2015/ 3/ 28 (Sat)
We invited Professor Okuda Atsushi from Keio University to our mosque and he kindly gave a lecture to junior and senior high school students. The following lines report the features of that lecture.
Time: After Asser till 17:00
Place: Prayer room in third floor of Masjid Nagoya.
Attendees: 12 young males, 6 young females and about 30 adults (including listeners in the second floor).
- Allah is the first and the last being too. He exists to the outside and to the inside of us as well. Since Allah has made everything he knows everything. And then everything is a sign of Allah.
Therefore Islam religion has a wider receiver than all.
- The ideal about the Islamic society is summarized in the (collective) prayer. Everybody aligns equally behind the Imam and they all perform the same movements. Particularly in that scene the order, the harmony and the unification are found.
There is no such an order in the Middle East currently. One must not keep thinking of only himself. One should know that on the judgment day he will be judged for what he has done.
- A Muslim doesn’t get discouraged when his parents or teacher don’t acknowledge what he is exerting his efforts in because he knows that it will be acknowledged by Allah at the last judgment.
Since the Muslim knows where he will go after death, he is not afraid of death. Endurance will acquire additional points for entering paradise.
- What awaits for the Muslim when he excels the five pillars of Islam which are concerned with the physical body, and excels the six pillars of Imaan (faith) which are concerned with the heart, is Ihsaan (perfection of good deeds). We can call these three things joined together as “Islam”.
It is important to keep in mind while living that Allah is watching day after day and moment by moment.
We can not see Allah but Ayah (signs) of Allah are there. Let’s perform the good deed just as if (we were looking at) Allah sitting in front of our eyes.
- It is not right that it is sufficient to pray only. It is essential to understand deep by heart whom you are praying to. If you keep praying without understanding that, you will be satisfied by the appearance (of the prayer) only. Therefore, let’s study the Qur’an.
In this world, there are persons who don’t know Qur’an, persons who don’t read it although they ought to, and persons who go to “Jihaad” after they have read only a part of it. Being dutiful to one’s parents is more important than Jihaad. To sadden the parents is the worst. Let’s think of cheering the people round us first.
- Killing innocent people is not Jihaad.
The Jihaad of this time is the exertion to introduce Islam by the nice word and the nice attitude. Or else, it is to utter a word of truth or justice in front of a tyrant. It is not to pick a weapon and fight. Because, anyhow, the situation of the world we are living in is just the situation of Jahiliya (ignorance period before prophet Muhammad PMBUH).
- It is now a situation of Jahiliya all over the world. It is worse than the era of Jahiliya before which Islam was revealed. (worse) Because it is a situation of Jahiliya existing although Muslims are there too.
Inside us it is neither 100% a devil nor 100% an angel. It is good, while understanding our own selves which perform good and bad deeds, to manage to skillfully bring out (from inside us) the (hidden) part that performs the very angelic good deed.
A good spirit is a nutrition of (another) good spirit. It is good to be with people who have good spirit no matter they are Muslims or not.
Since you are living in Japan, be greatly prepared, and then let’s exert our best efforts to cast the lights of Islam upon the Jahil (ignorant) world.
* Children who wanted to hear the speech of the professor after Maghrib too gathered in the office.
Time: After Maghrib till 19:00.
Place: Office in the first floor of Nagoya mosque.
Attendees: 9 males, 2 females and 3 adults.
- Various types of knowledge are essential; however, let’s think of what is essential for our present life.
It is better to know one useful thing than to know 100 dull things.
- Making a fresh start again can repair everything if it takes place before the judgment day. It is good to head towards one’s goal and progress little by little without overstraining oneself. What should not be forgotten there is “LA ILAHAA ILLALLAH”.
- Prophet Muhammad PMBUH denied the believers who appealed to total devotion. The important thing is the balance. Therefore, it is important to study Qur’an and Sunnah.
Let’s study Arabic, read the Qur’an by ourselves, and think by ourselves.
*I quote a kind message sent by Professor Okuda after the lecture:
“Although I think the lecture was a little hard for the children as it was long and difficult, but they listened silently and carefully. That was very helpful to me.
Nevertheless, they were truly very well-mannered children. This is the result of the efforts of the mothers I guess.
Alhamdulillah, thank you very much”
