The 10th day of Muharram

This Saturday (10/24) will insha’Allah mark the 10th day of Muharram, the day of `Ashura. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said about `Ashura:

“For fasting the day of `Ashura I hope Allah will expiate [sins] thereby for the year that came before it.” (Muslim)

The reason for fasting `Ashura is because this was the day that Allah saved Musa (`alayhi assalam) and the children of Israel from Pharoah, and the Jews at the time of the Prophet ﷺ would fast this day for this reason too (Bukhari).

Ibn `Abbas also quoted the Prophet ﷺ as saying, “If I live next year, I shall also fast on the 9th day,” (Musnad Ahmad). This is in order to distinguish the Muslim practices from the Jewish ones (Tirmidhi). An-Nawawi also mentioned that one of the reasons for fasting the 9th day is as a precaution because of the possibility of error when sighting the new moon. However, it is still permissible to only fast on the 10th day.

It should not be forced on one to fast it, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “Concerning the day of `Ashura, it is not obligatory upon you to fast on it as I do. Whoever wishes may fast and whoever does not wish to is not obliged to do so,” (Bukhari and Muslim). Although who of us doesn’t want all their minor sins expiated?

Please remember to pray for our brothers and sisters all over the world. May Allah accept the fasts and du`a’ of all those who choose to fast. Ameen.

Let’s take a trip to a time long ago and extract wisdom from a wise man we all look up to and admire. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) told us his story, not as a bed-time comfort, but as a means for us to extract life-long lessons. Let’s not overlook his story; let’s dive in and live the parts of his story that we can, admire and learn from the parts that we can’t.

At that blessed time long ago, Allah subhanahu wa ta’la (exalted is He) spoke to this amazing creation, Musa `alayhi sallatu wa sallam (may God send His peace and blessings on him). Imagine. Allah (swt) spoke to Musa (as) Himself. Allah!

In this blessed conversation, Allah (swt) shows Musa what can happen when one has Allah (swt) on his side. He teaches him a valuable lesson about the power of Allah (swt) above creation. He takes a simple stick and produces an unimaginable miracle, then takes a simple hand and again produces an unimaginable miracle (see Surah Taha, Qur’an 20). He shows Musa that with Allah (swt) on his side, even when one thinks they have nothing, He can make them have everything.

After Allah (swt) shows him a glimpse of his Lord’s unimaginable power, Allah (swt) then gives him a heavy task. A task that many would shy away from, especially if they thought they would be in it alone. Musa on the other hand knew that he had Allah (swt) by His side, and that the results and effects would be from Allah (swt) alone.

Allah (swt) says:

“Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.”

[Moses] said, “My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance]

And ease for me my task

And untie the knot from my tongue

That they may understand my speech.”

Musa doesn’t abandon the task that his Lord has given him, rather he asks for His assistance, first and foremost. Then Musa does something profound, that we often times overlook:

Allah (swt) tells us that Musa says:

“And appoint for me a minister from my family—

Aaron, my brother.

Increase through him my strength

And let him share my task

That we may exalt You much

And remember You much.

Indeed, You are of us ever Seeing.”

[Allah] said, “You have been granted your request, O Moses.” (Qur’an, 20:24-36)

What does Musa do? He asks for a companion and then he tells us exactly what a true friend is. Often times we try to ride the waves of life alone, or we depend too much on our friends. But just like everything else in this religion, the middle ground is the smoothest for sailing. While asking His Lord for a companion, Musa laid out a rubric for us to live by when choosing our close companions.

Let’s take a look at the qualities that Musa (as) has recommended for a close companion:

“Increase, through him, my strength”

The first thing that we should look for in a friend is that they should make us stronger human beings. They should be someone that we trust will help us when we are at our low points and that we won’t feel self-conscious with when seeking help. But the key here to notice is that when we are strengthened by our friends, we should keep in mind that it is not really our friend that has made us strong, rather Allah (swt) has strengthened us through our friend.

“And let him share my task”

Next, Musa (as) asks that he be granted a companion so that he can “share in his task.” Often times we try to go through life alone and we try to do everything on our own. In another extreme, we may try to get our friends to take our own life decisions and lay our tasks fully on their shoulders. Through this description, we get the true essence of what we should do. Our friends should be people that are capable and willing to share in our tasks. They should be people we can trust to bounce ideas off of and to help us along the way. We shouldn’t try to wander through life and carry the entire burden ourselves, nor should we lay our tasks fully on other’s shoulders—the moderate path is the key.

“That we may exalt You much and remember you much. Indeed, You are of us ever Seeing.”

Musa (as) ends this rubric with the most important point—the purpose of companionship and friendship. He asks Allah (swt) to grant Him his brother as his companion so that they would exalt Him and remember Him. In essence, he is asking that his companion bring Him closer to God, encourages him to remember God, and that in this companionship they never forget that Allah (swt) is watching them. This is the most essential part of any friendship. The friendship should bring us closer to God, never farther. The companionship should encourage us to do more good for the sake of Allah (swt), never distract us from it. And throughout these friendships, in good and bad moments, we should never forget that Allah (swt) is always watching us and can see our every move.

May Allah bless us all with friends who surround us, who strengthen us (by the will of God), who share in our burden, and who remind us of God. Ameen.

(c) Salman Jafri

There was a realization that came to me when I was young and only just starting my journey towards God subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). It may seem obvious to some, but this one realization changed my outlook and relationship with those around me for the better. On one day, I was very frustrated. I wanted someone to talk to. Actually, I felt like I needed someone to talk to. None of my friends were answering their phones, and my family seemed distracted at home. I was starting to feel irritated.

And then it hit me: people cannot be there for you all the time.

This is not because people are bad. Actually, I believe that most people are good. But all people have their own needs. And because we all have needs, we necessarily all have limits. A person may want to be there for you, but sometimes they just cannot. Sometimes, they are dealing with their own issues. Sometimes they are juggling too many things for you to be their sole focus. Sometimes they may not know how to help.

Not Allah (swt). He is al-Ghani. He is Needless. He is Rich. He is Self-Sufficient. And so, He is Limitless.

What a liberating thought.

Al-Ghani and you

There are two things we have to realize about Allah al-Ghani: the first is that we are human and we have needs, yet our ultimate and true need is Allah (swt). The second is that He does not need us, nor anything for that matter. He is completely independent and self-sufficient. He has no dependency. Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur’an:

“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need (al-Ghani), the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an, 35:15)

In truth, we all need Allah (swt). Some of us may realize it and some may not. If we do not, we may seek to assuage the calling of our soul with quick fixes. But just like we cannot quench our thirst by eating dry foods, we can never fulfill our needs by ignoring the very thing we do need. Quick fixes may provide a temporary distraction, but the need will always remain. As Ibn al-Qayyim said: “In the heart there is a void that cannot be filled except by His love, turning to Him, always remembering Him, and being sincere to Him. Were a person to be given the entire world and everything in it, that would never fill the void.”

And this may be our ultimate problem. We do not realize that we need Him, or how much we need Him. And so we attempt to fill that void with things that were never meant to fill it.

Prophet Moses `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him), we are told in the Qur’an, helps two women get water from the well. Someone else would feel proud that they just helped someone who was in need. But Moses (as) understood something. He sat down in the shade and said:

“My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.” (Qur’an, 28:24)

He knew that he was impoverished before Allah (swt), even when he had helped someone else in need.

The second part to understanding Allah al-Ghani is to realize that nothing that we do benefits or hurts Allah (swt). Our prayers do not give Him anything, nor do our sins hurt Him. We do these things out of love and reverence; and because He has commanded them of us, we know that they are good for us. He is Needless and yet He understands our needs. So He gives us the antidote to our illness. He teaches us the best way to fulfill the needs of our heart, body and soul. Allah (swt) says in a hadith qudsi (a sacred narration):

“[…] O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not increase My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is decreased of the ocean when a needle is dipped into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.” (Muslim)

This is why Allah (swt) forgives over and over, because our sins do not harm Him, but they harm us. And this is why He accepts even the smallest of deeds, because how big or small they are does not affect Him positively or negatively. The deeds help us. And Allah (swt) can give us anything and everything because He does not need any of it. Ultimately, we are the ones in need. And so we take our needs to the only One who has none.

You and Others

The realization I spoke about above helped me in my relationship with others. It may seem counterintuitive; how can the realization that people cannot be there for you improve your relationship with them? Because with this realization, we cease to project our unrealistic expectations onto them, and therefore prevent ourselves from being disappointed as a result of those failed expectations. God (swt) gave us people as gifts, but they were not meant to fulfill every need. So when we find that those we love cannot give us something, it is time to direct that need to al-Ghani Himself, and be forgiving and understanding of their situation.

And something amazing happens here. Because He is also al-Mughni (the Enricher), He can enrich you. He enriches you to a point where you can love people while ultimately your dependency is on Him. Al-Ghazali states that a person who has “no neediness save for God the most high, he will be called ‘rich’ [ghani].”

Connect to His Names

1—Realize that you need Him, and cannot do anything without His help

This will enhance your worship. When we understand that, for example, prayer is to fulfill a certain need of our soul, we can make more of a conscious effort to improve and beautify our prayer, and use it to connect to the Most High. Moreover, our du`a’ (supplication) also has more meaning when we realize that we are the ones truly in need.

2—Understand that people have needs, because only He is free of needs.

This will ensure that your ultimate dependency is not on people, and that you will not have unrealistic expectations. When we feel that others have let us down, we can direct ourselves to the One who has no needs.

Photo: Theo Wright

Coming out of Ramadan, our souls are more raw and perceptive. That cuss word or the gossip that we freed our tongue and hearing of during Ramadan feels like ice on sensitive teeth. There is pain and irritation. And leaving Ramadan to the humdrum of daily life brings with it the very things we tried to avoid. Like a broken chair we never get around to fixing, we become accustomed to those things that are damaging to the soul. And sometimes this comes from those closest to us—without any deliberate ill-feelings—and it dots our hearts with the black spots that the Prophet ﷺ(peace be upon him) warned us against. In this regard, the Prophet Musa `alayhi assalatu wassalam (peace and blessings be upon him) made a powerful du`a’ (supplication):

“And make for me a counselor of my family,
Aaron, my brother.
Increase through him my strength
And let him share my task
That we may exalt You much
And remember You much.
Indeed, You are of us ever Seeing.” [Qur’an, 20:29-35]

Musa (as) asks for strength from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) given through one of the closest people to him—his brother. But he does not only ask for moral and physical support. There is a purpose behind it: to remember Allah and to glorify Him.

As social beings, we need people. We need strong relationships. Whether an introvert who is more comfortable with intimate one-on-one conversations or an extrovert who loves to be around a lot of people, that connection with other people is something that we crave. And so we are instructed in Surat al-Kahf, which we are encouraged to recite once a week for its reminders, to:

“Keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” [Qur’an, 18:28]

We are human and we need reminders. True friendship is one that brings light in both the dunya (this life) and the akhira (the Hereafter). If you have just one person be to you like Harun (as) was to Musa (as), or better yet a group of people like the youth of the cave, you will constantly be moving forward in your relationship with Allah (swt) because your relationship with His creation is based on goodness. And Allah is Good and only accepts the Good.

And if you feel sad for yourself because you don’t have anyone, put your trust in Allah (swt). He brings people into our lives—gems—and we can facilitate that by working on our relationship with Him. Good always recognizes good and indeed attracts it, as the Prophet  ﷺ tells us:

“Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with.’” (Bukhari)

So cultivate light within yourself, and light in your relationships. And hold on to those gems that you do have, because truly, anyone who reminds us of Him can only be a gift from Him—and what does a gift represent except love from the Gift-Giver?

Photo: Leonardo D’Amico

By Accepted Whispers

About six months ago, I had just finished praying Fajr (dawn prayer) and decided to recite some Qur’an. Craving attention and appreciation from the right place this time, I remembered reading somewhere that the angels witness morning recitation. I gently flipped through the pages of my Qur’an and started recitation from where I left off but it wasn’t long until I felt my voice crack and eyes blur. I was crying…again! I embraced the Qur’an open and wept silently till the dawn. Exhausted, I carefully placed The Holy Qur’an on the table in front of me, took a deep breath and began recitation again.

“And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, ‘Indeed, we are to be overtaken!’ [Moses] said, ‘No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.’” (Qur’an 26:61-62)

I paused and reflected. It wasn’t the first time I had heard this story but like the new dawn, that day, it brought a whole new meaning into my life. Standing in front of the Red Sea, Musa `alayhi as-salam (peace be upon him) had nowhere to go; I too had nowhere to go. But Prophet Musa’s unwavering faith in the face of such great difficulty touched the depths of my heart and I finally realized why Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) narrates His miracles to us. Prophets were people like us. Allah chose them to deliver His message and through them, the Almighty is enlightening us of how to believe in Him.

Allah (swt) has a plan for us, and sometimes what we are most afraid of is what happens. We find ourselves asking, “Why me?” These emotions of utter despair and hopelessness swamp all aspects of our lives and it becomes almost impossible to keep any hope. Take a moment and reflect. Don’t be afraid, for this is merely a test, a test of your faith. Prophet Musa (as) stood firm in front of the Red Sea and without a doubt believed Allah will make a way, and so He did.

These extraordinary stories from the Qur’an are checkpoints of faith: Where do you and I stand? Al-Mu’min (the Inspirer of faith) unfolds the story of Musa (as), so that we may be inspired and sow seeds of unflinching faith within our hearts. Faith produces miracles, and what was impossible becomes possible.

As I reflected upon the beautiful words of Prophet Musa (as), I wiped my tears and smiled. Humbled, I quickly took the Qur’an in my arms once again. I found peace and tranquility where I had never imagined. I found solace in Allah (swt).

“Don’t look at the Red Sea, look at the One who can split it in two.”—Yasmin Mogahed

By Leila Adam

Don’t allow undisciplined fear to make you jump on a bandwagon or act rashly on impulse against perceived injustices.

Surah Al Qasas 1-46 is the story of Prophet Musa (Moses), `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him), growing up in the house of Fir`awn (Pharoah) and then entering his life of prophet-hood. I have spent some days with it, and I realized this story might have some significance for Muslims in the world right now. But of course I am not a scholar of tafsir (Qur’anic interpretation), so please understand that these are just my personal thoughts and responses.

Prophet Musa and Fear

It is fascinating to note that many times when Prophet Musa (as) is mentioned in the Qur’an, the word ‘fear’ is mentioned, and Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), shows him in some way how to overcome his fears and have courage, steadfastness and confidence. I know myself to be a fearful person about so many things in life, hence my recognition of it in Prophet Musa’s story (as).

When Prophet Musa (as) was young, after growing up in the house of Fir`awn, the Qur’an says that God (swt) gave him the strength of perfected manhood, as well as wisdom and deep religious knowledge, yet still he struggled with fear for much of his early life (28:14).

When he (as) accidentally killed a man, he feared reprisals from Fir`awn’s people and ended up having to flee to save his life. When he met his future father-in-law in Madyan and told him of fleeing Egypt, the father told him to fear not, and be glad of his escape from unjust people. When he approached the fire on the hillside and God (swt) instructed him to throw his rod and it became a snake, he ran away in fright. God told him to return and not be fearful because he was in fact in a situation of security and safety. When Allah (swt) told him to put his hand in his bosom and bring it out, and it was glowing white, He then told him to keep it close to his side, to guard against feelings of terror. When he was ordered to return to counsel Fir`awn, he spoke of his fear of being caught and killed for the accidental manslaughter he had committed. He asked for his brother Haroon to be allowed to accompany him and help, because he feared the people would accuse him of falsehood. God (swt) said that He would strengthen him with his brother’s help and reassured him that the people would not be able to touch them with harm (Qur’an, 28:18-35).

When Allah (swt) called out to him from the side of Mount Tur, he must have got a huge fright and been struck with unimaginable awe (Qur’an, 28:46). And when he, out of his great longing for God (swt), asked to see Him and was granted the experience of seeing Allah’s manifestation on the mountain and it disintegrated—he fainted! (Qur’an, 7:143). One might imagine that that was the most frightening experience of his life! At that same time, Allah (swt) gave him the Tablets (Ten Commandments) and instructed him to take them and hold onto them with firmness (Qur’an, 7:145).

Musa’s Bravery in the Face of Fear

But then, after all the spiritual lessons and experiences that Allah (swt) put him through, finally when he went to confront Fir`awn, he was fearless, steadfast and confident in trusting in God. When he was leading his people away from Egypt and the army was following them, it must have been like the manifestation of his earlier fears when he first left Egypt, but this time he did not waver. When his people cried out in fear:

“We’ll surely be caught!” Musa said,“By no means! My Lord is with me! He will soon guide me” (Qur’an, 26:62).

When they came across the barrier of the sea, he didn’t cower or hesitate or even turn back or run sideways. He instantly knew that his Lord would help him, and he was then inspired to strike the sea with his stick, leaving the result in God’s hands—and the sea miraculously divided (Qur’an, 26:63). It must have been frightening to run through the two mountainous sides of the divided sea. It would have been a severe test of faith to trust that God (swt) would not let the sea fall back on them while they were at its mercy, travelling through it. But by then, Prophet Musa (as) had already dealt with all his fears and Allah (swt) had helped him master them through putting his entire trust in Him.

So what do we fearful people learn from all this?

When we suffer from fear, we waver, and we are not firm in our intended action because we think ahead about the possible consequences. Sometimes our fears are irrational, but often they are realistic. Prophet Musa’s fears after accidentally killing a man were founded in reality, and his acting on them by running away saved his life. But also, fear can make us hesitate when we are required to act. Sometimes fear is so great that it is paralyzing and we come to a complete standstill. Perhaps many of us today dwelling in unfamiliar environments far from our homelands are living through this kind of paralyzing fear that stops us in our religious development.

Our fear often stops us from thinking clearly and doing what is just and right, because those who are powerful around us might harm us if we speak or act outside the limitations they have placed on us. But then also, we should not act impulsively and put ourselves and others in undue danger before such action is properly backed up by a strength-giving force. We should not allow undisciplined, so-called ‘brave’ action, in reaction to our fears and sense of injustice, to take the place of wise and far-seeing behavior. We need to do preparatory beneficial actions and build ourselves up to a point where we can cope with the required bigger action when the time comes.

Acting Out Impulsively from Fear

This also requires wisdom and clear thought processes—otherwise we will end up inadvertently becoming tyrannous ourselves. When Prophet Musa (as) rushed to the aid of one of his countrymen, he assumed that the one who asked for his help was on the side of right, but he found out later that the man was nothing more than an opportunist. When the man was in trouble a second time and asked for Musa’s help yet again, and Musa was about to jump again to his aid, the enemy to whom he raised his hand said, “O Musa! Is it your intention to kill me as you killed a man yesterday? You merely desire to become a tyrant in this land, and not a person who sets things right!” (Qur’an, 28:19).

This shows that lashing out without proper thought, even when in the face of apparent injustice, is unwise. It was true that Musa’s people were oppressed at that time, but jumping to violent action when they were weak in the land wasn’t the right thing to do and would have brought more tyranny and oppression in the long run. And the same happens today, when people rise up against tyrannous leaders, without having either the inner spiritual strength to act correctly or the military strength to fight a just war. No good can come of it in my opinion, because the people are not themselves in a good enough state to cope well with the consequences.

Prophet Musa (as) was not strong enough to cope with the troubles of his people until he had gone through whatever spiritual lessons Allah (swt) decided he should go through. These lessons included increasing his tawwakul `ala Allah (putting one’s full trust in God) and overcoming his impulses to act on his fear and terror and to act on quick judgements. He had to go through years of discipline (working for his father in law) and some very strong spiritual experiences (on the Mount and with al Khidr) before he was able to stand up to the might of Fir`awn in the correct way. Even then, the correct action turned out to be one of flight, rather than fight, according to what God (swt) decided was best.

Applying the Lessons of Musa Today

What were the consequences of the action that finally took place? The reality of it was that there was a hard slog of dealing with his people who followed their whims and acted in undisciplined and destructive ways. He had to have enormous strength and patience to take them through their forty years of purification in the wilderness. And so it will be if the uprisings we see ever come to some kind of positive leadership; they will have to take their people through many ups and downs and curb their dangerous untrained impulses.

People think that the Arab Spring is a marvelous chance to gain some kind of utopian freedom. It is not. It is a hard slog road that probably should not have been taken in the first place. At least not until people have learnt to deal with their many fears and inadequacies in positive ways and until they can distinguish real courage from sheer foolishness built on an impulsive sense of righting injustices.

I believe that right now, people in many places are severely insecure and filled with fear of what will happen next in a world with a myriad of different problems, all of which are very serious. Many of us are paralysed by our fear and despondency. Some of us think that lashing out and joining in a protest march is doing something positive. But we have not looked far enough to see where such ‘brave’ actions will lead. The more sensible action right now is probably to put our heads down and look inward in order to better ourselves in ways that will allow us to be strong and fearless when the right time comes. For those of us who believe in God (swt), we should be nurturing that faith until our trust in Him has built up to magnificent proportions. We need His Name constantly on our lips to be able to do that. Prophet Musa (as) had his hand that glowed pressed close to his side as a constant reminder that God (swt) was always with him. We have to do a similar thing with whatever remembrance of God we have at our disposal. Increase your dhikr (remembrance). We all need it.

By Nabila Z

“And he [Musa] entered the city at a time of inattention by its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him with his fist and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said: “This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy.”

— Qur’an, 28:15

Musa’s alayhi salatu wassalam (peace and blessings be upon him) desperate call for help was captured in a powerful du`a’ (supplication) when he found himself homeless with nowhere to go, just after he had accidentally committed murder and the chiefs of the city were on the hunt for him. No trials, no nothing. They wanted him dead.

So as Musa (as) was running away from the chiefs he found himself entering the land of Madyan, where he saw two women who needed help watering their animals. Bearing in mind his plight, what does Musa (as) do? He goes over and waters their animals for them. He has just fled a city in fear of being killed. On foot. Without food for days. He is exhausted. On his way there he was crying out to his Lord for help in a state of fear. He was probably in more need of water than the animals. Yet still, when he arrives, he goes to help the women. And then what does he do? He walks away.

“So he watered [their flocks] for them, then he went back to the shade and said: ‘My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down on me, in need.’”

— Qur’an, 28:24

So he turns away. He simply gives back the animals, turns around and walks away to retreat into the comfort of the shade before making the above du`a’. A du`a’ proclaiming his destitution and his need of favor from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), asking for any good to come his way; any opportunity to do good like the one he just did. There is something amazing to learn from this.

Despite being exhausted, scared, and in difficulty, Musa (as) gave; he gave with no strings attached. Not only was this a selfless act, but he had no expectation of gratitude from the women and so immediately walked away afterwards, not lingering for a ‘thank you’ or any form of praise. This is exactly what we, as Muslims, should strive to emanate in our characters and personalities. We should be taking every opportunity to make a positive difference, whether someone asks us for help or not, by seeking out those who could use our support and assistance.

How many times have we known that someone needs our help but failed to act upon it? The simplest of smiles can turn around a day. Every second of the day, we are surrounded by opportunities that many of us unfortunately overlook. We may not be able to bring about world peace in one day but we can take the time to help our parents, brothers, sisters, friends and the people immediately around us too. We should be giving, helping, and serving others for the sake of Allah (swt) only and not seeking to feed our egos with mortal praise. Our self-worth is only dependent on our relationship with Him. The minute we start searching for honour and admiration in the dunya (this life) is the point when we should question our faith: why are we doing something and for whom? Musa’s (as) focus remained on Allah (swt). And in actual fact, letting go of these expectations and placing our hopes in Him is so liberating for ourselves—it no longer matters whether someone is grateful for your toils or not, so long as your heart rests in plain sight of Allah (swt). No unfulfilled worldly expectation then stands as an obstacle in our path of helping others. Subhan Allah (glory be to God), on top of all this, we do not just gain in perspective of self-development but we also contribute towards creating a more healthy society as we continue to do good work.

“[He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify himself, and not [giving] for anyone who has [done him] a favor to be rewarded, But only the seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High. And he is going to be satisfied.”

— Qur’an 92:18–21

Grasping every chance, striving to offer help until it is weaved into the fabric of our consciousness should be the goal. The prophets (peace be upon them all) radiated selfless and loving dispositions, possible through their focus on performing deeds for the sake of Allah (swt) only; practising the kind of love taught to us by Allah. Deep-rooted expectations and attachments to the temporary dunya can sometimes be difficult to overcome and so we should learn that this will be a life-long process of development, but bear in mind that every struggle and trial insha’Allah (if God wills) will polish us like friction does for diamonds and gems. But something we can do right now is give of our love and our goodness to the people around us, and be grateful to Allah (swt) for His blessings and to those around us who have been a vehicle for His mercy and kindness.  =)

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,

‘You owe me.’

Look what happens with a love like that.

It lights up the sky.”

— Hafiz, 14th century Persian poet

“And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Moses said: ‘We are sure to be overtaken.’”(Qur’an, 26:61).

But Musa (as) had different eyes. His eyes were spiritual eyes that saw through the illusions of worldly hardship and defeat. He saw through. With a heart connected to the Most High, looking at the same seemingly impossible situation, Musa saw only God:

“(Moses) said: ‘By no means! My Lord is with me! He will guide me through!’” (Qur’an, 26:61-62)

And indeed Allah did just that:

“Then We told Moses by inspiration: ‘Strike the sea with thy rod.’ So it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. And We made the other party approach thither. We delivered Moses and all who were with him; But We drowned the others.” (Qur’an, 26: 63-66).

Today in Egypt, we are standing in front of a Red Sea. Today in Egypt, a tyrant and his army are at our back.  Today, there are some who see only defeat. But, there are others whose eyes are looking through the blockade to the path and the hope beyond it. Today in Egypt, there are some who – even with a tyrant at their back – are saying:

إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ

“Indeed my Lord is with me, He will guide me through.”

One might wonder why, at such a critical time in history, we would retell an ancient story. Why would something that happened thousands of years ago be relevant today? The reason is that it is not just a story. Nor is it ancient. It is an everlasting sign and a lesson for all time. In the very next ayah, Allah says:

“Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.” (26:67)

It is a sign of the Reality of God and the secrets of this world. It is a sign that tyranny never wins and that obstacles are only illusions, created to test us, train us, and purify us. But most of all it is a sign of where success comes from. And it is a vision of what that success, against all odds—at a time we think we’re trapped, defeated, and powerless—really looks like.

Some might ask why, if we are indeed on the side of God, does victory not come easily? Some might wonder why God doesn’t just give the righteous victory without immense struggle and sacrifice. The answer to this question is also given by God. He tells us:

“And We did not send a prophet in a town but We overtook its people with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves (reach a state of tadaru’).” (Qur’an, 7:94)

Here, Allah says that the purpose of the affliction is to reach a state of tadaru. Tadaru is humility before God – but it is not just humility. To understand the concept of tadaru, imagine yourself in the middle of an ocean. Imagine that you are all alone on a boat. Imagine that a huge storm comes and the waves become mountains surrounding you. Now imagine turning to God at that point and asking for His help. In what state of need, awe, dependency and utter humility would you be in? That is tadaru. Allah says that He creates conditions of hardship in order to grant us that gift. God does not need to make things hard for us. He creates those situations in order to allow us to reach a state of closeness to Him, which otherwise we’d be unlikely to reach.

That priceless state of humility, nearness and utter dependence on God is what the Egyptian people have been blessed with today. Allahu akbar – God is great. But Allah mentions another purpose for these hardships and struggles. He says:

“And We divided them throughout the earth into different groups. Of them some were righteous, and of them some were otherwise. And We tested them with good [times] and bad that perhaps they would return [to obedience].” (Qur’an, 7:168).

In Surat ali-Imran, Allah tells us:

“If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth). And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. Allah’s object also is to purify those that are true in Faith and to deprive of blessing Those that resist Faith. Did ye think that ye would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast?” (Qur’an, 3:140-142).

Here, Allah describes the purpose of hardship as being tamhees. Tamhees is the same word used to describe the heating and purifying of gold. Without heating it up, gold is precious metal—but it’s full of impurities. By performing tamhees, a process of heating, the impurities are removed from gold. This is what God also does with the believers. Through hardships, believers are purified—just like gold.

And so too are the Egyptians being purified. Only days before the uprising, the world had considered the Egyptian youth a lost cause. We believed they had lost their direction and their purpose. We believed that they had chosen to live their lives on the streets, catcalling girls, or at internet cafes smoking hookah. Through this hardship, the Egyptian youth have been brought back from the dead.

Now, these youth are standing on the streets in defiance of tyranny, on their knees praying, and with their hands facing the sky, calling on their Lord. The same people who just days before barely prayed, stand today in front of military tanks to bow down to their Creator. Only days before the uprising, the tensions between Egyptian Muslims and Christians had grown to an all-time high. Today the Christians and Muslims stand side by side in defense of each other and their country. The same people who did not trust each other the day before their ‘heating,’ have come together as brothers and sisters, as one body, to defend their streets, their homes, and their neighborhoods. And through this hardship, a person who only days before lived for his cell phone, sheesha, and cigarettes, has become willing to sacrifice his own life to give freedom to his people.

Allah tells us in the Qur’an:

“Say: ‘Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs?’ They will soon say, ‘(Allah)’.  Say, ‘Will you not then show piety (to Him)?’” (Qur’an, 10:31)

It is Allah who brings the living out of the dead. He has brought us back from the dead. Don’t think for a moment that a single moment of this is not happening with a purpose—a deep, profound and beautiful, liberating purpose. For decades the Egyptian people have lived a life of fear. But when you let fear control you, you are a slave. Allah has liberated the Egyptian people from this slavery, by making them face–and overcome–their greatest fear. Allah has liberated the Egyptian people by allowing them to look their oppressor in the eye and tell him, and the whole world, that they will no longer live in fear.  And so whether Mubarak stays or goes, lives or dies—it doesn’t really matter. The Egyptian people have already been liberated.

They have been liberated.

Hosni Mubarak is irrelevant. He is nothing but a tool—a tool by which God carries out His plan for the Egyptian people and for the entire Ummah. A tool to carry out His plan to purify, beatify and liberate the Egyptian people and the Ummah. And whether we are in Egypt today or not is unimportant. Egypt is just one limb of our body. The purification of Egypt is a purification of the whole body of our Ummah. It is the purification of you and me. It is our chance to ask ourselves to what are we attached. What are we afraid of? What are we striving for? What do we stand for? And where are we going?

When a body is in a deep, deep slumber—a coma—it is only out of His infinite mercy that He sends us a wakeup call. It is only from His infinite mercy that He sends to us life where there was once only death. We were heedless, so He sent us a sign. We were asleep, so he woke us up. We worshiped this life, and preferred our material possessions to the liberation of a soul attached to, and afraid of nothing but Him—so He freed us.

How many people will experience something like this in their lifetime? How many people will experience the opening of a Sea, the humbling of a tyrant? Shouldn’t we ask ourselves why we were chosen to see it? Shouldn’t we ask ourselves what we were intended to learn, change, transform? Because if we think for a moment this is all just about the people of Egypt, then we have desperately missed the point. We were asleep, and Allah chose to wake us.

We were dead and Allah wants to give us life.

We were conditioned to believe that our enemy was outside of ourselves. That he had power over us. This is also an illusion. The enemy is inside of us. All external enemies are only manifestations of our own diseases. And so if we want to conquer those enemies, we must first conquer the enemy inside ourselves. This is why the Qur’an tells us:

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they first change what is in themselves.” (Qur’an, 13:11)

We must first conquer greed, selfishness, shirk, ultimate fear, love, hope and dependence on anything other than Allah. We must conquer hubb ad-dunya (love of dunya)—the root of all our diseases, and all our oppression. Before we can defeat the Pharaohs in our lives, we must defeat the Pharaoh inside ourselves. So the fight in Egypt is a fight for liberation. Yes. But liberation from what? Who is truly oppressed? Are you and I free? What is true oppression? Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) answers this question when he says: “The one who is (truly) imprisoned is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.” (Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Wabil)

When you are free inside, you will never allow anyone to take away your freedom.  And when you have inner freedom, you can look through tyrants and thugs to the Lord of the tyrants and thugs. When you are free inside, you become unenslaveable, because you can only enslave a person with attachments. You can only threaten a person who is afraid of loss. You only have power over someone when they need or want something that you have the ability to take away. But there is only one thing which no person has the power to take away from you: God.

And so when we fight to free Egypt, on a grander and realer scale it is a fight to also free ourselves. It is a fight to free ourselves of the tyranny of our own nafs and desires. A fight to free ourselves from our own false attachments and dependencies, from all that controls us, from all that we worship—other than Him. It is a fight to free us from our own slavery. Whether we are slaves to the American dollar, to our own desires, to status, to wealth, or to fear—the purification of Egypt is a purification of us all.

That is why the formula for true success given to us in the Qur’an consists of two elements: Sabr (patience, perseverance) and Taqwa (fear of God alone):

“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear God (alone) that you may be successful.” (Qur’an 3:200).

So if we watch Egypt today as if it is only a spectacle happening outside of ourselves, without cleaning, examining, and really changing ourselves and our lives, then we have missed it’s purpose.

After all, it isn’t every day that a sea is opened before our very eyes.