AKR 2019 - Keeping Faith Slides

Transcript

2. Questioning Your faith in the nature of doubt TO P I C 1 U S T A Z A H L I Y A N A M U S F I R A H
3. Questioning Your faith in the nature of doubt ADIL Knowledge Retreat 2019
4. Questioning your faith in the nature of Doubt Part One: Questioning is part of human nature. Part Two: How the prophet addressed the questions of the companions on their doubts
5. Examples of you questioning and having doubt • You are performing your prayer, and you forgot which rakaat are you in. Either you are in the third or either you are in the fourth rakaat. • You pray Sunnah Hajat countless of times, but God has yet to answer any of my prayers. Is He listening? Is He not? Could it be because of your past sins? • You are doubtful about the facts given to you. About the history of 5 times prayer per day or 3 times per day? • If God loves me, why does He allow hardship to befall on you? You are doubting whether god truly loves you. • You are in the road of repentance. You perform Taubah daily. But those around you said God would never forgive you as your sins were so severe.
6. Questions is not an indication of disbelief There is a wealth of evidence in the Sunnah that explains the normality of these experiences. You can be a faithful believer, with a firm commitment to the faith and also have unanswered questions about Islam in you. Even when we believe, sometimes, we have some form of doubt in some specifics of our faith. Embrace your doubts, understand what you are supposed to do with them. Even the companions of Prophet (s.a.w) were troubled with some doubts in their thoughts. Certainty (yaqeen) is not lost due to doubt. Certainty (Yaqeen) towards God and our religion is not lost due to some uncertainties and questions that we have in our thoughts.
7. Islam is often described as ‘informed knowledge’ rather than blind faith. Use your Aql and intellect to come to clarity Knowledge begins with doubt. Submission begins by doubt. As long as one strives to sincerely know and transform and follow one one knows to be the truth, doubts can be a good thing for our faith. The more you are informed and enlightened about your religion, the stronger your faith would be towards God and your religion. When there is uncertainties and uneasiness, seek clarity. Doubts are a disease that can cause great damage to our spiritual health if they are left to fester rather than be confronted for what they are. It is part of growth and tazkiyah and polishing of ourselves where we develop and develop and become better and better.
8. Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely] because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said, "My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death," he said, "I give life and cause death." Abraham said, "Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
9. And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [ Allah ] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied." [ Allah ] said, "Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise."
10. Chapter: Clarifying the Waswasah (Whispers, Bad Thoughts) with regard to faith, and what the one who experiences that should say ﻋ َ ﻦ ْ أ َ ﰊِ ﻫ ُ ﺮ َ ﻳ ـْ ﺮ َ ة َ : ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ ﺟ َ ﺎ ء َ ﻩ ُ 6 َ س ٌ ﻣ ِ ﻦ ْ أ َ ﺻ ْ ﺤ َ ﺎ ﺑ ِ ﻪ ِ ﻓ ـَ ﻘ َ ﺎ ﻟ ُ ﻮ ا : C َ ر َ ﺳ ُ ﻮ ل َ ا F ﱠ ِ ﳒ َ ِ ﺪ ُ ﰲِ أ َ ﻧ ـْ ﻔ ُ ﺴ ِ ﻨَ ﺎ ا ﻟ ﺸ ﱠ ﻰ ْ ء َ ﻧ ـُ ﻌ ْ ﻈ ِ ﻢ ُ أ َ ن ْ ﻧ ـَ ﺘَ ﻜ َ ﻠ ﱠ ﻢ َ ﺑ ِ ﻪ ِ أ َ و ِ ا ﻟْ ﻜ َ ﻼ َ م َ ﺑ ِ ﻪ ِ ﻣ َ ﺎ ﳓ ُ ِ ﺐ ﱡ أ َ ن ﱠ ﻟ َ ﻨَ ﺎ و َ أ َ 6 ﱠ ﺗ َ ﻜ َ ﻠ ﱠ ﻤ ْ ﻨَ ﺎ ﺑ ِ ﻪ ِ . ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ : أ َ و َ ﻗ َ ﺪ ْ و َ ﺟ َ ﺪ ْ ﲤ ُ ُ ﻮ ﻩ ُ . ﻗ َ ﺎ ﻟ ُ ﻮ ا ﻧ ـَ ﻌ َ ﻢ ْ . ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ : ذ َ ا ك َ ﺻ َ ﺮ ِ ﻳ ﺢ ُ ا ﻹ ِ ﳝ َ ﺎ ن ِ Abu Hurairah said; His companion came to him and said; Messenger of Allah! We have thoughts which we cannot dare talk about and we do not like that we have them or talk about them. He said: Have you experienced that? They replied: yes. He said : that is clear faith.
11. ﻋ َ ﻦ ْ أ َ ﰊِ ﻫ ُ ﺮ َ ﻳ ـْ ﺮ َ ة َ ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ ﺟ َ ﺎ ء َ 3 َ س ٌ ﻣ ِ ﻦ ْ أ َ ﺻ ْ ﺤ َ ﺎ ب ِ ا ﻟ ﻨ ﱠ ﱯِ ِّ ﺻ ﻠ ﻰ ﷲ ﻋ ﻠ ﻴ ﻪ و ﺳ ﻠ ﻢ ﻓ َ ﺴ َ ﺄ َ ﻟ ُ ﻮ ﻩ ُ : إِ 3 ﱠ ﳒ َ ِ ﺪ ُ ﰲِ أ َ ﻧ ـْ ﻔ ُ ﺴ ِ ﻨَ ﺎ ﻣ َ ﺎ ﻳ ـَ ﺘ ـَ ﻌ َ ﺎ ﻇ َ ﻢ ُ أ َ ﺣ َ ﺪ ُ 3 َ أ َ ن ْ ﻳ ـَ ﺘَ ﻜ َ ﻠ ﱠ ﻢ َ ﺑ ِ ﻪ ِ ﻗ َ ﺎ ل و َ ﻗ َ ﺪ ْ و َ ﺟ َ ﺪ ْ ﲤ ُ ُ ﻮ ﻩ ُ " ﻗ َ ﺎ ﻟ ُ ﻮ ا ﻧ ـَ ﻌ َ ﻢ ْ " . ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ " ذ َ ا ك َ ﺻ َ ﺮ ِ ﻳ ﺢ ُ ا ﻹ ِ ﳝ َ ﺎ ن ِ " Some of the Companions of the Prophet (s.a.w) came to the Prophet (s.a.w) and said to him: “We find in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.” He said: “Are you really having such thoughts?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “That is a clear sign of faith.”
12. Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadeeth (narration): “The Prophet’s words, ‘That is a clear sign of faith’ means, the fact that he companions think of this waswaas as something terrible is a clear sign of faith, for if you dare not utter it and you are so afraid of it and of speaking of it, let alone believing it, this is the sign of one who has achieved perfect faith and who is free of doubt.”
13. • And it was said that what it means is that the Shaytan only whispers to those whom he despairs of tempting, because he is unable to tempt them. Thus if a person experiencing doubts feels bad and distressed because of this, then he should not be overly worried or frightened, as Prophet Muhammad said, these thoughts are “signs of faith”! • Islamic scholars have explained that just as a thief only strikes at a place where he knows that there is wealth and that the defenses of that location are weak, similarly Shaytan only strikes and puts doubts into hearts that contain the wealth of true faith.
14. When doubt reaches such a great level that you have begun to experience waswas that makes you think about Allah in ways that are not appropriate, these are evil whispers from the Shaytan: و إ ِ ﻣ ﱠ ﺎ ﯾ َ ﻧ ْ ز َ ﻏ َ ﻧ ﱠ ك َ ﻣ ِ ن َ ا ﻟ ﺷ ﱠ ﯾ ْ ط َ ﺎ ن ِ ﻧ َ ز ْ غ ٌ ﻓ َ ﺎ ﺳ ْ ﺗ َ ﻌ ِ ذ ْ ﺑ ِ ﺎ ; ﱠ ِ ◌ ۖ إ ِ ﻧ ﱠ ﮫ ُ ◌ َ ھ ُ و َ ا ﻟ ﺳ ﱠ ﻣ ِ ﯾ ﻊ ُ ا ﻟْ ﻌ َ ﻠِ ﯾ م ُ And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (Fussilat 41:36) ﻓ ﺎ ﻟ ﻣ ؤ ﻣ ن أ ر ﺷ د ه ا ﻟ ﻧ ﺑ ﻲ ﷺ إ ذ ا ر أ ى ﻣ ﺛ ل ھ ذ ا أ ن ﯾ ﻘ و ل : آ ﻣ ﻧ ت ﺑ ﺎ S و ر ﺳ ﻠ ﮫ ، أ ﻋ و ذ ﺑ ﺎ S ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﺷ ﯾ ط ﺎ ن ا ﻟ ر ﺟ ﯾ م ھ ﻛ ذ ا أ ﻣ ر ا ﻟ ﺻ ﺣ ﺎ ﺑ ﺔ ﻗ ﺎ ل ﻟ ﮭ م : إ ذ ا و ﺟ د ﺗ م ذ ﻟ ك ﻓ ﻠ ﯾ ﻘ ل أ ﺣ د ﻛ م : آ ﻣ ﻧ ت ﺑ ﺎ S و ر ﺳ ﻠ ﮫ و ﻟ ﯾ ﺗ ﻌ و ذ ﺑ ﺎ S و ﻟ ﯾ ﻧ ﺗ ﮫ From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, we are told that if one is afflicted by doubt in his faith he should seek refuge in Allah, renounce what is causing the doubt and say, “Aamantu billaahi wa rusulihi”, which means, I believe in Allah and His messenger. (Sahih Muslim)
15. أ َ ﺧ ْ ﺑ َ ر َ ﻧ َ ﺎ ﻋ ُ ﺑ َ ﯾ ْ د ُ ا . ﱠ ِ ﺑ ْ ن ُ ﺳ َ ﻌ ِ ﯾ د ٍ ، ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ ﺣ َ د ﱠ ﺛ َ ﻧ َ ﺎ ا ﺑ ْ ن ُ إ ِ د ْ ر ِ ﯾ س َ ، ﻋ َ ن ْ ﻣ ِ ﺳ ْ ﻌ َ ر ٍ ، ﻋ َ ن ْ ﻗ َ ﺗ َﺎ د َ ة َ ، ﻋ َ ن ْ ز ُ ر َ ا ر َ ة َ ﺑ ْ ن ِ أ َ و ْ ﻓ َ ﻰ ، ﻋ َ ن ْ أ َ ﺑ ِ ﻲ ھ ُ ر َ ﯾ ْ ر َ ة َ ، ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ ﻗ َ ﺎ ل َ ر َ ﺳ ُ و ل ُ ا . ﱠ ِ ﺻ ﻠ ﻰ ﷲ ﻋ ﻠ ﯾ ﮫ و ﺳ ﻠ م : إ ِ ن ﱠ ا . ﱠ َ ﻋ َ ز ﱠ و َ ﺟ َ ل ﱠ ﺗ َ ﺟ َ ﺎ و َ ز َ ﻷ ُ ﻣ ﱠ ﺗ ِ ﻲ ﻣ َ ﺎ و َ ﺳ ْ و َ ﺳ َ ت ْ ﺑ ِ ﮫ ِ و َ ﺣ َ د ﱠ ﺛ َ ت ْ ﺑ ِ ﮫ ِ أ َ ﻧ ْ ﻔ ُ ﺳ َ ﮭ َ ﺎ ﻣ َ ﺎ ﻟ َ م ْ ﺗ َ ﻌ ْ ﻣ َ ل ْ أ َ و ْ ﺗ َ ﺗ َ ﻛ َ ﻠ ﱠ م ْ ﺑ ِ ﮫ ِ It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has forgiven my Ummah for what is whispered to them or what enters their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”
16. God gives us a simple and clear method in the Quran in terms of dealing with doubts. و َ ﻣ َ ﺎ أ َ ر ْ ﺳ َ ﻠْ ﻧ َ ﺎ ﻗ َ ﺑ ْ ﻠ َ ك َ إ ِ ﻻ ﱠ ر ِ ﺟ َ ﺎ ﻻ ً ﻧ ُ و ﺣ ِ ﻲ إ ِ ﻟ َ ﯾ ْ ﮭ ِ م ْ ◌ ۖ ﻓ َ ﺎ ﺳ ْ ﺄ َﻟ ُ و ا أ َ ھ ْ ل َ ا ﻟ ذ ِّ ﻛ ْ ر ِ إ ِ ن ْ ﻛ ُ ﻧ ْ ﺗ ُ م ْ ﻻ َ ﺗ َ ﻌ ْ ﻠ َ ﻣ ُ و ن َ “And We sent not before you, [O Muhammad], except men to whom We revealed [the message]. Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.” (Quran 21:7) The presence of doubts indicates a form of ignorance that is only removed by knowledge. The more one educates themselves and strengthens their faith, the stronger they will become in repelling nagging doubts.
17. • You are performing your prayer, and you forgot which rakaat are you in. Either you are in the third or either you are in the fourth rakaat. • You pray Sunnah Hajat countless of times, but God has yet to answer any of my prayers. Is He listening? Is He not? Could it be because of your past sins? • You are doubtful about the facts given to you. About the history of 5 times prayer per day or 3 times per day? • If God loves me, why does He allow hardship to befall on you? You are doubting whether god truly loves you. • You are in the road of repentance. You perform Taubah daily. But those around you said God would never forgive you as your sins were so severe.
18. Will doubts lead to Disbelief? TO P I C 2 U S T A Z I R W A N H A D I
19. Will doubts lead to Disbelief? ADIL Knowledge Retreat 2019
20. Potential sources of doubt? MORAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS PERSONAL TRAUMA PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS Source: Youssef Chouhoud, “Modern Pathways to Doubt in Islam” (Dallas, TX: Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, 2016).
21. Potential sources of doubt? MORAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS PERSONAL TRAUMA PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS • Teachings about the role of women • The hypocrisy of religious people; that is, the nonreligious behavior of supposedly religious individuals • The bad things that people do in the name of religion • The intolerance that some religious people show toward other faiths • The way that religious people sometimes insist that there is only one “right” way to practice faith • The intolerance that some religious people show toward certain other people (e.g., homosexuals) • Economic & social backwardness
22. Potential sources of doubt? MORAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS PERSONAL TRAUMA PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS • The debate over Evolution (through natural selection) vs. Creation (through God) • Uncertainty over the existence of God • The problem of evil and unfair suffering in the world - predestination • Feeling that certain religious beliefs or practices do not make sense
23. Potential sources of doubt? MORAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS PERSONAL TRAUMA PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS • Finding that being religious does not make one happy • Not feeling welcome in your faith community • The death of a loved one • Religious family members harassing
24. Islam demands conviction? ﻗ ُ ﻞ ْ ﻫ َٰ ﺬ ِ ﻩ ِ ﺳ َ ﺒ ِ ﻴ ﻠ ِ ﻲ أ َ د ْ ﻋ ُ ﻮ إِ ﱃ َ ا 8 ﱠ ِ ۚ ﻋ َ ﻠ َ ﻰ ٰ ﺑ َ ﺼ ِ ﲑ َ ة ٍ أ َ A َ و َ ﻣ َ ﻦ ِ ا ﺗ ـﱠ ﺒ ـَ ﻌ َ ﲏ ِ ۖ و َ ﺳ ُ ﺒْ ﺤ َ ﺎ ن َ ا 8 ﱠ ِ و َ ﻣ َ ﺎ أ َ A َ ﻣ ِ ﻦ َ ا ﻟْ ﻤ ُ ﺸ ْ ﺮ ِ ﻛ ِ ﲔ َ Say "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah. And I am not of the idolaters.‘’ ( Yusuf [12]:108) • Islam is a religions of conviction and not just blind following
25. Search for GOD is a lifetime journey – "So also did We show Ibrahim the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude. When the night covered him over, He saw a star: He said: "This is my Lord." But when it set, He said: "I love not those that set." When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said: "This is my Lord." But when the moon set, He said: "Unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray."When he saw the sun rising in splendor, he said: "This is my Lord; this is the greatest (of all)." But when the sun set, he said: "O my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah. "For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.""( Al-An’am:76-79) • Prophet Abraham’s journey of searching for God
26. Islam celebrates human inquisivity “Do they not consider the camels, how they are created? And the heaven, how it has been raised high? And the mountains, how they have been set firm? And the earth, how it has been spread out?” (Al-Ghaashiyah [88]:17-20) “Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth; then He produces thereby crops of varying colors; then they dry and you see them turned yellow; then He makes them [scattered] debris. Indeed in that is a reminder for those of understanding.” (Az-Zumar [39]:21)
27. Reflect, ponder, think & rethink? “O People, if you should be in doubt about the Resurrection, then [consider that] indeed, We created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot, and then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed - that We may show you. And We settle in the wombs whom We will for a specified term, then We bring you out as a child, and then [We develop you] that you may reach your [time of] maturity. And among you is he who is taken in [early] death, and among you is he who is returned to the most decrepit [old] age so that he knows, after [once having] knowledge, nothing. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and swells and grows [something] of every beautiful kind.” (Al-Hajj [22]:5)
28. Are doubts permitted in faith? ﷲ Tafakkur Tadzakkur Nadzr Ta’amul I’tibar Tadabbur Istibsar Reflecting Remembering Examining Meditating Contemplating Deliberating Pondering Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzīyah, Miftaḥ Dar Al-Sa’adah,
29. Giving religion a chance… • Find circles of people who help you contemplate on God • Continue reading, asking, questioning until you find peace • Seek God and He will lead to where He pleases ر َ ﺑ ﱠ ﻧ َ ﺎ ﻻ ﺗ ُ ز ِ غ ْ ﻗ ُﻠ ُ و ﺑ َ ﻧ َ ﺎ ﺑ َ ﻌ ْ د َ إ ِ ذ ْ ھ َ د َ ﯾ ْ ﺗ َ ﻧ َ ﺎ و َ ھ َ ب ْ ﻟ َ ﻧ َ ﺎ ﻣ ِ ن ْ ﻟ َ د ُﻧ ْ ك َ ر َ ﺣ ْ ﻣ َ ﺔ ً إ ِ ﻧ ﱠ ك َ أ َ ﻧ ْ ت َ ا ﻟْ و َ ھ ﱠ ﺎ ب ُ “Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. (3:8)
30. Contemplation ? It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) observed: • The Satan comes to everyone of you and says: Who created this and that? till he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah and keep away (from such idle thoughts) [Muslim] • Prophet ﷺ said, “Verily, at times there is fog over my heart, so I seek the forgiveness of Allah one hundred times in a day.” (Muslim)
31. Thank you! Jazakumullah khayr!