For the last 23 years ‘The Invitation Magazine’ has continued to advance its mission of spreading the beautiful message of Islam. Through our magazine we have changed many lives for the better.

As you eagerly await the release of the new issue I want to give you an update of some of the development work going on to our website. We have purchased a 3D page flip software, which we will be implementing soon along with a new site template.

In particular the magazine has enjoyed great success in the past year. We re-launched our new website and we are now introducing an online 3D page flip, enabling users to read the magazine online, on their iPhone or Android device. The goal of ‘The Invitation Magazine’ is to deliver the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may peace & blessings be upon him).

Jazakallah for your continued support.

Colliding protogalaxies less than 1 billion years after the big bang. An illustration by Adolf Schaller, Nasa/STScl

This year’s Nobel Prize for physics was for research on the expanding universe, which emerged as part of the ‘Big Bang’ theory. However, this groundbreaking article argues that in actual fact, the scientific idea of the expanding universe was FIrst proposed in the West in 1848 by the writer Edgar Allan Poe, who found inspiration in the Qur’an.

The theory of the ‘Big Bang’ and expanding universe is the modern, generally accepted scientific vision of the birth and development of the universe. This theory is usually attributed to the American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953), but that is not entirely correct, because the theoretical foundations for the theory were laid in 1922 and 1927 by the Russian mathematician Alexander Friedmann (1886-1925), and the Belgian astronomer Georges Lemaître (1894-1966). So with his observations, Edwin Hubble proved a theory that already existed for several years. Nevertheless, it was a formidable achievement.

It is possible, however, to trace the roots of the ‘Big Bang’ theory further and to discover that rather than being a product of 20th century science, it was already proposed in 1848 by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, who was inspired by the Qur’an in his life-long quest for an alternative for the scientific opinions of his days.

Romanticism vs. Enlightenment

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer and poet who became one of the leading figures in the 19th century literary and cultural and spiritual movement of Romanticism.
Romanticism was a strong movement in the western world, that arose out of a deeply felt aversion and distrust against the philosophy of the rational, scientific Enlightenment. In common with other romanticist writers and poets, Poe felt that the Enlightenment was alienating mankind from its spiritual roots and its bonds with nature, so tried to compensate or even restore these serious shortcomings of the ‘enlightened’ and scientific view of the world.

Like most romanticists, Poe also looked for inspiration outside the Western world, and already at a young age he became fascinated and inspired by the cultures of the Middle East, the Arab world and the Qur’an – the ‘Orient’, in the parlance of the time. This inspiration was already expressed in Poe’s earliest works, like the poems ‘Al Aaraaf ’ and ‘Israfel’, and in the title of his first collection of short stories, ‘Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque’. This oriental inspiration in Poe’s work is now the subject of serious scholarly research.

The ‘Clockwork Universe’

The scientific opinions of Poe’s days were entirely based on the basic idea of a mechanistic universe that was ruled by the eternal, unchanging and mathematical laws of nature, the socalled ‘clockwork universe’. This basic idea had arisen out of the work by great scientists like Kepler, Newton and Laplace, and it seemed an unassailable and indisputable foundation for all sciences of nature. Knowledge of these laws of nature made it possible to use and exploit nature for the benefit of all mankind: a philosophy of science that is still very prominent today, although the disadvantages are becoming ever more visible in the Western world.

However, this scientific and mechanistic view of the world also has a dark side not just in relation to the world at large, but to man himself: he is reduced to an insignificant cog in the universal machine – one without free will, without any real influence upon his own life, without responsibility and guilt. Even God comes to seem meaningless and insignificant in such a universe (as was actually said by Laplace to Emperor Napoleon!) Needless to say, such considerations deeply worried the romanticists, and these worries are also clearly visible in much of Poe’s work, such as the infamous story ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, in which the narrator is chained inside a mathematical prison that slowly threatens to kill him and drive him insane. The pendulum and the mathematical prison in this horror tale symbolise the clockwork universe, and in total there are at least six major stories by Poe in which death and spiritual  destruction come forth from clocks!

Poe’s Quest, ‘Eureka’ and the Qur’an

All of his life, Poe struggled against the Enlightenment vision to understand the universe in such a way that man can be free and take full responsibility for his own life and actions. However, this could not be done without completely overturning the existing scientific opinions of his time! Nevertheless, Poe did exactly that in his last major work, the cosmogony  ‘Eureka: An essay on the Material and Spiritual Universe’. He considered it as his greatest and definitive work, after which he had nothing more to write (and he did not, dying a year later).^[1]

The cosmogony in ‘Eureka’ is based on two basic assumptions:

1. The whole universe was originally enclosed in an undivided, unified particle.
2. By an act of God, this particle exploded into an expanding, finely divided nebulae, from which the entire universe slowly evolved due to the actions of the forces of nature that were created with it, especially the force of gravity.

Of course these two assumptions are the same as the present scientific opinion (except the involvement of God), but at Poe’s time they were absolutely unheard of and totally unacceptable from a scientific point of view. However, it is also clear that at this point close to the end of his life, Poe was again finding inspiration from the Qur’an he had encountered in his youth^[2], in which a similar process of creation is described:

﴾Are the disbelievers not aware that the heavens and the earth used to be joined together and that We ripped them apart?﴿ (al-Anbiya’, 30)

﴾Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke—He said to it and the earth, ‘Come into being, willingly or not,’ and they said,‘We come willingly.’﴿ (Fussilat, 11)

﴾We built the heavens with Our power and we are extending them.﴿ (al-Dhariyat, 47)

These three verses corresponf to the stages of the unified particle, the finely divided nebula, and its continual expansion.^[3]

Besides these two basic assumptions, there are more similarities between the Qur’an and ‘Eureka’, such as the existence of a ‘multiple’ universe:

(And in two Days He formed seven heavens, and assigned an order to each. We have made the nearest one beautifully illuminated and secure. Such is the design of the Almighty, the All Knowing.) (Fussilat, 12)

And the renewal of our universe:

﴾On that Day, We shall roll up the skies as a writer rolls up [his] scrolls. We shall reproduce creation just as We produced it the first time: this is Our binding promise. We shall certainly do all these things.﴿ (al-Anbiya’, 104)

However, it is only during the last ten or twenty years that scholars and scientists are re-discovering ‘Eureka’ as a source of modern science^[4], whilst the oriental inspirations of Poe are still little known, so a serious study and comparison of the Qur’an and ‘Eureka’ still has to be started.

 ’Eureka’ and Modern Science

After Poe’s death in 1849, he and his work were severely criticised and attacked in the USA. ‘Eureka’ in particular was seen as proof that Poe had gone mad towards the end of his life, and as a result it was forgotten for a long time.

The reception of Poe in Europe differed, because several French poets had discovered Poe as a brilliant poet and writer. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) and Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898) translated Poe’s works into French and made him immensely popular on the European continent. In England the same was done by the remarkable John Ingram (1842-1916), a London postal clerk, who did much to make Poe popular in England.

Also ‘Eureka’ was translated and published by Baudelaire in 1859, and it was admired for its visionary and spiritual power, although no-one could yet understand its scientific importance. However, Poe’s revolutionary ideas were not only appreciated,but also feared and detested by some. As a result, ‘Eureka’ was even officially banned in 1871 within czarist Russia, although Poe’s other work had become enormously popular and admired there.

Nevertheless, it was also in Russia that ideas from ‘Eureka’ entered, and radically changed, science for the first time, due to the Russian mathematician Alexander Friedmann (1884-1925) who was inspired by Poe when he proved in 1922 that the universe could not be static, but must be dynamic (either expanding or contracting).^[5] Friedmann used Albert Einstein’s work as a starting point for his scientific revolution, much to the anger of Einstein who was convinced that the universe was static (as were all scientists at that time)^[6] It took Einstein years to overcome his objections against the ideas of Friedmann (and thus Poe), and admit that he had actually made his ‘greatest blunder’. A few years later, in 1927, the Belgian astronomer and priest Georges Lemaitre (1894-1966), postulated his theory about the creation of the entire universe out of an exploding unified particle, the ‘cosmic egg’. Since Lemaitre was interested in literature and poetry, and Poe was immensely popular in Belgium, it is certain that also Lemaitre was inspired by ‘Eureka’. In any case, by that time Poe’s revolutionary ideas were common knowledge in Europe, so it was only a matter of time for them to become adopted by visionary and spiritual scientists like Friedmann and Lemaitre (who eventually became science adviser to the Popes Pius XII and John XXIII).^[7]

But, it must be remembered that the Qur¡¦an was the inspiration for the epoch-defining development of these concepts within modern physics!

Notes

^[1] The website www.poe-eureka.com is devoted to Poe and ‘Eureka’. It also contains the full text with many notes. Published editions in Britain are ‘Eureka’ with a foreword by the astronomer and BBC producer Sir Patrick Moore (Hesperus Press Ltd; 2002; IS BN 1-84391-009-8) and the recommendable Penguin Classic ‘The Science Fiction Of Edgar Allan Poe’, edited by Harold Beaver (IS BN 0-14-043106-3).

^[2] For Poe’s inspiration from the Orient, see for instance http://www.eapoe.org/papers/psblctrs/pl20061.htm.

^[3] The Qur’an says that the original unified particle was ‘ripped apart’, but apparently in such a way that it resulted in a ‘smoke’ or nebulae. Poe understood correctly that this must have been caused by an explosion, a phenomenon that was unknown when the Qur’an was revealed. It should be noted here that Poe served for several years in the US Army, where he was trained as an ‘artificer’ or explosives expert.

^[4] See for instance the site of the astronomer Alberto Cappi (University of Bologna, Italy) at: http://www.bo.astro.it/

^[5] It is known that Alexander Friedmann was a fan of Poe. For Poe’s influence on him, see also http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/02/books/think-tank-what-did-poe-know-about-cosmology-nothing-but-he-wasright.html.

^[6] Albert Einstein also read ‘Eureka’, and in 1933 and 1940 he wrote four letters about it to the Poe biographers Richard Gimbel and Arthur Quinn. These letters show how much Poe’s work confused and angered him. For these letters and comments, see http://ww.poeeureka.com.

^[7] It is interesting to note that Friedmann and Lemaître served during the First World War, and, like Poe, both were experts in the field of ballistics and explosives. This may have helped them to grasp and understand Poe’s vision.

If the responsibility of carrying the message of Islam rests upon the youth of today, what contributions can the youth make for the greater good of the Deen (in the long run)?

The youth actually take the most vital role in the community, as they will eventually develop to become the leaders of society. Aside from the altruistic aim of helping the wider community, carrying the message from a young age will actually benefit themselves by preparing them for the future. As time progresses, there are more and more avenues opening to spread the message. The most effective means would probably be in the locality and through the internet.

Every person has their own unique traits and not everyone is able to serve the Deen through speaking. Actually, it’s a common misconception that da’wah is only given through words and speech. Organising a local sports tournament or a halal social gathering can also attract people towards Islam.

It’s a matter of creativity. All the ideas and resources are out there for all to make use of. You can use your hobbies and the things you enjoy doing as a means to carry the message of Islam. The goal is to not restrict yourself. Think outside the box, as they say.

Basically, I just found out I have failed my first year at university, I worked so hard to get in and get a place, and alhumdulilah, I was so happy when I got in. I just got my results, and I now have to repeat my first year. I’m so sorry to my parents for what I have caused them and put them through, I wish this had never happened I really don’t, but it has, and I want it to go away.

Indeed, that is a demoralising experience. It is vital, however, to accept that unfortunate events occur for a reason. Failing your first year of university doesn’t make you less of a person. Rather, it could be a means to strengthen you for greater ambitions in the future. When grief overwhelms, it sometimes helps to look at those less fortunate than you are. At least you are still able to attend university and continue to get an education. There are many people who would sacrifice everything to be in your I would also like to point out the positive characteristics that have been derived from your situation: regret and remorse. The pain that you feel is a good sign, as it shows you have a concern for your future and care about your parents’ feelings.

As a concluding advice, remember you have a future ahead of you, inshallah. As Nuran Alteir once said, “It’s over and done with. That’s the beauty of the past. The nightmare is when you remember it. Simply take a lesson from this experience and look ahead towards your future.

Do not take the advice of this column as the final word on any matter. If it is something important, try to do shura (consultation) with a range of different people and benefit from their experience and wisdom. Ali (R.A) asked, “O Prophet! (saw) If we have a matter in which we do not find a command or prohibition then what is your advice?” He said, “Consult the righteous wise people and do not depend on individual opinion.” (al-Tabarani)

By sharing our experiences, we can learn from each other. Please send in your personal questions to Raakin: questions@invitation-magazine.com or post to: FREEPOST RSCZ-XHXT-XKHT, The Invitation, 512-514 Berridge Road West, Nottingham, NG7 5JU, UK.

How can Ramadan change your heart? How can the Month of the Qur’an bring you closer to understanding the Noble Book of Allah? Some reflections on the significance of the revelation, particularly in the most blessed of all months.

All and absolute praise is due only unto Allah (swt), who blessed us with the Qur’an: The Sacred, Noble Book, of which its beautiful verses are like the thread from which the substance of our souls are weaved.

Snapshots from Life this Ramadan

• An 84 year-old grandmother stands reciting Tarawih prayer each night, cherishing the rays of spiritual light that each word contains.
• A 16 year-old cousin is inspired to don the jilbab after internalising the verses of Surah al-Ahzab.
• A depressed friend finds the optimism of life within the valiant stories of Allah’s messengers (Saw).
• A middle-aged neighbour is motivated to revise what he has neglected of Qur’an memorisation.
• A two year-old niece recites Surah al-Ikhlaas, as her parents proudly witness the start of a momentous spiritual journey. Throughout life and especially in Ramadan, I’ve never ceased to be amazed and truly inspired, as I witness strangers, family and friends alike, turning to the Qur’an as their compass.

In Ramadan Hearts Turn to the Qur’an

The spiritual magnet of this radiant month is the Qur’an, which was sent as divine remembrance from Allah (swt). This remembrance can only be achieved by deep contemplation and reflection, and Ramadan is the prime opportunity to renew our dedication, commitment and love for the Glorious Book. The clear Book contains messages that I can fully accept and live by, because it has been revealed by a flawless author, through His true Messenger (saw). The preserved Book contains timeless teachings which Allah (swt) himself has promised to safeguard, imprinted upon the heart of our beloved Messenger of Allah (swt) and transferred to those fortunate heirs.

The Most Glorious of all Inheritance!

On a recent trip to Turkey, I discovered an amazing Qur’anic legacy. Until recently, this nation had the privilege and honour of being the custodians of all the holy precincts of Islam, even the sacred relics of the most honoured of all human beings, Prophet Muhammad (saw). An unexpected but amazing fact was that it was a custom of the Ottomans to have one hafiz (memoriser) of the Qur’an per house. A lineage that didn’t just pass on gold trinkets or silver vessels, but also passed on this Holy Book, subhanallah! The Qur’an: the most glorious of all inheritance! As they kept it in their hearts, as they preserved it in their bosoms, they too, were preserved with it. Their contributions adorn the sanctuaries of Makkah Mukarramah, Madinah Munawwarah, and al-Quds al-Mubaruk (Jerusalem). Allah opened their hearts to the Qur’an. They became one of the most important contributors to our Islamic legacy, with a golden age, excelling in architectural feats. As carriers of the Qur’an, every builder laying every brick surrounding the Holy Sanctuaries of Makkah and Madinah, did so whilst in a state of wudu’ (ablution) and as a hafiz, subhanallah. I wish the Qur’an to truly enter into my heart. I wish it to infuse my speech and actions. So that I too, may be preserved in the sight of the noble angels! “O my Cherisher! Open my heart to the hearing of your Remembrance! Ameen”

The month of Ramadan is one filled with spiritual benefits and nourishment, none so great as that gained by the obligation of fasting. What can we understand about the Divine wisdom of the fast in this month, and how can our souls benefit from it? 

Islam is the religion that Allah ﷻ, All-Wise, accepted for His servants and the system that He, Most Merciful, chose for them. Therefore, strict observation of the rules and enjoinments of this system and devoted commitment to them are the essence of worship, which is the ultimate goal of our existence. To this effect Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:

I created jinn and mankind only to worship Me (al-Dhariyat, 56)

Therefore, Islam made worship for Allah ﷻ the first requirement of a Muslim. And the pillars of Islam represent the worship of Allah, with the first of them the fundamental condition of faith itself: the Shahadah (There is no god but Allah and Muhammad  is the Messenger of Allah).

The Types of Worship in Islam

The worship in Islam is categorised into three types:

• Physical worship: prayer (Salah) and fasting (Sawm).

• Economical worship: charity (Zakah and Sadaqah).

• Physical and Economical worship: pilgrimage (Hajj and  Umrah).

These acts of worship are performed in cycles of time which vary in frequency. Some, notably prayer in particular, take place on a daily basis. Others, such as voluntary Sadaqah and Sawm vary, but may take place on a weekly, or monthly basis, whilst the fasting in Ramadan and the payment of Zakah are set as annual obligations. Finally, the Hajj, although only possible at one time of the year, is distingished by virtue of being a once in a lifetime duty.

Some kinds of worship, such as truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, chastity, fulfillment of promises, seeking lawful things and self-control are behavioral worships and are, therefore, based on the establishment of good relationships with other fellow humans. Other kinds of worship, such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage to Makkah, are ritual and are, hence, based on the establishment of good relationships with Allah ﷻ, and striving to achieve spiritual intimacy with Him and divine enlightenment, guidance and tranquillity from Him.

In fact, the benefit of fasting, one of the ritual worships, is based on the correctness of the behavioural ones. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whosoever does not shun saying or doing falsehood, Allah ﷻ is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.” Ramadan is the month of repentance and forgiveness, obedience and good deeds, remembrance and love, devotion and piety, nearness and intimacy. The Prophet ﷺ said: “A great loser is he who witnesses Ramadan but fails to have himself forgiven.” Hence, in Ramadan and all times, one should strive to go from the darkness of ignorance and illusion to the enlightenment of knowledge and certitude, from the swamp of whims and caprices to the bliss of nearness and intimacy with the Lord, Most Gracious, and from a state of merely resisting degradation to one of continuous of spiritual enhancement.

The following Qura’nic verse summarises both kinds of worship. Allah ﷻ, quotes Jesus as saying:

And He [Allah ﷻ] has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I am alive. (Maryam, 31)

Here, Jesus’ words “And He (Allah ﷻ) has enjoined on me prayer” refer to the establishment of good relationships between himself and his Lord, and his word “charity” denotes the establishment of good relationships between himself and other fellow humans.

The Divine Wisdom in Fasting

When Allah ﷻ, addresses all mankind, He addresses them with the basics of religion. He says:

 O people! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those who came before you, that you may become righteous. (al-Baqarah, 21)

But when He addresses believers who believe in His existence, perfection, and oneness, He addresses them with guidance to the branches of religion and legislates for them, including clear commandments and prohibitions, as well as recommendations, discouragements and dispensations. Thus, He says:

You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God.  (al-Baqarah, 183)

By virtue of the above verse, Allah ﷻ addresses His believing servant with the meaning: “O you who believe in Me; who believe in My knowledge; who believe in My wisdom; who believe in My mercy; and who believe in My love! O you who love Me! I have prescribed fasting for you.” And when an order comes to you from the One in Whom you believe and in whose mercy and wisdom you trust, you are sure that such an order is definitely for your own good. But you should by no means measure this according to your limited human mind but, rather, according to your Creator’s infinite divine knowledge, wisdom, and mercy, for Allah ﷻ knows and you do not know. In fact, the fast is an act of abstention from food, drink, and sexual relations, which are lawful in themselves, from dawn to sunset, with an intention of worship and obedience to Allah ﷻ. Therefore, it is generously rewarded by the Lord. To this effect, the divine (qudsi) hadith goes: “All of man’s work is for him, except the fast; it is for me and it is I Who reward for it. He abstains from his food, drink, and (sexual) desire for Me.” As for His words “as it was prescribed for those before you”, they indicate that the fast does not differ from one time to another, for it was a ritual observance in all revealed religions before Islam. In other words it has always been part of Allah’s ﷻ divine system for mankind. The words “that you may be mindful of God” refer to abstaining from committing sins and misdeeds and complying with obedience not only in Ramadan but also in all other months of the year. The purpose is not that we should suppress our desires and caprices only in Ramadan, but then, after Ramadan, we immediately yield to them. The real meaning of the fast is to maintain such a high level of piety and self-control at all times.

Fasting from first dawn to sunset every day for a month can seem a tall order, and to non-Muslims is sometimes viewed as a kind of strange torture. Yet Ramadan should be – and is – felt as a time of great joy and happiness, as physical desires are tamed by spiritual will power.

Here, The Invitation explains how a successful fast is one in which a positive and determined mind is in the driving seat.

Ramadan has arrived once again. With Islam operating in accordance with the lunar calendar and the western Gregorian calendar in line with the solar, the holy month of Ramadan is effectively moving backwards through the western calendar (the lunar year is around ten days less than the solar year). This means that at the moment, the fasts of Ramadan are moving into summer and are becoming longer each year. For instance, the first fast of Ramadan this year in the UK will be approximately 17 hours long, which is no short length of time!

‘Me Me Me’ Culture

Most of us will probably familiar with people asking questions about Ramadan, such as, “So you can’t eat ANYTHING?”, expressing surprise at the fact that we, as Muslims, fast the hours from sunrise to sunset in this blessed month for the pleasure of Allah ﷻ. You may also be used to comments such as “Not even water?” and the accompanying raised eyebrows at the explanation of exactly what we put ourselves through. But who can blame people for being surprised? Look at the society that we live in today. Not only have we developed an attitude of expecting to have whatever we wish, whenever we wish; but many of us have developed an unhealthy obsession with food as well. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner mostly – but we’re also quite likely to snack on tea, biscuits , fast food and any other such things which take our fancy between hours. The result: not only a population growing in size, weight and health problems, but an inability to control our desires and specifically our greed. We have developed a ‘Me Me Me’ culture whereby whatever we feel we want or need, we expect to have, aswe succumb to the desires of our lower selves. This attitude isn’t just confined to food and drink, but also material objects, actions and words. We have freedom of speech and thought, word and deed, which are undeniable blessings, but if we are not careful this state of being free and in control is an illusion, as we are in fact dependent and controlled by our own egos – and we largely don’t realise it.

The Struggle of My First Ramadan

I remember my first Ramadan – I struggled. I remember telling myself that my body simply wasn’t used to going so long without sustenance and I might get a headache or faint. My system needed energy, my stomach growled and I tried to fool myself that medically, physically, this wasn’t good for me. Only my body wasn’t the real issue – after all I was young, healthy and strong – the real problem was that my heart and my mind weren’t ready and weren’t used to this and therefore I had actually defeated myself before I even started. Growing up in this society and fasting for the first time as an adult meant that, like many, I had unwittingly developed a dependence on my own desires to the extent that they controlled me. In the years that followed, alhamdulillah, my iman increased and each year, despite the fasts becoming longer, I began to find them easier. Not only that, but the penny finally dropped – this wasn’t about my body or my stomach. This was about whether I wanted to do this or not and essentially if I understood and believed in the command to fast the days of this holy month. I became motivated, realising the reasons and rewards for fasting as a Muslim at this time and the result was that I no longer felt the hunger like I did in that first year, alhamdulillah. Don’t get me wrong – fasting is tough! My stomach finds its voice and grumbles with the best of them, my energy dips and I long for a morsel of food on my tongue and cool water in my throat. But I know I can do this, I want to do this and the fact is, my body gets through it now because of my heart and mind.

Body and Mind

To what extent does the mind have power over the body? Well, a considerable amount it seems. A person’s intentions, state of mind, attitude and therefore heartfelt desires can impact on how they experience things and what they can withstand. The ‘Placebo Effect’ has been well-documented; ever since Henry K. Beecher’s article “The Powerful Placebo” in the 1955 Journal of the American Medical Association. Essentially the Placebo Effect is the process of finding relief from pain or physical discomfort due solely to the belief in the mind that any treatment or medicine will work, even if such treatment is null and void. It’s such a common phenomenon that pharmaceutical testing today often includes a ‘placebo’ to benchmark the effectiveness of any drug. According to Henry Beecher’s report, just believing that a drug or medical treatment will work, means that in 33% of cases,  just that happens. It’s a form of ‘PMA’ or Positive Mental Attitude which dictates how our mental state can impact on the physical feelings and conditions we endure. Many doctors today also report that emotional health can have a direct impact on physical health – just look at all the stress-related illnesses we now know about! When it comes to Ramadan, our aqidah (belief ) can have a direct impact on our success. When people ask us how on earth we manage to get through the day, if they are not Muslim then they most likely will not understand, as it is our aqidah that motivates us and gets us through. If we have a strong belief in the presence of Allah ﷻ. and in His command for us to fast, then we should find ourselves starting in a strong position (with the exception of health conditions and exemptions) for enduring the fasts. In the Qur’an we find the following verse:

 The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination. Any of you who are resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number of days and proclaim Allah’s greatness for the guidance He has given you so that hopefully you will be thankful.

(al-Baqarah, 185)

Fasting of the Soul

In order to perfect our ability to withstand a lack of food and drink and to ensure our fasts have the best chance of being accepted, we should look also at the fast of the mouth and mind that is integral to a successful Ramadan. We aren’t just commanded to abstain from sustenance but to truly and willingly submit our nafs (ego) to our Lord. This means that as well as ensuring our bodies are free from physical desires, we need to ensure our actions and words and thereby our hearts, are free as well. We should not indulge in bad speech, backbiting, gossip, suspicion, cursing, anger, deceit, or lies to name a few. In our world today, this month is the perfect time to reset our souls from a culture of indulgence, extravagance and selfishness, so that we can become really in control of ourselves. It’s a position that is at total odds with many attitudes in society today, but it is not impossible – far from it. All we need is a healthy, positive, mental attitude and a heart of belief and desire to please Allah ﷻ. Then we will find our bodies in a much more comfortable state as we count down the hours to each iftar. Next time you are asked how you manage to fast through the day without food or drink, consider answering, “Because I want to.” It’s an answer which may sound simple, but contains a deeper meaning. Wanting to fast is the key to a successful fast, it’s an approach to life that this society actually indirectly supports: if you want to do something, you can do it. Who knows also how your answer will resonate with those who hear it? Now, there’s food for thought.

O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you may develop taqwa (awareness of God) (al-Baqarah, 183)

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is a difficult exercise. Amongst all the Islamic forms of worship it is the one that most tests man’s endurance and ability to control his appetites. To go without food, drink or sexual pleasure for 10-15 hours may appear as a self-torture to the outsider, but the faithful sees this as self-denial which trains him to fulfil the purpose of his life. When God, the All-Wise tells the believers to fast, He explains to them that it was ‘prescribed to those before you’. Furthermore, He gives the reason for demanding this act of worship in these words: ‘so that you may develop taqwa (awareness of God)’. Allah need not explain the reasons for His commandments, but He is Benevolent and Most Generous, so in order to comfort us and to satisfy our inquisitive nature, He explains that previous peoples have fasted and found it beneficial. They were capable of doing it – and so will you. Moreover, it will lead to becoming a muttaqi,a God-aware or pious person.What is taqwa? Some people translate the term as ‘fear ofGod’. Taqwa literally means ‘to protect oneself from those things that may cause harm’, so perhaps it can be best understood as asense of awareness, being on one’s guard, vigilant and attentive lest one falls into the temptations of the ego and the Shaytan.We must aim to show this high level of alertness in our everydaylife. As Ibrahim ibn Adham says, “Taqwa is that people do not find a fault in your speech, and the angels do not find a fault in your actions whilst the angels of the Throne see no fault in your inner motives.”

How does fasting develop taqwa? Imagine it is a hot day and you are extremely thirsty, with your stomach grumbling with pangs of hunger due to the fast. There is sweet cold water in ajug and delicious food on the table and suddenly you realise that no-one is watching you! It is only because of one’s taqwa that he refuses to lift his hands towards the drink and the food in obedience to the Lord’s command. Also, if he is able to abstain from the usually permissable things, do you not think that he will be able to avoid all those things that Allah has forbidden? One of the objectives of this month-long exercise is that one becomes able to avoid sins in the other eleven months of the year.Fasting carries with it many spiritual benefits and is an effective means for spiritual growth, moral development, improvement of bodily health and social good. We shall discuss these benefits of fasting one by one to understand this wonderful programme of personal development.

Spiritual Growth

What do we mean by spirituality? Spirituality refers to a man’srelationship with his Creator, faith in Him, reliance upon Himand a sense of attachment to Him. This spiritual link cannot be felt through the five physical senses nor easily expressed through everyday language. Experienced through the heart, it is nonetheless more real to the truly devoted servant than anything else in hislife. This relationship with the Lord of all the Worlds gives the believer a sense of identity, realising the Majesty and Grandeurof Allah and at the same time recognises his own weakness and dependence on Him, he submits himself and declares, “There is no god but Allah”, he becomes aware of the reality that “I am the servant and He is the Master” and is filled with awe and a sense of wonder and mystery when he looks around him, gaining certainty that his purpose in life is to worship and adore Allah! This is an enlightening experience of transcendence, arousing in the humble man the desire to become closer to God and achieve His nearness.

So where does he begin? He looks for a role model, in the universal man, the mercy to the universe, Allah’s beloved Messenger Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him, and in him he finds ‘a beautiful example’. He familiarizes himself with his teaching and follows his example in every aspect of his life. Practising the Sunnah, the life pattern of the ‘Holy Prophet’in its totality leads to a heightened awareness of the presence of Allah and one of the key acts in this is sawm (fasting). Just as the world of consumerism diverts mans attention away from spirituality, fasting is a powerful means of disengaging us from the physical world and re-aligning our spirituality. The purpose of fasting is to remind the believer of his spiritual reality over and above his immediate concerns of eating, drinking andsexual pleasures. Fasting restrains carnal desires, those cravings that if left uncontrolled will weaken the soul and eventuallydestroy it. Fasting, by overriding these desires, brings mancloser to Allah and the power of the soul is then unleashed upon temporal cravings. This important place of fasting indeveloping spirituality is universally recognised by all religions. The Encyclopaedia Brittanica states:“Its modes and motives vary considerably according toclimate, race and civilisation; but it would be difficult to name any religion in which it is not wholly recognised.

﴾ The evil men and jinn suggest alluring words to one another to deceive…leave them to their inventions. So that the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter may incline towards their deceit, be pleased with it, and so perpetrate whatever they perpetrate. ﴿ (al-Anam, 112-13)
Satan is a jinn who was assigned the role of teaching Angels, he is made of fire (a form of energy) and God has given him certain capabilities and devices that allow him to do some quite powerful vthings. The above verses hint to Satan’s power to deceive people by making evil appear attractive and alluring with flowery language – like marketing language.
The Satan is described as ‘al-waswas al-khannas’, the slinking whisperer – one who whispers wrong thoughts in a stealthy and sneaky manner – quietly laying his snare and trap to catch the unwary.

How Does Satan Mislead People?

Try to visualise Satan holding a conference in which he invites all his followers. What would be his message for them?
He would tell them: “As long as the Muslims continue to pray, give charity and love God ﷺ and Muhammad ﷻ you have no chance of misleading them. Therefore, in order to take them away from this love and devotion, I recommend you adopt the following strategy:
1. Tempt them to overspend so they go into debt.
2. Make them work long hours to maintain empty lifestyles.
3. Discourage them from spending time with the family.
4. Overstimulate their minds with television and computers so they can’t hear the message of Islam.
5. Fill their coffee tables with newspapers and trivial magazines so they have no time for reading Quran and Hadith.
6. Involve them in seemingly ‘good’ causes to the extent that they have no time to reflect upon the Hereafter.
7. Make them self-sufficient and keep them so busy with their physical appearance that they never appreciate the power of Allah ﷺ. or their reliance on Him.
8. Flood their letter boxes with promotions of pizza and kebab burgers and get rich-quick schemes so they keep chasing material things.
9. Put glamorous and scantily-clad models on Billboards, TV screens, and magazine covers to keep them focussed on outward appearances – that way they will be dissatisfied with themselves and their mates.

Finally Satan would say, “Do these nine things faithfully. I promise it will work!”

Satan Keeps Us Busy But Unsuccessful

Yes we are busy, sometimes very busy, but are we successful? There’s a big difference between being busy and successful – busy can often just be a result of being ‘under Satan’s yoke’! We should take care to reflect on what we spend our time on, so that we don’t get caught in this evil trap.
Here are some couplets from Rumi about the Devil:

‘Let us seek refuge with Allah from Satan.
Alas! We are perishing by his insolence.
The dog is one, yet he enters a thousand forms;
Whatever he enters straight becomes himself.
Whatever makes you shiver, know he is in it, -
The Devil is hidden beneath its outward form.
When he finds no form at hand, he enters your thoughts,
To cause them to draw you into sin.
From your thoughts proceeds destruction,
When from time to time evil thoughts occur to you.
Sometimes thoughts of pleasure, sometimes of business,
Sometimes of science, sometimes of house and home.
Sometimes of gain and traffic,
Sometimes of merchandise and wealth.
Sometimes of money and wives and children,
Sometimes of wisdom or of sadness.
Sometimes of household goods and fine linen,
Sometimes of carpets, sometimes of sweepers.
Sometimes of mills, gardens, and villas,
Sometimes of clouds and mists and jokes and jests.
Sometimes of peace and war,
Sometimes of honour and disgrace.
Ah! Cast out of your head these vain imaginations,
Ah! Sweep out of your heart these evil suggestions.
Cry, “There is no power nor strength but in God!”
To avert the Evil One from the world and your own soul.’

Dr Musharraf Hussain

“Contemplate, if you will, that your consciousness were to be suddenly cut off. Would ‘you’ not be dead, even if it was possible for your body to continue to live, to move and to talk? This is because your body is not ‘you’, well at least not the most important and essential part.”

The human being is an amazing creature, an unequalled creation. From the viewpoint of the apparent world – and thereby visible to all – there is clearly something different to our kind, from our many languages and cultures, to our clothing, buildings and technological achievements. We have the potential for producing great works of artistry and acts of sacrifice, along too with the capacity for monstrous cruelty and greed. How can this be explained? Again, from the apparent world this is a simple case of brainpower. The more processing power that we have at our disposal, the more complex can become our language, social organisation, culture and control over the other lifeforms of the world, for better or for worse. There is no doubting the superiority of the human intelligence, although it is often squandered on triviality, or misled and corrupted to seek unwise ends. Taking account of the human physical form, including the brain, is no doubt a necessary part of understanding human achievements, but is it really sufficient as an explanation of the entirety of human experience? Robert Wright, author of the book ‘Nonzero’, quotes the philosopher David Chalmers as remarking, “It seems God could have created the world physically exactly like this one, atom for atom, but with no consciousness at all. And it would have worked just as well. But our universe isn’t like that. Our universe has consciousness.” What this means is that the really incredible thing about human life turns out not to be our incredible processing of stimuli, calculating of the best course of action, carrying it out, and so on, but the fact that we are conscious of it at all, and are not mere automatons.

Your Body is Not ‘You’

So why do we have an experience of all that we do, a conscious awareness that you surely are experiencing right now as you read this? Contemplate, if you will, that your consciousness were to be suddenly cut off. Would ‘you’ not be dead, even if it was possible for your body to continue to live, to move and to talk? This is because your body is not ‘you’, well at least not the most important and essential part. This real you is the Ruh (soul) and unlike your worldly body, it is a thing with a beginning but without an end. The Messenger of God ﷺ was asked about the Ruh and was told by God ﷻ:

(Say, ‘The Spirit is part of my Lord’s domain. You have only been given a little knowledge of it.’ ﴿ (al-Isra’, 85)

The Purification of the Soul

What we do know is that the soul can become purified, or corrupted depending on our actions and the internal states we cultivate and this directly influences its eventual destination:

﴾ By the soul and how He formed it and inspired it [to know] its own rebellion and piety! The one who purifies his soul succeeds and the one who corrupts it fails. ﴿ (al-Shams, 7-10)

This is where the first, inner, aspect of prophetic medicine comes in, which is in the rememberance of the One to whom the soul really belongs:

﴾ Truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace. ﴿ (al-Ra’d, 28)

The greatest path to this rememberance is none other than that walked by the Messenger of God ﷺ, as God ﷻ has said:

﴾ We have sent among you a Messenger of your own to recite Our revelations to you, purify you and teach you the Scripture, wisdom and [other] things you did not know. ﴿ (al-Baqarah, 151)

In The Invitation, one of the ways we encourage our readers to follow this path of purification is in our serialisation of the Sirah every issues, which is based on lessons by Shaykh Habib Kadhim al- Saqqaf, a person who in his daily actions really embodies the internal and external realities of the Sunnah of the Prophet.

Prophetic Medicine for the Body

This emphasis on the purification of the soul, vital though it is, does not mean that we should neglect the body, or mortify it as has been the practice of certain ascetics in the past. Rather one should care for his or her body, as the vessel that holds the soul in this worldy life. Allow the vessel to become cracked, and surely the soul will be susceptible to poison entering inside. The Prophet ﷺ understood this, and gave wonderful advice for living healthily, preventing disease and weakness, and, when required, using natural methods and remedies to recover from sickness. In this issue of The Invitation, we present our ‘Prophetic Medicine Special’, featuring fascinating articles on ‘The Blessed Seed’ (black seed) and ‘Hijamah (Cupping)’ as well as ‘The Islamic Contribution to Medicine’. We hope that you find these inspiring and maintain balance in your body and soul.

Ibrahim Harvey

The Tenth Year of Prophecy is known in the Sirah as ‘The Year of Grief’ as within it both the Prophet’s ﷺ beloved uncle, Abu Talib, and wife, Khadijah, died. Later on in the same year, the Prophet ﷺ met fierce persecution in the town of Ta’if, while trying to preach the message of Islam, an experience he was to recall as one of the most difficult of his life.

Just before the gruelling experiences of the tenth year of the Prophet’s ﷺ mission, most likely on the 15th of Sha’ban of the ninth year, one of the greatest prophetic miracles was to occur. Following the dissolution of the unjust embargo that had been used against the Muslims in Makkah, the disbelieving Quraysh asked for a sign. The Prophet ﷺ showed them the splitting of the moon, an amazing occurence that some commentators relate to the following verse of the Qur’an:

﴾ The Hour draws near; the moon is split. ﴿ (al-Qamar, 1)

The Prophet ﷺ was extremely disappointed that despite such an act, which was clearly beyond the capacity of humanity, his people remained stubborn in their rejection of his message. Even though the temporary cleaving of the moon was widely reported in various locations, the opinion-formers of Quraysh continued to label their former favourite son as nothing more than a fraud.

The Death of Abu Talib

The circumstances surrounding the death of Abu Talib are one of the greatly disputed parts of the Sirah. What is agreed upon by all is that from the earliest days of the proclamation of the Prophet’s mission, his uncle had been one of his staunchest supporters, using his high standing within the tribe to protect his nephew in any way that he could. Nearly a decade later, and lying on his death bed, he was to be visited simultaneously by the Prophet ﷺ, desperate for him to make a public declaration of faith, and the nemesis of Islam in those early days, Abu Jahl, determined for him to merely affirm the way of his forefathers.

Abu Jahl, leaning over his body, asked Abu Talib if he would leave the way of Abdul Muttalib. He replied, “I am on the way of Abdul Muttalib” (al-Bukhari). His brother, Abbas, is reported saying that his last words were “La ilaha illallah” (There is no god except Allah), but this is only to be found within a weak hadith.

From this evidence, many have concluded that Abu Talib died without faith. In fact, his ‘fate’ has become almost proverbial as a way of trying to console Muslims with non-Muslim relatives, by saying “Look at the Prophet’s ﷺ own beloved uncle, who did so much to assist the early believers, but died as a disbeliever.”

However, some scholars hold a very different opinion on this matter, as is articulated by Shaykh Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf in the following argument. This is that Abu Talib’s heart was certainly in a state of complete belief in the veracity of his nephew’s message. The issue is in the matter of pronouncing it then Abu Talib definitely was a Muslim at the time of his death. If, on the other hand, faith consists of a conviction within the heart and confirmation upon the tongue (as some argue) then there must be a discussion to determine whether there was a valid reason for withholding the verbal declaration. In some cases, in which a person dies before saying it, or is unable to speak, this legal excuse is clearly present, so what about Abu Talib? His failure to openly say the declaration of faith can be interpreted as an intention to protect the Prophet ﷺ, as his public death as a Muslim would be perceived as a slight on the tribal honour of the Quraysh, and thus increase their persecution of the believers. According to this opinion, such a concern qualifies as a sufficient legal excuse, and Abu Talib can indeed be regarded as having died upon Islam.

The Death of Lady Khadijah

If the loss of Abu Talib was a terrible blow, the death of Khadijah, the Prophet’s ﷺ wife of a quarter of a century, later the same year was a devastating one. Khadijah had been the first to affirm belief in the Prophet ﷺ after he first began to receive revelation, comforting snd supporting him, as he set out on his great journey. He said, “She stood by me, when people rejected me”, and another time reported, “I saw Khadijah in Paradise beside one of its rivers.”

Years later in Madinah, the Prophet ﷺ would visibly react when a woman even knocked on the door in a way that was similar to Khadijah; and he was known to sacrifice an animal and send the meat to all of Khadijah’s friends, such was the high honour that he held for her.

The Rejection of Ta’if

With the protection and assistance of Abu Talib gone, the Prophet ﷺ looked for other powerful allies in the region that might be able to help the Muslims withstand the persecution of the Quraysh. One possibility seemed to be the leaders of Ta’if, a lush oasis fairly close to Makkah. He also fervently hoped that its people might be blessed with the guidance of God ﷻ and accept his call. Some narrations state that the Prophet ﷺ went on this expedition alone, others that he was with Zayd ibn Haritha [RA]. In any case, he met with the leaders of Ta’if, each of them a chieftain of various sub clans. Particularly powerful were four extremely obstinate brothers, who poured scorn on the Prophet ﷺ for coming to see them. One of them said, “Hasn’t Allah found someone other than you, it is a mistake that I’m even speaking to you: if you are really a prophet, how can I speak to a prophet? If not, how can I speak to a liar?”

Concerned, however, that the Messenger of God ﷺ might convince the ordinary people of Ta’if to embrace Islam if he got a chance to speak to them, the leaders deceived the fools and children of their society to line up in two rows and throw stones on his heels. It is said that Zaid ibn Haritha [RA] stood in his way and both of them, severely bleeding, were forced to take refuge in a garden belonging to the Makkans Utbah and Shaybah ibn Rab’iah. Sitting in the shade cast by a wall of their plantation, they had a sympathy towards the Prophet ﷺ based on their tribal connection – they did not like to see one of their own tribe being treated that way by the people of Ta’if. For this reason they sent over a Christian servant called Addas, to take some grapes to him. Upon learning that he was from the town of Ninevah, the Messenger of God ﷺ mentioned his prophetic connection with Yunus [as]. Addas, hearing the name of the great prophet of his people, accepted him immediately and began to kiss his hands and feet.

Apart from the isolated meeting with Addas, the rejection of Ta’if was a profoundly traumatic experience for the Prophet ﷺ. In the peace and tranquility of the garden following the attacks he prayed: “O God, to You I complain of my weakness, of my helplessness, and of my lowliness before men. O Most Merciful of the merciful, You are Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. Into whose hands will You entrust me? To some far off stranger who will ill-treat me? Or to an enemy whom You have empowered against me? I do not care, so long as You are not angry with me. But Your bestowal of well-being upon me is more beloved to me. I take refuge in the Light of Your Countenance whereby all darknesses are illuminated and the things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest You make Your anger descend upon me, or make Your wrath beset me. I endeavour to praise You until You are pleased. There is no power and no might, except through You.”

This is a sign of the station of absolute humility before God ﷺ of the one who is in reality the Master of the First and the Last amongst all humankind ﷺ!

Following this supplication, Jibreel (Gabriel) [as] descended and offered to crush the entire town of Ta’if by commanding the angels of the surrounding mountains. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “No, because I hope their progeny will believe in Allah.” In a divine response to his mercy, not just later generations but the entire town accepted Islam during his lifetime.

A Group of Jinn Listen to the Qur’an

As if to compensate for the crushing disappointment of the expedition to Ta’if, God ﷻ opened up souls to faith in an unexpected direction. The Prophet ﷺ , on his return back to Makkah, had been praying tahajjud (the night vigil) at a staging post called Nakhlah, when, as God ﷻ revealed:

﴾ We sent a group of jinn to you [Prophet] to listen to the Qur’an. When they heard it, they said to one another, ‘Be quiet!’ Then when it was finished they turned to their community and gave them warning. They said, ‘Our people, we have been listening to a Scripture that came after Moses, confirming previous scriptures, giving guidance to the truth and the straight path. Our people, respond to the one who calls you to God. Believe in Him: He will forgive you your sins and protect you from a painful torment.’﴿ (al-Ahqaf, 29-31).

Ibrahim Harvey