The Oldest Mosque in the Philippines

Sheik Karim al Makdum Mosque found in Tubig Indangan, Simunul, Tawi-Tawi is the oldest mosque in the Philippines, declared a National Cultural Treasure and was visited by the late President Ferdinand Marcos himself in 1965 to install a historic marker on it’s wall.

The site of the Oldest Mosque in the Philippines- Masjid Sheik Makdum

Built by an Arab trader Sheik Makdum Karim himself on 1380. The original pillars of the old mosque can still be found inside the new building. According to the story, they tried to move or cut the foundation when they are renovating it but it can’t be moved or cut. The guide even pointed at the axe marks on the foundation. A photo on the wall outside displays the original Masjid (mosque) structure, square and is made of coconut-thatched roof, the four-foundations can be seen and there are lots of coconut trees behind it.

Notice the wood carving on one of the pillars.

The 4 Original Pillars of the Old Mosque

14th century Sheik Karimal Makdum Mosque

Present: Sheik Karim Al Makdum Mosque (2012)

I was able to visit the first and oldest mosque in the country when I was traveling in Tawi-Tawi. The site is sacred, historical and deserves a visit from all history-loving Filipinos. Imagine being there at the very site of where Islam started because a missionary from Arabia taught it while trading in the Philippines. I had goosebumps, can’t believe I am visiting the site I first saw on National Geographic.

Outside is an arch that proudly tells visitors of the famed heritage. I also saw some burial sites on the back of the mosque, you would notice the white cloth laid on the burial site.

I wonder how many Filipinos knew about this. I wonder if this is actually being taught in Hekasi or Elementary Philippine History. I love history before but I can’t remember this and I don’t took a lot of absences before. This brings me to the sad conclusion that our history is Manila-centric, and our Muslim heroes and Islam are mentioned only in passing.

Add to the belief of most Filipinos that Mindanao is scary, unsafe and full of terrorists. While I was in Tawi-Tawi I didn’t meet any accident, didn’t hear of any gunfire or bomb explosion. I ate breakfast with the locals in their local “kapehan” and walk downtown where everyone is smiling. You know what? I look like them but we have lots of differences- food we eat, clothes we wear, language we speak, religion we practice but we are under one nation- the Philippines, both lovers of peace and progress. I love this kind of diversity. How I pray that many would dare to visit this farthest province of the Philippines down south.

This brought me to study deeper about the history of Islam in the Philippines which brought me to some amazing facts I didn’t learn from school.

The Sultanate of Sulu. The Sultanate of Sulu founded in 1457, ruled much of Mindanao, Northern Borneo (we now call Sabah), the islands near it including Palawan. Do you know that until this time, Malaysia pays rent for Sabah to the Sultan of Sulu?

MINSUPALA. MinSuPala is an acronym for Mindanao, Sulu Peninsula and Palawan. So I’m guessing that during the pre-Hispanic Philippines we have Luzon, Visayas and MinSuPala regions.

Finger Dipped In Ocean

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “By Allah, this world in comparison to the hereafter is nothing but as though one of you dipped his finger in the sea. So ponder how much (of sea water), the finger returns with.” [Mishkaat]

The duration of the Day of Judgment is equal to 50,000 years. The sun will be brought overhead so that it is unbearably hot. People will be drenched in their sweat according to the amount of their sins. Some will be ankle deep in it, some will be in it up to their ears. In this condition, people will be standing for hundreds of earth years and not even a minute of that day will have gone by. Those who love Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in this world will be under the shade of Allah’s Throne on the Day of Judgment – the only shade available that Day.

That is why Luqman Hakeem advised his son: “Serve this world according to the time you are going to spend in it, and work for the akhirah according to the time you are going to spend in it.” After we have been standing in the same spot for thousands of years, our life on earth is going to look like nothing!

Make a ratio of your time on earth compared to your time on the single Day of Judgment. If you live for a hundred years, it is 100: 50,000. The time to spend each day in the pursuit of dunya comes out to be less than 3 minutes! The rest of the day should be spent preparing for the Day of Judgment. If you were to make a ratio between the time to be spent in dunya compared to the time in akhira, it would be 100 years: infinity. Any number compared to infinity becomes zero. Effectively, the significance of the duration on dunya becomes zero. 0 minutes, not even 3 minutes! How is it possible that we spend all our time preparing for the akirah?

Abdul-Malik LeBlanc writes in "The Bible Led Me To Islam": "During my Christian days.... I often wondered how a person was supposed to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)?....But when I was introduced to Islam in 1987, and began to read and learn more about this way of life, I found that Islam provided divine guidance from God and Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) by which a person could pray (be in a state of worship) without ceasing, if it was the will of God. Whether waking up, eating, sleeping, putting on clothes, being in the presence of a woman, looking at a woman, going shopping, going to the bathroom, looking in the mirror, traveling, visiting the sick, sitting in a non-religious meeting, taking a bath, yawning, cutting your nails, sneezing, greeting people, talking, hosting guests at home, walking, exercising, fighting, entering my house, praying and many other acts, Islam and the guidance therein of the Quran, and the acts and sayings of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) provided ways in which I could observe 1 Thessalonians 5:17."

In other words, our dunya can be spent working for the akhirah -- at the same time that we fulfill our duties on earth. This can be achieved by fulfilling our roles and responsibilities according to the guidance of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Ask yourself, "Am I spending all my time on earth working for the akhirah?" 

Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Decree) The last 10 days of Ramadan?

Laylatul-Qadr 'the Night of Decree'

 It is the greatest night of the year like the Day of `Arafah is the greatest day of the year. It is a night about which Allah reveled a full Surah, Suratul-Qadr [97:1-5] and the 3rd to the 6th verses of Surat ad-Dukhan [44:3-6]
It is the night when the Qur'an was reveled.

It is the night when the Message (the Final and seal of all messages) sent to Mohammad, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, started
It is the night when the light, that would illuminate mankind to the end of life, started.
It is the night when every matter of ordainment is decreed
Allah says in what can be translated as :

"Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the Night of Decree (Lailatul-Qadr). And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh (ie. Jibreel [Gabriel]) by Allaah's Permission with all Decrees, Peace! until the appearance of dawn." [97:1-5]
and in Surat ad-Dukhan :
"We sent it (this Qur'aan) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning (mankind of Our Torment). Therein (that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Qur'aan or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger). (As) a Mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. [44:3-6]
A person who misses Laylatul-Qadr is really a deprived person!
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said " The blessed month has come to you. Allah has made fasting during it obligatory upon you. During it the gates to Paradise are opened and the gates of Hellfire are locked, and the devils are chained. There is a night [during this month] which is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good is really deprived [of something great]. [Ahmad, an-Nisa'i and al-Bayhaqi]
One who misses this blessed night then he has missed much good for no one misses it except one from whom it is withheld. Therefore it is recommended that the Muslim who is eager to be obedient to Allaah should stand in Prayer during this night out of Eemaan and hoping for the great reward, since if he does this, Allaah will forgive his previous sins.
What happens to the person who witnesses Laylatul-Qadr? and what should one do?
Abu Hurairah Radhiya Allahu `anhu reported that the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said : "Whoever stands (in prayer) in Lailatul-Qadr out of Eemaan (faith and sincerity) and seeking reward then his previous sins are forgiven". [Bukhari]
It is recommended to supplicate a lot during this night, it is reported from our mother 'Aishah radhiya Allahu `anha, that she said: "O Messenger of Allah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?" He said.- "Say.- (Allahumma innaka 'affuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee.)
"O Allaah You are The One Who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me.". [at-Tirmithi and Ibn Majah with a Sahih Isnad]
When is Laylatul-Qadr ?

It is preferred to seek this night during the last ten odd nights of Ramadan, as the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam,, strove his best in seeking it during that time. We have already mentioned that the Prophet would stay up during the last ten nights, would wake his wives, and then would remain apart from them to worship.

Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet,salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said, "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan ,' on the night when nine or seven or five nights remain out of the last ten nights of Ramadan (i.e. 21, 23, 25, respectively)." [Bukhari]
`Aishah radhiya Allahu `anha said: "Allah's Messenger used to practice I`itikaf in the last ten nights and say: 'Seek out Lailatul-Qadr in the (odd nights) of the last ten of Ramadan." [Bukhari and Muslim]
However if the servant is too weak or unable, then he should at least not let the last seven pass him by, due to what is reported from Ibn 'Umar, who said: Allah's Messenger said: "Seek it in the last ten, and if one of you is too weak or unable then let him not allow that to make him miss the final seven.' [Bukhari and Muslim]

This explains his saying: "I see that your dreams are in agreement (that it is in the last seven) so he who wishes to seek it out then let him seek it in the last seven.' [Bukhari and Muslim]
It is known from the Sunnah, that knowledge of the exact night upon which Lailatul-Qadr falls was taken up because the people argued, 'Ubaadah ibn as- Saamit, radiyalloahu 'anhu, said: The Prophet came out intending to tell us about Lailatul-Qadr, however two men were arguing and he said: "I come out to inform you about Lailatul-Qadr but so and so, and, so and so were arguing, so it was raised up, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it on the (twenty) ninth and the (twenty) seventh and the (twenty) fifth.'[Bukhari]
Some of the ahadeeth indicate that Lailatul-Qadr is in the last ten nights, while others indicate that it is in the odd nights of the last ten, so the first are general and the second more particular, and the particular has to be given priority over the general. Other ahadeeth state that it is in the last seven - and these are restricted by mention of one who is too weak or unable. So there is no confusion, all the ahadeeth agree and are not contradictory.

In conclusion: The Muslim should seek out Lailatui-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten: the night of the twenty-first, the twenty-third, the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh and the twenty-ninth. If he is too weak or unable to seek it out in all the odd nights, then let him seek it out in the odd nights of the of seven: the night of the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh and the twenty-ninth And Allah knows best.

What are the signs of laylatul-Qadr?
Allaah's Messenger , salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, described the morning after Lailatul-Qadr, so that the Muslim may know which day it is. From Ubayy, radhiya Allahu 'anhu, who said: that he, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said: "On the morning following Lailatui-Qadr the sun rises not having any rays, as if it were a brass dish, until it rises up."[Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmithi and Ibn Majah]
Abu Hurairah, radhiya Allahu 'anhu, said : "We were discussing Lailatul-Qadr in the presence of Allah's Messenger so he said : 'Which of you remembers [the night] when the moon arose and was like half a plate?... [Muslim]
Ibn 'Abbaas, radhiya Allahu 'anhuma, said: Allaah's Messenger, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said: "Lailatul-Qadr is calm and pleasant, neither hot nor cold, the sun arises on its morning being feeble and red." [at-Tayaalisee, Ibn Khuzaimah and al-Bazzaar with a Hasan Isnad]
We pray to Allah All Mighty Most Merciful to bless us this Ramadan by witnessing Laylatul-Qadr.

Abraham smashes the idols

Abraham was born and brought up in the magnificent city civilization of Babylon -- Iraq. This was the civilization that tried to produce the ultimate man-constructed "house", the Tower of Babel. It was supposed to reach to the very heavens, but then it collapsed and sank into the ground (Genesis 11). Abraham traveled widely throughout the Fertile Crescent and Egypt, where he had intimate dealings with the a court that viewed itself as the very last word in sophistication and saw fit to kidnap his wife for Pharaoh's pleasure (Genesis 12:14-20). The same happened when Abraham visited the Philistine kingdom of Gerar(ibid. 20:1-18). Abraham personally witnessed the awesome physical catastrophe that befell the decadent, degenerate city culture of the once lush, now barren, salty plain of Sodom just north of Israel's Yam Hamelach ("Dead" Sea) (ibid. chapters 18-19).

The technology in Abraham's time may have been primitive compared with what we have now. Yet the cultures of the time produced impressive buildings and artifacts, and people's practical know-how was often far greater than that of the majority in our automated civilization. The human social and cultural environment was no less elaborate than today's. People were surrounded by man-made objects and images just as we are today. Wise men and priests attained levels of astronomical, mathematical, botanical, pharmaceutical and other kinds of knowledge that would put many contemporary "experts" and "specialists" to shame. Their theological and philosophical systems appear to have been no less subtle and complex than any today.
Abraham rejected the entire belief system of his contemporaries, despite the fact that he himself came from the very cream of the elite. His father, Terach, was, according to tradition, favorite of the then most powerful man in the world, Nimrod. Today Nimrod would be called a tyrant or control freak or perhaps the first superman. The Bible says of Nimrod: "He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before God, which is why it is said: Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before God" (Genesis 10:8-9) The classic Bible commentator Rashi explains: "He ensnared the minds of people with his talk and deceived them into rebelling against God" (Rashi ad loc.)

Nimrod's line was that man is entitled to do whatever he pleases. This was a philosophy that gave especially wide scope to Nimrod himself since he himself was the biggest strongman. No one would dare do anything against his whims and desires. I.e. Nimrod is god!

It appears that by nature Abraham too was always looking to where the power lies. (The Divine name associated with Abraham's spiritual quality of Chessed, Love and Kindness, is EL, which literally signifies Power.) But from his earliest childhood, Abraham had the sense to realize that ultimate power cannot possibly lie in a mere human being, no matter how strong and influential, since he is here today and dead tomorrow.

From the time of Abraham's first spiritual awakening he searched tirelessly to discover the true source of the various manifestations of power and strength found in the world. A famous Midrash shared by Judaism and other traditions depicts Abraham as a little infant abandoned in a cave by his parents. They were afraid that Nimrod would kill their little child since Nimrod's astrologers had told him a baby had been born who was destined to shine to the entire world.
Abraham cried and cried because he was so hungry. God sent the angel Gabriel, who gave him milk to drink until Abraham grew and was three years old. One night he decided to leave the cave. When he went out, the world was dark. He looked up at the skies and saw the twinkling stars. He was amazed by so many millions of little lights. He said, "These must certainly be the most powerful forces in the whole universe. These must be the gods."
But then came the dawn and the stars disappeared. "No," said Abraham, "those little lights can't be gods because they have disappeared. Something else has outshone them. I won't worship them any more."
Then the sun rose and shone in all its glory. Abraham said, "This is the most powerful force. This is God. I will worship this." But towards evening, as the sun set, Abraham understood that the sun is also not God. Out of the darkness, the moon rose and shone its light, and Abraham thought: "Yes, this time I have found God".
At that moment the Angel Gabriel came down and took Abraham to a fountain of pure water. "Immerse and purify yourself," said the Angel. Afterwards the Angel revealed to him that HaVaYaH, the One God, holds power and dominion over the Heavens above and the Earth below. God created the entire world." When Abraham heard the words of the angel, he prostrated and prayed to HaVaYaH, Creator of Heaven and Earth.(Midrash)
Abraham understood that a subordinate power has no option but to submit to a higher power. What he sought all his life was the highest Power of all -- in the knowledge that if he could discover the secret of ultimate power, he himself would be able to channel it and wield it for good.
Abraham understood that people's worship of the stars and planets and other subordinate powers was actually a guise for worshipping themselves, i.e. endeavoring to gratify their own selfish appetites for wealth, sex, food, drink, power, honor, etc. Even when people bow down to and "serve" gods of prosperity, love, war and the like, they are actually trying to abandon themselves to deep instinctual desires for personal gratification. [The veneration displayed by many today for the products of contemporary technology and the energy devoted to their acquisition may also be viewed as a form of idolatrous service of the self. Why do those same people not put similar energy into venerating and serving HaVaYaH, ultimate Source all the resources upon which human life depends?]
The world-famous story about Abraham's breaking the idols shows the wit and wisdom with which he exposed man's folly and self-deception when he worships idols and other products of his own activity.
Abraham's father, Terach was an idol-manufacturer. Once he had to travel, so he left Abraham to manage the shop. People would come in and ask to buy idols. Abraham would say, "How old are you?" The person would say, "Fifty," or "Sixty". Abraham would say, "Isn't it pathetic that a man of sixty wants to bow down to a one-day-old idol?" The man would feel ashamed and leave.
One time a woman came with a basket of bread. She said to Abraham, "Take this and offer it to the gods".
Abraham got up, took a hammer in his hand, broke all the idols to pieces, and then put the hammer in the hand of the biggest idol among them.
When his father came back and saw the broken idols, he was appalled. "Who did this?" he cried. "How can I hide anything from you?" replied Abraham calmly. "A woman came with a basket of bread and told me to offer it to them. I brought it in front of them, and each one said, "I'm going to eat first." Then the biggest one got up, took the hammer and broke all the others to pieces."

"What are you trying to pull on me?" asked Terach, "Do they have minds?"

1. Said Abraham: "Listen to what your own mouth is saying? They have no power at all! Why worship idols?"
1. (Midrash Bereishit 38:13)
2. Calling Terach an idol-manufacturer suggests that he was a major ideologist and opinion-molder in the society in which he lived. When Abraham would ask how a person of sixty could bow down to a newly-made idol, he was pointing out that if you are searching for the ultimate power, it's no use looking at ephemeral, man-made objects, no matter how impressive. Items constructed today to satisfy some whim or fancy will be abandoned or destroyed tomorrow.
3. Abraham was saying: Why do you worship modernity just because it glitters and glisters temporarily. If you really want to find the source of power, you must work backwards to the cause of the cause of the cause... To find the source of creation you have to go back in time. Far, far back: years and years. Thousands and thousands and millions and millions of years.[Rebbe Nachman often quoted a popular song that included the words "The old, old, old, old God" -- Tzaddik #413).
4. The women coming with her basket of bread for the gods was expressing a profound human need to pacify and please the higher power.
5. If Abraham refused to offer the bread, it was not because he did not believe in the principle of sacrifice. When the time came for him to worship the One God, he sacrificed his very self. He was prepared to offer up his precious, most beloved son, Isaac. But only to the true God, never to some subordinate power that is itself dependent upon a higher power.
6. Abraham's comic trick of putting the hammer in the hands of the biggest idol and telling his father how each of the idols wanted to eat first lays bare the selfish desire for personal gratification that lies at the root of most idolatry. The woman brought the offering of bread in the hope that this would placate the gods so they would provide food for her to eat. Feeling vulnerable herself, she tried to pacify the powers she felt to be above her. But Abraham showed that her gods were as self-centered and greedy as she was.
7. The essence of Abraham's later teaching was that the foundation of true religion and spirituality is to practice the reverse of selfishness and personal gratification -- i.e. kindness and charity. HaVaYaH, as the supreme Power over all other powers, can afford to show love and kindness to all. When man overcomes his own instinctive selfishness and cultivates these divine traits, he himself experiences and becomes connected with God.
8. This teaching of kindness and altruism was a direct contradiction to the philosophy and outlook of the ruling tyrant, Nimrod, who was the epitome of self-seeking. Nimrod's god was Fire, the power that consumes and destroys everything.
9. The same Midrash continues:
10. Nimrod called Abraham and commanded him to worship Fire.
11. Abraham said to him, "So let's worship water since water has the power to extinguish fire."
12. "Right," said Nimrod, "We should worship water."
13. "In that case, we should worship the clouds, since they carry water."
14. "Yes, we should worship the clouds."
15. "Then we should worship the wind, since it drives the clouds across the sky."
16. "Yes, we should worship the wind (ru'ach) -- air, spirit."
17. "But," said Abraham, "humans have the power to rule over the spirit. Should we worship human beings?"
18. "You're playing with words," cried Nimrod. "I worship only fire, and I am going to throw you into a huge furnace. Let the God you worship come along and save you from it!"
19. (Midrash Bereishit ibid.) 
20. Abraham's relentless logic brought Nimrod to the brink of having to admit that man can indeed control his own spirit and instincts. If he fails to control himself and surrenders to the fire of his lower instincts, then his "religion" is basically about self-worship. Nimrod's veneration of fire was merely an expression of his own burning passion to consume and destroy.
21. The insight was one Nimrod could not accept, and he decided to throw Abraham to his god of fire.
22. Nimrod gave orders to construct an enormous furnace into which Abraham was then catapulted. But God miraculously saved Abraham from the furnace.
23. The Midrash concludes that all the burning logs turned into blossoming trees that produced beautiful fruits. Man can consume and destroy, but God alone has the power to create life and bring about growth and regeneration.

DESTRUCTION OF NIMROD

“ Sahl bin Sa’d narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “If the world to Allah were equal to a mosquito’s wing, then He would not allow the disbeliever to have a sip of water from it.” (Hasan) [Chapters on Zuhd: Jami At-Tirmidhi]
This hadith means that whatever good things of the world Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has given to those who deny His attribute of Oneness, as well as the Prophethood of His beloved Messenger, He has given those things to them because the world, as a whole, is entirely insignificant and valueless before Him.

We should not be fooled by what the Kuffar or Munafiqeen have of the luxuries of this world, for they have no share of anything good in the Hereafter. Another hadith informs us that the world compared to the Hereafter is like a drop compared to an ocean. So what we should be concerned about is that we get the blessings and comforts and luxuries of the ocean, for that is what really counts. “

Namrood’s destruction was at hand. Allah Ta’ala had given him enough time to reform. But he imagined he had himself to thank for the respite he had been granted. He had become more and more cruel and unjust. His despotism knew no bounds. He summoned Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) and said to him, “Tell your Allah that I neither fear Him nor need Him! Go tell Him that the whole world is in awe of me. All people are obedient to my command. If He is the God of heaven, I am God of the earth. Where are His armies? If the sky fell on my troops, they could hold it up with their lances. Tell Him I challenge Him to a battle. He has no say on earth. The whole earth belongs to me; it is my kingdom!”
The answer was revealed to Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam): “Let him come to such and such a place, where I shall do battle with him!” The venerable Ibrahim Khaleelullah (Alaihis Salaam) passed the news to Namrood.
On the day appointed, the brigades and regiments assembled on the battlefield, forming themselves in ranks. The Glorified and Exalted Rabb gave His army of mosquitoes their orders, and then sent these humble creatures into action against the proud and stubborn unbeliever who claimed to be deity. The skies turned black as Namrood’s horde stood ready for battle. When the order was given, the host of mosquitoes hurled themselves in their hundreds of millions against the army of the enemy of Allah. They filled the soldiers’ mouths, eyes and ears, biting with a vengeance. When the cavalry horses met the mosquitoes’ onslaught, they started to bolt in all directions, unseating their riders as they fled. In the space of half an hour, destruction had overtaken Namrood’s army, more than a hundred thousand strong.
Namrood himself left the battlefield, taking refuge in one of his castles. He thought he had saved his life by stopping up all doors and windows. In spite of the great miracle he had witnessed, he could not bring himself to repent and accept the Oneness of Allah Ta’ala. How could he do so, without overcoming his arrogance and pride? The scoundrel was wilfully obstinate in his disbelief.
One lame mosquito, with a damaged wing, had been unable to obey the Divine Command to attack this stubborn infidel. It now addresses itself to Allah Ta’ala, saying, “Oh Allah, what a sinful and luckless creature I must be, that You should deprive me of my share in this battle. If only my leg and my wing had been sound, I would have done my bit in fighting this enemy of Yours!” Almighty Allah, Lord of the worlds, then gave it the command, “Go now! You destroy that accursed one!”
The lame mosquito made its way, limping to the castle where Namrood was hiding. Getting in through a keyhole, it went and settled on Namrood’s knee. There it rested, recovering from its exhaustion. Namrood spotted the insect and tried to kill it, but the mosquito settled on his other knee. As it rested there, it seemed to say, “You once told the venerable Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) that you had the power of life and death. You sought to prove it by killing one man and letting another go free. Come, what is stopping you from killing me now?”
Namrood could not kill the insect, no matter how hard he tried. Allah Ta’ala was demonstrating his weakness to him, as if to say, “Unless I will it, you cannot kill! When you killed men by My will, you imagined that you had granted them death. Look, you are a nonentity. You used the kingdom I gave you as a pretext for disobeying Me. You are nothing! What has become of the arrogance of yours? Where are your armies? Where is your divinity? Look, you have been conquered by that humble creature of Mine, the mosquito. You have been disgraced!”
For all his efforts Namrood still could not kill the mosquito, which now went up inside his nose.
Once upon a time, Namrood had wanted to burn Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) in the fire, but in that he had also failed. The fire would not burn. Fire is only the secondary cause, the Real Cause being Almighty Allah.
The mosquito started eating the membrane of Namrood’s brain. The tyrant beat his head from rock to rock. Now he had really begun to feel the pain of his defeat. He had felt no sympathy for the hundred thousand soldiers he had left on the battlefield, nor for their bereaved parents. His only thought had been to save his filthy skin and rotten soul by running to hide in his castle; but hiding could not save him from the dreaded claws of death.
How many lives he had slaughtered, how many houses he had destroyed, how many brains he had dashed out. Now he was dashing his own head against the rocks and walls; now he was suffering himself the pain he had inflicted on others. Those people who oppress others should take heed of Namrood’s condition and remember that Allah Ta’ala will give you enough time and respite, but the day His Wrath befalls you then there is no escape.
Namrood appointed salaried officials to hit him on the head with mallets. The blows gave him a brief respite, since they interrupted the insect’s work. As soon as the mosquito began eating his brain once more, he would cry, “Help! Hit me!” He would get angry with those who did not hit him hard enough, while he increased the salaries of those who were hard hitters.
The so called ‘God of the earth’ was being beaten by his own servants. One day, one of these servants wielded the mallet too hard, and Namrood’s evil soul departed. They laid his filthy corpse in the pit of hell which was his grave.
We should learn from this incident that arrogance and pride will lead us to nothing but destruction in both the worlds. The more arrogant one is the more disgraced one would end up.
This can be seen from the fact that Namrood gave himself such a high status that he considered himself as God, yet he was disgracefully defeated by one of the weakest and most humble creatures of Allah Ta’ala. This is the Qudrat of Allah Ta’ala. And the more we remind ourselves of the Power of Allah Ta’ala and His Bounties, the further away arrogance and pride will be from us because we will realize that everything that we have achieved and attained is due to the Blessings that Allah Ta’ala has bestowed upon us, not because of our own doings. That is why Fakhrul Islam Qutbe Mauritius Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Khushtar Siddiqui Qadri Razvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) used to always say, “I am Nothing, He is Everything.” The more Allah Ta’ala raised his status, the more he crumbled himself with a quality of nothingness before the All-Powerful and Exalted Rabb.
May Allah Ta’ala save us from pride and arrogance and may He in His Infinite Mercy grant us the Taufeeq to constantly remind ourselves that “I am Nothing, He is Everything,” Ameen.
[Compiled from Irshad: Wisdom of a Sufi Master by Shaikh Muzaffer Al Jerrahi ]

All you need to know: What is Ramadan and why do Muslims fast all day?

All your questions about Ramadan — the month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts for millions of Muslims — answered.

Fasting during Ramadan is seen as a way to physically and spiritually detoxify by kicking impulses like morning coffee, smoking and midday snacking. (Source: AP)

Millions of Muslims around the world mark the start of Ramadan — a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. Here’s a look at some questions and answers about Islam’s holiest month:

(Also read: Simple guidelines to stay healthy and active during Ramadan)

Why do Muslims fast?

The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often donate to charities during the month and feed the hungry.

Fasting is an exercise in self-restraint. It’s seen as a way to physically and spiritually detoxify by kicking impulses like morning coffee, smoking and midday snacking.

Ramadan is a time to detach from worldly pleasures and focus on one’s prayers. Many Muslims dress more conservatively during Ramadan and spend more time at the mosque than at any other time of the year.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity, and performing the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.

(See pics: 10 simple Iftar recipes you can try at home)

How do Muslims fast?

Observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for the entire month of Ramadan, with a single sip of water or a puff of a cigarette considered enough to invalidate the fast.

Muslim scholars say it’s not enough to just avoid food and drinks during the day, though. Spouses must abstain from sexual intercourse during the day, and Muslims should not engage in road rage, cursing, fighting or gossiping.

Muslims are also encouraged to observe the five daily prayers on time and to use their downtime just before breaking their fast at sunset to recite Quran and intensify remembrance of God.

To prepare for the fast, Muslims eat what is commonly called “suhoor,” a pre-dawn meal of power foods to get them through the day.

How do Muslims break their fast?

Muslims traditionally break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did some 1,400 years ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. That first sip of water is by far the most anticipated moment of the day.

After a sunset prayer, a large feast known as “iftar” is shared with family and friends. Iftar is a social event as much as it is a gastronomical adventure. Across the Arab world, juices made from apricots are a staple at Ramadan iftars. In South Asia and Turkey, yogurt-based drinks are popular.

Across the Muslim world, mosques and aid organizations set up tents and tables for the public to eat free iftar meals every night of Ramadan.

Can Muslims be exempted from fasting?

Yes. There are exceptions for children, the elderly, the sick, women who are pregnant or menstruating and people traveling, which could include athletes during tournaments.

Many Muslims, particularly those who live in the U.S. and Europe, are accepting and welcoming of others around them who are not observing Ramadan. They also are not expecting shorter work hours, as is the case in the public sector across much of the Arab world during Ramadan.

However, non-Muslims or adult Muslims who eat in public during the day can be fined or even jailed in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, home to large Western expat populations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, minority Chinese Uighur Muslims complain of heavy restrictions by the Communist Party, such as bans on fasting by party members, civil servants, teachers and students during Ramadan, as well as generally enforced bans on children attending mosques, women wearing veils and young men growing beards.

What are some Ramadan traditions?

Typically, the start of the month is welcomed with greetings such as “Ramadan mubarak!” Another hallmark of Ramadan is nightly prayer at the mosque among Sunni Muslims called “taraweeh.”

In Egypt, a common sight during Ramadan is a lantern called the “fanoos,” which is often the centerpiece at an iftar table and can be seen hanging in window shops and balconies.

In the Arabian Gulf countries, wealthy sheikhs hold “majlises” where they open their doors for people to pass by all hours of the night for food, tea, coffee and conversation.

Increasingly common are Ramadan tents in five-star hotels that offer lavish and pricey meals from sunset to sunrise. While Ramadan is a boon for retailers in the Middle East and South Asia, critics say the holy month is increasingly becoming commercialized.

Scholars are also disturbed by the proliferation of evening television shows during Ramadan. In Pakistan, live game shows give away gifts promoting their sponsors. In the Arab world, monthlong soap operas starring Egypt’s top actors rake in millions of dollars in advertising.

How do Muslims mark the end of Ramadan?

The end of Ramadan is marked by intense worship as Muslims seek to have their prayers answered during “Laylat al-Qadr” or “the Night of Destiny.” It is on this night, which falls during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, that Muslims believe that God sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed the first versus of the Quran.

Some devout Muslims go into reclusion those final days, spending all of their time in the mosque.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr. Children often receive new clothes, gifts and cash.

Muslims attend early morning Eid prayers the day after Ramadan. Families usually spend the day at parks and eating — now during the day.