"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction."
It is only human beings who were given the freedom of choice to submit to the will of Allah or to follow their own desires. The real difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim is that Muslims remember Allah, their Creator, and bow down to Him in submission. By these acts, Muslims achieve complete harmony with the entire universe and are at peace with themselves. This gives satisfaction of heart.
This Dhikr (remembrance) has to be at three levels.
First, the seat of Dhikr is Qalb (heart). We should be conscious of the presence of Allah as much as possible and 'be not among those who are forgetful.' (Al-Araf 7: 205)
Second, we should recite His praise and His glory with our tongues. This Dhikr should be with humility and reverence, without loudness of voice whether sitting, standing or lying down on our sides in the mornings or evenings, day or night.
Finally, Dhikr is not only with heart and tongue but our actions should also manifest what we think and say.
Through Dhikr we establish our relationships with Allah. This is the source of our strength. Dhikr acts as a regulator and a control mechanism in our lives. Remembrance of Allah keeps us on the Straight Path.
Why The Disagreement?
Umar ibn al Khattab once wondered, while sitting alone, why people who follow one Prophet and turn their faces to the same qiblah in salah are tormented with disagreement. Umar then sent for Ibn Abbas and asked him: "Why should this Ummah be tormented by disagreement when it has the same Prophet, the same qiblah and the same book?" Ibn Abbas answered: "The Quran was revealed and we read it and comprehended the reasons for its revelation. But there will come people who will read the Quran and fail to understand the occasions and subjects of revelation. As a result they will make different interpretations and will, therefore, disagree."
Ibn Abbas added: "Every group of people will have an opinion about the Quran, which will lead to disagreement, and then to fighting." But Umar and Ali, who was also present, did not like this gloomy explanation and they reproached Ibn Abbas. But no sooner had Ibn Abbas left than it occurred to Umar that there might be some truth in what he said. He sent for Ibn Abbas again and asked him to reiterate what he had told them earlier. After careful consideration, Umar recognized and appreciated what Ibn Abbas said.
Al Shatibi wrote:
Ibn Abbas was right. When a person knows the reason behind a certain verse or surah, he knows how to interpret it and what its objectives are. However, ignorance of that leads people to misinterpret it and to have different opinions, without an insight and knowledge which could lead them to the truth and prevent them from indulging ignorantly in such matters with no support or evidence, and therefore go astray and lead people astray. |
