Islampodcasts

Name

It is derived from the very first word wadh-dhariyat, which implies that it is a Surah which begins with the word adh-dhariyat.

Period of Revelation

The subject matter and the style clearly show that it was sent down in the period when although the Holy Prophet's invitation was being resisted and opposed with denial and ridicule and false accusations stubbornly, persecution had not yet started. Therefore, this Surah also seems to have been revealed in the same period in which the Surah Qaf was revealed.

Subject Matter and Topics

The Surah mostly deals with the Hereafter, and in the end it presents the invitation to Tauhid. In addition, the people have also been warned that refusal to accept the message of the Prophets and persistence in the concepts and creeds of ignorance have proved to be disastrous for those nations themselves which have adopted this attitude and way of life in the past.

About the Hereafter what this Surah presents in short but pithy sentences is this: The people's different and conflicting beliefs about the end of human life are themselves an express proof that none of these beliefs and creeds is based on knowledge; everyone by himself has formed an ideology on the basis of conjecture and made the same his creed. Someone thought that there would be no life-after-death; someone believed in the life- after-death, but in the form of the transmigration of souls someone believed in the life hereafter and the meting out of the rewards and punishments but invented different sorts of props and supports to escape retribution. About a question of such vital and fundamental importance a wrong view of which renders man's whole life-work wrong and waste and ruins his future for ever, it would be a disastrous folly to build an ideology only on the basis of speculation and conjecture, without knowledge. It would mean that man should remain involved in a grave misunderstanding, pass his whole life in the heedlessness of error, and after death should suddenly meet with a situation for which he had made no preparation at all. There is only one way of forming the right opinion about such a question, and it is this: Man should seriously ponder over the knowledge about the Hereafter that the Prophet of Allah is conveying to him from Him, and should study carefully the system of the earth and heavens and his own existence: and should see whether the evidence of that knowledge's being sound and correct is afforded by everything around him or not. In this regard, the arrangement of the wind and rain, the structure of the earth and the creatures found on it, man's own self, the creation of the heavens and of everything in the world in the form of pairs have been presented as evidence of the Hereafter, and instances have been cited from human history to show that the temper of the empire of the Universe requires that the law of retribution must operate here.

After this, giving the invitation to Tauhid briefly, it has been said : "Your Creator has not created you for the service of others but for His own service. He is not like your false gods, which receive sustenance from you and godhead of which cannot function without your help, but He is a God Who is the Sustainer of all, Who does not stand in need of sustenance from anyone and Whose Godhead is functioning by His own power and might.

In this very connection, it has also been stated that whenever the Prophets of Allah have been opposed and resisted, they have not been opposed and resisted on the basis of any rational ground but on the basis of the same obduracy and stubbornness and false pride that is being shown against the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there is no other motive for it than rebellion and arrogance. Then the Holy Prophet has been instructed not to bother about the rebels but to go on performing his mission of invitation and admonition,

What is Jihad?

A sacred obligation often misrepresented ought to be clarified and we must unashamedly be able to expose Western methods of wars for what they truly are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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With the hate, division and blame from nationalism being ever-apparent within Western societies, we can see how the Muslim world has also been affected by such a divisive disease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Name

This Sarah takes its' name from verse 112 in which the word mai'dah occurs. Like the names of many other surahs, this name has no special relation to the subject of the Surah but has been used merely as a symbol to distinguish it from other surahs.

Period of Revelation

The theme of this Surah indicates, and traditions support it, that it was revealed after the treaty of Hudaibiyah at the end of 6 A. H. or in the beginning of 7 A. H. That is why it deals with those problems that arose from this treaty.

The Holy Prophet with 1400 Muslims went to Makkah in Zil-Qaadah 6 A.H. to perform `Umrah, but the Quraish spurred by their enmity, prevented him from its performance, though it was utterly against all the ancient religious traditions of Arabia. After a good deal of hard and harsh negotiations, a treaty was concluded at Hudaibiyah according to which it was agreed that he could perform `Umrah the following year. That was a very appropriate occasion for teaching the Muslims the right way of performing a pilgrimage to Makkah with the true Islamic dignity, and enjoining that they should not prevent the disbelievers from performing pilgrimage to Makkah as a retaliation for their misbehavior. This was not difficult at all as many disbelievers had to pass through Muslim territory on their way to Makkah. This is why the introductory verses deal with the things connected with pilgrimage to Makkah and the same theme has been resumed in vv. 101-104. The other topics of this Surah also appear to belong to the same period.

The continuity of the subject shows that most probably the whole of the Surah was revealed as a single discourse at one and the same time. It is also possible that some of its verses were revealed at a later period and inserted in this Surah at different places where they fitted in. But there appears to be not the least gap anywhere in the Surah to show that it might have comprised two or more discourses.

Occasion of Revelation

This Surah was revealed to suit the requirements of the changed conditions which were now different from those prevailing at the time of the revelation of Al-i-'Imran and An- Nisa. Then the shock of the set-back at Uhd had made the very surroundings of Al-Madinah dangerous for the Muslims, but now Islam had become an invulnerable power and the Islamic State had extended to Najd on the east, to the Red Sea on the west, to Syria on the north and to Makkah on the south. This set-back which the Muslims had suffered at Uhd had not broken their determination. It had rather spurred them to action. As a result of their continuous struggle and unparalleled sacrifices, the power of. the surrounding clans, within a radius of 200 miles or so, had been broken. The Jewish menace which was always threatening Al-Madinah had been totally removed and the Jews in the other parts of Hijaz had-become tributaries of the State of Al-Madinah. The last effort of the Quraish to suppress Islam had been thwarted in the Battle of the Ditch. After this, it had become quite obvious to the Arabs that no power could suppress the Islamic movement. Now Islam was not merely a creed which ruled over the minds and hearts of the people but had also become a State which dominated over every aspect of the life of the people who lived within its boundaries. This had enabled the Muslims to live their lives without let or hindrance, in accordance with their beliefs.

Another development had also taken place during this period. The Muslim civilization had developed in accordance with the principles of Islam and the Islamic viewpoint. This civilization was quite distinct from all other civilizations in all its' details, and distinguished the Muslims clearly from the non Muslims in their moral, social and cultural behavior. Mosques had been built in all territories, prayer had been established and' Imam (leader) for every habitation and clan had been appointed.

How can a world where 26 individuals hold as much wealth as 3.5 billion people - half of the world's population - be seen as normal?! Islam forbids interest, hoarding and a system where a tiny elite live in luxury and the masses are left with mere scraps.

Several important fundamental concepts about taking actions are discussed in relation to events after the victory of Badr.

The speaker discusses the event of the fighters of Badr disputing over the distribution of the booties of war.  The revelation of An-Anfal (The Bounties) remains a lesson today as it provides us understanding of not only distribution of wealth but more importantly understanding the fundamental concept of what Muslims today must do prior to taking any action.

This chapter in the Seerah discusses a very important point relevant today relating to the treatment of prisoners. Detailed accounts and lessons are provided on how Muslims are to treat the captives of war.

The speaker explains the concept and requirements of taking consultation with the example of how the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)took consultation from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab in regarding the prisoners of war.

A key lesson and example on the Justice of a Ruler is discussed with the account of the Ransom offered by Zainab, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)for her husband Abul-‘As.  Also discussed in detail are the events surrounding the return of Zainab (RA) and Abul-‘As(RA) becoming a Muslim.

The speaker concludes with how Islam dealt with the various groups of people (i.e. Jews and the Mushrikeen) various classes of people.

In a world where seeking the guidance of the Creator is replaced with seeking self-benefit, we see problem after problem manifest as a result. Be that the tragic crisis of mental health globally, or an ever-increasing social, economic and racial divide.

Be it work, play, family or friends - or a fear of being blacklisted in our communities - we as Muslims, should never find reasons not to rush to the commands of Allah (swt)!

 

 

 

 

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Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

Ramadan Mubarak!

This year, we find ourselves facing a once-in-a-lifetime Ramadan where we are all at home, self-isolating due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The “Ramadan Feeling” has been lost as the Masajid and community centers have shut their doors for Taraweeh and all community gatherings have been halted.

In this circumstance, we should think positively of the situation and utilize our time as best as we can. We tend to complain every year about our lack of time when it comes to fulfilling our Ibadah but this year Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has given us all the time in the world to reconnect with Him (swt) and it comes at a time where the blessed month of Ramadan is upon us.

This month, is the month in which Allah (swt) revealed the Quran. He (swt) says:

 

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَان

"The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an was revealed as a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and as a criterion"

The Quran was revealed to us as a guidance for all aspects of our lives – in order for us to reconnect with the Quran as how it was revealed – as a mercy and justice for humanity – we need to reflect upon the verses of the Quran.

In light of this, we present to you the “Taraweeh Reflections” series. In this series, we take a verse from every Juz of the Quran and share a short reflection on how the verse is applicable to our reality today. There is a wide array of topics covered in this series to show that Islam is a comprehensive way of life that has a perspective on personal, social, economical, political and all matters that affect at all levels.

We kindly request that you sit with your families when listening to the series and we ask that you share the podcasts with friends and peers so that everyone can benefit.

We hope that you find the reflections beneficial and we ask Allah to help us utilize this time to reflect upon the Quran and bring it to life

 

Jazakumullahu Khairan

Muslims were once characterized as daring, creative, able to defeat any formidable enemy, and made huge strides in opening new lands to Islam. They were undaunted by challenges, refusing to give up, back down or compromise in matters related to the Deen of Truth.

The key to their strong, principled and unwavering stance was their true Dependence (Tawakkul) upon Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)

Join the speaker as he explain how Muslims should comprehend  true Tawakkul upon Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and the consequences of inaction, reluctance, hesitation, and over-caution if Tawakkul is misunderstood or misapplied.