Category: Quote-Unquote – Book VII (601-700)

This Ramadan, What Is Your Answer? [Quote - 690]

If Ramadan, as the Qur'an says, is the month in which the Qur'an was sent down, and it is, a question each and every one of us must ask is this:

This Ramadan, 1437-2016, how many homes and hearts are we ready, willing, able and prepared to take the Qur'an to?

While the Qur'an is not something anyone should dare to play games with, the question is still relevant and meaningful:

What is our game plan for the Qur'an for this month of Ramadan?

And that means giving straight and honest answers to some of the following questions:

This blessed month of Ramadan:

  1. How much Qur'an will we read?
  2. How much Qur'an will we try to understand?
  3. How much Qur'an will we try to teach?
  4. How many people -- men, women and children -- will we invite to the Qur'an?

So, ladies and gentlemen of Islam, what is your answer?

END

Small and Big Things in Islam [Quote - 689]

I don't know why I feel like saying this. I don't even know if I have a proper basis for doing so. 

Or maybe on the other hand I do. 

But here is what I feel like saying:

Let us sweat the small things, Muslims!
 Maybe, maybe, Allah will take care of the big things!

And by small things I mean things like removing from the path anything that will cause harm or injury, or inconvenience, to passersby.

Passersby!

Mind you, doesn't say Muslim or non-Muslim, man or woman, believer or non-believer, does it?

Says Hadith Sharif:

Imaatatul Adhaa 'Anit-Tareeqi Sadaqah.

What I am trying to say is this: 

"Try and connect with Allah for one second.
That may be better for you than a lifetime of pretension and posturing!"

END

Got Anything Better than Salaam? [Quote - 688]

I don't know why. But I keep thinking: Is there anything better in this world -- than "Assalamu Alaikum!"

People, if I were you, which I am not, I will not throw away this very special and precious gift from God -- right from the pages of the Qur'an -- for any reason: time shortage; technology constraints; whatever.

Allah seems to say in the Qur'an, if you don't find anyone to say"Assalamu Alaikum!" to, then at least do that to yourself. 

Say: "Assalamu Alaikum!" to yourself.

Fa-Sallimoo A'laa Anfusikum!

I don't know, nor can I think of, anything that will beat that!

If Allah had given Muslims nothing more, and if Muslims had nothing in their possession but Salaam, that would still be the most prized possession that anyone ever had in their hands on the face of this earth.

END

IslamicSolutions.Com: 
Our Policy and Approach! [Quote - 687]

We bring Islam to the world, one little thing, one simple point, at a time.

Nothing more; nothing less.

At a time when the world seems to have no idea what Islam is really all about, this, we believe, is just what the doctor may have ordered. 

Or, put differently, and more accurately, this is exactly what God Almighty has commanded all Muslims do: 

Wa Bi-Dhaalika Umirtu,
Wa Ana Awwalul Muslimeen!

And that Divine Mandate, first to Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and then, through him, to all Muslims until Kingdom Come, is:

Balligh Maa Unzila Ilaika Min Rabbika!

Paraphrase: 

Go tell everyone what God has given to you!

Another paraphrase:

Share with the world the message of Islam to which
you now have been made privy!

END

Numbers and Words [Quote - 686]

Professor Kalamazad Mohammed

My university training is in Mathematics. And Mathematics is what I teach for a living as they say. 

Or, stating it more properly: Teaching Mathematics at the University is what Allah has chosen as a means of providing me my livelihood -- Rizq -- in this world.

Wa Lakum Fil Ardi Mustaqarrun wa Mataa-'un Ilaa Heen!

But here is the point: 

Being a math teacher seems to give you a better understanding and deeper appreciation of words and their precise meaning. 

It is amazing how knowing the language of Mathematics (Numbers) makes you a better student of the language of English (Words): Her Majesty's Language, as Dr. Pasha calls it.

Subhanallah!

END

To Respect Authorship Is Islam!
It Is Also Western Culture! [Quote - 685]

Islam is from God. And it is for people. 

That means the world can only run on Islamic principles and teachings. If it really wants to run its affairs well.

That means if you want to have any semblance of justice, fairness and decency in this world, you can only achieve it under the shadow and umbrella of Islamic teachings, regardless of whether or not you use the name of Islam. 

And whether or not you give Islam credit.

One example is: sadly or happily, Islam does not allow you to cut corners in what you do.

An extension of this principle is: When someone writes something, that person alone has the right to decide what to do with it -- with that piece.

Not others.

Meaning, rights that accrue to authorship of any document or manuscript belong to the writer, not to bystanders, no matter how well-intentioned those bystanders may be.

So, whether or not to post on the Internet, including IslamicSolutions.Com, a piece carrying the name of someone as writer and author, that decision can be made only by the owner of that name and identity -- and not by others.

That is Islam 101.

And that is also Western Culture -- which in all kinds of strange and interesting ways -- ended up becoming the guardian of some of the core elements of Islamic Culture such as this one.

This, unbeknownst to Muslims, and the rest of the world, is one of the secrets behind the seeming worldly success of Western Culture: the ideas, practices and principles Western Culture borrowed from Islamic Culture.

Rejoice Muslims!

Relax everyone!

Islamic Culture flows like blood through the veins of Western Culture, even as the West, from time to time, comes up with all kinds of excuses to combat Islam and malign and defame Muslims.

How true the Qur'an is:

Enemies of God, want to extinguish God's light with their breath.
But God insists on making his light shine in its fullest glory.

END

True Forgiveness Comes from Having the Power NOT to Forgive [Quote - 684]

Muslims -- everyone everywhere -- must learn and teach their people the following:

Sabaq phir padh Sadaaqat ka, Adaalat ka...

"Go re-learn the lesson of truthfulness!
And the lesson of how to be fair and just..."

For, those are the qualities needed for leadership in the world.

"Forgiveness" is a great thing. And the reward for it is tremendous.

God is a Most Forgiving God. He is Ghafoor and Ghaffaar.

And in the Qur'an God encourages people to practice forgiveness every opportunity they get.

Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, was a most forgiving man.

But true forgiveness means having the power NOT to forgive.

It is owning the power, ability, strength and resources to get even and to avenge, and THEN to forgive and walk away -- if you so choose.

And it is a good choice if you can afford to make it -- and do so without all kinds of pressures being mounted on you on behalf of the oppressor, who in many cases may be a privileged and well-connected source.

That is what true forgiveness is all about.

The name for it is Adl. 

Another name for it is Qist.

And Islam is about Adl.

And Islam is about Qist.

These are the lessons Muslims forgot. 

Lessons Muslims must re-learn.

END

Islam vs. Non-Islam: Truth vs. Falsehood [Quote - 683]

Islam is from God. And Non-Islam is from the Devil.

The Devil -- Shaitan -- and his ilk fight Islam.

They are the followers of falsehood and worshipers of the Devil.

They are the breakers of the Biblical Commandments. 

Their life is a celebration of the Seven Deadly Sins that the Bible talks about.

They worship all kinds of gods besides God, which is a direct violation of the First Commandment in the Bible.

Their methodology is one of falsehood: It is a methodology of Lies and Deceit.

Whereas the methodology of Islam is Truth: Haq and Sidq.

The objective of Islam is Adl -- justice and fairness and equity for all people all over the world.

The objective of non-Islam is Zulm and Udwaan: oppression; aggression; and exploitation of others and inflicting of harm on them.

In a confused and confusing world, you can tell which is which, and who is who, by trying to find out who is telling the truth and who is not. And who is standing up for justice and fairness for all and who is not.

It is that simple.

END

Hope Supported by Action: 
That Is What Islam Is All About! [Quote - 682]

Life does not, cannot, go on by hope alone. Even though hope is a great sustainer and energizer of human life.

Without hope, human life will sputter and die in short order.

What life needs, what we all need, what the whole world needs, in addition to hope -- and optimism -- is action: sustained, accountable, targeted action.

To be successful in life, we must find a way to marry eternal and undying hope to sustained, robust and accountable action.

You do that, and you have got a pretty firm handle on Islam.

For, Islam is all about hope married to goal-directed, accountable, action.

END

Did Muslims Drop the Ball? [Quote - 681]

Shaitan -- the Devil -- seems to be having a field day. Good people, in all too many places, appear to be in retreat, on too many good and noble and important fronts. 

Islam -- and the world -- await those who will take the word of God door to door, home to home, heart to heart. Throughout the world.

People who are truly educated, thoroughly trained and fully committed.

People whose hearts are full of love for God and for humanity -- all at the same time.

People who will place their duty to God and humanity before their own personal needs, whims, fancies, priorities, predilections, interests.

Have Muslims, by and large, dropped the ball on this count?

Is that why the world of God in the terrible shape it is? Innal  Insaana La-Fi Khusr, as the Qur'an says?

Who now among us will rise to the challenge of helping God and humanity?

"Helping" God? Yes, that is directly from the Qur'an.

END