I am but a man like yourselves
December 20, 2024 3:38 AM Subscribe
It's Friday in the Muslim world, and that means... it's time to read or recite Surah al-Kahf (the Surah of the Cave) !
Friday, or "jumu'ah" as we Muslims call it, actually starts at sunset on Thursday night. So Muslims have till sunset on Friday evening to put Surah al-Kahf into their day.
Any day is a good day to read or recite Qur'an, but paying special attention to Surah al-Kahf on the day of jumu'ah is particularly praiseworthy in our way of life.
For those who can't (yet) recite in Arabic, there is always YouTube. And even reading the surah silently in your first language is beneficial. Memorizing the first and last 10 ayat (very roughly translatable to "verses") of this Surah in Arabic has special benefits.
The Qur'an contains 114 surah, which were revealed to the Prophet Mohammad SAWS over a period of 23 years. Surah al-Kahf was revealed during the Prophet's years in Mecca before his migration to Medina to the north.
Sidi Mohammad Asad (may Allah have mercy on him), a renowned 20th century translator and commentator on the Qur'an and a European Jew who converted to Islam, wrote in his introduction to this surah that "worldly life and power need not conflict with spiritual righteousness so long as we remain conscious of the ephemeral nature of all works of man and of our ultimate responsibility to Him who is above all limitations of time and appearance."
What we're reminded of when we read or recite Surah al-Kahf:
Friday, or "jumu'ah" as we Muslims call it, actually starts at sunset on Thursday night. So Muslims have till sunset on Friday evening to put Surah al-Kahf into their day.
Any day is a good day to read or recite Qur'an, but paying special attention to Surah al-Kahf on the day of jumu'ah is particularly praiseworthy in our way of life.
For those who can't (yet) recite in Arabic, there is always YouTube. And even reading the surah silently in your first language is beneficial. Memorizing the first and last 10 ayat (very roughly translatable to "verses") of this Surah in Arabic has special benefits.
The Qur'an contains 114 surah, which were revealed to the Prophet Mohammad SAWS over a period of 23 years. Surah al-Kahf was revealed during the Prophet's years in Mecca before his migration to Medina to the north.
Sidi Mohammad Asad (may Allah have mercy on him), a renowned 20th century translator and commentator on the Qur'an and a European Jew who converted to Islam, wrote in his introduction to this surah that "worldly life and power need not conflict with spiritual righteousness so long as we remain conscious of the ephemeral nature of all works of man and of our ultimate responsibility to Him who is above all limitations of time and appearance."
What we're reminded of when we read or recite Surah al-Kahf:
- Anything is possible for Allah SWT. ANYTHING.
- We do not speak of anything we plan to do in the future without adding "Insha Allah" (if Allah wills it)
- No matter what happens in our lives, good or bad, it is by the will of Allah SWT. We do not create our own successes or failures, and if we do take credit for our successes, we're likely to lose them
- We cannot know the full story as to why events happen, and if we guess at those reasons using our limited human insight, we're likely to get it very wrong. Allah SWT is the best of planners
- Iblis (Satan) is the sworn enemy of humankind because he was cast into Hell for refusing to honor the command of Allah. Again: arrogance at the root
- Sometimes certain people are given some power or rulership over other people, and that power is to be used to the benefit of those people
- The Prophet Muhammad SAWS was not divine: "just a man" like those he addressed
- Allah SWT is the only God and we do not associate partners (or offspring) with Him
Today I learned. Thank you for teaching.
posted by humbug at 6:31 AM on December 20, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by humbug at 6:31 AM on December 20, 2024 [2 favorites]
Thanks!
posted by From Bklyn at 12:32 PM on December 20, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by From Bklyn at 12:32 PM on December 20, 2024 [1 favorite]
What a lovely post!
I work with young people every day, and remembering the fundamental truth of “Sometimes certain people are given some power or rulership over other people, and that power is to be used to the benefit of those people” is something I return to over and over through the day, both in my own mind and out loud with the folks who I work to benefit.
I note, for example, that it is remarkable how effective in the long term it often is to tell a child about to finish playing with a toy to return it to its proper place by mentioning that doing so lets the child show their peers that they understand that the next person who will use the toy is important to them.
In fact, reminding children of their power to positively improve their surroundings in an age-appropriate way and then watching them rise to meet the required tasks at hand without even needing to directly and specifically ask them to clean up or put away a particular thing can radically shift adult perceptions around what an acceptable level of mess really is in places like school playgrounds.
Given sufficient adult guidance, the right tools and enough time, a group of empowered kids will absolutely transform — and with the right systems, be able to mostly autonomously maintain — places we as adults might quickly write off as impossible to keep clean or organized because “kids are so messy”. Having 200 kids eat lunch in the same space at the same time but not leave a single wrapper or piece of food on the ground is not some unattainable goal, or something you only achieve with a lot of shouting; instead, if you help them learn how to use their power, limited as it is individually, to collectively make their world better, it becomes second nature.
posted by mdonley at 3:45 PM on December 20, 2024 [3 favorites]
I work with young people every day, and remembering the fundamental truth of “Sometimes certain people are given some power or rulership over other people, and that power is to be used to the benefit of those people” is something I return to over and over through the day, both in my own mind and out loud with the folks who I work to benefit.
I note, for example, that it is remarkable how effective in the long term it often is to tell a child about to finish playing with a toy to return it to its proper place by mentioning that doing so lets the child show their peers that they understand that the next person who will use the toy is important to them.
In fact, reminding children of their power to positively improve their surroundings in an age-appropriate way and then watching them rise to meet the required tasks at hand without even needing to directly and specifically ask them to clean up or put away a particular thing can radically shift adult perceptions around what an acceptable level of mess really is in places like school playgrounds.
Given sufficient adult guidance, the right tools and enough time, a group of empowered kids will absolutely transform — and with the right systems, be able to mostly autonomously maintain — places we as adults might quickly write off as impossible to keep clean or organized because “kids are so messy”. Having 200 kids eat lunch in the same space at the same time but not leave a single wrapper or piece of food on the ground is not some unattainable goal, or something you only achieve with a lot of shouting; instead, if you help them learn how to use their power, limited as it is individually, to collectively make their world better, it becomes second nature.
posted by mdonley at 3:45 PM on December 20, 2024 [3 favorites]
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posted by fight or flight at 3:43 AM on December 20, 2024 [1 favorite]