Great Video: The Existential Threats of the Modern Banking System, etc, and Islam – Sh Abdal Hakim Murad

With another US Bank, First Republic, about to be nationalized by the US government in an effort to prevent the entire U.S. banking system from collapse —!!!!!— and no guarantees this will do the job — now is a good time to discuss how Islam approaches wealth and finance, as well as what makes us fulfilled and happy and what does not. He cites several studies showing an inverse relationship between wealth and satisfaction/happiness, and a heightened incidence of depression among those with greater wealth. And a very reasonable Islamic approach to the current crisis.

https://youtu.be/8_8UcjFLeGI

Well worth your time. The interviewee is the dean of the Cambridge Muslim College in the UK.

Islam Is Not a Club

Although this may be obvious to many, some Muslims seem to treat Islam as if it were a membership club. This is especially true when mosques become divided by nationality and culture. But also there’s a certain emphasis by many on d’awa or proselytizing Islam in order to bring as many people as possible into Islam. The problem is, what do people mean by “Islam?” If it means faith in God/Allah, the Hereafter which includes a “meeting” with Allah in an overwhelming event called Judgment Day, and acceptance of His prophets and His abiding Truth, then yes, this is indeed what the Quran endorses and tells us. But if it means joining an exclusive “club” involving other extraneous beliefs to be accepted without question,  this is not mentioned or required in the Quran. 

Are Muslim Women Deprived of Prayer and Rewards from Ramadan and Laylatul Qadr for having Menses?

This Quora post answers a question from a Muslima who repeatedly missed praying on Laylatul Qadr because of menstruation. Clearly she believes that women should not pray during their menstruation and therefore by adhering to this rule, she missed the night or nights considered by those around her to be that singular night. Quranists would say there is no such prohibition to begin with; still others would say that Laylatul Qadr was only the night in which the Quran was sent but that the notion of our prayers being given a higher value on a specific recurring night more than any other is erroneous. Without delving into those issues relating to Quran vs. Hadith, the answer linked above offers reassurances directly from the Quran that she has not been and will not be deprived of rewards and that such presumptions are unfounded. 

Eid Mubarak!

Wishing everyone blessed Eid! Photos of Eid in Palestine.

More Du’as for Forgiveness in the Collective Voice

In my previous post of du’as for forgiveness in the collective voice, I had no time to list them all. Here are the rest, including du’as from Moses and his people, from righteous people whose du’a is quoted by Allah on Judgment day as an example of behavior earning paradise, from prophet Ibrahim/Abraham and the people who followed him (whom we don’t hear much about), as well as Adam/Eve (she is not named in the Quran which gives relatively few names for people, but simply referred to as his wife), because the wording of their du’a  is almost identical to that of Bani Isra’il (children of Israel/Jacob) expressing regret after worshiping the golden calf. (Incidentally, the featured photo above is from a collective salat by American Muslims protesting former president Trump’s “Muslim ban.”)

The Celestial Invitation to Supplicate

The most prominent invitation to call upon Allah in supplication or du’a is found in Surat Ghafir, a word that means “Forgiver.” The reference number is 40:60, two numbers whose obvious sum is 100, a “celestial” number which also indicates completion or perfection. So we have a verse in the sura “Forgiver” whose reference number represents “completion” in the sense of “perfecting,” asking us to call upon Him, the Forgiver, in our du’as. This highlights the verse and tells us to pay attention to it, especially as it comes with a warning, as shown above. 

Quranic Architecture and the Periodic Table

These are some interesting connections between the Quran and the periodic table that are more food for thought than anything conclusive. Many have dabbled in ways of connecting the Quran to the periodic table, but I have yet to find a convincing and comprehensive one. Perhaps the graphics below will inspire someone to examine this issue further. Before the modern periodic table came into common use, a number of historical periodic tables were devised in circular form, which we compare to our Quranic architectural chart below. UPDATE: just discovered more connections between the periodic table and the Quran, especially its numbers. In a separate section below the last one about iron.

Who are the Houris of Paradise as Mentioned in the Quran?

This excellent Quora post about the Hoor presents a different understanding about who the Hoor or Houris are, which makes more sense than the common interpretation of them as beautiful virgin women in paradise. Instead these are “soulmates” who are not limited to female gender and are given to all the companions of paradise, who are only allowed to see and “marry” them once they enter Paradise. I may update this post and related issues regarding our understanding of Paradise because there’s much to discuss in it, but it is well-presented.

When Exactly Is Laylatul Qadr?

The Quran does not direct us to look for that specific night, and so we are not given “directions” or “signs” to it. We are always looking for shortcuts to “get to paradise quick” or guarantee our place in paradise. Some say if you offer a specific du’a it will be better than another and some people are anxiously searching to “get the right night.” But Allah is eternal and not restricted by time.

Who are the Ma Malikat Ayman in the Quran? What about Slaves, Captives, and Polygamy?

There are many misconceptions regarding these ideas and terms that very much need clarification. Those misconceptions in fact resulted in later generations of Muslims forming harems, a practice that varied from place to place (or palace to palace), but mostly was not in conformance with what the Quran stipulated at all. Some of this derives from interpretations of the words ma malikat ayman. Many interpreters and translators say ma malikat ayman refers to slaves or captives. It’s often translated “those your right hand possesses” which itself needs further explanation, as this in itself means nothing particular in English. So we start with the word used in the verses requiring freeing slaves in compensation for crimes and infractions, raqaba, which is not really in dispute, but its literal and understood meaning gives us insights into what ma malikat ayman does and does not refer to.

How to Contemplate the Quran

This is so important, and nobody says it like Nouman Ali Khan. We need to all engage in deeper thinking about the Quran, to truly discover its power and message. This is just a “starter,” but look for more on the “Deeper Look” section of Bayyinah Institute on YouTube.

And another video in the “Deeper Look” series relevant to the Du’a series: “where do our du’as go?”

Describes where our du’as go on a deeper level.

Du’as for Protection from Satanic Influence

For this kind of protection, which can be any bad influence, we have an entire sura, An-Nass 114, but there are others as well. These days, many people think of angels and devils as “mythological creatures,” but the Quran tells us they are indeed very real but in other “dimensions” where we cannot perceive them. The word “dimensions” doesn’t exist in the Quran, but rather it states there is a barrier between us and these kinds of beings. Occasionally however people do see them but usually as children or in circumstances where Allah gave permission, such as when angels were sent to the prophets – but they appeared in human form, not their actual form. All people are quite aware of good and bad influences, however. These du’as protect against evil or bad influences both from within oneself or from other people, or from “another dimension.” The word “devil/satan” can be from the jinn in another dimension, or just other people, as mentioned in sura 114. 

Ramadan in Places of Conflict and War

While we offer du’as to Allah for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors and friends, we should consider also offering du’as to Allah for Muslims who suffer from war and conflicts inflicted on them by aggressors from outside of their country. Such conflicts have sadly been common between people throughout history. Here are featured Ramadan in Palestine and Yemen, both victims of well-known conflicts that primarily affect children and civilian populations, and have been imposed upon them by more powerful aggressors, such as Israel backed by the UK, the US, and many allies in the West, and in the case of Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. However there are also many other conflicts either ongoing or where ppl suffer the after effects. For links to more pics from other places, see the bottom of this post. (Featured photo above is iftar in Ramadan in Iraq.)

Thoughts on Allah and His Prophet

“Say: I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed.” (7:188)

“Say: I possess not for myself any harm or benefit except what Allah should will.” (10:49)

And do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.'” (10:106)

If we put these quotes together, the first two being statements that Allah the Exalted told prophet Mohammad to say, and the last being an admonition to all people, we can see that prophet Mohammad (pbuh) himself should not be invoked besides Allah in any way. But what does this mean in practical application? Of course, we should not call upon prophet Mohammad when we are praying to Allah, nor should we think within ourselves that we need to invoke him to assure that our prayers will be answered by the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. But what are the limits or guidance on this from the Quran?

Israel Attacks Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

https://youtu.be/L4Ez29JfsGM

In the middle of prayers in the holy month of Ramadan, last night Israeli troops invaded the Al-Aqsa sacred mosque during prayers in an ambush, beating women and men who were in the midst of prayer. At least seven were injured and Israel claims to have arrested 500 people. What was their crime? Their crime was being Palestinians in what Israel calls an exclusively Jewish “homeland.” We should collectively as Muslims offer a du’a to Allah to help the Muslims under such oppression and injustice, and to protect all Palestinians regardless of their religion, as mentioned in the previous post.

Du’as for Help against Injustice and Oppression

Here we specifically refer to a group or community (which could be a town or “nation”) of people who collectively engage in oppression and evil/harm against another group of people, and the du’as of those who are the victims. The children of Israel, as described in the Quran, were oppressed by the Pharaoh and his nation (the civilization and people of ancient Egypt), and below is their du’a for deliverance from that oppression. Later, the Muslim community was persecuted by many of their own relatives and neighbors who rejected the faith revealed to Prophet Mohammad, for whom the Quran gives us another du’a below. We now have a world where countless Muslims are persecuted in many different countries and communities by wicked and evil conglomerates, from local regimes to international covert agencies. And their deliverance still begins with a du’a, calling upon Allah the Almighty Whose might and weaponry against these satanic forces, despite their conspiracies and bravado, should never be underestimated. 

Du’a for Paradise in the Quran

One place where almost everyone wants to go, even some who don’t believe it actually exists, is paradise. Muslims understand it to be an actual place with a real description in the Quran of absolute bliss and satisfaction, assured that it is an unimaginable eternal reward from Allah. And asking for paradise is an acknowledgement of its reality in the Hereafter, indicating we aspire to be good people who strive in faith and charity to be accepted by the All-Merciful, and thus is a good thing to do. Our example of a du’a for paradise to be our eternal home is from an unusual source: Pharaoh’s wife. 

Allah Loves/Does Not Love – How to Be the Best Human Possible

There are exactly the same number of ayat that include the statement “Allah loves…” as those that include the statement “Allah does not love…” — 16 times each, a total of 32. We’ve analyzed the two groups and although they have the exact same number of aya references, the qualities they name are not equal in number. There are 8 basic good attributes Allah loves in people, and 10 basic harmful attributes Allah does not love in people. Although they are mentioned the same number of times, comparing the attributes teaches us that attitude is more important than the acts themselves, because the attitude is in the heart, and leads us to the choices we make. 

Du’a for Parents

This is a du’a given to us by the All-Merciful to ask for blessings and forgiveness for our parents. In the first part of this aya, we are actually enjoined to offer this du’a in love and humility. 

وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.” (Al-Isra’ 17:24)

rabbi ir’ḥamhumā kamā rabbayānī ṣaghīra

This same du’a is often recited among other supplications during the Hajj. Other du’as are below.