Explaining fundamental relationship between Allah and Human (An Islamic perspective)

1. Designed exclusively for
university students
Creator – Human
Relation: An Islamic
Perspective
1st draft

2. Agenda
● Background & Motivation
● Importance of Topic
● Explanation of Topic (Fiker & Tareeq)
● What is beyond?
● Summary
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 2

3. Background
● Proof of Allah (Creator), Book, and Messenger
● Established Relation with Allah SWT
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 3

4. Motivation
● There is no god but Allah,
Muhammad [peace be upon him] is
the messenger of Allah.
● I bear witness that there is no god
but Allah; One is He, no partner
hath He, and I bear witness that
Muhammad [peace be upon him] is
His Servant and Messenger.
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 4

5. What's so Important?
● What do these words really mean?
● What do these words imply?
● What is so special about these words?
● What would be the role of these words in our
life?
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 5

6. It's a contract
● The words represent a contract between two parties
– Allah (SWT)
– Human (individually i.e., not in collection)
● What's a contract?
– Binding between parties
– Gains and losses attached with full-filling and breaking it
– E.g., contract between university and student
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 6

7. How many contracts in this room?
H A Allah
H H H Human
Who directs to who
H
A H
● So I have a contract with Allah
independent from all of you, and
likewise same applies to all of us.
H H
● However, this contract is same for
H us all
An illustration of explaining
nature of contract ● It's a contract so don't overlook it :)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 7

8. What does it mean?
● When we understand it we will be able to
follow it in a more better way than without
understanding it.
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 8

9. Understanding the Contract
● Composed of two parts
– There is no god but Allah – (Fiker; thinking)
– Muhammad [peace be upon him] is the messenger of
Allah – (Tareeq; methodology)
● Human
– Thinks, which leads to act – (i.e., Fiker drives action)
– But how to Act (based on thinking) – (leads to Tareeq)
– E.g.,: play soccer (thinking) – how to play (requires
coaching of rules)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 9

10. Fiker (Thinking or Idea) – Al-Tafkeer
(1/3)
● Islamic Fiker; nothing is Good except what
Allah has defined
– Every good is known to Allah as He is all powerful
and knowledgeable, and nobody knows any better
than Him, so our fiker is that there is no good
outside of what Allah has defined
● What does illaha mean?
– Except, only
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 10

11. Fiker (Thinking or Idea) – Al-Tafkeer
(2/3)
● Two types of fiker
– Fundamental thought (Aqeedah; Creed)
– Resultant thought (Haasil)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 11

12. Fiker (Thinking or Idea) – Al-Tafkeer
(3/3)
● Aqeedah or core could be easily observed as:
– “Say, Allah is One.” (Al Ikhlas; 112:1)
● Resultant rules ( Ahkam ) are derived from the doctrine and used
for solving the issues of life in general.
– “Those who take riba (usury or interest) will not stand but as stands the
one whom the demon has driven crazy by his touch. That is because they
have said: “Sale is but like riba.’’, while Allah has permitted trading, and
prohibited riba...” ( Al Baqara; 2:275 )
– The above ayah results in thoughts related to specific relationships, i.e. the
economy.
– Other ayah have thoughts related to the conditions for and confirmation of
the Islamic viewpoint towards men and women, rules related to business
transactions, politics (Khilafah), food, clothing, etc.
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 12

13. Tareeq (methodology or Tareeqah)
(1/2)
● The method is the material manifestation of the idea which seeks to
bring the ideology (way of complete life) into application.
● Islamic Tareeq; follow Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in performing
actions as he is the example for fulfilling the fiker in a right way
● “Indeed, in the messenger of Allah a 'good example (uswatun hasana /
‫ ')أ ُسوة حسنة‬has been set for the one who seeks Allah and the Last Day
ََ َ ٌ َ ْ
and thinks constantly about Allah.” (Qur'an 33:21)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 13

14. Tareeq (methodology or Tareeqah)
(2/2)
● Method addresses three subjects
– Implementation of the solutions
– Preserving the Aqeeda (creed)
– Conveying the Islamic Call (Idea+method)
● Every action as part of method requires Daleel (evidence)
– Salah, Hajj, Jihad, etc.,
– So, obligatory daily Salah can't become six, must remain five
● forbidden to modify ( add, delete, or alter )
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 14

15. How Do Fiker and Tareeq Influence
Life of a Muslim Daily?
?
Norms, customs Allah
Rights of each
Human Human
Choice of Human defined by Allah
Rights of each
Rights of each
defined by Norms
defined by Allah
& humans
?
Norms, customs Allah
Rights of each
Human Human
Choice of Human defined by Allah
UnIslamic way Islamic way
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 15

16. Fiker & Tareeq (Summing up)
Fiker →
What is the goal? Allah SWT
knows every positivity
Tareeq →
Steps to achieve goal,
Prophet Muhammad SAW is the example
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 16

17. Reality of Western Clichés
● Is Robin hood a good example/hero? Not
according to Islam? → Why?
● Is “Ends justify the means” correct? Not
according to Islam? → Why?
● If a solider dies in the defense of a nation with
an intent to claim credit of bravery, is he a
hero? Not according to Islam? → Why?
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 17

18. Complete Code of Life
● Islam is complete code of life
– It has Fiker of everything
– Tareeq for everything
● Applying set theory (how many of you know set theory?)
– Universal set of goodness (UG)= Islam
– UG Union B = UG → Allowed (but Set B not needed)
● Set B must be subset of UG
– UG Union C = Z → Not allowed (that's bidda', if Z != UG)
● Set Z is not a subset of UG
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 18

19. Strong Reminders from Allah SWT
(1/2)
● “Do you, then, believe in some parts of the
Book, and disbelieve in others? So, what can
be the punishment of those among you who
do that, except disgrace in present life? And,
on the Day of Judgment, they shall be turned
to the most severe punishment. And Allah is
not unaware of what you do.” (Al Baqara;
2:85 )
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 19

20. Strong Reminders from Allah SWT
(2/2)
● O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and
those in authority among you. Then, if you quarrel about
something, revert it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you
believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is good, and the best
at the end. - Have you not seen those who claim that they
have believed in what was revealed to you and what was
revealed before you? They want to take their disputes to the
Taghut, while they were ordered to reject it. Satan wants to
mislead them to a remote wrong way. - When it is said to
them, “Come to what Allah has revealed and to the
Messenger,” you will see the hypocrites turning away from
you in aversion. (Al-Nisa 4;59-61)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 20

21. Some More Information Beyond
Today's Talk (1/2)
● Style (Usloub) → is different from method
– "… And prepare as much power for them ( the
enemy ) as possible. " ( Al Anfal 8:60 )
● The Means (Waseelah) → using car instead of
horses (general permission for traveling, means
of objects are not restricted)
● Plan (Khittah) → policy directed towards
accomplishing a particular goal dictated by the
Aqeedah and the Method
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 21

22. Some More Information Beyond
Today's Talk (2/2)
● Price of action in Islam
– Fardh (Obligation)
– Mandoob (Recommended)
– Mubaah (Free to Decide)
– Makrooh (Not Recommended)
– Haram (Impermissible)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 22

23. Importance of Knowledge
● The Prophet (saw) said: "Seeking knowledge is an obligation
upon every Muslim" [Ibn Maajah (Al-Albaani: Saheeh)]
● Hazzam bin Hakeem narrated from his uncle from the Messenger of
Allah (SAW) who said: “You are in a time of many jurisprudents
(fuqaha), few speakers, many who give and few who ask; so
action in this time is better than knowledge. There will soon
come a time of few jurisprudents, many speakers, many who
beg and few who give; so knowledge in this time is better than
action.” [reported by tabarani in his Alkabeer]
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 23

24. Summary
● Allah has a contract for everyone in individual
capacity
● Law-abiding Muslim personality will take care of
following two points, making absent any of the two
will hurt personality of human from Shaksiya al
Islamiya
– Thinking (Fiker) shall be taken from what Allah (SWT)
has defined
– Methodology (Tareeq) shall be taken from Seerah of
Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 24

25. Questions
● Caliph Umar (RA) traveled to take keys of
Jerusalem from the Romans where he said
famous words, “We were a people who lived in
humiliation before. Allah gave us honour
through Islam. If we sought honour through
anything else (at the cost of Islam) then Allah
will humiliate us again.”
08, Nov., 2012 NUIG 25