LEARNING ISLAM

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Allah, the Exalted, says: وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا لُقۡمَٰنَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ أَنِ ٱشۡكُرۡ لِلَّهِۚ وَمَن يَشۡكُرۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٞ “And indeed We bestowed wisdom upon Luqman, [saying], ‘Be grateful to Allah.’ And whoever is grateful is grateful only for [the benefit of] his own self. But whoever denies [Allah’s favors]—then indeed, Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy.” (Surah Luqman, 31:12) Allah tells mankind: “Be grateful to Allah, for whoever is grateful, it is for his own benefit; and whoever is ungrateful, that too returns to himself, because Allah does not need your gratitude — He is the Self-Sufficient and the Most Praiseworthy.” How does gratitude return to ourselves? Let me give five examples according to activities that often happen in our daily lives. 1. After School When we go home from school, stuck in traffic, hungry and tired, we hope that our mother has cooked so...

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Allah subhanahu wata'ala says : أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَسَالَتۡ أَوۡدِيَةُۢ بِقَدَرِهَا فَٱحۡتَمَلَ ٱلسَّيۡلُ زَبَدٗا رَّابِيٗاۖ وَمِمَّا يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيۡهِ فِي ٱلنَّارِ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ حِلۡيَةٍ أَوۡ مَتَٰعٖ زَبَدٞ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَٱلۡبَٰطِلَۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلزَّبَدُ فَيَذۡهَبُ جُفَآءٗۖ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَيَمۡكُثُ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ “He sends down water from the sky, and valleys flow according to their measure, and the torrent carries a swelling foam. And from what they smelt in the fire, seeking to make ornaments or utensils, there arises a foam similar to it. Thus Allah sets forth a parable for the Truth and Falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes as scum; but that which benefits mankind remains on the earth. Thus does Allah set forth parables.” (Qur’an, Surah Ar-Ra’d: 17) In this verse, Allah likens the mixture of truth (al-Haqq) and falsehoo...

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Allah subhanahu wata'ala says : ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ عَلَّمَهُ ٱلۡبَيَانَ “Ar-Rahman, who taught the Quran, He created man, He taught him eloquence” (QS. Ar-Rahman : 1-4) نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ “Nun, by the arrangement and what they compose in a sentence" .(QS. Al-Qalam: 1) ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ "Who teaches (humans) by means of a structure, "He teaches humans what they do not know." (QS. Al-Alaq: 4-5) Allah declares in these three Surahs that He Himself is the One who teaches mankind. Yet, it should be understood that this teaching does not mean Allah personally descends to earth to instruct humans directly. Rather, through His Mercy (Rahman) and His Pen (Qalam), He teaches by means of intermediaries. So, who are these intermediaries? None other than human beings themselves. But then arises the next question: how do...

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Allah SWT says: ۞وَجَٰوَزۡنَا بِبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ فَأَتۡبَعَهُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ بَغۡيٗا وَعَدۡوًاۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَدۡرَكَهُ ٱلۡغَرَقُ قَالَ ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِيٓ ءَامَنَتۡ بِهِۦ بَنُوٓاْ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ “And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until, when drowning overtook him, he said, ‘I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel have believed, and I am of the Muslims". (Qur’an, Surah Yunus: 90) In Surah Yunus verse 90, the Qur’an narrates how the Children of Israel crossed the sea, were pursued by Pharaoh and his army, and how Allah caused Pharaoh to drown. At the moment he was about to die, Pharaoh declared: لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِيٓ ءَامَنَتۡ بِهِۦ بَنُوٓاْ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ “There is no deity except the One in who...

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Allah subhanawata'ala says فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ “So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Ruh, then fall down to him in prostration.” (QS. Sad: 72) The verse above is information that Allah gives to humans that when a human is created and develops inside a mother's womb until complete, Allah breathes into him a part of Himself which is called the Ruh. The presence of this Ruh of Allah optimally boosts the Hearing, Sight, and Fuad, enabling humans to think, act, and judge, unlike animals. ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفِۡٔدَةَۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ “Then He proportioned him and breathed into him of His Ruh and He made for you the hearing and the sight and the Fuad. Little are you grateful.” (QS. Sajdah: 9) Many Muslims consider this Ruh to be Soul. Let's look at what Soul means ...