Muslim Behaviour

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, that mirrors the behaviour, in general terms, of a modern-day Muslim:

78. Waminhum ommiyyoona la yaAAlamoona alkitaba illa amaniyya wa-in hum illa yathunnoona

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78. And among them are illiterates who know nothing of the Book - they know nothing but their own desires/fancies. And they do not but guess! ^{102 & 103}

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102. Even at the risk of sounding repetitive, I wish to reiterate the fact that the All-knowing Allah hasn't given us these glimpses of Jewish history just to remember these for answering questions in a written test. HE knew beforehand that a substantial majority of those who profess to follow the Qur'aan, would in fact be following the footsteps of the Jews, in their behaviour and attitude towards divine Guidance! HE has given these glimpses at some length, and even sometimes repeatedly, to warn us against following those faulty footsteps.

103. The illiteracy among the professed followers of the Qur'aan, now, may not be as high as among the Jews at the time of the revelation of the Qur'aan. But we have a sort of neo-illiterates now! These neo-illiterates do know how to read the Qur'aan, and do read it, in original Arabic, but they do not know – nor do they deem it necessary to know – what the Arabic text means!! These neo-illiterates, like the illiterate Jews before them, know nothing of the Book; they do but know their own false desires, and they do not but guess!!!

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I appeal to my brothers/sisters in Islam to introspect deeply and sincerely. These worldly lives of ours are uncertainly short. We can't be sure whether we would be alive even for another minute!

But for making this very uncertain life 'secure' and 'comfortable', we devote our entire time and energy. And we care practically little for making our ever-lasting lives in the Hereafter really secure and comfortable. We can do that only by following the Allah-bestowed Book of Guidance - the Qur'aan!

Do we put in any sincere efforts to study and follow the divine Book?

Bring us back to the Right Path, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 24^th February, 2017.