Prophet Muhammad was sent as a role model for all humanity

Surah Al-Ahzab discusses the important event of the Battle of the Trench (or Al-Ahzab: the Clans), which took place in Shawwal, 5 A.H. In view of the context in which the following verse occurs, the object of presenting the Holy Prophet’s conduct and way of life as a model was to teach a lesson to the people, who had been motivated by considerations of selfish interests and personal safety on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench. The below verse contains an important principle for all Muslims, i.e. to follow the Messenger of Allah in all his words, deeds, etc.

Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.
Quran (Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 21)

Reflections from this verse
In this verse, Allah presents His Messenger’s life as an absolute model for the Muslims to follow on the day of Al-Ahzab, with regard to patience, striving and waiting for Allah to provide a way out of the challenge that he was in.
Allah sets the Prophet’s example for those who were anxious and impatient and were shaken by feelings of panic on the day of Al-Ahzab.
The verse demands that Muslims should take the Holy Prophet’s life as a model for themselves in every affair of life and should mould their character and personality according to it. This, therefore, means that those who claim to be the believers and Muslims and followers of the Messenger, should see how the Messenger conducted himself on the occasion.
The Holy Prophet set the best example in leadership. He endured along with others every toil and labor that he asked others to endure, and endured better than others; there was no trouble which others might have experienced and he himself did not. He was among those who dug the trench, and endured hunger and other afflictions just as the common Muslims did. He did not leave the battlefront even for a moment during the siege nor retreated an inch.
The Prophet’s own family had also been exposed to danger just as the families of other Muslims. He did not make any special arrangement for his own and his family’s protection. He was always in the forefront to offer maximum sacrifices for the great objectives for which he was constantly asking others to make sacrifices.
The Prophet’s life is a model for him who remembers Allah much and consistently and not occasionally, just by chance.
His life is a model for the person who is hopeful of Allah’s grace and His favors, and who is also mindful that the Day of Judgment will come when his well-being will wholly depend on how closely his conduct resembled the conduct and character of the Messenger of Allah in this world.

(References: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi – Tafhim al-Qur’an and Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Polishing the Hearts

Allaah - the Most High - said: 

"O you who believe! Remember Allaah and remember Him a lot." [Soorah al-Ahzaab 33:4I].

"Those men and women who remember Allaah a lot." [Soorah al-Ahzaab 33:35]. 

"So when you have finished the rights of your Pilgrimage, then remember Allaah as you remember your fore-father, or with more intense remembrance." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:200]. 

These verses contain a command to remember Allaah intensely and abundantly, since the worshipper is in dire need of [remembering Allaah] and cannot do without it even for a twinkling of an eye. This is because every moment that a person does not spend in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah will not be of any benefit to him. Rather, the harm entailed in being neglectful of the dhikr of Allaah is far greater than any benefits that can be gained. One of the 'aarifeen (those who are knowledgeable about Allaah) said:"If a person were to spend such and such number of years engaged [in the dhikr of Allaah], then he turns away from it for just a moment, what he will lose is far greater than whatever he has already gained." 

Al-Bayhaqee relates from 'Aaishah radiallaahu 'anhaa that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "There is no time in which the son of Aadam does not remember AIIaah in it, except that it will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Judgement"2 

Mu'aadh ibn jabal radiallaahu 'anhu relates that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The people of Paradise will not have any regrets except for those moments in which they were not engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah."3 

Mu'aadh ibn Jabal also relates that Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was asked: What action is the most beloved to Allaah? So he replied: "That you continue to keep your tongue moist with the dhikr of Allaah, until you die."4 

[POLISHING THE HEART] 

Abu Dardaa radiallaahu 'anhu said:"For everything there is a polish and the polish for the heart is the dhikr of Allaah". 

Al-Bayhaqee relates from Ibn 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhu that AlIaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "For everything there is a polish, and the polish for the hearts is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah. There is nothing more potent in saving a person from the punishment of Allaah than the dhikr of Allaah." It was said: Not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah. So he replied: "Not even if you were to continue striking with your sword until it breaks."5 

There is no doubt that hearts becomes rusty just as copper and silver coins become rusty. The polish for [this rust] is the dhikr of AIlaah. This is because [dhikr] is like a polish [which polishes the heart] like a shiny mirror. When dhikr is left, the rust returns. But when dhikr resumes, then the heart is [again] polished. And hearts become rusty due to two things:- 

(i) neglecting remembering Allaah, and 

(ii) committing sins. 

The polish for these two things is:- 

(i) seeking Allaah's forgiveness and 

(ii) dhikr. 

[CONFUSING TRUTH WITH FALSEHOOD] 

Whoever neglects [remembering Allaah] most of the time, then his heart will become rusty in accordance with how neglectful the person is. And when this [filthy] rust accumulates on the heart, then it no longer recognises things as they really are. Thus, it views falsehood as if it is the truth, and truth as if it is falsehood. This is because this rust darkens and confuses the heart's perception, and so it is unable to truly recognise things for what they really are. So as the rust accumulates, the heart gets blackened, and as this happens the heart becomes stained with this filthy rust, and when this occurs it corrupts the heart's perception and recognition of things. The heart [then] does not accept the truth nor does it reject falsehood, and this is the greatest calamity that can strike the heart. Being neglectful [of dhikr] and following of whims and desires is a direct consequence of such a heart, which [further] extinguish the heart's light and blinds its vision. Allaah - the Most High - said: 

"And do not obey him whose heart We have made to be neglectful of Our remembrance, one who follows his own whims and desires and whose affairs are furat [have gone beyond bounds and whose deeds have been lost]." [Soorah al-Kahf 18:28]. 

[QUALITIES OF A GUIDE] 

So when a worshipper desires to follow another person, then let him see: Is this person from the people of dhikr, or from the people who are negligent [about remembering Allaah]? Does this person judge in accordance with his whims and desires, or by the Revelation? So, if he judges by whims and desires then he is actually from those people who are negligent; those whose affairs have gone beyond bounds and whose deeds are lost. 

The term furat [which occurs in the above verse] has been explained in many ways. It has been explained to mean:- (i) losing the rewards of that type of action which is essential to do, and in which lies success and happiness; (ii) exceeding the limits of something; (iii) being destroyed; and (iv) opposing the truth. Each of these sayings are very close in meaning to each other. 

The point is that Allaah - the One free from all imperfections, the Most High - has prohibited following all those who possess such attributes. So it is absolutely essential that a person considers whether such attributes are found in his shaykh, or the person who's example he follows, or the person that he obeys. If they are, then he should distance himself from such a person. However, if it is found that the person is, in most cases, pre-occupied with the dhikr of Allaah and with following the Sunnah, and his affairs do not exceed the limits, but rather he is judicious and resolute in his affairs, then he should cling to him very firmly. 

Indeed, there is no difference between the living and the dead, except with the dhikr of Allaah; since [the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] said: "The example of one who remembers Allaah and someone who does not, is like the example between the living and the dead."6 

FOOTNOTES:

1. AI-Waabilus-Sayyib min Kalimit-Tayyib (pp.78-82). 

2. Hasan: Related by Abu Nu'aym in al-Hiliyatul-Awliyaa (51361-362). It 

was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.5720). 

3. Saheeh: Related by lbnus-Sunnee in 'Aml al-Yawma wal-Laylah (no.3). 

Refer to Saheehul-Jaami' (no.5446). 

4. Hasan: Related by lbn Hibbaan (no.2318). It was authenticated by 

Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee in Saheeh al-Waabilus-Sayyib (p.80). 

5. Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (4/352), from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal radiallaahu 

'anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.5644). 

6. Related by al-Bukhaaree (11/208) and Muslim (1/539).

By: Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

The Story of Prophet Job (Ayoub) -peace be upon him

Job [Ayoub (peace be upon him)] was a descendant of Abraham's offspring as Allah Almighty declared: 

"That was the reasoning about Us which We gave to Abraham (to use) against his people: We raise whom We will degree after degree: for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge. We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) We guided: and before him We guided Noah and before him We guided Noah and among his progeny David Solomon Job Joseph Moses and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good" Quran 6:83-84 

Allah the Almighty praised His worshipper Job in His Glorious Quran: 

"Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance to Us" Quran 38:44 

Job was repentant, remembering Allah with thankfulness, patience and steadfastness. This was the cause of his rescue and the secret of Allah's praising him. 

A group of angels were discussing Allah's other human creatures, how those who were humble earned Allah's displease, while those who were arrogant incurred His displeasure. One of the angels remarked: 

"The best creature on earth today is Job, a man of noble character who displays excellent patience and always remembers his Generous Lord. He is an excellent model for the worshippers of Allah. In return, his Lord has blessed him with a long life and plenty of riches, yet he is never haughty or selfish. His family, his servants, as well as the needy and the poor share in his good fortune; he feeds and clothes the poor and buys slaves to set them free. He makes those who receive his charity feel as if they are favoring him, so kind and gentle is he." 

Iblis, overhearing all this, became annoyed. He planned to tempt Job to corruption and disbelief, so he hastened to him. He tried to distract Job from his prayers by whispering to him about the good things in life, but Job was a true believer and would not let evil thoughts tempt him. This disturbed Iblis more; thus he began to hate Job even more. 

Iblis complained to Allah about Job. He said that although he was continuously glorifying Allah, he was not doing so out of his sincerity but to satisfy Allah so that his wealth should not be taken away. It was all a show, all out of greed. "If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop." 

Allah told Iblis that Job was one of His most sincere devotees. He did not worship Him because of the favors; his worship stemmed from his heart and had nothing to do with material things. But to prove Iblis the depth of Job' s sincerity and patience, Allah allowed him to do whatever he and his helpers wished with Job's wealth. 

Iblis was very happy. He gathered his helpers and set about destroying Job's cattle, servants, and farms until he was left with no possessions. Rubbing his hands in glee, Iblis appeared before Job in the guise of a wise old man and said to him: 

"All your wealth is lost. Some people say that it is because you gave too much charity and that you are wasting your time with your continuous prayers to Allah. Others say that Allah has bought this upon you in order to please your enemies. If Allah had the capacity to prevent harm, then He would have protected your wealth" 

True to his belief, Job replied: 

"What Allah has taken away from me belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for a while. He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills" 

With these words, Job again prostrated to his Lord. 

When Iblis saw this, he felt frustrated, so he again addressed Allah: 

"I have stripped Job of all his possessions, but he still remains grateful to You. However, he is only hiding his disapointment, for he places great store by his many children. The real test of a parent is through him children. You will then see how Job will reject You" 

Allah granted Iblis authority, but warned him that it would not reduce Job's faith in his Lord nor his patience. 

Iblis again gathered his helpers and set about his evil deeds. He shook the foundation of the house in which Job's children were living and sent the building crashing, killing all of them. Then he went to Job disguised as a man who had come to sympathize with him. In a comforting tone he said to Job: 

"The circumstances under which your children died were sad. Surely, your Lord is not rewarding you properly for all your prayers?" 

Having said this Iblis waited anxiously, hoping Job was now ready to reject Allah. But again Job disapointed him by replying: 

"Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator" 

Then Job prostrated to his Lord. At this Iblis was extremely vexed. Iblis again called on Allah: 

"O my Lord, Job's wealth is gone, his children are dead, but he is still healthy in body, and as long as he enjoys good health he will continue to worship You in the hope of regaining his wealth and producing more children. Grant me authority over his body so that I may weaken it. He will surely neglect worshipping You and with thus becomes disobedient" 

Allah wanted to teach Iblis a lesson that Job was a devoted servant of his Lord, so He granted Iblis his third request but placed a condition: 

"I give you authority over his body but not over his soul, intellect, or heart, for in these places reside the knowledge of Me and My religion" 

Armed with this new authority, Iblis began to take revenge on Job's body and filled it with disease until it was reduced to mere skin and bone and he suffered severe pain. But through all the suffering Job remained string in his faith, patiently bearing all the hardships without complaining. Allah's righteous servant did not despair or turn to others for help but remained hopeful of Allah's Mercy. Even close relatives and friends deserted him. Only his kind loving wife stayed with him. In his hour of need, she showered her kindness on him and cared for him. She remained his sole companion and comforter through many years of his suffering. 

Ibn Asaker narrated: 

"Job was a man having much wealth of all kinds: beasts, slaves, sheep, vast lands of Haran and many children. All those favors were taken from him and he was physically afflicted as well. Never a single organ was sound except his heart and tongue, with both of which he glorified Allah, the Almighty all the time day and night. His disease lasted for a long time until his visitors felt disgusted with him. His friend kept away from him, and people abstained from visiting him. No one felt sympathy for him except his wife. She took good care of him, knowing his former charity and pity for her" 

Therefore, Iblis became desperate. He consulted his helpers but they could not advise him. They asked: 

"How is it that your cleverness cannot work against Job, yet you succeeded in misleading Adam, the father of man, out of paradise?" 

Iblis went to Job's wife in the form of a man. "Where is your husband?" he asked her. 

She pointed to an almost lifeless form crumpled on the bed and said: "There he is, suspended between life and death." 

Iblis reminded her of the days when Job had good health, wealth and children. Suddenly, the painful memory of yeas of hardship overcame her, and she burst into tears. She said to Job: 

"How long are you going to bear this torture from our Lord? Are we to remain without wealth, children or friends forever? Why don't you call upon Allah to remove this suffering?" 

Job sighed, and in a soft voice replied: 

"Iblis must have whispered to you and made you dissatisfied. Tell me, how long did I enjoy good health and riches?" 

She replied, "For eighty years" 

Then Job asked, "How long am I suffering like this?" 

She said, "for seven years" 

Then Job told her: 

"In that case I am ashamed to call on my Lord to remove the hardship, for I have not suffered longer than the years of good health and plenty. It seems your faith has weakened and you are dissatisfied with the fate of Allah. If I ever regain health, I swear I will punish you with a hundred strokes! From this day onward, I forbid myself to eat or drink anything from your hand. Leave me alone and let my Lord do with me as He pleases." 

Crying bitterly and with a heavy heart, she had no choice but to leave him and seek shelter elsewhere. In his helpless state, Job turned to Allah, not to complain but to seek His mercy: 

"Verily, distress has seized me, and You and the Most Merciful of all those who show Mercy. So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost) and the like thereof along with them - as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us" 

Quran 21:83-84 

Almighty Allah also instructed: 

"Commemorate Our servant Job behold he cried to his Lord: "The Evil One has afflicted me with distress and suffering"! (The command was given:) "Strike with thy foot: here is (water) wherein to wash cool and refreshing and (water) to drink." And We gave him (back) his people and doubled their number as a Grace from Ourselves and a thing for commemoration for all who have Understanding." Quran 38:41-43 

Job obeyed, and almost immediately his good health was restored. Meanwhile, his faithful wife could no longer bear to be parted from her husband and returned to beg his forgiveness, desiring to serve him. On entering he house, she was amazed at the sudden change: Job was again healthy! She embraced him and thanked Allah for His mercy. 

Job was now worried, for he had taken an oath to punish her with a hundred strokes if he regained health, but he had no desire to hurt her. He knew if he did not fulfill the oath, he would be guilty of breaking a promise to Allah. Therefore, in His wisdom and mercy, Allah came to the assistance of His faithful servant, and advised him: 

"And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath. Truly we found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance to Us" Quran 38:44 

Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said: "While Job was naked, taking a bath, a swarm of locusts fell on him, and he started collecting them in his garment. His Lord called him: 'O Job! Have I not made you too rich to need what you see?' He said: 'Yes, O Lord! But I cannot shun Your Blessings" (Bukhari).

What You Can Do In One Minute

All perfect praise be to Allaah, and may Allaah exalt the mention of the Prophet Muhammad as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The time is the life of a person and it should be preserved and spent properly. Therefore, a wise person is he who preserves his time and does not waste it in useless things and idle talk. Rather, one should spend his time in good endeavours and in performing righteous deeds which should please Allaah, the Exalted, and which should benefit people. Hence, in every minute of your life, you may do something which will increase your status (in the Hereafter) and bring happiness to your nation.

Therefore, if you are keen to achieve glory and bring happiness to your people, you should not waste your time in unnecessary resting and playing.

Indeed, in one minute, one may do much good and obtain a great reward. One single minute could extend your life, increase your acts of obedience, your understanding, your memorization (of the Quran), and your good deeds. If you know how to spend one minute, it can be added to the book of your good deeds (on the Day of Judgement).

The following are some investments which you can do in one minute:

1- In one minute, you can recite chapter Al-Faatihah (the opening chapter of the Quran) 7 times silently. Some scholars, may Allaah have mercy upon them, stated that a person gets more than 1400 good deeds for reciting it once. If one recites it 7 times, one gets 9800 good deeds in one minute.

2- In one minute, you can recite chapter 112 [Al-Ikhlaas] silently 20 times; reciting it once equals reciting one-third of the Quran. If one recites it 20 times, then this equals reciting the whole Quran 7 times. If you recite this chapter every day for one minute, this means reciting it 600 times in one month, and 7200 times in one year. This equals the reward of reciting the whole Quran 2400 times.

3- In one minute, you can read a part of the Quran.

4- In one minute, you can memorize a small verse of the Quran.

5- In one minute, you can say ''Laa ilaaha illa Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa 'ala kulli chay'in qadeer'' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah Alone, He has neither partners nor associates, to Him belongs sovereignty and praise and He is over all things wholly capable) 20 times; its reward is setting 8 slaves free for the sake of Allaah from the children of Ismaa'eel (Ishmael), may Allaah exalt his mention.

6- In one minute, you can say ''Subhaana Allaah wa bihamdihi'' (How perfect Allaah is and all praise be to Him) 100 times, and whoever says this, his sins will be forgiven even if they were like the foams of the sea.

7- In one minute, you can say ''Subhaana Allaah wa bihamdihi, Subhaana Allaah Al-Adheem'' (How perfect Allaah is and all praise be to Him, how perfect Allaah is, The Supreme) 50 times, and these are two expressions which are easy to say, but they are very heavy on the scale of good deeds, and they are beloved to Allaah. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim].

8- The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: ''If I were to say: ''Subhaana Allaah, wal hamdu lillaah, wa laa ilaaha illa Allaah, wallaahu Akbar''(How perfect Allaah is, all praise be to Allaah, None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and Allaah is the greatest.) it is better for me than the whole world.'' [Muslim]. In one minute, you can say all the above words 18 times, and these words are the most beloved words to Allaah, and the best of all speeches, and their weight on the scale of good deeds is very heavy, as reported in authentic narrations.

9- In one minute, you can say ''la hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah'' (there is neither might nor power except by Allaah) more than 40 times. This is a treasure among the treasures of Paradise, as reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon them. It is also one of the major reasons of bearing difficulties and hardship.

10- In one minute, you can say ''Laa ilaaha illa Allaah'' (None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah) approximately 50 times, and it is the greatest word, as it is the word of Tawheed (Oneness of Allaah), a good word, and a firm statement, and whoever says this expression as his last words before breathing his last, he will enter Paradise; the above expression also has other virtues.

11- In one minute, you can say: ''Subhaanah Allaah wa bihamdihi, 'adada khalqihi, wa ridha nafsihi, wa zinata 'arshihi, wa midaada kalimaatihi'' (How perfect Allaah is and all praise be to Allaah, by the number of His Creation and His Pleasure, and by the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His Words) more than 15 times. This statement equals multiplied rewards of ordinary legislated mention of Allaah, as confirmed by the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.

12- In one minute, you can say ''Astaghfiru Allaah'' (I seek forgiveness of Allaah) more than 100 times. The virtue of seeking forgiveness is well-known, it is a reason of obtaining forgiveness, entering Paradise, having good provisions, increasing one's strength, repelling harm, having affairs facilitated, the descent of rain, and increasing in wealth and children.

13- In one minute, you can give a short summarized speech which could be very beneficial for the listeners.

14- In one minute, you can exalt the mention of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, by saying ''Sala Allaahu 'Alayhi wa sallam'' (may Allaah exalt his mention) 50 times, for which Allaah will exalt your mention 500 times, because one exaltation is multiplied tenfold.

15- In one minute, you can think about the creation of the heavens and the earth, as a result you will be considered among the people of understanding whom Allaah mentioned in the Quran.

16- In one minute, you can think about being grateful to Allaah, loving Him, fearing Him, hoping for Him (His Mercy) and longing to meet Him; by doing so, you would have achieved great acts of worship while you may be lying down on your bed or walking in the street.

17- In one minute, you can read more than two pages from a beneficial book which is easy to understand.

18- In one minute, you can keep ties with your kinship by phoning them.

19- In one minute, you can supplicate with general supplications.

20- In one minute, you can greet (by saying Salaam to) a number of people and shake hands with them.

21- In one minute, you can forbid evil.

22- In one minute, you can enjoin good.

23- In one minute, you can advise a brother.

24- In one minute, you can intercede in doing good for a person.

25- In one minute, you can comfort a distressed person.

26- In one minute, you can take off an obstacle from the road.

27- By benefiting from one minute, you will preserve and benefit from other times.

Therefore, according to your sincerity and being conscious that Allaah is always watching you, your good deeds and reward may be multiplied.

You should know that most of the actions do not necessitate anything from you, you do not need to be in a state of purity and they do not cause you any hardship.

You may do the above deeds while walking on the road, or being in a car, or while lying down, or sitting, or waiting for someone. In addition to this, these actions are the best reasons for achieving happiness, being content and overcoming problems and difficulties.

I ask Allaah to safeguard you and protect you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah and may Allaah exalt the mention of His Prophet Muhammad, as well as that of his family and companions.

Establish Islam in Yourselves

Praise be to Allah.

What is required of every Muslim is to practise the religion of Allaah as much as he is able to. The imaamah (Islamic political leadership) has been prescribed for the purpose of establishing the religion of Allaah. No one should think that the fact that there is no imaam at any given time in any given country means that we can be negligent and introverted and not practise or establish any aspect of the religion.

Among the people of misguidance during this age and at other times there are those who say that we do not need to establish any of the symbols of Islam until a khaleefah has been appointed over the Muslims and the Islamic state has been established. This is one of the worst kinds of misguidance, and believing this leads to abandoning Jumu’ah prayers, prayer in jamaa’ah, Hajj, jihaad, collecting zakaah, prayer for rain (istisqaa’), Eid prayers, appointing imaams for mosques, calling the adhaan and other things, which amounts to cancelling the rulings of Islam. What do the people who say this have to say about the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can" [al-Taghaabun 64:16]

What do they have to say about the hadeeth, "Whatever I command you to do, do as much of it as you can."

It is obligatory to take care of all matters of religion, starting with the most important, then the next most important, so we should study the religion of Allaah, the most important aspect of which is knowledge of the teaching of Tawheed, then establishing the symbols and rituals of Islam and the other duties. No doubt occupying oneself with these things is the most important thing, and each person should do everything that he is able to do. There cannot be an Islamic state without proper understanding of the religion and achieving eemaan (faith) and Tawheed, and ridding ourselves of shirk, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Allaah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely, give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me." [al-Noor 24:55]

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stayed in Makkah for thirteen years, calling people to Allaah and teaching Tawheed and ‘Aqeedah, reciting the Revelation to them, debating to the kuffaar with in the best manner, bearing their persecution with patience, as well as praying and establishing the acts of worship which had been prescribed at that time. He did not forgo teaching the religion, although the Islamic state had not been established in Makkah at that time. Moreover, how can an Islamic state be established without an ideological foundation and a society of Muslims who been educated in the religion and have learned it thoroughly? He spoke the truth who said: Establish the Islamic state in yourselves, and it will be established for you in your land. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Source: Islam-QA.com

By : Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Reflections on Valentine's Day

As Valentine's Day approaches again, I see dispays of bright red and pink colour everywhere. Shops have gorgeous red dresses on displays, flower shops increase the prices of red roses, and the gift shops in shopping malls are full of cute teddy bears carrying red and pink hearts, jewellery and watches with special expressions inscripted on them. Even the candy shops have heart shaped chocolates and candies specially wrapped in red and pink on requests! All this, and yet it is not happening in a western country, rather it is happenning a country like Saudi Arabia!

I note young men and women making big plans to celebrate this day together in groups or alone with their "special friends" of the opposite gender (and of course behind their parents' backs)! I see them shopping for special things to wear on this day; from t-shirts, shoes, jewellery and dresses, and even red nail colour to wear with those special high heels!! Oh yes! But let us not forget the abayas with shiny red hearts on them... SubhanAllah! I see this happenning all around and in my mind plays yet another scene from a time when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was alive and a young man goes to meet the best of all men and says, "O Messenger of Allah! You are more beloved to me than myself, my family and children. Sometimes when I am at home, I remember you, and I cannot wait untill I come and look at you. When I contemplate about my death and your death, I know that you will be with the prophets when you enter Paradise. I fear that I might not see you when I enter Paradise." The Prophet (peace be upon him) doesn't reply... but then Allah reveals a verse which takes care of the young man's concerns!

Allah says, "And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then they will be in the company of those, on whom Allah has bestowed His favour, of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions." [An-Nisa 69]

I remember this beautiful incident as my eyes well up and I think of the lucky young man to whom Allah himself responded to, SubhanAllah. The way this man expressed his sincere love for the best of all men - he loved the Prophet for the sake of Allah and wished to gain the mercy, pleasure and paradise of Allah by being close to His Prophet through loving him and following him. His mind was busy with the concern of, not this world, but that of the next life. And what about us? We seem too busy following the customs and rituals of the non-Muslims.

The fact of the matter is that the idea of loving the Prophet and following his sunnah is in a far and distant corner of our minds. We as Muslims have been neglecting the orders and prohibitions of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet for quite some time now, and the results are obvious for those who look around. We read, we observe, we witness the numerous signs and warnings given by Allah - but again, we forget and we ignore them. The Gaza Massacre, just a couple of weeks back was like a slap in the face of every living Muslim, but again, as time has passed, the reminder is lost in short lived memory. The horrifying images of blood shed, the tears, the killing and burning of innocent Muslim brothers and sisters have been converted into images of cute red and pink hearts and teddy bears. We persist in following the ways, customs, and behaviour of the people who caused or supported this humiliation and injustice to our fellow brothers and sisters. It seems strange that after all of this, we enjoy immitating them and celebrating their shallow festivals.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." [narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4021]

In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the companions, "You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you (bit by bit, step by step) until even if they were to enter a lizard's hole, you would follow them." The companions replied, "O Messenger of Allah, [do u mean] the Jews and Christians?" He said, "Who else?" [Bukhari]

As we look around us, we can see this already start to happen. We are blindly following the ways of the non-Muslims and even feel pride in doing so! We need to wake up and submit wholeheartedly to the will and commands of Allah - we need to follow the way of Prophet and his companions and their righteous followers. Only then will we find true peace and success.

"And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is conscious of Him - it is those who are the successful." [Surah An Nur 52]

I will end with this, that the Prophet said, "A person will be with those whom he loves [in the Hereafter]." [Bukhari and Muslim]

May Allah put in our hearts the love of those who will be in paradise.

Mariam Anwer submitted this article to A2Youth.com.

Signs of Allah's Existence

"O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may acquire taqwa (piety)."

"Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He alone has the right to be worshipped." [Qur’an, 2:21-22]

Several scholars of Tafsir, like Ar-Razi and others, used this Ayat (verse) as an argument for the existence of the Creator, and it is a most worthy method of argument. Indeed, whoever ponders over the things that exist, the higher and lower creatures, their various shapes, colors, behavior, benefits and ecological roles, then he will realize the ability, wisdom, knowledge, perfection and majesty of the Creator. Once a Bedouin was asked about the evidence to Allah’s existence, he responded: "All praise is due to Allah! The camel’s dung testifies to the existence of the camel, and the track testifies to the fact that someone was walking. A sky that holds the giant stars, a land that has fairways and a sea that has waves, does not all of this testify that the Most Kind, Most Knowledgeable exists?" [Ar-Razi 2:91]

Hence, whoever gazes at the sky in its immensity, its expanse, and the various kinds of planets in it, some of which appear stationary in the sky – whoever gazes at the seas that surround the land from all sides, and the mountains that were placed on the earth to stabilize it, so that whoever lives on land, whatever their shape and color, are able to live and thrive – whoever reads Allah’s statement:

"And among the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying colours and (others) very black. And likewise, men and ad-Dawwabb (moving, living creatures, beasts) and cattle are of various colours. It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah." [35:27-28]

Whoever thinks about the running rivers that travel from area to area bringing benefit, whoever ponders over what Allah has created on earth; various animals and plants of different tastes, scents, shapes and colors that are a result of unity between land and water, whoever thinks about all of this then he will realize that these facts testify to the existence of the Creator, His perfect ability, wisdom, mercy, kindness, generosity and His overall compassion for His creation. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, nor is there a Lord besides Him, upon Him we rely and to Him we turn in repentance. There are numerous Ayat in the Qur’an on this subject.

source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Entrance into Paradise or Hell

This is the final stage when the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hell will enter the Fire. 

Question:Are Paradise and Hell present today?

Reply: Yes, Paradise and Hell are present today as is proven in the Book and the Sunnah. Allah says concerning the Fire, "Fear the Fire which is prepared for the disbelievers." [Soorah aali-Imran (3): 131] 'prepared' means readiness. 

Allah says about Paradise, "March forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious." [Soorah aali-Imran (3): 133] (here again) prepared means readiness. 

As for proof from the Sunnah, it is established in the two Saheehs and in other (books of Hadeeth) in the story of the eclipse of the sun that the Messenger stood for Salaat, and Paradise and Hell were shown to him and he witnessed Paradise until he intended to reach a bunch of grapes from it but he did not take it. He saw Fire and saw Amar ibn Luhay al-Khuza'ee dragging his intestines that were hanging from his stomach. We seek Refuge with Allah from the Fire of Hell. He was tormented because he was the first man who introduced Shirk amongst the Arabs. As a result, he was given a share of punishment for what he introduced and that was followed after him. 

He also saw a woman being tormented in the Fire because of a cat that was under her care and it died because she did not feed it, nor let it out to eat from the vermin of the earth.... [See, Saheeh al-Bukharee] This proves that Paradise and Hell are present now.

Question:Are Paradise and Hell eternal?

Reply: Paradise and Hell are eternal and they will remain forever. The proof concerning Paradise in the Qur'an is the Saying of Allah, "Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord is 'Adn Paradise, underneath which rivers flow, they will abide therein forever, Allah is Well-Pleased with them, and they with Him." [Soorah al-Bayyinah (98): 7-8] 

Allah mentioned the eternity of Hell in 3 verses of the Qur'an,

In Soorah an-Nisa, "Verily, those who disbelieve and did wrong, Allah will not forgive them nor will He guide them to any way. Except the way of Hell to dwell therein forever and this is ever easy for Allah." [Soorah an-Nisa (4): 168-169] 

In Soorah al-Ahzab, "Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers and has prepared for them a flaming Fire (Hell). Wherein they will abide forever and they will find neither a protector nor a helper." [Soorah al-Ahzab (33): 64-65]

In Soorah al-Jinn, "Whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger then verily for him is the Fire of Hell, he shall dwell therein forever." [Soorah al-Jinn (72): 23] 

It is thus proven by the clear verses of the Qur'an that the saying that Fire will be destroyed is a very weak saying which cannot be relied upon because it is not possible to rely upon a saying which is contrary to what the Qur'an has clearly explained. Rather it is not permitted for us to rely upon such a saying. 

The Siraat

The Siraat is a Bridge that extends above the Fire. The people will pass over the bridge according to their deeds; some will pass like the twinkling of an eye, some will pass like lightning and some will pass like wind. All those who were quick in accepting the truth and following it will quickly pass through the bridge and whosoever was sluggish to say the truth and act upon it will be sluggish on the bridge. 

Only the people of Paradise will pass over this bridge while the disbelievers will not pass over it because they are from the people of Fire – and we seek Allah's refuge – They will come to the Fire suffering from thirst.

Conditions of Shafa'ah (Intercession)

The Conditions of Shafa'ah are three;

i) The Pleasure of Allah with the intercessor

ii) The Pleasure of Allah with the one, on behalf of whom the intercession is requested

iii) The Permission of Allah

The proof are the following verses,

"There are many angels in the heavens whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and pleases." [Soorah an-Najm (53): 26] 

"they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased." [Soorah al-Anbiya (21): 28] 

"Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission?" [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 255] 

"On that day no intercession shall avail except the one for whom the Most Beneficent has given permission." [Soorah Ta-Ha (20): 109] 

This Shafa'ah will not benefit the disbelievers because Allah is not pleased with them. It is a condition of Shafa'ah that Allah is pleased with the one, on behalf of whom the Shafa'ah is requested. Therefore the idols of the mushrikeen whom the mushrikeen cling to and say, 'they are our intercessors with Allah,' will not benefit them and will not intercede for them rather they will increase their grief because Allah said, "Certainly! You (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah are fuel for Hell!" [Soorah al-Anbiya (21): 98] So the idols' being the fuel of Fire will increase the sorrow of the disbelievers.

Shafa'ah (Intercession)

Shafa'ah is of two types:

The first type is the Shafa'ah that is exclusive for Prophet Muhammad 

The second type of Shafa'ah is general for all the prophets, siddiqeen, martyrs and righteous 

Shafa'ah that is exclusive to Allah's Messenger is al-Shafa'ah al- Udhma. It will be for the account to begin. On the Day of Judgment, the people will be overtaken by suffering and grief because they will be standing for fifty thousand years while the sun will be over their heads. Some of them will be surrounded by their sweat. 

People will thus look for someone to intercede with Allah on their behalf and rescue them from their suffering. They will go to Adam , who is the father of mankind. They will ask him to intercede but Adam will refuse because he had disobeyed Allah by eating from the forbidden tree.

Question: Adam's sin of eating from the forbidden tree is a sin which he repented for and then Allah chose him and gave him guidance. "Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray. Then his Lord chose him and turned to him with forgiveness and gave him guidance." [Soorah Ta-Ha (20): 121-122] (So, why will Adam refuse to intercede?) 

Reply: Yes. Allah did say that after Adam committed the sin and sought forgiveness, "Then his Lord chose him" and made him from among the guided. But Adam will refuse to intercede giving the excuse of eating from the tree because the position of intercession is a great position which requires that the intercessor be pure/upright with regards to everything since the intercessor seeks intercession on behalf of others. So if he is himself guilty, how can he be an intercessor? 

The people will thus go to Nuh and ask him to intercede but he will refuse because he had once asked for something which he had no knowledge of. He asked Allah to save his disbelieving son from drowning, "Nuh called upon his Lord and said, "O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! Certainly, Your Promise is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges." He (Allah) said, "O Nuh! Surely, he is not of your family. Verily, his work is unrighteous. So ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you be one of the ignorant." [Soorah Hud (11): 45-46] So, Nuh will refuse to intercede.

The people will then come to the Khaleel of Allah, Ibraheem , who too will refuse to intercede because he had lied thrice – although, those were not lies in reality. Those were apparently the truth but the intent was contrary to the apparent and so they were likened to falsehood in some way. It is due to Ibraheem's perfect etiquette towards Allah that he will refuse to intercede. 

The people will come to Moosa , who will also refuse to intercede because he killed a man without being commanded to do so. The man referred to was killed unrightfully. Moosa came out and saw two men fighting; one was from his followers Bani Israeel and the other was from his enemy Aqbat. Moosa's follower called for help over the enemy. Moosa was a strong man and so the man died when Moosa pushed him. As such Moosa killed him before being ordered to do so and thus Moosa will refuse to intercede. 

The people will then come to Eesa who will not confess any sin rather he will acknowledge the position of Allah's Messenger and say, “Go to Muhammad - Allah has forgiven all his past and future sins.” So they will come to the Prophet and ask him to intercede. 

The Prophet will intercede with Allah and then Allah will descend to judge between His slaves. This intercession is called al-Shafa'ah al- Udhma (the Great Intercession). (The right to intercede for al- Shafa'ah al-Udhma) is al-Maqaam al-Mahmood mentioned in the Saying of Allah, "It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqaman Mahmooda." [Soorah al-Isra (17): 79]

So Allah's Messenger will intercede and Allah will descend to judge between his slaves and relieve them from this (long) standing. 

The Shafa'ah that are exclusive to the Prophet also include interceding for the people of paradise to enter Paradise. After having passed over as-Siraat (the bridge), the people of Paradise will reach the door of Jannah but they will find it locked. The Prophet will intercede with Allah to open the door of Paradise for them as Allah mentioned, "those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups till when they reach it and its gates will be opened." [Soorah az-Zumar (39): 73] 

Allah did not say, 'until when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened' as He said about the people of Fire, "those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened." [Soorah az-Zumar (39): 71]

Allah said about the people of Paradise, "when they reach it, and its gates will be opened" because the gates will not be opened until after the intercession. 

The common Shafa'ah which is for the Prophets, Siddiqeen, martyrs and the righteous will be of two kinds: 

First: Shafa'ah for the believers to be taken out from the Fire.

Second: Shafa'ah for the believers who deserve the Fire – to be saved from entering the Fire.

Al-Hawdh (the Cistern)

The Hawdh of Prophet Muhammad is a vast cistern – may Allah make us amongst those who drink from it. Its width and length are equivalent to a month (journey). The number and beauty of its vessels are like the stars of the sky. Its water is whiter than milk, sweeter than honey and (its fragrance is) better than the fragrance of musk. 

He, who drinks from this Hawdh will never ever feel thirsty. The water of the Hawdh extends from al-Kawthar which is a river given to the Prophet in Paradise from where two channels flow into the Hawdh. The Hawdh will always remain full and the believers will come to it and drink from it. This Hawdh will be at the place of gathering on the Day of Judgment when the people will be grieved and trouble due to heat and fatigue. So, they will drink from it and never ever feel thirsty.

Distribution of the Books of deeds

Books of deeds will be given to the people and they will differ regarding their manner of receiving them. Some will receive their books with their right hand while the others will receive it with their left hand. Allah pointed out this in Soorah al-Haqqah, 

“As for him (the believer) who will be given his record in his right hand will say (being glad and pleased with it), "Take, read my Record! Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!" So he shall be in a life, well-pleasing. In a lofty Paradise, the fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand. Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past! 

But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand will be distressed and he will say, "I wish that I had not been given my Record! And that I had never known how my Account is?" [Soorah al-Haqqah (69): 19] 

In this book will be recorded the deeds of mankind as Allah says, "Nay! But you deny the Recompense (reward for good deeds and punishment for evil deeds). But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, Kiraman (honorable) Katibeen (writing down your deeds)." [Soorah al-Infitar (82): 9-11] and it will be said to man, "Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against yourself this Day." [Soorah al-Isra (17): 14] Some scholars said, (this verse means), "Allah did justice to you by making you a sufficient reckoner against yourself." 

Question: It is obligatory upon us to believe that books will be distributed on the Day of Judgment from the right and from the left but in Soorah al-Inshiqaaq, Allah says, "Whosoever is given his Record behind his back." [Soorah al- Inshiqaq (84): 10] How do we reconcile between the Saying of Allah, "He, who will be given his Record in his left hand." [Soorah al-Haqqah (84): 25] and, "Whosoever is given his Record behind his back." [Soorah al-Inshiqaq (84): 10] 

Reply: The disbeliever will take his record by his left hand but his left hand will be dislocated behind his back. This is a recompense for his similar act (of putting the Book of Allah behind his back). So, just like he put the Book of Allah behind his back, he will be given his book (of deeds) on the Day of Judgment from behind his back – a recompense equivalent to his act!

The Balance

"The weighing on that day (of Resurrection) will be the true (weighing)." [Soorah al-A'raf (7): 8]

"We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection." [Soorah al-Anbiya (21): 47] 

The weighing of deeds on the Day of Judgment will take place with a scale with two pans, on one pan will be placed the good deeds and the evil deeds on the other. 

From the apparent meaning of the texts, we understand that actions will be weighed. "So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. Whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it." [Soorah az-Zalzalah (99): 7-8] 

The Messenger of Allah said, "Two words that are beloved to Allah, are light on the tongue but heavy on the scale, 

‘SubhanAllahi wa-biHamdihi SubhanAllahil-Adheem.' [Saheeh al- Bukharee, Chapter The Virtue of Praising Allah] pg.35

So, this scale will be setup for weighing the deeds of creation.

Question: How will the deeds be weighted since they are attributes and actions of the doers? 

Reply to this question is the previously mentioned principle, “We are obliged to accept and submit and there is no need to ask how or why.” 

However the scholars have said in reply to this question that the actions will have bodies that will be placed in the pans. Actions will either be heavy or light. The scholars gave the instance of what is authentically known from the hadeeth reported by Imam Muslim from Abu Sa'eed that the Messenger of Allah said, “Death will be brought like horned ram and will be made to stand between Paradise and Hell.” It will be said, “O people of Paradise, do you know what this is?” 

They will raise their heads, look and say, “Yes, this is death.”

It will be said, “O people of Hell, do you know what this is?” 

They will raise their heads, look and say, “Yes, this is death.” 

Then the command will be given for death to be slaughtered. Then it will be said, “O people of Paradise, it is eternal, there is no death. O people of Hell, it is eternal, there is no death...” 

We all know that death is an attribute but Allah will give it a shape of itself and similarly the actions (will also be given a body).

Question:Is there one scale or many?

Reply: The scholars are divided into two groups with regards to this issue because there are texts which mention one scale for each person and there are texts which mention one scale for all, like 

"We shall set up balances of justice..." [Soorah al-Anbiya (21): 47] 

"So as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy.” [Soorah al-A'raf (7): 8] 

and in the saying of Allah's Messenger , "heavy on the scale." [Saheeh al-Bukharee] 

Some of the scholars say that the scale is one but it is a plural form considering that which will be weighed in it or considering the plurality of nations - one scale in which will be weighed the actions of Prophet Muhammad’s nation and in another will be weighed the actions of Prophet Moosa's nation and the other for the actions of Prophet Eesa's nation. 

Those scholars who are of the opinion that the scale is of different types say that Allah will set a separate balance for every nation or (He will set different balances) for obligatory action and (a different balance for) recommended action. 

Allah knows best but what appears is that the scale is one but it is (mentioned) in plural form considering that which will be weighed in it.

Accounting the people for their deeds

Allah has called the Last Day, 'Yawm al-Hisaab' - 'The Day of Account' because it is the Day when mankind will be held accountable for their deeds but is this account like the negotiation by money between two traders? 

No. For the believer, the accounting will be with kindness, blessing and mercy from Allah. Allah will bring the believer close and conceal him and will make him confess his sins. Allah will say, "You committed this on this day...” until the believer will admit and confess (his sins). Allah will say to him, “I concealed your sins for you in the world and I forgive you today.” 

None of us is free from sins - hidden sins are (of two kinds) those that are related to the heart and (the other are those) outward sins that are related to the bodies but people do not see it. Perhaps a man looks at something with a forbidden intention while you might think that he has a permissible intention – you don't know and therefore, Allah says, "Allah knows the fraud of the eyes and all that the breasts conceal." [Soorah Ghafir (40): 19] 

The fraud of the eyes is a matter concerning one's feeling but no one knows it - who can know that this eye is looking with the intention of a permissible act? 

“and all that the breasts conceal." This is hidden. Allah says, 'I covered them for you in the world and I will forgive them for you this day.’ The disbelievers will not be held accountable in this (kind) way. They will be made to confess and they will be told, 'you committed this and this.' If they deny, their tongues, hands and legs will testify to their (evil) deeds - even their skin will testify against them, “And they will say to their skins, ‘Why do you testify against us?’” 

They (the body parts) will say, "Allah has caused us to speak as He causes all things to speak, and He created you the first time and to Him you are made to return. You have not been hiding against yourselves, lest your ears and your eyes and your skins testify against you but you thought that Allah knew not much of what you were doing. And that thought of yours which you thought about your Lord, has brought you to destruction, and you have become (this Day) of those utterly lost!” Then, (even) if they have patience - the Fire will be a home for them. (even) if they beg to be excused - they are not of those who will ever be excused." [Soorah Fussilat (41): 21-24] 

The disbelievers will confess their deeds and they will be made to face humiliation due to their deeds, "and the witnesses will say, "These are the ones who lied against their Lord!" No doubt! the curse of Allah is on the Dhalimoon (polytheists, wrong-doers, oppressors, etc.)." [Soorah Hud (11): 18] So look at the difference between the account of the believer and the disbeliever. 

Question: Will there be anyone who will escape the account? 

Reply: Yes, a group will escape the account, Allah's Messenger said that he was shown his nation and seventy thousand of them are those who will enter Paradise without being brought to account. “They are the ones who do not seek ruqya, do not believe in bad omens and do not use branding; they put their trust in their Lord...” [Saheeh al- Bukharee]

Closeness of the sun to the creation

From our faith in the Last Day is that we believe that the sun will be brought close to the creation - as close as a 'meel.' ‘Meel' here could mean the stick which is used to apply kohl in the eyes or it could mean the distance of one mile – in either of these situations - the sun will be close to people’s heads. 

Question: Today we know that if the sun was even a hand- span closer to us than it is - it would burn the earth. So how is it possible that the sun will be as close as a 'meel' to the creation on the Day of Judgment? 

Reply: It is the duty of the Mu'min (the believer) – and our beliefs must be based upon this principle, "to accept the information concerning the issues of the Ghayb without asking how and why?" 

The issues of ghayb are beyond your imagination and therefore it is obligatory upon you to accept and say, 'We believe and testify that the sun will be brought close to the creation on the day of Judgment as close as a meel.' Any further questioning is a Bidah (innovation) and therefore when Imam Malik (rahimahullah) was asked about Istiwa (Rising) of Allah (upon the throne) – how does he Istawa? He replied, "Questioning about it is Bidah." 

Similarly questioning about any issue of the unseen is an innovation. One's attitude concerning them should be to accept and submit. 

Another reply is that bodies on that Day will not be resurrected in their deficient state as in this world - incapable of bearing (the heat). Bodies will be resurrected in a complete form and therefore the people will stand on the Day of Judgment for a day whose length will be fifty thousand years without food and drink - which is not possible in this world. 

So the sun will be brought close and bodies will be given the ability to bear its closeness – and the standing for fifty thousand years without food and drink testifies to this. 

(another example is that) One of the people of Paradise will look into his kingdom that will be spread as far as thousand years and he will be able to see its farthest point as he sees its closest point which is also not possible in this world. 

So, the bodies on the Day of Judgment are different from the bodies in this world.

Resurrection

Allah, the Exalted, will raise the bodies on the Day of Judgment barefooted, naked and uncircumcised. 

Barefooted: without any sandals or shoes, i.e., they will have no covering for the foot. 

Naked: without clothes 

Uncircumcised: without circumcision 

Some ahadeeth also mention, 'Buhman' – i.e., without any wealth. Everyone will posses his deeds only. 

Resurrection (on the Day of Judgment) means reformation and does not mean a new creation as Allah says, “Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust? Say, He will give life to them Who created them for the first time!” [Soorah Ya-Sin (36): 79] 

If it was a new creation, then the body which committed evil deeds in this world would be safe from the torment while the new body would be tormented. This is against justice. Texts (of the religion) and intellect testify that resurrection will not be in a new body but it will be returning (of the soul to the body).

Question: How will the resurrection take place? Man might be dead, (his body) might be eaten by a lion and as such his flesh turns into blood flowing in the animal, etc. 

Reply: Allah – the One, Who has power over everything – the One, Who says to the thing 'be' and it is - He will order these bodies which have been dispersed, eaten or scattered in the wind - to return and they will return. This belief is based upon the previously mentioned principle, 

'It is obligatory upon man to accept all news concerning the Ghayb (without asking how or why).’ 

After having heard the words of Allah's Messenger that the people will be resurrected barefooted, naked and uncircumcised, Aaisha (radhi Allahu anha) asked, 'Will the men and women be looking at each other?' The Prophet replied, 'The issue will be far more serious than they (would care to) look at each other.' 

So, on that day no one will look at another because Allah says, “That Day man shall flee from his brother and from his mother and his father and from his wife and his children. Everyman - that Day - will have enough to make him careless of others.” [Soorah Abasa (80): 34- 37] - to the extent that man will even forget his offspring and relatives, “When the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.” [Soorah al- Mu'minoon (23): 101]

Punishment of the Grave and its Blessings

Punishment of the grave and its blessings are included in faith in the Last Day. The proof is the Saying of Allah, “Allah rewards the pious. Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state saying (to them), 'Salamun Alaikum enter you Paradise because of (the good) which you used to do (in the world)." [(16): 31-32] 

The words that are proof in this verse are, "Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state saying (to them), 'Salamun Alaikum (peace be on you) enter you Paradise because of (the good) which you used to do (in the world)." 

They (the pious) will not be entering Paradise - which is as wide as the heavens and the earth – rather they will enter the grave in which is a blessing from Paradise. Allah also says, “Then why do you not (intervene) when (the soul of a dying person) reaches the throat? And you at the moment are looking on. But We (i.e. Our angels who take the soul) are nearer to him than you, but you see not. Then why do you not, if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense (punishment, etc.) bring back the soul (to its body) if you are truthful? Then, if he (the dying person) be of the Muqarraboon (those brought near to Allah), (There is for him) rest and provision, and a Garden of delights (Paradise).” [Soorah al-Waqi'ah (56): 83-89] 

This is when the soul reaches the throat. The verse mention the blessings of the grave rather man is given the glad-tiding of the blessings before his soul departs. It is said to his soul, “Come out, O you soul al-Mutma'innah. Come out to the forgiveness and Pleasure of your Lord." So the soul is pleased and comes out swiftly. 

As for the proof from the Sunnah, the Prophet has mentioned in numerous ahadeeth that man is blessed in his grave, and we have already mentioned some of them. The punishment of the grave is also proven from the Book and the Sunnah. Allah says about the people of Fir'awn, “The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon.” This takes place before the establishment of the Hour. 

Allah further mentions in continuation of the verse, “and on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels), "Cause Fir'aun's people to enter the severest torment!" [Soorah al- Ghafir (40): 46] 

Allah also says, “if you could but see when the Dhalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) are in the agonies of death while the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying): "Deliver your souls!” [Soorah al- An'am (6): 93] 

These (souls of the) dhalimun (disbelievers, polytheist) will defer from coming out because they will be given the tidings of punishment - we seek Allah's refuge from it. The souls hesitate and do not want to come out of the body in order to escape from what they are promised. 

"Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) with disrespect!" [Soorah al-An'am (6): 93]

The words that are the proof in this verse are; “This day you shall be recompensed.” 'this (day)' in this verse means the present (day) like in the Saying of Allah, “This Day I have completed your religion for you." 

Accordingly, 'this day' is, 'the day of death' for the dhalimoon. Allah says, “But if he (the dying person) be of the deniers (of the Resurrection), the erring, then for him is entertainment with boiling water.” [Soorah al-Waqi'ah (56): 92-94] 

We say in the Salaat (prayers), “We seek Allah's refuge from the torment of Hell and from the torment of the grave.” So, the torment of the grave is proven from the Qur'an and the Sunnah and believing in it is from faith in the Last Day. 

IstheTormentinthegraveforthebodyorthesoul?

The torment in the grave is primarily for the soul but perhaps, it reaches the body too. However, it does not mean that the body is not affected by it at all. The body does certainly suffer from the torment or enjoy the blessing although it may not be visible to us. 

The torment in the grave is the opposite of the torment or blessing in the world. The torment or blessing in the world is upon the body and it also affects the soul while in the Barzakh the blessings or the torment is upon the soul and it also affects the body. 

Question: How can you say that the grave closes upon the disbeliever until his ribs interlock into each other whereas if we were to open the grave we would find that neither the grave has changed nor is the body affected?

Reply: The torment of the grave is primarily on the soul and is not something which shows upon the body. If it was obvious upon the body then it would not have been from faith in the Ghayb (unseen) and it would not reap any benefits. But faith in the torment of the grave is from the issues of the Ghayb which are related to the soul. 

A man could see in his dream that he is standing, leaving and returning, he is hitting and he is hit despite the fact that he had been asleep in his bed all the while. Man could see whilst he is asleep in his bed that he traveled for Umrah, he performed the Tawaaf and Sa'ee, he shaved his head or cut short his hair, and then returned back to his country – and all the while his body is in his bed without any movement. So, the conditions of the soul are not like the conditions of the body.