083 Learning From the Stories of Prophets

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1 83 Learning from the Stories of Prophets

CULTURE OF ISLAM

83 Learning from

the Stories of Prophets

Imtiaz Muhsin

22-Jun-12

The main objective of these talks (and therefore the scripts of these talks), is to stimulate thinking.

Sensible, rational and logical thinking. So, my message, think, think & think!

Be sensible, be rational and be logical.


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Please Note

1. I have had the great privilege, (since Aug 2010), of presenting talks on the weekly Radio ProgramCulture of Islam [Every Friday 8 to 8.30 pm, Radio Sri Lanka - FM 97.4]

2. Since these are Radio Talks, I refer to, or address the audience as listeners3. I am well aware that the audience to these talks would consist of people belonging to a variety offaiths. So as to make people of all faiths feel included, I very often use words and names that are

common to all religions.

4. For these reasons, I use the name GOD, as well as Abraham, Moses, Jesus etc as well as thenames Allah, Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam), Moosa (Alaihis Salaam), Easa (Alaihis Salaam) etc

5. Muslims by habit usually say Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam, when the name of Prophet Muhammadis mentioned, and Alaihis Salaam' when the name of a Prophet is mentioned. However, in these

series of talks I have reduced the use of these prayers & sayings to the bare minimum.

6. Muslims, also by habit, use a number of Arabic prayers or sayings, such as Alhamdulillah, InshaAllah and so on. Again, I have reduced the use of these prayers or sayings to the bare minimum.

7. Sometimes I have to write Arabic words in the English script.I have devised my own way of writing Arabic in English, as follows;th s DHL H Gh

TH Ss DHZ h GH

SW

Information on these talks along with all download links can be found on my on my Blog(http://imtiazm.wordpress.com/)

The dates or the schedules of these talks can be viewed on the Facebook Page(http://www.facebook.com/ImtiazMuhsin786)

The Scripts of these talks can be downloaded from www.ScribD.com(www.ScribD.com Author Imtiaz Muhsin)

The audio files of these talks can be downloaded from YouTube(YouTube Channel Imtiaz Muhsin)

The YouTube Link to this talk is atAll Praise and Thanks

is due to Allah and Allah aloneAlhamdulillah!

P.S. The Picture on the Cover shows a Mosque which is located in a remote village in the Puttlam

District, in Sri Lanka


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83 Learning from the Stories of Prophets

Dear Friends,

Assalamu Alaikum,

Last week I discussed three questions.

One of them was;

Why is it that our description of what a good Muslim should be, would meet with everyones

approval, whilst the Prophet and his close companions, who were the best of all Muslims, faced

abuse, aggression and had to migrate?

Anyone would give an answer, but these are reflex answers, on contemplation these answers do

not seem convincing. The more we think about these answers the less convincing they appear.

I had to do some research to find out more.

One exercise I attempted was to find out more about the stories of the Prophets. There are anumber of Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran, and Allah has also given us quite a few

Aayaths describing events in their lives. These Aayaths are obviously teeming with lessons.

In the Holy Quran we find certain Surahs describing the stories of Prophets. Surah No 12 or

Surah Yusuf is a good exampleit gives the story of Prophet Yusuf (AS)

We also have Surahs named after other Prophets as well.

We have Surah Nuh, Surah Yunus, Surah Ibrahim we also have a Surah called Surah Muhammad

Now, I got a little curious and I began to categorize all Aayaths that dealt with the stories of the

ProphetsI am sure I would have missed some too, but I took the obvious ones.

I divided these Aayaths in to 4 categories.

1. What Allah told the Prophets2. What the Prophets told Allah3. What the Prophets told their people4. What the people told the Prophets.

I found this to be a very enjoyable, a mind stimulating exercise.

Today I want to discuss some points from the category What the people told the Prophets as all

you listeners would realizethere are many lessons to be learnt.

In this category I was able to select 218 Aayaths. Again, I must mention that there has to be more

Aayaths, but I took only those Aayaths that were obviously describing what people were telling

the Prophets.

Now what took me by surprise was, that there were a number of Aayaths where Allah praises the

Prophets, for example S 11 A 75

(11:75) Surely, Ibrhm is forbearing,

very penitent, ever-turning to Allah.


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But where people are concerned, out of the 218 Aayaths, I could find only 4 Aayaths where

people or a person praises a Prophet or a Messenger (Rasool).

I am sure there are more, but it was only these 4 that caught my untrained eye.

We have 2 instances in Surah Yusuf where Yusuf (AS ) is praised by the ladies.

Instance No 1

(12:31 - part) So when they saw him,

they found him great, and (were so

stunned that they) cut their hands and

said, Oh God! He is no human being.

He is but a noble angel. However, when we read this we get the feeling that this statement was made with ulterior

intentionsAllah knows best.

Instance No 2.

(12:51) He (the king) said, What was

your case, O women, when you seduced

Ysuf? They said, Allah forbid, we

know of no evil in him.The governors

wife said, Now the truth has come to

light. I did seduce him, and he is surely

truthful.

Instance 3 is with regard to Moosa (AS), and this was 8 years or maybe 10 years before he was

informed of his mission.

(28:26) One of the two women said, Dear

father, hire him; the best man you can hire

is someone who is strong, trustworthy.

The fourth instance is in Surah Yaseen, here it is about a person defending a group of Messengers

(Rasools).

I think it is best described by reading the Aayaths to you.


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The section is covered from Surah Nos 20 to 25, I will just read to you the 1st two Aayaths

(36:20) And there came a man rushing

from the farthest part of the city.

He said, O my people, follow the

messengers. (36:21) Follow those who do not claimany reward from you,

and who are on the right path. And in Aayath No 26 and 27, what does Allah tell us

(36:26) it was said to him, Enter the Paradise.

He said, Would that my people knew (36:27) how my Lord has forgiven me

and placed me among the honoured ones! So we have 218 Aayaths, describing the scoldings the Prophets heard, and just 4 instacnes where

people praise the Prophets.

Isnt it obvious that there are many lessons for us to learn?

So the foundation question What were the people scolding the Prophets for, and why???

These Aayaths would make more sense if I first described to all of you a great contrast.

What is the contrast? What we face now. Let me explain.

I have been attending 52 Jummah sermons every year for the last so many years.

During the month of Ramazan I listen to Bayans after the late evening Taravih prayers.

I have also listened to a number of Talks delivered by reputed Islamic Scholars.

I now shall read to you some of the points that are discussed or extolled to the Congregatrion.


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1. Believe in Allah2. Pray 5 times a day3. Fast in the month of Ramazan4. Pay Zakaath5. Give Sadaqa (charity)6. Give Hadhiya (gifts)7. Go for Haj8. Go for Umrah9. Help in building or renovating Mosques, Madrassahs10.Read the Quran11.Educate your children12.Practice modesty especially, especially with ladies13.Help in social causes14.Integrate with the majority community, whilst maintaining our identity15.Perform Sunnath and Nafl Salath16.Perform Sunnath and Nafl Fass17.Help the poor the orphans the needy18.Learn the Shariath injunctions on inheritance19.

Respect elders20.Help your neighbor

21.Visit the sick22.Attend Janazas23.Avoid Haraam24.Look after your employees25.Be loyal to your employers26.Avoid Riba or interestand so on, of course there are many more, but this list should suffice.

Now if I were to show this list to anyone, say to those who lead our country, say to leading

members of the Cabinet, lets say to leading film stars and sports personalities, to leadingacademicians and professionals, they would all say Verygood, this is how a Muslim should be

I am sure if I were to show this list to say Mahatma Ghandhi or even to Albert Einstein they

would both say Very good, this is how a Muslim should be

Then I ask the question, if this is such a nice set of logically good set of deeds, then why the

Prophets scolded, abused, persecuted even threatened with stoning to death?

Why?

Surely something has to be missing in our deeds?


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Let us now see what people told their Prophets, as explained to us in the Holy Quran.

1 He is Mad (Majnoon)

1a

S al Hijr (15:6) They say, O you to whom

the Dhikr (the Qurn) has been revealed,

you are surely insane.

1b

S al Muminoon [023:025] (And some said):

"He is only a man possessed: wait (and have

patience) with him for a time."

1c

S Was Saaffaath (37:36) and used to say,

Are we really to leave our gods because of

an insane poet?

1d

S Ad Dhukhan(44:14) Then they turned

away from him, and said, (He is) tutored,

crazy. 1e

S At Tatfiff (83:29) Indeed those who were

guilty used to laugh at those who believed,

1fS At Tatfiff (83:30) and when they passed by

them, they used to wink at one another,

1g

S At Tatfiff (83:31) and when they went

back to their family, they went enjoying

their mockery,

This is Magic

2 This is Magic (Sihr)

2aS Was Saafaath (37:15) and say, This is

nothing but an open magic.

2b

S Az Zukhruf (43:30) But when the truth

came to them, they said, This is magic, and

we totally disbelieve in it.

2cS Saad (38:4) part - And the disbelievers say,

This is a magician, a sheer liar.


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They were (humiliated) mocked at;

3 Mocked at (humiliated) them

3a

S Al Anaam (6:10) part - Those who laughed

at them were, then, besieged by what they

used to ridicule (Sakhiru).

3b

S Al Furqaan (25:41) When they see you,

they take you only as a laughing stock,

(saying) Is this the man whom Allah has

sent as a messenger?

3c

S Al Hijr (15:11) No messenger came to

them but they used to mock at him(yasthaHzi-oon).

3d

S Ya Seen (36:30) part - No messenger came

to them, but they have been mocking at

him (yasthaHzi-oon).

3e

S Az Zukhruf (43:7) No messenger came to

them, but they used to mock at him

(yasthaHzi-oon). 3f

S Az Zukhruf (43:47) So, when he came to

them with Our signs, they at once started

laughing at them.

Tales of the Ancients;

4 Tales of the ancients

4aS Al Qalam (68:15) When Our verses arerecited to him, he says, (These are) the

tales of the ancient.

You are in clear error;

5 In Clear Error

5a

S Al Araaf(7:60) The chiefs of his people

said, Indeed we see you in an obvious

error.


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You are liars;

6 Liar

6a

S Al Araaf(7:66) Said the chiefs of his

people who disbelieved, Indeed, we see

you in folly, and we believe you are one of

the liars. 6b

S Ash Shurah (26:186) You are no more

than a human like us, and in fact we

consider you to be one of the liars. 6c

S al Muminoon (23:38) He is nothing but a

man who has forged a lie against Allah, and

we are not going to believe in him.

They pretend too much purity;

7 They pretend too much purity

7a

S Al Araaf(7:82) The answer of his people

was no other than to say, Expel them from

your town. They are a people who pretend

too much purity.

They are losers;

8 Losers

8a

S Al Araaf(7:90) The chiefs of his people

who disbelieved said, If you are to follow

Shuaib, then you will be utter losers.

8b

S Al Muminoon (23:34) If you obey a

human like yourselves, then you will be

absolute losers.

8c

S Hud (11:87) They said, O Shuaib, does

your Salh (prayer) command you that we

should forsake what our fathers used to

worship or that we should not deal with our

wealth as we please? You pretend to be the

only man of wisdom and guidance.


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We shall expel you;

9 We shall expel you

9a

S Al Araaf(7:88) The chiefs of his people,

who were arrogant, said, O Shuaib, we

will expel you and those who believe with

you from our town, or you shall have to

turn to our faith. He said, Even if we hate

it?

We would have stoned you;

10 We would have stoned you

10a

S Hud (11:91) They said, O Shuaib, we do

not understand much of what you say, and,

in fact, we see you are weak among us. But

for your clan, we would have stoned you.

And to us, you are not a man of respect.

Names of some of the Prophets who were threatened with death

and / or attempts were made to kill them;

Nuh (AS) Ibrahim (AS) Shuhaib (AS) Moosa (AS) Easa (AS) Muhammad (Sal)

You are Power Hungry

11 Power Hungry

11a

S Muminoon (23:24) So, said the

disbelieving chiefs from among his nation,This (man) is nothing but a human being

like you. He wishes to impose his

superiority over you. Had Allah willed, He

would have sent down angels (instead of

him). We have not heard of such a thing

among our forefathers.


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How people ridiculed them with questions

11 The Hereafter

11a

S Muminoon (23:35) Does he promise you

that, when you die and are turned into dust

and bones, you are to be brought forth?

11bS Muminoon (23:36) Far too improbable is

what you are being promised.

11c

S Muminoon (23:37) There is nothing but

our worldly life. We die and we live, and we

are not to be raised again.

So, dear listeners and dear readers, all these Aayaths are being pointed out to us so that we would

begin thinking, and thinking deeply.

We call ourselves Muslims.We say our Religion is Islam.

But then, by relating to these stories to these examples, we can ask ourselves the troubling

questions;

Are we true Muslims?

Are we folowong Islam the way it should eb followed?

It is a challengewe must find out we must discover.

It is an adventurewe must find out we must discover.

I hope that all you enjoyed listening to this talk as much as I enjoyed preparing for it and then

presenting it to you.

May Allah Taaalah guide us all and accept us all!

Jazza Kalla Khairan!

Assalamu Alaikum

Imtiaz Muhsin

Colombo Sri Lanka

[email protected]

You Tube Channel - HaneefanMusliman
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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083 Learning From the Stories of Prophets