"Say We believe in God and what is revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and I`saac and Jacob and the Tribes, and what was entrusted to Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them and to Him we have surrendered."
(Quran 3: 84)
By Dr. Saleh as-Saleh,
based upon an article by Imaam Ibn
al Qayyim al-Jawzeeyah in his book, "Igathat ul-Lahfan min
Massa'id Ash-Shaytaan: The Relief of the Yearning (person) from the
Traps of the Devil)" Vol 1, PP 6-42.
"Man always looks for what benefits him and
what protects him from harm. However, to accomplish this, man must be able to
realize what is harmful. He must then know whom he should need, trust, and love
so that he can attain what is beneficial as well as to feel good about his
choice. He also must know the proper and good approach that would make him
achieve this goal. This latter condition requires that man:
Know about harm
What ways can be used to drive harm away
Certainly, man can have no better guidance than
that which comes from the One Who had perfected everything, and the One who Has
no deficiency in Himself and in His Attributes. The One Who is Ever-Living and
Who does not die. There can be no One better than the One Who Has no need for
anything; the One Who is rich; the Giver; the One who, after all, controls man's
soul. Man is so poor to Him. He is Allah, the True and only God. Man can bring
harm to himself if he seeks other than Allah for help. Allah is the One Who can
help man drive away any harm for it cannot occur without His Will and His Power.
Allah (SW) sent down His Books and chose His
Messengers to guide man to:
Know His Lord as He (SW) had explained about
Himself, and
Seek Him Alone while living in accordance with
His plan
Knowing Allah's Names and Attributes liberates
man from worshiping any form of creation because creation is weak and is in need
of The Creator, Allah. The knowledge about Allah leads man to know that he is
created to live according to Allah's way as revealed to the last Messenger
Muhammad . This Revelation contains a complete code of life. Everything that is
beneficial or harmful is established so that man can center his life around this
Revelation. If man commits wrong and knows that Allah is Oft-Forgiving he would
turn to Him and to Him alone seeking His forgiveness:
"Know, therefore, that
there is no God Who
deserves to be worshiped except Allah; and ask forgiveness for your sins."
(Qur'an, 47:19)
It is wrong to think or believe that Allah
created other 'gods' besides Him so that man turns to them for help; loves them
or fear them, etc. He is the same God of all nations. He does not order that
people should make of stars, sun, fire, Jesus, Moses, etc. gods besides Him. He
(Most Exalted) cannot be 'contradictory'. He has one way (religion) that calls
man to surrender his will only to Him. He warned that if man (even Muhammad
would take partners with Him, then his work will fail and will be among losers:
"And verily, it had been
revealed to you (O Muhammad ) as
has been revealed to those before you. If you join others
in worship with Allah (then) surely (all) your deeds will
be in vain and you will certainly be among the losers. Nay!
But worship Allah and be among grateful." (Qur'an, 39:65-66)
Let us know what Muhammad , the man-Prophet, who
knew Allah best, used to say:
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You for Your
Pleasure and against Your Wrath,and in Your Forgiveness and against Your
Punishment and in You from You, I cannot Praise You as You can Praise
Yourself." (Muslim, Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmidhi, ibn Majah)
"I have surrendered myself to You, I have
directed my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs to You, I have compelled my
back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of You, there is no resort nor
survival from You except (in turning) to You. I have faith in Your book (i.e.
the Qur'an) which You brought down and in the Prophet (Muhammad ) you have
sent." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
When we read in the Qur'an that:
"Whatever of Mercy (i.e.
of good), Allah may grant to mankind,
none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can
grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (Qur'an, 35:2)
And when we read that:
"If Allah touches you with
hurt, there is none can remove
it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is
none who can repel His favor which He causes it to reach
whomsoever of His slaves He will, and He is the Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful." (Qur'an, 10:117)
We should be motivated to return to Him Alone at
times of ease and at times of hardship.
And when we read that:
"If Allah helps you none
can overcome you, and if He
forsakes you, who is there, after Him, that can help
you. And in Allah (alone) let believers put their trust." (Qur'an, 3:160)
The Qur'an, therefore, leads man to a true
liberation from any false attachment. It brings peace to the heart. It helps the
believer against hypocrisy and all forms of dishonesty. Imagine, for example, a
believer facing a problem at work. He sees wrong and faces unlawful practices.
He does not fear rejecting what is wrong. He knows that the job is only a means
to gain his sustenance. While he may be unable to correct what is wrong, he
knows well that Allah is the One Who provides. If he leaves his job for the sake
of Allah, Allah will give him a better one. Allah (SW) said:
"And whosoever fears Allah
and keeps his duty to Him.
He will make a way for him to get out (from) every
(difficulty), and He will provide him from
(sources) he could never imagine." (Qur'an, 65:2-3)
The above texts, necessitates that
man must depend upon Allah (SW) asking Him Alone for assistance. It also
requires that man must love Allah and worship Him Alone to gain His pleasure and
His help. Is it not true that the people who consider this life as the
"Final Goal" end up worshiping many things in it? You see them so
careful about "having it all". They torture themselves: pain,
difficulty, constant worry, keeping their hands in the banks for loan after loan
to keep up with the "demands of development". They are under the
constant threat of fore-closure. They constantly see poverty in front of their
eyes. The Prophet said:
"Allah says: 'Son of Adam: Fill your time
with My worship and I will fill your heart with richness, and end off your
poverty. But if you donot, I would make your hands fully busy (i.e. in worldly
affairs) and I would not end off your poverty.'" (At-Tirmidhi said that it
is a good hadeeth)
Our purpose of existence on earth is more
meaningful than being slaves to worldly gains. There can be no meaningful life
better than that prescribed by our Creator Allah. Every act done according to
Allah's way is an act of worship. Man is the beneficiary and Allah is in no
need:
"O mankind! It is you who
stand in need of Allah,
but Allah is Rich (Free of all wants and needs),
Worthy of All Praise." (Qur'an, 35:15)
* pbuh - Peace be upon him; It is a
Muslim practise to convey prayers of peace whenever the name of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) and other prophets is taken.
Islamherald.comCopyright (C) 2004. All rights reserved.