What Quran says about Free-will.

We, as created beings, are given some amount of Free-will to choose our own course of action. Many religions, ideologies and philosophies define the nature of human actions and their accountability in terms of rewards and punishments. As a lay-person all we understand is that whatever we choose we are responsible and accountable for it. But by the immense Grace and Mercy of the Creator, we have not been left to think like a lay-person alone, rather God the Almighty wants us to understand our importance as human beings and our role as the believing servants. We have been given the guide to understand our life in this world and its implications in the Hereafter. As we read the Quran, we understand that no nation was left without sending a messenger to deliver the message of God. He sent Prophets and books to spread the message of Truth and to guide mankind toward a successful worldly life and Afterlife.
Quran is a book which covers a variety of topics to guide us in our day to day life as well as our life in a larger perspective. It tells us why we were created and what is the wisdom behind all that we see around us. 
Quran also tells us about the concept of Free-will, and today, God Willing, I will share what it says in this regard. 

In the Chapter 'the Women' (Surah An Nisa) Allah says:



What comes to you of good is from Allah , but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness.

Commentary:
The Messenger was sent to preach, guide, instruct, and show the Way,- not to drive people to good. That is not Allah's Plan, which trains the human will. The Messenger's duty is therefore to convey the Message of Allah, in all the ways of persuasion that are open to him. If men perversely disobey that Message, they are not disobeying him but they are disobeying Allah. In the same way those who obey the Message are obeying Allah. They are not obliging the Messenger; they are merely doing their duty. 

God has not given us intelligence to keep it unused and static. We are encouraged to seek out the Truth. We are exposed to the reality of life and death through the messengers. We are informed about the pros and cons of doing good and doing evil respectively. We are not forced into anything. That is the reason why many of us leave ourselves in our own hands and just keep floating wherever our own thinking and understanding lead us. We do not bother to look deep into the things around us. We do not take time to use our intelligence to ponder over the visible and clear signs of the Creator all around us and within us. 
Free-will does not mean something without a base. Free-will is something that enables you to choose from the options that are presented before you. 

In surah al Anaám (the cattle) Allah says:



But if Allah had willed, they would not have associated. And We have not appointed you over them as a guardian, nor are you a manager over them.

Commentary:
Allah's Plan is to use the human will to cooperate in understanding Him and His relations to us. This is the answer to an objector who might say: "If He is All-powerful, why does sin or evil exist in the world? Can He not destroy it? " He can, but His Plan is different, and in any case it is not for a Prophet to force any one to accept the Truth which he is inspired to preach and proclaim. 

There is indeed no compulsion in religion. 
The Truth has been laid open, clear and evident. The seekers are the ones who attain what they desire. 
This is Free-will. 
What you want you seek. What you desire you get. No one can ever force anyone into any ideology or belief. This is famous about Islam as a religion that no one was ever forced into accepting Islam. Those who accept it know what they are doing and when they take shahadah or the declaration of Faith they are asked whether they are doing it by their own will and with understanding or they are being forced into it. This is the beauty of Islam. Never did our Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him force anyone into Islam and that highly baseless allegation that Islam was spread by sword has already been proven wrong by non believers and believers alike.
This can be supported by Allah's words:
"There is not compulsion in religion," stated in Quran in the chapter surah Al Baqarah (the cow). 

And in Surah Yunus (Johan) Allah says:

 

And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers? 

This is what is to be understood clearly. We have been given this Free-will to choose what we desire for ourselves. If we choose the path of Truth it is there before us. If we choose the path of falsehood it is also there. But, both the paths have different endings. 

Commentary: 
If it had been Allah's plan or Will not to grant the limited Free-will that He has granted to man, His omnipotence could have made all mankind alike; all would then have had Faith, but that Faith would have reflected no merit on them. In the actual world as it is, man has been endowed with various faculties and capacities, so that he should strive and explore, and bring himself into harmony with Allah's Will. Hence Faith becomes a moral achievement, and to resist Faith becomes a sin. As a complimentary proposition men of Faith must not be impatient or angry if they have to contend against Unfaith and most important of all, they must guard against the temptation of forcing Faith, i.e., imposing it on others by physical compulsion. Forced faith is no faith. They should strive. 





And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.

Commentary:
Our choice in our limited Free-will involves a corresponding personal responsibility. We are offered the Truth: again and again is it pressed on our attention. If we reject it, we must take all the terrible consequences which are prefigured in the Fire of Hell. Its flames and roof will completely enclose us like a tent. Ordinarily there is water to quench the heat of thirst: here the only drink will be like molten brass, thick, heavy, burning, sizzling. Before it reaches the mouth of the unfortunates, drops of it will scald their faces as it is poured out.

In Surah Al Insan (the man) it is stated:

Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.

In Surah At Takwir :

For whoever wills among you to take a right course.

Commentary:
Allah is the Cherisher of the Worlds, Lord of Grace and Mercy, and His guidance is open to all who have the will to profit by it. But that will must be exercised in conformity with Allah's Will. Such conformity is Islam. 

Human Free-will is to choose and be responsible for the choice. But the limitation to this Free-will is your dependence on God. One can never escape the Kingdom of God. A creation can never deny the right of its Creator on him.

In Surah al Infitar ( the Cleaving Asunder) Allah says:

O man! What has seduced thee from thy Lord Most Beneficent?-
Him Who created thee. Fashioned thee in due proportion, and gave thee a just bias;
In whatever Form He wills, does He put thee together.
Nay! But ye do reject Right and Judgment!

Commentary:
Having given a limited Free-will, He gave us a just bias through our reason and our spiritual faculties. If we err, it is our will that is at fault. 

So, we are free to choose whatever course we desire but...every path that we choose has a destination. The straight path of Truth leads to the Pleasure of God and His Mercy in the form of Paradise. The path of falsehood leads to His displeasure and punishment of Hellfire. 
The choice is ours. There is no compulsion...it is free-will! Remember freedom? Freedom of speech, expression etc etc...they too have limitations and consequences and so does human Free-will. 

What's your cage?

I distinctly remember from my childhood that my mother used to be a very cheerful and light-hearted person. She used to joke with us and even tease us. She used to share urdu couplets (poetry), jokes and instances with us from her childhood. She had many stories and incidents to share with us and we used to listen to her with much interest. Even till today, after it has been over 5 years that she left us to meet her Creator, we remember many of the things that she shared with us.

I do not remember her always acting like a grown up person and trying to maintain the discipline in the house. Even despite that we respected her and there was a lot of good governance in the house. She taught us not by lecturing around and scolding but by just being herself. 

I can remember the dignified way she dressed herself up, the way she walked and carried herself. I could never have guessed her age if someone would ask me then. She was smiling and cheerful and very child like with her children.

The same thing is happening to me. 

Yesterday night when my elder son said, "Mom! Everyday you tell us stories or read out to us. Today we are going to read stories to you." 

I said, "okay", and then my elder son started to read. 

The younger son is quite particular about grammar and the proper way of pronouncing words. He interrupted a few times and pointed out some mistakes. I decided to make him realize that first of all it is not polite to interrupt in the middle of something and secondly, it is sometimes just okay to ignore minor mistakes in others. 

When my elder son finished reading it was the younger one's turn. 

I decided not to point out his mistakes and signalled my elder one too about this. This was over. 

Then I offered to read one story to them. 

What I did was to make mistakes deliberately and that made them hilarious. This was something they had not expected. 

 I pronounced the names in the story backwards and used the opposites or completely different words in place of the words in the story. For example instead of saying the line as, "He rode on his horse and left."I said, "He rode on his cat and left. " This made them laugh so much that we really enjoyed that bedtime story session. I could not resist the temptation to put a lot of humor and wit in the process of reading the story to them. 

This served many purposes. First, it was a good experience with my children, second, I wanted to put the message across that it is sometimes good to ignore the mistakes and accept the person as he is. Thirdly, we must find ways to put a little humor and wit in our day to day lives to start and end it on a happy note. As mothers we must never be miserly in showing our love to our children wholeheartedly. Kissing, hugging, joking, teasing and becoming like them is what they enjoy most.

Age is nowhere to be seen. If I want to relate to my soon to be a teenager boy, and want him to be really frank with me and share his feelings with me without any fear or hesitation, then, I must be approachable to him. If I always try to "act" my age then I would distance him from myself and he would not feel comfortable with me. 

What's in an age? It is only the way you feel that determines how old or young you are. Nothing can stop you from being what you internally are. You like to play? Then play. You like to run? Then run. You like to eat ice-cream. Always do. You like to cuddle into your son's lap. Go ahead. You like to ask him to share his chocolate with you. Ask him. 

A mother is not just someone older and serious looking rather she is a friend and a companion all along for her children. 

What's your age is not a relevant question because it limits you to act in a certain way to a certain level. If you try to act according to your biological age and prentend looking responsible and serious you may not end up looking natural. The way you behave never determines your actual biological age. It only shows how you have learnt to behave over the years. What we have inside our hearts is our actual age. We all are sometimes the most helpless, innocent and loving creatures from inside but we try to wear a facade of position, relationships and authority to show that we have grown up. 

It is not our age but a cage that we confine ourselves in. 

This is one of the reasons why I am not keen into celebrating birthdays. The person puts a cut out of her biological age on the cake and blow it too, but in reality she is nowhere close to that age bracket. Can we not enjoy being that child like person in our daily life? 

She is much younger, more beautiful and more enthusiastic than what that figure shows about her! 

The Grass Root

In the wake of so many untoward happenings in the world a person is compelled to think about the root cause of all the unrest and disharmony. 

The irony is that those who talk about peace and freedom are completely ignorant of the basic definition of the terms. And, those who act in the name of religious extremism do not even know the basics of Faith. 

These two groups of people act according to their own set standards, whims and fancies.

They do not follow any rule or regulation either of the society or of their Faith.

Here an example would be helpful in explaining what chaos they have created.

A student takes admission in a college. He is now enrolled in the college and represents that institution. He is supposed to follow the methodology of the college, its rules and regulations as a student. But he prefers to roam around and refuse to accept any of the norms of the college. Neither does he study, respect the teachers nor does he go out of the college and continues to call himself the student wherever he goes.

What do you think should be done about such a student? Would the authorities of that college tolerate such a behaviour? Wouldn't it affect the other students there? Would not the name of that college get tarnished? The college will now disown the student and turn him out and refuse to accept him as their part. They will say that this particular bad student does not represent the whole of us. They will try to inform the society about their rules and regulations and tell them that such students are not supposed to continue with such a behaviour and we do not keep them in the premises to save the honour and prestige of the school.

Now, those belonging to a certain Faith, when they tarnish the image of their own Faith by doing exactly the opposite of what their Faith teaches, do you think the members of their Faith will tolerate that? No. 

But still the root of the problem remains.

There are many different Faiths on this earth. How many do you think practice their Faith very religiously? There have always been a certain number of people in each community that do exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. Moreover, many of the followers of various religions do not even know what their religion actually teaches!

How many Hindus do you think know what their holy books teach? How many of them follow it properly? Their own books tell that God has no image but they are so famous for worshipping idols! 

The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita.

Consider the following verse from the Gita:

"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures."
[Bhagavad Gita 7:20]

Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda. In Yajurveda the following verse says:

"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]

Likewise in other religions like Christianity and Judaism the followers of that Faith do not read, understand or implement the teachings in their life.

It is the same with Islam. Islam has basically five pillars which comprise of Shahadah (Declaration of Faith), Salaah (5 daily Prayers; which are a duty and a must for the Muslims), Fasting, Zakaat (the poor's due which is also a must for the Muslims who are financially capable) and Hajj (the once in a lifetime pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah in Makkah).

All these tenets of Islam are its pillars without any of these the Faith will dwindle and might just collapse. According to the authentic traditions of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, if a person abandons prayers it is as if he is out of the fold of Islam. 

“Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his neglect of the prayer.” (Narrated by Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).

The point therefore sums up to clarify that in every religion and every community there are those who rebel, who do not abide by the laws, who do not take their stand seriously. Does this mean that now based upon the action of those few we are going to blame the entire community, the entire race and the entire Faith and torture the others who do not even dream of going against their Faith at least in the basic and fundamental values?

 

As for freedom...

No one in the society can claim the freedom to hurt any one especially when he or she knows that it is something held sacred and great in the eyes of the person. 

Why people want to make fun of others? Why do they try to incur and invoke hatred and disrespect? What do they gain out of mocking and degrading someone about whom even the non-believers have attested that he was the most kind and most forgiving person, a great leader and a preacher of peace and mercy?! 

An impressive tribute to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him is in the very well written work of Michael H. Hart, "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History." He states that the most influential person in all history was Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, with Jesus second. Examine his actual words:

"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level."

[Michael H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, page. 33.]

No one can justify killings and bloodshed and no one should justify the freedom to tarnish the image of a personality, who is not an ordinary one but a Prophet most revered and loved by his Ummah, either. 

When people will understand that freedom does come with some limits and that Islam is about peace and forgiveness, kindness and guidance only then we can hope to see some peace around. There is no room for extremism in Islam:

Allah warns believers against this danger and declares in the Qur’an that those who go extremes in religion have strayed from the true religion:

Say: “People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion, asserting other than the truth, and do not yield to the whims and desires of people who were misguided previously and have misguided many others, and have themselves strayed far from the right path.” (Surat al-Ma’ida: 77)

The above verse so clearly tells the reader that Allah does not like those who transgress from His path and those who make their religion difficult by adopting extreme behaviours.

Here I would like to mention specifically that whether we digest it or not but there are enemies to the religion of Islam and they are working very vigorously to tarnish the face of Islam. I would like the readers to note that the web has many fake sites on Islam and when some people try to know more about Islam or just want to check on the verses of the Quran, they happen to fall for these unauthentic websites. I would post the links to some authentic websites for the ease of those who really want to know more about why we keep stressing that Islam is a religion of peace and not terror. Also, it is important to mention that when you read the Quran know that it is not an ordinary book. It was revealed on Muhammad peace be upon him over a span of 23 years. Some parts were revealed in Makkah and later in Madinah. There is a whole recorded history of all the events from the time of Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him and from the earlier time as well. There are many books on the life history of Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him and the traditions from his life shed light on the verses of the Quran, the time and place of their revelations and the context in which they speak. It will not be fair to take the verses out of context and derive own meanings from them. The study of Quran and Hadeeth is a science in itself. The Quran is an amazing book to read! It guides those who desire guidance.

May Allah accept my effort to clarify some points that were lurking in my mind regarding the false link of extremism with Islam and the misuse of the so-called freedom of speech and expression.

Thank you for taking time for reading! 

Some interesting links:

http://www.whyislam.org/muhammad/biography-of-muhammadpbuhby-a-non-muslim/

http://english.islamway.com/

http://www.whyislam.org/

http://www.thedeenshow.com

http://www.iera.org/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sealed-Nectar-Biography-Prophet/dp/9960899551

http://www.darussalambook.com/history-of-islam-3-vol-set/

The Right Click!

It is indeed very easy to click a button on your computer or tap on the like or share button over your touchscreen phone or tab. It does not take any effort to do these small seemingly harmless actions. Some of us do them as a habit and just keep on liking or sharing things on the websites. 

What takes some effort and time is to think whether what we are liking and sharing forward is worth it or not. We should not do this heedlessly otherwise we would be contributing to the spread of false or wrong information. 

It is very easy to spend time on your laptop with a coffee mug on the side and just liking and sharing without bothering if the information you are carrying forward is true or not. 

The need of the hour (mainly because of the explosion of information on the internet which is easily accessible to all) is to seek authentic sources of information and knowledge. 

Many a times it happens that due to the spread of wrong information some person, organization, community or group has to suffer. 

People should act responsibly and take active part 

in seeking and spreading the Truth

in seeking and spreading the Word of Peace 

in seeking and spreading the Word of Guidance

the Word of Mercy and Healing

the Word of Justice

the Word of Faith

and the Word of God.

Until and unless each one of us will feel the responsibility to confirm the facts, to act sensibly and to spread forward only that which is true and based on facts, we will not be able to achieve peace within and around us.

When we need to seek all these sources of peace like truth, guidance, knowledge and justice, we first need to display them in our daily life.

When at home we should be teaching our children the value of honesty, real as well as virtual.

When we go out we should be carrying all these virtues with us and applying them in our dealings with those around us. Compassion, honesty, justice and ease both on screen as well as off it.

Today, a whole world is living out there on the net. We do have some responsibility as a netizen as well.

We must never underestimate the power of one click of ours...it reaches someone, it touches someone, it might make someone think in a certain way, feel in a certain manner and even act in a certain way.

Just a click of ours can do wonders like spread of Truth, knowledge, peace and wisdom or it can turn things around...

Let us be aware of the right move

the Right Click! 

Celebrations!

It is indeed very difficult to convince anyone unless the speaker as well as the adressee possess an open heart and mind; open to realities, truth and facts. 

This is not a one-sided affair. We are not here to convince anyone but we have the responsibility to put forward the whole truth if we know it.

No one can seek the truth, the reality and the facts without seeking knowledge. Hence, knowledge is the basis for all discussions and interactions for exchange of ideas.

If ever we approach anyone for clarifying some fact we must first know what background that person hails from. There is no use  engaging in futile arguments and discussions when the other side is completely unaware or uninterested in the knowledge based facts and references.

The same logic goes for those who believe in celebrating the birthdays of Prophets. I said 'Prophets' because Jesus is a Mighty Prophet of God and his birthday is celebrated without any authentic historic proof that he was born on 25th December and the same is being done for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. 

We as Muslims, revere Prophet Jesus more than the Christians themselves because we send 'peace and blessing upon him' when we mention him and we are convinced about his being raised to the Heavens by Almighty God. We find it apalling to see a prophet crucified and looking so helpless and fragile. Prophets had been sent to give the message of Oneness of God and not to atone for the sins of Mankind.

When the Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ 'peace be upon him', they know that it is not at all backed by their bibles.

As for the birthday of our Last and Beloved Prophet Muhammad 'peace be upon him' there is not a single Hadith in the Sahihain (the authentic books of the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ; Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) which gives us the sign of celebration of his birthday, except that he used to fast on Mondays because he was born on that day. If we really do like to celebrate we must follow his footsteps and fast on the day that we believe to be the day of his birth.

Muslims should hold on to the Quran as the authentic source of knowledge and the sunnah of the Prophet to lead their lives. There are many Ahadith that are popular among the Muslims which they quote to prove that they are allowed to worship the saints at their graves, to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad ﷺ and do many other things that are not at all backed by Quran or Sahih Ahadith.

Before doing any act of worship or something that is related to your deen you must see if it is going in line with the teachings of the Quran and Hadith. 

Would the Prophet ﷺ like it if he comes by and sees all the things going on in the name of his birthday? He lived a very purposeful, simple and dignified life. All his life was devoted to the worship of his Lord Allah and to the propagation of Islam; his mission. 

And furthermore, he will see that no one is following the other tenets of Islamic lifestyle like Hijab, keeping the beard, praying five times daily, using the miswak (which was very very dear to him), holding on to Quran and sunnah in every aspect of life! 

There are many many things which a Muslim woman and a man should be doing and those things are much more important and rewarding than these celebrations.

If we really like to celebrate we can celebrate the name of Allah and after that the mention of His beloved Prophet ﷺ daily and that too 5 times daily! 

We need to repeat the adhan or call for prayer and see how the name of our beloved Prophet is being called out day and night along with the name of his Lord. 

This is some celebration!!

Look how when the Adhan is completed we are required to say a particular dua in which we praise the Prophet and ask for his shafaa'h or intercession on the Day of Judgment.

Look how whenever we listen to his blessed name our heart calls out "peace and blessings upon him". It is mentioned in sahih hadith that whoever sends blessings on him 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening will be blessed with his intercession on the Day of Judgment. Moreover whoever sends blessings on him once is blessed ten times!

It is called celebration in someone's name when you really love him and do not forget him in your daily life. 

Celebration on just one day and that too engaging in all that he would not approve of is nothing but ignorance. 

Also we celebrate him one day, and then, why do we forget him in our daily lives? Do we bother about the little things that he loved? Do we feel the love for him? Do we study his biography to know how he toiled and went through all sorts of pains to bring this deen to us?

If we really love him we must celebrate his mention on a daily basis. We must not forget that we recite the durood in our daily prayers. We should start reciting it with a conscious mind. 

Let us celebrate being Muslims daily. 

Let us celebrate the Praises of our Lord daily. 

Let us send blessings on our beloved Prophet day and night and reserve our cup at the Hauz al kausar.

Successful People!

The Quran has, among other beautiful chapters, this amazing chapter on 'the believers'. 

Chapter 23 verses 1-11

It starts with a very beautiful message and a good news that those who believe in God Almighty are indeed successful. 

There are a few characteristics of these believers which make them achieve this success. These characteristics are then mentioned in the verses that follow this good news. 

Almighty God says in the first few verses of this chapter that the successful people or the believers are those who:

• humble themselves in their prayers
• who avoid vain talk
• who are active in their zakat
• who guard their modesty except with those whom they are married to
• who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants
• and who strictly guard their prayers  

After mentioning these qualities the Almighty God then states that these successful believers are entitled to be the heirs who will inherit Paradise and they will dwell therein forever! 

The Creator, as we can see clearly, is so Merciful and Kind. He not only Wants to See us successful but also Guides us to the ways to achieve that success. 

Pondering on the qualities of those believers who are successful and who will inherit Paradise makes us realize that this not only guarantees success in the Hereafter but also ensures that we lead a pious and successful life on this earth.

• Imagine a prayer that is not done with humility and submissiveness...
• Imagine engaging in useless and unimportant talks...
• Imagine not fulfilling the duty of giving zakat which is a beautiful way of helping ourselves and others who are poor: (although in this case the zakat or purification is mentioned with the context of self purification, self analysis and basically the purification of self).
• Imagine not guarding one's modesty and indulging in illegal, illicit relationships...
• Imagine not fulfilling the oaths, promises, trusts and covenants...
• Imagine not taking care of our prayers and not performing them diligently...

If we ponder on all these points we will realize...

that it all sums up to our own doom...our own loss in this world and that in the next too! 

Bearing all these virtues in mind we can see how 

• praying with sincerity strengthens and maintains our Faith, 
• avoiding useless talks preserves our intellect and energy and directs it in the right way
• Purifying the soul gives us a clean and light heart which in turn helps us lead a conscious and happy life
• guarding one's modesty keeps us safe from evil deeds and diseases and motivates us to enter into healthy legal relationships which last a lifetime
• Fulfilling the trusts renders us trusworthy and hence we earn the respect and love of others also leading to a successful professional life
• Taking the prayers seriously always keeps us attached to our origin and source i.e; to God...we know we are from God and to Him shall we return one day. 

 So the believers should take care to fulfill all these conditions to own the everlasting bliss and the never-ending joys! 

Meeting of the Creator is the best thing that a creature can ever wish for. 

Crowned Glory

Dear readers, have you ever thought why the king wears the crown? Why the dignitaries in most cultures and societies have some kind of head covering? If you know of Indian culture you can see how the heads of the villages, communities and religions wear something on their heads which covers their heads and gives them a distinguished and respectful look. 
                                                          
Have you ever thought why when someone visits a Temple, Mosque, Synagogue, Church, Gurudwara etc. he or she feels better covering the head as a mark of respect to that place as as a beautiful feeling of sincerity and spirituality? 
We have known the nuns, the Queens, the Kings, the head of many fields having their heads covered with  scarves, crowns, caps or turbans. What is so different about a covered head? Why is it more significant when one has a position or a special honour? 

Imagine a king who's sitting on his throne with all his glory and power and has a bright bejeweled crown on his head. He is wearing a robe and everyone around him is showing respect toward him. Now imagine that same king in the same clothes as his courtiers and his head uncovered and he is standing amongst them. No body will recognise him as a king if someone new enters the palace. The crown that a king wears is specifically to denote that he is the king and he is distinguished among his people. The kings can have different head gears according to the kingdom they represent. Some kings wear turbans, some kings might wear caps etc.
 In the same way the Queen is distinguished by the graceful attire she wears and the head covering she adorns. If a queen is inappropriately dressed and not in her proper attire then the subjects would not feel the respect and honor for the queen. It is not suitable for a ruling person to dress in a manner that does not fulfil the demands of his distinguished position. 
They do not need to lavishly spend for the attire but even with a simple graceful and respectable clothing they can win the hearts of those who regard them as their leaders and benefactors. The head covering specifically is a sign of dignity and respect. 
In the old traditions in India it is still a good sign that a daughter in law comes before her father in law with her head covered. Most of the Indians do not regard it as a useless tradition or that which is against the norms of the society because it simply conveys the values of the bride and the respect that she shows to the elders at home. 
                                                         
The muslim women as a whole have been commanded by none other than the Creator to adorn this crown and graceful attire. It is not specifically a chador or a burqa that they need to wear to fulfil this duty but they are required to cover up their bodies so that they appear graceful and do not show off in front of everyone as the women in the times of ignorance did. 
The Muslim woman is commanded to maintain her glory and dignity by covering her head and her body in a way that she is not exposing the shape of her body and is not attracting the unwanted attention of the strangers in public. 
Just like a king and a queen, when they appear in public, are not easily approachable and cannot be harmed by just anyone around, and just like they can be approached by a selected few who have a special position in their court, a Muslim woman too is asked to dress up in a dignified and graceful way so that no one has the guts to feel free to approach her for evil intentions and she has the right to show her beauty and charm to some very close ones at home. 
She is not a thing to be displayed openly for everyone to see. She is special and she is a crowned beauty. Her glory is such that everyone respects her and looks at her excellence of character and her intelligence rather than her physical attractiveness alone. 
With all her grace and dignity she can do whatever she is capable of doing and she can seek knowledge and wisdom to enhance her quality of life and that of those under her care. 
                                                 
A crown is a symbol of position, honor and dignity and so is the way Allah has commanded the believing women to take. A Muslim woman who covers herself to fulfil this command of her Creator is actually doing an act of worship. 

She is a precious jewel and not a pebble on the street. 

Dear sisters, consider yourselves as jewels and shine with all your glory and be safe by adorning yourself with the protective and honorable armour that none other than your Creator has commanded.

Fitting shoes.

Each one of us has our unique way of dealing with our life situations.  Others may guide us and suggest the way that should be taken to meet our challenges but in the end it is us who have the first hand experience. 

So often we hear people say that no one can ever understand their condition because they have not been into the same situation or we hear them say that people will understand them only when they step into their shoes. But even this is not something which can make anyone understand others' pain. Stepping into someone's shoes can take place but the shoes won't fit them as best as they fit the owner! This is being taken a bit too literally. The point is that even if the other person goes through the same trials in life he won't react to them in the same manner as that person. Every person has his uniqueness which has differences of personality, behaviour, experiences, life situations, feelings, outlook toward life, emotional intelligence and much more. 

No person can claim to fully understand the other person's challenge, his pain or trouble which is bothering him. 

We do sympathise with others and tell them how we share their pain and sorrow and we console them saying that we are with them in their loss. We use phrases like 'we can understand what you are going through'or 'we know how it feels'. These words and phrases are truly comforting but they are not completely true as the sufferer knows his own suffering better than anyone. 

Suppose we meet a recently divorced woman, or an orphaned child, or parents who have lost their child, we can console them and sympathise with them but we can not really feel their pain as they themselves feel.

Some months back when there were news of the war torn cities we saw such heart rending pictures of dead citizens, children and women drenched in blood and totally destroyed houses and schools. Can we say that we can understand and feel what the inhabitants of that city went through? Can we feel their pain as they did? Did we hear the sound of guns and bombs just nearby and did we experience that terror in our hearts when someone felt death just round the corner? No. 

We can only feel sad for them. If we have a sensitive heart and mind we can feel bad for them and it can affect us in a way that makes us thoughtful and ready to take action to help them in the best possible manner. When we see others in pain we can not feel the pain as they do but it does affect us and this drives us to say comforting words to them, to console them and to help them out of their plight. 

The least a person can do for relieving others of their sorrows is to pray for them with a sincere heart. 

A heart full of love and empathy for others is the heart which drives others to reach out to them.  

We as sensitive human beings should realize that each person is fighting his own struggle. Each person is wearing his own shoes which fit him best. We should be thankful to what we have and what we can contribute to help others. The words that we utter should have the spirit and meaning so that we are truly able to bring comfort into the lives of those who are going through tough times. 

Success

My life is what I want to make it. My efforts are where I put them for. My achievements are what I have earned. 
                          Do I regard my life a success? 
It depends on what success means to me. What real happiness is in my eyes. It is actually nothing about 'me'!
It is my reality which I often forget. 
                                    I am not just 'me'. 
So many others are attached to me. I am complete in connection with first the One Who has created me and sent me into this world.
I am complete when I see toward the needs, rights and pains of others, all the living things that the Creator has created.
He wants me to complete my self, my spiritual being and then find my way to the real self.
It is there with The Creator and it is here in my love for His Creation!
The Quran states in the second chapter fifth verse:

Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are thesuccessful.

My success and happiness are not just about me and my achievements. The sensitivity to the reality of being and the responsibility of being in this world actually defines success. 
Can we call ourselves successful if we have all the riches and happiness of the world and people around us are sad and needy? Can we remain happy with our achievements if others need our help and care? Even if we are successful in terms of money and fame the only thing that brings happiness and satisfaction is the sensitivity to others needs and the urge to help others. 
We can't just sit there hand on hand and eyes shut when the fellow beings are wandering away from the Truth. True love and compassion is when you like for others what you like for yourself.
In the chapter 'the family of Imran', verse 104, the Quran states:

And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.

When we utilize our God-given intelligence in encouraging, motivating and inspiring others we are going in the right direction. The Creator has not sent us among the inhabitants of the Earth to live a secluded and self centered life. We are here to build relationships based on love and trust and to support each other in noble projects. 
The best way to help others is to deliver the Truth and urge them to seek knowledge so that each one of us understands the reality of being in this world. 

Our energies and striving should be in the way of our Creator because in the end everything is going to perish but His Face.

As stated in Chapter 5 verse 35:

O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah and fear Him. Seek the means of approach to Him, and strive hard in His Cause as much as you can. So that you may be successful.

Generally what happens is that people follow the trends and lose focus on what they are actually supposed to do. Following what the majority is doing is not a guarantee for success in this world and the next. Majority is NOT authority.
We must first see 'what' is that which the majority is after. We have more than once heard about world famous personalities and celebrities affirming the fact that gaining wealth and popularity does not bring contentment and happiness. In fact, most of them suffered from depression or anxiety and many of them committed suicide. Why? Did they not have enough money? Did they not have fans who loved them like crazy?! 

We have everything clearly defined in front of our eyes and yet we choose to stay blind.

As stated in Surah Al Maida, the fifth chapter in the Quran. 

Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allah , O you of understanding, that you may be successful. {verse 100}

Success is defined by the growth in your ability to see the right and wrong clearly and help others too in your way. Success is when you start feeling that you are answerable and responsible about all your actions and achievements. Success is when you feel happy that you are not wasting your capabilities and doing whatever you can to prove that you are worthy of acceptance in front of the One Who has created you! 

The sanctity of Muharram

The sanctity of Muharram

Discipline without Disrespecting by: Grandma Jeddah: Children/Teenagers & Discipline ( From: Islam. I L...

Discipline without Disrespecting by: Grandma Jeddah: Children/Teenagers & Discipline ( From: Islam. I L...: Children/Teenagers & Discipline ( From: Islam. I Live for it, By: Cristina Mariam Ignad) http://islamiliveforit.blogspot.com/2010/11/c...

Critic's Credit

True Story

She was a simple girl. She had dreams and aspirations. It was her effort in every field to give the best of her capabilities. She know her limitations as well. 

As she was hardworking and sincere she often got appreciation and encouragement from her teachers and elders. She never got the sense of pride in her but felt beautiful inside. 

As she grew up she went through school and reached her college level. This was one of the best colleges she could get admission into. She was happy that now she was studying the subjects of her liking and interest.

This college had students from all over the country and even foreign students. They belonged to the best schools. They had had the best education in terms of academics and were way ahead what was taught to her in the normal public school that she had attended.

But, this did not affect her in any way. She was never in competition with others. All she aimed was hard work and excellence in anything she chose to study or do. She kept doing her part. She was not so fluent in spoken English as her fellow girls as she was not from such a background but whenever she did an assignment in English language, her's came out to be among the best ones. 

Her college was a very active and lively one with some or the other activity going on there. Lots of creativity, talent and excellence was present in there. She felt good about her college. 

Once when she was talking about the greatness of her college in front of the brother of her childhood friend he exclaimed,

 "Leave alone what others are doing, tell me what you have done there!"

This was probably the rudest thing she had ever heard as she was a good student and almost all her teachers praised and liked her. No one among her acquaintances had ever told her such a thing. 

But this criticism was something that she learnt for the rest of her life. She kept thinking about it from time to time. She went ahead in life in terms of academics, always on the top list but still the thirst wasn't quenched. 

She realized soon that she was running after merit and qualifications which were not the mark of a person's worth. It soon dawned upon her that real knowledge, intelligence and wisdom were the ways a person deals in practical life and the ways a person actually acts.

Knowledge is not limited to books rather it manifests itself in the person's actions when he or she does something for the benefit of the society.

That one simple statement of criticism got her thinking every other while and she learnt a very important lesson in life.

Criticism or somebody telling you the flaws in your work or your opinion is not always bad. It sometimes turns out to be the changing force in your life.

She then started working on the real education, the education of practical life, the education of the true source of Knowledge, the education of self analysis and self improvement. She started working on expressing her feelings in the spontaneous and sincere ways. She started working on benefiting others with whatever she had collected as knowledge and wisdom over all those years.

A time came when her long awaited dream of becoming something in life and doing something worth while came true and she realized that her life has turned out to be of some help to others and has some meaning with all the useful stuff that she practically started doing.

The sentence by that friendly critic still boomerangs in her mind...but she finds it as a source of motivation for her to keep doing more and more and not to be dependent on any association with any person or institution to be proud of her identity. 

"Leave alone what others are doing, tell me what you have done..."