Learn Arabic
 |
 | |
Learn Arabic
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
Burhan bhai,
I was born a Bohra in a family in
I was of a rebellious nature and never did what they enforced upon us and had a bad reputation.I was taught namaaz and the recitation of the holy Quran as other Muslim chidren were taught.
As soon as i was old enough i stopped praying because it seemed like a robotic act to me.I got invovled with christians and started attending their religion sessions as deep inside me there was this feeling and attraction for religion.Soon i left the christian sessions as well realising that they were no better than the Bohras.Life was busy and i got involved in the hassle.
Now as kids are older and i have time for myself, i started digging into Islam, always fearing that i may be mislead, because i was talking to peolple.Then i bought translations of the Quran and started visiting websites.A few days back, i was informed about your site and have been taking a keen interest.I feel your site is god sent for me, to help me study and understand the religion as we should.and your thoughts of Bohraism have been my thoughts for the past 22 years. What amazes me is that one Bohra at least turned out to be a man and took the step the way you have.At the moment they can only e-mail and abuse you but your life is at stake and i have been reading Asghar Ali (engineer's) articles and this is a mafia type of group and when your news reaches to the top, they can do anything.May you have god's protection.I
n my search for Islam,there was one thing that i was searching and have not found it in your site and that is Arabic as a language.
Don't you think that not knowing Arabic is a big hurdle to the road to Allah.Maybe you can arrange it in some way that all those interested can learn Arabic.
Nowadays i spend a lot of time regreting that i should have taken this up earlier as i feel i have wasted a good 22 years of my life and if god gave me back those years just so that i could spend them worshipping him.The worship of Allah has a unique taste in it and when one tastes it,He/She will keep wanting more and more.I am sure you understand my feelings.My salute to you in your work and may Allah be with you all the way in this journey that you have undertaken.Maybe
Burhan bhai, this note is more personal than of any meaning to the readers so it is your wish wether you would like to add it in the forum or not.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
Learn Arabic
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Dear Sister in Islam, we sincerely thank you for your kind supplications for us. All Praise is due to the Merciful Lord Alone, Who has had mercy on the believers and guided them to the Straight Path of Islam. We started this humble forum in the hope that some brothers and sisters would benefit from our experience; and our ardent and sincere prayer to the Merciful Lord is to help us, guide us, have mercy on us, accept our humble and weak efforts, forgive us our shortcomings, and save us all from the torment of the Hell Fire. If we are able to bring even one brother or sister closer to Allah Subhanah and His Message of the Holy Quran, we will consider ourselves to be amongst the most honored and fortunate people on this planet earth.
Although there were quite a few challenges when we started this forum, and Allah is our witness, we would have been unable to surmount any of them without the help and mercy of Allah Subhanah. Alhamdolillah, today each article is mailed to almost 150,000 brothers and sisters; and Allah Alone Knows to how many more are forwarded by them. All Praise is due to Allah Subhanah Alone, and we consider ourselves indeed very fortunate to be able to serve the Cause of Allah in our own humble way.
We are very much aware of the risks that are associated with this forum, and we assure you that it reaches the top-notch leaders of the community; who have tried everything in their power to stop us from propagating the Truth from the Holy Quran. We have been summoned by the hierarchy, we have been issued threats of life and property, we have been issued threats of social boycott, our families have been told to dis-associate themselves from us, etc. We are also aware of their strength and power, but as believers we sincerely believe that the Power and Strength of our Almighty Lord is far far greater than all the power and wealth they can amass! Yes, we admit we are weak; but the Lord whom we worship is High, Mighty, and Exalted in Power!
Our only intention is to present the Truth from the Quran and Sunnah to our brethren; to believe in it or to leave it alone is a decision each individual will have to make for him/her self.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 29:Proclaim, “This (Quran) is the Truth from your Lord: now whosoever wills may accept it, and whosoever wills may reject it.” (As for those who reject it) We have prepared for such workers of iniquity a fire whose flames have encircled them. There, if they ask for water , they will be given a drink like the dregs of oil, which will burn their mouths! What an evil drink, and what an evil abode!
From Allah we have all come, and to Him is our ultimate return.
Once again, we sincerely thank you for your encouragement and your supplications for us. May Allah Subhanah always keep you and your family and all the believers in His infinite Protection and Mercy.
Your Question: In my search for Islam,there was one thing that i was searching and have not found it in your site and that is Arabic as a language.
We have received literally thousands of replies and comments and suggestions (and abuses) on our forum, and frankly you are the first one to have shown the dedication to learn the language of the Quran! There is absolutely no doubt that to understand the Quran in the language in which it was revealed is indeed the absolute best thing to do. But, to learn a new language at any age, is a serious commitment; and blessed indeed are those who are guided by Allah to learn the language of the Quran, so that they may strive to understand the Message of their Lord in the language it was revealed. If Allah Wills and Helps us, we will arrange to introduce a basic Quranic Arabic language course on our forum very soon, Insha Allah. By going through this simple course with dedication and commitment, one will Insha Allah be able to at least understand the basics of the Message of the Glorious Quran in the language it was revealed. We do not claim that one will become an expert in the Arabic language by going through the course; but we assure you that when one hears the recitation of the Quran, he will at least know and understand the Message that is being declared by the Lord of the Worlds in the text of the Glorious Quran.
Your Question: Don't you think that not knowing Arabic is a big hurdle to the road to Allah.
No hurdle is big enough, if one sincerely intends to take the Path to Allah Subhanah! If one indeed makes a solemn covenant with himself that he will search and take the Path that leads to Allah’s Mercy; Allah Subhanah helps the person find the Path, and makes it easy for him. But to those who don’t care about what really is the Message of the Lord of the Worlds; Allah leaves them to stray in darkness!
The Message of Islam was never confined for those who knew or spoke the Arabic language; nor was it confined to the Arabs; nor was it confined to the Arab land! The Message of Islam was sent as a perfect guidance and a Mercy from Allah Subhanah to all of mankind.
Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185:"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the
The big hurdles are the ones that man creates for himself in denying the Truth. He either does not care to seek the Truth, nor does he care about the life of the Hereafter! He is very content with the life of this world, and when confronted within his heart about his condition or preparation for his life in the Hereafter, he seeks a short-cut entry into Paradise, and tries to find some unscrupulous self-made holy men who are more than happy to guarantee them success in the next life, if they obey and serve them in this world!!! The big hurdles are indeed the ones that man creates for himself…. And by aligning themselves to these self-made holy men and their pagan rites and rituals, they seek to satisfy the right of their Creator, and are given the false impression that these unscrupulous holy men will be their saviors and intercessors on the Day of Resurrection!
Only if they had made some effort to read and understand the Message of the Quran, they would have realized their folly what they will recognize on the Day of Judgment! That absolutely All Power, and All Strength, and All Decisions, are with Allah Subhanah Alone; and no one else has a say or has the power to even slightly influence His Decisions!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verses 44:What! Have they taken besides Allah others as ‘shofa’a’ (intercessors)? Say to them, “Will they intercede even if they have no power whatever nor understanding?” Say, “Shafa’a is wholly in the Power of Allah Alone!”. His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him you will be returned.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verses 103-106:Tell them (O Mohamed), “Should We tell you who are the most unsuccessful people and miserable failures in regard to their deeds? They are those, all whose edeavours in the worldly life, had gone astray from the Right Way, but all along they were under the delusion that everything they were doing, was rightly directed! Those are the people who rejected the Revelations of their Lord and did not believe that they would ever go before Him. Therefore all their deeds were lost, for We shall assign no weight to them on the Day of Reserruction. Their recompense is Hell for the disbelief they showed, and for the mockery they adopted in regard to My Aayahs and My Messengers!”
Your Statement: Nowadays i spend a lot of time regreting that i should have taken this up earlier as i feel i have wasted a good 22 years of my life and if god gave me back those years just so that i could spend them worshipping him.
Allah Subhanah has appointed a fixed time for each individual for the test of this life. Whoever, in the span of this time of one’s life, recognizes his Creator and submits to His Will; passes the test and will enter into the Mercy and Forgiveness of their Lord. And whoever, in the span of this time, denies his Creator and follows false hopes and delusions, will be held severely accountable in the Court of Allah on an Inevitable Day.
Blessed and honored indeed are those who have recognized their Lord through His innumerable Signs and Attributes in the span of this worldly life, and have submitted themselves as slaves to the Merciful. Blessed and honored indeed are those who have heard and submitted themselves to the Message of the Lord of the Worlds! Blessed and honored indeed are those who have put their trust in the One Lord of the Worlds Alone! Blessed and honored indeed are those who have believed in the One True Lord, and done righteous good deeds. Blessed and honored indeed are the believers!
Thus sister, the days and years that are past will never ever come back! But our Merciful Lord has left open the doors of Repentance and Taubah until the time of one’s death…. Thus, turn to Allah Subhanah in sincere Repentance and Taubah; for He indeed is the One Who forgives all sins.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, MostMerciful."
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration: “All of mankind are sinners! And the best (or most loved by Allah) amongst the sinners, are those who constantly seek forgiveness from Allah.”
May Allah make you and us of those, who constantly seek the pardon and forgiveness of Allah for our short-comings.
Your Statement: The worship of Allah has a unique taste in it and when one tastes it, He/She will keep wanting more and more. I am sure you understand my feelings.
Allah is our witness, you have spoken nothing but the Absolute Truth! No matter how much one tries to explain to another; he is unable to translate the feeling of that unique and sweet taste of the worship of the Merciful Lord. This taste is made available by Allah only to those who sincerely take the path ofSeerat-al-Mustaqeem!
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.20 Narrated by Hadrat Anas ibn Malik (the servant of the Messenger of Allah (saws))
The Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the Sweetness of Faith:
The one to whom Allah and His Prophet become dearer than anything else.
The one who loves a person, and he loves him only for Allah's sake.
The one who hates to revert to disbelief, after Allah has brought him out from it; just as he hates to be thrown into the fire."
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Burhan
