Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous. (255).....AlBaqarah , chapter 2 ,The Noble Qur'an.
.....These ayats, [2:255], along with Al Fatihah and last three ayat of Surah Al Baqarah, [2:284, 285, and 286] are all 'super heavyweight' in The Noble Qur'an .
A well known hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas as related via Muslim and An Nasa'i ,it was told that Jibril was with Prophet Muhammad when there was a loud reverberating sound up in the heaven.
Jibril lifted his gaze and said: 'This is a door that was opened just now in heaven, and it was never opened before'. An angel came down through the door to the Prophet and said, " Receive the good news of two lights that you have been given and which no prophet before you was given. The opener of the Book [ Al Fatihah ] and the last three ayat in surah Al Baqarah. You will not read a letter from them, but you will be granted its benefit".
Unto Allah (belongeth) whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; and whether ye make known what is in your minds or hide it, Allah will bring you to account for it. He will forgive whom He will and He will punish whom He will. Allah is Able to do all things. (284) The messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying. (285) Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk. (2:286)
How succinct!
"Allah, task not my soul beyond my scope. Condemn me not even if I forget or when I missed my mark. Impose not on me that which I have no strength to bear. Lay not a burden on me as YOU did on those before me. Forgive me..... YOU are the journeying".
A prayer and doa for all seasons!
Ayats 284 to 286 of surah Al Baqarah are my favourite ayats and companion, day and night. Along with Ayatul Kursi and Al Fatihah, as a doa ,prayer,constant 'companion', and panacea of all ills, we can never go wrong...
Dr Nik Howk
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Al Baqarah [ the Cow ] , 2 : 1-18 , The Noble Qur'an
Al-Baqara
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Alif. Lam. Mim.
This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt,
a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).
Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship,
and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;
And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter.
These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.
As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.
Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.
And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.
They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.
In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.
And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.
Beware ! They indeed are the mischief-makers. But they perceive not.
And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? Beware ! They indeed are the foolish. But they know not.
And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock. Allah (Himself) doth mock them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.
These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.
Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindleth fire, and when it sheddeth its light around him Allah taketh away their light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see,
Deaf, dumb and blind; and they return not.....
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Alif. Lam. Mim.
This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt,
a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).
Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship,
and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;
And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter.
These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.
As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.
Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.
And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.
They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.
In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.
And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.
Beware ! They indeed are the mischief-makers. But they perceive not.
And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? Beware ! They indeed are the foolish. But they know not.
And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock. Allah (Himself) doth mock them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.
These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.
Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindleth fire, and when it sheddeth its light around him Allah taketh away their light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see,
Deaf, dumb and blind; and they return not.....
Saturday, July 17, 2010
.....cleaving asunder...
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
When the heaven is cleft asunder,
When the planets are dispersed,
When the seas are poured forth,
And the sepulchres are overturned,
A soul will know what it hath sent before (it) and what left behind.
O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord,
the Bountiful, Who created thee,
then fashioned, then proportioned thee?
Into whatsoever form He will, He casteth thee.
Nay, but ye deny the Judgment.
Lo! there are above you guardians,
Generous and recording,
Who know (all) that ye do.
Lo! the righteous verily will be in delight.
And lo! the wicked verily will be in hell;
They will burn therein on the Day of Judgment,
And will not be absent thence.
Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!
Again, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!
A day on which no soul hath power at all for any (other) soul.
The (absolute) command on that day is Allah's.
'Cleaving Asunder', The Noble Qur'an, 82 : 1-19
PS:
Do you seriously think this universe was created just 'for play'??!!
When the heaven is cleft asunder,
When the planets are dispersed,
When the seas are poured forth,
And the sepulchres are overturned,
A soul will know what it hath sent before (it) and what left behind.
O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord,
the Bountiful, Who created thee,
then fashioned, then proportioned thee?
Into whatsoever form He will, He casteth thee.
Nay, but ye deny the Judgment.
Lo! there are above you guardians,
Generous and recording,
Who know (all) that ye do.
Lo! the righteous verily will be in delight.
And lo! the wicked verily will be in hell;
They will burn therein on the Day of Judgment,
And will not be absent thence.
Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!
Again, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!
A day on which no soul hath power at all for any (other) soul.
The (absolute) command on that day is Allah's.
'Cleaving Asunder', The Noble Qur'an, 82 : 1-19
PS:
Do you seriously think this universe was created just 'for play'??!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
....Letter for Ru, Sha , Jo and Nina...
Ru, Sha, Jo and Nina,
On matters of Faith and Aqidah please do be careful.
Later on in your life when you can fly and soar, you guys can be centrist,left off centre, rightist, wahabbi/traditionist or liberal, thinker or mere follower, Fuqaha or sufi, Hadhari or whatever....but do not be careless and carefree.Guard your Faith and Aqidah through knowledge.
HE is very definitive and unequivocal on how you guys should behave towards HIM and HIS 'ayats' :
"He hath already revealed unto you in the Scripture that, when ye hear the revelations of Allah rejected and derided,
sit not with them (who disbelieve and mock) until they engage in some other conversation.
Lo! in that case (if ye stayed) ye would be like unto them.
Lo! Allah will gather hypocrites and disbelievers, all together, into hell."
An Nisa , 4 : 140
"And when thou seest those who meddle with Our revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic.
And if the devil cause thee to forget, sit not, after the remembrance, with the congregation of wrong-doers.
Those who ward off (evil) are not accountable for them in aught, but the Reminder (must be given them) that haply they (too) may ward off (evil)."
Al An'nam , 6 : 68-69
"And if thou ask them (O Muhammad) they will say: We did but talk and jest.
Say: Was it at Allah and His revelations and His messenger that ye did scoff?
Make no excuse. Ye have disbelieved after your (confession of) belief. If We forgive a party of you,
a party of you We shall punish because they have been guilty."
Al Tawba , 9 : 65-66
"And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah)
and there are among us some who are unjust.
And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.
And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell."
Al Jinn , 72 : 14-15
Do not rely on your SPM ,or University knowledge of your Faith to sustain you through this complex labyrinth, ways and by-ways called LIFE....That knowledge is too very elementary. Read , read, read and read....Do listen widely in the beginning to this and that Ustazs, this and that ulama'. Be open minded but at the end of the day, on a matter of faith,you have to do your very own discovery....Read the Qur'an, read and read with comprehension stupid!
In this age of massive instant information [and misinformation]at your fingertip it is easy to fall into a state of mind that subsequently you will come to know all. But information is not knowledge, and knowledge is very far from being wisdom. You guys must start your information gathering from now. Chew and regurgitate them. Vomit some out if you must. Compare them if you will.Read from Masters old and new. When it become knowledge, ponder over them....Knowledge,once pummelled with time and life experience, will become wisdom.Only then you will be 'self actualised'.
Without true knowledge your Faith and Aqidah are really on flimsy ground. Too many 'senior people' seemingly clever and well endowed than Papa have gone aground due to their superficial knowledge though they are very worldly wise.Dont ask Papa why, because life is complex.They may think they have it all. , knowledge and wisdom. But Papa suspect even armed with knowledge and apparent wisdom, without the all important ingredient called 'humility' may also be dangerous.
Iblis had knowledge and wisdom but lack humility and in that meeting with God long before time when the rest of the angels bowed down to Adam, he refused. Qarun, another biblical figure who lived during Prophet Mosses' time,was also very clever, super talented and super rich. By present standard probably much richer than your hero,'Microsoft' Bill Gates. Qarun was cash and property rich. Gill Gates would be poor tomorrow if Microsoft share plummet down. But Qarun , like Iblis, had no humility. He was subsequently 'swallowed' by the earth. This world can be full of people who forget to be humble. We should not follow their fate and example.
Remember Papa's bedtime story about that'learned drunkard' and Iblis.
"Firewood for hell", for eternity, is certainly not an option.....
Do regularly read The Noble Quran, understand and comprehend its meaning. If you come to an ayat that you find difficulty in understanding, check with the past and present 'masters of the art'. Do not disrespect the ulama', past and present, as some people do. Above all,THINK.
That is my legacy, my dear children.
Papa...
On matters of Faith and Aqidah please do be careful.
Later on in your life when you can fly and soar, you guys can be centrist,left off centre, rightist, wahabbi/traditionist or liberal, thinker or mere follower, Fuqaha or sufi, Hadhari or whatever....but do not be careless and carefree.Guard your Faith and Aqidah through knowledge.
HE is very definitive and unequivocal on how you guys should behave towards HIM and HIS 'ayats' :
"He hath already revealed unto you in the Scripture that, when ye hear the revelations of Allah rejected and derided,
sit not with them (who disbelieve and mock) until they engage in some other conversation.
Lo! in that case (if ye stayed) ye would be like unto them.
Lo! Allah will gather hypocrites and disbelievers, all together, into hell."
An Nisa , 4 : 140
"And when thou seest those who meddle with Our revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic.
And if the devil cause thee to forget, sit not, after the remembrance, with the congregation of wrong-doers.
Those who ward off (evil) are not accountable for them in aught, but the Reminder (must be given them) that haply they (too) may ward off (evil)."
Al An'nam , 6 : 68-69
"And if thou ask them (O Muhammad) they will say: We did but talk and jest.
Say: Was it at Allah and His revelations and His messenger that ye did scoff?
Make no excuse. Ye have disbelieved after your (confession of) belief. If We forgive a party of you,
a party of you We shall punish because they have been guilty."
Al Tawba , 9 : 65-66
"And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah)
and there are among us some who are unjust.
And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.
And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell."
Al Jinn , 72 : 14-15
Do not rely on your SPM ,or University knowledge of your Faith to sustain you through this complex labyrinth, ways and by-ways called LIFE....That knowledge is too very elementary. Read , read, read and read....Do listen widely in the beginning to this and that Ustazs, this and that ulama'. Be open minded but at the end of the day, on a matter of faith,you have to do your very own discovery....Read the Qur'an, read and read with comprehension stupid!
In this age of massive instant information [and misinformation]at your fingertip it is easy to fall into a state of mind that subsequently you will come to know all. But information is not knowledge, and knowledge is very far from being wisdom. You guys must start your information gathering from now. Chew and regurgitate them. Vomit some out if you must. Compare them if you will.Read from Masters old and new. When it become knowledge, ponder over them....Knowledge,once pummelled with time and life experience, will become wisdom.Only then you will be 'self actualised'.
Without true knowledge your Faith and Aqidah are really on flimsy ground. Too many 'senior people' seemingly clever and well endowed than Papa have gone aground due to their superficial knowledge though they are very worldly wise.Dont ask Papa why, because life is complex.They may think they have it all. , knowledge and wisdom. But Papa suspect even armed with knowledge and apparent wisdom, without the all important ingredient called 'humility' may also be dangerous.
Iblis had knowledge and wisdom but lack humility and in that meeting with God long before time when the rest of the angels bowed down to Adam, he refused. Qarun, another biblical figure who lived during Prophet Mosses' time,was also very clever, super talented and super rich. By present standard probably much richer than your hero,'Microsoft' Bill Gates. Qarun was cash and property rich. Gill Gates would be poor tomorrow if Microsoft share plummet down. But Qarun , like Iblis, had no humility. He was subsequently 'swallowed' by the earth. This world can be full of people who forget to be humble. We should not follow their fate and example.
Remember Papa's bedtime story about that'learned drunkard' and Iblis.
"Firewood for hell", for eternity, is certainly not an option.....
Do regularly read The Noble Quran, understand and comprehend its meaning. If you come to an ayat that you find difficulty in understanding, check with the past and present 'masters of the art'. Do not disrespect the ulama', past and present, as some people do. Above all,THINK.
That is my legacy, my dear children.
Papa...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
...Islam will prevail....
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,
Createth man from a clot.
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
Who teacheth by the pen,
Teacheth man that which he knew not.
Nay, but verily man is rebellious
That he thinketh himself independent!
Lo! unto thy Lord is the return.
Hast thou seen him who dissuadeth
A slave when he prayeth?
Hast thou seen if he relieth on the guidance of Allah
Or enjoineth piety?
Hast thou seen if he denieth Allah's guidance and is froward?
Is he then unaware that Allah seeth?
Nay, but if he cease not We will seize him by the forelock -The lying, sinful forelock -Then let him call upon his henchmen!
We will call the guards of hell.
Nay, Obey not thou him. But prostrate thyself, and draw near unto Allah."
Chapter 96, The Noble Quran
Detractors of Islam [ Jews, Trinitarians and present day orientalists, materialists and agnostics ] try to denigrate Islam and throw it into the dustbin of history by saying that Prophet Muhammad 'conceptualised' The Noble Quran ...Just his very imaginative thoughts and also the influence of his experience with The Torah while amongst the Jews of Yathrib [ Medinah ].
In all sincerity just examine carefully the sublime beauty and cadence of this so smooth flowing short surah in The Noble Qur'an, a Mekkan revelation, the 1st revelation to him from his Lord in fact, in the cave of Hira',near Mekkah, long before Prophet Muhammad's move to Yathrib.
Whatever they may say, 1.5 billion Muslims, and still growing, can find solace in surah Al Kafirun, chapter 109 of The Noble Qur'an, a surah which enjoins Muslims, past and present, to live and let live, peacefully with the rest of the world, irrespective of their colour, beliefs and affiliations:
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Say: O disbelievers!
I worship not that which ye worship;
Nor worship ye that which I worship.
And I shall not worship that which ye worship.
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion."
The final word on Truth is that it cannot be won by 'overwhelming force', 'desert storm', 'war on terror' or any imaginative labelling that the West may choose to conjure.
They can even 'nuke' us when and where they think fit, but at the end of the day, in all sincerity, it will be a battle of minds and souls. And when it boils down to that, they will never win....Islam is an idea that is long overdue.
Islam will prevail.The West, if they are to survive, have to go back to their drawing board and reconfigure how they are going to live with us peacefully. They have to re-evaluate and give proper weightage to their present socalled 'friends' and 'foes'.Reassess decades of open and unended belligerence and condescending attitude and behaviour towards Islam and Muslims which has only been successful in radicalising more Muslims against them.
The key words are : Justice and Fairness.
Go figure it our Mr Obama!
The ball is at your feet....Go figure it out because your present equation is very counter productive to world peace!
Insyaallah!
Dr Nik Howk
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/
Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,
Createth man from a clot.
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
Who teacheth by the pen,
Teacheth man that which he knew not.
Nay, but verily man is rebellious
That he thinketh himself independent!
Lo! unto thy Lord is the return.
Hast thou seen him who dissuadeth
A slave when he prayeth?
Hast thou seen if he relieth on the guidance of Allah
Or enjoineth piety?
Hast thou seen if he denieth Allah's guidance and is froward?
Is he then unaware that Allah seeth?
Nay, but if he cease not We will seize him by the forelock -The lying, sinful forelock -Then let him call upon his henchmen!
We will call the guards of hell.
Nay, Obey not thou him. But prostrate thyself, and draw near unto Allah."
Chapter 96, The Noble Quran
Detractors of Islam [ Jews, Trinitarians and present day orientalists, materialists and agnostics ] try to denigrate Islam and throw it into the dustbin of history by saying that Prophet Muhammad 'conceptualised' The Noble Quran ...Just his very imaginative thoughts and also the influence of his experience with The Torah while amongst the Jews of Yathrib [ Medinah ].
In all sincerity just examine carefully the sublime beauty and cadence of this so smooth flowing short surah in The Noble Qur'an, a Mekkan revelation, the 1st revelation to him from his Lord in fact, in the cave of Hira',near Mekkah, long before Prophet Muhammad's move to Yathrib.
Whatever they may say, 1.5 billion Muslims, and still growing, can find solace in surah Al Kafirun, chapter 109 of The Noble Qur'an, a surah which enjoins Muslims, past and present, to live and let live, peacefully with the rest of the world, irrespective of their colour, beliefs and affiliations:
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Say: O disbelievers!
I worship not that which ye worship;
Nor worship ye that which I worship.
And I shall not worship that which ye worship.
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion."
The final word on Truth is that it cannot be won by 'overwhelming force', 'desert storm', 'war on terror' or any imaginative labelling that the West may choose to conjure.
They can even 'nuke' us when and where they think fit, but at the end of the day, in all sincerity, it will be a battle of minds and souls. And when it boils down to that, they will never win....Islam is an idea that is long overdue.
Islam will prevail.The West, if they are to survive, have to go back to their drawing board and reconfigure how they are going to live with us peacefully. They have to re-evaluate and give proper weightage to their present socalled 'friends' and 'foes'.Reassess decades of open and unended belligerence and condescending attitude and behaviour towards Islam and Muslims which has only been successful in radicalising more Muslims against them.
The key words are : Justice and Fairness.
Go figure it our Mr Obama!
The ball is at your feet....Go figure it out because your present equation is very counter productive to world peace!
Insyaallah!
Dr Nik Howk
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 9, 2010
...The darkening...
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
When the sun is overthrown,
And when the stars fall,
And when the hills are moved,
And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
And when the wild beasts are herded together,
And when the seas rise,
And when souls are reunited,
And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked
For what sin she was slain,
And when the pages are laid open,
And when the sky is torn away, And when Hell is lighted,
And when the garden is brought nigh,
Then every soul will know what it hath made ready.
Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
The stars which rise and set,
And the close of night,
And the breath of morning
That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
One to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
And your comrade is not mad.
Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
And he is not avid of the Unseen.
Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
Whither then go ye?
This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,
Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.
And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth,
the Lord of Creation.
The Noble Qur'an, Chapter 81
When the sun is overthrown,
And when the stars fall,
And when the hills are moved,
And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
And when the wild beasts are herded together,
And when the seas rise,
And when souls are reunited,
And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked
For what sin she was slain,
And when the pages are laid open,
And when the sky is torn away, And when Hell is lighted,
And when the garden is brought nigh,
Then every soul will know what it hath made ready.
Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
The stars which rise and set,
And the close of night,
And the breath of morning
That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
One to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
And your comrade is not mad.
Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
And he is not avid of the Unseen.
Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
Whither then go ye?
This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,
Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.
And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth,
the Lord of Creation.
The Noble Qur'an, Chapter 81
Quranexplorer......
Qari: Saad Al Ghamdi
Translation: English....Pickthal[audio]
http://www. quranexplorer.com/quran/
"Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night,
or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee.
Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy.
Recite, then, of the Qur'an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you,
while others travel in the land in search of Allah's bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah.
So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan.
Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will surely find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense.
And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
Al Muzzammil , 73 ; 20
I enjoy this haunting rendition of the Noble Quran either by Al Baasit, Al Ghamdi, As Sudays Shraym, Mishari Rashid or Salah Bukhatir to name just a few from this very useful website. It has somewhat transformed my daily routine. Try this on your own. You will find this a pleasant experience. An addictive one as well!
On my own steam, I was never able to 'khatam' the Quran once in even two years, before. Too dry, too tedious. But with the help of the 'explorer', if I am not at it at least twice a day, there is already a feeling of void in my life. What was a tedious routine before has become pleasure. A paradigm shift of sort!
If I have any problem with comprehension,I go straight to hadithexplorer [ also within the quranexplorer ]. I usually though use the link on my website connected to Tafsir ibnu Kathir. Tafsir ibnu Kathir though may not discuss enough [for those new and not exposed to The Quran ] because understandably this is a 'salaf' tafseer ie done within 200 years of The Prophet. It presupposes and assumes a certain high level of basic knowledge and faith.
For people not bored with reading , and wanting to know more, may I suggest you get Tafsir Al Azhar by the late Prof Hamka. It is voluminous, discuss things in a wee bit lengthy way but if you are not in a hurry, why not? Hamka discuss contemporary issues related to the ummah with respect to each 'ayat'.
Lengthy because he did not assume he was the expert. As such you tend to get the whole spectrum, from the 'salafi' scholars, Ridha, Sayyid Qutb, right up to Hamka himself. Then 'you' yourselves choose your pick. Published by Pustaka Nasional of Singapore, a 10 volume hard cover collection come at a giveaway price of less than 250RM and could be obtained from any book store in Jalan Masjid India.
However if you are already a hardcore student of tafseer, may I suggest Prof Muhamad Al Ghazali's 'Thematic Commentary of The Quran'. Ghazali treated each surah as having one or several themes and he went thru them, relating to the present as and when necessary. I find his treatment of The Quran intellectually stimulating.
The Noble Quran will definitely change you. It has enriched my life some 30 years back and continue to enlighten me after every read. My understanding of the meanings of life, here and in the hereafter,keep changing, with small nuances here and there with repeated readings thru the years.
I can still remember the old guru from Mendaling, Sumatra, who was giving some kuliah to us Tabung Haji health workers some 26 years ago at our Ghazzah Clinic, Mekkah. He said," our souls are like the 'magneto system' in our car carburetion system. It need to be in continuous contact with the spark plugs. Otherwise your car cannot even start in the morning due to accumulated rust within the plugs!".That was some 26 years ago. I have forgotten what Sheikh Al Mendaling had taught us on that day but his analogy on the spark plugs is indelible.
The Noble Quran are indeed Divine letters. We need to read and reread them to have a clear idea and be reminded of where we are heading on a daily basis.The straight path. In my case, when I am in the hallowed company of the world best qari such as Al Baasit or As Sudays Shraym, I just sit back and listen. Pickthal is always there to narrate the meaning. My friends Ibnu Kathir , and whenever necessary, Prof Hamka would join us in elucidating the inner secrets and the spirit of The Noble Quran.If I am still confused, Dr Abdullah Yasin is just a phonecall away. If I need a dissenting and a contemporary view, Prof Wan Mohd, formerly of ISTAC, is there.
[ Even Sayyid Qutb is available on line...his tafseer of chapter 72 to 114 is subliminal, superb and beautiful from the perspective of language he used!...I would probably cry if I understand Arabic.. ]
Now , who is the joker who still insist that knowledge in 2010, still need to be imparted 'one on one' with a 'guru' squating in front of you!
If you decide that sailing the ocean is dangerous because you might get lost,there are stars to guide you.. in the 20th century, compasses and maps...and now 'google earth' and that ubiquitous built in gps in handphones!.....just use them.
We have powerful friends! We just need to use them to illuminate our lives.
Some already dead, some still up and about....the ulama'.
That joker can keep his 'understanding' of his 'hadith' about the limited way of seeking knowledge to himself!....Let us all sail into the open seas. Some may get themselves 'temporarily' lost in the process...but what the heck?.. it is better than not going to sea at all. The pearls and gem.....My God!...Go , discover them yourselves!
Dr Nik Howk
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/
Translation: English....Pickthal[audio]
http://www. quranexplorer.com/quran/
"Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night,
or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee.
Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy.
Recite, then, of the Qur'an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you,
while others travel in the land in search of Allah's bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah.
So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan.
Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will surely find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense.
And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
Al Muzzammil , 73 ; 20
I enjoy this haunting rendition of the Noble Quran either by Al Baasit, Al Ghamdi, As Sudays Shraym, Mishari Rashid or Salah Bukhatir to name just a few from this very useful website. It has somewhat transformed my daily routine. Try this on your own. You will find this a pleasant experience. An addictive one as well!
On my own steam, I was never able to 'khatam' the Quran once in even two years, before. Too dry, too tedious. But with the help of the 'explorer', if I am not at it at least twice a day, there is already a feeling of void in my life. What was a tedious routine before has become pleasure. A paradigm shift of sort!
If I have any problem with comprehension,I go straight to hadithexplorer [ also within the quranexplorer ]. I usually though use the link on my website connected to Tafsir ibnu Kathir. Tafsir ibnu Kathir though may not discuss enough [for those new and not exposed to The Quran ] because understandably this is a 'salaf' tafseer ie done within 200 years of The Prophet. It presupposes and assumes a certain high level of basic knowledge and faith.
For people not bored with reading , and wanting to know more, may I suggest you get Tafsir Al Azhar by the late Prof Hamka. It is voluminous, discuss things in a wee bit lengthy way but if you are not in a hurry, why not? Hamka discuss contemporary issues related to the ummah with respect to each 'ayat'.
Lengthy because he did not assume he was the expert. As such you tend to get the whole spectrum, from the 'salafi' scholars, Ridha, Sayyid Qutb, right up to Hamka himself. Then 'you' yourselves choose your pick. Published by Pustaka Nasional of Singapore, a 10 volume hard cover collection come at a giveaway price of less than 250RM and could be obtained from any book store in Jalan Masjid India.
However if you are already a hardcore student of tafseer, may I suggest Prof Muhamad Al Ghazali's 'Thematic Commentary of The Quran'. Ghazali treated each surah as having one or several themes and he went thru them, relating to the present as and when necessary. I find his treatment of The Quran intellectually stimulating.
The Noble Quran will definitely change you. It has enriched my life some 30 years back and continue to enlighten me after every read. My understanding of the meanings of life, here and in the hereafter,keep changing, with small nuances here and there with repeated readings thru the years.
I can still remember the old guru from Mendaling, Sumatra, who was giving some kuliah to us Tabung Haji health workers some 26 years ago at our Ghazzah Clinic, Mekkah. He said," our souls are like the 'magneto system' in our car carburetion system. It need to be in continuous contact with the spark plugs. Otherwise your car cannot even start in the morning due to accumulated rust within the plugs!".That was some 26 years ago. I have forgotten what Sheikh Al Mendaling had taught us on that day but his analogy on the spark plugs is indelible.
The Noble Quran are indeed Divine letters. We need to read and reread them to have a clear idea and be reminded of where we are heading on a daily basis.The straight path. In my case, when I am in the hallowed company of the world best qari such as Al Baasit or As Sudays Shraym, I just sit back and listen. Pickthal is always there to narrate the meaning. My friends Ibnu Kathir , and whenever necessary, Prof Hamka would join us in elucidating the inner secrets and the spirit of The Noble Quran.If I am still confused, Dr Abdullah Yasin is just a phonecall away. If I need a dissenting and a contemporary view, Prof Wan Mohd, formerly of ISTAC, is there.
[ Even Sayyid Qutb is available on line...his tafseer of chapter 72 to 114 is subliminal, superb and beautiful from the perspective of language he used!...I would probably cry if I understand Arabic.. ]
Now , who is the joker who still insist that knowledge in 2010, still need to be imparted 'one on one' with a 'guru' squating in front of you!
If you decide that sailing the ocean is dangerous because you might get lost,there are stars to guide you.. in the 20th century, compasses and maps...and now 'google earth' and that ubiquitous built in gps in handphones!.....just use them.
We have powerful friends! We just need to use them to illuminate our lives.
Some already dead, some still up and about....the ulama'.
That joker can keep his 'understanding' of his 'hadith' about the limited way of seeking knowledge to himself!....Let us all sail into the open seas. Some may get themselves 'temporarily' lost in the process...but what the heck?.. it is better than not going to sea at all. The pearls and gem.....My God!...Go , discover them yourselves!
Dr Nik Howk
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/
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