Ragging

[Talk was delivered by Brother Abdul Karim on this issue]

'Ayisha (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Allah is gentle and loves gentleness in all things. He grants on account of gentleness what he does not grant for harshness or anything else.”

I want to discuss about a current ongoing process in campuses and job places. We are involved in many actions without proper justification from Islam. We do many things just because we have fun on it. Ragging and hazing are prime of those actions. Did you ever think is it allowed in Islam to involve such an action like ragging or hazing? As a Muslim we have to think all of our actions will be accounted and we will be punishing if any of our action contradicts Islam.

Allah Says:

“And follow not that of which you have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)” [TMQ Al-Israa: 36]

Ragging is term normally used in India, Pakistan and some other countries."Society Against Violence in Education" gives the definition of Ragging as such:

" Ragging' means the doing of any act which causes, or is likely to cause any physical, psychological or physiological harm of apprehension or shame or embarrassment to a student, and includes– (a) teasing or abusing of playing Practical joke on, or causing hurt to any student. or (b) asking any student to do any act, or perform any thing, which he/she would not, in the ordinary course, be willing to do or perform."

Similar action in west is define as "Hazing". Hazing is defined by the FIPG (Fraternal Information Programming Group) as:

"Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution."

I’m giving you some data which explains that many students ware victimise in India because of such action. Ragging causes physical and mental harms to a student. Worst effect of it may lead to suicide.

• Amit Sahai was a student of NIT Jalandhar, Punjab and he committed suicide on October 11, 2005 by jumping in front of a speeding train. He blamed nine senior students of NIT Jalandhar in his suicide note for having had mercilessly ragged him.
• Durgesh Shukla hanged himself from a ceiling fan on September 18, 2007. He blamed seniors in his suicide note.
• Manjot Singh, an MBBS student, committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance on August 8, 2007 .
• 18 year-old Chetan Raj committed suicide on September 20, 2007. His body was found hanging from the roof of his lodge room. He had already complained to his parents that he was being ragged in his college.
• A first year engineering student, C Abraham, hanged himself to death on December 14, 2005 at his residence in Hyderabad. In his suicide note, he mentioned that he was not interested in studies. His parents suspect that his suicide to be a result of ragging.
• A 19-year-old first year engineering student, Anup Kapoor, committed suicide on September 19, 2002 by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence in Kanpur. In his suicide note, Anup said that he was going through mental agony due to the sexual harassment by second-year students of the institute (Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow) in the name of ragging.
• Azad Nair was a 22 year old cadet at the Officer's Training Academy(OTA) in Chennai.He had hanged himself from the fan of his room on 5th November, 2006. Prior to his suicide he had told his brother Soumendu over telephone that he was being ragged and humiliated at the OTA and he had pleaded to his father Padmanabhan Nair to rescue him from the OTA.

So let us understand the topic from the Islamic view point.


Actions Involve during ragging


Insulting

When students take ragging from a junior they speak in insulting manner.

Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


“Truly Allah detests the obscene and foul-tongued.”

Reported by Ahmad with a reliable chain of transmitters. Reported by at-Tirmizi who said the hadith is hasan sahih. Also reported by al-Haakim and Ibn Hibbaan in his Sahih.

‘Ayisha (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


“Be calm, O 'Ayisha! Take care of kindness, and beware of harshness and bad language.”

Pride

Students are often too proud as they are senior. Pride is only for Allah

Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of al-Haritha b, Wahb al-Khuzaa'I that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Shall I not inform you about the inmates of Hell? It is every violent, impertinent and proud person.”

Making Fun

It is so obvious that senior student’s demand singing, dancing, acting from a new comer so that they can make fun.

Al-Hasan (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“Verily those people that make fun of people – for them a gate of Jannah will be opened. It will be said to them: Come (and enter). That person will come with all of his anguish and depression – but when he gets close, the gate will be closed in his face. Then another gate (to Jannah) will be opened and it will be said: Come (and enter). So that person comes with all of his anguish and depression. But when he gets close, the gate will be closed in his face. This will keep happening to him until it gets to the point where it will be said to someone: Come (and enter), and he will not come out of despair from ever entering paradise.”

Oppression/Injustice

Oppression doesn’t only mean physical torture; mental torture is also a kind of oppression. Pulling out of shirt by force is simplest mean of torture.

Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Mu’az to Yemen and said:


“Fear the du’a of the oppressed for between it and Allah there is no barrier.” (Agreed upon)


How should we behave with a fresher?

Look at Other Muslim as brother

Allah says:

“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy.” [TMQ Al-Hujurat: 10]

In the hadith of ‘Umar it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor deserts him. Whoever helps to remove the hardship of his brother, will have his difficulties removed by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter.”

Muslims are strongly tight up with bond of imaan. Therefore a Muslim must loves another muslim. If we look at many Quaanic ayah and sayings of Rasulallah (saw) we will see that Islam teaches us to love our brothers, hide their faults, standby their side when they need, protect them from enemy and be like a mirror to each other. Allah says:

“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is exalted in power, wise.” [TMQ At-Tawbah: 71]

And, on the authority of Abu Dardaa` (ra) who said that the Prophets (saw) said:

“Whoever defends his brother's honour, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”

So, it an essential part of our aqeeda that we must love our muslim brothers from our heart. The hadith of Anas (ra) reported by al-Bukhari states that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“None of you will taste the sweetness of Imaan until a man does not love a person except for Allah’s sake.”

Similar hadith is mentioned by Huthaifah (ra), the Prophet said:

"Whoever does not take an interest in the affairs and problems of the Muslims, he is not of them. And whoever’s state is such that, each morning and evening, he is not loyal and earnest to Allah, his Apostle, His Book, the Islamic ruler and towards the Muslims, as a whole, he is not of them."

Also at-Tabaraani reported with a trustworthy chain of transmitters which is classed as hasan ahadith on the authority of Zayd b. Thabit that the Messenger of Allah (saw):

“Allah continues to help a servant so long as he goes on helping his brother.”

So, therefore we must be careful of matter that all Muslims around the globe are our brothers as long as they are strict to the point “la ilaha illahu mohammadur rasullah”. We must love our brother’s regardless ethnicity, colour or country. We must not oppress or humiliate any Muslim brother by the means of ragging. We should help the fresher so that Allah becomes pleased on us. Neither we should look think us superior as we are senior. We must work for unity of Muslim and this will lead us to Jannah.

Be nice to a non Muslim for the sake of Dawah

Quran instructs Muslims to treat non-Muslims courteously in a spirit of kindness and generosity, given they are not hostile towards Muslims. Allah says:

“Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from dealing kindly and justly with them. Indeed, God loves those who act justly. ” (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)

Al-Qarafi, a classical Muslim scholar, describes the depth of the meaning of “dealing kindly” referred to in the above verse. He explains the term:

“…gentleness towards the weak, providing clothing to cover them, and soft speech. This must be done with affection and mercy, not by intimidation or degradation… Also, praying they receive guidance and [thus] join the ranks of the blessed with external reward, advising them in all wordily and spiritual matters, protecting their reputation if they are exposed to slander, and defending their property, families, rights, and concerns. Assisting them against oppression and getting them their rights.”

Divine commandments to treat non-Muslims in this manner were taken seriously by Muslims. They were not just verses to be recited, but Divine Will to be acted upon. The Prophet (SAW), himself was the first person to put the divine commands into practice, followed by his caliphs and the general population of believers. The life-story of the Prophet of Islam gives many instances of his kind, tolerant co-existence with non-Muslims. Some of his neighbors were non-Muslims and the Prophet would be generous towards them and exchange gifts. The Prophet of Islam would visit them when they fell sick and do business with them. There was a Jewish family he regularly gave charity to and the Muslims after his death maintained his charity towards them.

In another instance, a Jewish man named Zayd bin Sana came to the Prophet of Islam to reclaim a debt. He grabbed the Prophet by his robe and cloak, pulled the Prophet close to his face, and said, ‘Muhammad, are you not going to give me my due? You and your clan Banu Muttalib never pay debts on time!’ Umar, one of the companions of the Prophet, got agitated and said, ‘Enemy of God, am I really hearing what you just said to God’s Prophet. I swear by the One who sent him with truth, if I were not afraid that he would blame me, I would have taken my sword and cut your head off!’ The Prophet looked calmly at Umar and censured him gently:

“Umar, that is not what we needed to hear from you. You should have counseled me to pay my debts in time and asked him to seek repayment in a respectful manner. Now take him, repay him his debt from my money and give him an extra twenty measures of date.”

The Jewish man was so pleasantly surprised by the Prophet’s behavior that he immediately declared his acceptance of Islam!

The companions of Prophet Muhammad followed his example in how they treated non-Muslims.

Advice for the Muslims who are involve in such actions

Islam does not teach you to be harsh and unjust. Again Islam tells you be friendly with people. So we should receive a new comer with happy face. We should help him as he needs help. Also we should introduce ourselves to them and get their introduction in a proper manner.

Speaking good is a charity

Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:


“Speaking a good word is charity.”

Smiling is a charity

Abu Zarr (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


“Your smiling in your brother's face is charity.”


Advice to the juniors

'Amr b. Shu'ayb (ra) narrated from his father whose grandfather narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“He is not one of us who shows no mercy to our younger ones and does not acknowledge the honour due to our elders.”

Reported by Ahmad, at-Tirmizi, Abu Dawud and al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad. An- Nawawi said the hadith is sound.

Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“The blessing is in your elders.”

Reported by al-Haakim who said the isnad is sound according to the condition of Bukhari. IbnHibbaan reported it in his Sahih and Ibn Muflih said in al-Adaab the isnad is jayyid.

May Allah give us opportunity to behave in the way pf prophet (SAW).


Compiled and written by : Jahan Mohammad

Seminar on "Ragging-An Islamic Perspective"

This the poster from upcoming event.Everyone is requested to attend.

Significance of Rabiul Awwal

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا (45) وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner, and as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light (Siraajan-Munir).” [TMQ Al-Ahzab 33:45-46]

Rabiul awwal is the 3^rd month of Islamic calendar. The month of Rabiul Awwal has special significance in the history of Islam. There are 3 main significant issues we have in Islamic history in this month of Rabiul Awwal. They are mainly:

• Birth of Prophet (saw)
• Hijra to Madina and establishment of the Islamic state (known as Dar al-Hijra and Khilafah after the death of the Prophet).
• Death of Prophet (saw) and selection of 1^st Khalifah Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra).

So, to understand the significance of this month we have to look deep into Seerah of Prophet (saw). Because by scrutinizing these incidents we have lot of things to follow especially in our age of decline.

Birth of Prophet (saw)

This is the month in which our beloved Prophet (saw) was born who liberated the people from darkness (days of jahilliyah) to the light of Islam. We are the best nation because we are the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) who was the master of messengers and we have one degree higher grade than other nations, because Allah (swt) says,

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin al ma’roof and forbid al munkar, and you believe in Allah…” [TMQ Al `Imran 3:110]

Allah (swt) praises us as khaira Ummah, as we are the Ummah of Mohammad (saw) who enjoins good and forbid evil. Many Prophets of Allah wanted to be a part of this Ummah, though Allah only granted Isa (as). Luckily we are part of his Ummah. The Islamic Ummah are obliged to love their Prophet (saw) more than their life and it is directly linked to the Iman. Allah (swt) says,

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much” [TMQ Al-Ahzab 33:21]

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ

“The Prophet is closer to believers than their ownselves and his wives are their (believers) mothers” [TMQ Al-Ahzab 33:6]

Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

«لا يؤمن عبد حتى أكون أحب إليه من أهله وماله والناس أجمعين»

“None of you can believe until I become more beloved to him than his family, wealth and all the people.” (Agreed upon).

These ayah and hadith are interrelated. Allah is ordering us to follow Prophet (saw) and Prophet (saw) said that none of us have Imaan until we love him more than anything of us. Our question is how we can follow someone or love someone if we don’t know about his life? That is why knowledge of Seerah is important to every Muslim.

Brothers, you may say we follow Prophet (saw) but unfortunately we follow him only in few aspects. Let us compare some of our daily routine,

• We follow him when eating food but do we follow him in how to interact with the opposite sex?
• We follow him in prayer but do we follow him when we trade?
• We follow him in fasting but do we follow him on ruling?

If we judge carefully may be we will see lot of contradiction in our life. So let us know about our beloved Prophet (saw) studying authentic Seerah and act according to it throughout our life.

The Prophet (saw) was born in a notable family of Quraish (Bani Hashim) in the year of 571 C. E that was 12^th of Rabiul Awwal, Monday. Both his father, Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muttalib, and mother, Amina Bint Wahab, were well-known individuals for their attractive personality. Prophet (saw) lost his father before he was born and he lost his mother at the age of 6. So his grandfather Abdul Muttalib looked after him. He got married to Ummul Mu’min Kadija before 15 years of his Nabuwwah. Eventually He got revelation from Allah through Jibreel at the age of 40.

PHASES AND STAGES OF THE CALL OF TAWHEED

Muhammad’s (saw) Call could be divided into two phases distinctively demarcated:

1. The Makkahn phase: nearly thirteen years.
2. The Madinese phase: fully ten years.

The Makkahn phase can be divided into three stages:

1. The stage of the secret Call: three years.
2. The stage of the proclamation of the Call in Makkahh: from the beginning of the fourth year of Prophethood to almost the end of the tenth year.
3. The stage of the call to Islam and propagating it beyond Makkahh: it lasted from the end of tenth year of the Prophethood until Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) emigration to Madinah.

In Makkah initially the Prophet (saw) was propagating Islam secretly until the ayah was reveled commanding Prophet (saw) for open proclamation. So there after, Prophet (saw) and his cultured Sahaba went out in public and propagate Islam in various ways. They were tortured and some of them were killed but nothing could stop their message to Islam that “there is no god but Allah”. They accepted this single god in every field of their life i.e. Ibadat and muamalat (transactions). So we see many ayah like:

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ

“Perish the hand of abu Lahab” [TMQ Al-Masad: 1] or:

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ (1) لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ

“Say: O ye that reject Faith! I worship not that which ye worship” [TMQ Kafirun: 1-2]

They were challenging the rulers and system of the time. The oneness of Allah does not mean only in worship but also in ruling i.e. every sector whatever you can think of. This is the true meaning of shahadah. (This is a separate discussion; we can have it some other time)

In Makkah, Prophet (saw) was looking for nussrah (protection) from different tribes. Finally the two tribes of Madinah gave the Nussrah – The Aus & the Khazraj and Prophet (saw) establish the Islamic authority in Madina.

Hijrah

The Prophet (saw) made hijrah to Madina and he (saw) reached there on Friday 12^th of Rabiul Awwal. From the very first day he (saw) established the authority for Islam. The Establishment of Islam in Madina was the first day of joy for the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah was greeted by a huge number of its people, Muslims, polytheists and Jews alike. They were all eager to witness his awesome presence and he soon came to be surrounded by the Muslims who were all anxious to serve him and to offer him comfort and hospitality. They were ready to offer themselves to him and to the deen he had brought to them, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of the Message of Islam.

Allah’s Messenger implemented Islamic laws from the very first day he arrived in Madinah and began to structure it by forming the society on a solid foundation as well as by gathering the appropriate force in order to be able to protect the State and convey the Message. With this accomplished, he could begin to remove the material obstacles that stood in the way of the spreading of Islam.

The Prophet (saw) was the ruler of Madina (the first Islamic state) until his last day in duniya. He established a strong state that was a superpower for over 1000 years and it rules continued until 1924. Eventually the Khilafah or the Islamic state established by Prophet (saw) himself was destroyed by the hands of kuffar and the sunnah of our beloved Prophet (saw) was abandoned.

Death of Prophet (saw) and selection of 1^st caliph Abu Bakr (ra)

The Prophet (saw) died on Monday, 12^th of Rabiul Awwal. Instead of burying Prophet (saw) the Sahaba (companions) did certain actions which give us a lesson to learn and act. Generally if a Muslim dies, it is obligatory for Muslims to bury him as soon as possible. But the Sahaba did not bury the Prophet (saw) immediately; rather they involved themselves seriously in selecting the Khalifah for Muslims, who is the one to take care of the affairs of the Muslims. For this they gathered in the courtyard of bani Saida and after the discussion of two days they came to a conclusion that Abu bakr (ra) should be their Khalifah. After appointing the Khalifah, the Sahaba’s then made preparation for the burial of Prophet (saw). By their actions we come to know the importance of appointing an Imam for the Muslims within three days and it should be dealt as life or death issue like the Sahaba did. This is an Ijma of sahaba but now we are living without an Imam who takes care of the affairs of the Ummah for more than eight decades. So all the problems we face today is due to the one reason that is we forget the issue which was dealt by the sahaba’s as vital i.e. the Khilafah. We will definitely revive by establishing the Khilafah rashidah, if we have firm belief in Allah (swt) and follow the sunnah of Prophet (saw).

Lessons of this glorious month

Lessons we got from this month is mainly to have love for Allah and his messenger (saw) more than anything else. But unfortunately today many people claim that they love Prophet (saw) without understanding of true meaning of love for Allah and his messenger. So maximum time they end up doing wrong actions like bid’a and even worst than it. The classical scholars of Islam like Al-Azhari said: “A servant’s love for Allah and His Messenger means obeying them and following their command.” Al-Baydaawi said: “Love is the will to obey.” Az-Zajjaaj said: “Man’s love for Allah and His Messenger is to obey them and to accept what Allah (swt) has commanded and the Messenger of Allah (saw) has brought.” Love for Allah and his messenger (saw) has greatest of reward in Islam. Allah says:

قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ آَبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you have delight in are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun.” [TMQ At-Tawbah: 24]

Anas (ra) narrated:

“That a man asked the Prophet (saw) about the final Hour. He asked: when is the final hour? He said: What have you prepared for it? He said: nothing, but I love Allah and His Messenger. He said: you will be with the one you love. Anas said: nothing made us so overjoyed more than when we heard the Prophet saying you will be with the one you love. Anas said: I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and I wish to join them because of my love for them even though I have not done as many good deeds as them.” (Agreed upon).

The Sahaba had Prophet (saw) with them. So they were loving him, obeying him and sacrificing all of their wealth for him and for the cause of Islam. Anas (ra) said:

“I have never witnessed a day better or brighter than that day on which the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) came to us; and I have never witnessed a more awful or darker day than that one on which the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) died on.”

We don’t have the messenger (saw) with us. But we have his sunnah with us. Our true love for him will be following his sunnah completely in our actions, protecting his honour which is insulted everyday by the kuffar. The way to do that is restoring the complete system of Islam by restoring the Khilafah. Muslim reported on the authority of al-Araj on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (saw) said:

"Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind which the people fight and by which they protect themselves."

-Written & compiled by: Jahan Moahammad

Coping with exam pressure & stress - an Islamic perspective

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
'I have only created jinn and mankind that they may worship Me.' [TMQ Al-Dhariyat: 56]

Preparations will be in full swing as they lock themselves away from the outside world, lost in the pages of their textbooks, busy reducing their notes for the umpteenth time in a desperate bid to memorise all that had passed over their heads since their courses began. To most of them, achieving the top grades is of paramount importance, in the hope that it will open doors to further education at the most prestigious establishments, or ease them towards the ultimate goal of a high flying job and incumbent top salary, and all that these will lead to in terms of securing the utmost comfort and pleasure in life.

For many students, the importance of exam success has been drilled into their impressionable young minds from the outset of school life, by parents, teachers and peers. It is thus perhaps inevitable that sitting exams has become one of the most stressful times in a young persons life. Sadly, for a few individuals the enormous pressures amount to more than they can bear, pushing them into a state of anxiety, depression or in the most extreme of cases to suicide.

So within the midst of an atmosphere of such immense stresses, the question that arises is how should people cope with the pressures of exams?

In the Capitalist society the pursuit of pleasure through the enjoyment of material pursuits gives meaning and purpose to life. For many who live in such a society, education plays a crucial role in making available such means to the individual and the wider community. It leads to the production of a skilled workforce that can accelerate the material progress, and facilitate the generation of wealth within society; things which are perceived to be vital in ensuring the happiness and well being of all. As a result, a heavy emphasis is placed upon individuals to strive to be successful in exams with the aim of securing the 'fruits' of their hard work; a prosperous career that will be beneficial for the individual and at the same time help to achieve the wider goals of the Capitalist society.

This seemingly endless series of tests firmly establishes exam culture in the minds of students, making these the most appropriate means by which to measure success. The constant need to succeed is perpetuated not only by the relentless testing at every stage of educational life, but also the comparison of results in the form of league tables and prize-giving ceremonies

Why do people get stressed?

When faced with the pressure to succeed the fear of failure can cause considerable anxiety. In some cases the worries about how parents and peers will react to their failure may surpass even their own concerns. With the thought that their entire future life may hinge on the outcome of exams, it is inevitable that some degree of stress will ensue.

For most individuals exams are characterised by a combination of a desire to do well, parental pressure, fear of failure and a wish to get exams over and done with, each of which can contribute to generating the effects of stress. When subject to the force of such intense pressure as seen in the time of exams, the human body begins to express its anxiety through what is commonly referred to as a 'stress reaction.' Some people are reasonably able to handle the pressures, and the most they will ever experience are the physical signs of nervousness such as 'butterflies' in their stomach, dryness of the mouth or palpitations. However the physical symptoms of stress for others can be more taxing- such as fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, migraines and nausea. Psychological symptoms can include anxiety, depression, obsessional behaviours and being unnaturally irritable or subdued.

Indian Express (25/1/99):

``I want to commit suicide,'' pleaded the voice at the other end of the phone. ``I am going to die now...I don't want to listen to anyone or anything.'' The caller turned out to be a BSc first year student, she had called up a Sarthak helpline volunteer. And it took four hours of convincing before she began to confide in the volunteer.

``I have not prepared for my mathematics paper. My cousin got more marks during the tests. My parents will never accept me if I don't do well. They won't be able to talk to relatives and friends,'' she said. Meenakshi did not want to take her exams.

And recently we also heard the suicide by a class 10 student when her parents were called to the school two days before the board exams began.

Parental pressure

Ahana Chakraborty, head of the department of education at Shyamaprasad College, Calcutta, feels that fear of failure brings on stress in students. Brendan McCarthaigh, founder of Students Empowerment, Rights and Vision through Education (SERVE), a Calcutta-based NGO, believes that since social security is non-existent in India, flunking exams is not taken lightly. “It is taken even more seriously in West Bengal, where doing well in examinations is often a prestige issue with parents,” he says. Students are not the only ones — parents who are ambitious for their children feel the stress equally.

In New Delhi, an inquiry into 150 educational facilities in 2005 by mental health group VIMHANS showed that 40 percent of pupils feel overwhelmed by exams.

Sandeep Vohra, psychiatrist at Delhi's Apollo Hospital said: ``From the age of 2, children are [subjected to] competition. The child is estimated by his school marks: if he is good at school, he is a good child, if not he is the failure of the family.''

``A mother committed suicide before the results. She jumped from the third floor because she thought her daughter had not done well,'' [INDIA EXAM STRESS, AFP, 2/8/05]

Even in West - The findings of a survey published in 2001 carried out by the UK Mental Health Foundation showed that 50% of University students showed signs of clinical anxiety and more than one in 10 suffered from clinical depression.

Suicide – Is an increasing reality in India

A separate study by an Indian non-governmental organisation Sahyog showed that 57 percent of the 850 teenagers they questioned suffered from depression and nine percent attempted suicide in 2004. There are even cases of parents committing suicide for fear of their children’s exam results.

Perhaps more alarming is the fact that pupils and students are increasingly turning to hard drugs, resorting to binge drinking and even self mutilation in order to deal with the enormous pressure.

A spokesperson from the University of Sussex Counselling Service observed that he was seeing more students with mental health problems than ever before. "Twenty years ago, when, I started, it was rare to see people who were suicidal, who had issues of self mutilation or who were taking, for instance hard drugs. Now I think that it constitutes 40% to 50% of my workload. I think there has been a major shift and it has the implication that we are working more as a psychiatric outpost than a counselling post."

The consequences of failure

In countries like India education seems like a way out for those who are in economically deprived situation

In an article in AFP in 2005, Andrea Raj, a 36-year-old masseuse, who is trying to ensure she can pay for a tutor for her 15-year-old son, recognises that she may be pushing too hard. She explains that because she stopped her studies at the end of primary school, she has never felt good enough in a society that lays particular stress on academic achievement. ``People treat me like nothing, they treat me like a servant,'' she said. ``I want to push him, I want him to be an engineer. I don't want him to be ashamed the way I was ashamed.'' – This is common feeling

Nonetheless, the less severe responses of the majority of students have considerable negative effects for the individual and society in general. But do drink, illicit drugs or anti-depressants have to be an inevitable outcome? And more fundamentally, will these measures actually help to solve the underlying problems, which lead to exam stress?

The reality of exams with respect to life

How individuals cope with the pressure of exams is dependent upon their outlook in life. If it is perceived by a student that the life of this world is all there is to live for, then exams can easily become central to their existence. If they consider that their destiny truly lies in their own hands and success or failure is a direct result of their own preparation for exams, then it would be natural for those exams to be the major focal point in their lives. 'Have I revised enough? What will come up in the paper?' 'Will I pass?' These become essential questions, as they deem the course and direction that their life takes depends entirely on their performance.

In the case of many budding non-Muslim academics, who believe in the secular values of Western civilisation, it is easy to see how this can become the case. However, many Muslims have also adopted the same viewpoint, where the prospect of akhirah (afterlife) is perceived as being so far into the future that success in this dunya (the life of the world) takes more importance and thereby becomes a source of much greater anxiety.
Thus exams also become central to their existence with the understanding that success in them is the key to the pleasures of this dunya; thereby obligations of worship of their Creator Allah I, are pushed aside to accommodate them. In this way such emphasis is placed upon exams that duties such as prayer, fasting and dawah are completely suspended for the duration in deference to what is seen as a more pressing need.

In reality exams have to be placed into context with respect to the ultimate purpose of life. For Muslims the purpose of life is to seek the pleasure of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) by following what He (subhanahu wa ta'aala) has prescribed; to worship Him (subhanahu wa ta'aala) alone. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) says,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
'I have only created jinn and mankind that they may worship Me.' [TMQ Al-Dhariyat: 56]

The Islamic concept of worship is a broad and all-encompassing one. Any action can be made into an act of worship by being aware of the relationship of that action with the Islamic Shari'ah. While studying of a basic level of divine knowledge is considered as an individual obligation on every Muslim, the study of 'worldly' knowledge is considered mubah (permitted). Therefore, studying for exams, gaining qualifications and pursuing a career in fields that do not contradict with Islam are all permitted. However for such pursuits to become the driving forces in people's lives, such that it leads to a compromise in performance of their Islamic obligations is not only haram (prohibited) but also completely irrational.

Al-Mustawrid Al-Fihry related from the Prophet (salAllahu alaihi wasallam) that he said,

ثم يرفعها فينظر بما تخرج ما الدنيا في الآخرة إلا كما يغمس أحدكم اصبعه في اليم
'The Dunya, as compared to the Akhirah (the Hereafter), is just like when one of you dips his finger in the sea! Let him see how much (water) it (his finger) will carry.' (Sahih Al-Jami')

To pursue or yearn for a blissful dunya that could be ten years for one individual or a hundred years for another is incomparable when faced with the prospects of a blissful eternity in akhira. The correct view as to how we approach the dunya is beautifully encapsulated in the following saying, which enjoins to 'Work for this world as if you were to live forever, and work for the next world as if you were to die tomorrow.' The meaning follows that if one were to die tomorrow, one would be very intent indeed on erasing all of one's past sins and accumulating as much merit as possible to protect oneself from the hellfire. If on the other hand, one expects to live forever, one would obviously be in no hurry to erect palaces, accumulate wealth or concentrate all energy on pursuing and enjoying the worldly pleasures in the shortest possible time; as one would literally have 'all the time in the world.'

When placed in context with exams, it is simply that the world does not end if exams do not go well or entry to the University you sought does not transpire. With respect to the Day of Judgement, the value of a lifetime spent in pursuing education of a worldly discipline such as science, mathematics or literature, whether it was for the sake of securing a career or just for education in itself, is insignificant when compared to the value of a divine duty such as prayer, fasting or Hajj. It is important therefore to put the notion of exam success in its proper context.

Islamic concepts relevant to exams

Bearing this in mind, there is no prohibition over studying and education with respect to non-religious knowledge. Indeed, such knowledge may in some cases be used for the benefit of the Muslims. Thus, if education is undertaken, then it is important to carry the correct perspective when considering exams. Doing so is the key to preventing worry over exams from being an obstacle to health, well-being and religious integrity.

When faced with exams the correct response of the believers is to turn to the aqeedah of Islam wherein lies the remedy for all anxiety and stresses. The destiny (qada) of every man and woman has been pre-determined by Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) from the moment we are placed in the wombs of our mothers.

Our provision in this world and how much we earn (rizq), and how long we will live (ajal) are all issues that have been set and given their due measure. Therefore, regardless of which subject or course we choose to study, or what may be our performance in exams, we do not rely on these things to guarantee our future. Rather, the Muslim relies solely upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) for providing everything, from the money he will earn and live with, to the very air that he breathes. Indeed there are many unemployed graduates surviving on the breadline, and many uneducated entrepreneurs living in the lap of luxury.

Therefore the outcome of exams, the professions embarked upon and the salaries earned are all determined according to the will of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala). All that lies in the control of the believer is to exert his utmost best towards preparing for exams as well as to place his reliance upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) (to make tawwakul). Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) said,

وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
'Whosoever puts his trust in God, He will suffice him.' [TMQ At-Talaq: 3]

يَتَقَبَّلُ اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
'Put your trust in Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) if you are believers.' [TMQ Al-Maidah: 26]

However, it is important to note that relying upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) for the results does not mean that we do not need to work or pursue employment to earn our provision. Nor does it mean neglecting studies, and taking a lazy approach to exam preparation. It is incorrect to feel that preparation is useless, claiming that what Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) has decreed will come to pass, so therefore study is unnecessary.

On the authority of Anas b. Malik, it is told that a man came riding his camel and he asked, 'Oh Messenger of God, shall I leave my camel untied and trust in God?' He (salAllahu alaihi wasallam) replied,

بل قيدها و توكل
'Both tie your camel and trust in God.'

The correct understanding of this narration is that it is a divine injunction for the individual to have absolute trust and dependence in Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) alone irrespective of anything else. Before, during and after any action. At the same time all necessary and appropriate preparations for any intended action or endeavour must be taken. So preparation and revision are paramount and the student is accountable for the effort and energy that he or she put into sitting their exams.

In this way, the Muslim who is undertaking exams must acquaint himself with a clear understanding of the basic Islamic concepts - knowledge of the value of this dunya in relation to the akhira, awareness of the ahkam shari'ah - the divine rules pertaining to study and exams, the confidence that Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) controls the destiny and the outcome of actions, and the observance of the injunction to make adequate preparations for every endeavour. Above all, he should turn to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala), asking Him (subhanahu wa ta'aala) for success in exams and all of his pursuits.

When armed with this mentality, it is inevitable that the profound faith of the observant Muslims will lead to his experiencing the abating of anxiety, and its replacement with acceptance and contentment with the awareness that Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) knows best, and is in control of all affairs.

Sabr & Shukr

These same concepts will also allow the believer to face the results of exams with the correct approach. If Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) in His wisdom has chosen failure as the result, the believer's trust in Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) will give him the strength to greet his result with sabr (patience) as Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) says,

بوَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا
"And be patient with your Lord's decree, for surely you are in Our sight." [ TMQ At-Tur: 48]

«إنَّ الله عز وجل إذا أَحب قوماً ابتلاهم فمن صبر فله الصبر ومن جزع فله الجزع»
The Prophet (saw) said: ‘When Allah ‘azza wajalla loves a people he tests them. The one who is patient will be granted the patience. The one who shows anguish will be given anguish.’ Reported by Ahmad via Mahmud b. Labeed.

It has been narrated by Abu Malik al-Ash’ari (ra) who said the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

«... والصبر ضياء ...»
‘…patience (sabr) is light.’ (Muslim)

When we face difficulties, we must accept this is from Allah (swt) and know that he will reward us for that and remove our sins

Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa’eed that the Prophet (saw) said:
«ما يصيب المؤمن من نصب ولا وصب ولا هم ولا حزن ولا غم، حتى الشوكة يشاكها، إلا كفَّر الله بها من خطاياه».

"No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that." (Agreed upon)

Conversely when granted success the response should be to receive it with abundant praises and thanks to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala).

Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alaihi wasallam) said:

إِلاَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْه عَجَبًا لأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لأَحَدٍ
ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ

'Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.' (Sahih Muslim).

As preparation draws to a close and exam papers are about to be opened, anxiety and stress will be a natural response for many. However with the knowledge that the outcome lies with the will of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) and that the purpose of life is not subject to these exams, Islam has given the believer a way of relief from the excesses which are so often seen to accompany those who undertake exams in the pressured environment of a secular, Capitalistic society.

In the concluding ayahs of Surat ul Fajr(89) Allah addresses the tranquil soul as He will on the Day of Judgement:

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ (27) ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً (28) فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي (29) وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي

“O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing to Him. So enter among my slaves, and enter my Paradise.” [TMQ 89:27-29]

The tranquillity on that day will only be a result of the tranquillity of appreciating the true meaning of life on earth and linking that to our conduct in life’s affairs.

Introductory Message

INTELLECTUAL AQEEDA

أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ (35) أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بَل لَا يُوقِنُونَ (36)

“Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, they have no firm belief.” [TMQ Tur: 35-36]

A Relatively large number of people spend their whole lives searching for the reason of existence without much avail. These people are not able to judge as to what is good and what is bad. They are unable to differentiate between what to accept and what to reject; what to follow, what not. they do not know which way of life they should follow and which they should not.

Some of us are able to solve these problems but still remain in confusion, and are unable to solve the problems we face in our day to day lives. We have rampant economic problems every where, war in our countries, oppression and anarchy prevalent every where.

In more specific words the Muslim ummah is at the height of decline any civilization could go into. Why is it so.

Today, the Islamic Ummah is lacking in thoughts, so it is naturally deprived of the productive way of thinking. The present generation did not receive from its preceding generation any ideas, be they Islamic or non-Islamic and naturally; it did not receive a productive way of thinking. Nor did it attain by itself any thoughts or a productive way of thinking. As a result, it is natural for this generation to be seen in poverty, despite the abundance of material resources in its lands. Likewise, it is natural to have no scientific discoveries and industrial inventions even though it studies the theories of these discoveries and inventions and is aware of them. This is because it is impossible to rush to gain them in a productive way, unless it possesses a productive way of thinking i.e. unless it has thoughts and it is creative in using their thoughts in life. Therefore, it is inevitable for the Muslims to establish for themselves thoughts and a productive way of thinking. Thereafter, they will be able to proceed, based on that, to acquire material wealth, make scientific discoveries, and industrial inventions. Unless they do this, they will not proceed a single step; rather they will continue to go around in a vicious circle, exhausting their mental and physical efforts, only to end up exactly where they began. The present generation of Muslims has not even adopted a basic thought which contradicts their ideology of Islam, which we aim to establish amongst them. If it had done so, it would have been able to fully comprehend the Islamic ideology given to it, because this comprehension would have resulted from a clash between the Islamic ideology and the one carried by this generation, making the Ummah realise the correctness of the Islamic ideology. Rather, the current Islamic generation is empty of any thought and of any productive way of thinking. Instead, it inherited the Islamic thoughts as an academic philosophy, in the same way that the Greeks inherited the philosophies of Aristotle and Plato. It also inherited Islam as rituals and religious dogma, in the same way the Christians inherited Christianity. At the same time, it became fascinated with Capitalism after witnessing its successes, and not through comprehending the validity of its thoughts; and from its submission to its rules, and not from comprehending how these solutions emanate from the Capitalist viewpoint of life. Therefore, the Ummah is devoid of the Capitalist thoughts intellectually, although it lives according to the Capitalist way of life. The Ummah also became devoid of the Islamic thoughts in practice, although it conducts some of its rituals and studies its thoughts.

The tendency of this generation towards the Capitalist ideas went far beyond just reconciling Islam with the Capitalist laws and solutions. It has now reached such an extent that there is a feeling of Islam being incapable of solving contemporary problems of life, and there is an urge to take Western laws as they are, without even reconciling them with Islam. The Ummah came to see no harm in giving up Islamic rules and adopting others, in order to progress with the civilised world, and catch up with the Capitalist and Socialist nations, considering them as progressed peoples. As for those who adhere to Islam, they have the same tendency towards the Capitalist thoughts, but they still try to reconcile them with Islam. However, those who try to reconcile Islam with other thoughts have no influence in life, nor do they have any presence in society, i.e. in the actual relationships that go on between the people.

It is the time to realize that solutions of our problems do not belong to any false system; rather solutions belong to Islam. Human being is limited and created so we need a revealed guidance from our creator to solve all our problems. Islam came to solve human problems. Shortly I’m going to explain in details some basic key points on our interrelations regarding Muslim Ummah.

Establishing Our Faith Through Rational Debate

Islam addressed the greatest problem and solved it in a manner that agrees with man's nature, convinces his mind, and fills his heart with tranquility. Islam made the rational acceptance of this solution a condition for embracing it.

As I said before we believe we are created and Therefore, Islam is built upon one basis, i.e. the ‘aqeedah, which states there is behind man, life and the universe a creator, who created all of them and created everything: He is Allah . This Creator created everything out of nothing. His existence is indispensable and he is not created. All things depend for their existence on him and he does not depend on anything.

Allah Says in Holy Quran addressing himself:

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (1) اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (2) لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (3) وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (4)

“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.” [TMQ Al-Ikhlas:1-4]

But we have to proof existence of Allah by rational contraception. That because Allah says:

وَمِنْ آَيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآَيَاتٍ لِلْعَالِمِينَ

"And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Behold! herein indeed are signs for men of knowledge." [TMQ Ar-Rum: 22]

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآَيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

"Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of night and day, these are indeed signs for men of understanding." [TMQ Aali-Imran: 190]

The Islamic Belief and subsequently the Islamic way of life has an intellectual basis. Therefore, Islam is neither a religion nor a set of values and rituals that arise from Blind Faith. Rather, Islam is an intellectual belief from which emanates a comprehensive system of life, be it for individuals or society.

To understand the unique system that Islam offers necessitates the explanation of the Islamic belief i.e. the belief in God, Allah (swt) in Arabic, and the Word of God, the Qur’an.

Anyone who has the mental faculty can comprehend from things that can be sensed that they have a creator. This is because what is noticed in all of them is that they are imperfect, weak and dependent, so they are definitely created. Man is limited, because he grows in every aspect to a certain limit that he cannot surpass. Life is limited, because it manifests itself only in individuals, and what is noticed by the senses is that it is concluded with the individual. The universe is limited, because it is the sum of celestial bodies, and each body is limited; and the sum of limited things is self-evidently limited. Thus, man, life, and the universe are definitely limited. When we ponder on the limited (thing), we see that it is not eternal, otherwise it would not have been limited, and therefore, it must be created by something else, which is the Creator of man, life and the universe. This Creator, is either

· Created by someone else

· Creator of himself, or

· Eternal whose existence is limitless

It is absolutely false that he is created by someone else, because he would then be limited. It is also false that he is the creator of himself and could not be rationally considered as the Creator. As for being self-created, the ramification of which would be he is created by himself and creating himself simultaneously. This is simply absurd. Hence, the creator must limitless. He is Allah.

We can smash both the biggest theories related to universal creation; big bang–big crunch theory and Darwin’s Evolution theory using simple enlighten thinking. Big bang- big crunch theories says universe is expending from a compact mass and compacting again. This process is running for unlimited period of time. That’s ridiculous; it is not possible for something to be limited and unlimited at same time. Ultimately according to this theory the universe is limited; hence it needs a creator and a organizer. According to Darwin’s Evolution theory life is evolving from one state to another state; and all lives came from a single cell of amoeba and that was developed from amino acids by coincident. This theory has no basis that it is explaining the first living cell came from dead cells. If a living cell was produced from dead organic substances coincidently before millions of years; world is much progressed now to produce some like that. Allah gave challenge to all of humanity:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَنْقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوب

All of them failed miserably.

It has been proven that man is created by Allah and that religiousness is innate in man, since it is one of his instincts. Thus, man, by his nature, sanctifies his Creator, and this sanctification means worship, which is the relationship between man and his Creator. Leaving this relationship without organisation will lead to turmoil and to worshipping other than the Creator. Therefore, it is necessary to organise this relationship with a correct system which cannot emanate from man, because he cannot comprehend the nature of the Creator in order to set up this relationship between himself and the Creator. Hence, this system must come from the Creator. Since the Creator has to convey this system to man, therefore there should be messengers to convey to the people the deen of Allah.

So it is necessary to know of true religion which is sent from the creator of the universe that men do not go astray. Islam is only religion which can be rationally proved undoubtfully. Greatest miracle of Islam is the glorious Quran. As for the proof that the Qur'an is revealed by Allah, it is well known that the Qur'an is an Arabic book conveyed by Muhammad. Thus, it is either from the

· Arabs

· Muhammad, or

· Allah

It is not possible that it be from any other except these three since it is Arabic in language and style.

It is false to say that the Qur'an comes from the Arabs because it challenged them to bring forth anything similar to it.

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

"Say, bring ten surahs like unto it." [TMQ Hud: 13]

When Arabs failed to do so Allah reduced the challenge:

وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

"Say, bring one surah like unto it." [TMQ Yunus: 38]

They tried to bring the like of it but they failed to do so. Hence, this book is not of their speech because they were unable to bring the like, of it, though it challenged them, and they tried to bring the like of it. It is also false to say that it is from Muhammad, since Muhammad is one of the Arabs, and whatever the height of his genius, he is a human being and a member of his community and nation. Since the Arabs themselves had failed to bring the like of it, this also applies to Muhammad, the Arab, that he could not bring the like of it. Thus, it is not from him. Moreover, Muhammad has left saheeh ahaadeeth and mutawaatir ahaadeeth, whose authenticity is beyond doubt. If any of these ahaadeeth were to be compared with any verse of the Qur'an, there would be no similarity between them in style. He used to utter the revealed verse and say the hadeeth at the same time and yet there is a difference between them in style. Whenever any man attempts to diversify his speech, it will remain similar in style, because it is a part of him. Since there is no similarity between the hadeeth and the verse in style, the Qur'an is absolutely not Muhammad speech. Besides this, none of the Arabs, who were the most versed with the styles of the Arabic speech, alleged that the Qur'an is Muhammad speech, or that it is similar to his speech. The only thing that they claimed was that Muhammad had brought it from a Christian youth called Jabr. Allah refuted what they claimed and said:

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُبِينٌ

"We know indeed that they say it is a man that taught him. The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear." [TMQ An-Nahl: 103]

Since it is proved that the Qur'an is neither the speech of the Arabs nor the speech of Muhammad, it is definitely the speech of Allah, and consequently it is a miracle for the one who brought it. Because Muhammad brought the Qur'an, and the Qur'an is the speech of Allah and His divine law, and because no one brings Allah's Shari’ah (law) except the Prophets and the Messengers, then accordingly Muhammad must definitely be a prophet and messenger, by rational proof.

This is an intellectual proof for the iman in Allah and in the message of Muhammad_, and that the Qur'an is the speech of Allah. Once man has reached this solution, he can move to the thought about the life of this world and to establish sound and productive concepts about it. This solution becomes the basis upon which the ideology, which serves as the way of revival, is built. It is also the basis upon which the civilisation of this ideology rests, the basis from which its systems emanate, and the basis upon which its state is established. Thus, the basis upon which Islam is established, both the idea and method, is the Islamic ‘aqeedah. After this rational discussion, the iman in the Shari’ah is not based on the mind. Rather, one must surrender completely to all that which was revealed from Allah.

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

"But no, by your Lord, they can have no (real) faith, until they make you judge in all the disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest submission." [TMQ An-Nisa: 65]

And;

إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَنْ يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

“The only saying of the believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say: ‘We hear and we obey.’” [TMQ An-Nur: 51]

We Are the Best of the Nations

Allah Says is the glorious Quraan:

“And who is better in speech than he who invites (men) to Allah and does righteous deeds, and says:’I am one of the Muslims’.” [TMQ Fussilat: 33]

Allah has created human beings and guided them. He created us in the best of forms and gave us knowledge to understand what is good and what is evil. Those who can recognize Allah and follow his laws, they are the best among best and those who are rebellious to him they are the worst of worst. He says:

وَالْعَصْرِ (1) إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ (2) إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ (3)

“By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.” [TMQ Al-`Asr: 1-3]

Allah addresses Muslims as best of peoples. The thing which differentiates Muslim from a kafir is, we understand what maroof is and they do not understand. So Allah says:

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آَمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin the ma’roof and forbid the munkar, and you believe in Allah” [TMQ Al `Imran: 110]

So this is a part of our imaan that we must carry the dawah to Islam and Allah made it obligatory. It is a worship with which the da’wah carrier seeks closeness to his Lord, and knows that its status is high, by which Allah raises him in this world and in the Hereafter.

Promoting Muslim Brotherhood and Unity

Islam came to solve human problems. Unlike many other way of life, Islam emphasis on collectivity. Maximum rituals of Islam e.g. Salah, hajj etc. are collective rituals. Islam gives importance on Muslim brotherhood and unity. Allah describes the believers as being brothers. Muslims share the same beliefs, work towards the same goals and share the same code of behavior. Allah says:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy.” [TMQ Al-Hujurat: 10]

In the hadith of ‘Umar it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor deserts him. Whoever helps to remove the hardship of his brother, will have his difficulties removed by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter. One who covers the shortcomings of another Muslim, will have his faults covered up in this world and the next by Allah.”

For this brotherhood Allah order us to have a strong bond with our fellow brothers. Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messengers (saw) said:

“A Muslim owes six obligations towards another Muslim: when you meet him, salute him saying 'Assalamu Alaikum; when he invites you, accept his invitation; when he (or she) solicits your advice, advise him (or her) sincerely; when he (or she) sneezes and praises Allah, respond with the supplication Yarhamuka Allah (Allah have mercy on you); when he falls sick, visit him; on his death, join his funeral.”

All of these obligations made us different from other people. Muslims are strongly tight up with bond of imaan. Therefore a Muslim must loves another muslim. If we look at many quaanic ayah and sayings of Rasulallah (saw) we will see that Islam teaches us to love our brothers, hide their faults, standby their side when they need, protect them from enemy and be like a mirror to each other. Allah says:

“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is exalted in power, wise.” [TMQ At-Tawbah: 71]

It is related by Abu Musa Ash’ari (ra) that The Messenger of Allah said:

"The connection between Muslims is like that of a strong building - one part strengthens another." The Prophet then showed this by interlocking the fingers of one hand with those of the other (that Muslims should remain united and combined - thereby strengthening one another).”

And, on the authority of Abu Dardaa` (ra) who said that the Prophets (saw) said:

“Whoever defends his brother's honour, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”

For that reason Allah addressing Ansars (People of Madina who gave protection to Muslims brothers):

“But those who before them, had homes (in Medina) and had adopted the Faith, show their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the (latter), but give them preference over themselves, even though poverty was their (own lot). And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity”. [TMQ Al-Hashr: 9]

So, it an essential part of our aqeeda that we must love our muslim brothers from our heart. The hadith of Anas (ra) reported by al-Bukhari states that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“None of you will taste the sweetness of Imaan until a man does not love a person except for Allah’s sake.”

Similar hadith is mentioned by Huthaifah (ra), the Prophet said:

"Whoever does not take an interest in the affairs and problems of the Muslims, he is not of them. And whoever’s state is such that, each morning and evening, he is not loyal and earnest to Allah, his Apostle, His Book, the Islamic ruler and towards the Muslims, as a whole, he is not of them."

The Messenger (saw) showed us the great reward of the believer who loves for his brother that which he loves for himself. He wishes good for his brother in this world and the hereafter as much as he can. Many related sayings of prophet (saw) show us importance of brotherhood. Some of them mentioned here:

Hadith of Anas (ra) which states that the Prophet (saw) said:

‘None of you can be a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.’

Also at-Tabaraani reported with a trustworthy chain of transmitters which is classed as hasan ahadith on the authority of Zayd b. Thabit that the Messenger of Allah (saw):

“Allah continues to help a servant so long as he goes on helping his brother.”

It is recommended (mandoob) to meet another brother by that which makes him happy due to the hadith reported by at-Tabaraani, which is hasan, that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“The one who meets his brother with something his brother loves in order to make him happy then Allah ‘azza wa jalla will make him happy on the day of judgment.”

Mustadrak, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih on the authority of Anas (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“No two men love one another, but the better of them is the one who is of greater love for his brother.”

It is sunnah also upon a Muslim to make du’a for his brother in his absence due to what Muslim narrated from Umm Dardaa who said: My master (i.e. Abu Dardaa, a reference of respect for her husband) reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (May peace be upon him) as say:

“He who supplicates for his brother in his absence, the Angel commissioned (for carrying supplication to his Lord) says: Ameen, and the same is for you also.”

Also it is recommended to meet his brother with a smiling face due to the hadith reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu Zarr who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“Do not belittle even the smallest act of kindness, even if it were no more than meeting your brother with a smiling and cheerful face.”

So, therefore we must be careful of matter that all muslims around the globe are our brothers as long as they are strict to the point “la ilaha illahu mohammadur rasullah”. We must love our brother’s regardless ethnicity, colour or country. We must work for this unity and this will bring a peaceful world.

Fulfilling Our Human Duties

It should be noted that carrying the intellectual leadership by carrying the Islamic da’wah in order to revive the Muslims is undertaken because Islam alone can reform the world, and the true revival cannot be achieved without Islam, whether for the Muslims or others.

The da’wah to Allah was the mission of the Prophets who undertook it and via it they established the deen of their Lord.

Allah says:

“And certainly, you (O Muhammad) call them to a Straight Path.” [TMQ Al-Mu'minun: 73]

And;

“So unto this (deen) invite (O Muhammad) and stand firm and straight (on this path) as you are commanded.’” [TMQ Ash-Shura: 15]

And also;

“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): Worship Allah (alone), and avoid the Taghut (false gods, dieties etc).” [TMQ An-Nahl: 36].

So, therefore it one of the most importance duties on our shoulder to convey the true message of Islam; enjoys what is good and forbid what is evil. It is an obligation on us to work for an Islamic authority, because only through an Islamic authority we can achieve our goals. Only a god fearing state can revive this miserable condition of Muslim ummah, can relieve our pain or solve the poverty problem and can protect us from the cruel attack of our enemy or whatsoever afflictive condition. Implementation of can bring smile on our kid’s face. Only if there is an proper effectuation of Islam, we can rest on peace; both Muslims and Nonmuslims.

A call towards Lightness

Allah says addressing the importance of conveying true message to humanity:

"It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and deen of Haqq, to prevail over all other religions even though the idolaters may abhor it." [At-Tubah: 33]

And;

“And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief ie worshipping others beside Allah) and the deen (worship) will all be for Allah alone.” [TMQ Al-Anfal: 39].

Prophet (saw) said:

“Let the one present convey it to the one absent.”

And the Messenger (saw) also says:

“Convey from me even if it is one ayah.” [Reported by Bukhari]

So as a Muslim, this is our call to the humanity to get rid of false belief. This is because, the message we got we must convey it. We call the humanity; both Muslim and nonmuslim, to lighten our hearts with lights of Islam: follow one lord Allah and the system brought by his messenger Mohammad (saw). This call is not for partial implementation of Islam on your life, this is a call to take Islam as an ideology, that is, fully implementation. Allah promised prosperity to those who obeys him. And also Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

"Allah does not change the circumstances of any people until they have changed what is within themselves." [Ar-Ra’d: 11]

In this age of darkness, we are in loss. Our call is towards this change Allah mentioned to bring back success on every aspect of our life and hereafter.

-Written & compiled by: Jahan Moahammad