The Saved Sect
Many sects
have arisen that ascribe themselves to Islam, though they are as far as
possible from the methodology of Islam and its teachings. They are, in fact, at
odds with what Allah's Messenger (pbuh) and his noble companions were all
about.
Allah's Messenger (pbuh) spoke truly when
he told us of unseen things revealed to him by Allah (Glorious & Exalted).
He (pbuh) told us that this nation would be split into sects as the Jews and
Christians were before us. All of these different sects (either due to a
corrupt nature and belief or blindly following vain desires and trivial
passions) are misguided, except those who use the methodology of Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) and his companions, and who walk along his (pbuh) path.
Heretical
sects like these do not represent Islam. Islam is innocent of their corrupt
beliefs and erroneous interpretations and the lies they tell about the
religion, in terms of rites of worship and rules for which Allah Almighty has
given them no authority. It is no wonder what we are told about them when we
consider that we know that:
One of these misguided sects was founded
by a Jew who claimed to be a Muslim—Abdullah ibn Saba', the Jew, who
hypocritically claimed to be a Muslim, but secretly disbelieved. He founded the
Shiite sect, otherwise known as the Rawafid—the Rejecters—one of these
misguided, rebellious sects, based on corrupt beliefs about Allah (Mighty &
Majestic), on insulting and defaming the pure wives of His prophet (pbuh), on
cursing the noble companions of Allah's Messenger (pbuh), on slandering the
"Keeper of the Sky," the Angel Gabriel (pbuh), on blaspheming about
the Holy Quran, on corrupting Islamic law and rules according to their desires
and passions, on making up stories about hidden imams, and on lying and
deceiving, may Allah's Curse be upon them.
The scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah—those who
live by the guidance and example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)—realized the
danger of these misguided and misguiding sects, so they opposed them and
refuted their fabrications with authentic scriptural evidence and
straightforward logic, since authentic scripture does not contradict
straightforward logic.
It is worth
clarifying the meaning of the Sunnah and of Ahlus-Sunnah (the people of the
Sunnah) in order to see those beyond it—those who invent things and call it
Islam, the people of misguided innovation.
The Sunnah is: that which the
Prophet (pbuh) and his companions did, in terms of belief, statements, deeds,
and conditions.
"Ahlus-Sunnah," as a
technical term, has two meanings: general and particular.
As for the general usage: what is meant is
what is compared to the Shiites, which would include all groups that associate
themselves with Islam—except for the Shiites—in the meaning of Ahlus-Sunnah.
As for the particular usage: what is meant
is what is compared to the innovators (Ahlul-Bid`ah) and purveyors of
invention in religion, such as the Shiites, the Khawarij, the Murji'ah, the
Jahmiya, the Mu`atazila, the Sufis, and other innovators like them. These would
be included in the meaning of Ahlus-Sunnah.
The scholars
of Ahlus-Sunnah stood up to the innovators. They refuted those who made false
philosophical speculations about the Being of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) and
His Attributes. They refuted the Jahmiya, the Mu`atazila, and others. If they
had not, atheism and denial of the Existence of God would have found its way
into the Islamic World as it found its way into the Western World.
The doctrine
of Ahlus-Sunnah concerning the Names of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) and His
Attributes is: confirmation of that which Allah Almighty confirmed for Himself
and what His messenger (pbuh) confirmed, without assimilation, qualification,
or anthropomorphization, and negation of that which Allah (Mighty &
Majestic) negated for Himself and what His messenger (pbuh) negated for Him,
negation without deviation or denial, in accordance with the Saying of Allah
Most High, {There is none like unto Him}[Al-Shura 42: 11]
As for the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah:
Ahlus-Sunnah possesses a distinguished
methodology, relying on the Book of Allah (Mighty & Majestic), the Sunnah
of His prophet, Muhammad (pbuh), and the consensus of the Ummah (the
Muslim community). They also draw conclusions based on straightforward logic
and pure, uncorrupted human nature.
Ahlus-Sunnah restrict themselves to the
scripture in matters in which there is no room for interpretation, such as
matters of the Unseen in which there is no place for personal opinion, nor do
they take it upon themselves to interpret ambiguous expressions or indulge in
far-fetched explanations.
This sound methodology, congruent with
authentic scripture and straightforward logic, is what made it possible for
Ahlus-Sunnah to stop the tongues of those resistant to Islam and its people,
from among the disbelievers, atheists, hypocrites, and innovators, and not let
anyone gain control over them and force them to do heretical things, or put
them in compromising situations, as the innovators did with each other, and as
some of them did with the atheists and disbelievers.
Ahlus-Sunnah
set certain rules in this methodology that they have adopted, such as:
A.
Holding fast to the Arabic
language
Because the Holy Quran was
revealed in the language of the Arabs, it is not fitting for us to give any
word or expression a meaning unknown to the Arabs, otherwise it would be an
explanation outside its language, and it would not be fitting to rely on individual
taste or personal inclination in interpreting the words of the Holy Quran.
B. Interpreting
the Quran by the Quran
The Holy Quran is from Allah
(Mighty & Majestic). There are no differences or contradictions in it, as
we have mentioned previously. Thus, it is not appropriate to interpret the
Quran in a way that some verses contradict other verses.
C. Interpreting
the Holy Quran by the Prophetic Sunnah
Everything the Messenger
(pbuh) said and did represents an explanation and clarification of the Holy
Quran.
Thus, denying the Sunnah of the Prophet
(pbuh)—as is done by some misguided sects who claim that the Quran is
sufficient without the Sunnh—is in all actuality, denying the Holy Quran.
D. Interpreting
the Holy Quran by the statements of the Companions
The Companions were the best
of all generations by virtue of witnessing Allah's Messenger (pbuh), and their
superiority includes knowledge. The Companions were the ones in whose language
the Quran was revealed. They used to witness the occasions and incidents during
which the revelation came and in which the Prophet (pbuh) used to say what he
said.
As such, the
saved sect is Ahlus-Sunnah, since we find that, among its most prominent
characteristics is adherence to that which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came
with in terms of doctrine, rites of worship, and standards of behavior and
interpersonal interaction.
To clarify, if any of these misguided,
innovative sects (such as the extreme Sufis or any others) claim methods and
acts of worship other than what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions
used to do, they are to be rejected. There is no benefit in them and they are
not acceptable before Allah (Mighty & Majestic), in accordance with the
saying of the Prophet (pbuh), "Whoever does a deed that we are not upon,
it will be rejected of him." [Sahih Muslim]
Indeed, it would be as though these
misguided, innovative sects are disbelieving in the Holy Quran and attributing
imperfection to it with their false claims about deeds and false, misguided
acts of worship.
As the Most High has said, {This day, I
have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have
chosen for you Islam as your religion.}[Al-Ma'idah 5: 3]
So where did
the Sufis and other misguided sects get these acts and made-up rituals after
the religion of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) was perfected and its favor
completed, when they are on a path other than what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
and his noble companions were on?
Indeed, it is as though these misguided
sects accuse their prophet (pbuh) of falling short in conveying the law and the
message with what they claim and invent.
Allah's Messenger (pbuh) did not leave any
path to goodness or any path that would lead to Allah's good pleasure (Blessed
and Exalted is He), except that he commanded it and urged the people to do it,
and he did not leave any path to wickedness, except that he prohibited it and
warned against it.
That is why the only path to pleasing our
Lord (Blessed & Exalted) is that which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his
noble companions were upon.
Is Religion the Main
Factor in Wars and the Spread of Killing among Nations and Peoples?
Is It the Cause of
the Economic Stagnation and Cultural Backwardness?
To answer these
questions, we will explain the condition of nations and peoples when they
submit to the power and authority of Allah (Mighty & Majestic), following
and holding fast to the truth, and when religion is absent. I will do so with
extreme brevity.
Someone who is
estranged from Allah (Mighty & Majestic), who does not believe in the
Existence of a Creating God, who has no religion or belief to cling to, might
think that religion is the cause of wars between nations and peoples and the
spread of killing amongst them. He might also think the same about economic
stagnation and cultural backwardness. But this view from the atheist who denies
the Existence of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is incorrect. It stems from lack
of knowledge and ignorance about the facts of reality. It is either due to
heedlessness and ignorance of the evidence and the confirmation of facts, or to
not following the truth. It might also be due to the following of vain desire
and trivial passions, despite knowledge of the facts of reality, and therefore,
absolute, audacious rejection of the truth since it contradicts one's stubborn
pride and goes against one's wishes and desires.
The first thing such a person should do is
to believe in the Existence of God the Creator (Noble & Sublime), and we
have presented much irrefutable evidence for the Existence of Allah (Mighty
& Majestic) which no one with good nature and sound mind can ignore.
Secondly, he should know that the true
religion according to Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is only one—Islam, even if
Divine Law, which contains various and variable different rules of
jurisprudence, has changed over time, in accordance with the interests of
nations and peoples, since time and place differ, according to the Will of
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) and His Ultimate Wisdom.
The truth is one; it cannot resemble or be
mixed with falsehood, since it concurs with man's pure nature and sound reason.
No intelligent beings with straightforward, abundant logic and superior reason
can differ over it, and we have previously proven this in brief.
The condition
of nations and peoples when they submit to the authority and power of Allah
(Mighty & Majestic) and follow and adhere to the truth:
As we have stated previously, the natural
situation is for all people to have the same religion: Islam, and this would
mean:
They believe in the Oneness of God the
Creator and the Greatness of His Attributes and the Absoluteness of His Power,
without ascribing to Him anything defective in His Being or any shortcoming in
the Perfection of His Attributes.
They believe in all of the prophets and
messengers that Allah (Blessed & Exalted) sent to preach to His creation
and guide them to His Straight Path after they had fallen into error and gone
astray. If the proof and testimony that prove and testify to their prophethood
and the truth of their call and message become clear, they do not deny the
message of any one of them, nor do they distinguish between any of them by
following their personal inclinations; rather they follow the latest prophet or
messenger sent to them with Divine Legislation.
They believe in all the Divine Scriptures
sent down from Allah (Mighty & Majestic) upon His prophets and messengers.
They seek judgment from it, without denying or opposing any of it, and so on.
The result of
this would be: the submission of all nations and peoples to the authority of
Allah (Noble & Sublime), judgment by it, the application of Divine Law, and
adherence to the methodology of the prophets and messengers.
However, what happened is that people
divided and differed when each one followed his own desires and interests.
Their pure natures and sound minds were corrupted, and they strayed from
Allah's Straight Path. Allah (Mighty & Majestic) explained this in His
Saying,
{And verily! This, your religion (ummatukum), is one religion,
and I am your Lord, so keep your duty to Me. * But they (men) have broken their
religion among them into sects (fa taqatta`oo 'amrahum baynahum zuburan),
each group rejoicing in its belief.}
[Al-Mu'minoon 23: 52-53]
The word, "ummatukum,"
means: your religion—that your religion is one religion—Islam.
The phrase, "fa taqatta`oo
'amrahum baynahum zuburan," means: they have divided over the matter
of their religion into different groups and sects, as we have shown:
The natural state of affairs is for people
to be united on that which pleases their God and Creator (Noble & Sublime),
not divided and at odds with each other. They should love one another and live
in peace together, without feuding and fighting.
They should implement the Wise Rules and
Legislation of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) with its lofty directives and
noble, intelligent standards of behavior, and so on.
Like that, all nations and peoples would
rise, economically, as a result of applying what Allah (Mighty & Majestic)
has commanded.
To prove this:
History has shown the condition of the
Arab tribes and other peoples before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
and the arrival of Islam as a religion, compared to after his coming (pbuh)
when realization of the Oneness of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) had been
completed and the people submitted to His Authority and Power (Noble &
Sublime).
Before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), the Arab tribes and others were disparate tribes, feuding and fighting,
wars and enmity arising amongst them for the most trivial of reasons.
But after the coming of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) with Islam as the religion, throngs of people entered the
religion of Allah, the tribes became united. They gathered on the word of true
monotheism with which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had come: La ilaha illa
Allah (There is no true god but Allah), and the individual members of the
tribes and others became brothers who loved each other. One would sacrifice
himself and his wealth for his brother in Islam. Many, many luminous incidents
among the companions of Allah's Messenger (pbuh) have gone down in history on
this matter. The Most High spoke the truth when He said,
{…and remember Allah's Favor on you, for you were enemies one to
another, but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became
brethren…}
[Aal-`Imran 3: 103]
The situation
of nations and peoples in the absence of the religion and in the absence of
following the truth or forsaking adherence to it:
In the absence of the religion among
nations and peoples, and forsaking adherence to the truth which pleases Allah
(Mighty & Majestic), we find that:
Injustice and corruption spread because
everyone follows their own personal interests and vain passions. Unjustified
killing becomes rampant because of the deviant doctrine of "survival of
the fittest."
Gone are the commendable, noble values
necessary for the existence of human societies and which society cannot exist
without, such as honesty, trustworthiness, justice, etc.; they are obliterated
and wiped out, as we have shown previously.
Moral decadence spreads, such as
fornication and reprehensible abominations, as a result of the fantasy that God
the Creator, Who will bring them to account for their wicked beliefs and evil
actions, does not exist.
According to what we have presented,
security and peace among peoples and nations will not be achieved, and
therefore there will be no advancement in the field of economics; there will
only be economic stagnation and cultural and social backwardness in many
aspects of life.
To give an
example of what we mean:
Many, many wars have been fought between
many countries for reasons of racial differences and cultural affiliations.
Thus we find that communist
governments—that deny the Existence of God the Creator, like the Soviet Union,
China, and others—were the worst governments in terms of oppression,
compulsion, and aggression against the freedom and dignity of their people. In
fact, the leaders of such governments inflicted upon their people the most
horrible kinds of torture, killing many millions, in addition to their wars
against other peoples in which millions and millions of people died. History
testifies to this.
In the First and Second World Wars, we
also find the killing of thousands and thousands of human beings as a result of
the conflict between states and each other, in addition to many other wars that
resulting in great catastrophes, economic destruction and the regression of
civilization.
With this, we see clearly the
answer to the previous question, which is:
Religion is not the cause of economic
stagnation or cultural backwardness; rather it is the reason for the thriving
and prospering of the economy and for the advancement of civilization.
To clarify: When religion is a
cause of wars between two parties, one of which are the Muslims, this
represents a struggle in the realm of tests and challenges between the truth to
which the Muslims hold fast and the falsehood whose creation is led by the
wicked—those who follow their vain desires, trivial passions and corrupt
creeds, from among the Jews, the Christians, and others, as we have mentioned
previously.
Suffice it to say that we know the wars of
the Muslims against their enemies were merely for the purpose of proclaiming
the truth, and spreading the message of the Absolute Oneness of Allah (Mighty
& Majestic): La ilaha illa Allah, not for the sake of wreaking havoc
and killing. The proof of that is:
Allah's Messenger (pbuh) prohibited the
killing of women, children, the elderly and noncombatant monks. He (pbuh) also
forbid burning with fire, maiming the dead, mutilating their corpses, or
dismembering them, plus other restrictions for Muslims in their wars, in light
of the instructions given to us by Allah's Messenger (pbuh).
This is in addition to the element of
pardon and forgiveness whenever possible, whenever the Muslims have succeeded
in proclaiming the word of truth and waving the flag of true monotheism. For
example, in the battle Allah's Messenger (pbuh) fought to liberate Mecca, he
(pbuh) prepared his army of ten thousand fighters from among his noble
companions to free the Holy City of Mecca—the most beloved of all lands to
Allah Almighty, in which His Sacred House, the Holy Ka`aba, is located—as we
mentioned before. Then, he (pbuh) entered with his army, triumphant and
victorious, and he began to cleanse the Ka`aba of the idols that surrounded it
and were inside it. These idols numbered: 360.
Then, he (pbuh) entered the Ka`aba and
prayed to Allah (Glorious & Exalted). Then, he glorified and praised Him,
saying:
La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika
lah, sadaqa wa`aduh, wa nasara `abduh, wa hazama al-ahzaab wahdahu (There
is no true god but Allah, Alone, without partner; He has made good His promise,
granted victory to His slave, and defeated the confederates by Himself.) Then
the Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Oh people of Quraysh! What do you
think I should do with you?"
They said, "Treat us well, noble
brother, son of a noble brother."
He (pbuh) said, "Verily, I say unto
you as Joseph said to his brothers, {There is no reproach on you this day.} Go,
for you are free."
Then he (pbuh) ordered Bilal to ascend and
proclaim the call to prayer from the Ka`aba after the time for the prayer had
come. And after that, Allah's Messenger (pbuh) prayed the prayer of victory or
the prayer of thanksgiving.
This was an example of pardon and
forgiveness from Allah's Messenger (pbuh) and his army of Muslims for the
people of Mecca, who were people who worshipped false gods and idols. The
people of Mecca had done great harm to Allah's Messenger (pbuh) and fought
against him for years. They had even tried to assassinate him (pbuh) before he
migrated to Medina. They had inflicted the worst types of torture on the
Muslims before the Migration to force them to leave their religion.
The Words of Allah Almighty are true when
He says, {And We have sent you not but as a mercy for the worlds.}[Al-Anbiyaa'
21: 107]
At the same time, we find that
the people of innovation—the Jews, Christians, communists, atheists and so
on—fight wars to spread killing and corruption in the land. They do not adhere
to rules or laws in their wars. They kill old men, women, and pregnant mothers.
They split open their bellies in a horrendous manner. They kill young children
and babies. They mutilate the dead, and do all sorts of corrupt and villainous
things.
One example is their wars during the
occupation of certain countries and states in order to plunder and steal their
precious resources, from oil to metals and other things, and for the sake of
benefitting from their special geographical location.
In conclusion, Islam is the
true religion that calls for adhering to lofty principles and exemplary
behavior, both in peace and in war. This is how societies will progress in
various aspects of life: economic, social and cultural, and more.
Why Did Allah (Mighty & Majestic) Make Some People Live in a Muslim
Environment and Others in a Non-Muslim Environment? What is the Wisdom in That?
Could It Be Considered Injustice for a Person to be Raised in a Non-Muslim
Environment Since He Has No Choice in the Matter?
We have
explained previously the Great Attributes of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) and
His Absolute Power, and that to Allah (Glorious & Exalted) belongs ultimate
perfection in everything. We have also shown that the Attributes of Allah
(Mighty & Majestic) and His Names are of the utmost perfection in balance
and beauty.
As such, it is certain in the belief of
every rational person, with a pure, good nature, that Allah (Mighty &
Majestic) is All-Wise. He (Glorious & Exalted) is described with Absolute,
True Wisdom, proper to Him and Self-Existent, like the rest of His Attributes,
for which He created His slaves, fashioned them perfectly, measured, then
guided, made some blessed and some wretched, misguided and guided, withheld and
gave, for He is the One Who designed the creation of all things according to
the requirements of His Wisdom (Noble & Sublime).
The Wisdom of Allah (Glorious &
Exalted) requires Complete, Comprehensive Knowledge, not preceded by ignorance.
It requires Perfect Will, for He (Noble & Sublime) does what He wishes; no
decree is blocked. Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not.
This is in accordance with the requirements of His Wisdom (Glorious &
Exalted), and it necessitates Absolute Power, in addition to the other Perfect
Attributes of Allah (Glorious & Exalted).
Among the Names of Allah (Mighty &
Majestic) is al-Haqq—the Truth—for Allah (Glorious & Exalted) is the
One Who causes truth to triumph and grants it victory. His is Pure Justice, for He (Glorious &
Exalted) oppressed no one, not even to the weight of a mustard seed or less.
Among the Names of Allah (Mighty &
Majestic) are: al-Rahman and al-Rahim—the Beneficent, the
Merciful—for mercy is from the Attributes of Allah (Mighty & Majestic),
which Complete Wisdom requires. Likewise among them are: Forbearance,
Compassion, Gentleness, and Forgiveness, in addition to other Perfect
Attributes of Allah (Noble & Sublime).
We would like
to shed some light on the Perfect Attributes of Allah (Mighty & Majestic)
in this section:
-
Wisdom
-
Knowledge
-
Will & Purpose
-
Justice
-
Power (Ability)
-
Mercy and Favor
We will now
explain the answer to the first question in this section as follows:
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) created a
realm of everlasting delight (Paradise) and He created a realm of permanent
torment (the Hellfire). This is in accordance with His Will and Purpose
(Glorious & Exalted). He has said, {Verily, His Command, when He intends a
things, is only that He says to it, "Be!"—and it is!}[Ya-Sin 36: 82)]
and {Verily, Allah does what He wills.}[Al-Hajj 22: 14]
Among the requirements of the Will and
Purpose of Allah (Mighty & Majestic), is that He creates one creation for
Heaven, where they will be blessed with eternal delight that never ends due to
their faith and righteousness in the life of this world. Likewise, He creates a
creation for the Fire, where they will experience everlasting torment, because
of their disbelief, atheism, and corruption in their worldly lives. He says,
{Verily! Allah does what He wills.}[Al-Hajj 22: 18], {And your Lord creates
whatsoever He wills and chooses…}[Al-Qasas 28: 68]
Among the requirements of the Wisdom of
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is that the righteous believers enter Paradise by
His Mercy and Favor (Blessed & Exalted) and that the disbelievers,
atheists, and evil-doers enter the Hellfire by his Justice (Noble &
Sublime).
It is from the
Wisdom of Allah (Glorious & Exalted) that He make this one Muslim, that one
a disbeliever, and another an atheist, to test one by the other, for the life
of this world is a realm of tests and challenges.
Examples of this are: the rich and the
poor, the strong and the weak, the ruler and the slave. It is this way so that
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) can test one by the other in this world of tests
and challenges. In other words, the purpose is to try one by the other so that
the righteous stand out from the wrong-doers, the noble from the wicked, and so
on.
Even before He makes clear the believer
from the disbeliever, the righteous from the evil-doer, and so on in the life
of this world, Allah (Glorious & Exalted) has prior knowledge of who will
be the righteous, good believers who He is pleased to grant His Paradise and
realm of delight (Blessed & Exalted is He), and He knows who will be the
disbelievers and evil-doers who will incur His Wrath (Noble & Sublime) upon
themselves, so He made them for His Fire and realm of torment.
The Will of
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) requires Absolute Power, so that He might do
whatever He wishes and whatever He wills, in accordance with what His Wisdom
(Glorious & Exalted) requires.
The Will of Allah (Mighty & Majestic)
necessitates Complete and Comprehensive Knowledge, since he who does something
without knowledge cannot be said to have intent or will, and Allah (Mighty
& Majestic) is still the Creator of everything, and He does what He
intends. Thus, He (Noble & Sublime) must necessarily be knowledgeable of
everything, and we have established this previously.
Among that
which proves logically the Perfect, Comprehensive Knowledge of Allah (Mighty
& Majestic) is:
A.
That God the Creator must
necessarily know what the hearts of His slaves contain: the good or evil, the
belief or hypocrisy, the sincerity to Him (Noble & Sublime) in worship and
interpersonal interaction, etc., or the ostentation and pretension, and so on.
B. That
God the Creator must necessarily know the degree of humility His slaves feel
toward Him (Noble & Sublime) during acts of worship and otherwise, so that
He might reward them for it, favoring some over others. This is an affair of
the heart, not something visible.
C.
That God the Creator must
necessarily know the multiplicity of His slaves' noble intentions when
performing good deeds, as when a person has many good reasons for doing
something good, hoping for a good reward or compensation, and an increase in
closeness to Allah (Mighty & Majestic).
And other
examples of this abound, as we have said before.
We will now
explain the answer to the second question in this section as follows:
To begin, Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is
the Truth; he does not wrong His slaves the weight of a mustard seed or less.
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) is All-Aware of the hearts of the slaves He
created. If there is good in the hearts of His slaves, it pleases Allah
(Glorious & Exalted), so He guides them to goodness and faith and leads
them to righteousness and guidance. And if He does not know goodness in their
hearts, He does not guide them to faith and that which is pleasing to Allah
(Mighty & Majestic).
To explain:
One of us might wonder, after the era of
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has passed and that of his noble companions, why
didn't Allah (Mighty & Majestic) put me in the time of the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) so that I might believe him, fight beside him, and champion His
religion, Islam, so that I would be among the forerunners and the first to win
the good pleasure of Allah (Mighty & Majestic)? Why wasn't I one of the
companions of Allah's Messenger (pbuh)?
To answer this, we should explain that
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) elected from His creation His prophet and
messenger, Muhammad (pbuh), as a seal for the prophets and messengers. He chose
for him companions (may Allah's Mercy be upon them), who were befitting for him
and who were honored by his companionship (pbuh). Thus, Allah (Glorious &
Exalted) chose the companions of Muhammad (may Allah's Mercy be upon them) for
Muhammad (pbuh).
Allah Most High said, {…but Allah bestows
His Grace to whom He wills of His slaves.}[Ibrahim 14: 11] and {He cannot be
questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.}[Al-Anbiyaa' 21:
23]
The companions of the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) were the most devout of heart of this entire nation. They were also the
deepest of knowledge, the least pretentious, and the straightest in guidance.
They were a people chosen by Allah (Mighty & Majestic) to keep company with
His prophet (pbuh) and to uphold His religion.
In truth, not many years passed, from the
start of the Prophet Muhammad's mission (pbuh) and the belief of his companions
in him, before this great religion—Islam—spread to every corner of the earth,
and the banner of true monotheism—La ilaha illa Allah (There is no true
god but Allah)—waved high, destroying underfoot all others, from the worship of
false gods, idols, and tyrants beside Allah. The two greatest empires and
superpowers at that time—Byzantium and Persia—were defeated at the hands of the
Muslim who liberated them under the banner of true monotheism, for the Persians
used to worship fire, and the Byzantines used to associate partners in worship
with Allah Most High, ascribing to Him a son and worshipping the cross, and so
on.
Thus, the companions of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) were the best of all human beings after the prophets and
messengers.
Then again, how does our questioner know,
if he had lived during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), whether he
would have been among his companions who supported him or among his enemies who
fought and harmed him and were destroyed?
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) sent His
prophets and messengers with proof, miracles, incontestable evidence, and
irrefutable testimony, confirming his prophethood and the truth of his message
and call:
A.
To warn his people of the
punishment of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) if they do not believe in Him
(Noble & Sublime), follow His prophets and messengers, and live by His
laws.
B. To
bring his people glad tidings of reward and compensation, bliss and delight
from Allah (Glorious & Exalted) if they believe in Him (Noble &
Sublime), follow His prophets and messengers, and live by His laws (Noble &
Sublime), in accordance with the Saying of Allah Most High, {Messengers as bearers
of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea
against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful,
All-Wise.}[Al-Nisaa' 4: 165]
Thus, Allah
(Mighty & Majestic) establishes the proof against His creation by sending
prophets and messengers to them to explain to them the truth that they might
follow it, and to explain to them what is false so that they might stop it and
leave it for good. This is from the Favor of Allah (Blessed & Exalted) and
His Mercy toward His slaves.
As such, the people have no argument
before Allah (Mighty & Majestic) that He did not send prophets and
messengers to them to explain to them the way of truth and falsehood. Allah
Most High said,
{And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this (the Quran),
they would surely have said, "Our Lord! If only You had sent us a
Messenger, we should certainly have followed Your Signs before we were
humiliated and disgraced."}
[Taha 20: 134]
{Oh people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you
Our messenger, making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of)
messengers, lest you say, "There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings
and no warner." But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a
warner. And Allah is Able to do all things.}
[Al-Ma'idah 5: 19]
{We never punish until We have sent a messenger (to give warning).}
[Al-Israa' 17: 15]
It is from the
Justice of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) that whoever is not reached by the
proof from Allah Almighty—the Message—by sending prophets and messengers, such
a person will not be taken and punished by Allah (Noble & Sublime), except
after it has been established to him.
On that basis, whoever dies during a
break (the period between the sending of prophets and messengers), the mentally
incompetent person, the deaf who cannot hear what the prophets and messengers
are calling him to, the children of disbelievers, and those in the same
category, such people will be tried before Allah (Mighty & Majestic) on the
Day of Judgment. So whoever obeys Allah (Mighty & Majestic) will win His
good pleasure, Heaven and the realm of His delights, and whoever disobeys Him
(Noble & Sublime) deserves His Anger upon him, His Fire, and the realm of
His punishment.
This indicates that Allah (Mighty & Majestic) has full, vast,
absolute, prior knowledge (not preceded by ignorance) of what His creation will
do: either believing and following the prophets and messengers, or disbelieving
and disobeying them.
He has full, vast, absolute, prior
knowledge of what will be: the obedience or disobedience of the people who died
during these breaks and the verdict that will be pronounced when they are tried
on the Day of Judgment.
Thus, Allah (Glorious & Exalted) knows
the fate of all of His creation. He knows whose fate will end up being in the
realm of delight (Heaven) and who will end up in the realm of torment (Hell),
and this He knows even before they were created.
However, it is from the Wisdom of Allah (Mighty
& Majestic) that He sends prophets and messengers to His creation, that He
sends down His Books unto them, and that He tries those whom the message of the
prophets and messengers did not reach, in order to establish the proof against
all people, so that they might not have any plea before Him (Noble &
Sublime), in accordance with the Saying of the Most High, {Say, "With
Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed, He would indeed have
guided you all.}[Al-An`aam 6: 149]
It is our duty
to know that Allah (Mighty & Majestic) created man to believe in Him (Noble
& Sublime) and to worship Him exclusively. He granted him a rational mind
to think about His signs, proving thereby His Existence, His Oneness, His
Supreme Attributes, and His Absolute Power.
It is our duty to know that there is a
difference between an ignorant person who was capable of seeking knowledge and
knowing the truth, but then turned away, and an ignorant person who was not
able to do so.
Whoever is capable of learning and finding
out the truth has no excuse before Allah (Mighty & Majestic).
As for the ignorant person who is not
capable of learning and finding out the truth, he falls into one of two
categories:
A.
He wants to be guided: He
would love to be guided to the truth, but he is not able to do so, due to the
absence of anyone to guide him. The verdict on such a person is the verdict of
a person to whom the message of the prophets and messengers has not been
conveyed.
B.
He does not want to be guided:
His self-talk does not address anything other than the falsehood he believes.
There is no difference for him between being capable and not being capable.
That is only for those who want guidance and wish to be guided.
In conclusion,
-
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) does what He
wills, and Allah (Glorious & Exalted) willed to create Heaven and Hell, and
in His Wisdom (Noble & Sublime), He created good, believing people to go to
Heaven and wicked, disbelieving people to go to Hell.
-
Whoever goes to Heaven enters by the Favor of
Allah Almighty and His Mercy, and whoever goes to Hell enters it by the Justice
of Allah (Mighty & Majestic).
Man's pure, good nature causes him to
believe in Allah Most High and His Oneness, and his straightforward, logical
mind does not contradict this; rather it agrees with it completely, and we have
demonstrated this previously.
The Wisdom of Allah (Noble & Sublime)
necessitates the establishment of proof against His creation, by sending them
prophets and messengers to make the truth clear and to point them toward it,
and to make falsehood clear and to warn them of it, and by revealing the Divine
Scriptures to His prophets and messengers.
-
Allah (Glorious & Exalted) is All-Aware of
the hearts of His slaves. Whoever He knows to have goodness in his heart and He
wishes good for them, He grants him good things and guides him to truth and
righteousness.
Whoever does not have goodness in his
heart, and Allah Almighty does not wish good for him, Allah Almighty does not
grant him good things by guiding him and making him successful.
-
People in the life of this world have the
choice between belief and disbelief, obedience and disobedience, between
righteousness and wickedness. Allah (Mighty & Majestic) has not forced them
into belief or denial and disbelief. He has not forced them to obey or disobey.
That is because this world is the realm of trial, testing, and challenge. So,
whoever believes in Allah (Glorious & Exalted) and obeys Him has passed the
challenge and succeeded in the test, but whoever disbelieves and disobeys has
failed the challenge and the test.
From all we
have mentioned, it then becomes clear to us that:
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) sends the
disbelievers and evil-doers to the Fire and the realm of His punishment, because
he had the choice between faith and disbelief, between obedience and
disobedience. Allah Almighty did not force him to deny or disbelieve. Allah
Almighty did not force him to disobey and do evil things.
It also becomes clear that: Allah (Mighty
& Majestic) was not unjust to the disbeliever when He placed him in a
disbelieving environment, since:
1.
Allah (Mighty & Majestic)
gave the disbeliever the choice either: to choose the path of guidance and
believe in his God and Creator, His Oneness, His Supreme Attributes and
Absolute Power, following His prophets and messengers, or to remain in his
disbelief, corruption, and disobedience, following his pride, vain desire, and
trivial passions.
2. Allah
(Mighty & Majestic) did not conceal the truth from the disbeliever; rather,
He made the truth ever visible and audible, and his initially pure human nature
with which Allah (Mighty & Majestic) created him points to the Existence of
God the Creator and His Oneness, for every child is born with this pure, good
nature. Also, the straightforward, rational mind that Allah Almighty granted
man agrees with this pure, good nature, and both of them together testify to
the Existence of Allah Almighty (Glorious & Exalted) and His Oneness.
Allah (Mighty
& Majestic) sent to the disbeliever, prophets and messengers to call him to
believe in Him (Noble & Sublime), to obey Him, and to follow His prophets
and messengers.
But this disbeliever, idol-worshipper, and
atheist preferred falsehood over the truth, following his pride, insolence,
whims, and trivial passions, even though, if he believed and followed the
truth, he would have had double the reward and compensation, as Favor from
Allah Almighty.
If Allah (Glorious & Exalted) did not
guide the disbeliever to faith and righteousness, that does not mean that He
kept from the disbeliever his due.
That is because guidance belongs to Allah
(Mighty & Majestic); He grants it to whomever He pleases, and bestows His
Mercy on whomever He pleases among His slaves.
Allah Most High says, {Allah guides to His
Light whom He wills.}[Al-Noor 24: 35]
The Most High says, {That is the Grace of
Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills.
And Allah is the Owner of Mighty Grace.}[Al-Jumuah 62: 4]
Allah (Glorious & Exalted) knows best
who will accept His guidance.
One might also ponder another
question concerning someone who dies a disbeliever at the beginning of his
life, right after puberty:
Would it be considered injustice for
someone like this who died a disbeliever at the beginning of his life, right
after puberty, because Allah (Mighty & Majestic) did not prolong his life
so that he could meet up with the believers after repenting from his disbelief
later in life?
First of all, we repeat in brief: Allah
(Mighty & Majestic) gave the disbeliever a choice between the path of
guidance or remaining on his disbelief. He did not force him or compel him to
do anything.
Also, Allah (Mighty & Majestic) did
not conceal the truth from the disbeliever as we have explained.
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) sent the
prophets and messengers to call the people to Him (Noble & Sublime), to
explain to them the way of truth from all others.
Secondly, Allah Almighty has said, {Truly!
Allah wrongs not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves.}[Yunus 10: 44]
Allah (Glorious & Exalted) is not
unjust to anyone; people are the ones who wrong themselves, for they were
supposed to believe in what the prophets and messengers came with. They should
have learned that the life they are living now would come to an end—that it was
just the realm of trials and tests. They should have learned that their lives
herein were not for play and frivolity, or forbidden luxury and estrangement
from the religion. This they should have learned from what Allah's prophets and
messengers came with.
They should have hurried to please their
God and Creator. They should have hurried to follow the truth and abandon
falsehood.
Because they turned away from all of that
and did not pay attention to it, this is from their injustice to themselves; it
is not injustice on the part of Allah (Mighty & Majestic) toward them.
Secondly, Allah Most High says, {Should
not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous, All-Aware.}[Al-Mulk
67: 14]
Allah (Glorious & Exalted) is
All-Aware of the Unseen; He knows what was and what will be. To Him (Glorious
& Exalted) belongs Absolute Perfection in His Knowledge and in His
Attributes and Actions.
Allah (Glorious & Exalted) knows that
such people who die as disbelievers in their early adolescence do not deserve
His Mercy and Guidance (Noble & Sublime).
Allah (Glorious & Exalted), in His
Perfect, Absolute Knowledge (which is not preceded by ignorance), preordained
that such people who die in disbelief in early adolescence would not have
believed or been guided, even if their lives had been extended, many, many
times over.
For example:
We might find—among those who live in
disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience—that they frequently call for truth and
the abandonment of the falsehood their lives are based on, yet we find that
they do not submit to the truth; they do not respond to it, even when they live
long lives. They follow their desires and trivial passions, knowing full well
that what they are doing is wrong.
To testify to this fact, take the example
of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who used to defend the
Prophet (pbuh) and know his truthfulness. The Prophet (pbuh) invited him time
and time again. Even until he was on the verge of death, the Prophet (pbuh)
entered in upon him and said, "Oh uncle! Say La ilaha illa Allah
(There is no true god but Allah)—a word by which I might argue for you before
Allah." Some of the pagans who were with Abu Talib said, "Oh Abu
Talib! Do you turn away from the religion of (your father)
Abdul-Muttalib?" And the pagans who were around him took to speaking to
him, until he uttered his last words: "Rather, (I will remain) on the
religion of Abdul-Muttalib."
Another example: We find many
of those who claim to be Muslims reject the obligation of the prayer. They do
not pray until they reach a miserable old age—the final stage of life—until
they die in that state, Allah forbid! They do this even though they have always
heard the call to prayer at every time period. They heard the Quran and the
saying, "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great!) during the prayer
through the loudspeakers in the mosque. They were called by preachers and
warners, time and time again, to establish the prayer and perform it.
And there are many more examples like
these.
Therefore, the eternity that
the disbelievers and atheists will spend in the Fire of Hell, despite the short
period of time they lived in the life of this world, is from the Justice of
Allah (Mighty & Majestic) upon them, and His Knowledge of their hearts, for
their lack of faith, and for not following the truth, even if they would live
forever in this world.
Allah Most High has said, {Then, verily,
We know best those who are most worthy of being burnt therein.}[Maryam 19: 70]
In other words, Allah (Mighty &
Majestic) knows best who deserves to enter the Fire and endure its heat.
Allah (Glorious & Exalted) knows best
the hearts of His slaves. He knows best those who would become guided,
righteous believers if their lives were prolonged and they got to perform good
deeds all that time. Allah (Mighty & Majestic) would not be unjust to him;
rather, He would guide him, and grant him success in faith, goodness, and
righteousness.
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