Chapter 1
General
33651: Dealing with the fitnah (temptation) of women
Question:
I have read the words of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), "I have not left behind me
any fitnah (temptation) more harmful to men than
women." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5096; Muslim, 2740.
My question is: how can I save myself from this temptation, when I see it everywhere _ in the street,
on TV, on the internet, at work…?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has created man in a world of trials and tests,
and He has made Paradise the abode of His friends
and beloved ones, who preferred His pleasure over their
own and preferred obedience to Him over their
physical comfort. And He has made Hell the abode of those
among His slaves who disobey Him and preferred their
own whims and desires to the pleasure of their Lord.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Such is the Paradise which We shall give as
an inheritance to those of Our slaves who have
been AlMuttaqoon (the pious)" [Maryam 19:63]
"But as for him who feared standing before his
Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts.
Verily, Paradise will be his abode"
[al-Naaz'i'aat 79:40-41]
And He says concerning the people of Hell
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who
have given up AsSalaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their
Salaat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by
not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in
their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they
will be thrown in Hell"
[Maryam 19:59]
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That shall be their recompense, Hell; because
they disbelieved and took My Ayaat (proofs, evidences,
verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and My Messengers
by way of jest and mockery"
[al-Kahf 18:106]
"Then for him who transgressed all bounds, (in
disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of disobedience to Allaah).
And preferred the life of this world (by following his
evil desires and lusts),
Verily, his abode will be Hellfire"
[al-Naazi'aat 79:37-39]
So the Muslim must strive to worship Allaah and
keep away from that which angers Allaah, for Allaah will
not cause the reward the one who does good to be lost:
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We
will surely guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah's religion
— Islamic Monotheism). And verily, Allaah is with
the Muhsinoon (good-doers)" [al-`Ankaboot 29:69
_ interpretation of the meaning]
One of the fitnahs (temptations) with which we are
tested is the fitnah of women, as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I have not left behind
me any fitnah (temptation) more harmful to men
than women." There follow some of the methods by which
we can avoid this temptation. We ask Allaah to set the
affairs of the Muslims straight.
1 _ Faith in Allaah.
Faith in Allaah and fear of Allaah provide a safety
valve and protect a person against committing haraam
actions and following his own whims and desires.
If the believer becomes aware that Allaah is
always watching and if he ponders the meanings of His
names and attributes, such as the All-Knowing, the
All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Watchful, the Reckoner, the
Preserver, the All-Encompassing, that will generate fear of Him
in secret and in public, and will put a stop to
disobedience towards Allaah, and will reduce the strength of desire
that leads many people to commit haraam actions.
2 _ Lowering the gaze and avoiding looking at
haraam things
The gaze can generate bad thoughts in the heart,
which then lead to ideas and then to desires, then to will
and resolve, and then inevitably to doing haraam things.
Think about the meaning of this verse which makes a
connection between the first steps towards haraam and the end
result. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from
looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts
(from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily,
Allaah is AllAware of what they do" [al-Noor
24:30]
Ibn Katheer said: "This is a command from Allaah to
His believing slaves, to lower their gaze and avoid looking
at that which is forbidden to them so that they only look
at that which they are permitted to look at. If it so
happens that a person's gaze accidentally falls upon
something haraam, he should turn his gaze away from it quickly.
3 _ Warding off evil thoughts
Bad thoughts pose a danger to the heart… If a
person dwells on them and does not push them away, they
will develop into an idea, then into will and resolve, then
this will inevitably lead to haraam actions. Beware of
dwelling on passing thoughts; rather what you must do is to
ward them off and crowd them out with good thoughts.
The treatment, then, is to ward off these passing
thoughts and keep yourself busy with beneficial thoughts.
4 _ Marriage
It was narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "O young men, whoever among you can afford it, let
him get married, and whoever cannot, let him fast, for it
will be a shield for him." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065.
5 _ Fasting for those who cannot afford to get
married
_ because of the hadeeth quoted above, in which it
says, "…and whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be a
shield for him." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065.
Al-Qurtubi said:
The less a person eats, the weaker his desire
becomes, and the weaker his desire is, the less sins he commits.
6 _ Keeping away from bad companions.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "A man will follow the way of his close friends,
so let each one of you look at who he takes as a close
friend." Narrated by Abu Dawood, 8433; classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 4046.
7 _ Keeping away from places of
temptation.
It is obvious that we are living in a society that is
filled with temptation _ media of all types, magazines,
flirting in the marketplaces, satellite TV, the internet, etc…
So you have to flee from all of these in order to keep
your religious commitment sound.
8 _ Do not make your houses graves.
Make your house a reminder of obedience, not of sin. If
a room is connected to sin for example, that will make
a person commit sin repeatedly, because every time
he enters that room he will remember the sin and may
be provoked to commit the sin again. So he should make
his room and his house a reminder of obedience to
Allaah, so when he enters he sees the Mus-haf which he
reads, and he remembers praying qiyaam al-layl for Allaah,
and the regular Sunnah prayers that he offers in this
room. Doing a lot of acts of worship in your house will make
a connection in your mind between the house and
doing good deeds, so you will do more and will think less
of sin, and the calls of desire will grow less.
9 _ Trying to make the most of your time in
worshipping and obeying Allaah.
Time is one of the great blessings that Allaah has
bestowed upon His slaves, but there are many who are not
making the most of it. It was narrated that Ibn `Abbaas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Two
blessings which many people do not make the most of: good
health and spare time." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6412.
See also question no. 3234.
10 _ Remembering the blessings of the Hereafter.
Particularly appropriate in this context is
remembering al-hoor al-`iyn and their attributes, whom Allaah
has prepared for those who are patient and steadfast
in avoiding sin. This can help the Muslim to look at
these transient haraam pleasures which only lead to regret
and loss.
We ask Allaah to help us to avoid temptation, both
obvious and hidden. Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable 
21631: Every cloud has a silver lining
Question:
I have seen on TV many of the calamities that
have befallen the Muslim ummah, in Palestine our wounds
are bleeding; in Chechnya our bodies are cut; in
Afghanistan our houses are destroyed; in the Philippines and
in Kashmir… and now in Iraq.
Tomorrow only Allaah knows who will be meet this fate…
Are these calamities and these disasters that we see
good or bad?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Disasters and calamities have been created for a
reason, which none can fully comprehend but Allaah. Some
of the things that Allaah has shown to us indicate this.
1 _ Disasters and calamities are a test of the
believer's patience. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Or think you that you will enter Paradise without
such (trials) as came to those who passed away before
you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments
and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those
who believed along with him said, `When (will come) the
Help of Allaah?' Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allaah is near!"
[al-Baqarah 2:214]
2 _ This is a sign of man's weakness and his need for
his Lord, and shows that he cannot succeed unless he
realizes his need for his Lord and starts beseeching Him.
3 _ Calamities are a means of expiation of sin and
raising one's status. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "There is nothing that befalls a
believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will
record one good deed for him and will remove one bad
deed from him."
Narrated by Muslim.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Trials will continue to befall the believing man
and woman, with regard to themselves, their children and
their wealth, until they meet Allaah with no sin on
them." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2280.
And it was narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "On the Day of Resurrection, when people who
had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who
were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces
with scissors when they were in the world." Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi, 2402. See al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, no. 2206.
4 _ One of the reasons for calamities is so that
people will not feel content only with this world. If the
world were free of calamities, man would love it more and
feel content with it, and would forget about the Hereafter.
But calamities wake him up from his negligence and
make him strive for the place in which there are no
calamities or trials.
5 _ One of the greatest reasons behind calamities
and trials is to warn against falling short in some matters,
so that man can make up for the areas in which he has
fallen short. This is like the warning that is issued to an
employee or student who is falling short. The purpose behind it
is to make him make up for his shortcomings. If he
does that, then all well and good, otherwise he deserves to
be punished. The evidence for that includes the
verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before
you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health
(with calamities) so that they might humble themselves
(believe with humility).
When Our Torment reached them, why then did they
not humble themselves (believe with humility)? But
their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan (Satan)
made fairseeming to them that which they used to do"
[al-An'aam 6:42]
Another reason… is as a punishment for those who
were previously warned, but did not benefit from the
warning and mend their ways, and persisted in their sin.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"…so We destroyed them for their sins …"
[al-Anfaal 8:54]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed, We destroyed generations before you
when they did wrong, while their Messengers came to them
with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe!
Thus do We requite the people who are Mujrimoon"
[Yoonus 10:13]
"And when We decide to destroy a town (population),
We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allaah and
be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase
in number those of its population] who lead a life of
luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word
(of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy
it with complete destruction"
[al-Isra' 17:16]
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "Grief may be accompanied by that for which a
person will be rewarded and praised, so it may be good in
that sense, not that grief is good in and of itself, such as
one who feels sad for falling short in religious matters or
for calamities that befall the Muslims. In this case a
person will be rewarded for what is in his heart of loving
good and hating evil, and so on, but grief in itself, if it leads
to failure to do that which is enjoined, namely patience,
jihad, seeking benefits and warding off harm, is forbidden,
but if the person does not give it up, and it is not recorded
as a sin for him then he is fine."
So the one who wishes that Allaah would change
his situation without any effort on his part and that of
others like him needs to understand this.
6 _ Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before
you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with extreme
poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities)
so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility)"
[al-`An'aam 6:42]
al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
(This means) We sent (Messengers) to the nations who
came before you, and they disbelieved in Our Messengers
and rejected Our signs. So We seized them with
poverty, sickness, calamities and disasters as a mercy from Us
to them, so that they might humble themselves before
us and turn to Us at times of hardship.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Evil (sins and disobedience to Allaah) has appeared
on land and sea because of what the hands of men
have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He
(Allaah) may make them taste a part of that which they have
done, in order that they may return (by repenting to
Allaah, and begging His Pardon)"
[al-Room 30:41]
al-Sa'di interprets the word fasaad (translated here
as "evil") as referring to the disasters that develop on
land and sea, which are making people's lives difficult
and causing a lot of problems with regard to their
livelihood and well-being.
And the disasters that befall them themselves, such
as diseases, plagues and the like, which happen because
of the things their own hands have wrought of evil
deeds that can only lead to bad consequences.
This phrase "that He (Allaah) may make them taste a
part of that which they have done" means, so that they
might know that Allaah is requiting them for their deeds, so
He gives them a foretaste of the recompense of their
deeds in this world, "in order that they may return (by
repenting to Allaah, and begging His Pardon)" i.e., repent
from their deeds that have had this bad effect on them, and
set their affairs straight.
Glory be to the One Who blesses by means of His punishment, for if He were to make them taste all
that they have done, no living creature would be left alive
on earth.
7 _ Worship at times of hardship and tribulation has
a special flavour and a special reward.
It was narrated from Ma'qil ibn Yasaar that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is
like migrating to join me." Narrated by Muslim, 2948.
Al-Nawawi said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said, `Worshipping at times
of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join
me.' The reason why worship at such times is of such
great virtue is that people become negligent about worship
and are distracted from it, and no one focuses on
worship except a few."
Al-Qurtubi said: "Tribulation and great hardship
will happen until the matter of religion is taken lightly
and people will care about nothing but their worldly
affairs and how to earn a living. So worship becomes
very important at times of tribulation, as Muslim narrated
from Ma'qil ibn Yasaar in the marfoo' report: `Worshipping
at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating
to join me.'"
8 _ Blessings that come after pain, hardship and
calamity are more precious to people.
So then they appreciate the blessings of good health
and safety as they should be appreciated.
Another of the benefits of calamity is a reminder of
how Allaah has blessed man, because the man who is
created with sight _ for example _ forgets the blessing of
sight and does not really appreciate it, but if Allaah tests
him with temporary blindness, then restores to him his
sight, he will fully understand the value of this blessing. If
things are always easy a person may forget this blessing and
not be grateful for it, so Allaah takes it away and then
restores it, as a reminder to him to be grateful for it.
Calamity may remind the person to whom it happens
and others of the blessings of Allaah. So when a person
sees one who is insane, he appreciates the blessing of
sanity; when he sees one who is sick, he appreciates the
blessing of sound health. When he sees a kaafir who is living
like cattle, he appreciates the blessing of faith. When he
sees an ignorant man he appreciates the blessing of
knowledge. Only the one whose heart is open will feel this.
Those who have no heart do not give thanks for the blessings
of Allaah, rather they are arrogant towards the creation
of Allaah.
9 _ The benefit of calamity is that it rescues man
from negligence and alerts him to his shortcomings in
keeping his duty to Allaah, so that he does not think that he
is perfect, which would lead to hardening of his heart
and negligence.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"When Our Torment reached them, why then did they
not humble themselves (believe with humility)? But
their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan (Satan)
made fairseeming to them that which they used to do"
[al-An'aam 6:43]
10 _ One of the benefits of tribulations and hardships
is purification.
Hardships reveal how people really are, and
distinguish the good from the bad, the true from the false, the
believer from the hypocrite. Allaah says of the Battle of Uhud
and what happened to the Muslims on that day,
explaining part of the wisdom behind this trial (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Allaah will not leave the believers in the state in
which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from
the good"
[Aal `Imraan 3:179]
So the true nature of all things is shown clearly.
11 _ When Muslims help those Muslims who have
been afflicted by calamity, they will be rewarded for that.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The likeness of the believers in their mutual love,
mercy and compassion is that of the body; when one part of
it suffers, the rest of the body joins it in staying awake
and suffering fever." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6011;
Muslim, 2586.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his
brother what he loves for himself." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
13; Muslim, 45.
12 _ At times of hardship and war we see the true
meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in AlBirr and AtTaqwa
(virtue, righteousness and piety)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2]
Ways of cooperating in da'wah and supporting
Islam include: waging jihad against the kuffaar and
hypocrites for the sake of Allaah, joining with the people of
Islamic da'wah in fighting the followers of kufr and
misguidance, and preparing all means and tools for jihad for the
sake of Allaah.
One of the ways of cooperating in supporting Islam
that was invented at the time of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is cooperating in
killing those who claimed to be Prophets, killing the leaders
of the mushrikeen and the apostates, including those
who insulted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him).
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
21457: Why will there be more women in Hell than men?
Question:
Why are there more women in hell than men?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) that women will form the
majority of the people of Hell. It was narrated from `Imraan
ibn Husayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "I looked into Paradise and I saw
that the majority of its people were the poor. And I
looked into Hell and I saw that the majority of its people
are women."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3241; Muslim, 2737)
With regard to the reason for that, the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about it
and he explained the reason.
It was narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn `Abbaas said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "I was shown Hell and I have never
seen anything more terrifying than it. And I saw that
the majority of its people are women." They said, "Why,
O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Because of
their ingratitude (kufr)." It was said, "Are they ungrateful
to Allaah?" He said, "They are ungrateful to
their companions (husbands) and ungrateful for good
treatment. If you are kind to one of them for a lifetime then she
sees one (undesirable) thing in you, she will say, `I have
never had anything good from you.'" (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1052)
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) went out to the Musalla on the day of
Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr. He passed by the women and
said, `O women! Give charity, for I have seen that you
form the majority of the people of Hell.' They asked, `Why
is that, O Messenger of Allaah?' He replied, `You
curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I
have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence
and religious commitment than you. A cautious sensible
man could be led astray by some of you.' The women
asked, `O Messenger of Allaah, what is deficient in
our intelligence and religious commitment?' He said, `Is
not the testimony of two women equal to the testimony
of one man?' They said, `Yes.' He said, `This is the
deficiency in her intelligence. Is it not true that a woman can
neither pray nor fast during her menses?' The women said,
`Yes.' He said, `This is the deficiency in her
religious commitment.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 304)
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah said:
"I attended Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with
the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan or
iqaamah. Then he stood up, leaning on Bilaal, speaking of fear
of Allaah (taqwa) and urging us to obey Him. He
preached to the people and reminded them. Then he went over
to the women and preached to them and reminded
them. Then he said, `Give in charity, for you are the majority
of the fuel of Hell. A woman with dark cheeks stood up
in the midst of the women and said, `Why is that,
O Messenger of Allaah?' He said, `Because you
complain too much and are ungrateful to your husbands.' Then
they started to give their jewellery in charity, throwing
their earrings and rings into Bilaal's cloak."
(Narrated by Muslim, 885)
Our believing sisters who learn of this hadeeth
should behave like those Sahaabiyaat who, when they learned
of this, did good deeds which would be the means,
by Allaah's leave, of keeping them far away from
being included in that majority of the inhabitants of Hell.
So our advice to the sisters is to strive to adhere to
the rituals and obligatory duties of Islam, especially
prayer, and to keep away from that which Allaah has
forbidden, especially shirk in its many forms which are
widespread among women, such as seeking one's needs from
someone other than Allaah, going to practitioners of witchcraft
and fortune-tellers, etc.
We ask Allaah to keep us and all our brothers and
sisters far away from the Fire and the words and deeds that
bring one close to it.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
26170: Ruling on missing a person who has died
Question:
I wanted to know if it is wrong to miss someone who
has died?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We do not think there is anything wrong with missing
a person who has died, even though that implies
wishing to meet him and be close to him, although one is
alive and the other person is dead, and this feeling serves
no real purpose. But if we say that we wish we could
meet the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with
them), and the Taabi'een and the scholars, this feeling is the
hope of meeting them in Paradise, and the person who
wishes that he could meet these great people has to strive hard
so that his Lord will be pleased with him and will admit
him to Paradise with them, so that his longing will be
fulfilled and will come to pass. This is the good result of
longing to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and the Sahaabah. This is the way in which
the Sahaabah missed the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) after he died. For example,
Muslim narrated that Anas said: "After the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died,
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to
`Umar, `Let us go and visit Umm Ayman as the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to visit her. When they came to her, she wept, and
they said, `Why are you crying? What is with Allaah is
better for His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).' She said, `I am not weeping because I do not
know that what is with Allaah is better for His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Rather I am
weeping because the Revelation from heaven has come to an
end.' That moved them deeply and they began to weep
with her." (Muslim, 2454)
But if this missing a deceased friend or relative makes
a person feel grief and despair _ and sometimes distress
_ and makes him object to the will and decree of
Allaah, then this should not be allowed and should be
denounced and forbidden, because this may lead to the
development of bad characteristics which Islam strives to keep
its followers away from. The Muslim should be happy
and content with the will and decree of Allaah and His
rule and law. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
22704: How to be successful in life
Question:
How to obtain success and prosperity in this world
and hereafter.What kind of success or prosperity that
islam want the ummah islam gain in this world.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Peace of mind,
contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety…
these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in
which people can have a good life and find complete
happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that,
and natural and practical means, but no one can combine
all of them except the believers; although other people
may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.
There follows a summary of the means of achieving
this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases,
those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and
a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all
of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And
there are others which are in between, according to what
the means he is able to attain. These means include
the following:
1 _ Faith and righteous deeds:
This is the greatest and most fundamental of means.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness — whether male or
female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of
Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life
(in this world with respect, contentment and
lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward
in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e.
Paradise in the Hereafter)" [al-Nahl
16:97]
Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever
combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and
a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.
The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah
_ with sincere faith that motivates them to do
righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them
to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter _
follow principles and guidelines by means of which they
deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes
of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety,
worry and grief.
They deal with the things that they like by accepting
them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good
ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates
in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it
will continue and that they will be rewarded for their
gratitude, which is more important than the good things that
happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries
and distress by resisting those that they can resist,
alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with
goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result
of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits,
experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are
more important and which diminish the hardships they
have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope
for the bounty and reward of Allaah. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed this in
a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: "How wonderful is
the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good.
If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for
it and that is good for him; if something bad happens
to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for
him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer."
(Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the
reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter
what happens to him, good or bad.
2 _ Being kind to people in word and deed, and
all kinds of doing good. This is one of the means
of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this
means Allaah wards off worries and distress from righteous
and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share
of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness
to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward,
so Allaah makes it easy for him to be kind to others
because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward
off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of
reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is no good in most of their secret talks save
(in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah's Cause),
or Ma`roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good
and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does
this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him
a great reward"
[al-Nisa' 4:114]
Part of that great reward is relief from worry,
distress, troubles, etc.
3 _ Another of the means of warding off anxiety
that stems from nervous tension and being
preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with
good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that
will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are
causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the
things that are making him worried and distressed, and he
may become happy and more energetic. This is another
means that believers and others have in common, but the
believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of
reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which
he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he
is doing.
The work with which he occupies himself should
be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more
likely to produce the desired results. And Allaah knows best.
4 _ Another thing that may ward off worry and
anxiety is focusing all one's thoughts of the present day,
and not worrying about the future or grieving about
the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry
and regret, from regret for things in the past which one
cannot put right or change, and worry which may come
because of fear for the future. So one should focus only on
the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things
right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means
that he will do things properly and forget about worry
and regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said a du'aa' or taught a du'aa' to his
ummah, as well as urging them to seek the help of Allaah
and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive
to attain the thing they were praying for through their
own efforts and to forget about the thing which they
were praying would be warded off from them. Because
du'aa' (supplication) must be accompanied by action. So a
person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in
worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his
efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the
help of Allaah, and do not be helpless. If anything
(bad) happens to you, do not say, `If only I had done
such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.'
Rather you should say, `Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha'a
fa'ala (Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),' for
(the words) `If only' open the door to the Shaytaan."
(Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to
achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of
Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are
a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of
accepting things in the past which are over and done with,
and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allaah
will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as
being of two types:
1 _ Matters which a person may strive to achieve or
to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off
or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive
and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allaah.
2 _ Matters where such is not possible, so he must
have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allaah's will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will
bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.
5 _ One of the greatest means of feeling content
and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to
remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect
in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and
relieving worry and distress. Allaah says:
"verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest"
[al-Ra'd 13:28]
Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect
in achieving this aim because it has a special influence
and because of the hope that it brings of reward.
6 _ Another of the means of bringing happiness
and relieving worry and distress is striving to
eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the
things that bring happiness. That may be done by
forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be
changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time.
So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of
that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious
about the future and the things that he may imagine of
poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen
to him in the future. He should realize that the future
is something unknown, he cannot know what good or
bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand
of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves
can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off
the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts
his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his
trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his
mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart
will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will
be relieved of worry and anxiety.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with
worries about the future is to recite this du'aa' which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:
"Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa `ismatu
amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma'aashi, wa aslih
li aakhirati allati ilayha ma'aadi, waj'al
al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa'l-mawta raahatan li
min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious
commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my
worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good
in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a
means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for
me from all evil)." (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).
And he said, "Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la
takilni ila nafsi tarfata `aynin wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu,
laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so
do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And
correct all my affairs. There is no god but You)." (Narrated
by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed
as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim
al-Tayyib, p. 49).
If a person utters these du'aa's, which ask that his
spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected,
with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention,
whilst striving to achieve that, Allaah will grant him what
he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will
turn his worry into joy and happiness.
7 _ If a person experiences anxiety and distress
because of a disaster, then one of the most effective means
of relieving himself of that is to think of the
worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept
that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate
it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance
and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries
and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to
bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can
of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear
or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should
deal with that by striving to make himself accept that,
or something even worse, with contentment, because
by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he
lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less
terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward
it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to
achieve something good which will distract him from his
worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to
resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in
Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in
attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the
hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This
is something which is well known from the experience
of many who have tried it.
8 _ Steadfastness of heart and not being
disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts
may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to
his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by
these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or
anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or
the expectation of bad things and the loss of good
things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental
and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will
have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of
harm, as many people have seen. But when a person
depends on Allaah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give
in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm
him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty,
that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of
a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It
gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the
heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally
sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how
often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of
many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often
have they led to foolishness and insanity.
It should be noted that your life will follow your train
of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring
you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your
life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.
The person who is safe from all of that is the one who
is protected by Allaah and helped by Him to strive to
achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and
ward off anxiety. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He
will suffice him"
[al-Talaaq 65:3]
i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him
in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts
his trust in Allaah will have strength in his heart and will
not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed
by events, because he knows that these are the result
of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear
that have no basis. He also knows that Allaah has
guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in
Him. So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in
His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are
dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear
is turned to peace. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and
sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of
heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed all
good things to those who put their trust in Him, and
has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things
from them.
If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then
you should count the many blessings that you are still
enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with
the bad things that have happened, for when you
compare them you will see the many blessings that you
are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear
less serious.
See al-Wasaa'il al-Mufeedah li'l-Hayaat
al-Sa'eedah by Shatkh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di
Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which
Allaah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:
1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness
of Divine Lordship)
2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of
the Divine nature)
3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed
al-Asma' wa'l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the
Divine names and attributes)
4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any
injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no
cause on the part of the slave that would require
such punishment.
5- The person's acknowledging that he is the one
who has done wrong.
6- Beseeching Allaah by means of the things that are
most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes.
Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all
other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living)
and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).
7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.
8- Affirming one's hope in Him.
9- Truly putting one's trust in Him and leaving matters
to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His
hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is
forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.
10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden of
the Qur'aan, seeking consolation in it from every
calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so
that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his
worries and distress.
11-Seeking forgiveness.
12-Repentance.
13-Jihad.
14-Salaah (prayer).
15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength,
and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from
worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the
All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the
Ever-Living, Eternal.
See Alhomoom _ Dealing with Worries and
Stress, in the Books section of this site.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings
and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and companions.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
14258: Conditions for deeds to be acceptable to Allaah
Question:
When a Muslim does an action, what conditions make
it acceptable and therefore rewarded by Allah. Is it
simply that you intended to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah,
and therefore you will be rewarded even though you may
have been wrong in your action. Or is it that you must have
the intention, but you also need to follow the correct
Sunnah as well.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
For acts of worship to be acceptable to Allaah and for
a person to be rewarded for them, there are two
conditions which must be met:
The first condition: it should be devoted to Allaah
Alone. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And they were commanded not, but that they
should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him
Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)"
[al-Bayyinah 98:5]
The meaning of worshipping Allaah alone is that
the person should intend in all his words and deeds,
both inward and outward, to seek the Face of Allaah (i.e.,
His pleasure). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And who has (in mind) no favour from anyone to
be paid back,
Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the
Most High"
[al-Layl 92:19]
"(Saying): "We feed you seeking Allaah's
Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you"
[al-Insaan 76:9]
"Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of
the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward,
and whosoever desires the reward of this world (by his
deeds), We give him thereof (what is decreed for him), and he
has no portion in the Hereafter"
[al-Shoora 42:20]
"Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter,
to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their
deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein.
They are those for whom there is nothing in the
Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And
of no effect is that which they used to do"
[Hood 11:15-16]
It was narrated that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say:
`The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions
and every person will get the reward according to what
he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly
benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what
he emigrated for.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Bad' al-Wahy, 1).
It was narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Allaah, may He be blessed and
exalted, says: `I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of
having an associate. Thus he who does an action for
someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that action
renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.'"
(Narrated by Muslim, al-Zuhd wa'l-Raqaa'iq, 5300)
The second condition is that the action should be
in accordance with the only way which Allaah has
prescribed for worship, which is by following the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the laws that
he has brought. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
does any action that is not in accordance with this matter
of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected." (Narrated
by Muslim, al-Aqdiyyah, 3243).
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"This hadeeth forms one of the most important principles
of Islam. It is like a scale for weighing up deeds
according to their outward appearance, just as the hadeeth
`The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions' is the
means of weighing up the inner nature of deeds. Just as
every action which is not intended for the sake of Allaah
brings no reward to the one who does it, so too every deed
which is not in accordance with the command of Allaah and
His Messenger will also be rejected and thrown back at
the one who does it. Everyone who innovates in
Islam something for which Allaah and His Messenger have
not granted permission, that thing is nothing to do with Islam.
(Jaami' al-`Uloom wa'l-Hukam, part 1, p. 176)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) enjoined following his Sunnah and teachings, and
made them binding. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "You have to follow my Sunnah (way) and
the way of my rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa'
al-raashidoon); bite onto it with your eyeteeth (i.e.,
cling firmly to it)." And he warned against bid'ah
(innovation), as he said: "Beware of newly-invented matters, for
every newly-invented matter is a going astray." (narrated by
al-Tirmidhi, al-`Ilm, 2600; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2157)
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Allaah has made devotion of
worship to Him alone and following the Sunnah the means of
deeds being accepted; if these conditions are not met, then
deeds are unaccaptable."
(al-Rooh, 1/135)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Who has created death and life that He may test
you which of you is best in deed"
[al-Mulk 67:2]
al-Fudayl said: "'best in deed' means, most devoted
to Allaah alone and most in accordance with the Sunnah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
10946: He wants to work some days of the week and
spend the rest in worship
Question:
I know a Brother in Islaam, who left his haraam job,
after realsing the haraam nature of it - Alhamdhu Lillah.
He is now looking for a job that is just sufficient to
feed and clothe his family. He is keen to work only as
many days to earn that income. The rest of the week he
wants to spend in the mosque reading Qu'raan and praying etc..
Is his behaviour permissible? Does Islaam not say
that the daytime is for seeking sustenance and the night
for prayers.? Is it not better for him to seek a good job so
that the extra money can be given as zakat to the poor?
Doesn't his family have rights over him with regard to time.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim who is able to earn a living must strive
to earn that which will keep him and those under
his guardianship, such as his wife and children, from
having to beg, and to earn what he needs to spend on
their maintenance. If he manages to do that, then if he
spends the rest of his time, whether during the night or the
day, in worshipping Allaah by praying, fasting,
reading Qur'aan, that is better. There is no specific time
for worship in general, but yes, praying qiyaam at night
is better than praying during the day. This does not
mean that there is no reward for praying naafil prayers
during the day. He should start by doing that which is
obligatory, whether the obligation is towards Allaah or towards
His creation, then he can use the rest of his time for
doing that which is mustahabb, and if he indulges in
some permissible activities for the purpose of relaxation
and recreation, that is OK.
Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
12053: Guidance is in the hand of Allaah
Question:
How can we reconcile between the aayahs
(interpretation of the meanings): "Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide
not whom you like" [al-Qasas 28:56] and "And verily,
you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to
the Straight Path"[al-Shooraa 42:52]?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has created man and given him reason, and
He has sent down to him Revelation and sent to him Messengers to call him to the truth and warn him
against falsehood. Then He has left him to make his own choice.
"And say: `The truth is from your Lord.' Then
whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let
him disbelieve
[al-Kahf 18:29 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to convey the
truth to all of mankind. Then they have the choice to do as
they wish. If a person obeys, he benefits himself, and if
he disobeys, he harms himself, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say: `O you mankind! Now truth (i.e. the Qur'aan
and Prophet Muhammad), has come to you from your
Lord. So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the
good of his own self; and whosoever goes astray, he does so
to his own loss; and I am not (set) over you as a
Wakeel (disposer of affairs to oblige you for
guidance)'"[Yoonus 10:108]
Islam is the religion of the natural state of man
(fitrah), the religion of reason and thought. Allaah
has distinguished the truth from falsehood. He has
enjoined all that is good and forbidden all that is evil. He
has permitted good things and forbidden evil things. There
is no compulsion in religion because the benefits or
harms come back upon the created being, not upon the
Creator. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right
Path has become distinct from the wrong path.
Whoever disbelieves in Taaghoot (false gods) and believes
in Allaah, then he has grasped the most
trustworthy handhold that will never break"
[al-Baqarah 2:256]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the
benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is against
his ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to
(His) slaves"[Fussilat 41:46]
Guidance is in the hand of Allaah. If Allaah willed,
He could guide all of mankind, for there is nothing that
He cannot do on this earth or in the heavens. Nothing
happens in His Dominion except that which He wills.
"Say: `With Allaah is the perfect proof and
argument, (i.e. the Oneness of Allaah, the sending of His
Messengers and His Holy Books, to mankind); had He so willed,
He would indeed have guided you all'"[al-An'aam 6:149
_ interpretation of the meaning]
But in His Wisdom, Allaah has created us with the
ability to choose, and He has sent down to us guidance and
the Criterion. So whoever obeys Allaah and His
Messenger will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys Allaah and
His Messenger will enter Hell, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord,
so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his
ownself, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so to his own
harm, and I (Muhammad) am not a watcher over you"
[al-An'aam 6:104]
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) has no part in guidance; all that he and the
Muslims have to do is to explain and convey the message,
and show them guidance but they cannot force people
to follow it, as Allaah said to His Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And had your Lord willed, those on earth would
have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O
Muhammad) then compel mankind, until they become believers"[Yoonus
10:99]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And the duty of the Messenger is only to convey
(the Message) plainly"[al-`Ankaboot
29:18]
Guidance to the truth is in the hand of Allaah alone
and no human being has any share in that, as Allaah said
to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you
like, but Allaah guides whom He wills. And He knows
best those who are the guided[al-Qasas 28:56]
Allaah guides whomsoever He wills and sends
astray whomsoever He wills. He has told us that He guides
those who obey Him and turn to Him, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"While as for those who accept guidance, He
increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety"[Muhammad
47:17]
But whoever disobeys Allaah and turns away from
Him, Allaah will not guide him, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Truly, Allaah guides not him who is a liar, and
a disbeliever"
[al-Zumar 39:3]
Allaah is Omniscient and knows what has happened
and is happening and what is yet to come. Allaah knows
the believers and the disbelievers, and what they will do,
and He knows what their fate will be in the Hereafter. He
has written all that in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the
Preserved Tablet), as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And all things We have recorded in a
Book"[al-Naba' 78:29]
Allaah has created man with the ability to choose,
and He has created him able to do both, either believer
or disbelieve, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be
grateful or ungrateful" [al-Insaan 76:3]
Man has the choice in terms of his reason only; if he
loses his reason by which he is able to distinguish between
the alternatives of good and evil, truth and falsehood,
then he is not accountable. Hence according to
Islamic sharee'ah, the pen is lifted from the insane person
(i.e., he is not accountable) until he recovers his senses,
and from the child until he reaches the age of
understanding, and from the sleeper until he wakes up. None of
these people are accountable until they gain or recover
the reason by which they may distinguish between
the alternatives of faith and disbelief, truth and
falsehood, and so on.
Whatever direction a person takes, there will be
reward and punishment, If he obeys, there will be Paradise:
"Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e.
obeys and performs all that Allaah ordered, by following
the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing
righteous good deeds"
[al-Shams 91:9 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
and if he disobeys, there will be Hell:
"And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself
(i.e. disobeys what Allaah has ordered by rejecting the
true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following
polytheism, or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds"
[al-Shams 91:10 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The choice of one of these two ways is something
about which a person will be questioned by the Lord of
the Worlds. Hence it is clear that faith or disbelief,
obedience or disobedience, is the matter of personal choice.
Allaah has made reward and punishment dependent upon
this choice:
"Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the
benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is against
his ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to
(His) slaves"[Fussilat 41:46]
Whoever loves Allaah and His Messenger and
desires good in this world and in the Hereafter, let him enter
Islam, and whoever turns away from that and is content
with this world and has no interest in the Hereafter and
does not submit, then his abode will be Hell. The individual
is the one who will benefit or harm himself. There is
no compulsion to choose either. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, this (Verses of the Qur'aan) is an admonition,
so whosoever wills, let him take a Path to his Lord
(Allaah)" [al-Insaan 76:29] From Usool al-Deen al-Islami
by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $14.80 Pages: 300 Downloadable
6020: She always feels distressed when plane
crashes happen
Question:
I am newly converted to the Islamic religion. To get
to know Allah and be able to know that He is with us in
our daily life, it is a great comfort. However, I was so
stunning by the air plane crash of JFK jr., I could not stop crying.
I don't understand why Allah sometimes acts in a
such mysteroius way. I feel that we as human beings
really don't have control over lives. When I am in a
difficult situation, I often pray to Allah to help me go through
the tough time, sometimes I feel my prayers are
being answered,that Allah is so close to me; yet other times
I feel He is so distanced from us, prayers to Allah are
the only way for me to get comforts from the Almighty, but
I still don't understand why tragedy happened so often.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah for your coming to Islam. Allaah
has blessed you by making you Muslim. And praise be
to Allaah for the fact that you feel Allaah is with you,
for this is what brings peace to the heart and makes
deeds righteous.
Please understand that Allaah sends trials upon people
so as to distinguish between them, so that it will be
known who will bear it with patience and the hope of
reward from Allaah, and who will be filled with despair and
will resent the decree of Allaah. So those who are patient
will be rewarded with Paradise and those who despair will
be punished with torment, grief and pain in this world,
before the Hereafter.
The plane crash which you mentioned is of this
nature. The people on board were either committed Muslims,
so this disaster is an expiation for their sins and will
raise their status, as it is a kind of martyrdom (shahaadah)
for which they will be rewarded, and their families will
be rewarded if they bear their loss with patience; or
they were kuffaar and evildoers who did not obey their
Lord, so the accident was a punishment from Allaah
and vengeance from Him.
A Muslim must not feel sad for the death of
non-Muslims because every human being is destined to die. But
dying before we Muslims were able to guide them to Islam
is our source of grief and sadness because who ever is
not Muslim is doomed in hell.
There is nothing mysterious about this as you claim. It
is the decree of Allaah which happens at every instant;
we must bear it with patience and not let grief
overwhelm us. The crash of this airplane is a sign from Allaah
to mankind, to remind them of the greatness of the power
of Allaah.
Allaah says concerning ships (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And among His Signs are the ships in the sea
like mountains.
If He wills, He causes the wind to cease, then they
would become motionless on the back (of the sea). Verily, in
this are signs for everyone patient and grateful.
Or He may destroy them (by shipwreck) because of
that which their (people) have earned. And He pardons much.
And those who dispute (polytheists, with Our
Messenger Muhammad) as regards Our Ayaat (proofs, signs,
verses of Islamic Monotheism) may know that there is no
place of refuge for them (from Allaah's punishment)
So whatever you have been given is but (a
passing) enjoyment for this worldly life, but that which is
with Allaah (Paradise) is better and more lasting for
those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) and put their trust in their Lord
(concerning all of their affairs)."
[al-Shoora 42:32-36]
Plane crashes and other disasters serve to remind
people that no matter how much progress they make in
earthly terms and how much strength they gain, Allaah is
stronger and more powerful than they. What they do and
the developments they have made will not save them
from the punishment and decree of Allaah if it comes to
them. Let people go back and look at themselves, and
realize how incapable and weak they really are, and how
strong, mighty and powerful Allaah is.
Please realize that Allaah is close and that He responds
to the call of the one who is in need. Allaah does not
distance Himself from man unless man distances himself
from Allaah and becomes arrogant.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)
concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by
My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the
supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator
or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me,
so that they may be led aright"
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
So no one should feel that Allaah is far away from
him, unless he has done something to affect the
relationship between him and Allaah. If he puts matters right
between him and Allaah, then he will not feel that grief
and distance.
The feelings of grief and loneliness that have overwhelmed you are from the accursed Shaytaan
who wants to cause grief to those who believe; he does
not want to see them active in doing actions of obedience
to Allaah that will bring joy to their hearts.
Imaam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries
to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good),
then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the AllHearer,
the AllKnower" [Fussilat 41:36]
"Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn
away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them). And if an
evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then
seek refuge with Allaah. Verily, He is All-Hearer,
All-Knower" [al-A'raaf 7:199-200]
"Repel evil with that which is better. We
are BestAcquainted with the things they utter.
And say: `My Lord! I seek refuge with You from
the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayaateen (devils).
And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they
should come near me.'"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:96-98]
"Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e.
Allaah orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time
of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly)
then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity,
(will become) as though he was a close friend.
But none is granted it (the above quality) except
those who are patient — and none is granted it except the
owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter,
i.e., Paradise and of a high moral character) in this world.
And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to
turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then
seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the AllHearer,
the AllKnower."
[Fussilat 41:34-36]
There is no fourth aayah with a meaning like that of
these three, which is that Allaah commands us to be kind
to human enemies and treat them kindly so that their
inherent good nature will prevail and they will become our
friends. But He commands us to seek refuge with Him
from satanic enemies; there is no point in being kind to
them or treating them nicely, for they want only to destroy
the sons of Adam because of the intensity of the
enmity between them and their father Adam beforehand.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan (Satan)
deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwaa'
(Eve)] out of Paradise" [al-A'raaf 7:27]
"Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so
take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his
Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of
the blazing Fire" [Faatir 35:6]
"Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring
as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they
are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for
the Zaalimoon (polytheists, and wrongdoers, e | 
