The spiritual station of honoring the Sanctities of Allah
Dear believing brothers, this is lesson No. 68 of the series The Ranks of the Divine Seekers on the Stations of "You alone we worship, and You Alone we ask for help". The spiritual station we will discuss today is Honoring the Sanctities of Allah. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ That (Manasik prescribed duties of Hajj is the obligation that mankind owes to Allah), and whoever honours the sacred things of Allah, then that is better for him with his Lord. The cattle are lawful to you, except those (that will be) mentioned to you (as exceptions). So shun the abomination (worshipping) of idol, and shun lying speech (false statements) ﴿
Every station among the spiritual ones of the ranks of the Divine Seekers that is supported by a Noble Ayah or an authentic Prophetic Hadith is considered an independent station in itself. One of these spiritual stations is the one of honoring the Sanctities of Allah the Almighty.
The Divine Decree of empowering enemies against the Muslims
Basically, dear brothers, when a person gets to know Allah the Almighty and catches a glimpse of His Majesty, he will hold in high esteem His Commands, His Prohibitions, his obedience to Him, His believing servants, and whatever is related to Him such as the Masajid, the Noble Quran, and every person, or book that is associated with His Majesty. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ That (Manasik prescribed duties of Hajj is the obligation that mankind owes to Allah), and whoever honours the sacred things of Allah, then that is better for him with his Lord.) ﴿
Unfortunately, Allah's Commands have become insignificant to the Muslims today, and so they have become insignificant in the Sight of Allah the Almighty. As a result, Allah the Almighty has given their enemies power over them, has caused division among them, has made their word the lowest, and has given their enemies countless ways to overpower them. All that has happened because they revere neither Allah the Almighty nor His Commands. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ That (Manasik prescribed duties of Hajj is the obligation that mankind owes to Allah), and whoever honours the sacred things of Allah, then that is better for him with his Lord. ﴿
The meaning of the Sanctities of Allah
Al-Layth, one of the Islamic scholars, said, "The Sanctities of Allah include whatever is not permissible to violate." Another Islamic scholar said, "The Sanctities of Allah are His Commands and Prohibitions." A third scholar said, "A sanctity is that which must be performed and must not be neglected or ignored." A fourth scholar said, "Allah's Sanctities refer to the time-related and place-related rituals of Hajj."
The correct view is that all of these are included in Allah's Sanctities. In other words, whatever is related to Islam or to Allah the Almighty is sacred. Hence, the Noble Quran is sacred, the books of authentic Noble Hadith are sacred, the books of Islamic knowledge are sacred, Islamic scholars are held in high esteem, Masajid are sacred, and Allah's Commands and Prohibitions are sacred.
The deeper your faith in Allah is, the more you honor His Sanctities
Actually, the deeper your faith in Allah the Almighty is, and the more you honor Him, the more you honor His Sanctities. Furthermore, honoring an elderly Muslim is one of the signs of showing reverence to Allah the Almighty.
﴾ Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, may Allah be please with him, narrated that that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said: "It is out of reverence for Allah the Almighty to respect an aged Muslim, and the one who memorizes the Quran and does not exaggerate pronouncing its letters nor forgets it after memorizing, and to respect the just ruler" ﴿
[ Ibn Muflih, this Hadith has a sound chain of narrators ]
If you meet a grey-haired Muslim who has spent his life in obedience to Allah the Almighty, you should honor him, respect him, and try to help him. The Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said:
(( It is out of reverence for Allah the Almighty to respect an aged Muslim ))
Also, honoring the just leader is one of the signs of showing reverence to Allah the Almighty. Thus, the person who is in a position of authority, who is righteous, and who works for public benefit, should be held in high esteem; this sincere person deserves your respect since he works for the benefit of the public, does his best to make life more comfortable for people, and deeply cares about their safety and security. Thus, the sincere believer honors everything connected to Allah the Almighty; the prayer is sacred to him, so he neither delays it nor neglects it. Also, fasting is sacred to him, so even if he has a valid excuse not to fast (during a day in Ramadan), he never eats openly out of respect for the sanctity of Ramadan.
The more you adhere to Allah's Commands, the higher your status in his Sight is.
The Greater one's adherence to Allah's Command, the higher his rank in His Sight is
Some scholars said, "The word 'sanctities' includes everything that must be respected and held in high esteem such as rights, (knowledgeable) people, (sacred) times, (sacred) places, and so on. Thus, honoring them means giving them their due, making sure they are not wasted or lost, being careful not to disobey them, and making every effort to carry them out; holding Allah's Commands and Prohibitions in high esteem and adhering to them out of fear of Allah's Punishment and hope for His Reward." Actually, if a powerful person gives you an order, you will carry it out precisely out of fear of him, so how about the the Commands of Allah the Almighty, the Creator of everything? The more you adhere to Allah's Commands and Prohibitions, the higher your status will be in His Sight.
The Prophets, the Messengers, and the truthful are our role models
Now, let us ask this question: Whom should we take as examples to follow? They are the Noble Prophets, the Noble Messengers, and the truthful ones, and we should follow their example in their Du'as (supplications), in their invocation to Allah the Almighty, and in the way they used to praise Him and express their fear of the Hellfire and their hope for Jannah (Paradise). Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And (remember) Zakariya (Zachariah), when he cried to his Lord: "O My Lord! Leave me not single (childless), though You are the Best of the inheritors."* So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahya (John), and cured his wife (to bear a child) for him. Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. ﴿
The Noble Prophets and Messengers, Peace be upon them, asked Allah for Jannah and sought refuge with Him from Hellfire. In fact, I do not find it convincing when some people say, "I do not worship Allah out of hoping for Jannah nor fearing Hellfire; I only worship Allah because He is worthy of worship", because it sounds to me as if those who say that are claiming to have reached a rank higher than that of the Noble Prophets!
The Prophets, peace be upon them, who are the best of mankind and who reached the highest level of human excellence, hoped for Allah's Mercy, feared His Punishment, asked Allah for Jannah, and sought refuge in Him from the Hellfire, so no ordinary person, who is not a Prophet, should say, "I do not worship Allah out of hoping for Jannah nor fearing Hellfire; I only worship Allah because He is worthy of worship!" This is an unreasonable exaggeration. All the Prophets used to supplicate Allah the Almighty in hope and fear. This is what the Quran says, and this is what the Sunnah affirms. So, we should follow the Noble Quran and the Noble Sunnah, and we should follow the example of the Noble Prophets since no one can worship Allah the Almighty or draw closer to Him better than they did.
The Prophet's way of life
(( Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, inquiring about his worship. When they were told about it they seemed to consider it little and said, "What a difference there is between us and the Prophet whose former and latter sins have been forgiven him by Allah!" One of them said, "As for me, I will pray all night and never sleep." Another said, "I will fast during the daytime and not break my fast." The other said, "I will have nothing to do with women and will never marry." Then the Prophet came to them and said, "Are you the people who said such and such? By Allah, I am the one of you who fears and reverences Allah most, yet I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women. He who is displeased with my Sunnah has nothing to do with me." ))
[ Sahih Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik
]
This means that the Prophet's way of life or approach to worship is complete and perfect. So, never take away anything from Islam, nor add anything to it, because when you do so, you are accusing Islam of excess (having something unnecessary) or deficiency (lacking something).
Allah's Praise for His best worshippers by mentioning their best deeds
Allah the Almighty praises His best worshippers by mentioning their righteous deeds, one of which is their seeking refuge in Him from the Hellfire. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness.* And those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and standing.* And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily! Its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment." ﴿
[ Al-Furqan, 63–65
]
Actually, asking Allah the Almighty to avert the punishment of Hellfire from us is a form of honoring His Sanctities. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire." ﴿
Also, consider the following Ayaat which mention the Du'a of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him:
﴾ And Who, I hope will forgive me my faults on the Day of Recompense, (the Day of Resurrection),* My Lord! Bestow Hukman (religious knowledge, right judgement of the affairs and Prophethood) on me, and join me with the righteous;* And grant me an honourable mention in later generations;* And make me one of the inheritors of the Paradise of Delight;* And forgive my father, verily he is of the erring; * And disgrace me not on the Day when (all the creatures) will be resurrected;* 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)]. ﴿
The Prophets are our role models, and their words are a guideline for us to follow
Dear noble brothers, unfortunately, when some people recite some Noble Ayaat in the Quran about the stories of the Noble Prophets, peace be upon them, about their Munajat (secret talks to Allah) and their Du'as to Him, they recite them without reflection, as if these stories have nothing to do with their own lives. In fact, the Noble Prophets are examples for us to follow, their words are our source of guidance, their Du'as are our source of knowledge, and their actions show us the way to draw closer to Allah the Almighty.
I strongly encourage you that whenever you recite an Ayah about any of the Noble Prophets, peace be upon them, take a moment to reflect on it and adopt that Noble Prophet's stance or action as an example for you to follow. For example, our Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, taught his people to make Du'a to Allah the Almighty immediately after the Azan (the call to prayer), because it is one of the times when Du'a is most likely to be accepted.
﴾ Narrated some Companions of the Prophet: Abu Salih reported on the authority of some Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to a person: what do you say in prayer? He replied: I first recite tashahhud (supplication recited in sitting position), and then I say: O Allah, I ask You for Paradise, and I seek refuge in You from Hell-Fire, but I do not understand your sound and the sound of Mu'adh (what you say or he says in prayer). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: We too go around it (paradise and Hell-fire). ﴿
It means that the Noble Companions asked Allah the Almighty for Jannah and sought refuge with Him from Hellfire, but he did not understand the supplication of our Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, and our Master Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him, so he said to the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him: …O Allah, I ask You for Paradise, and I seek refuge in You from Hell-Fire, but I do not understand your sound and the sound of Mu'adh (what you say or he says in prayer). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: We too go around it (paradise and Hell-fire).
Also, consider the following authentic Hadith about the angels who go out the roads seeking those who remember Allah:
(( Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said: "Allah the Almighty has angels who go about on the roads seeking those who remember Him, and when they find people doing, so they call to one another, 'Come to what you are looking for', and surround them with their wings up to the lowest heaven." He said that Allah the Almighty then asks them, although He is best informed about them, "What are my servants saying?" They reply, "They are extolling, magnifying, praising and glorifying You." He asks whether they have seen Him, and when they reply, "No indeed, they have not seen You," He asks how they would act if they had seen Him, to which they reply, "If they had seen You, they would have engaged more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying You, and would have extolled You much more." He then says, "What are they asking for?" and they reply, "They are asking You for paradise." He asks whether they have seen it, and when they reply, "No indeed, my Lord, they have not seen it," He asks how they would act if they had seen it to which they reply, "If they had seen it, they would have been more intensely eager for it, would have asked more earnestly for it, and would have had a greater desire for it." He asks what they are seeking refuge from, to which they reply that it is from hell. He asks whether they have seen it, and when they reply, "No indeed, my Lord, they have not seen it," He asks how they would act if they had seen it, to which they reply, "If they had seen it, they would have been more earnest in flying from it and fearing it." He then says, "I call you to witness that I have forgiven them." One of the angels says, "Among them is so and so who does not belong to their number, but has come only for something he wants," and He replies, "They are people who are seated together, and he who sits with them will not be miserable." ))
[ Sahih al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abi Hurayrah ]
Is it reasonable that the heedless person who has gone astray from Allah's Path and who has never asked Allah for Jannah or sought refuge with Him from Hellfire, will be treated (by Allah) like the one who always asks Allah the Almighty for Jannah and seeks refuge with Him from Hellfire?
Dear brothers, the actions, conditions, Du'as, and invocations of the Noble Prophets and Messengers, peace be upon them, as mentioned in the Noble Quran, and the description of the true believers in the Noble Sunnah, their actions, what they seek refuge with Allah from, and what they ask Him for, form a complete way of life for us as believers.
Seeking Jannah is the best motivation whereas fearing Hellfire is the greatest deterrent
I hope the following point is crystal clear to you: When one's heart is empty of hope for Jannah and fear of Hellfire, his determination, motivation, and ambition will fade away. On the other hand, the more a person hopes for Jannah and seeks it by performing righteous deeds, the stronger his motivation becomes.
Hence, I say it to you clearly: The greatest motivator for performing righteous deeds is the hope for Jannah, whereas the strongest deterrent from committing sins is the fear of Hellfire. Anything else is just nonsense, because claiming that moral conscience or fearing one's reputation serves as a deterrent from sinning is meaningless, because the moment a person (who lacks faith) finds a chance to sin without being caught, he will most likely take it. Thus, any deterrent from sinning other than the fear of Hellfire is not genuine. Likewise, any motivation for performing righteous deeds other than the hope for Jannah is not genuine as well, because the true motivation for performing righteous deeds is the hope for Allah's Eternal Jannah, and the true deterrent from committing sins is the fear of Hellfire. Verily, true faith keeps the believer morally disciplined.
(( Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said: The Prophet, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Faith prevents assassination. A believer should not assassinate." ))
[ Sunan Abu Dawood, on the authority of Abi Hurayrah
]
This means that faith is a controlling and disciplining force on the believer's self, causing him to refrain from evil deeds. The true believer adheres to Allah's Commands, because he knows with absolute certainty that Allah the Almighty is Greater than all, that His Punishment is severe, that His Torment in this worldly life is unbearable, and that His Punishment in the Hereafter is far more sever and lasting. So, when one truly realizes the severity of Allah's Punishment, and His Great Reward He grants to His worshippers out of His Mercy, he will adhere to His Commands.
Let me give you an example from your everyday life. If someone who is more powerful than you and who always does what he says asks you to do something, would you dare not to obey him? If he is capable of causing harm to you, and you are always under his watch, would you dare to disobey him openly? As long as you do that with a person who is a human being like you, then what about being under the Watchful Eyes of Allah the Almighty?!
Imam Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, "O my nafs (ownself)! If a doctor warned you against a certain food you love, you would no doubt follow his command, and you would refrain from eating it. Will the doctor be more truthful to you than Allah the Almighty?" If a doctor advised you to stop eating salt, warning you of stroke, high blood pressure, and artery blockage, you would refrain from salt altogether. So, is it reasonable to believe the doctor's warning, trust him, and follow his advice, while you turn a deaf ear to the Commands of Allah the Almighty?
The Jannah Allah prepared for His worshippers
Dear noble brother, let me clarify the following point for you: the Jannah we should strive for is not merely a beautiful place with trees, fruits, food, drink, fair women with large, beautiful eyes, rivers, and palaces. In other words, most people mistakenly think that Jannah is just a place of pleasure; a beautiful place with gardens, green land, trees with low and easily reachable fruits, fair women (i.e. as wives) with large beautiful eyes, youthful servants who remain in the same state of youth, rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure), rivers of milk of which the taste never changes, rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changeable, and rivers of wine delicious to those who drink.
Well, this is the description of Jannah, but it is not "The Abode of Eternal Bliss." In other words, these enjoyments such as rivers, trees, fair wives with large beautiful eyes, and immortal youth are sensory pleasures, but "The Abode of Eternal Bliss" is far beyond sensory pleasures; it is the Jannah of the blessing of gazing upon Allah's Noble Countenance
(( Jarir Ibn Abd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: we were in the company of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, on a fourteenth night (of the lunar month), and he looked at the (full) moon and said, "You will see your Lord as you see this moon, and you will have no trouble in looking at Him. So, whoever can, should not miss the offering of prayers before sunrise (Fajr prayer) and before sunset ('Asr prayer)." Then the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, recited: "And glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting (Qaf,39)" ))
[ Sahih Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Jarir Ibn Abd Allah ]
Other narrations provide further details; these narrations say that when the believer gazes upon Allah's Noble Countenance, he will be completely overwhelmed by the bliss of that gaze for 50.000 years, because it is the greatest pleasure ever.
To clarify this point, consider the following example: If you enter the house of a distinguished figure, and you sit down and look upon him with great respect, it would be a good thing. However, there is a much higher level of pleasure, it is when that host stands up for you, greets you warmly, calls you by the name you love most, welcomes you, and makes you sit beside him (as an expression of honoring) that is the true honoring. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Allah has promised to the believers -men and women, - Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of 'Adn (Eden Paradise). But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah. That is the supreme success. ﴿
So, we have a tangible level of blessings in Jannah, such as rivers, trees, fruits, youthful servants who remain in the same state of youth, fair women (i.e. as wives) with large beautiful eyes, and pure honey, milk, wine, and water. Also, there is more sublime level of blessings that is manifested in gazing upon Allah's Noble Countenance, being welcomed by Allah, having Allah pleased with you, and allowing you to draw closer to Him. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah ﴿
[ At-Tawbah, 72
]
"Every bliss other than Jannah is insignificant, and every affliction other than Hellfire is a blessing."
Dear noble brothers, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ For the like of this let the workers work.) ﴿
I heard about a man who bought an apartment on one of the highest-priced streets in Damascus; it consisted of two apartments facing each other on the 12th floor. So, he bought the entire floor. Although these two apartments were ready to move in, he removed the existing floor, took out the old windows, removed all fixtures, tiles, and fittings in the bathrooms, renovated these two apartments entirely, and changed every part of them with paying close attention to every detail. The renovation work took two years, and it was an incredibly luxurious house with transparent marble tables, hidden fixed lighting, and other lavish details. However, only a few days the renovation work was completed, and the house was ready to move into, the house owner passed away! Such is the nature of this worldly life (i.e. it is the home of transient enjoyments).
Actually, there are many stories like this one that affirm the transient nature of this worldly life, such as a house that was never dwelled in (because its owner bought it and then died shortly before moving in), a marriage that was never completed (because the bride or the bridegroom passed away shortly before the wedding ceremony), a certificate that was never received (the student died before obtaining it), a trip from which the traveler never returned, or someone who left his house and then passed away and did not came back to it. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ For the like of this let the workers work. ﴿
[ As-Saffaat, 61 ]
Allah also says:
﴾ The last thereof (that wine) will be the smell of musk, and for this let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah). ﴿
[ Al-Mutaffifin, 26
]
Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him said, "There is no goodness in a pleasure the punishment of which is Hellfire, and there is no evil in a hardship the reward of which is Jannah. Every bliss other than Jannah is insignificant, and every affliction other than Hellfire is a blessing."
It was narrated in Qudsi Hadith that Allah the Almighty says:
(( By My Glory and Majesty, I do not take the soul of My believing servant whom I wish to show mercy except that I test him with every sin he has committed; with illness in his body, a decrease in his livelihood, or misfortune in his wealth or children, until I purify him of all sins. If any sin remains, I intensify the pangs of death on him until he meets Me as pure as the day his mother gave birth to him. ))
Seeking the Jannah of Allah's Vicinity
One of the scholars quoted these two lines of poetry:
A little from You is enough for me
But that little from You can never be regarded as little
[ Abu An-Nasr Ahmad Al-Mikyali ]
The poet means that just one gaze at Allah the Almighty is enough for a person.
Consider these words: There is a Jannah in this world that if one does not enter he will not enter the Jannah of the Hereafter; it is the Jannah of being close to Allah the Almighty, so strive for it, for by Allah, whom there is no deity worthy of worship but Him, if you strive for that Jannah and experience a brief taste of it, you will belittle all pleasures of this worldly life, since all these pleasures are insignificant when compared to that brief taste of the Jannah of closeness to Allah the Almighty.
To clarify, when a heedless person sees someone who is deeply engaged in performing righteous deeds, he may feel sorry for him, while in fact that heedless person should feel sorry for himself, because the one who is immersed in performing righteous deeds for the Sake of Allah the Almighty Alone experiences indescribable happiness; his happiness lies in exerting effort (for the Sake of Allah) and his misery lies in doing nothing; if you force him to rest, he will suffer a lot.
Being veiled from Allah is the most severe torment
Dear brothers, we have talked about Jannah so far, but what about Hellfire, may Allah protect us from it? The most severe punishment of it is being veiled from Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day. ﴿
Consider the following Ayah in which Allah the Almighty describes the situation of the people of Jannah which is contrary to the one of the people of Hellfire:
﴾ Some faces, that Day, will be radiant, Looking at their Lord.* Looking at their Lord (Allah); ﴿
[ Al-Qiyamah, 22–23
]
In Jannah, the believer's face will be bright and shining as he looks at Allah the Almighty, while in Hell, the disbeliever's face will be dust-stained and veiled from Him. The believer's face will be white because of his righteous deeds, whereas the disbeliever's face will be black as a result of his evil deeds. Furthermore, being veiled from Allah the Almighty, deserving Allah's Anger, and Wrath, and being deprived Allah's Nearness and Mercy is far worse than the physical punishment of having one's body burned. Consider the following Noble Hadith:
(( Jabir Ibn Abd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said: "A person will be overwhelmed by shame for his deeds on the Day of Resurrection to the extent that he will say: 'O Allah, being sent to the Hellfire is easier for me than what I am facing" even though he is fully aware of the torment there." ))
[ Mustadrak Al-Hakim, classified as a weak Hadith ]
Consider the following Ayah which describes the physical torment in Hellfire; the blaze of the Fire that burns the disbeliever's skin. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise. ﴿
Although the physical torment in Hellfire is very severe, the psychological torment is not less than it; the Hellfire encompasses many kinds of torments. To clarify this point, let me give you this example: if you want to buy a house because you are planning to get married, and you have saved about 3000.000 SYP, and you find a house within Damascus the price of which is 300.000 SYP, and it is in a perfect location, while the price of other houses is about 1 million SYP. However, a few days later, you go to buy it, only to be told by its owner that he has already sold it, you will not be able to sleep at night out of regret. Although no one has caused you any physical harm, you will not be able to sleep due to the psychological pain; you will regret your negligence and say to yourself, "I should have bought it two days ago. I should have asked its owner." So, if missing out on buying a house or marrying a woman causes unbearable pain, then how about the regret for missing Al-Jannah and deserving Hellfire forever?
It was reported in the relic:
(( A person will be overwhelmed by shame for his deeds on the Day of Resurrection to the extent that he will say: 'O Allah, being sent to the Hellfire is easier for me than what I am facing" even though he is fully aware of the torment there." ))
Thus, the torment of Hellfire is varied. There is a physical torment, such as the torment described in the following Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and burning them), and then do not turn in repentance, (to Allah), will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire. ﴿
So, there is a psychological torment; some of it is manifested in regret, remorse, disgrace, or shame, and other of it is presented in the form of deserving Allah's Anger and Wrath, and being deprived of His Closeness after deserving Hellfire.
Seeking the Hereafter is the striving that is Divinely appreciated and rewarded
Thus, the ultimate goal sought by the Prophets, Messengers, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous is Paradise, what they seek refuge from is the Hellfire, and the best worshippers of Allah the Almighty are those who seek His Pleasure and Reward; they are the select ones among mankind. Allah the Almighty:
﴾ But if you desire Allah and His Messenger, and the home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allah has prepared for Al-Muhsinat (gooddoers) amongst you an enormous reward. ﴿
The Hereafter, meaning Jannah, is sought by the special ones among mankind:
﴾ Allah has prepared for Al-Muhsinat (gooddoers) amongst you an enormous reward. ﴿
The women addressed in this Ayah are the best of women; the wives of the Noble Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. do righteous deeds of Allah's Obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, thanked and rewarded (by Allah). ﴿
It means that the striving that is appreciated, thanked, and praised by Allah the Almighty is the one of whoever seeks the Hereafter. Consider the following Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty addresses the best of His closest worshippers; the Companions of His Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, by saying:
﴾ And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then He made you flee from them (your enemy), that He might test you. But surely, He forgave you, and Allah is Most Gracious to the believers. ﴿
So, as long as the best of His closest worshippers; the Companions of His Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, desired and sought the Hereafter, there is nothing wrong in asking Allah for Jannah and seeking refuge with Him from Hellfire, and this is the rank of the Noble Prophets and Messengers.
Commenting on "worshipping Allah just because He is worthy of worship"
As for the one who quote the saying of the righteous woman who said, "O Allah My Lord, I do not worship You out of hope for Your Jannah, nor out of fear of Your Hellfire, but I worship You, because You are Worthy of worship." We say to them that our religion is only based on the Noble Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him. As for this woman, may Allah have mercy upon her soul, she might have been truly righteous, she might have been among the closest worshippers of Allah, and she might have been a strong spiritual connection with Him, but at the end she is not a lawgiver; she does not convey Allah's Laws (Shari'ah). In other words, infallibility belongs only to the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, and who alone is the Lawgiver; he alone conveys Allah's Laws (Shari'ah). So, we hold good opinion of righteous people, but we do not consider their sayings rulings that is belong to Shari'ah, because they are not lawgivers.
Also, consider the story of a man who mounted his camel, loaded it with his provisions and drink, then sat down to rest after getting tired from his travel. He fell asleep, then when he woke up, he found that the camel had gone away. He was sure that he was going to die without it, so he wept until he slept again. However, when he woke up, he found that the camel return to him. He was extremely happy that he did not realize what he had said as mentioned in the following Hadith:
(( Harith bin Suwaid said: I went to see 'Abdullah to inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). He heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his riding animal carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst. then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions (of food and drink). ))
We can excuse him and overlook what he said, even though his words imply disbelief, because he did not mean it. Some scholars commented on the words of that man, by saying, "Not everyone who says or does something that implies disbelief has necessarily become a disbeliever; that man was so overwhelmed with happiness that he did not realize the words he had said (O Allah, You are my servant and I am Your Lord). So, in some way or another, we may excuse him.
So, if someone, in a moment of extreme joy, unintentionally makes a mistake and says some words that contradict the Quran and Sunnah, we ask Allah to have mercy on him and to forgive him. He might be closer to Allah than us, nevertheless, we do not accept his words or follow them; rather, we follow the Noble Quran and Sunnah.
Many Noble Ayaat and Ahadeeth clearly state that Allah's closest worshippers, the closest Companions of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, and the Prophets themselves, who are the best of mankind, asked Allah for Jannah and sought refuge with Him from the Hellfire. Is it reasonable that a person who is neither a Prophet nor a Messenger refuse to seek refuge with Allah from the Hellfire and to ask Him for Jannah, to ask Allah to grant him the blessing of seeing His Noble Countenance in Jannah, and worship Him neither out of fear of His Hellfire nor out of hope for His Jannah, but simply because He is Worthy of worship!
This contradicts the teachings of the Noble Quran and Sunnah. We ask Allah to have mercy on the woman who said these words and to forgive her. By the way, these words might be mistakenly attributed to that woman; she might not have said them at all.
Individual infallibility is exclusive to the Prophet, whereas his Ummah is infallible as a whole
Let me conclude my lesson with this point: If you come across some words of a great scholar that contradict the Noble Quran and Sunnah, what should you do? Keep in mind four scenarios; firstly, he might not actually have said them, and they could have been mistakenly attributed to him. Secondly, he did say them, but he did not mean the meaning you understood. Thirdly, he said them and meant what you understood, but later he changed his mind and embraced another view. Finally, he said these words, meant what you understood, and persisted in his opinion without changing it. So, in this case, he is wrong, and that is it.
According to our Islamic Aqeedah (creed), no one is infallible except the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him; individual infallibility is exclusive to the Prophet, whereas his Ummah (Islamic nation) is infallible as a whole.
This is our Aqeedah: The Prophet is individually infallible, whereas his Ummah is collectively infallible. So, if a person, at a moment of extreme joy, did not notice the words that had come out of his mouth and said something that contradicts the teachings of the Noble Quran and the Noble Sunnah, we do not think badly of him; rather, we say to ourselves, "Perhaps he did not say that, and it was mistakenly attributed to him, or maybe he said that at that moment and was not aware of what he had said. Anyway, he is not a legislator, and his sayings are not a proof. That is to say, Islam is based only on the Noble Quran and on the Noble Sunnah, and nothing else.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, the Truthful, the Trustworthy, and the Honest. O Allah, grant us (from Your Blessings) and do not deprive us; honor us and do not humiliate us; favor us and do not favor others over us; make us satisfied and be pleased with us.
May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his Family and Companions.
