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  • Debatable debates, and questionable quotes

    After seeing a post this morning that was quoted to be from Hadith Qudsi, I doubted its authenticity which led to me browsing through the collection of Hadith Qudsi to see if it may have been a variation in translation or not. I couldn’t find it. The ‘offending’ quote was:

    I wonder at a person who preaches to people but not to his own soul

    If anyone has knowledge of the origins of this hadith, or if in fact it is a hadith, please let me know, but so far, it doesn’t appear to be hadith at all. It has a strong under tone of rhetoric, and in my limited knowledge (may Allah forgive me if I’m wrong) I’ve never known Rasulullah (SAW) to speak with rhetoric, so immediately this quote raised alarm bells. 

    However, the good that came out of this for me was being reminded about the following hadith:

    Book 1. Hadith Qudsi. Hadith 006.

    The Authority Of Al-Numan bin Basheer : I heared the messenger of Allah say : “That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart.”

    Reporters.

    Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.

    I’ve italicised those words that I found most inspiring. What strikes me most about this is that it is a reflection of the numerous debates I witness on a daily basis, on Tumblr and in real life, regarding matters that are based on opinions or interpretations, rather than matters that are clearly halaal or haraam. Like this hadith states, “the lawful and the unlawful is plain”, so the extended debates we get into regarding who is more correct about interpretations is usually centred around issues that relate to preferred ways of doing things rather than what is outright forbidden or allowed. 

    This was highlighted to me in another hadith that I came across in the same collection, which reads:

    Book 1. Hadith Qudsi. Hadith 009.

    The Authority Of Abu Hurairah : I heared the messenger of Allah say : “What I have forbidden to you, avoid; what I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. It was only their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their prophets that destroyed those who were before you.”

    Reporters.

    Related bu Bukhari and Muslim.

    Again, the italics are mine for emphasis. This excessive questioning is what leads to 99% of the debates we have on Tumblr and in real life. Every single occasion that I have personally witnessed where such debates rage, the underlying tone and manner of such debates was always driven by the egos of those involved in the discussion. I keep reminding myself that halaal and haraam is clear. So in that, there is no doubt. Therefore it makes sense that if there is doubt about something, the doubt would be regarding its interpretation or preferred method of implementation, but not about its validity as being halaal or haraam. So when someone insists that we are compelled to seek a deeper understanding of the inferences and meanings and interpretations behind what is plain, this hadith answers such endeavours clearly:

    Book 1. Hadith Qudsi. Hadith 030.

    The Authority Of Jurthum bin Nashir : The messenger of Allah said : “Allah the Almighty has laid down religious duties, so do not neglect them. He has set boundaries, so do not over step them. He has prohibited some things, so do not violate them; about some things He was silent-out of compassion for you, not forgetfulness, so seek not after them.”

    Reporters.

    A fine hadith related by Al-Daraqutni and others.

    But the most poignant of the ahadith that I came across in my search for the hadith that I found to be suspicious is this:

    Book 1. Hadith Qudsi. Hadith 035.

    The Authority Of Abu Hurairah : The messenger of Allah said : “Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices one to another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another, but be you, O servants of Allah, brothers. A muslim is the brother of a muslim: he neither oppresses him nor does he fail him, he neither lies to him nor does he hold him in contempt. Piety is right here-and he pointed to his breast three times. It is evil enough for a man to hold his brother muslim in contempt. The whole of a muslim for another muslim is inviolable: his blood, his property, and his honor.”

    Reporters.

    Related by Muslim.

    Once more, italics are my own emphasis. The thought that this hadith left me with is that if we apply the principles of what is clearly stated here, by holding another Muslim in contempt because of their beliefs or actions, we’re doing either one of two things. We’re either deliberately violating the injunction of this hadith, or; we’re suggesting that in our view, the person we’re holding in contempt is in fact not Muslim. Isn’t this tantamount to declaring takfir on another? 

    I have been taught that debates should be had not to determine who is right and who is wrong, but rather to arrive at the truth. It’s rare these days to find anyone debating for the correct purpose, but instead we expend precious resources in time and energy focused on satisfying nothing more than our nafs under the guise of seeking to establish the truth with others. 

  • It takes a tortured soul to write about beauty because a beautiful soul has no need for such expression

    Zaid Ismail

  • My struggles with those symbols

    It feels like I’ve come almost full circle in my contemplations regarding that dastardly symbol that grates me each time the thought flits through my mind. After reading a post on Tumblr this week, I was suddenly faced with the realisation that perhaps my response to this matter has been one of extremism rather than purposeful reason.

    My contempt for the moon and star as symbols of Islam has not abated. But my resolve to separate myself from the community based on this contempt that I feel is wavering. I maintain my position regarding the double standards and hypocrisy demonstrated by many Ulama of South Africa. I have not engaged with others outside of this country, but I have no reason to believe that the mainstream views will be equally distastefully biased towards the popular vote rather than the principled reality. A reality that dictates that the moon and star are symbols of paganism adopted directly into Islam from pagan roots and has never had any reference to any Islamic practise either during the time of Rasulullah (SAW) or after. 

    But this is clear to me, and is therefore not at the core of my uneasiness tonight. The post that I read this week on Tumblr spoke of unity in the Ummah and what acts were overlooked although known to be incorrect at the time of its occurrence, in favour of maintaining such unity. These acts were overlooked by learned companions (RA) in their endeavour to maintain unity above all else. Suddenly, with this in mind, my decision to remove myself from the gathering at the local masjid out of protest against that horrible symbol affixed to the minaret and dome seems to be an act of extremism rather than conscientious objection. 

    I used to feel assured that my position was correct and my behaviour justified. I’m now left with only the feeling of surety regarding my position, but no longer my behaviour. I’m starting to doubt if staying away, and avoiding the difficult discussions with the trustees is in fact the correct way to deal with this, and more importantly, if it is a justifiable response to what is a bid’ah but not necessarily a major act of kufr. 

    May Allah guide me in this matter. Ameen.

  • I just deleted about 30 posts from my blog. Many of them left me feeling self-indulgent and some were associated with a plagiarist that I was once again naive enough to trust. I loved some of the content, but I couldn’t in good conscience keep it published on my blog knowing that it was part of an elaborate scheme of deception, regardless of the motivation.

    Betrayal is my weakness. More accurately, being betrayed is what deflates me more than any other experience in the world. I sometimes despise my old school values. It places a burden on me akin to juggling hot coals in my hands. It forces me to accept the wickedness in others, and constantly challenges me to suppress my ego in my efforts to accept and forgive, so that I can gather my strength to move on again.

    I sometimes feel a strong desire to lash out and discard decorum in my efforts to expose the bullshit of the callous players that toy with the emotions and compassion of others. I never do, because I’m painfully aware of the reality that this world celebrates aggressors and tyrants and humiliates victims.

    I needed to recalibrate my blog so that it is a reflection of me, and not of what I would like others to see in me. This is my ventlet to criticise the world for its bullshit and double standards. I smile sadly at the thought of those that find reason to lie about losing a loved one in order to gain attention, juxtaposed with the news that six family members died in a car crash under excessively tragic circumstances.

    Society has a low self-esteem, and it’s reflected in the actions of the weakest amongst us. The attention-seekers, of which there is no scarcity, often succumb to self-pity and self-loathing, then express such emotions to a public audience, who inevitably pour out their affections in the hope of raising the spirits of one they identify with so easily, all the while dismissing the nagging realisation that they feel a sense of purpose only when they’re extending a hand to one they see as lesser than themselves. It’s easier to earn significance in that manner rather than to establish your worth through selfless fulfilment of your duty to society.

    We have more consumers than we have contributors to the collective wholesomeness of society. The contributors are fighting the debilitating symptoms of compassion fatigue, while the consumers do nothing but cry foul and wait impatiently for their lot to be improved by someone else.

  • On the Occasion of My Death

    With all the news this week about deaths, and supposed deaths, affecting people I know and love, and people I thought I knew, it got me wondering what it is that I would want people to realise on the occasion of my death. So this would be my eulogy to me:

    Please remember that the tears you cry are tears for your own loss, and not for me. If you were thinking of me, you’d realise that happiness is called for, and not sadness. My struggles are finally over, and what lies ahead can only improve but never get worse. So if you grieve for me, know that you’re grieving in vain, because it is only good that is done in my memory that will benefit me, not time wasted grieving over something that cannot be undone. 

    I lived a life of seeming hardship, but in fact, there were many that were more downtrodden than me. Save your sympathy for those that are alive, and rejoice at the news that those that are dead suffer the anguish of this world no more. Do not commit acts of innovation in my name, nor commemorate the cycles of the years upon the anniversary of my death. I never recognised these superficial occasions in my lifetime, so please don’t dishonour me by commemorating it on my behalf after my demise.

    Death has always been waiting, and relative to the expanse of eternity, our lives are literally a blink of an eye. Some blink longer than others, but nonetheless it is no more than a blink. Too many focus on the challenges and punishments that we’re cautioned about, but most never contemplate the blessings. Our challenges are limited to this finite time that we’ve been placed on earth, while our rewards are celebrated for eternity. So those that think that Allah is cruel or harsh in subjecting us to this life of trials and tribulations, let them be reminded that such hardships are short lived, whilst its rewards, if endured with dignity and faith, are eternal. 

    So please don’t mourn for me. Every tear you shed is a reflection of the compassion and yearning of your own soul before it is a symbol of what lies ahead for me. It is natural to grieve, but know without a doubt that that grieving is for your loss, not for my demise. Life is for the living, not for the dead. If you wish to benefit me at all, remember the good that I may have shared with you, forgive me for the bad, and always remember me fondly while overlooking my shortcomings. 

    Beyond this, I request nothing more from you. Like we have been reminded by the Prophet of Allah (SAW), speaking ill of the dead only affects the living, so don’t hurt those that may have held me endearingly in their hearts by reminding them of my faults. Celebrate life with goodness and cheat death by making such goodness the inheritance of your offspring. 

    “To Allah we belong, and unto him is our return”

  • Sisters, you are meant to be a comfort in this dunya for your husbands.

    hakuna-mataataa:

    Don’t become the reason for their anguish or stress. They face enough of that from work and the community. Remember that it is their job primarily to give da’wah and to build a community but they won’t be able to do so unless they are at peace from within. That comes from you. Causing fitnah within your home would only take them away from helping the ummah on a greater level. What man will have the strength to go out and battle this world when they’re already exhausted from the war at home? Be the reason for their calmness. Their break from everything which tires them out, the one to rejuvenate them. Make them unable to wait to come home to you at the end of every day because you are the only relief for them in this world. You don’t know how many women destroy their husbands’ potentials to do more for this ummah, for Allah subhan wa ta’ala from the husbands wanting to stay outside of home for as long as possible.

    Realize your impact. 

    It’s not about you. It’s about something greater. Although you won’t be the focus, you will be the roots from which the gardens will grow.

  • The virtual reality of life

    There is no line between virtuality and reality. Any line that you thought existed was simply a deception of your own mind. Online platforms give us the ability to escape our real lives under the guise of anonymity to the point where we identify ourselves as a url and assume that that is sufficient to justify our deceptive nature.

    Living a lie, be it online or in real life, is still living a lie. At no point is it acceptable to live by differing standards of morality because doing so lays the foundation of insincerity that will contaminate the flesh and blood relationships that you have. It feeds the same morbid self-indulgence that drives us to deceive those we’ve allowed into our personal space. If your online profile is vastly different from your real life behaviour, you’re fooling someone, and in all likelihood, that someone may very well be yourself included.

    People that are trusting are dismissed as gullible, while people that are insincere are accepted as normal. This is truly a case of us focusing so closely on the form that we miss the essence of what we’re doing. Escapism is entirely possible without misleading others. It’s easy to cry victim when we’ve been misled, but almost impossible to see our own deception for what it is simply because we’re looking to defend our actions and explain the context rather than appreciating that hiding behind masks is as detrimental online as it is in real life. 

    If you still believe that it is justifiable to hide behind masks online, then be clear about one simple truth that seems to elude many. Sincerity dictates that you are always clear about what is fictional about you and what is real. Whether this is online or not. Sincerity doesn’t come with qualifiers or disclaimers, nor does honesty. Any actions that I have recently defended or objected to online I will do so again, despite growing evidence that I may have been wrong. 

    In a world of spin doctors and politicians, and masses that despise them but aspire to operate like them, I choose to be the naive idiot that sits with egg on his face because others were more adept at seeing the reality of deception rather than trusting others the way they yearn to be trusted. For every single time that I assume the worst or treat with unfounded suspicion the actions of others, I warrant, justify, and invite the same for myself. 

    I may be cynically jaded about life, and entirely sceptical about people, but I will never use my life’s struggles to justify the blatant manipulation of others under the context of “they should’ve known better cos everyone else does it as well.” Regardless of how accurate or inaccurate my observations may be of others, who I am relative to how I live will always remain a constant, either on equal footing that leads to wholesomeness of purpose, or on unequal footing that will lead to chaos in my soul. 

  • tick-tock-turnip: