Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Surah al Mukminun , 23 : 1-16...My Personal Journey

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful


Successful indeed are the believers
Who are humble in their prayers,
And who shun vain conversation,
And who are payers of the poor-due;
And who guard their modesty - (Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy,
But whoso craveth beyond that, such are transgressors
And who are keepers of their pledge and their covenant,
And who pay heed to their prayers.
These are the heirs
Who will inherit paradise. There they will abide.
Verily We created man from a product of wet earth;
Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging;
Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators!
Then lo! after that ye surely die.
Then lo! on the Day of Resurrection ye are raised again.


al Mukminun, 23 : 1-16
Translation from The Noble Qur'an by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthal

"...give to the miskin and caress the heads of the orphans "..Prophet Muhammad[pbuh ]
".....we are running, running, running on the threadmill and going nowhere, until one day we drop dead !"





And those whose scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding. The fire burneth their faces, and they are glum therein.
(It will be said): Were not My revelations recited unto you, and then ye used to deny them?
They will say:Our Lord! Oh, bring us forth from hence! If we return (to evil) then indeed we shall be wrong-doers.
He saith: Begone therein, and speak not unto Me.
Lo! there was a party of My slaves who said: Our Lord! We believe, therefor forgive us and have mercy on us for Thou art Best of all who show mercy;
But ye chose them for a laughing-stock until they caused you to forget remembrance of Me, while ye laughed at them.
Lo! I have rewarded them this day forasmuch as they were steadfast and they verily are the triumphant.
He will say: How long tarried ye in the earth, counting by years?
They will say: We tarried but a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep count! He will say: Ye tarried but a little if ye only knew.
Deemed ye then that We had created you for naught, and that ye would not be returned unto Us?
Now Allah be Exalted, the True King! There is no God save Him, the Lord of the Throne of Grace.
He who crieth unto any other god along with Allah hath no proof thereof. His reckoning is only with his Lord. Lo! disbelievers will not be successful.
And (O Muhammad) say: My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for Thou art Best of all who show mercy.
Al Mukminun , 23 : 103-118

END OF STORY. End of journey.



Footnote:
Based in Troy, NY, Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui is one of the most well-respected and renowned Muslim Scholars in North America. Originally from Algeria, Shaykh Maghraoui earned his dual-doctorate in Physics and Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and also extensively studied several social sciences, including psychology and philosophy. Shaykh Maghraoui has a rare mastery of the Islamic Sciences, particularly Tazkiya (Islamic spirituality), Usul Al-Fiqh, Objectives of Sharee'ah, Fiqh and Science and Islam.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been listening to the Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui lectures (1 & 2/9)and he is superb. I just realised how much information you, Dr Nik, had actually added to your Personal Journey thru the Quran, excellent work. Permit me to use some of your excerpts which I want to include in my book of memories which includes a small section on you as instrumental for my spiritual journey. This book will keep me entertained when all around me abandon me in my old age.

Pearls and Gem said...

I would suggest caution though and that you dont take the comment and writing wholesale as these are my personal feeling, no doubt much coloured by my readings of Hamka and Ibnu Katsir years back.....my observations and application may be slanted and biased by my experience.

At the end of the day though, what I am trying to put thru is that all us 'individually' have to 'walk thru' the Qur'an as we go about our daily lives and ponder around it. Insyallah our lives will be that much 'richer' spiritually. Dont take what this or that ulama said or not said as 100 % true. They all come in different shades and colours. They are just human with human failings like you and me.

You will find the Qur'an when read this way on a daily basis, is very very 'liberating'.
Allahualam.

I find so that is why that chap earlier in his 'comment' mistakenly thought I am condescending. I totally apologise for that, if that is the impression.