Tuesday, April 24, 2012
the Poeple of taqwa
I take refuge with Allaah from the accursed devil.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Welcome to my blog and praise the Magnificent Lord as you enter: Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest .
May the Peace and Blessing of Allah Azza wa Jal, our Lord Glorified and Praised be He, be upon our beloved Prophet, his Family, and Companions.
The People of Taqwa (Piety).
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّـتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
(15. Verily, those who have Taqwa will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs,)
ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَـهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ
(16. Taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this doers of good.)
كَانُواْ قَلِيلاً مِّن الَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ
(17. They used to sleep but little by night.)
وَبِالاٌّسْحَـرِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
(18. And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness.)
وَفِى أَمْوَلِهِمْ حَقٌّ لَّلسَّآئِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ
(19. And in their wealth there was the right of the Sa’il and the Mahrum.)
وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ ءَايَـتٌ لِّلْمُوقِنِينَ
(20. And on the earth are signs for those who have faith with certainty.)
وَفِى أَنفُسِكُمْ أَفَلاَ تُبْصِرُونَ
(21. And also in yourselves. Will you not then see )
وَفِى السَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ
(22. And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised.)
فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِّثْلَ مَآ أَنَّكُمْ تَنطِقُونَ
(23. Then by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is the truth, just as you can speak.)
Surah 51 Ad-Dhariyat Verse 15 -23
Tasir Ibn Kathir
Allah the Exalted informs about those who have Taqwa, that on the Day of their Return they will be amidst gardens and springs. To the contrary the miserable ones will be amidst torment, punishment, fire and chains. Allah said,
(Taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them.) His statement;
(Taking) describes the state of the people of Taqwa in the midst of gardens and springs. They will receive what their Lord gives them, meaning, delight, happiness and favors. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
(Verily, they were before that), in the life of the world,
(gooddoers) As He said:
(Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!)(69:24) Allah the Exalted described the good acts that they performed,
(They used to sleep but little at night.) The scholars of Tafsir have two opinions about this:
The first is that, they used to spend a little part of every night awake. Ibn `Abbas said, “Every night, they would worship Allah, even during a little part of the night.” Qatadah narrated that Mutarrif bin `Abdullah said, “Hardly a night would pass by them that they did not pray to Allah the Exalted and Most Honored, either in the beginning, or the middle of it.” Mujahid said, “Only a few nights, if any, would they sleep through the night until the morning without praying Tahajjud.” Qatadah said similarly. Anas bin Malik and Abu Al-`Aliyah said, “They used to pray between Al-Maghrib and Al-`Isha’.” The Second Opinion They used to spend a little part of the night in sleep. This was preferred by Ibn Jarir. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said:
(They used to sleep but little by night), “They performed voluntary night prayer and would not sleep during the night except a little. They were active and would continue until they were seeking forgiveness right before dawn.” `Abdullah bin Salam said, “When the Messenger of Allah arrived at Al-Madinah, people quickly gathered around him and I was among them. When I saw his face, I knew that it was not the face of a liar. The first statement I heard from him was,
(O people! Feed with food, keep relations to kith and kin, spread the Salam, pray at night while people are asleep, and you will enter Paradise in peace.)” Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Verily, there are lofty rooms in Paradise in which their outside can be seen from inside and their inside from the outside.) Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari said, “Who are they for, O Allah’s Messenger” He said,
(For those who use soft speech, feed food and spend the night in voluntary prayer while people are asleep.) Allah said:
(And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness.) Mujahid and several others said: “They were performing Salah.” Others said that they would stand in prayer during the night and delayed asking Allah for forgiveness until the latter hours before dawn. As Allah, the Exalted the Blessed, said;
(And those who seek forgiveness during the last hours of the night.)(3:17); This is because it is better if asking for forgiveness is done while praying. It is confirmed in the Sahih collections as well as others, from several Companions, that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Allah, the Most High, descends each night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains. He says, “Is there anyone who is repenting so that I may accept his repentance Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, so that I may forgive him Is there anyone asking of Me, so that I may grant him his request” until Fajr begins.) Many of the scholars of Tafsir said that when the Prophet Ya`qub said to his sons:
(I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you)(12:98), he delayed doing so until the hours before dawn. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
(And in their wealth there was the right of the Sa’il and the Mahrum.) After Allah mentioned their quality of performing prayer, He then mentioned their quality of spending in charity and acts of compassion and kindness,
(And in their wealth there was the right), a designated part which they dedicated to the Sa’il and Mahrum. The Sa’il is the poor who begs others, and he has a due right. As for the Mahrum, Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid said, “He is the poor person who does not receive a stipend.” Meaning he does not receive a stipend from the Muslim treasury, nor does he have a means of income, nor a profession. The Mother of the faithful, `A’ishah may Allah be pleased with her, said about the Mahrum, “He is the displaced, the one who does not have a profession to easily earn an income from.” Qatadah and Az-Zuhri: “The Mahrum is the one who does not ask the people for anything.” Az-Zuhri added that the Messenger of Allah said,
(The poor (Miskin) is not the one who goes round to the people and asks them for a mouthful or two or a date or two. But the poor is the one who does not have enough to satisfy his needs and whose condition is not known to others, so that others may give him something in charity.) This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs using another chain of narration.
Allah the Exalted and the Blessed said next,
(And on the earth are signs for those who have faith with certainty.) Allah says that there are signs on earth that testify to the might of the Creator and His boundless ability. These signs include what Allah placed on the earth, the various plants, animals, valleys, mountains, deserts, rivers and oceans. He also created mankind with different languages, colors, intentions and abilities, and a variety among them, differences in the power of understanding and comprehension, their deeds, and ultimately earning happiness or misery. Allah put every organ in their bodies in its rightful place where they most need it to be. So He said؛
(And also in yourselves. Will you not then see) Qatadah commented, “He who thinks about his own creation will realize that he was created with flexible joints so that it is easy for him to perform acts of worship.” Allah the Exalted said next,
(And in the heaven is your provision,) meaning, rain,
(and that which you are promised.) meaning Paradise. This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several others. Allah said:
(Then by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is the truth, just as you can speak.) Allah is swearing by His honorable Self, all of the matters of the Judgement, Resurrection, and Recompense that they have been promised shall certainly occur. Therefore, it is the truth, there being no doubt about it, so do not doubt its coming, just as you do not doubt that you can speak When he would talk to one of his friends, Mu`adh used to say: “What I am saying is as true as your being here.”
Important note to learn and Read Quran online
The Holy Quran is the word of Allah; it has been sent down to guide us and the guidance can online be gained through reading quran online. No other book can be like holy quran. As you come to the learn tajweed quran, Allah speaks to you and reading Arabic Quran is to hear Him, even to converse with Him, and to walk in His ways. So it is must for us as a Muslim to learn and do quran memorization by heart and the Quran tutor should teach the kids from quran qaida and then teaching quran online along with the quran tafseer and let the kids memorize quran so that we as Muslim could learn quran tajweed rules and then understand the quran tafseer It is the encounter of life with the Life-giver. 'God - there is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting (by whom all subsist) He has sent down upon you the Book with the Truth ... as a guidance unto mankind ...' (Al 'Imran 3: 2-3 learn quran recitation). So we should always remember the guidance of Allah and we should be listening to quran online along with obeying the commandments of Allah so let us join hands to lean the Koran and let our kids do quran memorization and learn the teaching of quran education online and apply them in there life there is kids quran lesson available online as well
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Prohet Mosa(peace be upon him) talk to farwa (pharoah)
I take refuge with Allaah from the accursed devil.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Welcome to my blog and praise the Magnificent Lord as you enter: Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest .
May the Peace and Blessing of Allah Azza wa Jal, our Lord Glorified and Praised be He, be upon our beloved Prophet, his Family, and Companions.
Prophet Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, talks to the Firawn (Pharoah).
وَإِذْ نَادَى رَبُّكَ مُوسَى أَنِ ائْتَ الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(10. And (remember) when your Lord called Musa (saying): “Go to the people who are wrongdoers.”)
قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَلا يَتَّقُونَ
(11. “The people of Fira`wn. Will they not have Taqwa”)
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ
(12. He said: “My Lord! Verily, I fear that they will deny me,”)
وَيَضِيقُ صَدْرِى وَلاَ يَنطَلِقُ لِسَانِى فَأَرْسِلْ إِلَى هَـرُونَ
(13. “And my breast straitens, and my tongue expresses not well. So send for Harun.”)
وَلَهُمْ عَلَىَّ ذَنبٌ فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ
(14. “And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me. ”)
قَالَ كَلاَّ فَاذْهَبَا بِـَايَـتِنَآ إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُّسْتَمِعُونَ
(15. (Allah) said: “Nay! Go you both with Our signs. Verily, We shall be with you, listening.”)
فَأْتِيَا فِرْعَوْنَ فَقُولا إِنَّا رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(16. “And go both of you to Fira`wn, and say: `We are the Messengers of the Lord of Al-`Alamin,’)
أَنْ أَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(17. `So allow the Children of Israel to go with us.”’)
قَالَ أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيداً وَلَبِثْتَ فِينَا مِنْ عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ
(18. (Fir`awn) said (to Musa): “Did we not bring you up among us as a child And you did dwell many years of your life with us.”)
وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِى فَعَلْتَ وَأَنتَ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ
(19. “And you did your deed, which you did. While you were one of the ingrates.”)
قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَآ إِذاً وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(20. Musa said: “I did it then, when I was in error.”)
فَفَرَرْتُ مِنكُمْ لَمَّا خِفْتُكُمْ فَوَهَبَ لِى رَبِّى حُكْماً وَجَعَلَنِى مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
(21. “So, I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me Hukm, and made me one of the Messengers.”)
وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَىَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(22. “And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, — that you have enslaved the Children of Israel.”)
Surah 26 As Shuara Verse 10-22
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Allah tells us what He commanded His servant, son of `Imran and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him, who spoke with Him, to do, when He called him from the right side of the mountain, and conversed with him, and chose him, sent him, and commanded him to go to Fir`awn and his people. Allah says:
(And when your Lord called Musa: “Go to the people who are wrongdoers. The people of Fir`awn. Will they not have Taqwa” He said: “My Lord! Verily, I fear that they will deny me, And my breast straitens, and my tongue expresses not well. So send for Harun. And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me.”) So, Musa asked Allah to remove these difficulties for him, as he said in Surah Ta Ha:
(Musa said: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest. And ease my task for me.”) (20:25-26) until:
(You are granted your request, O Musa!) (20:36)
(And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me.) because he had killed that Egyptian, which was the reason that he left the land of Egypt.
((Allah) said: “Nay!…”) Allah told him: do not be afraid of anything like that. This is like the Ayah,
(Allah said: “We will strengthen your arm through your brother, and give you both power) meaning, proof;
(so they shall not be able to harm you, with Our signs, you two as well as those who follow you will be the victors) (28:35),
(Go you both with Our signs. Verily, We shall be with you, listening.) This is like the Ayah,
(I am with you both, hearing and seeing) (20:46). Meaning, `I will be with you by My protection, care, support and help.’
(And go both of you to Fir`awn, and say: `We are the Messengers of the Lord of the all that exists.’) This is like the Ayah,
(Verily, we are both Messengers of your Lord) (20:47). which means, `both of us have been sent to you,’
(So allow the Children of Israel to go with us.) Meaning, `let them go, free them from your captivity, subjugation and torture, for they are the believing servants of Allah, devoted to Him, and with you they are in a position of humiliating torture.’ When Musa said that to him, Fir`awn turned away and ignored him completely, regarding him with scorn and thinking little of him. Saying:
(Did we not bring you up among us as a child) meaning, we brought you up among us, in our home and on our bed, we nourished you and did favors for you for many years, and after all that you responded to our kindness in this manner: you killed one of our men and denied our favors to you.’ So he said to him:
(While you were one of the ingrates.) meaning, one of those who deny favors. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir.
((Musa) said: “I did it then…”) meaning, at that time,
(when I was in error.) meaning, `before revelation was sent to me and before Allah made me a Prophet and sent me with this Message.’
(So, I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me Hukm, and made me one of the Messengers.) means, `the first situation came to an end and another took its place. Now Allah has sent me to you, and if you obey Him, you will be safe, but if you oppose Him, you will be destroyed.’ Then Musa said:
(And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, — that you have enslaved the Children of Israel.) meaning, `whatever favors you did in bringing me up are offset by the evil you did by enslaving the Children of Israel and using them to do your hard labor. Is there any comparison between your favors to one man among them and the evil you have done to all of them What you have mentioned about me is nothing compared to what you have done to them.’
قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(23. Fir`awn said: “And what is the Lord of Al-`Alamin”)
قَالَ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّوقِنِينَ
(24. (Musa) said: “The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty.”)
قَالَ لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ أَلاَ تَسْتَمِعُونَ
(25. (Fir`awn) said to those around: “Do you not hear (what he says)”)
قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
(26. (Musa) said: “Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!”)
قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ الَّذِى أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمَجْنُونٌ
(27. (Fir`awn) said: “Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!”)
قَالَ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
(28. (Musa) said: “Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!”)
Surah 26 Ash Shuara Verse 23-28
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
((Fir`awn said:) “And what is the Lord of the `Alamin”) This is because he used to say to his people:
(I know not that you have a god other than me.) (28:28)
(Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him.) (43:54) They used to deny the Creator, may He be glorified, and they believed that they had no other lord than Fir`awn. When Musa said to them: “I am the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds,” Fir`awn said to him, “Who is this who you are claiming is the Lord of Al-`Alamin other than me” This is how it was interpreted by the scholars of the Salaf and the Imams of later generations. As-Suddi said, “This Ayah is like the Ayah,
((Fir`awn) said: “Who then, O Musa, is the Lord of you two” He said: “Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.”) (20:49-50) Those among the philosophers and others who claimed that this was a question about the nature or substance [of Allah] are mistaken. Fir`awn did not believe in the Creator in the first place, so he was in no position to ask about the nature of the Creator; he denied that the Creator existed at all, as is apparent from the meaning, even though proof and evidence had been established against him. When Fir`awn asked him about the Lord of Al-`Alamin, Musa said:
((Musa) said: “The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them…”) meaning, the Creator, Sovereign and Controller of all that, their God Who has no partner or associate. He is the One Who has created all things. He knows the higher realms and the heavenly bodies that are in them, both those that are stationary and those that move and shine brightly. He knows the lower realms and what is in them; the oceans, continents, mountains, trees, animals, plants and fruits. He knows what is in between the two realms; the winds, birds, and whatever is in the air. All of them are servants to Him, submitting and humbling themselves before Him.
(if you seek to be convinced with certainty. ) means, if you have believing hearts and clear insight. At this, Fir`awn turned to the chiefs and leaders of his state around him, and said to them — mockingly expressing his disbelief in Musa:
(“Do you not hear”) meaning, `are you not amazed by what this man is claiming — that you have another god other than me’ Musa said to them:
(Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!) meaning, the One Who created you and your forefathers, those who came before Fir`awn and his time.
(He said) that is, Fir`awn said:
(Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!) meaning, there is no sense in his claim that there is any god other than me!’
((Musa) said) — to those in whose hearts Fir`awn had planted doubts:
(Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!) `He is the One Who made the east the place where the heavenly bodies rise, and made the west the place where they set; this is the system to which He has subjugated all the heavenly bodies, stationary and moving. If what Fir`awn claims is true, that he is your lord and your god, then let him turn things around so that the heavenly bodies set in the east and rise in the west.’ This is similar to the Ayah,
(who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord, because Allah had given him the kingdom When Ibrahim said: “My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim said, “Verily, Allah brings the sun from the east. So cause it to rise from the west.”) (2:258) So when Fir`awn was defeated in debate, he resorted to the use of his force and power, believing that this would be effective in dealing with Musa, peace be upon him, so he said, as Allah tells us:
قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ
(29. He said: “If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.”)
قَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَىءٍ مُّبِينٍ
(30. He said: “Even if I bring you something manifest”)
قَالَ فَأْتِ بِهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ
(31. He said: “Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!”)
فَأَلْقَى عَصَـهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ
(32. So he threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest.)
وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ بَيْضَآءُ لِلنَّـظِرِينَ
(33. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!)
قَالَ لِلْمَلإِ حَوْلَهُ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَسَـحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ
(34. He said to the chiefs around him: “Verily, this is indeed a well-versed sorcerer.”)
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخْرِجَكُمْ مِّنْ أَرْضِكُمْ بِسِحْرِهِ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ
(35. “He wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery: what is it then that you command”)
قَالُواْ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَابْعَثْ فِى الْمَدَآئِنِ حَـشِرِينَ
(36. They said: “Put him off and his brother (for a while), and send callers to the cities;”)
يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَحَّارٍ عَلِيمٍ
(37. “To bring up to you every well-versed sorcerer.”)
Surah 26 Ash Shuara Verse 29-37
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
When proof had been established against Fir`awn, clearly and rationally, he resorted to using force against Musa, thinking that after this there would no further room for discussion. So he said:
(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.) To this, Musa responded:
(Even if I bring you something manifest) meaning, clear and definitive proof.
(Fir`awn said: “Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!” So he threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest.) meanig, it was very clear and obvious, with a huge body and a big mouth, terrifying in appearance.
(And he drew out his hand,) meaning, from his sleeve,
(and behold, it was white to all beholders!) It was shining like a piece of the moon. Since Fir`awn was already doomed, he hastened to stubborn denial, and said to the chiefs around him:
(Verily, this is indeed a well-versed sorcerer.) One who knows a great deal of magic or witchcraft. Fir`awn was trying to convince them that this was sorcery, not a miracle. Then he provoked them against Musa, trying to make them oppose him and disbelieve in him, and said:
(He wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery…) meaning, `he wants to capture the people’s hearts and win them over by doing this, so that they will support him, and help him and follow him, and he will defeat you in your own land and take the land from you. So advise me, what should I do with him’
(They said: “Put him off and his brother, and send callers to the cities; to bring up to you every well-versed sorcerer.”) meaning, `delay him and his brother until you gather together all the sorcerers from every city and region of your kingdom so that they may confront him and produce something like he produces, then you will defeat him and have the victory.’ So Fir`awn did as they suggested, which is what Allah decreed would happen to them, so that all the people would gather in one place and the signs and proof of Allah would be made manifest before them all in one day.
Its the responsibility of every Moslem in learning quran and tajweed and we also have to teach our kids Quran and not only the Quran teaching we should let then be aware of the basic of Islam and why it was reviled you bet it was vilified and verity teaching of holy Quran and with tajweed quran we read Quran we can understand better all the replies that are postulated if we study koran from a qualified Quran tutor he will let you know verity center of Islam and why koran was reviled for it we should gain the information of the Book with there translation and the context of when those verses were reviled and why and that is only potential when we keep with not simply learning quran for beginners but gaining the information of Quran tafseer and one query that we all is required to ask our self that why we all are here in the world to do good acts or to do bad human activity to promote correct or to promote incorrect and will we be answerable to any one after this life of not then the query remains the very same that reasons why we are here in the world but if yes then whom we have to respond is there any Almighty All these reply can be found when we go deep in to the Quran education do Quran reading and the so let us link up hands to full fill our responsibility. We all must do quran memorization and listen to quran online when ever we have time to stay in touch
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Welcome to my blog and praise the Magnificent Lord as you enter: Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest .
May the Peace and Blessing of Allah Azza wa Jal, our Lord Glorified and Praised be He, be upon our beloved Prophet, his Family, and Companions.
Prophet Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, talks to the Firawn (Pharoah).
وَإِذْ نَادَى رَبُّكَ مُوسَى أَنِ ائْتَ الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(10. And (remember) when your Lord called Musa (saying): “Go to the people who are wrongdoers.”)
قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَلا يَتَّقُونَ
(11. “The people of Fira`wn. Will they not have Taqwa”)
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ
(12. He said: “My Lord! Verily, I fear that they will deny me,”)
وَيَضِيقُ صَدْرِى وَلاَ يَنطَلِقُ لِسَانِى فَأَرْسِلْ إِلَى هَـرُونَ
(13. “And my breast straitens, and my tongue expresses not well. So send for Harun.”)
وَلَهُمْ عَلَىَّ ذَنبٌ فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ
(14. “And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me. ”)
قَالَ كَلاَّ فَاذْهَبَا بِـَايَـتِنَآ إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُّسْتَمِعُونَ
(15. (Allah) said: “Nay! Go you both with Our signs. Verily, We shall be with you, listening.”)
فَأْتِيَا فِرْعَوْنَ فَقُولا إِنَّا رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(16. “And go both of you to Fira`wn, and say: `We are the Messengers of the Lord of Al-`Alamin,’)
أَنْ أَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(17. `So allow the Children of Israel to go with us.”’)
قَالَ أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيداً وَلَبِثْتَ فِينَا مِنْ عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ
(18. (Fir`awn) said (to Musa): “Did we not bring you up among us as a child And you did dwell many years of your life with us.”)
وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِى فَعَلْتَ وَأَنتَ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ
(19. “And you did your deed, which you did. While you were one of the ingrates.”)
قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَآ إِذاً وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(20. Musa said: “I did it then, when I was in error.”)
فَفَرَرْتُ مِنكُمْ لَمَّا خِفْتُكُمْ فَوَهَبَ لِى رَبِّى حُكْماً وَجَعَلَنِى مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
(21. “So, I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me Hukm, and made me one of the Messengers.”)
وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَىَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(22. “And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, — that you have enslaved the Children of Israel.”)
Surah 26 As Shuara Verse 10-22
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Allah tells us what He commanded His servant, son of `Imran and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him, who spoke with Him, to do, when He called him from the right side of the mountain, and conversed with him, and chose him, sent him, and commanded him to go to Fir`awn and his people. Allah says:
(And when your Lord called Musa: “Go to the people who are wrongdoers. The people of Fir`awn. Will they not have Taqwa” He said: “My Lord! Verily, I fear that they will deny me, And my breast straitens, and my tongue expresses not well. So send for Harun. And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me.”) So, Musa asked Allah to remove these difficulties for him, as he said in Surah Ta Ha:
(Musa said: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest. And ease my task for me.”) (20:25-26) until:
(You are granted your request, O Musa!) (20:36)
(And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me.) because he had killed that Egyptian, which was the reason that he left the land of Egypt.
((Allah) said: “Nay!…”) Allah told him: do not be afraid of anything like that. This is like the Ayah,
(Allah said: “We will strengthen your arm through your brother, and give you both power) meaning, proof;
(so they shall not be able to harm you, with Our signs, you two as well as those who follow you will be the victors) (28:35),
(Go you both with Our signs. Verily, We shall be with you, listening.) This is like the Ayah,
(I am with you both, hearing and seeing) (20:46). Meaning, `I will be with you by My protection, care, support and help.’
(And go both of you to Fir`awn, and say: `We are the Messengers of the Lord of the all that exists.’) This is like the Ayah,
(Verily, we are both Messengers of your Lord) (20:47). which means, `both of us have been sent to you,’
(So allow the Children of Israel to go with us.) Meaning, `let them go, free them from your captivity, subjugation and torture, for they are the believing servants of Allah, devoted to Him, and with you they are in a position of humiliating torture.’ When Musa said that to him, Fir`awn turned away and ignored him completely, regarding him with scorn and thinking little of him. Saying:
(Did we not bring you up among us as a child) meaning, we brought you up among us, in our home and on our bed, we nourished you and did favors for you for many years, and after all that you responded to our kindness in this manner: you killed one of our men and denied our favors to you.’ So he said to him:
(While you were one of the ingrates.) meaning, one of those who deny favors. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir.
((Musa) said: “I did it then…”) meaning, at that time,
(when I was in error.) meaning, `before revelation was sent to me and before Allah made me a Prophet and sent me with this Message.’
(So, I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me Hukm, and made me one of the Messengers.) means, `the first situation came to an end and another took its place. Now Allah has sent me to you, and if you obey Him, you will be safe, but if you oppose Him, you will be destroyed.’ Then Musa said:
(And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, — that you have enslaved the Children of Israel.) meaning, `whatever favors you did in bringing me up are offset by the evil you did by enslaving the Children of Israel and using them to do your hard labor. Is there any comparison between your favors to one man among them and the evil you have done to all of them What you have mentioned about me is nothing compared to what you have done to them.’
قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(23. Fir`awn said: “And what is the Lord of Al-`Alamin”)
قَالَ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّوقِنِينَ
(24. (Musa) said: “The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty.”)
قَالَ لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ أَلاَ تَسْتَمِعُونَ
(25. (Fir`awn) said to those around: “Do you not hear (what he says)”)
قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
(26. (Musa) said: “Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!”)
قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ الَّذِى أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمَجْنُونٌ
(27. (Fir`awn) said: “Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!”)
قَالَ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
(28. (Musa) said: “Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!”)
Surah 26 Ash Shuara Verse 23-28
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
((Fir`awn said:) “And what is the Lord of the `Alamin”) This is because he used to say to his people:
(I know not that you have a god other than me.) (28:28)
(Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him.) (43:54) They used to deny the Creator, may He be glorified, and they believed that they had no other lord than Fir`awn. When Musa said to them: “I am the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds,” Fir`awn said to him, “Who is this who you are claiming is the Lord of Al-`Alamin other than me” This is how it was interpreted by the scholars of the Salaf and the Imams of later generations. As-Suddi said, “This Ayah is like the Ayah,
((Fir`awn) said: “Who then, O Musa, is the Lord of you two” He said: “Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.”) (20:49-50) Those among the philosophers and others who claimed that this was a question about the nature or substance [of Allah] are mistaken. Fir`awn did not believe in the Creator in the first place, so he was in no position to ask about the nature of the Creator; he denied that the Creator existed at all, as is apparent from the meaning, even though proof and evidence had been established against him. When Fir`awn asked him about the Lord of Al-`Alamin, Musa said:
((Musa) said: “The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them…”) meaning, the Creator, Sovereign and Controller of all that, their God Who has no partner or associate. He is the One Who has created all things. He knows the higher realms and the heavenly bodies that are in them, both those that are stationary and those that move and shine brightly. He knows the lower realms and what is in them; the oceans, continents, mountains, trees, animals, plants and fruits. He knows what is in between the two realms; the winds, birds, and whatever is in the air. All of them are servants to Him, submitting and humbling themselves before Him.
(if you seek to be convinced with certainty. ) means, if you have believing hearts and clear insight. At this, Fir`awn turned to the chiefs and leaders of his state around him, and said to them — mockingly expressing his disbelief in Musa:
(“Do you not hear”) meaning, `are you not amazed by what this man is claiming — that you have another god other than me’ Musa said to them:
(Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!) meaning, the One Who created you and your forefathers, those who came before Fir`awn and his time.
(He said) that is, Fir`awn said:
(Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!) meaning, there is no sense in his claim that there is any god other than me!’
((Musa) said) — to those in whose hearts Fir`awn had planted doubts:
(Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!) `He is the One Who made the east the place where the heavenly bodies rise, and made the west the place where they set; this is the system to which He has subjugated all the heavenly bodies, stationary and moving. If what Fir`awn claims is true, that he is your lord and your god, then let him turn things around so that the heavenly bodies set in the east and rise in the west.’ This is similar to the Ayah,
(who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord, because Allah had given him the kingdom When Ibrahim said: “My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim said, “Verily, Allah brings the sun from the east. So cause it to rise from the west.”) (2:258) So when Fir`awn was defeated in debate, he resorted to the use of his force and power, believing that this would be effective in dealing with Musa, peace be upon him, so he said, as Allah tells us:
قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ
(29. He said: “If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.”)
قَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَىءٍ مُّبِينٍ
(30. He said: “Even if I bring you something manifest”)
قَالَ فَأْتِ بِهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ
(31. He said: “Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!”)
فَأَلْقَى عَصَـهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ
(32. So he threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest.)
وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ بَيْضَآءُ لِلنَّـظِرِينَ
(33. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!)
قَالَ لِلْمَلإِ حَوْلَهُ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَسَـحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ
(34. He said to the chiefs around him: “Verily, this is indeed a well-versed sorcerer.”)
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخْرِجَكُمْ مِّنْ أَرْضِكُمْ بِسِحْرِهِ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ
(35. “He wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery: what is it then that you command”)
قَالُواْ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَابْعَثْ فِى الْمَدَآئِنِ حَـشِرِينَ
(36. They said: “Put him off and his brother (for a while), and send callers to the cities;”)
يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَحَّارٍ عَلِيمٍ
(37. “To bring up to you every well-versed sorcerer.”)
Surah 26 Ash Shuara Verse 29-37
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
When proof had been established against Fir`awn, clearly and rationally, he resorted to using force against Musa, thinking that after this there would no further room for discussion. So he said:
(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.) To this, Musa responded:
(Even if I bring you something manifest) meaning, clear and definitive proof.
(Fir`awn said: “Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!” So he threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest.) meanig, it was very clear and obvious, with a huge body and a big mouth, terrifying in appearance.
(And he drew out his hand,) meaning, from his sleeve,
(and behold, it was white to all beholders!) It was shining like a piece of the moon. Since Fir`awn was already doomed, he hastened to stubborn denial, and said to the chiefs around him:
(Verily, this is indeed a well-versed sorcerer.) One who knows a great deal of magic or witchcraft. Fir`awn was trying to convince them that this was sorcery, not a miracle. Then he provoked them against Musa, trying to make them oppose him and disbelieve in him, and said:
(He wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery…) meaning, `he wants to capture the people’s hearts and win them over by doing this, so that they will support him, and help him and follow him, and he will defeat you in your own land and take the land from you. So advise me, what should I do with him’
(They said: “Put him off and his brother, and send callers to the cities; to bring up to you every well-versed sorcerer.”) meaning, `delay him and his brother until you gather together all the sorcerers from every city and region of your kingdom so that they may confront him and produce something like he produces, then you will defeat him and have the victory.’ So Fir`awn did as they suggested, which is what Allah decreed would happen to them, so that all the people would gather in one place and the signs and proof of Allah would be made manifest before them all in one day.
Its the responsibility of every Moslem in learning quran and tajweed and we also have to teach our kids Quran and not only the Quran teaching we should let then be aware of the basic of Islam and why it was reviled you bet it was vilified and verity teaching of holy Quran and with tajweed quran we read Quran we can understand better all the replies that are postulated if we study koran from a qualified Quran tutor he will let you know verity center of Islam and why koran was reviled for it we should gain the information of the Book with there translation and the context of when those verses were reviled and why and that is only potential when we keep with not simply learning quran for beginners but gaining the information of Quran tafseer and one query that we all is required to ask our self that why we all are here in the world to do good acts or to do bad human activity to promote correct or to promote incorrect and will we be answerable to any one after this life of not then the query remains the very same that reasons why we are here in the world but if yes then whom we have to respond is there any Almighty All these reply can be found when we go deep in to the Quran education do Quran reading and the so let us link up hands to full fill our responsibility. We all must do quran memorization and listen to quran online when ever we have time to stay in touch
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Is man’s fate pre-destined or does he have freedom of will?
Is our fate completely pre-destined? Some say we have a choice of which path to choose but what you will find at the end of the path has been chosen for you by Allah. I have also read that qadar was perhaps created by Jahm b. Safwan, not Allah.
Where can I find the information in the Quran and if there is a set destiny how much of it is chosen by God? Is there really a set day on which I will have birth and another for earthly death, for whom I will marry?
What if I did meet the man I am supposed to marry but I somehow choose the wrong path (so I may believe) only to realize I did wrong. Will he come in my path again or have I altered my destiny so that my punishment may be that I can not have this person in my life?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Belief in al-qadar (the divine will and decree) is one of the pillars of faith, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, when he answered Jibreel’s question about faith: “(It means) believing in Allaah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in al-qadar (the divine decree) both good and bad.”
What is meant by al-qadar is that Allaah has decreed all things from eternity and knows that they will happen at times that are known to Him, and in specific ways, and that He has written that and willed it, and they happen according to what He has decreed. [al-Qada’ wa’l-Qadar by Dr ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Mahmoud, p. 39].
Belief in al-qadar is based on four things:
1 – Knowledge, i.e., that Allaah knows what His creation will do, by virtue of His eternal knowledge.
2 – Writing, i.e., that Allaah has written the destiny of all creatures in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz.
3 – Will, i.e., that what Allaah wills happens and what He does not will does not happen. There is no movement in the heavens or on earth but it happens by His will.
4 – Creation and formation, i.e., that Allaah is the Creator of all things, including the actions of His slaves. They do their actions in a real sense, and He is the Creator of them and of their actions.
Whoever believes in these four believes in al-qadar.
The Qur’aan affirms these things in numerous verses, such as the verses in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record”
[al-An’aam 6:59]
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allaah”
[al-Hadeed 57:22]
“And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”
[al-Takweer 81:29]
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz)”
[al-Qamar 54:49]
Muslim (2653) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Allaah wrote down the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.” He said: “And His Throne was upon the water.”
Hence it should be clear to you that the view that al-qadar was invented by al-Jahm ibn Safwaan is a view that has no sound basis. Al-qadar was not created, rather creation comes under the heading of belief in al-qadar. Al-Jahm went to extremes in affirming the divine will and decree, and claimed that people are compelled to do what they do and have no choice. This is a false view.
The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah is that a person has freedom of will, and hence he will be rewarded or punished. But his will is subject to the will of Allaah, and nothing can take place in the universe that is not willed by Allaah.
What some people say, that we have the choice to follow whatever path we want but at the end of this path you will find what Allaah has decreed for you, is a correct view. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful”
[al-Insaan 76:3]
“And shown him the two ways (good and evil)?”
[al-Balad 90:10]
“And say: “The truth is from your Lord.” Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve”
[al-Kahf 18:29]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining the view of Ahl al-Sunnah with regard to man’s deeds:
People act in a real sense, and Allaah is the Creator of their actions. A person may be a believer or a kaafir, righteous or immoral, he may pray and fast. People have control over their actions, and they have their own will, and Allaah is the Creator of their control and will, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight.
And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”
[al-Takweer 81:28-29]
al-Waasitiyyah ma’a Sharh Harraas, p. 65.
Marriage is one of the things that Allaah has decreed. The person whom you will marry is known to Allaah: He knows who he is, when he was born, where and when he will die, how he will be towards you, and other details. All of that is known to Allaah and He has written it in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Book of Decrees), and it will inevitably come to pass as Allaah has decreed.
If Allaah has decreed that you will marry one person, but you choose someone else, then no matter how long it takes, you will marry that person. But your marriage to someone else is also decreed, because there is nothing that is not decreed by Allaah. It may be decreed for a woman to marry So and so the son of So and so, and he comes to propose marriage but she refuses him, and marries someone else, then he (the second man) dies or divorces her, then she accepts the first one. All of that is decreed, and it is decreed for her to marry So and so the son of So and so after initially refusing him and after some experience or trials etc.
It may be decreed for a woman that a righteous man will propose marriage to her, but she will refuse him and he will never come back to her, and she will marry and live with someone else who is more or less righteous, according what Allaah has decreed.
Because man does not know what is decreed for him, what he must do is to adhere to sharee’ah and abide by its commands and prohibitions, and to seek the help of Allaah and pray to Him for guidance (istikhaarah) concerning all his affairs, whilst implementing the means, one of the most important of which is consulting sincere people who have relevant experience.
If a righteous man proposes marriage to a woman, she should pray to Allaah for guidance (istikhaarah) and agree to marry him. If things then go smoothly, this is an indication that what is good for her is to marry him.
In conclusion, man should study the sharee’ah of Allaah and follow the commands of Allaah even if he feels reluctant, and avoid what Allaah has forbidden even if he is attached to it. All goodness is to be found in obeying sharee’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Jihaad (holy fighting in Allaah’s Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows but you do not know”
[al-Baqarah 2:216]
He should not look at al-qadar as an excuse to ignore commands and do forbidden things, rather he should look at it in a way that will make him content with whatever painful experiences happen to him.
And Allaah knows best.
Why do children suffer in this world?
I tried to call a cooleague of mine to belief in God, and to Islam. He said that his main barrier to belief in existence of God was the puzzle that totally innocent children go through pain and suffering on Earth, and that he could not understand why, if a God existed, this could be allowed to happen.
I gave it some thought, and came up with an answer, but would like your comments too before communicating to him the answer. I wouldn't like to tell you about my answer since it might affect your original thinking.
Praise be to Allaah.
All people should know that Allaah is All Wise, and that there is great wisdom behind His commands and decrees. He may let His slaves or some of them know the wisdom behind them, or it may be concealed from them as a test and a trial.
What He decrees in general matters happens for a general reason, such as sending the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Allaah has told us that He sent him as a Mercy to the worlds. And similarly He created the jinn and mankind so that they might believe in Him and worship Him alone.
Ibn Taymiyah said:
Based on this, everything that He does, we know that there is wisdom behind it. This is sufficient for us in general terms, even if we do not know the details. Our lack of knowledge about the details of His wisdom is like our lack of knowledge about the details of His Essence. Just as it is proven that His attributes are perfect but we cannot know how His Essence is, so we do not reject what we know and are sure of (that He is perfect) because of what we do know (the details of His perfection). Similarly we know that He is All-Wise in all that He does and commands. The fact that we may not know the wisdom behind some minor decrees and issues should not undermine the basic principle of what we know of His wisdom. So we should not deny what we know of His wisdom because we do not know all the details of His wisdom. We know that whoever realizes the brilliance of mathematicians, doctors and grammarians but does not share their attributes by virtue of which they deserve prominence, cannot criticize what they say because he does not comprehend what they are saying. People are less likely to understand the wisdom of Allaah in His creation than the common man is to understand mathematics, medicine and grammar. So objecting to Allaah’s wisdom is more ignorant and the one who does that is worse off than an ignorant man who criticizes mathematics, medicine and grammar without having any knowledge of these disciplines.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 6/128
Undoubtedly in Allaah’s allowing children to suffer there is great wisdom which may be hidden from some people, thus they object to the Divine decree and the Shaytaan takes advantage of this issue to turn him away from the truth and right guidance.
Among the reasons why Allaah allows children to suffer are the following:
1- It is a means to show that the child is sick or in pain; if it were not for that suffering it would not be known what sickness he is suffering from.
2- The crying that is caused by the pain brings great benefits to the child’s body.
3- Learning lessons: the family of this child may be committing haraam actions or neglecting obligatory duties, but when they see the suffering of their child, that prompts them to give up those haraam actions such as consuming riba, committing zina, not praying or smoking, especially if the child’s suffering is due to an illness that they caused, as happens in the case of some of the haraam things mentioned above.
4- Thinking about the Hereafter, for there is no true happiness and peace except in Paradise; there is no suffering and pain there, only good health, well-being and happiness. And thinking about Hell, for that is the abode of eternal and never-ending pain and suffering. So one will do that which will bring him nearer to Paradise and take him further away from Hell.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said:
Then think about the wisdom of Allaah in causing children to cry a lot, and the benefits that that brings to them. The doctors and naturalists have attested to the benefits of that and the wisdom behind it. They said: There is moisture in children’s brains which, if it were to remain in their brains, would cause a great deal of harm. So crying draws that moisture out and drains it from their brains, which makes them stronger and healthier.
Moreover, crying and yelling widens the breathing passages and veins, and strengthens them, and it strengthens the nerves.
How greatly do children benefit from the crying and yelling that we hear from them. If this is the wisdom with regard to crying that is caused by pain and the wisdom behind this never crossed your mind, the same applies to the suffering of children and its causes and good consequences. There is a great deal of wisdom that may be hidden from most of the people and they are greatly confused about it.
Miftaah Daar al-Sa’aadah, 2/228.
He also said:
These pains are one of the inherent features of man’s development from which no man or animal can be free. If man were free of pain he would not be a man, rather he would be an angel or some other creature.
Children’s pain is not more difficult than the pain experienced by grownups, but grownups have become accustomed to pain so it is no longer a big issue for them. What a great difference there is between what a child suffers and what a rational adult suffers.
All of that is one of the main aspects of the human condition. If man were not created like that he would be a different creature. What do you think if a child gets hungry or thirsty or cold or tired – is it something that he was singled out for and tested with that the grownups are not tested with? Man – and indeed animals – have been created on this basis.
They said: If someone were to ask: Why has man been created thus? Why was he not created without this vulnerability to pain and suffering?
This is a flawed question, because Allaah has created him in a world of trials from a weak substance. So he is vulnerable to diseases and suffering, and Allaah has created him in such a way that he is vulnerable to all kinds of pain…
The fact that these pains and pleasures coexist is one of the signs of the Hereafter, for divine wisdom has decreed that there should be two abodes: an abode that is devoted fully to pleasure, in which there is no pain at all, and an abode that is devoted fully to pain in which there is no pleasure at all. The former abode is Paradise and the latter abode is Hell.
Miftaah Daar al-Sa’aadah, 2/230, 231.
And Allaah knows best.
Is my marriage decreed? Do obedience and sin alter the divine decree?
Has Allaah decreed for everyone whom they will marry? Do sin and obedience play any role in changing the divine decree?
I like a girl who is religiously committed and of good character, but she does not like me, Is it permissible for me to pray to Allaah to make her like me and to make her my wife in the future?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The divine decree means that Allaah has decreed all things from eternity, and He knows that they will happen at the times that are known to Him, in specific ways as He has written and willed. They will happen as He has decreed them and created them.
Belief in the divine decree is one of the pillars of faith without which a person’s faith is not valid, and belief in the divine decree is not valid unless the Muslim believes in the four principles of the divine decree which are:
1 – Belief that Allaah knows all things in general and in details from eternity, and not even an atom is hidden from Him in heaven or on earth.
2 – Belief that Allaah wrote all that in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.
3 – Belief in the effective will of Allaah and His all-encompassing power. Nothing happens in this universe, good or bad, except by His will, may He be glorified.
4 – Belief that everything is created by Allaah; He is the Creator of all things and the Creator of their attributes and actions.
For more details on this, please see the answers to questions no. 49004 and 34732.
These details will explain to you that Allaah has decreed from eternity who will be your family, who will be your wife, and who will be your children. Everything that has happened and will happen in the universe is decreed by Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees __Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz)”
[al-Qamar 54:49]
Secondly:
This does not mean that a person has no will in this world, or that a person should not strive to apply the means of attaining happiness and soundness. Allaah has created a means to reach every objective. Whoever wants to have a child has to get married. Whoever wants to be happy in the Hereafter has to strive hard for it, and follow the path of guidance. Whoever wants wealth has to work hard.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Know that everyone will be guided to do that for which he was created. Whoever is meant to be one of the people of happiness will be guided to do the deeds of the people of happiness, and whoever is meant to be one of the people of doom will be guided to do the deeds of the people of doom.” Agreed upon.
Allaah does not tell anyone the details of what will happen to him, good or bad. Hence everyone has to strive to bring goodness to himself and ward off harm from himself. It is not wise to travel a path that leads to the opposite of what he wants and then say, “I will never get anything but that which has been decreed for me.” No one should sit in his house and then say: “I will never get any provision but that which has been decreed for me.” No one should eat rotten food and then say: “Nothing will happen to me but that which Allaah has decreed for me.” These are things which if anyone does them or says them, he would be regarded as insane and he is indeed insane.
With regard to marriage in particular, the Muslim knows that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged marriage to one who is religiously committed. This means that he should look for and seek out one who is religiously committed. No wise man would say “I will never try to do that” because if he is offered a woman who is insane or ugly or old or of bad character, he would never accept her as a wife. He will never say that he will marry the first woman he sees or the first woman who is offered to him. This supports what we have said, that he will turn away from some women and will think about others and will hesitate about some of them, and so on. If, after looking, thinking, consulting others and praying istikhaarah, he chooses a woman who is suitable for him, he will know that what Allaah decrees happens and what He does not decree does not happen, so he should hope that his Lord will guide him and decree for him that which is best for him and dearest to Allaah. Then if it happens, and his Lord decrees that he be given it or it be withheld, and whether it is in accordance with his desires or not, he has to think positively of his Lord and realize that Allaah does not decree anything for His grateful, patient, believing slave but that which is good. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good and this does not apply to anyone except the believer. If something good happens to him he is grateful, and that is good for him, and if something bad happens to him he is patient, and that is good for him.” Narrated by Muslim (2999).
See also the answer to question no. 1804.
Thirdly:
With regard to the effect of obedience and sin on changing the divine decree, you know that that which is in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz can never be changed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi (2516), from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas. As for the pages which are in the hands of the angels, Allaah may command His angels to change it because of an act of worship that a Muslim does or because of a sin that he commits, but in the end it will not be anything other than that which was decreed from eternity. This is indicated by the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills). And with Him is the Mother of the Book (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz)”
[al-Ra’d 13:39]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to do some acts of worship which have an effect of increasing a person’s lifespan, such as upholding ties of kinship, and he said that du’aa’ can repel the divine decree. What this means is that Allaah knew from the beginning that His slave So and so would do this act of worship, so He decreed for him a long life or a blessed provision, and au contraire a person may commit a sin because of which he is deprived of provision, and Allaah knew that and decreed it from eternity and decreed it according to His knowledge. Allaah does not compel anyone to obey Him or disobey Him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) summed this up in one hadeeth:
It was narrated that Thawbaan said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Nothing increases one’s lifespan except righteousness and nothing repels the divine decree except du’aa’, and a man may be deprived of provision by a sin that he commits.”
Al-Busayri said in Misbaah al-Zujaajah (no. 33)
I asked our Shaykh Abu’l-Fadl al-‘Iraaqi (may Allaah have mercy on him) about this hadeeth and he said: This is a hasan hadeeth. End quote.
It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever would like his rizq (provision) to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinship.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5640) and Muslim (2557).
Al-Tabaraani narrated with his isnaad from Abu ‘Uthmaan al-Nahdi, that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said when he was circumambulating the Ka’bah and weeping: “O Allaah, if You have decreed that I should be doomed or commit sin, then erase it, for You erase whatever You will, and You confirm (whatever You will), and with You is the Mother of the Book, so make it happiness and forgiveness.”
The Taabi’i Abu Waa’il Shaqeeq ibn Salamah often used to supplicate with these words: “O Allaah, if You have decreed that we be doomed, then erase it and decree that we be blessed. If You have decreed that we be blessed, then confirm it for us, for You erase whatever You will and You You confirm (whatever You will), and with You is the Mother of the Book.” (Tafseer al-Tabari, 7/398).
See also the answer to question no. 43021.
Fourthly:
Your love for a girl who is of good character and religiously committed means that you must beware of falling into anything that is forbidden in sharee’ah, such as corresponding with her, speaking to her or being alone with her. We do not advise you to pray to Allaah to make her like you, rather we advise you to pray that Allaah will bless you with a righteous wife. If you see a woman to whom the description of a righteous woman applies, then go ahead and propose marriage to her. There is no need to specify a particular woman who may reciprocate your love and then you may both do something that is contrary to sharee’ah but it may not be easy for you to get married. Asking Allaah to help you to find a righteous wife is better for you, in our opinion.
To be honest with you, we think that forming an attachment to that girl is a sign of idleness. What we mean is that you are not keeping yourself busy with important things, so the Shaytaan is filling your heart with things that will harm you and affect your religious commitment, or things that go against your best interests.
Ibn al-Jawzi narrated that Ibn ‘Aa’ishah said: I said to a doctor who was highly proficient: What is love? He said: The occupation of an empty heart. [Dhamm al-Hawa 290].
But tell me, by Allaah, are you seriously looking for a suitable wife right now?
If you are serious about it, would you really go ahead and get married now?
If you are serious about getting married now, are your circumstances suited for that?
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn Maslamah said: I proposed marriage to a woman, then I hid and waited to see her until I saw her among some date palm trees that belonged to her. It was said to him: Do you do such a thing when you are a companion of the Messenger of Allaah (S)? He said, “When Allaah causes a man to propose to a woman, there is nothing wrong with him looking at her.”
Narrated by Ibn Maajah (1864); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
Look at how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made permission to look conditional upon the intent to marry.
The scholars said: This is an exception to the prohibition on looking at a non-mahram woman. Hence it is only justified in cases of necessity when it is hoped that the marriage will go ahead.
Ibn al-Qattaan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If the one who is proposing marriage to a woman knows that she will not marry him, and that her guardian will not agree to it, then it is not permissible for him to look at her, even if he has already asked her family for her hand in marriage, because looking is only permitted so that it might be a cause of the marriage going ahead. If he is sure that it will not happen, then the basic principle that looking is not allowed remains in effect.
Al-Nazr fi Ahkaam al-Nazr, 391.
It is well known that wanting to get married on the part of one who cannot afford it or whose circumstances do not permit it at the present time is a kind of fooling about and wasting time, which distracts the heart from useful things, and may even cause harm.
When you are serious, then seek the help of Allaah and ask Him to guide you. If she remains as she is, and you have prayed istikhaarah asking your Lord for guidance, then go ahead and propose to her. Otherwise, there are many other women like her, so seek one who is religiously committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust!
We ask Allaah to guide you to that which will please Him, and to help you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him, and to bless you with a righteous wife and good offspring.
And Allaah knows best.
Do the bad things that happen in this universe happen by the will of Allaah?
Does everything that happens in this universe happen by the will of Allaah? If that is the case then how can things that Allaah does not like happen under Allaah’s sovereignty and by His will?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah and his family and companions.
You should understand, may Allaah bless you, that some people have been misguided with regard to the issue of al-qadar (the divine will and decree), because they think that if Allaah decrees that an action should happen, that means that He likes that thing, and this leads them to think that evil actions happen outside of the will of Allaah. Thus they attribute weakness and incapability to Allaah, when they say that nothing happens in His dominion that He does not want, and so He may will a thing and it does not happen – exalted be Allaah far above what they say. In fact there is no connection between what Allaah loves and wants in terms what is permissible and not permissible, and what He wills and decrees should happen in the universe. This may be explained further as follows:
Firstly:
In the Qur’aan and Sunnah, the will and decree of Allaah is divided into two categories:
-1-
His universal (kawni) will and decree. Nothing happens outside of this will. The kaafir and the Muslim are equal under this will. Acts of worship and acts of disobedience all happen by the will and decree of Allaah.
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“But when Allaah wills a people’s punishment, there can be no turning back of it”
[al-Ra’d 13:11]
“And whomsoever Allaah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky”
[al-An’aam 6:125]
-2-
His legislative (shar’i) will, which applies only to that which He loves and is pleased with.
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you”
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
“Allaah wishes to accept your repentance”
[al-Nisa’ 4:27]
“Allaah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you”
[al-Maa'idah 5:6]
-3-
The difference between the two wills. There are differences between the universal will of Allaah and His legislative will, which distinguish each from the other. These differences include the following:
1- The universal will has to do with that which Allaah loves and is pleased with, and with that which He does not love and is not pleased with, whereas His legislative will has to do only with that which Allaah loves and is pleased with.
2- By His universal will he may decree something not for its own sake, but to serve another purpose, such as the creation of Iblees, for example, and all evil things, because of which many things happen which Allaah loves, such as repentance, striving and seeking forgiveness.
His legislative will has to do with that which He prescribes for its own sake, for Allaah wants us to obey Him and He loves that, so He prescribes it and is pleased with it for its own sake.
3- His universal will must inevitably come to pass, such as the birth or death of a person, etc.
But His legislative will – such as Allaah wanting everyone to believe – does not necessarily come to pass. It may happen or it may not. If it were inevitable that it should come pass then all of mankind would become Muslims.
4- His universal will has to do with the Oneness of Allaah’s Lordship and the fact that He is the only Creator, whereas His legislative will has to do with His Divinity and Law.
5- His two wills come together in the case of one who obeys Him. The one who prays – for example – combines both, because prayer is beloved to Allaah; He has enjoined it and He is pleased with it and loves it, so it is prescribed by His legislative will in that sense. But the fact that it happens indicates that Allaah willed that it should happen, so it is decreed by His universal decree in that sense. Hence the two wills are combined in the case of one who obeys Allaah.
His universal will is at work on its own in the case of the disbelief of the kaafir and the sin of the disobedient. The fact that these things happen indicates that Allaah willed that they should happen, because nothing happens except by His will. But the fact that Allaah does not love them and He is not pleased with them indicates that they happen by His universal will, not by His legislative will.
His legislative will is at work on its own in the case of a kaafir who starts to believe, or a sinner who starts to obey Allaah. These things are beloved to Allaah so they come under His legislative will. The fact that they do not happen – even though Allaah has enjoined them and loves them – indicates that they come under His legislative will only.
These are some of the differences between the two wills. Whoever understands the difference between them will avoid many doubts that cause people to stumble and go astray. Whoever looks at people’s actions with this double-faceted understanding will have clear insight, but whoever looks at it on the basis of the universal will only, without the legislative will, or vice-versa, it will be as if he is one-eyed.
-4-
Everything that Allaah does is good, wise and just.
Allaah does what He does for reasons that are known to Him; His slaves or some of them may know some of those reasons, or their limited minds may be unable to comprehend much of the divine wisdom behind things. General decrees may be for general reasons and universal mercy, such as sending Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:107]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah is Most Wise. He does not do anything in vain or for no purpose. This is indicated by His words and the words of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon His Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
See A’laam al-Sunnah al-Manshoorah, 147; al-Qada’ wa’l-Qadar fi Daw’ al-Kitaab wa’l-Sunnah by Shaykh Dr. ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Mahmoud; al-Eemaan bi’l-Qada’ wa’l-Qadar by Shaykh Muhammad al-Hamd.
Motives for success and overcoming failure
What are the motives that some people have for overcoming failure?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The name of failure is enough to put us off it and strive for success, regardless of the material gains that a man may attain as the result of his success, because failure is a word that implies shortcomings and loss, and success is a word that implies perfection and praise.
Failure and success are two sides of the same coin, although they may seem to contradict one another at first glance. But in fact they are interconnected if you think about it, based on experience and real life.
Success is the path in this life which Allaah wants to be the aim of every believer. He has created the universe and subjugated it to meet this aim. He, may He be glorified, has enjoined man to believe, and has asked him to adhere to full submission to Him, as he cannot be anything but a slave to Allaah, and He has made that the purpose of creation, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
And He has promised that the one who dies following this path will be the successful one, and others will be losers:
“And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:185]
So success is the story of life, the purpose for which Allaah has created this universe. He only sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to call people to attain true success before Allaah. He has decreed certain matters in order to motivate us to attain success in this world and in the Hereafter, as follows:
- He decreed eternal and everlasting delight for those who pass the test of faith and full submission, and adhere to that path and die following it:
“Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand will say: ‘Here! read my Record!
20. ‘Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!’
21. So he shall be in a life, well‑pleasing.
22. In a lofty Paradise,
23. The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand.
24. Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!”
[al-Haaqqah 69:19-24]
- The Qur’aan depicts the state of those who refused to follow the path of success and insisted on following the path of evil and failure, and described their situation on the Day when results will be shown, and it will be known who succeeded and who failed:
“But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: ‘I wish that I had not been given my Record!
26. ‘And that I had never known how my Account is!
27. ‘Would that it had been my end (death)!
28. ‘My wealth has not availed me;
29. ‘My power (and arguments to defend myself) have gone from me!’”
[al-Haaqqah 69:25-29]
- Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, decreed a good life in this world for the one who follows the path of success, He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”
[al-Nahl 16:79]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This is a promise from Allaah to the one who does righteous deeds, that Allaah will give him a good life in this world, and a good life includes all kinds of comfort and delight. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas and others that they interpreted it as meaning a goodly halaal provision, and it was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he interpreted it as meaning contentment. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas, that it means happiness. The correct view is that a good life includes all of these things. Tafseer al-Qur’aan il-‘Azeem (4/601).
This is the way according to which the Muslim should live throughout his life. The one who starts out on the basis of this understanding will inevitably be led to success and achievement in all his affairs, both religious and worldly, because the believer knows that he is required to establish truth and justice in this world, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice”
[al-Hadeed 57:25]
An individual’s success is part of the success of the ummah in achieving justice and fairness.
And the believer also hears the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said: “Allaah loves, when one of you does a thing, that he should do it well.” Narrated by Abu Ya’la (7/349) and classed as hasan by al-Albaani on the basis of corroborating evidence in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1113). Doing things well is one of the pillars of success.
These motives are all things that prepare the believer to attain the highest degrees of success. He always strives to develop his talents and learn useful skills, and to develop himself on the educational, moral, social and economic levels. He knows that the successful, striving believer is better than the one who is idle and lazy, who earns nothing from his laziness but loss in both worldly and religious terms.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel helpless. If anything befalls you, do not say ‘If only I had done (such and such), the such and such would have happened,’ rather say: ‘Allaah has decreed and what He wills He does,’ for ‘if only’ opens the door to the work of the shaytaan.” Narrated by Muslim (2664).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth includes several important principles of faith, including the following:
That a person’s happiness lies in his seeking that which will benefit him in this life and in the Hereafter, and this striving means expending effort and doing one’s utmost. Because a man’s striving and action can only be with the help of Allaah and by His will and support, He commanded him to seek His help, so that he will be acting in accordance with the meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5]. His striving for that which will benefit him is an act of worship to Allaah, which cannot be done except with His help, so He commanded him to worship Him and seek His help.
Then he said: “and do not feel helpless”, because feeling helpless is contrary to striving for that which will benefit him, and it is contrary to seeking the help of Allaah. The one who strives for that which will benefit him and seeks the help of Allaah is the opposite of the one who feels helpless, so this is telling him, before what has been decreed happens, of that which is one of the greatest means of attaining it, which is striving for it whilst seeking the help of the One in Whose hand is control of all things, from Whom they come and to Whom they will return. If he does not attain what was not decreed for him, then he may feel either of two things: helplessness, which opens the door to the work of the shaytaan, so his sense of helplessness leads him to say “if only”, but there is nothing good in saying “if only” in this case, rather that opens the door to blame, panic, discontentment, regret and grief, all of which are the work of the shaytaan, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to open the door to his works in this manner, and told us to adopt the second option, which is looking at the divine decree and bearing it in mind, for if it was decreed for him it would never have missed him and no one could have prevented him from attaining it. Hence he said: “If anything befalls you, do not say ‘If only I had done (such and such), the such and such would have happened,’ rather say: ‘Allaah has decreed and what He wills He does,’” and he taught him that which will benefit him in either case, whether he gets what he wanted or not. Hence this hadeeth is one which a person can never do without.
Shifa’ al-‘Aleel (37-38).
With this thinking one can overcome every obstacle and every failure, and there is nothing that he cannot achieve; there will be no limit to his hopes and no end to his ambition and resolve.
Rather he will realize that failure is a sign of someone who is striving, because the one who strives is the one who may fail, but the one who does nothing and is lazy will neither fail nor succeed. Effort must inevitably lead to success one day, even if it is a long way off. So he should take failure as a step towards success, learning from it the causes of shortcomings, and trying to overcome them and set them straight, so that he becomes stronger than he was before, until he attains the success for which he is striving.
The door of repentance which Allaah, may He be exalted, has opened to those who make mistakes and fail is another incentive to overcome failures and attain success, especially if the one who falls short learns from his experience. One of the salaf said: A sin that generates humility and regret is better than an act of obedience that generates self-admiration and arrogance.
Finally, with all these motives for attaining success and overcoming failure, there remains no excuse for being inactive or lazy. The way is easy and all it requires of you is some determination, will power and wisdom.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7280).
See also the answer to question no. 22704.
And Allaah knows best.
Meaning of the hadeeth; “Then the divine decree overtakes him and he does the deeds of the people of Hell”
I would like you to explain the meaning of this Hadeeth:
Narrated Abi Abdurrahman Abdullah bin Mas'ud, May Allah is pleased with him:
Allah's Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, "(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who breathes the soul into him, and is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). So, by Allah the One, a man amongst you may do good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly, a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise." Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
To be honest with you I feel bad sometimes that I may do good deeds while it is written that I am from the people of hell. I wish you answer me, thanks a lot for your efforts, may Allah greaten your reward.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Those who are ignorant of Allaah and His names and attributes misinterpret their true meanings and turn people against Allaah and put obstacles between the people and loving Allaah and drawing close to Him without realizing.
We will mention some examples of that, such as that they try to make people with shallow knowledge (or weak faith) think that no acts of obedience towards Allaah will do any good, even if that is done for a long time and a person has tried his utmost to do it properly both outwardly and inwardly; and that a person cannot be safe from the plot of Allaah, rather it is Allaah’s way to take the obedient one who fears Allaah out of the mosque and into the brothels, and from Tawheed and tasbeeh to shirk and flutes, and turn his heart from pure faith to kufr. They narrated sound reports concerning this that they do not understand properly, and false reports that the Prophet never said, and they claim that this is the essence of Tawheed. End quote. Al-Fawaa’id (159).
Then he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: … So this poor person no longer sees actions as being good or bad, so he does not feel comfortable when doing good, or feel distressed when doing bad. Is there any more effective way of putting people off Allaah and making them hate Him than this?! If all the heretics strive hard to make people hate religion and put them off Allaah, they could never have come up with anything worse than this.
The one who has this belief thinks that he is reinforcing the ideas of Tawheed and the divine will and decree, and refuting the innovators and supporting Islam, but by Allaah, a wise enemy is less harmful than an ignorant friend. All the revealed Books and all the Messengers bear witness to the opposite of that, especially the Qur’aan. If those who seek to call others to Allaah follow the method that is established by Allaah and His Messenger in calling people to Islam, the whole world would be reformed in such a way that there would be no corruption after that.
Allaah tells us – and He is the One Who is truthful and fulfils promises – that He only judges people on the basis of their actions, and recompenses them for their deeds, and the one who does good should not fear any injustice or unfairness; He will never cause the deeds of any doer of good to be lost, no matter how small, or wrong any soul in the slightest. “But if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward” [al-Nisa’ 4:40]. Even if it is the size of a grain of mustard seed, He gives reward for it and does not cause it to be lost. He recompenses bad deeds with the like thereof, and cancels them out if a person repents, regrets it and seeks forgiveness and does good deeds, or if calamities befall him. But He rewards a good deed anything from ten fold to seven hundred fold or more.
He is the One Who reforms the misguided and turns back to Him the hearts of those who turn away; He accepts the repentance of sinners, guides the misled, saves the doomed, teaches the ignorant, guides the confused, reminds the heedless, gives refuge to the lost. When He sends a punishment, it is only after severe rebellion and stubborn turning away, and after calling the people to turn back to Him. End quote.
Al-Fawaa’id (161).
There follows a great hadeeth which was narrated by al-Bukhaari (3208) and Muslim (2643) from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him). Some people were confused about the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Hell and enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of the people of Hell until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Paradise, and enters it.”
This is an example of what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) tried to point out of saheeh reports which are not understood properly.
The answer to this is that it applies to the one who does not do deeds with sincerity and faith, rather he does deeds of the people of Paradise as it appears to people only, as is explained in another version of the hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari (4207) and Muslim (112) from Sahl who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the mushrikeen met in battle and fought. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went back to his camp and the others went back to their camp, there was among the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)a man who killed anyone (of the enemy) who got in his way. They said: No one has done better today than So and so. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Rather he is one of the people of Hell.” A man said: I am going to follow him. So he went out with him; every time that man stopped, he stopped with him, and when he hastened, he hastened with him. He said: The man was badly wounded, so he sought to hasten his death. He put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in the middle of his chest, then he leaned [on his sword] and killed himself. The man went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allaah (S). He said: “Why is that?” He said: The man who you said was one of the people of Hell and the people were astounded by that. I said, I will find out about him for you. So I followed him until he was badly wounded, then he sought to hasten his death. He put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in the middle of his chest, then he leaned on it and killed himself. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man may do the deeds of [the people of] Paradise, or so it seems to the people, although he is one of the people of Hell, and a man may do the deeds of [the people of] Hell, or so it seems to the people, although he is one of the people of Paradise.”
As for the one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise in a real sense, sincerely and on the basis of faith, Allaah is too just, merciful and generous to let him down at the end of his life.
Rather these are the ones who are guided, directed and helped to persist, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allaah Alone and none else), and in the Hereafter. And Allaah will cause to go astray those who are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), and Allaah does what He wills”
[Ibraaheem 14:27]
“As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism). And verily, Allaah is with the Muhsinoon (good-doers).”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:69]
“Verily, he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allaah makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon (good‑doers) to be lost”
[Yoosuf 12:90]
“They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allaah, and that Allaah will not waste the reward of the believers”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:171]
Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Fawaa’id (p. 163): With regard to the fact that a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him, this refers to the actions of the people of Paradise as they appear to other people. If it was a righteous deed that is acceptable to Allaah, then Allaah would love it, accept it and not cancel it out. Someone may say that this phrase, “until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit”, does not support what we have suggested; the answer to that is that if deeds are to be judged by the way they end, this man did not have enough patience to complete his deeds properly; rather there was a hidden problem and something wrong with his deeds, by means of which he was let down towards the end of his life, so that hidden, serious, fatal problem caused his downfall at the time of need. If there was no problem and no insincerity, Allaah would not have turned his faith into disbelief. And Allaah knows better than all people what they do not know of each other. End quote.
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words “as it appears to people” indicate that what is hidden may be different from what is apparent to people, and that a bad end is because of a hidden problem in a person that people are not aware of, whether it is a bad deed and the like, so that hidden quality may lead to a bad end at death.
Similarly, a man may do a deed of the people of Hell, but inwardly he has some good quality, and that prevails at the end of his life, and leads to a good end for him.
‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Abi Rawaad said: A man was dying and he was being prompted to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, but the last words he said were, “He does not believe in what you are saying” (referring to himself), and he died like that!
He said: I asked about him, and found that he was addicted to alcohol!
‘Abd al-‘Azeez used to say: Beware of sins for it is sins that led him to this bad end.
In general, how people end up is the consequences of what went before, and all of that has been previously written in a Book, hence the salaf greatly feared a bad end, and some of them would feel anxious when remembering previous sins.
It was said that the hearts of the righteous are concerned about how their life will end, and they always wonder: how will our end be?
The hearts of those who are close to Allaah are concerned about previous sins, and say: How will our sins affect our ends? Sahl al-Tastari said: The one who has started his journey towards Allaah fears that he may fall into sin and the one who is close to Allaah fears that he may end fall into kufr (disbelief).
Hence the Sahaabah and the righteous salaf who came after them feared that they might become hypocrites, and their fear and anxiety were intense. So the believer fears lesser hypocrisy for himself, and worries that it might prevail at the end of his life, and take him into a state of major hypocrisy, as it was mentioned above that hidden problems may lead to a bad end. End quote.
Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam (1/57-58).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, “until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit” means, Paradise. It does not mean that his deeds bring him to this position until there remains nothing but a cubit, because if he were doing the deeds of the people of Paradise in a true sense, Allaah would not let him down because Allaah is more generous than His slaves. Imagine a person devoted to Allaah, and there is nothing but a cubit between him and Paradise: would Allaah turn him away?! This is impossible. Rather the meaning is that he does the deeds of the people of Paradise as it appears to others, until when there is nothing left of his lifespan but a little, his heart drifts away – Allaah forbid; we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. This is the meaning of the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood: when there is nothing left between him and Paradise but a cubit with regard to his lifespan, otherwise he was not doing the deeds of the people of Paradise in the first place.
We ask Allaah not to misguide our hearts. (So the person referred to) is striving but in his heart there is some hidden evil that leads to his doom when there is only one cubit left when he dies. End quote from al-Liqa’ al-Shahri (13/14).
Some scholars suggested that the person mentioned in the hadeeth may be striving in a true sense, until when his lifespan nears its end, he meets a bad end, and dies in a state of kufr or sin, but this is rare. This also goes back to something hidden or some serious evil quality that the person persisted in, such as corrupt belief or a major sin that dooms one to Hell, which led to his bad end. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. So the hadeeth is to be understood as a warning that no one should rely too much on his deeds and we should ask Allaah for steadfastness until death, for hearts are between two fingers of the Most Merciful and He turns them as He wills.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: What is meant by a cubit is an indication of how close he is to death, and whether he will enter Paradise or Hell after that, and that there is nothing between him and his reaching that abode except a cubit, like that which remains between him and his reaching any spot on earth. What this hadeeth means is that this may happen in rare cases to some people, not that it is the norm. Moreover it is a sign of Allaah’s kindness and mercy that people may revert from evil to good in many cases. As for their reverting from good to evil, this is very rare and hardly ever happens. This is like the words of Allaah [in the hadeeth qudsi]: “My mercy precedes My wrath and prevails over My wrath.” That includes those who turn to the deeds of Hell by disbelieving or sinning, but they (the scholars) differ with regard to whether they will abide therein forever or not. The kaafir will abide in Hell forever, but the sinner who dies believing in Tawheed will not abide therein forever, as stated above. In this hadeeth there is a clear confirmation of the divine decree, and that repentance erases all sins that came before it, and that whatever state a person dies in, he will be judged accordingly, whether it is good or bad, but those who commit sins other than kufr are subject to the will of Allaah. End quote.
What should be noted in this context is that the same hadeeth which confused you also contains the answer to this confusion. That is because it does not only confirm the concept of the divine decree and Allaah’s prior knowledge of His creation and His prior writing of their deeds, but in this and similar texts, in addition to all that, there is also affirmation of His commands and prohibitions, and that Allaah does not punish them or bless them on the basis of His knowledge concerning them only, but rather on the basis of what they did and earned themselves.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This hadeeth and similar reports point to two concepts:
1 – The prior decree, which means that Allaah already knows who are the people of Paradise and who are the people of Hell before they do any deeds. This is true and must be believed in. Indeed the imams, such as Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, have stated that the one who denies this is a kaafir. Rather we must believe that Allaah knows everything that is going to happen before it happens, and we must believe in what He has told us that He has decreed will happen and has told us of it before it happens.
2 – That Allaah knows all things the way they are, and He has made for things means that may lead to these things. So He knows that these things could result from these means, as He knows that this man may have a child by means of having intercourse with a woman that makes her pregnant. If this man says: Allaah knows that I am going to have a child so there is no need for me to have intercourse, then he is a fool, because Allaah knows that it will come about by means of what He has decreed of intercourse. Similarly a man knows that crops will grow as the result of his watering the seeds that he has planted, but if he says: He knows that it will happen so there is no need to plant seeds, then he is ignorant and misguided because Allaah knows what will come about by those means.
Similarly, if He knows that this one will be blessed in the Hereafter and that one will be doomed, we say: it is because that one does the deeds of the doomed, so Allaah knows that he will be doomed because of his deeds. If it is said that he is doomed even if he does not do anything, this is false, because Allaah does not admit anyone to Hell except for his sin, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “That I will fill Hell with you [Iblees (Satan)] and those of them (mankind) that follow you, together” [Saad 38:85]. So He swore to fill it with Iblees and his followers, and those who follow Iblees have disobeyed Allaah, may He be exalted, but Allaah does not punish anyone for what He knows he will do until he does it.
Similarly Allaah has decreed Paradise for the people who believe in Him and obey Him, so the one who is decreed to be one of them is guided by Allaah to believe and obey. The one who says, I will enter Paradise whether I am a believer or a disbeliever, if He knows that I am one of its people, is fabricating a lie against Allaah. Allaah knows that he will be admitted to it by faith, so if he does not have faith he will not be the one who Allaah knew would enter Paradise, rather he will be not a believer but a kaafir, and Allaah knows that he will be one of the people of Hell, not one of the people of Paradise.
Hence Allaah commanded people to pray, seek forgiveness from Allaah and other means. The one who says, I will not pray or ask, and I will rely on the divine decree, is also mistaken, because Allaah has made praying and asking means of attaining His forgiveness, mercy, guidance, support and provision. If He has decreed some good for a person to be attained by means of du’aa’ that will not be attained it without du’aa’. What Allaah has decreed and knows about people’s situations and how their lives will end, it is only decreed through the means that lead to that specific outcome. Nothing in this world or in the Hereafter happens except through means, and Allaah is the Creator of the means and the ends.
With regard to this matter, two types of people go astray. There are those who believe in the divine decree and think that it is sufficient to attain one's aims, so they turn away from the prescribed means and righteous deeds. They will end up disbelieving in the Books of Allaah, His Messengers and His religion.
(The other group) ask for reward from Allaah as a hired man asks for his wages from his employer, relying on their own power, strength and deeds. These people are ignorant and misguided, because Allaah has not enjoined His commands upon people out of need, and He has not imposed His prohibitions out of stinginess, rather He has enjoined what is in their best interests and He has forbidden that which is bad for them. As He says: “You will never be in a position where you are able to harm Me and you will never be in a position to benefit Me.”
The one who turns away from the commands and prohibitions, promises and warnings, and focuses only on the divine decree has gone astray, and the one who strives to follow the commands and prohibitions and ignores the divine decree has gone astray. Rather the believer is as Allaah says: “You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5], so we worship Him by following the command, and we seek His help on the basis our belief in the divine decree. End quote.
Muqtatafaat min Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (8/66 ff).
And Allaah knows best.
If things are decreed, then how can a person be called to account for them?
Was doing any sin previously written and predetermined by Allah? If the answer is yes, then why does Allah destine for some to commit sins, and for others to do good deeds, while we all are humans?.
Praise be to Allaah.
One must believe in two things:
1 – That Allaah, may He be exalted, is the Creator of all things, and nothing happens in the universe except by His will. He knows what is to come and He decreed all of that and wrote it in a Book fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, as is stated in a saheeh report from our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He is Just and does not wrong anyone in the slightest, because He is independent of His creation and has no need of them. He is Kind and Gracious to them constantly, so how could He wrong them?
This principle is indicated by a great deal of evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, such as the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees ___ Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz)”
[al-Qamar 54:49]
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allaah”
[al-Hadeed 57:22].
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah decided the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. He said: And His Throne is above the water.” Narrated by Muslim (2653).
2 – Man has free will and choice by means of which he does some things and refrains from others, and he believes or disbelieves, and he obeys or disobeys, for which he will be brought to account and rewarded or punished, although Allaah knows what he will do, what he will choose and what his ultimate destiny will be. But Allaah does not compel him to do evil, or to choose kufr, rather He clearly shows him the path and He has sent Messengers and revealed Books, and shown him the right way. Whoever goes astray does so to his own loss,.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And say: ‘The truth is from your Lord.’ Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve”
[al-Kahf 18:29]
“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful”
[al-Insaan 76:3]
“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.
8. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it”
[al-Zalzalah 99:7,8]
“And it will be cried out to them: ‘This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do’”
[al-A’raaf 7:43]
“so taste you the abiding torment for what you used to do”
[al-Sajdah 32:14]
Allaah tells us that man believes and does righteous deeds by his own choice and free will, then he enters Paradise, or he disbelieves and does evil deeds by his own choice and free will, then he enters Hell.
Every person knows in his own heart and by looking at those around him, that our deeds – good and evil, obedient and sinful – are done by our own choice, and we do not feel that there is any force compelling us to do them. You can curse, swear, lie and backbite, just as you can praise Allaah, glorify Him, pray for forgiveness, speak the truth and give sincere advice. You can walk to places of idle entertainment, falsehood and evil, just as you can walk to the mosques or places of goodness and obedience. A man can strike with his hand, steal, speak falsehood and betray, or he can help the needy, do good and do favours with his hands. Everyone does some of these deeds and he does not feel that he is compelled or forced, rather he does them by his own free will and then he will be called to account for them; if they were good, then the consequences will be good, and if they were bad then the consequences will be bad.
What Allaah has decreed is something that man cannot know and he cannot base his deeds on it or use it as an excuse. It is also not valid for him to object to his Lord by questioning why He has caused someone to be among the doomed or the blessed. Allaah has not wronged the one who is doomed, rather He gave him time and ability and freedom of choice, and He sent to him Messengers and revealed Books to them, and He reminded him and warned him with all kinds of reminders, such as calamities and tests, so that he would repent to Him and turn to Him. If he chose the path of misguidance, and followed the way of criminals, he only harmed himself, and he is the one who has caused his own doom, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allaah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds).
10. And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allaah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds)”
[al-Shams 91:9, 10]
“Allaah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:117]
“Has not the story reached them of those before them? — The people of Nooh (Noah), ‘Aad, and Thamood, the people of Ibraaheem (Abraham), the dwellers of Madyan (Midian) and the cities overthrown [i.e. the people to whom Loot (Lot) preached]; to them came their Messengers with clear proofs. So it was not Allaah Who wronged them, but they used to wrong themselves”
[al-Tawbah 9:70]
To sum up: the belief that Allaah is the Creator Who has decreed all things and has distinguished those who are blessed from those who are doomed, does not mean that Allaah forces His slaves to obey or disobey. Rather He has given them the ability to choose and free will, which is what they act upon, and for which they will be brought to account. Your Lord does not wrong His slaves.
See also the answer to question no. 96989.
And Allaah knows best.
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