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Open Thread Sunday 10-18-2009 | Eeyaaka Nasta’een

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October 18, 2009

Bismillah-irRahman-irRaheem. As salamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allahi wa Barakatuhu.

Allahumma Antas Salaam, wa minkas salaam, tabaarakta yaa dhal-jalaali wal ikraam. (O Allah, You are Peace, and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of majesty and honor. Excerpt from Sahih Muslim 1/414.)

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Most everyone on Earth knows about a certain committee in Norway whose members each year bestow honor and prize money on a person (or persons) after that person has made significant attempts or success in the pursuit of peace among men and nations. And like most worldly honor, after a number of years has passed, the world all but forgets. Still, their choices are often controversial. Most everyone knows whom they picked most recently and why.

For Muslims, peace comes from Allah. Ikraam or honor belongs to Allah. And we worship only Him, and from Him alone do we seek what we need.

So in this week’s open thread, you are as always welcome to share any post you like (but let’s abstain from needless and undeserved jabs and pokes at each other, please)…

…but you are invited to share with us some prayer you would make to Allah for the benefit of others, whether it be your local community, or your country, or for the world.

Mine? O Allah, grant America’s leaders the courage to end its wars of aggression and to free those victims of its torture and its many trumped-up prosecutions. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah. (There is no force for change, nor any power except Allah.)

On a different note, this is an interesting clip of a Christian minister explaining why pig on the dining table isn’t a good idea… another reason why divine knowledge is a constant, while human knowledge wavers all over the place:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5kek3D-4I[/youtube]

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Open Thread Sunday 10-4-2009 | Your best deed today?

Tariq Nisar Ahmed

Bismillah walhamdolillah. May Allah accept my repentance and yours. I am an attorney, a stepfather, a husband, a son, and a Muslim. Studying Islam is a means, reflecting what I have learned is a must, and to Allah is the inevitable return. If you would like my help, know that Allah is the source of all aid. If you would like to contact me, try tariqnisarahmed at Gmail, LinkedIn, Twitter, or add me as a friend on Facebook.

8 Comments

Arif Kabir

October 18, 2009 at 8:36 PM

Ameen to all of your beautiful Du’as. JazaakumAllahu Khayran for the topi-tip! It’s amazing how others are also coming to the realization that pork (and other Haraam matters) are harmful for them…

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

October 18, 2009 at 10:26 PM

LOL, “on a different note…” should read “from a different writer…” because someone added it to the article I wrote (which is fine with me, just add your own name at that point, or remove mine). What is that clip (I have not watched it), Joel Osteen or someone like that? My mom is so happy that Joel Osteen is against pork. It’s nice when non-Muslims realize something for themselves that we have the benefit of from the Wisdom of Allah.

Guess which one is more exciting to me? Yup, some people are cuckoo for coconuts, me, I’m in awe when I read what Allah and His Messenger (sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam) have given us in the Qur’an and sunnah.

Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef explains the situation very well: non-Muslims, especially when they rely on empirical evidence, are capable of discovering many facts like the unhealthiness or undesirability of pork. Or the great benefits that accrue to persons who are generous in charity. The non-Muslims can observe the facts and often report the correct behavior: “stop eating pork!” or “people who give much in charity are often very successful later on” or even “there may be some health benefits in red wine.”

But because their reasoning is divorced from the wisdom of Allah and His Messenger (sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam), the non-Muslims make many mistakes when it comes to explaining why those facts are true and they often fail to see the whole picture.

Why do non-Muslims fail despite their best observations? Because Allah is the One Whose Knowledge is complete and subtle in the fullest degree. He is Fully Acquainted with every bit of knowledge concerning His creation.

So, for example, while in recent decades the West has exulted in some scientific indication of some potential medical benefit in red wine, it fails to adequately balance any benefits of wine or alcohol with the harm and evil of khamr, thus, of course, Allah’s prescriptions are the best, the only ones in which full trust can be placed.

I’m still interested, myself, in reading any prayers readers are making for their communities.

Reply
- Abdul-Qadir
  
  October 19, 2009 at 11:23 AM
  
  the non-Muslims have actually figured out the harms of alcohol.
  
  http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/drinkingyourwaytohealthperhapsnot
  
  Reply
  - abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed
    
    October 23, 2009 at 12:35 AM
    
    Yeah, and the success of beer, wine, and spirits producers testifies to how much that knowledge has benefited them. :)
    
    Allah subhanahu wata ala’s explanation of the prohibition against alcohol is not the justification for obeying Him. His status as Rabb-ul-aalameen is more than sufficient reason. Love and gratitude to Him are more than sufficient reason. Fear of hellfire is more than sufficient reason.
    
    And it’s worth noting that any person, regardless of creed, who gives up alcohol for other than Allah has not earned a good deed thereby, even if their livers, etc., would thank them.
    
    Reply
Hassan

October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM

Must read news!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091021/ap_on_re_us/us_massachusetts_terror_charge

muslimmatters.org is mentioned as well in the news

Reply
Anonymous

October 22, 2009 at 2:30 PM

I’m a bit depressed right now. I’m in this graduate school program I do not like. Because of it, I’m studying 4 days a week til 3am and classes twice a week. Then, I have these grad school meetings on the weekends (which aren’t so bad). I also have work fulltime.

That’s fine, that’s life.

But, my mother is telling me things like “you don’t study enough”, or “you just stay in your room all day and never come out.” I failed my first test, bombed it. I studied a LOT for it. But, she told me I didn’t study enough. She says I waste time chatting online, which is not true.

I was not showing my anger because of the ayah from surah israa. But I’m REALLY angry now. Whenever I bring these things she says to me, she’ll accuse me of being bad to her and start crying. So I stopped entirely.

I’m just going to drop out of grad school.

Reply
- abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed
  
  October 23, 2009 at 12:24 AM
  
  first, may Allah ease your heart during your struggles with your current situation, and may He guide you to what pleases Him, and grant you the best outcome.
  
  the older we get the more acute become any outstanding issues we have with our parents. there may be many legitimate reasons, but one thought that sometimes comes to my mind is that my folks must be nearing senility or at least severe irrationality (na’udhobillah) — such thoughts are waswasa from shaytan.
  
  shaytan always encourages me to find the least reasonable explanation for any disagreement i have with my parents. shaytan wants me to undo every bit of good i have ever done in my life by disobeying Allah’s commandments to obey my parents and treat them well.
  
  “why should i obey my parents? i am so much [fill-in-your own flattering adjectives here, eg, smarter, more educated, stronger..] than them!”
  
  see how much that waswasa follows the logic of shaytan’s own disobedience of the command to prostrate to Adam alayhis salam?
  
  I pray that Allah will accept my repentance for all the times I have failed in those tests, and that He will forgive me, and accept (by virtue of whatever progress I have made) my prayers for His guidance and Mercy. in truth i do also pray that Allah will place forgiveness for my mistakes in my parents’ hearts, too, but over time i have come to see that long ago He fashioned their hearts in that way, alhamdolillah, so that they are predisposed to forgive. laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah.
  
  Reply
  - Anonymous
    
    October 23, 2009 at 2:46 PM
    
    wa ‘alaykum as-salaam
    
    I don’t think she’s being irrational at all. She just refuses to acknowledge that she’s doing something wrong and if I ever say “no, you’re wrong about this”, she’ll tell me I’m being disrespectful to my mother and will start crying. And, I can’t take making my mother cry.
    
    So, I’ll just be silent. But now I don’t even feel like talking to her at all.
    
    Reply