- Interpretation Of Quran / The long version
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- Surat Al-Insan (076)
Dear brother, this is the second lesson of interpreting Surat Al Insan, and in this lesson we will interpret the fourth Ayah which goes as follows:
((Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron collars, and a blazing Fire.))
Man was created for a purpose:
Dear brother, it is out of ignorance to think that when Ad-Dunia (the worldly life) comes to its end, everything else will end with it, for Allah says:(("Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?"))
((Does man think that he will be left Suda [neglected without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord (Allah) on him]?))
Is it reasonable to have your arrogance and transgression ended with the end of life? Is it logical to have neither rewards nor punishment for whoever lives in fear, whoever lives totally secured, whoever lives in poverty, whoever lives in extreme extravagance, whoever takes sh3er' money and whoever is oppressed in Ad-Dunia?How absurd life would be if there were no Day of Judgment.. There must be another day when people are called to account, and where justice will take place in favor of the oppressed, the poor and the deceived. It is out of ignorance to believe that someone can lie to people and take their money using his position, power or plot, and get away with this without being punished. How ignorant those who believe that there is nothing after death.
The reckoning on the Day of Resurrection:
Ad-Dunia is followed by the Hereafter where there is a Day of Judgment when the oppressors will be punished.
((Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, etc.) do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror.))
Considering the Hereafter every day, every hour, in every move and in every still, is the top of reasoning, intelligence, prosperity and success. Whenever you are in a certain situation you should ask yourself: "Will I be held responsible for what I have done?", "Does this please Allah?", "Am I going to pay a huge price on the Day of Resurrection for this?" or "Will I be thrown in Hellfire for it?"Abdullah Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, narrated, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth.))
This woman deserved Hellfire because of a cat, so what would be the punishment for hurting humans?
Hence, dear brother, believing in the purposelessness of Ad-Dunia contradicts the existence of Allah and marks incomprehension and insanity.
((Does man think that he will be left Suda [neglected without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord (Allah) on him]? ))
This can never happen.((Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose) ))
It is impossible, and there must be a Day when man will face fully detailed reckoning.
((So, by your Lord (O Muhammad peace be upon him), We shall certainly call all of them to account* For all that they used to do. ))
The torment of the Kafer (infidel) on the Day of Resurrection:
The first Ayah we start with in this lesson is the following:((Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains))
With which their feet are chained
(( iron collars))
With which their hands are cuffed, and they will be thrown in Hellfire.
((and a blazing Fire.))
These are the words of the Creator of the universe, and the more faith you have the more you believe in Allah's Words, saying at each time you hear them, "Sadaqa Allaahu al-'Azeem (Almighty Allah has spoken the truth", these are the words of the creator of the universe. Imam Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on his soul, once talked to his nafs (ownself) saying, "O my nafs, if a doctor warns you about eating a certain food you like, you will obey him". This is what all of you including me, do. If the doctor says, "You shouldn't eat salt", and you know very well that food is tasteless without adding salt to it, we will avoid it, lest we have high blood pressure. Is a doctor more truthful than Allah? Al-Ghazali went on saying, "Are the doctor's words more truthful to you (nafs) than Allah's Promises? How infidel you are if they are so! Are the warnings of the doctor more terrifying to you than Allah's menaces? How ignorant you are if they are so!" Whoever disobeys Allah is stamped with ignorance and Kufr, for undoubtedly man will stand before Allah and will be asked about his deeds.
Man is in need of self-reckoning:
The little bird, which is gunned down for fun only, will come on the Day of Resurrection humming under the Throne saying, "O Lord, ask him why he killed me." Also, the aggrieved woman will say to Allah, "O Lord, ask my husband why he divorced me, why he oppressed me, why he deprived me of food, why he got me out of the house although I took care of all of his affairs at home." The maltreated partner will say to Allah, "O Lord, ask my partner why he threw me out of our business though I established it, why he left me and my children starving while he claimed that the business is his alone" One will think twice if he believes that there will be a Day when everyone he oppressed will stand before the Almighty Allah asking for his dues even for the gossiping (Nameemeh) and backbiting (Gheebeh) about him, though some people might think that those sins are but chats. One of the notable scholars met a man who said to him, "I was told that you backbit me", to which the scholar answered, "Who are you to backbite you. If I want to backbite someone I will backbite my parents, for they are more entitled to take my good deeds than you?" Do you really think that you will be left unpunished when you defame someone, fabricate things and tell lies about him without being punished?A Bedouin, who didn't receive any knowledge of Shari'ah, Fiqh, Usul, Hadith, Aqeedah or Tafseer, asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, "Advise me in brief" The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it."The Bedouin commented, "Enough said". Although the Quran is 600 pages, one Ayah was enough for that Bedouin, which made the Prophet, peace be upon him, say, "This man has good knowledge (of the essence of religion)." There are thousands of Ayaht if one of which is the only thing you comprehend from Islam, it will be enough for you (to hold on to and to apply).
((Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you. ))
((Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. ))
((That Day shall you be brought to Judgment, not a secret of you will be hidden. ))
If we comprehend and pounder only one Ayah, we will have enough about religion. Imam Ash-Shafi'i used to say, "There is one Surah in the Quran which will be enough for people if they comprehend it." It is:
((By Al-'Asr (the time)* Verily! Man is in loss* Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf)which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar)which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.).))
Death and reckoning mark the end of Ad-Dunia:
The day when you don't increase your Islamic knowledge, is a waste of time even though the money you make in your shop could be 100.000, 500.000 or even 1000.0000 lira. Also, the day when you don't draw closer to the Almighty Allah is a waste of time. It has been said in some supplications, "May Allah not bless a sunrise of a day on which I don't increase my knowledge or draw closer to Allah." Can Ad-Dunia end simply like this without having the poor and the rich, the powerful and the weak, the tyrant and the oppressed, the cheater and the deceived, the oppressor and the oppressed and the extorter and the extorted called to account after it?Believing that there is nothing after Ad-Dunia is ignorance.
Standing before the Almighty Allah:
Allah says:(("Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?"* So Exalted be Allah, the True King, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!))
So Exalted be Allah, He would never do that.((So, by your Lord (O Muhammad, peace be upon him), We shall certainly call all of them to account* For all that they used to do. ))
((When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake* And when the earth throws out its burdens* And man will say: "What is the matter with it?"* That Day it will declare its information (about all what happened over it of good or evil)* Because your Lord has inspired it* That Day mankind will proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds* So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it* And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it. ))
Please, read the Quran attentively dear brother:((But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: "I wish that I had not been given my Record!* "And that I had never known, how my Account is?* "I wish, would that it had been my end (death)!* "My wealth has not availed me* "My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me!"* (It will be said): "Seize him and fetter him* Then throw him in the blazing Fire* "Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!"* Verily, He used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great))
There will be the Day of Judgment when people stand before the Almighty Allah. I heard the following story which took place in Damascus: A man was in need for 300 thousand lira, but upon finding no one to lend him the money, he offered one of the rich people a farm he owned as a pawning in return for that money, so the man accepted that and the farm was legally registered in the name of the lender. Few years later, that man was able to pay his debt, so he went to the rich man to give him the money (in order to take back his farm), but the rich man said, "No, each one of us got his right (though the farm worth millions)". The man had a heart attack upon hearing that, and when he was on his deathbed, he asked his son to write a letter in which he said to that rich man, "I am going to the abode of Haqq (truth), and I will sue you there, if you think yourself brave enough avoid following me". Then he asked his son to let his funeral pass by that rich man's store, which is far from downtown, and to stop there in order to give the letter to the rich man while he would be in his coffin. It was said that after reading the letter, the rich man gave the farm back to the heirs.
There will be a minute of reckoning when you will stand before the Almighty Allah and will be asked about the trivial things that you took without having the right to do so: Why did you take what is not yours? Why did you cheat the food and drink you sold to people? Why did you sell them expired food? Why did you add harmful substances to their food? Did you do that to make extra money?
((So, by your Lord (O Muhammad, peace be upon him), We shall certainly call all of them to account* For all that they used to do. ))
The more man knows the more he fears Allah:
The more you know about Islam, the more you fear Allah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was the most fearful of Allah among mankind. When he was asked to mutilate the corps of the Kuffar as a revenge for the horrible mutilation of the body of Hamzah (his uncle), may Allah be pleased with him, he said,
((No by Allah, I will not mutilate their bodies, so that Allah won't mutilate mine, although I am a Prophet.))
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also once said to a man:
((If I were not afraid of Allah, I would hit you with this" referring to a miswak.))
Hence, the more you know about Islam, the more you fear Allah.((Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron collars, and a blazing Fire.))
Describing the people of Hellfire:
(((It will be said): "Seize him and fetter him* Then throw him in the blazing Fire* "Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!"* Verily, He used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great* And urged not on the feeding of Al-Miskin (the poor)* So no friend has he here this Day* Nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds* None will eat except the Khati'un (sinners, disbelievers, polytheists, etc.).))
The description of the people of Hellfire fills the heart with fear. Don't dare think that these are mere words, for these are the words of the Lord of the Worlds. Annihilating the universe is much easier to Allah than keeping His Divine Words unfulfilled.
((Verily, We have prepared))
Hellfire is prepared for those who disbelieved in Allah, who turned away from Him, who followed their lusts, who built their triumph on the wreck of other people, who collected their wealth at the expense of other people's poverty, who made their living on people's death and who secured themselves by dreading people.
((Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron collars, and a blazing Fire.))
Some scholars of the interpretation of the Quran said about this Surah, "This Surah is about the people of Paradise in general, so the people of Hellfire are mentioned briefly in it (only in one Ayah)."
((Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron collars, and a blazing Fire.))
Who are the Abrar?:
((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil), shall drink a cup (of wine) mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafur.))
Who are the Abrar? Abrar is the plural of Barr, and who is the Barr? He is the one who obeys the Almighty Allah. According to the most precise interpretations, "The Barr is the one who knows his Lord, and so he obeys Him."((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil)))
The Abrar are the believers who came to Ad-Dunia, reflected on the creation of heavens and earth and knew beyond doubt that there is Great Allah for this universe. He is the Only One and the Perfect Allah Who deserves to be worshipped.
Man's mundane and sublime needs:
Those believers are those who came to this world, sought (Islamic) knowledge and fulfilled their transcendental purposes such like Islamic knowledge, getting acquainted with Allah and His Method and drawing closer to Him by obeying Him, while the majority of people, are fulfilling their mundane purposes like their need for food, drink and women. Allah says:((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil)))
Those will live in the abode of bliss; they will live forever and ever in a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth and in which no eye (has ever) seen, no ear has (ever) heard and no human heart has ever perceived. Ad-Dunia, dear brother, in Arabic means something inferior, and it is exactly as termed.
Man cannot live a healthy life for the rest of his life in Ad-Dunia. For example, following a rigid diet requires avoiding many kinds of food, which is very difficult for someone to do if he uses to eat whatever he likes. Therefore, in Ad-Dunia, man's diagram goes up (when he becomes a young adult) and stabilizes, but then he goes down and will be brought back to the miserable old age. His hair becomes gray, his sight becomes weak, he loses his teeth, his joints ache, his back becomes hunched, he suffers from debility and his body's systems become disordered. Well this is life.
Though man is a precious creature in the Sight of Allah, he is vulnerable. For a profound Divine Wisdom, you will never spot a human being who does not suffer from any malady in his body. Man is afflicted with his health in order not to be keen on Ad-Dunia, and in order not to make it his furthest ambition, utmost purpose or the object of hope. Don't underestimate Ad-Dunia, for it allures, causes pain and passes by.
Your tangible dreams will not be fulfilled before reaching forties, given that the age of death ranges between fifties and sixties. The majority of people die at the age of 58, 57, 51, 49 or 45, which is deemed a young age for dying. Therefore, after you reach forty, you should prepare yourself for death, for the average number of years left for you to enjoy fulfilling your dreams is 10 years. The question to be asked is: Do these few years worth losing the Hereafter for?! The worldly people's standards are: money, health and time:
The fact which I am about to mention has nothing to do with the believers, so it is related to the people of Ad-Dunia. According to the standards of the people of Ad-Dunia, satisfying their lusts and pleasures needs three elements: health, money and time. Man is short of one element of these in his lifetime; he owns a good health and time when he is young, but he doesn't have enough money to fulfill his desires, then when man is in middle age, he owns the money and the health, but he doesn't have enough time, because he works around the clock every day, and finally when he is in the autumn of his age, he gives his business to his children, and so he has enough time and money, but he doesn't have good health, for in this age he is deprived of many things (to protect his health). This is life: It allures, causes pain and passes by.
The believer knows Allah at early age:
As for the believer, he is different. The believer has nothing to do with the previous fact, for he knows Allah at an early age of his life.((Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him): "Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).))
The believer is pleased as long as he is close to Allah, and this closeness to the Divine Entity is the paradise of Ad-Dunia. Who never enters this paradise will never enter the Paradise of the Hereafter. Man of Ad-Dunia might own a luxurious house, earn high income and be able to fulfill all lusts, yet he might say, "I got bored of this life; there is nothing interesting in it." Unlike him the believer lives in happiness though he might be in hardship.The believer's rejoice:
The remarkable Companion, Khubaib bin Adi, was about to be crucified and though he might have no more than one hour to live, he was asked by Abu Sufyan, "Would you like Muhammad to be in your place and you be healthy and secure among your kin?"I have never had enough of reading his answer; He replied, "By Allah, I would not like to be among my relatives and sons enjoying all the world's health and well-being while even a tiny thorn hurts the Prophet." What are the blessings of this world? They are good health, enough sustenance and well being. Some may consider having a bouquet of roses in a vase, an air conditioner in his house or the different kinds of fruits are the blessings of Ad-Dunia, whereas these blessings are invaluable to that Companion whose happiness was manifested in having the Prophet, peace be upon him, not hurt by a thorn. What kind of happiness is this?
The Prophet, peace be upon him, wanted to know what happened to our master Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi'e after Uhud, so he asked his Companions to look for him. A man from Al-Ansar went looking for him, and he found him breathing his last. He came near and said to him, "The Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, sent me to see whether you are alive or dead." He said to him faintly[though these might be his last words, listen to what he said], "I am dying. Send my Salam (greetings) to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and say to him that Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi'e says to you, 'May Allah reward you with all goodness as ever He has rewarded a Prophet on behalf of his Ummah. Also, send my Salam to your people (Al-Ansar) and say to them Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi'e says to you, 'You have no excuse before Allah if something wrong happens to your Prophet while you still breathe.")) What kind of happiness is this on deathbed?
Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim:
Once I asked a doctor I know, "Describe to us the state of the person who is about to die?" He said to me, "The people of Ad-Dunia usually slap their faces, start blaming themselves and cry like babies". This is because death is a disaster for these people, as they will move from having everything to having nothing. Actually, this is not the whole story, for they will face torment, and whatever they did will be displayed in front of their eyes one by one while breathing their last, whereas the believer longs to the Almighty Allah's mercy.
Man knows where he stands when he seeks knowledge; he knows that nothing is superior to knowledge. It makes know who you are, where you are standing, where you come from and where you are heading and why. You guard money, while your knowledge guards you carefully, and knowledge increases when it is given to sh3er, while money decreases by spending.
((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil)))
The Abrar to their Lord are those who obey Him. In this Ayah, it means that they knew Allah, obeyed Him and drew close to Him.
The state of the people of Paradise:
((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil), shall drink a cup (of wine) mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafur.))
By the way, dear brother, no one knows the state of the people of Paradise. All we know about them is what we are informed of through the Noble Quran. Allah describes Paradise to us,((I have prepared for My pious servants which no eye (has ever) seen, no ear has (ever) heard and no human heart has ever perceived.))
In Ad-Dunia Allah gave us glimpses of the beauty of Paradise by creating beautiful gardens, trees, green pastures, green mountains, shores, roses and cute children, all of which give us an idea about the ongoing bounties in Paradise. Allay says:((Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For Al-Muttaqun (the pious) there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives) [i.e. they will have no menses, urine, or stool, etc.], And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves".))
Describing the beauty of Paradise:
The beauty of the Paradise of the Hereafter is unlike any beauty we know in Ad-Dunia, and the word "beauty" is the only thing they both have in common. Allah says:((The description of Paradise which the Muttaqun (pious) have been promised is that in it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure) therein for them is every kind of fruit; and forgiveness from their Lord. (Are these) like those who shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels?))
Allah says, "rivers of clarified honey", but the honey of Paradise does not like the one of Ad-Dunia. Also, Allah says, "rivers of milk of which the taste never changes", but the milk of Paradise does not like the one of Ad-Dunia. The name is the only common thing between the two, and Allah mentions these names just to give us an idea. Had there not been beauty in Ad-Dunia, the word "Paradise" would have been meaningless to us. Hence, Allah the Almighty creates beauty on earth and describes Paradise using words we know and comprehend. Arabs during the pre-Islamic period, used to mix wine with Camphor (Kafur) to make it tasteful, and thus Allah mentions that to give us an image about the bounties of Paradise, Allah says:((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil), shall drink a cup (of wine) mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafur.))
It is the best kind of drinks. When one of us is hot and thirsty, he will treasure a top notch glass of natural cold fruit juice, and nothing will be better than this cold sweet natural taste of fruits. Thus, in order to give us an idea about Paradise Allah says:((Verily, the Abrar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil), shall drink a cup (of wine) mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafur.))
It is the best drink ever.The reward of the people of Paradise:
((A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly.))
The scholars of the interpretation of the Noble Quran said, "By saying Yashrab biha (with it the slaves of Allah will drink) Allah means Yashrab minha (wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink."((The slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly.))
This Ayah, according to some interpretations, means that the fresh cold water follows them wherever they go. In Hajj there is something similar to this image, for Zamzam water goes wherever the Hujjaj (pilgrims) go through complicated infra-structures. When they move from Makkah to Arafat, water of Zamzam goes there. This is how Allah describes the state of the people of Paradise; the sweet fresh water is near at hand.
((A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink))
The pious slaves of Allah are those whose souls are purified, and thus they are entitled for the Paradise of their Lord.
((A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly.))
Fulfilling Nazr (spiritual vow):
((They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading.))
Nazr is the vow one undertakes. As fulfilling one's vow is a must, it is our top priority to fulfill what Allah orders us, for Allah commanded us to be upright, to be honest, to be trustworthy, to be chaste, to be sincere, to pray, to fast, to offer Hajj and to offer Umrah. Since the true believer fulfills his Nazr, he is supposed to fulfill Allah's commands as they are considered top priority to him. This is one of the most crucial Ayaht in the Quran, and according to which, one won't be a true believer unless he fulfills the pledge he has given to Allah.((They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows))
While the Hujjaj (pilgrims) circumambulating the Kabah, most of them stand before the black stone, turn to it and say, "In the Name of Allah, the Most Great, O Allah! I perform Hajj with faith in You, believing in Your Book, honoring the Promise to You and following the Sunnah of Your Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him." This Du'a is but covenant they give to Allah, so they should keep it in their mind. A noble Companion migrated to join the Prophet, peace be upon him, but on his way he was captured by the Mushrikeen, so in order to set himself free, he gave them his word that he would never fight against them. When they released him, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was very happy to receive him. One or two years later, the Prophet, peace be upon him, started to prepare for a Ghazwa (fight in the Cause of Allah), so that companion was very pleased to be shoulder to shoulder with his fellow Companions to fight against the Mushrikeen, but the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "You cannot fight against them, because should your word which you gave to them."
((And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant, will be questioned about.))
Those are the believers who deserve the Paradise of Allah the Almighty.((They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows))
It means they fulfill whatever they undertake, and better yet, they fulfill what Allah ordered them, Allah says:
((And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).))
The believer should follow the steps of our Master Ibrahim, peace be upon him:
((And of Ibrahim (Abraham) who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (what Allah ordered him to do or convey),))
The best honor you get is when you fulfill your covenant to Allah the Almighty.Completion of the covenant:
It is much easier to fall down from the sky to the ground than to be so little in the Sight of Allah. Nothing can be more serious than being little in Allah's Sight, not even being poor, or being sick which is not serious. Betraying what you are entrusted with, breaking your covenant and keeping your pledge to obey Allah the Almighty unfulfilled will make you so little in the Sight of Allah. Hence:((O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?* Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.))
Children of Israel said:((They said, "We have heard and disobeyed."))
While the true believers say:(And they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)."))
Reckoning mankind on the Day of Resurrection:
((They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading.))
On that Day the evil will be wide-spreading, prevailing and destroying. Problems in Ad-Dunia occur all the time, some of them can be solved and their damages are limited so they can be fixed, but other problems are destructive. There will be a Day on which man will be held accountable for all his deeds which will be detailed and identified, and so that Day will be a hard one.
((Truly, that Day will be a Hard Day* Far from easy for the disbelievers.))
((Verily! These (disbelievers) love the present life of this world, and put behind them a heavy Day (that will be hard).))
((a heavy Day (that will be hard).))
Allah says:
((They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading.))
A brother said to me once, "I owned a land through an auction and paid only two third of its real price, but a while later, I knew that land used to belong to orphans, so I asked myself, 'How can I face Allah on the Day of Resurrection?'." He asked for my advice, and I said, "Either you withdraw from this auction, or you give the full price to these orphans regardless of any auction or bids." He did exactly what I told him to do. In some cases the law is by your side and gives you what is not yours, but in your grave there is no place for the earthly law; your deeds will be judged according to Shari'ah rulings. This is what you should bear in mind in order to have all your problems solved.
Knowing Haram and Halal is the gist of Islam:
One day, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah b pleased with him, wanted to try a shepherd who was tending his sheep, out of the town. He said, "Sell me this sheep, and I'll give you the money for it". The shepherd said, "It is not mine". "Tell its owner that it died", said Umar. The man said nothing. Umar continued, "Tell its owner that a wolf ate it, and I'll give you the money for it". The man said: "By Allah! I need the money badly, and if I say to its owner that it died or a wolf ate it, he will believe me, because I am honest and faithful in his sight, but how could I escape Allah's Punishment?" This shepherd comprehended the gist of Islam.
No matter how high your education is, you know nothing Islam if you take one Haram (illegal) Dirham. Do not think that by saying this I am exaggerating, because by Allah I am not. When Mrs. Ayshah, may Allah be pleased with her, was told that a man violated Shari'ah rulings, she said, "Tell him that he abolished his fighting with the Prophet, peace be upon him, in the Cause of Allah". When you take ill-gotten money, when you lie, when you deceive sh3er and when you oppress people, surely you should put your prayers, fasting and Hajj in a trash container.
((And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him); and that they came not to As-Salat (the prayer) except in a lazy state; and that they offer not contributions but unwillingly.))
He prays and spends his money on the poor, yet he is Kafer in the Sight of Allah. As for his Sawm, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,((Allah says in Hadith Qudsi, "If a fasting Muslim did not practice the Islamic protocol for Ramadan correctly, the only thing he gains from Ramadan is the experience of hunger and thirst."))
As for his Salah, it is reported in the relic:
((If the Salat of a person doesn't stop him from Fahsha'a (evil works) and Munkar (sins), his Salat gets him away from Allah.))
As for his Hajj, it is reported in the relic:
((Whoever performs Hajj by Haram money saying, "O, Allah, Here I am at your service", Allah the Almighty will say to him, "You are not welcomed and your Hajj is not accepted."))
Sinning invalidates your Hajj, Umrah, Salah, Sawm and giving Sadaqah. What really benefits you is obeying Allah first, and then you can be exalted while offering the acts of worship. Salah will crown your uprightness in your house and at work, but it will be helpless if you have major violations of Shahri'ah rulings irrespective of the fact that it is Fard (obligation).
The best of good deeds:
1- Fulfilling Nazr:
((They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading* And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive,))
2- Giving food:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked, "What is the best of deeds in Islam?" To which the Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: "Feeding the needy".))
Giving food to people cleans their hearts and unites the souls. However, the Prophet, peace be upon him, never accepted an invitation for food if it was held for boasting and looking down on people, for such a banquet is held for an evil cause.
The meanings of "Giving food inspite of their love":
Giving food (to the needy) is one of the greatest good deeds:((And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him)))
Scholars said, "(inspite of their love) has two meanings:1- Giving food to people out of love to Allah:
- The first meaning is: Despite their need and love for that food, and despite the hardship they are in, they prefer to give it to the needy.
- The second meaning is: Because they love Allah the Almighty, they give the food to the needy.
((And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor)))
Miskin is the one who can't work (due to illness or old age).
((the orphan))
He is the one who can't earn money
((and the captive))
Even if the captive is Mushrik (polytheist), he is given food.
(((Saying): "We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.))
((And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him)))
Although they need this food, they give it to the needy and the hungry, out of their love for Allah. This is the first meaning.
2-Favoring their brother over themselves despite their poverty:
The second meaning: They favor their brother over themselves despite their poverty, despite their need of that food and despite their love for it.
((And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor)))
Miskin is the one who can't work (due to illness or old age).
((the orphan))
The orphan is the child whose father (who is responsible for providing him with sustenance) died.
((and the captive))
Even if the captive is Mushrik, he is entitled for that food, but he is not entitled for Zakat, because the latter is taken from the rich Muslims to be given to the poor ones, whereas Sadaqah can be offered to both Muslims and non-Muslims.
((And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), (Saying): "We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only ))
No matter how many or few the good deeds you perform are, they will be accepted if they are sincerely offered. Without sincerity, the good deeds are useless whether they are few or many. Sincerity is only known by Allah, and it is hidden even from the angel on your shoulder, for it is between you and Allah.
((We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only ))
They are seeking Allah's Countenance only.
((We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.))
We wish for no favor, praising, tribute or the like. Some Muslims, may Allah help them correct their errors, don't pay any penny unless their names are carved on a marble mural tablet. Only Allah knows all your good deeds, and He is the only One who knows whether they are offered sincerely or not.
The price for Paradise is sincerity:
((By no means shall you attain Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc., it means here Allah's Reward, i.e. Paradise), unless you spend (in Allah's Cause) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well.))
Allah is aware of your good deed and will reward you for it greatly. so care less about being called the great charitable man and do without it, for you will be much closer to sincerity without having titles. In order to know if you are sincere in your deed or not, offer it secretly. For instance, don't tell anyone about your night prayers or the Sadaqah you give, so that your left hand doesn't know what your right hand spends. Only then you will defeat Satan, and if ever he whispers to you that you sought praising in your deeds, this will be your respond to him:((We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you. ))
There are a lot of believers who offered deeds equal to mountains in greatness, but no one knows about them, for they offered those deeds to be kept between them and the Almighty Allah. The stronger connection you have with Allah the lesser you enjoy people's praising. In fact enjoy praising is a sickness and it marks weakness in sincerity. Some people remind sh3er, in a way or another, of the good deeds they did to them in order to be praised and thanked. Their gratitude and praising is all that they will get in return of their deeds, whereas the believer seeks only Allah's Sake and he gives sh3er in a way that his left hand doesn't know what his right hand spends.
The deeds of the true believer:
Our master As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, used to offer great deeds which no one knew about. He used to milk the goats of his neighbors who were unable to milk them. When he became the Khalifah (Successor) of Muslims, the neighbors got sad thinking that he would no longer milk their goats. However, the first morning of his Khilafah, he knocked at the door of one of those neighbors, so the mother said to her daughter, "Go and see who is knocking at the door" When the daughter got back, her mother asked, "Who is at the door?", to which the daughter answered, "It is the man who milks the goats". He was the leader of the Muslim World, yet he continued milking the goats of his widow neighbors.The true believer offers deeds which only Allah knows about, and he does great things and keeps them (a secret) between him and Allah. By doing this, Satan can't whisper to him, "You are doing that for praising". Hence, keeping these good deeds a secret between him and Allah proves Satan wrong.
Good deeds should be done publically for the purpose of encouraging sh3er:
If you are sure of your sincerity, it is fine to tell sh3er about your good deeds in order to encourage them:((If you disclose your Sadaqat (alms-giving), it is well, but if you conceal it, and give it to the poor, that is better for you. (Allah) will forgive you some of your sins. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.))
(("Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it)." ))
The Day of Resurrection is quite a scary day:((And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), (Saying): "We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only ))
They do that with sincere intentions:
(((Saying): "We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.))
Because:
((We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it). ))
Supplication:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord (The One and Only) of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Master, Prophet Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest. O Allah, help us remember You, expressing gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner. Bestow upon us a longing to meet with You and the bliss of seeing Your Honorable Countenance.O Allah, show us the righteous things as righteous and help us do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us keep away from them. O Allah our Lord, make us amongst those who listen to the Word and follow the best meaning of It, and admit us, by Your Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous servants.
O Allah make our meeting today a merciful and blessed one, make our disperse after it an infallible one and let not any of us be miserable or deprived (of Your mercy). O Allah, grant Your peace and blessings to our Master Muhammad, peace be upon him, to his Folks and to his Companions.
