Article by Necip MUZAFFER
Basmalah, hamdalah, and salwalah. Each representing some other alternatives, these are the abbreviations of three phrases I whisper before, after, or during anything I do or anything that happens to me.
Now, please don’t confuse my whisperings with incantations.
Let me explain. Events in life, as you know, are of two types. Those that you do intentionally, and those that simply happen. And when I experience either one I whisper my whisperings, either in the beginning, or during, or at the end.
Those that I do are simple, and few in number. Take one page or two in my diary. And those that happen are too complicated to be understood and limitless in number. Take one for example, and it doesn’t take you very long to fall in love with, or to adore, or even to idolize. I bet the founder of Hinduism might have taken the Cow for example.
Saadi Shirazi takes the breathing, or the air so to say, for example, who says: “Inhaling extends your life, exhaling comforts your being, each requiring one thank from your grace”
Now, before I fall in love with them I need to stop explaining them, because I have Jihad to be defined. My explanations of them thus far were to show you the subjects of my whisperings.
My deed as opposed to Allah’s deed. Don’t even compare. Neither in terms of number nor in terms of quality. His are creation before our eyes, and mine is… I don’t know. Meaningless.
The only way for my actions to be meaningful is, you’ve guessed it, by whispering the basmalah, hamdalah, and salwalah.
Basmalah stands for bismillahirrahmanirraheem. Meaning: in the name of Allah who is the most merciful, to all, here in life, and only to believers in the hereafter. When I say basmalah, I remind myself, the thing I’m about to do is only for what we call the “riza” or “ridha” of Allah subhanahu wa taala. Riza literally means the consent of Allah. Our actions that Allah is pleased with. Or simply avoiding the Harams and performing the Halal.
So it is like my mission statement. Why I do what I do. Now I challenge you to find a reason more perfect than being for the riza of Allah. Can you find one? You are free to consult Simon Sinek the author of the book “Start With Why”.
Hamdalah: Alhamdulillah, Meaning: Hamd belongs to Allah. Now, remember above I wrote about falling in love, adoring, and even idolizing. Falling in love, worshipping, praising, thanking and all that good things simply mean hamd. And hamd belongs to Allah, not the event itself. With hamdalah I don’t let the event hack my heart away from Allah.
Salwalah is short for: allahuma salli ala sayyidina Muhammadin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallim. Meaning: to explain the meaning I need the reader to be a Muslim. And to a Muslim, I don’t need to explain the meaning. Allahu taala, his angles, and all believers including Jin say salwalah to Rasoolullah alayhissalam. There are a lot of occasions I say salwalah, but before and after doing anything I always whisper it, just to be intact with Rasoolullah’s way of doing things.
Doing things the Rasulullah’s way aka Islam has five pillars: 1. Believing by heart and saying by tongue that there is no God worthy of worship, and worthy of love, but Allah. 2. Salat aka Namaz: The five times a day prayer. 3. Siyam aka Rozah: Fasting in Ramadhan. 4. Zakat: to explain the meaning I need the reader to be a … 🙂 You’ve got the idea. 5. Hajj: Going on the Pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.
To wrap up, I bear in mind that to do things I am being fortified non-stop by Allah, and not the event itself. And surrender to the guidance of Muhammad Rasoolullah, alayhi ahsanu minassalawatullah, and let his guidance only define how I do things. By saying the basmalah, hamdalah, and the salwalah.
And so becomes each of my actions a Jihad. This means drinking a glass of water provided the whisperings become a Jihad.
Now my dear and not so dear readers please be the Jihad defined to. Doing things for the riza (remember the consent) of Allah, fortified by his power that we are given non-stop, and with the guidance of his Messenger Muhammad alayhissalatu wassalam is called Jihad.
Simple enough?
Oh, wait. What about the actions of the Taliban, Boko Haram, the Daesh? Aren’t they Jihad?
No. They aren’t. Sorry for disappointing you. To be able to declare a Jihad (as a war) one needs to be a Khalifah, and the true Khalifah is the one who has a predecessor. For a century now, no one succeeded Mehmed the Sixth.
What are the Taliban then if not a Jihad? Well, they are the Devil’s Game. Didn’t you know that?
They are well written in the book called “Devil’s Game” by Robert Dreyfuss. Please read it.
