Masjid At-Taqwa 2- Lesson 10: What Awaits the Believer upon Believing in Allah
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In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, the Truthful and the Faithful.
O Allah, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion unto the lights of erudition and knowledge, and from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.
Pessimism, despair and hopelessness brings a person closer to disbelief:
Dear noble brothers, there is an important academic field in sociology called "Historical Sociology" (A subfield of sociology that utilizes historical data and methods to analyze large-scale social processes and structures.)
To make this point clearer, let me give you an example: When a student studies through elementary, intermediate and high school, he reaches a critical point upon graduating from high school, because his grades determine his future; whether he will become a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. In most countries, students with the highest grades enter Faculty of Medicine; those with slightly lower grades enter Faculty of Dental Medicine, followed by engineering faculties and so on. Therefore, a student's grades at the end of high school represent a decisive turning point in his life, as they determine his future. In sociology this is referred to as a "momentous event" (in the history of one's life).
As an Ummah, we Muslims are going through decisive circumstances, which will either weaken Islam or strengthen it, and there are no half measures.
Most people are consumed by their daily problems, which often lead them to feel helpless and hopeless. This is a serious state of despair. Indeed, hopelessness, despair and pessimism bring a person closer to Kufr.
Allah exists and will never neglect the believers. Verify, the vanishing of the entire universe is easier for Allah than not fulfilling His Promises to the believers.
﴾ Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision) ﴿
Once again, the vanishing of the entire universe is easier for Allah than not fulfilling His Promises to the believers. Therefore, the believer should be free of worries and pessimism. In contrast, the positive optimism marks the believer.
Everything is in Allah's Hand: the weak, the rich, the powerful countries, their leaders and all other matters. Accordingly, if you establish a good relation with Allah, all worries disappear.
As an example, imagine that there are hungry lions, hyenas and tigers. What will happen if you are thrown to these hungry beasts? If those beasts are leashed by the Hand of Allah Who controls their movement and destiny, will your concern be with the beasts themselves or with The One Who holds their leashes? Certainly, your concern will not be with the beasts, but rather it will be with The One Who holds their leashes. Hence, it is in Allah's Hand to loosen the leash of a beast, so that it may reach you, or to restrain it, so that you remain safe.
The believer alone is in security that is granted by Allah:
Only the believer is entitled to a state called "security", and it is granted to him alone. The proof is in the following Ayah:
﴾ (So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know." ﴿
What does security refer to? It is different from safety. You may live for five years without facing any problems or other issues in your health, household, children or wife, yet there is still constant anxiety. This is the case in western world.
((So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know.")
[Al-An'am, 81]
The answer of the above question is:
﴾ It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided. ﴿
Had Allah said, "security is for those", it might have conveyed a similar meaning, but it would not have implied exclusivity, as it would have also meant that security is for them and for others as well.
It is like saying while reciting Al-Fatihah in your Salah, "We worship You", which will invalidate your Salah, because it implies that we worship You and may worship someone else like Buddha or money (indeed money can become a god that is worshiped). Rather, one must recite:
﴾ You (Alone) we worship ﴿
By saying so, there is exclusivity, namely it is You (i.e. Allah) Alone we worship.
﴾ You (Alone) we worship ﴿
Hence, had Allah said, "There is security for them", that would have implied that it is for them and for others as well.
﴾ …for them (only) there is security ﴿
Here Allah says, "for them (only)", meaning that security is granted exclusively to the believer.
All the beasts around him are in the Hand of Allah, so when his relationship with Allah is sound, Allah will keep them away from harming him.
﴾ (So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know."* It is those who believe ﴿
Which type of a believer is meant? He is mentioned in the following Ayah:
﴾ …and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), ﴿
The prevalence of oppression on earth:
Unfortunately, four Arabic capitals are occupied by deviant groups. It is devastating to know that Muslims own nearly half of the world's resources, including petroleum, phosphate, minerals, diamonds and others.
I visited an African country that is considered the richest in diamonds, yet it is among the poorest countries in the world, and it is prevented from benefiting from its resources.
Oranges for you are affordable, so you can eat an orange and throw away its rind; however, some people eat this rind out of poverty.
The west behaves like barbarians, taking the resources of poor countries and leaving nothing behind. This is how the disbeliever behaves, but listen what Allah Almighty says about the disbelievers:
﴾ We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah ﴿
Those disbelievers are surrounded by fatal worries even if they are powerful, rich or in control.
﴾ (So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know." It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), ﴿
The other party includes the believers:
﴾ We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah ﴿
I do not know what to say regarding the unfair distribution of wealth around the world, but let me tell you this fact: Hefty sums of money are spent on manufacturing expensive weapons. If this money is distributed among the global population (about 8 billion people) each person will receive 100 dollars every day.
The west focuses on developing weapons. They began with the atomic bomb, then the hydrogen bomb, chemical weapons, and later other weapons of mass destruction, costing billions of dollars. Most of these weapons are stored and have become outdated. This reflects the sever oppression that prevails on earth.
People in general are consumed by the brutal events taking place all over the world, but only the believers have a clear purpose, knowing that everything is in Allah's Hand, as Allah has assured them.
Do not worry about the religion, for it is the religion of Allah, and He will protect it; rather worry about being among those whom Allah chooses to use in His Cause.
The sole aim of a believer is to believe in Allah and perform good deeds:
The harsh events we see today are brutal. We used to go in crowed to the center of the city to watch a criminal being hanged, but today, 100 to 150 people are killed every day, until it became routine news.
We live in an era of disunity, not an era of unity and cooperation. Each person's concerns are limited to his own interest: as long as his home is secure, his income is sufficient and his car is parked in front of his house, he has no worries about others. This manifests the disunity among Muslims.
You are not considered a true Muslim and believer if your concerns do not extend to other Muslims. You are in another country living safely and have no concern for your neighboring country where people are being slaughtered, 6 million houses are destroyed, one million people are killed and prices have risen twentyfold.
The uncaring Muslim has no worries about other Muslims as long as he has good income. This individual alliance is the reason behind our destruction. Emperor Nero expressed this kind of selfishness, saying, "After me the flood", only he was destroyed by Allah.
Historical events are serious; they can sweep people away like a flood, crush them and end their lives as if they had never existed. I am not exaggerating when I say that only the believer is equipped with the Divine Way to follow and with a purpose, which is manifested in remining a true believer and performing good deeds.
﴾ The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail* Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)]. ﴿
﴾ "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." ﴿
A professor at our university, who happens to be one of the most respected psychologists, once said, "Depressiveness in Europe is 152 %." We could not comprehend what he meant. If it had been 100 %, that would have meant everyone is depressed, which would have been understandable, but what does 152% mean?
He elaborated, "100% are depressed, and 52% of them suffer from two kinds of depression: general depression and chronic worry."
One million copies of Dale Carnegie's classic book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living have been sold. This indicates that chronic worry is the top disease of our era. Everyone is concerned about their future, wealth, house and car.
As a result of this persistent anxiety, the largest high-income companies today are insurance companies. I once worked in a business where people usually pay to insure their goods. I paid for my goods, but instead of paying the insurance companies, I paid the same amount of money to the poor people in my country. For twenty years, I never encountered any loss.
The insurance companies are the largest high-income business entities in the world. The extravagant life they lead is beyond belief. They feed on people's fear and use it to make you pay. Beware, if you are with Allah, Allah will be with you.
Be with Allah, you find Him by your side,
Leave all people and watch out for your greediness
If He bestows upon you who can prevent that,
but if He withholds a blessing from
you who else can give it to you
***
These lines of poetry are written by Abdul Ghani Al-Nabulsi who was one of the greatest scholars of our Ummah.
Allah says:
﴾ On the contrary (he would say): "Be you Rabbaniyyun (learned men of religion who practise what they know and also preach others) ﴿
"Be" is an imperative verb, meaning: be religious, put your trust in Allah, have faith in Allah's Justice, Mercy and Oneness, and believe beyond doubt that Allah will never abandon you.
The Prophet PBUH was once offered medication to treat pleurisy, but he became angry. Why? He said, "This disease will never afflict me", reflecting his profound trust in Allah's Protection.
Every believer is granted a share in every trait of Allah's Messenger:
I hope by Allah's Will that you are all believers. So, let me tell you that if we make mistakes, Allah may discipline us kindly, but there will be no destruction, because the believer is dear to Allah Almighty. In this regard, every believer is granted a share in every trait of Allah's Messenger PBUH:
﴾ …you are under Our Eyes ﴿
Being under someone's eyes manifest how dear that person is. Take the example of a man who got married, and after ten years, he was blessed with a very beautiful baby boy whom he loved dearly. Therefore, when he took him to the park, he could not take his eyes off him even for a single second.
﴾ …you are under Our Eyes ﴿
Every believer is under the Care of Allah, for he/she is dear to Him. Although some problems may occur, the believer remains dear to Allah. For instance, the state of security, enjoyed by the believer, is not granted to most people.
﴾ On the contrary (he would say): "Be you Rabbaniyyun (learned men of religion who practise what they know and also preach others) ﴿
Many painful events are inflicted by the enemies of believers, while other believers watch these events on television from a place of safety. This is not selfishness; rather, it is a form of Divine Care and Protection granted by Allah to some believers.
﴾ But Allah is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy." ﴿
Allah Almighty says:
﴾ …and make them remember the annals of Allah ﴿
A believer will be tested by Allah at some point and under certain circumstances, and he will also be protected and saved by Him.
﴾ …you are under Our Eyes ﴿
As a believer, you are dear to Allah, so do not worry about this religion; rather, you should worry about whether Allah allows you to be among His Soldiers or not.
Worshiping Allah and putting trust in Him:
Dear noble brothers, pay attention to the following Ayah, please:
﴾ …And to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him (O Muhammad PBUH) and put your trust in Him. ﴿
Whatever that takes place across the five continents, from the time of Adam until the Day of Resurrection, occurs by Allah's Leave; otherwise, He would not be The Lord in Whose Hand is all dominion.[H1.1]
﴾ …And to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him (O Muhammad) and put your trust in Him. ﴿
As I have just said, whatever has happened since the creation of Adam, and will happen in the five continents until the Day of Resurrection, is by Allah's Leave.
As a believer, as long as your connection with Allah is sound, you will find security, stability and inner peace. Thus:
﴾ "Be you Rabbaniyyun (learned men of religion who practise what they know and also preach others)
﴿
The Rabbani (singular of Rabbaniyyun) is connected to Allah, and he recognizes His Might, Knowledge, Protection and Love.
Some scholars said, "Du'a (supplication) is the head of worship"; indeed, it is worship itself, but why?
When you make Du'a to Allah, it signifies that you believe in His Existence, His Might, His Wisdom and His Love. In fact, four or five things can be drawn from making Du'a to Allah. "Du'a (supplication) is worship" as it was reported in the Prophetic Hadith, and it is the head of worship as referred to by some scholars. Allah says:
﴾ …And to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him (O Muhammad PBUH)… ﴿
When does Allah demand that you worship Him? He does so after granting you security.
﴾ …And to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him (O Muhammad PBUH) and put your trust in Him. ﴿
Al-Tawakkul (putting one's trust in Allah along with making use of available means) is often misunderstood, because there is Tawakkul and Tawaakul (trusting Allah without taking any action).
The true Tawakkul meant by Allah is when you use all available means as if they are everything, and then you put your trust in Allah as if those means are nothing. For example, if you plan to travel to Al-Aqabah during Eid break, as a believer you should carefully check your car: its wheels, engine, oil and everything else.
This is an example of using all available means as if they are everything, and then putting your trust in Allah as if they are nothing. This is what we learn from the Islamic way of life. On the other hand, invoking Allah for victory without taking any action is Tawaakul, and the one who does so will not be granted victory.
Remaining steadfast on the Path of Allah:
As an Islamic Ummah, we are rich in all sorts of natural resources and share so much in common, yet we remain among the weakest of nations. Four of our capitals are occupied by deviant groups, and this is a serious problem.
As a believer you have a project, and it is manifested in knowing Allah and applying His Way to yourself, in your household and at work.
Keep in mind that you will be held accountable for three things. First, for your own self: do you pray or not? Do you lower your gaze, or you stare at women? Do you sow dissension between two persons or you brought them together? Do you establish Islam in your household? Do you control what your children watch on TV?
Being steadfast on the Path of Allah entails that you should be in control of what your children watch. News and religious programs should only be allowed on TV. If the TV is on all the time without careful selection, you will be surprised of what your children end up watching. Hence, you should supervise what is watched on TV, and ensure that no mingling between men and women occurs in your daily life activities.
Mingling between men and women encourages you to stare at other women than your wife, and after a while you may say, "My wife is not good enough for me". You say this because you are comparing her to other women.
One of the most severe punishments from Allah is having enmity among ourselves:
Dear noble brothers, have you even asked yourselves why Allah does not grant us victory? Although we have extraordinary privileges, we do not have the upper hand in our countries. Unfortunately, this is the bitter truth, and there is no other one.
Where are the Promises of Allah to us? Listen to the following Ayah:
﴾ Allah 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 earth ﴿
Are we granted succession on the earth? This is a disturbing question, but knowing the bitter truth is far better than living in a comfortable delusion.
The answer is: By Allah, we are not granted the succession on the earth.
﴾ …As He granted it to those before them… ﴿
An-Nur, 55
These Promises are Divine Laws.
﴾ …And that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). ﴿
Which religion has Allah promised to be practiced? It is the religion chosen for us by Allah.
﴾ And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear ﴿
One part is left of the Ayah:
﴾ (Provided) they (believers) worship Me ﴿
If we do not worship Allah as you are supposed to, Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, is not bound by His three Promises.
One of the most severe punishments from Allah is the presence of enmity among Muslims. Concerning this fact, let me say this: Our enemies cooperate with each other although they share only 5% in common, while Muslims quarrel among themselves, even though they share 95 % in common.
Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany, once said, "In Europe, despite being different nations with religions and schools of thought, we managed to create the European Common Market with a single currency (i.e. Euro)." By contrast, we Arabs share so much in common, yet we continue to fight among ourselves.
Dear noble brothers, in Eid allowances are given to children, so suppose that one of those children says to a relative, "I have a great amount of money", you might estimate that he has 100 dinars at most. On the other hand, if a high ranking official in the Pentagon told you, "We have budgeted a great sum of money for the war in Iraq", you might estimate that it was $200 billion.
Listen to what The Creator of Worlds and the Lord of all lords says:
﴾ …And taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH). ﴿
Keep in mind that these are the Words of Quran.
﴾ …And taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH). ﴿
Allah Who created the Worlds says these words.
The necessity of seeking Islamic knowledge:
A scholar said, "If you desire the gains of this worldly life, seek Islamic knowledge. If you desire the gains of the Hereafter, seek Islamic knowledge, and if you desire them both, seek Islamic knowledge. Knowledge will not give you even part of it unless you are entirely devoted to seeking it. If your devotion is only partial, knowledge will give you nothing."
Another scholar said, "A person is considered knowledgeable as long as he/she seeks knowledge. When he thinks he has fully acquired knowledge, he is considered ignorant."
The Islamic knowledge seeker favors the Hereafter over the worldly life, and thus he attains success in both. The ignorant, on the other hand, favors the worldly life over the Hereafter, and thus he loses them both. This is a fateful choice. It is a must that one seeks Islamic knowledge.
You cannot make proper use of the worldly life unless you know Allah Almighty; knowing Him ensures that you do what is permissible and avoid what is forbidden.
I assure the youth: Every desire instilled in a person has a lawful way in which it can be fulfilled. To clarify, if the fuel is put into a car's tank, flows through the tubes, and is ignited at the right time, it will safely move the car due to a series of controlled combustions built into the car design. When used properly, this fuel allows you to take your family on a safe and pleasant journey, such as going out during Eid. However, the same fuel, if poured on the car and ignited, can destroy the car and the people inside. In this example, the fuel is like the desires instilled in man: they can drive him toward useful actions, or, if uncontrolled, they can become a destructive power.
(( Behold: the deeds that lead to Paradise are demanding and uphill, (repeated thrice);
while the deeds that lead to the Fire are easy, born of neglect… ))
One mistake while driving, such as falling asleep, is enough to cause an accident. Man is in need of safety and happiness.
Safety is passive; it is simply the absence of harm, such as saying, "I do not suffer from any fetal illness", "My family has no domestic problems", "I do not have ungrateful children" or "I do not suffer from from poverty". Happiness, by contrast, is active and positive.
﴾ Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision) ﴿
This aforementioned good life versus the miserable life mentioned in the following Ayah:
﴾ "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." ﴿
