What is Justice?

The Concept of Justice in Islam

Imagine waking up one morning to the sound of gunshots. A man has just been killed. You pass by a home where you hear some children crying, orphaned, and left alone to suffer because of the crimes of other people. On the other side of town, you witness a home that has just been robbed, its residents thrown out mercilessly. You walk past a quiet street and see a car that has been vandalized, its windows broken to shattered glass. Now, just for a moment, stop imagining, switch on the TV, and go watch the news. Chances are you will see all this happening right in front of your eyes, and even more, in our very real world!

Injustice is very widespread on this earth. There can be no peace without the firm establishment of justice. The more you see injustice, the more you realize the importance of establishing justice in the land. When mankind lacks guidance on how to live their lives, the entire structure of society is damaged. Allah (swt) has sent down the Quran as guidance for all of mankind, with all the rules and regulations we need to stay on the right track. Islam is a very complete way of life. Every rule that is good for humanity has been ordained in the Shariah of Allah (swt). Everything we need, in order to live successfully, can be found in the Quran. Amongst these very important divinely instructed laws is the law of establishing justice. Allah says in the Quran:

“Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that you may receive admonition.” (Surah An-Nahl: 90)

In this study, we will Insha’Allah, explore the different ayaat of the Quran relating to the topic of justice, and how we can apply them in our daily lives.

What is Justice?                         

Before we begin, let’s look into the definition of justice. What is justice, and what do we understand from this term?

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word “Justice” can be defined in the following ways:

1.     The quality of being just; fairness.

2.     The principle of moral rightness; equity.

o    Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness.

o    The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law.

o    Law, the administration and procedure of law.

o    A Judge

3.     Conformity to truth, fact, or sound reason.

The Islamic definition of ‘justice’ comes under the same categories. Justice, as defined in the Quran, commands mankind to behave in a fair and just manner. Allah (swt) has commanded us to protect the rights of others, to be fair and just with people, to side with the one who is under oppression, to help and be fair with the needy and orphans, and to be just and not go beyond the boundaries set by Allah, even with our enemies. We are required to be fair and just in all circumstances, and in all situations. We must establish justice in society. This is the law of our Creator. Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

“Verily, Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He (Allah) gives you! Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All Seer.” (Surah Nisa: 58)

Justice: The Law of Allah

Establishing justice is the law of Allah (swt). It is part of the balance which Allah has created. In Surah Ar-Rahman, Allah (swt) describes how He has created a balance of justice, and why:

” And the Heavens He has raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of justice). In order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice, and fall not short in the balance.” (Surah Ar-Rahman: 7 – 9)

Upon examination of these ayaat, we can understand three different points.

1. Allah (swt) has created the balance of justice in this world. This is His Divine Law.

2. We are not permitted to transgress against the system of balance that Allah has created.

3. Allah (swt) has commanded us to establish weight with justice, and ordered us to refrain from falling short in keeping this balance.

Allah is Just

Amongst the Great Names and Attributes of Allah (swt) is Al-Hakam, which means, “The Judge”. Allah (swt) is the Most Just, and He judges the affairs of His beings with full justice. There are several ayaat in the Quran which describe the justice of Allah (swt). Among them are the following:

“Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves.” (Surah Yunus: 44)

“Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom, and if it is a good deed He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.” (Surah Nisa: 40)

“And He gives you of all that you ask for. But if you count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude.” (Surah Ibrahim: 34)

We understand from the above ayaat that Allah is just, and He does not do injustice to mankind. It is men who do injustice to themselves. Not only is Allah just and fair, but He (swt) is so just, that He will not even do the injustice to the weight of an atom. On top of that, Allah will only multiply our good deeds, and will reward us for that. SubhanAllah, how Merciful Allah is! He (swt) gives us ALL that we ask for, and there is no way we could possibly count all of our blessings. It is mankind, who is unjust, and ungrateful to the bounties of Allah.

Source: The Concept of Justice in Islam

to be continued . . . .

The Purpose of the Spiritual Quest and Sura Fatiha

The Purpose of The Spiritual Quest and SuraFatiha

By Maulana Imran Hosein

http://imranhosein.org

delivered at Maulana Ansari dhikr group gathering,

Abd-al-Aleem House, Cape Town, South Africa.

Lecture transcribed by Irshad Soofie (http://www.sufi.co.za)

We begin with Allah’s Blessed name; we praise Him and we glorify Him as He aught to be glorified and we pray for peace and blessings on all His noble messengers and in particular the last of them all, the blessed Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). 

Nabi Muhammad (pbuh) warned; he warned of an age that is to come, which would be a terrible age, more terrible than any age that mankind would ever had experienced since Adam came on earth. Very few would survive that age. A terrible, evil, mastermind will attempt to take control of the world. And that terrible, evil, mastermind of whom Allah had hinted when He said:

 Say I seek refuge in the Lord of Daybreak

From the evil of that which He created

That terrible, evil mastermind will attempt to impose his evil, oppressive dictatorship over the whole world and mislead mankind’ and deceive mankind. That evil mastermind will have a PhD in deception. That in that age things will not be what they appear to be. That appearance and reality would be completely opposite to each other. That he would take the road to heaven and make it look like the road to hell; and he would take the road to jahannam and make it look like the road to heaven. Those who see with only external knowledge; that’s all; the PhD from the University of Cape Town will be unable to penetrate his deception. Will form judgment on the basis of external knowledge; of external observation and would be deceived; would believe that they are on the road to heaven; when in fact they are on the road to hell and they don’t know it. 'The purpose of the spiritual quest' the ultimate purpose, in this world, of the halaqatul zikr, is to be able to see what otherwise cannot be seen. The ultimate purpose in this life of the spiritual quest is therefore spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge comes when external knowledge and internal knowledge are harmoniously integrated with each other. Allah  (swt) speaks in the Holy Qur’aan about a people who have no internal knowledge; who do not pursue the spiritual quest or who pursue the spiritual quest but are not conscious of what is the goal of the spiritual quest. Who believe perhaps that the spiritual quest is ultimately for the purpose of being able to perform karamah; actions which look like what the Prophets performed as miracles; and who do not understand that the spiritual quest is ultimately, for the purpose of acquiring internal knowledge. And He says of such people who are spiritually blind. He says [in the Holy Qur’aan in the 7^thSura, al-Araaf [The Heights], Verse 179:]

They have hearts but they do not understand

They have eyes but they do not see

They have ears but they do not hear

[They are like cattle]

These people, who would be the multitudes in that last age, they have a status equivalent to cattle. Even with a PhD from the University of Cape Town! Yes! They have a status equivalent to cattle.

[nay, but they are worse!]

Rather they are more misguided than cattle. And so, this is the ultimate purpose and ultimate goal, in this life of this gathering that we have here tonight, this beautiful gathering.  And; my purpose tonight is simply to remind; to redirect towards that ultimate goal – internal knowledge. Nabi Muhammad (pbuh)  said and my teacher of blessed memory Maulana Dr. Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari   was so fond of quoting this hadith. What did the Prophet   say? He said: 

Ittaku firasatal mu’min fainnahu yanzuru bi nurillah

Fear the internal knowledge; the internal, intuitive, spiritual insight; of the

mu’min because when he sees’ he sees with the nur of Allah  (swt).

Tonight, in this brief and blessed moment that Allah (swt)  has given to this humble servant to be with you let us briefly examine the subject of the nur of Allah (swt) and how it enters into the heart. First of all it is not going to enter into the heart if we have haraam in the pocket.  If we have money in a fixed deposit and we are taking the interest. If we are ripping of our clients. If we are employing someone to work in the kitchen and we are paying her slave wages. The purification of the heart comes first. The purification of the heart would come when our conduct is righteous; and so tazkiyyah comes before al-Ihsaan. 

Having said that; some companions of the Holy Prophet   were on a journey and it was evening time; and they were tired; and they were hungry. They came upon a tribe who were not Muslims. They worshipped the idols; but still Arab hospitality is famous and they were expecting some hospitality but they got none because the tribe didn’t like the new religion, Islam. All right! So they settled down and spent the night. During that night a snake bit the chief of that tribe and they had no means of curing it. He would die by morning time. So they humbled themselves and they came to the companions of the Prophet   and said: ‘Do you have anything to help us, this is our chief and he is going to die’. So we said, ‘Well! Since you treated us so badly; if we are to help you out you are going to have to pay for it’. They said: ‘How much!’ So we said, ‘A hundred sheep’. They said; ‘Deal’. One of the companions went and he recited Suratul Fatiha; and he blew on the chief and the chief was cured. So they collected the 100 sheep and they came back to Madinah. They went to the Prophet  (pbuh) and they said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! This is what happened; can we keep the sheep’. He said: ‘Yes! Keep the sheep because people are paying for services, much less than what you have done’.  He also said that in Suratul Fatiha, listen to it, there is a cure for every illness.

So Suratul Fatiha is not only Fatihatul  Kitaab- it is not only that which opens the book, it opens much more than the book. In fact it opens the door to nur from Allah. How does it open the door to nur from Allah (swt)? Well if Suratul Fatiha has a cure for every illness; there is that which logically follows from it. That is; He Allah  (swt) is the Shafi. From Him comes shifa- only He can cure. Not the hospitals, not the doctor, only He Allah   can cure.  So it follows that if Suratul Fatiha reaches Allah (swt); then Suratul Fatiha can open the door for the dua to be accepted. Then any and every illness can be cured. These are not my words; these are the words of he whom was sent to teach the Qur’aan. Well then how can Suratul Fatiha open; remember it is al- Fatiha; ‘that which opens’; how can it open the way, the road to Allah  (swt)  ? So that it may reach Allah (swt). In Suratul Baqara, Allah   (swt) says: [The 2^ndSura, al-Baqara, verse 29]  

He it is who has created for you [subjected to your use] whatever is on the Earth [everything].

Then He directed His attention to the sam’a

And He fashioned this sam’a, as seven samawaat

Having performed this task’ of fashioning the seven samawaat, so that between this world and the arsh of Allah   there are seven samawaat. He   then concludes with these words:

‘aleem

He doesn’t say kabeer; He says: ‘aleem

‘I have done this so that in this creation of Mine there is an avenue to ilm

from ilm. So between here and the arsh are seven samawaat. He has also described the seven samawaat as being seven samawaat which are pregnant with nur, because did He not say: [The 24^thSura, al-Nur (The Light), Verse 35] [Allah   encompasses the totality of the Nur in the Heaven and the Earth]. So the seven samawaat are pregnant with nur. But then He makes mention in the Qur’aan [15^thSura, al-Hijr, verse 87] about:

The Seven Oft-repeated (verses)

Which are constantly, constantly, constantly recited!  Nabi Muhammad  (pbuh) told us that these seven verses were the seven verses of Suratul Fatiha. I often wondered why it is that Nabi Muhammad  (pbuh) was so particular, that whenever he recited Suratul Fatiha, he always recited each ayah separately.     

[Allah   says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 39thSura, az-zumar verse 9:]

‘Imran! Can you ever be equal to the one who has knowledge when you do not?’

The one who knows why Nabi Muhammad (pbuh)  recited each ayah of Suratul Fatiha has to have more knowledge. I didn’t have it. So sometimes you will hear mere citing: Three ayah in one. Nabi Muhammad (pbuh)  would not do that. So why did he recite each ayah separately in Suratul Fatiha and he would never combine two ayahs? Never! The answer is very straight forward. These are seven verses and those are seven samawaat. This is al-Fatiha; not only fatihatul kitaab but fatihatus samawaat. Each ayah of Suratul Fatiha opens a sam’aa and at the end of Suratul Fatiha as we say ameen, if we don’t have any haraam money in the pocket and if we are paying the African servant in the kitchen a wage, which is a just wage; and if we are not deceived by murabaha transactions, that these are halaal when in fact they are riba through the back door, that all Islamic banks are doing, then our Fatiha will reach the arsh. 

When al-Fatiha comes at the beginning of the salaah; at the beginning of the raka’a and we recite it ayah by ayah with the consciousness – this is called the psychology of religion- that our recitation is ascending the samawaat; then we won’t be thinking about how much traffic there was on the road while we were coming here; we won’t be thinking about the business transaction that I might have had today or might have tomorrow; whilst performing salaat. We won’t be thinking about ‘You know she shouldn’t have put so much pepper in the food’. If we are concentrating on each ayah of Suratul Fatiha transporting our recitation of the sura through the samawaat then by the time we reach aameen we would have been psychologically transported to the arsh. Then in that sublime situation; the rest of the recitation of that rakaat will take place. And each rakaat of salaah performed that way. You can understand now why did Nabi Muhammad said: As salatu Mi’raajul Mu’mineen

That in salaat there is the Mi’raaj of the believer

But, then he   also said:

As salatunur

That salaat is nur

Meaning that salaat could be the door through which nur can enter into the heart. So, nur comes down from the arsh through the 'sabAAa samawatin' into the heart of the believer. As that nur enters into the heart- the angel asks, ‘tell me what is alIhsaan’. You remember. You don’t remember. You’re not shaking your head. 

All right! Let me remind you because you know the subject. It was the last stage of the life of the Prophet (pbuh), he had performed the Hajj, returned to Madinah, he has about 81 days to left in his blessed life and in that period the companions were sitting in the Masjid with the Prophet when a stranger entered. He was dressed in white, his hair was black but he was a stranger-nobody knew him- he was not a resident of Madinah. So if you’re not a resident of Madinah it means that you have come from outside. In those days you didn’t have air-conditioned automatic Toyota Camry’s and Hondas. You have to come through the desert. You have to come on a camel. So if you were a stranger; you had to come from outside and therefore you would have dust on your clothes, eyebrows, beard and hair. He didn’t have a speck of dust on him. So he didn’t come from outside of Madinah and he was not a resident of Madinah. 

So where did he come from? Did he come down from the sky? This is a moment pregnant with drama. There is something puzzling. There is something baffling. There is something mysterious. There’s something mystifying. There’s something enigmatic about this moment. This is an unforgettable moment. Allah’s wisdom is at work. The stranger walked through the gathering and came straight to the Prophet and sat down in front of him with his knees touching the knees of the Prophet and nobody moved. So this is a monstrously dangerous breach of security. Because this is the head of state and the Prophet of Allah (swt)  and we have just conquered Makkah; and the pagans of Arabia are biting their teeth in anger. So this could be an assassin, probably sent from Washington, and if he pulls out a dagger none of us is close enough to prevent him. So this is a monstrously dangerous breach of security and it is inexplicable because the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) were extreme in their zealousness to protect him. So the puzzling, baffling, mysterious, mystifying, enigmatic nature of the moment-the drama- is increasing. Then the stranger begins to ask questions – but he’s not asking questions about what is the speed limit on that highway- he’s asking questions about Islam, the religion.  He asks questions and he knows the answers. What is this? We know that you will only ask the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)  questions when you do not know the answer. When you already know the answer and you are questioning him, and when he gives the answer you say his answer is correct. What are you? A principal of a school and he’s a student? So the drama is intensifying. What is Islam? What is Imaan?  What is al-Ihsaan?  When will the last hour come? What are the signs of the last hour? Every time the answer is given- ‘your answer is correct’.  At the end of the five questions he got up; as unceremoniously as he entered he left. ‘We were left with our mouths open’- Speechless!  Who was that? Then the Prophet   turned to Umar. ‘O Umar! Do you know who he was?’ ‘Allah   and His Messenger  knows best – we don’t know who is he?’ That was Jibraeel, in a moment in history, unique. It never happened before. It will never happen again. This is the one moment in all history, when Jibraeel   came in the form of a human being. Not just before one girl to say to her, ‘You will have a baby boy’. And she says, ‘how can I have a baby boy when no man has touched me?’ Not that kind of a meeting. This is before everybody.

‘That was Jibraeel   – he came to instruct you in your deen’. This event took place after Allah   had sent down revelation to announce [5thSura, al-Maaida: Verse 3

This day I have perfected your 'deen' for you, completed My favor upon you, andhave chosen Islam as your religion.

‘This day’- the job is done finished. ‘I have perfected for you your deen; I have completed my favor unto you’. After that! Now- this? So there must be something tremendously important here- that Allah   should save this until after he has perfected the deen. What is it?

My teacher Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari   taught one of the most important lessons of all he taught. He said, ‘Never take any hadith in isolation- and study it in isolation- always take the entire body of knowledge, connected with that and study the body of knowledge; and locate the thread which binds it together in a whole’. That thread which binds it together as a whole he calls, ‘The System of Meaning’. When you have located the system of meaning now go to the solitary hadith to study it. So these five questions- we now look at them as a whole. When we look at them as a whole, we then discover that they’re divided into two parts.The first part is- ‘What is Islam? What is Imaan?  What is al-Ihsaan?’- Three stagesof religion. The second part- ‘When will the last hour come? What are the signs ofthe last hour? In other words this hadith and event is telling us that when that age comes; when that evil mastermind, begins to take control of the world and when appearance and reality would be completely opposite to each other. When things will not be what they appear to be. When Nabi Muhammad (pbuh) raised his hands and he prayed:

Allahummaarinalashia’qama’i

O Allah   ! Kindly show us things as they are

Meaning that we might not be deceived by what they appear to be. When that age comes- when women will be dressed and would yet be naked! When that age comes- when women will be dressed like men; with a jacket and a trousers, and maybe even a tie! When that age comes- when people will eventually be having sexual intercourse in public like donkeys! When that age comes- when there willbe the universal consumption of alcohol! When that age comes- when riba will be so prevalent, all over the world – then you will not be able to find a single person– not one- in all of mankind, would not be consuming riba! If a man says, ‘I am not consuming riba- verily the dust of riba will be upon him’.  ‘Verily the vapour of riba will reach him’. When that age comes- when time will appear to move faster and faster; a whole year will pass and would seem like a month; a whole month will pass and would appear like a week; a whole week will pass and will appear to be just like a day; a whole day would pass like an hour; a whole hour would pass like a the amount of time it takes to ??? When that age comes- then the only ones who will survive that age! The only ones who would be able to penetrate the deception of that age – and not be deceived! The only ones who will be able to penetrate the reality of things in that age! The only ones who read with nur from Allah (swt) would be the ones who have traveled the road from Islam to Imaan to Ihsaan. So when he was asked, ‘What is al-Ihsaan? He replied and he said:

anta’budallahakaannakatara

That you worship Allah   as though you are seeing Him

When Nabi Musa (pbuh)  went up the mountain, Mount Sinai; he spoke to Allah  (swt) and he said:  [al-Araaf, the 7th Sura, Verse 143]:

Show me Yourself! I want to see You!

What did Allah   say?

No! Musa! You cannot see me!

[Not with these eyes! you cannot see Me!

How can I worship Allah   as though I am seeing him when it is impossible to see him? That’s a good question. The companions of the Holy Prophet   they asked, ‘O Messenger! Will we be able to see Allah   on the last day?’ Remember whose asking the question. Not Mr. Bush and company! It is the companions of the Prophet  (pbuh) who are asking the question. ’ He said, ‘Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun when it is mid-day?’ They said, ‘No!’ He asked, ‘Do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon when it is full moon?’  They said, ‘No!’ He said, ‘that’s how you are going to see your Lord on the Last Day.’   

The Qur’aan   says, ‘You can’t see Me’ and how can the hadith say ‘you will see Him’. Looks like a contradiction here; doesn’t it! How do we resolve this apparent contradiction? If we cannot see him with these eyes; do we have any other eyes besides these eyes? There is no more important question than this in this age. This is the most important question. There are many important questions in this age- but this is the most important of all. Do we have any other eyes besides these eyes?  Now you are beginning to understand; what is the ultimate purpose of this assembly. Do we have any other eyes besides these eyes? Do we have any other ears besides these ears? This is-it’s a big word I am going to use- epistemology. This is the study of knowledge. What is knowledge? How is knowledge possible? From whence does knowledge come? The evil mastermind, who attempts to take control of the world in the last age, declares that knowledge comes only from external sources- external knowledge. The Qur’aan says, ‘No!’ The Qur’aan gives another epistemology.

Allah   says [22nd Sura, al-Hajj in Verse 46]:

Will they not travel through the earth?

So that perhaps, perchance, (by traveling through the earth) their dead hearts might come alive

When the dead heart comes alive they will be able to understand with the heart, what they could not understand before.  

When the dead heart comes alive, 
they will be able to hear what otherwise they could not hear

For certainly, surely

It’s not these eyes which are blind

What is blind is the heart inside the chest

So when nur comes down it will come down only when the heart has faith. When we speak with the lips that, ‘we worship You Lord’ but in fact in the heart we worship our bank account- then that’s not faith. Like the man in Suratul Kahf –the rich man- he worships Allah (swt)  from his lips, but in his heart he worships his two gardens- his wealth. That’s not faith. When faith enters into the heart; when we sincerely worship Allah   - and He will know if you sincerely worship Him.

When the war on Islam begins we will know who are those that run for cover and say: ‘No! If I go on this road I will not get my U.S. visa. The U.S. visa is more important to me than serving Allah. If I walk on this path I will not get a green card. If I walk on this path my business will be jeopardized. If I walk on this path they will call me a terrorist. So, ‘No! Not me.’ We say to Allah, ‘No! We cannot walk on the path of serving you’. When there is true faith in the heart then you will have a back bone made of iron and steel and not recycled paper. You will be a man with long pants and not short pants. This spiritual assembly is meant to produce men of iron and steel – not men of recycled paper. If this spiritual assembly is being held week after week and we are still made of recycled paper, then the spiritual assembly is simply a mechanical act; not a dynamic act producing men of iron and steel. When there is faith in the heart and Allah  (swt) tests you. When you pass the test then nur enters into the heart.  When nur enters into the heart we are now able to see and not be deceived by appearances. Suratul Fatiha is what opened for us the journey- Suratul Fatiha at the beginning of every rakaat of salaah. 

What happens when we get nur in the heart? What happens when we can now see what otherwise we could not see and we no longer will be deceived? Let me give one example and we will end. Insha-Allah!

Everybody know what is a credit transaction? A credit transaction is one in which you given time to pay.  Nabi Muhammad  (pbuh) used to buy goods and he didn’t have the money to pay cash and he was given time to pay by a Jewish shopkeeper; and so a credit transaction is halaal. But nowhere would you find that the shopkeeper was allowed to raise his price, when the transaction is a credit transaction. Cashprice and credit price must be the same. Because if you raise credit price higher than cash price then money would be increasing because of time- that’s simple isn’t it. I have to wait for my money –so because of time my money should increase. That’s riba! You don’t agree with that! If I have to wait for my money and you must now pay me more because I am waiting- then time equals money. That’s riba! The essence of the definition of riba in Arabia was if I had to wait for my money I was entitled to an increase in money. That was riba in Makkah and Madinah and this is riba. So credit price and cash price must be the same. The Prophet  (pbuh) warned. He said, ‘you will follow them step by step those who came before you  to such an extent that if they were to go down into a lizards hole you will also go down into the lizards hole’. 

That’s where we are today. Around the world ‘so-called’ Islamic Banks – Islamic Financial Institutions- around the world are now lending money on interest and disguising it as a sale and describing it as something called murabaha. No it’s not murabaha, its riba. The Commercial banks lend you money from the front door; the Islamic banks lend you money on interest through the back door. Yes! They call it murabaha. If you only see with external knowledge you’ll be deceived. If you are in the halaqa – which is the beginning of the spiritual path- and nur comes to you and you are able to see with the nur of Allah  (swt) then you will not be deceived. Then you will be able to recognize that this is not murabaha this is riba. 

A house is on sale for 500,000 rands and you don’t have the cash to buy the house- but the cash price of the house is 500,000 rands. That’s the market price. Tom, Dick and Harry; everybody knows it- except perhaps the bank manager. So I go to the ‘so-called’ Islamic Bank and he says, ‘No problem! We’ll buy the house for the 500,000’. That’s a lie because he never buys the house- the bank will never have legal ownership of the house. Never! That’s a lie! The bank says, ‘we’ll buy the house for the 500,000 and we’ll sell it to you for a million. We will give you 20/30 years to pay for it’. So the credit price is a million; because it’s a credit transaction. What’s the cash price? Its 500,000! Why would I pay 1 million for a house whose cash price is 500,000 rand? There is only one honest answer to that. I am prepared to pay 1 million because you are giving me time. So the difference between the credit price and the cash price is because of time. That’s riba!   

The amazing thing is all the Muftis- let us not call any names- giving fatwa this is halaal.  Nabi Muhammad (pbuh)  warned about it. An age of spiritual blindness! An explosion of www.externalknowledge.com!  Internal blindness! So Muftis, Maulanas and even Sufis around the world- even Sufi Shaykhs- with a spiritual blindness- are declaring this to be halaal when it is riba. I have given you only one example –there are many more examples. So let us end as we began. That the purpose- Maulana Ansari should have been delivering this lecture, not me- the very purpose, the essence of the spiritual quest is internal knowledge. The capacity to see with the nur of Allah(swt)! The capacity to see what otherwise cannot be seen! The capacity to understand what otherwise cannot be understood. The capacity to penetrate beyond external appearance to reach to the internal reality of things!      

Allahummaarinalashia’qama’i

O Allah   ! Kindly show me things as they are

That I may not be deceived by what they appear to be! I pray that Allah   might give us a chance to meet again but if we never meet again- this is the message that I leave with you. This is the purpose, the goal of the spiritual quest. I pray that Allah (swt)  may bless you all to be able to achieve nur. To be blessed with nur from Allah (swt) and so be able to see with the internal eye.  

Source