- : Editorial : -
Contact Voice of Unity Editorial Dear brothers and sisters, Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah The Holy Prophet (SAWW) has said, "Polytheism (shirk) is more imperceptible than the crawl of an ant on a smooth stone in the darkness of night. The slightest degree of it is to prefer any act of injustice to an act of justice.” My dear brothers and sisters, we are living in very testing times, where extreme pressures are being exerted on our faith. Our Muslim identity is constantly under threat as it shifts and bends under the weighty demands of society, and we try to establish ourselves within the myriad of ideologies and beliefs of our multicultural surroundings. The avenues of Shaitan are numerous. Nowadays, just being able to avoid the indecency and filth that bombards our television and computer screens daily is considered to be a great accomplishment. Yet within this sea of temptation lies a potential treasure. For if we are able to ride the tumultuous waves of this society, and come out unscathed with our faith intact, we will have set ourselves up for a great future. We are fortunate enough in the West to have access to high-class education with comparative ease. At the same time, it is possible to preserve our religion, despite the daily struggles against Islamophobia. Our beloved Prophet (SAWW) has also said, “Religiousness is nothing but to love and hate for the sake of Allah. Allah says: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you.” (3:31) My dear brothers and sisters, we must therefore be mindful of our duty towards Allah (SWT). Let us not waste the unique opportunities we have in this part of the world. Let us harness our advantageous situation in the academic and professional sectors by focusing our efforts towards serving Islam. Let us strive to excel in our respective fields, whilst bearing in mind the purpose of our efforts. Given this intention, we must learn to be creative and innovative in our approach. Let us engrave the beautiful words of Du‟a Kumayl onto our hearts: O' my Lord! My Lord! My Lord! Strengthen my limbs for Thy service and sustain the strength of my hands to persevere in Thy service and bestow upon me the eagerness to fear Thee and constantly to serve Thee, so that I may lead myself towards Thee in the field with the vanguards who are in the fore rank and be swift towards Thee among those who hasten towards Thee and urge eagerly to be near Thee and draw myself towards Thee like them who sincerely draw themselves towards Thee and to fear Thee like the fear of those who believe firmly in Thee and thus I may join the congregation of the faithful congregated near Thee.
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Voice of Unity 6 Wilmslow Rd. Unit 203 Manchester M14 5TP
Voice of Unity Committee Br Abbas Al-Masuadi Br Musa Naqvi Sr Motahare Yadegarfar Sr Noor Al-Safar Sr Farah Al-Safar Sr Sarah Al-Bachari Sr Noor Abbas Sr Taherah Fattahi Br Hussain Hamid
Registered charity no: 1066910 Editor: Br Ali Mawlawi Voice of Unity is a publiGraphics: Br Hamed cation of the Islamic Unity Society. Heshmati
Inside this issue: Mailbox: Letters to Editor
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Feature: Our roles as believers towards Ulema
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Social: Depression
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Activities: Winter Camp 2003
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Qur’an: Miracles within a Miracle
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Practical: Amr bil ma’ruf wa nahi ‘an al-munkar
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Poetry: Sweet Mystery
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Noticeboard: Important shout outs!
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Personality: Mohsin Al-Hakeem
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Science: Qur’anic Botany
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Historical: History of Palestine (part 2)
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Wassalamu Alaykum Voice of Unity Committee
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- : Mailbox : -
** Letters to the Editor **
u and king yo ards n a h t tow in by r, to beg d dedication our last o it e d k E li r Dea I would hard work an ember and y readr m yed for you latively new cross. I enjo nd diam a e t ea a re ith a your . I am irst one I cam le of the had feel these U O V e f y t th e do was th d the s rticles ent, I edition specially like a busy stud iendly and a g fr Ie d! ing it. s. Bein ore reader n io t c reciate e p m s p ead, a e e r u h a uc s log sting r of le m e ic r e t e b r t a ld in ction e an s wou shorter agazin e the introdu more picture m e r e o h t m find with mayb ake it er I did articles and ld help to m around the h t e g o s Alt er ou r short sers w Muslim it is, I howeve and braintea ay for all the l climate as here r w a quizzes e. Finally I p urrent politic oblem page, Allah iv r t c d insh nap interac nd with the ggestio difficulties an idance on u a s , t s ld r y la gu wo nd int and cerns a make m would oice our con lamic viewpo ir. v Is Kha we can ed with the akAllah z a J id . v r o e r t t be p the ma ter anches M i, s y R. Al-Q
Your Comments: “ If you have any comments, criticisms or suggestions about the contents of Voice of Unity, please email the editor at editor@ius.org.uk”
Dear Editor, Bismillah Al Rah man Al Raheem an interesting re . MashAllah the ad indeed. I feel last edition of th the practical artic ture by Dr Musta e Voice of Unity les such as the fa Mawjee on ‘ A was ‘Putting in 100% perfect Islamic w most. I think artic ’ and the feaay of life’ were th les like this can e ones that insp help us improve How about using ired me the our Islamic prac personal stories tic es in our day-to to raise more awar I liked the fact th -day lives. eness in relation ere is a current af to the youth? fairs section and used to cover m a political affairs ore general topi cs which apply to section but I feel democracy and all people wheth this the EU or the ne er Muslim or not. Fo can be ga tive effects of sm I’d like to end by r example oking. saying the VOU is a refreshing chan your success an ge from the aver d I hope there w age magazine an ill be many more d I pray for to come. Arwa Ahmed, Wid nes
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- : Feature : -
W
Br Hassen Al-Sader
hat is Islam? Islam is a religion
which consists of two parts: beliefs and rules (people tend to take the word „rules‟ as meaning the law of governments only, it actually represents everything that we should and should not do, e.g. we should pray five times a day and we should not drink alcohol). Some of the beliefs are the articles of Islam: Unity of Allah (SWT), Justice of Allah (SWT), Prophethood, Imamah, and the Hereafter. In other words, they form the aqa‟id (beliefs) of Islam, and every Muslim should believe in those with his own conviction and he is not allowed to blindly follow anyone in them. Therefore, taqleed (emulation) cannot be done in matters of aqa‟id. Beliefs apart from the basic beliefs mentioned above, e.g. believing that the mu‟mineen (believers) are promised heaven; and rules, e.g. a Muslim cannot dine at the same table where people are consuming alcohol, are found in the two sources: the Holy Quran and the Sunnah
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(traditions). In order for us to practise Islam correctly, we must have knowledge of these beliefs and rules. But how do we learn of these beliefs and rules? Certainly one can say that we can read the Holy Quran and the books of ahaadith (narrations). That is right, but can we understand all of the Holy Quran by ourselves? Some of the Holy Quran is clear-cut, e.g. „Say: He Allah is One‟ (112:01). But what about the rest? Remember that what we are reading now is the translation of the Holy Quran and not the Holy Quran in its original form, i.e. in the Arabic text. Some of its words have to be explained, and the verses linked together, we cannot simply consider one ayah on its own and leave the rest. The Holy Quran is a complete book.
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- : Feature : One might say that the Sunnah (traditions) is the explanation of the Holy Quran. However, the Sunnah is spread throughout many books, w h i c h need to be researched carefully in order to find the authentic
ahaadith. Can each one of us do that? Should each one of us do that? The answer is YES, unless someone else, someone who we trust, devotes their life to the study of the Holy Quran and researches the books of Sunnah on our behalf. Then we can refer to them instead of doing the research ourselves. It was narrated by Abdullah bin Abi Ya‟foor:
Think about the great gift that we have that others do not. Think about all the things that we know about Allah (SWT), the hereafter, and the great man, the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Ahlul-Bayt (people of his household) (AS). So, if we want t o d o d a ‟ w a h , where do we start from? what do we say first? have we answered all the questions for ourselves first? Imam Redha (AS)
has said:
“May the mercy of Allah (SWT) be upon the servant who keeps alive our commandment”. Then the person attending the Imam (AS) asked him how their commandment could be kept alive. The Imam (AS) replied: “He can learn our sciences and teach them to people. In fact, if people knew the merits of our statements, surely they would follow us
“I said to Abu Abdallah (Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (AS)): „I cannot come to see you every time I want to and people come to ask me about matters for which I do not have answers‟. He answered: „What stops you from asking Muhammad bin Muslim Atha-qafee? He heard a lot from my father (Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (AS)) Here we see Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (AS) directing a well-respected man (who was himself approached by the people for his knowledge) to one of the companions of his father to refer to. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: “O Ali! Gabriel wished to become a human being a so for seven reasons, which are: congregational prayer, companionship with scholars, establishing peace between two persons, honouring the orphans, visiting the sick, attending the funeral procession, and giving water to pilgrims. Then, be desirous of these things This clarifies that our role towards the Ulema (scholars) in listening to them, attending their lectures and lessons (for our own benefit and safety on the Day of Judgment) is our duty. Why do we always rely on scholars
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We have to learn; we have to know our religion. For us to be professionals in any field, we study it. To be doctors, we study medicine. So to be Muslims, what should we do? Studying Islam does not affect our academic studies. We may not get a degree in Islam, but surely we will be truer Muslims. So why do we not enrol in the oldest university in the world! The one established by the Holy Prophet (SAW) in Medina, fourteen hundred years ago. Then it was transferred by Imam Ali (AS) to Kufa. The university that teaches people the most important thing they need to know; that is how to live as humans, and how to prepare ourselves for the real life, the next life. References: 1
Wassail ashia‟a, 18/105
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- : Social : -
„And when my servants ask you concerning me then surely I am very near…‟ (The Noble Quran 2:186)
One in three Muslim youths suffer from a mental health illness and 10% of Muslim youths are suicidal. The most common mental health illness in the Muslim community is depression, others being schizophrenia and anorexia. Inshallah anorexia and schizophrenia shall be discussed in future articles.
Br Abbas Al-Masaudi because some Muslims see it as giving up or not trusting Allah (SWT) or their faith. I have to emphasise that depression has no link to the strength of your faith. Even if your faith is strong, it does not make you immune to the condition. Depression is another test/difficulty in life, and difficulties are discussed in the Quran. There is no weakness in taking antidepressants or admitting to yourself that you are depressed, instead it is a strength to be honest to yourself, and that you need help and support for your condition: „Certainly we created man to be in distress.‟
D
(The Noble Quran, 90:4) epression is a medical condition
and there is medication for those who suffer from the condition called anti-depressants. However, many Muslim patients neglect their medication for numerous reasons. One of these reasons is the side effects which accompany anti-depressants. Anti-depressants can increase the fluctuation in mood swings i.e. the „highs‟ are higher and the „lows‟ are lower, however, a doctor will say this is part of the treatment. Nausea, weight loss, drowsiness, impotence and irritability are other side effects of medication. Another reason as to why some Muslim patients neglect their medication is
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Another common reason for Muslim patients neglecting their medication is to protect their parents from being hurt and upset. This, as well as the other reasons, is perfectly understandable. Some parents may only see depression as a spiritual defect in the person and not as a medical condition. Also, no child wishes to disappoint, hurt or upset their parents, hence many Muslims who are depressed suffer in silence. Many Muslim patients even refuse having counselling to help them cope with their depression. All this leads to many Muslim patients developing their own coping mechanisms such as self-harming and drug abuse.
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- : Social : Depression makes life difficult for the sufferer. Selfesteem and confidence are near zero; hence you have very little energy to do much. Thoughts of death and suicide, and great sadness waking up in the morning are just some of the things that depressed people endure. People who are depressed also find it difficult to concentrate on tasks or general actions, even simple things that we take for granted like watching movies, is difficult for those suffering from depression. Decisions that used to be so easy to make, like what to eat, become very difficult, and speaking of eating, your appetite either grows, or goes. Then there are the mood swings where you can be on a „high‟, or on a „low‟, and this really can get in the way when you‟re a student and trying to study for your exams, but it‟s something the sufferer should not cope with alone. So what causes depression? It is certainly not an error in the person‟s faith or belief, or in their character. Neither is depression an impurity in the soul. The Quran says that all afflictions, and relief come from Allah (SWT). Aspects and episodes of a person‟s life can contribute to a person having depression. The sufferer may have had a hard childhood, or may come from a broken home. Many drug addicts also develop depression; drugs such as cannabis and heroine are known to contribute to mental health illnesses. Some adolescents do become depressed through their teenage years and after. Many people who come out of a bad relationship start to develop de-
pression, as well as people who‟ve been victims of abuse; whether verbal, physical or sexual. It has also been proven that depression can be hereditary i.e. you can inherit the condition from your parents or even grandparents‟ genes. However, sufferers must never blame themselves for having the condition. Now the reasons as to what causes depression have been mentioned, but these causes aren‟t the reason as to why 1 in 3 Muslim youths suffer from a mental health illness; so why so many? Social problems such as drug abuse, mental health problems and sexuality are not openly discussed in the Muslim community, whether it is the Muslim community in the west or back home where we originated. Mental health problems for example are now increasing in the Middle East. Many people who suffer from depression are afraid of telling their friends from their community because of the fear of being judged by others, so we see there is a lack of trust in some cases amongst people within a Muslim community. Also, there is no open referral system provided by mosques or individual Muslim communities. One could say „why doesn‟t someone who has a problem go and see the resid e n t i a l Aalim of their community?‟ However, this would be difficult for a person who may know the Aalim, and is afraid the Aalim may tell the person‟s parents, which does
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happen. Awareness on such social issues needs to be developed fellow Muslims, and such issues need to be addressed on a tolerant level. People who suffer from de-
pression cannot and should not be preached, but instead they should be given support. Also, fellow Muslims must adopt an open-minded view of people‟s situations, and accept that issues such as drug abuse and depression do exist within the Muslim community, and that these people are the responsibility of the Muslim community. Organisations such as the Muslim Youth Helpline do exist, but the Muslim community must also play its part in tackling the social problems that are in the Muslim community. There have been many seminars, lectures and camps under the heading of attaining high spirituality but none for the social welfare of Muslims in the UK. There haven‟t been any seminars addressing drug abuse or mental health problems in the Muslim community, why not, especially when these people are Muslims, these people are human beings, and these people have rights to attain high spirituality but first they need the support of their community. „The one who removes grief from a fellow believer, Allah will be pleased with Him on the Day of Judgement.‟ (Imam Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha [AS]) Continued on page 11
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- : Activities : -
Friday the 19thof December To Sunday 21st December
T
he third IUS winter
camp coincided with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Jafar-As-Sadiq (AS), the 6th Imam of the Holy Ahlul-Bayt (AS). The camp was not only dedicated to the living memory of our beloved Imam (AS) but also provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen our faith and discuss openly any Islamic issues in the presence of learned individuals. The camp got underway on Friday, with nearly 130 delegates arriving from all over the UK, at Dar-Islam, in time for the Friday prayer. The prayers were followed by an introductory talk by Brother Marwan Al-Dawood highlighting the events to follow as well as welcoming everyone to the “University of Life”.
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Br Musa Naqvi The icebreaking session and the group discussions that followed allowed everyone to make new acquaintances and meet old friends. The group discussions in particular proved to be an excellent way to benefit from the knowledge of others, Maulana Syed Mohammed Musawi was present to comment and correct us. After having the delicious pizzas at the Dar everyone got on to the double-decker bus, (the brothers anyway) to make our way to the youth hostel where the majority of us were to be accommodated. This 15-minute journey proved to be an interesting experience in itself with wonderful chants in Arabic from the Iraqi brothers about the demise of Saddam, patriotic waving of the Iraqi flag and last but not the least, the „Naarey‟ from the Pakistani brothers.
The youth hostel, situated in the Castlefield area of Manchester, was to accommodate 72 out of the 130 or so delegates, the rest either staying at home or in Dar Al-Islam (the real mujahids among us). From the youth hostel everyone made their way to the sports sessions.
The sports activities were spanned over two days with alternating swimming sessions for the brother and sisters. Perhaps the highlight of
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- : Activities : the sport activities was the highly organised „five-a-side‟, which was competitively played and adequately won by the team named „Iraq‟.
The already packed and eventful day wasn‟t to end yet. We made our way back to the Dar where food awaited us; food provided an opportunity to not only relax but also to contemplate on the events of the day. After everyone was refreshed the Q&A session got underway. The Q&A session proved to be productive; many interesting Islamic issues were thoroughly addressed and clarified by Syed Musawi during the session. After the Q&A session it was back to the hostel for the people staying there, back to home for the non-residential delegates and time for the mujahideen to get out their sleeping bags with another exciting and fully packed day to look forward to (some stayed up for the night prayer and others to talk with their mates).
ming pool was literally over the road from the Iranian centre (also known as the Manchester Islamic Institute or Mahad) where the main event of the day was to take place; the conference entitled “Establishing the University of Life”. When everyone had finished their respective sporting activities, we made our way to the Mahad in time for the afternoon prayers. Immediately after the prayers began the conference. There was a very large turnout with
val and allowed time to relax during which
teams for the quizzes were organised for the brother and sisters. It was time to apply the Islamic knowledge gained over the past day or so. Although each team was in fact presented with the option to „ask an alim‟ when lacking the knowledge or they could be really brotherly or sisterly and nominate another team to answer the question (a lot of tactical play going on there). The quiz was a thoroughly enjoyable experience bringing out the unity in everyone.
people from the Manchester area and its surroundings participating in the event. A whole host of topics were discussed, especially in the Q&A session, which was particularly animated. It was also a good opportunity for people to buy Islamic books at discounted prices.
The quiz was followed by the main event of the night: a Majlis in English to commemorate the martyrdom of our sixth Holy Imam (AS). There were two beautiful nohas and latameyahs at the end of the Majlis; a highly powerful and emotional experience. There was scrumptious food after the Majlis The conference came to an from the local “Krunchy Fried end at 6pm. We were on the Chicken”. A more detailed Q&A session followed After having a good I think the Conference was the highlight of the camp. food, again Syed night‟s sleep everyone Very enlightening and informative. The Manchester camp Musawi enlightened the was up (well most of was my first camp and it really was great. A chance to brothers and sisters in us) for the Fajr meet new friends and learn in an enjoyable manner. A a truly inspirational prayers followed by a great experience, one which I will not forget! manner. Again we wholesome and filling made our way back to breakfast ( b o t h Hussain Sherakat, Bradford the out respective descooked and continentinations: home, Dar or tal options were excelt h e h o s t e l . lent, not that I tried both). At road once more, this time toEveryone after having a day about 9am we were on our wards the Jafria Islamic Cenpacked with activities was off way to attend the second part tre (also known as 404). Eveto a good night sleep, or so of the sporting activities ryone was made comfortable they thought! A special spiri(swimming etc.) The swimwith tea and biscuits on arritual zone had been organised
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- : Quran : -
T
Sr Noor Abbas he Holy Qur‟an is indeed a miracle
within itself. It was revealed to the illiterate Prophet Muhammad (SAW) about fourteen centuries ago, yet the knowledge it contains is infinite and divine. The Qur‟an from the moment it was first communicated to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), was learnt by heart and written down during the lifetime of the Prophet. It is thanks to this that the Qur‟an does not pose any problem of authenticity. The one thing that usually surprises non–Muslims who are examining this miraculous book is that it does not seem to be what they expect it to be. They assume that the Qur‟an is an old book, which came fourteen centuries ago from the pagan Arabs of the Arabian Desert. But when they realize that it does not resemble what they expected, they are amazed. Indeed, many non– Muslims who have examined the Qur‟an in detail claim that it is the most beautiful and amazing book they have ever read. The Holy Qur‟an is considered to be amazing and miraculous by many scientists, mainly due
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to the many scientific facts that it contains that have only been discovered recently by modern science. Modern science has discovered that the smallest unit of matter – the atom, can be split into its component parts. This idea is relatively new, a development of the last century, but this information has already been documented in the Qur‟an, which states:
“ He (i.e., Allah) is aware of an atoms weight in the Heavens and on the earth and even Anything smaller than that….” (Surah Saba, 34:3) (Gary Miller, 1994) Concerning astronomy, it is known how the celestial organization is balanced by the position of stars in a defined orbit interplayed with gravitational forces. But isn‟t this what the Qur‟an describes in terms which have only become comprehendible in our own
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- : Quran : day, as stated: “ (God is) the one who created the night, The day the sun and the moon. Each one is Traveling in orbit with its own motion” (Surah Al Anbiya 21:33) (Bucaille, 1976) Concerning Earth, Surah Al Zumar (39:21) states: “ Hast thou not seen that God sent water down from the sky and led it through sources into the ground? Then He caused sown fields of different colours to grow”. Such notions seem natural to us today, but we should not forget that they were not prevalent long ago. It was not until the sixteenth century, with Bernard Palissy, that we gained the first description of the water cycle. If one compares the facts of modern hydrology with the data to be found in numerous verses of the Holy Qur‟an on this
subject, one cannot fail to notice the degree of agreement between the two. (Bucaille, 1976) It is only since modern times, that scientific progress has made such verses more comprehensible to us. There are also other verses which are more easily understandable, but which caused a biological meaning that is highly signifi-
cant. This is the case in Surah Al Anbiya, which states: “ And We (Allah) got every living thing out of the water. Will they then not believe?” This is confirmation of the modern idea that the origin of life is aquatic. The evolution of the embryo inside the maternal uterus is only briefly described, but the description is accurate, because the simple words referring to it correspond exactly to fundamental stages in its growth. This is stated in Surah Al-Mu‟minun (23:14),
Depression, Continued from page 7 ... Those who are depressed, there are various coping mechanisms that can help you when trying to lead a normal life. Going out for walks either really early in the morning or at night, or vigor-
“ We (Allah) fashioned the thing which clings Into a chewed lump of flesh and We fashioned the Chewed flesh into bones and We clothed the bones with Intact flesh. Then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the perfect Creator”.
ous exercise helps the sufferer take their mind off their condition. Hanging out with friends, or talking to a friend who you can trust and perhaps may be able to relate to you is also an effective way in helping you cope with depression.
(Bucaille, 1976). Contrary to the belief of non– Muslims, it is quite unthinkable for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to have been the author of such statements on account of the state of knowledge in his day. Such considerations are part of what gives the revelation its unique place; the Qur’an is a divine miracle containing miracles. References: 1. Gary Miller (1994), The Amazing Qur‟an, Abdul Qasim Publishing House. 2. Dr. Maurice Baucaille, (1976), The Qur‟an And Modern Science, U.K.I.M Dawah Centre.
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Another very effective coping mechanism is to counsel others who are depressed or to educate others about what depression is, and this increases self-confidence. Writing is very therapeutic for those who are depressed, as well as drawing or painting. To help increase your concentration, try typing or writing anything you like or enjoy. Learning to cook or taking new hobbies like going to the gym also helps with those who are depressed. Anyone who‟s been through depression or suffers from depression will tell you that antidepressants can‟t do everything for you, but in reality it‟s down to you, and you can pull through.
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- : Practical : -
Sr Nahla Abbas
A
enjoining what is right Amr bil ma‟ruf wa nahi „an al-
munkar, is a well-known Quranic concept that holds the key to the value system of Islam. The term lays an emphasis on particular aspects of deen that is our divine way of life.
and forbidding what is wrong they are the ones to attain felicity” This verse states two points that we should follow as part of our duty in Islam:
1. Calling others to all that is good To enjoin the good and forbid the wrong brings 2. Enjoining what is right, and forbidding up points about the nature of the mission of what is wrong Islam and its aims and challenges that it brings about in society. A MusThe above verse from lim is ordered by Allah the Quran could also (SWT) and his Messenger refer to the transgresAmr bil ma’ruf wa nahi ‘an al-munkar, Muhammad (SAW) to Enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong sors, such as the enjoin ma‟ruf and forbid mushrikeen who have munkar. All that is neglected the true repleased by Allah (SWT) ligion and kept themis ma‟ruf whereas all that is forbidden is selves busy from accepting the truth. We as munkar, forbidding all that might prove harmMuslims are asked to obey all that is good till ful for Muslims in this world as well as in the our very last breath, and not to be divided Hereafter. amongst ourselves, which unfortunately we are at present. Surah‟Al-Imran, verse 104 states: FORBIDDING WHAT IS WRONG “Let there arise out of you In Islam an individual should stay away from a band of people that which is forbidden and would weaken their inviting to all that is good
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- : Practical : ance if our intentions are sincere. References: - Holy Quran, Chapter 3
deen. This includes the following examples:
Lying, cheating, risy, arrogance
hypoc-
Backbiting and insulting Not keeping to promises Disobeying one‟s parents
Looking at, and listening to what is forbidden This leads us on to the word shirk which implies doing the greatest sin, for example, by saying and believing that Allah (SWT) has partners, and the worship of others besides Allah (SWT). Al-shirk alasghar (minor shirk) is an act performed to show off, or to gain fame for worldly purposes. ENJOINING WHAT IS RIGHT We should believe in the six articles of faith that are to believe in the Unity of Allah (SWT) (tawhid), His angels, Messengers, the Day of Judgment, the Night of Qadr and the Holy Quran We should also abide by the five pillars of Islam that are; to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah (SWT), and that Muhammad (SAW) is his Messenger, to perform salah (prayer), to pay zakat (charity), to perform hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and to fast (sawm) during the month of Ramadhan. The acceptance of these righteous deeds depends upon the following two basic
conditions which must be fulfilled: 1. The intentions while doing such deeds must be totally for Allah‟s sake only without showing off or becoming famous. 2. Acts of worship in accordance with the Sunnah To thoroughly increase one‟s imaan and deen, as an individual representing Islam, one should always have patience, gratitude, truthfulness and the ability to seek knowledge and study. One should pray on time and pray the recommended night prayers,
‘You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.’ (3:110)
and to recite Du‟a Kumayl preferably on Thursdays. Thus to sum up, as Muslims one should stand up and defend the truth, even if it is against oneself, as it is our responsibility to forbid the wrong and enjoin in the good. Overall the Fundamentals of Islam serve as divine guid-
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- : Poetry : -
My MysWhat a sweet mystery With a lovely bound covering in Velvet and brocade, edged with embroidery of silver gold and braid Flowers flirting inside It called me to open the garden gate, turn the key and dine And smell sweet scented petals that invite to Read verses so delicate with time And the bee has a buzzing the Qirrat is divine With light spilling out to overwhelm the surround, I cried
Sr Sakina Ahmed
As I walked in the garden holding tight to the rope, I slipped a few times Oh please, it was many times But a miracle was the garden That every time I lost sight and fell The hand of the Guide pulled me RIGHT on side And I felt in my hand the rope once more I promise, I promise this time I won't let go But my soul, poor soul in purity had to grow I tried hard to hear the buzzing and it got louder echoed with an orange glow I kept walking across what was shaped and alive like a heart
I felt the bee sting me No pain did I feel
It was then that I heard YASEEN sung by a sweet humming bird I hummed the tune too and the bee joined in, reIt said 'now you're touched' peating and dizzy in the Garden’s world Remember the feeling for you have never felt such I shut the gate behind me Venturing further trying harder to see
The bee was entrancing me all along Humming to myself the tune of my love I laugh, so distracted was I
I cried more ‘why’ could I not see!! Then I followed the path deeper I opened my chest wide Yes, then I did for a short sweetness perceive
I lost track of time but I Thought with a smile Silly girl don't you see now your heart is truly free
I was invited to meet the Prophets that resided among the sweet milk In a place soooo overwhelming I stopped
They called me at home, at work and in play They said I was with them, I had not left for a second and I certainly did not die
I said to myself ‘now breathe’, deeper - or for sure I will die, my breath halted and Then I sensed the bee once again I wished in this book that there would be a beautiful place for me
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NO NO I persisted, WHAT madness is this I did enter the garden AND it EXISTS I promise, believe me I looked down in my lap and what did I see? THE QURAN A BEAUTIFUL SWEET MYSTERY
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- : Noticeboard : -
The Birth of IUS North Branch Dear brothers and sisters, Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah
camp), the organisation was in full throttle organising two seminars and one national conference, with speakers including Sayed Fadhil Milani, Sayed Mahdi Al-Modarresi and Professor Ali Hayder. IUS North Branch was also involved in raising money for the people of Bam, after the tragic earthquake hitting the ancient city. Working alongside Bam Earthquake Relief fund, a charity set up in the aftermath of the disaster, £38,000 was raised.
It was a chilly autumn‟s afternoon when I received a phone call from a brother called Zafar. I remembered the brother briefly from my first encounter with the IUS a year‟s previously at the Birmingham winter camp ‟02. To my surprise, an off-the-cuff offer by myself to be involved within the IUS had been taken up and before I But to reach out to all the types of Muslims in knew it, I was part of one of the most successful IUS our community, IUS North Branch has explored new winter camp‟s ever, held in Manchester, 2003. ways in getting young Muslims together, inculding reguThe date of the camp grew nearer and nearer, lar sisters study circles, brothers football, and an „Eid and our multicultural committee began to step up the dinner‟ for the sisters, all of which have been warmly gears in preparation. With the flick of an eye the camp welcomed and have achieved great success. was done and dusted and the previously segregated MusSo where do we go from here I hear you ask? In lims of the North West had now found a stronghold in that, only Allah knows, but it‟s a choice that we leave to unity. you, as we cannot function without your help and we Our committee expanded, recruiting many eager cannot function without Allah‟s help. brothers and sisters who realised that IUS is different, IUS is new, but most importantly, IUS brings people toWasalam wr wb gether. Marwan Al-Dawoud With our record breaking committee size, IUS North Branch set itself goals for the near future and after IUS Vice Chairman a short pause in neutral (to recover from the winter IUS North Branch Chairman
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- : Personality : -
Br Mohammad Jaffer Hasanian
A
yatullah Mohsin Al-Hakeem is widely
known for the fact that he was once the head of the Hawza Ilmiyya of Najaf, and the sole Marja‟ of his time. However, Sayyed Al-Hakim has done much more than just that. As much as 70 years ago, when the era of oppression from the West was at its initial stages, the Sayyed became aware of it and actively opposed it, with many other ulema. This foundation set, due to his far-reaching insight, has been a great factor in allowing us to oppose the oppressors today. Ayatullah Sayyed Mohsin Al-Hakeem lived as one of the greatest contributors to Islam. He was one of the greatest maraji‟ in Shia Islam during his lifetime, and this was just a fraction of his contribution to Islam, which took many paths. He was from a family of scholars, so he grew up in a great household, and in the beautiful ambience of the centre of learning at the time, Najaf al-Ashraf. He was born in 1306 AH in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. From a very young age, during the First World War, he became opposed to the
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policies of the Western world, especially Britain. He took up fighting against the country as a duty. He was also enlisted in the Defensive Active Forces, and was the right-hand man of the commander at the time. His enmity to oppression was a great trait of the Ayatullah. He was ever ready, always primed to stand up against tyranny and oppression, and always lodged strong protests against repression. As the years passed, and the tyranny increased for the Muslims, he proved himself to be the mouthpiece of the true Muslims. Whenever any government took any step, which seemed out of line, Sayyed Al-Hakeem would send for the representatives of that government and politely show them the evil of their subjugation. He studied under the tutelage of great fuqaha, like Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Kadhim Yazdi, Ayatullah Mirza Hussein Naeeni, Ayatullah Zia Iraqi and others. After the sad demise of Ayatullah Sayyed Hussein Burujurdi, with whom his family tree shared a common lineage finally reaching Ameerul Mu‟mineen Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (AS), he became the sole marja‟.
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- : Personality : The Hawza Ilmiyya in Najaf greatly prospered under his rule, one of his greatest gifts to Islam. He introduced many changes to the curriculum, which had many far reaching effects. The Hawza also grew immensely, the number of students reaching an unprecedented 8,000 students. Ayatullah Sayyed Mohsin AlHakeem passed away in 1972. After his death, his contribution continued through his children. He had nine sons, all of whom contributed to Islam in some way. The most evident now, is Sayyed Mohamed Baqir Al-Hakeem, who was killed last year in the holy city of Najaf.
Sayyed Mohammed Baqir AlHakeem was the fifth son between nine brothers (5 of them killed). His childhood was in the period of the Second World War, where his father preferred to live the simple life as all other poor people do. He left school at the age of 12 to join the Hawza in Najaf and there he showed his genius.
He remained a techer there until college was stopped in 1975.
Amongst them was Shaheed Mohammed Baqir Al-Hakeem, just after his Friday khutbah.
Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Baqir Al-Hakeem and his teacher Shaheed Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr were known to be two of the greatest mujahideen against Saddam Hussein. After the death of his father, Sayyed Mohammed Baqir AlHakeem was arrested twice. After the shahadat of Sayyed Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr, he decided to leave Iraq and succeeded in reaching Iran secretly to complete his jihad from there. His political role while in Iran was similar to that of his father‟s. An extrovert figure, Ayatollah Mohamed Baqir AlHakeem was openly opposed to any sort of oppression, and had no fear in declaring his enmity. He also had a wide following. While the Ayatullah remained exiled in Iran, nine assassination attempts took place to kill him, out of which five were known to be from Saddam. Alhamdulillah, none of these were successful. However, after the fall of the Ba‟thi regime, when the Ayatollah returned to Najaf after 35 years, the tenth attempt took place. Unfortunately, this time it was successful. On Friday 1st Rajab 1424, a massive car bomb planted outside the Haram of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf exploded, killing around 100 worshippers outside the mosque.
At the age of 25 he was selected to teach in the college of Usool Al-Deen at Baghdad University alongside many other of our great scholars.
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- : Science : -
B
otany is a branch of life science
which deals with the study of plants, which are living organisms and are of different types micro, macro, green and non green. The Holy Quran deals with the following species of plants: Mustard Tree ( tooth brush tree), Acacia, Onion, Pomegranate, Grape, Fig, Mustard, Euphorbia, Sweet basil, Gourd, Cucumber, Garlic, Lentil, Ginger, Henna, Cedar, Olive, Date, Manna, Tamarisic, Cactus-Bitter, Blessed Tree(Tuba).
Both the Quran and the Bible include plants that have long been used for medicinal purposes. Hadith and western folk botany make many references to these plants; however only recently has the efficacy of some of these been documented with modern science. Approximately125 plants are mentioned in the Bible and 22 in the Quran, although allowances have to be made for the inclusion of many other species, which are not explicitly stated when "fruits, trees, thorns and weeds" are discussed. Relatively few biblical plants are put in the context of medicines. Most of these can be found in the first five books, The Book of Moses, where ceremonial cleansing is discussed. In this brief overview I would like to look at the pomegranate fruit.
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Sr Shabnum Sabur Origin and Distribution Pomegranates are native to Iran and are also found in India, Afghanistan and Syria. Good quality pomegranates were grown in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and were used in ancient Egypt as a medicine. During the time of Prophet Musa (AS) high quality pomegranates were in cultivation throughout Palestine, Syria and Lebanon; the city of Rimmon was well known for them (Arabic name for pomegranate is rumman). They were introduced into Spain after the Islamic influence reached there and eventually made their way to England in the thirteenth century. Later, the Spanish took this fruit plant to the New World, Mexico and Florida thus its cultivation gradually spread to other countries and is now grown in almost every tropical and sub-tropical climate. Pomegranates have been mentioned in the Quran and the Hadith as follows: It is He Who sends down rain from the skies; with it We produce vegetation of all kinds: from some We produce green (crops), out of which We produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date palm and its sheaths (or
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- : Science : spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: and (then there are) gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety): when they begin to bear fruit, feast your eyes with the fruit and the ripeness thereof. Behold! In these things there are Signs for people who believe. (Al-An‟aam - 99) It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah (saw) loveth not the wasters. (Al-An‟aam 141) This verse also makes reference to the distribution of crops to the needy and deserving – a duty made mandatory on the owner just after the harvest of fruit crop, showing that Islam does not favour monopoly and ownership of agriculture. In them will be Fruits, and dates, and pomegranates: Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny? (ArRahman - 68-69) Ali b. Abi Talib (AS) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said: "Pomegranate and its rind strengthen digestion (stomach)". Anas bin Malik, narrated that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: "There is not a pomegranate which does not have a pip from one of the pomegranates of the Garden of Jannah in it". The pomegranate is cited in three places in the Old Testament: the garment of the high priest (Exodus 28: 33),
as a garland on the pillars in the temple, and in the Song of Solomon. Solomon's temple had two hundred pomegranates engraved on the capital of the two pillars, at the front of the temple (I Kings 7: 42; II Chronicles 4: 13). In the Song of Solomon 4:3 and 6:7 the red interior of
the fruit is likened to the temples of the Beloved. These are the only Biblical references to the red, juicy seeds of the pomegranate. Description The pomegranate is a semiseedy fruit with refreshing qualities and is easier to digest than many other fruits. The fruit has been held in high esteem from time immemorial as a food and a medicine. It is symbolic of plenty and a basket of pomegranates was chosen as a symbol of the 18th International Horticultural Congress held in 1970. The pomegranate is a six-sided fruit, with tough leathery skin. The inside is divided into several cells containing numerous angular seeds, which are surrounded by a succulent crimson colour coating with a sub-acid flavour. An average size pomegranate has 65 calories. Its juice is easily digestible and contains about 15% invert sugar. It is a rich source of sodium and a good source of riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, vitamin C, calcium and phosphorous. Curative and Properties
Medicinal
The pomegranate has been regarded as a food medicine
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of great importance. All parts of the tree, the roots, the reddish brown bark, leaves, flowers, rind and seeds, have featured in medicine for thousands of years. The medical authorities of ancient India have described it as a light food and a tonic for the heart. The ancient medical writers of Arabia regarded it as a fruit good for digestive disorders the juice has been used as an appetizer, a digestive food item and has traditionally been used in colitis, biliary vomiting and diarhhoea as it appears to bind the stool and tone up the intestines. The unique seed coat in the pomegranate, known technically as a sarcotesta, is fleshy and is widely used in the Middle East as a refreshing drink. This juice contains as much as 17 mg per Kg oestrone, a compound being investigated in cancer research .1 The bark, both of the root and the stems of pomegranate tree, is well known in Eastern Medicine for its anthelmintic properties of destroying para-sitic worms. The root-bark is, however, preferred as it contains a greater quantity of the alkaloid punicine than the stembark. This alkaloid appears to be highly toxic to tapeworms. However, during my search for abstracts and reviews, I have been unable to cite quality scientific data trialing these therapeutic properties of the pomegranate.
References 1.
Fernandes-Carlos, et al. 1997. Modulation of natural killer cell functional activity in athymic mice.
2.
Plants of the Qur‟an By M.I.H. Farooqi, 1989.
3.
Kamal, Hassan. Encyclopaedia of Islamic Medicine, 1975.
4.
Ifanca, Halaal Digest, 2003.
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- : Historical : -
I
Part two n 1935 an event took place which
shook the conscience of the Palestinian masses, drove home to them the fact that the British and the Zionists were two sides of the same coin, and exposed the hypocrisy and fraudulence of the traditional Palestinian leadership. This event was the revolution of Sheikh „Izzudin al-Qassam, who provided a matchless example of the spirit of jihad, self-sacrifice and firm belief in Allah (SWT). His life and death became a shining page in the history of the Palestinian struggle, lighting the way to the path of dignity, truth and victory – the only possible path out of the Palestinian problem. Sheikh Muhammad „Izzudin al-Qassam was born in the coastal Syrian city of Jiblah in 1882. His father, Sheikh Abdul-Qadir al-Qassam was the leader of the al-Qadiriyyah Sufi order. Thus, Sheikh Izzudin was brought up religiously, and as a young man travelled to al-Azhar to study the Islamic sciences. Even in his early youth he showed signs of great asceticism and chastity,
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Br Zahir Davdani and accustomed himself to jihad. No sooner had he heard of the Italian invasion of Tripoli, the capital of Libya, that he called on the people of his home country to wage jihad, and selected up 650 volunteers. The Ottoman authorities warmly welcomed the move and asked the volunteers to travel to Iskenderun, from which they were supposed to travel by sea to Tripoli. But after 40 days their transport still hadn‟t come so they were finally ordered back to their hometowns. The defence of Libya was thus left to that other great sufi-warrior, Umar Mukhtar, who valiantly defended his homeland to the last drop of blood. When the French invaded Syria, Sheikh Izzudin sold his house and bought 24 rifles. He declared jihad and fought until 1921 when he was forced to emigrate to Palestine – and thus make his brilliant mark on the Palestinian saga. Sheikh al-Qassam contacted Sheikh Amin al-Husseini and was well received by him, due to his outstanding merits. He was appointed as a preacher and teacher in the mosque of Haifa. Whereas the majority of Palestinian politicians were quite happy working with the
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- : Historical : British, al-Qassam realized and appreciated that the British and the Zionists were one and the same in their aims. Thus he made public his call for the people to boycott the British mandate and resort to armed struggle. The effectiveness of al-Qassam as an orator and his power to arouse people can be amply demonstrated by going back to the time when he had just graduated from al-Azhar and had returned to his hometown of Jiblah in Syria. He embarked on educating the children during the day and grownups during the night. He delivered sermons in which he exhorted the people to return to Islam and to live by its teachings. Such was his effect that the town was clutched in a great religious fervour, with the streets of the town empty at the call to Friday prayer. In this way, al-Qassam worked among the Palestinian peasants, preaching his thoughts and calling. He would tour their neighbourhoods, teaching them and sowing in them the seeds of rejection and jihad, while helping them. As a result, within ten years, he had rallied around himself a host of revolutionary elements from the mosque at Haifa, and had set up an organization which would be the basis for his armed revolt against the Brit-
ish/Zionists.
The organization was based on cells, with each cell comprising of five persons led by one among them called „the chief‟. Only the faithful who were ready to die defending their country were accepted in to the organization. In
1933
al-Qassam
began collecting donations to buy weapons, and by 1935 he had set up five organized, special committees – as a final preparation for the armed revolution:Call and mobilization, Military training, Food supply and weapons storing, Intelligence, Foreign relations He then mobilized a force of 200 warriors and gathered 800 as advocates. When he felt that it was high time to begin the revolution, he delivered a sermon at the mosque of Haifa in which he announced his resignation from all his posts and called on the people to join him in the mountains. A number of events took place in 1935 which spurred al-Qassam to hasten the launching of his armed revolution. These included the sudden unprecedented increase in Jewish immigration (60,000 in 1935 alone), the uncovering of a big smuggled shipment of weapons delivered to the Zionists, and some Zionist provocations in the form of flagrant military
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training and attacks on Arab villages. Thus, on November 12th 1935, al-Qassam left Haifa, accompanied by 24 of his armed followers, and headed for the outskirts of Janin. Their aim was to incite the people to rise, train the peasants military and set up the „revolutionary nucleus‟. It was then that the event which resulted in the premature death of alQassam‟s movement, took place. One of the units of alQassam‟s force patrolling the district of Janin killed a Zionist policeman. This alerted the authorities to the Qassamite stronghold, and a 500 strong British military force was rushed to the area, which closed in on al-Qassam and his followers who had taken refuge in the woods of „Ya‟bud‟. After about eight hours the battle ended with the martydom of al-Qassam and two of his companions – Sheikh Yusuf az-Zibawi and Sheikh Muhammad Hanafi Ahmad. Despite the short-lived nature of al-Qassam‟s revolution, his heroic martydom and deep integrity had a profound impact on all Palestine. His remains were taken in a big rally, in which the mourners chanted anti-British slogans and condemned the Zionist homeland, to his resting place in the city of Haifa. The political leaders, on the other hand, failed to attend the funeral service and only sent in cold telegrams, for al-Qassam was a great evidence of the futility of their methods. By his sacrifice and self-denial, Sheikh Muhammad „Izzudin al-Qassam had not only exposed the true face of the British and the egoistic opportunism of the traditional Palestinian leadership, but had also demonstrated the method of genuine resistance of the usurping
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- : Continued : In 1936 a purely popular revolution erupted as a direct offshoot of al-Qassam‟s movement. On Wednesday, April 15th 1936, some armed Palestinians, from the remaining Qassamites, stopped a motorcade of ten cars travelling between Nablus and Tulkarm, and shot three settlers. The settlers responded the following day, by killing two Palestinians in Btah Takfa. Clashes and demonstrations between Jews and Arabs increased to the point that the British High Commissioner imposed a state of emergency on Palestine. The intention of the Qassamites, in starting the revolution, was to avenge their leader and teacher, and the blood the Zionists had spilt. Indeed, the conditions were conducive to the sparking of a revolution as Britain had been growing ever more brutal in its intent to hold on to Palestine, because of its strategic position. Labour conditions in Palestine had deteriorated due to the adoption of the principles of „Hebrew labour‟ and „occupation of labour‟, which closed labour doors in the face of Muslim workers. The number of the unemployed rose and the Palestinian industries in soap and textiles went to rot. The Palestinian people had risen up because they wanted to do away with subservience to the invading British, who had desecrated their sanctities and confiscated their lands. So the revolution spread like wild fire across the Palestinian cities, and the country was gripped by
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clashes, demonstrations and a general strike. British armed cars were attacked and economic and government centres became the target of bombs which set them on fire.
more to conduct one final Q&A session for the brothers, with the sisters having their own separate session with Aalima Shagufta Daneshagar.
Camp-As-Sadiq, Continued from page 9 ... The spiritual zone was an excellent new idea connived by the IUS. It allowed us to think about how we can really, truly spiritually improve ourselves, not only to improve as Muslim but also to improve as human beings. This was an entirely optional aspect of the camp, an excellent opportunity to gain self-knowledge and per-
haps a starting point or spark to revolutionise one‟s life. Next morning again everyone was up for the Fajr prayer, feeling spiritually enlightened. After munching through the breakfast we made our way to the Dar where the final session of the camp was to be held. The final session consisted of the AGM, in which various IUS issues were discussed and various suggestions were made at improving the camp, primarily the point about having readily available chillies for the Pakistani brothers and even suggestions about sisters- on l y camps. Syed Musawi was present once
The final events of the camp were the prize giving ceremony and the goodbye speeches (with special request of „Naarey‟ being made from the Arab brothers to the Pakistani brothers). Certificates, CD‟s and copies of the Holy Quran were awarded to delegates for having successfully completed a course in „living‟ from The University of Life. Also prizes were awarded to the winners of the various sporting activities and the quizzes; a befitting end to a wonderful experience. Final goodbyes were made to newfound and old friends, emails and phone numbers were exchanged and there were already questions being asked about the next camp. This camp was the biggest ever project conducted by the IUS. Packed with many group activities it was an excellent way for Muslims of different cultural backgrounds to interact and unify on what they had in common i.e. Islam. The newly formed North Branch of the IUS put in a lot of hard work and effort in the smooth running of this massive project. The transport had to be and was, highly organised, as the accommodation was separate from the Islamic centres where most of the activities were held, the
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- : Lantern of path : Lantern of Path ( p art 2 ) On Knowledge Knowledge is the basis of every sublime state and the culmination of every high station. That is why the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'It is the duty of every Muslim, man and woman, to seek knowledge,' that is, the knowledge of precaution (taqwa)and certainty. Imam 'Ali (a.s.) said, "Seek knowledge, though it be in China,' meaning the knowledge of gnosis of the self, in it is contained knowledge of the Lord. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'Whoever knows his own self knows his Lord; moreover, you should acquire that knowledge without which no action is correct, and that is sincerity ... We seek refuge with Allah (SWT) from knowledge which has no benefit', that is, from knowledge which is contrary to actions performed with sincerity. Know that a small amount of knowledge requires a great deal of action, because knowledge of the Hour' requires the person who has such knowledge to act accordingly during his entire life. Jesus (a.s.) said, 'I saw a stone on which was written, "Turn me over", so I turned it over. Written on the other side was "Whoever does not act by what he knows will be doomed by seeking what he does not know, and his own knowledge will be turned against him." Allah (SWT) revealed to David, 'The least that I shall do to someone with knowledge who does not act by his knowledge is worse than the seventy inner punishments which result in My removing from his heart the sweetness of My remembrance.' There is no way to Allah (SWT) except via knowledge. And knowledge is the adornment of man in this world and the next, his driver to Paradise, and by means of it he attains Allah (SWT)'s contentment with him. He who truly knows is the one in whom sound actions, pure supplications, truthfulness and precaution speak out; not his tongue, his debates, his comparisons, assertions or claims. In times other than these, those who sought knowledge were those who had intellect, piety, wisdom, modesty and caution; but nowadays we see that those who seek it do not have any of these qualities. The man of knowledge needs intellect, kindness, compassion, good counsel, forbearance, patience, contentment and generosity; while anyone wishing to learn needs a desire for knowledge, will, devotion (of his time and energy), piety, caution, memory and resolution.
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Giving Judgement Giving judgement is not permissible for someone who has not been endowed by Allah (SWT) with the qualities of inner purity, sincerity in both his hidden and visible actions, and a proof from his Lord in every state. This is because whoever has judged has decreed, and decree is only valid by the permission of Allah (SWT) and by His proof. Whoever is liberal in his judsJement, without having made a proper examination, is ignorant and will be taken to task for his ignorance and will be burdened with his judgement as the tradition indicates. Knowledge is a light which Allah (SWT) casts into the heart of whomsoever He wills. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'Whoever is boldest among you in judging is also the most insolent to Allah (SWT)'. Does not the judge know that he is the one who has come between Allah (SWT) and His bondsmen, and that he is wavering between the Garden and the Fire? Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said, 'How can anyone else benefit from my knowledge if I have denied myself its benefit?' It is inappropriate for anyone to judge on what is permissible (halal) and what is forbidden (haram) among creation, except for one who causes the people of his time, his village, and his city to follow the truth through obedience to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) and who recognizes what is applicable of his judgement. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'It is because giving judgement is such a tremendous affair, in which there is no place for "hopefully", "perhaps" or "may be".' The Commander of the Faithful said to a judge, "Do you know the difference between those verses of the Qur'an which abrogate and those which are abrogated?" 'No'. 'Do you have a command of the intentions of Allah (SWT) in the parables of the Qur'an?' 'No'. 'Then you have perished and caused others to perish,' the Commander of the Faithful replied. A judge needs to know the various meanings of the Qur'an, the truth of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)‟s way, the inward indications, courtesies, consensus and disagreements, and to be familiar with the bases of what they agree upon and disagree about. Then he must have acute discrimination, sound action, wisdom, and precaution. If he has these things, then let him judge.
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