Wednesday, February 5, 2025

The Divine and the Mundane: Scriptural life lessons

 Introduction


The Qur’an is a scripture of great depth, nuance and wisdom. The more it is consulted, the more utility that emerges. It can take seemingly mundane, everyday situations, address it as necessary, mixing in great lessons. The classical examples are the texts of Soorah Al Hujuraat (chapter 49), which discusses topics such as etiquette and social behaviour, inserting in the midst of those Ahkam the famous text of 49:13, which tells us the reason behind the existence of varying peoples and tribes, a verse which removes destructive notions such as racism. The other classical example is in Soorat An Noor (chapter 24), which deals with some legal prescriptions, dress code and the like, and inserts therein the very profound Ayatun Noor, the verse of Divine light (24:35).



Much of the following discourse centers around revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad- Sall Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that addresses his domestic life. In the midst of family issues, the Divine revelation addresses these issues and places important lessons there. 



The Prophet cannot make everyone happy all of the time, even his own wives.


The sixty-sixth chapter of the Qur’an begins with Allah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa telling Muhammad   “O Prophet, why do you consistently forbid (harrima) what Allah has made lawful for you? Do you seek to please your wives? Yet, Allah is intense in granting forgiveness and mercy. Allah has sanctioned for you the expiation of your oath, Allah is your protector, and He is the All Knowing, The all-wise” (Q 66:1-2)

 

یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَاۤ اَحَلَّ اللّٰہُ لَکَ ۚ تَبۡتَغِیۡ مَرۡضَاتَ اَزۡوَاجِکَ ؕ وَاللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ


قَدۡ فَرَضَ اللّٰہُ لَکُمۡ تَحِلَّۃَ اَیۡمَانِکُمۡ ۚ وَاللّٰہُ مَوۡلٰٮکُمۡ ۚ وَہُوَ الۡعَلِیۡمُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ




Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace and blessings, was God’s messenger, the prophet for all humanity, and of course leader within his own society. As such, he has great burdens and responsibilities. The tafseer literature is filled with accounts that seek to explain these verses, to connect them to specific incidents. The historicity of these accounts are disputed, and even if the examples cited in the tafseer literature is correct, ultimately the take-away is clearly presented: Muhammad was a congenial person, sympathetic and kind, and had a habit of self-denial and trying to keep people happy  that ultimately got in the way of his own life and therefore his abilities to function as a leader for society and a prophet of God. 


The Prophet was dismissed by his opponents as “an ear”. The exegete Muhammad Ash-Shawkani understood this to mean that people would assert that the Prophet would “listen to all, and having no ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood”. (Fat-hul Qadeer, Kuwait, wazeeratul Awqaaf, 1980 edition). This shows us that his nature was to give an ear, to try to make everyone happy, especially his wives, even if their demands were unreasonable or fueled by misplaced emotions.  God tells the Prophet that he is to drop this habit of his. One of the accounts given asserts that he (peace be upon him) had promised to stop consuming honey, as a way to keep his wives happy.  While there is much more to that account (assuming its true), we are to understand that God knows what he is doing by allowing something and forbidding something else. We are not going to be held to account by Allah on an issue as small as honey consumption.


The Prophet, and indeed men in general, are to obey Allah, and if his wives are not interested in that, in making his role and life easier, God can most certainly remove such women in exchange for those who will indeed be better, regardless of their previous status (Q 66:5). The job of the Prophet, and indeed of believers in general, is to guide their flock, by saving them from “ a fire fueled by people and stones” (Q 66:6).


This is a big picture role, and frankly cannot be ignored by the presence of petty, limited interests- itself a product of immature thinking! 




Light 



In the midst of this discourse, we are told how the people of paradise, themselves surrounded by light, invoke (i.e. in du’aa) “Our Lord, Complete for us our light, and bestow on us forgiveness, Indeed, you are powerful over all things.” ( Q 66:8).


The placement of this clause suggests that growth is still attainable, the ability to see the bigger picture is still possible, at all stages of life, when faith and efforts are present. We can understand light to mean the tools by which to see the bigger picture and to stay focused on that.


In polemics, I have noticed that Christian apologists, in their criticisms of Islam, almost never address the religious content of the Qur’an and Sunnah, rather, they focus on attacking the Prophet’s character himself. They will distort and misrepresent reports about him to paint an ugly picture of him. This is an example of not looking at the bigger picture. Moreover, they are guided by unhealthy emotions and will advocate the same from their followers. 



Having light is important for all parties to have, particularly in the marriage relationship. If light is drowned out in the darkness of negative emotions, it presents a stagnation that ultimately can lead to hell. Islam is a great source of stability and safety, whereas impulses can lead to destruction. 


Learning from women 


The text gives an example of the wives of Prophets Noah and Lot (Nuuh and Luut, ‘alayhimas salaam) who were not upon the same foundation  their husbands were upon. The presence of these Prophets in the Soorah is poignant, in that these were prophets who were more clearly identified as doing intense actions to save their societies from destruction. Unfortunately, their wives had behavior and thinking patterns that reflected the misguidance of mainstream society, and thus, they-along with everyone else- experienced the fires of destruction (Q 66:10).



The husbands obviously made efforts to save their families, but it is up to each individual to make their efforts, to be committed to Islam and avoid the misguidance of kufr.


The Soorah(vv.11-12) gives another contrast, the believing wife of the Pharaoh, and Mary. Their faith allowed them to see the Noor, the big picture, and thus have salvation, not only for themselves, but ultimately to function as examples to humanity.


Returning to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it seems that at times they would give such headaches that he is told by God that if they (the wives) want to be released from the relationship, he would (Q 33:28). Yet, the choice is also outlined to them as follows:


“ And if you desire God and his messenger, and the ultimate abode, God has prepared for those who strive for Ihsaan a magnificent reward” ( Q 33:29).



Ihsaan is that next level in one’s spiritual evolution. What is interesting about this text is that the Prophet’s wives (known as “mothers of believers” Ummahaat al mu’mineen) became known as highly spiritual people. Sayyidah ‘A’ishaa herself is the most reliable transmitter of hadeeth



Conclusion


The big picture is not necessarily wealth or power. The big picture success is a strong relationship with Allah, overcoming the negative whispers of Satan, both internal and external, and peaceful existence here and in the hereafter. That is what authentic religion teaches. 


We live in a time when negative emotions are actually promoted as a good thing, where conflict is not something that needs to be resolved, but rather recorded for views online. If we want ultimate success, we have to obey Allah and follow the examples of the best of mankind.


Simply arguing for the sake of arguments, holding unnecessary grudges, will stimulate no success at all. Let us take the beautiful lessons, even in the midst of seemingly mundane incidents mentioned in scripture. 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Reflections on West Africa journey

 Introduction

As many of our readers know (such as our Facebook audience), I recently traveled to West Africa for the first time.  The destination was The Republic of Senegal.  Many people have been curious as to the motivation to travel to a place that is (in their eyes at least)  "off the beaten track" for a vacation.


My answer to this is that "vacations" are not always fun and games, at least for me. I am a student of many fields, my interests are deep and diverse, and among the best ways to learn and grow is to see with our own eyes, to have physical experiences beyond the study of texts, to step out of our comfort zones, at least once in a while. 


From a religious perspective, I believe this is one of the reasons that Hajj and 'Umrah are important. Muslims are commanded by the religion to make a pilgrimage a minimum of once in one's life, to Makkah, the site of the Ka'bah, the shrine built by the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, 'alayhis salaam). People from all places, classes, castes and walks of life are told by Allah to offer the pilgrimage rituals, in the same place, time, space, even in the same clothing (ihraam, for the men). All of humanity converge at that place, forcing us to interact, learn and cultivate relationships with one another. 


Thus, Senegal was, even from that perspective, a natural place of curiosity. It is a Muslim nation, with deep historical and cultural interests to someone like me .










(From top: site of the African Renaissance monument, walking in the streets of Dakar, minarets of the Grand Mosque of Touba city, a site revered by Senegalese.)






Spirituality

I found the people and culture to be very relaxed and an interest in spiritual development a normalized part of life. Everywhere we went we found people offering daily prayers, and the mosques are not only filled with worshipers, we were struck by the unique architecture and beauty of even the simple prayer halls.

West African Muslims generally follow the Maaliki madh-hab (school of jurisprudence) and Senegalese are typically associated with one of four Sufi orders, and this certainly reflected in the public display and practice of the religion, aspects which would be outside of the norm of experiences by those used to the format of practice in other Muslim contexts.

Recitation of religious songs (Qaseedahs, Nasheeds etc) is commonly heard throughout the country, and I have to admit a certain level of calm and peace can be found within the society. 




( Images from the neighborhood mosque, Masjid Al Multazim. Notice the unique architecture)











                                                     ( Images from The Mosque of the Divinity. French " Mosquée de la Divinité overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Built by locals, amazing architecture)

Goree Island

The most famous site we went to is Goree Island, a site roughly five miles off the coast from the capital. It was an important port in the slave trade, containing one of the "points of no return". The fortress there has displays explaining not only this history, but other interesting aspects as well, such as the evolution of man in the region, the arrival of Islam in the area, and so forth. 



The importance of travel in general

For African-Americans, traveling to West Africa in particular is important because it becomes a doorway of connection to the past. For Muslims of all backgrounds, I strongly recommend taking a trip to a place such as Senegal, as it would make a person appreciate a number of  points, including the global impact of Islam and how one's culture can be retained and enhanced (and not destroyed or enveloped into another system of thought).

The Qur'an repeatedly encourages traveling (Q 10:19, 3:189 et al), seeing other cultures helps to eliminate xenophobia, ignorance and arrogance. It is lamentable that many Americans don't even have passports and limit their travels.

If more people left their comfort zones, even if for a few days, it would broaden their minds in countless ways. Indeed, travel is even an activity which addresses issues such as depression, in particular by seeing and experiencing the natural world.

We have produced one video ( see here) from the Senegal trip, and soon will publish more, including a presentation hosted by the Divine Wisdom study group of Senegal on "The Relationship between Man and God". For updates, simply subscribe to our YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/@Arifinlibrary) as well as this blog.