Balancing between "Tawakkul in Allah" and Human efforts

As Muslims, we are to completely trust Allah (have “Tawakkul”) for all our affairs. We also believe that Allah’s Will can supersede our plans. However, this does not mean that we should not plan and work based on what Allah has blessed us in knowledge, intelligence, and free will. Common sense, as well as Islamic teachings, tells us that we are to fully employ those God-granted faculties thanking Allah of what he has provided us, without feeling proud and arrogant about those abilities. We see an example of this from the Quran
where it tells us that when Prophet Yaqub (a.s.) sent his sons to Egypt, he advised them as a precautionary measure to enter from different gates of the city lest they be mistaken as a clan or a group raising suspicions amongst the inhabitants of the city. So, we see that even as a prophet, Prophet Yaqub (a.s.) took all the precautionary measures that he could to prevent his sons from getting into any trouble. However, later we also learn from Surah Yousuf in the Quran that his precautionary measures were overtaken by the divine decree.
Sheikh Modudi in his tafsir describes the matter of balancing one’s free will and judgment with Allah’s trust as follows:
“Most people do not understand how Prophet Jacob (Yaqub (a.s.)) was able to hold the balance between “trust in Allah” and the adoption of precautionary measures. This was because Allah had favored him with the real knowledge. That was why he took all those measures which were dictated by common sense, deep thinking and experience. He admonished his sons for their ill treatment of their brother (Prophet) Yousuf (a.s.) so that they should not dare repeat it in the case of Benjamin. He took a solemn pledge from them in the name of AIlah that they would take good care of the safety of their step-brother. Then he advised them to be on their guard against the dangerous political situation and to enter the capital by different gates so as not to give cause for alarm and suspicion. In short, as far as it was humanly possible, he took all the precautionary measures to avoid every possible risk. On the other hand, he always kept this thing in view (and expressed it) that no human precautionary measure could avert the enforcement of Allah’s will, and that the real protection was Allah’s protection, and that one should rely not on the precautionary measures but on the favor of AIlah. Obviously only that person who has the real knowledge can keep such a balance in his words and deeds, who knows what kind of efforts are demanded of his human faculties bestowed by Allah for the solution of worldly problems, and who also realizes that it is Allah alone who has the power to make them a success or a failure.
This is what most people do not understand. Some of them rely merely on their efforts and measures and discard trust in Allah while there are others who rely merely on ‘trust in AIlah’ and do not adopt any practical measure to solve their problems.”
The lesson that we learn from the above is that we, as Muslims, should have complete faith in Allah to help us in our endeavors because without His will and help no results can come to fruition. When we completely put our trust in Allah believing that all success can come only when He intends it to be so, we can earn Allah’s pleasure. Allah tells us in the Quran:
islam on Balancing between “Tawakkul” in Allah and human efforts
“…Certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”
[Quran (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Verse 159)]
In parallel, we should also use all our God-granted faculties in every endeavor that we choose to pursue. As we know from the popular hadith that one day Prophet Muhammad (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it and he asked the Bedouin, “Why don’t you tie down your camel?” The Bedouin answered, “I put my trust in Allah.” The Prophet then said, “Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah” [At-Tirmidhi].
Finally, does the above guarantee that we will get our intended result? As Muslims, we should believe that Allah as the Lord of the worlds has far more knowledge than His creation, and out of His wisdom He may decide to supersede all our plans for reasons that only He knows. We should remind ourselves that believing in al-Qadr (Allah’s divine will and decree) is one of the pillars of Islamic faith.
Allah says in the Quran,
islam on Balancing between “Tawakkul” in Allah and human efforts
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in your selves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah.”
(Quran, Surah Al-Hadeed, Verse 22.)
So, before embarking on an effort, remind yourselves of the following:
* Put your trust in Allah
* Use your God-granted faculties to put in your best efforts
* Believe in the divine decree (Qada wal-qadr)

Purpose of Creation

Purpose of Creation - Part 1 - From the Perspective of the Creator

http://peacebk.blogspot.in/

This question arises in the mind of every individual sometime or the other irrespective whether he is rich or poor, king or cooper, black or white, whether he lives in USA or India. Most of the human beings think that there has to be a Supreme Creator, Almighty God and because of Him we are here. However there is a small minority who do not believe in the existence of the Creator, Almighty God. They assume that the whole world has come into existence by chance and we human  beings too have come into existence by chance. Suppose you see the footprints of a person on the beach, immediately a logical person thinks that these footprints have been created by the walking of a person. A logical person will not assume that the footprints came into existence by chance or that the waves created the footprints.

The question of the purpose of creation can be answered from two perspectives.

1 - The perspective of the Creator, the Almighty God:

2 - The perspective of the Creation, the Human beings:

Those who do not believe in the existence of Almighty God and believe that we have come into this world by mere chance. According to this philosophy, there is no difference between the human beings and the other creations; there is no difference between human beings and animals. All have come by chance. These people do not have any particular purpose of life at all. They do not have a purpose for existence. They live the same way as animals. They eat, drink, sleep and procreate. Therefore they strive for excellence in eating, drinking, sleeping and procreating. They become materialistic and materialism becomes their god. Because of this such people create drugs and weapons of mass destruction to make a better living. They involve in pornography, fornication, adultery and homosexuality. It doesn't make any difference to them as to what they create or what they involve themselves in because they only believe in materialism.

1 - Purpose of Creation from the perspective of the Creator, the Almighty God:

Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Ghafir Chapter 40 Verse 57, "the creations of the heavens and the earth are far greater than the creation of the human being, but most of the human beings realize it not." Many human beings say that we are the greatest of the creations, but Almighty God says that the creations of heavens and earth are far greater, but the human beings do not realize it. One of the attributes of Almighty God is 'The Creator, The Best Creator' and Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Mominun Chapter 23 Verse 21, "Almighty God is the best to create." Since one of the attributes of God is 'the Creator', there must be a creation of His. But that does not mean that Almighty God is dependent on His creations. Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Zumur Chapter 39 Verse 62 "It is Almighty God, who creates everything and He is independent of all His creations." The Arabic word for 'Creator' is 'Khaliq' and the Arabic word 'Khalaqa' means 'to create'. 'Khalaqa' (creating) can be divided into two types. One meaning of 'Khalaqa' is 'to create something from something', which besides Almighty God even we human beings can do. For instance, a carpenter creates a chair from wood and nails. But the wood is obtained from the trees and nail from metal and the trees and wood have not be created by the carpenter. So all of the creations of human beings are dependent upon the basic elements created by Almighty God. So this type of creation is a limited type of creation. The ultimate and the true creation is to create something from nothing and this no one besides Almighty God can do. None of the creations can create something from nothing except the uncreated Almighty God, the Creator of all the creations. So He is the Creator, there has to be creation.

There are up to 99 attributes of God mentioned in the Qur'an and the authentic sayings of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). One of the attributes of God is "Ar Rehman, the Merciful", "Ar Raheem, the Kind", "Al Ghafir, the Forgiver". Human beings are a unique creation of Allah Almighty. Human beings have a free-will of their own. We can either obey or disobey our Creator. Because of having a free-will, we can sin. The other creations of Almighty God do not have any free will of their own and they can not sin. They follow each and every commandment of Almighty God. Only when the human beings sin and repent and ask for forgiveness can the Mercy of Almighty God, the Kindness of Almighty God, the Love of Almighty God, the Grace of Almighty God and the Forgiveness of Almighty God can be known.

The other attribute of Almighty God given in the Qur'an is Love. Almighty God says in several places in the Qur'an that He loves those people, who trust in him, those who are patient, those who are righteous, those who are pious, those who have patience and perseverance and those who approach Him. Almighty God commands the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an in Sura Ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 31 to tell the people, "if you love Almighty God, follow me and Almighty God will love you and forgive your sins." According to a saying of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) recorded in Sahih Tirmidhi Volume 2 Hadith 2805, prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said that Almighty God says if you approach me, I will answer you. If you ask for forgiveness, I will forgive you, Even if your sins reach up-to the clouds, I will forgive you. Even if you sins are as big as the whole earth, I will approach you with the same forgiveness as long as you ask for forgiveness and do not associate partners with Me.

One of the attributes of Almighty God is 'the Grace'. It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim Volume 4 Hadith number 6765 prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said that do good deeds to the best of your ability and be happy for no one can enter the heaven only on the basis of his deeds. The companions asked, what about you prophet Mohammed? The prophet replied, Not even I. I can not enter the heaven unless the Grace and the Mercy of Almighty God envelopes me. Almighty God says in the Qur'an Sura Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 160, "if you do any good deed, I will multiply it ten times into your account and if you do any evil deed, I will count it only as one. For Almighty God is the most Forgiving and He does not do anything wrong." Had both our good deeds and evil deeds been counted as one each without multiplication of our good deeds, none of us would have managed to enter the heaven. It is the Grace of Almighty God that He multiplies our good deeds ten times so that we may enter the heaven. So goods deeds are important, but the Grace of Almighty God is more important to enter the heaven.

One of the attributes of Almighty God is 'Absolute Justice'. Almighty God has divine knowledge of everything. The moment a person is born Almighty God knows whether he would do good deeds or evil deeds. Whether he would obey Him or disobey Him. Almighty God even knows whether this person would go to the heaven or to the hell. But if the moment a person is born Almighty God puts in the heaven, the person deserves the heaven and puts in the hell, the person who deserves hell. The people put in the heaven would not object. But the people put in the hell would object. Saying how come they have been put into the hell even without a test, without a chance to lead their lives? Almighty God is just. As the Qur'an says in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 40, "Almighty God is never unjust in the least degree." That's why Almighty God lets the people live in this world and whoever follows His commandments would pass the test and whoever disobeys fails the test. Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Sajda Chapter 32 Verse 12 that these people who will go to hell on the day of judgement, they will never object to the justice of Almighty God. But they will bow down their heads and ask for forgiveness. They would agree with the Lord and would say that give us another chance and send us once again in the world and we would surely be believers this time. But Almighty God knows in His divine wisdom that if He forgives them and sends them back in the world, after whitewashing their memory of what they have seen in the hell, they would again commit the same mistakes. This is mentioned in the Qur'an Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 28 that if these people were again sent in the world, they would repeat the same mistakes because they are liars. So because of the attributes of forgiving, loving, kindness and grace are manifest in the Creator, Almighty God.

Now the question arises that is Almighty God dependent on His creation to ask His forgiveness or glorify Him to make Him somehow superior? Certainly Not:) We would discuss this in detail in our next post of this series and also discuss the all important question of destiny and free that since everything is destined by Almighty God, then why should we be responsible for any evil things we do, but rather Almighty God should be responsible because He destined so.

Previously, we discussed the Purpose of Creation from the perspective of Almighty God that what was the purpose of Almighty God for creating us. An important question often asked is that if Almight God has already destined everything then if I commit murder or rape or any other sins then God is responsible? And it is a very logical question. To answer this we must understand the conception of Destiny or Predestination correctly.

Destiny - Qadr
Certain things are fixed. Such as, where will you born, which family will you be born in, when and where will you die? These things are fixed.

Almighty God has Ilm-e-Gayb. Almighty God has perfect and infallable knowledge of the future. Almighty God knows in advance what you will do in the future out of your own will and choice. So Almighty God writes it down in advance that you will do it. So It is not because God has written it down that you do it. But it is because you will be doing it out of your own free-will that God has already written it down.

Let me explain it with an example of a classroom. Suppose the teacher has taught the class for the whole term and exams are approaching and the teacher makes some predictions in the classroom. The teachers says that Student A will come first in the class and Student B will fail in the exams. And after the exams when the results are declared, Student A comes first and Student B fails exactly as the teacher had predicted before the exams. Now Student B can not blame the teacher that she predicted that he will fail and that is why he has failed. Because the teacher had taught the class and had knew that Student A is a hard working student and will come first, but Student B does not study and plays all the time, hangs out with his friend and obiviously because of all this he will fail. So the teacher had knowledge of all this and with the help of her knowledge she made correct predictions. So Almighty God has perfect knowledge of the future, which never fails and thus Almighty God knows in advance what people will do and He writes it down in advance.

For instance, if in your life you come at a crossroad and there are three roads. Road 1, road 2 and road 3. You are free to chose whichever way you want and you chose you take road 2. Almighty God already knows in advance that you will choose road 2 out of your own will and that is why He has already written it down in your destiny. Or suppose if you choose road 2, but after walking a few steps you change your mind, get back and choose road 3. Almighty God already knows in advance that you will first choose road 2, but after a few steps you will change your mind and choose 3. So it is not that Almighty God has already written it down that you are choosing this road, but it because you will out of your own free-will choose this road and Almighty God knows it and He has written it down.

Lets try to answer the question of creation from the perspective of the creation, the human beings. That why Allah created us human beings. Allah says in the Glorious Qur'an Sura al Araaf Chapter 7 Verses 172 & 173 that He will bring out from the lions of the children of Adam (may peace be upon him) all the desendants and will ask them am I your Lord and all will say that we testify that you are our Lord lest on the day of judgement they may say that we were unaware that you are our Lord or that our ancestors worshiped somebody else and we just followed them so they should be punished not us. So before we were sent into this world Allah brought all the Children of Adam and asked them who is their Lord and they all testified that there is one Allah and He is our Lord and now is our test in this world.

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura al Zariaat Chapter 51 Verse 56, "We have created the men and the Jinn not but to worship Me." The English word "Worship" according the Webster's Encylopedia Dictionary means 'acts of devotion honoring the Diety.' The Arabic word for 'worship' is "Ibada" derived from the root word "Abd", which means 'a slave'. It is the duty of the slave to be obidient to all the wishes and will of his master. So 'Ibada' means 'total submission to the will of the Creator, Almighty Allah.'

One of the forms of worship is Glorification of the Creator, Almighty Allah. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura an Nasr Chapter 110 Verse 3 , "Glorify the praises of thy Lord." One may ask why does Allah require us human beings to glorify Him? Is Allah dependent on the praises of human beings? Even if all the human beings praise Allah, it will not make Him greater and if nobody praises Him, yet it will not diminish Him. He is the same. If you say 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Greatest) a hundred times it will not make Him superior or if you do not say 'Allahu Akbar', it will not make Him less. He is the Greatest and He will remain the Greatest. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Anfal Chapter 8 that Allah does not require us. It is we who require Him and He is worthy of all praises. So the question remains that why does Allah then require us to praise Him? In fact it is for our own benefit because it is human tendency that if we praise a person or a person is famous, we tend to follow his advice. For instance, if your mother is suffering from a heart disease and you have two options. One is the best doctor in the world and the other is a plain MBBS doctor and both are giving free treatement. Whom would you go to? Of course, you will go to the best doctor in the world and whatever advice he gives you, you will act upon it with your eyes closed because you accept him to be world famous, the best. That is the reason when we praise Allah and call Him the Greatest, the Most Merciful so the moment we praise Him, we tend to follow His advice, the Glorious Qur'an and the advice that He revealed to His Messengers including the final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For instance, when you agree that He is the Most Wise, then Allah, the Most Wise tells you not to have alcohol then stop having alcohol. Allah tells you not to rob then do not rob. So it is not for the benefit of Allah that we praise Him, it's for our own benefit because when we praise Him, it is human tendency that we will follow His advice. 

That is why Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura at Taha Chapter 20 Verse 14 that Verily I am Allah and there is no God besides Me, so remember Me regularly and offer (Salaah) prayer regularly. Allah is advising us to offer Salaah (prayer) regularly because there is so much evil around us that we tend to deviate at times and this Salaah (prayer) is a programing towards righteousness and we are getting programed. As a doctor say that we require 3 meals a day for a healthy body in the same way we require a minimum 5 times daily Salaah (prayer) for a healthy soul. So all forms of worship are beneficial for us.

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 183 that fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those, who came before you so that you may learn self restraint. So when we fast we learn self restraint. We learn to control our desires. Today psychologists tell us that if we control our hunger, we can control all our desires. When we fast, we abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset and when control our hunger, we learn to control almost all our desires. So who is benefitting we or Allah? Of course, we are benefitting; we are learning self restraint.

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura al Maidah Chapter 5 Verse 90, "O you who believe! Verily intoxicants and gambling, dedication of stones (Idol Worship), divination of arrows (Fortune-telling), these are Satan's handywork. Abstain from this handywork, so that you may prosper." And Allah says in the next verse 5:91 that Satan creates enimity and hatred among the human beings through intoxicants and gambling and this takes you away from Allah. So here Allah is guiding us to offer Salaah, fast and not to drink.

Any commandment of Allah that you follow is a form of worship as long as you do it in the right way. Two critera are required. First, any act that you do, you should do it for the pleasure of Allah and not for golory, praise or fame. Second, it should be done the way Allah and His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has told us. The way mentioned in the Qur'an and Saheeh Hadith (Authentic Sayings & Traditions of Prophet Muhammad). If you do in any other way it will not be accepted as worship. It is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim Volume 2 Hadith 1885 that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the worst of all affairs is innovation in the religion. It is a curse and innovation in religion will take you to hell fire. So there is a general rule that all types of worship is prohibited except that mentioned in the Qur'an and Authentic Hadith (sayings & traditions of the prophet).

The purpose of creation of human beings is to worship Allah and when we worship Him, we benefit. It helps us.

It is a misconception that Islam is a new religion and prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is its founder. In fact, Islam is there since time in memorial, since man set foot on the Earth and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not its founder. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last and final Messenger of Allah. There have been many other Messengers as well. As Qur'an says that there is not a nation to which a messenger was not sent. There are names of 25 messengers mentioned in the Qur'an. Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Aaron, Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) were messengers of God and they were Muslims.  The word 'Islam' comes from the root words 'Salam' meaning 'Peace' and Selm' which means 'Submission', so in short Islam means "peace acquired by submitting your will to Allah". Muslim is a person, who acquires peace by submitting his will to Allah. So all these prophets were Muslims, submitting their will to Allah. All the messengers brought the same message and anyone who submits his will to Almighty God, he is a Muslim. Moses was a Muslim. Abraham was a Muslim. Jesus was a Muslim. Since our Creator is one. Human kind is one. So the religion should be one. That is why Allah says in the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 19, "The only religion acceptable in the sight of Allah is Islam (peace acquired by submitting your will to God)." Allah repeats the message in the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 85 that if anybody desires any other religion besides Islam, it will never be accepted of him and he will be among losers. All the messengers taught the same message of submitting your will to Allah and worshiping Him alone and no one else.

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura al Bayinah Chapter 98 Verse 6 that those who have faith do righteous deeds are the best of creation. There are many greater creations than human beings such as the Heavens and the Earth, but Allah calls human beings the best of creation because human beings have a free will of their own. If with this free will we follow the commandments of Allah, we reach the best of creation. We become even better than the angels because angels do not have a free will of their own and if human beings with their free will obey the commandments of Allah, they become superior to the angels. But if you with free will we disobey Allah, then we become the brothers of Satan. So human beings are the best creation of Allah.

The gravest sin mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 48 that if Allah wills, He will forgive any sin. But the sin of 'Shirk' He will never forgive for anyone, who has done Shirk has strayed far away. Allah repeats the message even in Verse 116 of the Chapter. The gravest sin any human being can do is 'Shirk' means associating partners with Allah and worshipping anyone besides the One true God Allah.

One of the qualities of Allah is Love. Allah loves His creation and that is why because of His Grace He has bestowed us with all the blessings He has given us. The air that we breathe. The water that we drink. For those of us, who follows His commandments, Allah has prepared a place for us in the paradise in the next life out of His love. It is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim Volume 1 Hadith 67 that Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "that person has tasted the sweetness of faith, who do three things. One, who love Allah and His Messenger more than everyone in the World. Two, they love other people for the sake of Allah. Three, who hate to go back to disbelief from where Allah has saved them and they don't want to go to the hell-fire." Allah commands Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an in Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 31 to say that all those who love Allah, follow me for Allah will love and Allah will forgive you.

If we analyze, we love other people, our mother, father, wife and children because they have done certain favors upon us. For instance, we love our mother because they bore us in her womb for 9 months. She took care of us when we were young. She brought us up. We love our brothers  because either they have given something to us or we want something from them. In that context, if we count the favors Allah, the Almighty God has done upon us we won't be able to count them up. As Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura Ibrahim Chapter 14 Verse 34 that if you count the favors of Allah, you will not be able to add them up. Imagine, if we love our parents so much for the few things they have given to us, how much should we love Allah. Love differs. For instance, we love animals but our love for animals on a different level than our love for other human beings. In the same way, our love for Allah is on a much superior level than our love for other human beings.

It is mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura al Fatiha Chapter 1 Verse 5, "Thee alone we worship. Thee alone we ask for help." Allah says in Sura al Ghafir Chapter 40 Verse 60, "You ask me and I will answer your prayer." Allah says in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 186, "O Messenger, when they ask you about Me, tell them that I am near to them and I will answer their prayers." So worship should only be done to Allah and no one else. He is the only One, who deserves worship and nobody else.

This is the last part of our series on the purpose of creation. Previous posts were:
1- Purpose of creation from the perspective of Almighty God
2- Destiny & Free-will

Now lets try to answer another question about the purpose of creation from the perspective of human beings that what is the purpose of our existance in this world. Allah gives the answer in the Holy Qur'an in Sura al Mulk Chapter 67 Verse 2, "It is Allah, Who has created death and life to test which of you is good in deeds." And Allah says in the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 185, "Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the fire and admitted to the garden will have attained the object (of life): for the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception." So this life of ours in this world is a test for the Hereafter. If you obey the commandments of Allah (God), you will go to paradise in the next life. But if you do not obey the commandments of Allah (God), you will go to hell.

Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Ankaboot Chapter 29 Verse 2 that do you think that just by saying "we believe", We will let you go. We will surely test you. So one would not go scoot free just by saying he believes; Allah (God) would surely test him. And Allah says in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 155, "Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere." Allah (God) says that He will test everyone.

Allah (God) test different people in different ways. Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nahl Chapter 16 Verse 71 that He has favored some human beings in sustenance over others. Allah repeates the message in the Qur'an Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 160 that Allah (God) has given some human beings more gifts and based on what He has given you, He will test. Now a question often asked is that how can Allah (God) be just, when some people are born in a poor family. Some people are born in rich family. Some people are born healthy, while many others are born with diseases. It is unjust! This world has life and death, health and disease, wealth and poverty and these all are tests. Allah (God) says in Sura al Anfal Chapter 8 Verse 28 that surely your wealth and you progeny (children) are a test for you. And Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Mumin Chapter 63 Verse 9 that let not your wealth and your children deviate you from the remembrance of Allah (God).

One of the best deeds in Charity. If all the people have the same wealth ,so how can Allah (God) test whether some people are charitable or not. This test can only take place, if some people are rich and some people are poor. One of the pillars of Islam is Zakat that every rich person who has the saving of more than the Nisab level (85 grams of Gold), he should give 2.5% of that saving in charity every lunar year. So a rich person has to give away this amount of money to get the marks, but many people do not give Zakat and they will fail. But a poor person does not have to give Zakat and he will get all the marks for Zakat. So it is more difficult for a rich person to go to paradise, but it is much easier for a poor person to go to paradise. Our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that it is more difficult for a rich man to enter paradise. So wealth is a test. 

It is stupidity that we often look upto the rich men that O lucky man! He is rich and look down upon the poor men that O this poor fellow! He does not have anything. But wealth is a test and there are high chances for a rich man to fail in this test thus making it difficult for him to enter Janah (paradise). Suppose if in last year's question paper a very difficult question came and none of the students could solve it, but in this year's question paper that question did not come. Now the student will not be sad that why such a difficult question did not come this year, but they would be happy. So since wealth is a great test, if a poor man does not have it, it only makes his test easier and it would be stupid to say that why his test is not more difficult.

The other test is contentment. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 Hadith 447 that our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that even if a person owns a valley of Gold, he would want to own another valley of Gold. The maximum he can take in his mouth is the dirt of the grave. Even if someone is the richest person in the world, he would still crave for more wealth. Most of the human beings are not content. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 32 that do not ask from Allah (God) that, which He has favored other people with. It would be loss for you. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 Hadith 328 that prophet  Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that look at those people, who are less fortunate than you. Do not look at those people, who are more fortunate than you; lest you would be ungrateful to your Lord. It is said that there was a man, who complained that he did not have shoes, until he came across a man, who had no feet and he started thanking Allah (God) that at least he had feet.

So contentment is a test. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 4 Hadith 304 that prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the real wealth is contentment; it is not property. So whatever you have thank Allah (Almighty God) and such is a true Muslim, a true believer.

Some people ask that how come Allah (God) has created some people, who are born with disease. Maybe heart disease or handicapped. So isn't Allah (God) unjust? Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 40 that Allah (God) is not unjust even in the least degree. All this is a test. Allah (God) tests different people in different ways. The children, who are born, are sinless. But Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Anfal Chapter 8 Verse 28 that your wealth and your children are a test for you. Allah (God) repeats the message in the Qur'an in Sura al Mumin Chapter 63 Verse 9 that let not your wealth and your children deviate you from the remembrance of Allah (God). So maybe it is possible that it is a test for the parents. Whenever any calamity comes upon any person, it is either a test or a punishment. For those who have deviated from the true path of Allah (God), it is a punishment for them. For those are on the true path, it is a test for them. Maybe the parents are very good Muslim. They offer 5 times Salah (obligatory prayer). They pay Zakat (obligatory charity). They have gone for Hajj (pilgrimage). Now Allah (God) gives them a child, who has congenital heart disease. A true Muslim would say that Alhamdulillah! Thank you Allah! Allah (God) is testing them. While a person, who is ungrateful, would complain that why did Allah (God) give him a child with a disease.

More difficult the test; more higher is the reward. For instance, if you pass the Bachelor of Arts exams, you would become only a graduate. But if you pass the MBBS exams, besides being a graduate, you would Dr, Doctor written written in front of your name. But to pass MBBS is multiple times more difficult than to pass BA. So more difficult the test, the more higher the reward. So maybe Allah (God) wants to give those parents not only Janah (merely paradise), but Janat-e-Firdous (the Highest and the Best Paradise). So even though they are pious, Allah (God) wants to give them a higher reward. That is reason our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in Sunan Abu Dawud Volume 3 Hadith 3677 that when a person asked him, who had the maximum tests in this world. Prophet replied that the prophets of Allah (God) had the most difficult tests. After that those people had the maximum tests, who were like the prophets and after those who were like the second people. The more pious a person is, the more difficult would be his test. For instance, you get admission in MBBS, only if you got good marks in 12th standard. So MBBS is a more difficult test. So though the piety level of the prophets is high, still they were tested with more difficult tests. So if any calamity befalls a true believer, he says, "Alhamdulillah! Thank you Allah!" He takes it as a test. So any calamity is either a test or a punishment. The prophets of Allah (God) were pious, so it was a test for them and they passed the tests.

If any good things happens to you, it is either a reward or a test. Maybe you have done good deeds and Allah (God) has rewarded you with wealth or maybe Allah (God) wants to test you with wealth. For those, who have deviated from Allah (God), they pray for wealth and Allah (God) gives them wealth and tests them and they fail. So in this world, they would have the luxury. But in the Hereafter, it is nothing but loss. So Charity is a test. Contentment is a test. Children are a test.

Many a times, we complain that we pray to Allah (God) and nothing happens. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an that you ask Me and I will answer your prayer. And here we ask and ask and nothing happens. So it sounds contradictory that Allah (God) says that He will answer our prayers, but we pray everyday and nothing happens. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 216 that you may like a thing, which is not good for you and you may hate a thing, which is good for you. You know not, but Allah (God) knows. For example, a young boy is praying that Allah (God) give me a BMW motorcycle. But Allah (God) does not give him a motorcycle. Because Allah (God) knows that if He will give him a motorcycle, he will ride fast and have an accident. So by not answering his prayer, Allah (God) is answering his prayer. Because he is a good person and he is asking for something, which is not good. He does not know, but Allah (God) knows.

Allah says about the hypocrites in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 15 & 16 that Allah gives them grow, so that they go to and fro. So many people, who are associate partners with Allah (God), they ask for wealth and Allah (God) gives them wealth. Allah (God) is testing them and they are digging their own graves. So we should never despair, Allah is always there. Have faith in Allah (God). That is why committing suicide is prohibited in Islam. Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter Verse 29 that kill not yourselves. The moment a person commits suicide, he is being ungrateful. Saying that Allah (God) has given him so much trouble. He is unjust. It is not worth living and he ends his life. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 286 that Allah (God) does not lay a burden, greater than he can bear. This is the first part and the other part of the verse we pray that O Allah (God) lay not on us a burden, greater than we can bear. Since Allah (God) has already promised that he will not lay on anyone a burden that he can not bear, then why do we have to pray that lay not on us such a burden that we can't bear. It is because we dig our own grave. We lay a burden upon us that we can not bear. We are responsible. We ask, "give me wealth" and Allah (God) gives us wealth. So we pray to Allah (God) that do not make us the cause to put a burden on ourselves, greater than we can bear.

So we should faith in Allah (God) and worship Him alone. The purpose of our existence in this world is to worship Allah (God) and no one else. This life is a test for the Hereafter. Obey his commandments and be grateful. Whatever test He gives you, a true believer is thankful to Allah, the Almighty God. We often complain that we do not have this or that. The most important thing for living is the air that we breathe. If we do not air for a few minutes, we will die. But how many times have we thanked Allah (God) for the air, He has given us? Since its free, we do not even realize it. We should reflect upon the signs of Allah (God) and thank Him for the blessings that He has given to us.

Now lets come to the last question that why did Allah (God) create this world? What is the purpose of this world? Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura Ibrahim Chapter 14 Verses 32 & 33 that Allah (God) has created the Heavens and the Earth and let water come from the sky; with it He has given fruits. Has caused the ship to sail by the commandment of Allah (God). He has caused rivers to flow for human beings. He has made the sun and moon for you. He has made the night and the day for you. So all these creation and the world is for human beings. All this world is for us human beings. And it is our duty to thank Allah for all these blessings and besides thanking, it is our duty to take care of these things. Allah (God) has created animals, but killing animals is prohibited. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that do not kill animals for target practice. But for food among the Halal (permitted) animals, for which Allah (God) has given permission that you can have, with the way the prophet of Allah (God) has showed us. But for target practice, NO! People wanna conquer these blessings. They kill animals to place their heads on the walls of our house to show off. Allah (God) has created mountains, but instead of giving thanks people wanna conquer them. Hundreds try to climb mount Everest each year and several of them die. Though Allah says in the Qur'an that the camels have been created to carry your load, but we have to love them and respect them. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 that there was a man, who gave water to a thirsty dog by going into the well and carrying the water in the socks and he was granted Janah (paradise). In another Hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, there was a prostitute, who gave water to a thirsty dog and he was granted Janah (paradise) for this. Companions asked that do we get reward even for giving water to a thirsty dog. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), yes why not! Even the animals, which is prohibited to come into our house, even if we give water to that animal Allah will reward us for that. There is a Hadith that a lady tied a cat and did not give it food and Allah put her in hell for this. At least she should have let it go free and it would have fed on roadents. So we have to love and take care of the animals and even the vegetations. You can eat them for food, but you can not kill the plants unnecessarily. Even in war, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that do not cut down the trees and do not burn the vegetation. All these are creations of Allah, the Almighty God. 

In the Qur'an in Sura al Adiyat Chapter 100, Allah swears by the steeds of war and says that sparks come out from the hooves of these horses. Clouds of dust rise. They enter the enemy with, that these horses are without any fear. Just because their master, the horse rider commmands them. Allah, the Almighty God swears by these animals that when their master commands them, they run into the enemy lines without fearing the enemy, their swords and other weapons. At the end Allah, the Almighty God says, "But man is ungrateful." Meaning that the horse is obeying his master by hook or crook, but we human beings are ungrateful to our Master, our Lord. That is why it is the duty of every human being to reflect upon the purpose of creation that why have we been created. Allah, the Almighty God is our Creator. He is Merciful. He is Kind. He is Forgiving. He is Just. It is the duty of every human being that he should worship Allah, the Almighty God. Worship Him and no one else. We should remember that this life is a test for the Hereafter. If you follow His commandments, you will go to Janah (paradise). But if you do not follow His commandments, you will fail the test and you will go to Jahanam (hell). And we have to take care of the blessings that Allah has given us.

Duty of Muslims -

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 110, "O ye Muslims! You are the best of people evolved for mankind." We are called the best of people, which is a honor and whenever there is honor; it comes with a responsibility and there is no honor without responsibility. Allah tells us our responsibility in the same verse. "Because you enjoin what is good and you forbid what is bad and you believe in Allah." It is the duty of every Muslim that whatever you know, if you know the purpose of creation, tell it to the others. That why were created. That we should worship Allah, the Almighty God alone. Exhort people to the truth and prevent them from going towards wrong. It is the duty of every Muslim. Dawah (exhorting people to the truth) is compulsory and if we do not exhort people to the truth and do not prevent them from going towards wrong, then we are not fit to be called Muslims; we are not fit to called as the best of people. Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nahl Chapter 16 Verse 125, "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious."

Do Not Live Without a Vision

Do Not Live Without a Vision

by Haitham al-Haddâd

Many people think that they have a vision but in reality they have nothing. Countless brothers and sisters consult me regarding key decisions in their life. My answer has always been and continues to be, ‘if you had a clear vision of what you want to be or what you want to do, you would not ask such questions!’
One key quality of any successful person is to live for a mission. Unsuccessful people live from one day to the next. They are not inspired by something virtuous not living for a noble goal and therefore they do not live a noble life. Islam, being a religion of nobility, does not want people to live in this way. Allah encourages people to compete for the best possible afterlife and be inspired all of the time. In the Qur’an we read,

“Race one with another in hastening towards Forgiveness from your Lord (Allah), and towards Paradise, the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.”[1]

Such people are dedicated to achieve what they want and look for all possible means to facilitate such achievements for themselves. Having vision is paramount to the success of a person. In his book The seven Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey considered “beginning with the end in mind” as the second habit of such successful people. In fact, we easily see that when Allah desired to send a prophet, he would prepare him to be a special person with high ambition. He inspired him from an early age to become a leader and set out a vision for him. Our Prophet was raised a poor orphan - this situation tends to set a ceiling for what a person might aim for, however Allah decreed that his grandfather would look after him. His grandfather, Abdu’l-Muttalib, was the chief of the Quraish tribe which was the most dignified tribe in the world. Hence, the Prophet tasted the life of dignified leaders. Furthermore, his grandfather used to love him so much that the Prophet had the privilege to do what others could not do. For example, his grandfather would sit on a mat that no one else was allowed to sit on except the young Muhammad. Throughout his teenage years he was not involved in the many indecent activities others his age were. He was inspired to be different. Similarly, Prophet Yusuf was inspired to think big and be ready for greatness. Allah says,

“(Remember) when Yusuf (Joseph) said to his father: "O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves to me.”[2]

Moses was also inspired from a very young age as he was raised up in the Pharaoh’s house even though he was from the Children of Israel whom the Pharoah wanted to subjugate and destroy.
There is no doubt that life takes on a different meaning once a person sets out a vision for him/herself and works towards it. On the other hand it is boring and devastating when a person lives for nothing of substantial value.
Many people think that they have a vision but in reality they have nothing. Countless brothers and sisters consult me regarding key decisions in their life. My answer has always been and continues to be, ‘if you had a clear vision of what you want to be or what you want to do, you would not ask such questions!’ Some brothers and sisters may say that they want to worship Allah or they want to go to paradise. This is good, but the key question is how? Moreover, Paradise is of different levels, which level are you aiming for? The reality is many people do not have a vision. In order to set out a vision for yourself simply put yourself in the shoes of your father, what does he do now after being retired and do you want to follow the same routine?

A vision that does not materialise

I am sure that at this point many people will ask the following question: what about a vision that I failed to achieve due to ‘out of hand’ circumstances? Failing to achieve it is likely to demotivate a person and might lead to negative consequences. However, this is not true if the person follows an Islamic way of setting out his vision.
Abu Kabshah al-Anmaari, a Companion of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him), stated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying:

“Four people are making the most of this world: a man to whom Allah gives wealth and knowledge, so he fears his Lord with regard to the way in which he disposes of his wealth, and he uses it to uphold ties of kinship and he realizes that Allah has rights over it. This man occupies the highest status. And a man to whom Allah has given knowledge but did not give him wealth, so he is sincere in his intention when he says, ‘If I had wealth I would have done the same as so and so is doing.’ So he will be rewarded according to his intention and the reward of both of them is the same”[3]

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came back from the campaign to Tabuk and when he drew close to Madinah he said:

“In Madinah there are people who, whenever you travelled any distance or crossed any valley, were with you.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, even though they are in Madinah?” He said: “Even though they are in Madinah, because they were kept there by (valid) excuses.[4]

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote in his commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, ‘This indicates that a man may attain by means of his intention that which the one who does the deed may attain when he is prevented from acting by some (valid) excuse.’
In conclusion once a person sets out a vision and tries all possible means to achieve it yet fails to do so in this life, he will be rewarded in the hereafter. In reality, the person did not fail and thus there is no need for him to despair or lose hope. This is a unique aspect of Islam and demonstrates its beauty. Furthermore, this demonstrates that any achievement in this life is worthless if it does not count in the afterlife where he will not be worried about what he may have missed out on. Allah says,

the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.”[5]

The believer should also believe in the Divine’s wisdom and submit to Him – it is in this way that he will not be frustrated due to the inability to fully achieve what he desired. Allah says,

“That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Mighty Grace.[6]

As a final point, it must be noted that if Allah knows that a person is committed to achieving his goal He will help him to achieve it. It is amazing to read the stories that establish this point. Once Abdullah ibn al-Zubair, Musab ibn al-Zubair, Urwah ibn al-Zubair and Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab gathered together in al-Hijr next to the Kaʽbah and they said to each other let us wish. As for Abdullah ibn al-Zubair, he wanted to be the caliph over the Hijaz, Musab ibn al-Zubair wanted to be the governor of Iraq and to marry beautiful women. Urwah ibn al-Zubair desired to be a scholar of hadith and Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab wished for paradise. al-Dhahabi, the great historian said that everyone received what they desired (we pray that Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab will receive paradise). Therefore, I urge all brothers and sisters to ask themselves - what is my vision for this life and the hereafter?

Footnotes

Sources: www.islam21c.com[1] Al-Qur’an 57:21
[2] Al-Qur’an 12:4
[3] Al-Tirmidhi (2325) and Ibn Majaah (4228).
[4] Al-Bukhari (4423)
[5] Al-Qur’an 57:20
[6] Al-Qur’an 62:64


courtesy: http://www.islaam.net

Death and the Islamic perspectives

Death and the Islamic perspectives

Praise be to Allah " Who created life and death to test which of us is best in conduct." And Who " made the world a respectable for both the living and the dead" among us.

Blessing and peace be upon Muhammad , the last and the final of the prophets.

Allah, the Most Blessed and Exalted, has honored mankind from among all His creatures, and among mankind, He has favored the Muslim believer, distinguishing him from the rest by bestowal of special privileges, and conferring honor on him both during his life and after his death. For just as the Muslim is welcomed into this world at birth by purification of his body and by joyful exclamation of " There is no god but Allah " and "Allah is most great ", and the face of the earth is spread before him as dwelling, so also is the bidden farewell at death by the washing and shrouding of his body and by prayer over him, and the depths of the earth are made a grave for him, and a cover to preserve his dignity.

It is imperative that the reflection of death should be ever present in the minds of men. However prolonged this worldly life may be, it is mortal and must end and however great may be the possessions of this world, one day they are bound to be left behind.

The eternal life is immortal ; its blessings are everlasting. In view of all this it needs no explanation to a man of ordinary sense that one should opt for something which is everlasting. On the other hand to hanker after something which is transitory is the height of folly. But our reason is beclouded by stupor. We are enamoured of embellishments of the waiting room of this station where the period of our stay ends with the arrival of the train. It would certainly be to his advantage if during this short period of waiting a person should busy himself with the preparation and arrangements of goods for his journey and making provisions for those things which will prove useful on arrival at the eternal home. If on the other hand he wastes his short but precious time of leisure in going around the place and while his own goods are lying scattered he should set about dusting and furnishing the waiting room ; and what's even more foolish if he should get busy in purchasing mirrors and maps for hanging in this room, he will not only lose his ordinary provisions but also his most valuable gifts.

Almighty says:

" O those who keep faith ! Let not your goods and your offspring make you heedless towards the remembrance of Allah. And if a person does this, he will be among such people as are the losers. And whatever Allah has provided you with, spend out of it before someone's death approaches and he should say ; " O my Creator ! Why didn't you grant me few days respite so that I could give away in charity and be counted among those who are righteous. Allah certainly grants no respite to any man when the time of his death approaches and Allah is well-Aware of all your deeds." The occupation of gathering wealth and valuable goods and the care of family and offspring are those things which become the cause of indifference in carrying out the commands of Almighty Allah. Take heed lest you should depart with full awareness that you are leaving behind your family and offspring and all your goods and valuable possession. To-day you have time enough. So do what you must.

The Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him ) says : " The sanest amongst us is the one who can control his baser self and remains attached to things that may prove helpful to one's post existence. One cannot be prepared for anything unless one spends every moment of one's life in contemplating what the process of preparation requires. And anyone who is leading the life of deception. He is a victim to the worldly temptation and he is forgetful of the day he will die".

Allah reveals to us in the Holy Qur'an:

" Tell those who are running away from death that one day they will be trapped unaware and produced before Almighty. They will be called upon to answer for their action by Him Who is All-Knowing".

The Prophet ( peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) instructed a companion that he should remember death amply. It will end your pleasures in other things. It is laid down in another tradition that death should be remembered abundantly. One who reminds himself of death frequently, his heart becomes alive and death becomes easy for him. A companion complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he had no love for death. What should he do ? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said : "Have you any wealth ." He replied, ‘ Yes, I have". The prophet said, " Give it away in the name of Allah ." A man loves his wealth but when he spends it in the name of Allah, he also wants to go to Him. When he tries to preserve it , he wants to remain with it.

It was the habit of Umar b.Abdul Aziz that he used to convene meetings of the learned men daily who discussed about Death, Doomsday and the Day of Judgement. He wept so bitterly on hearing about these as if the funeral was lying before him. Ibrahim Tayami said, " Two things have made me leave every pleasure of the world : One is death and the other is my anxiety to appear before Allah Almighty on the Day Of Judgement". Ka'b said: " Whosoever has recognized death, the hardships of this world will come to an end for him". A woman complained to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her ) about her hard-heartedness. Aisha ( may Allah be pleased with her ) advised her to remember death frequently which would make her kind hearted. The woman did so and thanked Aisha ( may Allah be pleased with her ) very much for her valuable advice.

Death , according to the Qur'an, is not the end of man's life; it only opens the door to another, a higher form of life: " We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome, that We may change your state and make you grow into what you know not ." Qur'an 56 : 60 - 61 .

A faith in life after death is the last of the basic principles. The word generally used in the Qur'an to indicate this life is al-Akhira.

The Qur'an accords to faith in the Future Life an importance which is next only to faith in Allah. Very often all the doctrines of faith are summed up as amounting to belief in Allah and the Future Life: " And there are some people who say, We believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they are not believers ." Qur'an 2 : 8 ; " Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have their reward with their Lord." Qur'an 2 ; 62

The Opening chapter of the Qur'an, entitled the Fatihah, is not only looked upon as the quintessence of the Book but it is actually the chapter which plays the greatest part in creating a true Muslim mentality ; for the Muslim must recite it in the five prayers, over thirty times daily. In this chapter Allah is spoken of as the " Master of the Day of Requital", and thus the idea that every deed must be requited is brought before the mind of the Muslim continually. The constant repetition of the idea of a requital of deeds, undoubtedly impresses on the mind the reality of a future life, when every deed shall find its full reward. The reason for attaching so much importance to a life after death is clear. The greater the faith in the good or bad consequences of a deed, the greater is the incentive which urges a man to or withholds him from that deed. Therefore this belief is both the greatest impetus towards good and noble, and the greatest restraint upon evil or irresponsible deeds. But more than this, such a belief purifies the motives with which a deed is done. It makes a man work with the most selfless of motives, for he seeks no reward for what he does; his work is for higher and nobler ends relating to life beyond the grave.

Th Qur'an not only speaks of a life after death which opens out for man a new world of advancement, before which the progress of this life sinks into insignificance; it also shows that the basis of the life is laid in this our life on earth. The Hereafter is not a mystery beyond the grave; it begins in this life. For the good, the heavenly life, and for the wicked, a life in hell, begins even here, though the limitations of this life do not allow most people to realize this. "Thou wast indeed heedless of this, but now We have removed from thee thy veil, so thy sight is sharp this day." Qur'an 50 : 22 . This shows that the spritual life which is hidden from human eye by reason of material limitations, will become manifest in the Resurrection; because human perception will then be clearer, the veil of material limitations having been removed. The Qur'an speaks of two paradises for the righteous and two chastisements for the wicked, as also of a heavenly and hellish life each beginning here : " And for him who fears to stand before his Lord are two Gardens." Qur'an 55 : 46 . " O soul that are at rest ! Return to thy Lord well pleased, well pleasing. So enter among My servants and enter My Garden ." Qur'an 89 : 27 - 30 . " Nay, would that you knew with certain knowledge, you would certainly see Hell."Qur"an 102 : 5 - 6 . " It is the fire kindled by Allah which rises over the hearts."Qur'an 104 : 6 - 7 . " And whoever is blind in this life, shall also be blind in the Herafter ."Qur'an 17 : 72 . "Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know." Qur'an 68 : 33

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ISLAM AGAINST RACISM AND PREJUDICE

ISLAM AGAINST RACISM AND PREJUDICE
Islam's manifesto of Universal brotherhood of human beings
by Abdul Malik Mujahid
From the Quran
"O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you" (Quran 49:13).
Explanation: There are several principles, which this verse presents:

1. This message is not just for Muslims only because God is addressing all of humanity. While Muslims are one brotherhood, this is part of a larger brotherhood of humanity.
2. God is telling us that He has created us. Therefore He knows the best about us.
3. He says that He created us from one man and one woman meaning then that we are all the same.
4. It also means that all human beings are created through the same process, not in a manner in which some are created with a better mechanism than others.
5. God is the One who made human beings into different groups and people.
6. These differences are not wrong, rather a sign from God ("And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for those who know" [Quran 30:22]).
7. Note that no word equivalent to race is used in this ayah or any other verse of the Quran.
8. Islam, however, limits the purpose of these distinctions to differentiation and knowing each other. This is not meant to be a source of beating each other down with an attitude of ‘my group is better than your group' or false pride as is the case with tribalism, nationalism, colonialism, and racism.
9. The only source of preference or greatness among human beings is not on a national or group level, but it is at the individual level.
10. One individual who is (higher in Taqwa), more conscious of his Creator and is staying away from the bad and doing the good is better, no matter what nation, country or caste he is part of. Individual piety is the only thing that makes a person better and greater than the other one.
11. However, the only criterion of preference, Taqwa, is not measurable by human beings. Indeed God is the One Who knows and is aware of everything so we should leave even this criterion to God to decide instead of human beings judging each other.

These are the deeply embedded ideals of Islam which still bring people to this way of life even though Muslims are not on the best level of Iman today. This is what changed the heart of a racist Malcolm X when he performed Hajj in Makkah. This is the power that brought Muhammad Ali to Islam. This is what still attracts the Untouchables of India towards Islam. This is the theory which convinced noted historian Professor A.J. Toynbee in 1948 to say that: "The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue."
Let's ask ourselves if the Muslim Ummah today, in its individual and collective behavior is striving to adopt and promote these Islamic ideals?
From the Sunnah
1. Prophet's response to racist comments:
A man once visited the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. There he saw a group of people sitting and discussing their faith together. Among them were Salman (who came from Persia), Suhayb who grew up in the Eastern Roman empire and was regarded as a Greek, and Bilal who was an African. The man then said:
"If the (Madinan) tribes of Aws and Khazraj support Muhammad, they are his people (that is, Arabs like him). But what are these people doing here?"
The Prophet became very angry when this was reported to him. Straightaway, he went to the mosque and summoned people to a Salat. He then addressed them saying:
"O people, know that the Lord and Sustainer is One. Your ancestor is one, your faith is one. The Arabism of anyone of you is not from your mother or father. It is no more than a tongue (language). Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab." (As quoted in Islam The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid p. 125)
2. Statement of the universal brotherhood in the last Sermon:
O people, Remember that your Lord is One. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over white, nor a white has any superiority over black, except by piety and good action (Taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (Taqwa). Listen to me. Did I convey this to you properly? People responded, Yes. O messenger of God, The Prophet then said, then each one of you who is there must convey this to everyone not present. (Excerpt from the Prophet's Last Sermon as in Baihiqi)
3. Don't take pride in ancestry:
The Prophet said: Let people stop boasting about their ancestors. One is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).
4. Looking down upon other people will stop you from entering the Jannah:
The Prophet said: Whoever has pride in his heart equal to the weight of an atom shall not enter Paradise. A man inquired about a person who likes to wear beautiful clothes and fine shoes, and he answered: God is beautiful and likes beauty. Then he explained pride means rejecting the truth because of self-esteem and looking down on other people (Muslim).
5. The Prophet condemnation of Arab racial pride:
There are many hadith, which repeatedly strike on the Arab pride of jahiliyyah. Arabs before Islam used to look down upon others specially blacks. The Prophet repeatedly contrasted the believing Africans versus non-believing Arab nobles.
The Prophet said: You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian slave whose head looked like a raisin (Bukhari).

A Call for Shia Sunni Dialog
Why and How

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

Shia-Sunni violence has been on the rise in the last few years, particularly in Iraq and Pakistan. Every month, it seems, scores of Shias and Sunnis are killed in a vicious tit-for-tat between extremists on both sides. Many of the victims are killed as they pray or are in mosques.

These incidents belie the reality of Shia-Sunni coexistence and cooperation. In Iraq, it is estimated that up to 30 percent of marriages are between Shias and Sunnis; victims of violence between the two groups frequently attend each other's funeral prayers; one group often helps the other's victims after an incident.

This silent majority must come together through dialog to defeat the terrorists who have been responsible for these killings.

Seven reasons why a dialog between Shia and Sunni is needed:

• Theological differences between Shia and Sunni are old and are better left for God to judge, as He knows best and has said in the Quran that He is the final judge of religious disagreements. The killing of Shias or Sunnis will not resolve these disputes.
• The principle of "no compulsion in matters of faith" (Quran 2:256) is not just limited to Muslim-non-Muslim relations. It applies to Muslim interpretations of Islam as well. This instruction of God serves as a guideline for the Muslim community to not impose one's interpretation on others. That is why throughout history, not only have Hanafis and Shafis worked with each other despite differences, but Shias and Sunnis have lived and worked side by side with each other as well.
• When human beings sit down and talk to each other, they learn to respect each other.
• Dialog allows parties to understand each other better by allowing participants to acquire direct knowledge about beliefs instead of relying on propaganda and stereotypical images. (Quran 49:6-12)
• Dialog will isolate the extremist fringe. It is a major sin to kill a human being. Killing a human being is like killing the whole of humanity. By talking to each other, Shias and Sunnis will be able to save lives, which is like saving the whole of humanity. (Quran 5:32)
• Revenge is not justice. Killing in revenge is unjust, inhuman, and un-Islamic. Retribution through the state, which the Quran sanctions via capital punishment does not amount to individuals taking the law in their hands or killing an innocent person in revenge. The call for, "an eye for an eye," does not mean an innocent eye for an innocent eye.
• Even if some Shias and Sunnis consider each other enemies, the Quran asks us to be just even toward one's enemy "O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to Piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do." [Quran 5:8]

Some considerations for dialog:

The Shia community like Sunnis is diverse. There are many differences between one Shia group and another. This is why it is important that dialog between Sunnis and Shias becomes a movement and a process throughout society instead of everyone waiting for one high powered dialog to yield some results at the leadership level. Here are some preliminary thoughts on how a dialog between Shias and Sunnis can be beneficial for each side.

Goals of dialog

Although I consider dialog a process that is beneficial to all, it is necessary that everyone involved recognize some of its tangible benefits. The following are a set of achievable goals for Shia-Sunni dialog.

• Developing an agenda of common concerns
• Identifying issues of conflict
• Issuing joint Fatwas against the killings
• Isolating extremists on each side
• Preventing a potential conflict or mediating an existing conflict
• Education to clarify stereotypes about each other
• Setting up joint task forces to deal with outstanding issues

Who should participate in the dialog

• Imams and caretakers of Masjids
• Students of Madrassas
• University students
• National level religious leadership
• Shia and Sunni media persons
• Shia and Sunni businesspersons

Mechanism of dialog

Dialog is a process that should occur at all levels of society. In the 1960s in Pakistan, when Shia- Sunni fights were far less significant, city officers used to convene joint meetings of Shia and Sunni leaders to chalk out Muharram plans so no confusion would result in rioting. These government-arranged dialogs helped keep conflicts at a minimum. Considering the current level of mistrust, it will be beneficial if civil society takes initiatives for dialog at all levels of society.

• Private Dialog: Host roundtable discussions initially at the top leadership level that should later expand to include
• thers working on different committees.
• Public Dialog: Shia and Sunni both use public forums and media to speak to each other's audiences
• Visiting each other's Masjids to enhance confidence and to demonstrate that they are not supportive of the extremists who isolate each other.
• Shia-Sunni Dinners: Masjids and social associations should invite Shia and Sunni friends to eat with each other publicly.

Publicity of dialog

Publicity of the dialog will generate hope and confidence in it and will empower those in dialog vis-a-vis the extremists.

• Media should facilitate self-criticism and introspection by the religious leadership
• Those leaders who participate in dialog should be recognized through interviews, reports, and documentaries
• Investigative reports should be aired and published about the truth behind sectarian propaganda
• It is important for society to honor those Shia and Sunni leaders who take initiative and demonstrate leadership in participating in dialog. Sunnis, being members of the majority community, have the higher level of responsibility towards initiating and participating in dialog

Sponsors of Dialog

Funding always facilitates the beginning of a process in civil society. Every task requires time and money. While participating organizations and individuals can take care of their own costs, it would be very rewarding if some individuals and businesses came forward with funds to sponsor and host these dialogs. American Muslims can start a dialog in North America where there is no conflict in the Shia-Sunni community and then inspire and sponsor dialogs where it is needed the most.

Beyond Dialog

Considering that Shias and Sunnis live side by side in the Muslim world, they are not unknown to each other, and considering that most of them have nothing to do with the current extremism which is responsible for the killings and violence, it is important for the moderate majority to come up with a few initiatives which are beneficial for Shia- Sunni harmony. These could be communicated in the print form or in any other media. They should discuss the following themes and/or use the methods outlined here:

• Khutba points which can help harmony
• What type of talk can hurt at personal level
• What is common between Shias and Sunnis
• Common Hadith between Shias and Sunnis
• What is hate speech
• Islamic teachings of tolerance
• A Shia-Sunni security force, jointly safeguarding each otherâs houses of worship will be a significant blow to the extremist agenda.

Conclusion

Shia-Sunni conflict and sectarian terrorism is tearing our community apart.

The Quran, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the Kaba and the five pillars of Islam are common to Shias and Sunnis. That is why no one in Islamic history has stopped Shias from performing Hajj, although the Kaba has always been in the control of Sunnis. Even today, when those currently in charge of the Kaba are part of a predominantly Salafi establishment, which maintains extremely negative views of Shias, Shias like other Muslims are free to perform Hajj. Shias, by the same token, since the 1979 Iranian revolution, are ordered by Imam Khomeini to pray behind these same Salafi imams instead of praying separately.

This mutual recognition gives us hope that a dialog can bear fruit of peace and harmony between both the communities.