Friday, January 25, 2013

Lessons in Learning -- حصولِ علم کے اسباق -- دروس في التعلّم -- Leçons d'Apprentissage



Lessons in Learning: From Information to Insight

Learning is a primal instinct, a grace bestowed upon all living creatures. Yet, the human capacity to process, synthesize, and articulate vast reservoirs of information is what truly distinguishes us as Ashraful Makhluqaat (the Noblest of Creation). The ultimate fruit of learning is not merely the accumulation of facts, but the acquisition of wisdom—the ability to discern holistic patterns and divine principles within a sea of data.

In technical terms, one might view the mind as a vast data warehouse. Knowledge is the raw data we store; wisdom is the "data mining" that reveals the interconnectedness of all things. For the believer, this process cultivates Firasa (spiritual intuition), which in turn ennobles the character and refines the soul.

The Crisis of Modern Knowledge

In our globalized era, we are drowning in information but starving for wisdom. We possess mountains of data yet struggle to arrange it into a coherent perspective of reality. To bridge this gap, a conscientious Muslim must reimagine their approach to learning.

1. Learning as a Lifelong Spiritual Ascent

Curiosity is a divine gift that must be nurtured. We must realize that learning is a perpetual journey that does not end at the grave. While the ultimate reward of Jannah is the Vision of Allah (SWT), I believe this "Vision" includes being granted the complete wisdom behind every trial and triumph we experienced in life. Therefore, we should learn not for a GPA or a job offer, but for the sake of the Aakhira (the Hereafter).

2. Breaking the Silos of Specialization

Modern education often fragments knowledge into disconnected subjects. However, a follower of Muhammad (SAW) must wear many hats. A doctor who lacks spiritual insight, or an engineer who ignores the social impact of their designs, has failed to reach their full potential. Humility is the prerequisite here; we must remain open to "other streams" of knowledge to become well-rounded contributors to society.

3. The Strength in Intellectual Diversity

We often limit our growth by associating only with those who share our specific school of thought (Fiqh or methodology). True intellectual flexibility requires us to learn from those we disagree with—including non-Muslims. Knowledge is universal. By studying the biographies of figures like Benjamin Franklin or Abraham Lincoln, we gain insights into the values and habits that build civilizations. As the proverb goes, wisdom is the lost property of the believer; he claims it wherever he finds it.

4. The Value of Immersion and Reflection

Experience is a master teacher. Living in different societies and learning new languages—especially Arabic, the key to the prophetic mind—broadens our paradigm of reality. Furthermore, we must cultivate the habit of reflection (Tafakkur). In an age of digital distraction, simply turning off the television to contemplate the events of one's day can reveal the subtle principles of Allah’s decree at work in our lives.

The Quranic Framework

To synthesize this diversity of thought, one needs a foundational "operating system." This is the Quran. I found that listening to the Quran in a format that pairs the miraculous Arabic recitation with an immediate English translation allowed the message to color my soul unconsciously. Over time, the Quranic worldview becomes the lens through which all other information is filtered and understood.

From Knowledge to Implementation

Knowledge is a burden unless it is transformed into action. The most effective way to "etch" a lesson into your personality is through practice. This is the beauty of the Sunnah. Often, the true wisdom of a prophetic habit is only revealed after we implement it. By living the Sunnah and teaching what we know to others, we consolidate our learning and turn information into a living reality.


Conclusion

Let us approach learning with a pure intention, refusing to be confined by a single subject, a narrow perspective, or a solitary experience. By grounding ourselves in the Quran and implementing knowledge through the Sunnah, we can hope for clarity in this life and the unveiling of all mysteries in the next.

Allahumma 'allimtana ma yanfa'una, wa yanfa'una ma 'allamtana, wa zidna 'ilma.

(O Allah! Teach us what benefits us, benefit us from what You teach us, and increase us in knowledge.)

Ameen, Ya Rabbil Alameen.


حصولِ علم کے اسباق: معلومات سے بصیرت تک

سیکھنا ایک فطری جبلت ہے، ایک ایسی نعمت جو تمام جانداروں کو ودیعت کی گئی ہے۔ تاہم، معلومات کے وسیع ذخائر کو سمجھنے، یکجا کرنے اور بیان کرنے کی انسانی صلاحیت ہی وہ خاصہ ہے جو ہمیں اشرف المخلوقات (تخلیق میں سب سے افضل) کے طور پر ممتاز کرتی ہے۔ سیکھنے کا حتمی ثمر محض حقائق کا اکٹھا کرنا نہیں، بلکہ حکمت کا حصول ہے—یعنی ڈیٹا کے سمندر میں مجموعی نمونوں اور الہی اصولوں کو پہچاننے کی صلاحیت۔

تکنیکی اصطلاحات میں، کوئی شخص ذہن کو ایک وسیع 'ڈیٹا ویئر ہاؤس' کے طور پر دیکھ سکتا ہے۔ علم وہ خام مال ہے جسے ہم ذخیرہ کرتے ہیں؛ اور حکمت وہ 'ڈیٹا مائننگ' (گہری چھان بین) ہے جو تمام چیزوں کے باہمی ربط کو ظاہر کرتی ہے۔ ایک مومن کے لیے یہ عمل فراست (روحانی بصیرت) پیدا کرتا ہے، جو بدلے میں کردار کو جلا بخشتی ہے اور روح کو پاکیزہ بناتی ہے۔


جدید علم کا بحران

آج کے عالمگیر دور میں، ہم معلومات کے سیلاب میں ڈوبے ہوئے ہیں لیکن حکمت کے پیاسے ہیں۔ ہمارے پاس ڈیٹا کے پہاڑ تو ہیں لیکن ہم اسے حقیقت کے ایک مربوط تناظر میں ترتیب دینے کے لیے جدوجہد کر رہے ہیں۔ اس خلیج کو پاٹنے کے لیے، ایک باشعور مسلمان کو سیکھنے کے اپنے انداز پر نظر ثانی کرنی چاہیے۔

۱۔ علم ایک نہ ختم ہونے والا روحانی سفر

تجسس ایک الہی تحفہ ہے جس کی آبیاری ضروری ہے۔ ہمیں یہ سمجھنا چاہیے کہ سیکھنا ایک دائمی سفر ہے جو قبر پر ختم نہیں ہوتا۔ جہاں جنت کا حتمی انعام اللہ سبحانہ و تعالیٰ کا "دیدار" ہے، وہیں میرا ماننا ہے کہ اس "دیدار" میں ان تمام آزمائشوں اور فتوحات کے پیچھے چھپی مکمل حکمت کا مشاہدہ بھی شامل ہے جن کا ہم نے زندگی میں تجربہ کیا۔ لہذا، ہمیں جی پی اے (GPA) یا نوکری کے لیے نہیں، بلکہ آخرت کی خاطر سیکھنا چاہیے۔

۲۔ تخصیص کی حد بندیوں کو توڑنا

جدید تعلیم اکثر علم کو غیر مربوط مضامین میں تقسیم کر دیتی ہے۔ تاہم، محمد مصطفیٰ ﷺ کے پیروکار کو زندگی میں کئی کردار ادا کرنے ہوتے ہیں۔ ایک ڈاکٹر جس میں روحانی بصیرت کی کمی ہو، یا ایک انجینئر جو اپنی تعمیرات کے سماجی اثرات سے غافل ہو، وہ اپنی مکمل صلاحیتوں کو پانے میں ناکام رہا ہے۔ یہاں عاجزی پہلی شرط ہے؛ ہمیں علم کی "دیگر ندیوں" سے فیض یاب ہونے کے لیے تیار رہنا چاہیے تاکہ ہم معاشرے کے لیے ایک ہمہ جہت انسان بن سکیں۔

۳۔ فکری تنوع میں طاقت

ہم اکثر اپنی ترقی کو صرف ان لوگوں تک محدود کر دیتے ہیں جو ہمارے مخصوص مکتبہ فکر یا طریقہ کار سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں۔ حقیقی فکری لچک کا تقاضا ہے کہ ہم ان لوگوں سے بھی سیکھیں جن سے ہم اختلاف رکھتے ہیں—بشمول غیر مسلموں کے۔ علم آفاقی ہے۔ بنجمن فرینکلن یا ابراہم لنکن جیسی شخصیات کی سوانح عمریوں کا مطالعہ کر کے ہم ان اقدار اور عادات بصیرت حاصل کر سکتے ہیں جو تہذیبیں تعمیر کرتی ہیں۔ جیسا کہ قول ہے: "حکمت مومن کی گمشدہ میراث ہے، وہ جہاں بھی اسے پائے اسے اپنا لے"۔

۴۔ مشاہدے اور غور و فکر کی اہمیت

تجربہ ایک عظیم استاد ہے۔ مختلف معاشروں میں رہنا اور نئی زبانیں سیکھنا—خاص طور پر عربی، جو نبوی ذہن کو سمجھنے کی کلید ہے—حقیقت کے بارے میں ہمارے ادراک کو وسعت دیتا ہے۔ مزید برآں، ہمیں غور و فکر (تفکر) کی عادت ڈالنی چاہیے۔ ڈیجیٹل خلفشار کے اس دور میں، محض ٹیلی ویژن بند کر کے اپنے دن کے واقعات پر غور کرنا اللہ کے ان لطیف اصولوں کو ظاہر کر سکتا ہے جو ہماری زندگیوں میں کارفرما ہیں۔


قرآنی فریم ورک

فکر اور تجربات کے اس تنوع کو یکجا کرنے کے لیے، ایک بنیادی "آپریٹنگ سسٹم" کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے۔ یہ قرآن ہے۔ میں نے پایا کہ قرآن کو ایسے فارمیٹ میں سننا جس میں عربی تلاوت کے فوراً بعد انگریزی یا اردو ترجمہ ہو، پیغام کو لاشعوری طور پر روح میں اتار دیتا ہے۔ وقت گزرنے کے ساتھ، قرآنی نقطہ نظر وہ لینز بن جاتا ہے جس کے ذریعے تمام معلومات چھن کر آتی ہیں اور سمجھی جاتی ہیں۔


علم سے عمل تک

علم ایک بوجھ ہے جب تک کہ اسے عمل میں نہ ڈھالا جائے۔ کسی سبق کو اپنی شخصیت میں "نقش" کرنے کا سب سے مؤثر طریقہ مشق ہے۔ یہی سنت کی خوبصورتی ہے۔ اکثر، کسی نبوی عادت کی اصل حکمت اس پر عمل کرنے کے بعد ہی ظاہر ہوتی ہے۔ سنت کے مطابق زندگی گزار کر اور دوسروں کو سکھا کر، ہم اپنے علم کو مستحکم کرتے ہیں اور معلومات کو ایک زندہ حقیقت میں بدل دیتے ہیں۔


نتیجہ

آئیے ہم درست نیت کے ساتھ حصولِ علم کی طرف بڑھیں، اور خود کو کسی ایک مضمون، تنگ نظری، یا محض ایک جگہ کے تجربے تک محدود نہ رکھیں۔ قرآن سے وابستہ ہو کر اور سنت کے ذریعے علم پر عمل پیرا ہو کر، ہم اس زندگی میں وضاحت اور اگلی زندگی میں تمام اسرار کے کھل جانے کی امید کر سکتے ہیں۔

اللہم علمنا ما ینفعنا، وانفعنا بما علمتنا، وزدنا علما۔

(اے اللہ! ہمیں وہ علم عطا کر جو ہمیں نفع دے، اور جو تو نے ہمیں سکھایا ہے اس سے ہمیں نفع پہنچا، اور ہمارے علم میں اضافہ فرما۔)

آمین یا رب العالمین۔


دروس في التعلّم: من المعلومات إلى البصيرة

التعلّم غريزة فطرية، ونعمة وُهبت لجميع الكائنات الحية. ومع ذلك، فإن القدرة البشرية على معالجة واستيعاب وصياغة مستودعات هائلة من المعلومات هي ما يميزنا حقاً بصفتنا أشرف المخلوقات. إن الثمرة النهائية للتعلّم ليست مجرد تكديس الحقائق، بل هي اكتساب الحكمة—أي القدرة على إدراك الأنماط الكلية والسنن الإلهية ضمن بحر من البيانات.

من الناحية التقنية، يمكن للمرء أن ينظر إلى العقل كمستودع بيانات ضخم. المعرفة هي البيانات الخام التي نخزنها، أما الحكمة فهي "تنقيب البيانات" الذي يكشف عن الترابط بين كل الأشياء. بالنسبة للمؤمن، توفر هذه العملية الفراسة (الحدس الإيماني)، والتي بدورها تهذب الشخصية وتسمو بالروح.


أزمة المعرفة الحديثة

في عصرنا المعولم، نحن نغرق في المعلومات ولكننا نتضور جوعاً للحكمة. نمتلك جبالاً من البيانات ولكننا نكافح لترتيبها في منظور متماسك للواقع. ولجسر هذه الفجوة، يجب على المسلم الواعي أن يعيد تصور نهجه في التعلّم.

١. التعلّم كمعراج روحي مستمر

الفضول هبة إلهية يجب رعايتها. يجب أن ندرك أن التعلّم رحلة أبدية لا تنتهي عند القبر. وبينما الجزاء الأسمى في الجنة هو رؤية وجه الله (عز وجل)، فإنني أعتقد أن هذه "الرؤية" تتضمن منح المؤمن الحكمة الكاملة وراء كل محنة ونصر مرّ به في حياته. لذلك، يجب ألا نتعلم من أجل معدل دراسي أو عرض عمل، بل من أجل الآخرة.

٢. كسر قيود التخصص الضيق

غالباً ما تجزئ التعليم الحديث المعرفة إلى موضوعات منفصلة. ومع ذلك، فإن اتباع محمد ﷺ يتطلب القيام بأدوار متعددة. الطبيب الذي يفتقر إلى البصيرة الروحية، أو المهندس الذي يتجاهل الأثر الاجتماعي لتصاميمه، قد فشل في استثمار كامل طاقاته. التواضع هو الشرط الأساسي هنا؛ يجب أن نظل منفتحين على "روافد أخرى" من المعرفة لنصبح مساهمين متكاملين في المجتمع.

٣. القوة في التنوع الفكري

غالباً ما نحدّ من نمونا من خلال الارتباط فقط بأولئك الذين يشاركوننا مدرستنا الفكرية أو المذهبية. تتطلب المرونة الفكرية الحقيقية أن نتعلم من أولئك الذين نختلف معهم—بما في ذلك غير المسلمين. المعرفة عالمية؛ فمن خلال دراسة سير شخصيات مثل بنجامين فرانكلين أو أبراهام لينكولن، نكتسب رؤى حول القيم والعادات التي تبني الحضارات. وكما قيل: "الحكمة ضالة المؤمن، أنى وجدها فهو أحق بها".

٤. قيمة التأمل والتجربة

التجربة هي الأستاذ الأعظم. إن العيش في مجتمعات مختلفة وتعلم لغات جديدة—وخاصة اللغة العربية، مفتاح العقل النبوي—يوسع مداركنا للواقع. علاوة على ذلك، يجب أن نزرع عادة التفكر. في عصر التشتت الرقمي، مجرد إغلاق التلفاز للتأمل في أحداث اليوم يمكن أن يكشف عن السنن اللطيفة لتدبير الله في حياتنا.


الإطار القرآني

لصهر هذا التنوع في الفكر والتجربة، يحتاج المرء إلى "نظام تشغيل" أساسي، وهو القرآن. لقد وجدت أن الاستماع إلى القرآن بتنسيق يجمع بين التلاوة العربية الإعجازية والترجمة المباشرة يسمح للرسالة بأن تصبغ الروح لا شعورياً. ومع مرور الوقت، يصبح المنظور القرآني هو العدسة التي نفلتر ونفهم من خلالها جميع المعلومات الأخرى.


من المعرفة إلى التطبيق

المعرفة عبء ما لم تتحول إلى عمل. وأكثر الطرق فعالية لـ "نقش" الدرس في شخصيتك هي الممارسة. هذه هي روعة السنة النبوية. فغالباً لا تُكشف الحكمة الحقيقية للعادة النبوية إلا بعد تطبيقها. من خلال عيش السنة وتعليم ما نعرفه للآخرين، نرسخ علمنا ونحول المعلومات إلى واقع حي.


الخلاصة

دعونا نقبل على التعلّم بنية خالصة، رافضين الانحصار في موضوع واحد، أو منظور ضيق، أو تجربة وحيدة. من خلال التمسك بالقرآن وتطبيق العلم عبر السنة، يمكننا أن نرجو الوضوح في هذه الحياة، وكشف كل الأسرار في الآخرة، إن شاء الله.

"اللهم علّمنا ما ينفعنا، وانفعنا بما علمتنا، وزدنا علماً."

آمين، يا رب العالمين.


Leçons d'Apprentissage : De l'Information à la Clairvoyance

L'apprentissage est un instinct primaire, une grâce accordée à toutes les créatures vivantes. Pourtant, la capacité humaine à traiter, synthétiser et articuler de vastes réservoirs d'informations est ce qui nous distingue réellement en tant qu'Ashraful Makhluqaat (la plus noble des créations). Le fruit ultime de l'apprentissage n'est pas simplement l'accumulation de faits, mais l'acquisition de la sagesse — la capacité de discerner des schémas holistiques et des principes divins au sein d'un océan de données.

En termes techniques, on pourrait voir l'esprit comme un vaste entrepôt de données. La connaissance est la donnée brute que nous stockons ; la sagesse est le « data mining » (l'exploration de données) qui révèle l'interconnexion de toutes choses. Pour le croyant, ce processus cultive la Firasa (l'intuition spirituelle), qui à son tour ennoblit le caractère et affine l'âme.


La Crise du Savoir Moderne

Dans notre ère mondialisée, nous nous noyons dans l'information mais mourons de faim pour la sagesse. Nous possédons des montagnes de données, mais nous luttons pour les organiser en une perspective cohérente de la réalité. Pour combler ce fossé, un musulman consciencieux doit réimaginer son approche de l'apprentissage.

1. L'apprentissage comme une ascension spirituelle perpétuelle

La curiosité est un don divin qui doit être entretenu. Nous devons réaliser que l'apprentissage est un voyage perpétuel qui ne s'arrête pas à la tombe. Bien que la récompense ultime de la Jannah soit la Vision d'Allah (SWT), je crois que cette « Vision » inclut l'octroi de la sagesse complète derrière chaque épreuve et chaque triomphe vécus dans la vie. Par conséquent, nous devrions apprendre non pas pour une note ou une offre d'emploi, mais pour l'amour de l'Aakhira (l'au-delà).

2. Briser les silos de la spécialisation

L'éducation moderne fragmente souvent le savoir en sujets déconnectés. Pourtant, un disciple de Muhammad (SAW) doit porter plusieurs casquettes. Un médecin qui manque de discernement spirituel, ou un ingénieur qui ignore l'impact social de ses conceptions, n'a pas réussi à atteindre son plein potentiel. L'humilité est ici le prérequis ; nous devons rester ouverts aux « autres courants » de connaissance pour devenir des contributeurs complets à la société.

3. La force de la diversité intellectuelle

Nous limitons souvent notre croissance en ne nous associant qu'à ceux qui partagent notre école de pensée spécifique (Fiqh ou méthodologie). Une véritable flexibilité intellectuelle exige que nous apprenions de ceux avec qui nous sommes en désaccord — y compris les non-musulmans. La connaissance est universelle. En étudiant les biographies de figures comme Benjamin Franklin ou Abraham Lincoln, nous acquérons des connaissances sur les valeurs et les habitudes qui bâtissent les civilisations. Comme le dit le proverbe : la sagesse est la propriété perdue du croyant ; il la revendique partout où il la trouve.

4. La valeur de l'immersion et de la réflexion

L'expérience est un maître enseignant. Vivre dans différentes sociétés et apprendre de nouvelles langues — en particulier l'arabe, la clé de l'esprit prophétique — élargit notre paradigme de la réalité. De plus, nous devons cultiver l'habitude de la réflexion (Tafakkur). À une époque de distraction numérique, le simple fait d'éteindre la télévision pour contempler les événements de sa journée peut révéler les principes subtils du décret d'Allah à l'œuvre dans nos vies.


Le Cadre Coranique

Pour synthétiser cette diversité de pensée, on a besoin d'un « système d'exploitation » fondamental. C'est le Coran. J'ai découvert qu'écouter le Coran dans un format qui associe la récitation arabe miraculeuse à une traduction immédiate permet au message de colorer l'âme inconsciemment. Avec le temps, la vision coranique du monde devient la lentille à travers laquelle toutes les autres informations sont filtrées et comprises.


De la Connaissance à la Mise en Œuvre

La connaissance est un fardeau à moins qu'elle ne soit transformée en action. Le moyen le plus efficace de « graver » une leçon dans votre personnalité est la pratique. C'est la beauté de la Sunnah. Souvent, la véritable sagesse d'une habitude prophétique ne se révèle qu'après que nous l'ayons mise en œuvre. En vivant la Sunnah et en enseignant ce que nous savons aux autres, nous consolidons notre apprentissage et transformons l'information en une réalité vivante.


Conclusion

Abordons l'apprentissage avec une intention pure, en refusant d'être confinés par un seul sujet, une perspective étroite ou une expérience solitaire. En nous ancrant dans le Coran et en mettant en œuvre le savoir à travers la Sunnah, nous pouvons espérer la clarté dans cette vie et le dévoilement de tous les mystères dans la suivante.

Allahumma 'allimtana ma yanfa'una, wa yanfa'una ma 'allamtana, wa zidna 'ilma.

(Ô Allah ! Enseigne-nous ce qui nous est utile, fais-nous profiter de ce que Tu nous as enseigné, et augmente notre science.)

Ameen, Ya Rabbil Alameen.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Prophet's (SWAS) Artifacts

Yesterday I was given the honor to see the Prophet's (SWAS) artifacts and that of his Companions in a private collection of a UAE national family in Abu Dhabi. This public event was not advertised by the Khizalji family who are the owners of the collection, as crowd control would have been impossible. Knowledge of it spread strictly by word of mouth. The Khizaljis are direct descendants of Anas Ibn Malik (RA) and these artifacts have been transferred over generations of ancestors to the present owner.The father of the present owner was the Head of Abu Dhabi Awqf at one tine.

The exhibition was arranged in the giant grounds of their giant villa located in the backstreets of Bateen area of Abu Dhabi. After entering their gate, men and women enter two separate entrances of a giant framed  white tent, which has a separation running down its middle. There are professionally hired guards who help the public along. Photography and videos are not allowed. In the main portion of the waiting area of the tent there are serpentine rows of chairs in the same configuration as the queses for rides in an amusement park. There is air conditioning and chandelier lightening in the tent. At the front of the area there is a stage and seats for possibly a VIP ceremony. At the stage they use a giant bukhoor to burn incense and perfume which wafts over the waiting public. Also located in the front are speakers of a sound system that constantly plays rendition of poetry in praise of the Prophet (SWAS) in Arabic without music. Behind the stage is located that part of the tent which contains the artifact displays. They allow about a dozen people in the display area at a time -- 5 sequential batches from the brothers and then 5 sequential batches from the sisters. Then they alternate.

By the time one reaches to the front seats of the serpentine queue in the waiting area, one starts feeling a special feeling of love by hearing the poetry and smelling the bukhoor. The heart becomes soft to experience what the eyes would withhold momentarily.

There are 4 small freight containers in which the actual artifacts are displayed on tables. You go from the right side of a long table and leave from the left. There are people who explain what the public sees at each container. Almost all the public was South Asian. I could not explain this except maybe by the fact that word just spread to the South Asian community in Abu Dhabi. I tried to change that by informing some of my Arab friends. The presenters all speak Urdu.


The display includes the following: several individual hair of the Prophet (SWAS) from the head as well as the beard, his 5 white hair (he had only 5 white hair, the rest were black), a long lock of his hair, his black wrap which he was wearing during Israa and Mairaaj, a piece of his shirt, his footprint, a sample of the earth from his grave, the hairs of famous Sahaba like Abu Bakar, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Hassan, Hussain, Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA for all) and their clothing. I also saw the khol container of  Fatimah (RA).

After seeing all these things I had a special feeling so when I prayed, I felt I could related better to those who actually established the original prayer. Tomorrow is the last day of the exhibition which is from 5PM to 10PM.

May Allah (SWT) reward the Khizaljis for their generosity and He (SWT) make us of those who not only respect the belonging of the Prophet (SWAS) and the Companions (RA) but also adopt their perspective and actions in this life. Ameen.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Eloquence -- The Power of Words

Even before the advent of Islam, one of the few things that the Arabs were known for was their eloquence. The isolation in the desert ensured that it stayed unadulterated from other linguistic influences which was not always possible in the towns and cities. It was considered part of a child's education that he grew up in the countryside with the bedouins absorbing the inflections and nuances of the tongue at an early age.

It is the Sunnah of Allah (SWT) that He challenges a people in a field which they consider themselves masters. Hence, He showed the people of Musa (AS) miracles in magic as they were famous for magic. He showed the people of Issa (AS) miracles in medicine as they excelled in medicine of their time. And He challenged the Arabs through the eloquence of the Quran by asking them to produce even a few comparable verses. So many Sahaba (RA) entered Islam just by listening to the richness of Allah's speech, testifying that it cannot be man-made.

It is interesting to note that Allah (SWT) chose language as His everlasting miracle to invite mankind to His deen, as words affect the heart like nothing else. From the ears, the message can reach the heart directly. In an experiment conducted on terminally ill patients, Quranic recitation was played regularly for a period of time on the sound system in a hospital ward resulting in observable improvements in the conditions of the patients' well being.

The science of tajweed, allows Muslims to recite the Quran the same way it was revealed through Archangel Jibreel (AS). It is important to clarify that originally the word "Quran" meant the actual recitation (speech) and not the holy book that many take it to be nowadays. By reciting the Quran with proper tajweed, i.e. falling back on the original pattern of recitation, a Muslim experiences special feelings that go hand in hand with the words he pronounces. This feeling can penetrate the heart of the reciter and the listener (to a somewhat lesser extent), causing truth and wisdom to become part of his inner being. It is one of the ways of increasing one's eeman.

By knowing a thousand or so words one can understand the majority of Quranic vocabulary as the same words are constantly repeated. It is easier for some non-Arabs whose native languages have historically been impacted by Arabic, e.g. Farsi, Turkish, Kurdish, Pushtu, Urdu, Bengali, Bahasa, Somali, Berber, Swahili, Hausa, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Maltese, etc. and thus share a lot of common words. Arabic grammar is one of the most logical language grammars. Learning it is like learning a computer programming language. Once you learn the patterns of the verbs in past, present and imperative form in both active and passive cases, you can recognize new verbs in context, together with their pronouns. All words in Arabic are based on root letters (often 3 letters per word). There are different patterns which use the same root letters to derive multiple words from. Once you know the root letters and the pattern you can conclude the meaning of the word.

Imagine reciting Allah's speech in the way it was revealed while understanding what it means. With a little effort this is an achievable goal for all Muslims. Allah (SWT) has made sure that the language of the Quran is superlative in its eloquence, effect and ease of learning, because He wants to guide humanity to achieve the highest purpose for which man was created.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Sincerity

Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) has reported the famous hadith of the Prophet (SWAS): "Deeds are [a result] only of the intentions [of the actor], and an individual is [rewarded] only according to that which he intends. Therefore, whosoever has emigrated for the sake of Allah and His messenger, then his emigration was for Allah and His messenger. Whosoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain, or a woman [whom he desires] to marry, then his emigration is for the sake of that which [moved him] to emigrate." Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.

Two people might be doing the same actions throughout their lives, yet one will be rewarded and the other punished for them, due to their different intentions. Whatever you do in your life, make your intention sincerely for Allah (SWT). This will remove a lot of stress, misunderstandings, problems and false expectations from your lives. So if you do something good to your brother, do not do it to expect a favour back or tell about it in your social circle, or remind the person later -- do it for Allah (SWT).  

Put Allah (SWT) first in your lives. So when you have a stable income, before buying that car, travel to His house for Hajj. Before having children of your own, sponsor an orphan. Before building your house build a masjid for His worship, etc. Whatever you are busy with at each stage of your life dedicate it to Allah (SWT): whether it is studying, working professionally, marrying, having kids, serving parents, upholding ties of kin, friendship, spending wealth, etc. Do it in a way that is foremost pleasing to Him. While choosing the career for your children, select one that is of service to Islam. How many well to do parents intend to spend their savings on their children to become Islamic scholars? If you decide to move to a Western country do it primarily for Dawah. Prepare yourself and your family to be ready for that role before you go and do not make it a lip service -- just to show off.  

If you dedicate yourself to Allah (SWT), He will not forget you and will take care of your every need of this life in the best possible manner. And in the Hereafter you are promised a great reward, by His mercy.

Monday, December 17, 2012

In Search for the Truth

While in graduate school in New Jersey, I met an Indian student who very passionately explained his perspective on the Truth to me. He said imagine that all the religious teachings were written on various sheaves of papers and that somehow got mixed up. Then the Truth, according to him, is what is common in the study of all wisdom gleaned from all such documents, irrespective of their origin. Surely one can not deny that there is wisdom in all religious scriptures -- be they divine or man-made -- but do they represent the Ultimate Truth?

Fortunately, Allah (SWT) did not leave man to spiritually wander from source to source in search for the Truth. He repeatedly revealed His guidance to mankind from Adam (AS) through to Muhammad (SWAS). The Truth has been the same - to worship only Him and to follow His Messengers in guidance. Yet, throughout history, man has corrupted this essential message by including partners in worshiping his Lord and have adopted modes of worship which were not practiced by the Messengers. For this reason, Allah (SWT) saw it fit to reveal the same Truth time and again through different Messengers. Thus the gist of all divine religions has been the same i.e. Islam; only their Laws were different -- according to the community of believers for their time and place in history. As the last Message and Messenger to humanity have been those of Islam, the Laws of Islam (Shariah) are the Ultimate Laws for the whole of humanity and are valid forever. Allah (SWT) has promised to preserve the Quran from corruption till the End of Time. Thus Islam represents the Ultimate Truth - from the onset of human history to its end.

"Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah , then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account." (Ale-Imran v. 19)

Other religious scriptures do contain wisdom, as their original message may be from Allah (SWT), but they also contain subsequent human corruption. Thus they can not be taken -- either by themselves or in combination -- to represent the Ultimate Truth for one's guidance.

"Anyone who accepts other than Islam his religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be with the losers." (Ale-Imran v. 85)

A seeker of knowledge should study other religions especially for dawah and comparison to the Truth, but should make a deep study and implementation of Islam his priority as that is the touchstone to whatever he may come in contact.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Most Profitable Investment

People who have accumulated wealth more than their needs become obsessed with finding ways of investing their savings. They search for wise men in their community to find out about the investment with maximum returns. The same was true during the Prophet's (SWAS) era. The Sahaba (RA) sought out the Prophet (SWAS) to ask him on what should they spend their excess wealth on.

They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it." (Baqarah: 215) 

The investments of this world come with a risk. What if the latest investment trend's bubble bursts and you loose everything? Current global investment history is rife with such examples. The present global financial system is based on exploitation based economics where your hard earned money constantly loses its intrinsic value as Central Banks constantly print more money ("quantitative easing" they call it). The economy as a result goes into inflation and the value of goods become out of your reach. Soon your savings are worth only a small fraction of their original value.

As Muslims, we are to shun riba-based investments and the "profit" from Islamic banks and investment houses are so ridiculously low that they sometimes do not even meet the inflation rate!

Try to contrast the above worldly investment scenarios with the following statement of the Prophet (SWAS):

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “Charity does not decrease wealth; no one forgives except that Allah increases his honor; and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6264]

Just like donating blood, triggers the body to generate fresh healthy blood, spending in charity causes blessings in ones income and ability to earn more.

Investing in the Hereafter has its rewards promised by Allah (SWT). He has guaranteed 700+ times increase in the investment, provided it is done sincerely for Him. There are ways in which this bubble might burst too. Fortunately, it is in our hands, so we must constantly be careful not to let it happen. The following trigger a sadaqah bubble burst:

1. Reminding others of our favours
2. Causing the recipients hurt by our words/deeds
3. Spending with an intention to show off to other people in society

As the above verse states, there are some investments which have maximum returns and the first among them is spending on parents. A person should consider himself lucky if he enters a phase in life when he has wealth and elderly parents at the same time and should maximize his investment when he has the time. This taufeeq is only from Allah (SWT) and should not be missed for any other reason. Who knows tomorrow he might lose his wealth, his life or his parents and then he will never forgive himself for losing such a golden investment opportunity.

Friday, November 2, 2012

University of Buffalo, NY (1989-1993)

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh pehli baar ghar say dour nikalna
Woh khud ki mukammal zimidari uThana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh lecturoN maiN jaana
Woh notes banana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh ilm ki sata say gharaioN may utarjana
Woh sirf numberoN kay liay nahiN, ilm say waqaiy luft uThana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh chaikhanay maiN baiTh kay yaroN ko assignment karana
Woh himat dilanatay howey mawaad ko “halwah” Thehrana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh barf main busoN kay peechay dauR lagana
Woh chalna. Woh har jagay paidal nikalna

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh khud say pakana
Woh dawat khilana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh PSA (Pakistan Student Association) ki meetings maiN pizza uRana
Woh Pakistan Night ki tayarioN maiN diramay banana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh table tennis ka muqaabla karana
Woh campus kay ground maiN cricket khilana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh Imran ko hum ko World Cup jitana
Woh jeet kay baad Indians ko baywajah satana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh garage sale say $10 ki cycle uThana
Woh cycle pay saray ilaaqay ki sair lagana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh laRkoN ko apni dilayri dikhana
Woh laRkioN say baat karnay maiN sharmana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh library maiN kaam kar kay do paisay kamana
Woh paisoN ko sambhal sambhal kay kharcha chalana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh ghar kay har kaam maiN haath baTana
Woh grocery karana, Woh bathroom dhulana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh khutoot maiN ghar waloN ko tasaliy dilana
Woh aansooN puchana. Woh himat bandhana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh raat kay undhairoN main khud ko talaash karna
Woh Quran kay tarjumoN maiN Usko kareeb pana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh campus kay gooshoN main sar ka jukhana
Woh Ramzan maiN masajid ka chakkar lagana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Woh bhaTkoN whoN ko phir raasta dikhana
Woh haad say tajawuz karnay waloN ko wapis bulana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Google Earth say jab maiN Buffalo pay jaooN
Aajata hay samnay nakhsha jaana pehchana

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

NahiN muskil nahiN Uskay liay waqt ka wapis layana
Shaid is liay khaaboN maiN Buffalo phir Woh hay layaya

Yaad aata hay mujko university ka zamana

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The Best and Worst of Times

The Prophet (SWAS) and His Companions (RA) established the best time in history. Their struggle was the struggle in the interest of all Creation -- mankind, jinn, animals, vegetation, mountains, deserts, forests, rivers, seas, clouds, etc. as inspired by the verses of the Quran which call man to contemplate about his role in Creation. By voluntarily submitting human will to the natural order (Islam), they showed how it was possible for everything to function in perfect harmony with Allah's Sunnan.

In contrast to present day thought, Islamic viewpoint holds that as time passed after that golden age, things became worse and worse. Did not the Prophet (SWAS) say that his generation was the best, then that after his, then that after that, etc? So with this viewpoint we can conclude that today humanity, nay but all Creation, is experiencing the worst of times. This conclusion may be shocking to some but it is true. Certainly so much scientific and medical progress has been made, so many human rights have been safeguarded, slavery has been eliminated, etc.

Generally, subsequent generation after the Prophet's (SWAS) deviated from the Truth, with the exception of some periods in which some revivors of the deen were born. In general, the trend has been downwards. Until our time, when man is not at service to Allah, let alone other men, let alone his brothers in faith, let alone his countrymen, let alone his tribesmen, let alone his clan, let alone his family. The Prophet (SWAS) and His Companions (RA) taught us to live and to die for a larger cause than oneself.

After the fall of the Khalifate, Muslims learnt to live for their nation states. Once this seed of nationalism was sown, the battleground got transferred to the provinces, after that to one's ethnic group, then to one's sect, then to one's family, etc. etc. Until today, a Muslim lives and dies only for himself.

If Muslims want to see their future, they should try studying the social phenomemna of the West which they so proudly follow. There every individual is alone in a meaningless struggle for self-perpetuation, until when he dies in an old home no one except the city's social workers find out. Divorce is rampant. People simply do not marry anymore preferring to live lives worse than animals. They spend more on their pets than on charities.

If you wish for a good future for your kids, try to conceptualize a larger mission in life for yourselves, then struggle to achieve it. Be a good role model to your children. Without this no matter how many stories you tell them of the heroes of the past, it will be of little use.