Newsletter of the Claremont Main Road Mosque · Id-al-Adha Edition - November 2011/1432
Vol.1 No.2
Renewing families through Love Jihad Omar
The celebration of ‘Id al-Adha is undeniably a celebration, which pays homage to, and honours the institution of the family. The rituals of the hajj are re-enactments and tributes to the trials, travails and sacrifices of the family of Prophet Ibrahim, Sayyidatina Hajar and Prophet Ismail (peace be upon them all). But it is also a continuing testament to their remarkable resolve, aspirations, fortitude and most of all, their love. Every year, pilgrims from across the world gather in the sacred confines around Makkah to vividly recall the contours of their story through performative recreation of manasik/rites such as the sa’iy - hastening between two small hills of Safa and Marwa to commemorate Sayyidatina Hajar’s desperate search for water to offer her beloved son [2:158]. Thus the symbolic meaning of these rites of the hajj, including of course the udhiyah, the animal sacrifice, can only be understood through the life-histories of this family, which has united Muslims for centuries through their courage, perseverance and hope in times of great distress and trials which we cannot begin to fathom. Too often in contemporary times however, our families are the first casualties of any hurdles, obstacles and hardship we encounter. The abiding characteristic which we need to revive from our forebears and is woven through the story of their lives, is that of love. The Islamic view on love is a kaleidoscopic tapestry of adoring and irresistible affection, exalted reverence and devoted obedience. It encompasses relationships between spouses, parents and children, neighbours and friends, humans and creatures and of course our relationship with Allah. The challenge however for us, the inheritors of the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim and his family, is to imbibe the great spirit of love and affection and instil it into our daily lives in our interactions, dealings and relationships, most particularly with our families. Two key components of love that require further attention and nurturing are that of loving surrender or immersion, and patient love. Most importantly, these concepts should permeate the primary relationships we have, and manifest in our relationship with our Creator. It is the dichotomous and disjuncture in Muslim life in these two realms, the familial or social, and spiritual or religious, which is where remedies need to be introduced.
On a basic level, love is to give of oneself to another, allowing someone else’s well-being to influence and affect your own, both positively and negatively. The hurt of a child, husband or sister is felt and shared by their loved ones, as are their joys. It is a dispelling of the self and an act of surrendering selfish concerns to others, where we surrender our time and money in seeking the betterment of our family, this is the epitome of loving surrender. This quality also abounds in our relationship with Allah, all of our ‘ibadat are affirmations of our surrender and submission to our Lord, training us to subdue our ego and embrace the Majesty of Allah’s Grace.
“When a relationship is under strain, the parent, sibling or spouse who endures, supports and perseveres is the shining beacon of what it means to love another.”
But true love, as we all can attest to, is ironically only ultimately reflected and displayed when one experiences difficulty. When a relationship is under strain, the parent, sibling or spouse who endures, supports and perseveres is the shining beacon of what it means to love another. Thus, our approach to family life should be one, wherein we expect challenges, periods of difficulty and tribulations. These should not cripple, splinter and erode the family, but provide opportunities for the expression of greater love in the face of adversity, and this is precisely what Allah informs us about in the Qur’an [64:14-15]. The Qur’an lays down the appropriate Islamic response to perhaps the most difficult of family challenges; “if you forgive them, and forebear and overlook their indiscretions, and cover up and forgive them (their faults), then know that Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [64:14] Despite the enmity of a spouse or child, the conscientious believer is called upon to rise to the highest values of humanity to be vigilant, forbearing and forgiving in their responsive behaviour. The Muslim family should be an environment where conflict, trials and tests are acknowledged as inevitable and in fact ordained
Editorial The response to our first issue has been overwhelmingly positive, Alhamdulillah. The number of contributions we have received has exceeded our expectations and necessitated the expansion of our publication to 12 pages. We welcome suggestions for improvement and ideas for features in future issues. One of the many challenges we face at CMRM, is effective communication with the broader CMRM community. Al-Mizan represents an opportunity for the CMRM community not only to be informed of masjid activities but also for the CMRM community to nurture its own voice. Through Al-Mizan we hope that contributors from the broader CMRM community will stimulate debate that reflects the ethos of the masjid and helps to shape the comprehensive vision of Islam that the masjid espouses. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the printers for having printed the two ‘Id issues at no cost to Claremont Main Road Mosque. This does however mean that we will have to develop a funding model for our Mawlud (February 2012) and Mi’raj (May 2012) issues. We welcome suggestions in this regard. Submissions to the newsletter may be e-mailed to cmrm@iafrica.com or handed in at the masjid office.
by Allah, as the verses referenced above clearly state. But, as Prophet Ibrahim and his family demonstrate so powerfully in their story, it should provide the platform and serve as a place of refuge to exhibit love for our families and in so doing, love for Allah.
40-42 Main Road, Claremont, 7708 • 021 683 8384 • www.cmrm.co.za