, I was moving on a bike and saw a dog sniffing the idols that we worship. I didn’t stop to see what he did after sniffing, but we can well understand what it would or could have done. If such are gods that men worship, then I seek refuge from Satan the accursed. Pure is God what men associate with Him. To Him belong the dominions of the heavens and the earth and there is none like unto Him.
My dear brothers and sisters in humanity, the land we have raised to the status of worship, is just one of the creations of God to serve mankind. God Almighty created the heavens, the stars, the moon, the sun and so many wonderful things to serve mankind, so He created the earth. And by His Command, it produces fruits, vegetables and so many precious things. Just as by the command of God, a woman conceives, in the same way by the command of God earth conceives and produces by His will. If it was not by the command of God, why would we have some women who are barren? If it was not by the command of God, we would not have become what we are from a “fluid despised” (i.e., semen). If it was not by the command of God, we would not born or die.
But none of God’s creation is as unique as man. He is the master piece of God’s creation. God created man to worship none but Him. And that the purpose of his life. Man’s condition cannot be more pitiable than when he bows down before stones, trees and everything but his Creator and Sustainer. This is the most amazing and pitiable site (i.e., people worshipping things other than God) that I come across. Just imagine men and women pleading before lifeless and helpless idols. When you ask them, they give such explanations which fail every test of common understanding. But if you tell them simple and true things, they just simply fail to understand.
I, in all my humility, invite you to use your own faculty and be discerning, especially in things which matter most. These days, there is so much falsehood being propagated that it becomes quite difficult to know the truth. Opinions and decisions are made on such information. But there is always way for people who strive in the way truth and stand firmly against falsehood. God opens up the pathways for them. Verily, He helps those who strive in His way.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The call of the Masjid
The blessed month of Ramadhan is about to come to an end. With itself, it will also take away the blessings that are especially bestowed by Allah in this holy month. Lucky were those who kept fast, offered prayers regularly in congregation (both obligatory and taraweeh), recited Qur'aan, kept themselves busy with Allah's zikr, saved themselves from committing sins and tried to do as much good as possible. Never will this particular Ramadhan come back again and who knows whether we will get another Ramadhan or not.
Why is it that when Ramadhan begins, the masajid begin to swell up and as the days go by, the crowd begins to wean out? By the time Ramadhan comes to an end, Allah's house is found wanted for the believers. Those who seldom used to turn towards Allah's house, are found bowing before Him in Ramadhan. But sadly, they again disappear after Ramadhan, only to come back in next Ramadhan, provided they live that long.
Why do we do this to ourselves? What can bring our brothers back to Allah's house? If so many promises from our most-loving Lord about the never-ending bliss in Jannah cannot bring them to the house of the Most Merciful Lord, what can? May God forbid, have they struck a better deal with someone that they are taking the promises of Allah for granted? Is Jannah, which is ten times bigger than this world, according to Muhammad (Peace be upon him), not enough as a reward in return for being obedient to Allah and His beloved Rasool?
My dear brothers, what turns you away from this blessed house? Is it trivial things that are going to last for just few days? Have they become so dear to you that you are ready to sacrifice this blessed house? The believers were never such fools nor was their Faith so cheap. They struck the most profitable deal with their Lord. The deal was that Allah bought their lives and everything they possessed in lieu of Jannah.
Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise)
Qur'aan, 9:111
Now, if you are breaking this deal then Allah too can step back and humiliate you both in this world and (may Allah forbid) in the world Hereafter.
You are the cream of the entire mankind on the basis of your Faith in Allah and His Rasool. You are the Ummatees of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), the privilege many Prophets (peace be upon them) aspired to have. Please know your worth. Only Allah can buy you. No power or wealth in the world has got the means to buy you, your prayers, your Taqwa or your Faith. The Faith you possess is the most precious thing a man can have. Even if the heavens and the earth and everything that is between them were to be put on one side of the scale and La-ilaha-illallah on the other side, the side having the Kalima will be heavier. This is the worth of the Kalima that you recite and believe in. Have the few pennies that you earn have got the power pull you, my brother, out of from this blessed house? That's not possible. The Faith that you have is not so week. It means, we were never Muslims in the true sense, otherwise this money we are going crazy about, would never have had such power to pull us out from Masajid.
We need to look inside ourselves and see whether we are really Muslims or just fooling ourselves and others around us by wearing the garb of Muslims? If we are reluctant in coming to the Masjid, it's better that we stop calling ourselves Muslims because a Muslim is the one who submits his will to the Will of Allah. How can one claim to be a Muslim by forgoing the obligatory salah (prayer)? In other words, we are refusing to bow down before Allah. It has come in a Hadith that one who intentionally skips salah has surely committed kufr.
Isn't salah the most outstanding feature of Islam and its followers? Isn't it the perfect manifestation of our belief that we, as believers, don't bow down before anyone other than Allah? If this is your Faith, then please come back to Masajid. Don't leave this most blessed house on earth.
I assure you that Allah will (Insha Allah) not leave you wanting. Sufficient is He for the believers. He cares more for you than you yourself or your mother can ever care for you. He loves you, so you should also love Him as He is to be loved. He will surely return your lost respect and make you successful in both the worlds — here and Hereafter. You have got the right to ask Him and so has He over you.
Salah is the life and soul of a Muslim, without which he is a mass of walking flesh. Salah is both the most lethal weapon as well as a shield of the believers. Where are you roaming around without your weapon and shield in these trying times? Wherever you might be — on ground, sea or in the air — don't skip Salah. Get armed with it and rule the world. So please come back, the masjid is calling you. Allah's mercy and blessing is calling you. Respond to the call of the minaret by saying, “here I am O my Lord!”
This calling to Allah was supposed to be meant for our non-Muslims brothers and sisters. But our condition has deteriorated so much that we are calling our brothers in Faith for the five daily prayers. Salah comes automatically to those who believe in Allah and His Rasool. An invitation is not needed.
It's never too late to make amends. Wake-up now. Once you start coming to Masajid, invite your non-muslim brothers also to worship their true Lord. Just as our Lord and creator is one , so also are our Prophet (Pease be upon him) & Book (Qur’aan) the same. Invite them to worship none but Allah. This is your duty and this is why you were sent to this world. This (Islam) is their trust with us. If we do not give it to them, we will be made accountable for this in the Hereafter.
This is the job that was entrusted to us by Allah's beloved slave Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in his farewell pilgrimage (Haj). Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people".
I only desire (your) betterment to the best of my power; and my success (in my task) can only come from Allah. In Him I trust, and unto Him I look.
Qur'aan, 11:88
Your brother in Faith,
Hasan Muhammad Ali
Cell: 9936139559 (Lucknow)
9958069541 (New Delhi)
E-mail: hasan.hma@gmail.com
hma_hasan@yahoo.com
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Truth Beckons
O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, Lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Satan, for he is to you an avowed enemy. For he commands you what is evil and shameful, and that ye should say of Allah that of which ye have no knowledge.
Qur'aan, 2:168&169
One of the biggest obstacles in the way of accepting the Truth is that we tend to follow blindly the footsteps of our ancestors and keep on practicing age-old customs and traditions. For such people, I would like to repeat what I quoted at the start of this booklet from the Qur'aan:
When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah hath revealed:" They say: "Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! Even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance? The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom. Qur'aan, 2:170&171
At this juncture, I would like to deviate a bit and draw the attention of the readers towards two things just mentioned in the preceding lines; the life of this world and the world hereafter and what does success mean.
Allah through ages sent His messengers to call people to worship none but Him and to enlighten them about the purpose of their creation and to guide man in all matters of truth. There is nothing unique in Islam when it speaks about heaven and hell. This theme runs through all the major religions of the world. The differences in Islam and other religions are only due to the corruptions which have taken place in the teachings of the prophets (peace be upon them) that came before Muhammad (peace be upon him). Since all the messengers came from one source (i.e., one God) then how it is possible that their messages be different. Rather their message was one and the same, but people with vested interests corrupted their teachings and made changes in the Books revealed on them for petty gains. The Law that Muhammad (peace be upon him) bought too would have got corrupt had not Allah taken the responsibility upon Himself to safeguard it from corruption.
Even if we think with reason and logic there has to be another world where the scales of justice would be established; where the poor and the weak will get their due; where the so called ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’, which man had worshipped would disown him; where the rich would be made accountable for all the riches they were bestowed out of nothing but as a favour from their Lord in their sojourn on this earth; where the tyrants and the mighty who had played havoc with the lives and properties of the innocent souls would be humbled and punished; where the rejecters of the Truth despite clear signs from their Lord would be questioned; and where the rejecters of life after death would be shown what all they had been rejecting throughout their lives. That Day all the slaves of Allah will be marshalled before their Lord and their Lord will treat none with injustice.
Coming to the word ‘success’, every human has a different interpretation to it. To some being a rich person is success; to some having power is success; to some excelling in sports is a success. Thus we see that success means different things to different persons. But in the sight of Allah a successful person is the one who saves himself from Hellfire and qualifies himself to be a dweller of Heaven. This life is an examination and the result is the eternal life in Hell or Heaven. To make this examination easy for His slaves, Allah out of His infinite mercy sent messengers to guide mankind to the truth. When a person surrenders himself before Allah, Allah not only makes him successful in the life to come but also in this transitory life. I cannot help but recall the often repeated verse.
Verily, in the Apostle of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward [with hope and awe] to God and the Last Day.
Qur’aan, 33:21
“My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level. ...It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and
Michael Hart in 'The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons In History,'
One may say that if success lies in following the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then why are Muslims at the lowest ebb? Why is their condition so miserable? The answer to this is as simple and as straight as it comes. The reason for the downfall of the Muslims is due to the fact that they are not following the Prophet (peace be upon him). As said earlier that a person becomes a Muslim only on submitting his will to God, not just by merely being born and brought up in a Muslim family.
All humans are equal before Allah; the difference is only between people who fear God the most and do good deeds, and those who go astray. To Him, we have to return. Once you are dead, everything will be brought in front of your eyes. Everything would be crystal clear. But if you die as the one who rejected Allah's Commands brought to us by His last messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) it will be too late to make amends. Please don't depart from this world as an unbeliever. Allah may forgive any sin He pleases, but He does not forgive those who ascribe partners unto Him.
Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed.
Qur'aan, 4:48
Please be kind to yourselves. Don't you want to save yourself and the ones around you, whom you love, from the Eternal Hellfire that has been prepared for those who reject Allah as one and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as His final messenger?
Those who deny (their Lord),- for them will be cut out a garment of Fire: over their heads will be poured out boiling water, causing all that is within their bodies, as well as the skins, to melt away. And they shall be held [in this state as if] by iron grips; and every time they try in their anguish to come out of it, they shall be returned thereto and [be told]: “Taste suffering through fire [to the full]!'
Qur'aan, 22:19&22
As for the Judgment Day, it is said in the Qur'aan:
Qur'aan, 18:47&49
Trust me! I don't have any reasons to lie with you. In fact, lying is prohibited for a Muslim/believer, as is eating flesh of swine, consuming alcohol, etc. If I lie, it means that I am displeasing Allah by disobeying His Command and trying to please you, which I, being a Muslim, can never do.
running in our veins, our Lord is One, our Destination is one (to return to our Lord), our Purpose of life is one (to be successful in the life Hereafter), our Book (Qur'aan) is one, our Prophet is one, so how can our paths be different? When all the messengers came from the One True God, then how can their messages be different? How can we adopt different ways of life when everything else is one and the same for us? Rather, our Path of Bliss is also one and Straight and that is the path of Islam.
Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed.
Qur'aan, 2:213
I am only fulfilling the duty of a human being. Who could be a better human than the one who cares for his fellow beings and saves them from the Eternal Hellfire?
Who is better in speech than the one who calls men to God, works righteousness, and says, I am among those who bow down in Islam!
Qur'aan, 41:33
Please reconsider the message of the Qur’aan and enter into the fold of Islam:
And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers to see, all spread out, - (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me, and who had been unable even to hear. Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their) entertainment.
Say: Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works? They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight. That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest. As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise, Wherein they shall dwell (for aye): no change will they wish for from them.
Say: If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid.
Say: I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.
Qur'aan, 18:100-110
I testify that there is no one worthy of worship besides Allah and I testify that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the slave and Messenger of Allah.
(English)
If you don’t find this humble effort, enough to reconcile your heart towards Islam, it is due to my shortcomings. I wish I had a heart like the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But my failure to convey the message of Islam convincingly should not stop you from accepting it.
With lots of love, best wishes and prayer for guidance. May Allah accept this and make it a source of guidance for all.
Our concluding supplication is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Glossary
Allah: The personal name of God, derived from Al-Ilaah, meaning the one that is worthy of worship. It can neither be (mis)used in gender (male and female) nor number (like gods and goddesses). He is the Lord, Creator and Originator of everything. He has power over all things. The true definition of Allah can be found in chapter 112 of the Qur’aan, which reads thus:
Say (O Muhammad): He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.
Qur'aan, Chapter 112
Allah has ninety nine other names which denote His Attributes. Allah could best be known through His Attributes, which are absolutely unique to Him. They could only be attributed to Him alone. For example, Eternal and Absolute are two of His Attributes.
The most beautiful names belong to Allah, so call on Him by Them; but shun such men as use profanity in His names: for what they do, they will soon be requited.
Qur’aan, 7:180
Aayat: (pl. Aayaat) An Arabic word meaning verse. It also means ‘sign’. Hence, the verses in the Qur’aan are not only verses per se, but they are also ‘signs’ from our Creator to reflect and turn towards Him.
Hadith: (pl. ahadith). The second most important source of information in Islam after the Qur’aan. It is a record of what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did, said or approved. The Hadith were meticulously recorded by the pious companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and carefully preserved for the later generations. In fact, its a fuller explanation of the Qur’aan. For example, the Qur’aan mentions that it is mandatory for a Muslim to pray five times a day, but does not go into detail as to how to pray. How a prayer is offered could be found in the hadith.
It may surprise the readers to know that recording of Hadith is the first science (as we know science today) developed with stringent rules for inference, classification and cross-examination. The learned scholars after the Prophet’s time, for example, Imams Bukhari and Muslim, had elaborate rules on whether a person attributing a report to the Prophet was reliable or not, how sound was the chain of narrators that have passed on the report, whether the text of the Hadith is compatible with the Qur’aan and established Islamic practices, etc. In this manner, they classified each Hadith according to its degree of accuracy and genuineness. Imam Bukhari used to travel miles to verify the antecedents of a particular Hadith, thus leaving no doubt for any falsehood creeping in. The pious predecessors in fact were so cautious, that they have retained not more than 10% of the original Hadith, for fear that maybe a punctuation mark or word was not accurately representing what the Prophet said. It may also be added here that Islamic law (Fiqh) is derived from the Qur’aan and Hadith.
Ibrahim: Abraham in Christianity. One of the prophets of Allah. Like all other prophets he too invited people to worship none but Allah as mentioned in the story narrated at the beginning of this booklet. Besides the Qur’aan, he has also been mentioned in the Christian and Jewish scriptures.
Insha’Allah: If Allah Wills (lit.). This is the way Allah taught man through Muhammad (peace be upon him) that whenever you make any intention to do something, say ‘Insha’Allah’. It means that no matter how big or small a matter may be, we are totally dependent on Allah and without His leave, even a leaf doesn’t fall.
Jibreel: Gabriel in Christianity. The angel responsible for bringing revelations to the Prophets of Allah.
Ka’ba: A cube-shaped structure in
There are quite a few misconceptions with regard to the Ka’ba among non-Muslims. Many think that Muslims worship the Ka’ba. Muslims face towards the Ka’ba because Allah has commanded them to turn towards it when in prayer to give uniformity of direction and purpose. We all know that in the congregational prayers of Muslims, there is an Imam, who leads the prayer. If there was no unity of direction, people would have turned their faces in different directions and it would have become very confusing and chaotic. It also signifies unity of purpose, i.e., we believe in One Allah and worship none but Him. The Ka’ba is geographically situated right at the centre of the earth, which could be interpreted as a light emanating place in all directions.
If Muslims had been worshipping the Ka’ba, they would be carrying its replica with them. So that whenever the time of prayer arrives, they can put it in front of themselves and bow down before it, as idol worshippers do. This misconception could further be clarified with the help of the following verse of the Qur’aan.
Let them, therefore, worship the Sustainer of this House;
Qur’aan, 106:3
It is true that during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, the Ka’ba was much venerated as being the house of idols, but when the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived, he asked his black companion, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a freed slave, to stand atop the Ka’ba and give the Adhan (Muslim prayer-call). By placing a person of low social status (i.e., Bilal) on top of the Ka’ba, the Prophet killed two birds with one stone- from now forth, the sanctity of the Ka’ba was only due to its being a House of Allah, and it was made crystal-clear to everyone that Muslims do not worship the Ka’ba.
Secondly, the concept of equality of man was also established for the first time in human history, as a black slave was standing on top of the most-respected symbol of the Arabs.
Muslim: Arabic word for the one who is obedient to Allah and while believing in all the messengers, follows His final messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah has categorised mankind into three categories:
1. Muslim: One who is obedient to God by following His last messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him).
2. Munafiq: Arabic word for hypocrite. In other words, one who pretends to be Muslim, but is not from the heart.
3. Kafir/Mushrik: One who rejects Allah as One and rejects Muhammad (peace be upon him) being His Final Messenger. In other words, one who denies Allah as one and associates partners with Him falls in this category. Idol worshippers, nature worshippers, fire worshippers and saint worshippers are a few such examples.
Qur’aan: Name of the last revelation of Allah. It literally means ‘a Book often read’. It is also called Furqaan, which means a Book that differentiates between right and wrong; between what is permissible and what is not. It is a Book of true guidance from our Lord.
Shaitan: Satan in English. Allah has power over all things; therefore, He can create what He wills. He created the expanding universe and the celestial bodies therein and created the best of His creation –man from nothing. He created man out of clay, He created angels out of light and so He created Jinns out of smokeless fire. When Allah made the first man Adam, He asked all the angels to bow down before Adam. All but one bowed before Adam. His name was Iblis (one of the Jinns). His arrogance stood in the way of his obeying the command of God and he was thrown out of the Heavens and became eternally cursed. But he took respite from God and pledged to deviate Adam and his progeny from the true path and misguide them to hell. Allah granted him respite till the end of this world and said that all those who believe in the guidance send by Me will prosper and those who reject it will abide in Hell forever
We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers!
Qur’aan, 18:50
Therefore this life is just a transitory phase and a test for the progeny of Adam. The true and eternal life is the life of the Hereafter. Thus we see that Satan is our biggest enemy and he makes every effort to deviate man from the true and straight path by making him disobey God. He is most happy when he misguides someone in associating partners unto Allah because this sin is unforgivable due to which a person will dwell in Hell forever, which is the main aim of Satan (i.e., to take man along with himself into Hellfire).
Did I not enjoin on you, O ye Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed? And that ye should worship Me, (for that) this was the
Qur’aan, 36:60-64
The best way to keep one safe from the satanic traps is to hold tight to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. This is what our beloved prophet (peace be upon him) exhorted mankind to do to be safe from Satan and his evil ways.
“I leave behind me two things, the Qur’aan and my Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.”
It should not go without mention that like man, Jinns too have been given the freedom of conscience and that was the reason why Iblees refused to bow down before Adam. The angles have not been given freedom of conscience and they do their duty as per the Commands of Allah.
There should not be any doubt about the existence of Satan because Allah the Creator of everything is informing us so in the Qur’aan. It is natural for man to firmly believe in something what he sees with his very own eyes and not in something which he cannot see. Though we have not seen God, but we believe in Him because it is inherent in our nature to believe in God. In fact Faith demands to believe in the unseen. If someone shows faith in something which he can see with his own eyes, then its merely a sensation or observation.
For example, if I tell my friend that your father has bought a beautiful gift for you, he will believe me if I am honest. But if I am a liar, he may doubt and not believe me. In the same way, Allah, who is Absolute and Perfect is telling us to believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Book revealed on him (Qur’aan), so that we may prosper. To make things easy for man and to assist him in believing in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’aan, He has given innumerable signs for man to witness. Allah informs man, for instance, in the Qur’aan that if this Book had been from anyone other Allah, you would have found many errors. Few years back I read an interesting quote by someone about Satan in The Times of India. It read something like this:
It is stupid of the modern civilisation to have given up believing in the devil, when he is the only explanation of it.
Sunnah: It literally means ‘way’. In Islamic terminology it refers to the ‘way’ of the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). There are innumerable things that we do in our daily lives, irrespective of any religion, which are Sunnah. For example, being dutiful towards parents; taking care of the neighbours; being hospitable to guests; taking care of the poor and the downtrodden and so on and so further.
Zakah is both a material and spiritual obligation on every Muslim. A person is liable to pay Zakah only when he/she reaches a minimum amount of specified wealth called Nisab in Islamic terminology after meeting his expenses with one year having passed over it. A person has to pay 2.5% of his wealth as Zakah if he/she falls in the Nisab category.