Holy Quran and Imam Musa Ibn Ja'afar al-Kazem (r.a)

Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Only a reminder for myself as I have a little gap before remembering Him in a formalized way. I just read a blog called Message of Peace and there is an article by this person called S. M. Masum (2006). 

It says that one of the qualities that should be possessed by a Muslim is that the Quality of the Bearer of Quran. By all the means, we must work on the way to think Quran, talk Quran, and act according to Quran. Everything must be based to Quran.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) as recorded in Mizan al-Hikma said: "the most distinguished people in my nation are those who are the bearers of Quran and keep up the night with remembrance to Allah and prayers."  

As for example, the person of the nation who fulfilled the criteria is Imam Musa Ibn Ja'afar al-Kazem (r.a). He had memorized the Quran, recites the Quran in the best manner, acted according to the code taught by Allah in Quran and possessing the knowledge of Quran. I believe that these qualities should also be possessed by everyone and this is a good example.

As a person who knows about the interpretation of Quran, there is a story about al-Mahdi who was a ruler of Abbasid asked the honorable imam. 

Al-Mahdi: Is the consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Quran? I am asking this as people do know that they had been stopped from its consumption but they are unaware of its forbiddance.

Imam Musa: Of course alcoholic drink is haraam (illegal) in the Quran.

Al-Mahdi: Where in the Quran Allah has explicitly forbidden it?

Imam Musa: "Say (O Muhammad), My Lord forbidden only disgusting acts, whether it is seen or hidden and sinful act violates the rights of human-being without the right reason and (it is forbidden) to incorporate company to God with what God never gives authority and to talk something about God when you possess no knowledge about it." (tarjima of al-A'araf: 33)  

The imam further explains...

The disgusting acts that are seen refers to adultery and fornification. In the days of the ignorance, the perverts used to raise up flags outside the places which served as brothels.

The hidden disgusting act refers to marriage with stepmothers. In the days of the ignorance, when a woman lost her husband, the stepson would marry her.

And sinful act refers to the consumption of alcoholic drink.  

In explaining the reference of the word sinful act refers to the consumption of alcoholic drink, the imam retaliates it with the verse from al-Baqara verse 219 which says in the translation: 

They ask you about the alcoholic drink and the gambling. Say (o Muhammad): In both of them great sins and benefits for human but the sins out of them is greater from the benefits. And they ask you about what they spent, say more than the what is needed, that is how God explains the verses for you so may you think.

When the ruler heard such a detail explanation from the Quran, he said....

This ruling is the ruling of the Hashemite. (al-Kaafi)  

The imam is extremely attached to the glorious Quran. Syeikh Mufid has reported that Imam Musa was the most knowledgable person in Quran during his lifetime. He was its protector and preaching the teachings to everyone. He is a good recitor of quran and whenever he recites it, the listeners would be deeply touched and wept in tears. (al-Irsyad) 

What I get from the article is that, the imam has  these characteristics in respect to the glorious Quran where:

1) He was among the greatest memorizer of the Quran and he protects the contents Quran to the extent that no one did it during his lifetime.

2) His recitation of Quran is very nice with beautiful voice.

3) With the respect to the tone of recitation, his tone was sad and sorrowful and it is apart of the important ethics in reciting the Quran when it comes to certain part of verses.

4) He recites the Quran and made the listeners feel as he was addressing the words to them.

Allah bless prophet Muhammad (saw) Allah bless his companions, Allah bless his family, Allah bless his nation. May Allah grant us knowledge and guide us to Him through His boundless Mercy, amiiin!!!!

Next week will be the proposal defend!

Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I am experiencing hectic weeks beginning last week until the next two weeks to come. I even had skipped my German classes and I feel guilty to Frau Myer but I have no choice since the class is not included in my CGPA. It is just a condition for me to graduate. Maybe next semester I will have to opt for Spanish because my Spanish is better and I already took it a level when I was a degree student as an option. I just need to polish it up rather than learning the whole bunch of things like in German class. 

I was wrong in my planning and it is me to blame, but I also have a new friend when I join the German class which is Frau Myer. She is a Muslim German. Her name tells us that she is a German. She is married to a local. A caring teacher she is. But this semester, I had caused her inconvenience and I am so embarrassed of my self. 

I talked with her about my problems and I feel like talking to a sister or like talking to my mother because I think she is quite old enough almost the same age of my mother. I hope she won't feel upset I had missed her classes like 7 times and she is very enthusiastic in introducing German culture and language to Asian students. I don't like to skip her classes too but I have no strength especially when I am nervous in the way to proposal defend day so I need to do a lot of neat preparation to make sure that I do not breach the trust. I pray to Allah that everyone including me passing the proposal defend, His Will.

I still have other two assignments which are also trusts from lecturers of EU External Policy and Common Policy. I need to submit them before 13th of April and beginning 20th of April I will have the examination. This is really pressuring me and of course my coursemates are also pressured as I am. 

Yesterday, I didn't join the Tabligh guys here to the Bengali mosque or the center because I have to review the proposal for few times and today in the morning I will submit it to the lecturers. But after those guys returned to the hostel, I had talked with one of them through YM. He told me about the jama'a from Germany visited their center and also blind jama'a. I talked about my life with him too but I don't think they could easily comprehend it. The life of a confused traveler. 

I also told him about my experience being Tashkil-ed by Tablighs at my neighborhood and also about my maternal uncle who tried to convert me and my father into the jama'a. My father until now is an anti-Tabligh person, he would stay away from them whenever he sees them but I do not reach that extent. I do not have any ego nor I don't feel like seeing Muslim nation branching away from one another. 

Last time, me neither don't really like some people in the jama'a because some of them have wrong approaches in preaching people and quite arrogant too although I had seen some traces of tasawwuf in the jama'a when I read the review about the jama'a because this jama'a is quite popular in Islamic world. I don't despise the jama'a itself. Some of the tasawwuf (sufism) dimension of the jama'a resembles the one that I am practising and I only follow the prophet (saw) and other prophets tradition. 

I am afraid that I might insult people. I hope that the Tabligh guys won't feel offended with my words but think deeply on what I had said eventhough I am not good in putting nice words like in Bayaan (Tablighi lectures). I would like to imply that it is not only Imaan (Faith) and 'Amal (Practise) is needed in preaching to ourselves and others. But it is also with the inclusion of 'Ilm (Knowledge) through the guidance and revelation of Allah. Without basic knowledge of the Law of Allah, the Iman and the Amal is not complete because they must exist in parallel to each other.

I end up this post with my prayers to our brothers and sisters in Japan who are the victims of the nuclear plant explosion and Tsunami. I regret that I have nothing to offer as my condolence to Japanese brothers and sisters, but I only have my humble prayers to everyone as offerings. May Allah protects everyone there and also all of us, creatures and the nation of the dark period near to the Qiamah (resurrection). I am waiting for Qiamah although sometimes without patience, I pray for everyone safety under His shades and protection, Aaamin!!!