Wordly Life

It is extremely uncertain. I have had a fairly long innings myself- I am 85 not out

 presently. But I have seen my own son, my own younger brother, my own younger sister, and many other younger persons die!

The thing that bothers me is that most human beings are bothered about this uncertain life only! They do not believe that therre is a permanent life in the  Hereafter. Allah Almighty has sent us here to this world only to check our eligibility for a permanent good life in the Hereafter. That should be our main concern; but, unfortunately it is not!

May Allah save us!

I am unable to send this FRIDAY SERMON in the usual manner as I am on a hospital bed as a Covid patient.  Please pray for me!I do pray for all.

Mohammad Shafi 

Friday, the 7th of May 2021.

O Muslims - 48

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

38. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ma lakum itha qeela lakumu infiroo fee sabeeli Allahi iththaqaltum ila al-ardi aradeetum bialhayati alddunya mina al-akhirati fama mataAAu alhayati alddunya fee al-akhirati illa qaleelun

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9:38. O you who believe! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to set out in Allah's Path, you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer this life to the Hereafter when the provisions of this life count for nothing but little in the Hereafter? ¹⁹

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19. The Verse itself depicts the circumstances in which it – as also the Verses that follow – was revealed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was to embark on a difficult military expedition. And several men were reluctant to go with him.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 8^th of January 2021.

Aim in Life

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

In a family get-together, a few months back, I posed a question to youngsters on the threshold of adulthood, "What's your aim in life?" The answers were all related, understandably, to getting better positions of living in this world. But, my Qur'aanic studies tell me that the common aim of human life in this world ought to be getting a place in Jannah {Paradise}, in the Hereafter! And this aim could be achieved only by following the divine directions in the Qur'aan. These directions, inter alia, require a human to be convinced  1. of the existence of Allah & seeks His help frequently in the conduct of his/her worldly life, 2. that Allah is aware of, and does minutely monitor, every bit of his/her actions in this world., 3. that Allah requires a human to be honest, truthful, sincere, and just in whatever he/she does in the course of living and earning a livelihood in this world, 4. that this life is uncertain, transitory, and replete with trials & tribulations to test a human's eligibility for a better life in the Hereafter, 5. that those that pass this worldly test would enjoy everlasting happiness in the Hereafter and those that fail would be punished there. Mohammad Shafi Friday, the 31st of January 2020.

Worldly Life

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

185. Kullu nafsin tha-iqatu almawti wa-innama tuwaffawna ojoorakum yawma alqiyamati faman zuhziha AAani alnnari waodkhila aljannata faqad faza wama alhayatu alddunya illa mataAAu alghuroori

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3:185. Everyone must taste the death. And only on the Resurrection Day, shall your earnings be fully paid. So then, whoever is moved away from the Fire and admitted to the Garden, he indeed has achieved success. And the life of this world is nothing but ways and means of deception.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 3^rd of January 2020.

Bragging Negates Charity

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

262. Allatheena yunfiqoona amwalahum fee sabeeli Allahi thumma la yutbiAAoona ma anfaqoo mannan wala athan lahum ajruhum AAinda rabbihim wala khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

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2:262. Those who spend their worldly possessions in Allah's path and follow not what they spend with boastfulness and insult – for them is their reward with their Lord; they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.^{494, 495}

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494. It is often the case with human beings that if they give something to a needy person, their behaviour with that person would be such as to make that person feel burdened with their favours. They will go on, on some pretext or the other, reminding him of their charity. They may even insult and speak harshly to him. Allah condemns such behaviour and makes their charity ineligible for any reward from Him.

495. The Qur'aanic statement falaa khaufun ualayhim walaa hum yahuzanoon (they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve) has been repeated in several Verses while speaking of

·         those who spend their property by night and by day, secretly and openly (2:274),

·         those who believe and do good deeds and keep up prayer and give charity (2:277),

·         those who believe in Allah and the last day and do good (5:69),

·         the friends of Allah (10:62),

·         those who say, Our Lord is Allah, then they continue the right way (46:13).

Any group of persons described by any one of the above attributes, do inherently also have all the other attributes mentioned. These are the people whose minds are at peace, whatever be their momentary situations, good or bad, in this worldly life.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 20^th of September 2019.

Worldly Life

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Worldly Life is but a Test

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

212. Zuyyina lillatheena kafaroo alhayatu alddunya wayaskharoona mina allatheena amanoo waallatheena ittaqaw fawqahum yawma alqiyamati waAllahu yarzuqu man yashao bighayri hisabin

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2:212. The life of this world is made attractive for those who suppress the Truth, and they mock at some of those who believe. And those who fear Allah shall have an upper hand over them on the Day of Resurrection.³⁷⁵ And Allah provides for whomsoever He wishes, without measure!³⁷⁶

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375. One of numerous ways in which Allah tests mankind is to give a plenty in this world to some of those who disbelieve, and to give less to the believers, in comparison. In such cases, the disbelievers are wont to scoff at the believers, taunting them that despite their belief, their Allah has provided them with less wealth. The believers' test lies in whether they remain steadfast in their faith even in such seemingly unfavourable and unfair circumstances. The All-knowing and Merciful Allah however strengthens the will of the believers in such trying circumstances by promising them that they shall surely have an upper hand in the everlasting Hereafter, if they but passed the test of the temporary life of this world.

376. In the exercise of this absolute divine prerogative of our Lord, we, the creatures, have no say at all. But let us be clear in our minds that our Lord is a Just Lord. If in this world, He chooses to give undeservedly more wealth to a disbeliever than to a believer, He knows what He is doing! We should remember that He has reserved His bounty bi ghayri huisaab (without measure), in the Hereafter, only for the believers.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 2^nd of August 2019.