Science and The Meaning of Life from Islamic Perspective

[Source courtesy of Society for Bhagavata Culture]

AlhamdulilLahx3, was privileged to be invited to this 7 May 2011 talk and given the opportunity to observe, first-hand, how inter-faith dialogue was to be conducted by Sheikh Abdul Halim - with diplomacy, honesty, sensitivity and an open mind.

What I took away from this expreience include the need to spread the message by starting with clarity of concepts (the What from Islam's perspective), providing the opportunity for the audience to reflect on the 'So What?' to make an informed action or choice (Why Islam is 'Adeenul Haq by illustrating comparisons from Islam's Worldview and Wordlview of others... to do this, one needs in-depth inter-faith knowledge) and invite others to Islam with wisdom (the How... depending on the demographics and dynamics of the audience, the choice of words seems essential).

Upon further reflection, due to the time limitation of the talk... it seems incomplete to not mention that the key source of Authentic Knowledge and True Report is the Quran, a source Muslims rely upon given that RasululLah SAW was the Seal of Prophethood and after 124,000 prophets, Muslims still could turn to the Quran for divine guidance and the Sunnah for the way of life prescribed by RasululLah SAW. Also, a list of useful references would enable the audience to do further research about 'Adeenul Haq from the time of Prophet Adam AS to Prophet Muhammad SAW. Wallahu a'lam bissawab... Let me end this post: 

"There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower." [QS al-Baqarah: 2: 256]

"I exist therefore I am"... sounds familiar? Due to fitrah saleema, a true 'Abd (Servant of Allah) will feel humbled when reflecting or seeking essential answers to pertinent questions - The origin of life, The source of Creations, The Sustainer, subhan Allah!

May Allah SWT protect us from attributes of Iblis (arrogance)... insya Allah amiin Allahuma amiin. May Allah SWT also protect the Ummah, who is spreading the Truth, from harm's way and bestow His hidayah upon mankind..."O Allah, show us the truth as the truth and bless us with obedience (to it) and show us falsehood as falsehood and bless us to refrain (from it) with Your Mercy, O Most Merciful" ... insya Allah aamiin ya Rabb! :)

Afterthought: Recall the concept of Aynul Qalb when reflecting on the question of consciousness :)

Islam and Modernity

[Source courtesy of Sheikh Abdul Halim Abdul Karim]

AlhamdulilLahx3, following up from an earlier talk in 2009, this topic is essential, given the 21st Century discourse where some within the Ummah unwittingly question if Islam is even relevant today, nauzubilLah!

Sheikh Abdul Halim explained at length the concepts of Modernity and Secularism from Western Worldview and comparing them with Islamic Worldview, who the "Modernist" scholars are/were, and reinforced that 'Adeenul Haq is a progressive religion (progress defined from Islam's perspective of course!) that is complete and comprehensive (transcends time). It is incumbent upon us to correct our malformed Islamic Worldview or seek knowledge to adopt Islamic Worldview.

Indeed, the world is going through change upon change and if the Ummah hold on to the teachings of Islam (seek the right knowledge), it can guide us through these without us losing our identity while keeping our Islamic Worldview intact.

Upon reflection, this session enabled me to realise my shortcomings (naivety) in identifying who the "Modernist" Scholars are/were. Why you may ask? It is a grave concern for me as I'm worried that I may be unwittingly adopting the views of these Modernist! And I can't say enough about clarity in concepts as these build a strong foundation before we can pursue other tough questions. Wallahu a'lam bissawab.

Quranic Arabic Essentials

"And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance" [QS al-Qamar 54:17]

AlhamdulilLah, the Ustazah outlined the essential points during the 25 Mar 2011 talk, which include blessings and benefit of Quranic Arabic knowledge as it is a constant reminder of Allah's miracles around us so that we put ourselves in the right place in the scheme of things as 'Abd (Servants of Allah SWT) and stay true to the true purpose of our existance in this world.

Having studied at Tarim, she shared the beauty of palindrome, syntax, rootwords and semantic network as well as tafsir and ta'wil of Quranic Arabic (with anecdotes from her personal life, which made for a personable session).

Allow me to end this post with other good resources such as Bayyinah Institute, Masud, Project Root List :)

Islamic Education Talk

[Source courtesy of Muhammadiyah Sg]



AlhamdulilLah, had the opportunity to sit in and listen to yet another inspiring talk by Sheikh Abdul Halim Abdul Karim. The key notes covered, among many essential points, include the importance of clarity in definitions as this aspect is the foundation on which we operationalise our deeds.

In Islam, Muslims are to speak a common language, which is rightly the case, as we have our own Worldview, identity, mindset, etc. Hence to get the concepts right on the onset is wajib (compulsory) and should not be taken lightly so as to avoid confusion and misunderstanding within the Ummah.

More importantly, not to unwittingly adopt concepts and worldview of the West and apply them in Islamic education, which is the current situation we are observing in our Ummah...may Allah SWT open all doors of hidayah for educators in Islam to take the time to analyse, evaluate, discern (recall the significance of 'iqra') between what is haq (true) and what is bathil (false), insya Allah amin Allahuma amin!

Truly all 'ilm belongs to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. As seekers of knowledge, we are to have the right adab (recall Ta'lim Muta'alim) and a solid Tauhidic paradigm, which includes Tasawwur Islam (Worldview of Islam) i.e. the ability to filter and reject teachings that do not comply with our faith before studying it in great detail the philosophy of all fields or subject matter in order of priority - Fardh Ayn then Fardh Kifayah.

Let me end the post with a hadith by RasululLah SAW, "Addabaniy Rabbi, Fa-ahsani Ta'dibiy" (My Lord educated me and make it excellent)... May Allah SWT guide us to the right and true knowledge that will benefit us in this world and in the Hereafter, insya Allah aamiin ya Rabb! :) 

Afternote: Who is our khalifah who is supposed to identify the required 'ilm in Fardh Kifayah (and if this beloved khalifah of our Ummah) is doing so? Truly, (Unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed. [QS az-Zumar: 39: 9]

Ulum al Quran

Subhan Allah, following up from Ulum al Quran and Ulum al Hadith, I'm keen to share another great resource by Ahmed Von Denffer, recommended by Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail. May we benefit from this sharing, insya Allah ameen ya Rabbal 'Alameen :)

Afternote: AlhamdulilLah, felt so blessed to be given the opportunity to spend quality time with Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail and his family. May Allah SWT perpetually open all doors of baraqah and rahmah to them, insya Allah ameen ya Rabbal 'Alameen.

Adab in Islah and Da'wah - Start with Understanding Concepts

Subhan Allah, it is true what Sheikh Abdul Halim says about truly understanding definitions and concepts in Islam in order to operationalise one's life with yaqin (conviction). And it is always a great pleasure to sit with my beloved uncle to discuss about Islam (had the opportunity yesterday over Idul Adha's gathering).

He shares the video above (it is in Malay and this is the Part 1 of 8), including the reference book used in the video, as I shared my concern about researching about the concept of Bid'ah. He also urges me to read al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari, alhamdulilLah.

In all fairness (always have good opinion of people is mum's advice to me), his advice is to view all 8 parts of the video before making an informed decision about the hujah. Similarly, if one views the debate Part 1 of 7, view all 7 parts to be fair to both speakers.

Truly, Islam is Syumul - although your niat and amal ibadah is between you and Allah SWT (hablu minalLah), we live in a community whereby our actions and deeds are visible and sometimes followed by others unknowingly (while our niat is not visible to them).

It is a great responsibility for us to align our niat with our amal and extend ihsan to the Ummah (hablu minanNas) for when we die, 3 things will continue to benefit the dead- doa of his or her child who is soleh, benefit of charity in one's lifetime and beneficial 'ilm (have we conveyed beneficial i'lm throughout our lifetime? Point of introspection). Wallahualam bissawab.

Afternote: It is true what Ustaz Zhulkeflee says that Islam seems foreign when it was revealed and till the end of time, it will still be seen as foreign but that does not mean one should feel pressured to not reveal the Truth, subhan Allah. It is better to be seen as weird but upholding the Truth (Haq) then be accepted by the majority but lives in bathil (am reminded of sirah RasululLah's Isra' and Mikraj). Hence, seeking 'ilm is essential to lead one to the Straight Path and convey the message with hikmah (wisdom). Truly Islam is beautiful and high in adab :)

Taqwa

"And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you."  [QS an-Nisaa: 29]

Anas (B. Malik) reported Allah's Messenger SAW as saying: "None of you should make a request for death because of the trouble in which he is involved, but if there is no other help to it, then say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as there is goodness in life for me and bring death to me when there is goodness in death for me".

[Hadith Muslim #6480]

The Prophet SAW said, "Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever."

[Hadith Bukhari 7:670, Narrated Abu Huraira]

Subhan Allah, my heart weeps when I hear a fellow Muslim contemplates suicide, nauzubillah! Truly, this is a sign of one's level of iiman, 'ilm and taqwa. If you ever encounter such a situation, please get the person to say, "AstaghfirulLah wa atubu alaih" (May Allah have mercy on me and accept my repentance) 100 times a day, as was a sunnah of Prophet SAW. And when fearful, say "La ilaha ill Allah" (there is no deity but Allah). Read rulings on suicide here.

A note to myself: to be strong mentally, emotionally and spiritually when faced with such a tribulation and to counsel the ummah to the best of my ability... may Allah SWT guide me to the Straight Path, ameen ya Rabbal 'alameen.

Afternote: For those who abuse the oppressed, please reflect on the doa in the video as the doa of the oppressed is makbul. And may Allah saves us from the Hellfire by protecting us from such a situation, insya Allah, ameen ya Rabbal a'lameen.

Lifelong Learning

[Source courtesy from Sheikh Abdul Halim]

It is wajib (compulsory) for Muslims to continue seeking 'ilm (knowledge) and AlhamdulilLah, the courses I've been attending will resume lesson, starting with Fiqh and Muslimah today =)

I also recommend that my brothers and sisters in Islam to consider enrolling in Worldview of Islam (Tasawwur Islam) as it provides the Ummah with the right framework to operationlise one's life, like a compass, see the world through Islam's lenses, which is prescribed by Allah SWT and taught by our beloved RasululLah SAW =)

Kitab at-Tawheed

A fellow Muslim asks me how do one know if the 'aleem ulama one is following is the authoritative imam. This question is not new; I've had similar experience earlier in life when I was searching for the truth (Haq)... sometimes what one 'aleem says contradicts another, which resulted in the seeker of knowledge confused especially if one is a convert or revert, nauzu billahi min zaliq.

Indeed, it boils down to one's intention (niat) when seeking 'ilm. Allah SWT will show the way to the truth as one continues to persevere and strive towards tawheed. Truly, all 'ilm comes from Allah Azza Wa Jalla.

The above video is the first part of a series of talks by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi on Kitab at-Tawheed. Listen to a series of audio lectures on the same here. Or grab an explanation of Kitab at-Tawheed here.

In short, it is about adab - putting the a'leem, the false leaders, the seeker of knowledge, the 'ilm from Allah SWT and most importantly, the Almighty, in their proper places.

A tip Mum and Ustaz taught me is to hear out the a'leem with good opinion (don't be too quick to judge, allow the a'leem to complete his piece... be mindful to maintain the unity of the Ummah). For areas which cast doubt in your heart (it could be the whispers of Shaytaan), go back and research on those areas and verify if it is aligned to the Quran and Sunnah. And if you stll have doubts after that, seek clarification (not confrontation) with the same a'leem and others (for second opinion).

Afternote: It is obligatory (wajib) to seek the truth from authoritative sources when in doubt especially in matters relating to Fiqh as one will be held accountable for all actions and deed pertaining to amal ibadah. May Allah SWT protect us from the Hellfire, ameen ya Rabbal a'lameen.

Islamic Concept of Adab - 15 May 2010

AlhamdulilLah, Ustaz Zhulkeflee felt the need to cover the topic of Taqlid tonight, which I agree is essential in preserving the unity of the Ummah. View his slides here.

What I took away is that one cannot taqlid without the conviction that the amal ibadah one does supports the true Aqeedah. In Islam, there is consensus when it comes to Aqeedah while there are differing opinions on matters relating to Fiqh. It is obligatory to seek 'ilm and have yaqin when doing an ibadah coz truly one will be accounted for all his/her deeds in the Hereafter.

Subhan Allah, I also have a deeper appreciation for the aleem ulama for their selfless and tireless dedication in striving to attain the deep knowledge and judiciously conveying it in a manner that greatly benefit the ummah in our times.

Allow me to also share the first of a series of 14 videos by Sheikh Abu Yusuf Riyadh Ul Haq. He explains at great length the importance of following one of the Mujtahid Imams (i.e. a Madhab), its basis, and dispels a lot of the contemporary misconceptions about Taqlid, subhan Allah!:

Afterthought: I'm constantly reminded by mum to have good opinion of people. The Prophet SAW said, "Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the gravest lie in talk and do not be inquisitive about one another and do not spy upon one another and do not feel envy with the other, and nurse no malice, and nurse no aversion and hostility agains...t one another. And be fellow-brothers and servants of Allah." [Hadith Muslim 6214]... Truly there is adab in giving Islah, doing it with hikmah (wisdom)

Quality of Ummah

[Source courtesy of Al Maghrib Institute]

Sheikh Navaid Aziz, as he unfolds the sirah of the last few days of our beloved Prophet's life, he outlined the legacy of Prophet SAW, so that we keep them in mind as we go about our daily lives:
- do not worship the Prophet SAW the way the Christians worship Jesus AS i.e. grave worship (tawhid)
- fear the day every individual willl return to Allah SWT i.e. reinstate honour, purify self on earth
- honour convenant (agreement) by holding on to al-Quran and Sunnah (straight path in era of fitan)
- hold on to your solat and that which your right hand posses i.e. zakah (consistency to purify oneself)
- die in the hope to meet Allah SWT (have hope in the mercy of Allah SWT)

Compassion

Subhan Allah, this is the first part of a series of 9 videos where Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq explains the causes of disunity of the Ummah and what we can do and the attitude we should have:

[Source courtesy of Halal Da'wah Records]

The Concept of Education in Islam

Following up from my earlier post on Child Education, being an instructional designer whose work is closely-related to human resource development either nurturing the young or training the corporate workers, I am keen to apply the concept of Education in Islam to my work, insya Allah.

I'm currently reading a book by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas entitled The Concept of Education in Islam - A framework for an Islamic Philosophy of Education and will follow-up with another book by Mohd Nor Wan Daud entitled Educational Philosophy and Practice of Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas.

Afternote: I hope Sheikh Abdul Halim will soon conduct a program on this to provide elaborate explanation on ways to operationalise the concept of Education as envisaged by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas, insya Allah. The knowledge would motivate me to take up early childhood education.

Ulum al-Hadith

Following from my earlier post on Ulum al-Quran, the follow-up is the study of Science of Hadith i.e. to take the definitions and define the parameters of the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW. I've included one of the series of lectures by Sheikh Navaid Aziz, subhan Allah.

From Lughrawi or linguistic meaning, Sunnah is defined as Sirah (History) and Tareeq (Path or way that you follow). From conventional meaning, each respected specialists of Islamic Sciences have its own definition:

1. Muhadithin (Scholars of Hadith) defined Sunnah as that which is attributed to Prophet SAW i.e. statement, action or acceptance and which the Prophet SAW sifat Halaqiah (physical description) and sifat al-Huluqiha (character).

2. Fuqaha (Scholars of Fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence) defined Sunnah as a synonym for Mustahab (recommended). In Islam all our actions fall under 5 categories - Fard (obligatory), Mustahab, Mandhu and Sunnah (recommended), Mubah (neither disliked nor preferred), Makruh (disliked) and Haram (prohibited).

3. Scholars of Usul Fiqh (specialised in rules applied to the text of the Quran and Sunnah to derive Fiqh) defined Sunnah as anything that is established from Prophet SAW i.e. statement, action and acceptance that is suitable as proof other than Quran, Sunnah, Ijmah (consensus of Ulama) and Qiyas (analogy).

4. Scholars of Aqidah defined Sunnah as anything that the Syariah approves. The antonym is bid'ah, which is coming from Aqidah perspective in terms of ibadah only.

What I took away from this video is that it is essential to understand factual history of Islam in order to make an informed decision on discerning between true hadith and those which are false. And when quoting a Sunnah, be mindful which angle it was taken from based on the perspective of the 4 specialists of Islamic Sciences. Here is a link on An Introduction to the Sciences of Hadith.

Afternote: Imam Bukhari prayed 2 raka'at to Allah SWT, asking for divine guidance if he should compile a hadeeth. Allah SWT has blessed us with such pious predecessors who were able to preserve the hadeeth till it reaches us today, subhan Allah. Shouldn't we follow it and continue its preservation?

Seeking 'Ilm

"Read - In the name of thy Lord Who creates, Creates man from a clot. Read - And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teaches by the pen, Teaches man that which he knew not." [Surah al-Alaq:1-5]

[Source: Courtesy of Islamic Media]

The difference between the 'abd and the 'aleem is that the former can easily be tricked by Syaitan. Indeed, the road to paradise is the road of knowledge ('Ilm). View also this video, which outlines the ni'mah of the 'aql - The Position and Role of the Mind in Islam.

Afternote: Truly, Allah SWT rewards those who seek and gain knowledge, subhan Allah!

Niqab: Fard' or Sunnah?

[Source: Courtesy of Islamic Media]

Hejab = [a] khimar + [b] niqab

[a] khimar = cover the head, neck and bossom
- Fard upon baligh of a woman
- No disagreement between the scholars on this matter

[b] niqab = covers the face with or without the eyes
- it is never a habit or a customary act
- minority of the scholars said it is fard (with no clear cut dalil)
- majority of the scholars said it is sunnah

What is jelbab?
- minority of the scholars defined it as covering from top to bottom
- majority of the scholars defined it as dress, as in the arabic language, it is a normal dress

References
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.” [Surah An-Nur: 31]

Abu Dawood narrates that `Aishah RA said: "Asmaa' the daughter of Abu Bakr RA came to see the Messenger of Allah SAW wearing a thin dress; so Allah's Messenger SAW turned away from her and said: O Asmaa', once a woman reaches the age of menstruation, no part of her body should be seen but this (he pointed to his face) and that (he pointed to his hands).”

“O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outer garments (jilbabs) close around them; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle.” [Surah al-Ahzab: 59]

Aishah RA narrated in a hadeeth that women in ihram do not wear the niqab and gloves. In another hadeeth: Our beloved Prophet SAW provided the dalil that women in ihram during hajj do not wear niqab and gloves, indicating that the face is not aurat.

Afternote:
Subhan Allah, I was just enquiring from Ramzan if niqab is fard’ or sunnah and coincidentally, my cousin shared this video with me. It is very clear to me now, alhamdulilLah :)

What I like about the approach in the video is that Syeikh Shady al-Suleiman provides an overview of both schools of thought and leaves it to the Ummah to adopt what is comfortable for her. Truly, there is no compulsion in Islam.

More importantly, the Ummah is fully aware of the dire implications of labeling something that is not fard’ fard’… The key takeaway is that to speak with wisdom, we must have ilm’ and adab.

The conclusion based on personal opinion is to go with majority of the scholars (jumhur ulama’) without denying the opinions of the minority of scholars i.e. accept that some of our Muslim sisters practice wearing the niqab for the pleasure of Allah SWT.

Commemoration

“Say (O Muhammad): If you truly love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins” [Sural al-E-Imran: 31]

[Video courtesy of Huda TV of Sheikh Assim al-Hakeem]

A friend shared this article with me. Honestly, this is not a new problem - Some celebrate it with great devotion while some reject it with an equally great vengeance. Such differing opinions split up families, divide friendships as a result of unnecessary hurt. More importantly, it divides the Ummah. Sad isn't it?

So what is it that I'm talking about? It is Mawlid - commemorating (instead of celebrating) the birthday of our beloved Prophet SAW.

It is our prerogative to examine the facts, return to the Quran and Hadeeth about the reality regarding this. What is the history of Mawlid? If it is permissible, as mentioned by another article, what are the boundaries of Adab? If it is not persmissible, what are the justifications? Seek both perspectives fully and justly from authoritative ulama' before one speaks with wisdom about his or her position about this matter.

Read these as well and make an informed decision from there:
- Reprehensible innovations
- Abstinence from celebrations
- Yusuf al Qardhawi approves Mawlid
- Permissibility of Mawlid
- Fatwa on Celebrating Mawlid
- Commemorating Mawlid

To conclude, there is a great need to revive the Sunnah in this age of heedlessness and decadence. The birth of RasululLah SAW is a great blessing and we should express our joy by following his lifestyle perpetually.

Afternote: I appreciate the perspective of both sides. It is always with good intentions that the Ummah debate about this. It shows that we care (maslahat vs. mudarat). Personally, I'm perpetually trying to fully practice TRUE love for our beloved Prophet SAW by following closely the guidance that he brought to his Ummah. May our beloved Prophet SAW be a constant in our hearts and minds as we go about our daily deeds, insya Allah. The good comes from Allah SWT and the bad comes from me.

Kalimah "Allah"

This post was initiated due to my personal reflection of the Origins of Religion discussed previously in class. After reading this article and that article from Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, I understood his intent and where he is coming from - evaluate the maslahat against the mudarat and make an informed decision such that one preserves the true image of Islam while defending one's a'qidah.

I also understood where Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas is coming from when he discusses about kalimah Allah - in theological, epistemological and ontological sense. That Christians are not using it in the same manner as the Muslims use it (similar to what Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin's comment about Trinity) because Allah SWT prescribes the kalimah exclusive for the use of Muslims all over the world.

I agree when Syeikh Abdul Halim cautioned us to be mindful and be able to distinguish the intent of the scholars and which school of thought they belong to:

"O Allah! Let us see the good as good, and bless us with following it. And show us the falsehood as falsehood, and bless us with staying away from it, with Your mercy, O Most Merciful!"

I also will heed mum's advice not to be taksub (following blindly any school of thought without question) but hold firmly to the al-Quran (wahyu Allah SWT) and Hadeeth (RasululLah's guidelines).

Truly in Islam, there is the concept of Unity that the Quran emphasises upon, commanding the Ummah not to disunite and become scattered groups:

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember Allah's favour unto you: how you were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that you became brothers by His grace; and (how) you were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah makes clear His revelations unto you, that haply you may be guided.” [Surah al e-Imran: 103]

May Allah SWT bestow us with hikmah (wisdom), protects us from the whispers of Satan and the wrath of the Hellfire, insya Allah.

True 'Aqidah

"The most beautiful names belong to Allah, so call on Him thereby. Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah, for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction." [Surah al-Araf: 180 and Surah al-Rad: 28]

Many recite Surah al-Ikhlas during their daily prayer. Many acknowledge there is one Rabb (Tawheed Uluhiyyah) but only some truly worship Allah alone (Tawheed Rububiyah). To know the true meaning of this Surah, read this tafseer. 

In view of this, we are compelled to not only know the Asma ul-Husna (the 99 attributes of Allah SWT) but also to acknlowledge, at a deeper level, how these attributes will instil true Tawheed Rububiyah in us:

‘Abd (from the stem "`a - ba - da,") means to submit, to worship and to obey, creatively expressed in `ibadah (worship), `ubudiyyah (pure worship and trust - a specific type and a general type), and `ubudah (ultimate perfect worship and internal unlimited submission and denial of the share of the self). [Source: Ibn `Ajeebah, `Iqadh Al-Himam fi Sharh Al-Hikan. Cairo, 1985, p.8]

Download The Belief of the Ahlul Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, a must read containing important Ilm' (knowledge) for True Muslims.

References:
- The meaning of 'abd.
- Types of 'ubudiyyah. 

Labels

"Speech about people must be with knowledge and justice, not with ignorance and injustice..." - Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimullaah)

I personally believe that mankind, by design, has a good heart. It is our fitrah. And it is out of love for one's Ummah, for the sake of Allah SWT, that a piece of advice, gentle reminder or a friendly nudge was given when one sees something 'amiss' from one's perspective. Nonetheless, the intent is always good but sometimes the approach may be unsuitable for the situation or context.

Truly, it takes hikmah (wisdom: putting things in its proper place i.e. Adab) to do da'wah. In essence, before one speaks, ensure one must be equipped with Ilm' (knowledge). Know when to speak and when to be silent. Know how to speak and to whom one should speak.

Afternote: I don't understand the 'labelling culture' of calling someone salafi or wahhabi, etc. Always bear in mind Satan's determined whispers to break the Ummah. Mum's constant reminder stays with me - that we should always see the good in people because that was how our beloved Prophet SAW treated people of all walks of life, race or religion. Indeed, his mercy and compassion for humankind was beyond compare.