For the Peace of Your Heart
May the Peace of Allah be upon you
dear viewers
In the past two episodes of the
'Women In Depth' series
we discussed the topic of
Islam and 'beating' women
and the concept of Qiwamah
(authority, responsibility & protection)
We conducted a survey
for each of these episodes
to see their effect on
the viewers' convictions
and feelings towards Islam
Today, we will review
the results of these surveys
We will provide you with a methodology
to deal with any question about Islam
or any aversion you might feel towards it
Finally, we will discuss how
an atheist history professor
strengthened the faith
of my friend's son, Yusuf
Let's start by reviewing the results
The episode:
Islam & "Beating" Women
Of those who filled out the survey
7,200 followers had
watched the entire episode
and answered the question about the effect
of the episode on their feelings towards
the phrase 'strike them' in the Quran,
"...those [wives] from whom you
fear arrogance,
[first] advise them; [and if they
persist] forsake them in bed;
and [finally], strike them.
But if they obey you,
seek no means against them.
Indeed Allah is ever Exalted and Grand."
(Quran Translated Meaning 4:34)
The results were as follows:
Of those who felt discomfort
before watching the episode
around 92% said the discomfort was gone
or diminished after the episode;
with 4 out of 5 saying the discomfort
was completely gone
The results for the episode "I Am Free"
related to Qiwamah:
From the survey respondents who said
they had watched the entire episode
around 8,600 participants answered
the questions regarding effect,
"Did you feel any embarrassment
or discomfort towards
the verses on Qiwamah?"
and "How did this episode affect you?"
81% either no longer felt discomfort
or had diminished levels of discomfort
For more than two-thirds, the discomfort
or misunderstanding was completely gone!
These two episodes were
more like a 'case study'
to give you greater peace of mind:
That Allah is a Lord worthy of worship
We discussed these Divine legislations
to present a 'proof of concept'
that the discomfort
we may feel towards a verse
or Divine ruling is the result of a flaw
in one of the three elements
of the equation:
1. Perception of
the Shari'a (Divine Law)
2. Perception of the new Jahiliya
(Age of Ignorance)
3. The scale by which they are
both measured
Shari'a was distorted
Jahiliya was embellished
and the scale was broken!
The result:
The rejection of Allah's commands
and the embellishment of Jahiliya!
When we showed you the reality of Jahiliya
and the beauty of Shari'a;
when we calibrated the scale in accordance
with the standards
of righteousness and justice
and put the verses in the right context
the discomfort was reduced considerably
or gone entirely!
Here, we are discussing
theoretical concepts;
not practical application
One of the most unjust
accusations against Islam
is that it does not exist
as a practice; as a reality
Imagine what it can be like
if people live Islam as a reality!
If half-hour episodes are able
to change negative
convictions and feelings
formed over decades of systematic
distortion and wrong practices;
just imagine what it would be like
if Muslims lived Islam in reality!
By the way, for the two episodes
the percentage of those
who no longer felt discomfort
was much higher for those
who watched the entire episode
as compared to those
who watched only part of it
Much higher!
This indicates the need for patience
when watching such methodical episodes
and the importance of watching
them in their entirety
We must point out that the sample of
respondents who filled out the survey
may not be representative of society
We will not go into details about
causation and correlation here
so that this episode doesn't turn
into a dry academic lecture
However, the results undoubtedly
give certain indications
If all of this seems purely theoretical
just imagine that we can become
the practical example;
the real-life models
who change stereotypes about Islam
with our righteous conduct!
By the way, when we post some comments
about the positive impact of the episodes
some might ask,
"Why are you being selective;
publishing positive comments
and ignoring the negative?"
We do not ignore anything, dear viewers
We publish all the results in numbers
For those who still feel discomfort
we continue to hope
that they will be guided
and we ask Allah to unite us in the love
of His book and His Shari'a
Based on this discussion
dear viewers
what methodology should
a Muslim woman follow
to address any question,
aversion or discomfort
she may find towards a verse in the
Quran or something ascribed to Islam?
First of all, dear Muslim sister
remember that your faith in Allah
must be built on a solid foundation:
The compelling unambiguous
factual evidence in Islam
which address life's major
existential questions
Who am I?
Where did I come from?
Where am I going to?
What is the purpose of my existence?
Who created me?
What does Allah want from me?
This is faith!
We address the problems in our faith
in the series, "The Journey of Certainty"
When this solemn
evidence-based faith is formed;
questions about secondary matters
won't affect you
as ignorance about secondary issues
does not demolish the bedrock foundation
Hence, if a Quranic verse,
a Hadith (prophetic saying)
or an Islamic ruling
destroys your faith
then your faith was not built
on a solid foundation
You may have questions about hijab
(Women's Islamic attire),
polygamy and other issues
Yes, you should look for answers
in a methodical way
as per our discussion on
beating women and Qiwamah:
re-calibrating the scale, reviving
abandoned Islamic tradition
and realizing
the ugliness of Ignorance
However, your quest for answers
shouldn't be a condition for belief
in Allah as Lord and Islam as religion
because your faith is based on a
foundation as solid as mountains
It is rather to increase your faith
“Do you not believe? He said: 'Yes,
but to reassure my heart.'”
(Quran Translated Meaning 2:260)
i.e. to increase your conviction
and pride in Islam
In the Islamic framework,
when you believed in Allah
you believed in a Lord
Who is, "the light of the heavens
and the earth." (QTM 24:35)
“has the reins of the heavens
and earth.” (QTM 42:12)
"The seven heavens and the earth
and all therein, glorify Him,
and there is not a thing
but glorifies His praise." (QTM 17:44)
"decrees with Truth."
(QTM 40:20)
His Word "has been fulfilled
in truth and in justice." (QTM 6:115)
“He cannot be questioned
as to what He does” (QTM 21:23)
"His is the creation and
the command." (QTM 7:54)
“the Subjugator
over His servants
and He is the Wise
the Acquainted.” (QTM 6:18)
His "Mercy encompasses all things."
(QTM 7:156)
"encompasses all things in knowledge."
(QTM 65:12)
Belief in Allah as Lord is based on solid
roots; on evidence of His wisdom,
His justice and His mercy
Glory be to Him
Hence, if you don't realize
the wisdom in a legislation
you refer it to the fundamentals
The woman who renounces Islam
because she cannot see the wisdom
in a certain verse
or does not like a ruling;
this woman never understood
Islam in the first place
She never experienced true faith either
even if she has memorized chapters
of the Quran and prays regularly;
as we hear more and more lately
The problem is that the
fundamentals of Islam
and the evidence for Allah's
Wisdom and Justice
are not known to many people
Accordingly, their faith is shaken
for the slightest reason
If you find, in yourself
discomfort towards a verse
remember the perils of such feelings
Remember the words of the Prophet
Peace be upon him,
"None of you should die but
hoping only good.
from Allah." (Muslim)
Thus, the greatest feeling is
to meet Allah with good expectations
of Him, His words and His Shari'a
When Allah wants to show
the worst trait of disbelievers He says,
"That is because they disliked
what Allah revealed,
so He rendered worthless their deeds."
(QTM 47:9)
On the other hand, Allah mentions
His great favor upon the believers,
"But Allah has endeared to you the faith
and has made it pleasing in your hearts,
and has made hateful to you
disbelief, defiance and disobedience,
those are the [rightly] guided.
[It is] as bounty from Allah and favor.
And Allah is Knowing and Wise."
(QTM 49:7-8)
If you feel any aversion to a
Quranic verse or valid Hadith
do not get carried away by this aversion
Instead, through your newly-acquired
critical thinking and
scientific methodology;
with proven effect
over the past two episodes
you'll judge yourself,
examine your feelings,
change your outlook and tell yourself,
"It is a mighty Book.
Falsehood cannot
approach it from before it
or from behind it,
a revelation from a [Lord who is]
Wise and Praiseworthy." (QTM 41:41-42)
We admit the need to do
a complete re-formatting
of our minds and feelings
to remove past stereotypes
introduced by the media and
ignorance-promoting educational systems
and to study our religion with objectivity
Thus, we can use our logical convictions
about Allah's Wisdom, Justice and Mercy
to generate heartfelt serenity and
comfort in His Words, glory be to Him
We adjust our compass
towards the goal of pleasing Allah
with the motto,
“I hastened to You, my Lord,
that You be pleased.” (QTM 20:84)
“We hear and we obey.
[We seek] Your forgiveness,
our Lord, and to You is the
[final] destination.” (QTM 2:285)
After watching the previous episodes
you realize that your
aversion to a verse
is not because it goes against logic
but because it goes against
the stereotypes in your mind
or because
you misunderstand the verse
Therefore, when you feel repulsion
towards any of Allah's commands
you blame those who caused this repulsion
"but those who follow their passions
want you to digress into
a great deviation." (QTM 4:27)
You blame yourself and say,
"I have blinded my heart with sins
and it can no longer see the truth."
You run back to Allah,
"So flee to Allah." (QTM 51:50)
Flee to Allah!
"And Allah invites to the Home of Peace
and guides whom He wills
to a straight path." (QTM 10:25)
You yield to the guidance of
your mind and innate nature
reminding yourself,
"But perhaps you hate a thing
and it is good for you;
and perhaps you love a thing
and it is bad for you.
And Allah Knows, while you know not."
(QTM 2:216)
You have faith in the verse,
"And the word of your Lord
has been fulfilled
in truth and in justice."
(QTM 6:115)
Truth in revelation
and justice in rulings!
You believe in the words of our Prophet
Peace & Blessings upon him,
"Allah has appointed
for everyone who
has a right, what is
due to him." (At-Tirmidhi)
You proudly say,
"Hajar is my example."
Hajar who said to Ibrahim (Abraham)
Peace be upon him
—when he wanted to leave her and their
son in an uninhabited barren valley—
"Has Allah commanded you to do so?"
He said, "Yes." She said,
"Then He will not neglect us."
You say, with full confidence,
"Umaymah is my example."
Who is Umaymah?
Umaymah Bint Ruqaiqah
is a companion
who, along with other women
pledged allegiance to the Prophet
Peace & Blessings be upon him
He told them,
"In as much as you are able and capable."
Umaymah said,
"Allah and His Messenger
are more merciful to us than
we are to ourselves." (At-Tirmidhi)
i.e. If Allah or His Messenger
decree something
we are certain that it has
more mercy and consideration
for our interests than we will
ever have for ourselves
This is faith and absolute confidence
in Allah's Mercy in His legislation
We have shown you
in this series, dear sister
—whom Allah has honored
with humanity, then with Islam—
we have shown you that
when someone wrongs you
the solution is in Allah's Shari'a
Allah is your refuge
not your opponent!
So, do not direct your fury
towards Allah, Glory be to Him
There is no need for misapprehension
On the contrary, you should have
absolute trust and certainty in Allah
Allah is your refuge
not your opponent!
This series is not intended
to convince you
to submit to everything
that is attributed to religion
Allah has honored us
with the preservation of Revelation
—through mass transmission—
and the Prophetic Sunnah
—through Hadith authentication—
The criterion is the authenticity
and validity of the evidence
If a text that is proven
to be valid and authentic
contradicts what you consider
right and fair
think again and tell yourself,
"Maybe the fault is mine."
Nonetheless, be aware!
You are not required to
blame yourself in every matter
because what you hear
may not be from Islam
In the previous episode, we mentioned
that the ultimate governing standards
in Islam are truth and justice;
not freedom and equality
Equality is sometimes unjust
So, it is not a reliable standard
Still, what if something
attributed to Islam
appears to contradict truth and justice?
What if something —apparently
false and unjust— is ascribed to Islam?
Do not reject it on the assumption that
it contradicts truth and violates justice
Your interpretation of truth
and justice may be incorrect
But do not admit it into your epistemic
system without prior verification
to prevent any subtle aversion
from building towards Shari'a
and creeping into your heart;
without your realizing it
You may have heard this story
—which exists in some references—
from some of our well-known scholars:
That Al-Zubayr Ibnul-Awwam
may Allah be pleased with him,
was once angry with his two wives
He tied them up by their hair
and beat them severely
One of his two wives
is Asma Bint-Abu-Bakr
She went complaining to her father
who said to her,
"O daughter! Be patient.
For Al-Zubayr is a good man,
and may he be your husband
in Heaven as well.
I heard that if a man marries a virgin,
he will continue to be
her husband in heaven."
You might take exception to the fact that
Abu-Bakr kept silent about this injustice
You may wonder if this incident happened
during the time of the Prophet
Peace & Blessings upon him
The story, in your mind
gets a prophetic seal of approval
and you think that such bad behavior
towards the wife
is condoned in our religion
No indeed! You should request
—from anyone who spreads such stories—
"Provide your proof, if you should
be truthful.” (QTM 2:111)
Is this story about Al-Zubayr true?
Did the incident pass by
without any objection
from the Prophet and his companions?
This story about Al-Zubayr
has an invalid chain of narration
It is not authentic according to
the science of Hadith
Therefore, your aversion towards it
is not an aversion to religion
Rather, it is a righteous aversion
towards a false narration!
Even if the story were true
it doesn't mean that the Prophet
approved it or that it is
an Islamic ruling
Nonetheless, let us reaffirm
that it is not a true story
You should use critical thinking
not only with the enemies of Shari'a
but also with those
who speak on its behalf:
Its supporters who may
unintentionally, misrepresent it
We are calling you to submit
to Allah and His Shari'a;
not to everything that is attributed
to Islam without verification
You might say,
"Brother, this is a difficult journey:
Re-formatting stereotypes,
seeking knowledge,
separating true Shari'a from falsehood,
critical thinking and self-accusation!
It is a difficult journey."
Yes, very difficult
if you rely solely upon
your intelligence and abilities
The poem says, "Should Allah leave
a person with no assistance.
His destruction shall be
his own persistence."
Reflect on these meanings as you read,
"Guide us to the straight path."
(QTM 1:6)
Do you want Allah's help
along this journey?
"O you who have believed,
if you fear Allah,
He will grant you a criterion."
(QTM 8:29)
He will grant you a criterion
to know right from wrong
When you neglect your prayers,
hijab and relationships;
watching or listening
to what displeases Allah
then you brush all that aside saying,
"Good deeds erase the bad,"
remember the great pleasure
you are denying yourself:
The pleasure of loving the Words
of Your Creator and Provider
—to Whom you will return—
and the enlightenment in your heart
as you fight your desires to obey Him,
"And those who strive for Us–We
will surely guide them to Our ways.
And indeed, Allah is with
the doers of good." (QTM 29:69)
You are weak and you may sin
Confess to Allah;
asking Him to encompass you
with His Mercy, Glory be to Him
"And [there are] others
who have acknowledged their sins.
They had mixed a righteous deed
with another that was bad,
perhaps Allah will turn to them
in forgiveness,
indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
(QTM 9:102)
Please do not refuse to acknowledge
your sin or try to justify it
Do not legitimize it
This is the root of injustice!
“Allah does not guide the
wrongdoing people.” (QTM 3:86)
Ask Allah to help you obey Him
so that He does not deprive you of
the pleasure of loving His words
and Shari'a;
as a result of your sins
If, after all that, dear sister
you still feel an aversion
towards a ruling or verse
then pray hard, cry,
beseech Allah and say,
"O Allah, I am yours.
Do not forsake me."
Say, "O Ever-Living One! O Eternal One!
by Your mercy, I call upon You
to set right all my affairs.
Do not place me in charge of my soul
even for the blinking of an eye."
And remember what Allah says
in the Divine Hadith,
"O My servants, you all are astray
except those I have guided,
so seek My guidance and
I shall guide you." (Muslim)
If you do all of this,
then you will be fine!
Beware of religious obsessions
which open the door for the whisperings
of Satan: That you do not love Allah
and that Allah does not love you
because you are uncomfortable
with one of His rulings
On the contrary, as long as you are
striving to fight this aversion
and you are sincerely trying to submit
to Allah's Shari'a, then you are fine
The important thing is to not
get carried away by this aversion
or treat it as a confirmed belief
which you broadcast and defend
In a Hadith narrated by Muslim,
"Some companions of the Prophet
Peace & Blessings
be upon him
came to him and said,
'We perceive in our minds
that which every one of us
considers it too grave to express.'
The Prophet said,
'Do you really perceive it?'
They said, 'Yes.'
Upon this he said,
'It is the essence of faith.'"
Essence of faith!
As long as you glorify Allah
and you acknowledge that the aversion
you feel is not a good thing
then it is an indication of true faith!
Do not let the Devil delude you
In this episode, we have presented
dear sister, some ways
to achieve solemn faith:
The faith that allows a servant of Allah
to truly appreciate the stature of
worshiping the Lord of the Worlds
In this time of materialistic values
and the deification of Man
the faith of many people has diminished
including those who
call themselves Muslims!
The meaning of sincerity
in worship has weakened
Even the essence of faith
has faded in their hearts!
My dear friend has a son named Yusuf
Yusuf was born and raised in America
He began to have some doubts
which shook his faith in Islam
Yusuf talked to his atheist
professor at the university:
A History professor
The professor said to Yusuf,
"What are your questions?"
Yusuf asked his questions
mainly revolving around evolution
—which we discuss in "The Journey
of Certainty" series by the way—
The atheist professor told him, "Okay.
What are you going to do
about these questions?"
Yusuf said, "Frankly, if I can't find
answers, I may not remain a Muslim."
The atheist professor told him,
"No, no. That is so stupid!"
The professor continued,
"You have answers to so many
questions in your religion,
and strong evidence for its validity.
Why would you leave this religion
because of a few questions?!
What if, on the Day of Judgment,
your God told you,
'I gave you all these answers,
then you left Islam because of
an open question or two?
You couldn't understand
the underlying wisdom,
or that these questions
were a test for you?
You have all these convincing
and comforting answers in Islam.
Yet you leave it
for an unanswered question!'"
Then the atheist teacher said,
"Stick to your religion,
and look for answers.
If you cannot find answers,
then know that
religion involves submission and
that the Lord is testing you."
Yusuf said, "I wish you were a Muslim;
you would have been an excellent Imam."
Even though this atheist teacher
does not believe in Allah
he is more aware of
the philosophy of faith
than some who call themselves Muslims!
He realizes the meaning of solemn faith!
If you believe in an integrated
comprehensive religious system
which answers the great
existential questions:
The origin of man, the purpose
of his existence and his destiny,
it is frivolous and irresponsible
to abandon this religion
over a secondary matter
which you misunderstand or dislike!
Perhaps this atheist teacher
—if he is true to himself—
will realize that his atheism contradicts
itself, lacks a coherent structure
and does not provide convincing answers
to life's big existential questions;
as per the innate nature discussion in the
series "The Journey of Certainty"
We ask Allah to guide this professor
Of course, dear viewers
the issue is not the number of questions
that Islam answers;
as one might assume from
the conversation with this professor
Rather, it is in the evidence
that Islam provides,
the consistency in its details
and provisions
and its compatibility with sound logic
and unspoiled innate nature
Islam, unlike other religions
does not require submission to anything
irrational or alien to our innate nature
In conclusion, dear viewers
most of the people
who answered both surveys
did not have any aversion
to start with;
whether on the topic of Islam
and beating women
or on the topic of Qiwamah
Before we put out the survey
for the episode "I Am Free"
a dear brother told us,
"I had no issue on the subject
before watching 'Islam & Beating Women',
but after I watched your episode,
my faith in the wisdom of Allah increased!
My argument became stronger!
I suggest that you add
this option to the survey:
'I did not have an issue,
yet I benefited from the episode.'"
We did add it
The results for the episode
"I Am Free" on Qiwamah showed that
around 99% of those who did not have
an issue benefited from the episode!
We ask those who benefited
and those whose aversion disappeared
by Allah's Grace
to spread the word!
"And do good as Allah has
done good to you." (QTM 28:77)
Spread the word to benefit others
and do not let it end with you!
When you share an episode
comment on the concept you found
beneficial and how it affected you
Share the benefit!
“O you who have believed,
be supporters of Allah.” (QTM 61:14)
Help people to cleanse
their hearts and feel content
on "The Day when there will not
benefit [anyone] wealth or children.
But only one who comes to Allah
with a sound heart." (QTM 26:88-89)
Although this episode, dear viewers
seems like a finale (for this series)
it will be followed by another
vital episode entitled,
"Women & the Pursuit of
Self-fulfillment," if Allah wills
To summarize today's episode:
If you are serious about your religion
then let your faith be solemn
If you feel an aversion
towards any of Allah's laws
remember your status as a servant of Allah
and remember His Greatness,
seek knowledge and
adjust your benchmark,
reveal the ugliness beneath
Ignorance's shiny exterior
and clear up the distortions
surrounding Shari'a
Pray to Allah Who says
in the Divine Hadith,
"O My servants, all of you are astray
except those whom I have guided,
so seek guidance from Me and
I shall guide you." (Muslim 2577)
Obey Allah and follow His commands
so that He can grant you a criterion
Do good deeds so that
—through Allah's mercy—
faith becomes dear to your heart
“The Mercy of Allah
is (always) near to those
who do good.” (QTM 7:56)
Peace of Allah be upon you!