RayOfHope 2007-07

The Ray of Hope

Rajab 1428

Jul-Aug 2007

A Journal By The Students Of Darul Uloom Sabeelus Salam, Hyderabad, India

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Vol.2 No.3 Rajab 1428 A.H. Jul-Aug 2007 PATRON: MAULAANAA MUFTI HASSAN AL QASMI Under the supervision of: Maulaanaa Sirajul Huda Sb Nadvi Azhari Editor: Shamsul Islam Sub-Editor: Zaheerul Haq Nadvi C O N T E N T S 1

Israa and Meraaj the giant journey of a man

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A brief life-story of the greatest benefactor of mankind Ml Rizwan Al Qasmi : the erudite administrator

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Shamsul Islam and Md Rizaullah Qasmi Md Ghufran Ahmed

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Md Shadab Anwar

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The Glory of the Quran

Md Abdus Samee

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Who is a true Muslim?

Zaheerul Haq Nadvi

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The concept of brotherhood in Islam

Md Qasim

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ISRA & MIRAAJ: THE GIANT JOURNEY OF A MAN By: Shamsul Islam & Md Rizaullah Qasmi (Kulliatus Sharia) It was like any other night in the Makka of 6th century C.E. As was their custom, the Makkans went to bed late in the night, after their usual gossips and story-telling. For the last several years, their chats mostly veered around one single topic: the new religion and its messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whom they had known to be truthful and trustworthy from his early days but now that he claimed an angel brought him Words of Allah from the heavens and that idolatry that they had been in for innumerable generations would lead them to doom, things came to a head. This new religion had been constantly spreading far and wide and as the days passed, more and more people were coming to its fold. To stop him, the Makkans had tried several things: they taunted and mocked him and his followers, demanded some childish miracles from him as condition for believing him, tortured his weak and poor followers, and even boycotted him and his tribe, imposed trade sanctions on them and confined them to a valley on the outskirts of Makka (called the Valley of Abu Talib) where they could scarcely get anything to eat, and this sanction lasted for a full three years. His two greatest support on earth, uncle Abu Talib (the revered grand old gentleman of Makka) and wife Khadija (a business magnate in her own right), passed away at the end of this inhuman boycott. Many people felt sure that Islam was steadily nearing its end. For the Muslims, there had been no good news or encouraging development during the last few years. Abu Jahl, Umayya Bin Khalaf, Waleed Bin Mugheera and other influential chieftains hostile to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were a happy lot now.

Come next morning and Abu Jahl and co. are in Masjid Haram (the holy mosque of Makka) to pay their routine homage to sacred gods of stone and wood. And lo! Muhammad too arrives and with a wonderful story to narrate. After hearing the complete story himself, Abu Jahl called other Pagans to what he foolishly believed was a bizarre flight of fancy. And while the Truthful and Trustworthy narrated his account of last night's journey to Jerusalem (Isra) and ascension to the heavens therefrom (Miraaj) with full faith and confidence, some of the listeners poked fun at him, others clapped their hands in fun and a few mimicked his sincere tone.

Now they had a new weapon to jeer at him and his followers.

The story was though quite true and real. Angel Gabriel did come last night to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with a white animal from the Paradise smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey (named Buraq) on which the duo rode to Jerusalem. The Buraq was so fast that its next step fell on the limit of a man's vision. At Masjid Aqsa in the Holy City of Al Quds (Jerusalem), Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) led a namaz-congregation of the angels and (the spirits of) the past prophets of Allah. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the company of Gabriel and some other angels ascended to the heavens on a special ladder that reached to the skies. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed through the seven skies meeting some of the great prophets of Allah in the way (Prophets Adam, Yahya, Isa, Yusuf, Idris, Haroon, Musa and Ibrahim). On the seventh and the highest heaven was his glorious forefather Ibrahim sitting near Al Bait al Mamoor (the extension of Ka'aba into the skies). Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was then taken to Sidratul Muntaha (the lote-tree at the highest boundary over the seventh heaven). Allah held direct conversation with the noble Messenger and enjoined upon him and his followers to say namaz fifty times a day, later reduced to five namaz after repeated requests by the Prophet on Hazrat Musa's advice who felt that the people would not be able to discharge this obligation.

And then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned to his home in Makka in the same night, before daybreak! For the Creator of this universe, the seven skies and the earth and all that lies

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between them, for the Administrator of this vast creation who never falls asleep nor gets tired, such things are as possible and simple as - or in fact more easy than - a journey to a distant country in a few hours by a present day man.

Some of the Pagans who had visited Shaam (the region of Syria and Palestine) in the past quizzed him about the particulars of the mosque and what he saw on the way. He described all the details of the mosque and the route - even the trivial ones - correctly, to their satisfaction and amazement as well. He also informed that a trading caravan lead by an ash-coloured camel will reach Makka on Wednesday. And it happened likewise, yet they persisted in their obdurate rejection of the genuine account of Isra (the night journey to Al Quds) and Miraaj (the ascension to the heavens).

Some of the Unbelievers went to the Prophet's steadfast follower Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) hoping to confound him with this indefensible falsehood, as they stubbornly claimed. But Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) who had firm faith in the Prophet, asked this much, "Has 'he' said this?"

"Yes," they said.

"I testify and affirm that if 'he' has said this, it is true."

"You subscribe to his claim that he traveled to Shaam in a single night and then returned to Makka before dawn!!"

"Yes. And I subscribe to what is even more incredible: that (Divine) Message comes to him regularly from the heavens," said the cool and composed Abu Bakr.

The same is our comment on this story. If the holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said this, and if the story has been narrated by his truthful Sahaba and reported in the myriads of Hadith books, then it is true, real and correct. May Allah bless our loving Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his noble Sahaba and those who followed them in letter and spirit. ***

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A BRIEF LIFE-STORY OF THE GREATEST BENEFACTOR OF MANKIND By: Md Shadab Anwar (Arabic, 7th Year) In 570 C.E. the greatest and last prophet of Allah, Prophet Muhammad son of Abdullah, was born in the arid deserts of the Arabian peninsula. His birth-place was the small town of Makka located in Hijaz region of the peninsula. He was born orphan and when he was six, his mother too departed. He was looked after by his loving uncle Abu Talib who continued to back and support him till his last breath, through the remaining forty years of his life.

From his early ages, the prophet was religious and meditative, abstained from all sorts of sins and evils.

He was naturally inclined towards everything that was considered a virtue in the society: truthfulness, honesty, uprightness and trustworthiness, to name a few. He abstained from all the vices that youths of his age usually indulged in. He never drank or participated in gambling. He kept away from immodesty and licentiousness. Use of deception and unfair means in business-dealings on his part was simply unthinkable. Also he showed little flair for poetry which was a rage in his times.

His business made him reasonably well-off. When he was twenty-five, he married a twice-widowed lady of 40, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) who was arguably the richest person in Hijaz. As the Prophet's age advanced, he grew more and more meditative. He would now frequent the cave of Hira located near the peak of Jabalun Noor to pray and contemplate in seclusion. One day Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) visited him with the first five verses of the Revelation (The Holy Quran). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was 40 then.

He began preaching the Divine Message. As is the custom of all decadent societies, the people not only rejected his message but also turned enemies. The very people who held him in high regard till the other day on account of his moral upright and piety were now hostile to him and his mission, except a few wise men and women who were not blinded by jealousy or irrationality. The small band of his followers who were mainly poor and came from the lower strata of the society faced severe persecution and torture at the hands of the vain local chieftains. When thirteen years of persistent call and preaching had no favourable impact on the majority of the Makkan Pagans, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his noble followers migrated to Madina, a city approximately 260 miles north of Makka, as commanded by Allah. The people of Madina were open-minded; their minds were not shut to good ideas that had the power to redeem them in both the lives of theirs.

The Jewish tribes of Madina felt that the influence they commanded over the Madina pagans by virtue of being, as they claimed, the 'Chosen People' and possessors of the Divine Book was now waning. So they turned hostile to the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) message. Meanwhile the Makkans were constantly planning and carrying out small and big attacks on the people of Madina who had now turned steadfast Muslims.

However, the Prophet overcame all these hostilities and obstructions in his path in a couple of years with his courageous leadership, chivalry and foresight. His mission now spread far and wide, to distant villages and to nomad tribes of the expansive Arabian peninsula and also abroad. Whichever tribe heard of his message, sent a delegation comprising the wise and experienced among them to Madina. These delegations stayed at Madina for a few weeks, enquired about Islam and its noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They

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saw for themselves the blessings of Islam in the society and in the lives of the Muslims. They left Madina highly impressed and convinced about the truthfulness of this Divine Message. The exemplary conduct, noble character and simple lifestyle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) touched and inspired them. As a result, the entire Arabian peninsula converted to his cause in just a few years' time.

In his lifetime itself, the message crossed the frontiers of the peninsula to the countries of Ethiopia and Egypt and the empires of Persia and Rome. A time came when people started pouring in Madina from all directions to embrace Islam. Mission accomplished, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) knew it was time to depart from this mortal world. So he spent more and more time in namaz, prayers, glorification and praise of Allah, and invocation of his Mercy.

On 12 Rabiul Awwal, 11 A.H. (632 C.E.) the king of the hearts and minds of hundreds and thousands of contemporaries belonging to diverse races and nationalities left this ephemeral world. His armour was mortgaged to a Jew at the time who had loaned him some quantity of barley. His generosity and unselfishness was such that hoards of coins and stocks of date which came to him from his estates and gardens or as gifts from devotees could rarely pass a night in his house.

May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. May Allah exalt his mention in both the Worlds and protect him from any tinge of imperfection. May Allah guide us to follow his exemplary path. ***

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ML RIZWAN AL QASMI: THE ERUDITE ADMINISTRATOR By: Shamsul Islam (Kulliatus Sharia) The Juma speech spanning a little less than an hour had the audience all ears. People from far and near had gathered at this mosque to listen to their revered leader for they loved him and respected him. They knew that what was being said to them arose from the speaker's concern and empathy for them.

While entering his room after the Juma prayer, the Imam and Khateeb of the Aamira Mosque would ask his aide if so and so (naming a teacher of Madrasa Sabeelus Salam) had returned from his home state. The computer operator would tell him that his (Maulana's) weekly column for the Siasat Daily was about to be completed. "Did you dispatch the invitation letters to Maulana Ahmed, Professor Ali, ‌?" Maulana would ask anxiously as the annual convocation of the madrasa would be round the corner. The next moment Maulana would be reaching for the telephone-set to answer a caller's query regarding an Islamic issue or a personal one.

The chauffeur is in a hurry, worried that Maulana could miss the train to Bangalore if he did not set out at once.

Maulana is to address an important seminar on some contemporary issue there.

You could be forgiven if you thought it was some unique day in Maulana's life. But the fact is that it was just any other day in Maulana's calendar.

Versatility came naturally to Maulana. Hyderabad, the birth-place of myriads of sages and saints through the past centuries, had for long been yearning for an exceptional leader who could guide them in all the disparate aspects of life, viz. educational, professional, social and personal in the loving manners of a caring father. And in Maulana, the historic city of Hyderabad found one. The wide circulation and readership of the Siasat Daily on Sundays (the day of Maulana's weekly column) is an ample testimony to his popularity among the masses. Maulana's wise suggestions, cute remarks, and pointed comments were something people could not wait for.

Maulana was a man of letters. He had a natural flair for Urdu poetry and would frequently quote the great poets of Urdu literature like Allama Iqbal, Mirza Ghalib, Amjad Hyderabadi and the like, in his articles and speeches. His prose-pieces were remarkable in finesse and elegance. His articles dealing with contemporary and religious issues got regularly published in the leading daily of Hyderabad. The collections of his thoughtprovoking essays named Asrar e Hayat and Mata e Qalam were hugely popular with the literati and the masses alike. He also authored several other books on topics concerning and benefiting different sections of the society.

It was a common perception that academics was Maulana's real calling. But the lack of natural leaders and the multitude of challenges facing the community forced him to spend a considerable amount of his precious time in discharging other responsibilities. As the founder rector of Sabeelus Salam, he took it to glorious heights. Under his inspirational leadership, the Jamia became the pride and heartbeat of the Deccan.

The Jamia not only produced Ulemas par excellence, it also launched various programmes for the reformation of the public, preaching them the true meaning of Islam and its significance in our daily lives. Efforts were made to clear the misconceptions that some people, under the influence of vicious media campaigns against Islam and Ulemas, had begun to harbour. Through a number of seminars, extension lectures and public meetings, Maulana reached out to them with the holy Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) eternal message.

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Other than that, he was a teacher held in high esteem by the students. In his later years, Maulana had discontinued teaching, yet the students who studied Daura e Hadith (final year of Arabic curriculum) in the last two years of his life considered themselves very fortunate as they took their Bukhari lessons from him. (Bukhari Sharif is the most important and difficult book taught in the eight-year curriculum and only highly talented and experienced teachers teach this book.)

Maulana was also loved for his affable and friendly nature. He was considerate towards his subordinates and displayed extraordinary patience in listening to them, to their needs, their grievances, reasonable and sometimes unreasonable demands, their aspirations and frustrations. At times, he would visit the classrooms and in absence of a teacher there, he himself would start taking the class. Maulana's extensive knowledge and grasp over the different subjects of the madrasa curriculum made this easy for him. Occasionally, he would call a student, ask him about his class, books and teachers and then some questions meant to test the student as well as his teachers would follow. In this way, Maulana would know how well the teacher has been able to explain the subject matter to the students and if they have missed some important aspects of the subject. He would also encourage the students to widen their horizons of knowledge by reading books not in the curriculum.

Maulana was loved and admired by all. His great contributions and services to the community were acknowledged by one and all. People of all classes and professions felt inspired by him. The large number of people from all walks of life who turned up for his funeral prayer and condolence meetings reflected their admiration and affection towards him. May Allah's mercy be upon him. May his rank in the Paradise be raised. ***

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THE GLORY OF THE QURAN By: Md Abdus Samee (Arabic, 2nd Year) Our loving Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the greatest and last messenger of Allah. So the Book of Guidance revealed on him is also the greatest and last. The Holy Quran is the greatest book in terms of style, diction, eloquency and impact on human hearts. And it is the last and the lasting Book of Allah. Its words and meanings are there to remain till the Last Day, the Day of Judgement.

Fourteen centuries have passed and not a single sentence or word or even a letter of the Glorious Book has been altered or lost. Do we need any further proof to believe in its divine origin? Islam has always had enough of staunch and powerful enemies. Their only purpose in life was to somehow put an end to this Divine Light of Guidance. And they made full use of every means at their disposal to achieve this end. They waged wars on Islam: killed, maimed, injured and tortured its innocent, unarmed followers; launched vicious propaganda through different means against Islam, the Prophet of Mercy Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Divine Book, Quran. Yet the Light could not be put out, however hard the enemies tried.

The Holy Book of Islam continues to attract and charm unbiased hearts and minds through the centuries and throughout the globe. Hundreds of millions of Muslims today recite the Glorious Book and get fascinated and moved by it. They know that the Book they recite is exactly what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them) used to recite centuries ago. They know that the Quran has been preserved through all the ups and downs of the last fourteen centuries. The preservation in itself is a great miracle.

It has been preserved by the scribes on papers. It has been conserved by artists on stone pieces and tablets, plant-leaves, parchments and walls of mosques and other monuments. It has been safeguarded in lakhs of human hearts through the centuries. In this way, it comes out as a unique book. Not a single book or even a booklet has been preserved so well in human history. After all, it is the Book authored by the All-Powerful, AllKnowing Creator of the universe, Allah; brought to earth by the angel of the highest rank, Gabriel (peace be upon him); revealed to the greatest messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); and received in the holiest of cities on earth, Makka and Madina. We pray to Allah to grant us love and respect for this Glorious Book, to guide us towards reading it and following its commands always, without fail. ***

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WHO IS A TRUE MUSLIM? By: Zaheerul Haq Nadvi (Kulliatus Sharia) Some of the important attributes of a true Muslim are the following: 1. He believes that Allah is One, without a like or partner, and that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His last messenger. He affirms that the Glorious Quran is Allah's Book and that Hadiths are based on Divine inspirations.

2. He is always keen to help the lowly and the downtrodden and leads a life of simplicity.

3. He does not harbour any ill-will, malice or hatred towards anyone, nor does he look for vengeance upon somebody for personal reasons. Instead, he loves one and all, irrespective of their nationality, birth-place, social status and economic position.

4. He follows the principles of Islam in its entirety and in all circumstances.

5. He loves his parents, looks after them and serves them, particularly in their old age.

6. When he undertakes an enterprise, he places his faith in Allah with regard to the outcome. He knows that his successes and failures depend on Almighty Allah's Will which is based on his infinite Wisdom. So he does not lose heart in case of failure.

7. He commits himself to the cause of the mankind as a whole. There is no place for prejudice or parochialism in his heart.

8. He endeavours to put an end to all sorts of atrocities, tyrannies and exploitations in the world.

9. He is affable and polite to his relations, friends, colleagues, neighbours and all other acquaintances.

10. He is sympathetic towards orphans, widows and the destitute and does whatever he can to help them.

11. He sacrifices his hard-earned money, assets, valuable time and even his life 천 when required 천 for the noble cause of Islam.

12. He is not self-indulgent nor hankers after worldly pleasures. He observes restraint in the use of resources that Allah has placed at his disposal.

13. He devotes his thoughts and attention to the welfare of the Muslim Ummah, in fact the entire humankind.

14. He is magnanimous and philanthropic and spends generously in Allah's cause to seek His pleasure.

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He is just and fair to everybody, even his enemies.

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The Concept of Brotherhood in Islam Md Qasim (Arabic, 2nd year) Islam is the religion that calls towards the worship of one God, asks its followers to tread the footsteps of one Prophet, directs them to obey the commands of one Book (the Holy Quran), and commands them to turn to one Qibla (the direction one turns to in prayer) in Namaz. The idea of Tawheed (Unity of God) or Oneness extends to a number of things in a Muslims’ life. In short, all Believers of the world are bound together as members of one family. Their father is Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and mothers are Azwaj e Mutahharat (the noble wives of the Prophet). Naturally, the offspring should be brothers and sisters. And so they are. The Holy Quran announces: The Believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion).

But what this brotherhood means? Does it mean that one and a half billion Muslims of the world are entitled to inherit one another? Or that they cannot marry one another or that Muslim women need not observe purdah because all the faithfuls of the world are siblings. No, certainly not. Our loving Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has clarified the meaning for us: “A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He does not oppress him nor does he betray him to an enemy.”

“He does not breach his trust, nor lies to him, nor leaves him in the lurch.”

Rather, he helps his brothers in times of need, does not publicize their lapses, tries to redeem them of their sufferings and wipes out tears off their faces. And last but not the least, he does not despise his brothers or hold them in contempt just because they belong to a different race, colour, nationality, state, region or because they are weak or poor.

Let’s pray that all of us acquire this virtue of love, compassion and empathy to the fullest extent so that we begin to love for our Brothers in Faith exactly what we would have loved for ourselves, had we been in their position.

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