Surah Al-Kahf [ The Cave ], 18...Prologue

Recitation of Surah Al-Kahf by Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais,

Reflection :
Recitation by a young Somalian from Somalia,

...I put up this young man here to remind us that Somalia is not what Bush, Obama et al , and CNN-BBC-alJazira 'spin-doctoring' would like us to believe they are.

Somalia is a complex sophisticated Muslim society if the rest of the Western world leave them alone to manage themselves. They are on the whole a very religious and spiritual people who can govern themselves....minus the continual 'interventions' and disruptions from the West via ANC, Ethiopia etc and etc. They just want Islam. My criteria for sophistication is simple by 2012 standard but quite incisive. I use the IT /Utube index: You just name any surah, and they have a utube on it. That is how complex the society is. I cannot say the same about us, Malays.  And we think we have reach 1st world status. I contrast, spiritually, that is how 'sophisticated' they are.

You bomb them. You drone them. You send weapons to their  dissenting minorities for decades on end. You prop up warlords of your persuasions. You send in ANC and Ethiopian armies, and what do you expect Somalia to be ?

And this is not limited to just Somalia. Look at Sudan,  Yemen, Afghanistan etc etc.







THE COSMOS REPRESENTS the physical evidence for the existence of God, and revelation is the guide to that evidence. True and sincere belief in God [iman] grows out of studying and understanding the evidence and the guiding light leading to it. We read in the opening verse of al-An'am: "Praise be to Allah, Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath appointed darkness and light....". Al-Kalf opens with the words: "Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness, "(1).

In the Qur'an, God urges man to be curious about life and the world around him, to study every phenomena he comes across, and, at the same time, to study the Qur'an and reflect on its concepts and meaning. Without this reflection and the will to learn and discover, man will be bereft of guidance and understanding.

Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and what things Allah hath created, and that it may be that their own term draweth nigh? In what fact after this will they believe? (al-A'raf: 185) 

The physical world is teeming with evidence for tawhid. Everything in the world points to one universal indubitable truth: that there is but one creator, who has no ancestry or offspring, and to whom all creation belongs. The Qur'an has made this clear and beyond question. Even Muhammad who received the revelation and relayed it to humankind, is a servant of God like everyone else. Any argument to gainsay these facts is simply futile and untenable.

And to warn those who say: Allah hath chosen a son, (4) (A thing) whereof they have no knowledge, nor (had) their fathers, Dreadful is the word that cometh out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie. (5) 

Reflection on the wonders of the cosmos enhances one's faith in God and leads one closer to Him. The Qur'an has very clearly established the link between intelligent study and contemplation and the development of a strong and a rational faith.

The Qur'an, as the quintessential reference source for tawhid, is perfect, untampered with, and free of distortion. This assurance is in itself a divine favor which deserve praise. The surah thus opens with the words:

Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness, (1) (But hath made it) straight, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to bring unto the believers who do good works the news that theirs will be a fair reward, (2) Wherein they will abide for ever; (3) 

The surah cites episodes from the chronicles of history to illustrate the veracity of the concept of tawhid and its value to human society. It narrates the stories of the young men of the cave, the rich man of the orchard and the pauper, Moses and the pious man, and the well known account of Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Each account is followed by an enlightening commentary designed to instill in the mind a recognition of the existence of God and the need to prepare for our accountability to Him.

Before this, however, a few words of comfort are given to alleviate Muhammad's despondency at his people's negative response to the Qur'an. "Yet it may be, if they believe not in this statement, that thou (Muhammad) wilt torment thy soul with grief over their footsteps "(6). Muhammad was told not to overburden himself because his main task was to deliver the message, and that he would not be held responsible for the people's reaction to it. Human beings are rational creatures, well equipped mentally and intellectually to discern ideas and judge actions and consequences. Every individual shall be accountable for the life he or she has spent on this earth. Divine justice shall be done, and none shall be wronged.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali
" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "






Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Abdul Bary Yahya,

Biodata on Shaykh Abdul Bary Yahya:

Born in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, Shaykh Abdulbary immigrated to the U.S. with his family. He grew up in Seattle, WA and began his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah.  After graduating from Islamic University of Madinah's College of Shariah, AbdulBary Yahya returned to Vietnam and Cambodia and became a teacher and director of the Umm al-Qura Charity Organization in Vietnam.

He is currently the Imam of Masjid Jaamiul Muslimeen in Seattle, WA. He also holds the positions of President of the Cham Refugee Community and Vice-President of the Islamic Center of Washington State.

Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Ninowy:-

Commentary by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi :

part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrqEAzyoi04

[ an interesting discourse on 'dajjal' at 09.00. when i close my eyes and think of the present time, 'america' pops up like nobody's business! ]



part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgEA_FbIBPQ