What is "Deen" al Islam?

"No doubt, the means of executing judgement with Allah, acceptable to Allah, is Islam itself. The acceptable way of dealing with people is Islam." (Qur'an 3: 19)

The most common translation of Deen is religion, however the meaning is far more profound and deeper than the way it is translated in modern English. The word Deen encompasses every interaction and transaction that a human being experiences in her lifetime. This verse from the Qur'an stipulates that every time a person deals with someone, it is Deen (the very essence of religion). 

The word  ٱلدِّينَ Deen (religion) is from day-n (loan).  A loan is a very specific expectation between two parties. Similarly, Deen (religion) is to honour the specific expectations between people who are committed to each other, such as a husband and wife, father and son, father and daughter etc. The rights that are due to extended relatives, the commitment a teacher has to her students, government to its citizens are all part of Deen (religion). This is because these relationships come with specific expectations that have defined parameters. 
According to a famous Arab proverb: Tu deenu tu daanu - The way you deal with others, you will be dealt with, explains that Deen is a way of dealing with people.  Hence, Muslims are upon the Deen when we fulfill their obligations and trusts to whom they are due. 

Deen is a way of dealing with life. This implies every interaction and every dealing one has in her life.  Deen (religion) is submitting our every deal, decision, interaction, transaction to Allah first for His approval. 

Many Muslims think that the essence of Deen is centred around worshipping Allah through praying and fasting. However, dealing with people in a good manner is JUST AS IMPORTANT as praying and fasting. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), "No deed that will be placed on the scale of deeds (on the Day of Judgement) will heavier than good character. Indeed, a person with good character will attain the rank of those with a good record of voluntary fasts and prayers." (at-Tirmidhee) In other words, praying Salah five times a day should not impede one from being gentle, affectionate and helpful with dealing with people.  Our Deen is not complete until we are both, observant of our prayers and fasts AND kindhearted, merciful and generous in our interaction with all people. 
The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) also said, "the dearest to me among you (Muslims) and the nearest to me on the Day of Judgement are those who have the best character." (at-Tirmidhee). The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was the most considerate, magnanimous man on earth. If we claim to follow him and want to be with him in the next life, then we must ACT like him in this life. 


Many non-Muslims believe that Islam is a violent Deen. It

commands people to be very rude, and obnoxious towards people. Non-Muslims are scared of us because they think we are dangerous and harmful. Nothing could be further from the truth.  In Islam, every Muslim's Deen is to take care of all plants and animals [i]. In other words, it is our Deen to be friends of the earth. We bleed Green! 

A Muslim husband's Deen is to live with his wife in kindness. (Qur'an, 4:19) The cases of wife-beating, acid throwing, child-marriages, in Muslim families are NOT Deen. They are a DISGRACE to Deen.  These abuses happen because people who claim to be Muslim are UNAWARE of their Deen. 

A neighbour's Deen is to be generous with her neighbours and to treat them like her siblings [ii-iii]. As part of our Deen, Muslims living in Canada, US, France, Germany or anywhere in the world, must treat their fellow citizens with selflessness and hospitality. Any Muslim who shoots people in a public space or drives a bus over them is NOT upon the Deen. They are mentally disabled, conceited, narcissists with Muslim names with Muslim appearances. But they are the Deen's BLACK SHEEP. 

I ask Allah to first enable me and all Muslims to live upon the right Deen. ameen. 


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i. The people asked, “Messenger of Allah! Is there a reward for us in serving these animals?” “Yes,” he replied, “There is a reward for serving every living thing.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 5663; Saheeh Muslim: 2244).
ii. Prophet, , exhorted Muslims to be good to their neighbors and to honor them when he said: “… and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should serve his neighbor generously.” The narration of Muslim 
iii. The Prophet, , said: “By the One in whose Hands, my soul is, no slave of Allah has true faith unless he likes for his neighbor what he likes for himself.” 

Is La ilaha ill Allah some scary call for Jihad?

What does La ilaha ill Allah stipulate upon its proclaimants? 
"To blow yourself up!" The Jihad obsessed, Fox news' anchors would say.  
However, most Muslims will cite the five pillars of Islam. La ilaha ill Allah requires one to:  pray (salah), fast, give in charity, (zakkah),  go on the pilgrimage (Hajj) -  and these Muslims won't be wrong. La ilaha ill Allah does not have any violent connotations. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said,  "Islam is based upon five things: declaring La illaha ill Allah (that there is no God except Allah) and that Muhammad is the the Messenger of Allah, the establishment of salah, the payment of zakkah, the hajj and fasting in the month of Ramadan." (Bukhari)



La ilaha ill Allah appears in fifty-one verses in the Qur'an and not once does it command death or vengeance. The first four times when it comes in the Qur'an, it speaks of Allah's great mercy, kindness, leniancy and graciousness with all human beings (2:163), His glory (He never rests or tires, He is the source of all life and He will never die), His power extends over the skies and the earth (2:225), His majestic strength  and splendid wisdom (3:2) and finally the miracle which personally touched my life: "It is He (Allah) Who forms you in the wombs however He wills. La ilaha illa hu, the Exalted in Might, the Wise" (3:2). Allah made thousands of varieties of iridescent birds, flowers, trees, leaves, and fruits to make us fall in love with Him. Allah planted mountain ranges from the Rockies in Western Canada in all their grandeur to the mountains of California and Arizona with their varying shadows to fill us with awe and astonishment. Allah guides the streams; the gushing waterfalls, the rivers, lakes and oceans; the huge whales and the tiny turtles  so that our eyes will be opened to His breathtaking beauty. And if somehow, all this was not enough, Allah designs, inside of woman, another human being. This is why there is no true God except Allah. This is why I pray to Him. This is why I watch what I eat and when I eat for Him (fast). I  give Zakkah (charity) to help His creation who are in need, and I will make a pilgrim (Hajj) to His Holy Mosque (God Willing). 


La ilaha ill Allah and Allahu Akbar are not scary words. These words are an admission of our thankfulness to Allah and how indebted we are to Him for our lives and all the fabulous things we enjoy in this world. But there is a condition of La ilaha ilAllah that Muslims don't admit and many Muslims don't even know it exists. 

"Allah witnesses that La ilaha illahuwa and [so do] the angels, and those of knowledge - [that Allah is] maintaining [creation] in justice. La illaha illahuwa, the Exalted in  Might, the Wise." (3:18)

The key words in this verse are:   Qiyyam bit Qist - Allah should be worshipped because He stands by justice. He is Just and He expects everyone to uphold justice. Whoever says la allah il Allah is expected to be committed to justice. The pro-claimants of la ilaha ill Allah should be fair-minded, unprejudiced and impartial people. 

The first elements of Islam which were revealed to the Muhammad (sa.w) in the initial years of His Prophethood were not about praying five times a day or fasting from dawn to dusk or going for Hajj. Of the very first messages which Allah sent down through the Qur'an were berating those who push the orphans around, cheat in business and those who don't care for their neighbours. Allah reprimands those who burry their little girls alive for no other crime except that they were born girls. All these are matters of injustice which Allah weeds out because the first practical application of La illaha il Allah is justice. Therefore, the first dire concern of every Muslim, should be justice.

Muslim homes (and by that extension, Muslim majority

governments) may give due respect to the five pillars: we  may download the salah app on our phones or the Masajid back home may call out the adhan on the loud speaker. But by and large, we are not people known to stand up for justice. Our imaams tell wives to stay in abusive marriages. Our parents don't let their daughters go to university and forcibly marry them to their cousins back home. What are Muslims doing to help drug addicts get rehab? To get homeless people get jobs? To reduce GHG? To stop animal cruelty? The scary reality is that Muslims are not fulfilling the first requirement of La blah ill Allah, which is to execute justice. 

Very rarely do we encourage our Muslim kids to participate in social justice events, even at the high school level. Muslim parents rather just bury their heads in the sand whenever there is an outcry in the community for justice. We refuse to think about an unpleasant situation, hoping it will improve on its own or disappear somehow so we will not have to deal with. When 9/11 happened, my grandma told me not to wear a hijab or talk about Islam very openly in case people associated me with the terrorists. Being silent and scared didn't deter other people from stereotyping me. 

Justice is beautifully defined by the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in the following hadith: "Whoever sees a wrong action, let her change it with her hands; and if she is not able to do so, then let her speak against it (denounce it); and if she is not able to do so, then with her heart (let her acknowledge in her heart that the action is repugnant and immoral) - and this (last step) is the weakest of faith." (Muslim)

I ask Allah to make, first my myself, all Muslims and every human being, people of high faith, people justice and people of La ilaha ill Allah. ameen

The Pure of Mind

There are so many people who hold Qur'an diplomas and ijazas. They frequently attend lectures and memorize Surahs but they have very little Islam (gentleness, mercy, forgiveness) to show for it. Sometimes they are the most disappointing, rudest, condescending people you will ever meet. 

Where is the Islam gone among the people who claim to know it so well? The people frequent the Masjid day in and day out? Who have all the answers to all the fiqh questions? Why don't they act like God-fearing people?

    أُوْلُو  ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ  The pure of mind are discussed in Surah Ale-'Imran, verse 7. 

لۡبَ Lub is a sound mind, pure from vanity.

Aqal or intelligence is to tie something up. It is to have control over your emotions and then being able to think clearly. If you have a bias of anger, fear, love, lust, greed – any kind of emotional bias that clouds your judgement, then you are not fully exercising your intellect. Only when you put your emotions in check and you put your biases aside, are you able to think about something clearly. This equates to using your aqal.

Jahl or ignorance is having a lack of emotional control. Something comes into their head and you just blurt it out. If you feel like eating something, you will gobble it down without a thought. If you feel like doing something, you will just act on impluse  There is not rational human behaviour. This can only be described as reckless endangerment of oneself and others. Jahl is your inability to control and restrain yourself.

The highest form of clarity of thought  is lub. Lub is the pinnacle use of a human mind – the ability to think, ponder and reflect clearly essentially distinguishes humans from animals. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said: (and I am paraphrasing it here) that the people who do more taddabur (reflect deeply in Quran) have more reward than those who pray the entire night. In other words, rather than mindlessly performing one ritual after another, the pure of mind make a sincere effort to remember Allah and to connect with Allah on a intellectual and emotional basis, which completely revamps their perspective on self and others. 

A pure mind is a mind that is free from vanity, a mind that is not preoccupied by

 greed, pride, jealousy, lust, gluttony, Or filled with filth,  like with unnecessary sport statistics, names of movies, awards ceremonies, characters and, yogi-o cards etc. You can have that stuff  in your head but if your mind is full of that garbage then you won't have a clear mind or the ability to think clearly. You will not be able to really remember Allah. Even when you try to engage with Allah, your heart will immediately say, finish the salah quickly and go back to the movie. People who have sound minds, they are able to take time in their salah, really reflect on what they are saying to Allah - even cry in prayer and feel Allah's presence inside and outside of prayer. 

Surah Ale-'Imran, verse 7 began with people who are deeply rooted in knowledge (وَٱلرَّٲسِخُونَ فِى ٱلۡعِلۡم  Ra seen kha means absorption. They have absorbed knowledge, it has become a part of them, they have internalized knowledge) yet Allah mentions ذَّكَّرُ  remembrance which happens in the heart. Those who are deeply rooted in knowledge are more committed to remembering Allah by first keeping their hearts clean. This leads to the next ayah, the private dua of the people of knowledge.

  رَبَّنَا لَا  تُزِغۡ  قُلُوبَنَا 

O our Lord, don't deviate our hearts

The more you know, the more you realize, the danger you are in. However, for most people, increase in knowledge means increase in legitimacy. The more I know, the better I can argue with others, the better I can put others down in debate. The more I know, the more I can assume to a school. The better I can acquire a teaching position etc.

The people who have fully incorporated knowledge as part of their conscious and personality, are the ones who are most worried about their hearts. They reflect deeply not only in the verses of the Qur'an but at the same time, they also frequently scrutinize their own character and manners. They are not concerned with judging others. The more you know, the more you realize, the danger you are in. However, for most people, increase in knowledge means increase in legitimacy. The more I know, the better I can argue with others, the better I can put others down in debate. The more I know, the more I can assume to a school. The better I can acquire a teaching position etc.

They are scared of becoming deviated at heart (seeking intellectual pursuits which don’t really improve the quality of their obedience to Allah or the amount of their remembrance of Allah). They are scared of appearing or talking like scholars and imams on the outside but internally, their hearts are rotting and chasing after fitnah.

May Allah make us of those who are pure of mind and deeply rooted in knowledge, in a way that He has described and is pleasing to Him aameen. 

   

Life after Ramadan - Don't Give Up on Qur'an

Life as a Muslim in Ramadan this year was quite an adventure. It was like the amazing journey that Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee went on in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. You may progress from hiking along a treacherous mountain trail (fasting for 18+ hours), to braving a fierce storm (facing Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism - depending on where you live: US, UK or Canada), to battling the enemy (your own naps and emotions), to sailing on a placid lake or strolling through a pleasant field (praying Taraweeh 2 hours into midnight).

There were ups, downs, and unexpected turns this Ramadan. Though you may not stick to exactly the same routine and timetable after Ramadan, the one thing you don’t want is to go backwards, spiritually.

Backsliding after Ramadan refers to going backwards in emaan (faith) and in good deeds.

Backsliding can happen through neglect by getting lazy with Salah, not reciting and learning the Quran very often, and losing focus on living for Allah. A deliberate backsliding after Ramadan means a person is choosing to indulge in sin. I know whenever I am don't make an extra effort to make my Salah more meaningful or when I let my tongue loose or when I don't guard my gaze, my heart is saddened. Sins only add turmoil to our lives. We may think that we are lighting our load by backbiting but it only gives us more grief. Browsing on Facebook and prying into other people's lives is no way to relax or to entertain oneself. It eventually plagues us with the feelings of stress (sensory overload) and depression (superiority/inferiority complex). Don’t let the pleasures of sin deceive you. In time, sin will bring you pain. Also, do not let doubt or guilt hold you back from starting over.

First, pay close attention to matters of the heart. A Muslim's life is about having a personal relationship with Allah. Avoid focusing primarily on a list of Halal and Haram. Stay close to Allah throughout each day. Take the time to learn about Him. Trust me, it is more important to know Who He is and What He said then to read BBC and CNN updates every minute of every day. Keep your heart and mind focused upon Allah's Presence. 

Second, beware of the enemy’s schemes. Flee from situations that corrupt you. Shaytan constantly attracts the nafs towards sin. He makes the nafs feel as though the sins are pleasurable. Fortunately, shaytan has no physical control over us; he cannot make us do anything. While the nafs is like a cranky, needy child who wants everything in sight. It runs after the temptations presented by shaytan. So our job, especially in Ramadan is to train our nafs to develop a craving for beneficial things and to keep it busy in pursuing positive goals. 

أعداء الإنسان ثلاثة :

" دنياه ، وشيطانه ، ونفسه "

فاحترز من الدنيا بالزهد ، ومن الشيطان بمخالفته

ومن النفس بترك الشهوات! - يحيى بن معاذ

Human beings have three enemies:  The Dunya, the Shaytan and the Nafs

One can free herself from the Dunya through Zuhud (abstinence - freeing herself from greed, gluttony, pride,  etc).

One can free herself from shaytan by opposing him (disobeying him).

And from nafs, by curbing her carnal desires! - Yahya Ibn Ma'az

Finally, continue to let the Qur'an lead you, fill you, encourage you, and empower you as you go through each day. The greatest gift received by humanity from Allah, after the gift of life, is knowledge. Allah gave Adam (a.s) the source code of everything - every discovery, invention and every field of study - essentially everything we know today and will learn tomorrow, is an extension of the gift of knowledge, initially given to Adam (a.s). Along with this worldly knowledge, Adam (a.s) was also blessed with revelation. Knowledge of this world is crucial for human survival; it makes a person more resourceful but not more civilized or humane, which is outside the realm of worldly knowledge.. Knowing the kinetic energy, mass or speed of an object or a degree of a polynomial or advanced software architecture cannot substitute knowing revelation. Moral judgement, civility and humanity can only be procured from revelation.  

 وَلَكُمۡ  فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ  مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ وَمَتَـٰعٌ  إِلَىٰ حِينٍ۬ 

Allah said to Adam (a.s), "The Earth is a comfortable, relaxing, beautiful and pleasurable place of utility for you. Stay here with ease, you will be provided provisions and things of enjoyment. However, your stay on earth is a temporary period. It is not your forever home." (Qur'an, 2:36)

This is where worldly knowledge comes in handy - it not only offers you fulfillment of your intellectual curiosity and personal development opportunities but also guarantees you, your dream job, loads of money and an expensive house. However, academic credentials and wealth is not a precursor to happiness. 
On an average, a teenager in Canada makes $15-$25/hour. They are a walking billboard for the latest clothes, accessories, and gadgets yet over a thousand of them commit suicide every year. Worldly knowledge and income doesn't not guarantee a placate life. 
The world was meant to be a place of مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ coolness, calm and peacefulness. But with each passing day, we undergo more and more violence and discord. Sometimes it feels that there is only fear and sadness in this world, no مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬. 

 بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ۬‌ۖ

"If you are not careful, shaytan will make you enemies of each other." (Qur'an, 2:36)

 This refers to the constant struggle between husband and wife inside the home; entire communities and cultures where women are silence, beaten into submission, mentally tortured, deprived from education and money. Entire societies and movements where women want to become men and feminize men as a way to fight back that oppression. Brother fighting brother over inheritance, mother causing problems and even separation between her son and his wife. Police officers shooting innocent children playing on the street. Countries going to war. Xenophobia.  Allah sent us revelation to establish peace on earth and to prevent men and women from becoming enemies.  

فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا  خَوۡفٌ  عَلَيۡہِمۡ  وَلَا  هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ

Allah says, "I will give you a manual (a revelation, a guidance) that will help you navigate your fears and your sadnesses on earth for the duration of your temporary existence. Then you can come back Home to Jannah, to Me. Just live by this revelation and guidance for a little while. It will give you safety, security and serenity. " (Qur'an 2:38) 

There would be no massacre in Nice, no honour killing in Multan, no ambush in Dallas, no first degree murder of a mother and daughter in Calgary if the revelation, the Qur'an was more frequently read and fervently internalized. 

*All verses in the article are not translated literally but with slight interpretation and tafseer.