Ri~sala 
The Last Sermon of the Prophet
The last sermon of the Prophet-peace be upon
him- is known as Khutbatul Wada'. It is mentioned in almost all books
of Hadith. Following Ahadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari refer to the sermon
and quote part of it. See Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361) Sahih of
Imam Muslim also refers to this sermon in Hadith number 98. Imam
al-Tirmidhi has mentioned this sermon in Hadith nos. 1628, 2046, 2085.
Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal has given us the longest and perhaps the most
complete version of this sermon in his Masnud, Hadith no. 19774.
This
Khutbah of the Prophet-peace be upon him- was long and it contained
much guidance and instructions on many issues. The Prophet-peace be
upon him- gave this sermon in front of a large gathering of people
during Hajj.
Whosoever heard whatever part
of the sermon reported it and later some scholars put it together. It
is a great khutbah and we should all pay attention to its message and
guidance. Following are the basic points mentioned in this khutbah:
O People
Lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I
shall ever be amongst you again. Therefor listen to what I am saying to
you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be
present here today.
O People
Just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard
the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the
goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no
one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and
that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take
usury (interest); therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be
waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither
inflict nor suffer any inequity.
Allah has Judged that there
shall be no interest and that all interest due to Abbas Ibn ‘Abd al
Muttalib (the Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived.
Beware
of Satan for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he
will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of
following him in small things.
O People
It is true that you have certain rights in regard to your women, but
they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as
your wives, only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they
abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and
clothed in kindness. Do treat you women well and be kind to them, for
they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that
they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as
well as never to be unchaste.
O People
Listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers
(Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in
Zakat.
Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is
from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a
non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no
superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white-
except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother
to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.
Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim, which belongs to a fellow
Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefor, do
injustice to yourselves.
Remember one day you will appear before
Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path
of righteousness after I am gone. People, no prophet or apostle will
come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well therefore, O
people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me
two things, the Quran and the Sunnah (Hadith), and if you follow these
you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my
words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones
understand my words better than those who listened to me directly. Be
my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people."
Previous articles
Appreciate the Scenery
The most beautiful thing about beautiful scenery is that it usually
inspires us. It has us connecting so many dots and feeling such
harmony. If a husband has just had a big fight with his wife, a walk in
the fresh air would likely have him come back home calmer, and more
ready to find a solution. If a family wants to spend quality time
together, have fun, and make memories that would last for generations,
they might go on a camping trip together. A stressed employee might
take lunch in the park because the natural surroundings might mean a
tranquil break in the day. A student who takes a year off for traveling
before beginning university can open up his/her horizons and have the
experience help decide what he/she really wants for the future.
At times, people will look into life-coaching or help when they feel
like something in their life needs to change. They may feel that
they're just going around in circles and all the scenery looks the
same, and it isn't of the inspiring variety. They know they need goals,
they know they need a point B, they know they need a vision for their
lives, but for some reason, they haven't been able to define it. They
haven't discovered what would make them love their life and savour
everyday simply because they're working towards the realization of that
vision. And they're hoping that a coach will tell them what their
vision should be.
Sorry to say it, but that's a futile hope. Vision comes from within
you. You decide. Others may influence your thoughts about it, perhaps
even help you mould it, but, at the end of the day, it is you who has
to live it. And if you've decided that it is not a fun one, that it is
a futile waste of your time and might cause complete and utter misery,
then it's a dumb vision to hold on to because you'll never do anything
about it. You'll need to: "Get a life! Get a vision!"
When you finally find your 'right' vision, your life will never be
the same. You'll have such purpose and drive, that you may wake up in
the mornings much earlier than usual and perhaps even without the aid
of an alarm clock.
If you can dream it, if you can picture it, if you can visualize it,
you're on your way to yours. There's something so liberating about
finally connecting to that dream. I can't tell you what that feels
like, but I pray that you find it soon. Or maybe you've already found
it, but have buried it somewhere beneath responsibilities or life's
tasks that consume your time. Or maybe you're frightened of failure, or
maybe even success. But if you don't do this, not much else will seem
important.
You set a vision so that you can start appreciating the scenery. And the waves upon your feet.
Compiled From:
"Release
Your Inner Queen of Sheba!" - Heba Alshareef, pp. 76 - 78
Al-Shuara (The Poets)
Chapter 26: Verses 224-226
Reality
Vs. Imagination
"As for the poets, only those who are lost in
error follow them. Are you not aware that they roam confusedly through
all valleys, and that they say what they do not do?"
A person with a well-defined message
who wants to see it implemented in people's lives has a totally
different perspective. He has an objective, method of action and a line
to follow. He goes along his line, pursuing his method to achieve his
end, keeping his heart and mind open and alert. He will not accept
myth, or be satisfied with visions and dreams.
He is only satisfied when his message becomes a practised reality in human life.
Thus the methods of God's Messenger and
poets are poles apart. The two can never be confused. Poets follow
their own moods, whims and desires, which means that they are followed
only by those who similarly roam about confusedly with whims and
passions, having no defined objective or clear line. Moreover, poets
pursue every feeling, idea or statement according to that which takes
hold of them at any particular moment.
Furthermore, poets say what they do not
do, because they live in a world made of their own imagination and
sentiment. They prefer such an imaginary world to real life which does
not particularly impress them. Hence, they exaggerate and claim things
that they themselves do not fulfil. Thus, what they say has no reality
in practical human life.
Since Islam is a complete life system,
devised for implementation in real life, and since it has a strong
bearing on people's conscience and on all aspects of life, it is by
nature incompatible with the overwhelming majority of poets. A poet creates a dream in his own
world and feels content with it. Islam, on the other hand, wants the
dream to become a reality and works for its implementation. It transforms all feelings so that they work together
to produce in the real world a perfect model for humanity.
Islam wants people to face up to the facts of life, and not to escape to an imaginary dream. If the facts of life are unsatisfactory or inconsistent with the way of life Islam wants people
to implement, it urges them to change these aspects so that they can pursue its way of life.
Nevertheless, Islam does not suppress
poetry and art altogether, as some people may take the statement to
mean. It simply disapproves of the line followed by poetry and art,
giving full rein to uncontrolled whims and reactions, as well as
fanciful dreams that absorb the energy of the dreamers so that they
cannot fulfil them.
When the human soul adopts the Islamic
system, and interacts with Islamic values, it produces poetry and art
while working at the same time to see its noble feelings realized in
practice.
It is perfectly possible for the human
soul to achieve an Islamic objective, looking at life from an Islamic
viewpoint, and at the same time express all this in poetry and art. In
such a situation, Islam approves of poetry and art, indeed encourages
poets and artists.
Compiled From:
"In
The Shade of The Quran"
Better
Substitute
"Allah desires to make clear to you and to
guide you to the ways of the [righteous] people before you and to turn
to you in mercy; and Allah is all-Knowing, Wise. And Allah desires to
lighten your burden, for the human being was created weak."
One of the merits of Islam is that it
shows mercy towards people in that whenever it forbids something it
provides a better substitute with which to replace it. Islam forbids
usury but allows profitable business. Islam forbids gambling, but
allows winning prizes in contests of shooting, racing, wrestling, etc.
Islam forbids adultery but urges Muslims to marry as soon as they can
support a family. Islam forbids drinking alcohol but allows all other
good and healthy drinks. Islam forbids what is bad in food but allows
what is good and nourishing.
The same principle can be traced
through all the teachings of Islam. For assuredly, Allah has no desire
to make people's lives difficult, narrow, and circumscribed; on the
contrary; He desires ease, goodness, guidance, and mercy for them
according to the above verse.
Compiled From:
"The Principles of Halal and Haram" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Right and Wrong
Sometimes it is beneficial
to command, sometimes to forbid. At other times, where right and wrong
are mutually inextricable, it is not beneficial either to command or to
forbid. It all depends on the nature of specific cases as they arise.
In equivocal cases the believer must seek clarification until the truth becomes obvious to him.
For he may not embark upon an act of obedience without knowledge and
intention, while if he leaves it undone he is a sinner, since it is
sinful to ignore a necessary duty. It is also sinful to do what has
been prohibited, however. The implications of all this are far-reaching
and there is neither power nor strength except with God.
Under this category falls the
concession made by the Prophet, on him be peace, to leading hypocrites
and reprobates like Abdullah ibn Ubayy in view of their numerous
support. For to have penalized him in some way for his wrong conduct
would have entailed the loss of a greater good, through the fury and
chauvinism of his tribesmen and through the aversion of people would
have felt on hearing that Muhammad was killing his Companions.
Compiled From:
"Public
Duties in Islam" - Ibn Taymiyya, p. 81
Renaissance of Islamic life
No renaissance
of Islamic life can be effected purely by law or statute, or by the
establishment of a social system on the basis of the Islamic philosophy.
Such a step is only one of the two pillars on which Islam must always
stand in its construction of life. The other is the production of a
state of mind imbued with the Islamic theory of life, to act as an
inner motivation for establishing this form of life and to give
coherence to all the social, religious, and civil legislation. Social
justice is an integral part of this Islamic life; it cannot be realized
unless this form of life is first realized, and it cannot have any
guaranteed permanence unless this form of life is built up on solid
foundations. It is in this similar to all other social systems; it must have the support of public belief and confidence in its merits. Failing this, it will lose ! its spiritual foundations, and its establishment will depend on the
force of religious and social legislation; this is a force that obtains only so long as evasion is impossible.
Hence Islamic legislation relies on obedience and conviction; it depends on religious belief. Thus
we must always keep in mind the necessity for a renaissance of our religious faith;
we must cleanse it of all accretions, such as alterations and arbitrary
interpretations and ambiguities; only thus can it be a support for the
necessary social legislation that will establish a sound form of
Islamic life. This form of life will depend upon legislation and
exhortation, those twin fundamental methods of Islam towards the
achievement of all aims.
We must, then, establish our Islamic
theory in individuals and societies at the same time that we set up the
Islamic legislation to regulate life.
Compiled From:
"Social
Justice in Islam" - Sayyid Qutb, p. 285
********************************
If you want to submit your own article/essay/story or ideas that you want to share with others. The article will be posted for 3 weeks and available for users to comment on it.
Conditions:
- The language should be appropriate.
- The article should be in your own word and not copied from some other source. You can use other sources as references.
- The article can be in form of a story, essay, poem or a part from your daily journal.
- The topics can range from contemporary issues, history, real life experience, school, work, related to community, etc.. etc..
- Max words = 500. Just copy, paste and submit your article below in the message field.
- Please include your two line bio to go as article reference.