Sunday, August 30, 2009

伊斯兰 :基本的真理

For the benefit of those who wants to know Islam via Chinese



二十世紀的神話



在我们这个世紀裡,云云神話当中,有一个不管是無神論者或某些有神論者都相信的,便是 「不信主」跟科学与理性是同一陣線。这个神話推論下来的結果,使「不信主」变成正常的立場——一个因無須求證,而变成不伤腦筋的立場;相反的,「信主者」卻要費盡唇舌,辯明立場。因此,「信主者」也就處于辯護的地位。但是,「不信主」为何会变成正常的立場呢?我想,这好比被告与原告:被告不必證明自己無罪,只要推翻原告的證供;那「不信主者」亦只要指出「信主者」沒有真憑實據来支持他的信念,便已經足够了。



其實,这个缺乏反證的結論是誤導人思維的,因为找尋證據这个難題由原告一人負擔,而被告因为沒有主动要求什么,那就輕輕鬆鬆,不必解決什么難題了;縱使他亦有問題要解決,也絕与原告的不同。舉一个比喻:甲,乙兩个政治家(或經濟学家)在辯論通貨膨脹——一个影響大眾的問題。甲说:通貨膨脹的根源是由于石油價格暴漲。乙则不以为然,他看不出通貨膨脹和油價有什么關聯,認为甲沒法證明他的说法是对的。我们或許認同乙,但是我们總不会認为乙單單把甲的理論推翻就够了吧!为什么?因为通貨膨脹是關乎每一个人的問題,我们覺得那些政治家和經濟学家是有責任找出根源来,把問題解決。所以,「信主者」要找出的答案——造物主創造世界——不單只關乎他个人的信仰,而是跟通貨膨脹一样,影響每一个人,包括能提出答案的人,和推翻人家的答案的人。



問題癥結有个問題,大家都会問的,就是:「我们从哪裡来?」这当然牽涉到很多其他的問題,但首先讓我们研究一下大問題的癥結。「不信主者」对「人从哪裡来」这問題大概有三種反应,但每一種都缺乏理性分析,而且不符合科学,所以「不信主者」的自以为与理性和科学站在同一陣線上,根本不能成立:

(1)「不信主者」可能会说:「我不知道,也不爱管,我知道現今我在这儿,有权決定自己該做什么及不做什么,而我亦就是要这样做。」「我不知道....」,自承不知道一件事,自然是理性的行为,也合乎科学精神,但「不爱管」算哪一門呢?「不信主者」並不否定可能有造物主替他定了在現世要扮的角色,也不注意是否有造物主来裁判他的行为,決定他后世的路向,那是否等于造物主的存在与否对他毫無分別呢?这个态度自然不是理性的表現,因为死后究竟上天堂還是下地獄,可有很大的分別呀!不面对現實,不等于事實不存在,而現世沉迷物慾是不能抵償后世的懲罰的。

(2)「不信主者」可能会说:「我们或許是从無到有的。」对于这个反应,我要反問:「你这样说,到底是認为有这可能,還是確確實實斷言人是从虛無而来的呢?」如果你说是有可能的話,那你根本沒有排除我们是由造物主所創造的可能性;既然如此,你便应該決定有造物主還是沒有造物主,那个可能性比較高及合理。不過,如果你斷言世界萬物从虛無而来,你就要細心考慮以下兩点:  第一:你怎么知道?



第二:你有證據嗎?我们看得出,證據你是沒有辦法拿出来的。沒有證據,怎可以算是合乎理性,合乎科学呢?世界萬物皆有其因,不会从虛無而来,这是非常合乎科学原则,合乎日常生活的規律的(註)。既然这样,那你又为什么欺騙自己,勉強自己相信你「不信主」的立場是科学化及有理性的呢?(註)如果問小孩子,他用的鉛筆是不是「咻」的一聲,出現在桌上?他一定会说:不是,是爸爸或媽媽買给他的。鉛筆不会憑空出現,一定是有人造了它;那么簡單的鉛筆都需要人造,何況是那么龐大複雜的宇宙?(此是站長舉的例子)(3)明白了上述兩个反应是如何缺乏理性后,「不信主者」現在唯一可选择的只有承認萬物有因。但由于他拒絕相信有一个超然的造物主,他会堅持这个萬物之因一定是在世上。



Source: islamhouse.com


To be continued...

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Allah is our Concealer

Imam Malik said, “I knew a people who had no faults, and they preoccupied themselves with faults of others; God gave them faults. And I knew another people and God gave them faults, and they preoccupied themselves with purifying themselves, ignoring the faults of others; God purified their faults.”

We take care not to reveal our faults nor mistakes of our own, but why do we fail to ignore faults of others? Because we think we are perfect, and we make no mistakes?

Allah swt has promised that whoever covers up the faults of others, He will cover up his faults for him till the Day of Judgement; and whoever reveals the faults of others, Allah swt will expose his to people and on the Day of Judgement.

Na'udzubillah.

Ya Allah, You are the most perfect and free from all flaws! I seek refuge with You from being arrogant for I'm far from being perfect, or anywhere near to perfectness.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Be close to the one who is close to Him

Watch this and be inspired to aspire!



May Allah swt put us in a state that is most pleasing to Him, and do not take it away from us... ameen ameen ya robbal alameen...

Friday, August 14, 2009

Repentance and Taqwa

In one of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf's lecture, he said:

“Make tawbah. Open your hearts to the rahma of this deen. Ask Allah swt to make you vessels of its beauty. This religion is so stunningly beautiful that if it was shown to you in all of its ornaments, you would just have to weep. This religion is naked, but its garment is taqwa, and when Muslims don’t have taqwa, they expose the nakedness of the religion, stripping it of its ornament. Take this religion as a serious thing. It’s Allah’s commandments: ‘We told the people that went before you, and we’re telling you, be conscious of God.’“

Monday, August 10, 2009

Forgetting God

Quote:

"The definitive attribute of man is his ability to forget. The very word used in the Quran for ‘man’, insan, is related etymologically to the word nisyan or forgetfulness. Created not, as in Christianity, in a state of some ‘original sin’, but rather in a condition of grace, the human creature progressively loses his awareness of the immediate presence of God as he is initiated into the world. it is the function of religion to make us remember."

Unquote.

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Patience

During times of deep trial, despair, and sadness, Muslims seek comfort and guidance in the words of Allah in the Qur'an. Allah reminds us that all people will be tried and tested in life, and calls upon Muslims to bear these trials with "patient perseverance and prayer." Indeed, Allah reminds us that many people before us have suffered and had their faith tested; so too will we be tried and tested in this life.

There are dozens upon dozens of verses that remind Muslims to be patient and trust in Allah during these times of trial. Among them:

"Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)

"Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)

"Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who say, when afflicted with calamity, 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.' They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy. They are the ones who receive guidance." (2:155-157)

"Oh you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy. Vie in such perseverance, strengthen each other, and be pious, that you may prosper." (3:200)

"And be steadfast in patience, for verily Allah will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish." (11:115)

"Be patient, for your patience is with the help of Allah." (16:127)

"Patiently, then, persevere - for the Promise of Allah is true, and ask forgiveness for your faults, and celebrate the praises of your Lord in the evening and in the morning." (40:55)

"No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune." (41:35)

"Verily man is in loss, except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and join together in the mutual enjoining of truth, and of patience and constancy." (103:2-3)

As Muslims, we should not let our emotions get the better of us. It is certainly difficult for a person to look at the tragedies of the world today and not feel helpless and sad. But believers are called to put their trust in their Lord, and not to fall into despair or hopelessness. We must continue to do what Allah has called us to do: put our trust in Him, perform good deeds, and stand as witnesses for justice and truth.

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West.But it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, And the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers;To spend of your substance, out of love for Him,For your kin, for orphans, for the needy,for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves;To be steadfast in prayerAnd give in charity;To fulfill the contracts which you have made;And to be firm and patient, in pain and adversityAnd throughout all periods of panic.Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. (2:177)

Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.(94:5-6)

Human presumptuousness, insolence, arrogance, elevated self-worth, are around us everywhere. We have to fight it in our own hearts.

Indeed, the sin of Iblis (Satan) was his arrogant refusal to humble himself to the will of Allah. He believed himself of elevated status - better than any other creation - and he continues to whisper to us, encouraging our pride, arrogance, love of wealth and status. We must always remember that we are nothing - we have nothing - except what Allah blesses us with. We can do nothing of our own power.

If we are arrogant and proud in this life, Allah will put us in our place and teach us humility in the next life, by giving us a humiliating punishment. Better that we practice humility now, before Allah alone and among our fellow human beings. (Now that is scary isn't it?)

So why don't we act now, and continue our fight with Iblis and with our ego!

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Lailatul- Bara'ah (Mid of Sha'ban)

Tonight, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we are approaching the middle of Sha’ban; the blessed night in the blessed month of our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

A month when all deeds are raised to Allah through the door of Prophet s.a.w.(that’s why we are so encouraged to read as much selawat as possible. This, I’m guilty of not doing enough lip service to Prophet s.a.w). These deeds are directly taken down by Prophet s.a.w

This is it. Lailatul Bara’ah – 15th night of Sha’ban; when all deeds in this month shall be raised to Allah and rewarded from a hidden treasure that is reserved for Prophet s.a.w. Allah swt opens for the Ummah great rewards and blessings that shall be taken into account personally by His Beloved.

“O Allah, bless us in our Sha’ban and make us reach Ramadan! And enrich us with fasting and prayers in it, and make us from those who are the pious ones to You in it.”

May Allah swt grant us a good ending in this world and in the Hereafter, place us amongst those who were righteous and pious; and make us return to You in a state of tauhid, iman and islam.

O Believers! Make lots of du’a tonight, and have a blessed night! Amin amin ya robbal alamin!