The Concept of Worship in Islam
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The concept of worship in Islam is misunderstood by many people, including some Muslims. Worship is commonly taken to mean performing ritualistic acts such as prayers, fasting, charity, etc. This limited understanding of worship is only one part of the meaning of worship in Islam. That is why the traditional definition of worship in Islam is a comprehensive definition that includes almost everything in any individual's activities. The definition goes something like this: "Worship is an all inclusive term for all that God loves of external and internal sayings and actions of a person." In other words, worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. This, of course, includes rituals as well as beliefs, social activities, and personal contributions to the welfare of one's fellow human beings.
Islam looks at the individual as a whole. He is required to submit himself completely to Allah, as the Qur'an instructed the Prophet Muhammad to do:
Say (O Muhammad) my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death belong to Allah; He has no partner and I am ordered to be among those who submit (Muslims). (6:162-163)
The natural result of this submission is that all of one's activities should conform to the instructions of the one to whom the person is submitting. Islam, being a way of life, requires that its followers model their life according to its teachings in every aspect, religious or otherwise. This might sound strange to some people who think of religion as a personal relationship between the individual and God, having no impact on one's activities and outside rituals.
As a matter of fact Islam does not think much of mere rituals when they are performed mechanically and have no influence on one's inner life. The Qur'an addresses the believers and their neighbors from among the People of the Book who were arguing with them about the change of the direction of the Qibla (the direction in which Muslims pray) in the following verse:
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the East or the West, but righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophe4ts, and gives his beloved money to his relatives and the orphans and the needy and for the ransoming of captives; and who observes prayer and pays the poor-due; and those who fulfil their promises when they have made one; and the patient in poverty and affliction and the steadfast in time of war. It is those who have proved truthful and it is those who are the God-fearing. (2:177)
The deeds in the above verse are the deeds of righteousness and they are only a part of worship. The Prophet told us about faith, which is the basis of worship, that it "is made up of sixty and some branches: the highest of which is the belief in the Oneness of Allah (that is, there is no god but Allah) and the lowest in the scale of worship is removing obstacles and dirt from people's way."
Decent work is considered in Islam a type of worship. The Prophet said: "Whoever finds himself at the nightfall tired of his work, God will forgive his sins." Seeking knowledge is one of the highest types of worship. The Prophet told his companions that "seeking knowledge is a (religious) duty on every Muslim." In another saying he said: "Seeking knowledge for one hour is better than praying for seventy years." Social courtesy and cooperation are part of worship when done for the sake of Allah as the Prophet told us: "Receiving your friend with a smile is a type of charity, helping a person to load his animal is a charity and putting some water in your neighbor's bucket is a charity."
It is worth noting that even performing one's duties is considered a sort of worship. The Prophet told us that whatever one spends for his family is a type of charity; he will be rewarded for it if he acquires it through legal means. Kindness to the members of one's family is an act of worship as when one puts a piece of food in his spouse's mouth. Not only this, but even the acts we enjoy doing very much are considered worship when they are performed according to the instructions of the Prophet . He told his companions that they will be rewarded even for having sexual intercourse with their wives. The companions were astonished and asked, "How are we going to be rewarded for doing something we enjoy very much?" The Prophet asked them, "Suppose you satisfy your desires illegally; don't you think you will be punished for that?" They replied, "Yes." "So," he said, "by satisfying it legally with your wives, you are rewarded for it." This means they are acts of worship.
Thus, Islam does not consider sex a dirty thing that one should avoid. It is dirty and a sin only when it is satisfied outside marital life.
It is clear, from the previous discussion that the concept of worship in Islam is a comprehensive concept that includes all the positive activities of the individual. This, of course, is in agreement with the all-inclusive nature of Islam as a way of life. It regulates human life on all levels: individual, social, economic, political and spiritual. That is why Islam provides guidance in the smallest details of one's life on all these levels. Thus, following these details is following Islamic instructions in that specific area. It is a very encouraging element when one realizes that all his activities are considered by God as acts of worship. This should lead the individual to seek Allah's pleasure in his actions and always try to do them in the best possible manner, whether he is observed by his superiors or is alone. There is always the permanent supervisor, who knows everything: Allah.
Discussing the non-ritual worship in Islam first does not mean under evaluating the importance of the ritual worship. Actually, ritual worship, if performed in true spirit, elevates man morally and spiritually and enables him to carry on his activities in all walks of life according to the Guidance of God. Among ritual worships, Salah (ritual prayer) occupies the key position for two reasons. Firstly, it is the distinctive mark of a believer. Secondly, it prevents an individual from all sorts of abominations and vices by providing him chances of direct communion with his Creator five times a day, wherein he renews his covenant with God and seeks His guidance again and again: "You alone we worship and to You alone we turn for help. Guide us to the straight path." (1:5-6). Actually, Salah is the first practical manifestation of Faith and also the foremost of the basic conditions for the success of the believers:
Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers. (23:1-2)
The same fact has been emphasized by the Prophet Muhammad in a different way. He says:
Those who offer their Salah with great care and punctuality, will find it a light, a proof of their Faith and cause of their salvation on the Day of Judgement.
After Salah, Zakah (poor-due) is an important pillar of Islam. In the Qur'an, Salah and Zakah have been mentioned together many times. Like Salah, Zakah is a manifestation of faith that affirms that God is the sole owner of everything in the universe. What men possess is a trust in their hands to discharge as God has laid down:
Believe in Allah and His messenger and spend of that over which He has made you trustees. (57:7)
In this respect, Zakah is an act of devotion that, like prayer, brings the believer nearer to his Lord.
Apart from this, Zakah is a means of redistribution of wealth in a way that makes a contribution to social stability, providing a means of survival for those who have not, and reminding those who are wealthy that what they have is a trust from God. By purging the soul of the rich from selfishness, and the soul of the poor from resentment against society, Zakah blocks the channels leading to class hatred and makes it possible for the springs of brotherhood and solidarity to gush forth. Such stability is not merely based on the personal generous feelings of the rich: it stands on a firmly based right of the destitute which, if denied by those holding the wealth, would be exacted by force, if necessary.
Siyam (fasting during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan) is another pillar of Islam. The main function of fasting is to make the Muslim pure from "within" as other aspects of Shariah (Islamic law) make him pure from "without." By such purity he responds to what is true and good and shuns what is false and evil. This is what we can perceive in the Qur'anic verse:
O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may gain piety. (2:183)
In an authentic tradition, the Prophet reported Allah as saying:
He suspends eating, drinking and gratification of his sexual passion for My sake.
Thus his reward is going to be according to God's great bounty.
Fasting, then, awakens the conscience of the individual and gives it scope for exercise in a joint experience for all society at the same time, thus adding further strength to each individual. Moreover, fasting offers a compulsory rest to the overworked human machine for the duration of one month. Similarly, fasting reminds an individual of those who are deprived of life's necessities throughout the year or throughout life. It makes him realize the suffering of others, the less fortunate brothers in Islam, and thus promotes in him a sense of sympathy and kindness to them.
Lastly, we come to Al-Hajj (pilgrimage to the House of God in Makkah). This very important pillar of Islam manifests a unique unity, dispelling all kinds of differences. Muslims from all corners of the world, wearing the same dress, respond to the call of Hajj in one voice and language: LABBAIK ALLAHUMMA LABBAIK (Here I am at your service, O Lord!). In Hajj there is an exercise of strict self-discipline and control where not only sacred things are revered, but even the life of plants and birds is made inviolable so that everything lives in safety:
And he that venerates the sacred things of God, it shall be better for him with his Lord. (22:30)
And he that venerates the waymarks of God, it surely is from devotion of the heart. (22:32)
Pilgrimage gives an opportunity to all Muslims from all groups, classes, organizations, and governments from all over the Muslim world to meet annually in a great congress. The time and venue of this congress have been set by their One God. Invitation to attend is open to every Muslim. No one has the power to bar anyone. Every Muslim who attends is guaranteed full safety and freedom as long as he himself does not violate its safety.
Thus, worship in Islam, whether ritual or non-ritual, trains the individual in such a way that he loves his Creator most and thereby gains an unyielding will and spirit to wipe out all evil and oppression from human society and make the word of God dominant in the world.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Fundamental Goals of Islam
The Fundamental Goals of Islam
The fundamental goals of Islam are:
Preservation of the religion of Islam.
Preservation of life.
Preservation of wealth.
Preservation of mind.
Preservation of the lineage.
Preservation of honor.
The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad said:
"Indeed Allah has made your lives, your wealth, and your honor inviolable, like the sanctity of this day (the Day of 'Arafah in Hajj), in this [sacred] month (the month of Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic Calendar) in this [sacred] locality (Makkah and its surroundings). (Bukhari)
He also said:
"Shall I tell you who a true believer is? A person with whom others entrust their money and lives. A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand others are safe. A true fighter in the path of Allah is one who strives against the inner yearnings of his self in order to obey Allah, and the true emigrant (one who leaves a land of disbelief and immigrates to a land of belief) is one who leaves sins and wrongful acts." (Ibn Hibbaan)
http://www.thekeytoislam.com/en/fundamental-goals-of-islam.shtml
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The Most Influential Man in History
Prophet Muhammad - The Most Influential Man in History
from the book by Michael Hart
The following is from Michael Hart's book and lists Prophet Muhammad as the most influential man in History. A Citadel Press Book, published by Carol Publishing Group
Ranking of the twenty from the list of 100:
Prophet Muhammad
Isaac Newton
Jesus Christ
Buddha
Confucius
St. Paul
Ts'ai Lun
Johann Gutenberg
Christopher Columbus
Albert Einstein
Karl Marx
Louis Pasteur
Galileo Galilei
Aristotle
Lenin
Moses
Charles Darwin
Shih Huang Ti
Augustus Caesar
Mao Tse-tung
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MUHAMMAD, No. 1
The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History
by Michael H. Hart
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow. Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person. Most Arabs at that time were pagans, who believed in many gods. There were, however, in Mecca, a small number of Jews and Christians; it was from them no doubt that Muhammad first learned of a single, omnipotent God who ruled the entire universe. When he was forty years old, Muhammad became convinced that this one true God (Allah) was speaking to him, and had chosen him to spread the true faith. For three years, Muhammad preached only to close friends and associates. Then, about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the Meccan authorities came to consider him a dangerous nuisance. In 622, fearing for his safety, Muhammad fled to Medina (a city some 200 miles north of Mecca), where he had been offered a position of considerable political power. This flight, called the Hegira, was the turning point of the Prophet's life. In Mecca, he had had few followers. In Medina, he had many more, and he soon acquired an influence that made him a virtual dictator. During the next few years, while Muhammad's following grew rapidly, a series of battles were fought between Medina and Mecca. This was ended in 630 with Muhammad's triumphant return to Mecca as conqueror. The remaining two and one-half years of his life witnessed the rapid conversion of the Arab tribes to the new religion.
When Muhammad died, in 632, he was the effective ruler of all of southern Arabia. The Bedouin tribesmen of Arabia had a reputation as fierce warriors. But their number was small; and plagued by disunity and internecine warfare, they had been no match for the larger armies of the kingdoms in the settled agricultural areas to the north. However, unified by Muhammad for the first time in history, and inspired by their fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history. To the northeast of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople. Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrested from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642. But even these enormous conquests, which were made under the leadership of Muhammad's close friends and immediate successors, Ali, Abu Bakr and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, did not mark the end of the Arab advance. By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain.
For a while, it must have seemed that the Moslems would overwhelm all of Christian Europe. However, in 732, at the famous Battle of Tours, a Moslem army, which had advanced into the center of France, was at last defeated by the Franks. Nevertheless, in a scant century of fighting, these Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean-the largest empire that the world had yet seen. And everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed. Now, not all of these conquests proved permanent. The Persians, though they have remained faithful to the religion of the Prophet, have since regained their independence from the Arabs. And in Spain, more than seven centuries of warfare, finally resulted in the Christians reconquering the entire peninsula. However, Mesopotamia and Egypt, the two cradles of ancient civilization, have remained Moslem, as has the entire coast of North Africa. The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Moslem conquests. Currently it has tens of millions of adherents in Africa and Central Asia and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the new faith has been a unifying factor. In the Indian subcontinent, however, the conflict between Moslems and Hindus is still a major obstacle to unity.
How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad on human history? Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world's great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Moslems in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam. Moreover, he is the author of the Moslem holy scriptures, the Koran, a collection of certain of Muhammad's insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. Most of these utterances were copied more or less faithfully during Muhammad's lifetime and were collected together in authoritative form not long after his death. The Koran therefore, closely represents Muhammad's ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived. Since the Koran is at least as important to Moslems as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Muhammad through the medium of the Koran has been enormous. It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity.
On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Muhammad has been as influential in human history as Jesus. Furthermore, Muhammad (unlike Jesus) was a secular as well as a religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time. Of many important historical events, one might say that they were inevitable and would have occurred even without the particular political leader who guided them. For example, the South American colonies would probably have won their independence from Spain even if Simon Bolivar had never lived. But this cannot be said of the Arab conquests. Nothing similar had occurred before Muhammad, and there is no reason to believe that the conquests would have been achieved without him. The only comparable conquests in human history are those of the Mongols in the thirteenth century, which were primarily due to the influence of Genghis Khan. These conquests, however, though more extensive than those of the Arabs, did not prove permanent, and today the only areas occupied by the Mongols are those that they held prior to the time of Genghis Khan. It is far different with the conquests of the Arabs. From Iraq to Morocco, there extends a whole chain of Moslem nations united not merely by their faith in Islam, but also by their Arabic language, history, and culture.
The centrality of the Koran in the Moslem religion and the fact that it is written in Arabic have probably prevented the Arab language from breaking up into mutually unintelligible dialects, which might otherwise have occurred in the intervening thirteen centuries. Differences and divisions between these Arab states exist, of course, and they are considerable, but the partial disunity should not blind us to the important elements of unity that have continued to exist. For instance, neither Iran nor Indonesia, both oil-producing states and both Islamic in religion joined in the oil embargo of the winter of 1973-74. It is no coincidence that all of the Arab states, and only the Arab states, participated in the embargo. We see, then, that the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.
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The following is from Michael Hart's book and lists Prophet Muhammad as the most influential man in History. A Citadel Press Book, published by Carol Publishing Group
Ranking, list of 100 most influential persons in history:
Prophet Muhammad
Isaac Newton
Jesus Christ
Buddha
Confucius
St. Paul
Ts'ai Lun
Johann Gutenberg
Christopher Columbus
Albert Einstein
Karl Marx
Louis Pasteur
Galileo Galilei
Aristotle
Lenin
Moses
Charles Darwin
Shih Huang Ti
Augustus Caesar
Mao Tse-tung
Genghis Khan
Euclid
Martin Luther
Nicolaus Copernicus
James Watt
Constantine the Great
George Washington
Michael Faraday
James Clerk Maxwell
Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier
Sigmund Freud
Alexander the Great
Napoleon Bonaparte
Adolf Hitler
William Shakespeare
Adam Smith
Thomas Edison
Anthony van Leeuwenhoek
Plato
Guglielmo Marconi
Ludwig van Beethoven
Werner Heisenberb
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Fleming
Simon Bolivar
Oliver Cromwell
John Locke
Michelangelo
Pope Urban II
Umar ibn al-Khattab
Asoka
St. Augustine
Max Planck
John Calvin
William T.G. Morton
William Harvey
Antoine Henri Becquerel
Gregor Mendel
Joseph Lister
Nikolaus August Otto
Louis Daguerre
Joseph Stalin
Rene Descartes
Julius Caesar
Francisco Pizarro
Hernando Cortes
Queen Isabella I
William the Conqueror
Thomas Jefferson
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Edward Jenner
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen
Hohann Sebastian Bach
Lao Tzu
Enrico Fermi
Thomas Malthus
Francis Bacon
Voltaire
John F. Kennedy
Gregory Pincus
Sui Wen Ti
Mani
Vasco da Gama
Charlemagne
Cyprus the Great
Leonhard Euler
Niccolo Machiavelli
Zoroaster
Menes
Peter the Great
Mencius
John Dalton
Homer
Queen Elizabeth
Justinian I
fJohannes Kepler
Pablo Picasso
Mahavira
Niels Bohr
Honorable Mentions and Interesting Misses:
St. Thomas Aquinas
Archimedes
Charles Babbage
Cheops
Marie Curie
Benjamin Franklin
Gandhi
Abraham Lincoln
Ferdinand Magellan
Leonardo da Vinci
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The non-Muslim verdict on Muhammad (PBUH) If a man like Muhamed were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness.
George Bernard Shaw
People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense. People like Gandhi and Confucius, on one hand, and Alexander, Caesar and Hitler on the other, are leaders in the second and perhaps the third sense. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third category alone. Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammed, who combined all three functions. To a lesser degree, Moses did the same.
Professor Jules Masserman
Head of the State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was Pope without the Pope's pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine, it was Muhummed, for he had all the powers without their supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.
Rev. R. Bosworth-Smith
Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him.
Diwan Chand Sharma, The Prophets of the East, Calcutta 1935, p. l 22.
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race . . . Mohammed . . .
John William Draper, M.D., L.L.D., A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London 1875, Vol. 1, pp. 329-330
In little more than a year he was actually the spiritual, nominal and temporal rule of Medina, with his hands on the lever that was to shake the world.
John Austin, "Muhammad the Prophet of Allah," in T.P. 's and Cassel's Weekly for 24th September 1927.
Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Warrior, Conqueror of ideas Restorer of rational beliefs, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammed. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?
Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Vol. 11 pp. 276-2727
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.
Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p. 4
Muhummed is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities.
Encyclopedia Britannica
I have studied him - the wonderful man - and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ he must be called the saviour of humanity.
George Bernard Shaw in "The Genuine Islam"
By a fortune absolutely unique in history, Mohammed is a threefold founder of a nation, of an empire, and of a religion.
Rev. R. Bosworth-Smith in "Mohammed and Mohammedanism 1946."
from the book by Michael Hart
The following is from Michael Hart's book and lists Prophet Muhammad as the most influential man in History. A Citadel Press Book, published by Carol Publishing Group
Ranking of the twenty from the list of 100:
Prophet Muhammad
Isaac Newton
Jesus Christ
Buddha
Confucius
St. Paul
Ts'ai Lun
Johann Gutenberg
Christopher Columbus
Albert Einstein
Karl Marx
Louis Pasteur
Galileo Galilei
Aristotle
Lenin
Moses
Charles Darwin
Shih Huang Ti
Augustus Caesar
Mao Tse-tung
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MUHAMMAD, No. 1
The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History
by Michael H. Hart
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow. Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person. Most Arabs at that time were pagans, who believed in many gods. There were, however, in Mecca, a small number of Jews and Christians; it was from them no doubt that Muhammad first learned of a single, omnipotent God who ruled the entire universe. When he was forty years old, Muhammad became convinced that this one true God (Allah) was speaking to him, and had chosen him to spread the true faith. For three years, Muhammad preached only to close friends and associates. Then, about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the Meccan authorities came to consider him a dangerous nuisance. In 622, fearing for his safety, Muhammad fled to Medina (a city some 200 miles north of Mecca), where he had been offered a position of considerable political power. This flight, called the Hegira, was the turning point of the Prophet's life. In Mecca, he had had few followers. In Medina, he had many more, and he soon acquired an influence that made him a virtual dictator. During the next few years, while Muhammad's following grew rapidly, a series of battles were fought between Medina and Mecca. This was ended in 630 with Muhammad's triumphant return to Mecca as conqueror. The remaining two and one-half years of his life witnessed the rapid conversion of the Arab tribes to the new religion.
When Muhammad died, in 632, he was the effective ruler of all of southern Arabia. The Bedouin tribesmen of Arabia had a reputation as fierce warriors. But their number was small; and plagued by disunity and internecine warfare, they had been no match for the larger armies of the kingdoms in the settled agricultural areas to the north. However, unified by Muhammad for the first time in history, and inspired by their fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history. To the northeast of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople. Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrested from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642. But even these enormous conquests, which were made under the leadership of Muhammad's close friends and immediate successors, Ali, Abu Bakr and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, did not mark the end of the Arab advance. By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain.
For a while, it must have seemed that the Moslems would overwhelm all of Christian Europe. However, in 732, at the famous Battle of Tours, a Moslem army, which had advanced into the center of France, was at last defeated by the Franks. Nevertheless, in a scant century of fighting, these Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean-the largest empire that the world had yet seen. And everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed. Now, not all of these conquests proved permanent. The Persians, though they have remained faithful to the religion of the Prophet, have since regained their independence from the Arabs. And in Spain, more than seven centuries of warfare, finally resulted in the Christians reconquering the entire peninsula. However, Mesopotamia and Egypt, the two cradles of ancient civilization, have remained Moslem, as has the entire coast of North Africa. The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Moslem conquests. Currently it has tens of millions of adherents in Africa and Central Asia and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the new faith has been a unifying factor. In the Indian subcontinent, however, the conflict between Moslems and Hindus is still a major obstacle to unity.
How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad on human history? Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world's great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Moslems in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam. Moreover, he is the author of the Moslem holy scriptures, the Koran, a collection of certain of Muhammad's insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. Most of these utterances were copied more or less faithfully during Muhammad's lifetime and were collected together in authoritative form not long after his death. The Koran therefore, closely represents Muhammad's ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived. Since the Koran is at least as important to Moslems as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Muhammad through the medium of the Koran has been enormous. It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity.
On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Muhammad has been as influential in human history as Jesus. Furthermore, Muhammad (unlike Jesus) was a secular as well as a religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time. Of many important historical events, one might say that they were inevitable and would have occurred even without the particular political leader who guided them. For example, the South American colonies would probably have won their independence from Spain even if Simon Bolivar had never lived. But this cannot be said of the Arab conquests. Nothing similar had occurred before Muhammad, and there is no reason to believe that the conquests would have been achieved without him. The only comparable conquests in human history are those of the Mongols in the thirteenth century, which were primarily due to the influence of Genghis Khan. These conquests, however, though more extensive than those of the Arabs, did not prove permanent, and today the only areas occupied by the Mongols are those that they held prior to the time of Genghis Khan. It is far different with the conquests of the Arabs. From Iraq to Morocco, there extends a whole chain of Moslem nations united not merely by their faith in Islam, but also by their Arabic language, history, and culture.
The centrality of the Koran in the Moslem religion and the fact that it is written in Arabic have probably prevented the Arab language from breaking up into mutually unintelligible dialects, which might otherwise have occurred in the intervening thirteen centuries. Differences and divisions between these Arab states exist, of course, and they are considerable, but the partial disunity should not blind us to the important elements of unity that have continued to exist. For instance, neither Iran nor Indonesia, both oil-producing states and both Islamic in religion joined in the oil embargo of the winter of 1973-74. It is no coincidence that all of the Arab states, and only the Arab states, participated in the embargo. We see, then, that the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.
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The following is from Michael Hart's book and lists Prophet Muhammad as the most influential man in History. A Citadel Press Book, published by Carol Publishing Group
Ranking, list of 100 most influential persons in history:
Prophet Muhammad
Isaac Newton
Jesus Christ
Buddha
Confucius
St. Paul
Ts'ai Lun
Johann Gutenberg
Christopher Columbus
Albert Einstein
Karl Marx
Louis Pasteur
Galileo Galilei
Aristotle
Lenin
Moses
Charles Darwin
Shih Huang Ti
Augustus Caesar
Mao Tse-tung
Genghis Khan
Euclid
Martin Luther
Nicolaus Copernicus
James Watt
Constantine the Great
George Washington
Michael Faraday
James Clerk Maxwell
Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier
Sigmund Freud
Alexander the Great
Napoleon Bonaparte
Adolf Hitler
William Shakespeare
Adam Smith
Thomas Edison
Anthony van Leeuwenhoek
Plato
Guglielmo Marconi
Ludwig van Beethoven
Werner Heisenberb
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Fleming
Simon Bolivar
Oliver Cromwell
John Locke
Michelangelo
Pope Urban II
Umar ibn al-Khattab
Asoka
St. Augustine
Max Planck
John Calvin
William T.G. Morton
William Harvey
Antoine Henri Becquerel
Gregor Mendel
Joseph Lister
Nikolaus August Otto
Louis Daguerre
Joseph Stalin
Rene Descartes
Julius Caesar
Francisco Pizarro
Hernando Cortes
Queen Isabella I
William the Conqueror
Thomas Jefferson
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Edward Jenner
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen
Hohann Sebastian Bach
Lao Tzu
Enrico Fermi
Thomas Malthus
Francis Bacon
Voltaire
John F. Kennedy
Gregory Pincus
Sui Wen Ti
Mani
Vasco da Gama
Charlemagne
Cyprus the Great
Leonhard Euler
Niccolo Machiavelli
Zoroaster
Menes
Peter the Great
Mencius
John Dalton
Homer
Queen Elizabeth
Justinian I
fJohannes Kepler
Pablo Picasso
Mahavira
Niels Bohr
Honorable Mentions and Interesting Misses:
St. Thomas Aquinas
Archimedes
Charles Babbage
Cheops
Marie Curie
Benjamin Franklin
Gandhi
Abraham Lincoln
Ferdinand Magellan
Leonardo da Vinci
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The non-Muslim verdict on Muhammad (PBUH) If a man like Muhamed were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness.
George Bernard Shaw
People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense. People like Gandhi and Confucius, on one hand, and Alexander, Caesar and Hitler on the other, are leaders in the second and perhaps the third sense. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third category alone. Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammed, who combined all three functions. To a lesser degree, Moses did the same.
Professor Jules Masserman
Head of the State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was Pope without the Pope's pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine, it was Muhummed, for he had all the powers without their supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.
Rev. R. Bosworth-Smith
Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him.
Diwan Chand Sharma, The Prophets of the East, Calcutta 1935, p. l 22.
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race . . . Mohammed . . .
John William Draper, M.D., L.L.D., A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London 1875, Vol. 1, pp. 329-330
In little more than a year he was actually the spiritual, nominal and temporal rule of Medina, with his hands on the lever that was to shake the world.
John Austin, "Muhammad the Prophet of Allah," in T.P. 's and Cassel's Weekly for 24th September 1927.
Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Warrior, Conqueror of ideas Restorer of rational beliefs, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammed. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?
Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Vol. 11 pp. 276-2727
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.
Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p. 4
Muhummed is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities.
Encyclopedia Britannica
I have studied him - the wonderful man - and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ he must be called the saviour of humanity.
George Bernard Shaw in "The Genuine Islam"
By a fortune absolutely unique in history, Mohammed is a threefold founder of a nation, of an empire, and of a religion.
Rev. R. Bosworth-Smith in "Mohammed and Mohammedanism 1946."
Non-Muslim scholars about Prophet (SAWS)
Non-Muslim scholars about Prophet (SAWS)
Allah the Glorious says in the Holy Qur'an, "You have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct)" (33:21). Addressing the Prophet Allah (SWT) says, "And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character" (68:4). There are so many other verses in the Holy Qur'an in which Allah (SWT), the Creator and Sustainer, has highly lauded our beloved Prophet (SAWS). The Muslims regard him more than any other human being. Allah says, "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves…." (33:6).
Surprisingly enough there are few wretched and freakish type of writers who very unjustly invented some sorts of slanders against Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) whereas all the Muslims and the non-Muslims with a fair mind are greatly impressed by his personality. Herein I am quoting, for the kind information of the readers, some writers who have very highly praised our Prophet in their writings:
Michael H. Hart: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most intellectual persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels." (M. H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons on History, New York, 1978, p. 33)
Thomas Carlyle: In his Heroes and Hero-worship, Carlyle was simply amazed as to "how one man single-handedly could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."
George Bernard Shaw: "He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness." (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)
Lamartine: "Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas of a cult without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is MUHAMMAD. As regards all the standards by which Human Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?" (Lamartine Histoire De La Turquie, Paris, 1854, vol.2, pp 276-277)
Bosworth Smith: "He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he had all power without its instruments and without its supports." (Bosworth Smith, Muhammad and Mohammedanism, London, 1874, p.92.)
W. Montgomery Watt: "His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of the ultimate achievement-all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raised more problems than solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad." (W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.)
Prof. Hurgronje: "The league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood in such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." He continues: "The fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."
Mahatma Gandhi: Speaking on the character of Muhammad (SAWS) Mahatma Gandhi says in Young India, "I wanted to know the best of one who holds today's undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind…I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a palace for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle."
Sarogini Naidu, the famous poetess of India says about Islam: "It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: 'God Alone is Great'… I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother." (S. Naidu, Ideas of Islam, video Speeches and Writings, Madras, 1918, p.169).
Diwan Chand Sharma: "Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him." (D. C. Sharma, The Prophets of the East, Calcutta, 1935, pp.12).
K. S. Ramakrishna Rao (an Indian Professor of Philosophy): "Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, …PERFECT MODEL FOR MANIND." Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying, "The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad, the Warrior; Muhammad, the Businessman; Muhammad, the Statesman; Muhammad, the Orator; Muhammad, the Reformer; Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, the Judge; Muhammad, the Saint. All these magnificent roles, in all theses departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."
Thus the peerless supreme personality of our beloved Prophet (SAWS) is universally acknowledged by all the reasonable scholars of the world. I feel pity for them who fail to get into the deep of his individuality. I feel pity for the few writers who show their academic dishonesty by the frustrated try that they have made to malign the distinct character of Muhammad (SAWS).
by Md. Mahmudul Hasan
http://www.wponline.org/Magazine/The_Pioneer/V1I1/39.Non_Muslim_scholars_about_Prophet.html
Allah the Glorious says in the Holy Qur'an, "You have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct)" (33:21). Addressing the Prophet Allah (SWT) says, "And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character" (68:4). There are so many other verses in the Holy Qur'an in which Allah (SWT), the Creator and Sustainer, has highly lauded our beloved Prophet (SAWS). The Muslims regard him more than any other human being. Allah says, "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves…." (33:6).
Surprisingly enough there are few wretched and freakish type of writers who very unjustly invented some sorts of slanders against Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) whereas all the Muslims and the non-Muslims with a fair mind are greatly impressed by his personality. Herein I am quoting, for the kind information of the readers, some writers who have very highly praised our Prophet in their writings:
Michael H. Hart: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most intellectual persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels." (M. H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons on History, New York, 1978, p. 33)
Thomas Carlyle: In his Heroes and Hero-worship, Carlyle was simply amazed as to "how one man single-handedly could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."
George Bernard Shaw: "He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness." (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)
Lamartine: "Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas of a cult without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is MUHAMMAD. As regards all the standards by which Human Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?" (Lamartine Histoire De La Turquie, Paris, 1854, vol.2, pp 276-277)
Bosworth Smith: "He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he had all power without its instruments and without its supports." (Bosworth Smith, Muhammad and Mohammedanism, London, 1874, p.92.)
W. Montgomery Watt: "His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of the ultimate achievement-all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raised more problems than solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad." (W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.)
Prof. Hurgronje: "The league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood in such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." He continues: "The fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."
Mahatma Gandhi: Speaking on the character of Muhammad (SAWS) Mahatma Gandhi says in Young India, "I wanted to know the best of one who holds today's undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind…I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a palace for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle."
Sarogini Naidu, the famous poetess of India says about Islam: "It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: 'God Alone is Great'… I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother." (S. Naidu, Ideas of Islam, video Speeches and Writings, Madras, 1918, p.169).
Diwan Chand Sharma: "Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him." (D. C. Sharma, The Prophets of the East, Calcutta, 1935, pp.12).
K. S. Ramakrishna Rao (an Indian Professor of Philosophy): "Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, …PERFECT MODEL FOR MANIND." Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying, "The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad, the Warrior; Muhammad, the Businessman; Muhammad, the Statesman; Muhammad, the Orator; Muhammad, the Reformer; Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, the Judge; Muhammad, the Saint. All these magnificent roles, in all theses departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."
Thus the peerless supreme personality of our beloved Prophet (SAWS) is universally acknowledged by all the reasonable scholars of the world. I feel pity for them who fail to get into the deep of his individuality. I feel pity for the few writers who show their academic dishonesty by the frustrated try that they have made to malign the distinct character of Muhammad (SAWS).
by Md. Mahmudul Hasan
http://www.wponline.org/Magazine/The_Pioneer/V1I1/39.Non_Muslim_scholars_about_Prophet.html
The Meaning of Happiness in Islam
The Meaning of Happiness in Islam
Happiness is a feeling that resides in the heart. It is characterized by peace of mind, tranquility, a sense of well-being, and a relaxed disposition. It comes as a result of proper behavior, both inward and outward, and is inspired by strong faith. This is attested to by the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Allah says:
- Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether male or female, We will give a good life.
- Then, whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor be distressed. But whoever turns away from My reminder will have a life of hardship.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “True enrichment does not come through possessing a lot of wealth, but true enrichment is the enrichment of the soul.”
Happiness is Not Restricted to Material Things
From an Islamic viewpoint, happiness is not restricted to material prosperity, though material reasons make up some of the elements of happiness. The material aspect is merely a means, but not the end in itself. Thus, the focus in attaining happiness is on nonmaterial, more abstract concerns, like the positive effects of good behavior. Allah says:
- And the cattle, He has created them for you; in them there is warm clothing and numerous benefits, and from them you eat. There is beauty in them for you when you bring them home in the evening and when you lead them to pasture in the morning.
- Say (O Muhammad): “Who has forbidden the adornment given by Allah that He has brought forth for his servants, and the good things of sustenance?” Say: “They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Among the things that can bring happiness to the son of Adam are a pious wife, a good home, and a good means of transport.”
Islam Ensures Eternal Happiness for Humanity
Islam comes with a complete way of life. It provides rules and procedures to prepare a person for life in both this world and the next. In this way, Islam ensures a person’s well being in this world as well as in the life to come. Islam comes to protect the highest needs of man: life, reason, wealth, lineage, and faith.
Happiness, from an Islamic perspective, occurs on two levels:
1. Worldly happiness: Islamic Law lays down a number of injunctions and regulations to guarantee man’s happiness during his worldly life, which is his first life. At the same time, Islam emphasizes that the life of this world is nothing more than a means of attaining the Hereafter, which is the true life that we all must strive to attain. Allah says:
- Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether male or female, We will give a good life.
- Seek, with what Allah has given you, the abode of the Hereafter, and do not forget your share of this world.
- Little are the enjoyments of the life of this world as compared to the Hereafter.
2. Eternal happiness: This is the true, lasting happiness. This happiness depends on the righteousness of the individual in his worldly life. Allah says:
- Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state, to them the angels will say: ‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise because of that which you used to do.
- For those who do good in this world, there is good, and the abode of the Hereafter will be better; and excellent indeed will be the abode of the pious.
The Life of This World is Not an Earthly Paradise
Islam has clearly defined the role of the human being on Earth. It has made him vicegerent therein, whereby he must strive to inhabit and develop the Earth, bring about prosperity, and work for the best interests of mankind in this world. These noble objectives are surrounded by difficulties and require man to exert a lot of effort and to bear heavy burdens in order to fulfill them. Life is not always as easy and simple as we would wish it to be. Quite the contrary, it goes from being easy to being very difficult, just like a person goes from being healthy to being ill or from being poor to being rich and vice versa. Man must constantly deal with these trials throughout his life. In this way, he can realize the noblest qualities that these trials demand from him, like patience, willpower, determination, courage, reliance upon Allah, industry, and good morals.
These qualities are among the greatest sources of tranquility, peace of mind, and happiness. Allah says:
Surely, we will try you with something of fear, hunger and loss of wealth, lives, and the fruits of your labor, but give glad tidings to the patient ones; who, when afflicted with calamity say, ‘To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.’ These are the ones who will receive blessings and mercy from their Lord, and these are the ones who are rightly guided.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “How astonishing is the affair of the believer. All of his affairs turn out for the best. If goodness befalls him, he is thankful and this is good for him, and if ill fortune befalls him, he is patient and this is good for him.”
Means of Attaining Happiness
1. Faith and good works: Faith brings about happiness in many ways:
A. A person who believes in Allah alone without associating with Him any partner, with a belief that is pure and free from any defects, will enjoy a tranquil heart, a peaceful soul, and will not be full of worry and anxiety over life. He will be pleased with whatever Allah has ordained for him; thankful for all the good things in his life and patient with misfortune. The submission of a believer to Allah gives him the peace of mind that a person needs in order to be industrious and hard working. This is because he senses that his life has meaning and a definite purpose that he must strive to achieve. Allah says:
Those who believe and do not mix their belief with iniquity, for them there is security and they are the rightly guided.
B. Faith gives a person an ideal to strive for. His life is invested with a higher meaning that inspires him to work and expend his efforts in order to realize it. This keeps him away from living a narrow, selfish life. He instead lives his life for the good of others in the society in which he lives. A person who lives only for himself finds his days shortened and his goals constrained. When he, instead, lives for the ideal that inspires him, his life appears long and beautiful, beginning with the dawn of humanity and continuing long after he leaves the Earth. This enhances his perception of the moments, hours, and days of his life.
C. Faith is not only a means to attain happiness; it is also a means to ward off the things that prevent happiness. This is because the believer knows that he is going to be tried and tested throughout his life and that these trials are opportunities for him to put his faith into practice. They help the believer to develop inner strength through the noble qualities of patience and determination, and through trusting in Allah, seeking His assistance, and fearing Him alone. These qualities are some of the most effective ways of realizing the objectives of life, and of bearing life’s trials. Allah says:
If you are suffering, then they too are suffering as you are, but you hope from Allah what they do not hope for.
2. High moral standards that inspire one to do good for others: Man is a social being who needs to interact with beings of his own kind. It is not possible for him to exist independently of others in every aspect of his life. Interacting with others is unavoidable, and people differ greatly in their physical and mental peculiarities. Thus, it is unavoidable that displeasing things will happen between people that can cause them sorrow and distress. If a person cannot deal with these things in an honorable manner, then his interaction with others – which in and of itself is unavoidable – will be a great source of distress and misery for his life. For this reason, Islam emphasizes morality and the development of moral character.
Allah says, describing the Messenger (peace be upon him):
- And verily you (O Muhammad) are of an exalted standard of character.
- And by the mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you; so overlook their faults and ask Allah’s for their forgiveness; and consult them in affairs.
Allah says:
- Help one another in virtue and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.
- The good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel evil with that which is better, then verily the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as if he was a close friend.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “I was only sent to perfect moral character.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The similitude of the believer in his affection and mercy towards other believers is like that of one body; if any part of it feels pain, the whole body becomes feverish and restless.”
3. Remembering Allah often and constantly being aware of His presence: A person’s satisfaction with another depends on the esteem that he has for him. Allah is the greatest source of peace for the heart, and the one whose remembrance can bring joy to the soul. Remembrance of Allah is the pleasure and comfort of the believer while attaining what benefits him and avoiding what harms him. For this reason, Islamic Law prescribes a number of specific remembrances to relate the Muslim back to his Lord whatever the circumstance, in every place, and at all times, when hoping for something desired, or fearing something disliked.
These remembrances connect the believer’s conscience with his Creator, so he sees beyond the cause and effect relationships in the world around him. Consequently, he does not exaggerate their importance so much that they can disturb his spirit. He does no exalt the worldly causes of things beyond their limits, because he realizes that these causes in and of themselves have no effect, but their effects come only by the decree of Allah. Allah says:
Verily, in the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded the Muslim man to say when getting married to a woman: “O Allah, I ask of you the goodness within her and the goodness that you have made her inclined towards, and I seek refuge with you from the evil within her and the evil that you have made her inclined towards.”
The Muslim should say when the wind begins to blow fiercely: “O Allah I ask you for the good of it, the good that it contains, and the good that it was sent with; and I seek refuge with you from its evil, the evil within it, and the evil that it was sent with.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) spoke of the necessity of taking proper action to accomplish what one wants to accomplish, seeking the help of Allah, and not grieving if the results are not the ones that were hoped for. He said: “Strive for what benefits you and seek the help of Allah and do not behave as if you are incapable. And do not say, ‘If only I had done this or that, it would have been this way or that.’ Instead say, ‘Allah decreed what he decreed and what he wishes to do he does.’ Otherwise, you open the way for Satan’s handiwork.”
4. Maintaining one’s health: This covers all aspects of health: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Physical health: Man is naturally concerned with preserving his physical health, this being part of his instinct to survive. It is also a means of realizing his worldly aims of attaining food, drink, clothing, and transportation.
Islam is concerned with man’s survival and physical health. It forbids murder and prohibits consuming things that are hazardous to one’s health. Allah says:
Do not kill a person – whose life Allah has made sacred – except in the dispensation of justice.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) says: “There shall be no harm nor causing of harm.”
Emotional Health: Many people are heedless of the importance of emotional health and are equally heedless of the way to take care of it, in spite of the fact that it a basic pillar of happiness. For this reason, Islam strives to develop a person’s inner state in the best manner, purifying it with noble qualities. One of the most important matters here is the development of a balanced, harmonious, and composed emotional makeup. The basis for an upright emotional character is, first and foremost, faith. Thereafter come the other important elements of an upright emotional character, like possessing a high standard of morality and avoiding ignoble traits like anger, pride, conceit, stinginess, worldly ardor, envy, and malice, traits that can only lead to emotional instability and anxiety. Allah says:
- Do not strain your eyes in longing for the things that we have given to some groups of them to enjoy, the splendor of the life of this world, through which we test them. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.
- O you who believe, let not one group scoff at another; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let some women scoff at other women; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Do not defame one another and do not call each other by nicknames. How evil is the name of iniquity after faith. And whoever does not repent, these are indeed transgressors. O you who believe, avoid much suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is sinful. And do not spy on or backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “If there are three of you, do not two of you talk secretly to one another to the exclusion of the third until you mix with other people, because you may hurt his feelings.”
Mental Health: The rational mind is the basis for accountability in Islamic Law. Therefore, the Wise Lawgiver commands that it should be preserved and protected and prohibits everything that can diminish it or cause it harm. Alcoholic beverages and drugs are among the worst things that can cause the loss of mental faculties. For this reason, Allah has forbidden them, saying:
O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, idols, and divination are abominations of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid all of it so that perhaps you might be successful. Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not then abstain?
Spiritual Health: Islamic Law has taken great care to set down ways to ensure and preserve spiritual health. It encourages the believer to remember Allah at all times. Likewise it makes a minimum amount of worship obligatory upon him to ensure that he gets his spiritual nourishment. This includes the prescribed prayers, fasting, Zakâh tax, and the Hajj pilgrimage. It then opens for him a wide door for voluntary worship of every kind. These forms of worship return the worshipper to his Lord and reaffirm the bond that exist between him and Allah whenever the deluge of worldly concerns starts to sweep him away. For this reason, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) would say: “The coolness of my eyes is prayer.” He also used to say to Bilâl, the one who would give the call to prayer: “O Bilâl, let us find relaxation in prayer.”
Islamic Law prohibits everything that can cause spiritual sickness and weakness. It prohibits us from following our vain desires, clinging to baseless beliefs, and devotion to pleasure, because these things blind the heart and make it heedless of Allah’s remembrance. For this reason, Allah says, describing the unbelievers in the following way:
Those who disbelieve will enjoy this world and eat as cattle eat, and the Hellfire will be their abode.
One Should Pursue the Material Provisions
It has already been affirmed in what preceded that Islam does not deny the importance of material causes for realizing happiness, except that these material things are not a necessary condition for it; they are merely one of many means that can work together to bring it about. Many of the sacred texts attest to this fact. Allah says:
Who has forbidden the adornment given by Allah that He has brought forth for his servants, and the good things of sustenance?
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “How good pure wealth is for a pious servant.”
He also said: “Among the things that can bring happiness to the son of Adam are a pious wife, a good home, and a good means of transport.”
Managing Time
Time is a person’s capital, being the duration of his stay on this world. Islam, therefore, is very concerned with time. It makes the believer responsible for the time at his disposal. On the Day of Judgment, he will be asked about it. Islamic Law requires that he manages his time wisely and utilizes it well. This is achieved by balancing his worldly needs with his worship and caring for his spiritual needs. Islam encourages the believer to get maximum benefit out of his time, filling it with beneficial activities and good deeds.
Allah says:
O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children prevent you from the remembrance of Allah. Whosoever does this; they are surely among the losers. And spend from what We have provided you before one of you approaches death and says, ‘My Lord, if you would only give me a little more time, I would give in charity and I would be one of the righteous.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The feet of a servant will not turn away on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: his lifetime, how he lived it; his youth, how he spent it; his wealth, from where he earned it and on what he spent it; and his work, what work did he used to do.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: “There are two blessings that many people wish they had: health and free time.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) counseled us to balance our time, saying: “Give your hearts rest every hour, because if the heart is forced, it becomes blind.”
http://islamtoday.com/discover_islam.cfm?cat_id=6&sub_cat_id=54
Happiness is a feeling that resides in the heart. It is characterized by peace of mind, tranquility, a sense of well-being, and a relaxed disposition. It comes as a result of proper behavior, both inward and outward, and is inspired by strong faith. This is attested to by the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Allah says:
- Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether male or female, We will give a good life.
- Then, whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor be distressed. But whoever turns away from My reminder will have a life of hardship.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “True enrichment does not come through possessing a lot of wealth, but true enrichment is the enrichment of the soul.”
Happiness is Not Restricted to Material Things
From an Islamic viewpoint, happiness is not restricted to material prosperity, though material reasons make up some of the elements of happiness. The material aspect is merely a means, but not the end in itself. Thus, the focus in attaining happiness is on nonmaterial, more abstract concerns, like the positive effects of good behavior. Allah says:
- And the cattle, He has created them for you; in them there is warm clothing and numerous benefits, and from them you eat. There is beauty in them for you when you bring them home in the evening and when you lead them to pasture in the morning.
- Say (O Muhammad): “Who has forbidden the adornment given by Allah that He has brought forth for his servants, and the good things of sustenance?” Say: “They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Among the things that can bring happiness to the son of Adam are a pious wife, a good home, and a good means of transport.”
Islam Ensures Eternal Happiness for Humanity
Islam comes with a complete way of life. It provides rules and procedures to prepare a person for life in both this world and the next. In this way, Islam ensures a person’s well being in this world as well as in the life to come. Islam comes to protect the highest needs of man: life, reason, wealth, lineage, and faith.
Happiness, from an Islamic perspective, occurs on two levels:
1. Worldly happiness: Islamic Law lays down a number of injunctions and regulations to guarantee man’s happiness during his worldly life, which is his first life. At the same time, Islam emphasizes that the life of this world is nothing more than a means of attaining the Hereafter, which is the true life that we all must strive to attain. Allah says:
- Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether male or female, We will give a good life.
- Seek, with what Allah has given you, the abode of the Hereafter, and do not forget your share of this world.
- Little are the enjoyments of the life of this world as compared to the Hereafter.
2. Eternal happiness: This is the true, lasting happiness. This happiness depends on the righteousness of the individual in his worldly life. Allah says:
- Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state, to them the angels will say: ‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise because of that which you used to do.
- For those who do good in this world, there is good, and the abode of the Hereafter will be better; and excellent indeed will be the abode of the pious.
The Life of This World is Not an Earthly Paradise
Islam has clearly defined the role of the human being on Earth. It has made him vicegerent therein, whereby he must strive to inhabit and develop the Earth, bring about prosperity, and work for the best interests of mankind in this world. These noble objectives are surrounded by difficulties and require man to exert a lot of effort and to bear heavy burdens in order to fulfill them. Life is not always as easy and simple as we would wish it to be. Quite the contrary, it goes from being easy to being very difficult, just like a person goes from being healthy to being ill or from being poor to being rich and vice versa. Man must constantly deal with these trials throughout his life. In this way, he can realize the noblest qualities that these trials demand from him, like patience, willpower, determination, courage, reliance upon Allah, industry, and good morals.
These qualities are among the greatest sources of tranquility, peace of mind, and happiness. Allah says:
Surely, we will try you with something of fear, hunger and loss of wealth, lives, and the fruits of your labor, but give glad tidings to the patient ones; who, when afflicted with calamity say, ‘To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.’ These are the ones who will receive blessings and mercy from their Lord, and these are the ones who are rightly guided.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “How astonishing is the affair of the believer. All of his affairs turn out for the best. If goodness befalls him, he is thankful and this is good for him, and if ill fortune befalls him, he is patient and this is good for him.”
Means of Attaining Happiness
1. Faith and good works: Faith brings about happiness in many ways:
A. A person who believes in Allah alone without associating with Him any partner, with a belief that is pure and free from any defects, will enjoy a tranquil heart, a peaceful soul, and will not be full of worry and anxiety over life. He will be pleased with whatever Allah has ordained for him; thankful for all the good things in his life and patient with misfortune. The submission of a believer to Allah gives him the peace of mind that a person needs in order to be industrious and hard working. This is because he senses that his life has meaning and a definite purpose that he must strive to achieve. Allah says:
Those who believe and do not mix their belief with iniquity, for them there is security and they are the rightly guided.
B. Faith gives a person an ideal to strive for. His life is invested with a higher meaning that inspires him to work and expend his efforts in order to realize it. This keeps him away from living a narrow, selfish life. He instead lives his life for the good of others in the society in which he lives. A person who lives only for himself finds his days shortened and his goals constrained. When he, instead, lives for the ideal that inspires him, his life appears long and beautiful, beginning with the dawn of humanity and continuing long after he leaves the Earth. This enhances his perception of the moments, hours, and days of his life.
C. Faith is not only a means to attain happiness; it is also a means to ward off the things that prevent happiness. This is because the believer knows that he is going to be tried and tested throughout his life and that these trials are opportunities for him to put his faith into practice. They help the believer to develop inner strength through the noble qualities of patience and determination, and through trusting in Allah, seeking His assistance, and fearing Him alone. These qualities are some of the most effective ways of realizing the objectives of life, and of bearing life’s trials. Allah says:
If you are suffering, then they too are suffering as you are, but you hope from Allah what they do not hope for.
2. High moral standards that inspire one to do good for others: Man is a social being who needs to interact with beings of his own kind. It is not possible for him to exist independently of others in every aspect of his life. Interacting with others is unavoidable, and people differ greatly in their physical and mental peculiarities. Thus, it is unavoidable that displeasing things will happen between people that can cause them sorrow and distress. If a person cannot deal with these things in an honorable manner, then his interaction with others – which in and of itself is unavoidable – will be a great source of distress and misery for his life. For this reason, Islam emphasizes morality and the development of moral character.
Allah says, describing the Messenger (peace be upon him):
- And verily you (O Muhammad) are of an exalted standard of character.
- And by the mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you; so overlook their faults and ask Allah’s for their forgiveness; and consult them in affairs.
Allah says:
- Help one another in virtue and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.
- The good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel evil with that which is better, then verily the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as if he was a close friend.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “I was only sent to perfect moral character.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The similitude of the believer in his affection and mercy towards other believers is like that of one body; if any part of it feels pain, the whole body becomes feverish and restless.”
3. Remembering Allah often and constantly being aware of His presence: A person’s satisfaction with another depends on the esteem that he has for him. Allah is the greatest source of peace for the heart, and the one whose remembrance can bring joy to the soul. Remembrance of Allah is the pleasure and comfort of the believer while attaining what benefits him and avoiding what harms him. For this reason, Islamic Law prescribes a number of specific remembrances to relate the Muslim back to his Lord whatever the circumstance, in every place, and at all times, when hoping for something desired, or fearing something disliked.
These remembrances connect the believer’s conscience with his Creator, so he sees beyond the cause and effect relationships in the world around him. Consequently, he does not exaggerate their importance so much that they can disturb his spirit. He does no exalt the worldly causes of things beyond their limits, because he realizes that these causes in and of themselves have no effect, but their effects come only by the decree of Allah. Allah says:
Verily, in the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded the Muslim man to say when getting married to a woman: “O Allah, I ask of you the goodness within her and the goodness that you have made her inclined towards, and I seek refuge with you from the evil within her and the evil that you have made her inclined towards.”
The Muslim should say when the wind begins to blow fiercely: “O Allah I ask you for the good of it, the good that it contains, and the good that it was sent with; and I seek refuge with you from its evil, the evil within it, and the evil that it was sent with.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) spoke of the necessity of taking proper action to accomplish what one wants to accomplish, seeking the help of Allah, and not grieving if the results are not the ones that were hoped for. He said: “Strive for what benefits you and seek the help of Allah and do not behave as if you are incapable. And do not say, ‘If only I had done this or that, it would have been this way or that.’ Instead say, ‘Allah decreed what he decreed and what he wishes to do he does.’ Otherwise, you open the way for Satan’s handiwork.”
4. Maintaining one’s health: This covers all aspects of health: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Physical health: Man is naturally concerned with preserving his physical health, this being part of his instinct to survive. It is also a means of realizing his worldly aims of attaining food, drink, clothing, and transportation.
Islam is concerned with man’s survival and physical health. It forbids murder and prohibits consuming things that are hazardous to one’s health. Allah says:
Do not kill a person – whose life Allah has made sacred – except in the dispensation of justice.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) says: “There shall be no harm nor causing of harm.”
Emotional Health: Many people are heedless of the importance of emotional health and are equally heedless of the way to take care of it, in spite of the fact that it a basic pillar of happiness. For this reason, Islam strives to develop a person’s inner state in the best manner, purifying it with noble qualities. One of the most important matters here is the development of a balanced, harmonious, and composed emotional makeup. The basis for an upright emotional character is, first and foremost, faith. Thereafter come the other important elements of an upright emotional character, like possessing a high standard of morality and avoiding ignoble traits like anger, pride, conceit, stinginess, worldly ardor, envy, and malice, traits that can only lead to emotional instability and anxiety. Allah says:
- Do not strain your eyes in longing for the things that we have given to some groups of them to enjoy, the splendor of the life of this world, through which we test them. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.
- O you who believe, let not one group scoff at another; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let some women scoff at other women; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Do not defame one another and do not call each other by nicknames. How evil is the name of iniquity after faith. And whoever does not repent, these are indeed transgressors. O you who believe, avoid much suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is sinful. And do not spy on or backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “If there are three of you, do not two of you talk secretly to one another to the exclusion of the third until you mix with other people, because you may hurt his feelings.”
Mental Health: The rational mind is the basis for accountability in Islamic Law. Therefore, the Wise Lawgiver commands that it should be preserved and protected and prohibits everything that can diminish it or cause it harm. Alcoholic beverages and drugs are among the worst things that can cause the loss of mental faculties. For this reason, Allah has forbidden them, saying:
O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, idols, and divination are abominations of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid all of it so that perhaps you might be successful. Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not then abstain?
Spiritual Health: Islamic Law has taken great care to set down ways to ensure and preserve spiritual health. It encourages the believer to remember Allah at all times. Likewise it makes a minimum amount of worship obligatory upon him to ensure that he gets his spiritual nourishment. This includes the prescribed prayers, fasting, Zakâh tax, and the Hajj pilgrimage. It then opens for him a wide door for voluntary worship of every kind. These forms of worship return the worshipper to his Lord and reaffirm the bond that exist between him and Allah whenever the deluge of worldly concerns starts to sweep him away. For this reason, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) would say: “The coolness of my eyes is prayer.” He also used to say to Bilâl, the one who would give the call to prayer: “O Bilâl, let us find relaxation in prayer.”
Islamic Law prohibits everything that can cause spiritual sickness and weakness. It prohibits us from following our vain desires, clinging to baseless beliefs, and devotion to pleasure, because these things blind the heart and make it heedless of Allah’s remembrance. For this reason, Allah says, describing the unbelievers in the following way:
Those who disbelieve will enjoy this world and eat as cattle eat, and the Hellfire will be their abode.
One Should Pursue the Material Provisions
It has already been affirmed in what preceded that Islam does not deny the importance of material causes for realizing happiness, except that these material things are not a necessary condition for it; they are merely one of many means that can work together to bring it about. Many of the sacred texts attest to this fact. Allah says:
Who has forbidden the adornment given by Allah that He has brought forth for his servants, and the good things of sustenance?
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “How good pure wealth is for a pious servant.”
He also said: “Among the things that can bring happiness to the son of Adam are a pious wife, a good home, and a good means of transport.”
Managing Time
Time is a person’s capital, being the duration of his stay on this world. Islam, therefore, is very concerned with time. It makes the believer responsible for the time at his disposal. On the Day of Judgment, he will be asked about it. Islamic Law requires that he manages his time wisely and utilizes it well. This is achieved by balancing his worldly needs with his worship and caring for his spiritual needs. Islam encourages the believer to get maximum benefit out of his time, filling it with beneficial activities and good deeds.
Allah says:
O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children prevent you from the remembrance of Allah. Whosoever does this; they are surely among the losers. And spend from what We have provided you before one of you approaches death and says, ‘My Lord, if you would only give me a little more time, I would give in charity and I would be one of the righteous.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The feet of a servant will not turn away on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: his lifetime, how he lived it; his youth, how he spent it; his wealth, from where he earned it and on what he spent it; and his work, what work did he used to do.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: “There are two blessings that many people wish they had: health and free time.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) counseled us to balance our time, saying: “Give your hearts rest every hour, because if the heart is forced, it becomes blind.”
http://islamtoday.com/discover_islam.cfm?cat_id=6&sub_cat_id=54
Happiest Woman In The World
You Can Be The Happiest Woman In The World (A Treasure Chest Of Reminders)
Do you want to be happy? We are all looking for an escape from worry, and depression, and for ways to find happiness. This book presents the route to happiness in a nutshell, drawing on Islamic teachings and the voices of "experts" both western and eastern. So sit back, relax and read it from cover to cover, or dip into it a page or two at a time in between other activities in a busy life as a wife, mother, student or worker.
You are holding in your hands a treasure chest of reminders that will help you learn important lessons and set you on the path to happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, Insha' Allah.
http://www.dar-us-salam.com/store/main.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Dus&Product_Code=R49&Category_Code=NW
Do you want to be happy? We are all looking for an escape from worry, and depression, and for ways to find happiness. This book presents the route to happiness in a nutshell, drawing on Islamic teachings and the voices of "experts" both western and eastern. So sit back, relax and read it from cover to cover, or dip into it a page or two at a time in between other activities in a busy life as a wife, mother, student or worker.
You are holding in your hands a treasure chest of reminders that will help you learn important lessons and set you on the path to happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, Insha' Allah.
http://www.dar-us-salam.com/store/main.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Dus&Product_Code=R49&Category_Code=NW
DON'T BE SAD
DON'T BE SAD ( By: Shaykh 'Aaidh Ibn Abdullah Al-Qarni )
Written by Islamic Times
Thursday, 01 December 2005
Over the past year or so I had seen this book on many bookshelves throughout Islamic Bookshops all over the UK and advertised on many Islamic web sites, as I'm sure many of you can verify my observations.
“So, take heart and hold firmly onto the rope of Allah”
At that point in time it never really occurred to me why this book seemed so popular, it was only recently I've asked my self what was the big hype surrounding this book??One of the reasons I never bought this book earlier then I did was due to the fact I saw the book entitled “Don't Be Sad”, and I never really felt attracted to it or compelled to read it.
I remember pondering to myself what the title meant, it did sound strange to me as it didn't have the usual flare many Islamic books boast. It was only a few months ago I was at my local bookshop and I had picked up this book again and I finally gave into the curiosity surrounding this book. I remember asking my friends have any of you read this book?? One of the brothers swiftly responded to my question “Yeah akhi I've read that book, Masha'allah it is excellent, one of the best books I've read in a long time.” He went on to say that he used to always read a little bit of the book each night before going to sleep just to have that moment alone and fall into deep reflection and contemplation after a typical hectic day. Don't Be Sad was originally written by Shaykh 'Aaidh Al-Qarni in Arabic, it was initially available to Arab readers but Alhamdulillah it has now been translated into English by Faisal Ibn Muhammad Shafeeq and is widely available to both Arab and Non-Arab readers. The translator graciously informs the reader he did not translate the work wordfor- word as doing so would have defeated the author's aims and objectives. The Arabic version is in a style that is elegant and graceful, common in many classical Arabic writings.
Shaykh 'Aaidh Al-Qarni wrote this book to act as a practical and simplified approach to help deal with and Insha'allah overcome many of the difficulties all of us face in everyday life. Shaykh 'Aaidh writes from an Islamic perspective using infallible sources such as the Qur'an and Sunnah of the prophet (may Allah be pleased with him). Shaykh 'Aaidh also quotes western and Eastern philosophers when what they are relevant to the subject matter and in compliance with Islam. A real unique quality of this book is that, both Muslims and Non-Muslims can read and benefit from it. It is a common human emotion to feel hurt and depressed for whatever circumstance or reason that may have triggered such emotion to takeover the heart and mind.
I my self not long ago went through some extremely tough emotional times, the likes of which I had never experienced before and Insha'allah I hope I never go through again. But it is exactly during this down period that a person will benefit most from this book. Physical pain and injuries heal in a short space of time in comparison to matters of the heart. “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Qur'an 13:28) Unlike many other books a reader will pick up a book and read it from cover to cover within short span of time, however on the advice of the author to which I agree, he suggests we read this book slowly to fully take in the advice offered and for it to have the desired effect which to say in short is "Be happy, at peace, and joyful and Don't Be Sad." Many of the topics, examples and solutions covered in this book may seem familiar to some, maybe to the point where you think and say to your self "I knew that" but that is the beauty of this book, it serves as a reminder. We all tend to forget the little priceless gems that sometime need to be brought to our attention and this is the perfect tool to remind you.
As a final comment, I'd like to draw a parallel with this book to medication (Anti- Depressant) but without any adverse side effects. If taken in the correct doses and of course with an open and sincere mind insha'allah it will cure even the most down and depressed person. Food for thought maybe for any Muslim doctor wishing to try something other than Prozac for their patient?......Allah knows best. This is definitely a good read for anyone feeling down and in the low…. If like me you need an Imaan boast after the spiritual ecstasy of Ramadhan then hopefully this should help…Insha'allah. So, take heart and hold firmly onto the rope of Allah.
http://www.islamictimes.co.uk/content/view/96/50/
Written by Islamic Times
Thursday, 01 December 2005
Over the past year or so I had seen this book on many bookshelves throughout Islamic Bookshops all over the UK and advertised on many Islamic web sites, as I'm sure many of you can verify my observations.
“So, take heart and hold firmly onto the rope of Allah”
At that point in time it never really occurred to me why this book seemed so popular, it was only recently I've asked my self what was the big hype surrounding this book??One of the reasons I never bought this book earlier then I did was due to the fact I saw the book entitled “Don't Be Sad”, and I never really felt attracted to it or compelled to read it.
I remember pondering to myself what the title meant, it did sound strange to me as it didn't have the usual flare many Islamic books boast. It was only a few months ago I was at my local bookshop and I had picked up this book again and I finally gave into the curiosity surrounding this book. I remember asking my friends have any of you read this book?? One of the brothers swiftly responded to my question “Yeah akhi I've read that book, Masha'allah it is excellent, one of the best books I've read in a long time.” He went on to say that he used to always read a little bit of the book each night before going to sleep just to have that moment alone and fall into deep reflection and contemplation after a typical hectic day. Don't Be Sad was originally written by Shaykh 'Aaidh Al-Qarni in Arabic, it was initially available to Arab readers but Alhamdulillah it has now been translated into English by Faisal Ibn Muhammad Shafeeq and is widely available to both Arab and Non-Arab readers. The translator graciously informs the reader he did not translate the work wordfor- word as doing so would have defeated the author's aims and objectives. The Arabic version is in a style that is elegant and graceful, common in many classical Arabic writings.
Shaykh 'Aaidh Al-Qarni wrote this book to act as a practical and simplified approach to help deal with and Insha'allah overcome many of the difficulties all of us face in everyday life. Shaykh 'Aaidh writes from an Islamic perspective using infallible sources such as the Qur'an and Sunnah of the prophet (may Allah be pleased with him). Shaykh 'Aaidh also quotes western and Eastern philosophers when what they are relevant to the subject matter and in compliance with Islam. A real unique quality of this book is that, both Muslims and Non-Muslims can read and benefit from it. It is a common human emotion to feel hurt and depressed for whatever circumstance or reason that may have triggered such emotion to takeover the heart and mind.
I my self not long ago went through some extremely tough emotional times, the likes of which I had never experienced before and Insha'allah I hope I never go through again. But it is exactly during this down period that a person will benefit most from this book. Physical pain and injuries heal in a short space of time in comparison to matters of the heart. “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Qur'an 13:28) Unlike many other books a reader will pick up a book and read it from cover to cover within short span of time, however on the advice of the author to which I agree, he suggests we read this book slowly to fully take in the advice offered and for it to have the desired effect which to say in short is "Be happy, at peace, and joyful and Don't Be Sad." Many of the topics, examples and solutions covered in this book may seem familiar to some, maybe to the point where you think and say to your self "I knew that" but that is the beauty of this book, it serves as a reminder. We all tend to forget the little priceless gems that sometime need to be brought to our attention and this is the perfect tool to remind you.
As a final comment, I'd like to draw a parallel with this book to medication (Anti- Depressant) but without any adverse side effects. If taken in the correct doses and of course with an open and sincere mind insha'allah it will cure even the most down and depressed person. Food for thought maybe for any Muslim doctor wishing to try something other than Prozac for their patient?......Allah knows best. This is definitely a good read for anyone feeling down and in the low…. If like me you need an Imaan boast after the spiritual ecstasy of Ramadhan then hopefully this should help…Insha'allah. So, take heart and hold firmly onto the rope of Allah.
http://www.islamictimes.co.uk/content/view/96/50/
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