Jump to content
Islamic Forum
Sign in to follow this  
MEOC

Are You Shakir Or Kafir? - The Real Test Of Life

Recommended Posts

Are You Shakir or Kafir? - The Real Test of Life

"Was there not a period of time when man was nothing to speak of? We created man from a drop of mingled fluid to put him to the test; We gave him hearing and sight; We guided him to the right path, whether he was grateful (shakir) or not (kafir)." [surah Al-Insan 76:1-3]

Contrary to the belief of many people and various traditions, this life is neither about enjoyment nor suffering, it is only one thing - a test. In his supplementary notes for the upcoming seminar on Surah Al-Insan (also known as Al-Dahr), Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi writes:



"This surah can be paired with the one before it. Al-Qiyamah ended with a brief account of the lowly first stages of a human life, from which one can hardly imagine that there could emerge so complex a creature as a human being capable of knowing right from wrong and therefore self-accusing. Surat al-Insan begins with mention of those first stages of a human life and the forceful affirmation that in the whole of time (al-dahr) there is not any period (however small) in which a human being is to be considered unworthy of mention, i.e. of no account. To the contrary, human life is always significant, important, and heavy with consequences, which become fully apparent in the afterlife. Whereas Surat al-Qiyamah had emphasized the punishment in hereafter of the unbelieving, unrepentant sinners, this surah emphasizes the rewards in paradise for those who are thankful believers and strive to please the One who created and nurtured them.

God has created human beings hearing and seeing, that is, capable of perceiving and understanding when they are shown the way between right and wrong, and capable of choosing. Man indeed has a choice: to be kafir or shakir – to deny and cover up the reality that he knows right from wrong, or to acknowledge that reality, be thankful for it and choose the right. God created him and gave him life and responsibility in order to put him to a testing trial so that he comes to know for himself his own value."

The full notes can be found at: http://goo.gl/exVN0

Surah Al-Insan goes to the core of the reason of existence of man. These notes are only a taste of what is to come in the forthcoming seminar on Surah Al-Insan this Saturday in Cambridge and Live Online Worldwide.

Please book your place now for an incredibly powerful and life-changing seminar inshaAllah.

Surah Al-Insan
Man The Unknown - What is His Destiny?

The Magnificent Journey Seminar Series

With a Special Session on "Doubts and Controversies about Islam"

By Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi (Oxford)

Date: Saturday 22nd June 2013 Time: 9.30AM - 6PM

Venue: Cambridge University and Live On-line Web Access


Features: Course Notes, Childcare/Crèche, Free Parking, Group Discounts and Scholarship

http://courses.meoc.org.uk << Click Here To Register

Previous Posts

Why Have We Forgotten Our Destination?
Man The Unknown - Surah Al-Insan - What is His Destiny? (plus Bonus Open Q & A Session)
"Doubts and Controversies about Islam" in the Light of Surah Al-Insan


Wassalaam

Cambridge Islamic Sciences Seminars

Muslim Education & Outreach Cambridge (MEOC)


Tel: 07736 779448 / 01223 655223 Email: courses[at]meoc.org.uk

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

Sign in to follow this  

  • Similar Content

    • By aayankhan
      As we know this is the tech era, many organizations are providing online classes for religious courses. Quran Teacher is one of these online academies that teach Islamic courses through online classes to male and female students across the globe. There are almost 30+ online courses in their curriculum. This academy allows students to choose class timings as per their schedule so that they can start their learning journey with ease. Some of the courses they offer are mentioned below;
      Quran Nazra course (Reading course) Quran Hifz course (Memorization course) Hajj & Umrah courses prayer course Translation & Tafseer courses Ramadan & Zakat courses Arabic Grammar course And many other courses are available on their website (www.QuranTeacher.net).
       

    • By Absolute truth
      English Tafseer/Commentaries Of The Noble Quran
      Some of the English Commentaries/Tafseer Of The Noble Quran  that are Available online:
       
      1 Maruf Ul Quran By Mufti Shafi Usmani (Translated By Mufti Taqi Usmani) (Recommended)
      Visit
      https://archive.org/compress/English-MaarifulQuran/formats=TEXT%20PDF&file=/English-MaarifulQuran.zip (pdf)
      Or
      http://www.islamicstudies.info/quran/maarif/maarif.php (online)
      2 Tafseer Daryabadi by Abdul Majid Daryabadi
      Visit
      http://quranwebsite.com/read/abdul_majid_darababadi__english.html (Vol 1,2 and 3) (pdf)
      https://archive.org/download/Quran-EnglishCommentary-AbdulMajidDaryabadiVol.4/Quran-EnglishCommentary-AbdulMajidDaryabadiVol.4.pdf (Vol 4) (pdf)
      Or
      http://www.islamicstudies.info/quran/daryabadi (online)
      3 Tafseer Ibn Kathir (Abridged) (Ulema Guidance Required)
      http://quranwebsite.com/read/Tafsir%20Ibn%20Kathir%20-%20Volume%2001-10%20-%20English.pdf (pdf)
      Or
      http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3000&Itemid=731 (Online)
      4 Quran- The Living Truth by Basheer Ahmad Mohydeen
      https://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/quran-the-living-truth.pdf (pdf)
      5 Anwar Ul Bayan
      https://archive.org/compress/IlluminatingDiscoursesOnTheNobleQurantafseerAnwarulBayan/formats=IMAGE%20CONTAINER%20PDF&file=/IlluminatingDiscoursesOnTheNobleQurantafseerAnwarulBayan.zip (pdf)
      6 Tadabbur Ul Quran
      http://quranwebsite.com/tadaddbur-e-quran%20english/tadabbur_e_quran_english.html (pdf)
      7 The Message of The Quran (Ulema Guidance Required due to some Deviant Mutazila Views)
       by Mohammad Asad
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.muhammad-asad.com%2FMessage-of-Quran.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0_1spHnzDNLB1olwTmke4g&ved=2ahUKEwj93MbZz9nYAhXKUbwKHYQiBkMQFjAAegQIFRAB (pdf)
      8 In the Shade of The Quran by Syed Qutb (Ulema Guidance Required due to some Deviant Views)
      https://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/in-the-shade-of-the-quran-full-set.pdf (pdf)
      9 The Study Quran by Syed Nasr Hossein
      (Ulema Guidance Required due to some Deviant Views)
      https://archive.org/download/TheStudyQuran_201708/Seyyed%20Hossein%20Nasr%20et%20al.%20%28eds.%29-The%20Study%20Quran_%20A%20New%20Translation%20and%20Commentary-HarperOne%20%282015%29.pdf (pdf)
      10 Israr Ut Tanzeel
      http://english-tafseer.com/Index.html (online)
      11 Tafseer Al Qurtubi Vol. 1 (Ulema Guidance Required)
      https://archive.org/download/TafsirAlQurtubiVolI/Tafsir%20al%20Qurtubi%20-%20Vol%20I.pdf (pdf)
      12 Dawat Ul Quran by Shams Pirzada
      http://www.islamicstudies.info/quran/dawat&nbsp;(online)
      13 Tafheem Ul Quran by Syed Abul Ala Maududdi (Recommended)
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.iroshni.tafheemulquraneng%26hl%3Den%26referrer%3Dutm_source%253Dgoogle%2526utm_medium%253Dorganic%2526utm_term%253Dtafheem%2Bul%2Bquran%2Benglish%2Bpdf%26pcampaignid%3DAPPU_1_1WtcWqeRKcqk8AXuxJXgBQ&usg=AOvVaw1V2ddfX-N6mXp0Mep-nULi&ved=0ahUKEwjnz7Tjy9nYAhVKErwKHW5iBVwQ8oQBCDEwAQ (Play Store)
      Or
      http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php&nbsp;(online)
      14 Abdullah Yusuf Ali (Ulema Guidance Required due to some Deviant Views)
      https://archive.org/download/English-quran-with-commentariesyusuf-ali/english-quran-with-commentaries%28yusuf-ali%29.pdf
      (Pdf)
      Or
      https://archive.org/download/TheHolyQuranEnglishTranslationoftheMeaningandCommentary/The%20Holy%20Quran%20-%20Abdullah%20Yusuf%20Ali%20IFTA.pdf (With Commentary) (Pdf)
      15 Imtiyaz Ahmed (Recommended)
      http://easyquranfoundation.com/?page_id=674 (pdf)
      16 The Gracious Quran by Ahmed Zaki Hammad
      https://archive.org/download/01114TheGraciousQuranComplete/%2101-114_The_Gracious_Quran_%28Complete%29.pdf (pdf)
      17 Noorul Irfan  (May Contain Some Devaint Barielvy Views, therefore this Tafseer should be read Under Ulema Guidance)
      https://archive.org/download/TafsirNoorUlIrfanEnglishV1/Tafsir%20Noor%20ul%20Irfan%20%28English%29%20-v1.pdf (Vol 1)
      Or
      https://archive.org/download/TafsirNoorUlIrfanEnglishV2/Tafsir%20Noor%20ul%20Irfan%20%28English%29%20-v2.pdf (Vol 2)
      18 Saheeh International (Recommended)
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kalamullah.com%2FBooks%2FQuran%2520-%2520Saheeh%2520International%2520Translation%2520.pdf&usg=AOvVaw20Vcy8iUWLISX3xeB8ZLzt&ved=2ahUKEwijxcKPwtnYAhWJyLwKHW_2BGoQFjAEegQIBxAB (pdf)
      Or 
      https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://quran.com/%3Flocal%3Den&ved=2ahUKEwjw27DWxtvYAhXIvrwKHfsmDKIQFjAMegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw09BviQ8MSfFPXpXYhH2gq6 (Online)
      19 Abdel Haleem
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaskas.com%2Fhome%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F11%2FQuran-Abdel-Haleem-Translation-1.pdf&usg=AFQjCNE4qNL3aB1kgpvAKZPcf1gZTpJAfQ&ved=0ahUKEwi5rdiYjuPVAhULpo8KHRgbBwsQFggiMAA (pdf)
       
      20 Dr Mehmood Ghali (Recommended)
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=http%3A%2F%2Fxa.yimg.com%2Fkq%2Fgroups%2F19371438%2F1315958654%2Fname%2FQuran.pdf&usg=AOvVaw17h-nVs-vUggeJKdtJXzRO&ved=2ahUKEwjo4NXJvdnYAhVEvLwKHZRMDzYQFjAEegQICBAB (pdf)
       
      21 Mohammad William Pickthai (Recommended)
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=http%3A%2F%2Fislamtomorrow.com%2Fdownloads%2FQuranPikhtal.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2dKbvsNP4NFdTsCxOVmMw8&ved=2ahUKEwistc_bwdnYAhUCE7wKHdiJANIQFjACegQIERAB
      22 Aysha Bewley (Recommended)
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fasimiqbal2nd.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fquran-bewley.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGhtwgqvtkGqr3dNx8mtMCppIGMNA&ved=0ahUKEwiHvvuO_aTVAhUJL48KHd38D5cQFggbMAA
       
      23 Translation Of The Meanings Of The Noble Quran written by Dr. Mohammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Mohammad Taqi Ud Deen Al Hilali
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gph.gov.sa%2Far-sa%2FDocLib%2Fqurantrans%2F6_PDFDownloadLinkFull.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3h2TXX8ZDxmVT1qxS-ohFH&ved=2ahUKEwjVufHxw9nYAhUCNbwKHXtGBgQQFjABegQIFBAB (pdf)
      Or
      http://www.pdfquran.com/download/english/english-quran.pdf (pdf)
      Or
      http://qurancomplex.gov.sa/Quran/Targama/Targama.asp?SecOrder=4&SubItemID=1&SubSecOrder=1&TabID=4&l=arb&t=eng (Online)
       
      24 The Clear Quran –A Thematic English Translation (of the meaning of The Noble Quran by Dr. Mustafa Khattab
      (Recommended)
      https://www.google.co.in/url?rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.quran.labs.androidquran%26hl%3Den%26referrer%3Dutm_source%253Dgoogle%2526utm_medium%253Dorganic%2526utm_term%253Dquran%2Bbest%2Btranslation%26pcampaignid%3DAPPU_1_5j17WZSMEoi18QWJhIyYDA&usg=AFQjCNEMZ6U0X2Mi4W9QRusUkqlM04lOkA&ved=0ahUKEwiUl42qjKzVAhWIWrwKHQkCA8MQ5YQBCKkBMBI (Play Store)
      25 Irfan Ul Quran by Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri
      http://www.irfan-ul-quran.com/quran/english/contents/sura/cols/0/ar/1/ur/1/ra/1en/1/sid/36#65 (online)
      Or
      http://www.irfan-ul-quran.com/quran/english/tid/50/Irfan-ul-Quran-Apps.html (Play Store)
      26 Al Huda (Word To Word)
      http://www.alhudaecampus.com/english-juz-complete (Pdf)
       
      27 Mohammad Mohar Ali (Word To Word)
      https://yassarnalquran.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/word-for-word-translation-of-the-quran/
       
      (Pdf)
      28 Dr. Shehnaz And Kausar (Word To Word)
      http://www.emuslim.com/Quran/Translation_English.asp (Pdf)
      Or
      http://www.islamicstudies.info/quran/wordtranslation.php (Online)
      29 Summary of All 30 Parts Of The Noble Quran (Juz By Juz)
      https://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/juzbyjuz.pdf (Pdf)
       
      30 Quran Dictionary by Abdul Kareem Parekh
      https://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/the-easy-dictionary-of-the-quran.pdf (pdf)
       
      31 Why Islam (Proofs From Modern Science)
      https://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/why-islam-proofs-of-modern-science.pdf (Pdf)
      32 Scientific Truths in the Quran 
      https://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/scientific-truths-in-the-quran.pdf (Pdf)
      33 The Unchallengeable Miracles of the Quran (Recommended)
      https://archive.org/download/TheUnchallengeableMiraclesOfTheQuran-/TheUnchallengeableMiraclesOfTheQuran-Alhamdulillah-library.blogspot.in.pdf
      34 Quran- The Miracles of the Miracles by Ahmed Deedat


      https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.islamicbulletin.org/free_downloads/quran/the_miracle_of_miracles_deedat.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj76JG5u9vYAhWMEbwKHQKNAj8QFjAAegQIERAB&usg=AOvVaw1d36SLSR4fkkKXsh1qnKQ8
       
      (Pdf)
      35 Ahmad Raza Khan
      http://tanzil.net/trans/en.ahmedraza (doc)
      or 
      http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.ahmedraza/19:1 (Online)
      36 Talal Itani
      https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://blog.clearquran.com/download/&ved=2ahUKEwiRgabnxdvYAhWDurwKHVLIAGgQjBAwAXoECAkQBw&usg=AOvVaw3y4lNhpydEVsk3Lox3erA2 (Pdf)
      Or 
      https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://m.clearquran.com/&ved=2ahUKEwiRgabnxdvYAhWDurwKHVLIAGgQFjAAegQICRAD&usg=AOvVaw0JQaRaL2YyX8L75ux1IoC9 (Online)
      37 Kanzul Eeman
      https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.nooremadinah.net/Al-Quran/EnglishTranslation/Download/QuranEnglishTranslation.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj6vqaZyNvYAhVBuJQKHR_pBkUQFjAAegQIDRAB&usg=AOvVaw1Y9tWHbj5furocsFtIm_ic (Pdf)
      Or
      http://ahadees.com/english-translation.html (Online)
      38 Ahmed Ali
      https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.studyquran.org/Ahmed_Ali_Al_Quran.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwja6qXtyNvYAhVBuJQKHR_pBkUQFjAAegQIFRAB&usg=AOvVaw1cumJ7tS2eiIlmS2nqem0M (Pdf)
      Or
      http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.ahmedali/19:1 (Online)
    • By qabelatshams
      “WOMEN ARE COMPLICATED” 
      or so they say... 




      The number one most complicated matter in regards to women is the Fiqh of Women. 

      But it doesn’t have to be. 

      In a step towards empowering Muslim women and uncomplicating matters surrounding them, AlMaghrib Institute is introducing a well-deserved and long-awaited seminar dedicated to the Muslim Woman. 

      COMPLICATED? A-Z of Women’s Modern Fiqh 

      Taught by none other than AlMaghrib’s Vice President, 
      SHAYKH WALEED BASYOUNI 
      A SINGLE-WEEKEND-DEGREE SEMINAR 

      What the course content will cover: 
      1. Public speaking 
      2. Socialization and interaction with the community 
      3. Niqaab and Hijaab 
      4. Beautification and modesty (hayaa) 
      5. Character and etiquette 
      6. Menstruation and purification 
      7. Leading in Salaah and making the Adhaan 
      8. Following the Janazah and visiting the graves 
      9. Zakah and Sadaqah 
      10. Polygamy, marriage and divorce 
      11. And many more… 


      Why should a man take this class? 
      1. Content is related in the MODERN context 
      2. Key to understanding women and appreciating what they face 
      3. Handle Fiqh issues in an Islamic and wise way 
      4. Gain the complete view as a student of knowledge 

      Venue: 
      University of Westminster 
      Little Titchfield Street Campus 
      Little Titchfield Street 
      London W1W 7BY 

      Dates: 
      January 31st, February 1st & 2nd 2014 

      ENROLL NOW: www.almaghrib.org/london 

      Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/almaghriblondon 
      Twitter: [at]qshams
      Follow on Instagram: qabeelatalshams 
    • By qabelatshams
      “An hour for my Lord, and an hour for my desires,”
      I used to hear them say.  And so my world is divided Between a life of amusement And a life of religiosity But what if I can consolidate the two 
      and finally make it feel right?
       
      AsalaamuAlaikum, Almaghrib London presents to you a single weekend seminar by Sh Saad Tasleem! Learn the wisdom and rulings in an interactive way on topics such as drugs, smoking, friends, holidays and much more. A perfect course for our youth, teachers, youth workers, reverts and basically anyone who really wants to know how to live a balanced way of life.
       
      Check out the video!>>> 
       
      Fiqh of Chillin’Fun & Entertainment in Islam
       
      Enrolment Link & Website: www.almaghrib.org/london 
      To find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almaghriblondon
      To follow us on twitter: twitter.com/qshams 
      Youtube trailer: 
    • By MEOC
      Are You A Parent?
      The "Ultimate Parenting Course" is Coming to Town

      Surah Yusuf is an amazing surah that deals with the HUMAN CONSCIENCE in the form of a story. One aspect of this story is the relationship between the child and the parent. On this point Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi comments as follows:

      "The unifying concern of this surah is human conscience – how it is informed, how it is trained and tested, how it is supported and rewarded. This concern is not presented as an argument or doctrine but as a story. We need to reflect on the central concern of the surah and also on why the form of a story works so well to convey it...

      Conscience is located in the deep interior of a person; it is separate and removed (in some ways, protected) from the external world and from the habits of other people. The unfolding of the story in this surah is a demonstration that the integrity of a person’s conscience is sustained by their commitment to connection with God. The attitude and behaviour of Ya’qub and Yusuf, ‘alayhimaas-salam, throughout the intricately woven incidents, demonstrate that these two men are, at all times, aware of being in the presence of God and answerable to Him. The feeling never leaves them that God is present and God is good: when there is not the least sign of things turning out well for them, they seem able to wait with a gracious patience for things to turn out well. At no point do either of them neglect to think, speak and act in the best way, i.e. in the way most pleasing to God.

      Conscience is a personal teacher. What it teaches is sometimes also taught by social convention and religious rules, and laws derived from these. But in the end, norms and conventions, the rules and laws in society, are not sufficient to deter people from doing wrong – if they see other people do something wrong and get away with it, they think: why shouldn’t I do the same? Only a strong, healthy conscience can prevent people from following the habits and manners of the people around them and, instead, doing what pleases God and doing it in the way that pleases God." - Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi

      There are many different courses, books and lectures on parenting and raising children by both Muslims as well as Non-Muslims. This informs us that there is a real issue with raising good children as well as "raising" good parents. But the irony is that these materials and courses often times deal with issues in very superficial ways focusing on techniques, methods, skills, philosophies and ideas. Far from being helpful these are sometimes harmful to both the child and the parent. What is beneficial is beneficial only in a very limited context. The simple reason for this is that they do not really deal with the human conscience which makes the moral judgements and not to mention the fact that the authors themselves have no strong and healthy conscience.

       
      The "Ultimate Parenting Course" is the one that makes the concern of the HUMAN CONSCIENCE central and most important - this is none other than Surah Yusuf - The Best of Stories. If you want to be a good parent and if you want your children to be good children then having a deep understanding of Surah Yusuf is a must for you. This is an opportunity for the whole family with crèche facilities for younger children (2-12 years). You cannot afford to miss this lifetime opportunity.
      Book your place now as the registrations are nearing an end.
       
      Surah Yusuf - The Best of Stories at The Best of Times

      Ramadhan Weekend London & Online Seminar

      By Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi (Oxford)

      Date: Weekend 27-28 July 2013 | Time: 9.30AM - 6.30PM

      Venue: Edmonton Islamic Centre London + Live Online Worldwide

      Overnight accommodation (for men and women) if required and crèche facilities available.

      Limited seats - previous London seminar attracted over 200 people.
      Trailer: http://youtu.be/XfdVitz4qys (2 minutes)
      Video Introduction: http://youtu.be/-PAawIenGUQ (5 minutes)

      Make This Your Ramadhan Retreat

      Buy your tickets now: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/<wbr>events/310119099121919
       
      Please forward and share in the reward!

      Cambridge Islamic Sciences Seminars - London

      Muslim Education & Outreach Cambridge (MEOC)

      Tel: 07736 779448 / 01223 655223 Email: courses[at]meoc.org.uk



×