The three groups of people in Al Baqarah: where do we belong?

It is inevitable that in our life, we will meet many kinds of people. Each person will have unique characteristics compared with the other. Many of them will be complex and difficult to understand as they have completely different ways of thinking. You will find egoists, activists, religious people, atheists, and a lot more.

Regarding the diversity of human characteristics, Our Creator, Allah Azza Wa Jall, has cut the chase and made clear classifications among people as revealed in the Holy Qur’an. One of these classifications can be found in Suraah Al Baqarah (ayaahs 3-20). This classification is for those who have intimately interacted with the Qur’an (and ponder on the meanings of its aayah’s) and Islam and believe (fully or partially) that the Qur’an is the truth sent down by The Lord of the heavens and the earth (as a blessing for all mankind).

The first group is consisted of those who are steadfast to faith and fully believe in the Qur’an, and use it as their sole guidance in life no matter what happens to them. They try at their very best to make the Qur’an (and consequently the Hadeeth of the Messenger Shallallahu’alayhiwasallam) as the base of every single action they do. Allah Azza Wa Jall says that these people will be the ones who are truly successful, as they have received guidance from their Lord.

The second group is consisted of those who comprehend, understand and realize that Islam is the truth, but do not want to take the leap of faith to admit it. These people continue to commit themselves to disbelief because of the fear to lose the things and comfort that they have achieved (money, career, position, study, etc), and their love towards the tradition that they have indulged into. It is said that Allah has put a seal on their hearts, and that they will be the true losers in the end (no matter how successful they may seem).

The third and last group is the trickiest of them all. In Arabic, these people are called al munafiqoon, the hypocrites. While the first two groups were described briefly by Allah in two or three aayahs (verses), the hypocrites are described by a staggering twelve aayahs. They are the ones that say that they believe in Allah and His Messenger, while they actually don’t. They are those who “think” that they are doing goodness on this earth, but the truth is, they are actually doing nothing but destruction (corruption, pollution, exploitation, and all kinds of mischief). When they are told to believe (to follow certain aspects of the Qur’an and Hadeeth), they undermine it and say that they won’t follow what the foolish people have followed. They are the ones that after testifying belief in front of people who believe, will go back to their “gods” and false deities (their jobs, their career, their wealth, etc.) and say that they are only mocking the true believers (by testifying belief). These people will eventually become the losers similar to the second group (the disbelievers), and that they will wonder in their confusion and darkness because of their heedlessness.

Regarding the last type of people, the hypocrites, we find them everywhere, including in massive Muslim populated countries. Many people say that they are Muslims, but they are so far away from the guidance of the Qur’an and Hadeeth, and don’t do anything to gain guidance, and when they do get the guidance, they don’t take it seriously. They put their belief in Allah at the very bottom of their priority, while they seek to fulfill they pleasure and their false sense of “achievement”.

When thinking about Allah’s classification of people in these aayahs, we should immediately relate our position and where we fit it. Especially for Muslims, the detail description of the hypocrites should serve as a frontal warning to stay away from hypocrisy, as every Muslim can easily fall into it (I must admit that I too fall into hypocrisy in many occasions..). We can ask all sorts of questions to review ourselves. How often do we put our prayer behind our work? How much of the Qur’an do we understand by heart (compared with all the other things that we read or study)? Do we feel the slightest bit of shame when we follow what Allah has commanded us? And all kinds of other questions…

May we all be among those who are truly successful in the end, and may we all be blessed with faith and tranquility in our hearts.

Al Baqarah 3-20, islam, hypocrites, hypocrisy

All the evil and suffering in this world = No God?

People who have not tasted the delight of belief in their hearts will deny that Allah (God) exists by all kinds of reasoning. One of the reasoning offered is by saying that there is no God because there is too much evil and bad things happening in this world. They will even question our own mishaps in order to strengthen their claim. To tell the truth, there was also a time where I myself was in their position. But after sometime, I eventually gave up and submitted (and eventually felt content due to the knowledge that Allah gave me, Alhamdulillah). I believe that if one is truly sincere in searching for the truth, and puts the best effort in it, by the will of Allah, he/she will be guided to it.

There are several points that we need to take into consideration when we look at the evil/bad things that happen around us (and all over the world).

The first point is that there is no such thing as pure evil or pure bad. Through something that we conceive as evil/bad, comes many things that we consider good. Through pain and suffering we can appreciate the pleasures that we are blessed with, and in turn, learn to help others in experiencing it. Through sickness we learn to appreciate health. Through our mishaps we learn to be patient. Through hardship we learn to grow wiser. And the list goes on and on...

As said by the beloved Messenger of Allah, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials." All we need to do is be patient, ponder on what has happened, and stay optimistic.

The second point is that humans use their finite (limited) knowledge and wisdom to determine whether something is good or bad. And in our ignorance, we conclude that what we perceive is what is correct. However, the truth is, whatever we think is bad, may possibly be a good thing. No one truly knows the true nature of things that happen but The All Wise, The One Who possesses infinite knowledge and wisdom.

Allah has addressed about this in the Qur'an (Al Baqarah aayah/verse 216)

"Holy fighting in Allah's cause is ordained for you, even though it be hateful to you; but it may well be that you hate a thing the while it is good for you, and it may well be that you love a thing the while it is bad for you: and God knows, whereas you do not know."

For a Muslim, the third and last point that needs pondering is that there is an eternal life after this short life of ours. The average life expectancy (death age) of a person in developed countries is only around 75-85 (accompanied with all the sickness and pain of old age), and many die at even much younger ages. What is 80 years compared to the earth's age, more else “eternity”? The Messenger of Allah says that suffering which is handled with full of patience and optimism will be compensated in the hereafter. No Muslim is affected with harm but that Allah expiates his sins because of it.

If we are able to be conscious about those three points, by Allah’s will, we will be given contentment and tranquility in our hearts, and consequently have more trust in Allah even after calamity or something bad strikes.

To me, all the suffering, evil and the bad things that happen in this world further clarifies and strengthens my faith in the existence of The All Wise Creator, and that we were created in different conditions so that we can help and get to know each other by and according to His will. I hope we can open up our hearts and be given the wisdom to see the good in everything that we experience, no matter how bad they are and act accordingly with the best of actions.

Keywords: Al Baqarah 216 life God Allah atheism

Our greed for this world

There is no doubt that all human beings have the potential to be greedy. When someone follows his/her desires without any other consideration, there is a big chance that they develop their “greed” potential to blossom. Unfortunately, the “coca cola civilization” we currently live in is based on the fulfillment of satisfying desires. Among the products of the civilization, seeking for riches and financial security has become a way of life.

Of course we were MADE to think that riches and financial security can bring us joy, happiness and comfort. This view is only partially true, as it only gives temporary happiness. To maintain this false happiness, one will want to gain more and more, even when he/she doesn’t need it, in order to fulfill lust and desire.

Many will disagree that these so called “rich” people are greedy and they have worked hard for their success. But the facts suggest otherwise. Look at the newest list of the “Top 10 Richest People of the World” from Forbes magazine. In that list, we will find that four people in that list are Indians, the rest are a mix of countries from four different continents.

What’s shocking is that despite contributing up to four people to the list, in India, 45% are living in poverty (according to World Bank’s definition of poverty=people living with less than 2 USD per day). This is a sad fact, because each of these “rich” people have a net fortune of more than 20 billion USD, which is almost enough to feed all the poor people in the world (3 billion people), for one day at least. And with their running businesses, it wouldn’t be hard for them to regain the fortune they have in no time. However, their greed has forbid them from spending most of what they have in charity.

Islam emphasizes that this current life of ours is only temporary, and everything that we own (including our wealth) is only trusted to us from God for the benefit of others. What we truly own is what we give for the benefit of others. Nevertheless, there have and always will be people who are greedy for life. Ones whose hearts are so attached to this world, that it makes them ignorant towards all the suffering around them. The Qur'an describes this situation in Al Baqarah verse 96:


The approximate meaning is:
“And thou wilt find them greediest of mankind for life and (greedier) than the idolaters. (Each) one of them would like to be allowed to live for a thousand years. And to live (a thousand years) would by no means remove him from the doom. Allah is Seer of what they do.”

The verse talks about a group of Jews at the time of the Prophet (saw). They enjoyed life so much that they became greedy and wanted to live for 1000 years to be able to enjoy the wealth, power, and everything that can fulfill their desires. However, as stated before, this life is but temporary, and everyone is destined to die and be taken account for what he/she did in life, good or bad. And at that time, whosoever did bad will taste the payment (doom) for what he did.

Greed is one of the major obstacles to eradicate poverty. If everyone had the consciousness to give in the sake of caring for other people rather than buying something that he/she doesn’t really need, poverty wouldn’t even exist. Islam offers the path towards this. Too bad not even the best Muslims (which are quite a few nowadays) can totally get rid of their desire/greed for this world. May we all be given the power to detach our extensive love towards our wealth and desires.

Keywords: Al Baqarah, 96, wealth, poverty, fortune, richness, world

Banking interests = rejecting blessing

Bank interest is one of the major features of conventional banking. Be it an investor, a loaner, or a depositor, everyone will receive or pay interest. In the case of deposits, one will receive an added amount of money without any effort. And in the case of borrowing, one must pay a certain amount, surplus to what he/she has borrowed.

People borrow money from modern banks for many purposes, from starting a business to buying a house. Even third world countries borrow from banks/or institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In many cases, the borrowers spend most of their lifetime and efforts to pay off the interest rather than paying the real loan.

Islam clearly prohibits interests in any form. Interest or riba or usury is said to bring more corruption than goodness, Islam prefers charity and fair trade, as mentioned in the Quran, surah Al Baqarah verse 276:

Which has approximate meaning:
“Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity: For He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked.”

Interests in Islam are viewed to be wicked and cruel. It also erases the blessings that our riches bring to us. Everything we buy which includes the usage of that interest is also deprived of His blessings. Charity and lending money out of good intention is valued as a much better option in Islam.

Unfortunately, even in majorly populated Muslim countries, the so called modern banking system that promotes interest (riba/usury) is still very much dominant. The top banks in Arab are dominated by semi conventional banks such as the National Commercial Bank and Al Rajhi. In Indonesia, the top banks are conventional banks such as Mandiri and Central Bank of Asia (BCA). Nowadays, there are even some banks who claim to take no interest (following the Islamic way), yet only change “interest” into something less intimidating for Muslims such as “benefit”. There is a glimpse of hope though, as there are several Shariah banks (Banks based on Islamic law) which are steadily growing, such as Shariah Mandiri in Indonesia.

I am no economy expert and am unable to dive deeper into the technical differences of conventional and Islamic banking. But the use of no interest is beginning to be partially implemented in several countries such as Japan. In Japan, deposits are not given any interest (0 interest rate), even though loans are still subjected to interest.

The persistency of using the services of these conventional banks might be one of the causes why these Muslim populated countries are in such a bad mess. When the guidance from the Quran and Hadeeth are neglected, Muslims should beware and introspect on all the misery that is given upon them.

May we all be people who have the heart to give in charity and kindness.

Keywords: interest, banking, bank, Islam, Shariah, riba, usury, al baqarah, 276

“Peacekeepers”, the ones who spread mischief and corruption

“…. I'm optimistic because I have faith in freedom's power to lift up all of God's children, and lead this world to a future of peace….”

The above is a quote from a speech given by the President of the US, George W. Bush for the National Republican Convention on the 2nd of September 2008. The speech was delivered as advertisement and endorsement for John McCain as the Republican candidate for the upcoming US President election. The speech is by no means bad, and the US President has delivered many similar speeches, emphasizing in peace, justice and order.

Ironically, contrary to all the speeches on peace, justice, and all sorts of utopia, in the last decade, it is the US who has committed crimes against humanity, invading other country’s territory, and killing thousands of civilians along the way. Even worse, these so called “war against terror” in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2002) were also based on a bunch of lies (no weapons of mass destruction, and no Osama bin Laden capture). There are also immoral conducts reported to be done by the US military there.

For the aftermath, things have even turned for the worse. John Pilger made a documentary in 2004 called “Breaking the Silence”, which gives us an alternative view (from the mainstream media) of what has/is really happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regarding Afghanistan he mentioned that “No country has been this devastated since Polpot’s Cambodia.” Besides the invasions, there are also secret operations to interfere with other country’s affairs, especially third world countries in Asia and South America.

In every civilization there will always be people, who claim to be the just, peacekeepers, yet have large contribution towards destruction (physical and moral). It is because peace is not the final goal, rather a jargon to reach what they really want (e.g. wealth, power, stability, comfort). There are also these kinds of people in Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) time, as written in the Qur’an in Surah Al Baqarah verse 11-12:

(2:11)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ

(2:12)
أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـكِن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ

The approximate meaning are:
2:11 When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace!"
2:12 Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize (it) not.

They are the hypocrites who act noble and just in front of people, yet scheme while nobody is looking. They are the ones who spread mischief and corruption. A further verse says that Allah will let their corruption and mischief continue, and even intensify them so that they become lost in their lust and greed (Al Baqarah verse 15).

Those are the words of God, and there are no words truer than that. If we try to contemplate and think deeper (with good prejudice) towards what has been happening lately, these verses mean a lot. May all of us be the ones who are guided on the right path…

Keywords: US, Iraq, Afghanistan, war against terror, mischief, corruption, al baqarah 11 12 15

Heart Hardness

There are some people who defy truth, and do not want to comply with anything but his/her own desires and lust. This is what we call having a hardened heart. It is one of the most dangerous attitudes, because it will lead to ignorance, the cease of learning and thinking rationally. In many cases, we might also experience glimpses of it, where our common sense and judgment are defeated by our desires.

For a Muslim, the hardening of the heart is one of the most feared punishments from Allah swt, which is the result of continuously disobeying Him. In fact, it is so dangerous that it is mentioned many times in the Holy Quran. A quick search using Islamicity’s Qur’an search resulted in 8 hits.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that many people are already given this punishment due to how they live their lives. Many of us tend to get carried away by the flow of our modern life, develop ignorance, and unconsciously disobey Allah swt. The worst case is illustrated in Surah Al Baqarah verse 74, which provides warning for me and all of us as well. 

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الأَنْهَارُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاء وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللّهِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ 

The approximate meaning of the verse is:

“2:74 Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.”

The verse illustrates the disobedience and denial from Moses’ people, whom after being given miracles over and over, kept looking away from the truth. Their hearts are illustrated to be harder that rocks. Rocks however, are breakable. Constant water flow can carve rocks through erosion, which is unlike the hearts of those who deny after given clear proof.

I believe that with strong effort, our hearts can be purified again. Through total submission we will be able to gain true tranquility in our hearts. This however, can only be achieved with sufficient knowledge on what the right path is, and there is no better time to increase our effort to learn than in Ramadhan. I hope we all strive to find ultimate truth, and be among those whom hearts are pure.

Keywords: Heart Hard Islam Al Quran Al Baqarah 74

Our insignificant knowledge

Human beings are curious creatures. We try our best to understand what we don't understand, and do a pretty good job in doing so. We've came a long way since the beginning of history. From only knowing how to use modified rocks, to being able to understand and utilize complex matters such as chemical compounds, microbes, genes, and nano-materials. Without doubt, science plays a very strong part in our current way of life. As through it we are able to enjoy the luxury of the things we currently enjoy, such as electricity, internet, soap, and gazillions of others that are too much to mention.

Humans were destined to be great. We are the only creatures that can build and use our knowledge for our benefits. It gives us the potency to be most noble among all of God's creatures. There are thousands of scientific papers and articles that report new findings at a daily basis (which also shows that there is still much to learn). However, our overwhelming knowledge can be too much to handle sometimes. As it can often make us over confident and even worse, arrogant. It makes us think that we can control and solve EVERYTHING. Acting as god... We tend to be ignorant that all the knowledge that humanity has gained, is actually insignificant to what is NOT known... Like a drop of water in the big blue ocean.

One of the ultimate questions that is yet to be solved by science is the mystery of life and death. Nobody can predict when someone is going to die, how the process is, and so on. And nobody can predict the exact time a baby will be born. The matter is beyond our knowledge and science, and I believe that it is a secret that only God knows. Besides life and death, there are many questions that humanity is still baffled about. The entity of time, the magnitude of the universe, the work of the brain, are just several among the unsolved questions we have.

Furthermore, our knowledge is also prone to mistakes. An article in newscientist published in 2005 describes that most reports in scientific papers are wrong. Claiming that there is less than a 50% chance that the results of any randomly chosen scientific paper are true (it probably also applies for the article itself). Which is astonishing, as the scientific community and the papers they publish represent the front liners of scientific development, and science itself.

The wrap up is that our science and knowledge is limited, insignificant, and prone to mistakes. So we should stop being arrogant, and accept that we have our limits (but it doesn't mean we can stop learning! Just stop being arrogant). So how insignificant is our knowledge anyway? I believe that it is so insignificant that there will always be something new to discover until the end of time.

May we all be given the heart to stay down to earth no matter how much we know...