Part 12

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Allah also says about them when they opposed and rebelled against the divine law: ‘Then, for having broken their solemn

pledge, We rejected them and caused their hearts to harden’

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Among the things that cause a loss of mercy is arrogance with wealth and pride with riches. Allah says: ‘Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient’ (96:6-7).

The day the heart is disciplined with faith and good deeds it fills with mercy and kindness.

Another reason for the weakness of mercy is an abundance of gluttony and saturation. They give rise to contempt and recklessness. Hence the month of fasting was prescribed to crush this unruliness and ill discipline. The fasting person is naturally among the most merciful people. That is because he has tasted hunger, experienced thirst and endured hardship. His soul is, therefore, enveloped with mercy, care and gentleness for Muslims.

Mercy is something which every Muslim is required to render to his brother Muslim. It is a requirement from every responsible custodian toward those under his care. He should feel sorry for them and be lenient toward them. Prophet Muhammad #& said: ‘O Allah! Whoever was entrusted with authority over any affair of the Muslims and made it difficult for them, please make it difficult for him. And whoever was entrusted over any affair of the Muslims and was kind toward them, then be kind toward him.’

Ina related hadith Allah’s Messenger also said: ‘Whoever oversees an affair for my nation and disappeared or abandoned them without fulfilling their needs while impoverishing them, Allah will debar him from his needs and impoverish him on the Day of Judgement.’

Mercy demands that the scholar and teacher should be gentle toward his students and lead them to the easiest and best ways to love him and benefit from his teachings. Tf he does this Allah will decree for him the most excellent and abounding reward. Listen to the manner in which Allah praises His Prophet a: ‘And it was by God’s grace that thou {O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee’ (3:159).

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Mercy further requires from the imam that he should not make worship difficult for his followers or cause them harm. On the contrary, he should be merciful, kind and wise. The Prophet & said: ‘Whoever from you leads the people in prayer must make it easy because among them are the old, the sick, the young and the needy.’ It was narrated that when Mu’adh once extended the prayer the Prophet # said to him: ‘Are you a troublemaker O Mu’adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu’adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu’adh??

In the same manner, when Uthman ibn Abi al As al Thaqafi requested: ‘O Messenger of Allah, make me an imam of my people.’ The Prophet # said: ‘You are their imam so lead the prayer according to the weakest of them and take a caller to prayer who would seek no payment for doing so.”

Mercy dictates that the one who calls to [slam must advise

those whom he is inviting with tenderness. That he should, moreover, clarify issues to them with concern. He should not hurt, defame people or even revile the disobedient in public. Allah advised Moses and Aaron to employ the following methods in their call to the tyrant Pharaoh: ‘But speak unto him in a mild manner, so that he might bethink himself or {at least] be filled with apprehension’ (20:44).

He also says: ‘Cali thou [all mankind] unto thy Sustainer’s path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly manner’ (16:15).

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The eminent jurist and Islamic scholar, Imam al Shafe’e wrote:

Support me with your advice in private, and avoid advising me in public.

Surely giving advice among the people is a kind of reproach, which I would rather not listen to.

If you disobey and ignore my wish, don’t be saddened if you are not obeyed.

Mercy is required from a father to his children. This matter was previously discussed in the lesson (No. 18) on how we train our children. The mercy of the father or mother toward her children has the greatest effect on their integrity, well-being and obedience. Self-praise and harshness only

open the door to despair. The Prophet # said: ‘Kindness was never bestowed upon something except that it beautified it, and it was never removed from that thing except that it made it ugly.’

O you who fast and cause hunger to your stomach, there are thousands of stomachs more awaiting a meal. Will there not arise from among you those who would feed them? O you who fast and cause thirst to your liver, there are thousands more who await a mouthful of water. Will there not arise from among you those who would quench their thirst? O you who fast and wear the finest garments, there are naked people out there awaiting only a piece of cloth to cover their bodies. Will there not then come forth from among you those who would clothe them?

O Allah! We implore your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors.

How can we revive the traditions in Ramadan?

The leader and model of the Islamic nation is Prophet Muhammad 2. There is no happiness except through following him. No prosperity can be achieved except by following in his footsteps. Allah Almighty says: ‘Those who shali follow the [last] Apostle, the unlettered Prophet whom they shall find described in the Torah that is with them, and [later on] in the Gospel: [the Prophet] who will enjoin upon them the doing of what is right and forbid them the doing of what is wrong, and make lawful to them the good things of life and forbid them the bad things’ (7:157).

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After his coming, no one will enter Paradise except by following his way. His Sunnah (way) is like the ship of Noah. Whoever boards it will be saved. Whomsoever turns his back on it will be destroyed. Allah says: ‘Verily, in the Apostle of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward [with hope and awe] to God and the Last Day, and remembers God unceasingly’ (33:21).

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Still on the importance of following His Messenger, Allah Almighty says: ‘Now whenever God and His Apostle have decided a matter, it is not for a believing man or a believing woman to claim freedom of choice insofar as they themselves are concerned’ (33:36).

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[may have ordained]? (49:1).

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The month of Ramadan is a blessed season in which to revive the pure traditions within the self, home and society.

Concerning the general traditions which the fasting Muslim must effect and uphold at all times, they include what was authenticated by Imam Muslim and the other five imams in their collections (Sahih Bukhari, Sunan ibn Majah, Sunan Abu Daud, Jam’e al Tirmidhi, and Sunan al Nisa’e) that the Prophet & said: ‘Ten things are from natural disposition. Cutting the moustache, allowing the beard to grow, inhaling water, cutting the finger and toe nails, washing the knuckles, clipping the hairs of the armpit, shaving the pubic hairs, and being prudent in the use of water.’

It was also confirmed that the Prophet & prohibited the dragging of one’s lower garments on the ground. According to this directive in the collection of Imam Muslim, Allah’s Messenger said: ‘Allah will not look at the one who drags his garment on the ground out of vanity.’ In a related hadith he further warned: ‘What is below the ankle is in the fire.’

The authentic books of hadith also establish that the Prophet & prohibited many things. According to a hadith narrated by Anas in the collections of Muslim, Abu Daud, and Al Tirmidhi, he forbade: ‘That a man should stand and drink.’ Likewise, in another hadith narrated by Ibn Umar and collected by Bukhari, the Prophet & forbade: ‘That a man should stand and then sit in his seat’ (to greet or show respect to someone else). Also, in a hadith narrated by Jabir in the collection of Al Nisa’e he prohibited: ‘The male from touching his penis with his right hand, from walking in the shoe of a female, wearing a garment turned upside down, sitting with one’s legs drawn up and wrapped in one’s garment without anything covering one’s private parts.” Furthermore, Ahmad transmitted on the authority of Abu

On matters relating to worship, the Prophet 2 forbade the performance of prayer between al Fajr - the morning prayer and the rising of the sun; and between al Asr the mid-afternoon prayer and the setting of the sun (Bukhari and Muslim). Anas narrated that he also forbade the offering of prayers to graves (Ibn Hibban - sahih) He prohibited sleep before al Esha - the night prayer.