Assalamualaikum
I Rely need help your help to answer this question.
1) In the Quran 3:159 “…then when you have taken a decision, tawakkal (put your trust )in Allah. Syed Qutb , says that the Rasul s.a.w. quotes this verse when the sahabah went to see him and ask whether he would want to reconsider the decision to protect Medina at Uhud . The lesson to be drawn is that once a decision has been taken, one should not entertain thoughts of reconsidering, etc. but rather act it out resolutely. In this case he will still uphold the decision to protect Medina at Uhud .
a)Is the tradition relating to the quotation of the verse during this incident a sahih one?
b)Could you inform me of other verses that stressed on the firmness & resoluteness of character and to avoid being indecisive?
2).One of the important teachings of Islam is to be truthful. It is no doubt relevant when dealing with people/society.
However does it apply equally in the realm of our psychology & subsconscious mind? In Psychology,it is a well known fact that one can change oneself through positive self-affirmation & visualisation .It is believed that the self-affirmations to the subconscious mind is best done in an “already achieved mode”. For example,a student who is weak in mathematics and wish to improve on it should say the self-affirmations as “I am excellent at mathematics” & also visualize himself as ALREADY being good at Maths repeatedly(even though he is not that good at the moment). Or a person who is a coward could reprogram his mind by saying to himself,” I am brave”,etc. This is so that the subconscious mind is set with the positive intended goal and thus will program the whole body with the message.
But the question is that such self-affirmation is not the truth (or not the truth yet).
When he is telling himself that he is ALREADY being good at Maths, he is actually “lying “ to himself. But is it acceptable in Islam in this case?
In surah al-Anfaal verse 43 & 44 describes how Allah makes the Muslims see the enemy as small in number whereas they are actually LARGER than the Muslims. So it seems it is allowable to “lie” to oneself in a positive way?
Also the concept of “husnul zann” of giving “70 excuses” when dealing with Muslims show that we prefer to see the positive aspects rather than the real truth?
Syukran jazilan..
Thank a lot for your answer..
Sorry no one here seems to be able to help with your questions about the Quran.
I went to www.google.com and entered understanding quran, and here are the results. There may be help in one or two of these sites for you:
http://www.google.com/search?q=understanding+quran&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA
Waalaikumassalam. I would be glad to help you with your questions. Let's start with the first question:
1a) To determine whether the tradition relating to the quotation of the verse during the incident is sahih (authentic), we need to refer to the field of hadith studies. The authenticity of a hadith is assessed based on a detailed examination of its chain of narrators. The scholars of hadith specialize in this field and have classified hadiths into various categories, including sahih. Without accessing the specific narrations in question, it is not possible to verify their authenticity in this conversation. Therefore, it is advisable to consult reliable Islamic scholars or references to determine the authenticity of the tradition you mentioned.
1b) There are several verses in the Quran that emphasize the importance of firmness and resoluteness of character. Here are a few examples:
- Surah Al-Anfal (8:46): "And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient."
- Surah Hud (11:112): "So stand firm [in faith], as you are commanded, and those who turn in repentance with you, and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do."
- Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:54): "O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-encompassing and knowing."
These verses highlight the importance of staying firm in one's beliefs, avoiding indecisiveness, remaining patient, and striving in the cause of Allah.
Moving on to your second question:
2) Islam emphasizes the importance of being truthful in dealings with others, but it also encourages positive self-talk and self-affirmation to cultivate a positive mindset. While self-affirmation is encouraged, it is important to distinguish between positive self-talk and outright lying.
In the context of self-improvement, it is acceptable to affirm positive qualities and visualize oneself achieving a desired goal, even if one hasn't reached that level yet. The intention behind this practice is to motivate oneself and build confidence. However, it is crucial to maintain sincerity with oneself and always strive to improve and align with the truth.
The example you mentioned from Surah Al-Anfal (8:43-44) illustrates a situation where Allah provided the believers with a positive perception to boost their morale in battle. This was a specific context and not a general principle of lying. It is important to understand the broader principles of truthfulness and strive to maintain honesty in all aspects of life.
Regarding the concept of "husnul zann" (thinking well of others) and giving excuses in dealing with Muslims, it is not about distorting the truth but rather about having a positive outlook and assuming the best intentions of others until proven otherwise. Islam encourages individuals to be forgiving, understanding, and patient in their interactions.
I hope this helps clarify your questions. If you have any further queries, feel free to ask!