In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
If we or our children, or those who are close to us suddenly get sick, normal life gets affected. We lose peace of mind. If we understand and act upon certain basic facts and act accordingly, we can relieve ourselves from the physical, mental, and material loss that the disease brings.
Holy Qur’an, the latest revelation from our Creator, reminds us of the following facts that must be borne in mind during illness:
1. Disease is a warning:
In the midst of busy life, man forgets about God, the Creator and Cherisher of him and the true purpose of human life. Disease acts as a warning from God in order to make him realize those facts of life and bring him to normality.
2. Let us know our Creator:
When we become ill, it is of prime importance to know our Creator and His attributes. In the Qur’an, God say thus:
= “Say: "He, Allah, is One, Allah, the Eternal, He begets not, nor is He begotten, And there is none like unto Him.”(Quran 112: 1-4)
(The word Allah means the only Lord worthy of worship.)
That is, God, unlike His creations, is alone, independent of anything, beyond birth, death, beginning, end etc. He is ever existing and unexampled
3. Pray to the Lord directly
= And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (Qur’an 2: 186)
Thus we have to understand the attributes of Our Lord and pray to Him directly and without any intercession or superstition or vain rituals and seek speedy relief from illness.
4. Praying and worshiping of creations is useless!
= 'He created me; Then He will guide me. He feeds me; He solves my thirst. He heals me when I am sick. And he will kill me. Then he will give me life. ' (Qur’an 26: 78-81)
All other than the Creator are His creations. It is a sin and an insulting act to abandon the magnificent Creator and take His meager creations as gods in His place. Worshiping them and praying to them is a useless act. It will rather invite the wrath of the Lord and retard the healing process. Therefore, we must pray exclusively to our Creator and seek His help.
5. We must realize that the present life is a test!
= Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (Qur’an 3: 185)
The Qur'an says that this temporary life is a test and the world is created as a test- field. This world will be completely destroyed one day and when God commands again, all human beings will be raised to life for a final trial. The good people will be granted Paradise filled with infinite pleasures and the sinners will be punished in Hell. Life in both Paradise and Hell will be eternal.
6. Paradise and Hell are our permanent dwellings
Paradise is a place of peace and tranquility. There is no place for anxiety, evil, hatred, fatigue, disease, old age, famine, or anything like that. It is a place overwhelmed with unexpected pleasures. Paradise is the place where the Lord arranges gardens, parks, immaculate springs, high mansions, delicious fruit, food and drink in abundance. At the same time, there is hell for those who were thankless to the blessings of the Lord and have lived a life of disobedience and arrogance. It will be life eternal in the midst of a burning fire, and unbearable hunger and thirst. There will be thorny plants and highly boiling fluid to quench hunger and thirst.
There are many references to heaven and hell in the Quran. For example:
= Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised, wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord, like [that of] those who abide eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines? (Quran47:15)
= Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait , For the transgressors, a place of return, In which they will remain for ages [unending]. They will not taste therein [any] coolness or drink Except scalding water and [foul] purulence - Except scalding water and [foul] purulence - (Qur’an 78:21)
7. Illness is a part of test!
= And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." (Qur’an 2:155,156.
As the present life is a test for us the occurrence of disease or other calamities are common here. In the event of such situations we must think about the eternal life hereafter and be patient. As per the above verse, if we utter,"We belong to God, and to Him we return", it really gives great comfort to disturbed soul during illness. The remembrance of God that He is with us during calamity makes health even better than before!
= The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"When a man who is put to the test says, 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi rajiun (surely we belong to the Allah, to Him is the return)' and pray thus "O Lord, grant me compensation for the misery I have suffered, and substitute with best one than what I lost! ”God will definitely grand him the best. (source Muslim)
8. Obtaining Atonement from sins
We must recover from our sins before we pray for the cure of disease. You must ask God for forgiveness. Our food, body, and belongings must be purely earned in order for prayers to be accepted.
9. Taking medical treatment is must
Strengthening our mind with the above mentioned facts of life, further we should proceed to take up suitable medical treatment for the disease. It is the Lord who has made the disease a test of life and He himself instructs us to take treatment.
= Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said, “Take medical treatment! This is because Allah has created medicine for all diseases except death. ” (Source: Abu dawud)
10. Holy Quran is also a cure
During the course of treatment, we should take the medicine and parallaly read the verses of the Quran. There is relief in them too. The Lord says:
= Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure.".. (Quran 41:44)
Recitation of Quranic verses for healing
Given below is the transliteration and English meaning of few Chapters of Qur'an, recommended during illness. The readers themselves or the sick person can recite these verses and pray for cure from God. Let us remember that this will benefit those who strongly believe that the Creator is the only One worthy of worship.
Opening chapter of Quran- Sura Fathiha
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen
Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem
Maaliki Yawmid-Deen
Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een
Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem
Siraatal-lazeena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad-daaalleen
Meaning:
1. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
2. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
4. Master of the Day of Judgment.
5. It is You we worship, and upon You we call for help.
6. Guide us to the straight path.
7. The path of those You have blessed, not of those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided.
Chapter 113 - Sura Falaq:
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Qul a'uzoo bi rabbil-falaq
Min sharri ma khalaq
Wa min sharri ghasiqin iza waqab
Wa min sharrin-naffaa-saati fil 'uqad
Wa min shar ri haasidin iza hasad
Meaning:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
1. Say, “I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak.
2. From the evil of what He created.
3. And from the evil of the darkness as it gathers.
4. And from the evil of those who practice sorcery.
5. And from the evil of an envious when he envies.”
Chapter 114 - Sura Annaas
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Qul a'uzu birabbin naas
Malikin naas
Ilaahin naas
Min sharril was waasil khannaas
Al lazee yuwas wisu fee sudoorin naas
Minal jinnati wan naas
Meaning:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
1. Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.
2. The King of mankind.
3. The God of mankind.
4. From the evil of the sneaky whisperer.
5. Who whispers into the hearts of people.
6. From among jinn and among people.”
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Friday, August 23, 2019
Survival of mankind is not possible without divine guidance!
1. There is no human life without God's guidance:Imagine that the traffic authorities in a big city announce that, " Traffic rules are relaxed for two hours today, starting from 10 am. No matter how big the accident you make you will not be charged or punished during those two hours."
What will happen then?
We all know the result. Many people will not take their vehicle out due to fear. We will not even walk on the road. No matter how urgent the job we have, we will wait for those two hours to complete and then only leave our houses. Nothing, including an ambulance, will be on the road! Everything will come to a stand still! What does this mean for us?
Without law, order and mutual understanding, we realize that it is not possible for more than one person to coexist and live together. It is therefore imperative that since the first human couple began living here, they should have been taught the rules of life and the need to follow them.
Rather, we can understand that law, rules and regulations are not made on trial and error basis, that is, after learning from the consequences of actions. In fact, The world is alive because the Creator taught them to mankind from the very beginning!
A man's behavior, actions, and qualities depend on his acceptance or rejection of God. If the sense of accountability to one's deeds is implanted in human minds, then it leads to order and discipline in the person's life. When that becomes absent or reduced, it leads to waywardness and confusion. If such an uncontrollable tendency had existed right from the beginning, the world would have perished long ago.
2. The Creator knows the usage of creation
We will not deny that the human body is the most sophisticated and complex machine found in the world today, Man possesses the intellect and emotions that is missing in other machines. We know that it is essential to follow the instructions of their manufacturer for the proper functioning of any machines. For example, in case of a scooter or a car we posses, we used to maintain the air pressure in the wheels as suggested by its manufacturer. On the contrary, we wont become adamant and keep the pressure as we like just because we are the owners of the vehicle.
If such a simple matter requires the guidance of the maker of the vehicle, is it rational to think that human machine which is highly complicated does not need the guidance of its maker? That too, when we do not have the right to handle a product we posses ourselves as per our wish, how can do so in case of a borrowed own?
3. Divine Guidance is necessary for formation of law and order
Human beings vary in color, race, country, and language etc. Something sinful to one person or a group may not be considered as sinful by others. Similarly, something honored as holy by some may be considered as sinful or abominable act by others. So in order to survive smoothly as a community laws and regulations must be enacted there. To formulate such laws we need a common criterion that distinguishes between right and wrong, sin and virtue, justice and injustice.
The laws that formulated by humans, who knowledge and lifespan is very negligible, are arbitrary and flawed.
On the contrary, only the God who created and cares for this world and all that is in it, has complete knowledge of His creation. It is only the Lord who knows very well what is good and bad not only for man and mankind but for all other creatures and creations. Only the criteria or laws he provides are very noble. Therefore, it can be seen that divine guidance is essential in this regard also.
O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers. (Quran 10:57)
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Let us save our Nation from moral decline!
What
is Patriotism?
The
kissing of the land in public, the recitation of songs by some poets, and the
saluting of the national flag are all portrayed in the media as mark of
patriotism these days. We all are aware that most of these acts lack sincerity
in them and are done for the sake of show.
True
patriotism is about loving the people of the country more than loving the map
or the geographical nature of the country. The real patriotism is to live in
harmony with them and to work for the welfare of the inmates of the country and
to do their best to serve them. The true patriotism of the country is to work
for the development of health, education and employment of the people and to
extend selfless efforts in upbringing them as civilized citizens.
To
struggle steadfastly without fleeing from the country to save the people when
the country is endangered with poverty, famine and threats from enemies,
can be considered as the height of patriotism. True love towards fellow human
being, faith in God and the life hereafter are the basic elements that are
needed to inspire such high level of patriotic feeling in the heart of human
beings. This is what Islam teaches us. Holy Quran says:
O
mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples
and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the
sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and
Acquainted. (Quran 49: 13)
The
basic lesson that the our Creator teaches us is to treat all of humanity as
equals and brethren, ignoring all racial, language, color and religious
differences .
Loving
the people is also an act of worship
Whatever acts done that pleases God is considered as an act of worship in Islam.
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.” (Source: Tirmidhi).
He also said, “Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to people.” (Source: Bukhara, Muslim).
Whatever acts done that pleases God is considered as an act of worship in Islam.
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.” (Source: Tirmidhi).
He also said, “Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to people.” (Source: Bukhara, Muslim).
The
belief in the life hereafter in Islam paves a strong foundation for the
character of a Muslim. It ensures him that whatever acts done on earth to
please God will never be wasted and it will be definitely rewarded in the
hereafter. The firm belief in the life after death and the hope that we are
rewarded in the Paradise for our sacrifices gives immense courage and bravery
to those who follow Islam. This belief had served as a great driving force for
them to sacrifice even lives and dear belongings to protect the nation from
colonial forces and their attacks. Tipu Sultan and Kunjali Marikkayar, the
martyrs who survived the struggle against the Britishers, are some examples.
Necessity
to protect the country from evil
Protection
of the country from the injustice, corruption, rape, corruption, violence,
oppression, discrimination, exploitation and social evils affecting the country
is as important as to protect the homeland from the dangers of the outside
attackers. Only then will the country be a peaceful, fit for dwelling. But data
from the National Criminal bureau (NCRB) warn that the country is today
becoming a despicable place for people to live.
Today,
371 suicides, 106 rapes and 8136 common crimes are reported in our country's
police stations every day. Crimes not brought to police stations are five times
more likely, according to another survey. We all know and experience that crime
rates are shooting upwards day by day.
It
is our duty to protect the country
Islam
is not just a name for prayers, meditation, charity, fasting, and so forth.
Rather, we need to enjoin good and forbid evil around ourselves.
The
Messenger of God (PBUH) said:
“Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him
change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change
it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and
that is the weakest of faith.” (Muslim: 78)
As
a believer, therefore, he is obliged to do whatever he can to oppose evil. So
whatever evil we can stop with our hands today, we should directly stop those
evils. Ours is a democratic country and we must act against evil around us in a
way permissible under our constitution. But we must not involve in damaging the
public properties or the public in the name of agitation as done by some people
today to vent their anger. We must be aware that God almighty dislikes such
acts and they are recorded as sins by Him.
Sowing
discipline is the first step to eradicate evil
The
Almighty Lord teaches us how to eradicate evil from society and how to control
them when they exceed their limits.
Moral
corruption and crime are rampant in the country as people feel that there is no
one to question or stop if they commit excesses. Bribery, corruption,
robbery, sexual violence, infanticide, mercy killing of elderly citizens,
betrayal and such evils can be stopped only if the committers get reformed. If
that has to happen we must sow true faith in God in their minds of individuals
in a rational way that is acceptable to logic.
That
is, we have to educate the people certain basic facts about our Creator and the
world we live in, right from their childhood. We must make people aware
that Almighty Lord who created and sustains this world is One and the only One.
He alone is worthy of worship as the rest of them are His creations. He
has made the present temporary life as a test and has made the world an exam
hall to perform this test. Our deeds are recorded here and depending upon the
volume of good deeds or bad deeds, we will be rewarded with Paradise or Hell in
the hereafter, which is going to be our eternal abode. The awareness that God
is watching us and we are answerable for our deeds to Him, plays a big role in reforming
the people.
Knowledge
about Creator is necessary to create God - consciousness
Except
the Creator all other things are His creations. They do not deserve
worship. If we show some of the creations and teach the people to be God,
the magnificence of the Almighty God and sense of respect for Him goes away
from human minds. This leads to removal of accountability of one’s deeds in
human minds and growth of sin and evil in the society. Thus, generations
fearless to commit sins flourish in the country. To correct this disastrous
situation in the country we must educate the people about true attributes of
our Creator and make them worship Him directly.
‘Say: Allah is one and the only. He is absolute.
He neither begets nor was He begotten. There is none comparable to Him.’ (The
Qur’an 112:1-4)
(The
word 'Allah' means 'One and the only one God worthy of worship')
Islam
teaches us the attributes of the Lord and tells us to worship Him directly,
without giving room to intermediaries, superstitions, or vain rituals. If
the feeling that the Creator is constantly watching over us is planted in man,
he will refrain from obvious and hidden sins. At least hesitate to do them. For
example, if this conscious comes to our young people, they will not watch
pornography in the dark of night.
Let
us implement the recommendations of the Lord!
The
next reason for the growth of evil is due to following of defective laws of
life formulated by human beings instead of ideal laws given by our Creator.
Only the Creator ideally knows the nature of man. Implementing the laws of life
and criminal laws that He has laid down for us will greatly reduce crime in the
country. Let us study the effect of such laws as example. Let us just consider the
laws dealing with bribery and prostitution.
Our
country's criminal laws have become very supportive of bribery, fraud, murder,
robbery and sexual offenses. Thieves repeatedly commit theft because the laws
are supportive to thieves, fraudsters and rapists. They are not only becoming
fearless, but also learn new techniques in their 'field' when they come out of
prisons. But Islamic Criminal Law suggests cutting off the forearm of thief,
if proven guilty. Similarly it suggests flogging and death penalty to rapists
and adulterers in front of public. You can imagine how the crime-rate will
start declining if such execution of such punishments is broadcasted on
TVs.
Not
only will thieves, rapists, murderers be truly punished, but that will also form
a lesson for the public. If this law comes into force, you will not see the
criminals left free and wander around publicly threatening the lives of
innocent people as seen today.
Therefore,
Islam is an ideology presented to us by God for peaceful living on this earth
as well as for achieving salvation. It is based on self - reformation of the
individuals through discipline ordained by our Creator. The Quran and the life
example of God's final Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) contain
wonderful guidelines for establishing Peace and dharma on
earth.
On
the eve of freedom from the oppressive colonial forces, let us vow to protect
our nation from the moral decline and build a truly strong nation!
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
WHY AM I HERE?
My existence.. if it is purposeful, why not I make it
useful?
Dear Brothers and sisters,
This is about a serious and interesting matter. Let us look
at the things around us. For example pen, table, chair and so on. Behind every-
thing we find that there is a specific purpose for which it is made. Next look
at yourself. Your hands, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, heart, lungs and So on. Each
part is created to serve its purpose. Again look at yourself as a whole.
Definitely you are the most complicated product found on earth! Is it not? If
so, what is the purpose behind your creation?
Why am I here?
Have you ever thought about it? If not, why not at least
now? Well, when we think about it, our reason says that there must be a noble
purpose behind our creation and existence. Furthermore, if you look at the
universe and its functions you will find that everything in it is working in
perfect harmony to maintain the human life on earth. Few examples are: rain,
growth of vegetation, alternation of day and night, the earth and its safe
distance from sun, balanced atmosphere and so on. Like this, thousands of
parameters are kept in perfect balance to sustain us here! Again let us ask,
why is it? Why am I here? What is the
purpose of my life?
Can I decide it on my
own?
It is clear to us that only the maker decides the real
purpose of his product. Unless he reveals it, others cannot know it
properly. Yes, Our Creator, the God
Almighty has been merciful on us and has sent His messengers to tell us our
purpose of life. They are known as ‘Rishis’ in India. In Christianity
and Islam they are called as 'Prophets'. God has also sent holy scriptures
known as 'Vedas' and If we go through the Vedas and teachings of God's
Messengers we find certain basic facts, which are common in them. They are:
1. God Almighty, the Creator of the universe is One and man
has to live in obedience to Him.
2. The present life on earth is a test and temporary one. In
this life our deeds or Karma are being watched and recorded. The deeds done in
accordance with God's commandments are considered as good deeds (punya)
and deeds which are against to it are bad deeds (paba).
3. There will be a Day when our deeds will be judged. Those
whose good deeds are more, they will enter into Paradise (swarga) and those
whose bad deeds are more, they will enter into Hell (naraga). The life in both
Paradise and Hell is eternal.
Life is a test
So, dear brothers and sisters, let us realize that this
short life is a serious test which decides about our future. That is, we will
be either in Paradise or in Hell in our eternal life. The life in Hell or
Paradise is not a joke or concoction. It is as real as our present life. lt is
wise to act immediately as the death can come to us any moment. In order to
enter the Paradise and escape from the blazing fire of Hell we must go through
the holy scriptures sent by God without bias. We must find out what are the
commandments of our Creator and live accordingly.
The flrst and foremost good deed or punya is to recognize
our Creator and worship only Him. He is known as Paramatma (Sanskrit)
according to Hindu vedas. He is the Ultimate God - the Creator of heavens and
earth. In Bible, ' Yahova' (Hebrew) is the name used for Ultimate
Creator. And in Quran, He is called as Allah. (Allah is the Arabic word
for One True God, Who is worthy of worship).
Our Creator is One
It is very important to recognize that our Creator is One
and Only One. There is no one worthy of worship except Him as except Him all
are His creations.
= The Quran says, "Allahu la ilaha illahuwal hayyul
kayyum" meaning - "Allah - There is none has the right to be
worshiped but Him, One who sustains and protects all that exists".
= In Bhagavat Geetha - Bramma Sutra says: "Yeham Braham
davitya naste Nahne naste kinjan" which means "God is One and never
never more than One".
= The Quran says: "Kul Huvallahu Ahad; Allahu ssamad
lam Yalid ; valam yoolad; valam yakun lahu kufuwwvan Ahad.” (Chapter 112) -
which means " Say: God is One, God is absolute; Neither He begets nor is
He begotten; There is none comparable to Him".
= See how Rig Ved says it : "Yeham yevam advideeyam”
meaning: He is One - There is none
comparable to Him.
= In Bible - New testament: Mark 12:29 says: "The first
of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel: The Lord Our God is One Lord".
= Rig Ved 6:45: 16 says "Ya ig it mustiee"
means Only God is worthy of worship.
Warnings of the scriptures:
The holy scriptures also give stern warning against the act
of worshiping things other than Him as this act distorts the concept of God Almighty and seriousness about Him in
human minds. Thus it removes the sense of
answerability for one’s own deeds . In fact this leads to the growth of
sins and evil in the society. Further
it divides humanity into casts, tribes,
sects etc based on the deity worshiped by them.
= The Quran which is the latest holy scripture from the God
Almighty warns "Innashirka la zhulmun azeem” means: "Verily setting
partners or parallels to God and worshiping
them is the greatest sin".
= In the verse 4:116, Quran says "Allah forgives not
(the sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgives whom He pleases other
sins other than this; one who joins other gods with Allah has strayed far, far
away (from the right)." Also Quran says that they will enter into hell and
be tortured there eternally.
= Yajoor Ved (40:8) warns: "Antam damaha pravi sandye
ya asamboodi mupaste" meaning, "Those who worship nature or creations
of God will enter into darkness" It further says: Those who worship
samboodi (man's creations) will enter into further darkness.
= Bible - Old Testament (Exodus says: "You shall not
make yourself a graven image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall
not bow down to them or serve them" Psalm 42:8 also warns against this.
It is time to rectify
People, irrespective of the religions they belong to, fall
victims to this practice of their ancestors. Thus, generations are nurtured
with a corrupt conception of God and thereby do not have even the slightest
sense of accountability of their deeds. They dare to commit any kind of sins
and crimes without any hesitation. Thus, sins accumulate in the society
uncontrollably. Whole society is now witnessing the same and suffers from this.
People hate to live here!
Our society today is overwhelmed with many evils. Rape,
theft, corruption, violence, injustice, oppression, discrimination, dishonesty,
deception, adulteration, black marketing, exploitation, blackmail.. everything
is on the rise at an alarming rate. Collapse of family system, flourishing of
old-age homes, infanticide, dowry death, criminalisation of politics,
commercialization of education, violation of human rights etc are order of the
day. There is growing public anger,
frustration and restlessness. According to National Crime Records Bureau every
day 371 suicides are reported. (Unreported number is 5 times more according to
another survey)
Let us return back to our Creator
To solve the deepening morality - crisis we have to implant
the correct concept of God and the life hereafter, Day of Judgment, Paradise
and Hell in the minds of people, particularly among the younger generations.
Only then it will create in them a sense
of seriousness about Him and sense of accountability to one’s deeds. It can
only stop or retard their tendency to
commit sins. For example, youth will stop seeing obscene videos if they realize
that their Creator is ever watching them.
Dear brothers and sisters,
The life of this world is temporary and nothing but a test.
The life after this is eternal and as per deeds in this test our abode will be
either Paradise or Hell. We all, every
single one of mankind (past, present and future) will be raised back to life
again on Day of Judgment. No one will be able to escape that day. So, let us
not waste the chance we have got now!
= “Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on
the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is
saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the
object (Purpose of Life): for the life of this world is but goods and chattels
of deception.” (Quran 3:185)
Let us start living a life of piety and obedience to our
Creator. This will uplift morality of
individuals as well as of the society. By this we can achieve peace in the
present world and gain entry into Paradise in the hereafter.
To know more about our Creator’s message to humanity please
read the Holy Quran. Please contact us for your copy.
============WHY ISLAM IS OPPOSED?
http://houseofpeaceblr.blogspot.in/2014/04/why-islam-is-opposed.html
DEATH.. NOT AN END
http://houseofpeaceblr.blogspot.in/2014/01/death-beginning-not-end.html
Understanding the Message of BAKRID
In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
T
|
he festival of sacrifice
- known popularly as Bakrid - is
celebrated in commemoration of the great sacrifice of Prophet
Abraham (Peace be upon him), an exemplary
man who lived 5,000 years ago. Abraham was an intelligent, upright and
rationally thinking man. He could not tolerate the superstitious practices of
the society in which he was born. His father himself was a chief priest
manufacturing and selling idols.
Says the Holy Qurán:
“And recite to them news
of Abraham, when he said to his father and people, ‘What do you worship?’ They
said, ‘We worship idols and remain to them
devoted.’ He said, ‘Do they hear you
supplicate? Or do they benefit you, or do they harm?’ They said, ‘But we found
our fathers doing this.’” (Qurán 26: 69-75)
Abraham could not accept
their answer. He wisely called upon them to reason.
“So when the night covered him, he saw a star. He said,
‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he said, ‘I like not those that set.’ And
when he saw the moon rising, he said, ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he
said, ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone
astray.’ And when saw the sun rising he said, ‘This is my lord; this is
greater.’ But when it set, he said, ‘O my people! Indeed, I am free from what
you associate with Allah. [1]’”
(Qurán 6: 76-78)
Abraham openly declared
before the worshippers of idols, celestial bodies and false gods that he is not
with them.
“‘Indeed, I have turned my face toward Him who created the
heavens and the earth, inclining towards truth, and I am not of those who
associate others with Allah.’” (Qurán 6: 79)
“[He said]: ‘Do you
observe that which you and your forefathers have been worshipping? Indeed, they
are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds, Who created me, and He [it is
who] guides me. And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink. And when I am
ill, it is He who cures me.’” (Qurán 26: 76-81)
Abraham was chosen by
Almighty God as His messenger. Like all other messengers of God, he also
struggled hard to re-establish DHARMA. That
is to call back people to worship the Creator
and Sustainer of the Universe. The greatest ADARMA is to worship anything other than Him. In the sight of God
Almighty the act of associating or attributing partners to Him or worshipping
any of His creations is the greatest sin.
“Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great
injustice.” (Qurán 31: 13)
The Qur’an also warns
this as an unforgivable sin and those who commit this will be eternally in
Hell-fire. This is the evil which distorts the concept of real God in human
mind and thus makes man fearless to commit sins. Further it divides humanity on
the basis of the deity which they worship. This evil is the root cause of the
caste-system, untouchability, inequality, exploitation, priesthood and other
social evils. In spite of the opposition from his own father and his society,
Abraham fought single-handedly against his superstitious society and called
them to worship the Creator: In the process he was forced to face several
trials and hardships. He was expelled by his father from his home. As Abraham
took a firm stand against the worshipping of idols, his father and people
together punished him by casting him into a big fire. But God Almighty saved
him by His miracle. God ordered:
“O fire! Be you cool and safe for Abraham.” (Qurán 21: 69)
Later, Abraham was
summoned by the ruler Namrud who had proclaimed god-hood for himself fearing
challenge from him. The Qur’an mentions this confrontation thus:
“Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord
[merely] because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said, "My Lord
is the one who gives life and causes death," he said, "I give life
and cause death." Abraham said, "Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from
the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was
overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”
(Qur’an 2: 258)
In spite of all these
incidents, there was no significant response to Abraham’s call to worship the Creator. He was forced to emigrate
along with his few followers. In later life, Abraham and his family had to
undergo several more tests from the Almighty God, for God wished to test the
limits of his patient obedience to His
commands.
Abraham was asked by God
to leave his wife Hajer and suckling son Ishmael in the barren valley at Mecca
“And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he
said, ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so
see what you think.’ He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will
find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.’ And when they had both submitted
and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, ‘O Abraham, You have
fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, we thus reward the doers of good.” (Qurán 37:
102-105)
As they successfully
passed this test, God Almighty asked him to sacrifice a ram instead. This great
sacrifice of father willing to slaughter his own son is being remembered every
year on the day of Bakrid otherwise
known as festival of sacrifice.
There is a great lesson for mankind in this sacrifice
We all know that the
present life on this earth is temporary. One day this whole world will be
destroyed completely by God Almighty. He will resurrect all human beings right
from the first to the last man who inhabited this earth. Following this, all of
them will be brought before God Almighty for judgment of their deeds on earth.
Everyone will be shown their good and bad deeds. Based on the volume of their
deeds they will be sent to Paradise for everlasting happiness or sent to Hell for
undergoing punishment eternally.
Thus, the present short
life is a test which decides our future and eternal abode. Every one of us is
given different situations and tested. For example, some are born blind, some
with good facilities, some as poor, some as rich, some in a hut and some in a
luxurious mansion etc. Our body, wealth, health, relatives and similar other
possessions are temporarily given to us as a trust for a certain unknown
period. We are not their real owners. The real
owner is God Almighty and He has the right to
withdraw them at any point of time. Whatever may be our level of attachment to
these possessions, we must be ready to part with them whenever He desires.
Indeed, He may suddenly withdraw them by way of His putting us to the test.
In the Qurán, God says:
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a
loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who,
when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and, indeed, to Him
we will return.’ Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and
mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” (Qurán 2: 155-157)
Prophet Abraham had
undergone the highest forms of such tests. To understand the gravity of the
same, just imagine yourself in his place! What would be your reaction if you get such an order from God? Or how would you feel if someone snatches your kid
and runs away with him/ her? Or at the sudden death of your mother? You would
scarcely bear it, right? But here,
Abraham comes forward to slaughter his own son by his own hand! What a
sacrifice! What an exemplary act of total obedience to the Creator! It is only
normal that in most cases, love, attachments and emotions over-rule human
behavior. But Abraham showed mankind that obedience to our Master should come
before all other considerations.
Every year, on the
occasion of Bakrid, we are reminded of this great lesson. As a small act of
sacrifice we are asked by God, in keeping with one’s financial condition, to slaughter
an animal on this day. The meat of the slain animal is shared with relatives
and the poor in society. Here again, our preparedness to sacrifice for our
Creator and Sustainer is being tested as He says in the Qurán:
“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but
what reaches Him is piety from you…” (Qurán 22: 37)
Some Doubts and
Clarifications
Q: Why should the sacrifice be repeated every year and
everywhere? Is not the taking of a life a sin?
A:
The word ‘Islam’ means ‘obedience to
God’ and ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who is
obedient to God.’ The present life is a test in which this obedience of man is
tested. Those who pass this test will enter paradise and those who fail in this
test will enter hell in the Hereafter. So we have to obey our Creator’s
commandments in this world if we are serious about achieving salvation. We have
to do whatever our Master has commanded and we have to keep away from deeds
which He has prohibited.
The main reason for our
sacrificing an animal is the command of the Creator – both ours and the animals
- to do so. Here if we perform it we are committing a good deed and if we do
not we are committing a sin. The intention behind the act of sacrifice lies in
the test of man’s piety as mentioned in the verse quoted above (22:37). This
act will enhance the spirit of sacrifice in us and prepare us to bear sudden
losses in life, property etc. Sacrificing animals is not a new practice but has
been ordained by God through His messengers and
Books sent earlier to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as told in the Qurán:
“And for every nation have We appointed a ritual, that they
may mention the name of Allah over the beast of cattle that He hath given them
for food; and your God is one God, therefore surrender unto Him. And give good
tidings (O Muhammad) to the humble.” (Qurán 22: 34)
Q: Is not the taking of a life a sin?
A: The following points may clear the doubt:
1. Which
act is a sin? And which is not? Human beings or any group of human beings
cannot decide for themselves as to what does, and does not, constitute a sin
since they do not possess the ultimate knowledge of everything. Even if they
decide what and what not are sins, their decisions will be influenced by
emotions, selfishness, etc. Something good for someone might be bad for others.
Something which appears just for someone may be unjust according to others. Whereas
God Almighty to whom belongs the universe and all that it contains, is Omnipotent and Omniscient. He knows ultimately
what is good and what is bad for His creations. He is the Designer, Planner,
Sustainer and Master of the universe. He only knows the ultimate purpose and
role of each and every creation in this vast Universe. His knowledge is the
most perfect and ultimate. He is the highest Authority to say which is right and
wrong or which is just and unjust. Further, He is going to judge our deeds on
the Day of Judgment. We have to admit that Whatever He commands us to do are
good deeds and whatever He prohibits us from are bad deeds.
2. The
present short and temporary life which we are all undergoing is a test
conducted by our Creator. Here we are tested amidst emotions, feelings, hunger,
sorrow, happiness, justice, injustice, right, wrong… and so on. The test is
whether we are following God’s commandments in all the circumstances we come
across in our life time. If we follow Him we are rewarded with Paradise in the
hereafter and if we do not follow Him we will be punished with Hell fire. So it is wise to accept the standards set by Him
as the criterion to decide between right and wrong.
3. God
Almighty has revealed to us what is good and what is bad through His Messengers
(Rishis)
and the Holy books (Vedas) sent through them from time to time. All His Holy
Books prohibit killing of life unjustly. The last and final version of His holy
books is the Qur’an which say this: “Do
not take life, which Allah has made holy except for just (and true) cause...”
(Qur’an 17:33). But killing of
animals for the sake of food is allowed in all His Holy Books.
4.
Manusmriti, which is considered a
holy book by Hindu brethren says: “The
diner, if he is a meat consumer, the meat does not harm him, even if he
consumes every day. Because it is God who has created some creatures for eating and some as food.”
(Manusmriti 5:30)
“Consuming meat is also considered as sacrifice. This is
known traditionally as Commandment of God.” (Manusmriti 5:31)
“God has created certain cattle for sacrifice. So
slaughtering cattle for sacrificing will not be considered as killing of the
cattle. (Manusmriti 5: 39, 4)
Plenty of such references are found in other Hindu Holy
scriptures. A few are given below.
Rig Veda: (VIII 42. 1), (X 91. 14.6),
(1. 114.101), (5. 29-7), Adarva Veda
(X.11. 1.48)
5. However
big or small, visible or invisible the forms of life, all are to be treated
alike. Elephant, cow cat, flies, birds, mosquito, bacteria, germs and so on...
All of them carry life. To protect only the big and visible ones and to ignore
the small and invisible ones is not an act of justice. We have to equally feel
pain when we drink as each drop of water contains millions of bacteria. Lakhs
of silk worms are killed for
the silk industry. Can we stop all this?
6. Today,
it has been scientifically proved that plants are living beings which see, hear
and smell. They even have emotions. If we conclude that killing of life is sin,
where can we go for food?
7. In
nature, God has created, distributed and perfected every creation in the right
proportion. The Qurán says:
“Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High, Who created
and proportioned; And who destined and [then] guided.” (Qurán 87: 1–3)
Manu says, “The law of nature is that the stronger living
beings eat the weaker ones. So it is natural to eat meat.”
“God has created moving and unmoving creatures for the
purpose of food. Unmoving living beings form the food for moving ones.
Toothless creatures are food for the toothed ones. Armless beings are food for
the armed ones. Innocent creatures are food for cruel ones.” (Manusmriti V.15)
8. Tempted by our emotions and shortsightedness
if we tamper or disturb the ecological balance set by our omniscient Creator,
the consequences will be extremely disastrous. Let’s see a few examples:
a. If
the rapid growth of population of rats is not curtailed by snakes and reptiles
which feed on them, it will lead to drastic scarcity of food grains and spread
of epidemic diseases.
b. If
deers in jungles were not hunted down by wild animals which feed on them, with
the unchecked growth of their population, the plants and trees will be consumed
rapidly by them. Thus, the jungles will vanish which leads, in turn, to loss of
rain.
c. A
minimum of 3, 84, 000 animals are slaughtered all over the world every day. If
the slaughtering is suspended for one month the number of animals for which we
have to feed will be 1, 15, 20, 000. The food requirement for them will be 34,
50, 00, 000 Kilograms per month. In the process of meeting this demand for
food, the existing food grains, plants and trees will vanish fast. This further
stops the rain and the whole earth will become a desert within six months.
9. By
stopping the killing of animals for food, can we afford to lose the following?
a. In
beef export, India
b. By
export of leather, foreign exchange earned is Rs. 3, 160 crores and the number
of people employed in this industry is 13.5 lakhs.
c. By
export of fish and fish products, exchange earned is Rs. 6, 308 crores.
d. In
silk production, India
10. The
vitamins (particularly B12) proteins, minerals and other nutrients required for
efficient function and stamina of human body are very meager in vegetarian
food. Manual workers, farmers and others who exert physically cannot work long
hours if they only take vegetarian food.
11. The
human body is so designed by God that it can consume and digest meat. Like
herbivorous animals, man is equipped with flat teeth, and like carnivorous
animals he also has canine teeth. Our digestive system is also equipped to
digest meat.
Those who find faults
with the ecological order set by the ultimate wisdom of the Creator and tamper
with it are warned by the Creator thus:
“Do no mischief on earth, after it has been set in order…”
(Qurán 7: 56)
“… and those who cause mischief in the land, upon them is
curse and a evil home (i. e. Hell) is for them.” (Qurán 13: 25)
The Creator and Master
of this universe also warns those who ban things which are made lawful by
Him:
“And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, ‘This is
lawful and this is unlawful,’ to invent falsehood about Allah. Indeed, those
who invent falsehood about Allah will not succeed. [It is but] a brief enjoyment, and they will have a painful
punishment.” (Qurán 16: 116, 117)
On this great occasion
let us all come together to understand and practice the real message of Bakrid,
that is sacrifice, patience and obedience to our Creator.
[1] Allah
is not the personal god of Muslims or an
Arabian tribal god as widely misunderstood. In Arabic language it is the proper
name of God Almighty, who is the Creator
and Sustainer of the Universe.
WHY ISLAM IS OPPOSED?
http://houseofpeaceblr.blogspot.in/2014/04/why-islam-is-opposed.html
DEATH.. NOT AN END!
http://houseofpeaceblr.blogspot.in/2014/01/death-beginning-not-end.html
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