Editorial
Asim
The year of 2020 has taught us the meaning of patience
and strength against adversity, which can be redefined
in Islamic terms as the sublime state of rada bi al-qada (to
be pleased with whatever Allah is pleased with for us). The
month of Ramadan, which is just ahead of us, is called the
Month of Patience (shar al-sabr) because it too teaches us
the meaning of patience, though of a different kind. Zubair
Ahmad in his article highlights the three different types of
patience that are frequently muddled together leading to a
misunderstanding of many of the ayahs on patience.
The word bid‘a (innovation) always leaves a bad aftertaste
due to its frequent association with cultural accretions
and rituals in the Deen but also because the term has been
weaponized to promote radical agendas. In reality, some
innovations are actively encouraged in Islam and fundamentally
important such as the one Maulana Dr. Mateen
elucidates in his article.
The Irish Famine and the Sultan imbues a sense of pride
in our past and how Muslim leadership upheld the Islamic
norm of prophetic benevolence reaching out to other
nations in their time of need despite differences in faith
and race.
M. Dawud Alcox talks about the fitra and how sinfulness
disrupts its ability to guide toward Allah. In his case, the
same fitra brought him back full circle to his primordial
state of true belief in one Allah.
In the Spiritual Discourse section, Mufti Taqi Uthmani
explains that closeness to Allah is not an impossible goal
even in these decadent times. If daredevils can break world
records by sheer willpower, could we not employ the same
power to achieve closeness to Allah by suppressing the
urges of our nafs until we live every moment of our lives by
the will of Allah?