Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah for your coming to Islam. Allaah
has blessed you by making you Muslim. And praise be to Allaah for the fact
that you feel Allaah is with you, for this is what brings peace to the
heart and makes deeds righteous.
Please understand that Allaah sends trials upon
people so as to distinguish between them, so that it will be known who
will bear it with patience and the hope of reward from Allaah, and who
will be filled with despair and will resent the decree of Allaah. So those
who are patient will be rewarded with Paradise and those who despair will
be punished with torment, grief and pain in this world, before the
Hereafter.
The plane crash which you mentioned is of this nature.
The people on board were either committed Muslims, so this disaster is an
expiation for their sins and will raise their status, as it is a kind of
martyrdom (shahaadah) for which they will be rewarded, and their families
will be rewarded if they bear their loss with patience; or they were
kuffaar and evildoers who did not obey their Lord, so the accident was a
punishment from Allaah and vengeance from Him.
A
Muslim must not feel sad for the death of non-Muslims because every human
being is destined to die. But dying before we Muslims were able to guide
them to Islam is our source of grief and sadness because who ever is not
Muslim is doomed in hell.
There is nothing mysterious about this as you
claim. It is the decree of Allaah which happens at every instant; we must
bear it with patience and not let grief overwhelm us. The crash of this
airplane is a sign from Allaah to mankind, to remind them of the greatness
of the power of Allaah.
Allaah says concerning ships (interpretation of
the meaning):
“And
among His Signs are the ships in the sea like mountains.
If
He wills, He causes the wind to cease, then they would become motionless
on the back (of the sea). Verily, in this are signs for everyone patient
and grateful.
Or
He may destroy them (by shipwreck) because of that which their (people)
have earned. And He pardons much.
And
those who dispute (polytheists, with Our Messenger Muhammad) as regards
Our Ayaat (proofs, signs, verses of Islamic Monotheism) may know that
there is no place of refuge for them (from Allaah’s punishment)
So
whatever you have been given is but (a passing) enjoyment for this worldly
life, but that which is with Allaah (Paradise) is better and more lasting
for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) and put their
trust in their Lord (concerning all of their affairs).”
[al-Shoora
42:32-36]
Plane crashes
and other disasters serve to remind people that no matter how much
progress they make in earthly terms and how much strength they gain,
Allaah is stronger and more powerful than they. What they do and the
developments they have made will not save them from the punishment and
decree of Allaah if it comes to them. Let people go back and look at
themselves, and realize how incapable and weak they really are, and how
strong, mighty and powerful Allaah is.
Please
realize that Allaah is close and that He responds to the call of the one
who is in need. Allaah does not distance Himself from man unless man
distances himself from Allaah and becomes arrogant.
Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I
am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of
the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).
So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright”
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
So
no one should feel that Allaah is far away from him, unless he has done
something to affect the relationship between him and Allaah. If he puts
matters right between him and Allaah, then he will not feel that grief and
distance.
The feelings
of grief and loneliness that have overwhelmed you are from the accursed Shaytaan who wants to cause grief to those
who believe; he does not want to see them active in doing actions of
obedience to Allaah that will bring joy to their hearts.
Imaam
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O
Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the
All‑Hearer, the All‑Knower” [Fussilat 41:36]
“Show
forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e.
don’t punish them). And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan
(Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah. Verily, He is All-Hearer,
All-Knower” [al-A’raaf 7:199-200]
“Repel
evil with that which is better. We are Best‑Acquainted with the
things they utter.
And
say: ‘My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions)
of the Shayaateen (devils).
And
I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me.’”
[al-Mu’minoon
23:96-98]
“Repel
(the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allaah orders the faithful
believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who
treat them badly) then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity,
(will become) as though he was a close friend.
But
none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient —
and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness
in the Hereafter, i.e., Paradise and of a high moral character) in this
world.
And
if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O
Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is
the All‑Hearer, the
All‑Knower.”
[Fussilat
41:34-36]
There is
no fourth aayah with a meaning like that of these three, which is that
Allaah commands us to be kind to human enemies and treat them kindly so
that their inherent good nature will prevail and they will become our
friends. But He commands us to seek refuge with Him from satanic enemies;
there is no point in being kind to them or treating them nicely, for they
want only to destroy the sons of Adam because of the intensity of the
enmity between them and their father Adam beforehand. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“O
Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your
parents [Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve)] out of Paradise” [al-A’raaf 7:27]
“Surely,
Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He
only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the
blazing Fire” [Faatir 35:6]
“Will
you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers
rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange
for the Zaalimoon (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc).” [al-Kahf 18:50]
Iblees
swore to our father Adam that he was one of the sincere, but he lied, so
how about his dealings with us? Especially since he said:
“By
Your Might, then I will surely, mislead them all, Except Your chosen
slaves amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic
Monotheism)” [Saad 38:82-83 – interpretation of the meaning]
And
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So
when you want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from
Shaytaan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one). Verily,
he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their
Lord (Allaah). His power is only over those who obey and follow him
(Satan), and those who join partners with Him (Allaah, i.e. those who are
Mushrikoon, i.e., polytheists.” [al-Nahl 16:98-100]
(Tafseer
Ibn Katheer, 1/14)
So turn
to Allaah, remember Him and strive to worship Him, so that your soul will
become pure and love for Him will become firmly entrenched in your heart,
and you will be relieved of your worry and grief. Remember the hadeeth of
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
The
Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no-one who is
afflicted by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma
inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya
hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka
sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min
khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al
al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab
hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of
Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is
forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name
belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your
Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the
knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of
my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a
release for my anxiety),’ but Allaah will take away his distress and
grief, and replace it with joy.” (Narrated
by Imaam Ahmad, 3704; it is a saheeh hadeeth).
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
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