Islamic Awareness Week

1. Islamic Awareness Week * Islamic Lifestyle *

2. References • Said Ramadan, Islam – A Liberating Force • Mustafa Ahmad al-Zarqa, The Islamic Concept of Worship • Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam • Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, The Status Of Women In Islam • Dr Ismail al-Faruqi, Inner Dimensions of Worship • Khurram Murad, Inner Dimensions of the Shari’ah • Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Hashimi, The Ideal Muslimah: The True Islâmic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’ân and Sunnah • Imam al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad: Concerning the Good Treatment of One's Parents • Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Islam: Religion, History and Civilisation • Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi: Foundations of Islamic Morality

4. Islamic Lifestyle • Islam views the true foundations of a good life as having soundness of belief and thinking, purity of soul, and righteousness of action. A complete Islamic life can only be built on the belief in God’s Oneness (tawhid) that permeates a person’s entire everyday life. • God is to Muslims their One Creator, Provider, Ruler, Forgiver, Judge – He is the Object of adoration and praise, of thanks and worship, to Whom all one’s life is devoted in dedication and humble repentance. • The relationship of one with God is thus a loving, conscious, and voluntary submission to the will of God. • The content of this service is to affirm life, to live it to the full, to procreate, to learn, to grow, doing so in loyalty to God, with a sense of justice and charity, with concern and responsibility, in one’s personal life as well as within the family and society.

5. Life as an ‘Ibadah • Islam considers everyvirtuous action which has been sincerely performed and with a view to carrying out the commandments of God and in order to seek His pleasure, an act of worship or ‘ibadah for which a human being will be rewarded. • This includes strengthening one’s body by providing it with nourishment and sleep; by making it undertake exertion as well as giving it rest and recreation, so as to enable it to shoulder the responsibilities placed on it by God. • Thus, it is possible that a human being can advance spiritually even when he is enjoying the worldly pleasures, while attaching importance and thought for life in the Hereafter. • “Seek the abode of the hereafter in that which Allah has given to you and neglect not your portion of the world.” (28:77)

6. Entrusted as a Khalifah • The Qur’an pictures a significant part of a Muslim life involves acting as agents for positive social change, as a favoured channel for meaningful deeds by Muslims. • Islam teaches not only that the realization of goodness, truth and beauty is possible in this world, but that to bring it about here in societal transformation is precisely the duty of every man and woman. • On this account, mankind holds a privileged position - chosen as a Khalifah or “vicegerent”, and carries the responsibility of caring for all God’s earthly creations. • Muslims are therefore encouraged to improve their communal life, to support each other, abolish poverty and help the needy.

7. Part 2 – Daily Actions

8. Tazkiyah (Purification) & Ihsan • Striving toward continuous self-refinement and spiritual-upliftment is considered vital for a Muslim’s well-being. • This is reflected within the concept of Tazkiyah, which is concerned with “growth towards perfection through purification of attitudes and relationships with God, with man, the natural environment and society” and covers the moral, spiritual and material dimensions. • The effort is thus directed towards the development of a God-conscious human being, strengthening shukr(thankfulness to God) and ‘adl (justice), and condemning zulm (injustice). • “Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be, and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with the consciousness of God! To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity, and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness].” (91: 7-10)

9. Among the many ways of Tazkiyah includeperformingdhikr or remembrance of God; ibadahor acts of servitude to God; tawbah or seeking the forgiveness of God; sabr or the spirit of perseverance; muhasabah or self-criticism; du’a or supplication. • Taking the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a model in one’s life affairs is paramount to facilitate this implementation, and that when one follows the Prophet out of love for God, is his love reciprocated by Him. [“Say: If you love God, follow me.” – (3:31)] • All these are favourable in helping Muslims attain the highest stage of Ihsan – one that implies the deep attachment, profound love, genuine faithfulness and sacrifice which make a Muslim completely identify himself with Islam, along with the love of God as its very essence.

10. Following the Prophet • The Prophet is the standard and the model human being for Muslims - a perfect man par excellence (al-insan al-kamil) - as the Prophet’s life was an example of living by God’s guidance, and represents perfect surrender and proximity to Him. • He was gifted with an exalted standard of character and adorned with the virtues of humility, generosity, nobility, and sincerity in the highest degree which characterize all Islamic spirituality. • The Prophet very carefully and meticulously followed and lived the Quran, that God has decreed for his example to serve as a practical demonstration of the precepts laid down in it. • When asked about his character, `A’ishah, the Prophet’s wife (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “His character was the Qur’an.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 24139)

11. Having pleasant social relations Doing noble actions Bestowing favors on others Extending greetings Visiting the sick Protecting one's neighbor whether Muslim or not Being forgiving and patient Making peace between people Being gentle and merciful Being honest and generous Repressing anger Honoring the aged Caring for the young The Islamic Personality The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “The most perfect of the believers in faith is the one who is best in manners”.Imam Al-Ghazali named some of the qualities that the Prophet called for, some of which are: • Shunning what Islam forbids (such as vanity, revenge, slander, falsehood, niggardliness, rudeness, deception, forsaking blood kindred, ill-temper, boasting, self-conceit, arrogance, pride, immoderation, foulness of language, rancor, envy, injustice, oppression and tyranny).

12. Values within Formal Acts of ‘Ibadah Specific forms of worship such as solah(prayers)are also rich in moral benefits and play a role in the development of the Islamic personality. These include: • Solah’s open and direct communication with God uplifts a person’s morale, teaches both the love and fear of God, deepen his commitment and draws him into a life of piety and virtue. • Solah creates in a Muslim a feeling of solidarity and unity, and equality with his peers as it demands all Muslims to press together, shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot. • Solah teaches responsibility, since it reminds a person constantly of the reckoning he has with God by enacting this accountability every time it is performed, endearing His commandments and condemning His prohibitions.

13. Part 3 – Social Relations

14. Man and Society • Islam seeks to reinforce the ties of people and to establish them on the basis of love, mercy, brotherhood, equality and justice. • It emphasizes the ethnological unity and equality of all races, a revolution against class distinctions, and destroying the notion of racial discrimination. • The standard of virtue and excellence thus are viewed regardless of the skin color, birthplace or family genealogy. • God says, “O human beings! We have created you all from a male and a female, and have made you into tribes that you may know one another. Indeed the most honorable of you in the sight is the one amongst you most deeply conscious of Him. Indeed God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (49:13)

15. Man-Woman Relations • The encounter of men and women is not prohibited in itself. It is allowable or even required if done in pursuit of a noble cause such as gaining knowledge or performing good acts in which the joint efforts of both men and women are necessary. • Their common involvement however should be on righteous and charitable lines for it to be legitimate. • Believing men and women alike are called upon to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, carrying oneself in a dignified conduct and avoiding anything which leads to what is unlawful (e.g fornication and adultery). • This includes avoiding from looking at a member of the opposite sex with desire, private meetings and promiscuous mixing, seductive behaviours and clothing, and pornographic literature.

16. A Blissful Marriage • In Islam, marriage is a blessed contract between a man and a woman, in which each becomes “permitted” to the other, and they begin the long journey of life where each feels at ease with the other, and finds tranquillity, contentment and comfort in their companion. • The Qur’an has described this relationship between men and women, which brings love, harmony, trust and compassion, in the most moving and eloquent terms: • “And of His signs is this: He created for you your partners that you might find rest in them and He ordained between you love and mercy.” (30: 21) • The Prophet has said that even when a person affectionately puts a piece of food in the mouth of his wife, in order to strengthen bonds of matrimonial love, he is rewarded for it.

17. Kindness to One’s Parents • In several places in the Qur'an, obedience to one's parents is emphasized along with the manner in which parents should be honoured. • Gods commands speaking and behaving towards them in a good manner, gently, kindly, politely, and with respect and appreciation. • “And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor reprimand them but address them in terms of honour.” • “And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.” (17: 23-24)

18. Part 4 – Private Life

19. Everything is Halal except What’s Forbidden • The teachings of Islam aim at preserving faith, life, intellect, lineage and legitimate earnings. • “He has subjected to you, from Himself, all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth” (45:13) • From these verses, it is clear that Allah has created things and harnessed them for people’s use, and has made unlawful certain things for good reasons with great wisdom. Therefore the forbidden area is considerably small. • The guidelines are thus the means for Muslims to find the best way to ease and facilitate their task, for Allah only desires ease, goodness, and mercy for them, and not to make their lives difficult, narrow or circumscribed.

20. In Halal, A Better Substitute for Haram Things are prohibited only because they are impure or harmful. If the harm of it outweighs its benefit it is haram, while if its benefits outweighs its harm it is halal. This principle is explained in the Quran in relation to wine and gambling: “They ask you concerning wine and gambling. Say [O Prophet]: In them is great sin and some benefit for people, but the sin is greater than the benefit.” (2:219) One of the merits of Islam is that whenever it forbids something it provides a better substitute with which to replace it. Examples: • Islam forbids usury but allows profitable business. • It forbids what is bad in food but allows what is good and nourishing. • It forbids adultery but urges Muslims to marry as soon as they can support a family.

21. Food and Drinks “They ask of you what is lawful to them [as food]. Say: Whatever is good is lawful to you.” (5:4) As far as food is concerned, the Qur'an makes it clear as to what is Halal (permitted) and Haram (unlawful). All food is Halal except for the following: • Meat from swine - pork, ham. • Pork-based products and by-products • Animals improperly slaughtered, or already dead before slaughtering is due to take place • Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah • Intoxicants: alcoholic drinks and narcotic drugs • Blood and blood by-products • Foods contaminated with any of the above products

22. Clothing and Adornment • Clothing must conform to the standards laid down by Islamic guidelines, which are as follows: • A woman is to cover her entire body, with the exception of face and palms, while the 'awrah of a man, or what is not to be seen, is what between his navel and his knee. • It is unlawful for women to wear clothes which fail to cover the body, and which are transparent and tightly fitting. • The Prophet (peace be upon him) also declared that a woman should not wear a man's clothing not a man a woman's. • Aspects of such imitation include the manner of speech, walking, dressing and so on.