On the day of Eid, the believer will not remember the thirst and hunger felt during Ramadan, but only the good deeds, the accomplishments, the change, the transformation, and the spiritual joy of having come closer to God. That’s the reward, but there are those who will regret for not having seized this great opportunity. In fact, even the believer in a way will regret on the day of Eid that did not do better.

Likewise, when life ends, people either will expect reward for what they’ve brought forth or regret and grieve. So, there is a great parallel between Ramadan and life itself. While on the day of Eid the believer has the chance to celebrate as well as make up for what could have been done better, or even repent of what he or she has done wrong, the death seals everything. Nothing can be changed after it. It is either eternal joy in Paradise or never ending woe and sorrow in the Hellfire.

Ramadan is a great lesson – a school one of its kind. It compels one to change. It can elevate one to another level of consciousness and spirituality.

The fasting of Ramadan is the greatest manifestation of human free choice and exercise of free will. Voluntarily, one decides to deprive himself or herself from food, drink and intimate relationship from dawn to sunset, which apparently is not an easy task unless there is a great reason behind it, in this case, obedience to God’s command. Animals cannot carry out this task.

We all want to change and grow into better human beings. Deep down, we all feel that there is a type of need that cannot be satisfied by material things, such as food and drink. We seek to change and improvement, but we lack conviction. We procrastinate. We get distracted. We forget. Sometimes we lack guidance. In this regard, Ramadan is exactly that month – the month of change and character transformation.

On one hand, Ramadan teaches one that food and drink are not to be taken for granted while, on the other hand, they are not everything one needs. By restraining the physiological activity, the spiritual dimension will be revived and grow, exactly like the body.

Ramadan teaches discipline. It encourages self-restraint. It enjoins reading and reflecting on the meaning of the Qur’an. It is the month of spirituality, reflection, knowledge and intensive spiritual training – preparing one to know God more, which is the most sublime reality.

Eid Mubarak to everyone, those who have fasted and those who couldn’t or didn’t, even to those who regret that didn’t grasp this divine opportunity!

From the bottom of my heart, wish you a happy Eid and may Allah accept your fast and the good deeds!

Sabri Lushi

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Have you ever seen those who have a political or social position, who lead people and mislead them, who speak in the name of people, whose very lives are inseparable from that image, to the extent that they become blind and slaves of their own persona – do you think they are going to change their mind if the truth is clarified to them? Do you think they are ready to give up what they have for the sake of the truth?

Have you seen those who are famous, who live for fame, whose lives revolve around it, who, ironically, are turned into slaves of it, who benefit from it, who enjoy it and their fame is everything for them – do you think they are ready to give it up for the truth?

Have you seen the one who has spent the whole life studying in Secularist schools, which are filled with disinformation, lies, propaganda, whose curricula are based on purely political agendas – not pure science, who have been exposed to that type of knowledge from a young age and graduate, perhaps with honors, and then get a good job because of that certificate – do you think such a person is ready to accept the truth if it contradicts his or her education and preconceived notions?

Have you seen those who stick to an idea, who continue living a certain life, who argue, who think they are upon something, who even feel some sense of life accomplishment, yet they are doing that perhaps for some mediocre or ordinary reasons – for money, for a job, for a house, for a woman, or perhaps they are afraid of facing negative consequences should they lose any of those? So, there is no great reason behind them, no belief, no conviction, and no certainty even if they appear acting upon a great cause.

Such are some of the examples of what the Qur’an refers to as the locks of heart, which prevent people from understanding the truth, from reflecting and pondering over the Qur’an, which says,

“Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Or are there locks upon their hearts?” [47:24]

In other words, the Qur’an is saying that there are impediments to the understanding of the Qur’an, which are called locks.

The Qur’an has been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in clear and plain Arabic as a guidance for humanity and in order to reflect on its meanings, yet people fail to understand it, not because the Qur’an is not clear and eloquent, but the hearts are locked according to the Qur’an itself; they are prevented by preconceived notions, arrogance, money and position etc.

Sabri Lushi

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The first surah is named, “the Embryo.” The symbolism couldn’t be more powerful. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was being instructed from the very beginning that his mission was about to teach to people a great revelation and a global religion. Apart from the matters related to the hereafter and salvation, the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was to bring up a new nation who would found a new civilization.

Islam started in Mecca as an embryo. It was the revelation, knowledge, the learning through the pen and the extraordinary patience and prophetic persistence of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which transformed the pagan Arabs from the illiterate people to great missionaries, worriers, and emissaries of the Message.

Within two decades, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions – completely transformed – rose to power. A new state was formed and a new civilization was founded, that is, the civilization of Islam – the civilization of “Read!” and learning by the pen.

Within a short period of time, Islam became a world religion and the Islamic civilization became an undisputed global power. Islam changed the world forever. It taught humanity knowledge, good manners, the love for scientific research, and the appreciation of beauty and asceticism alike.

Nevertheless, a century ago, Muslims lost their power. For the first time, they lost their caliphate. For the first time, they were defeated completely by the British Empire and its European vassal states. Officially, Muslims are under occupation, so they are not allowed to have independent military and political power. Their affairs are controlled by the British Rule.

Quite often, I wonder if there is some wisdom behind this defeat. In my view, there is a great wisdom. Had Muslims been to power all the time, one might have thought that Islam is merely a political ideology, like the British Secularism, which can exist as long as its adherents have power. Once power is gone, Islam would perish.

After a hundred years of occupation and defeat, Islam did not die. This shows that this religion is not related to power. Muslims follow Islam not because they serve a caliphate or a dynasty. The wisdom behind the loss of power is to show the world that Islam is followed by over billion Muslims only because it is the truth, which will not die, even if they don’t have political and military power, as it is the case today. Muslims are ready to endure the western political persecution because Islam is the truth.

Sabri Lushi

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The Qur’an says that the first human being to have been created is Adam – the father of humanity. Then, God created Eve – the mother of humanity, from Adam, as if a piece of him of taken apart and his mate was formed.

God could have created Adam and Eve separately and made them need each other. However, there is a significance in this type of creation. This shows that Eve was not merely another human being or creature to whom Adam was attracted.

No! Eve was part of Adam. Literally and biologically, they were two halves of the same whole. A part of Adam was taken apart and formed another human being in a way so both they were compatible with each other and both they would complete and complement each other to form the same original unit – complement and balance each other physically, sexually, emotionally, in terms of skills and in terms of genes in the creation of fetus.

Allah says in the Qur’an in the chapter named ‘the Women’,

“O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate.” [4:1]

In another ayah, the Qur’an says, “And one of His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find comfort in them. And He has placed between you compassion and mercy. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.” [30:21]

Indeed, the fact that Eve was created from Adam in order to become two parts of a whole, each needing the other, completing and balancing each other is so significant and we can witness this truth. This shows that misogyny is not natural, but political. How can a man hate a part of his own?!

When I compare the Qur’an’s narrative and its wisdom with what we can observe in nature, it all makes sense. The Qur’an is saying that human being was a single person, then divided into two different parts so they can complete each other, but they are not the same. This shows that a man cannot complete a man and a woman cannot complete a woman. This is how life functions.

Yet, Secularism and the corrupt West are trying to mock the whole humanity in a way that should abash all of us for this immorality that the world is sinking into. I don’t think that the whole human history has ever witnessed a more misogynistic ideology than the British Secularism, which is obsessed with control and political oppression. Women have never been more oppressed than what the corrupt West is doing to them. The western politics is misogynistic and immoral. Slowly but surely, the corrupt West is pushing its misogynistic agendas ahead by redefining women and marriage every time they are confronted with economic crisis.

Sabri Lushi

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So, what is happiness?

The biggest misunderstanding about it is that generally people confuse happiness with pleasure and good life. Given the fact that materialism has affected our view of the world almost in every aspect, we are inclined to define happiness only from a materialist point of view. That’s why it is hard to find two people define it the same as well as barely is there any materialist thinker who can give a comprehensive meaning of happiness.

On the other hand, the Qur’an presents a very comprehensive and consistent meaning of happiness. As the Qur’an is unique in its discourse, it avoids defining it as an academic book would do; instead, it speaks of the place where happiness can be achieved, and it gives the logical reasons behind this divine affirmation.

According to the Qur’an, happiness exists only in Paradise, and there are three logical reasons behind it. First, the residents of Paradise have unlimited and never ending food, clothes and shelter to maximize their pleasure; second, there’s no fear for the future – fear of death and loss; third, there is no grief for the past. Only if these are possible, one can find happiness.

In other words, the Qur’an makes a clear distinction between pleasure and happiness. We could experience pleasure, but that’s not happiness because it does not last. Any kind of pleasure in this world is limited and finite. At the same time, everything that we assume is the reason for happiness, which is confused with pleasure anyway, is prone to loss and end. If one owns a beautiful mansion, he or she is either afraid of losing it, or, in case it is gone, he or she will grieve over it.

So, the Qur’an is saying that as long as something is prone to loss, it cannot be the reason for happiness. Owing a house, having a good job, a family, children, a luxurious car and clothes and food, all of these could give one some pleasure, but the very fact that they might end or that we might lose them, this makes us have fear, and if we lose any of them, we grieve.

Paradise is free from the fear of loss and the grieve for the past. This is the very definition of happiness according to the Qur’an. In this world, however, people can achieve happiness only if they do the deeds which lead to the place of happiness, i.e., Paradise, not the deeds of pleasure.

Pleasure is a worldly reward and an incentive to do something, to live, to strive, but it is not happiness. Happiness cannot be contingent upon something that ends and is temporary.

Sabri Lushi

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We’re living in an unprecedented world. The access to logistical means, such as the mass media, technology, instant communication, mass surveillance, the demise of privacy, and the total control on people’s finances, has given modern governments virtually unlimited power and control over population.

In my view, the world has never seen a much more consolidated dictatorship and despotism and tyranny than what we are witnessing nowadays, in the West and in the East, not because those who lived before us were necessarily better and more compassionate, but because they didn’t have the logistics of our time.

What is making the whole situation worse is the moral degradation of the world. The British Global Government unfortunately has adopted Secularism as its official religion and political ideology. This ideology doesn’t subscribe to any moral values or transcendental principles. It is a hardcore pragmatist and materialist ideology. It values atheism and paganism while it considers Islam as the enemy number one.

Due to the political power that the British Global Government holds, it has managed to spread massively the British Secularism with all its branches and demonstrations, such as communism, democracy, socialism, Marxism, Leninism, fascism, Nazism, nationalism, liberalism, left wing, right wing, and terrorism.

In addition, the British Secularism considers family and the concept of tribe and clan as a big hindrance to its power, so it has invested heavily in the destruction of family and social ties among people. The fabric of society has been torn apart by the British Secularism and our modern governments, which are controlled by the British Monarchy.

This means that it is a very difficult time for people who subscribe to the values of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. This means that people who believe in God are losing political power. Believers and those who follow the traditional values are literally under imminent threat by the Secularist governments, by the British despotic and anti family laws, and by the corrupt courts of law.

Therefore, self-discipline is not simply a choice, but a necessity for survival. Self-discipline, knowledge, the nurture of soul and the acquire of divine wisdom are among the most important factors which can help us to resist this degradation and political despotism. In this regard, Ramadan provides the best recipe for all of the above. Ramadan is the month of piety, and that’s what we need in this difficult time.

Sabri Lushi

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