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PREV VIDEO
Hodja recites a prayer (dua).
Beloved audience, our lecture continues with discovery notes on the lessons of the life-giving light (nūr) that is eternal. May Janâb-i Haqq grant us eternal bliss, and make us attain the mercy (rahmat), pleasure (riza), and certainty (yaqeen) of Almighty Allah. May Janâb-i Haqq make us taste faith (iman), make us taste life, and make us earn the pleasure (riza) of Janâb-i Haqq. May Janâb-i Haqq accept our supplication and make us attain these by the grace (lutf) and benevolence (ihsan) of Allah. We will continue to give you our discovery notes starting from the 48th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9]. In the 48th verse and the subsequent verses, Janâb-i Haqq explains the exalted laws and what has been offered to us. As for us, we will try to perform our obligations as servants (qul), whatever Allah offered to us and wanted from us. Firstly, we will understand this from the Glorious Quran and the Islamic order that Hz. Muhammad brought. We will undergo the guidance (irshad) of this, and we will get to know Al-Quran Al-Karim, we will discover it, and we will be recipients of its light (nūr), so that we may now how is our duty. We will try to perform our duty the way our Rabb wanted from us. Now, about our lecture. We will continue to give certain discovery notes on the Expedition of Tabuk. Our Prophet (asw) established military camp at Thaniyyāti 'l-Wadā' (Hill of Wadā) for the Expedition of Tabuk, meaning he prepared a good army while setting out for the expedition, and he established military camp in the hill of Thaniyyāti 'l-Wadā'. Ibn Ubay and his men had arrived there, and he got stationed at a place called zicidde. This was somewhere on the lower sections of Thaniyyāti 'l-Wadā' (Hill of Wadā). This place was called zicidde. Ibn Ubay arrived there with his men. Then, he stationed his men and his soldiers there.
They were not few in numbers either. Do you know who Ibn Ubay was? He was one of the chiefs of hypocrites (munafiq) in Madinah, and he was among the pioneers of the hypocrites (munafiq). Now, pay attention! They portray themselves as though they were joining the fight with the Prophet, but actually they are scheming many plots in secret. In the end, when our Prophet (asw) set out for the expedition, Ibn Ubay and others who were having second thoughts all returned back. Among those who returned back were Ibn Nebtel, Rifâa, and Ibn Yezîd. They were also chiefs of the hypocrites (munafiq). They did not join our Prophet's army with their men, and they returned back. Ibn Ubay had a treaty of amity with Sons of Avf. Ibn Nebtel had one with Children of Amr, and Ibn Nattun had one with Banu Qaynuqa. Ibn Ubay tried to scheme this exact plot in the Battle of Uhud as well. See, he wanted to cause disorder (fitnah) in the Battle of Uhud as well; and he was all about fitnah.
Hypocrites (munafiq) are the dangerous disbelievers (kāfir). See, the most dangerous disbelievers (kāfir) in the world are the hypocrites (munafiq). They look like Muslims. Al-Quran Al-Karim narrates the state of mind of the hypocrites (munafiq) in the best possible manner. If you know Al-Quran Al-Karim, then you will know all types of people and state of mind very well. That is why humanity should know Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim. The life-lessons, the lessons of the life-giving light (nūr), narrate you to yourself, and Al-Quran Al-Karim narrates who you are to yourself. And also narrates you other people's words and actions, and their state of mind. It is necessary to know Al-Quran Al-Karim well in order to get to know life and humankind.
Beloved audience, now, Janâb-i Haqq has exalted statements in regards to these realities in the 122nd verse of Surah Ali Imran [3].
This narration is present in the Tabaqat of Ibn Sad. "They brag about their verbal and actional hypocrisy (nifaq), and the hypocrites (munafiq) return to the side of disbelievers (kāfir), because they do not get along well with faith (iman)." They do not get along with Allah, Islam, or the Prophet. They do not get along well with true believers. For there is no chance of coalescence between hypocrisy and faith, fraud and honesty. Impostor people do not like honest people. Kufr does not like iman. Shirk and nifaq does not like iman. That is, those who are in the wrong path do not ever like honest and chaste people. However, they also speak about honesty and righteousness verbally, but their hearts refute their tongues. Now, Janâb-i Haqq announces these truths. Allah is our possessor, helper, greatest guardian. Our disposition (tasarruf) and custody (walayah) belongs completely to Allah. This is how a believer (mu'min) thinks, and he acts within the command of Allah for a believer (mu'min) says, "Our possessor is Allah. Our helper is Allah. Our greatest guardian is Allah. All disposition (tasarruf) and custody (walayah) belongs to Allah. Power and omnipotence (qudrah) belongs only to Almighty Allah." He says, "Trust in Allah." That is, he completely trusts in Allah, and his total submission is to Allah. He completely submits to all commands of Allah.
Believers (mu'min) are like that, they perform their duties as servants (qul), and they do their good deeds, and they take all measures, and gather strength; and they know that power (quwwat) and omnipotence (qudrah) belongs completely to Allah, and that they are from Allah. There is the following narration which is present in Bukhari Sharif, Muslim, and others in Kutub al-Sittah. Most of you know this but it is more important to know the contents as well. That is, "lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata ʾillā bi-llāhi l-ʿaliyyi l-aẓīm," this succinct and exalted quote is utterance of our Prophet, and Al-Quran Al-Karim has many exalted contents that verify this. Now, what is said here? Says all power (quwwat) and omnipotence (qudrat) belongs to Almighty Allah. All power and strength is of Allah. That is, there is no power or strength besides the power and strength of Almighty Allah. Whoever is given power (quwwat), the giver of it is Allah. Omnipotence (qudrah), power (quwwat), and strength are completely with Allah. They belong to Allah. Those who have been given have been given by Allah. Let us get this right, listen well, and read these well! There is no power or strength other than the power and strength of Almighty Allah, let us get this right! Now, there are many mindsets that refuse to understand this, and this cannot be understood when there is no faith (iman).
As for iman (faith), it is nourished by Al-Quran Al-Karim, enlightened by it, and met with the truths. Iman (faith) takes its strength from the Quran, and the truth and reality (haqq wa haqiqa). As Al-Quran Al-Karim is nothing but utterances (kalam) of Allah, and as iman (faith) takes its power and strength from it, iman (faith) is surely powerful. It is as much powerful as it is nourished and supported by Al-Quran Al-Karim. That is why, for one thing, a person who knows that all power (quwwat) and omnipotence (qudrah) belongs to Allah also knows that Janâb-i Haqq personally created and manages whatever there is in the heavens and the earth.
Hodja recites a part of the 54th verse of Surah al-A'raf [7].
Deniers see power and strength in others, and they see it in themselves. Deniers assume power (quwwat) is nafs (self). Whereas it is Allah who created all selves (nafs), and sustains them. They say, "We seized the matter," but a nafs (self) that does not rely on the Real (al-Haqq) has nothing, and what they trust is a mirage. Now, what is a mirage? They look to a desert from back, and imagine water. They go near it to see there is no water or anything, and it was a reflection that he saw, and it was seen as water. Those who do not know that power (quwwat) and omnipotence (qudrah) belongs to Allah, and those who deny this, will see that the whole of life is nothing but a mirage. They will realize that, but if the whole of humankind meets Al-Quran Al-Karim before it is too late, then everybody will benefit. They will lose everything unless they believe because when one sees a mirage, he will assume what he is seeing is water. As for people who trust in Allah, they will never be shocked. This is because Janâb-i Haqq who created and sustained humankind, gave them provision (rizq), kills and resurrects them, and gives them power and strength is Allah Ta'ala, and Allah will give them as the Creator. Nobody has a share of divinity, not partially nor in any other way. From the smallest atom to biggest planets, everything is by Allah's creation. Janâb-i Haqq has left humankind free. The servant earns, and the Creator creates for it is Janâb-i Haqq who sustains the lives, and it is Allah who personally sustains all life, creates all life, and renews all life. The bounties that we eat and drink are from Allah. Allah may render what you eat and drink a remedy or calamity for you. Allah does whatever you deserve, and Allah's justice is undeviating. Allah's omnipotence (qudrah) and power (quwwat) has no bounds. That is why believers (mu'min) put their trust in Allah, and they are not shaken; true believers (mu'min) are like that. In that jihad of Hz. Muhammad, when the greatest and most powerful armies of the world attacked him, he never ran away from the enemy for he is with the Real (al-Haqq). He took his measures, and Allah's aid was with him.
With that said, heroes who studies in his ecole were raised, and just caliphs, great rulers, states people, and great commanders were raised in that ecole for those who put their trust in Allah are not shaken. Now, what is tawakkul? Tawakkul is to put all your effort in fulfilling the command of Allah. Now, pay close attention! If only the Muslims could get the real meaning of tawakkul. Tawakkul is the name of working to fulfil the commands of Allah by putting your heart and soul into it. It is not to submit the fulfilment of the duty to Allah for Allah does not carry out a duty in your name. Allah helps you through seen and unseen ways while you perform your obligation, and all help is from Allah. All grace (lutf) is from Allah, and it is Allah who creates causes. No matter what comes to your way from any direction, it is from Allah. As for sins, they are from our own nafs (self), and it is still Allah who creates what we want without limiting our freedom when we want to commit a sin. However, Allah is not pleased (riza) with any sin.
In order not to put our freedom under constraint, if we want something good it is created, and when we want something evil it is also created. Creation is from Allah. We only earn (kasb), but Allah creates (khalq). Tawakkul is not about submitting the fulfilment of the duty to Allah. What is it? Muslims perform their duties with full effort, but the command and decree belongs to Allah, for we only try to fulfil the command given by Allah. The command and decree are from Allah. Now, as for qadar (fate) and qada' (decree), latter of which is necessity of qadar (fate), they are from Allah. However, the obligation of fulfilling the commands one by one is with us. That is why it is necessary to understand tawakkul and submission very well. The command and decree are from Allah. It is not tafwid-i obligation, it is tafwid-i command. That is, do we have the chance to tell Allah to do our duty? There is no such chance. So, what do we do with our tafwid-i obligation? We try to fulfil our obligations of servitude ourselves. However, tafwid-i command; we subject to Allah's command. See, we fulfil our obligations, and we receive the command from Allah. We follow the commands and decrees of Allah. We perform our obligation by submitting to Allah's command. That is why it is not tawakkul to abandon the obligation. That is an utter crime, rebellion against Allah. It is not tawakkul to abandon the obligation, it is rebellion against Allah. Do you think Allah will perform your obligation instead of you? Get tawakkul right, and also get submission right! Do you think you may abandon your duty, blame qadar (fate), and then talk about tawakkul? If you blame qadar (fate), then what you do is like murder upon murder. That is slander to Allah. Get your mind straight! Get these matters right, and if only there were people who explained these to you in this manner everywhere in the world!
I am sorry to regretfully inform you that nobody has the time to care about other people's problems in the world, in the grave, in the afterlife (ākhira), and in the great gathering (mahshar) for the world has entered into their hearts, and there is bilging in the ships, ships started sinking in the sea, but nobody knows. As for those who know, people don't want to hear them because the world has entered into their hearts, leaving no quarters for Allah, the Messenger, the Quran, knowledge (ilm), or learning (irfan), nor is there any time left. There is a world that lives in this state. O humankind! We are all servants (qul) of Allah. We are to serve Allah, that is our duty. To serve Allah is an eternal sultanship because you will live in the eternal seas of mercy (rahmat) of Allah; that is servitude to Allah. If you rebel against Allah, and do not fulfil your obligations as a servant (qul), then you will be deprived of this mercy (rahmat) for eternity, and you will also be struck by punishment, is that not a pity? That is why beloved friends, let us understand tawakkul and submission to Allah (c.c.) very well. Almighty Allah is not to fulfil your obligation for you, rather you are to perform your duty as a servant (qul).
Allah already equipped you adorned you with blessings (nimat). So, did you contribute in any way while your head was being created? No, you don't. Did you or someone has a contribution as your eyes were being given to you? No, you don't. Janâb-i Haqq created your soul, body, organs, systems, cells, flesh, intellect, spirit, will, and the contents of your soul, and your spiritual abilities, your bodily structure, your face and character beautifully. Also, placed you in a world where you can live. Allah created air and water, and bounties, along with everything in the heavens and the earth. See, placed us in blessings (nimat) and said, "Acknowledge your Rabb, and worship Me. My mercy (rahmat) is endless. So, live in my blessings (nimat) for eternity. You are mortals, but I will make you live for eternity as long as you are in the life-giving light (nūr), which is Islam. Study the lessons of the life-giving light (nūr), learn them, and I will bestow upon you the eternal and immortal life," says Janâb-i Haqq. See, janna (paradise), immortal world has been prepared. Death in the world is a gate for transitioning to janna (paradise). What we call grave is a gate from the world to the afterlife (ākhira), it goes to janna (paradise) for some, and goes to jahannam (hell) for others. Death prepares some to janna (paradise), and some to jahannam (hell). As for grave and the realm of barzakh, they are either a layer from the layers of janna (paradise), or a dungeon from the dungeons of jahannam (hell). This saying has been narrated with regards to Hz. Muhammad (asw).
Now, we will fulfil our obligations as is due, and complete our duties against Allah, our duties against the Prophet, and our duties against Al-Quran Al-Karim. We are to fulfil these obligations. We will not say things like what Children of Israil said to Musa (a.s.). So, what did Children of Israil say to Musa (a.s.)? See the 24th verse of Surah al-Maidah [5] to read what they said.
Hodja recites a part of the 24th verse of Surah al-Maidah [5].
They said, "O Musa!"
See, Children of Israil addressed the Prophet (asw), and said the following to Musa (a.s.): "You and your Rabb, go ahead and fight."
Never, never in ever! Do you see this insolence? They addressed a Prophet, and Prophets take command from Allah and convey (tabligh) it to people. Al-Quran Al-Karim came to Hz. Muhammad from Allah, and he conveyed us the commands of Allah.
See, back then Musa (a.s.) was assigned, and he had the Torah in his hands. He had Torah al-Shareef. See, those who betrayed Musa and the Torah back then, and those who betray Hz. Muhammad and Al-Quran Al-Karim today are those who rebel against Allah; because it was Allah who appointed him back then, after that Allah the One appointed Isa with the Bible, and it was Allah the One who renewed everything by sending Muhammad and Al-Quran Al-Karim. It is Allah the One who assigned them. The Rabb (Lord) of all the worlds is One. Look, the commands of Allah Ta'ala were offered to humanity as a divine offer, and this began with Adam (a.s.).
As humanity reproduced, the commands given by Janâb-i Haqq increased as well. For example, 10 Scriptures were given to Adam (a.s.), and those were enough back then because there were less people on earth at that time. Then they thrived a little bit, and 50 Scriptures were given to Idris (a.s.). With that said, 30 Scriptures were given to Seth (a.s.), and this went like this until Prophet Nūh and Prophet Ibrahim; those Scriptures were enough for the people who lived on earth back then. These are laws and constitution of Allah. Then, 10 more Scriptures were given to Ibrahim (a.s.), constituting a Holy Book that consisted of 100 Scriptures. Then, what happened when people reproduced a little more? Torah was sent to Musa because people, conditions, and time had changed. The conjuncture had changed. Allah personally renews the decrees when conditions change. Nobody can renew the religion, only Allah does. That said, the creed (aqidah) aspect of the religion (din) is the same in the past (azal) and future (abad), but the decrees (hukm) about the conditions of time are renewed personally by Allah. Allah renewed with the Torah, and then renewed the Torah with the Bible. Then, Allah renewed the Bible and the entirety of the past with the Last Prophet Hz. Muhammad and Al-Quran Al-Karim, and sent the Quran which gives answers to all eras until Last Day (Qiyamah). From then on, everything in the world is old and the only new is Al-Quran Al-Karim. Whoever keeps pace with Al-Quran Al-Karim, and advances in the scientific path, will be able to draw near the value and newness of Al-Quran Al-Karim. The Quran encompasses all ages, and it is the last book of Allah. It encompasses all eras, and from then on whatever there is in eternity have been encompassed by this universal book. That is why humanity becomes contemporary, and they will have understood the newness if they understand Al-Quran Al-Karim. Al-Quran Al-Karim commands non-stop discoveries and promotes science. All advancements in science are commands of the Quran. Discoveries are the command of Al-Quran Al-Karim.
Welcome, beloved audience!
Janâb-i Haqq explains the truths to us with light upon light. Explains realities to us with light upon light. We should endeavour to understand these as is due. Now, Janâb-i Haqq wants us to follow the commands, and this is a necessity of being a servant (qul). We are servants (qul) of Allah. Besides, being a servant (qul) of the Most Exalted is equal to becoming a sultan when you were a slave. That is why the utterances of Allah are great fazilat, exalted divine commands, and divine order. So, whoever fulfils the words, commands, and laws of Allah will be raised in rank. As for serving people slavishly, it ruins a person. It is said that you should not let the Shaitan, who is very deceptive concerning Allah, make you fall into error.
Hodja recites a part of the 33rd verse of Surah Luqman [31].
This verse of the Quran is the 33rd verse of Surah Luqman [31].
Says you should not let the accursed Shaitan, who is very deceptive concerning Allah, make you fall into error, because another name of Shaitan is Gharūr (Deceiver). He always deceives people, and always tries to lead people astray and make them fall into error.
He is already astray, and he did not renounce his deviance, rather he tries to lead people astray non-stop. There is also matter of deceiving people concerning Allah because he encourages people to sin by saying, "Allah will forgive." Shaitan asks you, "Does Allah need your namāz (prayer)?" and makes you abandon namāz (prayer). Shaitans asks you, "Does Allah need your fasting, or your good deeds and charity?" and he leads people astray with nonsensical words.
Now, in order not to fall into that situation we should learn the commands of Almighty Allah in Al-Quran Al-Karim in a certain and clear manner, and then there won't be any chance for us to be deceived by Shaitan, rather Shaitan will run away from us. We should make him escape, and we should make him abandon hope. We should know Al-Quran Al-Karim in order to see whether the inspirations that come to our hearts are evil or not because you may refute and remove false information using true information. That is how you can atone the evil inspirations (waswas) that you sense. Now, what does a Muslim say? What does a Muslim who performs jihad in the way of Allah, a mujāhid Muslim say? He says in the field of jihad, "Victory or martyrdom!" He says, "Freedom or death." Peace in the souls, peace in the hearts, peace in individuals, families, and communities, and the world! Peace at home, peace in the world. In the real sense, the religion (din) of Islam itself is a festival of souls, it is the festival and peace of all nations because we are all servants (qul) of Allah. Peace is established when we all fulfil the words of Almighty Allah. When we all show respect to Allah and adhere strictly to Allah's commands, then our conscience will not let us hurt each other, or speak ill about each other. Why? Because we are all servants (qul) of Allah. Janâb-i Haqq is not pleased when people do evil to each other. And we cannot do it as Allah is not pleased with it, but divine justice should be implemented.
That is, whatever Allah says should be done one by one. When this peace, tranquillity, and justice is established, then only love remains. And only happiness remains. Brotherhood and respect remains. A blissful life and livelihood will emerge. However, if everyone divinizes their own personal views without acknowledging Almighty Allah, then there will be more divinities. There will be more gods where Allah is One, and then conflicts will begin. In the end, that is the path the world is in at the moment. Souls are bursting in rage, many unjust (zalim) people are being like Pharaoh, and we are seeing people who do injustice (zulm) to humanity, who shed blood and terrorize humanity. These are not only individual or corporate actions, a real endeavour, and movement in the way of truth and reality is requisite for establishing true peace in the world. Janâb-i Haqq says not even an atom's weight of good goes to waste and is rewarded, and not an atom's weight of evil disappears, and its punished. Allah Ta'ala says that. Therefore, people should always produce good, produce beauty, produce love, produce justice, and establish social justice.
Do not forget these!
Hodja recites the 7th and 8th verses of Surah al-Zalzalah [99].
These are being written by the appointed angels of Allah Ta'ala. Every small good deed (sawāb) are written, and every small sins are written. The requital of all of them will be given, they will come to the greater court. Namāz is not a burden for no reason, namāz (prayer) is a miʿraj (journey), it is servitude to Almighty Allah. Do not forget that servitude to Allah is a complete sultanship! There is no conduct that raises people to high positions like servitude to Allah. People are raised to janna (paradise) through servitude to Allah. They are raised to the beauty (jamal) and pleasure (riza) of Allah, to the ultimate meeting (wuslat). That is why namāz (prayer) is a miʿraj (journey). Miʿraj is the name of being raised to the pleasure (riza) of Allah. As for namāz, it raises a person to high ranks in the presence of Almighty Allah because namāz is the name of showing a complete respect to Allah. It is also a certain command of Allah, and it is wanted from us. We are Allah's servants (qul), and we need to go to the presence of Allah and fold our hands in the presence, and do whatever Allah says and serve the way Allah says. Namāz is not a burden for no reason, and spending is not a burden for no reason; spending in the way of Allah is virtue (fazilat). What did Allah do with some servants (qul)? Allah made them rich, and what does Janâb-i Haqq do to poor by the hand of the rich? Allah wants to give them by the hand of the rich, and this is another trial. The rich should not forget that the bounty (nimat) is from Allah, and that the poor have a right in the wealth and pocket of the them. Everyone undergoes trial in regards to their own position, and everyone should pass the test.
The rich cannot pass the test unless they spend their wealth in the way of Allah, for that wealth will become fire. As for the poor, they are to work and strive, be pleased with divine justice, and know the value of capital. As for the rich, they are to know the value of labour. In the religion (din) of Islam capital and labour have been balanced, and a scale of justice has been placed in between. That is why do what Allah says, and Allah says, "Give zakat (poor-dues)," to the rich. Says the poor have a right in your pocket, and Allah says that so you have to give, and what is more, you have to give with pleasure. As for the poor, he is right to get what he deserves because Allah has given him that right. With that said, thieving is basically forbidden. It has to be earned by hard work; justice is to be implemented. Islamic charities are to be established as is due, and balance of income and expenditures is to be established. Janâb-i Haqq has balanced the balances between the rich and the poor in the best possible manner, so what prevents one from acceptance? It is disbelief (kufr). Janâb-i Haqq does not accept many people's deeds, and the cause of that is if there is disbelief (kufr), then Allah does not accept.
There has to be iman (faith). Iman (faith) is a prerequisite in the acceptance of deeds, and that is the real iman (faith) of Islam. True iman (faith) is that of Islam since the creation of earth and humanity. The iman (faith) of all Prophets is that of Islam. They are all Muslims. Prophets are all Muslims because it is Allah the One who sent them, and the principles of iman (faith) do not chance. Some of the rules may change when conditions of time change, but the principles of iman (faith) are not subject to change for eternity. Allah is one in pre-eternity (azal) and eternity (abad). That is why one of the principles of iman (faith) is to know Allah well, and to know Allah Ta'ala by Allah's own attributes (sifāt). That is to know that Allah is ascribed with exalted attributes (sifāt), and that Allah is free and away (munazzah) from imperfections, and that Allah has no partners, no equals, no comparables; foremost among the principles of iman (faith) that is never subject to change in aqidah (creed) is that. That is why, just like we said before, ones that are changed are renewed and changed personally by Janâb-i Haqq, and nobody can bring forth a religion (din), that is why true faith is Islam. A religion fabricated by people is not a din, they are man-made. So, it means that the reason that certain people's deeds are not accepted is that there is kufr (disbelief) and there is fisq (violation). It is not absolute sin or violation (fisq). A hypocrite's deception, spending, and aid is not worship but rebellion. In order for a hypocrite's deeds to be accepted, he has to stop being a hypocrite at first. What prevents acceptance is kufr (disbelief), and it is not absolute fisq (violation) or sin. Meaning, people may have sins, but there shouldn't be disbelief (kufr) or denial. And a sinless person is unthinkable. With that said, in regards to fisq (violation), the sinning aspect does not prevent deeds from being accepted, and his good deeds (sawāb) are accepted; as long as it does not abort iman (faith). However, the deeds of a kāfir (disbeliever) are not accepted. The deeds of hypocrites (munafiq) and polytheists (mushrik) are not accepted because there cannot be faith (iman) where there is disbelief (kufr), hypocrisy (nifaq), and polytheism (shirk).
The good deeds are not accepted when there is no faith (iman). That is why these lessons are quite important. These are lessons of the life-giving light (nūr). These are real lessons, and expressions of an utter reality. Now, as long as there is disbelief (kufr), hypocrisy (nifaq), and polytheism (shirk), these are prologues to troubles and calamities. Janâb-i Haqq gives them troubles and calamities because a justice is required in the face of every crime, and every crime has an equal punishment. That is why the affairs of hypocrites (munafiq) are worse than all of them. Every evil is bad, but that of hypocrites (munafiq) are worse. As for the deception of a hypocrite (munafiq), and him saying he is doing good, or him saying he is helping is not worship (ibadat), it is said that these are rebellion. Therefore, these become prologues to troubles and calamities continuously, and Allah gives their punishment. Unless they renounce hypocrisy, they are in trouble in the world, in the grave, and in the great gathering (mahshar).
If faithful people suffer sorrow, ordeal, and stay in sadness, then their sins pour out. There is forgiveness, there is mercy, and their degrees are raised. Some of it is trial, and others conduce towards a raise of degree. The faithful have nothing to lose, they always win.
Our discovery notes on Surah al-Tawbah [9] continue from the 56th verse onwards.
Some people make implicit and cryptical comments, condemn, and gossip; these traits are more common among the hypocrites (munafiq). They try to condemn one another through implicit and cryptical comments, and by taking glances and making gestures with their eyes and brows, and they gossip. These are apparent signs of bad morals, bad qualities. See, there are some examples in regards to distribution of war booty in the Battle of Hunayn. After the victory in Hunayn, during the distribution of war botty in Hunayn, a man called Ibn Zul' I-Huveysira and/or Hurkus ibn Zuheyr'i Temimi came to our Prophet and said the following.
Hodja recites the original text of what he said.
These are hypocrites (munafiq) who try to teach Allah about Allah, and teach Prophethood to the Prophet, and they don't know what they are doing, these are dangerous people with corrupted souls. They are unable to understand what reality, justice, the bounds or centre of justice, or wisdom (hikmat). He said, "Be just." He said the following to our Prophet.
He said, "O Messenger of Allah! Be just."
Our Prophet (asw) replied to that man, "Shame on you. Who is it just if I am unjust?" On that day, our Prophet was giving more to new Muslims, but why? This was to accustom them to Islam.
There were many unseen benefits and merits of accustoming people to Islam. It was like that at the time, and as Islam grew good deeds, poor-dues (zakat), and taxes will also grow, and more bounties will have been given to the poor, and corruption (fitnah) and fasad (depravity) would disappear. The world was going to be without blood and fight, and peace and tranquillity was going to settle on earth. Naturally, nobody has the chance to know the hidden causes (hikmat) that our Prophet knew, but faithful people know that what is done by the Prophet is done with a wisdom, and it is done as is due based on the command he receives by Allah. Faithful people know this, and believe that the Prophet does right. However, the hypocrites (munafiq) do not act like that. They only look at what they see, and try to teach Allah about religion (din) when they don't like what they see. Never! They try to teach about Prophethood to the Prophet, and theirs is a mentality of unfaithful (gavur), hypocrite (munafiq), and polytheist (mushrik). Now, this man who is called Hurkus also said that to our Prophet. Our Prophet said to him, "Shame on you," and there are trustworthy sources such Bukhari Sharif, Muslim-i Sharif, and Ahmad ibn Hanbali in the sources of this news, they are present among the sources of this narration.
This man called Hurkus later became the chief of the gang called Kharijites. You see, objection to Allah and objection to the Prophet corrupts one's spiritual balance. Iman (faith) will disappear once you object to Allah, and its place will be taken by shirk (polytheism), kufr (disbelief), nifaq (hypocrisy), fitnah (corruption), and fasād (deprivation). What did this man called Hurkus do? He later became the head of a dangerous gang called Kharijites, he became a gang leader and progressed in kufr (disbelief). He progressed in nifaq (hypocrisy), and became the head of a gang. He became the head of a dangerous gang. And they were terrorists. See, they were the terrorists of that time. Kharijites had secrets roles in the Battle of Siffin and Battle of the Camel. They had shed corruption fitnah (unrest) and fasād (depravity). They wanted to play Muslims against each other. They were blood-guilty murderers. They forced Hz. Ali to slay them by the sword in Battle of Nahrawan. Hz. Ali had slain them by sword in the Battle of Nahrawan.
You see friends, we should get Al-Quran Al-Karim right. You will ruin yourself if you object to Allah. One cannot object to the Prophet. One cannot object to Allah. One cannot object to Al-Quran Al-Karim, but we will work altogether in order to get it right. We will get it right, and convey it right. These are the lessons of the life-giving light (nūr), and these lessons in Al-Quran Al-Karim prepare people to immortal life and blissful life unconditionally. Its lessons should be studied by everyone in the world including men, women, young, and elderly people.
Then again, a hypocrite (munafiq) called Ebu'l-Cüvaz would say this to our Prophet. He was speaking ill about our Prophet, saying, "Look at your man, thinks he is doing justice by distributing your alms to shepherds."
Some of them repented (tawbah) and sought forgiveness (istighfar), and others found the curse of Allah, and got destroyed. Now, in regards to sadaqah and charity, the religion (din) of Islam is the manifestation of the justice and mercy of Allah, and this is why being generous in the matter of alms and charity is fundamental in Islam. Giving zakat (poor-dues) is foremost among these. The name sadaqah encompasses all alms and charities, and sadaqah are given only as a right of Allah. That is, zakat (poor-dues) are given as a right of Allah. This is because it is a tax reserved only as Allah's right, for wealth and property are of Allah. It is Allah who gives them to servants (qul), and that is why sadaqah and zakat are taxes reserved as Allah's right. This is also the meaning of being devoutly submitted to Allah here. Surely, to whom are sadaqah given? To whom are zakat given? Without a doubt, they are given to the poor and the needy. Zakat is given by wealthy people, and they cannot receive it. With that said, close relatives cannot take it either. You may give to close relatives in forms other than zakat or fitrah, for example you may donate to them or give them goods, but you cannot give zakat to your close relatives or your inheritors. In order to be able to receive zakat or sadaqah, poorness and destituteness are requisite, and tamlik (transfer of ownership) is fundamental in this regard. So, what is tamlik? It means that ownership of zakat must be transferred to the poor, and the poor will be in possession of it, only then zakat becomes authentic. That said, it has to be given only for Allah because all wealth, property, and bounties belong to Allah. So, you have to know that what you give is but a tax that has been reserved as a right of Allah. It is Allah's right. The religion (din) of Islam is but jurisprudence (huquq) of Allah, and when you fulfil the laws (huquq) of Allah one by one, then you will have given the right of Allah. Those who don't pay zakat (poor-dues) devours a rightful due, but they will have violated the law (huquq) of Allah as well, because all command and jurisprudence (huquq) are from Allah. Then again, its forms are zakat (poor-dues), Islamic tithe, sevaim, which is the zakat given out of livestock, aghnam (ship tax), zakat taken from trading goods, nuqut (zakat taken from money), rikaz (zakat taken from treasures), meadim (zakat taken from mines), and others. These forms of zakat and sadaqah as a whole are rights of the poor and the needy. The religion (din) of Islam is but a complete social state, and a divine order found according to the principles of divine justice. With that said, sadaqah al-fitr is the zakat of nafs (self). A person will have given the zakat of his own nafs (self) by sadaqah al-fitr.
The 25th verse of Surah al-Ma'arij [70] says, "There is a know right for the deprived." Who says that? Janâb-i Haqq says that. Allah Ta'ala says, "There is a known right for the deprived," and what is that known right? You give some people 40 to 1, and give some people 10 to 1, and give some 20 to 1. Each and every wealth has its respective amounts according to its kind, and this has to be paid, and this is a certain command of Allah. There is a known right for the deprived in the pocket of the rich. It is certain that the poor has a right in the wealth of the rich. That is Almighty Allah's own law. That is the Creator's law. If you acknowledge the Creator, and you acknowledge the laws and commands, then we need to fulfil the necessity of the command. Then again, revered figures and grand scholars such as Al-Qurtubi narrate this quote from our beloved Prophet (asw), "I have been commanded to take sadaqah from the rich of you and give it to the poor of you." Hz. Muhammad said that. He says, "I have been commanded to take sadaqah from the rich of you and give it to the poor of you." There are revered figures like Al-Qurtubi among the sources of this narration.
That is not a favour of the rich, pay attention to this! This is not a favour of the rich, but an absolute right of the poor. That is a known right of the poor because the owner of wealth, bounty, and property is Allah. Allah who gives wealth to the rich says that the poor are to be given by the hand of the rich. That is why these sadaqah and zakat that are given here are not favours of the rich, it may be a different situation if they do more charity than these, only then will the rich have done extra charity. Otherwise, these fitra, sadaqah, and zakat are rights of the poor, and these are not favours of the rich, rather a known right of the poor. That is a right of Allah set in stone by the command of Allah because if something is set by Allah's command then it is Allah's right. Allah's right cannot be fulfilled without fulfilling Allah's command. So, fulfil Allah's command so that justice may be served, so that there may be obedience and not rebellion. The Real Being is Allah Ta'ala, owner and Rabb (Lord) of us all, and that is why we are to obey Allah Ta'ala with every fibre of our being, and we will not rebel. Sadaqah is only given for Allah, and this is how charity and good deeds are done. Martyrs for example, they do not receive zakat. They may receive what is tatawwu, meaning they can receive gifts. As for heirs, zakat cannot be given to them. Close relatives of yours who can inherit your wealth such as your sons, daughters, and grandchildren along with your mother, father, and your closest ones who are inheritors cannot receive zakat or fitrah. If they are rich, they can give to the poor. Besides, rich already do not receive zakat, and close relatives do not receive zakat either. With that said, seyits do not receive zakat either. Now, who are the seyits? They are those who are certainly from the lineage of Hz. Muhammad. Undoubted seyits are not given fitra or zakat, they may be given gifts.
However, if they are living in poverty and there is no other possibility, meaning if there is no remedy other than zakat, then zakat may be given out of exigency. Besides, our mujtahids develop congruent ijtihads as conditions of time change. They discover what is unknown through the known truth and reality, and they perform ijtihad (human effort). That is, they deduce what is unknown through what is known. These mujtahids develop ijtihads according to the conditions of time. The source of ijtihad is to deduce what is unknown through known things like Al-Quran Al-Karim and the sunnah (customs). That is, qiyas and ijtihad are done by setting out from the Quran, by setting out from the sunnah (customs), and by setting out from ijma (consensus); that is how ijtihad and qiyas are performed. These are not to be performed by ordinary people. These are duties of the mujtahids, and they develop ijtihad. The religion (din) of Islam is a universal religion of all eras, and that is why it is easy for mujtahids to develop ijtihad, it is not hard but scholarly competence is required. Because the root and asl (primary knowledge) of everything is in Islam, and a mujtahid who knows that asl (primary knowledge) may set out to discover far' (auxiliary knowledge).
That is why the 273rd verse of Surah al-Baqarah says, "They consider them rich whereas they are very dignified and honourable people who don't tell anyone they are poor, but they are actually needy. Find such people, and give them zakat." See Janâb-i Haqq says that they are honourable, dignified, and reputable people, you may think they are rich but actually they are poor, so find them and give to them.
Miskin is a term used for a needy person. Miskin is neediness, meaning the miskin are a little poorer than the poor. In Surah al-Balad [90] there are people without homes or towns, and they are the needy. Sadaqah are for the poor and the masākin. Sadaqah are for the poor, meaning they are for the masākin. Masākin is those who are poorer than the poor.
Now, the zakat dues are to be paid to people who work in these professions such as collectors, clerks, officials, and zakat-shepherds. This is not sadaqah, but dues of the poor. These belong to the benefit of the poor, and these services are given to these 8 classes, and the goal here is to leave nobody poor in Islam. One of the goals of the religion (din) of Islam is to leave no poor people on earth. Islam has established balances so that everyone may have tangible assets and be blissful. Imam al-Sarakhsi says the following in his Mabsut. Our Prophet (asw) assigned collectors for collecting tangible and intangible zakat (poor-dues).
See, he assigned a duty to the collectors. Collectors were assigned for the collection of tangible and intangible zakat. There are apparent assets, which is tangible, and intangible assets. It is said that our Prophet assigned collectors for collecting both of these.
Who says that? Imam al-Sarakhsi says it Mabsut. Hz. Uthman used to leave the zakat of the intangible assets to the conscience of the rich. This had happened during the reign of Hz. Uthman. Hz. Uthman is the third caliph, and during his caliphate zakat of intangible assets were left to the obliged. For example, he would go to the rich tax-payers and leave the zakat of their hidden gold, silver, cash, or whatever intangible assets they have to their conscience. He said to them, "Give the dues of the poor, give your zakat!" Besides, when Islam is established in hearts and souls, every Muslim will pay his zakat and sadaqah, and do charity with pleasure even if you tried to dissuade them. However, if Islam is not established in the hearts and souls, and you leave these to their whim, and the poor-dues are not given, then the state and statespeople are accountable. The state and state officials are obliged to establish a social state, and they are obliged to give the rights of the poor, and they are obliged to collect the tax as is due. Social state is fundamental in Islam. It is an obligation upon people, and everybody is to perform their duties as is due. Muallafa al-qulub. Now, one of these 8 classes that are given zakat is muallafa al-qulub. Now, there are many maslahah (public interest) in the goals of muallafa al-qulub. To defy the evil of the ingrained… Now, there are ingrained people who recently entered into Islam, and faith (iman) is not established in their hearts yet, and they have second thoughts. These are what is given to those ingrained people in order to warm them to Islam. These are what is given to keep them in the side of Islam. What is the goal? The goal is to establish truth and reality, and make Islam predominant. Predominance of Islam is equal to establishing sovereignty of Allah along with peace and justice. If you warm chiefs and pioneers of peoples to Islam, then they will make many people enter into Islam after them. Islamic goal and maslahah (public interest) is to reconcile the hearts of weak-hearted people who recently enter Islam to Islam; that is why back then our Prophet did that in a period when Islam has not yet spread to the world, our Prophet gave them from zakat and war-booty. Uyeyne ibn Hısn, Akrab ibn Haris, Abbas ibn Virdas, are among those, it is said that they were given from bounty. The 41st verse of Surah al-Anfal [8] says, "1/5 – a fifth of war-booty belongs to Allah and the Messenger." Our Prophet (asw) would give them out of his own share. Pay attention! A fifth of war-booty belongs to Allah and the Messenger. As you see our Prophet would use that 1/5 share which belongs to Allah and the Messenger, and give to muallafa al-qulub out of his own share. Besides, it was his own property.
Moreover, Imam al-Shafi'i said muallafa al-qulub is a trait that belongs to Muslims. Now, our Prophet would give that 1/5 to the deprived, the orphans, the needy, and the poor. He would give all of his own share, which is 1/5, to the poor and Islamic maslahah (public interest). As for the 4/5 of it, he would give them to veterans (ghazis) and families of martyrs, and the families of martyrs were given monthly allowance; that 4/5 of war-booty that you see were distributed to the veterans (ghazis).
Mezitli Uyeyne and Ekra came to Abu Bakr, radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain, and asked for a barren land. This had happened during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, radeyallahu anhum. This is called iqtaʿa – a form of administrative grant. They wanted that from Abu Bakr. They asked for a barren land, and took the documentation for administrative grant with them to Hz. Umar for him to sign it as a witness. As for Hz. Umar, he yanked the document apart. Then, Hz. Umar said to them, "We were warming you to Islam back then, and now the number of Muslims increased. Go ahead and work so that Allah may look after you."
These people came back to Abu Bakr and said, "Are you the caliph, or is it Umar?"
See, Abu Bakr replied with an excellent word, he said, "He is the caliph if he wants, and I am the caliph if he doesn't."
Ashab did not object either. That is, after the religion (din) of Islam spread to the world, Hz. Umar objected to the matter of muallafa al-qulub, and everybody accepted Umar's personal vote (r'ay), and nobody objected including Abu Bakr. Radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain.
Now, Salafis, Hanafites, and Malikis say this has been abrogated by consensus (ijma), meaning they are saying that muallafa al-qulub has been abrogated by consensus (ijma). They said Muslims are stronger now, and if they become deprived; they only become deprived when they abandon the jihad. Hanafite experts of fiqh have the same view. That is, they said muallafa al-qulub has been abrogated unless deprivation emerges. However, if there is deprivation and poorness, then this provision is not abrogated. This will continue until eternity, and it is given to the muhtadis if they are poor.
This is within that rule, the muhtadis had recently entered the religion (din) and became Muslims. They were given out of war-booty and zakat if they were poor. It wouldn't be permissible (jaiz) if they aren't poor. Abu Hayyan who is among the Malikites have stated this opinion. Qadi Abd al-Wahhab has said they may be given out of the sadaqah if need arises. Many learned men have stated muallafa al-qulub is present until Last Day. Ibn Atiyyah has said this matter is disputed. See, he says this matter is disputed. Yunus says he had asked to Zuhri. These revered figures are grand figures of Islam. He says, "I've asked to Zuhri, he did not know about abrogation (naskh)." Abu Jaʿfar an-Nahhas says this decree (hukm) is fixed. He stated if it is feared they may be in need, and if it is hoped they will become Muslims, then muallafa al-qulub may be given out of zakat and war-booty. As for Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn-ul Arabi, he says that it perishes if Islam becomes powerful, and their shares may be given if need arises. I believe the matter is already understood. Imam al-Shafi'i; rahmatullahi alayhim ajmain, may Allah bestow mercy (rahmat) upon all Islamic scholars (âlim) until they say they are pleased. Imam al-Shafi'i says the following in Kitab at-Tahrir: "Amil and muallafa al-qulub have disappeared in this century." He says only 6 out of 8 classes remain, and most virtuous act is what is given to these 6 classes. There is Abu Hayyan among the sources of this narration. Then again, they also said if they emerge again, then the shares of each class are valid again, which is correct. Actually, all views are correct and they all say the same thing. Provisions continue to be valid if the conditions continue to exist. Imam al-Shafi'i and many others have said that being a Muslim is a prerequisite in all 8 classes. As for non-Muslims, they may not be given zakat, but they may be given tatawwu sadaqah. It is said they are not given zakat. They say, "Give to those who are devoted most to the way of Allah," and these are one of the preferable people. Surely, if you are to prefer somebody in the 8 classes, those who are poorest and those who are devoted to the way of Allah are to be preferred. But foremost comes fighters (mujāhid).
Then again, we can see these truths in the 273rd verse of Surah al-Baqarah [2]. Wayfarers, debtors (gharimin), and slaves (ra'qab). And those who are in the way of Allah. This became a term primarily related to jihad for travelling for jihad, pilgrimage, and studying knowledge. Endeavours in the way of scholarship are also among the most virtuous jihad because the fighters (mujāhid) who are on front lines, and those who work for knowledge have no chance of doing trade.
That is why if these people who try to spread knowledge (ilm) and learning (irfan) to the world are in depravity, then they are to be preferred.
Those who devote themselves to the way of Allah are primarily preferred, and the fighters (mujāhid) who are on the front lines are primarily preferred.
Now, the phrase, "فى سبيل اﷲ" is a term mostly related with jihad, and in the tradition of sharia when you say, "فى سبيل اﷲ" the first thing comes to mind is the fighters (mujāhid) who are on front lines. Experts o fiqh (jurisprudence) and our mufassirs (authors) are in consensus in this matter. Every worship is "فى سبيل اﷲ", and they are for the pleasure (riza) of Allah. Special spendings are for iʻlā‐i kalimatullah, meaning these are what is given to fighters (mujāhid) to exalt the word of Allah, and this comes foremost. Pay attention! Iʻlā‐i kalimatullah is what is given to the fighters (mujāhid) to exalt the word of Allah, and there is a consensus of opinionf in this matter. A narration that comes from Ibn Umar says pilgrimage (hajj) is also like that. There is Abu Dawood among the sources of this narration. Another narration that comes from Fakhr al-Din al-Razi says it is those who do qada, meaning he said it is the fighters (mujāhid) on the front lines. That is what Fakhr al-Din al-Razi said. Then again, in a narration of Kaffal that we found, the experts of fiqh (faqihs) have said the following.
Some approved for sadaqah to be spent in enshrouding the deceased, building castles, barracks, mosques, and spent in various charity. However, as zakat is a right of the poor, as it is a right of the needy and the deprived, zakats are not spent for all this, it may only be spent when there is exigency. Qadi Baydawi talked about bridges and factories, but this view has been recorded with a weak expression, therefore this is a weaker view. It does not become halal for the rich. Zakat and sadaqah are not halal for the rich. In the source of this narration, you can find Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Muwatta, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. With that said, zakat and sadaqah may only be given to those who are poor, others are not given. This hadith-i sharif is not a general, and mosques and guesthouses cannot be built by spending zakat. Please pay attention! Mosques and guesthouses are not built by zakat because zakat is directly a right of the poor, a right of the needy. Mosques and guesthouses are built using the capital other than zakat. They are built by using donations (tabarru). Janâb-i Haqq says, "Prepare a force." Tells us to prepare a force for all Muslims on earth, in order to establish peace in the world, and settle justice in the world. This encompasses every need for jihad (struggle) and the mujāhid (fighter). So, this preparation of force encompasses whatever is necessary for jihad (struggle) and the mujāhid (fighter), all kinds of needs are included in this preparation of force. There is a verse among the sources of this narration, and there are also Bukhari and Muslim, along with sources such as Kutub al-Sittah. It is said that our beloved Prophet said that sadaqah may only be received due to poorness, otherwise you cannot receive it. A rich person who receives zakat and sadaqah will be devouring poor dues, and it won't be halal for him either. It won't be halal for him, for this reason we know that zakat or fitra are not given to the rich; the rich is to give, and the poor is to receive. That is an absolute command of Allah, Jalla Jalāluhu, Jalla Shanuhu.
Most esteemed and venerable listeners,
May Almighty Allah's peace (salam), mercy (rahmat), forgiveness (maghfirat), salvation (najat) be upon those who believe (iman) in Almighty Allah, those who work at the command of Allah Ta'ala, those who offer beneficial services for the better good of humankind, and those who do whatever they do only for Allah. Howsoever many believers there are in the world, peace be upon all those who bear these qualities. May Allah's mercy (rahmat), forgiveness (maghfirat), endless and boundless salvation (najat) be upon them, and be upon us. The lessons of the life-giving light (nūr) continues, and we continue to give you discovery notes of the sacred verses whose meanings we have given earlier. Janâb-i Haqq explains us the mental states of the servants (qul) whom are created by Janâb-i Haqq, who corrupts their creation (hilkat), innate nature (fitrah), and temperament (tabiat) through an incorrect acquisition, and who vitiate their own hearts and souls. Janâb-i Haqq explains us their mental states while also explaining us the mental states of the hypocrites (munafiq).
Hypocrites or munafiq are not the same inside and outside, they are not what they look like. If they look like Muslims, then inside they are utter enemies of faith (iman) and Islam. And munafiq is the name of secret agents and spies. They worked to scheme all kinds of plots against our Prophet. The notes we shall give now start with hypocrites or munafiq. The hypocrites used to speak ill about our Prophet (asw), Hz. Muhammad. And they were fearing that he may hear it. A hypocrite named Julas ibn Suwayd said to those who feared he may hear it, "We speak what we wish, then we deny and swear by it, and he will believe. Muhammad believes easily." That is what hypocrites or munafiq used to say whereas Muhammad Mustafa, salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam, was receiving the verses of Almighty Allah. Jibril (a.s.) would often descend down and go back up, and among them there were people who felt this but they couldn't adopt faith (iman) in no way. They couldn't give up their hypocrisy. The hypocrites or munafiq are hostile to truth and reality, and they were hostile to Hz. Muhammad. Before him there were those who wanted to crucify Isa, and the Children of Israil who objected to Musa and said, "Go ahead, you and your Rabb (Lord), and fight. We will be sitting right here." And there were mindsets that opposed Ibrahim. And there were a mentality that martyred other Prophets, and lead to the destruction of many peoples. See, this mentality is a kafir (disbelieving), mushrik (polytheist), munafiq (hypocrite), fasiq (sinning), and zalim (unjust) one. Same mentality did not hold back in terms of hostility to Hz. Muhammad, and they were striving day and night in order to strike him. Back then they were trying to receive aid from super states of the world.
Esteemed friends, Al-Quran Al-Karim gives news of pre-eternity (azal) and eternity (abad), and recites the mental states of all humankind to you. Neither sociology nor psychology can give you the information about people's mental states that is given by Al-Quran Al-Karim because Al-Quran Al-Karim is Allah's Book, and it is Allah Ta'ala who created humankind and the universe.
Is there anyone who knows this better than Allah? No, there isn't. That is why first and foremost we shall not forget that Al-Quran Al-Karim, which came from the knowledge (ilm) of Allah, from Arsh-i Ala, and from al-Lawh al-Mahfuz is the light (nūr) that gives us life, and we shall understand Al-Quran Al-Karim well without adding or mixing-in anything. If religion (din) is explained by siding with Allah, the Messenger, and Al-Quran Al-Karim, and explained based on the right religion's own documents and sources, then people will find life, find the truth, attain the immortal life, and be enlightened by the life-giving light (nūr). You see, this is the way of eternal progressivism, advancement, and progression. Otherwise, humankind sinks down and down through kufr (disbelief), nifaq (hypocrisy), and shirk (polytheism). People who own those traits continue to bring humanity to ruin, sinking it deeper and deeper. One side sinks down while the other side rises towards ala-i illiyin (the highest place in jannah).
Hold fast to Al-Quran Al-Karim, and proceed on your way to Arsh-i Ala. Hz. Muhammad had set out to those ways and returned. He went to miʿraj and returned. Take the road with those who know those places. Try to proceed on the right path and discover the heavens, and go towards Arsh-i Ala under the leadership of Muhammad. This goes through the knowledge (ilm) guidance (irshad) of Al-Quran Al-Karim, and the leadership and guidance of Muhammad. The pinnacle, example, and pioneer of the right religion (haqq din) and religious affairs (diyanet) is Hz. Muhammad; don't forget that! Also, don't forget that mysteries of guidance (hidayat) are all in Al-Quran Al-Karim. Let us know right. Let us discover right. Let us embrace right, and let us not abandon Allah and seek shelter with others, let us not be servants to others. Let us acknowledge Almighty Allah well, and ask for Allah's guidance (hidayat), Allah's success (tawfiq), Allah's companionship (rafaqat), Allah's lutf al-ihsan (excellence and benevolence). Let us ask only from Allah, and ask via the Quran, ask via the exalted commands of the sharia (law) of Islam that Muhammad brought, ask by being serving, and ask by obeying.
One cannot request by rebelling, and by lying in bed. First and foremost, let us abandon harams and sins. Let us abandon kufr (disbelief), shirk (polytheism), nifaq (hypocrisy), and zulm (injustice). Let us abandon ignorance and embrace knowledge (ilm) and wisdom (irfan) along with scientific studies. Real scientific studies are manifest proofs of truthfulness of Al-Quran Al-Karim, and they are evidence. That is real science. This is why Arabs used to refer to câsus as ayn, meaning they used to call it eye. As for what is pure, they would call it uzn-ear. Janâb-i Haqq also says, "About my rasul (messenger), Muhammad. He listens to what is good (khayr) and right (haqq)." Says that what Muhammad listens to is good (khayr), he listens to what is right (haqq) and what is good (khayr). For he is the prophet of mercy (rahmat), and the entirety of al-khayr al-kathīr (the abundant good) has been manifested to the worlds in the person of Hz. Muhammad. That is why when you look at the contents of the 1st verse of Surah al-Kawthar [108], you will see so many abundant good (khayr al-kathīr). With that said, as for the contents of risalat (message) and nubuwwat (prophethood), Janâb-i Haqq has manifested beginningless and endless bounty (nimat) and mercy (rahmat) of Islam to the worlds through Muhammad Mustafa.
That is why Janâb-i Haqq says this about Hz. Muhammad: "He is my rasul (messenger), my khabib al-kibriya (Allah's beloved), my glorious khabib (beloved). He is the sultan of all prophets, crown jewel of the awliya, and my khabib (beloved) is the prophet of goodness (khayr), and he is the true prophet, and he listens to what is good (khayr), and he listens to what is true (haqq)." Allah says he is the true prophet who listens to what is good (khayr) and true (haqq). O hypocrites! Muhammad does not listen to what is wrong (batil), for he came to rectify wrongs (batil), and save humankind from them.
While they were going to the Expedition of Tabuk, a cavalry regiment from the hypocrites were leading. But pay attention! A hypocrite regiment had joined the army of Islam, and they were at the forefront while the army was going to the Expedition of Tabuk.
They would speak ill about our Prophet and Al-Quran Al-Karim. They were mocking. See, they were mocking the Quran. These hypocrites or munafiq were mocking our Prophet (asw). The hypocrites were saying, "Look at this man!" mockingly. They would say, "Look at this man," for our Prophet. They were saying, "Alas! He wants to conquer the castles and mansions of Damascus." That is, Byzantium was too powerful for them at that time, and back then Muhammad Mustafa only had an Islamic army consisted of a handful people. They were saying, "How can he conquer Byzantium with this? How can he conquer palaces and mansions of Damascus? Look at this man! Just take a look at this man! He wants to conquer the castles and mansions of Damascus! Alas!" Almighty Allah informed him of their doings as well, and these verses were revealed. Janâb-i Haqq sent down news about the setting he was in, along with news regarding the past and future. That is, Janâb-i Haqq gave him this news regarding the circumstances regarding past, future, and present in Al-Quran Al-Karim. That is why Al-Quran Al-Karim is the book of pre-eternity (azal), eternity (abad), along with all eras; it encompasses all eras. All eras and all nations hardly catch up to the Quran, they cannot catch up. They cannot keep up with the civilization of Muhammad and the Quran. That is why a Western scientist named Roy said, "No matter how far world progresses in terms of civilization, it cannot reach the civilization of Muhammad." There are some who confessed this as well because Islamic civilization is a civilization of iman (faith) and justice, and it is a civilization of haqq and haqiqa (truth and reality). It is a civilization of encompassing the worlds with the mercy (rahmat) of Allah. This is a peerless and exalted civilization that wants the happiness of all creatures in the heavens and the earth. Islam is Allah's own civilization. That is why beloved friends, we are all servants (qul) of Almighty Allah. So, let us stop the fight between one another, and let us observe truth and reality (haqq wa haqiqa). Let us acknowledge Almighty Allah. Let us acknowledge the verses/signs (ayat) of Allah. Let us study the lessons of the life-giving light (nūr). Life-giving light (nūr) itself is Al-Quran Al-Karim and the religion (din) of Islam. As for the head teacher of this University of Arsh al-Ala, it is Hz. Muhammad. It is Allah Ta'ala who taught him all these lessons, and the intermediary is Jibril (a.s.).
This divine and exalted school on earth has been manifested to the earth and the worlds under the name of Islam in the person of Muhammad. Let us study in the school of the Real (al-Haqq). Let us acknowledge the Real (al-Haqq). Let us enter into the command of the Real (al-Haqq). Only then will you see the true taste of this! People will be like brothers, and they will be encompassed with all the love! Mercy, love, justice! All of us would have entered into the command of Allah, and we would establish peace and tranquillity on earth. Otherwise, as number of gods increase, and as the number of made-up gods and idols increase, a war of gods will begin. There is no god but Allah. A war of gods will begin and, in the end, people will fight about your god, my god, idols of some, idols of others etc. Whoever it is that you worship besides Allah, they are your idols, and it is a war of idols. And there won't be peace in a world dominated by idols and an idolatry mentality. As you see it doesn't happen, and blood is shed. See what Almighty Allah says in Al-Quran Al-Karim, "Killing a person is like killing all mankind. Saving a life is like saving all mankind, like giving life to all mankind." See Al-Quran Al-Karim! Let us understand the truth, and discover the reality; let us be discoverers! Let us not cover the truth and refer to impostors as discoverers. Those who cover the truth and those who deny truth and reality (haqq wa haqiqa) cannot become discoverers. In order to become a discoverer, let us throw away the kufr (disbelief) that cover up the truth (haqq), let us throw away shirk (polytheism) and zulm (injustice). Let us see the truth (haqq) shine! See how the truth (haqq) shines!
That said, the hypocrites (munafiq) were saying these to Hz. Muhammad. They were saying, "He wants to conquer the castles and mansions of Damascus. Look at this man!" Look at those insolent rascals. How can they say, "Look at this man!" to the Messenger of Allah. He who doesn't recite salawat upon hearing his name is miserable. They were saying, "Alas!" and Almighty Allah informed their frame of mind by revealing verses. Verses came, but to whom did they come? They came to Hz. Muhammad. Al-Quran Al-Karim was sent to Hz. Muhammad. Islam manifested to this universe through Hz. Muhammad. It was Almighty Allah who assigned him. Our Prophet (asw) said, "Stop that company!" The company of hypocrites were going in the front of the army when these verses were revealed. He said, He said, "Stop that company!" and the verses came. And they were stopped. They sweared they did not say it when our Prophet informed them of what they said. See, hypocrites have no religion or faith. They immediately resort to lie. They said, "We were mocking, playing around."
As Islam came to chasten people, educate them, and as it came for education, learning, and guidance, and as it came to save people, he did not immediately punish the hypocrites, but why? This was because a respite is given to people for their education and learning. A respite for guidance is given, and our Prophet had dealt with guidance (irshad) 13 years in the Period of Mecca. If we add 2 more years in the Period of Madinah, he had dealt with guidance (irshad) for 15 years. After that, he received commands about the decrees (hukm) from Allah Ta'ala. Commands about jihad came, laws came, legal order (huquq) and constitution were brought forth. Allah Ta'ala established a peerless system of Islam on earth by the hand of Muhammad. Allah made him establish the order of Islam. Islam was established on earth, and the unjust (zalim) who buried their daughters alive turned into the most merciful and just people of the world after they became Muslims. Those savage souls were civilized by means of faith (iman) and Islam. That is why hostility towards Islam means the worst evil everyone has done to himself. It means being hostile to Allah because it is not someone called Ali, Veli, Ahmad, Mehmed, Uthman, Umar, or Bakr who brought forth Islam. It is Allah (c.c.) who brought forth Islam. In the end, Janâb-i Haqq says the hypocrites, male and female, are like that, and recites the mental states of the hypocrites.
It is said that male and female, hypocrites (munafiq) are like that. They need to repent from hypocrisy, save themselves, and come to faith (iman), their salvation is there. Janâb-i Haqq sent Al-Quran Al-Karim to save everyone. Otherwise, there is a greater court before everyone, and the Almighty Judge in this greater court is Allah. Allah will bring all judges to account, and bring all rulers to account. All bigwigs, the rich, all generals, and marshals will be brought to account by Almighty Allah. It will be asked to them, "To whom did you serve?" Every human and jinn will be brought to account without distinguishing between poor or rich. So, about what will they be brought to account? That is according to Al-Quran Al-Karim. Everybody will be asked concerning all commands of Al-Quran Al-Karim in the great gathering and in the greater court. There is no other book, or any other law therein. There are Allah's laws and Al-Quran Al-Karim, and they will be brought to account concerning that because we live in the period in which Muhammad's ummah lives. Starting with the moment Muhammad Mustafa was assigned to Islam, and the religion (din) of Islam was manifested to the world, and Hz. Muhammad declared his duty of Prophethood, until the Last Day, powerful people are responsible with the Quran. All nations will be brought to account about Al-Quran Al-Karim tomorrow in the greater court. Those who lived before Muhammad will be asked concerning the Bible, and those who lived in the period of Musa will be asked concerning the Torah, and those who lived before that will be asked concerning the Scriptures. Until when? Until Ibrahim. As for those who lived before Ibrahim until Nūh, and those who lived before Nūh until Idris and Seth, and those who lived before them until Adam; these people who lived in their own time periods and dates will be asked concerning whatever book came from Allah on that day, they are responsible with the decree (hukm) of that book.
Tomorrow in the great gathering (mahshar); the book of all nations and the universe until the Last Day since Muhammad came, is Al-Quran Al-Karim. The religion (din) of all nations is Islam. The Prophet of all nations is Hz. Muhammad. Tomorrow in the great gathering, all nations are responsible with Al-Quran Al-Karim. The situation before Muhammad is different, but the situation after Muhammad is also different. See, we have summarized the matter for you. With that said, this is the truth and haqiqa, for whatever commands were sent to whatever places in whatever periods in time to whatever nations with whatever Prophets, those nations will be asked of the sharia (law) of that Prophet. Muhammad Mustafa was sent to all the worlds, all nations, the whole of mankind and the jinn as a Prophet. He is a servant (qul) of Allah. The greatest servant (qul) and the greater Prophet, and he is the last Prophet. Almighty Allah calls all servants (qul) to affirm the prophethood of Hz. Muhammad after he came to the world. That is, Allah Ta'ala calls all people.
Allah calls all nations to iman (faith), and to all commands, verses, and provisions of Al-Quran Al-Karim. It is Allah Ta'ala who calls, and Hz. Muhammad has been assigned for announcement (tabligh), and he fulfils the command of Allah. However, it is Allah who personally gives the command. Every divine approval (riza) is greatest (akbar). O the man who claims to have reason (aql)! O the man who claims to have an atom's weight of faith (iman)! Every divine approval (riza) is greatest (akbar), and the greatest acquisition is the approval (riza) of Allah. Nobody has the chance of entering janna (paradise) until he earns the approval (riza) of Allah. Nobody can enter janna (paradise) without having faith (iman), good deeds (amal-e-saleh), and believing in what Allah tells you to believe. That is why you are to do whatever you do in order to earn the approval (riza) of Allah. Whatever you abandon, you are to abandon it in order to fulfil the command of Allah Ta'ala, and in order to abide by the prohibitions of Allah. You are to do what Allah tells you to do, and never do what Allah tells you not to do. That is servitude to Allah. Allah has offered what is wanted from us through the Quran and the sharia (law) of Islam. These are the things Allah told us to do, and there are also things that Allah tells us not to do next to these, and what are they called? They are the sins and harams. That is why you should not forget that divine approval (riza) is greatest (akbar), and that it is the greatest acquisition. This is greater than janna (paradise) and whatever is in them. Allah's approval (riza), regardless of the matter, even if it is about the smallest thing; if there is Allah's approval (riza) in something, then the approval (riza) of Allah so great that, it is greater than janna (paradise), and what is in it. tIt is much greater. So, acknowledge Allah. Acknowledge the Great. Acknowledge the Exalted. Acknowledge the Greatest so that you may know what to earn. Earn the approval (riza) of Allah, and live at the command of Allah.
It doesn't matter what your chief says, what you pasha says, what your leader says, or what your pioneer says. What about what Allah says? Whose servant (qul) are you then? Are you a servant (qul) of this or that person? You do not take what Allah says into consideration, but when someone else says something, excuse me but you do not disobey their order. As for Allah, you do not even take into consideration whether Allah exists or not. Never! You are in the dominion (mulk) of Allah, and you are living by the soul and life that Allah has given you, how can you neglect Allah? How can you do such evil to yourself! How will you be saved from the omnipotence (qudrah), armies, and soldiers of Allah? Azrail is breathing down on your neck, and he is to take your life and take you away.
I am telling you these because I feel sorry for you, and because I love you. But when I say these, I primarily address my own nafs (self). "O my nafs (self)! Serve your Rabb (Lord)! Serve your Creator," I say to my nafs (self) primarily. You, us, we are all servants (qul) of Allah. We shall not flatter each other, rather we shall tell the truths. Al-Quran Al-Karim is the most correct and the most exalted, and it is Allah's utterance (kalam). You will answer for it if you do not believe this. You will answer for it if you do not believe in the prophethood of Muhammad. Azrail will pull your life away, he will take the disbelieving lives, take the hypocrite lives, and take the polytheist lives, and bring them to the presence of Allah. What will you say there? You have neglected the Quran. You have neglected Muhammad. You have neglected Allah's commands. You have neglected Allah's laws and rules. What will you say? Is there any single soul that escaped the armies of Azrail? Which doctor escaped from the grasp of Azrail? Which judge, which rich person, or which Prophet; who escaped from the grasp of Azrail? Azrail is Allah's official. From the world to the realm of barzakh, and from the realm of barzakh to the great gathering (mahshar); Allah's armies have such a duty. Allah has given them such a duty. Azrail (a.s.) takes lives and souls; he takes the faithful souls and the faithless souls, and brings them to the presence of Allah.
The way everybody was created from nothing, everybody will be brought to Mahkamah al-Kubra (the Greater Court). If they exist today, they will be resurrected tomorrow, and everybody will answer to Allah. Those who don't believe this have no iman (faith), and it is up to them. If they say they don't believe, then it is up to them. Then they shouldn't give their lives to Azrail, not enter the grave, not rise from the grave, and say they won't go to jahannam (hell), stand against Allah, and say, "I do not accept you." Let us see if any one of them will be saved. Is there anyone who escaped? Nobody has the chance to escape from Allah's omnipotence (qudrah), power (quwwat), infinite grandeur (a'zamat), azab (punishment). Nobody has the chance to escape Allah's justice, so get your mind straight! O slaves of false deities (taghuts) and idols! Abandon them, and enter into the command of Allah. Abandon injustice (zulm), and take justice as a principle for yourself. Abandon ignorance, and try to be after a complete science, knowledge (ilm), and learning (irfan). There is no science or knowledge (ilm) by denying Allah. For one thing, acknowledge Allah Ta'ala, acknowledge Allah's commands and laws, and try to discover the textual (kitābi) and cosmological (kevni) verses/signs (ayat). Continue with scientific studies.
Esteemed listeners,
Among the sources of the news that I've narrated here there is Bukhari Sharif, Muslim-i Sharif, and others. We have tried to bring clarity to the verses of the Quran in this manner. Janâb-i Haqq says, "I will give you something bigger than this." See, after giving janna (paradise) to the servants (qul), Janâb-i Haqq says, "I will give you something bigger." Naturally, companions of janna are surprised, and they say, "How can there be something bigger than this?" Janâb-i Haqq says, "I will render my ridwān halal for you. I will not show my wrath to you for eternity, and I will never be angry with you. I will make you live blissfully for eternity." See, this is ziyadah. This is what is bigger (ziyadah) than janna and what is in janna. That is, Allah making the ridwān halal for you. Now, what is ridwān? It is when Allah says, "My servant! I am pleased with you from now on. I have admitted you to my janna, and I will make you live blissfully for eternity. I will make you a recipient of my mercy (rahmat), and endless and boundless blessings, and I will not show my wrath to you for eternity.
Says, "You will not know what wrath, punishment, danger, sadness, and sorrow are. You will live blissfully for eternity," and the approval (riza), love, and endless and boundless grace (lutf) of Allah will encompass people. That is what is more than janna, what is bigger is the ridwān of Allah, and there is nothing greater than that. If Allah is pleased (razi) with you, then you have attained Allah's approval (riza) and the ultimate meeting (wuslat). You have found the immortal life. You were a mortal, and now you have attained eternal bounties in happiness! What more do you want? Is a man who doesn't want that doing good to himself, or doing evil to himself? Just think for a second!
If you do not want that then you will play around in the world, jump around, and serve your nafs (self), and worship your nafs (self). You will neglect Allah's command as though they have never existed, and then it is all about game and amusement. What about Allah? What about the afterlife (ākhira)? What about death? What about the reckoning? You will not listen to any of these, and then harvest iman (faith) by rebelling against Allah, is that so? You think you can plant kufr (disbelief) and harvest iman (faith), is that right? Is it possible to harvest iman (faith) by planting kufr (disbelief)? He who plants kufr (disbelief) will harvest jahannam (hell). As for those who believe (iman) and do good deeds (amal-e-saleh), they will find janna (paradise).
May Janâb-i Mawla look and see, and make you among the servants who get their minds straight. Naturally, these are matters of guidance (hidayat), and it won't happen without guidance (hidayat).


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Margaret Ilomuanya Laboratory
Drug delivery … Electrospinning technology and Transdermal research Laboratory
HIV Prophylaxis Research
The Following publications have emanated from our HIV Prophylaxis Research:
Enzyme Responsive Vaginal Microbicide Gels Containing Maraviroc and Tenofovir Microspheres Designed for Acid Phosphatase-Triggered Release for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis of HIV-1: A Comparative Analysis of a Bigel and Thermosensitive Gel. Gels 2022, 8, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8010015
Mucoadhesive Microspheres of Maraviroc and Tenofovir Designed for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis of HIV-1: An in vitro Assessment of the Effect on Vaginal Lactic Acid Bacteria Microflora. HIV/ AIDS – Research and Palliative Care. 13:399-413. https://doi.org/10.2147/HIV.S291065
Development and evaluation of mucoadhesive bigel containing tenofovir and maraviroc for HIV prophylaxis. Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 6, 81 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43094-020-00093-3
Development of trigger sensitive hyaluronic acid/palm oil-based organogel for in vitro release of HIV/AIDS microbicides using artificial neural networks. Future J Pharm Sci 6, 1 https://doi.org/10.1186/s43094-019-0015-8
Inside Africa's Push to Make its Own Medicines
10:12 pm 20 Jun 2022
Africa's Shot at Local Pharma Production – IFC Insights
9:38 pm 20 Jun 2022
Voices of MEPI Junior Faculty fellows: Dr Margaret Ilomuanya
11:40 am 20 Jun 2022
Visit: Department of Pharmaceutics,
Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Lagos,
Email: info@margaretilomuanya.com.ng
Copyright © 2022 Margaret Ilomuanya, All Rights Reserved. | By DyNETTech LLC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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About Brenda Davis…..and why I am asking
compassionate folks to help her by purchasing her wonderful art below on this page or to donate any amount possible to her through her Go Fund Me site.
Visionary artist Brenda Davis, has been recovering from cancer after a four year battle with surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. It has been a difficult time for her physically and financially. I can think of no one, more deserving of help at this moment in time. She has recently been hospitalized due to pneumonia. During her long health crisis she has adopted two children, a boy who is now 18 months old and her granddaughter who is now 4 years old. They are the "bright lights" in her world. Brenda is single now and struggles to keep her utilities paid or gas in her car to get to her necessary appointments. She currently has no working stove and her Medicaid benefits have been exhausted for this calendar year and won't begin again until January 2021! She desperately needs to pay for a prescription drug called Brovana right now. It will cost her $845 because she now has no insurance or drug coverage or hospital and doctors' coverage via Medicaid.
Throughout her health struggle, Brenda Davis has been driven to create an amazing environment inside her double-wide mobile home, painting the walls, floors and ceilings! It is truly a masterpiece environment! She is willing to sell it, if she could "trade it" for a safer place to live now during tornados. She is the quintessential visionary, outsider artist and a very dear lady who lives in God's Grace everyday. She deserves a better life. She remains upbeat and her constant refrain is "God's got this, I'm going to be alright."
Brenda was born on October 3, 1962 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She was one of nine children and grew up in Elmore County Alabama. She did not have a happy childhood and was put to work in the fields by her father to pick vegetables that he grew to sell. She was unable to learn to read and became suicidal and was a "cutter" before she reached her teens. When she was in the 11th grade, she became severely depressed, had a nervous breakdown and then dropped out of school.
Brenda remembers that her Grandmother would tell of her vivid dreams and that they would come true. Her Grandmother interpreted certain symbols, the meaning of which also came to her during her dreams. When Brenda was 24, her Mother, Grandmother and an aunt were killed in an automobile accident caused by someone who ran a traffic light. Brenda's anxiety and depression then returned.
At the age of 28, Brenda married the father of her two young sons and they purchased a double-wide mobile home to live in as a family. In March of 2005, their home was invaded by some masked men who shot her husband six times. Her oldest son was also shot once. The two spent months hospitalized and are both still disabled from the incident. During this time, the family's mobile home was repossessed by a finance company and they lost their home and all of their belongings. The family took shelter in an abandoned shack that was without benefit of electricity or running water and lived there for several years until 2007.
It was during this time that Brenda had her first visionary experience. She was outside, "reflecting on the home invasion" when she heard the voice of God tell her, "Draw to comfort your mind." She immediately began drawing obsessively and later began painting over her drawings. Her dreams at night began to be all about her drawings and then her dreams began "to dictate" what she was to draw. The symbolic meanings and titles of works also come with these dreams. "They won't let go of me until I get it down on paper." Brenda's art was discovered and became pursued by collectors.
Through the success of her art, she acquired another double-wide mobile home in 2008, which was put in the same place as the family's former mobile home. If Brenda has the materials, she creates art constantly. She has been featured in numerous exhibitions, a television interview along with a few articles but still remains an emerging artist. Brenda's art is in many important collections and she now has several paintings in the permanent collection of Atlanta's High Museum of Art.
Should you choose to help Brenda, 100% of the sale price for the works on this page will go directly to her. Packing will be complimentary from the gallery. (Only FedEx charges and tax, if applicable will be used by the gallery to offset those expenses.) No tax is due if art is shipped outside Alabama. Thank you for your consideration. Be well and Stay well, everyone!
Marcia Weber
Select image for size, price and additional information.


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How the Pandemic Birthed the Metaverse
Forced isolation, ad fatigue, the desire to be recognized as a full-fledged citizen with rights in cyberspace, and some fantastic technology advancements are bringing us to the birth of the metaverse. It's still just gestating.
Zara Larsson's avatar dances in the pop star's Roblox launch party
Suddenly hundreds of brands are making more real money in the virtual world than they did in the real world…and spending a lot less on the cost of goods. Popstar Zara Larsson offers the same kind of merch at her concerts that many entertainers do — sunglasses, baseball caps and such with her name emblazoned on them. But Lasson's merch is all sold virtually on Robolox, to the tune of $1 million dollars worth since May.
Here are some companies that didn't exist only several years ago but all sell NFT creatures and artwork on the blockchain: Axie, Larva Labs/Crypto Punks, NBA Top Shot, Rariable and OpenSea. Most of them are valued in the billions of dollars. Digital replicas of everything from Hello Kitty to Taco Bell can now be bought and sold in the virtual world. Superworld.app lets you buy and sell virtual real-estate. ChainGuardians lets you earn real money while you play virtual games.
WTF! And why now are the two questions we need to wrap our heads around. There are a couple of different answers.
The Pandemic Made Me Do It
Living in social isolation for nearly two years definitely moved many of us from physically roaming the world to virtually roaming the world. It was, in many instances, our only escape. Locked in our households, the internet became the place for exploring, playing, creating, and socializing. "I love the fact that I get to use avatars in my conference calls, because I don't have to worry about my makeup and hair" said Cathy Hackl, who calls herself the Chief Metaverse Officer, in an interview I did with her the other day as part of the Virtual Events Group series my company organizes.
Hackl believes we're going to experiment with our avatars to open a new level of freedom for people to express themselves. "I might show up in my suited-up avatar for a meeting, but when I hang out with friends I may want to be more fantastical, like a unicorn with ponytails on fire."
We're Sick of Looking at Ads
You've probably wondered how Google knew you were looking for something to do in Rome, before you'd even bought the plane ticket, right? Well, we're all fatigued by ads that pop up in our faces. Even the advertisers are fatigued. So while they continue to sink their ad dollars into digital, they're thinking more about building communities and engagements. That spending will be on creating their digital identities. Instead of viewing a static ad, the brands will move towards a more seamless portrayal of themselves in the metaverse. Hackl says the "metaverse will become the brand calling card." Warner Brothers, Gucci and HBO have already built their own metaverses. Nike, Mac Cosmetics and other apparel companies let you dress your avatar in their products. An added plus? You the consumer will help them iterate their products to your liking. For example, Nascar lets you design racing uniforms, which does the double duty of satisfying you while informing them about their audience's preferences.
Persistent Identity
The pundit Matthew Ball, a VC who wrote the oft-cited Metaverse Primer, defines it like this: "The Metaverse is an expansive network of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds and simulations that support continuity of identity, objects, history, payments, and entitlements, and can be experienced synchronously by an effectively unlimited number of users, each with an individual sense of presence."
When there's a record of what you own in cyberspace and when your identity goes with you wherever your virtual worlds may take you, optimists say there will be more accountability and transparency.
Ready, Player, Metaverse
If you were a fan of Maxis' Sim City (released in 1989) or The Sims (released in 2000) you were in the metaverse. If you played Second Life, you were there in 2002. It's just that the technology lagged the vision. E-commerce was in its infancy, so there was no scalable business model. There was certainly no blockchain showing the provenance of your purchases. There was no cloud storage of data. There were no immersive VR or AR headsets, no mobile phones to take your virtual world with you and no fast chips optimized for graphical rendering.
Today, many metaverses, like Facebook Horizon, represent you as a disembodied torso, simply because the camera cannot detect leg motion. This week we heard about the haptic glove that Facebook is creating so that you can feel objects in the metaverse. Tomorrow we'll probably have sensor-tracking clothing so that our entire bodies can be conveyed into the metaverse experience much as movie-makers use a green screen and body scanning today to help guide animations. Tomorrow, as Zoom's Eric Yuan likes to say, you'll smell the virtual coffee brewing or shake hands at your virtual meeting.
Forced isolation, ad fatigue, the desire to be recognized as a full-fledged citizen with rights in cyberspace, and some fantastic technology advancements are bringing us to the birth of the metaverse. And trust me, it's still just gestating.
Arts + Culture entertainment Metaverse Music Roblox Tech + Society
Founder, Solving for Tech
Robin Raskin is the Founder of The Virtual Events Group, a community that explores how we will meet in a tech-first future. A long-time journalist, author, publisher, event producer, and industry advocate, Raskin was one of the early editors of PC Magazine, and one of the first women in technology publishing. She founded FamilyPC, and created Yahoo!Tech. In 2008 Raskin founded Living in Digital Times (LIDT), which was acquired by the Consumer Technology Association. She writes a weekly column about the intersection of technology and the economy for Techonomy. Raskin plays an active role in high-tech policy issues. She won a lifetime achievement award from the CTA in 2020.
Lilliputians Will Tie Up Gulliver in the Metaverse
Niantic Calls the Current Metaverse Dystopian
Kids have Kickstarted the Metaverse
By David Kleeman
What the Moon and the Metaverse Have in Common


On March 27, 2015, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) published a consultation paper on "Regulatory Framework for Over-the-Top (OTT) Services", and invited stakeholders to submit their comments. The paper raised several questions with great bearing on the future of the Internet and its underlying principle of net-neutrality, and attracted over a million comments following one of the most extensive public campaigns in recent Indian history. SFLC.in submitted its own set of comments to the consultation paper, in which we argued against needless regulation of on-line content and applications providers and recommended legal embodiment of the principles of net-neutrality. The full text of our comments can be accessed here, and a concept note submitted in support of our comments can be accessed here.
UPDATE: SFLC.in had also submitted counter-comments to the comments on TRAI's consultation paper, addressing the following broad areas: regulation of OTT services, security obligations on OTTs, net-neutrality, zero-rated services and revenue impact of OTT services. The counter-comments can be accessed here.


Lato is a beautiful woven carpet designed by Molla Mills. The reversible black-white wool carpet is hand-woven in India by a manufacturer that is awarded with Care & Fair certificate: a part of the production profits are used to improve local children's education.
Molla Mills (born 1979) is a Finnish designer and craft author, who graduated in 2013 with a master's degree from Aalto University. She is known for her columns in the Finnish craft magazine Suuri Käsityö and series of crochet books, published also abroad.
Molla Mills wishes to update the image of handicraft and encourage people to try crocheting. Her greatest sources of inspiration are ethnic patterns, geometry, postmodernism, crochet traditions and older pieces of textile craft.


Inventor LT 3D mechanical CAD software delivers the powerful 3D part-level design capabilities of Inventor 3D CAD software.
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If you've been to a tennis shop lately or shopped online for a racquet, you probably felt a little overwhelmed.
You're greeted with an endless actual or virtual wall of bland, similar-looking sticks.
The shapes, obviously, are similar. The color choices are, with a few exceptions, drab and unremarkable.
And if you have a brand preference, it takes some time to figure out where those racquets sit on the wall because so few of them catch your eye.
So, what to choose? Where to start?
One of the big players, Wilson, is making some moves.
"It was a sea of sameness, everything looked the same. And there were decals and technical callouts all over the racquets. So we took a step back and developed what we call 'uncontaminated design'," Wilson global marketing director for racquet sports Kyle Schlegel says.
Schlegel says the design DNA established with the RF97 and the new Blade and Burn is coming to the company's latest redesign.
Most think Madison Keys is a future Slam champion.
The global launch for the new Ultra racquet line will be Aug. 15, with pre-sale on the company's website at Wilson.com, and some of the bigger online retailers.
You've already seen the racquet on the courts in the hands of some of the players.
The deep navy colour is set off by the light blue accents at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock.
Madison Keys, Gaël Monfils and Borna Coric have all been using the same Wilson model on Tour. So the company is introducing that model – the Ultra Tour – as well.
The colors themselves are similar to the ones on the earlier Ultra models, keeping the heritage consistent. But the design template follows the lead of the new Blade and Burn, with the same elastic velvet paint and standout accents.
Beyond its looks, the racquet boasts a couple of new technologies.
"There's a power rib in the throat of the racquet that gives that portion of the racquet a little more stability. And the crush zone technology and the grommets at the base of the head of the racquet give the ball a little more dwell time on the strings – give it that feel you're looking for," Shlegel says.
The current version of the Ultra did well for Wilson as an all-courter racquet – a versatile stick that produced plenty of power.
Sania Mirza and Monica Niculescu, the No. 1 seeds in the doubles draw at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. last week, played with matching Ultras.
The clean, striking looks are just a bonus.
But while the performance and playability always will be the focus for most players, the cosmetics often can be what initially get some buyers' attention.
"We obviously lean a lot on the Tour players to bring some awareness to our product line. The first time all our players were into the new looks of the racquets was in Australia. It was the amazing to watch the Australian Open. You felt there were Wilson racquets everywhere," Shlegel says. "Fans that closely align with certain players, they know Wilson. And now, they also know which model.
"You can pick them out really quickly now. Before, all the racquets largely lived in a similar space," he adds.
Versatile, all-court player Niculescu meets versatile, all-court racket, Ultra. A perfect match.
Wilson has upped its game on the marketing side, with another interesting surprise to come in short order.
As well, the company is coordinating its racquet demo days around the world to all be scheduled on the same day – Sept. 9, the day of the US Open women's singles final.
"We run close to 3,000 events around the world. We'd never really coordinated them into one day before to make a "demo holiday" until now," Shelegel says.
On that day, there will be several hundred demonstration events to promote all the new racquets – with a specific focus on the new Ultra. The hope is that, with the big match scheduled for later on, players will make it part of a big tennis day.
Just a decade ago, players bought a new racquet every three years according to Tennis Industry Association statistics. These days, they buy less than half as frequently.
The fact that racquets are a whole lot cheaper than they were a generation ago – even a better bargain, proportionately, with the increase in the cost of living in the interim – hasn't seemed to make that much of a difference.
"It was time for some new ideas. Time to breathe some life into it and get people back on the courts," Shlegel says.