The Miracle of the Qur’an

By Khalid Baig

It happened at an international inter-faith conference. The organizers decided to end the conference with readings from the scriptures of major religions, done by followers of other religions. As it happened, an Arab Christian read a passage from the Qur’an. He was a good reciter. Every one seemed to be moved by his heart-rending reading, including the reciter himself. Immediately afterward, prominent Muslim thinker and writer, Maulana Waheeduddin Khan, who narrated this story, asked him: “Do you think Qur’an is the Word of God?” In a moment of truth he said: “Yes.” But, then, he had second thoughts so he added: “But only for the Arabs.”

Actually not only the Qur’anic message keeps attracting people all over the world, its words also move people who may not know a word of Arabic language. Famous Egyptian reciter Qari Abdul Basit reportedly once accompanied then President Gamal Abdul Nasir to a meeting with the Soviet leaders. During a break in the meeting, Nasir asked him to recite the Qur’an before the top Soviet leaders. When he finished the recitation, Qari Abdul Basit saw four of them shedding tears. “We don’t know what it was,” they later explained. But there was some thing touching in those Words!

Ironically at that time Qur’an was the forbidden tree for the Muslims in the Soviet Union. Reading, teaching, or even possessing a copy of the Qur’an resulted in the most severe punishments. The KGB was always on the lookout. Its agents could enter any house, any time, if they suspected anyone inside of reading Qur’an or offering prayers. Religious leaders were drafted for compulsory labor. Mosques and Islamic schools were closed down and turned into cinema houses, factories and offices. One could not find a copy of the Qur’an anywhere. The ruthless state machinery did everything within its power to extinguish the flame of Qur’an from the empire. Yet during those seventy dark years Muslims kept the flame burning. They developed elaborate camouflage mechanisms, at tremendous risks, to teach Qur’an to their children. Little children had to stay away from their parents for months at a time as they retired to secret hujras (rooms) where they memorized Qur’an and received religious instructions without ever having looked at a printed page. Their stories remain a neglected but extremely bright part of our recent history.

What kind of Book can command such devotion and sacrifices? Only the Book that begins by asserting:

“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.” (Al-Baqarah 2:2).

And then each and every line of it attests to that assertion. It declares:

“The Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an.” (Al- Rahman 55:1-2).

It challenges:

“Say If the whole of mankind and Jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.” (Bani Israel 17:88).

It claims:

“Verily it is We Who revealed the Remembrance and verily We are its guardians.” (Al-Hijr, 15:9).

Qur’an is the first document in the Arabic language. There is no other language of the world that has withstood the passage of fourteen centuries. Over the centuries, rivers change courses, civilizations rise and fall, and languages become extinct and new ones develop. Consider the expression “faeder ure on heofonum” from Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 from a Bible of 900 C.E. We are told it means: “Our father in heaven.” It also means that any writing from that time cannot be read by an English speaker today. But any Arabic speaker can open the Qur’an today and understand its message. As did all the people in the intervening centuries!

Prominent scholar Dr. Hamidullah tells of an effort in Germany by the Christian scholars to gather all the Greek manuscripts of Bible as the original Bible in Aramaic is extinct. They gathered all manuscripts in the world and after examining them reported: “Some two hundred thousand contradictory narrations have been found… of these one-eighth are of an important nature.” When the report was published, some people established an Institute for Qur’anic Research in Munich with the goal of examining Qur’an the same way. A gigantic research project was started that continued for three generations. By 1933, 43000 photocopies of Qur’anic manuscripts had been collected. A report published shortly before World War II showed the results of the examination of these manuscripts. While some minor mistakes of calligraphy were found, not a single discrepancy in the text had been discovered!

Of course the love, devotion and care that Muslim showed toward the Qur’an, and that became the immediate cause of its miraculous preservation, was inspired by the Prophet Muhammad, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. On one occasion he asked the companions in Suffa: Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or Al- Aqiq (two markets near Medina) and bring two large she-camels without being guilty of sin or without severing the ties of kinship? Camels were the valuable commodity of the time, she-camels even more so. Its equivalent today may be a brand new automobile. As they showed their interest, Prophet Muhammad, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, explained: To teach or recite two verses of the Qur’an is better than getting two she-camels. And three verses are better than three she-camels. (Muslim).

And so, for centuries this ummah displayed an unprecedented love and devotion for the Book of Allah. It began the education of its children by teaching them how to read Qur’an. It began its day by reciting from the Qur’an. Qur’an was divided into seven parts, each called a manzil, so it could be read completely every week. It was divided into thirty parts, each called a juz, so it could be read completely every month. Qur’an is the most read and memorized book in the world!

Today, though, we see a change. Thanks to the twin scourges of a colonial education system and the television, today we find millions of Muslim children for whom learning to read the Qur’an is not part of their education. We find millions of Muslim homes where Qur’an is read only on special occasions. When someone dies, for example. This despite the fact that in most parts of the world today, unlike the Soviet Union of yesterday, reading the Qur’an is no longer a high risk proposition. How unfortunate is the person who should die of thirst while holding the refreshing glass of water in his hands! How unfortunate the person who should die of disease while holding the perfect medicine in his hands!

Of course we must read it, understand it, and put it into practice. But we must also remember that reading with full deference and proper etiquettes is a pre-requisite for understanding the Qur’an, just as understanding its message is a pre-requisite for practicing it. Our goal must be to live by the Qur’an. For only then we truly live. Otherwise we only pretend to live

“If it wasn’t for their political problems and constant fighting between each other, the Muslims would have been on the moon by the 1400’s” was the statement made by a non-Muslim professor in a 400-level undergraduate class on the history of science. It seems that the rate of discovery and advancement in science achieved by the Muslims was quite impressive and has yet to be replicated. What was it that they were doing that allowed for their fast progress?

The teacher in me immediately thinks about their education system, and the neuroscientist in me wants to examine the factors involved in shaping the brains of such a civilization. Interestingly, many Muslim religious scholars will say something about how the Muslims were the leaders when the Quran was the center of their education, and only when they abandoned the Quran that they lost their reign.  The amazing thing about this is that while Muslim religious scholars are typically talking about spiritual and moral realities, there is actually a material reality to what they’re saying, which takes place in the brain.

A quick disclaimer here: The list of all that is affected in the brain by the Quran and how that can influence other functions is quite exhaustive. But in the interest of keeping it short, I chose some major areas to present in this article.

Before getting into the brain and how the Quran changes it, one should be familiar with how traditional Muslim education took place. In case you’re wondering where I’m getting this from, it’s from reading the biographies of major figures of scholarship in the traditional Muslim world such as Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina, and others. This is also based on my personal experience and what I have been told by some of my teachers.

The very first thing taught to an aspiring student was the Quran, which had to be memorized completely. Unlike anything else encountered in spoken Arabic, Quran recitation is a very specific science. Local dialects of Arabic or different ways of pronunciation are not permitted when reciting the Quran. In fact, part of learning the Quran is learning what is called in Arabic taj’weed, which means elocution. The very first thing the student must do is replicate exactly how the teacher is reciting the verse. This refers to where individual letter sounds are being generated in the mouth and throat and where the tongue is to be placed exactly. Once this is done, the student writes the verse on a wooden board in the Othamni script, which follows different spelling rules than regular Arabic writing. The student then takes his board and goes away to memorize the verse. A typical memorization session for a beginner starts with repeating one verse multiple times as it is read on the board to also memorize how it is spelled using the Othmani script. The next day the student reviews the verse several times before returning to the teacher to receive the following verse. After repeating it with the teacher to ensure exact replication of sound and pronunciation, the student writes the new verse and goes away to begin a new memorization session. The third day begins with reviewing the first verse one final time, followed by the second verse several times before going to receive the third verse. On the fourth day the first verse is not reviewed anymore as it would have taken hold in memory, and the second verse takes its place for being reviewed while the third verse is repeated several times before going to receive the fourth verse. At the end of the week is a complete review session for everything that was memorized in the previous days.

As the days pass the capacity for memorization increases and the student is able to take on several verses or even pages at a time instead of only one or two verses. The writing using Othmani spelling continues, as well as the review sessions. Eventually, the whole Quran having more than 6,200 verses is memorized word for word with their specific pronunciation and Othmani spelling. Now the hard task begins as the student works to review all the verses on a monthly basis so as to not forget them. This usually means taking the 30 parts of the Quran as it has been divided to facilitate memorization, and reviewing one part everyday until all 30 have been recited by the end of the month.

It should be mentioned here that the Quran has 10 different modes of recitation. This refers to the placement of diacritical marks on the words and how certain words are pronounced. Some students take this task on and memorize the Quran in all the different modes of recitation, which requires a very careful attention to where the pronunciations are different so they’re not confused with each other given how subtle they sometimes can be.

There are a couple of important qualities about the Quran that relates to how it sounds. Verses in the Quran rhyme and change rhythm often, which gives a pleasurable effect to the listener. Furthermore, as one recites, they’re supposed to sing it rather than simply read it. In fact, the very practice of Taj’weed (elocution) forces the reciter into a singing tone as they enunciate the words of each verse.

A final note to bring up is in regards to the Arabic language and writing in Othmani script. Part of studying the different modes of recitation requires the student to write not only in an unusual spelling, but also to exclude the diacritical marks from the words. This would allow the student to learn the variations of recitation without having the diacritical marks visually interfere with their memorization of different modes of recitation. Moreover, the grammar of the Arabic requires the proper use of diacritical marks in pronunciation so as to not confuse things such as the subject and predicate. This means that the one learning the Quran must always keep track of how the words are enunciated so as to not alter the overall meaning of the verse.

How all of this relates to the brain is quite impressive. The brain is recognized to be a malleable organ that can change its connections and even its size of certain areas based on how active they become. Understanding how involved the brain is of someone learning the Quran using the traditional Muslim method can explain how they were able to achieve such success in their knowledge endeavours.

While learning the Quran, the careful attention to listening and pronunciation of verses stimulates an area of the brain located in the temporal lobe. The temporal lobe is also where the hippocampus is located, which is the memory consolidation center. It’s also the brain region activated for processing of musical sounds such as the case when the Quran is recited. Moreover, it becomes involved when the student engages in handwriting exercises similar to the ones on the wooden board. Where this matters is that this is the part of the brain whose activity levels and capacities have been correlated with a person’s aptitude for learning new information. The more activation this area receives, and the more involved this activation is such as the case with the Quran, the better and more efficient it becomes in its functions for learning and memory.

The parietal lobes are also quite heavily engaged as one learns the Quran. The left parietal lobe deals with reading, writing, and functions in speech. It’s also the part whose activity is important for math and logic problems. The right parietal lobe handles speech tone, which is related to elocution. It’s also responsible for visuospatial relationships and understanding facial expressions. The front part is responsible for the sense of touch discrimination and recognition, which is active during handwriting. The back part plays an important role in attention. Both lobes are also activated during skill learning tasks. Overall, having parietal lobes that have been well activated translates to better logic and math-solving skills, eloquence in general speech, better ability at reading emotional states from facial cues, improved attention, and enhanced capacity for understanding visuospatial relationships. This last one can explain why Muslims were so good at astronomy.

Other brain regions the activity of Quran recitation strongly activate are the frontal lobes and the primary motor cortex. The frontal lobes activity deals with higher order functions, including working memory, memory retrieval, speech production and written-word recognition, sustained attention, planning, social behavior, in addition to others. For example, as the student is reading the Othamni script, his brain must quickly decide on the proper pronunciation of the word, which without the diacritical marks means it must be distinguished from other possibilities that include not only wrong words, but also wrong enunciation depending on the specific recitation he’s using out of the 10 valid ones. The amazing thing about this is that the brain after practice will do these things without conscious control from the student. This trains the area of the brain responsible for inhibition, which is important for social interaction. Children with ADHD have been shown to have this area to be under-developed.

Given the Quran’s content that for example includes descriptions of individuals and places, it activates the occipital lobes, which are involved in generating mental imagery. This brain region is also important in visual perception. Becoming active as a result of generating mental imagery indirectly improves visual perception capacities since the area activated is within the same region. The Quran is also rich in its content for history, parables, and logical arguments, all of which recruit different areas that become more efficient and better connected as they are continually activated due to the consistent review sessions.

Putting all this together, it’s no wonder Muslims were able to make such vast contributions to human knowledge in a relatively short amount of time, historically speaking. After the aspiring student during the height of Muslim rule has mastered the Quran, his education in other sciences began by the time he was in his early teenage years. Given the brain’s malleable nature, the improved connections in one region indirectly affect and improve functions in adjacent locations. The process in studying the Quran over the previous years has trained his brain and enhanced its functions relating to visual perception, language, working memory, memory formation, processing of sounds, attention, skill learning, inhibition, as well as planning just to name a few. Now imagine what such an individual will be able to do when they tackle any subject. It makes sense how someone like Imam Al Ghazali can say he studied Greek philosophy on the side during his spare time and mastered it within 2 years.

What was the Muslims’ secret for their exponential rise in scientific advancement and contribution to human knowledge? Literally, the Quran when it was the centre of their education system.

Mohamed Ghilan

“O Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their clothing, to expose their shame.” (Al-A’raf 7:27)

The local story that has dominated news and the airwaves sometimes with surreal twists over the past week has undoubtedly been about the now infamous painting that was on display at the now closed Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg.

The defenders of the artists have cited freedom of expression as a constitutional right which has to be respected at all costs regardless of the revulsion from the ANC, the presidency and several religious, civil society and interest groups.

Freedom of expression is a product of the era of the Enlightenment. This was the period Europe emerged from the Dark Ages through the renaissance, a revival of learning and great leaps in artistic expression.

Western civilisation and thought has in many ways been shaped by the scholarship of this era. Ironically, in the name of artistic freedom of expression, the Enlightenment placed nudity in the public domain as a break from the hitherto ‘conservative’ medieval period.

Iconic sculptures which have become celebrated signatures, permanent fixtures of central squares of major cities and at entrances of public buildings, are invariably unclad.

The controversy which has come to our shores is rooted and informed by these notions of limitless liberties and freedoms.

However, both freedom of expression and humanity dignity are values that are enshrined in the country’s constitution. The former has from time to time been fiercely guarded by members of the press as a holy grail of their profession.

Other interest groups too, however, need to be given the space to champion the cause of human dignity, in itself a cardinal and founding principle of our constitution.

From a Muslim’s point of view, we find the painting as hurting, insulting and totally unacceptable on a number of grounds some of which are as follows:

Freedom of Expression has limits. It is not a licence to demean, ridicule and insult another. Time and again it has been shown that this freedom is not and cannot be absolute. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent…” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Honour of humanity is sacred. Protection of honour is one of the objectives of the Shariah. Regardless of the personality of the one satirised, every human being deserves respect. President Jacob Zuma’s honour and dignity should neither be an exception nor abridged.

The Qur’an commands: “O You who believe, do not let one set of people make fun of another set…”(49:11)

Notions of justice and fair-dealing are built-in under Shariah. Regardless of the justifications which have been put across for the kind of portrayal of President Jacob Zuma, who has been considered as ‘fair game’ for ridicule by sections of the media, the Qur’an instructs “…and, if ye judge between mankind, that ye judge justly.” (4:58)

Islam shuns indecency and lewdness. Every Friday we hear the Imam conclude his sermon by reciting the following verse of the Quran: “…Allah enjoins justice, kindness and the doing of good, to kith and kin; and He forbids all that is shameful, indecent, evil, rebellious and oppressive. (16:90) The vulgarity of the painting has been apparent and even on that score alone, it is utterly obscene and objectionable.

As for republishing and circulation of such indecent material, we have to remember that a Muslim is prohibited from speaking about everything that one hears: “It is sufficient for one to be called a liar the one who speaks about everything that he hears.” (Muslim)

As a concluding note, while the press is at liberty to inform, report and critically analyse news and events including the personalities involved, it is important that such reporting is done responsibly without trivialising and desensitising the public about the gravity of the scandals that bedevil our society.

The Worst of Human Failing: PrideThe very first known act of rebellion against the command of Allah was Shaytan’s refusal to prostrate before Adam u. He refused to prostrate because he regarded himself as superior and because it was below his dignity to do so. He said: “I am better than Him – You created me from fire and you created him from clay.” (7:12)Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam stated that: “A person will not enter Paradise, if he has an atom’s weight of arrogance in his heart.” A man then asked, “What if a man loves to wear good clothes and good shoes (Is this a sign of pride)?” Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam replied, “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride is rejecting the truth and looking down on people.” (Bayhaqi) This hadith draws the distinction between self esteem and pride. Self esteem flows from self dignity, self respect and self confidence. It does not drive you to compare yourself with others. Pride is a negative trait in which one thinks highly of oneself, compares oneself with others and believes he/she is better than others. It is a false sense of superiority which if threatened, drives a person to deny the truth or view people with contempt. Pride makes you impervious to the truth“From my messages shall I cause to turn away all those who, without any right, behave arrogantly on earth: though they may see every sign (of the truth) they do not believe in it, and though they may see the path of rectitude they do not choose to follow it – whereas if they see the path of error they tread on it.” (7:146) This verse states that Allah does not make the proud and arrogant receptive to the truth. When people think that their own judgement is sufficient to determine what constitutes right and wrong, they become resistant to the truth to the extent that they are unable to choose the path of rectitude and instead tread the path of evil, even at great personal cost. Shaytan refused to prostrate before Adam Alayhis Salaam at the cost of expulsion from Jannah and at the cost of an accursed life which will ultimately condemn him to the fire of Hell. Likewise, the Jews and Christians refused to accept the prophethood of Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam because of their racial arrogance. “And they say be Jews or Christians and you shall be on the right path.” (2:135) The Jews believed that prophethood was a privilege granted to them exclusively, while the Christians maintained that Jesus Isa Alayhis Salaam was God’s final manifestation on earth and therefore salvation is reserved for them only. Pride drives you to blame others for your weaknessesWhen Allah asked Shaytan why he refused to prostrate before Adam Alayhis Salaam, he said: “O my Sustainer, since you led me astray.” (15:39) He blamed Allah for his downfall and absolved himself of all blame. When Allah asked Adam u why he ate from the forbidden tree, his reply was: “O our Sustainer we have sinned against ourselves.” (7:23) Satanic arrogance is when we blame others for our shortcomings whilst prophetic humility is to declare that we are wrong and accept responsibility for our actions. Pride gives you joy in mocking others“O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” (49:11) We may laugh with people to share in their joy or happiness. We must however never laugh at people in contempt and ridicule!The worst of all human failingsNabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam has said, “There are three saviours and three destroyers. As for the saviours, they are: – The consciousness of Allah in private and public,- Speaking the truth when happy and when angry,- Moderation in times of prosperity and povertyAs for the destroyers, they are:- Passion that you yield to,- Greed that you submit to,- Self conceit which is the worst of all. (Bayhaqi)May Allah protect us from pride, arrogance and self conceit.

Water is Life: Let’s Save it, Share it
Observing worshippers in the process of performing wudhu makes one’s heart sore. It is not an exaggeration to say that more water goes down the drain, untouched, than what we actually use in performing wudhu while the water tap is running.

Water represents one of the undeniable favours of the Almighty upon humankind. It is the essence of life itself. Man was created from it and without it, cannot live.

The factors of water wastage are both negligence in the manner of usage and the design of the water taps installed at the wudhu facilities. We mention these two specifically as they are aspects that are fairly within our control to change.

The reality for now, however, is that we have to be reminded now and again about our responsibility even in these ‘small things.’ So, we read signs such as: “Park your car properly;” “Please place shoes on the rack;” “Please switch off your Cellphone,” and of course, “Avoid waste: Please use water sparingly.”

These are ‘sticker’ messages which we seldom reflect upon. The ignoring of these messages reveals the level of consideration we have for our own spaces, surroundings and the next person. Why do we have to put such messages for a Muslim, a supposed ‘brother of another’, in the first place? Isn’t wastefulness a heinous spiritual crime and an attribute of the devil?

A Muslim character is not built on ‘big things’ only. It is the ‘small things’ that we have to take care of so that we are prepared to be the agents of transformation the Almighty wants of us.

On this World Water Day, there are places where the access to clean water which we have taken for granted has already been lost. It does not need to take a ‘World Day’ for us to think about those going without clean water as the appreciation of this blessing should be a daily matter for us. Nonetheless, we take this opportunity to focus our attention on one region of the world where this crisis is apparent.

As you might have heard from the news, a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report released recently asked Israel to return springs of water to the Palestinian owners. These springs of water which are being hogged by settler populations are but just one source of supply which Israel has taken away from Occupied Palestine for the exclusive use of settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

It is much worse in Gaza where in the absence of filtration facilities, the water is unsafe for human use:

“The entire population of Gaza, estimated at 1.7 million, relies on underground resources as their key source of water. The aquifer is polluted, poisoned by sewage and depleted by the increasing population which it can no longer support.” (Palestinian Centre for Human Rights – Report 2010)

It is for this reason that the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa, in conjunction with the Al Aqsa Foundation of South Africa and Sawa’ed Association (Gaza), aim to establish a water filtration plant east of Gaza City for the benefit
100 000 people.

We appeal to you to generously support this project (Details are here) but also do your bit to save water. Locally.
May Allah make it possible for us to practice upon the beautiful teachings in the Qur’an the perfect example of our Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Aameen.

Jealousy Disfigures your Personality
All praise is due to Allah and may His choicest salutations continue to descend upon our Master and Leader Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam.

“And do not yearn for the bounties which Allah has bestowed more abundantly on some of you than on other.” (4:32)

Man has the potential to great moral heights or to succumb to his wicked and corrupt dictates. Allah has blessed man with intellect so that he is able to distinguish between right and wrong, between vice and virtue. Intellect and freewill sets him apart from the rest of Allah’s creation. Man’s ability to act rightly is coexistent with his ability to act wrongly. Man’s challenge is to suppress his negative emotions and immoral tendencies and instead be guided by his positive ‘self’. “Successful indeed is one who causes (his soul) to grow in purity and truly lost is he who corrupts it.” (91:9)

The most cancerous of all human failings is jealousy. Jealousy is defined as a negative emotion that focuses on other peoples’ accomplishments, strengths and possessions and your inability to bear, recognize or acknowledge their attainments. It is your inability to acknowledge the strengths of other people for fear of losing your own. Jealousy flows from fear…fear of the unknown, fear of losing power, fear of losing control, of loosing privileges, of loosing influence in a relationship. Jealousy is closely related to your sense of insecurity and lack of self esteem.

Nabi Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam has compared jealousy to fire that reduces firm, strong and solid wood to lifeless ashes. He said: “Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood.” (Abu Dawud)

Jealousy is a fire that rages within your heart and mind which consumes your personality and character. It clouds your thinking, makes you blind to reason, drives you to become insensitive and rude. Jealousy can manifest itself as anger, fear, hurt, betrayal, anxiety, agitation, sadness, feeling powerless and inadequate. Nabi Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam has warned: “There comes to you the disease of nations before you, jealousy and hatred. They are (razor-sharp) shavers. I do not say that they shave off the hair, but they shaves off (destroy) faith.” (Tirmidhi)

This hadith states that: Jealousy needs to be viewed as a fatal disease…a sickness that needs treatment.

It is very much part of our human make up and has destroyed entire nations before our time. The first murder known to man was on account of jealousy. The brothers of Yusuf alayhis salaam were also driven by jealousy when they staged his murder.

Jealousy transforms your personality and character just as the loss of hair changes your physical appearance.

Jealousy may lead to disbelief since if it questions the wisdom of Allah in preferring some above others.

How to Deal with Jealousy
Affirm your belief in Taqdeer: Allah has apportioned His blessings to people according to His wisdom. That which has come your way was meant for you and that which has missed you was never meant for you.

Seek help thorough dua: The Qur’an teaches us to seek protection from: “the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy” (113: 5) Nabi Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam would beseech Allah thus: “O Allah! Guide my heart and remove ill will from my breast.” The phrase “remove ill will from my breast” implies purify my heart from hatred, jealousy and all other sicknesses of the heart.

Seek refuge from the influence of the devil: If any thoughts of jealousy cross your mind, seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytaan and perform a good deed immediately. “Verily, good deeds erase evil deeds.” (11:114)

Shake hands and exchange gifts: If you feel that you are jealous of a specific person, buy him a gift and shake hands with him. Nabi Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam has said: “Shake hands, for this will dispel rancour, and exchange gifts it will generate love among you.” (Maalik)

Count your blessings: Gratitude is when we are able to count our own blessings; jealousy is when we count other peoples blessings! Gratitude makes us feel better whist jealousy makes us feel bitter.

To cure jealousy you need to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with yourself and a lack of appreciation for what Allah has blessed you with. May Allah protect us from this self-destructive vice.

Common Courtesies on our Roads
Have you ever been in a situation where you are stuck on the road and the time slot is so short for you to make a turn or go through at a traffic light?

What about a situation in which at a crossroads, the other side, right ahead of you, is full due to a jam and you knowingly realise that you will end up on the middle of the road, blocking traffic on your left and right hand side as their green-light is coming to give them right of passage?

When the car in front you just beats the amber, do you simply accelerate and also squeeze yourself through even when at the actual time of your ‘making it’ the light is already red?

These are common scenarios and experiences for every driver on our roads which can make a difference in the way we travel and in what state we get to our destinations.

As the year is now in full swing, the peak periods can be frustrating. One of the major contributors to this frustration is our own sense of courtesy towards other road users.

A zero-sum game ensues when a deadlock arises and all road users come to a standstill. It is possible for one to forego his/her ‘right of way’ for the sake of a greater good when more vehicles will be allowed to move, taking us to our various destinations.

Courtesy, however, needs to be reciprocal and it does run both ways. If you have been a recipient of a good gesture, you should feel obliged to return such a small favour. Before long, it will be habit for you too. A good one!

These are everyday matters which we quickly forget the moment we acquire that driving licence. It is pointless to honk, rudely gesture or even swear at another road user who has made a mistake. It does not only ruin one’s day but also eats into our own spiritual wellness.

Other than the emergency services on duty, there are no super users on our roads. Observance of road regulations is for our own safety and others.

With so many road users, it is hardly possible to make up for time when we have started off late in the first place. So, in all fairness, factor in time and be considerate of others on the road.

The manner we drive, park, signal intentions and communicate with all other road users should befit a character of a Muslim who is courteous, helpful and forgiving but also quick in seeking amends when in the wrong.

A considerable amount of our lives is spent in the time we are on the roads as we travel to and fro. Are we going to allow this part of our lives to go to waste in rash, angry and menacing attitude?

The Almighty does not ignore a good act of charity of removing a small obstacle on a public path. Conversely, He certainly will not ignore an act of the one who carelessly becomes a hindrance, an impediment or an agent of inconvenience on a public road.

It is part of our Islam to be courteous.