Ahmed Salim Jn

What is his duty if he is an administrator? • He should rule those under his command with justice and fairness, and he should never forget his responsibilities. • He should make an effort to cleanse his heart of poisonous feelings such as pride and arrogance that may come with his rank and position. • He should know that all of his successes come from Allah and attribute his faults to himself… What is his duty if he is under someone else’s command? • He should work honestly, in an effort to make his earnings halal. • He should be useful to people.  • He should do his work in the best way possible. What is the duty of someone who is a father or mother? • They should consider their children as a divine trust.  • They should leave the best quality of character as a legacy • They should present an education and manners of the Qur’an.  • They must provide them halal sustenance.  • They should set a good example for them as righteous parent...

What is his duty if he is young? •  He should know the value of youth. •  He should use his enthusiasm and energy in the way of Allah.  •  He should look at how nature is excited in the spring season and take an example for himself. The comprehension that he reaches from evaluating this season should be striving like ants instead of buzzing like a cicada. He  should work hard with his youthful energy. •  It is important to remember that youth comes only once. All the opportunities given are for once only. In this respect, it is essential to revive the youth by taking the young companions as an example. We should not forget how they lived in the spiritual joy and how they were like moths around the  Messenger of Allah, racing to fulfill his commands.                 What is his duty if he is old? •  He should strive to be a compassionate and merciful person, setting a good example for new generations wit...

What is his duty if he is sick? The person who is sick, disabled or in similar situations; • He should not forget that the troubles in his life are an expiation for his wrong actions, and a means for him to rise in his station with Allah.  • He should be happy because he is freed from accountability for every blessing that he is deprived of. • He should find peace by contemplating the tremendous reward for showing patience. • He should take the example of the prophets who were tested with various diseases. Maybe a blind person will be thankful on the Day of Judgment, saying; “If my eyes could see in mortal life, I would not be able to protect myself from some negative situations. Maybe I would fall into many unlawful things and I wouldn’t be able to answer for them now.” The relatives who serve their patients; should think,”this patient is entrusted to me.” He should consider him as a means of reward for himself and strive to receive his good prayers by serving him.  ...

Every believer has responsibilities and duties owed to his Lord, fellow muslims, humanity, and every creation that exists. What is his duty if he is rich? • Understanding that his wealth is a trust of Allah. • Trying to live modestly and spending the surplus in the way of Allah. • Avoiding waste and meanness.  • Spending the opportunities given by Allah in the way of Allah. • Taking care of the poor.  • In short, being one of “aghniya’ shakirin” the grateful rich people. As a matter of fact, Allah Almighty said about Prophet Sulayman AS, who fulfilled the duties of being a wealthy person; “What a beautiful servant he is!” (See. Sad, 30) What is his duty if he is poor? • Happily continuing servitude and working hard, with patience with whatever means he has. • Not making his deprivations an excuse for mistakes and disobedience.  • Not saying “why?” and giving up all complaints.  At were times the Prophet would tie stones to his stomach due t...

  A heedless man can’t appreciate the value of the state he is in, and instead of being grateful for the blessings that he has and seeking the consent of Allah, he falls into empty and useless delusions. He cannot find time to show proper gratitude for the blessings he has by running for a lifetime after the blessings that he can’t reach. Moreover, the nafs or lower self and the devil make infusions from time to time by appearing from the truth. For example, a poor person who believes these infusions; He is busy with nonsense such as “I wish I was rich, I would help like this and like that!” If he is physically worn or sick, he would fool himself by saying, “I wish I was healthy and strong. I would make an effort like this and like that!” He finds excuses adorned by the devil and egoistic desires. He is unaware of the opportunities granted by Allah to him and wastes his breath in pursuit of matters that are none of his concern. He cannot realize the real servitude and effort he can...

It is a characteristic of the ego that man desires to show off with his wealth, children and power in the worldly life. In other words, these are egoistic temptations that have been put as a necessity of testing man. In this regard; the believer should not be deceived by the worldly life and feel sorry for the worldly blessing that he is deprived of, he should be grateful in any case and evaluate his value in the sight of Allah according to the measure of taqwa. The Prophet PBUH directed people’s sense of yearning for other people’s lives and fortunes to goodness with the following hadith: “Look at those who stand in a lower level than you but don’t look at those who stand at a higher level than you, for that is better-suited that you do not disparage Allah’s favors.” (Muslim, Zuhd, 9) “...Whoever looks to one above him for his religion and follows him in it, and looks to one who is below him in worldly matters and praises Allah for the blessings He has favored the one who is above him...

  It should be noted that; The fact that a person is rich does not mean that Allah values him. Likewise, the fact that a person is poor does not mean that he is worthless in the sight of Allah. The heedlessness of this materialist mentality, which measures everything in terms of worldliness, is stated as follows in the Qur’an: “And as for man, when his Lord tests him by honoring him and favoring him, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me.’ But when He tests him by restricting his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me!.” (Al-Fajr, 15-16) This state of mind is a result of heedlessness of the fact that the world is a realm of testing. However, Allah Almighty states that He gives both blessings and deprivations to test His servants. In another verse it is stated that the society and geography where people are born have different characteristics. Afterwards, it is declared that the only measure of value in the sight of Allah is “taqwa” which means to fearful protect لِتَعَارَفُوا ...

 On the Day of Judgment, everyone’s account will be realized according to their conditions. In this respect, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab RA lived his life in a continuous state of zuhd (asceticism) due to the concern of responsibility. When his daughter Hafsa RA proposed him to raise his own salary a bit; He said: “O daughter! Let my burden be light and my accounting be easy!” And added: “The two friends (the Prophet PBUH and Abu Bakr RA and I are like three travelers on the same path. The first of us (the Prophet) reached his station. The other (Abu Bakr) followed the same path and reached it the first. The third, who is me, would like to reach my friends, too. If I go with a heavy burden, I can’t keep up with them! Don’t you want me to be the third of this path?” (17. See. Ahmed, Zühd, p. 125) In the light of these examples, when this world is viewed with the vision of heart, it can be seen that it consists of the manifestations of Allah’s Names. In this world, some people will be poor...

 Prayer is a good deed. However, its righteousness and acceptance are according to the taqwa (fearful awareness of Allah) in the heart.  If the heart is corrupt, the prayer is considered corrupt even if performed correctly outwardly. If the deeds are flawed but the heart is good, one hopes for Allah’s forgiveness and mercy.  In addition, Allah Almighty states in the Qur’an; “He intervenes between the person and his heart”(Al-Anfal, 24.) Servants who have a heart which Allah is pleased with, will receive many divine favors and blessings. As a matter of fact, although the knife was sharp, it did not cut the neck of Prophet Ismail AS. Although the fire burns, it did not burn Prophet Ibrahim  AS and became a cool garden for him.  Allah grants his servants exceptional favors by His power when he is completely helpless. This is the wisdom and truth of divine support that manifested in the famous Battle of Badr. In short; Deprivations or blessings occur according to th...

 Let’s consider the following Hadith:  “Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (wickedness), and Al-Fajur leads to the Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, as a liar.” (Bukhari, Al-Adab, 69) That means that wickedness and piousness are from the inspiration of the servants. And the servant is inspired to choose either truth or lying, chastity or indecency.  It is stated in the Hadith: “The servant continues to lie and a black spot grows in his heart until all his heart becomes black. Then he is written, in Allah’s sight, among the liars.” (Muwatta, Kalam, 18) It is this truth that is expressed in the verses with the expressions hardening of the heart, sealing the heart, rusting the heart and dead heart. Those who committed various crimes and were imprisoned say things like “we are prisoners of fate”. Al...

Some philosophers claim that some people are born biologically criminal by nature. They claim that it is impossible for these people to train their will or prevent themselves from committing crimes due to their genes, brain structure and similar reasons.  This is not true. As a matter of fact, there are many who turn from the wrong path, regret their mistakes and become very righteous.  As semi-savage people who used to bury their daughters alive during the Age of Ignorance and compete with each other in cruelty and injustice, were humbled by remorse for their old ways and they became dervish spirited figures with tearful eyes, full of compassion and mercy after being honored with guidance.  Imam Ghazali says:  “Man is like wax. He can be given the desired shape -positive or negative through training.” If it was not possible to change some negative characteristics in human beings, there would be no such word as “training and education” in the dictionaries.  Cert...

The matters that affect a person’s will that are outside of his control, enter into the field of divine destiny. One should consider the positive influences that lead one’s will to goodness as divine blessings and give thanks to Allah. For example, being born in a faithful and devoted family, a righteous environment and having the opportunity to have a good education is a big blessing. As for the negative effect: A person should surrender to the will of Allah Almighty in these matters. He should not consider them as an excuse for doing evil because there is no environmental condition that can be  given as an excuse to disobey Allah. For, Allah Almighty has created countless proofs for the existence and unity of His Supreme Being in both the inner and outer world of every human being. It should not be forgotten that environmental conditions can’t have a complete influence on the course of human beings and they do not have the power to control human will. Allah Almighty sent His p...

  Human will is influenced by; • Biological inheritance (the genetic characteristics inherited from the lineage) • Sociological inheritance (the material-spiritual education of the family and the effect of the environment) • Geography and climate • Food and nutrition • Circle of friends • Education It is necessary to consider the influences that are beyond the person’s will like an event of destiny and to know that divine justice will consider the disadvantages of these influences in favor of the servant in the hereafter. However, a person is responsible for matters that are within his willpower. In other words, a person should personally control the effects of the food he buys, the people he is friends with and the places he visits. That is to say, one should eat halal and wholesome food, avoid what is doubtful and haram. He should be friends with righteous and truthful people, and should stay away from bad company and places of where wrong actions are indulged i...

This is a principle of creed: “The condition of responsibility is according to the capacity of the responsible one. Otherwise, it would be making someone responsible for things that he cannot bear. In other words, the condition for Allah to consider His servants responsible and liable for religious orders and prohibitions is having the ability to do them. Allah Almighty doesn’t put a burden on any of His servants above their strength. For example, if God Almighty gave us the strength to lift 25 kilograms, we will be responsible when we lift less. On the other hand, our Lord does not require us to lift 50 kilograms as it will exceed our strength. As a matter of fact, Allah Almighty makes clear that certain deprivations will make the servant exempt from certain responsibilities: “There is no constraint on the blind, nor the lame, nor the sick” (Al-Fath, 17; An-Noor, 61) Allah Almighty also says: “Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can stand.” (Al-Baqara, 286) If a person...

Today, when the word “volunteer” is mentioned, a freedom of choice comes to mind like: “it’s okay whether you do it or not”. This is not correct, In Islam, Allah almighty expects from us to put our “hearts” into our actions, do our good acts willingly but this does not mean that doing good is arbitrary. In other words, involuntary, forced, sloppy, hypocritical actions are not accepted even if they are good on the surface. We must do what we are doing sincerely and from the heart.  A candid and sincere affectionate loyalty is of course more valuable than a forced obedience with external coercion. As it is stated in the verse by Allah Almighty:  “If We so wished, We could send down a Sign from heaven, before which their heads would be bowed low in subjection.” (Ash-Shu’ara, 4) Which means that Allah Almighty desires the obedience and submission of His servants of their own free will. As a matter of fact, when this spiritual level is realized in the hearts, our will automatically...

Acts worship in Islam gains a value in the sight of Allah only when it is performed voluntarily, in other words, with sincerity, love and harmony of heart and body. Otherwise, an act of worship that consists of a soulless and dry form has no value. All these sensitivities are absent in other systems. There, it is considered sufficient to fulfill the duty, even if it is performed unwillingly.  Another kind of disrespect committed against free will is deception and dishonesty. The missionary movements of Christianity use all methods from providing unfair advantage to lying and cheating, in order to gain followers by deceiving and then brainwashes them with lies. Those who ask for an explanation are not answered but intimidated by the inquisition and similar threats instead.  In Islam, faith is realized by the heart. Faith takes place as a result of a confirmation by the heart, in addition to an acknowledgment with the tongue.  There is nothing anyone can do to make someone ...

  Voluntariness was developed from the word “volunteer”.  C ompliance with the principle of the free will, and respect for the individual’s right to choose are not allowed by human systems most of the time. Most human systems are revolutionary. Revolutions and military coups seize the political power by using force, and the political system established is imposed on everyone, whether they want it or not. Those who do not accept the system are even eliminated. The issue of voluntariness and free will is realized either by the law or by worldly interests. The system tries to establish the rule with the power of law and sanctions.  Systems such as fascism and nationalism adopt oppression as a method in itself. They disregard the will of the individual for the imagined benefit of the society. As a matter of fact, these merciless systems were built on the blood of millions of people.  For example, no one pays taxes voluntarily and willingly in capitalism. Therefore, the h...

Voluntariness was developed from the word “volunteer”.  Compliance with the principle of the free will, and respect for the individual’s right to choose are not allowed by human systems most of the time. Most human systems are revolutionary. Revolutions and military coups seize the political power by using force, and the political system established is imposed on everyone, whether they want it or not. Those who do not accept the system are even eliminated. The issue of voluntariness and free will is realized either by the law or by worldly interests. The system tries to establish the rule with the power of law and sanctions.  Systems such as fascism and nationalism adopt oppression as a method in itself. They disregard the will of the individual for the imagined benefit of the society. As a matter of fact, these merciless systems were built on the blood of millions of people.  For example, no one pays taxes voluntarily and willingly in capitalism. Therefore, the heaviest ...

  Islam is based on individual will. It considers man responsible due to this will. Islam seeks the confirmation by the heart in the field of belief, sincerity in deeds and a disciplined will with morality. It is necessary to purify the ego for a disciplined will. There is no compulsion in believing because compulsion in issues of belief wouldn’t be valid as it would not come freely from the person. The specialty of man among other creatures is due to his free-will: Angels are conscious beings who have no power to do evil, they do everything Allah commands without rebellion or objection, they are created for service and worship. On the other hand animals act instinctively, they cannot go beyond their own limits drawn for them and they are devoid of intelligence. Hence willpower cannot be valid for angels and animals. Whereas, mankind and jinn are accountable for their actions and were created to be tested, for that they have been given intelligence and lower desires because of tha...

 Islam is based on individual will. It considers man responsible due to this will.  It seeks and aims for confirmation by the heart in belief, sincerity in action and a disciplined will with morality.

The two unique principles of the Islamic worldview is “bilaterality” which means to consider all the directions that need to be done looked at and not just one side. For example; idealism and realism are considered as opposites. However, the Islamic worldview is both idealistic and realist. In other words, it has an endless potential of elevating man and his society the highest levels of knowledge and excellence in all fields and it has the wisdom to accept things as they are by observing the natural and social reality of human beings and life. Islam is both rational and reasonable, however it doesn’t allow the idolization of human reason. It does not allow the mind to go beyond its natural limits, as Necip Fazıl describes as “flying a kite unaware of the sky” or “attempting to harpoon the sky.” Islam wages war against ignorance, it is scientific. But it prevents science from taking people to arrogance and exuberance. It strives for the realization of contemplation and “spirituality”, ...

 The great companions of the prophet used to sing “the real life is the life of hereafter” but they didn't neglect this world and they had laws on how to live in this life. The true religion always inculcates to the believer, the direction of servitude which is balanced between this world and the hereafter.  As it is stated in the following verse: “Seek the abode of the next world and what Allah has given you, without forgetting your portion of this world!...” (Al-Qasas, 77) In other words, Islam does not consider focusing on one side and completely neglecting the other side.  In Islam there is both; • Hell and Heaven. • Punishment and reward. • Love and well as hate to those who deserve it. • Private life and public life. • It takes care of both the common and cultured people at the same time. • Satisfies the mind beside the soul and does not neglect the rights of the  ego nor the body.  Manmade systems have always gone to extremes and strayed...