CULTURE OF ISLAM

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

Imtiaz Muhsin 30-Nov-12

The main objective of these talks (and therefore the scripts of these talks), is to stimulate thinking. Sensible, rational and logical thinking. So, my message, think, think & think! Be sensible, be rational and be logical.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

Please Note
1. I have had the great privilege, (since Aug 2010), of presenting talks on the weekly Radio Program Culture of Islam [Every Friday 8 to 8.30 pm, Radio Sri Lanka - FM 97.4] 2. Since these are Radio Talks, I refer to, or address the audience as listeners 3. I am well aware that the audience to these talks would consist of people belonging to a variety of faiths. So as to make people of all faiths feel included, I very often use words and names that are common to all religions. 4. For these reasons, I use the name GOD, as well as Abraham, Moses, Jesus etc as well as the names Allah, Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam), Moosa (Alaihis Salaam), Easa (Alaihis Salaam) etc 5. Muslims by habit usually say Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam, when the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, and Alaihis Salaam' when the name of a Prophet is mentioned. However, in these series of talks I have reduced the use of these prayers & sayings to the bare minimum. 6. Muslims, also by habit, use a number of Arabic prayers or sayings, such as Alhamdulillah, Insha Allah and so on. Again, I have reduced the use of these prayers or sayings to the bare minimum. 7. Sometimes I have to write Arabic words in the English script. I have devised my own way of writing Arabic in English, as follows;

th TH

s Ss SW

DHL DHZ

H h

Gh GH

Information on these talks along with all download links can be found on my on my Blog (http://imtiazm.wordpress.com/) The dates or the schedules of these talks can be viewed on the Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/ImtiazMuhsin786) The Scripts of these talks can be downloaded from www.ScribD.com (www.ScribD.com Author Imtiaz Muhsin) The audio files of these talks can be downloaded from YouTube (YouTube Channel Imtiaz Muhsin) The YouTube Link to this talk is at http://youtu.be/nQn0X0lBagE

All Praise and Thanks is due to Allah and Allah alone Alhamdulillah!

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaikum, Two weeks ago I began the talk on the topic Ambitions, Goals & Distractions But then in the Quran there is so much material on this topic that I found it necessary to increase the talks. This is the 3rd talk in this series Alhamdulillah! This week I wish to build on what I spoke last week. Listeners would agree that the concept that I am trying to explain is not easy to explain because I have to first identify the confusions we have in our minds this confusion results from the clash in our minds of two very contrasting approaches to what I could term our real success but once explained, unravelling the confusion becomes easier. So let me very so briefly run through the points of what I have spoken over the last two weeks. The topic is Ambitions, Goals & Distractions so what should be our real ambition attaining success in this world and the life hereafter. In Surah Fathiha, which is the opening Surah of the Quran we beseech God to guide us obvioulsy to guide us towards success. We Pray that we should be with the Anghamtha ghalaihim those on whom God (You have) has bestowed His favors.We also pray that we should not be with the MaghDHloobi ghalaihim and the Dhlaaleen - those who have incurred His (Your) wrath and (of) those who go astray. Then from the Quran I read some Aayaths about the lives or the qualities of a few of the Prophets describing this as the role models for the Anghamtha ghalaihim, and I also read a few Aayaths describing the lives or the qualities of Firauwn, the Pharaoh at the time of Prophet Moses or Moosa (AS) and Hamaan a wealthy oppresor also at the time of Moses or Moossa (AS) describing them as the MaghDHloobi ghalaihim and the Dhlaaleen. Then last week I explained about success. We think that succes lies in accumalating wealth, whilst the Quran clearly indicates that success the real success of this life and the hereafter lies in making efforts for good qulaities. In other words, we think that succes lies in worldly materials, in materialism whilst the Quran tells us that success lies in good qualities. I then brought up a very big confusion that all of us face let me describe it in jut 3 points; Point - 1. There are two efforts we can make. One is the effort for material wealth and the other is for spiritual wealth. One is on the materials, on the outside world and the other is on our qulaities, described as effort on our hearts deep inside our minds.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

So we could descibe the two as; An outside effort the effort for material wealth and An inner effort, the effort for good qualities, or good spirituality. Point - 2. We have this mindset, this concept that to be religious we need material wealth. Point - 3. But then, the Quran clearly indicates that those who follow the path of material wealth would destroy their spirituality. Is this not a huge confusion? Now this week I want to try to unravel those points that are confusing us. These are points deep in in our minds, we may even call it mindsets. Let us try to understand the concept of wealth and the concept of power, the best way to do so is by trying to understand how these concepts developed over time. I have used my imagination so as to keep the explanation simple. I have also described the development in stages. Stage 1. Imagine a time when there was no competition for wealth or power, as we now understand it. Humans would have lived in small social groups made up of small family units. The Parents in each family would have looked after their children and at the same time each family would have tried to help the other families. The garden of each house would have had different plants. So it is possible that one family would have had an excess of Coconuts, another would have had an excess of Mangoes, another would have had an excess of some vegetables and so on. So each family shared their excess pick with the other families it would have been a nice sharing community. Stage 2 Now some families did not have good or fertile garden space, they became what we would call craftsman. Maybe a family that lived in an area that had good clayey soil would have begun to make pots, another family may have begun to make furniture maybe small chairs etc. So now the problem came as to how these items could be shared? Stage 3 So maybe when the person who had excess coconuts wanted some pots he would go to the pot maker and offer him some coconuts for some pots. If the pot maker wanted coconuts the exchange became easy. But if the pot maker needed, lets say some vegetables, then the person who wanted the pots would have to go to the person with excess vegetables and give him some coconuts and take the vegetables in exchange and then go to the pot maker and give him the vegetables in exchange for the pots. So, since needs are in huge variety, things began to get a little complicated we have to exchange what we have for what we need. But then the person who has what we need may not always want what we have to offer and then how do you value it? Is it 10 Mangoes for a Pot or 50 Mangoes for a Pot? What about values during Mango season and at the time when Mangoes are not in season? Is it 2 knives for a pot or 2 pots for a knife?

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

Stage 4 I am keeping the explanation simple. Now human beings hit on this idea of money. There were these coins or notes which had a value and everything was was given a value tied to this money system let us for the purpose of this talk refer to this as points. Now man found a marvellos system for fulfilling all his needs. The person who had mangoes tried to increase his crops of mangoes so that he could accumalate as much points as he could. He could sell and accumalate points for the produce of his garden. He could sell and accumalate points for the things he crafted. He could even accumalate points by selling his labor, his efforts. He could even accumalate points by selling his services, his skills or his knowledge. The more he accumalted the richer he got. The richer he got the more powerful he became. Stage 5 With this points system people now found new avenues of increasing both wealth and power. Earlier, he could only use lets say a 4 acre garden. Now he found that with his points he could purchase lands or gardens from his neighbors. He could hire labor to work on his gardens. He could produce more. He could build a bigger house. He could hire people to do his cooking, his sewing of clothes, he could purchase better and better cattle or vehicles for his transport and the more he got the more he was able to invest and the more he invested the more returns he received. Stage 6 With his wealth, man now became greedy and powerful. It was the rich man who had the best houses, the best lands, the best clothes, the best vehicles, the best security. He and his family are the privileged. His word is law. He was usually the headman of his tribe or the village. Gradually many forms of socio economic structures and systems developed. For example, the feudal system. Nowadays we associate the feudal system with medieval Europe. The richest person in the village owned all the lands in the village and everyone else worked for him. The villagers even had to fight his battles. Other more modern socio economic systems are what we refer to as Capitalism, Socialism, Communism and so on. All of them are driven by motives or defined objectives to increase wealth and power. I have described this development in 5 stages from being a sharing community, we get a system which we describe as survival of the fittest, the rat race and so on. Some people are very rich, but then it is they who are brutal and vicious, they employ others to do their dirty work whilst they move around as if culture and nobility is oozing out of them. We may have developed materially, but as a society or even as individuals we have regressed or degenerated this is because we have not made conscious effort to develop good qualities or spirituality.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

This is a huge topic I need not elaborate because I am sure you listeners would be able to easily see many such examples all around and work out how this competition for wealth and power corrupts us, and we just do not realize how corrupted we are. These qualities, the despicable qualities that appear due to our love for wealth is what the Quran warns us about. The good qualities or spiritual qualities that the Quran also describes are what we should be pursuing our succes, both in this life and the life hereafter which lies in this continuous effort. Let me just list out the words God uses in the Quran to describe good qualities and the words he uses to describe bad or evil qualities; Some of them are described as;
The Muslimeen those who submit to God The Mumineen those who truly believe The MuHthadheen those who are rightly guided The Swaaliheen the righteous The MuththaQeen those who fear to displease God The Mukhliseen the sincere ones The Swaabireen those who are patient The Khaashigheen those who are humble

And so on. I have just mentioned 8 such good qualities. I have counted 80 such descriptions of virtuous qualities in the Quran Similarly, in the Quran, Allah Taaalah uses many words to describe destructive qualities, as well as those who possess these destructive qualities. Some of them are;
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The Kaafireen those who reject The FaasiQeen the rebels The Mufsidheen the mischief makers The MunafiQeen the Hypocrites The Mujrimeen the sinners The Mushrikeen those who assign partners to God.

And so on. Now I wish to read to you a few Aayaths from the Quran that explains to us that it is through the effort for good qualities that we can be successful in this world and the hereafter and also explains to us how evil the qualities we acquire when we get drawn in to the efforts to accumalate material wealth and power. I should be reading these Aayaths to to you in Arabic, because that is the language of the Quran and that describes best the message in the Quran how ever since many of us do not understand I shall read an English translation, with the Arabic readings for those Aayaths that we Muslims are familiar with I pray and hope that listeners would grasp the essence of the message. I also must mention that I am sure that the message in these Aayaths would reflect the message in the Holy Books and teachings of all other great religions as well.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

These teachings have to be there in the Old and the New Testaments as well as in the teachings of Lord Buddha. In Surah Asr Surah No 103 God informs us that all mankind is in loss; (103:1) (I swear) by the Time, (103:2) man is in a state of loss indeed, (103:3) except those who believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow truth, and exhorted each other to observe patience. Surah 87 (87:16) But you prefer TheWorldly life, (87:17) while the Hereafter is much better and much more durable. Surah 102 (102:1) You are distracted by mutual competition in amassing (worldly benefits), (102:2) until you reach the graves. Surah 2 (2:200 - b) Now among the people there is one who says: Our Rabb, give to us in this world... and he has no share in the Hereafter.

(2:201) Yet there is another among them who says: Our Rabb, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of Hell Fire.

(2:202) For them there is a share of what they have earned; and Allah is swift at reckoning.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

Surah 17 (17:18) Whoever opts for the immediate (benefits from) life herein, We give him, right here in this life, as much as We will, to whomever We intend. Then We assign Jahannam for him where he shall enter condemned, discarded. (17:19) And whoever opts for the Hereafter and makes efforts for it as due, while he is a believer, then, the effort of such people is appreciated! 2. Adorned in this world for those who reject (35:8) Then, can the one whose evil deed is so much adorned for him that he deems it really good (be equal to the one who differentiates between good and evil)? The fact, therefore, is that Allah lets go astray whomsoever He wills, and leads to the right path whomsoever He wills. So, let not your soul collapse in grief for them. Surely Allah knows well what they are doing. Surah 2 (2:212) Adorned is the present life for those who disbelieve, and they laugh at those who believe, while those who fear Allah shall be above them on the Day of Resurrection. Allah gives provision to whom He wills without measure. 3. The Rejecter looks attractive (2:204) Among men there is one whose speech, in this life, attracts you; he even makes Allah his witness on what is in his heart, while he is extremely quarrelsome. Surah 3 (3:196) The strutting of the disbelievers about the land should not deceive you. (3:197) It is just a little enjoyment. After that, their resort is Hell; and it is an evil abode. Surah 63 (63:4) And if you see them, their physiques would attract you, and if they speak, you would (like to) listen to their speech (because of their eloquence). (Yet, being devoid of substance,) it is as if they were propped up beams of timber. They deem every shout (they hear) to be against them (out of cowardice). They are the enemy; so beware of them. May Allah destroy them. How perverted are they! 4. The desirable things in this world Surah 3 (3:14) It has been made attractive for people to love the desired things; that is, women, children, hoarded heaps of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle and tillage. That is an enjoyment of TheWorldly life; but with Allah lies the beauty of the final resort. (3:15) Say: Shall I tell you what is far better than that? For those who fear (Allah), there are gardens with their Lord, beneath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, with purified wives, and approval from Allah. Allah is watchful over His servants.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

Surah 15 (15:88) Never stretch your eyes towards what We have given to groups of them to enjoy, and do not grieve for them, and be kind to believers in humbleness, Surah 45 (45:23) So, have you seen him who has taken his desires as his god, and Allah has let him go astray, despite having knowledge, and has sealed his ear and his heart, and put a cover on his eye? Now who will guide him after Allah? Still, do you not take lesson? (45:24) And they say, There is no life but our worldly life. We die and live, and nothing destroys us except time. They have no knowledge about that; they do nothing but make conjectures. 5. World is nothing but amusement and deception (6:32) TheWorldly life is nothing but a game and fun, and the last abode is surely much better for those who fear Allah. Would you still not understand? Surah 29 (29:64) This worldly life is nothing but an amusement and play, and the Last Abode is the real life indeed. Only if they know! Surah 57 (57:20 Part - a) Know well that TheWorldly life is but a play and an amusement, and a show of beauty, and exchange of boastful claims between you, and a competition of increase in riches and children. 6. Do not obey the majority (6:116) If you obey the majority of those on earth, they will make you lose the way of Allah. They follow nothing but whims, and they do nothing but make conjectures. 7. Wealth & children are distractions (9:85) Their wealth and children should not attract you. Allah only wills to punish them with these in this world and that their souls depart while they are disbelievers. Surah 34 (34:37) Your riches or your children are not the things that bring you near Us closely; however, the one who believes and acts righteously (is close to Us). Therefore, such people will have the double reward for what they did, and they will be at peace in the upper chambers (of Paradise). 8. Deeds gone to waste (7:147) Gone to waste are the deeds of those who have rejected Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter. They will be recompensed only for what they have been doing. 9. Deeds of Kaafir look beautiful (27:4) As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds look beautiful to them. So they are wandering astray. (27:5) Those are the people who deserve the worst punishment and who are the worst losers in the Hereafter.

106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

10. The two efforts or two paths (92:3) and by the One who created the male and the female, (92:4) your efforts are diverse: (92:5) As for the one who gives (in charity) and fears Allah, (92:6) and believes in the best (religion), (92:7) We will facilitate for him the way to extreme ease (i.e. the comforts of Paradise). (92:8) But the one who is miser and deems himself self-sufficient, (92:9) and rejects the best (religion), (92:10) We will facilitate for him the way to extreme distress. (92:11) And his wealth will not help him when he will fall down (into Hell). Wasbir Nafsaka And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Rabb morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; nor obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.

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106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3

There are just 100s of these Aayaths in the Holy Quran. Exhorting us to keep away from seeking out or accumalating the materials of this world to keep away from materialism and to endevor to learn good qualities, qualities of the heart, qualities that we refer to as spirituality. It makes sense in more ways than one. The Quran informs us of a life after death. This life is a preparation for that life. What would benefit us in that life is not materials of this world but the sincere devoted acts or deeds that we perform here. This message, as I keep on repeating is not unique to Islam or the Muslims or the Holy Quran. This message reflects the teachings or the lessons of all great religions. The topic of this talk is Ambitions Goals & Distractions After having listened to arguments that I have presented along with the Quran Aayaths, does it not appear that we are pursuing the distractions as our ambitions and goals? Is this not a rather sobering thought? So, dear listeners, give a little thought or rather a lot of thought to the many points that I have been raising in these talks. Examine them, think out for yourself, is this correct? If it is correct, then how do I change my life? How do I correct my life time ambition and my goals? The process would not be easy because we have a mind set that is very different. All our lives we are in search of the worldy materials, wealth and power, thinking or being convinced that our success in this World and the hereafter lies in that direction. Well, we all need re-thinking! I hope that all you listeners enjoyed listeneing to this talk as much as I enjoyed preparing for it and then resenting it to you. May Allah Taalah guide us all and accept us all. Jazza Kalla Khairan Assalamu Alaikum
Imtiaz Muhsin Colombo Sri Lanka crescent786@hotmail.com

You Tube Channel - HaneefanMusliman

The YouTube Link to this talk is at http://youtu.be/nQn0X0lBagE

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106 Ambitions, Goals & Distractions Part 3