Email OF The Day: 07/19/13

Friday, 19 July 2013

[www.keralites.net] Month of Holy Quran

Introduction to Ramadan: Month of Holy Quran

Fasting in the month of Ramadan, like Namaaz (prayers) is a divine command. Allah says in the Holy Quran, "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil)." (2:183)

It was reserved for Islam to formulate and perfect a form of spiritual purification for every one of its followers, notwithstanding the state of society they belonged to, and which could be performed without interfering with their normal avocations and callings in every day life.

Whatever calling or vocation he is engaged in, does not hinder a Muslim from carrying out this annual requirement of the Faith, the fast of this month of Ramadan, which incidentally, is also one of the five cardinal points of Islamic tenet.

The Muslim fast means a complete abstention from eating or drinking between daybreak and sunset. The sighting of the thin sickle of the new moon of Ramadan heralds for the Muslim the beginning of a month of glory and of spiritual elevation, when, at Allah's command, he voluntarily and of his own free will, denies himself between day-break and sunset, the blessing of food and drink, and surrenders himself up wholly to Allah, observing the same abstention throughout the whole month in his thoughts, his speech, his behavior, his every act.

For this month, for the Muslim, means the triumph of the spiritual and the pure in his nature over all the grossness and carnation, which is an inevitable component of our human make-up. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the following words beautifully explains the actual significance of the fast: -

"One who, while fasting, does not guard his tongue from telling lies, does not refrain from doing bad deeds, is not respecting his fast and Allah does not approve of mere abstention from food". When you are keeping fast, you should not speak ill of anybody, nor should you be boisterous and noisy. If anybody speaks ill of you or tries to pick a quarrel with you return him not, but say unto him that you are fasting.

Divine Revelation: Ramadan however, has another deeper significance for the Muslim, Ramadan's greatness is manifest in the fact that Almighty Allah chose it for the revelation of His Scriptures from time to time.

Abraham [Ibrahim (A.S.)] received scriptures on the first or third of Ramadan, David [Dawood (A.S.)] on the twelfth or the eighteenth, Moses [Musa (A.S.)] on the sixth, and Jesus [Esa (A.S.)] on the twelfth or the thirteenth of Ramadan.

It was in the very month of Ramadan that the Holy Quran, the last revealed Book, started descending upon Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It testifies: (Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Quran as a guide to mankind ...) (2:185)

But the Holy Quran, the divine revelation from Allah to mankind through the medium of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), has remained. In every Ramadan the Muslims celebrate the spiritual significance of that divine fact the eternal abiding permanence of the Holy Quran.

During this Holy month therefore, the Muslim takes himself more assiduously to the reading of the Holy Book of Allah, the standing miracle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the miracle which he stated would remain to testify to the authenticity of Allah's message even after he, Muhammad (S.A.W.) passed away.

Throughout this holy month, therefore, from every Muslim home is heard, during the day and night, the pleasant and beautiful cadences of Quranic recitation.

Then there is the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) saying as an incentive to renewed reading of the Holy Quran especially in this month: "A man gets the same reward by reading one verse of the Holy Quran as others do by reading the whole of the Holy Quran in other months." In this holy month of Ramadan it should be the duty of every Muslim to read the Holy Quran and thereby gain an insight into the Divine secrets. It breathes peaceful spirit to the human body. It imparts purity to the human soul and removes many a curtain hanging between man and God.

As the month of Ramadan is a specified period of purification, so the Holy Quran must carefully be studied by every devotee of Islam for self-guidance. Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth and the Holy Quran a light for the seekers of truth. It wards off the evil effect of unhealthy atmosphere, it sanctifies the cause of the fast and keeps the true believer in direct communion with Allah, and it does but speaks His own words.

Only constant experience can tell the tremendous amount of pleasure one finds in reading the Holy Quran.

"Say. Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (Surah Al-Anaam, 6:162) - like a beacon of hope for the faithful, these heartening words occur in the Holy Quran to strengthen the hearts of the believing Muslim in the realness of their whole-hearted surrender to Allah (SWT).

What has the believing Muslim to fear after reading this clear promise by Allah of His nearness to His servants, not only throughout this life but also in the hereafter?

In the holy month of Ramadan, especially, this promise of Allah's has a particular significance for the believing Muslim who dedicates his prayers and his sacrifices (in the form of his fasts) up to Allah, the Lord of Creation.

Ramadan is the month of soul purification:

The Month of Ramadan is also the month souls are purified. The social scientists studying ethics believe that acquiring ideal sublime and ethical conscience passes through three stages:

1. Getting rid of bad habits and attitudes;
2. Acquiring new good traits and habits;
3. Strengthening and crystallizing these traits.

To Allah we shall return at two bows length or nearer. O man, strive hard towards your Lord until you meet Him.

In this respect I believe that the month of Rajab, as it was related, is the month of asking forgiveness for one's guilt's and sins, and it is also the month of the Prince of the Faithful (A.S), while in the month of Shaaban Muslims try to acquire the manners of the greatest Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and then they will strengthen them and crystallize them in themonth of Ramadan. Thus the month of Ramadan is the month of generosity, and feeding all who are needed.

It has been related that if one's sins were not forgiven in the month of Ramadan, they will not be forgiven until the following month of Ramadan or until he performs Hajj pilgrimage.

Ramadhan: Month of Holy Quran

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Holy Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful. Holy Quran (Al-Baqara, 2:185)

As a result of associating this month of Ramadan to the Holy Quran, Allah (SWT) wants us to read His Book in this month. It is not merely reciting its words but trying to understand them and learn the wisdom lying in their concepts. Do they not then meditate on the Quran? And if it were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it many a discrepancy. (Surah An-Nisa, 4:82), so that it will guide us in all our affairs, whether in worship on in social and business dealings. We should learn, guided by Holy Quran, the difference between Right and falsehood, Good and evil, justice and wronging, deviation and following the straight path.

Thus, Allah (SWT) wanted this month of Ramadan to be a month of calling, through asking the people to study Holy Quran, and the scholars to educate the people on Holy Quran, since it is worthless to read Holy Quran if one is not going to appreciate and comprehend it.

And we have seen how Imam Zainul Abideen (as) has described this month of Ramadan as the month of Allah (SWT), The Most Exalted, wants man in to change himself in this month. He should study himself to learn his weak points and strong ones, and then train himself on the good, the right and justice, as opposed to evil, falsehood and wronging. Allah (SWT), The Most Exalted, wants man to stand before Him in a sound mind that embraces truth, a sound heart that beats with mercy and love and a sound body that obeys Allah's commands in what to take and leave.

It is, according to Imam Zainul Abideen (as), the month of purification from all the evil ideas Satan might suggest to man, like making his relations with others based on harming them and deviated from the straight path. Man should purify himself from the inside; the outside cleanness of the body is not what purification actually implies. The real purifications are that of the mind, heart, tongue, goals and relations, so as to stand before Allah (SWT) - when nothing does one any good except his good deeds - with a heart void of disbelief and hatred.

Imam Zainul Abideen (as) stresses too that the month of Ramadan is the month of Islam. In the month of Ramadan, all Muslims should uphold the responsibility of Islam by leaving all what Allah (SWT) has ordained, revealed or conveyed to His Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) so that it will be a month in which man lives a spiritual and humanistic life. O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered.

This month of Ramadan is also the month of peace, in which the Muslim should prove that Islam is the religion of peace. Allah (SWT) has made the greeting which the Muslim says to others to be: "peace on you". And the tradition has related that a greeting has 70 rewards, 69 of them are for the one who says it first. Allah (SWT) wants our greeting to others to be one of peace. They should train on this greeting in this world to move to Paradise, having been accustomed to it, because peace is the salutation of the people of Paradise. The angels also will greet the believers in Paradise with the word of peace, the gardens of perpetual abode which they will enter along with those who do good from among their parents and their spouses and their offspring; and the angels will enter in upon them from every gate: Peace unto you for that ye persevered in patience! Now how excellent is the final home!

Engr.Sulthan

www.keralites.net

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[www.keralites.net] Seven Qualities of Highly Ethical People

People are ethical because of social norms, religious beliefs and laws. Ethical foundations in an individual define the way he lives the life by differentiating between right and wrong and behave in a way which improves the situation directly or indirectly however doesn't harm it at any cost. Ethics have been defined by relevant governmental and religious authorities for several domains of life however below article occupies 'blanket' coverage for all norms of life.

Below are top seven qualities of highly ethical people.

1- They are Empathic: Ethical people have high degree of emotional intelligence. They understand things from multiple perspectives covering all the direct and indirect stake holders.. They seek first to understand than to be understood. They have strong observatory, listening and analytical skills to understand things deeply. This quality makes them unique which enables them to win the trust of others; consequently, people share their problems with them with open heart and seek their support.

2- They Forgive and Forget: It requires a brave heart to forgive and forget. Ethical people don't keep grudges for long duration. They have the tendency to establish peace all the times hence keeping the brawls open does not suit them. They stay away from such complications and move ahead with life by forgiving and forgetting the matters.

3- They are Always willing to Help: Highly Ethical people always want to improve the situation regardless of their relationship with a person who is in trouble. They take either corrective, preventive or suggestive initiatives for resolving issues. Corrective approach ensures that the matter is fixed by doing some specific actions. Preventive approach guarantees that such particular matters do not appear again. They use preventive approach to reach the root cause of the issue so as to fix it permanently so as to avoid further frequency of such incidents. Suggestive methodology is used by them for guiding someone to do some specific act in order to overcome a tragic situation.

4- They are Implosive: Ethical people are not hyper sensitive or explosive personalities. They possess a cool mind and a soft heart. They avoid frequent mood swings in order to develop a consistent and stable personality. They handle indecencies with decency. They know how to ignore hard and harsh comments and still converse softly. They know how to handle idiotic situations. They have high degree of anger management skills which further empowers their implosive personality trait.

5- They Mind Their Own Business: A lot of people have the habit of having serious curiosity about every other person's life. This habit causes them talk about people too much, spreading rumors andscattering false news in the society without any verification. Unlike those, ethical People do not interfere in others' lives unnecessarily; they mind their own business. Ethical people understand the fact the character assassination is equally a great sin so they don't give attention to rumors and focus on crystal clear matters; and avoid peeping into others' personal matters.

6- They are Flexible adaptable: The wise says, it is better to bend than to break. Ethical people possess a great deal of elasticity. They adapt themselves according to the situation. They don't stick to one mind set. Their continuous thought process enables them to change their minds easily in order to improve a situation without making it a matter of ego. They are not stubborn at all instead portray a flexible behavior in all kind of tough situations.

7- They Do not criticize: Too much criticism is the root of several social and professional problems. Ethical people do not criticize at first place. In case they need to condemn or criticize something they follow a positive methodology to approach the relevant person and advice in a way which doesn't hurt anyone and convey the message in an effective way.

Junaid Tahir

www.keralites.net

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[www.keralites.net] Don't Compare Yourslef to Others

(Your competition is with yourself)

Comparing ourselves with others creates a fake sense of being, and curbs our uniqueness and individuality. There are numerous other reasons why a constant comparison with others is a bad idea.

"Comparison is the thief of joy" Theodore Roosevelt

Comparing ourselves with others comes naturally to a lot of us. It is a trait that we develop early on in our lives. Remember how our teachers used to portray the head boy/girl as the role model for all of us. We were expected to be like them. Even at home, comparisons with siblings were inevitable. The burden of expectations always bordered upon how you fared with the best performer of the team. And in case, you were the best performer, the comparison with others only created an impression of strength and superiority.

The fact that many of us indulge in comparing our life, social status, appearance, wealth, etc., with others, is symptomatic of a deep-rooted desire to be accepted by others. When we put ourselves against others, we measure our strengths and weaknesses with them. The reason comparisons don't work out is because no two people are similar. While one might be good at making money, another might be good at making friends. The point we are trying to drive home here, is that comparison between two individuals, who may appear to be equal due to the roles they play in their family or society, only creates the feeling of frustration, self-pity, low self-worth, and envy. There are other reasons why comparison with others should be avoided at all costs.

Why Comparing Ourselves with Others is Futile

Comparison creates dependency on others.

When we indulge in comparison, the way we think about ourselves becomes dependent upon how we perceive others around us. If we are doing better than A, we get an emotional boost, but as soon as we know about B's affluence, we pity ourselves for not being able to achieve much in life. Comparisons with others only create a fake sense of being, and we find ourselves trying to keep up with others at all costs.

Comparison pushes us to be 'at par' with others.

Comparing ourselves with others takes away our individuality. It forces us to do things that we ideally don't want to do.

When we engage in the game of comparison, it becomes difficult for us to think pragmatically. We are blinded by the expectations of being 'at par' with our competitors. The urge of having the same set of luxuries that others can afford, engulfs us, curbing our real qualities. We endlessly compare ourselves to our neighbors and relatives, and base our decisions on gaining a positive perception from them.

Comparison causes envy and jealousy.

Comparison is one of the major reasons for creating envy and jealousy among people. For example, it often happens that the moment we come to know that a peer or a relative has bought a new car, a feeling of envy masked by condescension overpowers us. Instead of being happy for them, we criticize their decision, and make up our mind that they have given in to imprudence, and are doomed to fail. We start making assumptions about how could they possibly afford it, convincing ourselves at the same time that they will soon be under debts. In reality, the perception that the friend will now get more respect and approval from others, pesters us from inside and creates a sense of being less-worthy from him. We constantly battle against ourselves, and look for ways to beat him in this perceived competition.

Comparison limits our potential.

When we compare ourselves with others, we subconsciously place limits on what we can possibly achieve. It results in the creation of a mental block, which prevents us from giving our 100%. For example, if X holds the university record of running a mile in 4 minutes, Y's entire focus will be on doing it under 4 minutes. By comparing himself with X, Y places a limitation on himself. If Y just competes against himself, and develops his skills over a period of time, he will be able to give his best shot, without constantly focusing on X's record. The important thing to remember is that we shouldn't base our targets on what others are able to achieve. We don't know their strengths and weaknesses thoroughly, but we do know ours, so it is prudent to make the best use of that.

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Be yourself.

The first thing to do to stay away from the mire of comparisons is to love yourself for who you are. You may think that you are not perfect, but that is what makes us humans different from each other. As Oscar Wilde famously put it, "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." Accepting yourself with all your flaws is pertinent if you really want to experience inner peace and calmness. Being content with what you have doesn't mean that you stay in a cocoon, and shy away from taking any steps to improve your skills. What it means is that you set realistic targets for yourself, and work towards achieving them.

Realize that constant comparison is a bad habit.

The problem with constant comparison is that it is ingrained in us from a pretty young age, and therefore, we indulge in comparisons subconsciously. Ask a group of people whether they compare themselves to others, you will not get too many affirmations. When we do something far too often, without knowing its repercussions, we fail to see it as a vice. Therefore, to extricate ourselves from the web of unnecessary comparisons, we need to be aware of what we are doing. Any time you feel that you are trying to measure up to somebody, engage in self-talk, and convince yourself that this whole idea can be noxious for you. Constantly look out for such behavior, and dissociate your mind from such feelings. Over a period of time, you will see that the urge to always compare yourself with others has gone down.

Appreciate the efforts of your peers.

Try to appreciate the people you always compare yourself with. Criticizing them behind their backs may make you feel good for some time, but if you look at it pragmatically, you end up achieving nothing out of it. Instead, you can bring about a positive change in your attitude by commending the virtues of your friends, colleagues, and relatives.

Many of us view life as a competition, where you always have to fight to survive, but we should keep in mind that life is also a journey of finding our inner-self, and discovering the true potential that is inherently present in all of us. Once we focus on our individual journey, all comparisons with others cease to exist.

source: unknown

Junaid Tahir

www.keralites.net

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