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Author: Abdullah Jallow

Truly desire harmony and gentleness?

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Brotherhood, Contemporary Issues, Da'wah - Calling To Islam, Featured, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Pearls of Wisdom, Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا

And say to My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) that they should (only) say those words that are the best. (Because) shaitan (Satan) verily, sows disagreements among them. Surely, shaitan (Satan) is to man a plain enemy.

And this is from His benevolence to His servants as He commanded them with the best of manners, deeds, and statements that would surely lead to happiness in this Dunya and the Hereafter. He said:

 وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

And say to My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) that they should (only) say those words that are the best]. This is a command to utter every speech that would draws a person closer to Allah, such as (Qur’an) recitation, remembrance (of Allah), knowledge, enjoining good and forbidding evil, good and benevolent speech towards the creation in accordance with different ranks and positions. And when a matter involves choosing between two good things, then indeed, He commands that the better of the two be given precedence if the two cannot be combined. Good speech urges towards every beautiful character and righteous deed, for indeed the one who controls his tongue gains control of all his affairs.

And his statement:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ

(Because) shaitan verily, sows disagreements among them]. Meaning, he strives among people to corrupt their religion and worldly affairs. So, the remedy for this is that indeed they should not obey him with regards to speech that is not good which he calls to, and that they employ gentleness among themselves in order to subdue shaitan who sows enmity between them, for indeed he is their true (or real) enemy regarding whom they are obligated to fight because he calls them only “to be among the dwellers of the blazing fire.

As for their brothers, even if Satan sows enmity between them and strives to stir up enmity, then indeed, (there should be) absolute resolve (or determination) in striving against their enemy and subdue their souls that command evil by way of which which shaitan finds his way in. Thus, by way of this, they obey their Lord, their affairs become upright, and they are guided due to their upright conduct. (1)

Allah, The Most High, said:

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْأَنفَالِ قُلِ ٱلْأَنفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا۟ ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: “The spoils are for Allah and the Messenger.” So fear Allah and adjust all matters of difference among you, and obey Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), if you are believers. [Al-Anfal. 1]

وَأَصْلِحُوا۟ ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ

And adjust all matters of difference among you.

Reconcile what is between you of disgruntlement, alienation, and discord through affection, love, and mutual relationship. Through this, you’ll be united and what occurred between you due to estrangement, quarrels, disputation and differing will cease. Included in reconciliation is having good manners towards them and forgiving those among them who have wronged you, for indeed through this ceases much of that which is in the hearts of hatred and alienation. And the comprehensive command that encompasses all of this is His (Allah’s) statement:

وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And obey Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), if you are believers. (2)

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa [virtue, righteousness and piety]; but do not help one another in sin and transgression. [5:2]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This verse contains all the Masalih for the servants of Allah in their worldly matters and their afterlife Hereafter amongst themselves or in their in relationship with their Lord. This is because every servant of Allah finds himself within two circumstances and obligations – either to fulfil the obligations owed to Allah or the obligations owed to Allah’s creation. As for the obligations owed to the creation, they include (righteous) association, companionship, aiding one another upon what Allah loves and obedience to Allah, which is the goal behind one’s search for happiness and success in the afterlife. There can be no happiness in the afterlife except through Bir and Taqwaa because it is basis of all matters of the religion. A deed cannot be considered an act of obedience to Allah and an act that draws one close to Allah until it is based on Iman, thus, what leads to the performance of the deed is solely due to Iman – neither (un-Islamic) customs nor desires, neither seeking praise nor status and other than it; instead, it should be solely based on Iman and the aim behind it should be to attain Allah’s reward, and seeking after Allah’s Pleasure. (3)

Allah, The Most High, said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ انْشُزُوا فَانْشُزُوا يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, [spread out and] make room. Allah will give you [ample] room [from His Mercy]. And when you are told to rise up, rise up. Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do. [58:11]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: This is a practical code of behaviour commanded by Allah to His believing slaves that when they gather in one of their gatherings, some of them or some of those who have already arrived should make room (for others); for indeed, making room for (others) to reach their goal constitutes an aspect of good etiquettes. And this is not to harm the one who is (already) in the gathering in any way; rather, he enables his brother to reach their goal without harming him, and reward is given in accordance with a deed, because whoever makes room for their brother, Allah makes room for him, and whoever shows generosity to their brother, Allah will show him generosity.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ انْشُزُوا

And when you are told to rise up]- Meaning: To rise and leave your gathering for an (obligatory or necessary) need (i.e. prayer etc), then [فَانْشُزُوا – rise up]: Meaning, proceed towards the fulfilment of that advantageous affair because the fulfilment of such affairs is linked to knowledge and Iman. And Allah will exalt in degree the people of knowledge and Iman in line with what He has allotted for them from knowledge and Iman.

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِير

And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do]- Meaning, Allah rewards every doer in accordance with their deeds; if they are good, there will be good compensation; if they are evil, there will be evil retribution. And in this Ayah [i.e. 58:11] is (a mention) of the virtue of knowledge, whose beautification and advantage is to discipline oneself with its etiquettes and acts in accordance with what it necessitates. (4)

Be among those who have a good effect on people

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy on him, stated, “Make humility the sign by which you are recognised when you sit with the people, fear of Allah should be your protection, and providing guidance to Allah’s servants should be a habit. Be eager to (make) every meeting in which you sit one of goodness–either research into areas of knowledge or religious matters; either directing (others) to a general or specific beneficial affair, mentioning Allah’s blessings or mentioning the superior status of praiseworthy manners and good etiquettes, or warning against that which is detrimental to the well-being of one’s religious or worldly (affairs). Behave well with the young, the elderly, and your peers. Respect the person who deserves to be acknowledged and respected and treat each of them in the manner they deserve. Even if your speech is about worldly (affairs), use acceptable and good language to put your congregation at ease. Through the meetings of the people, the sensible and determined person accomplishes abundant goodness, and he becomes more beloved to them. This is because he approaches the people with what they approve and statements they desire (i.e. good), and the cornerstone for this is success in seizing control of all affairs presented before them. And these matters become more emphasised on a journey because sitting together is prolonged during a journey and the travellers need someone who revives their hearts with good statements, news of events, and jokes if all of that is true and not too much, and to assist them with the essential affairs of travel. And Allah is the One Who bestows success. (5)

Allah said:

وَإِن طَآٮِٕفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱقۡتَتَلُواْ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَہُمَا‌ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتۡ إِحۡدَٮٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰ فَقَـٰتِلُواْ ٱلَّتِى تَبۡغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتۡ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَہُمَا بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَأَقۡسِطُوٓاْ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ

إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِخۡوَةٌ۬ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَ أَخَوَيۡكُمۡ‌ۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ

And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both, but if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which rebels till it complies with the Command of Allah; then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allah loves those who are equitable. The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy. [Al-Hujuraat. 9-10] [6]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Allah commanded the reconciliation between the two warring factions initially. However, if one side oppresses the other, the obligation shifts to fighting against the transgressor rather than seeking peace, as they are unjust. Attempting to reconcile in the face of such injustice undermines the rights of the oppressed group. Many unjust individuals who claim to be peacemakers often mediate between the powerful oppressor and the weak victim in a way that favours the powerful, believing they have achieved harmony, while in reality, they deny the oppressed their rightful claims. This is injustice; rather, the wronged party should be allowed to reclaim their rights. They can then be asked, with their consent, to forgo a portion of their rights without favouritism towards those in power, ensuring that there is no coercion involved in favouring others.

A reconciliation that permits the forbidden and prohibits the permissible is akin to an agreement that forbids a lawful act, allows an unlawful act, enslaves a free person, alters lineage, waives an obligation, suspends a punishment, or inflicts injustice on a third party. The permissible reconciliation among Muslims is one that is based on Allāh’s Pleasure and the satisfaction of both parties involved (based on justice). This represents the most just and rightful form of settlement, grounded in knowledge and fairness. The mediator should be well-informed about the circumstances, aware of their responsibilities, and committed to justice. The merit of this role is even greater than that of the (voluntary) fasting and prayer of a person, as the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, said: ‘Shall I not inform you of something more excellent in degree than (voluntary) fasting, prayer and almsgiving?’ The people replied: ‘Certainly O Prophet of Allah!’ He said: “It is working for reconciliation between people, and spoiling it is the shaver (destruction)”. [Abu Dawud 4919]

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever has wronged his brother, should ask for his pardon (before his death), as (in the Hereafter) there will be neither a Dinar nor a Dirham. (He should secure pardon in this life) before some of his good deeds are taken and paid to his brother, or, if he has done no good deeds, some of the bad deeds of his brother are taken to be loaded on him (in the Hereafter). [Al-Bukhari 6534] [7]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This is a prohibition on the believers against transgressing and fighting one another; and that if two groups of believers fall to fighting, it is obligated to others amongst the believers to prevent this great evil by bringing about reconciliation between them, mediating in the best manner that will bring about reconciliation and employing the means that will lead to that. Thus, if they achieve reconciliation that is wonderful; (8)

فَإِنۢ بَغَتۡ إِحۡدَٮٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ

But if one of them transgresses against the other]- Meaning, when they seek after what they are not entitled to and refuse to return to reconciliation (9);

 فَقَـٰتِلُواْ ٱلَّتِى تَبۡغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِ

Then fight you (all) against the one that which rebels till it complies with the Command of Allah.

Meaning, return to that which Allah and His Messenger have decided to be acted upon- good deeds, and to abandon evil, one of the severest of which is fighting.

 فَإِن فَآءَتۡ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَہُمَا بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ

Then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable.

This is a command to bring about reconciliation and be just in bringing about reconciliation, because indeed reconciliation may exist, but not based on justice, rather it maybe based on injustice and unfair treatment towards one of the two disputing groups. This is not the type of reconciliation that is stipulated. It is incumbent that one should not show favour to one of the two groups due to close blood relations, shared homeland or other goals and aims that would necessitate refraining from justice.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ

Verily! Allah loves those who are equitable]- Meaning, those who are just in all their rulings between people and in all those affairs entrusted to them, even including a man’s fair dealing with his wife, family and dependents by fulfilling their rights. (10)

Al-Allaamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:

A person should not leave the people in dispute; rather it is incumbent upon him to be eager to bring about conciliation between disputing parties, especially relatives. As for some people-and Allaah’s Protection is sought-they only bring into disputes that which will increase it. This type of person is a shaytaan. Also the one who seeks to bring about conciliation between the people should do that with justice; he should not oppress any of them or judge based on desires”. (11)

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah preserve him, said,

“There is one who comes to two disputing parties, misguides them and does not give greater weight to the truth. He has a new doctrine which he considers to be balanced, but it is falsehood and sophistry”. (12)

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Fujur Fil Khusumah is two types: rejecting what is obligated to you and claiming what one is not entitled to. [13]

 

Distance From Transgression

Allah, The Most High, said:

 وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَـٰهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ

وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُم بَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ‌ۖ فَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُوٓاْ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقۡضِى بَيۡنَہُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ

And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the Prophethood; and provided them with good things, and preferred them above the ‘Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their time, during that period); And gave them clear proofs in matters [by revealing to them the Taurat (Torah)]. And they differed not until after the knowledge came to them, through envy among themselves. Verily, Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ. [Surah Al-Jathiyah 16-17]

Allah, Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections, informed us that those who differed with each other based on false interpretation, did not differ due to an absence of the knowledge which the Messengers conveyed to them, rather they differed after knowledge came to them and this has been (mentioned) a lot in the Qur’an. [14] They did not differ due to an absence of knowledge, rather (the cause of the differing was due to) the transgression and oppression (perpetrated by) some of them against others. [15]

Damratah Bin Thalabah [may Allah be pleased with him] said that  Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “The people will not cease to be upon good as long as they do not envy one another.

 

Distance From Envy and Have Ghibtah

Al-Allamah Zaid Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah have mercy upon him] said:

The hadith is clear in its prohibition against envy. What is intended by envy is when one wishes that the blessing bestowed upon another person should cease, regardless whether the envier wants that blessing for himself or for another person, or wants that the blessing given to the one he envies should cease- whether the blessings is related to an affair of the religion or a worldly affair. Envy is forbidden and the command to seek Allah’s protection from the evil of an envier has been stated in the Qur’an:

وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

And from the evil of the envier when he envies]. Therefore, one should be careful of envy! Indeed the Prophet said, “Do not envy one another”. [16]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There are three types of envy. The first type is very little and does not lead the (envier) to harm (others)-either by way of (hatred in) his heart, (speech of the) tongue or (deeds of the) hand; rather the person has some envy in his heart but he only deals with his Muslim brother through what Allah loves. The second type is that the envier desires that the blessing (bestowed on the one he envies) should cease. He hates that Allah should give blessings to His slaves; rather he (desires) that the envied person should remain in that state (of deprivation).The third type is Al-Ghibtah and it is when a person wishes to be like another person without desiring that the blessing possessed by that person should cease. The person who has this type of envy is not blamed; rather this is very similar to praiseworthy competition to excel another in good deeds. [17]

Amir Al-Muminin – Mu’aawiyah Bin Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said: “I am able to please all the people [i.e. with regards to what is lawful] except the one who is envious of a blessing because never will he be pleased until that blessing ceases”. [18]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “I do not envy anyone for some worldly thing, because if he is going to be from the people of paradise, then how can I envy him for something of the worldly life, while he is destined for Paradise?! And if he is going to be from the people of the hell fire, then how can I envy him for something of the worldly life, while he is destined for the Hellfire?!” [19]

 

Allah said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ‌ۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا‌ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [An-Nisaa. 135]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said:

Allah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections] commanded His servants to stand out firmly for justice on behalf of everyone – be it an enemy or an ally, and the matter that is most worthy of being established with justice are the statements and methodology related to the commands of Allah as well as everything that Allah has (revealed in the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah). Therefore, to establish these affairs based on desires and disobedience is contrary to Allah’s command and a negation (i.e. either intentionally or unintentionally) of that which Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] was sent with. The establishment of justice is the responsibility of those entrusted with the task of conveying Islam after the death of the Messenger, and this task cannot become a reality unless one establishes it based on pure justice and sincerity to Allah- (sincerity) based on Allah’s Book, to Allah’s Messenger (by adhering to his guidance), and sincere dealings and advice when dealing with Allah’s servants. These people are the true inheritors (i.e. inheritors of the knowledge left behind by the Prophets), but not that one who merely makes his companions, sect, and path the determinant of truth and the distinction between (truth and falsehood) by showing enmity to the one who opposes him and allies with the one who agrees with him, merely based on being opposed or agreed with [i.e. without sound proofs based on the Book and the authentic Sunnah], because where is that command to stand out firmly for justice on behalf of everyone, even though standing out firmly for justice is the greatest command and obligation!

Then Allah said:

شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ

As witnesses to Allah.

A witness presents information about something; so if he presents credible information, he is a just witness and his (statement) is accepted; but if he gives false information, he is a false witness. Allah [The Exalted] commands us to stand out firmly as just witnesses for His sake, therefore it has to be carried out for the Sake of Allah and not for other than Allah. In [Surah Al-Ma’idah Ayah 8, Allah said:

 كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ‌ۖ

Stand out firmly for Allah and be just witnesses]. This Ayah establishes four affairs: stand out firmly for justice and do so for the sake of Allah; witness to justice and do so for the Sake of Allah.

Then Allah said:

 وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ‌ۚ

Even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin].

Allah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections] commands us to stand out firmly for justice and testify, even if it were someone who is the most beloved person to us. A person should stand out firmly for justice (for or against) himself, his two parents, his close relatives, and his best friend among the people. If a person’s love for himself, his parents, and his relatives prevents him from standing out firmly for the truth against them, especially if the truth is with someone he hates and regards as an enemy due to them, then none would stand out firmly for justice in such circumstances except one whose love for Allah and His Messenger is more than their love for everyone else. Also, a person has to establish justice when dealing with his enemies and that one who deprives him of his rights because it is not permissible that hatred for his enemies leads him to be unjust towards them, just as it is not permissible that love of himself, his parents and relatives makes him abandon standing firmly for justice against them. Therefore, hatred harboured against someone should not lead him to falsehood, and love (of himself, parents, and relatives) should not make him fall short in establishing truth, just as one of the pious predecessors said, “The just person is that one who when angry, his anger does not lead him to falsehood, and when he is pleased it does not remove him from the truth”. The two Ayaat of the Qur’an [i.e. Surah An-Nisaa 135 and Surah Al-Maa’idah 8] convey two rulings and they are: standing out firmly for justice and making a truthful testimony on behalf of one’s allies and enemies.

Then Allah said:

 إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا‌ۖ

Be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you)- meaning, Allah is the Lord of both of them and their Protector, and they are both His servants. It may be that you become fearful of standing firmly for justice by testifying against a rich person or a poor person – either fearing that the rich person might lose his wealth or because the poor person has nothing, so your heart becomes lackadaisical about standing out firmly for the truth. Therefore, it should be said to them, “Allah is a better Protector of both the rich and poor person. Allah knows the affair of the rich person more than you and He is more Merciful to the poor than you, therefore, do not refrain from standing out firmly for the truth and from giving testimony (for or against) the rich or the poor.

Then Allah said:

 فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ

 So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice]. Meaning, Allah forbids (His slaves) from following desires, which will lead them to abandon justice.

Then Allah said:

 وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا

And if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do]- meaning, Allah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections] mentions two reasons that will inevitably lead to concealment of truth then He warned against them and issued a threat: the first of them is distortion and the second is to turn away from giving truthful witness. That is because when a proof that supports the truth is manifested and the one who wants to repel it finds no way of doing so, he refrains from mentioning it and thus becomes a silent devil, and sometimes he distorts it. Distortion is of two types -distorting words and meanings. Distorting words occur when one utters a word in a context in which it does not establish the truth – either adding to the word, omitting something from it, or substituting it with something else to the extent that the listener is made to believe something, whilst something else is intended, just as the Yahood [i.e. those Yahood who disbelieved in the Prophet and hated him in Madeenah] used to distort words when giving Salaam to the Prophet [i.e. saying As-Saamu Alayka (death be upon you), instead of saying Assalaamu alaykum)]. This is one type of distortion. The second type of distortion is related to meanings – distorting the wording, giving it an interpretation that is not intended by the one who uttered it and pretending not to know its unintended meaning; or dropping other meanings intended by it.

Allah said:

وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا

And if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.

When it is the case that a witness is required to bear witness based on what the affair should be [i.e. the complete truth], therefore neither should he hide nor change it. Turning away from the testimony is tantamount to concealment and distortion is tantamount to alteration and substitution. Therefore, contemplate this Ayah and the treasures of knowledge it contains. The faith of a person cannot be complete, except through accepting the texts of the Shariah and calling the people to them – neither turning away from them at times nor distorting them at other times.(20)

 

The Exemplary Behaviour of Our Salaf As-Salih [Pious Predecessors] During Disagreement

Rabee’ah Al-Aslami [may Allah be pleased with him] narrated: I used to serve Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], so he gave me a piece of land and gave Abu Bakr [may Allah be pleased with him] a piece of land. Then, the worldly life came and we argued over a bunch of palm trees, so Abu Bakr said, ‘It is in my piece of land’ and I said, ‘It is in my piece of land’. There was an exchange of words between Abu Bakr and myself, so Abu Bakr said something to me that I disliked, and he regretted that. He said to me, ‘O Rabee’ah! Say in return to me what I said to you so that it becomes retribution’. I said, ‘I will not do so!’ Abu Bakr said, ‘Say it, or I will call Allah’s Messenger on you!’ I said, ‘I will not do so’. So Abu Bakr abandoned the piece of land and went to the Prophet and I followed him. The people from (the tribe of) Aslam came and said, ‘May Allah have mercy on Abu Bakr! Why would he call Allah’s Messenger on you when he has said to you what he has said?’ I said, ‘Do you know who that is? That is Abu Bakr -the Truthful (as-Siddeeq). He is the one who was in the Cave with the Prophet, and he is the elder of the Muslims! So beware that he turns around and sees you helping me against him and it makes him angry, then Allah’s Messenger comes along and becomes angry because of Abu Bakr’s anger, and then Allah becomes angry due to their anger, and thus Rabee’ah is destroyed!’ So, they said, ‘So what do you want us to do?’ I said, ‘Go back to where you came from’. Abu Bakr went to Allah’s Messenger and I followed him by myself and continued until he reached and informed him of our conversation as it happened. So he (the Prophet) raised his head to me and said, ‘O Rabee’ah! What is going on between you and as-Siddeeq?’ I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! This happened and that happened, so he said something to me that I disliked, and he told me to say the same thing back to him so that it would be a retribution’. Allah’s Messenger said, ‘Do not return his comment to him, rather say, may Allah forgive you O Abu Bakr! May Allah forgive you O Abu Bakr!’ Then Abu Bakr turned his face and began to cry”.

Al-Allamah Zayd Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah have mercy upon him] commented:

The hadith contains a remarkable story that provides us with an exhortation and a lesson. It demonstrates the pure hearts of the companions towards each other, showing that even in times of disagreement over worldly matters, they did not boycott one another, nor harboured grudges or hatred, instead, they offered sincere advice. This narrative highlights that the Sahaabah were people of fair play and justice, and they feared falling into disobedience and evil deeds. And if punishment was legislated for an evil deed, they preferred that it is received in this life rather than in the hereafter. This story illustrates the excellence of AbuBakr, his esteemed position among the Sahaabah, in the view of the Prophet, and also in the sight of Allah, as the Prophet held him in great regard and elevated him to his deserved status, just as Allah says in the Qur’an:

إِذۡ هُمَا فِى ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا‌ۖ

The second of two, when they were in the cave, he [Muhammad] said to his companion [Abu Bakr], “Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allah is with us”. [Surah At-Tawbah. Ayah 40]

Abu Bakr was the Prophet’s fellow in the cave. He holds the highest level of virtue among the Ummah after the Prophet, as agreed upon by Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa’ah past and present. Indeed, the Prophet said to some of his other companions regarding Abu Bakr: “Would you not leave my companion for me” – meaning AbuBakr [i.e. don’t bother him, etc][Bukhari 3661]

This narrative highlights the importance of forgiveness and pardoning those who have wronged you, when you can do so and due to a (lawful or overriding) benefit because being forgiving and pardoning others will only bring you honour and a loftier status in the sight of Allah.

This narrative also demonstrates that the companions of the Prophet were not infallible. They made unintentional mistakes, but they were people whom Allah favoured with the privilege of being in the company of the Prophet. They did not persist in their mistakes, as can be seen in this story. Disagreements did arise among them, but they humbled themselves to the truth. They did not reject the truth with falsehood or engage in oppression. Instead, they promptly sought the guidance of Allah’s Messenger to resolve (the disagreements). The Messenger resolved those issues, and all of them were content with the judgment and submitted wholeheartedly.

This narrative highlights the importance of making supplications for others, especially those who have wronged you. Therefore, you supplicate for them that (Allah) rectifies their affairs and forgives them because you have an angel who responds, saying, “Ameen, and may Allah grant you the same”. One should be eager about this practice! The story shows that fulfilling the rights of others in this life is better than delaying it until the Day of Judgment, where no one will forgive another, even if they are close relatives. Additionally, it showcases the wisdom of Rabee’ah Al-Aslami, who advised his companions not to support or argue against Abu Bakr, recognising his esteemed status in the sight of Allah and the Messenger.

What do we derive as a benefit from this story: We must forgive and maintain love for each other when we have disagreements about worldly matters. A person should be eager to give others their rights and also seek forgiveness from those they have argued with. [21]

(1) An excerpt from Tafsir As-Sadi.

(2) An excerpt from Tafsir As-Sadi

(3) An Excerpt from Bada’i at-Tafsir Al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim 1/307

(4) Tafsir As-Sadi

(5) Nur Al-Basaa’ir Wa Al-baab Fee Ahkaam Al ‘Ibaadaat Wa Al-Mu‘aamalaat Wa Al-Huqooq Wal Aadaab’ pages 64-65

[6]https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/verse/49/9

https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/verse/49/10

[7] Excerpts from “I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een 1/84-86

[8] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi. slightly paraphrased]

[8] An Excerpt from Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer. By Imaam Ibnul Jawzi]

[10] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi. slightly paraphrased]

[11] An Excerpt from ‘Al-Minhatur Rabbaaniyyah Fee Sharh Al-Arba’een. 213-217. slightly paraphrased.

[12] Dahr Iftiraa’aat 191

[13]https://youtu.be/FGtZtOBbif4

[14] Bada’i at-Tafsir al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn al-Qayyim. 2/446

[15] Tafsir As-Sadi.

[16] at-Taleeqaat Al-Maleehah Alaa Silsilah Al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah. Page 1/270.

[17]: Badaa’i Al-Fawaa-id 2/237

[18]: Tarikh Baghdad 59/200

[19] Az-Zudh Al-kabeer’ Number 845

[20] An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim. Vol 1. Page 300-303

[21] An Excerpt from “at-Taleeqaat Al-Maleehah Alaa Silsilah Al-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah”. Pages 1/42-44

The Initial Approach In Dawah Is Gentleness

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Basics, Da'wah - Calling To Islam, Featured, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Pearls of Wisdom, Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Imam Muhammad Bin Abdil Wahhab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said in Al-Usul Ath-Thalatha: “Know, may Allah have mercy upon you”.

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:

Rahimakallaah [May Allah have mercy upon you] is a supplication made for the student of knowledge. The Shaikh (Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab) supplicates for Allah’s Mercy upon the students of knowledge, that Allah has mercy upon them. Therefore, in this there is gentleness from the teacher towards the student.

Indeed, he begins with a good statement and a righteous supplication so that it has an effect and thereby makes the student incline towards his teacher with acceptance. But if he begins with a harsh statement or a statement that is not deemed appropriate, this would make him flee.

Therefore, it is obligated to a teacher and the one who calls to (the path of) Allah, and the one who enjoins good and forbids evil, that he is gentle with the one he addresses – through supplication for him, commendation and soft speech, because this urges towards acceptance. However, as for the stubborn wilful, opposer, this one is to be addressed differently. Allah said:

وَلَا تُجَـٰدِلُوٓاْ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ‌ۖ

And argue not with the people of the Scripture unless it be in a way that is better, except with such of them as do wrong]. [29:46]

Those who do wrong among the people of the scripture- wilfully opposing and are haughty- are not addressed with what is better; rather they are addressed with what would prevent their (harm and misguidance). Allah said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَـٰهِدِ ٱلۡڪُفَّارَ وَٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱغۡلُظۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ‌ۚ وَمَأۡوَٮٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ‌ۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ

O Prophet (Muhammad)! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell,-and worst indeed is that destination]. [9:73]

Striving against the hypocrites is not carried out with weapons, rather it is carried out with proofs, statements, refutation against them with harshness that will prevent (them from propagating their misguidance and harm) and to keep the people away from them. Allah said about them:

 وَقُل لَّهُمۡ فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ قَوۡلاَۢ بَلِيغً۬ا

But admonish them, and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves] [4:63]

Therefore, there is a specific type of speech that is prescribed for these people because they are wilful opposers and people afflicted with pride. They do not want the truth, rather they want to misguide the people. So, they are addressed in a way they deserve. As for the seeker of guidance, this one is addressed with gentleness and mercy. This is because he wants the truth, knowledge and something beneficial.

An Excerpt from ‘Sharh Usul Ath-Thalaatha. page 13-15

 

A Clear Obligation Upon Teachers When Dispute Arises

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Basics, Brotherhood, Contemporary Issues, Da'wah - Calling To Islam, Featured, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Pearls of Wisdom, Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, also said:

ﻭﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺤﺰﺑﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ
ﻭﻳﻔﻌﻠﻮﺍ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻠﻘﻲ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ ﺍﻟﻌﺪﺍﻭﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﻐﻀﺎﺀ،
ﺑﻞ ﻳﻜﻮﻧﻮﻥ ﻣﺜﻞ ﺍﻷﺧﻮﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻌﺎﻭﻧﻴﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ
ﺍﻟﺒﺮ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻘﻮﻱ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺗﻌﺈﻟﻰ
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
وليس لأحد منهم أن يأخذ على أحد عهداً بموافقته على كل ما يريده وموالاة من يواليه ومعاداة من يعاديه،بل من فعل هذا كان من جنس جنكز خان وأمثاله الذين يجعلون من وافقهم صديقاً واليا، ومن خالفهم عدوَّا باغيا، بل عليهم وعلى أتباعهم عهد الله ورسوله بأن يطيعوا الله ورسوله ويفعلوا ما أمر الله ورسوله ويحرموا ما حرم الله ورسوله ويرعوا حقوق المعلمين كما أمر الله ورسوله، فإن كان أستاذ أحد مظلوماً نصره، وإن كان ظالماً لم يعاونه على الظلم بل يمنعه منه كما ثبت في الصحيح أنه قال:
(انصر أخاك ظالماً أو مظلوماً. قيل: يا رسول الله: أنصره مظلوماً فكيف أنصره ظالماً؟. قال تمنعه من الظلم فذلك نصرك إياه).
وإذا وقع بين معلم ومعلم أو تلميذ وتلميذ أو معلم وتلميذ خصومة ومشاجرة لم يجز لأحد أن يعين أحدهما حتى يعلم الحق، فلا يعاونه بجهل ولا بهوى، بل ينظر في الأمر، فإذا تبين له الحق أعان المحق منهما على المبطل سواء كان المحق من أصحابه أو أصحاب غيره، وسواء كان المبطل من أصحابه أو أصحاب غيره، فيكون المقصود عبادة الله وحده وطاعة رسوله واتباع الحق والقيام بالقسط
قال تعالى
يا أيها الذين آمنوا كونوا قوامين بالقسط شهداء لله ولو على أنفسكم أو الوالدين والأقربين، إن يكن غنياً أو فقيراً فالله أولى بهما، فلا تتبعوا الهوى أن تعدلوا وإن تلووا أو تعرضوا فإن الله كان بما تعملون خبيراً

It not allowed for the teachers to initiate (illegal) partisanship between the people and do that which would cause enmity and hatred between them; but rather they should be brothers who cooperate upon righteousness and piety, as Allah [The Exalted] said:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa [virtue, righteousness and piety]; but do not help one another in sin and transgression]. [Al-Ma’idah. 2]

It is not allowed for anyone of them to receive a pledge from anyone to be in agreement with him in everything he wants – having allegiance to the one he is allied to and enmity against the one he harbours enmity, and whoever does this is similar to Genghis Khan and his ilk (in this affair), who take as their loyal friends the one in agreement with them and the one who oppose them as a rebellious enemy; rather it is obligated on them and their followers (i.e. the teachers) to fulfil the covenant of Allah and His Messenger by obeying Allah and His Messenger, doing that which Allah and His Messenger have commanded, declare unlawful that which Allah and His Messenger have declared unlawful, and preserve the rights of the teachers in the manner commanded by Allah and His Messenger. So, if one’s teacher is oppressed, he should help him; but if the teacher is the oppressor, he should not aid him in his act of oppression; rather he forbids him from it, as it has been established in the authentic books of hadeeth that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2444]

If an argument and dispute occurs between a teacher and another teacher, or between a student and another student, it is not permissible for anyone to help one of them until he knows the truth – neither to aid him based on ignorance nor desires; rather he he examines the affair, so if the truth becomes clear to him, he helps the one who deserves to be helped (due to him being upon the truth) against the one upon error – regardless whether the one who deserves to be helped is one of his companions or the companion of someone else, or whether the one upon error is one of his companions or the companion of someone else. Therefore, the aim is only to worship Allah alone, obedience to Allah’s Messenger, adherence to truth and establishment of justice. Allah, The Most High, said:

يا أيها الذين آمنوا كونوا قوامين بالقسط شهداء لله ولو على أنفسكم أو الوالدين والأقربين، إن يكن غنياً أو فقيراً فالله أولى بهما، فلا تتبعوا الهوى أن تعدلوا وإن تلووا أو تعرضوا فإن الله كان بما تعملون خبيراً

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [An-Nisaa. 135]

Majmu al-Fatawa. 28/15-17. paraphrased

A Corrupt Analogy – Ibn al-Qayyim

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Contemporary Issues, Fitnah, History of Islam, Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Qur'aan, Sin.

إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ َ

If he (Bin Yamin) steals, there was a brother of his (Yusuf) who did steal before (him). [Yusuf. 77]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Allah informs about the brothers of Yusuf, peace be upon him, that when they discovered the king’s cup in the saddlebag of his brother, they said: “If he steals, then a brother of his had stolen before him”. They did not merge the basis of the matter and the subsidiary with a (sound) effective cause or (sound) proof. Rather, they attached one to the other without any proof that binds the two other than mere resemblance between him and Yusuf, thus, they said: “This one is analogised to his brother; there are a number of similarities between them, and that one stole, so this one (also) steals”.

This is tantamount to (an attempt) to connect a correlated resemblance and an analogy by mere outward imagery that is devoid of the effective cause that would necessitate sameness. It is a corrupt analogy. A shared kinship and blood brotherhood is not a (valid) cause for being the same in theft, even if it were the case the theft had truly occurred. Nor is there any evidence establishing sameness between them in this matter. Thus, the connection was made merely on the basis of type of resemblance that is devoid of a (sound) cause and its evidence. [1]

Allah said:

ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُۥ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ

Then it appeared to them, after they had seen the proofs to imprison him for a time. [Yusuf 35]

“It appeared to them” — meaning, it became clear to them, “after they had seen the proofs” showing his innocence, “that they should imprison him for a time.” Meaning, so that the news about the matter would die down and people would forget about it. Indeed, when something becomes widely known, it continues to be mentioned and spread as long as the causes behind it remain. But when those causes cease to exist, it is forgotten. Therefore, they saw this as being in their best interest, so they put him in prison. [2]

[1] I’laam Al-Muwaqqi’een 1/198

[2] Tafsir As-Sadi

 

Some of History’s Worst Atrocities

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Fitnah, Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Sin.

Allah, The Most High, said:

مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. [Al-Ma’idah. 32]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

If a person is bold enough to kill someone who does not deserve to be killed, this implies that he does make a distinction between the one he killed and other than him; rather he would commit this act whenever his evil calls him to that. Therefore, his bold attitude that led him to kill is as if he has killed all humankind. On the other hand, if a person saves a life and does not kill – whilst his soul calls him to do so – due to fear of Allah, this is as if he has saved the lives of all humankind because the fear of Allah he possesses stops him killing one who does not deserve to be killed. [Tafsir As-Sadi]

Africans under Belgian King Leopold II, Jews under Nazis, and some other narratives

Numerous voices have emerged, some affirming and others contesting, regarding the estimated number of Jews who perished under Nazi rule, much like the varying figures regarding the toll of King Leopold’s colonial endeavours on African lives. Whether the figure stands at 6 million Jews, more or less, or 10 million Africans, again subject to debate, the loss of even a single life, judged by any standard other than divine law, is a profound injustice. Both the Nazis and colonial powers have drenched their hands in blood, as have many others throughout history. Thus, the onus of research falls upon you to ascertain the true number of Jews lost to Nazi atrocities and the Africans who suffered under King Leopold’s brutal regime. Yet, the scourge of violence and oppression persists in our current age. Conflicts among Africans often arise from tribal animosities and political affiliations, or are exacerbated by neocolonial interventions, where the greed of external exploiters incites turmoil in African and Asian nations. In a similar vein, with the backing of Christian Zionists, [Footnote a] the Zionist movement has inflicted suffering and death upon Palestinians for over seven decades. The perpetrators of these atrocities in our era are well-known. We can all recall the Rwandan genocide and other conflicts, yet it is essential to remember that Europe itself has a history steeped in brutal wars among themselves before it sought to export its violence through centuries of colonialism. Once again, we reiterate that these contemporary perpetrators are merely the successors of the ancient bloodshed. Herein lie examples of those who have historically reveled in violence.

The Tyrants of Aad

Allah stated that Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, said to his people:

وَإِذَا بَطَشۡتُم بَطَشۡتُمۡ جَبَّارِينَ

And when you seize, seize you as tyrants.

Meaning, when you want to attack with a whip or sword, you attack like tyrants, completely overpowering and being savagely violent- neither compassionate nor aim to discipline (within divine limits), nor contemplating on the consequences. (1)

Allah gave them great strength and it was obligated to them to use this strength in obedience to Allah, but they became boastful and haughty, and they said:

مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً‌ۖ

“Who is mightier than us in strength?”

[Fussilat. 15]

They utilised their strength in disobedience to Allah, fruitlessly and foolishly, thus, their Prophet forbade them from that. (2)

Their Prophet forbade them from that because it was done out of oppression. (3)

Fir’awn and His Blind Followers

Allah, The Most High, said:

إِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ عَلَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهۡلَهَا شِيَعً۬ا يَسۡتَضۡعِفُ طَآٮِٕفَةً۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ يُذَبِّحُ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

Verily, Fir’aun (Pharaoh) exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, weakening (oppressing) a group (i.e. Children of Israel) among them, killing their sons, and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the Mufsideen [i.e. those who commit great sins and crimes, oppressors, tyrants, etc.] [Al-Qasas. 4]

The Makers of the Ditch

Allah, The Most High,  said:

قُتِلَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ

ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡوَقُودِ

إِذۡ هُمۡ عَلَيۡہَا قُعُودٌ۬

وَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفۡعَلُونَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ شُہُودٌ۬

وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنۡہُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ

ٱلَّذِى لَهُ ۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ شَہِيدٌ

Cursed were the makers of the Ditch- the large ditch with the fire, given fuel (in abundance); when they sat around it, watching what they had (ordered to be done) to the believers, who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah- The Almighty, the Praiseworthy, the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and earth. And Allah is a Witness over all things. [Al-Buruj. 4-9]

قُتِلَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ

Cursed were the makers of the Ditch.

This is an invocation against them to be destroyed. The makers of the ditch were disbelievers and there lived amongst them believers, so they wanted to force the believers to accept their religion, but the believers refused. They dug a ditch in the ground, kindled fire in it, sat around it, oppressed the believers and exposed them to the fire; so whoever responded to their orders was released and whoever held onto their faith was casted in the fire. This is an intense act of waging war against Allah and the believers, so Allah cursed, destroyed and promised them punishment, saying:

قُتِلَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ

Cursed were the makers of the ditch.

Then Allah explained about the ditch and its makers, saying:

ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡوَقُودِ

إِذۡ هُمۡ عَلَيۡہَا قُعُودٌ۬

وَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفۡعَلُونَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ شُہُودٌ۬

The large ditch with the fire, given fuel (in abundance); when they sat around it, watching what they had (ordered to be done) to the believers.

This is one of the greatest types of despotism and hardheartedness, because they combined between their disbelief in Allah’s signs and willfully denied them, waging war against the believers, tortured them with this agonising torture and were present to witness the believers being casted in the fire. And reality is that they resented the believers for no reason other than a characteristic for which they are to be praised and through which depended their happiness (in this life and the next), which is that they were believers in Allah -The Almighty, The Praiseworthy. (4)

Hajjaj Bin Yusuf Ath-Thaqafee

After Abdullah Bin Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, was murdered, Al-Hajjaaj sent someone to Asma [bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her), Abdullah’s mother] to come to him, but she refused to come. He again sent the messenger to her with the message that she must come, otherwise he would bring her forcibly by dragging her by her hair, but she again refused and said: By Allah, I will not come to you until you send one to me who would drag me by pulling my hair. So, he said: Bring me my shoes. He put on his shoes and walked on quickly puffed up with vanity and pride until he came to her and said: How do you find what I have done with the enemy of Allah? She said: I find that you wronged him in this world, whereas he has ruined your afterlife. It has been conveyed to me that you used to call him (Abdullah B. Zubair) as the son of one having two belts. By Allah, I am indeed (a woman) of two belts. One is that with the help of which I used to suspend high the food of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and that of Abu Bakr (making it out of the reach) of animals and, so far as the second belt is concerned, that is the belt which no woman can dispense with. Verily Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) told us that in Thaqif, there would be born a great liar and great murderer. The liar we have seen, and as far as the murderer is concerned, I do not find anyone else besides you. He (Hajjaj) stood up and did not give any reply to her. [Sahih Muslim 2545]

The Mongols

In the year 656 AH/1258 CE, Artughal’s son, Uthman, was born and it is to whom the Ottoman Empire was attributed. It was the year in which the Mongols, led by Hulagu, carried out a military expedition against Baghdad – the capital of the Ottoman Caliphate – which led to catastrophic events and great calamities. Imaam Ibn Katheer [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated, “They (i.e. the Mongols) killed everyone they were able to kill, including men, women, boys, Shaikhs, the elderly and the young men. Many people entered the wells, the habitats of wild animals and the gutters, and they hid for days without appearing. A group of people would gather in the inns and shut the doors, but the Tartars either opened the doors by breaking them or setting them on fire; then they pursued the people who fled to the highest places and killed them on the rooftops until blood flowed in the alleys. Indeed to Allaah we belong and to Him we shall return! Likewise, in the local mosques and the big central mosques, no one escaped from them except the Jewish and Christian citizens of the Muslim land, and those who sought refuge with them”. (5)

American Colonialists

The 13 American colonies’ population grew from about 2,000 to 2.4 million between 1625 and 1775 while displacing Native Americans from eastern North America. After the colonies declared independence in 1776 from Great Britain and formed the US, the settlers started to move west, clashing with and eradicating the Apache, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chinook, Navajo and Sioux tribes. Some of the names today are sadly used for American warfare helicopters and ubiquitous sport utility vehicles. The national holiday, Thanksgiving, celebrated in November, is traced to the 1620s when European settlers invited Native Americans to a feast. The settlers later killed the population and gave thanks to God for allowing them to slaughter the “savages.” The surviving descendants of Native American tribes live in poverty on federally recognized Indian reservations across the US. Almost 100 million indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere have been killed or died prematurely because of the Europeans and their descendants in five centuries, according to David E. Stannard in his book, American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World. Around 12 million indigenous people died within present US geographical boundaries between 1492 and 1900, according to Russell Thornton in American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History since 1492. Despite having unalienable rights — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – as enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence, not all in the new colonies were considered equal. The colonies had a system of slavery, which European settlers carried as a practice into the Americas from the Old World, despite English Protestants praising themselves as Puritans. A conservative estimate of 35 million men, women and children were brought from Africa to the New World between the 16th and 19th centuries. Around 12.5 million of those brought to North America were used as free labor in fields and worked under grueling conditions, according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database. The systematic repression of Africans continues to the present day in the US government application of laws, health and education. (6)

Colonialists and The Atlantic Slave Trade: By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah- may Allah preserve him

https://video.link/w/Qbaub   https://video.link/w/lUZtb

Colonialists In Australia: Professor Lyndall Ryan and her research team has found that there were at least 270 frontier massacres over 140 years of Australian history, as part of a state-sanctioned and organised attempts to eradicate First Nations people. For Ryan’s work, a massacre is defined as the deliberate killing of six or more defenceless people in one operation. If you investigate some of these massacres in depth you can see how systematic they were. Ryan’s work is in no means comprehensive as many massacres were not documented and many others covered up. Because of colonial genocidal actions like state-sanctioned massacres, the First Nations population went from an estimated 1-1.5 million before invasion to less than 100,000 by the early 1900s. (7)

Finally, it is important to reflect upon the tragic events that have unfolded in Palestine, a situation that has persisted for over seventy years. We continue to condemn the recent instances of violence perpetrated by some members of Netanyahu’s Zionist forces, but we must also unequivocally denounce any acts of violence committed by Muslims – whether Hamas or other than them- on October 7th- against unarmed civilians and non-combatants who identify with Judaism. Visit link below:

https://abuiyaad.com/a/amalekite-genocide-doctrine-gaza

Here we’ll mention some atrocities committed by some Zionist groups against Palestinians since 1948.

The Deir Yassin Massacre: Took place on April 9, 1948, near Jerusalem, during which between 107 to 254 Palestinians were massacred at the hands of the extremist “Stern” gang.

The Nasr al-Din Massacre: Took place in April 1948. Al-Lajjun Massacre: Took place on April 13, 1948, in a Palestinian Arab village in the Jenin District, where the Zionist Haganah gang attacked it and killed 13 people.

The Saliha Massacre: Took place in May 1948, during which 75 Palestinians were massacred.

The Abu Shusha Massacre: Took place on May 14, 1948, near the village of Deir Yassin, and claimed the lives of (50) citizens, including women, men, children, and the elderly.

The Beit Daras Massacre: Took place in northeastern Gaza on May 21, 1948.

The Tantura Massacre: Took place on May 22, 1948, in the occupied city of Haifa, and claimed the lives of about (200) Palestinians.

The Lydda Massacre: Took place on July 12, 1948, in the occupied city of Lydda, and resulted in the massacre of about (500) Palestinians, including (150) who were massacred inside the city’s Grand Mosque. The Zionists threw many of them alive into the town’s wells.

The Dawayima Massacre: Took place on October 29, 1948, when a battalion from the terrorist “Lehi” organization led by Moshe Dayan attacked the village and then began searching homes and shooting at its residents. Entire families were exterminated in the massacre, which resulted in the killing of 200 men, women, and children.

The massacres by some Zionist groups did not stop after the Nakba of 1948, but rather their frequency, intensity, and brutality increased in light of the use of more lethal and destructive weapons. Among the most prominent of these massacres were: The Sharafat Massacre, which took place in February 1951, in which 11 Palestinians were massacred, and the rest of the village’s people were displaced. The Bethlehem Massacre took place in January 1952, in which 10 Palestinians were massacred. The Qibya Massacre took place on October 14, 1953, in the village of Qibya, east of Jerusalem, during which (67) Palestinians were massacred, most of whom were women and children, and during which 56 homes were destroyed. The Qalqilya Massacre took place on October 10, 1956, when the occupation forces attacked citizens in the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank, during which about seventy citizens were massacred.

The Kafr Qasem Massacre took place on October 29, 1956, in which 49 Palestinians were massacred, including 11 children, when they were all returning home from work. The Khan Yunis Massacre took place on November 3 and 12, 1956, in which between 280 and 500 Palestinians were massacred.

In 1970, Bahr al-Baqar Primary School and Abu Zaabal factories were attacked, killing more than 150 Egyptian students and workers. In 1980, the extremist Jewish organization Kach attempted to blow up Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a shipment of explosives weighing 120 kg was discovered. The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in September 1982. This massacre lasted three days, and its direct perpetrators were members of the Lebanese Phalange forces allied with the Zionists led by Ariel Sharon. The Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre took place on February 25, 1994, when a Zionist named “Barog Goldstein” stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron, and fired bullets and bombs at the worshipers. This massacre resulted in the massacre of 29 Palestinians. The Qana Massacre took place on April 18, 1995. [8]

Listen to what Prince Turki Al-Faisal – may Allah preserve him- said about the Zionists and Hamas:

https://abuiyaad.com/a/amalekite-genocide-doctrine-gaza

https://abuiyaad.com/a/slaughtering-children-holy-war/print

What is presented in this article does not mean that those mentioned are the only ones guilty of brutality, rather, there have been many other incidents throughout history. Whoever carries out research will come across a lot on this subject matter. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“Every sin is a legacy inherited from a nation that was destroyed by Allah Almighty. Taking more than one is entitled to is a legacy from the people of Shu’ayb, peace be upon him. The corruption and arrogance displayed on earth are inherited from the people of Pharaoh, and the pride and tyranny are legacies from the people of Prophet Hud, peace be upon him. Thus, the sinner is adorned in the garments of these nations, which are enemies of Allah”. [Ad-Da’u Wad Dawa’u. page 142]

————————————————

Footnote a:

https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2024/11/13/the-initial-rise-and-gradual-impact-of-christian-zionism-on-some-european-political-decision-makers/

https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2024/10/08/an-overview-of-christian-zionism-in-america-since-the-arrival-of-the-puritans/

[1]:Ruh Al-Ma’aanee 11/165 by Imam Al-Alusi (may Allaah have mercy upon him)]

[2]: Tafseer As-Sadi.

[3]: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafseer by Imaam Ibnul Jawzi (may allaah have mercy upon him)]

[4]: Tafseer As-Sadi.

[5]:An Excerpt from Ad-Dawlah Al-Uthmaaniyyah Awaamil An-Nuhood Wa Asbaab As-Suqoot. 44-45.

[6]: History records US genocide against Native Americans, Africans, massacres in Southeast Asia, Middle East – By Ovunc Kutlu 02.06.2021]

[7]:https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/genocide-in-australia/ ]

[8] Compiled from various old Arab Newspapers

The Soul’s Quiet Battle: Some Reasons That May Be Hindering Some Carriers of Some Knowledge from Good Conduct

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Contemporary Issues, Featured, Fitnah, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Sin, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

A servant of Allah does not embark upon what he has been forbidden except through two ways. Firstly, harbouring evil thoughts about his Lord that, if he were to obey Allah and prefer Him, He, Glorified be He, free from all imperfections, will not grant him that which is better from the lawful (things). Or his acknowledgement (i.e. that Allah will grant him something better than the forbidden thing he pursues), and that whoever leaves something for Allah’s sake, He will replace it with something better, but lust overcomes his patience and desires his intellect. The first is due to weakness in knowledge, and the second, a weakness in intellect and insight. [Al-Fawa’id. page 78]

Al-Allamah Abdur-Rahman Ibn Yahyah Al-Mu’allimee, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

The human being does not hate truth as a result of considering it to be falsehood, but he loves truth by way of his Fitra (natural inclination) and loves falsehood due to his desires and lusts. The shift towards success or loss depends on what he gives preference to. Allah, The Blessed and Most High, said:

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ

وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا

فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ

فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

Then, for him who Tagha (transgressed) and preferred the life of this world (by following his evil desires and lusts), Verily, his abode will be Hell-fire; 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. [An-Naazi’aat. 37-41]

And you can say: Allah, The Blessed and Most High, is on one side, and (a person’s evil) desires are on another side (in opposition to what Allah has commanded and prohibited). Allah, The Most High, said:

أَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ ۥ هَوَٮٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيۡهِ وَڪِيلاً

أَمۡ تَحۡسَبُ أَنَّ أَڪۡثَرَهُمۡ يَسۡمَعُونَ أَوۡ يَعۡقِلُونَ‌ۚ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا كَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ‌ۖ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً

Have you (O Muhammad) seen him who has taken as his ilah (god) his own desire? Would you then be a Wakil (a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him? Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worse than cattle). [Al-Furqan. 43-44]

And Allah, The Most High, said:

أَفَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ ۥ هَوَٮٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ۬ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِۦ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَـٰوَةً۬ فَمَن يَہۡدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilah (god), and Allah knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight.

Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?

[at-Tankeel 2/179 with the checking of Imam Al-Albani, rahimahullah]

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There are many cases where the (desires) of the souls are mixed with Ash-Shahawaat Al-Khafiyyah [i.e. desires that are concealed, subtle etc] that corrupt its fulfilment of (perfect) love of Allah, servitude to Him and establishment of the religion sincerely for the sake of Allah, just as Shaddaad Ibn Aws [may Allah be pleased with him] said, “O Arabs! Indeed, the affair I fear for you the most is Riyaa and Shahwa Al-Khafiyyah”. It was said to Abu Daawud As-Sijistaani, “What is Ash-Shahwa Al-Khafiyyah?” He said, “Love of leadership”. [Majmu Al-Fatawaa 10 /214-215]

Al-Allamah Abdur Rahman Bin Yahyah Al-Mu’allimee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

A person is nurtured upon a religion, creed, school of thought or views acquired from his nurturer and teacher, which he considers to be the truth and followed it for a long time. Then, when it becomes clear to him that (such religion, creed, view or school of thought) is false, it becomes difficult for him to acknowledge, just as when his forefathers, ancestors or the one he follows are upon a (particular) way and then its falsity is clarified for him. This is because he sees that their deficiencies necessitate his own deficiencies, and acknowledgement of their misguidance or errors necessitates his own deficiencies. In this era of ours, you even see a woman who comes across an affair related to the religion – in which there is a difference of opinion between the mother of the believers Aa’isha and others amongst the companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them, so she defends Aa’isha’s position solely due to the fact that she is a woman like her. So, when she presumes and then claims that Aa’isha is correct and those men who oppose her position are mistaken, then in this is an affirmation of Aa’isha’s virtue over those men, which then becomes a virtue for women unrestrictedly, and she receives some of that. And through this appears – to you – the underlying reasons behind the illegal partisanship of an Arab to an Arab, a Persian to a Persian, a Turk to a Turk and other than that. [An Excerpt From Aathar Ash-Shaikh Al-Allamah Abdur Rahman Bin Yahyah Al-Mu’allimee. Vol 11. Page 294]

Al-Musawwar Bin Makhzamah said: “O my uncle! Did you use to accuse Muhammad of lying before he started saying what he says now [i.e. his call to Tawheed]?

Abu Jahl: “By Allah, indeed Muhammad was a trustworthy young man amongst us, and we have never experienced lying from him.

Al-Musawwar Bin Makhzamah: “O my uncle! So why is it that you do not follow him?”

Abu Jahl: “O son of my sister! We competed with Banu Hashim in nobility [i.e. which clan is more noble].

They used to feed [the pilgrims], and we used to feed the [pilgrims]; they used to provide water for [the pilgrims], and we used to provide water for [the pilgrims]; they used to give protection [to the destitute], and we used to give protection [to the destitute] until we were equal [i.e. in competing one another for nobility]. Then they said, “There is a Prophet from us”, so when are we going to get something similar to this!!

Akhnas Bin Shuraiq said to Abu Jahl on the day of Badr [i.e. the battle of Badr]: “O Abul Hakam! Inform me about Muhammad, as to whether he is a truthful person or a liar, for indeed there is no one here from Quraish who will hear our speech? Abu Jahl replied to Akhnas: “Woe to you! By Allah, indeed Muhammad is a truthful person, and Muhammad has never lied. But if Banu Qusay take the leadership, the position of gatekeepers of the Kabah, providers of water for the pilgrims and Prophet hood [i.e. the Prophet Muhammad is from their clan], then what will the rest of Quraish have?! [Hidaayatul Hayaaraa Fee Ajwibatil Yahood Wan-Nasaaraa’ pages 18-19]

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] said:

إنّ الإنسانَ قد يَعرفُ أنّ الحقَّ مع غيره،ومع هذا يَجحدُ ذلك؛لحسدهِ إيّاه أو لطلبِ عُلُّوهِ عليه أو لهوى النّفسِ،ويَحملُه ذلك الهَوى على أنْ يعتديَ عليه ويَرُدَّ ما يقولُ بكلِّ طريقٍ،وهو في قلبهِ يَعلمُ أنّ الحقَّ معهُ”

(الإيمان)(ص١٥٢)

“Indeed, a person may know that the truth is with other than him, (but) despite this, he wilfully denies it due to his envy towards (the one with the truth) or due to seeking to be superior over him or due to desire. And this desire makes him transgress against him and rejects what he says in every way, while knowing – in his heart – that the truth is with him (i.e. the one he opposes).

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, also stated:

فيجب على كل مسلم أن يفتش نفسه فقد يميل إنسان إلى صاحب الحق لهوى ، فقبل أن يتبين له الحق يتمنى أن يكون فلان هو المنتصر بالحجة أو غيرها فتميل نفسه لأنه فلان ، ولو كان على الحق لا يجوز أن يوجد هذا الميل، فيقول: إذا وجد هذا الميل ولو مع صاحب الحق يكون من حكم الجاهلية ، وهذا أمر لا يخطر بالبال عند كثير من الناس

فيجب على المسلم أن يراقب الله في القضايا المختلف فيها ، وأن يكون قصده فقط معرفة الحق سواء مع هذا أو مع ذاك .

ومن هنا يقول الشافعي : “إذا دخلت في مناظرة لا أبالي إذا كان الحق مع صاحبي أو معي” فلا يبالي ولا يتمنى أن يكون الحق معه بل يتمنى أن يكون مع صاحبه وأن تكون النصرة له ، هذا هو الخلق العالي وهذا هو الدين المستقيم

It is obligated to every Muslim to examine himself, for indeed a person might incline towards (another) person who is upon truth based on his desires. Then, even before the truth is clear to him, he wishes that such and such person should be the one aided with the proofs or something else, so, his soul inclines (towards that person) because he (i.e. that person) is such and such (personality). Therefore, even if that person is upon the truth, it is not permissible for this type of inclination to be present. If this type of inclination is present, even with the person upon truth, it is considered to be a trait of pre-Islamic ignorance. This is an affair that does not cross the minds of many people. Therefore, it is obligated on a Muslim – in relation to affairs wherein people differ – that he is attentive to the fact that Allah knows, sees and hears everything, and his intention (goal or aim) should only be that he (wants) to know the truth whether it is with this or that person. And in relation to this, Imam Ash-Shafi’ee said, “When I enter into a discussion, I am not bothered whether the truth is with me or with the other person”. So, he is not bothered nor does he wish that the truth is with him; rather he wishes that it is either with the other person or with him. This is the lofty moral conduct and the upright religion.

[http://www.rabee.net/ar/articles.php?cat=8&id=172. slightly paraphrased]

A Response to Those Who Claim “The Manhaj of the Salaf Is Outdated”

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Aqeedah, Aqeedah (Creed & Belief), Contemporary Issues, Featured, History of Islam, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Pearls of Wisdom, Purification of The Soul, Sahaabah, Salaf As Saalih (Pious Predecessors), Scholars of Islam, The Salaf - Pious Predecessors, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, was asked: Question: What do we say to some people who claim that the Methodology of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah is not suitable in these times?

Response

The one who holds that the methodology of the pious predecessors is not fit for these times, this one is astray and leading others astray. The methodology of the pious predecessors is the methodology and path Allah has commanded us to follow until the establishment of the Hour. The prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said:

Indeed whosoever among you lives long will see much differing, so, when upon you is to adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me, hold on to it and bite onto it with your molar teeth. (1)

This was an address to this Ummah until the establishment of the Hour. This demonstrates to us that it is a must to adhere to the methodology of the pious predecessors and that it is suitable for all places and all times.

Allah – The Most High – said:

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ

And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansaar (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajir) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. [t-Tawbah 100]

وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَان

And also those who followed them exactly (in Faith).

This includes the Ummah until the establishment of the Hour, therefore it is incumbent upon the Ummah to follow the Methodology of Muhajirun and the Ansaar.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“Nothing will rectify the latter part of this Ummah, except that which rectified it’s beginning”

Whoever wants to separate the Ummah from the pious predecessors desires evil for the Muslims. He desires to change Islam, he desires the emergence of bidah and violations. This person should be rejected, his proofs refuted and his evil warned against. It is a must to adhere to the methodology of the pious predecessors – taking them as an example. It’s requires to follow their methodology and that is present in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger as we have mentioned.

So, whoever desires to disassociate the khalaf (successors) of the Ummah from their Salaf (predecessors), he is a person causing corruption in the lands. It is an obligation to reject his statement and refute his speech, and to warn against him.

The ones who makes this evil statement are known anong the Shia and those who agree with them, those who misguide others. Therefore, they are given no attention.

Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa Al-Fawzan. 1/499-500

The Disease of Partisanship: Between False Takfir, Bid‘ah, Blind Allegiance and Abandoning the Truth

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Aqeedah, Aqeedah (Creed & Belief), Bid'ah (Innovation), Contemporary Issues, Da'wah - Calling To Islam, Deviated Groups, Sects and Parties, Featured, Fitnah, Khawaarij, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Pearls of Wisdom, Purification of The Soul, Refutations, Scholars of Islam, Shi'a, Sin, Sufis, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

Bigoted partisanship for a particular idea that opposes the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger; and allegiance and enmity based upon it—this is Tahazzub (illegal partisanship). This is Tahazzub even if it is not (under an) organisation.  To formulate deviated ideas and gather the people upon them, this is a hizb, regardless of whether it is (under an) organisation or not.” [1]

This noble, pious and truthful senior scholar, may Allah have mercy upon him, also said:

After speaking about those—amongst the different factions of the Jahmiyyah, the Khawarij, the Rawafid and the Qadariyyah—who make Takfir  based on falsehood, and the reason behind such Takfir, Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

On the opposite side of these people who make Takfir based on falsehood, there are a people who do not know the creed of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah as it should be, or they know some of it and are ignorant of some. Perhaps, what they know of it, they do not clarify for the people; rather, they conceal it.

They do not forbid Bidah—neither censure the proponents of Bidah nor chastise them. Rather, they may censure speech regarding the Sunnah and the fundamental principles of the religion completely, and not differentiate between what the true adherents to the Prophetic Sunnah say and what the proponents of Bidah and schism say.

Or they would affirm all their differing paths in a manner similar to how the scholars would affirm the different opinions related to issues of Ijtihad in which difference of opinion is justified (or allowed). This path has overwhelmed many of the Murji’ah, some of the jurists, those pursuing the path of asceticism, and the philosophers, just as it has overwhelmed—first and foremost—many amongst the people of desires and theological rhetoric. Both these paths are perverted, outside the Book [i.e. The Qur’aan] and the Prophetic Sunnah. [2]

After quoting the statement of Shaikh Al-Islam, Al-Allamah Rabee stated:

I say, may Allah have mercy on Ibn Taymiyyah. Indeed, he clarified the situation of the people of his era and those before them. Then what if he saw the situation of many amongst Al-Jamaa’aat al-Hizbiyyah Wal-Bid’iyyah who ascribe themselves to the true adherents to the Prophetic Sunnah and take cover behind him—in particular—to promote their falsehoods?

What if he saw them whilst they have definitely gathered between the paths of the two groups—the Khawarij and those who follow their way in pronouncing Takfir in the matter of Al-Hakimiyyah, and the way of the Murji’ah in the manner they approach the affair of people who are upon the major and numerous Bidah?

And equating Bidah to those issues of the religion in which Ijtihad is justified, whose people are rewarded alongside a refutation against their mistakes. In the view of these people, the leaders of misguidance and Bidah are just like the Imams of Guidance and Sunnah.” [3] [end of quotes from Al-Allamah Rabee, rahimahullah]

For additional benefit, the remainder of the statement of Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, which was not quoted by Al-Allamah Rabee, may Allah have mercy upon him, is included below:

Rather, what is obligatory is to clarify that which Allah sent His Messengers with and (revealed) in His Books—to propagate that which the Messengers brought from Allah and fulfill the covenant which Allah took from the scholars.

Therefore, it is obligatory to know that which the Messengers brought, believe in it, propagate it, call to it, striving with it, and weigh up all that which the people embark upon—(statements, actions, religious fundamentals and subsidiary issues pertaining to the apparent actions of the limbs and affairs related to actions of the heart)—under the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.

Neither following desires (through) customs, a school of jurisprudence, a religious order, a leader or a predecessor; neither following conjecture through a weak hadith nor corrupt analogy, regardless of whether it is an analogy that offers some degree of certainty or not; nor blindly following someone whom it is not obligatory to follow in his statement and deed. Because indeed, Allah—in His Book—censured those who follow conjecture and that which their souls desire, whilst they abandon that which came to them from their Lord of Guidance. [4]

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, also said:

ﻭﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺤﺰﺑﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ
ﻭﻳﻔﻌﻠﻮﺍ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻠﻘﻲ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ ﺍﻟﻌﺪﺍﻭﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﻐﻀﺎﺀ،
ﺑﻞ ﻳﻜﻮﻧﻮﻥ ﻣﺜﻞ ﺍﻷﺧﻮﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻌﺎﻭﻧﻴﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ
ﺍﻟﺒﺮ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻘﻮﻱ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺗﻌﺈﻟﻰ
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
وليس لأحد منهم أن يأخذ على أحد عهداً بموافقته على كل ما يريده وموالاة من يواليه ومعاداة من يعاديه،بل من فعل هذا كان من جنس جنكز خان وأمثاله الذين يجعلون من وافقهم صديقاً واليا، ومن خالفهم عدوَّا باغيا، بل عليهم وعلى أتباعهم عهد الله ورسوله بأن يطيعوا الله ورسوله ويفعلوا ما أمر الله ورسوله ويحرموا ما حرم الله ورسوله ويرعوا حقوق المعلمين كما أمر الله ورسوله، فإن كان أستاذ أحد مظلوماً نصره، وإن كان ظالماً لم يعاونه على الظلم بل يمنعه منه كما ثبت في الصحيح أنه قال:
(انصر أخاك ظالماً أو مظلوماً. قيل: يا رسول الله: أنصره مظلوماً فكيف أنصره ظالماً؟. قال تمنعه من الظلم فذلك نصرك إياه).
وإذا وقع بين معلم ومعلم أو تلميذ وتلميذ أو معلم وتلميذ خصومة ومشاجرة لم يجز لأحد أن يعين أحدهما حتى يعلم الحق، فلا يعاونه بجهل ولا بهوى، بل ينظر في الأمر، فإذا تبين له الحق أعان المحق منهما على المبطل سواء كان المحق من أصحابه أو أصحاب غيره، وسواء كان المبطل من أصحابه أو أصحاب غيره، فيكون المقصود عبادة الله وحده وطاعة رسوله واتباع الحق والقيام بالقسط
قال تعالى
يا أيها الذين آمنوا كونوا قوامين بالقسط شهداء لله ولو على أنفسكم أو الوالدين والأقربين، إن يكن غنياً أو فقيراً فالله أولى بهما، فلا تتبعوا الهوى أن تعدلوا وإن تلووا أو تعرضوا فإن الله كان بما تعملون خبيراً

It not allowed for the teachers to initiate (illegal) partisanship between the people and do that which would cause enmity and hatred between them; but rather they should be brothers who cooperate upon righteousness and piety, as Allah [The Exalted] said:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa [virtue, righteousness and piety]; but do not help one another in sin and transgression]. [Al-Ma’idah. 2]

It is not allowed for anyone of them to receive a pledge from anyone to be in agreement with him in everything he wants – having allegiance to the one he is allied to and enmity against the one he harbours enmity, and whoever does this is similar to Genghis Khan and his ilk (in this affair), who take as their loyal friends the one in agreement with them and the one who oppose them as a rebellious enemy; rather it is obligated on them and their followers (i.e. the teachers) to fulfil the covenant of Allah and His Messenger by obeying Allah and His Messenger, doing that which Allah and His Messenger have commanded, declare unlawful that which Allah and His Messenger have declared unlawful, and preserve the rights of the teachers in the manner commanded by Allah and His Messenger. So, if one’s teacher is oppressed, he should help him; but if the teacher is the oppressor, he should not aid him in his act of oppression; rather he forbids him from it, as it has been established in the authentic books of hadeeth that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2444]

If an argument and dispute occurs between a teacher and another teacher, or between a student and another student, it is not permissible for anyone to help one of them until he knows the truth – neither to aid him based on ignorance nor desires; rather he he examines the affair, so if the truth becomes clear to him, he helps the one who deserves to be helped (due to him being upon the truth) against the one upon error – regardless whether the one who deserves to be helped is one of his companions or the companion of someone else, or whether the one upon error is one of his companions or the companion of someone else. Therefore, the aim is only to worship Allah alone, obedience to Allah’s Messenger, adherence to truth and establishment of justice. Allah, The Most High, said:

يا أيها الذين آمنوا كونوا قوامين بالقسط شهداء لله ولو على أنفسكم أو الوالدين والأقربين، إن يكن غنياً أو فقيراً فالله أولى بهما، فلا تتبعوا الهوى أن تعدلوا وإن تلووا أو تعرضوا فإن الله كان بما تعملون خبيراً

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [An-Nisaa. 135] [5]

May Allah keep us safe and protect us from every evil. May Allah bless all the Mashayikh—in the East and the West—who have taught us these principles throughout the years and clearly acted upon them, both in times of strength and during times of Fitan. May Allah grant us Ikhlas, Sidq and Husnul Khatimah. Ameen.

Wallahul-Musta‘aan!

 

[1]An Excerpt from ‘Kash As-Sitaar page 19-20’. Quoted from question number 8]

[2]Majmu al-Fatawaa 12/467-468]

[3] Al-Mukhtaaraat Al-Bahiyyah Min Kutub Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. Pages 62-63]

[4] Majmu al-Fatawa 12/467-468

[5] Majmu al-Fatawa. 28/15-17. paraphrased

A Timeless Lesson for the haughty Ideologues, Demagogues, and Rabble-Rousers of Our Time

Written by Abdullah Jallow on . Posted in Aqeedah, Aqeedah (Creed & Belief), Basics, Contemporary Issues, Fitnah, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Monotheism - Tawheed, Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Purification of The Soul, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

Allah, The Most High, said:

فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ

As for ‘Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?” See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)! [Fussilat 15]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This is a detailed account of the story of the two nations, Aad and Thamud. As for Aad, they were arrogant in the earth, together with their disbelief in Allah, their denial of His signs, and their rejection of His messengers. They subdued those – the servants of Allah – around them, oppressed them and were self-amazed with their strength.

[وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً – They said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?”] In response, Allah reminded them of a fundamental truth known to all: [أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً – See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them]. If Allah did not create them, they would not have existed. Had they contemplated their situation in a correct manner, they would not have been deceived by their own power, thus, Allah punished them in a manner befitting the strength in which they had placed their misguided trust. [1]

Imam Al-Baghawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

The statement of the Almighty: [فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً – As for Aad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?”] This was in response to Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, who warned them of impending punishment. They arrogantly claimed that their strength could protect them from such retribution, boasting of their tall and powerful physiques. In response, Allah said to them: [أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ – See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)] [2]

Imam Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Allah, The Exalted, said: [فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ – As for Aad, they were arrogant in the land without right]- Meaning, rebellious, insolent and disobedient.

[وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً – They said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?] Meaning, believing that their physical strength and capabilities would protect them from Allah’s punishment. [أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً – – See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them]- Meaning, they did not reflect on the fact that Allah, who created them, is indeed stronger than they are! Did they not contemplate the One against whom they openly declared their enmity? For indeed, He (Allah) is Al-Adheem (Footnote a) who created all things and endowed them with the strength to exist, and His punishment is indeed severe. [3]

Imam Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

The statement of Allah, The Exalted:[فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ – As for Aad, they were arrogant in the land] – without right – towards the servants of Allah, (towards) Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, and those who believed in him. [وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً – They said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?] They were deceived by their physical stature when faced with the threat of punishment, saying: “We are able to avert the punishment from ourselves by virtue of our strength”. This was due to their tall and mighty physiques. It has already been stated in the explanation of Surah Al-A’raf” (based on a report) by Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, that the tallest among them was one hundred cubits, while the shortest was sixty cubits. In response, Allah said to them: [أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً – See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them] and in ability, rather, the ability of a person is contingent upon Allah’s power, and indeed, Allah is the most capable. [4]

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ نَّحِسَاتٍ لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَخْزَىٰ وَهُمْ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

So We sent upon them furious wind in days of evil omen (for them) that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life, but surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will never be helped. [Fussilat 16]

Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, said, Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Verily, Allah will give respite to the oppressor until when He seizes him and he cannot escape”. Then he [i.e. the Messenger] recited the verse:

[وَكَذَٲلِكَ أَخۡذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَآ أَخَذَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَهِىَ ظَـٰلِمَةٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ أَخۡذَهُ ۥۤ أَلِيمٌ۬ شَدِيدٌ – Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful, and severe]. [Hud. 102]

Al-Allamah Zaid Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There is a warning against oppression in this lofty hadith- oppression against oneself through different levels and types of sins. The one whom Allah has given wealth, good health, safety and stability while he persists upon sin, this is Allah’s plan in stages against this sinner because he deserves it- وَلَا يَظۡلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدً۬ا – And your Lord treats no one with injustice. [Al-Kahf. 49]

There’s a warning – in this hadith – against oppressing others because the one who oppresses others is called an oppressor and the one who oppresses himself through sins is called an oppressor. Therefore, the one who oppresses himself and the one who oppresses others are (exposed) to great danger in this life, in the grave and in the afterlife. If Allah gives him respite and does not hasten punishment against him, then indeed Allah reserves for him the punishment he deserves due to the statement of Allah:

[وَكَذَٲلِكَ أَخۡذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَآ أَخَذَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَهِىَ ظَـٰلِمَةٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ أَخۡذَهُ ۥۤ أَلِيمٌ۬ شَدِيدٌ – Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful, and severe].

This is how the hadith is in agreement with the noble verse, that if Allah gives respite to an oppressor, it is not that Allah has neglected his affair. If Allah delays punishment against him in the worldly life, Allah multiplies it for him in the hereafter, thus, he is recompensed based on what he did and the evil deeds he committed. Allah is the possessor of (perfect) wisdom, because He recompenses a doer based on his deed- good recompense for good deeds and evil recompense for evil deeds. [5]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Everyone with a bit of (sound) intellect knows that the corruption of the world and its ruin occurs due to giving precedence to opinion over the divine revelation and (vain) desires over sound intellect. These two corrupt motives are not entrenched in a heart except that its destruction becomes inevitable nor in a nation except that its affairs are completely corrupted. [6]

The Imam also said:

Whoever contemplates the state of the world will recognise that every instance of rectification stems from Tawhid, singling out Allah in worship and obedience to His Messenger, Muhammad. Conversely, every form of evil, trial, hardship, scarcity in sustenance, and subjugation by adversaries, among other issues, arises from opposing the Messenger and the pursuit of paths other than those prescribed by Allah and His Messenger. Whoever truly  contemplates this matter and examines the world’s conditions from its inception until the time Allah ends it, he will realise this about himself and others, both in general and in specific situations. Indeed, there is no might or power except with Allah – The Most High, The Most Great. [7]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Industrialisation and modern inventions; everyone has participated in it – the righteous, the wicked, the believer and the disbeliever. As for religion and manners in this era, it has greatly declined. When this industrial advancement is devoid of (sound) religion and faith, it became a great harm from two angles: firstly, it beguiled many people, who – due of their ignorance – think that worldly advancement is proof to show that its people are more worthy of achieving every good than others. They are clearly misguided because a person maybe from the most skillful in matters related to the material world, whilst he is one of the most ignorant people in matters related to the (sound) religion, virtuous manners and the (other) beneficial affairs in this life and the next. Secondly, when these inventions are devoid of (sound) religion, its mercy and wisdom, it becomes a great disaster for humankind due to the wars that resulted from them- killing, destruction and other matters related to it. Its overseers and scholars are unable to laydown – for humankind -a stable, just and good life; rather they have not ceased moving from one miserable state to another. This is inevitable and the continuous state of affairs shows this. Therefore, all good is found in the sound religion and all evil is found in rejecting and willfully denying (Allah, His Messengers, His Laws, Guidance, Commands, Prohibitions etc).

Indeed, it is impossible to rectify the souls and acquire virtue solely through the worldly sciences. Experience and clearly witnessed circumstances are the greatest proofs regarding this affair, because despite its advancement and vastness it has been unable to nurture and rectify the souls, which is the determinant of (sound) rectification and success.

The Remedy: What the Religion of Islam propagates is that which is entrusted with this rectification; it is what will guide the thoughts towards the truthful and authentic sources of knowledge, guide the actions of the people towards good and prevent them from evil. Islam is The Rectifier of the Creeds and Manners- the thing that cultivates the thoughts, urges towards virtuousness and prevents from depravity.

The essence of that which the religion calls to – regarding belief in the Unseen, which includes belief in Allah and that which He possesses of Names, Attributes and Actions of perfection; belief in Angels, belief in recompense for one’s good and bad deeds in this life and the next, which cannot be known except through the Messengers, is what acquaints a person with the fact that rectification – in reality – is not possible through other than sound belief and the religion of Islam. Thus, even if the worldly sciences rectify (some) matters based upon that which people know in detail, it will still not be equal to the knowledge of the Messengers- neither will it reach that which is reached through the knowledge of the Messengers nor can it influence the souls in the manner in which the knowledge of the Messengers has done, because indeed the souls do not voluntarily submit except through belief in Allah, belief in His Angels, belief in His Books, belief in His Messengers and belief in the hereafter. And without this, voluntary submission is impossible, as is well known regarding human nature. [8]

The followers of truth will remain until the end of time. The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

A group of people from my Umma will always remain manifest upon the truth. They will not be harmed by those who forsake them until Allah’s Command comes to pass (i.e. the Day of Judgment). [9]

Why Ponder Upon The Story of The Nations of Old?

قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ سُنَنٌ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

Many similar mishaps [troubles, problems] of life were faced by nations that have passed away before you, so travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who disbelieved]. [Surah Aal Imraan. Verse 137]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Indeed, there were nations like yourselves before you, so look to their evil end. You have to know that the reason behind their evil end was due to their disbelief in the revelations of Allah and disbelief in Allah’s Messengers. They were the forefathers and you are the descendants. The main affair that connects you to each other is your disbelief and the ruling on that disbelief is destruction. [10]

Imam Muhammad Bin Salih Al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

If it is said, “What is the benefit in narrating to us the stories of the destroyed nations despite the fact that this Ummah will not be completely destroyed in a manner similar to the destruction of the previous nations before it?”

The Answer: Indeed, this has two benefits: The first benefit is a clarification of Allah’s blessings upon us that the occurrence of a complete destruction is removed from us, and that were it not for Allah’s Benevolence we would have been deserving of it. Second, the likeness of the punishment they received may occur in the hereafter for the one who did what they did, if punishment was not received in the worldly life. And this may be understood from the statement of Allah: “Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the population of towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful and severe. Indeed in that (there) is a sure lesson for those who fear the torment of the Hereafter.” So what is apparent from this Aayah is that what is similar to the punishment they received will happen in the Hereafter, and Allaah knows best. [11]

Allah [The Most High] said:

قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ
ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ وَيَقُولُ أَيۡنَ شُرَڪَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمۡ تُشَـٰٓقُّونَ فِيہِمۡ‌ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ إِنَّ ٱلۡخِزۡىَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

Those before them indeed plotted, but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them and will say: “Where are My (so called) ‘partners’ concerning whom you used to disagree and dispute (with the believers, by defying and disobeying Allah)?” Those who have been given the knowledge (about the Torment of Allah for the disbelievers) will say: “Verily! Disgrace this Day and misery are upon the disbelievers. [An-Nahl. 26-27]

[قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ – Those before them indeed plotted]: The Mufassiroon say that this refers to Namrud who built a tall tower in order to climb – as he claimed – the heavens and fight its inhabitants.

[فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ – but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them]: The Mufassiroon say: Allaah sent a wind which flung the top of the tower to the sea and the rest was destroyed. [وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ – and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive]: Meaning, from where they thought they were safe. [ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ – Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace]: Meaning, disgraced with punishment. [12]

[قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ – Those before them indeed plotted]: Meaning plotted against their Messengers, employed various types of tricks in order to reject that which the messengers brought and established gigantic safeguards [by way of arguments, views etc] on their plots. [فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ – but Allah struck at the foundation of their building]– Meaning, an affair came to them from its basis and foundation [فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ – and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them] -Meaning, so what they built became a punishment for them. [وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ – and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive]: Meaning, that is because they thought that such a building will benefit and protect them from punishment, but their punishment occurred from that which they built and established.

This is one the best of parables regarding how Allah nullifies the plots of his enemies, for indeed they pondered and reflected on that which the Messengers brought when they belied them, made up principles and rules for it based on falsehood, referred back to them to reject that which the Messengers came with, employed tricks to bring discomfort to the Messengers and inflict harm on them and those who followed them, but their plot became a source of evil against them, so their plan became their destruction, because their plot was evil as Allah said: [ وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ – But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it]. [Fatir. 43]

This is in this worldly life and the punishment in the afterlife would be more disgraceful, and due to this Allah said: [ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ – Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them]. [13]

[وَقَدۡ مَكَرُواْ مَڪۡرَهُمۡ – Indeed, they planned their plot, and their plot was with Allah]: There are four statements of the scholars regarding the above: That it was Namrud when he debated with Ibrahim about his Lord. That it was about Bakhtanasar. That it is about the nations of the past and their plotting which necessitates Shirk. That it is about those who plotted against the Messenger when they desired to kill him.

And regarding the statement: [وَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَڪۡرُهُمۡ – and their plot was with Allah]– meaning: Their plot is recorded so that Allah will recompense them.

[وَإِن كَانَ مَڪۡرُهُمۡ لِتَزُولَ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ – though their plot was a great (one, still) it would never be able to remove the mountains]. Az-Zujaaj said, “Even if they plot reached the severity where it could move a mountain, they will still not be able to bring the affair of Islam to an end”. [14] Even if their plot were to reach a stage where it could move a mountain, Allah will still aid the religion He has ordained. [15]

Al-Awfee said reported from Ibn Abbas who said, “Their plot cannot move mountains”. Ibn Jareer  said, “This deed they commit is against themselves, such as associating partners to Allah and disbelief in Him cannot bring any harm to the mountains nor anything, rather it will haunt them”. [16] The verses (signs, revelations) of Allah, His divine laws and His manifest miracles at the hands of the Messengers are like mountains in robustness and firmness. So the intent is to belittle their plot and that it cannot remove the signs and Messenger ships. [17]

Allah [The Exalted] said:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ ۖ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Have you not seen (contemplated with your heart) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah), because Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim (Abraham) said (to him): “My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.” So the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.). [Al-Baqarah. 258]

Imam Al-Baghawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There is a difference of opinion among (the Mufassiroon) regarding the timing of this debate. Muqatil, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that after Ibrahim, peace be upon him, broke the idols, Namrud imprisoned him and later brought him out to be burned. Namrud asked, “Who is the Lord you urge us to worship?” Ibrahim, peace be upon him, replied, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death.” Others say that this (occurred) after Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, during a time of drought when people sought food from Namrud. If someone approached him for food, he would inquire, “Who is your Lord?” If the person responded, “You are my Lord,” he would then offer to sell them food. [18]

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦۤ

“Have you seen (contemplated with your heart and eyes) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah)”……Meaning, his insolence, ignorant attitude and obstinacy, and arguing about that which there is no doubt! Nothing led him to this behaviour except because” Allah had given him the kingdom”, thus, he transgressed and rebelled, and considered himself as one in control of those under his authority, which led him to argue with Prophet Ibrahim about Allah’s Lordship and claimed that he can do the same thing as Allah does.

Prophet Ibrahim said to him, “My Lord is He Who gives life and death” – Meaning, “Allah alone is in absolute control of everything”. Then Ibrahim mentioned two specific things – life and death. This is because they the greatest things in Allah’s absolute control. Life is the beginning of the worldly life and death is the beginning of what is to occur in the afterlife.

Then the one (the king) who sought to ague against Ibrahim said, “I give life and cause death”, but he never said, “I am the One Who gives life and death, because could not claim that he is not in need of anyone to interfere in the matter; instead, he only claimed that he could do what Allah does by killing someone and sparing someone’s life. Prophet Ibrahim saw the fallacy in his argument and utterence of speech that is not even worthy of being a Shubhah (i.e. an ambiguity portrayed as wholesome truth) let alone a proof, so he said to him, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east”.

Ibrahim mentioned something that can be clearly seen and affirmed by everyone including this disbeliever. “Then cause it you to rise from the West”. This compelled him to bring proof if he is truthful in his claim.

When Ibrahim uttered this to him, about which he neither had the ability to present an ambiguity to make Ibrahim’s proof look confusing nor could he find something to disparage it, he was utterly defeated – lost for an answer, his proof cut off and his ambiguous statement toppled. [19]

He Who brings life and death (Allah) has absolute control over the existence and creates everything in it, including absolute control of its celestial bodies and their movements. The sun rises everyday from the east, thus, if you were god, as you claim, who gives life and cause death, make the sun rise from the west. [20]

This is the situation of an obstinate falsifier who wants to confront truth and overcome it, because he will be defeated and subdued. This is why Allah said:

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)]; instead He abandons them to their disbelief and misguidance. [21]

Allah, said: [وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ – Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said] – Meaning, with haughtiness and tyranny, whilst deluding his foolish people;

[ذَرُونِي أَقْتُلْ مُوسَىٰ وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ – Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop me from killing him)!]

This was his claim that had it not been for his consideration of the wishes of his people, he would have killed Musa and that (Musa’s) supplication to his Lord would not have prevented him from that. Fir’awn then mentioned what made him want to kill Musa and that he is a sincere adviser to his people, and that he wished to remove mischief from the land. Allah stated that Fir’awn said: [إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُمْ أَوْ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْفَسَادَ – I fear that he (Musa) may change your religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!” [Ghaafir 26]

This is the most amazing the affair can be! The most evil one among the creation gives advice to the people against the best among the creation. This is (nothing but) disguised falsehood and propaganda, which cannot seize except the intellects of those (people) about whom Allah stated: [فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ – Thus he Fir’aun (Pharaoh)] befooled and misled his people, and they obeyed him. Verily, they were ever a people who were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).] [Az-Zukhruf. 54] [22]

Allah [The Exalted] said: [يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَڪُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرِى – O chiefs! I know not that you have an ilah (a god) other than me].

Just look at what Fir’awn said! He did not say. “You do not have a god besides me”, rather he said: “I know not that you have a god other than me’’. This is because they considered him to be a virtuous scholar and that whatever he said has to be the truth, and whatever he commands has to be followed. And after he made this statement, he then tried to prove that what he has stated is true. Allah [The Most High] said that Fir’awn said to Haamaan:

[فَأَوۡقِدۡ لِى يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجۡعَل لِّى صَرۡحً۬ا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُ ۥ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ – so kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarhan (a lofty tower, or palace, etc.) in order that I may look at (or look for) the Ilah (God) of Musa (Moses); and verily, I think that he [Musa (Moses)] is one of the liars]- Meaning: We think that Musa is lying, but we are going to ascertain the affair and prove that he is a liar.

Look at Fir’awn’s extreme sinful boldness! He belied Musa, peace be upon him, claimed that he was a God, claimed that he is not aware of a true object of worship and asked Haamaan to build him a tower in order that he can see the god of Musa! These claims were nothing else but propaganda; however what is really amazing is the affair of those chiefs who considered themselves as the elders of the Kingdom, for how did they allow Fir’awn to play about with their intellects and deceive them? Indeed, that was due to their extremely sinful behaviour, which corrupted their religion and then their intellects. We ask Allah to keep us firm upon Iman and that our hearts do not become deviated after we have been guided. [23]

Allah said:
فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ

As for ‘Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?” See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)![Fussilat 15]

Allah stated that Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, said to his people: [وَإِذَا بَطَشۡتُم بَطَشۡتُمۡ جَبَّارِينَ – And when you seize, seize you as tyrants]– Meaning, when you want to attack with a whip or sword, you attack like tyrants, completely overpowering and being savagely violent – neither compassionate nor aim to discipline (within justice as commanded by Allah), nor contemplating on the consequences. [24]Allah gave them great strength and it was obligated to them to use this strength in obedience to Allah, but they became boastful and haughty, and they said: [مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً‌ۖ – Who is mightier than us in strength? (Fussilat. 15], and they utilised their strength in disobedience to Allah, fruitlessly and foolishly, thus, their Prophet forbade them from that. [25]Their Prophet forbade them from that because it was done out of oppression. [26]

Footnote a: Al-Adheem: [The Tremendous One, or The Magnificent. The One Tremendous in Greatness, and The Only One deservingly held in awe and venerated by the creation for His Greatness in every sense]. By Shaikh abu Talhah, may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife.

[1] Tafsir As-Sadi

[2] Tafsir Al-Baghawi

[3] Tafsir Ibn kathir

[4] Tafsir Al-Qurtubi

[5] at-Taleeqaat Al-Maleehah Alaa Silsilah Al-Ahaith As-Saheehah. 1/100

[6] I’laam Al-Muwaqqi’een 1/67-69

[7] An Excerpt from Bada’i Al-Fawa’id 3/525-526

[8] An Excerpt from “Al-Adilladul Qawaati Wal Baraaheen Fee Ibtaalil Usoolil Mulhideen”. Pages 45-50

[9] Sahih Muslim 1920

[10] I’laam Al-Muwaqqi’een 1/181

[11]Al-Muntaqaa Min Fawaa’id Al-Fawaa’id 123-124

[12] An Excerpt from ‘Zad Al-Nasir By Imaam Ibn Al-Jawzi

[13] An Excerpt from Tafseer as-Sadi

[14] Fat-hul Qadeer. 3/160]

[15] Fat-hul Qadeer. 3/160

[16] Ruh Al-Ma’aanee 8/362

[17] An Excerpt from Tafsir Al-Baghawi

[18] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi.

[19] Tafseer Ibn Katheer

[20] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi

[21] An Excerpt from ‘Taysir As-Sadi

[22] An Excerpt from ‘Taysir As-Sadi

[23] Ruh Al-Ma’aanee 11/165

[24] Tafsir As-Sadi.

[25] Zadul Al-Maseer