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Jun 24 Transforming Your Reality Jun 17 A History of Muslim Americans’ Political Engagement Jun 17 My Brother is Gay: Navigating the Intersection of Religion and Family An interview with Imam Wesley Lebron Jun 10 Islam and the Romans: Early Muslim-Byzantine Interaction May 20 Reclaiming the Sunnah of Adoption and Foster Care: An Interview with Basmah Salam Apr 29 National Poetry Month: An Ode to Faith, Visibility, and the Conversations We Don’t Forget Apr 15 Beyond Ramadan: Taking Its Lessons Farther  Apr 15 The Power of Saying No: A Reflection on Boundaries

Tag: editorial

  • Thoughts on Thankfulness

    Thoughts on Thankfulness

    How can we thank Almighty Allah for all His great blessings upon us? For sure we are unable to do so properly or adequately in any ultimate way, as His bounties and blessings are endless. We can’t ever comprehend the extent of the favors granted to us, and if we try to count them, we can’t do it. As the Qur’an says: “But if you count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them” (Al-Qur’an 14:34). Everything that we possess including our health, wealth, and talents—all are given by Him. Our very existence and our continuing sustenance are also dependent on Allah’s will and favor. So whatever praise is due, it is due to Him alone, for nobody has the power to give us anything except by His will. It is for this reason that Allah (swt) commanded Prophet Ibrahim to say: “It is He who has created me, and so it is He who guides me; it is He who gives me to eat and drink, and whenever I am sick it is He who heals me; and it is He who makes me die and then will bring me to life. And upon Him, I pin my hope that He would forgive my sins on the Day of Judgment” (Al-Qur’an 26:77-82).

    The Prophet (pbuh) made it clear that expressing our  gratitude to Allah by thanking Him also involves thanking people who benefit us  or do favors for us

    Allah governs and sustains everything in this universe, and whatever happens to us — even the things we call personal afflictions or natural disasters — are also from Allah. To quote Ibn Ataa, “When Allah puts one of us to a test by losing one, two, or even five blessings, he feels that he is faced with a severe crisis. While in reality he has billions of blessings which Allah is bestowing on him every moment. In every cell in your body, there are countless blessings. In every second you live, there are countless blessings. In every breath you breathe, there are countless blessings. In every glance you make, there are countless blessings. Allah is the One who is worthy of [receiving our] thankfulness.”As a matter of fact, in times of calamity and distress, there is always some good for us, provided we respond appropriately. The Prophet said: “How wonderful is the case of a believer! There is good for him in whatever happens to him — and none, apart from him, enjoys this blessing. If he receives some bounty, he is grateful to Allah and this bounty brings good to him. And if some adversity befalls him, he is patient, and this affliction, too, brings good to him” (Muslim).

    So how can we express our gratitude to Allah (swt)? The first and foremost way for us to thank Allah is to be aware of His presence and His power at all times and in all places, and to keep in mind all the favors He has granted to us, whether these favors are seen or unseen. This awareness has tremendous impact upon our daily life, as this brings us to submission and servitude to our Lord. Eman (belief) implies shukr or gratefulness, while kufr (disbelief) indicates overlooking, ignoring, or concealing the favors. Obviously, if a man is ungrateful, Allah is unaffected, but if that man becomes grateful, then he is the one who gains in all ways. Gratitude for blessings brings us more blessings. As Allah says: “And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you give thanks, I will give you more [of My blessings]; but if you are thankless, verily, My punishment is indeed severe’” (Al-Qur’an 14:7).

    Second, our gratitude to God should be expressed through gratitude of the heart, gratitude of the tongue, and gratitude of the physical faculties. As Imam Ibn al-Qayyim explained: “Gratitude may be in the heart, in submission and humility; on the tongue, in praise and acknowledgement; and in the physical faculties, by means of obedience and submission” (Madaarij al-Saalikeen-2/246). As for the verbal expression of gratitude which is contradicted by action, Al-Tabari says, “the one who does that, does not deserve to be called grateful at all.”

    Third, we should also remember that gratitude is a sense of genuine fulfillment, not because we have ceased to want or desire the good things in this life, but because we have cultivated a profound sense of knowing that Allah has already blessed us with what we need. In one of the hadiths, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “…if the son of Adam has one valley, he will wish that he had a second, and if he had two valleys, he would wish that he had a third. The stomach of the son of Adam will be filled only with dust [i.e., he is never satisfied]…” (Ahmad – 5/219). If we wish to transcend that state of malcontentedness, we should learn to truly appreciate what we have rather than fretting over what we don’t.

    Finally, gratitude should help us recognize other people’s favors to us as well. The Prophet (pbuh) made it clear that expressing our gratitude to Allah by thanking Him also involves thanking people who benefit us or do favors for us. He (pbuh) said: “He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi). He also said: “Whoever does you a favor, then reciprocate, and if you cannot find anything with which to reciprocate, then pray for him until you think that you have reciprocated him” Abu Dawood (1672).

    Truly in gratitude we can find our contentment and fulfillment, our peace and final salvation.

     

  • Editorial: Race Against Racism and Injustice

    Editorial: Race Against Racism and Injustice

    Speaking out against racism and injustice is easy, but keeping oneself free from their poisons is not as simple.  Too often people denounce racism not because they abhor it as personal belief, state policy, or humankind’s pathology of hate and thus want to eliminate its scourges from society once and for all. Rather, a public stance against racism is often dictated by utilitarian consideration and calculation. After all, the social, political and even financial cost for being exposed as “racially insensitive” is steep in America today, as evident in many downfalls from political office. Our politicians therefore are keen to craft their language with anti-racist rhetoric, seeking always to maximize their political gains and support. The worst case is an ethos in which people speak the language that is politically correct, but they continue to feel and act otherwise. Their formula is very simple, as described by K. Taylor in Civil rights and civil wrongs: Racism in America today: “…(they) Acknowledge that the problem exists, while actively undermining any effort to deal with the problem.” Such dissembling is often concealed by high-minded sentiments. Former president George W. Bush while visiting Africa in 2003, said in one of his speeches: “My nation’s journey toward justice has not been easy and it is not over. The racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery or with segregation. And many of the issues that still trouble America have roots in the bitter experience of other times.” Yet, Bush and his party stalwarts continued dismantling affirmative action and legislating discriminatory policies that put   minorities at ongoing disadvantage and caused great despair in so many aspects of their lives.

    Racism is primarily a psycho-moral and spiritual problem. Therefore, the pathology of racism requires a spiritual remedy at both the individual and collective levels

    Racism has many forms and faces. We know it can be blatant or subtle and disguised. Thus it’s no wonder that the ascendancy of an African American man to the highest office of the United States didn’t dismantle the racist structure of the society. While Barak Obama’s election is certainly an historic achievement and milestone, we have to face the ugly reality that racism still manifests in treacherous ways and at all levels of our society.  As a position paper on racism put out by the Australian Psychological Society describes, “Modern racism still involves a rejection of minority groups and discrimination, but is now framed in terms of values and ideology rather than a straightforward dislike. Research has demonstrated that the modern variant of racism is more insidious, entrenched, resilient and difficult to counteract.”
    So, how does humanity climb out of this xenophobic hell-hole? The answer begins to emerge when we consider that despite all the historic legislation and policy changes put in place to address racial injustice, our society continues to suffer from the disease. Indeed, racism is primarily a psycho-moral and spiritual problem, so “while man’s actions can be legislated, their hearts and fears cannot.” Therefore, the pathology of racism requires a spiritual remedy at both the individual and the collective levels.

    We pray that our fellow citizens and the whole of humanity come to recognize that a spiritual approach is needed. Then we might all open our minds and hearts to the spiritual cure Islam freely offers. The Qur’an declares: “O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you” (Qur’an 49:13). This is divine declaration that no individual or group is superior to any other, except by way of virtue and rectitude of action.
    Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized this principle: “O people, remember that your Lord is One. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over a white, nor a white any superiority over a black, except by piety and good action (taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (taqwa)” [excerpted from the Prophet’s Last Sermon].

    This is not a glib slogan; it’s a genuine reminder and warning, for its rejection is tantamount to abandoning Islam and its non-compliance a return to jahiliyyah (darkness, ignorance). In any case, the consequence is the sin of vain glory and ultimate destiny in the hellfire. The Prophet (pbuh) thus warned: “Whoever has pride in his heart equal to the weight of an atom shall not enter Paradise.” A companion asked: “What about a person who likes to wear beautiful clothes and fine shoes,” and the Prophet said: “God is beautiful and likes beauty, while pride is rejecting the truth because of self-esteem and looking down on other people” (Muslim). The Prophet also said: “Let people stop boasting about their ancestors. One is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

    With such clear and coherent wisdom the Prophet (pbuh) purified his society from racism with its attendant injustices. To likewise cleanse the soul of our nation, we must embrace and fulfill the divine teachings, unifying hearts and minds against the infernal menace of racial supremacism. May God Almighty enable us to do this!

    Ameen.