Mabaadil 'Ashara 27 April 2006 11:55:00

Mabaadil ‘Ashara

Ten things one should come to know about any sacred knowledge, texts or sciences one studies. These ten points can be applied to any knowledge, science or art. This is the traditional way of studying the sacred texts. It is a good way of introducing how Islam is traditionally meant to be studied & traditionally Muslims studied all knowledges & sciences, even those not to do with religion. It is also a good introduction to Tawheed and what we shall be covering in the following lessons, insha-Allah.

1. Ishmuhu – Name

Many sciences and arts have many names to refer to them. Tawheed is no exception. In plain English, so people may understand, it may be referred to as the Tenets of Faith or Belif, or Criterion of Belief/Faith.

In Islam, its various names are Tawheed ( or Tawhid, Tauhid), Aquida, Kalam, Aquidal Emaan, Ilmul Zhaat & Shifaat. These are somewhat in order of what this knowledge we are about to embark upon is most popularly known as.

2. Ta’reefuhu/Hadduhu – Definition

You can use either of the two transliterated Arabic words here to mean definition. All knowledge and names generally have definitions, meanings. Below we shall see the meanings to some of the names given above.

Tawheed – “Oness”; or to make one. The Oness of Unity of Creator, and thus Creation; ie – Allah is One, so link all back to Allah, to make one.

Kalam – speech or discussion, to mean endless study, as God is Eternal & Infinite, also this knowledge discusses the ‘Big Questions’, so you can go on contemplating for ever.

Emaan/Imaan – Imam Nawawi says that Imaan is a “complete and absolute verification of something”. Blind faith is not real faith. Doubt is opposite to faith.

Aquida – to tie/bond a knot, creed or Islamic belief; affirm in the heart belief life a knot.

Aquidal Emaan – Tenets or Creeds of Faith/Belief.

Ilmul Zhaat & Shifaat – Knowledge of Essence & Attributes; we learn the essence and attributes of Creator, creation and our own selves.

3. Istimdaaduhu – Source

It is important to know there is a traceable lineage back to the original source of the knowledge. To be able to verify and validate it. Thus does what we learn really relate back to the original source and message, and how well?

Tawheed is from Quran(Revelation) and Sunnah (Prophetic Sayings, Traditions and Transmissions down the ages). Also a recourse to the aqal(intellect) is a source to this knowledge too, as with everything we learn, we will look at intellectual & rational proofs. If Allah made our minds, then of course there must have been a purpose for it, so that it can be used satisfactorily; as in be able to affirm with conviction in the mind if it is a true knowledge & you are learning it correctly. Yes we can and must attain conviction in the heart, but we must not leave out the intellect, others it will lead to blind faith & following.

4. Mawdu’ – Place of Main Discussion/ Subject

This is regarding the main themes, concerns and topics of the knowledge we are about to study. In other words what we will be covering, or what the knowledge covers. We will not be able to cover fully everything absolutely. We shall try to go through the basics together, on which all else builds upon.

For a solid foundation, know that when building a wall that will fortress your soul from Shaytan and your lower self, after each layer of bricks is laid, you have to wait for it to dry & truly solidify before laying on the next. Pay heed to the bricklayer, otherwise your wall will be unstable.

We will be looking at the 68 Aqeedah, or Points of Belief. They will tie up knots in every corner so that all angles are covered & there is no room for doubt & uncertainty. The 68 points refer to what are the absolutely necessary, the possible and the impossible for the Essence & Attributes of Creator and Prophets. Also in terms of the Acts and Actions of both.

Wajib – necessary

Mustahil – impossible/inconceivable

Jaiz – possible/conceivable

Tawheed covers the Six Pillars of Imaan (Faith/Belief). These are in order of the following;

1. Allah
2. Angels
3. Revelation
4. Prophets/Messengers
5. Day of Reckoning
6. Predestination ( not a good word to use as a translation; to be clarified later )

These are the six things every Muslim must believe in to be a believer, as to believe in Islam entails all these. You must believe in all 124,000 Prophets and Messengers, we only know a few through the Koran and previous scriptures. We must believe in the four books, Koran, Injil (Jesus), Torah (Moses) and Zabor (Psalms of David); plus all the other scriptures & scrolls. Yet we only know the Koran to be protected by Allah, it has no faults and is perfect. We also only have descendents of our Final Messenger (s.a.w.) still with us and the family tree recorded, so they can all be traceable and can be verified. We also have complete volumes of biographies of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and his disciples (r.a.), but very limited exist of others and their disciples.

We shall also be looking at Samiyaat, which is what we have heard from the Prophet(s.a.w.). Jirim and Arad, which is to know the qualities of creation so one can come to know the Creator.

3 Main Categories

• Allah (Divine Aspects of Knowledge)
• Prophets & Prophecy ( Books & written accounts )
• What we only know of because of Prophets & Propechy, ie – the unseen realms, the hearafter & the future, etc.

5. Faaidatuhu/Thamaraat – Benefit

Not all knowledge is beneficial at all times in all circumstances. They can vary in degrees & types. There can be ones with no benefit or negative benefit; ie – harmful or Haram ( black magic ). The benefits of Tawheed are endless, a benefit in all circumstances, at all times & for everyone. How can true knowledge of God be otherwise. Note that this criterion can be used to verify that you indeed are learning the correct thing in the correct manner. Also for comparison to alternative theologies, one can see which really fulfils this criterion. In terms of other sciences and arts, one can compare to see which is more beneficial.

Knowledge of Tawheed answers the Five Life Questions everyone asks naturally;

• Where are we from? Or how and why we got here?
• How do we know? Or how can we know? – using Dalil Aqli (Proofs of Intellect) and Dalil Naqli (Proofs of Revelation).
• To whom do we belong? Or what or who are we?
• What are we here for? Or what is the purpose of Life?
• Where are we going?

My Shaykh tells us, that you can not separate Life from journey, as life means travelling either temporal, spatial or spiritual for all things, or a combination of these, for which us humans its all three. If this does not make sense or you do not agree, then separate life from the three types of journeying and see how your mind reacts. Thus embrace this understanding of our reality and accept it. Now do something about it, don’t just sit there.

Try to separate Love from Permanent. Try to think about being in love deeply and truly. What happens when that love is not permanent, but it changes, leaves you, disappears or dies? Do you love knowing its not forever or does one say, “I’ll love you forever!”

Try to think deeply upon this and try to separate Love from Permanent, how does your heart react now? If we are to die and all things are to die or leave us, or we leave them, then what is the point of having this immense powerful faculty to Love? Who put this in us and for what purpose? The answers to all these questions are connected. Hence why Tawheed means ‘to make one’, to Unify. All these questions will be answered and need to be answered! They shall be, have patience, the path demands it. Know Allah is the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate and He knows what you know not.

In Tawheed we learn about the belief of “Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat”. We distinguish, clarify and correct our beliefs, from the incorrect incomplete alternatives. It spurs you on to Ilmul Yakeen (certainty through knowledge), on to Islam and Ihsan (to witness; inner spiritual aspect). Everyone claims to be on the right path, everyone claims to be Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat and everyone wants to know the legitimate from the illegitimate. Through studying Islamic Theology traditionally, we will be able to see when we compare with others that this truly is the right path. Also there are many who are of the Sunni Path, but they do not know what Sunni entails, as they do not study. It is Fard Ayn (incumbent upon every individual) to study Tawheed and to affirm Yakeen Jazam or absolute certainty in the basic tenets of their belief. Through majority concensus, the Imam Ashari and Imam Maturidi schools (two schools of Tawheed) are of the Sunni Path.

The reason why the Six Pillars of Imaan come before the Five Pillars of Islam, is that Imaan is the basis, the foundation of Islam. How can one pray and do acts of worship when one does not know to whom, for whom and why? Yet in this age, everyone talks of the Five Pillars, but who knows of the Six Pillars before them? When thirteen years was spent in Mecca just on Imaan and its teachings, its practices, its conveyance before the Ten years in Medina where the actual Islam, its outward practices, jurisprudence and rulings came about. As people leave tradition, so it leaves them and thus the Ummah is in the state it is today. Thus many are born Muslim and do not believe.

Tawheed gives you an intellectual shield to affirm certainty and answer all doubts. It frees us from shirk (sin of association with Allah; or polytheism or idolatry), both outward (literally worshipping idols or created beings) and inward ( hidden association; distrust or disbelief in Allah or His Messengers; insincerity towards Allah and His Messengers). This is pretty deep, so leave it aside for later if you do not understand, we shall cover this all when we are ready. This is a taste of things to come, to show how deep one can go. We will cover it by the time we cover the entire 68 points of Aqeedah.

Islam came to you by Dawah. How can one do Dawah if you do not really know Islam and have faith in it? Tawheed gives you both, teaching you about faith and then how to have faith. It can be easily digested by the mind, as Allah created the mind and this is its purpose, to digest Tawheed. These 68 points will be a basic foundation, a mental blue print to return to and fall back on, when faith wavers or fails. It will refresh, rebuild, realign and reinvigorate your faith again and again. The test of its truth is that nothing can defeat it. You will be tested in life; certainty in the mind is only one level, certainty in the heart is another level. Many have only one, not both. You need both to be complete, otherwise its room for doubt and forgetfulness. Imaan is linked Amana (trust/security) and Imaan leads to Amana, it is the basis of Amana. You will only have true security, in this life and world (and the next), in the heart and mind, if you have true Imaan and practice it sincerely.

In terms of physical benefit, it prevents mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s, as it preservers the mind through heightened consciousness, awareness and continual intellectual exercise. Indeed in Islam it is a belief that the minds purpose is Tafakur (contemplation) on Tawheed, so studying and applying Tawheed is fulfilling that divinely given purpose. Once you learn this knowledge, the skills you learn from studying it and the knowledge itself, will be able to be applied and everything. As this is the Essence of All Knowledge, it must be able to be applied to all knowledge. It will thus bring us to the highest states of religion, reasoning and contemplation.

6. Hukmuhu – Ruling Regarding It

A lot of arts and sciences have rulings regarding them, or themselves are based around a rule or set of rules. This can be easily seen in maths and physics.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) made it wajib upon all individuals male and female to seek knowledge. Tawheed is waajid (an obligation) for every individual (fard ‘ain) to study. How can one be a believer and not know about what one is to believe and what not to believe? Do not see Fard and Waajid as “Oh I have to do it!”, as if it is a burden, rather see the benefits and virtues of this knowledge and other things made obligation upon you. Allah does not make something Fard/Waajib like a tyrant does. Allah is All-Merciful, All-Compassionate and All-Knowing. Just as you see the surface of the rules imposed upon you by parents, yet do you not look deeper to see the love and concern behind those rules? Allah makes rules to protect and guide, and Allah Knows best and wants best for His Creation. For Allah also made the same rules that govern the physics of this world. You know not what Allah knows and certainly we do not know always what is good for us. We are still learning, exploring and finding out.

“The unexamined Life, is a Life not worth living”, Socrates.

How can one live without asking those big life questions and not be satisfied with oneself unless one finds the answers.

In studying Tawheed, we shall learn what is Fard/Waajib, Sunnah, Harus, Macrew, BIdah, Fasik and Haraam in our belief.

• Harus – allowed / possible
• Macrew – disliked or frowned upon / not recommended
• Bidah – separate from Sunnah / innovation
• Fasik – devian, yet not necessarily Harram
• Haraam – forbidden, actually leaving Islam.

7. Masaailuhu – Sub-Issues of Discussion

In many sciences and arts, there are sub issues to the main issues or topics that are covered.

We shall be covering the three Hukums (laws/rulings);

1. Hukum Aqal – Laws of the Intellect
2. Hukum Adat – Laws of Nature
3. Hukum Shari’ – Sacred Law

Tawheed naturally leads onto looking at the basis of our fiqh and shariah, plus the third part of our deen which is Tassawuff or Ihsan. These are all themselves complete sciences.

8. Waadi’ uhu – Organisers/Authors

This is separate from the source of the knowledge. We are not directly studying the source or from the source. We are not going to go through the entire Quran and Sunnah, to compile the knowledge ourselves. No, it has already been compiled by others. From them we learn from. They are our link to the source, as they compiled directly from the source, or so we hope for all knowledge. We are going to go through the transmitted teachings of Imam Ashari and Imam Maturidi.

The authors and organisers are not necessarily the original source, as the original source here is the Prophet Adam(as), as all Prophets(as) were given the same message of Tawheed to teach humanity and Adam(as) was the first man and Prophet. We have not got the original works of Prophet Adam(as). What we have are what was transmitted by Allah to ArchAngel Gabriel (ra/as), down to Prophet Muhammad(as), to the Disciples(ra) and to those that followed; amongst who were the two Imams aforementioned.

The actual 68 points of Aqeedah we are going to go through is from the Ashari School, though both schools are accepted, can largely combine and compliment each other. These two Imams codified/systemised this knowledge and recorded it as what it was already known and practiced as. They had living examples of Quran and Sunnah to refer to, they had descendents of both the Prophet(as) and the Disciples(ra) to refer to. They did not just have to rely upon texts alone such as many of our age now do.

9. Nisbatuhu – Relation To Other Sciences

Once you know a knowledge, you are bound to find other complimentary or competing and contradictory knowledge. For instance, you may learn one style of martial arts, or one language, or one method of recitation or calligraphy, however there are many others out there. Once mastering one, does not one seek to look at others in the same field? Doing so helps reinforce your knowledge of what you already know of; to reaffirm and confirm it against others. We naturally know that we can never know all, yet we still go on seeking; Allah has made it so, we are meant to go on searching and yearning, till we have reached the Absolute Truth, which is ultimately with Allah.

You may also find that a different knowledge is better to embrace than the one you currently have. With tawheed from Islam you can take it to any other religion or philosophy, to test it, to test your own knowledge of it, to test your certainty of it, your faith and conviction, both in heart and mind. Islam is declared as the Perfected and Completed Religion, that is to out do all else.

You can also compare Tawheed with other sciences and arts within Islam, outside the field of Emaan, for instance Fiqh, Shariah and Tassawuff. The reason being that Tawheed should make you realise that all things are connected and Islam is organised in a wholly absolute and complete fashion.

10. Fadhluhu - Virtues

Virtue (or merit) is what continues to benefit; ie – what pleases Allah. All virtues are benefits, but not all benefits are virtues. Virtue is to do with the hereafter or afterlife. Do you do things just for this life and world? Materialistic and superficial things and aims, or do you go deeper and further? The virtues of Tawheed is Eternal and Infinite, as its reward is with Allah. Note that all Prophets and Saints brought the same Tawheed, just the Shariah that varies. So with this knowledge you should be able to feel connected to all humanity and creation, removing all hatred of people and creation from the heart and mind, insha-Allah.

Some other questions people generally ask.

"What Can We Know?";

How do you know that you know?

"What Can We Know about the Nature and Existence of God?";

is there a God?

what about the supernatural?

"Are We Ever Free?";

"Does Our Existence Have a Meaning or Purpose?";

why is there so much suffering in the world?

How do you explain human nature?

How do you determine right and wrong?

why are we here?

"How Should We Live?"

Why is there something rather than nothing?

What happens to a person at death?

what happens after we die?

the universe: accident or design?

"Benefits of Tribulation"

From a Hamza Yusuf Lecture, discussing "The Book of Calamities, Tribulations, Hardships and Disasters", or "Benefit of Tribulations and Test".
Hamza Yusuf attempts here to convey the Seventeen Benefits discussed in this book and to try to explain other key important concepts and ideas therein.

I shall first outline the seventeen benefits and then have more to say afterwards.
These are my notes and my interpretations. Forgive me for my shortcomings.

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FIRST BENEFIT.
To you remind you the power of Lordship over you. Allah is RABB, rabbil-nas and rabbil-al-amin. Calamity frees you from the illusion of freedom and independence. It thus also reminds you of your Lord, to bring you closer to Him, when you have gone astray, or to just reward you with the fruits of such a harse experience. Keep in mind, some miracle recoveries from some deadly diseases and illnesses. Miracle escapes and survivals, etc, etc. Allah sends you tribulations as a blessing, to put you back on the most blessed path.

Lee Atwater - (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/badboy.htm) - , who was the republican head of election committee, destroyed Dukakis, which allowed Bush Senior to become President of America. Lee Atwater, made a living from destroying peoples lives, through manipulation of the mass media. He was a genious, devilishly so. However, when he got a brain tumour and realise his life was at an end. He wrote saying how sorry he was for all the people he had destroyed, whose lives he had ruined, and how he begged for forgiveness.

"He said in his letter to me that "my illness has taught me something about the nature of humanity, love, brotherhood and relationships that I never understood, and probably never would have. So, from that standpoint, there is some truth and good in everything." - http://www.turnipseed.net/atwaterart.htm

SECOND BENEFIT.
Realise your abject servanthood and your complete state of resignation and brokeness in front of the Will of Allah.
The quality of property is that the owner has complete will over it. This dunya (world and life) is Allah's.

When you realise this and swallow this fully. You realise, that whatever happens to Allah's Property, whatever Allah does with His Property, its upto Allah. Allah knows Best, Allah knows what we know not. Be thankful, that he gave you what you did not, for you came from a state of non-existence, to state of existence. Even in that existence, you are really in abject poverty, impotence, weakness and always in a state of need. Dont claim things as your own property, otherwise the True Owner may have to teach you whose in charge here, for your own good!

THIRD BENEFIT.
Sincerity to Allah. It puts you in a state of sincerly calling to Allah. After having that true sincerity, you learn about sincerity. You get to have a better understanding of what is sincere and insincere, also the different levels of sincerity.
The root word of God, in Greek and Latin, means "that which is left after all else is gone". This means, that there is no defence to calamity, but in God.
The greatest name, is the one that has no partner, to call out to.

Cat Stevens, look at his example. Two times in his life, he came close to death, and he had miraculous escapes. The second time, he had almost drowned out in sea, with no one there to witness it, but God. No one there to be able to save him, not even a dolphin. In that state, he begged to God with utmost sincerity, saying that if God saves him, he would devote his life to the Will of God. Then, a miraculous huge wave came out of no where (athiests answer to things to do with God) and brought him all the way back to the shores, onto the beach. Then, he discovered Islam, which became his Deen, his keeping up his end of the Bargain with Allah.

When you go through suffering and hardships, thats when your calling to Allah is most sincere. Thats when you can not deny your abject need, weakness, poverty and impotence! The child is rebellious to his/her parents once they have what they want and need. Once thats gone or missing, they cry to their parents and run to them in a state of absolute need.

FOURTH BENEFIT.
You return to Allah and become fervent in your Deen. Which in itself, will bring about countless benefits.

It was hardship and suffering that this Ummah was given birth to and grew through. It was the easy life that made it fall! Made the people in general complacent.

FIFTH BENEFIT.
Humbled state to Allah, bringing about prayer and worship to Allah. A closer connection to Allah, which is the greatest benefit of all.
There is a haddith that reads, "Allah afflicts people cause he loves them", and their beautiful du'as; John the Baptist said his prayers never got answered. When coming face to face with his Lord, he asked him why he never answered them. Allah said to him, that He loved hearing his prayers. John The Baptist found that to be the greatest answer to his prayers.

The Most Afflicted are the Prophets(pbuh), then the Saints (also Disciples) and the RIghteous and those that follow them, and those that follow them. Look at what they had to go through! The Sacrifices they made!

SIXTH BENEFIT.
Forebearing towards the one who has afflicted you. In the Koran Ibrahim (Abraham) is described as someone who had compassion for others. Forebearance.
There is a difference in the ranking of forebearance, based on the scale of calamity. Ability to forebear things, is a gift from Allah. Otherwise you could not forebear anything, which surely would be a more torturous state than anything you may be going through.

SEVENTH BENEFIT.
Forgiveness. The Greatest rewards are for those who forgive. Allah Loves forgiving people. To forbear someone is one level, to forgive them is a higher level. There is a haddith, of a man that was destined for Heaven, just cause he kept forgiving everyone, every single night. Will you still ask Allah for forgiveness, when you can not ever forgive anyone yourself?

EIGHT BENEFIT.
Patience whilst in calamity. Allah is with the patient. If you know Allah is always with you, and can always appreciate that without forgetting it, how can you ever be in a state of impatience? Patience is trust in time and in fate (qadr), all of which is Allah's; so in turn its ultimately about trust in Allah. Sabr(patience) is based on understanding, not forebearance. You understand the Love and Wisdom of Allah and trust in that. You await Allah's reward in patience, even if it may mean being patient all the way till the Afterlife.

NINTH BENEFIT.
You become HAPPY with calamities, because of the benefits. Poverty and death in Dunya, means Wealth and Life in Afterlife. The Haddith, that a rich man would have a harder time getting into Heaven than a camel would have going through the eye of a needle. You drink the bitter remedy, but know that beyond the sour bitter taste, there is cure.
No one likes a whiner, not even a whiner.

TENTH BENEFIT.
To be grateful for it; of the benefits. You thank the surgeon for sawing off your leg, cause you understand the gangrine would have killed you, or the spread of it may have meant losing more than just that leg. You may have lost something, or not got something, but because of it, it saved you from a greater calamity that you did not at first see.

ELEVENTH BENEFIT.
Purification. Know that the affliction is less than what you deserve. Also, afflictions removes sins. Allah is All Compassionate, All Merciful, Forgiving and Just. So dont complain, it could always be worse. Allah's Mercy is above His Wrath. Most Merciful Most Compassionate/Most Beneficient, these are the Names and Attributes that Allah raise above all others in the Koran.

TWELVE BENEFIT.
Allah allows you to feel compassion towards other people in tribulation. Everyone has suffered some form of injustice and oppression; in Dunya terms. So there is room for 'Universal Compassion'. A great blessing. If you remove calamity from someone, Allah will remove calamity from you; esp on Judgement Day.
Imam Muhammad Al-Hasan's commentary on Madhara said two conditions people have
1. Your fine, but dealing with problems of other people.
2. You have those problems.
If you dont help people with those problems, Allah will give you those problems. So you're either tested by others or by yourself.

THIRTEENTH BENEFIT.
Tribulation of others is a blessing. Its an opportunity for Amaal, an opportunity for you to get close with others, and with Allah.

If you didnt ever go through something difficult, then how can you expect to be able to relate to those around you who go through such things? It makes you more Compassionate.

FOURTEENTH BENEFIT.
Let you appreciate the blessings of well-being. You only really appreciate and value things, when you miss them, when they are gone.
Evil is just misunderstood Goodness. The darkness is neccessary for light to known. Evil is there to Highlight the Good, its the alternatives to Good, without which you would not have that choice to choose Good!

FIFTEENTH BENEFIT.
Allah has prepared rewards for forebearance, gratefulness and emaan in calamity; based on different ranks, ie levels of calamity and levels of people's spirit. Hidden reward, think of every test, as an opportunity to pass it and get that reward, or to learn from it. Heaven is surrounded by undesirable things (ie commitment and responsibility) , and Hell is surrounded by desirable things (ie promiscuity). Allah may put much goodness, blessings and reward in something you dislike, hate, fear, mistrust, or can not see.

SIXTEENTH BENEFIT.
Prevent you from pride, arrogance, evil, heedlessness, ignorance, etc. Many tyrants and evil people, are examples of people who abuse their blessings. If they were disabled, it would be a different story, they would not have committed such sins.

SEVENTEENTH BENEFIT.
Contentment. As tribulation afflicts Good and Bad. Believers get to Heaven, on sometimes just the sole basis of being content with them. We should learn to see God in everything, for He is all-encompassing. Read History, these times are not so bad. This age, the calamity for Muslims is spiritual, not material.

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Attribute of Will (of an All-Willing)

A will, is generally seen as something that initiates something. For a living intelligent thing for instance, there is a will in its actions, that it preforms.

Of course, not all actions, of a creature, are of its own will. For instance, our heart beats, and our continuous breathing. The energy synapses and nerve impulses throughout our bodies.

So 'will', is really the initiaiting factor behind things.

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the power or faculty of choosing or determining; the act of using this power; volition; choice or determination; pleasure, wish or desire; inclination, preference; lust; command; arbitrary disposal;
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Now... with regards to Power and Knowledge. An All-Powerful, All-Knowing, can not be separate from a state of All-Willing. Can any Will, be separate from the Will of such a God?

You see, its hard to think. How can, my own individual Will? Be within the Will of another?
How about.. if I knew you. I knew how to do something, to make you willing do something? Now its still your own individual will. But I had the knowledge, and power, and will, to do something. Which in turn, I know would result in your willingly doing something that I wanted to happen.
See how two such wills are thus connected?
Is it really mind boggling then, to think of something having all the power, and knowledge and all the will? Whilst you still having your individual Will, power and knowledge. Are you in any way, separate from such an original source?

The Hadith of Gabriel

Sachiko Murata, and William Chittick cite a version of the Hadith of Gabriel in their book, The Vision of Islam - here is a section of this hadith attributed to our Prophet.


'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: One day when we were with God's messenger, a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and none of us recognized him. Sitting down before the Prophet, leaning his knees against his, and placing his hands on his thighs, he said, "Tell me, Muhammad, about Islam." (Chittick/Murata use the word submission)

The Prophet replied, "Islam means that you should bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's messanger, that you should perform the ritual prayer, pay the alms tax, fast during Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to go there."

The man said, "You have spoken the truth." We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he had spoken the truth. He said, Now tell me about faith (Iman)"

The Prophet replied, "Faith means that you have faith in God, the angels, the Books, the messengers, and the Last Day, and that you have faith in the measuring out, both its good and its evil."

Remarking that he had spoken the truth, he then said, "Now tell me about doing what is beautiful (Ihsan).

The Prophet replied, "Doing what is beautiful means that you should worship God as if you see God, for even if you do not see God, God sees you."

SOURCE = http://ihsan-net.blogspot.com/2004_11_01_ihsan-net_archive.html

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In this Haddith "No mark of travel was visible on him, and none of us recognized him." - this means, that they all knew eachother. There were no strangers amongst them, however they did not recognise him, so he must have travelled from somewhere to be with them. However, there was no mark of travel upon him. Anyone who travels through any desert, especially the Sahara, would know what is meant by 'mark of travel'. You can not look clean and well, having travelled even in a jeep across the Sahara.

Gibril sits like a student would traditionally sit to a teacher. Hands upon thighs means no harm, as he was a stranger, the gathering had to be shown that no bad intentions is meant here.

Key to Heaven, is Faith. The Teeth of the Key are the Pillars.

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The first thing to note and IMPORTANT to note. Is that its not just to testify, La Ilaha Il-Allah, but to WITNESS! So there is already an idea of Ihsan. To Witness. To have Emaan is to believe, but real belief comes from Witnessing and Experiencing. We have to get to a state, in which we truly WITNESS that there is NOTHING, but ALLAH. Then, we must WITNESS, that Muhammad (saw), is his Slave & Messenger.

In what ways, can you see Allah? Witness Allah? How can you beautify your Emaan and Islam? Would these questions not be asked by some Sahaba, surely these are questions that one would ask today.

Essay of Word

ISLAM

Its root, is Silm, Salema & Salam. Salam is one of the Beautiful Names of Allah, one of his Divine Attributes. There is no Salam, but Allah; thus without Allah you have no Peace. So Islam is about that Peace, which can only be establish through Allah, by Allah and none other. Thus, you should ask yourself, what kind of peace is this, which is from God? Must it not be the best kind of peace as it is from God?

Silm is a state or condition of security. Thus, there is No Security, but with Allah. No security, but the Security of Allah, from Allah. Islam, is to make you feel secure, is to give a sense of security. Submission and security, come together. Feel secure in your submission, you are submitting to security.

Salema is root to words like peace, submission and obedience; also purity.

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It is interesting to note that salama from which Islam has been derived means to be purified from all defects and evils or to be protected from them. It means one has avoided these defects. For example we read in 2:71 about the cow belonging to Bani Israel that it is "sound without any blemish in her." Thus salema basically means to be perfect without any blemish and to bring all our good abilities into action rising above all weaknesses.

The second root meaning of it is to be protected from all eventualities, accidents and difficulties. This meaning of the word pertains more to health and security. It is in this sense that in Urdu language we say salamat i.e. to be secure. It is interesting that in Philipino language the word for thanks is salamat that is the sentiment of obligation is expressed by wishing desire for security of the obliging person.

In Arabic also it is said salima min al-afaati i.e. he remained secure from all troubles. In Qur'an one of the names of Allah is Salam (59:23) i.e. one who is perfect and above all defects. But the compiler of Taj al-'Urus does not agree with this meaning at all and maintains that Salam is one who can provide security to others and Saalim is one who is protected by others. Thus according to Taj al-'Urus Allah is Salaam because he protects all others and he saves His creation from disorder and disturbance.

It is used in yet another sense i.e. peace and order. One who lives in complete harmony and peace with others is called al-silm. To live in peace and harmony oneself and create such possibility for others. In other words to create peace and security for the world. Yet another meaning is to surrender oneself. It is only when one surrenders oneself to the forces of law and authority. It is only when human beings surrender to the laws of Allah and of nature that there can be peace and harmony in the world. It also means to adopt the middle path avoiding all extremes as extremes bring about disturbances and disorder. It also means to avoid what is absurd and meaningless. Also in Arabic usage al-salemah is a woman who is very delicate and beautiful. Thus it would also mean what is beautiful and appealing.
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source to above excerpt is found at :
http://www.punjabilok.com/faith/islam/termquran.htm

Islam also means "to Submit to Allah". Now we have two things here, the Verb to Sumbit, and the Object to which to submit to is Allah. So what is this Submission? What form does it take? And what/who is Allah? Why Submit to Allah?

Islam, is also the name of the Deen. Deen means "Life Transaction". This is looking at what you are doing with your Life and why and for what? The Deen of Islam, is to live your life for Allah. Transaction means that you are doing it for some purpose some reason. What are you getting out of it? What is expected? In Islam, life is not for this life, but for the next life, just as the child is nourished in the womb, that life in the womb is preparation for the life outside the womb; thus in this wordly life, we try to nourish it for preparation for the next life, which is ultimately back to Allah.
You have transaction directly with Allah, which is Ibadaat; ie Salah, Prayer, Fasting, Hajj, etc. Transaction with Allah's creation is Amalaat; this means that you are to see every thing you do in this life, everything you know, witness and experience, treat it with knowledge of Allah, not heedless of his Witness and Account. Thus Islam, is All-Encompassing, as Allah is All-Emcompassing.
So now if you understand the concept of Deen, then you should understand that a Muslim is to live in peace with the Creator, within one's self, with other people and with the rest of Creation. If you are not in a state of Peace, then you are not totally in a complete state of Islam; for Islam is to bring peace and security.

Now the Submission is not meant to be a form that is coerced or forced, as "there is no compulsion in Faith"; how can you be forced to believe? That is in fact proof of lack of faith. So the Submission is supposed to be peaceful, natural and easy. Why then does it become difficult and a chore? Thats cause the way of Submission is not in Line with the Truth, the True way of Submission Transmitted Directly down to Earth from Allah. This Submission, should lead to Salaam in this Life and the next.

So now, we need to learn about Allah and this Submission, to know this Deen that is Islam and to know that Goal that is eternal true peace. Also, most importantly, learn how such things have been and are being transmitted to us, transmitted from Allah to Earth.

John Taylor Gato on Modern Schooling - 12th April 2005

F.R. Scott, Social Democrat, and constitution lawyer, early pioneers of social justice in Canada.

POEM - “The Examiner”

The routine trickery of the examination
Baffles these dis heart and discouraged youths
Driven by they know not what external pressure
They pour their hated self analysis
Through the nib of confession
Onto the accusatory page

I who have plotted their immediate downfall
I am entrusted with the divine categories
A, B, C, D and the hell of F
The parade of Prize and the backdoor of pass

In the tight silence
Standing by a green grass window
Watching the fertile earth graduate its sons
With more compassion — not commanding the shape
Of stem and stamen, bringing the trees to pass
By shift of sunlight and increase of rain,
For each seed the whole soil, for the inner life
The environment receptive and contributory—
I shudder at the narrow frames of our text-book schools
In which we plant our so various seedlings.

Each brick walled Barracks
Cut into numbered rooms
Black boarded
Ties the venturing shoot
To the master's stick
To screwed desks rows of lads and girls
Subdued in the shade of an adult
Their assets subsoil
Shape the new to the old
IN the Ashen Garden

Shall we Open the Whole Skylight of Thought
TO these tip toe minds
Bring them our frontier worlds
And the boundless uplands of art for their field of growth
Or shall we pass them the chosen poems with the footnotes
Ring the bell on their thoughts
Period their play
Make laws for averages
and plans for means
Print one history book
For a whole province
And let 90,000 read page ten by Tuesday

As I gather the inadequate paper evidence
I hear across the neat campus lawn
The professional mowers drone
Clipping the inch high grass




John Taylor Gato


New York State Teacher of the Year. Investigating purpose and history of education.

Forced Schooling (compulsory).
James Brian Cohen.

Boredom. Its your responsibility, shouldn't be left to someone else to entertain you. Its part of personal development to learn how to keep yourself from being bored. Taken out, to extend childishness, to sell the ENTERTAINMENT to adults and children alike.

Teachers and Students BORED. Neither is interested in teaching what is being taught, and not interested in learning what is to be learnt. WHO MAKES this NATIONAL CURRICULUM?

Childish people need to be attended by adults.

Youthful – positive window, means adventurous, energetic,curious, surprising, open to new experience. WHAT Schools and modern education systems ENCOURAGE or FIT these universal qualities?
So if modern forced education is not here to suit this YOUTHFULNESS, what purpose are they for?

Rational and reasonable, are different.
Unreasonable, in discouraging youthfulness, but doesn't mean they are not rational.
Before WW2, High Schools and Secondary Schools were small and not so important.
In Switzerland, richest nation in world per capita. Less than 1 in 4 goes past elementary school.

People at age 13, were not traditionally seen as children.


Prussia, 1820. Where it began.
1st Purpose – Religious
2nd Purpose – Good citizens, to shoulder responsibility of society
3rd Purpose – to enhance God given individual gifts

4th – Obedience – TO POLITICAL PARTY, to STATE, etc.

Habit Training - Making children reflect positively to propaganda.
Prussian Habit Controlling Schools – conditioned children to any sort of authoritarian appeals, including soft.. PR & Advertising.

Public Opinion can be made manageable.

Marketing means overcoming sales resistance.


They can peddle any SUPPLY by psychological means.

Founders of Forced Schooling, were to collectivising and socialising the ordinary population to the habits of dependency
- IE, extending childishness, by removing children from the world, from parents, and into a world of strangers, hidden from public view. Protection from World Outside, make them dependent upon the system.

TRACK FOUR

James B. Conant
born March 26, 1893, Dorchester, Mass., U.S.
died Feb. 11, 1978, Hanover, N.H. – President of Harvard Univ for 30 yrs.
Member of Inner Circle of Atomic Bomb Committee.
High Commissioner of American Zone in American controller Germany in WW2.

Made books about Schools and society.

Principle legitimizer gargantuan High School planning.

“The Child, The Parent and the State” - JBC.

Mentions a Coup had given Modern Schooling, in book.

“Principles of Secondary Education” - 1918. Find details of this 'COUP'

No library had this book. So JTG looked for Author, the Principle of Harvard University.
Mr English was decedent of prominent American family sympathetic to British Side, in US revolution.

Another English wrote a refutation of Common Sense. Anglican Bishop wanted State Religion.

Honor Lecture at Harvard University, its called the “English Lecture”.


Track 5, 6 purposes of Modern Education.
Surgical Incision, into Class Base, to interdict liberty tradition.
Infiltrate Minds of Children, out of sight of Parents.
Keep Children kept childish beyond age. By removing insights of History, philosophy and religion, and removing reflections upon Death.

1- Childish Adults, easier to control than independent free thinking individuals.

1- “Fixed Habits of Reactions to Authority”
requiring obedience to Stupid Orders useful.

2 – Diagnostic Function.
So much testing and so forth. Determine proper social role and fix you into that role.

3 – Sorting Function
Training individuals only as far as their likely destination in Social Role, not any further.

4 – Com formative
Make them all alike, whatever background they are from, not for egalitarianism, but to Make future behaviour mathematically predictable in service to market and government research.

5 – Hygienic Function.
Not to do with Individual Health, but Health of RACE. To Accelerate Natural Selection, by tagging the UNFIT clearly, to drop them from the reproduction sweep stakes. Make those that are FIT, promiscuous. Humiliation through Sports and so forth; contests. Popularity things.

6 – ProPiDoTic
Small Fraction of Lucky Kids are properly taught to take over this management of society, in future. In order to make government and management economically manageable.

“1984” - George Orwell. Necessary to compel him to love Big Brother, then kill him. If you had to be forced to kill him, you wouldn't know how many others like him out there.

Infant-alisation, gradual dumbing down and demoralisation, and critical responsibility of families and communities to the State & its institutions.


TRACK SIX

Radical extension of Childhood principally through schooling first, but in time through every institution, including and especially through popular entertainment (including Mass Media), controlled by a small elite.

Popular Entertainment, prevents need to entertain oneself.


Childish Adults cant effectively be a threat to Management. They don't know how the system works, so eventually give up making “noise” & trying to rebel. They lack “inner” resources to be self sustained; dependent upon system & institutions.

2nd Half of 19th Century. North German States, Prussia, Saxony and Hanover. Science of Making young people childish, grew up. Study by certain prominent Americans, Harris Man, William Tory Harris, the P-body family, J.P Morgan and Canada by Edgerton Ryson, and by others who envied the control it offered to management and wanted that control for themselves.

With the rise of Centralised Economy, after Civil War. Another over riding reason to place population under tight management.

At same time this project was going on, other than businessman and politicians were interested in such studies. Such as Utopian socialists like Robert Owen and John Ruskin, thought that through an endless childhood an agrarian Utopian could be achieved. The evolution crowd like Darwin, Spencer, etc, we are Biologically retarded, so we couldn't grow up, so we needed guidance and authority.
Scientific historians, Hegel, Herder, like Marx, thought by keeping people dumb and incomplete, history itself could be controlled by small elites and guided to a conclusion.

Many potent interests around, but none had resources of Corporations to sustain such a long term campaign in such a direction. Only needed a little corporation behind the scenes, to allow an army of innocent academics and philosophical “screw-balls” to do the corporate-government bidding unknowingly, thinking they were riding their own hobby horses.

L Wood Cuberly, friend of Cohen at Harvard, and partner of Alexander English's at Huffton Mifton, Publisher. Where he edited the elementary series of Textbooks, whilst English did Secondary textbooks. They had a monopoly on institutional schooling (Huffton Mifton).

Cuberly was Dean of education at Stanford University. Were he became head of a EDUCATION TRUST, a shadowy cabal of Academics Nationwide, who controlled every administrative post in USA, by 1918. SOURCE is from TEXTBOOK “Managers of Virtue” - by David Tiack.

All administrative jobs held by EDUCATION TRUST, until Newspapers got wind of it, and it changed its name. In 1906, Cuberly, in his PHD thesis, wrote that “children are to be shaped and fashioned like nails. And the specifications will come from business and government, in that order”...
Specifications – outcomes desired.
Outcomes to be reached are decided by academics and bureaucrats, who worked for policy people. BUSINESS STRATEGY known as management by OBJECTIVEs.

Few years later, 1919, same Cuberly, wrote “childhood deliberately extended by four years, because a combination of powerful interests had demanded this. The trick was pulled off by denying children association with the adult world and with real responsibility, through comprehensive confinement schooling, which created a world of children separate from the real world. There the little human resources could be held, until summoned or not summoned.”
The interests are about delaying personal sovereignty, the managerial outlook. Total management and human independence are mutually contradictory terms. Once professionalized, management finds it irresistible to argue, that neither children nor their parents can be trusted. That the only sensible way of handling growing up, is through expert goal settings and professional interventions at public expense.
Once institutional infrastructure is established, no body needs to know what its about. They have to know that they don't get their pay check unless they keep the system in a steady state. So that eventually all the architects who know whats going on die off and the thing becomes a piece of autonomous social technology.

TRACK SEVEN

Expert management is never well served by allowing children to grow up, or grow up. Its tutelage is only justified intellectually, by academic disciplines of Psychology, sociology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, even military, conclude that growing is impossible for most of us.
All of these made by government under-writings. All paid for by corporations or government.
Philosophical momentum of mangerialism in west, was only bought by theology of Christian, which expressly forbids the faithful to duck personal responsibility, and establishes the road to salvation as a lonely personal road. You can get some assistance from congregation, but when face to face with God, there are no excuses, you are fully responsible. Thus western religious thinking was a prime target of schooling, so it had to be systematically destroyed.
Higher Academic voices in US, set up a litany that communicated, that however elliptical, we would always need supervision, guidance and authority.

Vice President Gore's Wife, held Press Conference. Said 55% of US people are mentally disturbed and in need of therapy. One of a host of commentators that urged we need to be kept under closer and closer surveillance for our own good.

General irresponsibility – see how useful it is when Classrooms are workshops of rudeness, rowdiness and danger. Far from avoiding this, its ideal to make them untrusting of each other, and instruct parents to not get in the way of official administration, “cause look how dangerous they are[children]”.

At the end of 20th century, approximately 100,000 US school children were being bar coded, in an experiment to track their passages, and see to it that each child is always were someone believes they should belong. Every thing in its place, a place for everything.

Transformation not by popular demand, or prominent socialists like John Doey, who are usually blamed. made by industrial titans like, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Vincent Aster, Commodore Vanderbilt, John Lee Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and a few others.
SOURCE - Two American Congressional Investigations, of whats behind schooling. One made in 1915 “Walsh Committee Report”, 1953 by Senator from Tennessee. Both came to same conclusion, that schooling was under direction of private corporate foundations of this handful of managers, measured, and long after their death, that oversight continues.
Carnegie Endowments, Ford and Rockefeller Endowments, mentioned in Schools, how “generous” of them.

TRACK EIGHT

unlimited energy in Coal and Oil, with Mass Production Industry, suggested that Industrial Utopia was actually in reach. But only if society could be made susceptible to a degree of management beyond any historical precedent. Personal liberty and conventional morality would have to be surrendered if this promise was to be realised (industrial utopia).
Visionary Industrialists; Struggling to socialise the majority into dependence on central management. Crude examples, raising your hand to go to the toilet.
The authority of the political state had to replace the authority of family, tradition and religion. A huge task with no where else to start but with the Children.
Drawing on method of Prussia, the quick arrival of young Americans of responsible maturity had to be ended. Financial capital demanded this. Why make huge investments in machinery that was certain to obsolete itself soon, unless the markets could be guaranteed. Unless this could be done, capital would not be forthcoming, and we would have a different economy than what we have.
Assuring markets is an old game, Britain has been doing it for many years. Competition can be muted in a lot of ways, through Trust Formations, Government regulations, Government Subsidies that stack the market deck and in many ways unknown to the butcher the baker the candle stick maker. But not so easy in convincing our uniquely productive population to give up its traditional yearning for independent livelihood. The majority had to be retrained into thinking of themselves as employees and consumers, rather than producers. A Job is what someone gives you.
Otherwise the perils of over production would frighten away the investment that centralised industrial growth depends upon. So mass schooling of compulsory nature was given its teeth in 1905 and 1915. A little bit earlier than that in Canada, it was testing ground for this ideas, Bruce Coopers “Making of Educational State” - the early Canadian experience of this, and how Army was brought in to shove it down communities throats.

Not about fashioning good people or good citizens, but like in Prussia, incoccasions of habbits, fears, apetities and attitudes useful to management. That's all you need to know about standardised testing, and whats it about. Measures nothing else, but those things.

This scheme was never intended to be destructive, but the reverse. By converting Americans into specialised economic and social functions, into incompletely human beings. This nation US and Canada, created the most reliable domestic market in the world. The human mutilations of schooling are a trade off for this prosperity. Comfort and security are achieved at the price of personal sovereignty. That's what extended childhood is a parody. Give it up and a society would enter a great turbulence, a resolution which no body can predict.

Well schooled people are trained to reflexively obey strangers commands and to attenualy seek the judgment of strangers, that's how As are distributed. Later on after the school game is over, advertising and advocacy journalism (paid for by advertisers), slips easily into role of School Teachers. Well schooled people have lower threshold of boredom, they need constant novelty to feel alive, with only the flimsiest inner lives, they must stay in touch with official voices, through TV, Radio, Music, Films, Internet, Mass Media, shallow Friendships exchanged on a regular basis.

Track Nine

How to avoid marrying a Turkey. Find out their friends, if all their friends are new, and they are 25 Years old, wonder how they past through teens and early adulthood, without carrying any with them. Changes classes at sort intervals, is a drill to prepare kids to changing associates, domiciles, mates and possessions, in dizzying and eternal perfusion. A climate of low level dissatisfaction is the very air that a mass production economy MUST Breed.

Your meant to be BORED instantly with what you buy or eventually. Your terrified that that PC you set up at home, you got to hurry and work more to buy upgrades and keep up to speed.

Well Schooled people must be poorly trained in history, philosophy, economics, literature, poetry, music, art and theology, anything known in History to develop a personal inner life. Well School people need life long tutelage, cradle to grave schooling, to make any sense of their days. Mass entertainment and mass journalism provide that tutelage long after school is done.

Over a century ago, great industrials with the help of academics and politicians, set out to rewrite laws of supply and demand. They knew that if centralised producers learned to create demand, for whatever could be produced most efficiently. The moral world could be turned upside down and those dogs at the top could bark there for ever. The problem of succession that doomed Rome and every other empire today, would finally have found its solution.

Thus school rooms became laboratories of experimentation on young minds, research centres of scientific management. To be acquitted of this, WE NEED TO WAKE UP to what our Schools have become and are becoming. First need to repudiate that fatal belief of giving government or free enterprises more freedom and control, things would eventually evolve and sort themselves out.

NADER was RIGHT, both Political parties work to exactly same ends, no change in leap frogging parties. Neither republic or democratic, its an industrial Empire. Recognise the paradox of Extended Childhood, blessing Management and economy at expense of your children. Schooling is a forgery, see it as that.

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/

Attribute of Knowledge (of an All Knowing)

[please read Attribute of Power aswell as this, as they are connected]

There are three types of Knowledge.
Lets use the example of me describing to you honey and lets imagine you have never ever seen honey, you dont know anything at all about it.

I am telling you about honey. Now from my descriptions, you get an abstract idea, abstract concepts and models of honey in your mind. This is the first level of knowledge.

The second level, is if I were to bring out some honey and let you see. This is witnessing. You witness the colour, now you have a real image of the colour and look of honey in your mind, replacing that abstract idea of the look of honey. You may be able to smell and hear the sound honey makes when it is dropped, etc.

The third level, is experiencing. This is if you were to hold the honey in your hands, play with it, taste and eat it. Make other uses of it. Now you would have a more complete knowledge of honey, than someone who just witnessed it.

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You may apply this to any experience you have personally had. For someone to be told about having their arm cut. For someone else to witnessing the cutting of someones arm. Finally for a third person having their actual arm cut. These will create three separate levels of knowledge.

Now for something to be All-Knowing, as in the concept of a God. We have to see things like this. Now, most people see the idea of a God as a God witnessing things and just knowing things in way of maybe the first two levels of knowledge. However, not many people consider the third level of knowledge. Now this changes things, when you consider this.

Some religions, have the idea that God is in everything, so is always experiencing everything. However, it is clear that according to the Big Bang Theory, the Creator can not be exising in Time nor Space. A further understanding would be to say, that an All Knowing being, doesnt neccessary have to be in anything, doesnt have to actually experience anything. The only requirement is to have all three levels of knowledge of All things at All Times. Knowing what honey tastes like, without tasting it. For existing outside the Realms of time, there is not Learning.

An All Knowing Being, knowing All things at All times, means having knowledge that neither gains or decreases, instead being the only real source of knowledge, and all over things gaining and losing such reflections of this knowledge.

Now.. this leads to knowing that a Creator, of All Knowing capacity, knows what a sense of humour means to us, and what fear, pain, anger, mercy, compassion, love, lust and other feelings and emotions mean to us. An All Knowing, would have to know this all, before we knew it, cause we need to learn, existing in time and space, however a God would rather have known it all, outside the confines of Space and Time.