Justice in Islam

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

“His Throne is upon the waters, and in His other hand is the balance (Justice), and He raises and lowers (whomever He will).” – a hadith of the Prophet (pbuh)

One of the Names of God is Al-Adl, the Just, and in Islam, Justice demands a balance, a fairness that is clearly seen and felt. And the best example may be the ‘best of creation’ himself:

When the Prophet (peace be unto him) was drawing near death, he availed himself of one last chance to practice justice:

He came to the mosque wrapped in a blanket, and there were those who saw signs of death in his face. “If there is any among you,” he said, “whom I have caused to be flogged unjustly, here is my back. Strike in your turn. If I have damaged the reputation of any among you, may he do likewise to mine. To any I have injured, here is my purse… It is better to blush in this world than in the hereafter.” A man claimed a debt of three dinars and was paid.

In Islam and on the Sufi path as well, the highest level of Justice is to do Justice without demanding it, recognizing that our own demands may be the cause of the imbalance itself. Thus, a story is told of Dhu’l Nun al Misri, the great Egyptian Sufi saint. There was a drought in Egypt, and the people implored him to pray to God for rain. He did so, and during his prayer, God informed him that he himself was the source of the drought. So he left Egypt, and the rains came.

And for the dictators in the world,  a reminder:

Beware of oppressing someone with no defense against you except God. – Hazrat Ali

– Edited from The Virtues of the Prophet, (Chapter IX) by Charles Upton.

Ya Haqq!

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Milad un-Nabi – Birthday of the Prophet (pbuh) 2011

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

“You have indeed in the Messenger of God a beautiful pattern of conduct for anyone whose hope is God and the Final Day.” (Al-Ahzab 33:21).

Alhamdulillah! This is Rabi a-Awwal, by the Lunar calendar the month of the blessed birthday (Milad Un-Nabi) of the Prophet Muhammad (the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him).

According to Sunni scholars, the Prophet’s birthday is observed on 12th Rabi al-Awwal, which falls this year on February 15, 2011, and 17th Rabi al-Awwal (February 20th this year) according to Shia scholars.

There is a difference of opinion about whether the Milad Un-Nabi should be a time of celebration. There is evidence that the Prophet (pbuh), his Companions, and the early followers after them did not celebrate or otherwise observe his birthday. On the contrary, he was careful to warn his people not to imitate other faiths, whose followers elevated their prophets and added to the religion what was not in the original teachings.

Those who disagree see it as a time to read the Qur’an, fast, pray, and remember the life, teachings, and example of the Prophet (pbuh).

When praising the Prophet (pbuh), we are also warned not to exaggerate in his praise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not overpraise me as Christians overpraised Jesus, son of Mary. Say [when referring to me], ‘Servant of Allah and His messenger.’”

Servant of Allah and His messenger!

Surely that is a title that needs no embellishment. And so, what will you do to celebrate the Prophet’s (pbuh) birthday? Will you fast and pray? Have a celebration and give gifts to family and friends? Give to charity, visit the sick, go to the mosque, help a neighbor?

“Remember Me and I will remember you!” (Qur’an, 2:152)

May Allah bless you all, gentle readers, and guide you on the straight path of love, compassion, mercy, generosity and kindness.  Amin.

Ya Haqq!

Note: For inspiration, see also the post on The Names of the Prophet (pbuh).

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I do not know what it is which opens and closes
yet every fiber of my being understands
the fragrance of your presence is sweeter than a thousand roses
nobody, not even the rain, has such tiny hands
– e.e. cummings

Yes We Can!

Ozymandias of Egypt

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said:—Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

– Percy Bysshe Shelley

Muslims Pay Tribute to Jewish Holocaust Victims, Pray Together at Auschwitz

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

This is a story that should be shared far and wide, so please repost if you can. From the article:

Prominent Muslims joined Jews and Christians at the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz on Tuesday, February 1st, in the gesture of interfaith solidarity designed to refute the deniers of the Holocaust such as Iran’s president.

About 200 dignitaries from across the Islamic world, from Israel, European countries and international organizations such as UNESCO took part in the visit, which included a tour of the site and prayers in Arabic, Yiddish, English and French.

Read the full article HERE.

Ya Haqq!

 

New Review of Master of the Jinn

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

There is a new and very good review of Master of the Jinn on Amazon.com, written by Debora McNichol.  It reads:

I enjoyed reading Master of the Jinn in spite of myself. I am an impatient and busy person, and don’t usually have a chance to pick up a book until 1/2 hour past bedtime. So color me pleasantly surprised when I found myself staying up to the wee hours to finish this book over a couple nights. The story moves quickly, yet stimulates the imagination. This might be a good book choice for adolescent boys, who don’t have many *clean* and interesting choices. MotJ is an action packed adventure, yet spiritual, too. Karchmar’s respect for the human condition is apparent in the nobility and dignity of his characters. I recommend this book.

To read all the Amazon reviews of Master of the Jinn, click HERE.

Ya Haqq!