Volume 8, Number 3

September-October-November 2000

Letter from the Editor:

For so many years, we have been advocating upholding GOD's commandments in the Quran, but as always we do not get our priorities in line as GOD wants us do. This happens because we always approach the Quran in less than a sincere way. This approach will leave us reading verses in the Quran many times and miss the point that GOD wants us to see and uphold. Before I get too carried away, let me site a verse for you from the Quran that I have referred to so many times to people but failed to see its actual significance and awesome meaning. Here is the verse:

This verse was quoted to argue that performance of Salat is an inspiration from GOD which is absolutely correct. However, note the way GOD prioritize His Inspiration. He first inspires people to do good, then He inspires them to do the contact prayer and finally to give the Zakat.

This means that people who behave arrogantly, and treat others with mean heartedness, then turn around and do their contact prayers, are not inspired by GOD. They have their priorities mixed up. GOD does not command according to confusion. We read over and over in the Quran "those who believe and lead a righteous life...", which means that believing is only the first step and we must augment it with good work. I do not know how to tell you to do good work, because it is an inspiration from GOD. However, reading the Quran tells us being humble is righteous, sheltering orphan is righteous, truthfulness is good, sincerity is good, helping others is good, being nice to others is good and many other good things that people who are inspired by GOD do automatically without even thinking about it.

We, therefore, should ask these questions from ourselves. Have been nice to people? Have we been nice to the traveling alien. Did we despise the beggar? Did we invest our time and our money helping others. Did we give the adopted child his/her genetic name? Do we treat our parents nicely? Do we spy? Are we suspicious? Do we tell half truth? Do we subdue our eyes? Do we frown? Do we shelter the orphan? The answers to these questions should be given honestly and truthfully and if done so, GOD will see to it that our lives will change for the better and we are in the position to obey GOD better and better.

Being nice is so important, especially in this month of Ramadan. We are fasting and the fasting is for GOD alone. No one owes anything just because we are fasting. We cannot turn into mean and obnoxious creatures during the day and just refrain from eating and drinking. We must suppress the feeling of just because of fasting we maybe better than everyone else. These can be achieved only by GOD's help. We cannot do this on our own.

I can tell you that the only way to be inspired by GOD, is to ask Him and He will respond and I give you the good news by referring to this Sign from GOD.

2:186 -- And when my servants ask you about Me, Indeed I am always near. I respond to the calling of the caller when he calls. Then you shall respond to me and believe in Me that you may be guided.

This is the good news of the Quran when all else fails. This is how "good" replaces "evil" within a person. Approach GOD humbly and He will respond.

Also one has to recognize that he or she is not leading a righteous life or is not doing good. Again, this is only achieved, by GOD's help.

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