Islam: An Enabling Power!

[Nur]

Nomads

 

 

As promised, here are my thoughts on the enabling power of Islam.

 

Islam is about what we can do. Islam is NOT about what we can't do.

 

Thinking along the first premises is a positive attitude, thinking along the second train of thought is a defeatist feeling.

 

Usually, we think about what we can't do instead of of what we should do, such as; can we listen to Music? can we go to the movies? can we chew the Qat? etc.

 

These types of questions have an underlying ailment of weakness of iman, they portray us as confined by rigid unpleasant Islamic rules, which is the same perspective the unbelievers see us when we follow our faith, as harsh and restrictive regimen for Muslim women.

 

In contrast, a new convert to Islam feels enabled and free like a bird, because the shroud of kufr is no longer blurring or obstructing her vision. Before her conversion, she was like a walking dead, a public flesh display object, very conscious of her "looks" and appearance over her inner beauty and character, but her looks are detrimental to her boss, career and survival in a hollow materialist civilization.

 

Allah SWT says:

 

أفمن كان ميتاً فأحيينا& #1607; وجعلنا له نوراً يمشي به في الناس كمن مثله في الظلمات ليس بخارج منها كذلك زيّن للكافري& #1606; ما كانوا يعملون

 

Meaning: "Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge ? Thus is their conduct made fairseeming for the disbelievers."

 

 

Being dead is the utmost disability, thus being blind is a partial disability.

 

 

You see Nomad, I was thinking the other day about how gadgets I use to carry on my daily tasks enable me to accomplish in a day what use to take my grandfather a year. One such miraculous gadget is my phone loaded with all the productivity programs that manage my tasks, a calendar for keeping up with my work schedule, a jotter and voice recorder to capture important thoughts before it vanishes in the blue, email text messaging and web browsing to stay connected to the Nomad community worldwide, an FM radio to tune to news as it breaks.

 

Its clear from above example how enabling the above gadget is.

 

Now, let us extend the logic a little bit. Let us Imagine Islam to be that gadget, let us see the enabling features of Islam gadget. Let us think about the features, and the benefits of each feature ( yeah this is a sales pitch!)

 

The Islam Gadget has:

 

1. Set of Information To Help us navigate through the maze of life with confidence and comfort ( moral that is).

 

2. Set of Activities that reflect our understanding and belief of the set of Information to guide us in this present life to enjoy permanent life in the herafter, an enabling Power indeed!

 

Like the Phone gadget, Islam needs maintenance to enable us to do monumental tasks in this life and next, here is how Islam does these functions

 

Islam has the Aqeedah Feature which among others:

 

1. Explains the purpose behind our existence on this planet.

 

2. Explains The Creator and His relationship with His creatures.

 

3. Reminds us The Creator's attributes:

 

 

Allah Is :

 

 

Ar-Rahmaan

 

Compassionate;One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the spiritually challenged in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter. ( Enables us to be kind to all others)

 

Ar-Raheem

 

The Merciful, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers. ( Enables us to have mercy between us)

 

Al-Malik

 

The King, The Sovereign Lord, The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection. ( Enables us to feel brave and strong in the face of tyranny on earth)

 

 

Al-Quddoos

 

The Holy, The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries. ( Enables us To set our heart on the One and Only True God for devotion, love and worship)

 

 

As-Salaam

 

The Source of Peace, The One who is free from every imperfection. ( Enables us to seek real peace through surrender to our maker)

 

 

I leave the rest to as an exercise to Nomad readers.

 

Now, lets get back with the features of Islam as an instrument or a tool to aid us in our navigation in this unpredictable world of ours.

 

You see Nomad, Islam as I have written on another thread ( Freedom is like light), frees the mind and soul, to reach the heavens, where it rightfully belongs. Because, the closer one is to the source of light ( Allah) the more enabled and empowered. If we find that Islam is confining us, then, we have a problem of perception of what Islam is.

 

Islam, frees the mind from false preoccupation with worldly desires, the soul from sinking to the abyss of agnosticism and our bodies from carnal indulgence. Once freed from these evils, the human being rises to the perfection and purpose of creation.

 

Therefore, the human community is like a body, it functions right when enabled by Islam. The same community becomes disabled or " Spiritually Challenged" when it rejects Islam.

 

 

Nur

 

2008 eNuri Softwaano Series

Enable Your Soul With Islam

[Nur]

Nomad

 

Do you feel enabled or disabled by Islam?

 

 

Nur

[Muriidi]

.. so you're saying , in order to experience life as it should be .. one must believe in the next life ?

 

 

 

 

please continue ..

[Nur]

That it true Muridi, the message is about enabling power of Islam, its about the alignment with Allah and His attributes to gain an insight into the purpose of our existence on earth an to seek everthing we need through Allah SWT.

 

For example:

 

If we seek to have peace on earth without Allah, whose attribute is As-Salaam The Source of Peace,. ( Enables us to seek real peace through surrender to our maker), it would be futile.

 

Nur

[Muriidi]

even for a tota atheist ..

 

it is practical to be not so dominant in oneself

 

think about Allah ..

 

it is vital to be able to endure hardships ..

 

islam is a discipline that miraculously "enables"

 

 

for us muslims it is important to tolerate atheist terminology and way of expression ..

 

and glorify God (tasbiih') ..