هَلْ جَزَاء الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness? Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? (55:60-61)

Sometimes it feels as if nothing is going right. No matter how hard we try negativity showers from all around us. Terrorism, corruption, natural calamities is all what we hear and see. Why? Have we played a role in this? We certainly have not attained the reward of goodness.

In such times we should bring positivity in our life, in our actions. The verse emphasises that goodness attracts goodness.

We have been given the responsibility, the potential, the knowledge and yet…

Which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

“Who is he that will loan to God a beautiful loan, which God will double unto his credit and multiply many times? It is God that giveth (you) Want or plenty, and to Him shall be your return.” (2:245)

God promises, that whatever we genuinely spend in charitable causes is returned to us multiplied one way of the other.

 وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُواْ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not." (2:30)

The term ‘vicegerent’ is defined in the dictionary as “someone appointed to exercise all or some of the authority of another, esp.. the administrative powers of a ruler.” Our appointment as “vicegerent on earth” is a very powerful one, and sounds daunting if you look at it in this way.

Most of us fail to recognise this responsibility and most importantly the potential we have to fulfil this responsibility.

The verse also highlights our weaknesses that, Angels warned God, would hinder us in fulfilling this responsibility. We know well, how to do mischief and bloodshed on earth.

The verse made me think how well informed the Angels were, about this new creation and it’s characteristics. The second part of their statement that “whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" hints to the fact that they were also very disappointed by this appointment and were probably expecting themselves to be given a chance.

But there was something they missed out on. The role probably required a lot more than just praises and glorification. The verse ends with God’s response: "I know what ye know not." – mention of the term “Knowledge” and that is exactly what got us in this role.

Among us there are many who represent our weaknesses and we see this in wars and destruction all around us but at the same time we have this amazing potential to do God’s work on earth. That mean a lot.

Everything that happens on Earth is within our remits, even the natural disasters I would think. If we are God’s vicegerent on earth, are we doing justice to this role? why are we subservient to the wrath of the earth? Something to think about!

“Indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

And [yet] they divided their affair among themselves, [but] all to Us will return.

So whoever does righteous deeds while he is a believer – no denial will there be for his effort, and indeed We, of it, are recorders.” (21: 92-94)

After reading all the stories in succession and then coming to the conclusion that this religion is ‘one religion’ left me with the feeling that perhaps the divisions in religions are made too pronounced by people and we get too caught up in the differences rather than the commonalities. Looking at it holistically as “one religion” that was started with Adam & Eve and went on till Muhammad with hundreds of thousands of Prophets in between pronouncing the same message also makes one think that perhaps sometimes we give way too much importance to rituals and the minutiae of ‘practiced religion’ rather than the spirituality and the universal themes that most of the world’s religions refer to.

ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَم يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِعمَةً أَنعَمَها عَلىٰ قَومٍ حَتّىٰ يُغَيِّروا ما بِأَنفُسِهِم ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ

"Because Allah will never change the grace which He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls: and verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things)." (8:53)

Relevant to our current situation… Allah bestows His grace freely, but He never withdraws it arbitrarily. Before He changes their state and circumstances, an actual state of rebellion and contumacy has arisen in their own souls, which brings about its inevitable punishment.

اذْهَبَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى

فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى

“Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds;

“But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (God).” (20:43-44)

What I find amazing about this verse is that while admitting that Pharoah has transgressed all bounds and was perhaps the meanest biggest baddest ruler, God still instructs Moses and Aaron to speak to him mildly. Two things strike me about this: First that no matter how bad someone is, we still need to keep our own tongues (and manners) in check and secondly, we should not give up on people. Even knowing how bad Pharoah was, this verse still points to hope and gives him a chance in case he repents.

“He it is Who sends down water from the sky, and therewith We bring forth buds of every kind; We bring forth the green blade from which We bring forth the thick-clustered grain; and from the date-palm, from the pollen thereof, spring pendant bunches; and gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon its ripening. Lo! herein verily are portents for a people who believe.” (6:99)

وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

“And swell not thy cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for God loveth not any arrogant boaster.” (31:18)

…

Muslims all over the world are fasting these days in the Islamic month of Ramadan. Muslims follow the lunar calendar and it is for that reason that Ramadan is not at the same time each year. Fasting is not unique to Islam, it is found in Judaism (on the Day of Atonement) and is practiced during Lent by Christians. It is also common in many non-Abrahamic faiths as well.

Muslims have a meal in the morning before the dawn breaks and begin fasting when the crack of dawn appears, which is as early as 3:30am (in UK) for the first few days of Ramadan. The fast ends as the sunset begins. Muslims offer short prayers during the day and also attend special congregational prayers in the evening which are normally held at fixed times. Fasting demands refraining from not only food, drink, and intimacy but also form vain talk, lying, backbiting, slander, tale-carrying and the like.
All Muslims are expected to fast except children, unhealthy adults (mentally or physically), adults travelling long distances, and women who are menstruating, in post-childbirth care, pregnant or breast-feeding.

Fasting at Work:
In pressured business environments, people who are fasting often work exceptionally hard in the month of Ramadan, ensuring that business and client needs are met in addition to their daily pre and post working obligations. Naturally, there is a need to maintain a sensible work/life balance.

Also the unusual sleeping pattern demands a flexible working pattern for some. Flexible hours have been a success in some Service units as employees can start early and leave early, working the same number of hours. Individuals who are fasting also do not take many of the usual daily breaks for eating and drinking during Ramadan.

So, if someone in your team is fasting, it is advised to discuss and agree on a working pattern for the month.

If you have any queries regarding the month of Ramadan, please feel free to contact the Accenture Muslim Interest Group.

Ramadan Mubarak.

“And when trouble befalls a man, he calls on Us, lying on his side, or sitting, or standing; but when We have removed his trouble from him, he goes his way as though he had never called on Us for the removal of the trouble that befell him. Thus it is that the doings of the extravagant are given a fair appearance in their eyes.” (10:13)