Black Muslims : On Allah's Greatness...

noor100

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Ibn Al-Qayyim described Allah's Greatness, saying,

He governs the affairs of the various kingdoms and He commands and forbids, creates, sustains, gives death, gives life, gives power, strips power (to and from whom He wills) and alternates the night and day. He gives varying fortunes to people and alternates governments (and states), destroying some and bringing some into existence. His Command and Power are dominant in the heavens and their zones, the earth and all that which is on and in it, in the seas and in the air. His Knowledge has encompassed everything and He counted everything. He hears all types of voices and they do not confuse Him. Rather, He hears each voice in its distinct language and need, and no voice will make Him busy from fulfilling the need of another, and no need will ever escape His Perfect Knowledge (and His Power to deliver). He does not become bored because of the many needs of those who need. His Sight encompasses all that which there is. He sees the movement of a black ant on a barren rock during a dark night. To Him, the Unseen is uncovered end the secret is secret no more,

"Whosoever is in the heavens and on Earth begs of Him (its needs from Him). Every day He has a matter to bring Forth (such as giving honor to some, disgrace to some, life to (some, death to some, etc.)." [55:29]

He forgives an evil deed, makes depression vanish and brings reprieve from disasters, relief for whoever needs it, wealth for the poor, guidance for the misguided, light for the lost, help for he who is desperate, fullness for the hungry, cover for the barely clothed, cure for the ill and ease for he who suffers. He accepts he who repents, gives reward for he who does good, gives aid for he who was dealt with injustice, destroys an arrogant person, covers mistakes, gives safety after fear end elevates some people and humiliates others. If those who inhabit His heavens and His earth and all those whom He created, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the most pious heart, His Kingdom will not increase. If all His creation, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the heart of the most wicked heart, this will not decrease from His Kingdom. Also, if all those who inhabit His heavens and His earth, all mankind and all the Jinns, the dead and the living, stand up on one strip of land and each asks Him for his need, and He then fulfils their needs, this will not decrease from what He has a bit. He is the First, nothing is before Him, the Last, nothing is after Him, the Most High, nothing is above Him, and the Most Near, nothing is nearer than Him. He, Exalted and Ever High as He is, is the Best Whom one can and should remember, the only One Who deserves to be worshiped and thanked, the Kindest of all those who own and the Most generous of all those who are asked to give. He is the King Who has no partner, the One Who has no competitor, the Samad (Self-Sufficient) Who has no offspring, and the Ever High, none like unto Him. Everything perishes save His Face and every kingship is bound to perish except His. He will only be obeyed by His Leave, and His Knowledge uncovers all disobedience to Him. When He is obeyed, He thanks for it, and when He is disobeyed, He grants forgiveness (for those who truly repent to Him). Every punishment from Him is just and every bounty is a grace. He is the Closest Witness and the Nearest One with His Perfect Care. He controls the forelocks of everything and has the full records of all deeds end the books of all ages. The hearts are unmasked to Him and the secret is unveiled. His giving and punishing is merely a Command,

"Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be, and it is!’" [36:82]
 
WHAT IS ISLAM:

ISLAM is the name of leading life in harmony with Allah’s Laws pertaining to the physical world and the revealed permanent values and principles of life. In other words it can be said that conquering the forces of nature and then utilizing them for the benefit of mankind in accordance with Laws of Allah as revealed by Him, and thereby developing one’s own self is ISLAM. This and this alone, can ensure a beautiful heavenly life in this as well as in the Hereafter. This way of life is called system of Islam.
 
The Spiritual Wayfarer

By Annan Aboul-Nasr

The Journey Towards Peace and Tranquility

"They ask you concerning the soul. Say that the soul is from Allah and you have not been given knowledge of it except a little" (Qur’an 17:85).



One of the greatest Islamic theologians, Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazzali, wrote an account about the soul in his works Ihya’ `Ulum ad-Din (Revival of the Religious Sciences) and Kimiya’i Sa`adat (The Alchemy of Happiness).The nafs (soul) is the commander and overseer of what the heart feels, the eye sees and the tongue states. The soul is recognized as a vehicle that can be guided and trained to do good or bad deeds, and can lead a person to eternal bliss or wrath. Hence, the goal of a Believer is to realize his full potential; in order to do so, he must understand the main purpose for coming into existence—to worship the Creator so that his soul can return safely to its blissful home.

The soul can be classified under two categories: the rational, which meets spiritual needs, and the non-rational, which is shared with animals and humans, and meets physical needs such as food, shelter, and the desire to reproduce. Balancing spiritual needs with physical needs reminds a person that he or she is a traveler in this world and will not live forever.

Al-Ghazzali explains in the Alchemy of Happiness, “The soul should take care of the body, just as a pilgrim on his way to Makkah takes care of his camel; but if the pilgrim spends his whole time feeding and adorning his camel, the caravan will leave him behind, and he will perish in the desert” (50). This example signifies that in order to reach his destination, a traveler must maintain and care for his transport in order to keep it intact for the journey. More importantly however, the traveler should not forget his ultimate destination in the process.

In the Qur’an, the soul is divided into three stages of spiritual development referred to as al-Nafs al-Ammara (the sinful soul), al-Nafs al-Lawwama (the lamenting soul), and al-Nafs al-Mutma’inna (the satisfied soul). Al-Ghazzali writes, “These three conditions of the soul are not to be thought of as distinct stages, but rather as different aspects or potentials within the soul, which are present simultaneously, some being latent and others active. Their relative strength is contingent upon four factors: man’s inborn disposition, which may be good or evil, angelic or animal; his upbringing; his self-discipline in adulthood, and finally, God’s grace” (Ihya `Ulum ad-Din xxix).

Al-Nafs al-Ammara is characterized by evil, and if not checked, can lead to destruction of itself and of other people. Al-Ghazzali discusses the process of al-Nafs al-Ammara by stating, “Similarly, one venial sin leads to another, until the basis for salvation is lost through the destruction of the basis of faith at the moment of death” (37). The state of Ammara is thus the absence of faith that constitutes a meaningless life where the soul no longer separates itself from evil actions and has no sense of how to balance its non-rational and rational sides.

Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala (the Exalted and Glorified) warns in the Qur’an, “Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him? Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except like livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way” (25:43-44). These verses reveal how one who follows his whims and ignores Allah’s (swt) authority over him cannot be a servant of Allah (swt). Such a person has misused the gift of intellect and has gone farther astray than cattle, which neither disobey a spiritual command nor commit injustices in this world.

The second potential stage of the soul is al-Nafs al-Lawwama, which tries hard to abstain from evil acts, consistently questions itself, and constantly repents. Allah (swt) states, “And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it; And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness; He has succeeded who purifies it; And he has failed who instills it [with corruption]” (91:7-10). The lamenting soul is crucial as it represents the struggle for change within the self: “That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing” (8:53).

The lamenting soul aims to become aware of its actions and to stop itself before committing an evil deed, or to replace an evil deed with good. This struggle between the self and the soul fluctuates as one can easily become occupied by the glitter of this world and forget the purpose of one’s existence. Al-Ghazzali narrates that Sufyan al Thawri once said, “Never have I dealt with anything more difficult than my soul, which sometimes helps me, and sometimes opposes me” (Ihya `Ulum ad-Din 57). Therefore, the key to balancing one’s soul in favor of goodness is to understand what the soul needs so that it will not fall into a state of forgetfulness or neglect.

It is with the Mercy of Allah (swt) that He reminds us, “So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. O, you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed Allah is with the patient” (Qur’an 2:152-153). Strenuous effort, determination, and reliance on Allah (swt) are required in order to begin the difficult process of shaping the self as an ally of the soul. Furthermore, Allah (swt) uplifts those among His servants who struggle to reform themselves, by reaffirming, “Say, O my servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful” (Qur’an 39:53). The struggling soul is given hope that it may look forward and aim high at achieving an elevated level that is nearer to Allah (swt).

The last and highest stage of the soul is al-Nafs al-Mutma’inna, in which the soul has reached a state of peace and tranquility through aligning its will with the Will of its Creator. Al-Ghazzali remarks, “The aim of moral discipline is to purify the heart from the rust of passion and resentment, until, like a clear mirror, it reflects the light of God” (Kimiya’i Sa`adat 23). The analogy of the mirror enhances the idea that the heart reflects truth only if it is pure. Therefore, one needs to fill one’s heart with complete love for Allah (swt) so as not to be deceived by the outward appearance of the world.

It is the nature of the human being to love what Allah (swt) loves and hate what He hates. The spiritual soul is determined to become one with the commandments of Allah (swt) in order to fulfill the desire to be with Him in Eternity. Blessed is the soul that strives in the cause of Allah (swt), for it not only lives under the shadow and protection of Allah (swt) in this world, but will also be asked to return happily to Him when it has succeeded in preserving its pure and truthful nature. Allah (swt) tells mankind, “[To the righteous it will be said], ‘O reassured soul; Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]; And enter among My [righteous] servants; And enter My Paradise’” (Qur’an 89:27-28).

This world is a station created to shape one’s heart and soul into the best of molds; purifying it to be worthy of residing in the eternal bliss of Paradise. Knowledge of the different states can bring a person closer to ascending to the highest state. The third stage is attained through complete love, devotion, and trust of Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) reassures, “And when My servants ask you, [O, Muhammad], concerning Me—indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided” (2:186). May Allah (swt) protect us from a heart that does not fear, eyes that do not tear, ears that do not hear, and from a soul that is not satisfied. Ameen.
 
'More Americans converting to Islam'


Sat Sep 25, 2010

Despite post-9/11anti-Islam sentiments in the US, figures show thousands of Americans convert to Islam each year.

About 20,000 Americans convert to Islam annually, a Press TV correspondent in Washington said.


"It was learning about God and our creator that really inspired me, from Malcolm X and from what I read about Islam, to come back to our natural state of believing," a recent convert to Islam, Umar Abdul Wahab, told the correspondent.

Wahab who was formerly a Christian, now attends Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Centre in Falls Church, Virginia.

"To me Islam is total submission to our creator, total submission to what he wants us to do, [and] following the way of Prophet Mohammed," Wahab added.


Wahab says he converted to Islam after realizing he was meant to follow a different course. Letting go of old conventions in pursuit of an individual path, however, was not an easy task.

"My parents [eventually] saw that Islam made me a better person than I was previously and they came to respect that… they really admire me for standing up for my beliefs," he added.

However, anger spurred by anti-Islamic hysteria has been sweeping through America in recent weeks, as shown by a Florida pastor who had called for holding a "Burn a Qur'an Day" on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.


The Holy Qur'an:
Their intention is to extinguish Allah's Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).

It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may proclaim it over all religion, even though the polytheists may detest (it). (61 :8-9)
 

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