The Quran is a complete and fully-detailed road map to guide us
to the path of God. God is so Merciful that He has guaranteed
that upholding His laws in the Quran will get us into His
kingdom. The believers strive to obey God's commandments and
lead a righteous life. While pursuing that, they soon realize
that the fulfillment of God's commandments also help them to
lead a well-balanced life. Everything that God has encouraged
and forbidden us to do is actually for our well being and
integrity, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
All of God's commandments should be followed simply because
He told us to. Believers simply hear and obey (2:285,
24:51). We might fail sometimes to recognize the divine
wisdom behind some of God's commandments, but when we
follow these commandments, we start to realize and
appreciate their benefits, aside from growing our souls and
attaining salvation.
- For example, 5:91 states in general the disastrous
consequences of following Satan's recommendations in the
verse before that, 5:90, which are animosity and straying
from the straight path of God through the negligence of our
religious duties:
Intoxicants and Gambling Prohibited
[5:90] O you who believe,
intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars of idols, and the
games of chance are abominations of the devil;
you shall avoid them, that you may
succeed.
[5:91] The devil wants to
provoke animosity and hatred among you through
intoxicants and gambling, and to
distract you from remembering GOD, and from observing
the Contact Prayers (Salat). Will you then
refrain?
However, those who have gone through these Satanic
recommendations or watched others suffering from them can
truly comprehend the wisdom in 5:91 and see the whole
picture of such abominations. Intoxicants such as drugs and
alcohol alter chemicals in our brains and cause irrational
behavior, changes in our moods, and affect the ability to
make correct decisions and judgment. They also negatively
affect our health in many ways, ultimately causing
self-destruction. Of course, we also cannot forget the
thousands of traffic fatalities caused by driving under the
influence each year. Gambling and games of chance can lead
to an addiction that distracts us from leading a normal life
and doing our jobs with reasonable capacity and
performance. They also lead to wasting our resources,
which in return will affect our family structure. So, in
addition to keeping us on the righteous, straight path,
following the commands in 5:90 keeps us more mentally and
behaviorally stable, healthy, and happy individuals,
families, and societies.
- Maintaining our chastity before marriage, avoiding
adultery, and keeping up with our dress code are again some
divine commands that we simply must abide by if we claim we
are believers. It is clearly stated in the following verses
how obeying these commands will enhance morality and help
with our safety:
[5:5] Today, all good food is made
lawful for you. The food of the people of the scripture is
lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them*. Also,
you may marry the chaste women among the
believers, as well as the chaste women among the followers
of previous scripture, provided you pay them
their due dowries. You shall maintain chastity,
not committing adultery, nor taking secret lovers.
Anyone who rejects faith, all his work will be in vain, and
in the Hereafter he will be with the losers.
Dress Code for Believers*
[24:30] Tell the believing
men that they shall subdue their eyes (and not
stare at the women), and to maintain their
chastity. This is purer for them. GOD is fully
Cognizant of everything they do.
Mutual Attraction And Dowry Required
[4:24] Also prohibited are the women
who are already married, unless they flee their disbelieving
husbands who are at war with you.* These are GOD's
commandments to you. All other categories are permitted for
you in marriage, so long as you pay them their due dowries.
You shall maintain your morality, by not
committing adultery. Thus, whoever you like
among them, you shall pay them the dowry decreed for them.
You commit no error by mutually agreeing to any adjustments
to the dowry. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.
[24:31] And tell the
believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their
chastity. They shall not reveal any
parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. They
shall cover their chests, and shall not relax
this code in the presence of other than their husbands,
their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons,
the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of
their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the
male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been
nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty.
They shall not strike their feet when they walk
in order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies.
All of you shall repent to GOD, O you believers, that you
may succeed.*
Dress Code for Women
[33:59] O prophet, tell your wives,
your daughters, and the wives of the believers that they
shall lengthen their garments.
Thus, they will be recognized (as
righteous women) and avoid being insulted.
GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Based on the unfortunate reality around us, we learn that
having intimate relationships with the opposite sex before
marriage can lead to unwanted pregnancies,
sexually-transmitted diseases, and emotional
attachments/breakdowns. These can lead to additional stress,
and in the worst cases, depression. Simply maintaining
friendships, with no physical contact, will help to avoid
these situations and make our lives much easier. Adultery
has been one of the most destructive behaviors to the sacred
family values instituted by God. Breaking up marriages with
all the pain of the divorce process is another expected
harm.
Along the same lines, we, women and men, are commanded to
subdue our eyes. This helps us both to control certain urges
and prevent us from being distracted by our desires, hence
becoming more balanced, healthy, and productive. Women
should follow a certain dress code. They should cover the
necessary parts of their bodies, cover their chests, and
lengthen their garments. They are also prohibited from
walking and shaking their bodies in a certain way. Obeying
these laws helps women gain respect and protects them from
bad situations, such as rape.
- Also, there are four kinds of food that God prohibits us
from eating in the Quran:
[2:173] He only prohibits
for you the eating of animals that die of themselves
(without human interference), blood, the meat of pigs, and
animals dedicated to other than GOD. If one is
forced (to eat these), without being malicious or
deliberate, he incurs no sin. GOD is Forgiver, Most
Merciful.
In addition to the soul benefits of these prohibitions,
there are also health benefits. Blood can obviously carry
all kinds of viruses and diseases. Animals that die of
themselves might carry specific harmful germs. It is a
health hazard not to know the actual causes of their death.
Also, a parasite called Trichinella Spiralis and the
tapeworm Taenia Solium are known to survive in the meat of
pigs. Thus, we avoid these health risks when we avoid these
foods. Eating from what is not dedicated to God alone sets a
very bad example by compromising our monotheistic beliefs.
- Charity is another command that has its hidden values
besides, of course, being one of the major obligatory rites.
Helping the parents, relatives, the poor, and the needy
makes us more aware and considerate of people's
needs. Without even realizing it, we become less selfish and
less stingy the more we practice this rite. Most believers
also get a sense of satisfaction and self-fulfillment when
they help others. So when we give to charity, we not only
please God and hopefully the recipients, but we also please
ourselves.
Zakat Must Be Given "On The Day Of Harvest"*
[6:141] He is the One who established
gardens, trellised and untrellised, and palm trees, and
crops with different tastes, and olives, and pomegranate -
fruits that are similar, yet dissimilar. Eat from their
fruits, and give the due alms on the day of
harvest,* and do not waste anything. He does
not love the wasters.
Recipients of Charity
[2:215] They ask you about giving:
say, "The charity you give shall go to the
parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, and the
traveling alien." Any good you do, GOD is fully
aware thereof.
What to Give
[2:267] O you who believe,
you shall give to charity from the good things you earn,
and from what we have produced for you from the earth. Do
not pick out the bad therein to give away, when
you yourselves do not accept it unless your eyes are closed.
You should know that GOD is Rich, Praiseworthy.
- In addition to keeping us guided, and benefiting from its
dynamic values, reciting Quran contributes to improved
mental health and more positive attitudes. Reading the Quran
and being reminded of why we are here, that God is in
full control, and everything happens according to the will
of God, help us to stay positive and to stress
less. Imploration and meditation also help us to maintain a
state of peace and clarity. When we remember God, we
remember the purpose of our lives and all of His
blessings. We remember that only God forgives us and only
God can provide for us. And of course, the more we remember
God, the more He remembers us.
The Noon Prayer
[17:78] You shall observe the Contact
Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its highest point
at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall
also observe (the recitation of) the
Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran
at dawn is witnessed.
The Contact Prayers (Salat)
[29:45] You shall recite
what is revealed to you of the scripture, ....
[110:3] You shall glorify
and praise your Lord, and implore Him for forgiveness.
He is the Redeemer.
Meditation
[17:79] During the night,
you shall meditate for extra credit, that your
Lord may raise you to an honorable rank.
- Observing the daily contact prayers is also a religious
duty we are required to do to be redeemed. In addition to
that, praying five times a day at certain time-intervals, as
well as the ablution before each prayer, teach us to have a
lot of discipline. From praying we also learn to have focus
and concentration, which can be very hard to master. Besides
being a feast for the soul, fasting during
Ramadan also teaches us a sense of focus,
control, and discipline. Fasting also helps us to learn that
we can do anything we put our minds to, or change any
routine we are used to with God's help.
You Shall Observe the Contact Prayers*
[2:238] You shall
consistently observe the Contact Prayers,
especially the middle prayer, and devote yourselves totally
to GOD.
Ablution
[5:6] O you who believe,
when you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), you shall: (1)
wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to the elbows, (3) wipe
your heads, and (4) wash your feet to the ankles.
If you were unclean due to sexual orgasm, you
shall bathe. If you are ill, or traveling, or had any
digestive excretion (urinary, fecal, or gas), or had
(sexual) contact with the women, and you cannot find water,
you shall observe the dry ablution (Tayammum) by touching
clean dry soil, then rubbing your faces and hands.
GOD does not wish to make the religion difficult for you; He
wishes to cleanse you and to perfect His blessing upon you,
that you may be appreciative.
Fasting Emphasized and Modified*
[2:183] O you who believe,
fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed
for those before you, that you may attain salvation.
[2:184] Specific days (are
designated for fasting); if one is ill or traveling, an
equal number of other days may be substituted.
Those who can fast, but with great difficulty, may
substitute feeding one poor person for each day of breaking
the fast. If one volunteers (more righteous works), it is
better. But fasting is the best for you, if you only knew.
- Another commandment from God is to treat the believers
with kindness (48:29, 17:53). God tells us how to do this
through other commandments, such as respecting and honoring
our parents (17:23-24). Saying "Peace" when we greet others
(6:54, 4:86), and making room when being asked to move are
ways of being courteous towards others (58:11). We are told
to walk the earth gently and be humble (17:47), and we are
also prohibited from mocking people (49:11). All of these
commandments help us to be kind, considerate, and
compassionate. We earn credit by obeying God almighty and
being kind to one another. With the same token of
kindness, we become better individuals overall and we manage
to improve our relationships with others, family-wise and
community-wise.
- Finally, God commands
us to be patient in the Quran. Being patient can relieve a
lot of worry and stress in almost all situations. Patience
also enhances and sometimes saves relations and makes us
avoid a lot of unnecessary problems and disputes. Resorting
to patience reflects our inner strength (42:43), but at the
same time, gives us a golden opportunity to reflect deep
inside us, develop rational methodologies, and make better
decisions. Patience certainly assists in making us go
through almost any struggle.
[40:55] Therefore, be
patient, for GOD's promise is true, and ask
forgiveness for your sin, and glorify and praise your
Lord night and day.
[50:39] Therefore, be
patient in the face of their utterances,
and praise and glorify your Lord before sunrise, and
before sunset.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
