Understanding Qur'aan

Alhamdulillah, many amongst us have ramped up our recitation of the Qur’an this Ramadhan. But more importantly is for us to also invest our time and effort to understand, ponder and act upon the Qur’an.

Let’s ask ourselves a very serious honest question : do we really think that the Qur’an – the Divine Message that Inspired the corrupt pagan society of Quraysh, to become the Great Nation of monotheism in the pages of history that would defeat the armies of Persia and Rome – would change a nation merely by reciting and reading without understanding a single word?
Do we really think that the Qur’an – the Message that would reform an idol-worshipping, alcohol addicted, stingy adulterer to eventually become amongst the ranks of the Companions of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam): a believer with the highest of moral standards and an exemplary individual for the rest of history – would change a person by just reciting words one doesn’t understand?

Consider this: We can read Spanish and Dutch – because they’re the virtually the same letters and characters as the English language. But really, is it logically possible to read a Spanish motivational book and be motivated, when we don’t understand anything from it?

While yes, it is true, out of the Mercy and Bounty of Allah, we are granted rewards for the mere recitation of the Qur’aan (even if we don’t understand it), as the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said:

"‏ مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ ‏"‏
“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward.
I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter."
(Narrated by At-Tirmidzi, graded hasan)

But really, what we need is to focus on how we can bring about a long term benefit ourselves and others from the Divine Guidance of the message of the Qur’an. The Prophet said:
 
خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه
“the best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it” (Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Allah says:
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا
“And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, but it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and oppressors) in nothing but loss” (Surah al-Isra’ 17:82)

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on this verse:
Here Allaah tells us about His Book, which He revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and which is the Qur’aan which “Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise” [Fussilat 42:41- interpretation of the meaning], that it is “a healing and a mercy to those who believe” – i.e., it takes away the diseases in the heart such as doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, deviation and misguidance; the Qur’aan heals all of that.

And it is also a mercy which brings about faith, wisdom and the pursuit of and desire for goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and follow it; for such it will be a healing and a mercy.

But as for the disbeliever and those who wrong themselves thereby, their hearing the Qur’aan only makes them further away (from truth) and increases them in disbelief. The problem comes from the disbeliever, not from the Qur’aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur’aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)” [Fussilat 41:44]

May Allah make us amongst those who understand, ponder, act upon, and spread the message of Qur’aan – ameen.

Fasting and Taqwa

Alhamdulillah, all Praises and Thanks to Allah, as we tread these blessed days and nights of Ramadhan, we should remind ourselves again on the whole objectives and goals of fasting, to stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize before we reach the finishing line on our well-deserved ‘Eid-ul Fitr.

There are those who say that fasting is for empathizing with the poor and the less fortunate; there are those who say that it is to build a sense of gratitude to God; there are those who say that it is a spiritual training to endure some ‘pain’ for the sake of God; etc.

Yes, these things are good - But the objectives and goals of fasting are a lot more comprehensive than all those combined. Allah says in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ - ١٨٣
“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed to the people before you (i.e. the people of the Book), so that you may attain Taqwa” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183)

The entire goal of fasting is to achieve Taqwa– But what does it mean to have taqwa and how is that achieved through fasting?

One of the companions of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) by the name Ubayy ibn Ka’ab was onced asked, “What is taqwa?”. Ubayy replied by asking him, “Have you ever walked on a path/road that has thorns on it? What did you do (i.e. how did you go about it)?”. The questioner said, "I rolled up my sleeves and I struggled (to avoid stepping on those thorns)”.
Ubay ibn Ka’ab said, “That is taqwa”.

Taqwa is the consciousness to live our lives in such a way that we deliberately avoid what is disliked by Allah, fearing the consequences of “stepping on those thorns” or performing acts which transgress the limits and boundaries set by Allah.

But to take it a step further, taqwa isn’t simply about avoiding the Haram, or avoiding Allah’s Displeasure; taqwa is also about inculcating the consciousness to perform good deeds to seek His Pleasure.

It is an attitude and mindset driven by the consciousness of iman and the belief that one will surely return to Allah and will have to be accountable for every single one of our deeds – big, small, open or hidden:

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّـهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ - ٢٨١
“And have Taqwa (fear) a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:281)

A consciousness to have genuine fear of the terrible punishment from the All-Just (العدل); yet at the same time, a consciousness to have a yearning and hopefulness of a great reward from the Most Merciful (الرحمن, الرحيم), All-Generous (االجواد, الكريم), the All-Rich and free from any Needs (الغني), King and Possessor of the Heavens and the Earth (المالك).

Beyond that, Taqwa is also a consciousness driven by one’s Love of Allah, one’s thankfulness to Him and one’s genuine mercy and compassion of His slaves.
This is the quality that differentiates a person from true belief and hypocrisy; the one driver that allows one to make the right choice, even in the absence of others, even without ‘enforcement’ or ‘penalties’. The driver that makes one truly sincere in his actions, and in constantly improving oneself to become a better person.


So when Allah prescribes fasting for us, “لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ” (So that you may attain Taqwa), it is implying here that fasting is to achieve a holistic spiritual development to develop our consciousness in Allah. So what’s interesting for us to note is the significance of Allah singling out fasting as a great driver for spiritual development, some of which we may already be aware :

1. Feeling of hunger and pain for the sake of Allah – this directly builds taqwa: how often do we endure a little bit of hardship for the sake of Allah? Compare that to the level of hardship and effort we go through for our worldly matters – our jobs, our education, our businesses, our children, our achievements. Isn’t it more worthwhile to put in that little bit of hardship of His Reward?

2. Build shukr (thankfulness) and Generosity – to realize the difficulty of those less fortunate than us; while ‘empathizing with the poor’ is a rather strong term (because technically you’re not really empathizing when you know you have that banquet feast awaiting you in iftar).
Rather, this realization should also build a sense of generosity inside of us. And that is why in Ramadhan there is always a tendency to give out more charity on top of our obligatory zakat; in fact the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam), he himself was described as “the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when (the angel) Gabriel met him” (Hadith narrated by ibn Abbas in Sahih Al-Bukhari).

3. Restraint from the Haram (prohibitions) – in fasting, you would restrain yourselves from what is normally halal (food and drink, intercourse with the spouse, etc) – so how silly would it be to do what is already haram anyway, regardless of whether you are fasting or not? Thus in that sense, committing sins during fasting is almost a form of hypocrisy, which should make us more conscious of our deeds.

4. Keeping your deeds secret – no one knows if you’re really fasting. You could always sink your teeth in a chocolate bar when no one’s watching, or when the parents or ‘authorities’ are out of sight. There’s nothing to restrain your actions except the consciousness of God, and this should be a reminder to us, that if Allah knows every morsel of food you secretly swallowed, then every other deed – whether it be in our words or actions – is even more Known to Him, the All-Seer, All-Hearer and All-Knowing.

5. Less vain talk, less gossip – lunch times, water cooler hangouts: the most ripe scenarios to gossip, backbite, slander, and waste our good deeds away as we oppress others with our speech. No more this month.

6. No “hot dates” – the universal method of "picking up" non-mahrams of the opposite gender (“let’s go out for a coffee”, “I’ll buy you dinner”, “lunch is on me”, etc) also becomes conveniently halted. Alhamdulillah

7. More time for the sake of Allah – You might not realize it, but eating and drinking takes up a lot of our time – precious time which can be much better utilized in good deeds and strengthening our taqwa.
It’s interesting to note that some scholars such as Imam An-Nawawi used to survive on the bare minimum food, as they savoured every minute of their lives for benefitting themselves and others around them; eating is considered wasting time, because in eating, you incur loss of productivity from – preparing the food, eating the food, increased toilet time, and increased sleeping time.
And that is perhaps also why the Prophet said, “'The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink, and third for his breath." (Narrated by At-Tirmidzi and ibn Majah, graded sahih).

And these are just some of the many wisdoms behind how fasting develops our taqwa.

So this Ramadhan, let’s focus on deeds that can build our taqwa. Let’s not just have a ‘capitalistic’ “KPI-driven” quantitative approach to our good deeds – recite superfast Qur’an, or conduct super fast 20-rakaah taraweeh – how can this ever develop our taqwa?
When you recite, recite with tadabbur, with understanding, with genuine sincerity of wanting to understand the words of Allah. When you pray, pray with the consciousness that perhaps this may be your last prayer, and that this is your private time with Allah, Lord of the Universe. When you deal good with others, deal with them with the consciousness, that you want to earn the love of Allah, as our good akhlaq is something pleasing to Allah.

We want to develop ourselves spiritually in such a way that, after Ramadhan, our souls and hearts are ready to defeat the whisperings and temptations of Shaytan when they are released from their imprisonment after Ramadhan.

May Allah grant us a blessed Ramadhan, and may He make us amongst the Muttaqun (people of Taqwa), and may He grant us steadfastness to strive for the best Ramadhan of our lives that He is Pleased with. Amin

Mencari Kemanisan Dalam Solat

Allah berfirman:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨﴾

“orang-orang yang beriman dan hati mereka manjadi tenteram dengan mengingat Allah. Ketahuilah, hanya dengan mengingati (dzikr) Allah-lah hati menjadi tenteram.” (Surah ar-Ra’d 13:28)

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ﴿١٤﴾

“Sesungguhnya Aku ini adalah Allah, tidak ada Tuhan (yang hak) selain Aku, maka sembahlah Aku dan dirikanlah solat untuk Peringatan (dzikr) kepadaKu” (Surah Ta-Ha 20:14)

… adakah hati kita menjadi tenteram apabila mengingati Allah? Sudahkah kita merasai kemanisan dalam ibadah?

Rasulullah (ﷺ) bersabda:

"‏ حُبِّبَ إِلَىَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ وَجُعِلَ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏

“Perempuan (isteri-isteriku) dan wangi-wangian adalah yang paling aku sukai dalam perkara-perkara dunia, tetapi penyejuk hatiku adalah solat”

(Sunan An-Nasa’i, hasan)

"‏ يَا بِلاَلُ أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ أَرِحْنَا بِهَا ‏"

“Wahai Bilal! Berilah iqamat untuk solat; tenangkan kami dengannya” - give us comfort by it.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, disahihkan oleh Al-Albani)

Bagaimana dapat kita jadikan solat sebagai ketenangan? Kemanisan?

Ibn Sireen (rahimahullah) berkata:

جاهدت نفسي اربعين سنة , حتى أرتاح في الصلاة

“Aku telah berjihad dengan diriku (hawa nafsuku) sendiri selamat 40 tahun – sehinggalah solat menjadi ketenangan bagiku”

1) Meninggalkan Dosa / Taubat

Kata imam ash-Shafi’ee (rahimahullah)

شَكَوْتُ إلَى وَكِيعٍ سُوءَ حِفْظِي – Aku telah mengadu kepada Wakee’ tentang keburukan hafazanku;

فَأرْشَدَنِي إلَى تَرْكِ المعَاصي – kemudian dia menyarankan aku untuk meninggalkan dosa;

وَأخْبَرَنِي بأَنَّ العِلْمَ نُورٌ – dan mengkhabarkan kepadaku bahawa ilmu itulah nur (cahaya);

ونورُ الله لا يهدى لعاصي – dan cahaya Allah tidak akan memberi hidayah kepada seseorang yang (sering) melakukan dosa;

Rasulullah bersabda,

“Apabila seorang mukmin melakukan dosa, satu tompok hitam akan timbul atas hatinya. Apabila dia bertaubat dan meninggalkan perlakuan dosa itu, dan meminta ampun kepada Allah, hatinya akan menjadi bersih semula.

Tetapi apabila dosa itu sentiasa meningkat, (bintik-bintik hitam) itu bertambah lagi. Inilah “raan” yang disebutkan oleh Allah dalam Kitab-Nya –

كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿١٤﴾

“Sekali-kali tidak! Bahkan mata hati mereka telah diselaputi kekotoran (‘raan’ - dosa), dengan sebab (amalan keburukan) yang mereka kerjakan.” (Surah Mutaffiffeen 83:14)

(Riwayat Ahmad dan At-Tirmidzi yang menilainya sahih)

Lebih banyak amalan-amalan dosa kita, lebih sukar hati kita untuk menerima nur

أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

“Ketahuilah! Pada setiap tubuh ada segumpal darah; apabila ianya baik, maka baiklah seluruh tubuh tersebut

dan apabila rosak maka rusaklah tubuh tersebut.

Ketahuilah, ia adalah hati".

(Riwayat Al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

2) Memahami Ayat-ayat yang dibaca

"‏ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَنْتُمْ مُوقِنُونَ بِالإِجَابَةِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَجِيبُ دُعَاءً مِنْ قَلْبٍ غَافِلٍ لاَهٍ ‏"

“Berdoalah kepada Allah dengan perasaan yakin bahawa ia akan dijawab (dimakbulkan), dan ketahuilah, bahawa Allah tidak akan menjawab doa daripada hati yang lalai (cuai)”

(Sunan At-Tirmidzi, dinilai hasan lighayrihi oleh Al-Albani)

3) Meninggalkan Perkara yang melalaikan (!!)

Hati kita dicipta untuk Cinta kepada Allah; cinta kepada Mengingati-Nya – apabila hati kita diisi dengan Cinta kepada perkara-perkara lain di dunya, maka akan lemah lah cinta kita kepada Allah.

Hati kita tidak akan kosong à Apabila tiada ruang untuk cinta kepada Allah, maka di situ lah kita tidak merasakan kemanisan dalam ibadah kita – solat, dzikir, doa.

Petua:

من ترك شيئاً لله عوضه الله خيراً منه

“Barangsiapa yang meninggalkan sesuatu demi Allah, maka Allah akan menggantikannya dengan sesuatu yang lebih baik daripadanya”

(Musnad Ahmad)

4) Memburu Pahala Allah

·         Fadhilat amal

·         “attitude” & sikap kita..?

5) Meningkatkan kualiti solat kita

Fokus – peningkatan konsisten à“Amalan yang paling dicintai Allah adalah yang paling konsisten/berterusan, sekalipun ia kecil” (HR Al-Bukhari)

·         Solat awal – Perkata yang paling dicintai Allah (Rw Al-Bukhari)

·         Solat berjemaah – 27 kali ganda pahala (Rw Al-Bukhari)

·         Mengikuti sunnah Rasulullah

·         Solat sunnat

·         Panjangkan solat

·         HAFAL QUR’AN

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا يُحَاسَبُ بِهِ الْعَبْدُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ صَلاَتُهُ فَإِنْ صَلَحَتْ

 فَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ وَأَنْجَحَ وَإِنْ فَسَدَتْ فَقَدْ خَابَ وَخَسِرَ

 Sesungguhnya, perkara  yang pertama kali dihisab bagi seseorang hamba pada hari kiamat dari amal-amalnya ialah solatnya, jikalau solatnya itu adalah baik maka dia termasuk dalam orang yang bahagia lagi beruntung dan jikalau amal solatnya rosak maka dia termasuk orang yang rugi dan tidak beruntung.

(Riwayat Imam al-Tirmidzi dalam Sunannya, Kitab al-Sholaah, no: 378, sahih)

إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّـهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٤٥﴾

“..Sesungguhnya solat itu mencegah dari perbuatan yang keji dan mungkar; dan sesungguhnya mengingati Allah adalah lebih besar (faedahnya dan kesannya); dan (ingatlah) Allah mengetahui akan apa yang kamu kerjakan.”

(Surah Al-Ankabut 29:45)

6) Dzikr

“Mahukah aku khabarkan kepada kalian amalan terbaik, yang paling suci disisi Raja-mu, yang tertinggi dalam darajat, dan lebih baik untukmu daripada membelanjakan emas dan perak (di Jalan Allah), dan bertemu musuh kalian dan membunuh mereka? (Ketahuilah) – dengan dzikr (Peringatan) kepada Allah Ta’ala”

(Riwayat At-Tirmidzi – “hasan”, Muwata imam Malik, http://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/48/8)

Semoga Allah mengurniakan kepada kita semua kemanisan dalam ibadah kepada-Nya

TAQWA

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣﴾

  “Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, diwajibkan atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu agar kamu bertakwa” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183)

Umar bertanya kepada Ubay ibn Ka’ab “Apakah itu taqwa?”

Ubay ibn Ka’ab bertanya kembali kepada Umar, “Pernahkah kau berjalan atas satu jalan yang penuh dengan duri”; Umar menjawab “ya”.

Ubay bertanya kembali “Apakah yang kau lakukan?”

Umar menjawab, “aku akan jalan dengan berhati-hati”

Ubay berkata, “itulah Taqwa”.

وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿١٣٣﴾

“Dan bersegeralah kamu kepada ampunan dari Tuhanmu dan kepada surga yang luasnya seluas langit dan bumi yang disediakan untuk orang-orang yang bertaqwa” (Al-Imran 3:133)

فَاصْبِرْ ۖ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾

“Maka bersabarlah; sesungguhnya kesudahan yang baik adalah bagi orang-orang yang bertakwa.” (Surah Hud 11:49)

Puasa bukan setakat menahan diri daripada lapar dan dahaga; tetapi dengan sengaja menahan diri demi mencari keredhaan Allah.

Secara amnya, semua amalan membentuk taqwa. Antara hikmah mengapa Puasa (terutama pada bulan Ramadhan) meningkatkan tahap taqwa

• “Training” jihad - Menahan diri untuk Allah
• Kurang bergaul
• Lebih masa

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ۚ

“Wahai anak-anak Adam! Sesungguhnya Kami telah menurunkan kepada kamu (bahan-bahan untuk) pakaian menutup aurat kamu, dan pakaian perhiasan; dan pakaian yang berupa taqwa itulah yang sebaik-baiknya.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:26)

وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿١٩٧﴾

“Berbekallah, dan sesungguhnya sebaik-baik bekal adalah takwa dan bertakwalah kepada-Ku hai orang-orang yang berakal.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:197)

Prohibition of Alcohol – A Case Study

Interesting - in 1920, America constitutionally BANNED alcohol on a national scale - in a historical period called "The Prohibition".
As a result of a long fought campaign of some Organizations and Christian groups, who considered alcohol to be America's "National Curse" - the cause of crime, corruption, social problems, and health and hygiene issued across the country.

But this prohibition only lasted 13 years, with the country being in a state which many considered "worse than ever". What happened?

Prohibition resulted in a massive blow on national economy - thousands of jobs lost, entertainment sales and revenue lowered, tax revenue declined, and over $300 million++ expediture required to enforce prohibition.
Interestingly though, this 18th Constitutional Amendment, only banned the "manufacture, sale, distribution" of alcohol - but not the drinking.

So, desparate for alcohol, citizens started brewing their own alcohol at home - bootlegging. An unhealthy toxic process, this resulted in over 1,000 Americans dying every year because of tained liquor.
Due to the increasing 'desparate demand', crime rates greatly increased, paved the way for alcohol smuggling and black market, resulting in the rise of organized crime led by crime lords such as Al Capone.
The lucrative and profitable business eventually also led to rampant corruption amongst police force and government officials; court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point.
Many drinkers eventually switched to opium, marijuana, cocaine, and other dangerous substances which were not as widespread prior to the Prohibition.

In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt ran for presidency with a promise to "End Prohibition" - naturally, he won. So in 1933, it was repealed, as the "National Curse" is once again released.

The "Prohibition" (1920 - 1933), dubbed the "noble experiment", was deemed as a massive failure in the books of history.

Now, contrast this to what happened during the prohibition of alcohol in Madinah.

Prior to the legislations, Arabs have always had a strong attachment to liquor. Since tribal pride was the most important trait of the period of Jahiyliyyah ("Ignorance" - the pre-islamic era), wine and liquor would be the primary 'showcase' of their generosity and tribal strength.

When the message of Islam first came, it didn't ban alcohol outright. In fact, it was done gradually, after the Hijrah to Madinah - 13 years after the First Revelation. And when it achieved ‘total prohibition’ in around 4th year hijrah, how did the Arabs react?
As dramatic as the Americans, perhaps?

Anas ibn Malik, the companion of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) narrated:
“I used to offer alcoholic drinks to the people at the residence of Abu Talha (i.e. my stepfather).
Then the order of prohibiting Alcoholic drinks was revealed:
“O you who believe! Khamr (intoxicants), gambling, and Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam are an abomination of Shaytan’s handiwork. So avoid them (strictly all) that in order that you may be successful”  (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:90)

Then the Prophet ordered somebody to announce it.  Abu Talha said to me, "Go out and investigate what this voice (this announcement ) is."

I went out and (upon confirmation) said, "This is somebody announcing that alcoholic beverages have been prohibited."
Abu Talha said to me, "Go and spill it (i.e. the wine)," Then it (alcoholic drinks) was seen flowing through the streets of Medina.

Then they neither asked about it (alcoholic drinks) NOR RETURNED to it after the news from that man.”

(Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.6, Hadith #141, #144)

The Prophet further clarified the ruling of Alcohol beverages as a whole – “Allah has cursed wine (and all alcoholic beverages and liquor) – the one who drinks it, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who purchases it, the one who produces it, the one for whom it is produced, the one who transports it, and the one to whom it is transported to.”
(Narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud, graded “sahih” by Al-Albani)

They never returned to it.
So let’s compare the two – what happened? What went wrong? What went right?

1. Acceptance.
When alcohol distribution/sale was banned in America, the people could not accept this new legislation – their hearts were too firmly attached to it and many were downright addicted to it, and none of them truly believed the harm or evil that they brought. Prohibition only pushed them to a corner to find illegal or desperate methods to fulfill their needs – crime, drugs, health issues rose on a national scale. 13 years and they couldn’t get it right.

In Madinah, when the legislation came from Allah to ban something which they love, they didn’t question anything – they knew that this was what the Creator deemed best for them. They weren’t biased to reject the ruling because of their desires, because of their ‘justifications’ or intellectual reasonings to bypass the ruling – “God knows best” was a life principle they truly lived by. Madinah never faced any issues of ‘black market’ gangsterisms or corrupt officials at all, nor did they face any health backlash from production of bootlegged alcohol – because the demand was completely severed altoghether. Society problem solved, in an instant.

Lessons learnt - it can’t be achieved if people haven’t attained the correct principles and faith, and recognizing the true value – the benefits and harms – of something. In fact, Aisyah, the wife of the Prophet narrated,
“If the first thing to be revealed was: 'Do not drink alcoholic drinks.' people would have said, 'We will never leave alcoholic drinks,'
Instead, the first verses revealed were verses explaning matters of faith. When the people (truly) embraced Islam (and had faith firmly established in their hearts) – then the verses of legal and illegal matters were revealed”
(Narrated in Al-Bukhari)

When developing society, prioritize the issues of faith and principles - jumping straight into issues of legal and illegal might do more harm than good. A little education goes a long way. Address the cause, not the symptoms.


2. LoopholesIslamic legislation made it very clear that everything associated with the consumption and production of alcohol – even if it’s a matter of transporting or serving it – was completely prohibited. There was no room for loopholes or trickery.

When America legislated the prohibition, however, it only banned the "manufacture, sale, and distribution" of alcohol – but no worries, by law, you can still drink it.
So - what on Earth was the point of banning the manufacture, sale and distribution in the first place?!
Allahu Akbar - 13 centuries after Islamic legislation and the most ‘sophisticated nation in the world’ weren’t able to put their foot down on a comprehensive ruling?

How serious are we when it comes to protecting our people? If we recognize something is truly dangerous or harmful to individuals and society, we should be firm and not introduce potential room for manipulation and eventually defeat the purpose of the legislation in the first place.

The same unfortunately can be said about cigarettes in our country – despite 20 years of “haram” fatwa and constant reminder on health hazards to society – the only progress we had are pictures on the box (which are ignored), and higher taxes (which ironically benefits national tax revenue more than it acts as a deterrant for purchasing it. Seems we are not that serious…?

And Allah Knows Best.

People Can't Be Guided Overnight

Sometimes we might feel frustrated or demotivated when we see our advice and/or da’wah does not bear any fruit; or when people continue to be stubborn or refuse to listen despite our earnest efforts. Especially when it comes to family members.

Some words of advice from Shaykh Uthaymin (rahimahullah):
“Know for sure, that people will not become guided overnight, except for those whom Allah exempts from this general principle. It is the way of Allah that matters come to their completion gradually.
The Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) remained in Makkah for 13 years, inviting the people to Islam, yet his da’wah still did not achieve complete success. The he went and lived in Al-Madinah, and in total, the Religion only became complete 23 years after the Prophet was sent.

Never delude yourself into thinking that people will change overnight. You must tread the path of da’wah with patience and imperturbable determination.

One who is harsh due to the zeal he has for the Religion might end up doing more harm than good. One must have wisdom, placing each matter in its due place, and giving importance to each matter according to its due weight.”
(“The Islamic Awakening”  - Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin)

As the Arabic proverb goes,” if you continue knocking, eventually the door will be opened”
... But if you stop knocking, you’ve knocked off your chances altogether!

Remember: your change didn’t happen overnight either.
“Every righteous person has a past, every sinner has a future”

Because once we give up, we go return into a continuous state of loss..

وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
“(I Swear) By the Time - 
Indeed, man is in a constant state of LOSS;
Except those who have iman, work righteous deeds,
And eagerly advise each other towards the TRUTH,
And eagerly advise each other towards patience.” (Qur’an surah Al-Asr)


فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“.. So BE PATIENT. Surely, the (good) end is for the People of Taqwa (Muttaqun) – the ones with true righteousness and consciousness of Allah” (Qur’an surah Hud 11:49)

A Mothers' Day Message

Today is Mothers' Day. 

But in fact, yesterday was also Mothers' Day. In fact, so is tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. And the day after the day after tomorrow. And next week. And next month. And next 4 months, etc. etc.

If we want to choose a special day to be extraordinarily nice and treat our mothers with the best of love and care, Alhamdulillah - all Praise and Thanks to Allah - we have 365 days in the solar calendar to choose from!

In fact, kindness, respect and love to parents is such a mandatory aspect of Islamic Shari'ah and such a beloved deed to Allah, to the extent that Allah Commanded it immediately after commanding that we worship Him Alone - and the Prophet Muhamad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) described it as the most righteous and beloved deed to Allah, second only to prayer early on time.

So in reality, we need to utilize all 365 days.

Ayuhal Muslimun!

What to implement "Shari'ah"? Start here, by striving to be the best son/daughter – in the same way that our parents strove to be the best mother/father to us.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radhiAllahu anh) asked the Prophet Muhammad :

“Which Deed is most beloved to Allah?”

The Prophet said, “The Prayer (early) at its times”

“And then?”

“To be good and dutiful to your parents”

(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet Muhammad said:

‏"‏ رغم أنف، ثم رغم أنف، ثم رغم أنف من أدرك أبويه عند الكبر، أحدهما أو كليهما، فلم يدخل الجنة‏"‏

"May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced!

May he be disgraced, whose parents, one or both, attain old age during his life time, and he does not enter Jannah (by being dutiful to them)".

(Narrated by Muslim)

A person came to the Prophet and asked, "Who among people is most deserving of my best treatment?"

He said, "Your mother".

He again asked, ''Who next?"

"Your mother", the Prophet replied again.

He asked, "Who next?"

He (the Prophet) said again, "Your mother."

He again asked, "Then who?" Thereupon he said, "Then your father."

(Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿٢٣﴾ وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُلْ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.

And that you treat your parents with the best (of treatment).

If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them; but address them in terms of honour.

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and (pray to Allah, and) say : "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small."

(Surah Isra’ 17:23-24)