Apostasy & Islam

Sudan: A misconception of apostasy

Sudan's recent apostasy death sentence is a manifestation of the wrongful use of religion in politics.

Apostasy - a term one would normally associate with times past - has recently seen a surge in its use and application. Sudan has had its fair share of controversies over the past years from "trousergate" to the "blasphemous teddy bear", but the latest case has upped the ante. A Sudanese court found Mariam Yahia Ibrahim, a pregnant Christian mother, guilty of apostasy and adultery and sentenced her to lashings and death, unless she renounces Christianity and reverts back to Islam. Mariam was born to a Christian Orthodox mother and a Muslim father, who abandoned the family when she was six years old, whereon Mariam was brought up by her mother as a Christian. Three years ago she married a fellow Christian man. They have an 18-months-old son together, but their marriage has been deemed illegal under Sudanese law. The eight-months-pregnant medical doctor was sentenced last week in a Khartoum court to 100 lashings for committing adultery and death by hanging for marrying a non-Muslim, but was given a four-day grace period in which to recant her faith, repent and potentially be saved from death. That grace period ended and Mariam refused to repent. The outcry over the case has naturally been ferocious, with both local and international rights groups and movements, governments and the media condemning the sentence and calling for the immediate release of Mariam. Amnesty International stated that Mariam is a "prisoner of conscience" and that "Adultery and apostasy are acts which should not be considered crimes at all. It is flagrant breach of international human rights law." The Sudanese youth movement Sudan Change Now issued a statement denouncing the case as a violation of her human and civil rights, an invasion of her privacy and reflects the ruling regime's continuing "crimes of social discrimination against women, social groups, and [the] religious sects to which Mariam belongs." Governments like that of Omar al-Bashir's love to use religion to legitimise their authority and call themselves and believe to be Islamists. It appears that whatever directive is taken, be it legal, social or military, it uses religion as the underlying justification and legitimisation for it. But as with all like-minded, undemocratic governments, such rulings are based on twisted truths and the bending of religious teachings to suit political needs. In his "Islam, Saudi and apostasy" article, Mohamed Ghilan notes that it's a "commonly held belief that Islamic law dictates the death penalty as an absolute punishment for apostasy." He points out that this perception restricts the role of the Prophet to that of a religious figure issuing decrees. Furthermore, the Hadith that this belief is based on is sahih ("authentic") but it seemingly contradicts verses in the Quran guaranteeing freedom of belief. Other similar verses in the Quran state that the Prophet Mohamed should "remind" people of religion, not force them into it: "Therefore, you remind (them), for you are only a reminder; you are not a watcher over them (88:21-22)." At the heart of Mariam's case is an important issue: Can any entity, whether a state, a religious institution or a social group, dictate what an individual should or should not believe in? Religion is a highly private matter and it should stay such. Regardless of the fact that Mariam's father is Muslim (Sudanese law states that children must follow their father's religion), she herself identifies as a Chrisian woman and it is her decision to make. When asked by the presiding judge why she was insistent on abandoning Islam and embracing Christianity, Mariam replied: "I am Christian and I never committed apostasy." Article 126 of Sudan's Criminal Code states that "(1) Whoever propagates the renunciation of Islam or publicly renounces it by explicit words or an act of definitive indication is said to commit the offence of Riddah (apostasy)." Yet, Article 38 of the Freedom of Creed and Worship in Sudan's Bill of Rights overrides it: "Every person shall have the right to the freedom of religious creed and worship, and to declare his/her religion or creed and manifest the same, by way of worship, education, practice or performance of rites or ceremonies, subject to requirements of law and public order; no person shall be coerced to adopt such faith, that he/she does not believe in, nor to practice rites or services to which he/she does not voluntarily consent." So besides the fact that Sudan's constitution "protects" one's right to choose faith, in Mariam's case she did not renounce Islam simply because she never was a Muslim. Presumably she never lived her life as a Muslim, never declared she was one, nor that she was leaving her faith and finding solace in another. Mariam is a Christian and definitely not a "former Muslim". Sudan's ruling regime prides itself in a constitution that "preserves the rights of non-Muslims", but Mariam's case completely goes against that claim. In addition, Sudan is a signatory to a number of African and international treaties that "protect privacy and absolutely prohibit corporal punishment and the use of the death penalty in these contexts". The fact that the Sudanese regime does not acknowledge its international commitments is not surprising. After all, al-Bashir's government is responsible for continuous rights violations and atrocities against the Sudanese people in general, since seizing power back in 1989. There has been talk that the case of Mariam and the clampdown and arrests of students and activists is another tactic by the government to divert attention from the high profile case of officials' embezzlementand corruption. As a result, a pregnant mother is now facing death because of a political situation that she never should have been involved in. The government has ruled that individuals can no longer choose nor decide for themselves; only the government can judge and decide for the Sudanese citizens. Government officials seem to have forgotten that  Islam teaches that only God can judge. Dallia M Abdelmoniem is a Sudanese journalist who has covered both Egypt and Sudan. Her work has appeared in various publications such as Your Middle East, Africa Review, The Citizen and Analysis Africa. Follow her on Twitter: @dalliasd The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

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Post by Aftab Khan.

Albucasis - Abu al-Qasim: (936-1013) The Father of modern surgery

Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas Al-Zahrawi (936–1013), (Arabic: أبو القاسم خلف بن العباس الزهراوي‎) also known in the West as Albucasis, was an Arab Muslim physician who lived in Al-Andalus.
He is considered the greatest medieval surgeon to have appeared from the Islamic World, and has been described by many as the father of modern surgery.

His greatest contribution to medicine is the Kitab al-Tasrif, a thirty-volume encyclopedia of medical practices.. His pioneering contributions to the field of surgical procedures and instruments had an enormous impact in the East and West well into the modern period, where some of his discoveries are still applied in medicine to this day.

He was the first physician to describe an ectopic pregnancy, and the first physician to identify the hereditary nature of haemophilia. Keep reading >>>> http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_al-Qasim_al-Zahrawi

More>>>>  Muslims: Learning & Science

Abu al-Qasim Al-Zahrawi the Great Surgeon - YouTube

► 0:56► 0:56

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSiEBrs5UjI‎

Feb 21, 2014 - Uploaded by Muslim Heritage FSTC

Al-Zahrawi, known also by his Latin name Albucasis, was born near Cordoba in 936 CE. He was one of the ...

Keep reading >>>> http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_al-Qasim_al-Zahrawi

Luis A. Fariña - YouTube
► 10:24► 10:24
www.youtube.com/watch?v=owEO1Y6P0kk‎



Jun 10, 2013 - Uploaded by Luis A. Fariña
Abulcasis, también conocido como Albucasis y Al-Zarawi, que vivió en Córdoba entre el año 936 y el 1013, fue ...

Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam - By Iqbal

The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam is a compilation of lectures delivered by Muhammad Iqbal on Islamic philosophy; it was published in 1930. These lectures were delivered by Iqbal in Madras, Hyderabad, and Aligarh. The last chapter, "Is Religion Possible", was added to the book from the 1934 Oxford Edition onwards.

In Reconstruction, Iqbal called for a re-examination of the intellectual foundations of Islamic philosophy. The book is a major work of modern Islamic thought. It was a major influence on Iranian sociologist Ali Shariati and other contemporary Muslim reformers, including Tariq Ramadan.
Here are excerpts from an analysis on the "Reconstruction of  Religious Thought in Islam - By Iqbal" by Altaf Azmi "Khutbat e Iqbal, Aik Mutalea" :

Read:

• Philosophy- Islamic Thought & Revivalists
• Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam (by Dr.M.Iqbal)

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Muslim contributions to knowledge & Science

 During first half of millennia of its history, Islamic civilization has been keen to gain knowledge, be it physics, chemistry (alchemi), algebra, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, social sciences, philosophy or any other field. The high degree of learning and scholarship in Islam, particularly during the 'Abbasid period in the East and the later Umayyads in West (Spain), encouraged the development of bookshops, copyists, and book dealers in large, important Islamic cities such as Damascus, Baghdad, and Cordoba. Scholars and students spent many hours in these bookshop schools browsing, examining, and studying available books or purchasing favourite selections for their private libraries. Book dealers traveled to famous bookstores in search of rare manuscripts for purchase and resale to collectors and scholars and thus contributed to the spread of learning. Many such manuscripts found their way to private libraries of famous Muslim scholars such as Avicenna, al-Ghazali, and al-Farabi, who in turn made their homes centres of scholarly pursuits for their favourite students.
Islam in Renaissance & Enlightenment:
Europe owes it awakening form the dark ages to the Renaissance and Enlightenment by the transfer of knowledge including lost Greek heritage through the Muslim scholars and centers of learning at Spain and their contact with the Muslim world through Crusades. As long as Muslims continued the pursuit of all branches of useful worldly knowledge of physical science, technology along with the religious sciences, the Islamic Civilization was at its zenith. Keep reading 》》》 》》》》
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دنیاکے کسی ملک کے سائنس دان، فلسفی، دانشور، سیاست دان حتیٰ کہ طالب علم سے بھی اگر آپ سوال کریں کہ موجودہ سائنسی اورعمرانی علوم کا آغازکہاں سے ہوا تھا توکسی جھجک اور وقت ضائع کیے بغیر وہ صرف ایک ہی نام لے گا۔۔۔۔۔ یونان۔ اگر وہ یونان اوراس کے شہر ایتھنزکو نہیں جانتا تو پھر بھی اس کی یادداشت میں سقراط، افلاطون،ارسطواور بقراط جیسے نام ضرورموجود ہوںگے۔ سائنس اور تاریخ کی کتابوں میں اگرکسی نے مفکرین اور سائنس دانوں کے حالات پڑھے ہوں تو وہ ایک دم یونان سے چھلانگ لگاکر سولہویں صدی کے یورپ میں آ نکلے گااور موجودہ دور تک کی سائنسی اور عمرانی علوم کی ترقی کے معماروں کے نام گننے لگے گا۔گیلیلیو سے کوپر نیکولس اور نیوٹن سے آئن سٹائن تک اسے سب لوگوں کے نام ازبر ہوںگے۔ یوںلگتا ہے کہ دنیاکی پانچ ہزار سالہ تاریخ میں سائنس اور علم صرف یورپ میں تھا، باقی دنیا جس میں چین، مصر، عراق، ایران اور ہندوستان کی عظیم تہذیبیں شامل ہیں، سب کی سب جہالت کے اندھیروں میں ڈوبی ہوئی تھیں۔ ان کے ہاں ماضی میںکوئی علمی روایت تھی نہ آج ہے ، جو کچھ تھا وہ صرف اور صرف یورپ میں تھااورآج بھی وہیں ہے۔ یہ تاثرخود بخود قائم نہیں ہوا بلکہ باقی پوری دنیاکو ازل سے جاہل اور تہذیب سے عاری ثابت کرنے کے لیے یورپ نے ایک اجتماعی کوشش کی تاکہ دنیا کے سامنے یہ نظریہ حقیقت بناکر پیش کیا جائے کہ صدیوں پہلے بھی یورپ عظیم اور علم و ہنر سے مالا مال تھااورآج بھی وہی پوری دنیاکا ہر میدان میں قائد ہے۔
یورپ کو بالادست اور عظیم تر ثابت کرنے کا کھیل جس طرح کھیلاگیا اس کا اندازہ عالمی نقشے کی ترتیب الٹنے سے لگایا جا سکتا ہے۔ دنیاکے نقشے میں یہ دکھانا مقصود تھا کہ یورپ چونکہ غالب ہے،اسے اوپر ہوناچاہیے ؛ چنانچہ دنیا کے نقشے کو شمال کی سمت کو اوپر رکھ کر ترتیب دیاگیاتاکہ پورا یورپ بلند اوربرتر جبکہ مشرق اوردیگر ممالک پست نظرآئیں۔ اس سے پہلے دنیا کے مروجہ نقشے جو مسلمانوں نے بنائے اورجن کا اقتدار ہسپانیہ سے ملائیشیا تک تھا، وہ جنوب کو اوپرکی سمت رکھ کر بنائے گئے تھے۔ یہی نہیں بلکہ نقشہ سازی میں یورپ کاحجم بڑا دکھانے کے لیے جن Cylindrical Projectionsکو رائج الوقت ''مرکیٹر(Mercator) نقشہ سازی‘‘ میں استعمال کیا گیا اس سے یورپ جوایک نسبتاً چھوٹا علاقہ ہے، اس کا حجم افریقہ سے بھی بڑا نظر آتا ہے۔ آج آپ دنیا کے کسی ملک میں چلے جائیں،کوئی اٹلس کھول لیں یا بچوں کے جغرافیے کی کوئی کتاب اٹھاکر دیکھ لیں، نقشے میںکرۂ ارض کو شمال کی جانب اوپر دکھایا گیا ہے جس سے یورپ تمام اقوام پر بالا نظر آتا ہے۔ ایسے نقشے انسانی تاریخ میں اس سے پہلے نہیں تھے۔اس کا ذہن پر یہ اثر پڑتا ہے کہ ایک بچہ آغاز ہی سے اپنے آپ کو انتہائی پست ترین جگہوں کا مکین سمجھتا ہے اور یورپ کے باسیوںکو بلند وبالا۔
معاشرتی تاریخ مرتب کرنے میں بددیانتی کی گئی؛ چین، عراق، ایران، مصر اور ہندوستان کی تہذیبوں کا حصہ کم کرکے پیش کیا گیا اور پھر انہیں انتہائی پسماندہ ظاہرکیا گیا۔ چلیے، معاشرتی تاریخ کی بددیانتی تو تاریخ میں تعصب کے نام پر معاف کر دی جائے لیکن اس ''عظیم‘‘ بددیانتی کا کیا کیا جائے جو سائنس کی تاریخ لکھتے اور سائنسی ایجادات اور سائنسی علوم کا ذکر کرتے ہوئے کی گئی کہ سب کچھ یونان کے کھاتے میں ڈال دیا گیا۔ یورپ میں لکھی
گئی کوئی کتاب اٹھا کردیکھ لیں ہرمضمون کی تاریخ کے آپ کو دودورنظر آئیں گے۔۔۔۔۔ یونانی (Hellenist) دوراوراحیائے علوم کی تحریک کے بعد کادور۔ ان کتابوں کو پڑھ کر محسوس ہوتا ہے کہ پہلے دور میں یونان کے سوا باقی پوری دنیا جاہل،ان پڑھ اورگنوار تھی، پھر یونان اور تحریک احیائے علوم کے بعد والے یورپ کے درمیان جو صدیوں کا فاصلہ ہے اس میں انسان نے کوئی ترقی نہیںکی۔ درمیان کی صدیوں میں سے چھٹی صدی عیسوی(529ء) میں روم کے 'عظیم‘ بادشاہ جسٹینن (Justinion) نے اسکندریہ میں تاریخ کی سب سے بڑی لائبریری کو آگ لگا دی تھی۔اس لائبریری میں پانچ لاکھ کتب تھیں جنہیں مصریوں نے پیپرس نامی درخت کی چھال پر لکھ کر محفوظ بنایا تھا۔اس وقت مصر سے اس چھال کی برآمد بندکردی گئی تھی۔ جب پوری دنیا میں علوم و فنون ترقی کر رہے تھے،اس دور میں یورپ میں سب سے بڑا ماہرِ ریاضی 'اوریلیک کاگر برٹ‘ تھا جس نے ریاضی پرایک بہت ضخیم کتاب لکھی جو آج کل بچوں کی Abex یعنی کھلونا سمجھی جاتی ہے جبکہ یہی وہ دور تھا جب پورے یورپ سے عیسائی قرطبہ اور بغداد میں پڑھنے اور علم سیکھنے کے لیے اس طرح جاتے تھے جیسے آج کل دنیا بھر سے لوگ آکسفورڈ اور کیمبرج جاتے ہیں ،اس زمانے میںکوئی یونان یا روم نہیں جاتا تھا۔ نویں صدی میں مسلمانوں کا دارالحکومت بغداد بہت بڑاشہر تھا اور پوری مسلم دنیا میں اتنے کتب خانے تھے کہ کتابوں کی ترسیل کے لیے چین سے کاغذ کی صنعت کودرآمدکیاگیا تھا۔ عربوں کے ہاں یہ علم رسولﷺ کی اس حدیث پر عمل کرنے سے آیا کہ '' علم مومن کا گمشدہ مال ہے‘‘۔ بغداد ، قرطبہ میں تراجم؛ ایران، مصر، ہندوستان اورسپین میں علمی مراکزقائم کیے گئے اور مختلف علوم وفنون پراعلیٰ پائے کی کتب تصنیف کی گئیں لیکن آج پورپ میں لکھی گئی تاریخ اس پورے علمی سرمائے کو یونان کے کھاتے میں ڈال دیتی ہے۔
یونان کو ان تمام علوم کا ماخذ صلیبی جنگوں کے بعد ایک خاص مقصدکے لیے بنایا گیا۔ یہ علم صلیبی جنگوں کے بعد سپین کے شہر طلیطلہ (Toledo) میں قائم لائبریری کے ذریعے عیسائیوں کے ہاتھ آیا ، 1085ء میں اس پر قابو پایا گیا اور پھر اسکندریہ کی لائبریری کی طرح اس کو جلایا نہیں گیا بلکہ اس کے تراجم شروع کیے گئے۔ ترجمے کا یہ عمل 1125ء میں شروع ہوا جس سے یورپ میں تحریک احیائے علوم کا آغاز ہوا اوروہاں جہالت کا خاتمہ ہوا۔ ظلم یہ ہوا کہ ان تمام کتب میں علم کے جتنے بھی مآخذ تھے وہ دنیا بھر کے ممالک سے لیے گئے تھے لیکن ترجمہ کرتے ہوئے انہیں یونانی قراردیاگیا۔ ریاضی میں یونانیوں کے جمع تفریق اور ضرب تقسیم کے لیے رومن ہندسے تھے جیسے IVXM وغیرہ جبکہ موجودہ آسان ریاضی ہندوستان سے آئی تھی۔ یہ بددیانتی پہلے بھی کی گئی، جب سکندر نے ایران پر حملہ کیا تو دارا کے کتب خانے کی تمام کتابوں کا یونانی میں ترجمہ کرایا اور اصل کتب کوجلا دیا۔ یونان کی اس وقت حالت یہ تھی کہ وہاں کوئی کتب خانہ موجود نہ تھا،ارسطو پہلا شخص تھا جس کا اپنا کتب خانہ تھا اور وہ بھی یونان سے اس لیے فرار ہوگیاکہ اسے ڈرتھاکہ اسے سائنس کی کتابیں رکھنے کے جرم میں سزائے موت دے دی جائے گی۔ اسکندریہ کا کتب خانہ جس میں پانچ لاکھ کتب تھیں اسے سارے مورخین یونان کی تحریریںکہتے ہیں جبکہ یونان کی آبادی چند ہزار تھی اور وہاں نہ کتاب لکھنے کا کوئی رواج تھا اور نہ ہی سائنس پڑھنے پڑھانے کی کوئی روایت۔ ایک بددیانتی اورکی گئی کہ مسلمان سائنس دانوںکے اصل ناموںکو توڑ مروڑکر رومن زبان میں بدل دیاگیا جیسے ریاضی کے جد امجد‘ الخوارزمی کو Algoritmas کیا گیا اور طب کے بانی بو علی سینا کو Avicenna تاکہ آنے والی نسلوںکواحساس تک نہ ہو کہ یہ لوگ یورپی نہیں تھے۔ کوپرنیکولس جسے جدید فزکس کا بانی کہا جاتا ہے وہ ایک عام سا پادری تھا‘ اسے سائنس کی الف بے بھی نہیں آتی تھی‘ اس نے نصیرالدین طوسی کی کتابوں کا ترجمہ اپنے نام سے چھاپا اور سائنس کا موجد بن گیا۔ اس بددیانتی کا آغاز باقاعدہ چرچ کی سربراہی میں ہوا اور چرچ کے مورخ Orosiusنے ایک کتاب تحریر کی جس کا نام تھا History Against Pagans ۔اس کتاب میں اس نے ثابت کرنے کی کوشش کی کہ دنیا کو علم سے روشناس یونانیوں نے کیا، اس سے پہلے دنیا تاریک اور جہالت سے بھری ہوئی تھی اوراس کے بعدکی چھ صدیوں میں مسلمانوں نے صرف یونانیوں کے علم کو محفوظ کیا۔ اس تاریخی بددیانتی کی انتہا موجودہ دورکے مورخ ول ڈیورانٹ کی کتاب Story of Civilization ہے جس کی گیارہ جلدیں ہیں، ان میں صرف ایک جلد Our Eastern Heritage یعنی ہمارا مشرقی ورثہ ہے۔گزشتہ پانچ سو سالوں کا یہی تعصب ہے کہ مشرق میں رہنے والا ہر فرد یہ سمجھتا ہے کہ علم صرف یورپ میں پیدا ہوا، جوان ہوا اور اپنی بلندیوں پر پہنچا جبکہ ہم لوگ جاہل‘ ان پڑھ اور اجڈ تھے۔
By Orya Maqbool Jan
http://dunya.com.pk/index.php/author/orya-maqbool-jaan/2014-04-07/6649/92093925#tab2

Islam is Easy, Moderate Religion

WHAT God requires from a Muslim is not overly burdensome. He prescribes moderation in every walk of life. I remember a conversation I recently had with my neighbor and friend who happens to be a non-Muslim.

I had just returned from an Islamic conference. When she came to know about it, she looked worried, and asked: “No one advocates extremism at these sorts of things, do they?”

I almost laughed, but realizing the seriousness of her concern, I reassured her that advocating any kind of extremism was definitely not on the agenda.

I was struck by the unfortunate irony that extremism is often associated with Islam when in fact, moderation is supposed to be one of the most fundamental aspects of the Muslim’s creed. Allah Almighty says: “Thus We made you a “wasat” (moderate) nation, that you might be witness for all of humanity, and the messenger a witness over yourselves.” (Qur’an, 2:143)

The word “wasat” in Arabic can be defined in several ways. It means just, balanced, moderate, and the best. [i]

This verse clearly explains the view Muslims have that God wants them to be a balanced and moderate nation so that they may serve as a “witness” or model for the rest of humanity. So what, exactly, does moderation in Islam mean?

Islam..A Moderate & Balanced Religion. By Shaykh ul islam Prof. Tahir ul qadri - YouTube

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Tariq Ramadan Terrorism Islam A moderate Religionhttp://www.tariqramadan.com/spip.php?lang=fr.

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Islam is a great Deen (religion). However, we should not be crazy about a religion made for the context of ...

The opposite of moderation

It will be appropriate to understand extremism before we value the concept of moderation in Islam. Extremism in any form, of anything, in brief is an abnormal human behavior, which is far from reasonable, or acceptable in a civilized society.

Being too liberal or too harsh in understanding Islam is also an exercise in extremism, which is again not in line with normative Islam. Either of the approaches hence greatly hurts the image of Islam in its own way.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I fast but not every day, I pray at night but not all night, and I am a married man; whoever does not wish to follow my way, he is not from me.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim,143)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) therefore often warned his companions against extremism and always advocated moderation in everything. When given two choices, he always chose the easiest, so long as it did not violate the rules of Islam. [ii]

Islam advocates a middle course in everything. This includes the way Muslims follow God’s commands, the way they think about God and the way they interact with and invite others to Islam.

Often, out of enthusiasm and ignorance, a Muslim may take on much more than he or she can handle in the way of acts of worship.

Imagine a person who one fine morning begins enthusiastically all the prayers, including all the sunnah and nafl prayers, waking up in the night for prayers and keeping fasts twice a week and reading Qur’an everyday without fail. He suddenly went to the extreme level in worshipping God, only to later find himself spiritually drained, which in turn made him indifferent and disappointed.

Many Muslims will relate, at least in part, to what this man has gone through.

Enthusiasm coupled with ignorance may cause a man to abruptly change his entire lifestyle overnight. Not only did this wreak havoc on him physically, but it almost destroyed him spiritually. He felt like a failure, and even began to doubt in the mercy of God.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding Islam: “This religion is one of ease and not restrictions; no one tries to make it strict or difficult, but will be overcome [him]; therefore do what is right, and do what you are capable of, and be happy, and seek help by performing prayers.” (Al-Bukhari, 39)

A person might make things so difficult for himself/herself that in the end, he/she is “overcome” and almost loses his/her faith. One might compare this to someone who has only just jogged a few miles in his life trying to train himself for a marathon (a race the distance of 26.2 miles, or 40 km) in just one week. This person, regardless of his intentions, would definitely fail, and may even hurt himself so much physically in the process that he would be unable to jog or run again for years. Running a marathon is challenging, sure, but it’s not impossible. However, even serious runners must train for months before successfully completing such a race.

Moderation in Islam

And thus, Islam is similar. The requirements that God puts upon every Muslim are not overwhelming or overly burdensome.

Believing in the Oneness of God, praying to Him and remembering Him, being good to others — these are the basic daily obligations that God has put upon His servants (in addition to other obligations, like fasting in the month of Ramadan, for example). When Muslims want to add to these, they must remember the wisdom of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said: "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise (i.e., no one enters paradise only through his good deeds)." The Prophet's companions asked: "Not even you?"

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: "Not even me, unless God bestows His favor and mercy on me." (Al Bukhari, 6467)

And when his wife, Ayesha, asked him what deeds were most beloved to God, he (peace be upon him) said: “The deeds that are done on a regular and constant basis, even if little.”

The spiritual journey a Muslim takes to God requires work at both the physical and spiritual levels.

Lastly, he emphasized that moderation is key to achieving our goals when he said:

"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of Paradise)." (Al Bukhari)

In these three sayings we find the perfect combination of belief in the mercy of God and moderation and consistency in religious deeds as the best way for a Muslim to achieve his or her goals. Abiding by these principles would mean that when a Muslim wants to increase his/her worship, he/she should begin gradually, adding little by little to the obligatory acts of worship, and should strive to remain consistent. Furthermore, he should look what he/she is realistically capable of and not burden himself/herself with more than he/she is ready for.

The spiritual journey a Muslim takes to God requires work at both the physical and spiritual levels. Thus, one should couple increases in action with increases in spiritual knowledge. Subsequent acts of worship become much easier because they are now being done out of an increased level of faith and love for God, rather than a sense of obligation and duty alone.

We should remember that when we try to draw closer to God, He facilitates things for us. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) states in a Hadith Qudsi (divine Hadith, which is a saying that comes directly from God but is not a part of the Qur’an): "I [God] am as My servant thinks of Me. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he mentions Me within himself, I mention him within Myself. If he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in a better assembly. If he comes near to Me a hand span, I come near to him the distance of a cubit. If he comes near to Me the distance of a cubit, I come near to him the distance of two outspread arms. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Islam — a faith of peace and practicality

www.arabnews.com  

Islam harbors no extremism, nor does it intend to put any extra burden on human soul, even in the matter of prayers. It’s a peaceful and practical path of divinity.

Practicality of the faith can be understood in the fact that it prohibits the Imams from prolonging the prayers in the congregation lest it might be a burden on the sick, or the travelers.

Besides, Islam gives concession to the sick to skip fast (during Ramadan) only to make it up after he/she is fully recovered from his/her sickness. Haj too is obligatory for only those financially sound people who can afford to perform it. Those who can’t afford to meet the expenses to undertake the journey are exempt from it. Taking into consideration a person’s physical capability and the rest it needs, Islam does not encourage Muslims to wake up the whole night for worship (except for a few special nights like those in the month of Ramadan).

According to a Hadith, a female companion was praying despite drowsing. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commanded her not to pray while feeling sleepy. This is besides the fact that there is no compulsion in Islam, and hence Muslims should call other people to the religion of Islam with wisdom and in a tender tone. — Anees Lokhande, Alkhobar

i. Al-Mubarakpuri, Safiur-Rahman. Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abdridged). Vol. 1.

Page 417. Darussalam: Riyadh, 2000.

ii. Foad, B.S. “Moderation in Islam,” Cincinnati Islamic Center.

Courtesy: onislam.net

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علماء کا کام قرآن کریم کے مطابق کیا ہے ؟
 لوگوں کی دینی تعلیم و تربیت یا حکومت و سیاست ؟

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