Barakah: The Abbyssinian Maid

The Story of Barakah (Umm Aiman)

In the Name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh, May Allāh blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

A Slave Girl

The background of Barakah (radiallāhu`anha) was not known but the young Abyssinian girl was ended up for sale in Makkah. There were many like her, boys and girls, Arabs and non-Arabs, who were captured and brought to the market in the city to be sold as slave. A terrible fate awaited for some who ended up in the hands of cruel masters or mistresses who exploited their labor to the full and treated them with the utmost harshness. Only a few were rather more fortunate who were taken into the homes of more gentle and caring people.

The Maid of Aminah.

This was the case of Barakah (radiallāhu`anha), the young Abyssinian girl. She was saved by the generosity and kindness of Abdullah, the son of Abdul Muttalib. She became the only servant in his household and when he was married to the lady Aminah; she later looked after her affairs.

Two weeks after the couple were married, according to Barakah; Abdullah's father came to their house and instructed his son to go with a trading caravan that was leaving for Syria. Aminah was deeply distressed and cried: "How strange! How strange! How can my husband go on a trading journey to Syria while I am yet a bride and the traces of henna are still on my hands?"

Abdullah's departure was heartbreaking. In her anguish, Aminah fainted. Soon after he left, Barakah (radiallāhu`anha) said: "When I saw Aminah unconscious, I shouted in distress and pain: 'O my lady!' Aminah opened her eyes and looked at me with tears streaming down her face. Suppressing a groan she said: "Take me to bed, Barakah." "Aminah stayed bedridden for a sometime. She spoke to no one. Neither did she look at anyone who visited her except Abdul Muttalib, that noble and gentle old man. "

Two months after the departure of Abdullah, Aminah called me at dawn one morning and, her face beaming with joy, she said to me: "O Barakah! I have seen a strange dream." "Is it something good, my lady!" I said. "I saw lights coming from my abdomen lighting up the mountains, the hills and the valleys around Makkah." "Do you feel pregnant, my lady?" "Yes, Barakah," she replied. "But I do not feel any discomfort as other women feel." "You shall give birth to a blessed child who will bring goodness!" I said.

As Abdullah was away, Aminah remained sad and melancholic. Barakah stayed at her side trying to comfort her and make her cheerful by talking to her and relating stories.

Aminah however became even more distressed when Abdul Muttalib came and told her she had to leave her home and go to the mountains as other Makkans had done because of an impending attack on the city by the ruler of Yemen, someone called Abrahah. Aminah told him that she was too grief-stricken and weak to leave for the mountains but insisted that Abrahah could never enter Makkah and destroy the Ka’abah because it was protected by the Lord. Abdul Muttalib became very agitated but there was no sign of fear on Aminah's face. She was confidence that the Ka’abah would not be harmed was well-founded.

As she believed Abrahah's army with an elephant in the vanguard was destroyed before it could enter Makkah.

Day and night, Barakah stayed closed to Aminah. She said: "I slept at the foot of her bed and heard her groans at night as she called for her absent husband. Her moans would awaken me and I would try to comfort her and give her courage."

The first part of the caravan from Syria returned and was joyously welcomed by the trading families of Makkah. Barakah went secretly to the house of Abdul Muttalib to find out about Abdullah but had no news of him. She went back to Aminah but did not tell her what she had seen or heard in order not to distress her. The entire caravan eventually returned but not with Abdullah.

Later, Barakah was at Abdul Muttalib's house when news came from Yathrib that Abdullah had died. She said: "I screamed when I heard the news. I don't know what I did after that except that I ran home shouting, lamenting for the absent one who would never return, lamenting for the beloved one for whom we waited so long, lamenting for the most beautiful youth of Makkah, for Abdullah, the pride of the Quraish.

"When Aminah heard the painful news, she fainted and I stayed by her bedside while she was in a state between life and death. There was no one else but me in Aminah's house. I nursed her and looked after her during the day and through the long nights until she gave birth to her child, "Muhammad", on a night in which the heavens were resplendent with the light of God."

When Muhammad was born, Barakah was the first to hold him in her arms. His grandfather came and took him to the Ka’bah and with all Makkah, celebrated his birth. Barakah stayed with Aminah while Muhammad was sent to the bādiyah with the lady Halimah who looked after him in the bracing atmosphere of the open desert.

At the end of five years, he was brought back to Makkah and Aminah received him with tenderness and love and Barakah welcomed him "with joy, longing and admiration".

Barakah accompanied Aminah To Yathrib

When Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) was six years old, his mother decided to visit the grave of her husband, Abdullah, in Yathrib. Both Barakah and Abdul Muttalib tried to dissuade her. Aminah however was determined. So one morning they set off Aminah, Muhammad and Barakah huddled together in a small hawdaj mounted on a large camel, part of a huge caravan that was going to Syria. In order to shield the tender child from any pain and worry, Aminah did not tell Muhammad that she was going to visit the grave of his father. The caravan went at a brisk pace. Barakah tried to console Aminah for her son's sake and much of the time the boy Muhammad slept with his arms around Barakah's neck.

The caravan took ten days to reach Yathrib. The boy Muhammad was left with his maternal uncles of the Banu Najjar while Aminah went to visit the grave of Abdullah. Each day for a few weeks she stayed at the grave. She was consumed by grief.

On the way back to Makkah, Aminah became seriously ill with fever. Halfway between Yathrib and Makkah, at a place called Al-Abwa, they stopped. Aminah's health deteriorated rapidly. One pitch dark night, she was running a high temperature. The fever had got to her head and she called out to Barakah in a choking voice. Barakah related: "She whispered in my ear: 'O Barakah, I shall be departing from this world shortly. I commend my son Muhammad to your care. He lost his father while he was in my abdomen. Here he is now, losing his mother under his very eyes. Be a mother to him, Barakah. And don't ever leave him.' "My heart was shattered and I began to sob and wail. The child was distressed by my wailing and began to weep. He threw himself into his mother's arms and held tightly onto her neck. She gave one last moan and then was forever silent." Barakah wept. She wept bitterly.

The Death of Aminah

With her own hands she dug a grave in the sand and buried Aminah, moistening the grave with whatever tears were left in her heart.

Barakah returned with the orphan child, Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) to Makkah and placed him in the care of his grandfather. She stayed at his house to look after him. When Abdul Muttalib died two years later, she went with the child to the house of his uncle Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib and continued to look after his needs until he was grown up and married the lady Khadijah.

Barakah then stayed with Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) and Khadijah (radiallahu’anha) in a house belonging to Khadijah. "I never left him and he never left me," she said.

Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) Called Barakah My Mother

One day Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), called out to her and said: "Ya Ummah!" (He always called her "Mother".) "Now I am a married man, and you are still unmarried. What do you think if someone should come now and ask to marry you?" Barakah looked at Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) and said: "I shall never leave you. Does a mother abandon her son?" Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) smiled and kissed her head. He looked at his wife Khadijah and said to her: "This is Barakah. This is my mother after my own mother. She is the rest of my family."

Barakah Married Ubaid Ibn Zaid.

Barakah looked at the lady Khadijah who said to her: "Barakah, you have sacrificed your youth for the sake of Muhammad. Now he wants to pay back some of his obligations to you. For my sake and his, agree to be married before old age overtakes you." "Whom shall I marry, my lady?" asked Barakah. "There is here now Ubaid ibn Zaid from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib. He has come to us seeking your hand in marriage. For my sake, don't refuse." Barakah agreed. She married Ubaid ibn Zaid and went with him to Yathrib. There she gave birth to a son whom she called Aiman and from that time onwards people called her "Umm Aiman" the mother of Aiman.

Her marriage however did not last very long. Her husband died and she returned once more to Makkah to live with her "son" Muhammad in the house of the lady Khadijah. Living in the same household at the time were Ali ibn Abi Talib, Hind (Khadijah's daughter by her first husband), and Zaid ibn Harithah.

Zaid was an Arab from the tribe of Kalb who was captured as a boy and brought to Makkah to be sold in the slave market. He was bought by Khadijah's nephew and put in her service. In Khadijah's household, Zaid became attached to Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) and devoted himself to his service. Their relationship was like that of a son to a father. Indeed when Zaid's father came to Makkah in search of him, Zaid was given the choice by Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) of either going with his father or staying with him. Zaid's reply to his father was: "I shall never leave this man. He has treated me nobly, as a father would treat his son. Not a single day has I felt that I am a slave. He has looked after me well. He is kind and loving towards me and strives for my enjoyment and happiness. He is the most noble of men and the greatest person in creation. How can I leave him and go with you? I shall never leave him." Later, in public Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) proclaimed the freedom of Zaid. However, Zaid continued to live with him as part of his household and devoted himself to his service.

When Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) was blessed with Prophethood, Barakah and Zaid were among the first to accept the message he proclaimed. They bore with the early Muslims the persecution which the Quraish meted out to them.

Barakah and Zaid performed invaluable services to the mission of the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam). They acted as part of an intelligence service exposing themselves to the persecution and punishment of the Quraish and risking their lives to gain information on the plans and conspiracies of the mushrikin. One night the mushrikun blocked off the roads leading to the House of Al-Arqam where the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) gathered his companions regularly to instruct them in the teachings of Islam. Barakah had some urgent information from Khadijah which had to be conveyed to the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam). She risked her life trying to reach the House of Al-Arqam.

Barakah Marriage to Zaid ibn Harithah

When she arrived and conveyed the message to the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), he smiled and said to her: "You are blessed, Umm Aiman. Surely you have a place in Paradise." When Umm Aiman left, the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) looked at his companions and asked: "Should one of you desire to marry a woman from the people of Paradise, let him marry Umm Aiman." Ali the companions remained silent and did not utter a word. Umm Aiman was neither beautiful nor attractive. She was by now about fifty years old and looked rather frail.

Zaid ibn Al-Harithah (radiallāhu`anhu) however came forward and said: "Messenger of Allah, I shall marry Umm Aiman. By Allah, she is better than women who have grace and beauty."

Zaid and Umm Aiman were married and were blessed with a son whom they named Usamah ibn Zaid(radiallāhu`anhu). The Prophet, (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), loved Usamah as his own son. Often he played with him, kissed him and fed him with his own hands. The Muslims would say: "He is the beloved son of the beloved." From an early age Usamah ibn Zaid (radiallāhu`anhu) distinguished himself in the service of lslam, and was later given weighty responsibilities by the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam).

When the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) migrated to Yathrib, henceforth to be known as Al-Madinah, he left Umm Aiman behind in Makkah to look after certain special affairs in his household. Eventually she migrated to Madinah on her own. She made the long and difficult journey through the desert and mountainous terrain on foot. The heat was killing and sandstorms obscured the way but she persisted, borne along by her deep love and attachment for Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam).

When she reached Madinah, her feet were sore and swollen and her face was covered with sand and dust. "Ya Umm Aiman! Ya Ummi! (O Umm Aiman! O my mother!) Indeed for you is a place in Paradise!" exclaimed the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), when he saw her. He wiped her face and eyes, massaged her feet and rubbed her shoulders with his kind and gentle hands.

At Madinah, Umm Aiman (radiallāhu`anha) played her full part in the affairs of the Muslims. At Uhud she distributed water to the thirsty and tended the wounded. She accompanied the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), on some expeditions, to Khaibar and Hunain for example. Her son Aiman ibn Ubaid(radiallāhu`anhu) , a devoted companion of the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), was martyred at Hunain in the eighth year after the Hijrah. Barakah's husband, Zaid ibn Harithah(radiallāhu`anhu), was killed at the Battle of Mutah in Syria after a lifetime of distinguished service to the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), and Islam. Barakah at this time was about seventy years old and spent much of her time at home. The Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam),, accompanied by Abu Bakar As-Siddiq and Umar Al-Khattab (radiallāhu`anhum) often visited her and asked: "Ya Ummi! Are you well?" and she would reply: "I am well, O Messenger of Allah so long as Islam is."

After the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) had died, Barakah (radiallāhu`anha) would often be found with tears in her eyes. She was once asked, "Why are you crying?" and she replied: "By Allah, I knew that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) would die but I cry now because the revelation from on high has come to an end for us."

Barakah (radiallāhu`anha) was unique in that she was the only one who was so close to the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), throughout his life from birth till death. Her life was one of selfless service in the Prophet's (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), household. She remained deeply devoted to the person of the noble, gentle and caring Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam). Above all, her devotion to the religion of Islam was strong and unshakable. She died during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan(radiallāhu`anhu). Her roots were unknown but her place in Paradise was assured.

[Via Ummnurah]

Siti Khadijah Binti Khuwailid.

Siti Khadijah Binti Khuwailid.

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and Thanks are due to Allāh, the Lord of the al-ā’lamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger.

Description: Lady Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) was the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam). Prophet Mohammad (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) was twenty-five, while Khadijah had reached her forty. She was a widow and twice married. He was at the peak of his youth. Impressed by Muhammad’s honesty and moral character, she sends a relative to propose marriage. They were married for twenty five years until her death.

The Mother of the Believers

She was the first person to embrace Islam. Through every persecution, Khadijah binti Khuwailid (radiallāhu`anha) was his sole companion and helper. Khadijah played a major contribution in the establishment and spread of the Islamic civilization. All his children were born from her, except Ibrahim. ‘Aishah(radiallāhu`anha) said: “I never felt jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet  (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) as I did of Khadijah, although she died before he married me, because of what I heard him say about her.”

Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) came from a noble family, her father, Khuwailid, was one of the most honoured leaders of their tribe. Her husband had also died, leaving her as a very wealthy woman of Makkah. When Muhammad was young, she entrusted him to trade missions to Syria. Muhammad known for his honesty, truthfulness and trustworthiness, returned from Syria with large profit. Impressed with the account of his journey, she soon decided to propose him as her husband. Many eminent nobles of the Quraish had proposed to her earlier but she turned them down. Muhammad and Khadijah were married when Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib gave his blessing.

For fifteen years, they lived together happily and Khadijah bore several children. Their first child, a son whom they named Qāsim, died when he was only two years old. Abdullah too died in the infancy. Muhammad and Khadijah also had four daughters who survived: Zainab, Ruqaiyah, Umm Kalthum and Fatimah. Khadijah has a daughter, Hind, from her previous marriage. In their household there was also Zaid ibn Harithah (radiallāhu`anhu). Zaid was an Arab from the tribe of Kalb who was captured as a boy and brought to Makkah to be sold in the slave market. He was bought by Khadijah's nephew and put in her service. Zaid became attached to Muhammad and devoted himself to his service. Their relationship was like that of a son to a father.

The more Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) came to know about her husband, the more she loved and respected him. Everyone in Makkah called him 'Al-Amin', which means 'the trustworthy one', and she, more than anyone else, knew how fitting this name.

It became Muhammad's custom each year to spend the month of Ramadhān in seclusion and reflection in a Mountain on the outskirts of Makkah. One his favorite retreat is the Cave of Hira’ on the Jabal Nur', which is. Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) always made sure that he had enough food particularly Sawiq, and drink during his retreat. This was until that day came, when Muhammad returned home trembling with fear saying:

"Cover me! Cover me!"

Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam): was swarmed with the trauma, Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) consoled him put him to sleep on her laps. When he recovered Muhammad then he related to his wife:

"While I was in the cave, the angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to me and said: 'Recite.' I replied: 'I cannot recite'. So he took me and embraced me tightly, then let me go and repeated the order: ‘Recite.’ ‘I cannot recite, ‘I said, and once again he embraced me till I was exhausted then released me. Then he ordered once more: ‘Recite.’ I proclaimed: ‘I cannot recite!’ He embraced me for a third time and after releasing me said:

"Recite in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Recite and your Lord is the most Generous." [Al-'Alaq: 96:1-3]

Then I went out until I was at the mountain, I heard a sound coming from the sky saying: 'O Muhammad! You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril.' So I raised my head up to see, and I saw Jibril spreading his wings throughout the horizon saying: 'O Muhammad! You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril." Then I stopped in my place, gazing, and did not walk forward or backward until he went away. And here I am, O mother of 'Abdullah (Khadijah)!"

Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) said to the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam): "O father of Al-Qasim! I sent some of my messengers to look for you and they looked everywhere and did not find you, then they returned." Then she smiled and said: "Cheer up, my dear husband; for I hope that you are the prophet of this nation. Allah will never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress."

After that, she went with the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) to meet her cousin, Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin 'Abd Al-'Uzza, who had embraced Christianity in the pre-Islamic period and used to write the Bible in Hebrew. He was elderly and had become blind.

Khadijah (radiallāhu`anhu) said: "O My cousin! Listen to your nephew!" Waraqah enquired: "O my nephew! What did you see?" The Messenger of Allah told him what had happened to him. Waraqah replied, "This is the Namus (i.e., the Angel who is entrusted with the Divine messages) that Allah sent to Musa (Moses). I wish I were younger. I wish I could live to the time when your people will drive you out."

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) asked: "Will they drive me out?"

Waraqah answered in the affirmative and said: "Anyone who had come with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility, and if I should live to that day, then I would strongly support you."

This hadith is related in both of the two most authentic collections of the Prophet's traditions prepared by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, and also related by Imām Ahmad in his collection.

At-Tabāri also relates the following hadith, on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Al-Zubair (radiallāhu`anhu):

The Prophet (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam)  said: "While I was asleep he came to me carrying a case of a very rich material in which there was a book. He said: "Read". I replied: "I am not a reader." He pressed me so hard that I felt that I was about to die. Then he released me and said, 'read'. I asked: 'What shall I read?' (I said this only out of fear that he might repeat what he had done to me before.) He said: 'Read: in the name of your Lord who created. It is He who created man from clots of blood. Read! Your Lord is the Most Bounteous, who has taught the use of the pen. He has taught man what he did not know.' I read it. He stopped. Then he left me and went away. I woke up feeling that it was actually written in my heart."

The Prophet (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) went on to say: "No man was ever more loathsome to me than poets or deranged persons. I could not bear even looking at either.

I thought: 'The man [meaning himself] is undoubtedly a poet or deranged. This shall not be said about me amongst the Quraish. Let me climb higher up the mountain and throw myself down and get rid of it all.

I went to carry out this intention. When I was halfway up the mountain, I heard a voice coming from the heavens saying: 'Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God and I am Gabriel.' I raised my head up to the sky and I saw Gabriel in the image of a man with his feet next to one another up on the horizon.

He said again: 'Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God and I am Gabriel.' I stood in my place looking up at him; he distracted me from my intention. I was standing there unable to move.

I tried to turn my face away from him and to look up at the sky, but wherever I looked I saw him in front of me. I stood still, moving neither forward nor backward.

Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) sent her messengers looking for me and I remained standing in my place all the while until they went back to her. He then left me and I went back to my family." (At-Tabarani)

Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) was a constant source of help and comfort for him through the difficulties which he had to endure. All her wealth was spent in the way of Allah in helping to spread the Message of Islam, to free slaves who had embraced Islam, and to feed and shelter the community of Muslims that slowly began to grow in numbers and strength.

After a great deal of hard work and sincere effort, Khadijah(radiallāhu`anha)  reached a high level and an exalted position amongst the Muslims. It was related by Abu Hurairah (radiallāhu`anhu) that on one occasion when Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha) was still alive, Jibril came to the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) and said:

"O Messenger of Allah! Khadijah is coming with a bowl of soup [or food or drink] for you. When she comes to you, give her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a Palace of Jewels in the Garden, where there will be neither any noise nor any tiredness."
'Ali bin Abu Talib (radiallāhu`anhu) narrated that the Allah's Messenger (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "The best of the world's women is Maryam [Mary] in her lifetime. The best of the world's women is Khadijah [in her lifetime]."

Khadijah (radiallāhu`anha)  lived as an honorable, free woman and died as a merciful believing woman, for the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said after her death: "Allah has not blessed me with a woman like Khadijah: she believed in me at a time when people were disbelievers; she comforted me by her money at a time when people prohibited me; and Allah has blessed me with children from her, amongst all of my wives."

Wallahu’alam

[ Via Ummnurah]

The Ability To See The Signs Of God.

Harun Yahya

Say: "Praise be to God. He will show you His Signs and you will recognize them. Your Lord is not heedless of anything you do." (Surah an-Naml: 93)

In today's society, people assess the Qur'an very differently from what is the real purpose of its revelation. In the Islamic world, in general, very few people know the contents of the Qur'an.

Some Muslim people often hang the Qur'an on the walls of their houses within a decorative cover and elderly people read it from time to time. They assume that the Qur'an protects those who read it from "misfortune and trouble". According to this superstition, they consider the Qur'an a sort of amulet against misfortunes.

The Qur'anic verses, however, inform us that the purpose of the Qur'an's revelation is entirely different from what is mentioned above. For instance, in the 52nd verse of Surah Ibrahim, God states: "This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they can be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence will pay heed." In many other verses, God emphasizes that one of the most crucial purposes of the Qur'an's revelation is to invite people to ponder.

In the Qur'an, God invites people to reject blindly accepting the beliefs and values society imposes on them and to ponder by pushing aside all the prejudices, taboos and constraints on their minds.

Man must think on how he came into being, what the purpose of his life is, why he will die and what awaits him after death. He must question how he himself and the whole universe came into existence and how they continue to exist. While doing this, he must relieve himself of all constraints and prejudices.

By thinking, while isolating his conscience from all social, ideological and psychological obligations, the person should eventually perceive that the entire universe, including himself, is created by a superior power. Even when he examines his own body or any other thing in nature, he will see an impressive harmony, plan and wisdom at work within its design.

At this point again, the Qur'an guides man. In the Qur'an, God guides us as to what we should reflect on and investigate. With the methods of reflection given in the Qur'an, he who has faith in God will better perceive God's perfection, eternal wisdom, knowledge and power in His creation. When a believing person starts to think in the way shown in the Qur'an, he soon realizes that the whole universe is a sign of God's power and art, and that, "nature is a work of art, not the artist itself". Every work of art exhibits the exceptional skills of the one who has made it and conveys his messages.

In the Qur'an, people are summoned to contemplate numerous events and objects that clearly testify to the existence and uniqueness of God and His attributes. In the Qur'an, all these beings that bear witness are designated as "signs", meaning "tested evidence, absolute knowledge and expression of truth". Therefore, the signs of God comprise all the beings in the universe that disclose and communicate the being and attributes of God. Those who can observe and remember will see that the entire universe is only composed of the signs of God.

This, indeed, is the responsibility of mankind; to be able to see the signs of God... Thus, such a person will come to know the Creator who created him and all other things, draw closer to Him, discover the meaning of his existence and his life and so prosper.

Each thing, the breaths a human takes, political and social developments; the cosmic harmony in the universe, the atom, which is one of the smallest pieces of matter, is each a sign of God and they all operate under His control and knowledge, abiding by His laws. Recognizing and knowing the signs of God calls for personal effort. Everyone will recognize and know the signs of God in accordance with his own wisdom and conscience.

Undoubtedly, some guidelines may also help. As the first step, one can investigate certain points stressed in the Qur'an in order to acquire the mentality that perceives the whole universe as an articulation of the things created by God.

God's signs in nature are emphasized in Surat an-Nahl:

It is He who sends down water from the sky. From it you drink and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. And by it He makes crops grow for you and olives and dates and grapes and fruit of every kind. . There is certainly a sign in that for people who reflect. He has made the night and the day subservient to you, and the sun, the moon and the stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly signs in that for people who use their intellect. And also the things of varying colors He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed. It is He who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships cleaving through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that perhaps you may show thanks. He cast firmly embedded mountains on the earth so it would not move under you, and rivers and pathways so that perhaps you might be guided, and landmarks. And they are guided by the stars. Is He Who creates like him who does not create? So will you not pay heed? (Surat an-Nahl: 10-17)

In the Qur'an, God invites men of understanding to think about the issues which other people overlook, or just dismiss using such barren terms as "evolution", "coincidence", or "a miracle of nature".

In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are Signs for people of intelligence: those who remember God standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You did not create this for nothing. Glory be to You! So guard us from the punishment of the Fire. (Surah Ali-'Imran: 190-191)

As we see in these verses, people of understanding see the signs of God and try to comprehend His eternal knowledge, power and art by remembering and reflecting on them, for God's knowledge is limitless, and His creation flawless.

For men of understanding, everything around them is a sign of this creation.

®srikandeh

Pondering On The Signs Of God

Harun Yahya

In the Qur'an, it is stated that the unbeliever is one who neither recognizes nor appreciates the signs of God. The distinguishing mark of a believer is his ability to see those signs and proofs. He knows that these are not created in vain, and can realize the power and great art of God everywhere and find ways to revere Him. He is one of those men of sense, who "celebrate the praises of God, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (and say): 'Our Lord! Not for naught have You created (all) this! Glory be to You! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.' “(Surah Ali-'Imran 3:191)

At various points in the Qur'an, expressions like, "will you not take heed?", "...there is a sign for thinking men," lay stress on the importance of pondering upon the signs of God. God has created an endless list of subjects for reflection.

Everything we see and sense in the heavens and on the earth and in between is indeed a manifestation of God's creativity and, as such should be food for thought. One of the verses gives the example of these divine blessing of God:

"With it He produces for you corn, olives, date palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily, in this is a sign for those who give thought." (Surah An-Nahl, 16:11)

Let us think for a moment of one of the above mentioned items: the date palm. The tree, as is well known, grows up from a seed out of the earth. From a tiny seed (a seed is not even 1 cubic centimeter in size), arises an enormous wooden mass of 4-5 meters long and hundreds of kilograms in weight. The only thing that the seed can use while constituting this great mass is the earth in which it is buried.

How can a seed know how to form a tree? How can it "reason" to decompose the necessary substances in the soil to create wood? How can it predict the required shape and structure? This last question is especially important, because it is not an ordinary wooden piece that emerges from the seed. It is a complex living organism with roots for assimilating substances from the earth, with veins and with branches that are perfectly organized. A human being has difficulty in drawing even a picture of a tree, while on the contrary a simple seed can produce such an extremely complex object by merely using the substances in the soil.

This observation concludes that a seed is extremely intelligent and wise, even more so than we are. Or to be more precise, there is an amazing intelligence in what a seed does. But what is the source of that intelligence? How can it be possible for a seed to have such intelligence and memory?

No doubt, this question has a single answer: the seed is created by being endowed with the ability to form a tree, that is, it is programmed so in advance. Every seed on earth is encompassed by God and grows within His knowledge. In one of the verses it is stated:

"With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear." (Surah An’ am, 6:59)

It is God who creates the seed and causes it to spring forth as a new plant. In another verse it is said:

"It is God Who causes the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causes the living to issue from the dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue from the living. That is God: then how are you deluded away from the truth?" (Surah An’ am, 6:95)

The seed is merely one of the numerous signs that God has created in the universe. If men begin to think not only with their minds but also with their hearts, and ask of themselves, the questions "why" and "how", they will be able to understand that entire universe is the proof of the existence and power of God.

®srikandeh

Supreme Blessing for All Muslims

Adil Salahi

Every Muslim who has reasonable knowledge of his religion knows that being a believer in Islam represents a great blessing from Allah SWT. Islam is a religion that gratifies human nature in the best way it can be gratified. It seeks to establish perfect harmony between man’s life in this world and the universe around him. Thus a Muslim does not see himself in conflict with nature, and does not feel his main task to be the conquering of nature. Indeed he looks at natural forces as friendly forces, created and set into operation by God to ensure a good balance in the universe. They serve human life, making it possible for human existence to continue and progress.

Islam also establishes a mode of human life that ensures that the best qualities of man will flourish and achieve their best results. When a Muslim compares his life under Islam and human life under other systems or religions he finds the gulf too wide to imagine.

This gulf is best described by Jaafar ibn Abu Talib, the Prophet’s cousin, who explained to Negus, the king of Abyssinia, the teachings of Islam and the reasons for the opposition and persecution the new Muslims had to endure from their people, the Quraish.

Jaafar said: “In our recent past we were ignorant people: we worshipped idols, ate carrion, committed all sorts of sins, attached little value to maintaining good relations with our kinsfolk and behaved badly to our neighbors. Our overruling maxim was that might was right. This continued to be our situation until God sent us, from among ourselves, a Messenger whose good name, honesty, sincerity and integrity were well known to us. He called on us to believe in God, the one and only God, and to stop worshipping all idols, which we and our forefathers used to worship alongside Him. He commanded us always to speak the truth and be honest, to be good to our relatives and neighbors, to preserve life and shed no blood, to refrain from sin, perjury, robbing the property of orphans entrusted to our care, and making false accusations against honorable women. He also commanded us to devote our worship to God alone, ascribing to Him no partners of any sort. He further commanded us to pray regularly, to give away certain purifying alms and to fast, etc. We gave him a favorable response, believed in him and gave him our full support. We followed these Divine commandments he conveyed to us. We began to worship God alone, refraining from what He forbade us and accepting what He made lawful for us. Our people, however, assaulted us and subjected us to physical torture to compel us to revert to idolatrous worship and to indulge in the sinful practices we used to indulge in. Having been overpowered, oppressed and denied the freedom to choose our faith and practice it, we sought refuge in your country, choosing you in preference to all other rulers, hoping that in your refuge we would suffer no injustice.”

Negus immediately recognized the truth of Jaafar’s statement and guaranteed that the Muslims would stay in his kingdom unmolested and unharmed.

When human life is set on the basis Jaafar outlines in his superb presentation, it represents a great blessing indeed. Yet this marked difference between Islamic life and life under other systems is not the only blessing Muslims enjoy as a result of believing in Islam.

Ibn Abbas quotes the Prophet SAW as saying: “’Anyone of my community who suffers the death of two of his children, God will admit him into heaven.’ Lady Aishah asked: ‘What about a person of your community who suffers the death of one child?’ He said: ‘May you be granted success! This applies to them as well.’ She asked: ‘What about the ones who do not suffer the death of any children?’ He said: ‘I am the one whose death they suffer. Indeed they will never suffer the death of anyone like me.’” [Related by Ahmad, At-Tirmidzi and Al-Baghawi.]

The Prophet SAW teaches us in this Hadith to accept whatever calamity may happen to us. Perhaps no one suffers more grief than loving parents when they lose a child. The Prophet SAW tells such parents that they should not let their grief get the better of them. They should realize that God will reward them richly for their patience in such adversity. When they accept their loss as an act of God’s will, they will be forgiven their sins and are sure to be admitted into heaven.

We note how Aishah continued to question the Prophet SAW about the loss of children when she herself had no children of her own. The Prophet SAW stated first that admission into heaven is certain for anyone who loses two of their children. She asked about the loss of one child and the Prophet SAW confirmed that the same applies to such parents. They need, however, to accept their loss with resignation, knowing that it is God’s willed. When she asks about those who do not suffer such a loss, the Prophet SAW tells her that all Muslims suffer the death of the Prophet, as they lose the guide who always shows them the right way and the guardian who always takes good care of them. He says: “They will never suffer the death of anyone like me.” Who could be like him? Blessed be he in life and in death, and in the life to come.

This is further explained in an authentic Hadith in which Abu Musa Al-Ashari quotes the Prophet SAW as saying: “When God wishes to bestow mercy on a community, he causes their prophet to die and they survive him. Thus He makes their prophet’s death a calamity they suffer with patience and for which they are rewarded. On the other hand, when God wants to destroy a community, He lets His punishment befall them with their Prophet alive, looking at them as they are destroyed. Thus, He will give him the satisfaction of seeing their punishment for denying his message and disobeying his instructions.” [Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and others.]

This Hadith is highly authentic, as it is related by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim, each of whom quoting narrations by a large number of the Prophet’s companions. Thus it aspires to the highest degree of authenticity. Moreover, it is confirmed by what the Qur’an states about the punishment of earlier communities who denied their messengers and refused to accept God’s guidance. The peoples of Ad, Thamud, Lot, Madyan and Pharaoh were all destroyed during the lifetimes of their prophets. By contrast, when the children of Israel accepted Moses’ message, Moses died and they prospered under other prophets, such as David and Solomon, who guided them to implement the divine message given to them. The same applied to Prophet Muhammad SAW and the Muslim community. May it long prosper under the Prophet’s guidance, and may it long implement God’s final message.

®Arab News

Syawal Landasan Silaturahim

Prof Dr Sidek Baba

Fitrah Persaudaraan

Islam adalah agama kesatuan dan jemaah. Tanda orang beriman antara lain ialah binaan asas persaudaraan. Al-Quran menekankan pentingnya jiwa berkenalan supaya wujud rasa prihatin terhadap yang lain.

Rasulullah SAW membayangkan umat Islam itu ibarat suatu binaan, antara satu dengan yang lainnya saling kukuh mengukuh.

Eidilfitri yang diraikan adalah lambang kemenangan bagi manusia untuk kembali kepada fitrah. Fitrah manusia terhadap yang lain asasnya ialah persaudaraan.

Taqwa

Allah SWT ciptakan manusia pada asasnya adalah sama. Yang membezakan seseorang dengan yang lain ialah taqwanya. Taqwa menjadi landasan penting menghubungkan manusia dengan Allah SWT dan menghubungkan manusia sesama manusia.

Tradisi hubungan dengan Allah SWT dan manusia seharusnya menjadi tunjang utama membangunkan umat dan tamadun.

Antara sebab membawa kemunduran umat dan kekalahan dalam perjuangan ialah perpecahan yang wujud.

Ramadhan dilalui dan Syawal yang disambut seharusnya memberikan daya renung cukup bagi umat berfikir pentingnya kasih sayang dan persaudaraan. Yang berbeza biarlah berbeza.

Perbezaan perlu didekati dengan etika yang baik. Tetapi banyak titik persamaan yang belum digilap untuk menyuburkan persefahaman.

Lafaz Takbir

Lafaz takbir dan tahmid bukan hanya pada lidah semata tetapi amat perlu dihayati dalam kehidupan.

Lafaz takbir membesarkan Allah SWT perlu dilihat dalam konteks yang luas. Antara lain, kebesaran Allah SWT itu terlihat pada hambanya yang memiliki rasa jemaah dan kasih sayang yang tinggi hingga wujud umat bersifat sederhana, akhirnya umat contoh dan terbaik.

Ziarah

Semangat Eidilfitri membuka ruang umat Islam melakukan ziarah. Orang dari kota apabila balik ke kampung harus menjadikan ziarah terhadap keluarga, kaum kerabat, sahabat handai, taulan, jiran dan golongan tidak bernasib baik sebagai agenda utama.

Erti kasih sayang dan persaudaraan ialah apabila yang muda mendekati yang tua, anak mendekati keluarga, yang senang mendekati yang susah, yang sihat mendekati yang sakit, yang berada mendekati yang miskin untuk bertanya khabar dan mencari pengertian bahawa kehidupan ini ibarat roda.

Takdir dan nasib seseorang tidak sama. Ada ketika kita sihat dan berada. Di suatu ketika nanti mungkin kita sakit dan tidak berada. Tentunya ziarah dan pengertian daripada orang lain menjadi sesuatu yang amat berharga.

Keinsafan

Ramai kalangan kita lupa akan asal usul. Mulanya kita berasal dari kampung di kalangan keluarga susah. Kita berhijrah dan mendapat kedudukan yang baik dan setengah daripada kita mula lupa akan kampung laman, terlalu individualistik dan kebendaan hingga lupa saudara mara yang susah.

Eidilfitri perlu diisi dengan keinsafan menyantuni yang susah dan tidak bernasib, saling bermaafan, bina tekad dan jiwa baru untuk menjadi umat Islam yang baik, berazam menjadi umat contoh dan akhirnya Ramadhan serta Syawal tahun depan memberi kekuatan baru melanjutkan perjuangan mengawal hawa nafsu membangun jiwa muttaqin.

Orang yang daif apabila diziarahi merasakan kehadirannya dalam hidup ini dihargai. Bayangkan apabila kita tua dan uzur nanti, tinggal terbiar dalam sunyi dan terasing, tanpa ziarah dan prihatin orang lain, begitulah perasaan orang tua dan uzur memerlukan perhatian, belaian dan bisikan dalam menghabiskan sisa hidupnya.

Bayangkan anak yatim apabila diziarahi akan merasakan kesunyiannya terisi, nasibnya diambil tahu dan perasaannya dimengerti. Cetusan ini memberi makna hebat daripada sudut kemanusiaan dan kasih sayang.

Bayangkan juga orang susah dan tidak berada, tinggal di pondok usang, diziarahi dengan rasa ramah dan kasih sayang, akan menimbulkan kesan mendalam pada diri orang yang menziarah dan yang diziarahi.

Ia memberikan kita erti sebenar Eidilfitri yang dirayakan. Kemenangan diterima ialah keupayaan menundukkan hawa nafsu sombong, takbur, tinggi diri, memandang orang miskin sebagai hina, tidak mempedulikan nasib orang lain, merasakan diri segala-gala, menghina orang kampung dan kacang lupakan kulit.

Eidilfitri memberikan kita ruang melakukan ziarah. Sebulan kita merayakannya perlu diisi dengan ziarah. Pada masa lain kita sibuk dengan kerja dan urusan sendiri. Sebulan Syawal perlu dijadikan landasan mengembalikan persaudaraan dan silaturahim, rasa berjauhan didekatkan dengan ziarah. Silap salah yang lalu mendorong rasa kemaafan diberi dan dipinta.

Mendidik Hati

Ramadhan adalah bulan mendidik hati. Syawal harus diterjemahkan dengan watak yang sudah berubah. Dendam kesumat yang ada harus dikikis. Ego yang tinggi harus ditundukkan. Jika Ramadhan dilalui, tarawih dan tadarus dilakukan, perangai tidak berubah, ia tidak memberi makna apa-apa pada diri kerana kita tidak kembali kepada fitrah.

Ramadhan adalah bulan amal yang harus diikuti dengan keinsafan bahawa sebagai manusia kita ada segala-galanya. Ada kebaikan kita lakukan dan ada keburukan yang kita buat terhadap orang lain. Syawal boleh meleraikan kita daripada sifat angkuh dan tinggi diri. Kita tunduk kepada Allah SWT dengan menahan lapar dan dahaga, kita merayakan Syawal tentu dengan niat untuk mohon keampunan kepada-Nya.

Bagaimana dosa kita sesama manusia? Ziarah memberi makna yang besar bagi kita supaya sifat maaf-memaafkan lahir dengan jiwa ikhlas dan insaf. Darinya keluarga bertambah kukuh, masyarakat menjadi teguh dan umat menjadi contoh.

Inilah kekuatan ziarah dalam membina persaudaraan di tengah kealpaan manusia untuk bersyukur terhadap rahmat dan nikmat Allah yang diberikan kepada kita. Moga Allah SWT memberikan keampunan kepada kita semua.

®BH

Believers’ Love For One Another

Believers’ Love For One Another

Harun Yahya.

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-`ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam, is His Messenger

Love is one of the greatest blessings Allah has bestowed on humanity. Allah has created human nature in such a way that a person will take pleasure from loving and being loved, from friendship and from intimacy. Being with people who live by the moral values of the Qur’an, enjoying love and friendship with them, brings a believer greater pleasure than many other blessings. Therefore, the Paradise that Allah has promised to His servants whom He loves and with whom He is well pleased is a place of extraordinary beauty in which true love, friendship and intimacy will be experienced with enormous joy forever.

The information Allah provides about the life of Paradise in the Qur’an, always refers to joy, friendship, love, conversation, pleasing words and peace. Everything that might prove an obstacle to love and friendship has been kept far removed from the people of Paradise.

In Surah Al-A‘raf, 43, Allah has revealed that He will strip away any rancour in the hearts of the companions of Paradise. All vices that might represent an obstacle to love and friendship, such as jealousy, enmity, rivalry, anger, discord and touchiness, will be excluded from Paradise.

One of the main characteristics of Muslims, who have been given the glad tidings of Paradise, is that they love all Muslims who abide by Allah’s messengers, prophets and approval, in this world too. This bond of love and friendship between believers is revealed in these terms in the Qur’an:

Your friend is only Allah and His Messenger and those who believe: those who perform prayer and give the alms, and bow. [Surah Al-Maidah, 55]

The faithful feel closeness to all devout believers who strive to earn Allah’s approval, and adopt them as their friends and guardians. They take great pleasure from being with them under all conditions. They are bound to all Muslims with great loyalty and devotion. This love is not based on any interest, or lineage or race. Money, rank, culture or material values are of no importance to them. They approve of the people of whom they expect Allah to approve; devout believers on the path of Allah are some of His most beloved servants. For that reason, believers also have great love and consideration for one another.

Many verses of the Qur’an refer to the love, attachment, compassion and consideration that believers have for one another. Some of these verses read:

Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not separate. Remember Allah’s blessing to you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by His blessing. You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire and He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided. [Surah Ali-‘Imran, 103]

The believers are brothers, so make peace between your brothers and heed Allah so that hopefully you will gain mercy. [Surah al-Hujurat, 10]

Allah loves those who fight in His Way in ranks like well-built walls. [Surah As-Saff, 4]

In another verse Allah reveals this love among believers thus:

Those who were already settled in the abode [Madinah], and in faith, before they came, love those who have migrated to them and do not find in their hearts any need for what they have been given and prefer them to themselves even if they themselves are needy. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. [Surah Al-Hashr, 9]

Believers regard all the faithful as their brothers. They do not hesitate to make any sacrifice for the good of another believer or to ensure his or her comfort. This conception of love possessed by believers can only be acquired through faith and living by the moral values of the Qur’an.

Allah reveals in one verse that He will bestow love on those who believe and do devout works:

As for those who believe and do right actions, the All-Merciful will bestow His love on them. [Surah Maryam, 96]

Our Prophet (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) as expressed the importance of love and the superior nature of believers who live by true love in one of his hadiths:

"Allah SWT said: 'Those who love one another for My glory, will have minbars of light, and the Prophets and martyrs will wish that they had the same." [Tirmidzi, 4/24, Bab ma ja'a fi al-hubb fi-Allah]

The true source of this love that believers have for one another is their deep love of Allah.Believers whose purpose in the life of this world is to attain the approval, mercy and Paradise of Allah spend their entire lives for Him. As is revealed in the verse “Say: ‘My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds,’” [Surah Al-An‘am, 162].

They aim at attaining His approval in their every deed, in all their behavior. The love of believers, who devote all they have to attaining the good pleasure of Allah, is again for Allah alone. The love of Allah of a believer who knows Allah by all His names, who witnesses His might and greatness at every moment, who feels His mercy, love and compassion throughout his life, is incomparably greater than any other love. Believers’ love for other believers is similarly powerful and deep because it is based on the love of Allah, and they love in order to attain the approval of Allah. Another reason why this love is strong and permanent is because they know that the friendship with the faithful will last forever in the Hereafter.

In the Qur’an Allah has given the moral values of the Prophet Yahya A.S as an example of this sensitivity of believers regarding love:

[We said:] “Yahya, take hold of the Book with vigor.” We gave him judgment while still a child, and affection and purity from Us—he guarded against evil... [Surah Maryam, 12-13]

In the hadiths, our Prophet (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam)  has recalled that the love believers feel for one another is for the approval of Allah:

Whoever loves for Allah's sake, hates for Allah's sake, gives for Allah’s sake and withholds for God's sake has a perfect faith. [Abu Dawud]

There are three qualities whosoever has them will taste the sweetness of Iman: loving Allah and His Messenger above all else, loving someone solely for the sake of Allah, and hating to return to disbelief after Allah has rescued him from it, as much as he would hate being thrown into Hellfire. [Al-Bukhari].

Believers, who have great love of Allah, fear Allah, and make sincere endeavors so that He might approve of them, are auspicious individuals who bring beauty to the world. Due to these superior moral values, they also love the things that Allah has created, feel affection and compassion for them, and wish to protect them and bring them goodness and beauty. Allah has given the glad tidings that in return for this pleasing love stemming from the faith in believers’ hearts and their fear of Allah, and for their sincere loyalty to Him, He will reward them with Paradise, the most beautiful sphere of love and faithfulness.

It is an important religious observance for the faithful to remind one another of the importance of loving Allah and believers. Every believer must strive to live by the love to be experienced in Paradise while still in this world, and they must bind themselves to Allah, our only friend and guardian, and to other believers, with love and devotion.

The Spiritual Strength That Comes From Believers’ Love and Solidarity

What lies behind the attachment of people who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter is generally the importance imputed to worldly values and expectations directed towards worldly interests. By coming together, these people in one sense make a mutual agreement of interests; the parties support one another and thus seek to achieve mutual advantages. The people in that alliance knows that their togetherness is not based on trust or friendship, and that, even though this is not openly stated, the alliance is dependent on a number of conditions.

When the element of either party that provides the other with these advantages is eliminated, the alliance also falls apart. Whether this leaves the other person in difficulties or needing support is of no interest to other. That is because the alliance formed has stemmed solely from a joining of forces and an expectation of benefits. For that reason, when these expectations are removed, it is perfectly natural that the alliance should also fall apart. As revealed by Allah in the verse “Their hostility towards each other is intense. You consider them united but their hearts are scattered wide. That is because they are people who do not use their intellect,” [Surah Al-Hashr, 14] no matter how much those who do not believe may appear to enjoy unity and solidarity, fundamentally they cannot actually be united.

The only force on Earth that can establish true friendship and alliance among human beings is “faith.” With their friendships, believers who fear the Day of Judgment have laid the foundations of a sound alliance that begins in this world and that will continue forever in the Hereafter. They love one another with no expectation of benefit or advantage, out of pure intentions and solely for Allah’s approval, and are one another’s friends for that approval. It is impossible for this bond, based on love of Allah and fear of Allah, to be loosed unless Allah so wills.

Words Of Our Prophet (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam)  Recommending Love

When a man loves his brother for sake of Allah, he should tell him that he loves him. [Abu Dawud]

Give gifts to each other, as this will make you love one another. [Muslim]

Give one another gifts and love one another. Give one another food. This will produce breadth in your daily bread. [Al-Hafiz ibn al-Dayba al-Shaybani, Taysir al-'usul ilaJami al-'usul, vol. 16, p. 239]

The Prophet (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam)  said: “One who is the best of you in good conduct is nearest to me. A believer loves and is loved. There is no good in one who does not love and is not loved." [Imam Ghazali, vol. 2, p. 95]

Two brothers are like two hands one of which clears the dust of the other. [Imam Ghazali, vol.2, p.95]

Do not be angry with each other and do not envy each other and do not turn away from each other, and be slaves of Allah, brothers. [Muwatta, narrated by Anas ibn Malik]

Allah's Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam)  said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection." [Al–Bukhari]

The faithful constitute a great spiritual force with the strength their love for one another for Allah’s approval gives them. As revealed in the words of one verse, “But those who were sure that they were going to meet Allah said, ‘How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah’s permission! Allah is with the steadfast,” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 249], even if they are few in number, with the faith in their hearts they acquire great enthusiasm and will with which to overcome terrible difficulties and troubles. They obtain the assistance and support of Allah because of the moral values they display. As Allah has revealed in the verse, “You shall be uppermost if you are believers,” [Surah Ali-‘Imran, 139], they constitute such a spiritual force that nobody can turn them against one another, and that nobody can break.

Since they sincerely seek Allah’s approval, they never engage in any confusion, disagreement or dispute among themselves. That is because the word of Allah is one; the verses of the Qur’an are clear. Since all believers abide unconditionally by the Qur’an and always act with a view to gaining as much approval from Allah as possible, a great harmony and order ensues. All matters can be easily resolved within a harmonious order. A powerful solidarity is formed because they behave in the light of the moral values of the Qur’an and the interests of believers, even when they conflict with their own interests, and hold their brothers’ desires above their own.

Since believers intend to be one another’s eternal friends in the Hereafter they are bound to one another with a deep love, respect and loyalty. Therefore, they know no rivalry, disagreement or dispute. Due to their fear of and sincere faith in Allah, no matter what difficulties or troubles they may encounter they never fall into defeatism, moral relativism or lack of will. If there is a flaw in one of them, the others will support him with proper moral values and encourage him towards goodness. Since they constantly command one another to perform what is good and to avoid evil, their faith and strength constantly grow.

This spiritual strength possessed by believers, whose objectives, endeavors and prayers are always the same, which stems from faith and love, has been described by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi with the following example: “For just as one of man’s hands cannot compete with the other, neither can one of his eyes criticize the other, nor his tongue object to his ear, nor his heart see his spirit’s faults. Each of his members completes the deficiencies of the others, veils their faults, assists their needs, and helps them out in their duties. Otherwise man’s life would be extinguished, his spirit flee, and his body be dispersed.

Similarly, the components of machinery in a factory cannot compete with one another in rivalry, take precedence over each other, or dominate each other. They cannot spy out one another’s faults and criticize each other, destroy the other’s eagerness for work, and cause them to become idle. They rather assist each other’s motions with all their capacity in order to achieve the common goal; they march towards the aim of their creation in true solidarity and unity. Should even the slightest aggression or desire to dominate interfere, it would throw the factory into confusion, causing it to be without product or result. Then the factory’s owner would demolish the factory entirely.” [Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Twenty-First Flash]

This example given by Bediuzzaman is of great importance with regard to being able to comprehend the union and unity stemming from the love among believers. On account of the sincere love and devotion that stem from their faith, in the same way that the machinery in a factory comes together to constitute a great force, so they acquire an unshakable spiritual strength with their mutual love and devotion.

Your friend is only Allah and His Messenger and those who believe: those who perform prayer and give the alms, and bow. [Surah Al-Maidah, 55]

Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks like well-built walls. [Surah As-Saff, 4]

And Allāh Almighty Knows best.

[Via Harun Yahya]

Ziarah Ikut Tuntutan Syariah

Maznah Daud

Ganjaran Berlipat Ganda

PERGINYA Ramadhan ditangisi mereka yang bertakwa. Untuk mereka yang berjaya menjalani ibadat puasa, Allah SWT menganugerahkan hari raya supaya mereka bergembira meraikan kemenangan melawan hawa nafsu sepanjang bulan puasa.

Pada hari raya, umat Islam lelaki dan perempuan disunatkan mengerjakan solat sunat hari raya secara berjemaah, membanyakkan takbir dan tahmid memuja dan memuji nama Allah SWT. Budaya mulia yang selalu diamalkan ketika Aidilfitri ialah ziarah-menziarahi.

Ziarah bukan sekadar satu warisan, sebaliknya ziarah juga sebahagian daripada ibadat yang sangat besar fadilatnya.

Rasulullah SAW bersabda: "Sesiapa yang menziarahi orang sakit, atau menziarahi saudaranya kerana Allah, dia akan diseru malaikat dengan seruan: Alangkah bagusnya engkau, alangkah bagusnya perjalananmu, sudah tersedia untukmu sebuah rumah di dalam syurga." (Hadis riwayat at-Tirmizi)

Anas meriwayatkan, pada suatu hari Abu Bakar mengajak Umar menziarahi Ummu Aiman kerana Rasulullah SAW sering menziarahinya ketika hayat Baginda. Apabila melihat kedua sahabat itu datang, Ummu Aiman menangis terisak-isak. Mereka bertanya: "Apa yang menyebabkan puan menangis? Tidakkah puan tahu bahawa apa yang ada di sisi Allah itu lebih baik bagi Rasulullah SAW? Beliau menjawab: Bukan saya tidak tahu bahawa apa yang ada di sisi Allah itu lebih baik bagi Rasulullah SAW, tapi yang membuatkan saya menangis ialah wahyu yang sering turun dari langit sudah pun terhenti. Kata-kata itu benar-benar menyentuh hati mereka lalu kedua-duanya turut menangis bersamanya." (Hadis riwayat Muslim)

Hadis di atas menunjukkan Rasulullah SAW dan sahabat mengamalkan budaya ziarah menziarahi serta ganjaran pahala yang sangat besar disediakan Allah SWT untuk hamba-Nya yang menziarahi saudaranya.

Oleh kerana ziarah adalah satu ibadat, maka adab serta syaratnya mesti diketahui dan dipatuhi. Antara adab dan syaratnya ialah:

Betulkan niat.

Niat yang ikhlas adalah rukun pertama setiap ibadat yang dilakukan seseorang Muslim. Tanpa keikhlasan, ibadat tidak diterima.

Abu Hurairah meriwayatkan daripada Nabi SAW bahawasanya seorang lelaki pergi menziarahi saudaranya di sebuah kampung. Allah mengutus malaikat mengekori perjalanannya. Malaikat itu menghampirinya lalu bertanya: "Saudara hendak ke mana? Lelaki itu menjawab: Menziarahi saudara saya yang tinggal di kampung ini. Malaikat bertanya lagi: Apakah saudara mengharapkan apa-apa keuntungan yang diberikannya kepada saudar. Dia menjawab: Tidak. Saya menziarahinya kerana kasihkannya kerana Allah. Malaikat berkata: Sesungguhnya aku adalah malaikat yang diutus Allah untuk memberitahumu sesungguhnya Allah mengasihimu sebagaimana engkau mengasihi saudaramu itu kerana-Nya." (Hadis riwayat Muslim)

Waktu yang sesuai.

Menurut Islam, rumah kediaman adalah hak seseorang yang perlu dihormati. Tuannya mempunyai kebebasan untuk menerima kunjungan tetamu atau sebaliknya.

Firman Allah SWT: "Wahai orang yang beriman, janganlah kamu masuk ke dalam rumah yang bukan rumah kamu, sehingga kamu lebih dulu meminta izin serta memberi salam kepada penghuninya (ahlinya); yang demikian adalah lebih baik bagi kamu, supaya kamu beringat (mematuhi cara dan peraturan yang sopan)." (Surah an-Nur, ayat 27)

Oleh itu sebelum berkunjung, eloklah menghubungi tuan rumah terlebih dulu bertanyakan waktu yang sesuai untuk dikunjungi.

Mulakan dengan salam.

Salam adalah doa pengunjung kepada sahabat yang dikunjung. Kemudian doa itu di balas dengan cara yang lebih baik. Lantaran itu Allah SWT menyatakan apabila kita memasuki rumah hendaklah memberi salam kepada diri sendiri. Ertinya dengan memberi salam kepada tuan rumah, kita akan memperoleh salam darinya.

Firman Allah SWT: "Maka apabila kamu masuk ke rumah, hendaklah kamu memberi salam kepada kamu dengan cara memohon kepada Allah hidup yang berkat lagi baik. Demikianlah Allah menerangkan ayat yang menjelaskan hukum-Nya, supaya kamu memahaminya." (Surah an-Nur, ayat 61)

Rasulullah SAW mengajar cara memberi salam, iaitu dengan berkata: "Assalamualaikum, bolehkah saya masuk." sebanyak tiga kali. Jika tiada jawapan, atau tidak mendapat keizinan, pengunjung hendaklah beredar dengan dada yang lapang tanpa menaruh prasangka terhadap tuan rumah.

Ketika memberi salam pengunjung tidak harus berdiri menghadap pintu, sebaliknya berdirilah dengan memandang ke arah kanan atau kiri. Jika tuan rumah bertanyakan siapa yang datang, pengunjung hendaklah menyatakan nama atau gelarannya. Tidak memadai menjawab 'saya' saja.

Bersalaman.

Apabila bertemu Muslim disunatkan bersalaman atau berjabat tangan. Daripada Al-Barra, Rasulullah SAW bersabda yang bermaksud: "Apabila dua orang Muslim bertemu dan berjabat tangan, diampunkan dosa kedua-duanya sebelum mereka berpisah." (Hadis riwayat Abu Daud)

Harus juga berpelukan jika sahabat atau saudara datang dari jauh.

Aisyah berkata: "Ketika Zaid bin Harithah tiba di Madinah, Rasulullah SAW berada di rumahku. Beliau datang dan mengetuk pintu rumahku. Lalu Rasulullah SAW bangun dan berjalan ke arahnya lantas memeluk dan menciumnya."

Walau bagaimanapun perlu diingat bahawa bersalaman dan berpelukan hanya boleh dilakukan di antara lelaki dengan lelaki dan perempuan dengan perempuan saja.

®BH

Puasa Enam Syawal

Zainudin Hashim

Hadiah Ingatan Nabi Muhammad Pada Umatnya

Nabi Muhammad SAW merupakan Rasul terakhir yang diutus oleh Allah SWT ke muka bumi ini.

Baginda bukan sahaja sibuk dengan tugas utamanya iaitu menyampaikan ajaran Islam daripada Allah SWT kepada umat manusia, malah memiliki sifat-sifat terpuji atau sifat Rabbaniah (ketuhanan dalam diri).

Ini kerana baginda bukan setakat menghubungkan diri dengan Allah (Hablun Minallah) dalam segenap urusan serta tindakannya, malah tidak lupa juga menghubungkan diri dengan manusia sekeliling terutama umatnya (Hablun Minan Nas).

Setiap apa yang diungkapkan oleh baginda, sama ada berupa berita gembira atau berita yang mengancam mereka di akhirat, baginda sentiasa memikirkan agar umatnya mendapat yang terbaik daripada Allah SWT berupa pahala dan ganjaran yang membolehkan mereka layak memasuki syurga Allah.

Ganjaran Setahun Dengan Amalan Puasa Enam
Begitulah halnya dengan puasa enam di bulan Syawal, baginda mahukan dari umatnya agar sentiasa peka dalam menambahkan koleksi pahala selepas puasa sebulan Ramadhan, kerana bulan yang mulia ini adalah latihan untuk dibuktikan selepas ia melabuhkan tirainya.

Berpuasa sunat enam hari di bulan Syawal di ketika ramai orang berseronok menjamah makanan yang lazat-lazat, memperlihatkan seseorang itu mengharapkan pahala satu tahun berpuasa, ini kerana dalam kalender Islam hanya tercatat 355 hari berbanding bulan Masehi 365.

Kalau seseorang itu melakukan 30 hari puasa Ramadhan, setiap hari diganjari dengan 10 pahala, ia bermakna seseorang itu telah berpuasa 300 hari, ditambah dengan enam hari di bulan Syawal, ia akan menjadikan 360 hari bagaikan satu tahun pahala berpuasa.

Perkara ini disandarkan kepada sabda Rasulullah SAW yang bermaksud: "Sesiapa berpuasa di bulan Ramadhan dan diikuti dengan puasa enam hari dalam bulan Syawal, maka ia adalah seperti berpuasa selama setahun." [Riwayat Muslim dan Imam Ahmad].
Inilah yang dikatakan ingatan Nabi SAW terhadap umatnya, begitulah juga dengan peringkat awal kefarduan solat pada malam Mi'raj ke langit, Nabi AW kenangkan umatnya yang tidak akan mampu untuk melaksanakan 50 waktu sembahyang hingga bermohon ke hadrat Allah SWT agar dikurangkan hingga menjadi lima waktu sahaja. Itu pun ada di kalangan umat Islam yang tidak melakukan solat fardu lima waktu.

Izin Suami Penting Untuk Puasa Enam

Walaupun dijanjikan pahala setahun dengan melaksanakan puasa enam Syawal, seorang isteri perlu mendapatkan izin suaminya terlebih dahulu, kerana puasa enam tersebut adalah sunnat, sedangkan mentaati suami yang berkeinginan adalah wajib diutamakan, melainkan suami reda dengan pelaksanaan puasa tersebut.

Apatah lagi jika seorang isteri yang tertinggal puasa Ramadhan kerana uzur syar'ie, dia digalakkan untuk mengqada'nya pada bulan Syawal diniatkan untuk qada' puasa di samping ibadat puasa sunat pada masa yang sama, insya-Allah dengan cara itu dia tidak akan terlepas untuk mendapatkan pahala setahun berpuasa.

Bagaimana Dengan Sikap Kita Terhadap Baginda Rasulullah?

Kalau disebutkan di atas tadi bahawa, baginda sering mengenang dan mengingatkan umatnya dalam segenap tindakannya, bagaimana pula dengan diri kita yang serba kurang dan kerdil bila berhadapan dengan Allah SWT.

Apakah setiap tindakan, perbuatan, kenyataan, perakuan yang terbit dari diri lidah kita yang tidak bertulang itu memperlihatkan kita benar-benar mengenang dan mengingati Nabi ajaran Muhammad SAW.

Benarkah kita mengingati Nabi ketika membuat keputusan mesyuarat tidak sedikit pun menyingung peribadi atau ajaran baginda.

Dalam banyak masalah yang dihadapi oleh umat Islam dalam negara kita hari ini termasuk masalah remaja, mereka jarang sekali menyelesaikannya dengan kaedah yang ditunjukkan oleh baginda menerusi wahyu Al-Quran, masalah perzinaan sebagai contoh, bila sabit kesalahan dengan saksi-saksi yang ada, sepatutnya bagi orang yang berzina yang sudah berkahwin direjam sampai mati dan yang belum kahwin disebat, tetapi ajaran Nabi Muhammad ini ditukar kepada undang-undang denda dan penjara.

Adakah tindakan manusia hari ini membolehkan mereka mendapatkan syafaat (recommend) baginda pada hari kiamat sedang baginda sentiasa memikirkan bagaimana untuk umatnya mendapat yang terbaik daripada Allah SWT?

®Harakah