RENAISSANCE OF MUSLIM UMMAH!!

RENAISSANCE OF MUSLIM UMMAH

[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]

[www.dawahinamericas.com]


INTRODUCTION: Islam is nowhere traceable in the body politics of any land though there are 57 Muslim countries in the world. Muslim Ummah stands discarded, degraded and in a very wretched condition though in numbers it is more than 1.5 billon [1/4th of world population]. Under this situation every sane Muslim on earth is nurturing grave concern over this dilapidated condition of Ummah. Some brothers say let us concentrate on R & D, some cry to have unity in our ranks and files, some suggest to concentrate on modern education, some are making every effort for "Tableegh" of Deen whereas some are struggling to get rid of foreign influence in the internal affair of the Muslim world. I don't blame anyone of them for their respective truncated solution. If we go in depth as a truthful Muslim and Muslimah, the cause of the steep fall of the Ummah is quite different than what appears to most of us.

Just see how lamentably the poet of the East, Allamah Iqbal has summarized the situation of Ummah in a couplet: "Tum Sabhi kuch hu bata'wo ki Muslman Bhi hu" [Translation: "You are every thing but tell: Are you Muslim too?]

Let us dig in the state of Ummah as it stands today. The cause of its fall is a "solitary" one deeply rooted within the Ummah itself. The cure of its Resurrection too is equally simple and manageable provided we have the will to do so.

1. THE GREATEST TRAGEDY: Ummah has lost the Concept of Islam as Al-Deen, the system of life as a whole. It is divided into different sects, different Mazahib, deviated paths: Shiia, Sunni; Hanafi. Maliki, Shafeii, Humbali; Sufisim and its various branches, thereby sticking only to some rituals, some segments of Islam, some concocted dogmas and some illusive beliefs and "Hazar Imam", culminating in many ritualistic forms of worships, involving themselves in: Worshiping forefathers, Pirs, Graves, and Dargha – fighting with each other bigotedly, forgetting, Islam as Al-Deen in this process altogether. ISLAM has just been rendered virtually into a religion as Judaism and Christianity are.

This tragedy does not end here.

Islam is not only a Deen but a Movement and that is totally missing from our day to day life pattern. If Muslims can offer some routine rituals, they are happy as if they have "conquered" Rome. Whereas Islam demands that it must prevail over all the other "Adyan" as ordained by Allah in Al-Tawbah – 33; Al-Fathay – 28 & Al-Suf -9 and had made incumbent upon Ummah to establish "JUSTICE" [Al-Qist] in human society vide verse # 25 of Surah Al-Hadeed

The life long pursuit of Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) confirms it. Whenever he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) used to meet someone during his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) contact for dawah Ilallah, he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) used to invite him with these words: "O the people: Say [Accept] La Ilaha Ilallah, You will be benefited; you will become the master of Arabs and the "Ajam" [the non-Muslim world] will come under you domination; and when you die, you will also be the master in Jannah". This was his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) message of DI all along 13 years in Makkah as narrated by Ibne Hisham in Seerah of Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam), Balazari in "Fatuhul Baladan" and Ibne Katheer in "Albadayah wa Alnahayah"

I request the reader to think over the situation that just by saying the Kalimah "La Ilaha Ilallah", how one will become master of Arab and Ajam unless he/she struggles for it for the whole of his/her life. In fact, the Kalimah was the most Revolutionary Political Slogan of Rasulullah. It would never keep a Muslim or Muslimah idle in his home if he accepts and starts rightly to comply with what this Kalimah demands.

The Kalimah motivates him/her to get up, call the people to the fold of Allah, organize those who accept it into a Jama'ah, trim and polish their character, and struggle jointly and concertedly towards establishing the authority of Allah on self, family and society accordingly. A Muslim cannot feel rested unless his/her Dawah efforts engulf the entire humanity. That is what Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) expressed in his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) statement when he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) addressed his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) uncle Abu Talib and said: "If the idolaters put sun in my right hand and moon on my left, I will never give up this work [of DI] till Allah's Deen becomes dominant or I give up my life in that pursuit".

Islam is a Deen and a Movement but Ummah has lost this Vision, This is our # One Tragedy.

2. Along with the bifurcation of Muslim community into hundreds of sects and by-sects, Ummah has lost its position of "Ummatun Wasata" and the "Best of Nations" as ordained by Allah in Verses # 143 of Al-Baqarah and Verses # 104 & 110 of Surah Al-Imran. In the midst of this doldrums, Ummah has lost its sense of priorities as "what to do and how to do"; "from where to start and how to start" the process of its Resurrection.

2. DAWAH ILALLAH – THE ONLY MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION OF "LA ILAHA ILLALAH":

* When Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) came out of the Cave of Hera, he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) was ordained in the very second Wahi: "Rise and Warn; and Glorify thy Lord". Along with it, Kalimah "La Ilaha Ilallah", was entrusted to him (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) as the logical means to call the humanity to accept His authority.

Now one must envision that what Rasulullah (S) was thinking in the Hera: about the peace, human rights, insecurity, poverty, bloodshed and constant fear of violence. However, none of these burning issues he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) took after his(Sallahu alayhi wasallam) assignment as the Messenger of Allah. His (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) main concern was now to correct the man, the epic center of human troubles: If men and women are corrected, rejuvenated, imbibed with Allah-consciousness [Taqwah] and a trustworthy character with a constant fear of accountability after death, every thing will be Ok and streamlined in the society. Accordingly, he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) resorted to two most natural steps to augment his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) efforts of Dawah Ilallah [DI]:

I. Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) started his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) campaign of Dawah contacts from person-to-person with his (S) close relatives, friends and the citizens of Makkah with one message as quoted above. Those who responded to his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) call, he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) organized them into a Jama'ah [organization], trim and polished their individual character. In thirteen years of Makkah, through his (S) hard and constant efforts, he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) got just 124 persons in the fold of Islam [Ibne Hisham has listed their blessed name individually in his Seerah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam)]. This was the INTENSIVE DAWAH WORK of Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) in Makkah. This process continued in Madinah too after Hijrah unabated.

II. Beside, this individual contacts, Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) used to meet and address the trade caravan in the markets of Makkah and in its vicinity and with different tribes at Mina during Hajj with the same message as quoted above. Thus, his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) message was reaching or spreading to almost all the tribes of Arabia during Hajj season. Some accepted his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) mission of DI and some differed. I have given a brief account of these responses in my book: "Methodology of Dawah". This was the EXTENSIVE DAWAH WORK of Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam), introducing and spreading the Deen of Allah to different nooks and corners of the country.

Both Intensive and Extensive Dawah works were and are complementary to each other. The means have changed with the change of time but the methods and the process of DI remains the same.

3. Building the Requisite Team of Da'ees in the Context of Modern world -
Briefly speaking, A Da'ee in the field must have:

* Clarity of vision and conviction in Mission;
* Acquired the working knowledge of Islam;
* Understanding of the country, its people, and their problems with Islamic
solution;
* A Trustworthy character;
* Developed the habit of sacrificing time, talents and resources for the Mission;
* Willingness to work collectively with the Movement or the Jama'ah

[I have elaborated these fundamental prerequisites of a Da'ee Ilallah in my paper: "Importance of Dawah in America & Our Obligation". It is available on my Website: WWW.dawahinamericas.com under Section "B" – Islam as a Movement]
4. RENAISSANCE OF MUSLIM UMMAH - HOW ?

I. Clarity of the Mission of Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) – What was his (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) mission and how he (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) did it?. Its details can be seen in my paper: "Mission of Muhammad (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) – How He (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) Accomplished it?" on my Website under Section "B" as referred above.

II. Dawah Strategy – For different people, different region at local, national and International levels: Separately for Muslims and Judeo-Christian-Pagan world with a Global Strategy at the top. This I have discussed in detail in my paper: "Who are our Addressees & How to address them?" It is on Website under Section "B" as referred above

III. Comprehensive Re-awakening Program for Muslim countries to make them Conscious Muslims and Muslimah on the basis of Surah Al-ASR;

IV. Building Effective Teams of dedicated and committed Da'ees on the pattern Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) did. We have to build these teams of Da'ees in different languages, regions and cultures, bearing trustworthy character and missionary zeal;

V. Developing Model Muslim Communities [MMC] in different parts of the Muslim world and in the West too, inviting non-Muslims to be their guest at least for 3 days and observe the practical model of Islamic life in action in modern age. It would be one of the best TOOLS of Dawah Ilallah. These MMC will be basically inhabited by movement-oriented brothers and sisters [DI], bearing a trustworthy character and demonstrating to the world as how to live, act and behave like conscious Muslim and Muslimah in the context of the modern world.

VI. Organizing the Institution of Zakah in the Muslim world locally, nationally and Internationally to cater the needs of the poor, the needy and the "have-nots" in the Muslim countries FIRST then Globally – making Islam Extremely attractive to the deprived and oppressed people of the world and fulfilling the Global Financial Needs of DI under wider connotation of "Fi Sabeel Allah"; [ Its details can be seen in my paper "Zakah- A Guaranteed Solution For Have-nots" on my Website under Section "A" – Islam As A Way of life [Al-Deen]'

VII. Preparing vast quantity of Effective Dawah Literature – Print, Video, Audio and Internet, in different languages in millions and millions to flood the Muslim and non-Muslim world to encounter the anti-Islam propaganda and presenting Islam positively to humanity at large as an alternate way of ;life. It would be the best TOOL of Muslim Da'ees in the field of Dawah Ilallah.

CONCLUSION: If Muslim Ummah resolves to go along with it and is really interested to resurrect its fate, it can do it very easily as all the means and resources are at its disposal. The only things that Muslim Ummah and its leadership lack are: the "WILL to do it ", "Fear of Allah, and "Accountability in Akhirah" along with it the haunting "Fear of death" and "Love of this world" i.e. "Wahan" as described by Rasulullah (Sallahu alayhi wasallam) in a Hadith.

May Allah protect our Muslim leadership with these illusionary images! Amen!

Best Deeds!!

Best Deeds


It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah bin Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him), who observed:
"I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) which deed was the best." He (the Holy Prophet) replied: 'The Prayer at its appointed hour.' I (again) asked: "Then what?" He (the Holy Prophet) replied: 'Kindness to the parents.' I (again) asked: "Then what?" He replied: 'Earnest struggle (Jihad) in the cause of Allah.' I refrained from asking any more questions for fear of annoying him. (Sahih Muslim: 120)

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was asked about the best of deeds. He observed: "Belief in Allah." He (the inquirer) asked: 'What next?' He (the Holy Prophet) replied: "Jihad (struggle to the utmost) in the cause of Allah." He (the inquirer) again asked: 'What next?' He (the Holy Prophet) replied: "Pilgrimage accepted into the grace of the Lord." (Sahih Muslim: 118)

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that I asked the Messenger of Allah: "Which of the deeds is the best?" He (the Holy Prophet) replied: 'Belief in Allah and Jihad in His cause.' I again asked: "Who is the slave whose emancipation is the best?" He (the Holy Prophet) replied: 'One who is valuable for his master and whose price is high.' I asked: "What if I cannot afford to do it?" He (the Holy Prophet) replied: 'Help an artisan or make anything for the unskilled (laborer).' I (Abu Dharr) said: "O Messenger of Allah, you see that I am helpless in doing some of these deeds." He (the Holy Prophet) replied: 'Desist from doing mischief to the people. That is your own charity for your self.'
(Sahih Muslim: 119)

SOME OF THE HUMAN QUALITIES ALLAH, THE ALMIGHTY LOVES
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Quran: 3:31)

Patience
"And Allah loves as-Sabirun (the patient)." (Quran: 3:146)

Justice and Dealing with Equity
"Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allah." (Quran: 5:8)

Putting Trust in Allah
"Certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)." (Quran: 3:159)

Perfection of One's Work
The Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves that if one does a job he perfects it."

Rescuing
Abu Ya 'la Dailami and Ibn Asakir narrated: Abu Hurairah and Anas Ibn Malik said: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves rescuing the one who needs rescue."

Being Kind and Gentle to Others
Baihaqani narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah is kind and gentle (to others)."

Kindliness
"Aisha narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves kindliness in all matters." (Bukhari)

Repentance
"Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto him in repentance." (Quran: 2:222)

Piety
"Verily, then Allah loves those who are al-Muttaqun (the pious)."
(Quran: 3:76)

Good-doing
"Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers)." (Quran: 2:195)

Body Purification
"And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure [ i.e. who clean their private parts with dust (which has the properties of soap) and water from urine and stools, after answering the call of nature]." (Quran: 9:108)

Humility of the Rich
Muslim narrated: Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas said: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves the believer who is pious and rich, but does not show off."

Belief and Work
Al-Tabarani narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves the slave who believes and acquires a career (or work)."

Reflection of Allah's Grace
Al-Tirmidhi narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves from amongst his slaves, the one who has a sense of zeal or honor."

Magnanimity
Al-Hakim narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah is All-Generous and He loves generosity in sale, purchase and judgment."

Virtuosity
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: " Allah loves the slave-believer who is poor but virtuous enough to refrain from begging though he has many children." (Muslim and Ahmed)

Loftiness
Al-Tabarani narrated: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves lofty matters and superiority and hates inferior matters."

Justice
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah loves that you be just toward your children even when kissing them." (Ibn Al-Najjar)

Strength
Muslim narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The strong believer is better and more loved by Allah than the weak one, but they are both good."

Love for the Sake of Allah
Al-Tabarani, Ibn Ya'la, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "If two men love each other for the sake of Allah, the stronger in love to his brother will be more loved by Allah."

Forgiveness
Ibn Iday narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah is All-Forgiving and He loves forgiveness."

Continuous Performance of Righteous Deeds
Bukhari and Muslim narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The best loved deeds to Allah are the ones that are continuous even if they are not very many."

Loving and Visiting Believers
Malik narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah said: My love is due to those who meet for My sake, visit one another and make any effort for My pleasure."

Exhortation and Advising
Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmed narrated: It was said: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The best loved slaves to Allah are those who exhort their slaves."

Love of Virtuous Deeds
Ibn Abi Al-Dunya narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The best loved slaves to Allah are those who are made to love virtue and loving virtuous deeds is made lovely to them."

Good Manners and Conduct
Al-Tirmidhi narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The best loved by me and the nearest to me on the seats on the Day of Resurrection are those who have the best manners and conduct amongst you, who are intimate, are on good terms with others and are humble, and the most hated by me and who will be on the furthest seats from me are those who are talkative and arrogant."

Love of Allah is the basis of worship that should be directed to Him alone. Any other love should be for His sake too. The real love of Allah is to do whatever He ordained and to abandon whatever He forbade, in addition to following the Prophet's Sunnah.

Whoever obeys someone or something other than Allah and His Messenger, or follows any saying other than theirs, or fears other than Allah or seeks the pleasure of other than Allah, or puts his trust in other than Him, does not love Allah, nor does he love His Messenger. Muslims should also love one another and wish the best for one another. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said:

"One will not be a true believer unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." (Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa'i, Ahmed and Ibn Majah)

Imam Malik and Imam Ahmed narrated: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah said: My love is due to those who love one another for My sake."

Al Wala' Wal Bara' (Love and Hate for Allah's Sake)!!

Al Wala' Wal Bara' (Love and Hate for Allah's Sake)

Al Wala Wal Bara

In the current modern age, we find the Muslims in a pit of darkness. The Muslims of today have adopted the ways of the enemy. They forbid the good and enjoin the forbidden. They imitate the disbelievers and choose them as their friends and trustees. They mock believers who oppose the ways of the disbelievers and hypocrites. They help to deviate people from the Path of Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam). They have left jihad for the pleasures and pursuits of the material world. They have abandoned Shariah and adopted Jahiliyyah. These people have strayed from the Straight Path and they have turned away from al wala wal bara, and as a result, have fallen into the trap of Shaytaan.

One of the aspects of iman is al wala wal baraloving and hating for the sake of Allah Alone. It is one of the most important beliefs of Islam after Tawheed. Allah says in His Book:

Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoever does this has no connection with Allah unless you are guarding yourselves against them as a precaution. Allah bids you to beware of Himself. And to Allah is the journeying. (Surat Ali Imran 3:28)

The reason why al wala wal bara is so important in Islam is because, if it is taken into practice, it can remove all the characteristics of Jahiliyyah from the Muslim Ummah, it guarantees the preservation of the Ummah, and it distinguishes the believer from the disbeliever. When one loves and hates for Allahs sake only, they are raised degrees higher than those who love, hate, and act based on their own desires or fake gods or for other meaningless things. Allah states in His Speech:

Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the friends of Shaytaan. Surely, Shaytaans strategy is always weak. (Suratun-Nisaa 4:76)

This verse is speaking of al wala wal bara. Those who have iman and belief and act upon al wala wal bara fight for Allahs cause and do battle with His enemies to preserve His Deen, while those who disbelieve fight for gods that dont even exist. Allah commands:

And fight them until persecution is no more and religion is for Allah. (Suratul Baqarah 2:193)

Only the people who love and hate for the sake of Allah will act upon this command. These are the people that understand the meaning of al wala wal bara, which will be discussed below, Insha Allah.

The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said: The strongest bond of faith is loyalty for the sake of Allah and opposition for His sake; love for the sake of Allah and enmity for His sake.

But what does this love and enmity exactly mean? Loving for the sake of Allah means to love Allah and to show loyalty to Him by following His Shariah. It means to love all that is good and permissible in the Quran and Sunnah. This type of love requires one to defend Allahs deen and to preserve it. It is to love those who are obedient to Allah and to defend and assist them. These are the party of Allah. Enmity for the sake of Allah signifies showing anger towards those who oppose Allah, His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), His deen, and the believers. It is to struggle and fight against them in order to uphold and spread the way of Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam). There is a brilliant example of this in Ibrahim (alaiyhis-salaam), as narrated by Allah in the Quran:

There is a good example for you in Ibrahim and those with him when they told their people: Surely, we disassociate ourselves from you and all that you worship beside Allah. We have done with you. And there has arisen between us and you enmity and hate forever until you believe in Allah Alone. (Suratul Mumtahanah 60:4)

Al wala wal bara requires one to ally oneself with Allah, His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), and the believers wherever they are found against the disbelievers even if it is against their own relatives. We see this in the example of the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), who fought against his own relatives and his own clan, all for the sake of Allah.

Al wala wal bara aims to purify the society and rid the people of all vices. For example, we are required to oppose the way of the disbelievers. One of their habits is wasting their time in pursuing their own material desires. A Muslim who does not act upon al wala wal bara will imitate this habit and therefore become neglectful of his duties to Allah. This will lead to a corrupt person, who will end up raising a corrupt family, which will corrupt the community in whole.

If we look at the situation today in Afghanistan, how many Muslims today are willing to leave their worldly pursuits and come to the aid of Islam and their Muslim brothers and sisters and fight for Allahs cause against His and our enemies? How many of them will act upon al wala wal bara, which is called for today? The religious situation of the Muslims of today is very pitiful and sad and the answer is that only a handful will run out to assist Allah and the faithful believers.

We call ourselves Muslims, but what exactly is a Muslim? We cant just expect that belief in Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) is enough to be qualified for Jannah. Allah says:

Or think you that you will enter Paradise while yet there has not come unto you the like of (that which came to) those who passed away before you? Affliction and adversity befell them, they were shaken as with earthquake, till the messenger (of Allah) and those who believed along with him said: When comes Allah's help? Now surely Allah's help is nigh. (Suratul Baqarah 2:214)

If we believe that belief in Allah is enough, then there is no difference between us and the pagan Arabs of the pre-Islamic period, who claimed to believe in Allah and at the same time, worshipped hundreds of other gods. Al wala wal bara is what distinguishes a believer from a disbeliever. A believer allies himself with Allah only and with his final Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) and with the believers. Allah says:

And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due and they obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Indeed, Allah is Mighty, Wise. (Suratut-Towbah 9:71)

O you who believe! Whoever of you becomes a rebel against his deen, (know that in his place) Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble towards the believers, harsh towards the disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah and not fearing the blame of any blamer. (Suratul Maaidah 5:54)

In order to be considered a believer, one must believe in Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) as well as show and prove that belief by assisting them and allying oneself with them against the enemies of Islam. The plans of the disbelievers are clearly exposed in the Quran:

They long for you to disbelieve even as they disbelieve, so that you may be the same (as them). So do not choose friends from among then until they go out in the way of Allah. (Suratun-Nisaa 4:89)

O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends of one another. And whoever of you takes them for friends is (one) of them. Surely Allah does not guide wrongdoing people. (Suratul Maaidah 5:51)

We are warned to beware of the kaafireen, for, they say with their mouths what is not in their hearts (3:167). They secretly plot against the believers to get rid of them and their divine religionIslam. They attack the Muslims and the people without the belief in al wala wal bara will support them against the believers and this is what we see in todays situation.

If the believers join together as one brotherhood, sharing a mutual love and hate for the sake of Allah, Islam will come out on top regardless of how powerful their enemies may be. When the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) and his companions (radiyyallahu anhum) fought their battles, their enemies were always more in number and had better armor, but the Muslims were victorious as in the Battle of Badr. They shared one cause: fighting for the sake of Allah. Today, we need Muslims to do the same for their brothers, but where are they?

Al wala wal bara is something which is lacking in the hearts and actions of Muslims worldwide. It is one of the more important aspects of Islam. It was because of this aspect that the companions and their Chief Leader Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), together, peacefully conquered lands and hearts all over the globe by the will and grace of Allah Subhanahu wa Taala.

The Way To Salvation In the Light of Surah Al-Asr!!

The Way To Salvation In the Light of Surah Al-Asr


Commentary On Surah Al-Asr

By Dr. Asrar Ahmed

Taken from the Author’s Book, “The Way To Salvation In the Light of Surah Al-Asr”, Published by the Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance at Al-Badia Communities Section under the Supervision of Presidency of Islamic Research, IFTA and Propagation, P.O. Box 24952, Riyadh, 11456,Tel. 966-1-4350455, Fax 966-1-41000122, Saudi Arabia.


Fundamental Points Regarding Surah Al-‘Asr:

1. The first point is that this is one of the earliest surahs of the Glorious Qur’an to be revealed. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the earliest period of his prophethood in Makkah.

2. The second point is that it is one of the shortest surahs of the Glorious Qur’an as it has only three verses, the first of which is comprised of only one word “Wal-Asr”.

3. The third point is that it is one of the most comprehensive surahs of the Glorious Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an is a book of guidance for all mankind, which has been revealed to guide mankind on the road to success and salvation. This path of salvation towards which the Holy Qur’an guides us has been described with utmost brevity and comprehensiveness in this short surah.

The whole Glorious Qur’an is like a tree, and this short surah is its seed. And as a seed contains the total potentiality of a whole tree, Surah Al-Asr contains the essence of the Holy Qur’an. This is why some reports of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) indicate that whenever two of them met and sat together they never parted without reciting Surah Al-Asr to each other.

And this can be the reason why Imam Al-Shafeii (may Allah bless him) has said about this surah that if the people were to ponder over this surah alone, it would suffice for their guidance. He has also been reported as saying that if nothing else would have been revealed in this Glorious Qur’an except this surah then this surah would have been sufficient for man’s guidance.

4. The fourth point is that the wording of this surah is very simple and easy to understand. The masterpieces of literature of every language are sublime in subject matter and meaning but so simple in style and wording that they can be understood by all. This is why such pieces of liter ature are easily accessible to everyone. The Glorious Qur’an is the most eminent masterpiece of Arabic literature and in its totality can be understood easily. But this short surah is the best example of the most lucid surahs of the Holy Qur’an. Though it is very complete and all-embracing, not a single high-sounding or elusive word has been used in it. Its words are familiar even to those who are only acquainted with Urdu or Persian, and do not know Arabic.

The Two Levels of Understanding Qur’an:

Before describing the significance of this surah, it is important to state the fundamental principle that the Qur’an can be comprehended on many levels. The real lesson which is implicit in any surah or verse of the Holy Qur’an should be made explicit in order that the basic guidance regarding hu man conduct may be attained. The Glorious Qur’an calls this Tazakkur bil Qur’an, i.e., realizing through the Qur’an the fundamental truths implicit in human nature. From this point of view, the Glorious Qur’an is the easiest of books to understand. The highest stage of contemplation of Qur’anic verses has been termed Tadabbur bil Qur’an, which means reflecting and pondering over every word deeply, in order to deduce the philosophy and the wisdom of the Holy Book In this sense the Holy Qur’an is the most difficult of books as it is not easy to attain the depth of its meaning.

In this paper, I will describe clearly and in detail the basic guidance obtained through the application of Tazakkur bil Qur’an to Surah Al-Asr. I will also include some hints concerning Tadabbur bil Qur’an so that those who are interested in the deeper contemplation of the Qur’an may also benefit.

The English Translation of Surah Al-‘Asr:

A simple translation of the surah is as follows:
1. By Time,
2. Verily all human beings are in loss,
3. Except those who have achieved ‘Faith’, have per formed Righteous deeds, and have emphasized to each other the teaching of ‘Truth’ and (the value of) ‘Patience’ (perseverance and constancy).
Analysis of the Translation:
The three verses in this surah form one complete sen tence. The first verse “Wal-Asr” is an oath. The second verse describes a general rule. The third verse describes an exception from that general rule. Combined together, all the three verses constitute a single statement.

Please implant this simple statement firmly and clearly in your mind. And by pondering over it, you should deduce four conclusions which are the basic lessons of this surah.

The Criterion of Success and Failure:

The most important truth flowing forth from this surah is Allah’s presentation of the real criterion of man’s success and failure. Every person keeps in his mind a criterion of success and failure, of gain and loss. All his endeavors and the whole struggle of his life in this world is directed according to this criterion. An intellectually mature person is rarely found who does not have an appointed goal or an ideal before him.
Even small children, specially the more intelligent ones, keep before them a standard of achievement. They concentrate their energies on the attainment of their goals.

If we were to look around in our society as well as to search our hearts and minds, we would find that in this age, the real criterion of success or failure is wealth and property, or status, honor, fame and ostentation, or worldly power. All but a few are running after these things. They expend their energies for these purposes. The minds of most of our students are directed towards obtaining degrees in science or technology, so that they may earn a lot of money or achieve status, position or power. The achievement of these things is their criterion of success or failure.

The paramount truth which comes to our minds by studying Surah Al-Asr is very different from this. In other words, the criterion of man’s success is neither money or wealth, nor status, position, power, or ostentation. Rather its first condition is ‘Faith’, the second is ‘righteous deeds’, the third is ‘exhortation to truth’, and the fourth is ‘exhor tation to patience’.

By this criterion, a person who does not possess the above four qualities is unsuccessful and will never achieve his real goal, and in the end he will be a loser, though he might be a millionaire, even a billionaire like Qarun and-might have highest status, position, and power, even kingship like Pharaoh or Herod. Conversely any one who has these four prerequisites is successful and triumphant, even if he has no worldly wealth or property, and may be penniless, homeless, friendless, unknown, un-honored and starving.

If you reflect deeply over it, you will find that acknowledging this truth is very easy, but its realization in your heart and soul is very difficult. * We are living in a world of cause and effect, and we are bound to be influenced by its external features. When we see that comfort, prosperity, honor and reputation is due to wealth and worldly resources, we involuntarily rush to get these things, so much so that we forget to distinguish between right and wrong, legal and illegal, approved and forbidden. In other words, the reformation of our attitudes and the righteousness of our actions depends upon changing our criteria of our success and failure, gain and loss. This is the real lesson of this unique surah.

With a little contemplation it will become clear that if the simple truth stated in this great surah is engraved on our heart and penetrates our soul, it will revolutionize our point of view, change our values, and transform radically our day to day life. What was thought most important before will appear to be most trivial, and what was insignificant before will become significant.


The great transformation which was brought about in the lives of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the result of this deep-rooted change in their point of view. In their sight this world and whatever is in it seemed insignificant as compared to the achievement of Allah’s pleasure and that of the Prophet. This is the real lesson of this magnificent surah, and everyone should keep it in mind so that it may be infused in his heart and soul.

The Minimum Conditions and Essential Prerequisites of Salvation:

This surah describes only the minimum conditions and the essential prerequisites for salvation, not the highest stages of achievement, nor the lofty ranks of success and accomplishment. It explains the minimum demanded of us for our salvation. Anything less would be failure. It does not mention first or second division, grades ‘A’ or ‘B’ of success but only states the mere passing grade, the minimum requirement for our success.

This second conclusion has very important implications for our actions. The extreme decadence of the moral and practical life of Muslims is a result of their forgetting this injunction of the Glorious Qur’an. The realization that this is the minimum standard of success will necessarily produce the proportionate effort, struggle, and sacrifice for achieving it. People who strive for the lofty ranks and sublime stages of religious excellence are rare. Most men only try to fulfill the minimum requirements for salvation in one way or another. This is why in this glorious surah the minimum de mands of salvation have been described in simplest terms so that people may dedicate themselves to its achievement according to their capability. All the four Conditions are indispensable. The third conclusion is a corollary of the second one.

For salvation, ‘faith’, ‘righteous deeds’, ‘exhortation of truth’, and ‘exhortation of patience’ are all necessary. None of them can be dropped. These are the words of Allah. Not a single additional word is added in it for the sake of rhyme or exaggeration. Four conditions have been stated for saving us from utter loss or failure, and certainly all four of them ire necessary. If any one of them is left out, then the guaran tee of man’s salvation will not rest on the Holy Qur’an. For example, if a medical expert writes four medicines in a prescription for a patient, and the patient leaves out any of them according to his own judgment, then the medical expert will not be responsible for the incomplete medication. The patient himself will be responsible for this error.

It is necessary. to emphasize this fact, because a false notion has taken hold of the great majority of Muslims that salvation depends on the mere utterance of the declara tion of faith, that the mere verbal confession of ‘faith’ is sufficient for salvation, and any practical application of it to his life is an additional goodness which will elevate him to high stages. You will find very few people who think that after professing faith actively living by its dictates is necessary for salvation. Even these few people rarely regard it as necessary for everyone to take up the task of ‘exhortation to truth’. It is usually assumed that the propagation of the message of Islam is the task of a particular group only, and for others preaching is neither necessary nor suitable.

Even that special group, instead of propagating the complete truth facing all the tribulations this effort brings with it, have left the path of determination and sacrifice, and made their path easier by attenuating Allah’s require ments. In this manner the whole Muslim Nation has become dominated by inactivity, stagnation, escapism, and sloth. This situation cannot change until Muslims realize that the performance of righteous deeds is essential for salvation. Even more is required. The affirmation and declaration of truth and inviting others to accept it, as well as remaining steadfast in the face of hardships and calamities for truth’s sake is also necessary. This is the truth which has been stated in this shortest but most comprehensive surah.

It is necessary to understand the rational relation bet ween these four components. To be called a man of charac ter implies, judging what is wrong or right in every matter, then adopting in practice whatever his heart and mind has sanctioned as right. A man must not only adopt it himself, but must declare it openly, inviting others to acknowledge and accept it. If in this connection, he faces difficulties and hardships, or has to offer sacrifices, then he must show courage and fortitude, patience and perseverance, and should never retreat or withdraw from his stand.

For a man of noble character, it is not possible to adopt any other course. Otherwise he will be a coward and man of weak character, not a man of principle. This is the rati6nal and logical se quence in these four components: (1) ‘faith’ (2) ‘righteous deeds’ (3) ‘exhortation to truth’ (4) ‘exhortation to patience and endurance’. And it is not possible for a man of strong character to try to avoid any one of these.

Eloquence with categorical Emphasis:

The fourth conclusion obtained by analyzing and paraphrasing this surah is that the above three conclusions are categorical and most emphatic in their nature and that there is no doubt concerning any of them. Our whole faith rests upon accepting the Glorious Qur’an as the word of Allah and accepting this word as infallible. And who can be more truthful in his statements than Allah? Moreover, Allah has not merely stated these truths, but has taken an oath for confirming their validity. This oath makes this state ment more emphatic, and whatever realities are hidden in it, and whatever moral lessons are conveyed by it, are all of them delivered with complete certainty, free from all doubts and compromise. This means that mankind is unknowingly moving towards utter loss and is on the verge of destruction, with the exception of those who have fulfilled these four conditions of ‘faith’, ‘righteous deeds’, ’exhortation to truth’, and ‘exhortation to patience’, and have passed all tests and ordeals which come in the way of fulfilling these conditions.

These are the four basic conclusions which can be drawn by contemplating on this glorious surah. In fact this is the gist of Surah Al-Asr, according to the practice of Tazakkur bil-Qur’an in order to obtain its basic meaning.

Now I want you to study and understand every word of this surah rather in depth, in order to make clear that despite of its simple wording great realities are concealed in it, and gems of wisdom and prudence are hidden in it.

The Real Meaning of ‘Wal Asr”:

Let us take the word “Wal Asr” which we have simply translated as ‘taking an oath by time’. The real meaning of ‘Asr’ is not only time, but a period which passes swiftly. In Arabic language the two words ‘Asr’ and ‘Dahr’ are very comprehensive. In both of them, not only time, but time-space complex is implied. Curiously enough in the Glorious Qur’an, there are surahs with the title of both ‘Asr’ and ‘Dahr’. The word ‘Dahr’ connotes the vastness of the space-time continuum, or in the terminology of modern philosophy, absolute time or pure duration. The word ‘Asr’ connotes the sweep of time or its swift flow. In other words, ‘Asr’ means serial time.

In the word “Wal -Asr” the letter (Waw) is a preposition, and is used as an oath and testimonial. In short, the real meaning of the word “Wal-‘Asr” is that the swift passage of time through the ages bears witness and provides evidence for the statements that follow.

The Vast Meaning of ‘Khusran’ or Loss:

We have translated the second verse as ‘Verily all human beings are in loss’. But even this translation does not convey the real meaning, because the Qur’anic term ‘Khusran’ is not a monetary loss of a few thousands or millions, but indicates complete destruction. In the Holy Qur’an many words have been used for achievement and success such as accomplishment, triumph, fulfilment, and blessing. But as an an tonym of all these, only one comprehensive word is used and that is ‘Khusran’. It means that the second verse really shows that the whole mankind is standing on the verge of destruction or doom.
The significant reality which has been described in this verse, and the human tragedy towards which this verse points out, can be conceived or realized full in its true perspective in two stages.

Firstly, every one in this worldly life faces a hard struggle for existence. Many people have to undertake rigorous labor from morning till evening, but are unable to provide the bare necessities of life for their dependents. The majority of human beings can not afford even the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and medical care. Even prosperous people have to work hard to maintain their status. From this point of view, a human being is like a beast of burden. But he is even more tragic because he is a creature of feelings and emotions. In addition to all that labor, he has to bear numerous mental hardships. Sometimes, he is deeply moved by the love of his children, sometimes by the troubles faced by his kith and kin. Sometimes he has to put up with the sorrow of a relative’s illness, or the shock of the death of someone loved by him. Not only hard work and labor is his lot but grief and sorrow as well.

You must have known that by observing these very troubles and tribulations of life Buddha was so much dis heartened and dismayed that in the prime of his life he left his young wife and innocent son and ran out to the jungles in search of ‘truth’.

The masses generally harbor the misunderstanding that wealthy and prosperous people have no anxieties. As a matter of fact, the kind of psychic agony which they face is rarely experienced by a common man. They face numerous conflicts and frustrations, and very often the people of this class fall prey to mental diseases and psychic disorders. This is the first stage of human tragedy and this has been mentioned very eloquently in the last part of the Glorious Qur’an, is surah No. 90 Al-Balad’ in verse No. 4 wherein Allah says:

“Verily We have created man in toil and struggle”.

But added to this tragedy of the terrestrial existence is the doom of the worst type that is manifest in the life Hereafter. The climax of human tragedy is that after tolerating all troubles and hardships of this world, suddenly he will have to present himself before his Creator and give account for all the activities of his life. This is the picture, which has been presented in surah No. 84, entitled ‘Insheqaq’ Verse No. 6 wherein Allah says:

“Verily man, you are ever toiling on towards your Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) - painfully toiling - but you shall meet Him’.

And, if in that trial, his thoughts, convictions, actions and activities are found deviating from the straight path, he would undergo a heart-rending and most severe punishment and torture in the hell forever. And this is the real loss as Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

‘That is the sheer loss’

The Interrelation of the First Two Verses:

It is clear that the first verse is an oath and the second is the statement for which the oath has been taken. That is, in the second verse a truth has been stated, and in the first evidence has been presented for it. The question is: what is the logical sequence between the two?

By contemplating over it, we realize that ‘time’, constantly passing, is like a sheet, which is spread up to eternity. It means that ‘time’ is an entity, which is an eye witness to the entire passage of man’s life, from his birth to death and to the life of the Hereafter. Hence, the toiling, painful life of man is present before it, and it stands witness also to the momentous events of the rise and fall of nations. The life of the Hereafter, the climax of human tragedy, is also before its gaze. Thus ‘time’ is the greatest witness to the fact that ‘verily man is in a state of loss’.

This ascertained truth has an added element of warning implied by “Wal -‘Asr”. This warning is, that the real cause of mankind’s ruination, destruction, and utter loss is his negligence, and that by entangling himself in his immediate problems and the trivial affairs of his life, he faces a state of perplexity and self-negation.

The word “Wal-‘Asr” is a clarion call to wake him up from his indifference and slumber. It points out: O careless man! Your real asset is time, which is passing swiftly, and your real capital is this probationary period of worldly life which is ending quickly, and if you are unable to build up your personality, or according to the words of Iqbal, the poet of the East, if you have not achieved any sublimity in your SELF or EGO, then you will have, to face eternal loss, and your life will be doomed.

The Real Meaning of ‘Iman’or Faith:

The first condition of salvation, or deliverance from this sheer destruction, is ‘Iman’ (faith). The word ‘Iman’ has been derived from ‘aman’ meaning peace. Its literal meaning is to provide peace and tranquility. But in its technical sense the word ‘Iman’ is used with the prepositions. In this form its literal mean ing is to have trust or belief in and to testify. In order to understand the real meaning of ‘Iman’ (faith) it is necessary to realize that any man who has attained maturity of intelligence obviously starts thinking on perennial questions like “Who am I?”, “From where did I come?”, “What is the nature of the Universe ?” and “What is the last destination of the journey of my life?” Those who have studied philosophy, know that throughout the history of human thought many thinkers continued to ponder over these questions, and tried to find satisfactory answers. Without an answer to these questions, a human being is in the dark, knowing little about his real self, or about the universe, or his own beginning, or the beginning or end of the Universe.

It is evident that these questions cannot be answered merely by our physical senses. As yet we have not been able to fathom the vastness even of the physical world. How can we have any knowledge of its beginning or end? Similarly, the question whether or not we had any existence before our creation in this world, and whether after death there will be any continuity of our existence or not, cannot be answered by our senses, because we cannot possibly peep into the world of existence either prior to our birth or beyond physical death. In short, man is utterly helpless to attain true and ultimate knowledge.

Despite these natural limitations, there have been in the history of mankind a number of persons who claimed that they had a special source of knowledge which they called (revelation’. On the authority of ‘revelation’ they knew for certain that this universe did not exist from eternity nor would to remain in existence for ever. It has been brought into existence by a Creator Who possesses all the attributes of perfection in their utmost degree of excellence, and He is Unique in His essence and attributes. He had always existed and will continue to exist for ever. It is He Who has created you, and your life is not the life of this world only, but He would again bring you back to life after death, and that life will be real and eternal. In that life of the Hereafter, you will face your rewards or punishments for your convictions, actions and pursuits during this life.

This Creator and Master has assigned messengers from among men and given them the task of proclaiming these verities and the right way of living in this world so that men may be saved from sheer loss in the life Hereafter and may achieve success and eternal bliss.

These Messengers are known as Prophets of Allah and the affirmation of our belief in them is called Iman’ or belief in prophethood. This faith has two aspects: verbal confession and certainty in our hearts. We testify verbally that we believe in all prophets, and, according to their teachings, we believe in Allah with all His revealed attributes, and we believe in life after death, and in the day of judgment, in reward and punishment, and in hell and heaven. We also accept these verities with utmost certitude in our hearts. These two conditions constitute our faith or ‘Iman’. Faith is certitude about the Creator, man and the universe. It leads to two results:

The first is that a man’s internal anxiety must disappear and he must achieve inner peace and satisfaction, when, as a result of this faith, the natural inquisitiveness regarding his own identity and the nature of universe is gratified. This internal serenity is the gift of faith. That is why, etymologically, the Arabic word for faith is a derivative of the root word ‘aman’ which means peace.

The second is a reform of one’s actions and life-style. As the Socratic doctrine says ‘Knowledge is virtue, and ignorance is vice’. A believer should be adorned with high morals and virtuous deeds, and should be free from inferior and degrading actions.

This second point is very important because it shows that ‘faith’ and ‘action’ are linked, that faith (Iman) and righteous deeds (Amal-i-Saleh) are interrelated. Compare for a moment two men. One thinks that this universe has come into existence accidentally and that its entire system and organization is running automatically. The second acknowledges that there is an Almighty, All-knowing, All-Wise, All-powerful, Supreme Being, Who has ordained and created this cosmos and that He is the Ordainer Who has ordained this Universe and everything in it, land it is running according to His decrees.

Is it possible that the life attitude and actions of these two persons would be similar? Would not there be a tremendous difference between their attitudes and behavior ? Similarly, one man thinks that this life which he is leading in this world is the only life and there is no life after death, there is no accountability, no responsibility, no reward or punishment. Another man is sure that the real and everlasting life will begin after death, that the life of this material world is nothing but a preamble of that real life which will start in the Hereafter, and that after death every person will be answerable not only for every action, but for every word and thought.

The attitudes and actions of these two would necessarily be different.
It is quite easy to conclude that the goal of life of the former would be to enjoy every minute of this life, as there is no life after it. And in this gratification of the instinct of enjoyment, he might not distinguish between right and wrong, lawful and unlawful. But the second man would take every step in his life with caution and he would be conscious of his responsibility at all times. A man’s faith necessitates tremendous transformation in his life.

Please do understand clearly that the idea commonly held in our society that ‘faith’ and ‘action’ are separate is only true about the legal aspect of ‘faith’. In this society a man is considered and pronounced a Muslim on the basis of verbal confession only. We cannot possibly include his action and conduct in this. But that genuine ‘faith’ which includes certainty of one’s heart and soul must bring a transformation in one’s actions. If one’s daily life is not changed, this is an absolute proof that genuine ‘faith’ does not exist in his heart. His faith is no more than a profession.

This truth has been clarified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in many of his traditions and sayings. He said:

“A man who betrays his trust has no ‘faith’, and the person who does not fulfill his promise has no religion.”

Now think over it and see how beautiful is our Prophet’s way of expression, and how the thought expressed is as clear as a basic mathematical proposition.
Similarly, once the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) swore three times, saying:

“By God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer”. The Companions of the Prophet enquired: “Who is that person about whom you are saying this?’ He said in reply : It is the person from whose misconduct his neighbor is not safe.”

Just see how emphatically the Holy Prophet has referred to the complete negation of faith and that too not on account of committing a major sin, such as, polytheism, unjustified murder adultery, theft or robbery, but only on account of something normally regarded as merely poor behavior. Is there any justification after this for thinking that ‘faith’ and ‘action’ are separate things and are not co-essential and interrelated? This is why in order to remove this misunderstanding completely the Holy Qur’an consistently mentions righteous deeds as the accompaniment of ‘faith’.

So long as faith is confined to the stage of verbal con fession and it is limited up to an utterance of words only, actions can be exactly the opposite of it, because the contradiction of word and actions is very commonly found in this world. But when faith reaches a state of certainty in our heart, when it penetrates our heart and soul and becomes an unshakable conviction, then our actions will necessarily be changed because the actions of a man are based on his belief and conviction. For example, we know that fire can burn us, so we would never put even a finger in it.

Even suspicion can influence our actions. We know that all snakes are not poisonous, but still even if we suspect that a particular snake might be poisonous, we keep away from it. Now if a person believes with utmost surety that Allah exists and that He is All-seeing, All-hearing, All-knowing; that every movement of his, every word which he utters and, more than this, even every intention of his heart is known to Him; that after death, he shall have no alternative but to present himself before Him, and shall have to give full account of his entire life, with no chance of escaping from the grip of His punishment, nor any hope of deliverance through ransom or intercession; then that man, believing all these things firmly, would not dare to lead a sinful life. This is the condi tion which has been described in the following saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

“No adulterer commits adultery while he has faith. No thief commits a theft while he has faith. And no drunkard drinks intoxicants while he has faith.”

In fact these sins are committed only at a time when due to one reason or another the real faith of a man has dissipated or vanished from his heart. Faith and righteous deeds are interdependent and each of them is essential for the other. Righteous deeds, good morals and a lofty character are sine qua non of true faith. This is why in Surah Al-Asr, after faith, righteous deeds have been mentioned as a necessary condition of salvation.

The Real Meaning of Righteous Deeds:

The phrase righteous deeds is commonly translated as good actions. But, if we look deep into it, we would discover more significance hidden behind it. The two locutions ‘action’ and ‘activity’ are generally taken to convey the same sense. But there is a subtle difference in their meaning. Any kind of movement or work can be called activity, but the word action usually implies some strenuous or arduous work. On the other side, the word ‘virtuous’ or ‘righteous’ denotes something which had developmental characteristics and potential for enhancement.

By combining these two, we would realize that the actual significance of this term is that it is necessary for man to put up a hard struggle to achieve that real goat for which he was potentially created, and he had to ascend certain heights to attain that goal. All this is conveyed by the comprehensive word ‘righteous deed’.

Surah ‘At-Teen’ in many respects resembles Surah Al-‘Asr. Verses 4, 5 and 6 of the surah state:
“Surely we created man of the best stature. Then we reduced him to the lowest of the low, save those who believe and do good works, and theirs is a reward unfailing.” (95: 4-6)

This means that, in reality, man was created for the most sublime rank, and Allah conferred on him superiority not only over jinn (Genie) but also over angels. He was even endowed with the vicegerency of God. But in his terrestrial existence the spiritual self is imprisoned in his gross body of clay, wherein he falls a prey to the clutches of his carnal nature and is reduced to the lowest of low. Now to regain his lost status and sublime rank, it is necessary for him to obtain real knowledge. He must illumine his inner self with the light of faith and must perform good deeds, adorning his outer self with righteous actions, observing the canonical law of Islam and following the Prophet’s way of life. These are the prime prerequisites of his salvation.

The Meaning of Mutual Exhortation:

In the last part of Surah Al-'Asr, the word ‘tawasau’ has been used twice. Its verbal noun is ‘tawasi, and it is derived from ‘wasiyyat’, which means admonition, exhortation with persistent emphasis. Again, this infinitive is formed from the stem of the verbal noun ‘tafaul’, whose first attribute is mutual cooperation and the second is emphasis to the point of exaggeration. It means that this action of exhortation is required with the greatest fervor and intensity. This stage necessitates the establishment of a collective community or Ummah based on the principles of mutual preaching of truth and patience.

The Meaning of ‘Haqq’ or Truth:

Similarly, the connotation of the word Haqq is very ex tensive. Its meaning includes everything which is actually real (that is, it is not imaginary or based on presumption). It also connotes what is acknowledged by reason or is necessary ethically, or is purposive and not useless or vacuous. Hence exhortation to truth means confirming, acknowledg ing, inviting to and preaching every thing which is factually true and real, is ethically necessary and is proved by reason. Thus the spectrum of ‘truth’ encompasses on the one hand the testimony of the evident facts of our existence and, on the other hand, the testimony of the ultimate metaphysical truths of existence.

Exhortation to truth includes a whole range of activities, from giving personal moral advice to the clarion call of the greatest truth, the truth that the real Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) and master of this universe is Allah, and that it is He who deserves that His Commands should be promulgated and that His laws should be enforced in this world. And this truth should not merely be pronounced verbally, but a vigorous struggle should be launched for its practical imple mentation and actualization.

Similarly, the comprehensive term ‘exhortation to truth ’embraces within itself concepts which underlie many technical terms of the Holy Qur’an, such as preaching virtues and holding back people from vices. It implies asking and inviting people to do good deeds and stop them from failing in the snare of every kind of evil, exhorting them to be merciful, to have compassion for each other and to be kind to each other; and calling people towards Allah ‘ persuading them to seek real knowledge and devotion before their Real Sovereign and Master, Allah. Also it includes efforts in the path of Allah, that is, struggling hard for the establishment of the supremacy of the true religion of Allah and spending one’s wealth for this purpose and sacri ficing one’s life for this noble cause.

The Meaning of Patience:

The meaning of patience is very comprehensive. Its real essence is that a person should continue to maintain himself upon the chosen path, without allowing any trouble, or temptation to deviate him from it. No amount of persecu tion or trial should cause him to desist. He must remain steadfast in every situation, and should display firmness, perseverance, bravery and fortitude. He must not only persevere in following the truth but must also continue to persuade others to accept it and comply with it.

Exhortation to Truth and Exhortation to Patience are Co-essential:

As faith and righteous deeds are inter-related; so are exhortation to truth and exhortation to patience. This is because the invitation to truth is usually not welcomed and it has often to face resistance. It is necessary for those who are dedicated to truth to put up with oppression and persecution.

So Perhaps all of us have experienced that even a little piece of moral advice can be disliked by people. For example, if a person owes five dollars to some one, and is putting off its payment and you ask him to pay that amount to his creditor, he will frown at you. If he is in an angry mood, he may warn you not to interfere in his affairs. Now you can well imagine how much resistance would be offered and to what extent people will oppose the preaching which demands from them the fulfilling of their major obligations and religious duties.

And this is the point where a person faces the real test of his character and conviction. It is a fact that mere appre hension and recognition of truth is not so difficult, as is adopting it for oneself and inviting others to act upon it and to remaining firm in this struggle. In Qur’anic terminology, this is called ‘istiqamat’ i.e., steadfastness. This is the acid test which proves to what extent a person is committed to his objectives and whether he possesses anything which can be termed stability of character and commitment.

This is why the Holy Qur’an lays so much emphasis on the fact that true believers necessarily have to face tests and ordeals, and the truthfulness of their claims to have faith is to be examined and tested in many ways. Only those are regarded as sincere in their faith who remain firm in the face of ordeals and provide concrete proof of patience and perseverance.

The Interrelation of Faith, Righteous Deeds and Mutual Exhortation:

We have seen that faith and righteous deeds are interdependent and also exhortation to truth and exhortation to patience. Now, if we understand the relationship between these two pairs, we will have a complete view of this surah.

Nothing and no one can avoid influencing his environment and being influenced by it. The coldness of ice will necessarily chill its surroundings and the heat of fire will surely make them warmer. The same is true in the field of morality. If the spirit of righteous deeds is really engendered in a person, it must have an impact upon his environment and he will necessarily be a source of diffusing goodness and virtue. The natural outcome of righteous deeds is the propagation of truth in society.

This principle operates in ethics very forcefully. If the social environment favors evil, it will necessarily bring about deterioration in the lives of its citizens. The only possible way to escape from this is to change that environ ment or at least to struggle vehemently to change it. Even if a person cannot change it, he can at least in this way, act on the principle that the best defence is a good offence, and repel it defensively.

Thus the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

If any one among you observes a vice, it is his duty to change it by force. If he is not able to do so, he should protest against it verbally. If he does not possess even this much of courage, he should detest it by his heart and soul, which means that his heart should regard it as bad, and that he should regret that he could not stop it, and this is the weakest degree of faith’.

The nobility of a man’s character demands exhortation to truth because the goodness in any person who has dis covered truth and adopted for himself necessarily demands that he should present it to others, that the greatest number of people may benefit from it, and should partake of its blessing. Thus the Holy Prophet said :

“No one among you can be regarded a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

The self-respect and ardent zeal of a man who has accepted truth demand that he should preach it to others. He should uphold it, propagate it, and should sacrifice his life and wealth in the struggle to make it supremely established in society.

If a man adopts a particular way of life and his environ ment adopts another, then there are only two possibilities. He must either adopt himself to his environment, in that way, removing the discrepancies and resolving clash and discords or, if he finds the environment totally against his wishes, he should put up a tough resistance, should wage war against it, and should try to change it, according to his point of view. Now it is obvious that for a man of dignity, honor, and zeal, a man of earnest concern, the only course open to him is the second one. He would be glad to sacrifice his life for the sake of truth, but would never tolerate that by leading a life of ease and comfort, he should treacherously distort and misrepresent the truth.

Faith, righteous deeds, exhortation to truth and exhortation to patience are indispensable requirements for salvation, and also dependent upon each other. All four are indivisible aspects of a unit, and are inseparable factors of one single totality. In fact, what are all these four except an exposition or commentary of the word faith? If faith has in reality penetrated a person’s heart, it will necessarily result in the performance of righteous deeds and if the habit of doing righteous deeds has become one’s second nature, its natural outcome would be exhortation to truth., and if the preaching of truth is done with real sincerity and dedication, it will necessarily lead to the stage of exhortation to patience and endurance.

The reverse order also holds good. If the stage of preaching patience and endurance is not encountered, then this is a certain proof that the preaching is not of the whole truth, but only of a harmless part of it. If the stage of taking up missionary work is missing, then this implies that a man’s actions are not righteous and that he lacks religious zeal. And if his actions are not being perfor med on the right lines, then this is a categorical proof that genuine faith has not entered his heart.
The path of salvation which is pointed out by Surah Al-'Asr, the path of success and triumph towards which it guides and directs us has four milestones: faith, righteous deeds, exhortation to truth and exhortation to patience.

The most perfect example of the pattern delineated above is the life-story of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wherein all these four components are present in their utmost perfection. At first the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) tried to discover the reality of his own identity and that of the cosmos. A Qur’anic verse asks:
“And did He not find thee perplexed (and unable to find the right course by yourself) and so He guided (you)”?

The angel Gabriel revealed to him the truths he required. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) confirmed them and affirmed his faith in them, as stated in the Glorious Qur’an:

“The Messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer), and so do the believers.”

The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the perfect model of moral excellence and unparalleled example of sublime character. The Holy Qur’an states: “And you (O Muhammad) stands on an exalted standard of character”. After fulfilling these fundamental requirements of faith and right eous deeds to perfection, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) spent twenty three years in the untiring struggle of preaching the truth and declaring and promu lgating the grandeur and glory of Allah. He bravely tolerated all troubles for this purpose, courageously suffered all afflictions and faced all the persecutions and oppressions of his opponents.

In the canyon of Bani Hashim, he endured severe hardships during three long years of imprisonment. In the streets of Taif, he was stoned and ridiculed by rascals and urchins. The lives of his dear relatives and his beloved companions were sacrificed for the pleasure of his Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) and in order to uphold divine truth. After indefatigable efforts, struggling night and day for twenty-three years, finally he made the truth reign supreme. And only after making the divine religion ‘Islam’ the dominant force in the Arabian peninsula, did he return to his Divine Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer), Allah. May the peace and blessings of Allah be showered on him and on his companions. In short, the biography of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) embodies the contents of Surah Al-‘Asr in action.

So, this is a concise explanation of the significance of Surah Al-Asr. Now you must have realized why I regarded it as the most comprehensive surah of the Holy Qur’an, and why Imam Al-Shafeii had said, that if people were to con template it seriously, this brief surah would be sufficient for their direction and guidance.

Its relation to the surahs before and after:

Finally, let us cast a glance on the surahs of the Holy Qur’an which precede and follow Surah Al-Asr. I had stated that the righteousness of a man’s character is based upon the establishment of the real criterion of success and failure in his heart and soul and his willingness to act according to it always. If this criterion is not established, then the aim of his life may be reduced to amassing wealth, material comforts and luxuries. The desire for greater material well-being may overwhelm and overpower his mind to such an extent that it makes him oblivious of the greater realities of his life and, the universe. The curtain of this negligence and indifference is only lifted at the time of death.

This state of affairs has been described in Surah At-Takathur’, that blessed surah of the Glorious Qur’an which precedes Surah Al-Asr. As a result of this negligence a man becomes unable to differentiate between right and wrong, lawful and unlaw ful, approved, and forbidden. He sees success as a matter of hoarding and piling up wealth, and he becomes bereft of all good qualities of character and morals, and his personality becomes replete with sins and vices. This picture has been revealed in Surah ‘Al-Humaza’ which comes after Surah Al-Asr. I seek refuge in Allah, and pray to Him to protect us from such a grievous, dreadful and disastrous end to our lives. Ameen.

People Whom Allah Loves!!

People Whom Allah Loves


Man's love for Allah is all about striving hard to uphold HisDeen and obedience to Him, His Messenger or any system or authority that implements His Rule. In return, Allah's love for man is about being Gracious and Beneficent to man and providing him protection from the harmful consequences of his shortcomings or inadvertent mistakes [See, 3:31-32, 5:54, 9:24]. In the Quran, various types of people are mentioned whom Allah loves, i.e. who get blessed with His special grace, beneficence and protection.

Allah loves Muhsineen [2:195, 3:134, 3:148, 5:13, 5:93] [Those who do good (to others); who spend (benevolently) in the cause of Allah (2:195) in favorable as well as in adverse circumstances; who divert and sublimate their anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people; who quickly correct any wrong or indecency that has occurred from them, remember Allah, protect themselves from trailing behind in dignity and refrain from willfully persisting in error. [3:134-135]; who pardon and forbear [5:13]; who do not spread corruption on earth [7:56]; who strive hard for Him [29:69]; who establish As-Salaat [remembering Him (20:14, 62:9) all the time (70:23) and at appointed times (4:103, 62:9), and follow His Guidance in all the affairs] and keep the resources, that He has bestowed upon them, open [for the welfare of humanity]. (2:177, 9:44, 39:33, 92:17-20) [31:3-4]; who are the believing servants of Allah [37:110-111, 37:121-122, 37:131-132]; who sleep but little at night (reflecting on His Commands and on ways to implement His Commands)and heartily seek to be guarded against imperfections (51:16-18)].

Allah loves Tawwabeen [2:222][Those who turn to rightfulness and recourse much to Him and His Guidance]

Allah loves Mutahhareen [2:222, 9:108] [Those who keep their bodies free from filth, minds distant from dirty thoughts and conduct clean from unseemly acts]

Allah loves Muttaqeen [3:76, 9:4, 9:7] [Those who guard themselves against evil and preserve themselves from the inevitable harmful consequences for violating Allah's Commands by carefully abiding by His Guidance, not exceeding His Prescribed Limits and not deviating or departing from His Right Path; those who render service and obedience to Him alone (2:21) and observe the prescribed abstinence (2:183-187); those who believe in Him, Divine Books, Aakhrat, Malaika, Prophets, and in the existence of the Unseen, that which is beyond the reach of human perception (by the senses) {Allah (21:49, 35:18, 36:11, 50:33, 67:12), Al-Saa’at (16:77, 32:5-6, 34:3, 72:25-26) when every person will get the recompense for that which he strives (20:15), the day of resurrection (27:65-66) and the everlasting paradise (19:61)}(2:3-4, 2:177); those who establish As-Salaat [remembering Him (20:14, 62:9) all the time (70:23) and at appointed times (4:103, 62:9), and follow His Guidance in all the affairs] and keep the resources, that He has bestowed upon them, open [for the welfare of humanity]. (2:177, 9:44, 39:33, 92:17-20) [31:3-4];

those who give from their wealth to family and relatives, orphans, widows to those left helpless in the society, to those whose hard-earned income fails to meet their basic needs, to those whose running businesses have stalled, to those who have lost their jobs, to the one whose life has stalled for any reason, to the disabled, the needy wayfarer, son of the street, the homeless, the one who travels to them for assistance, to those who ask for help, and to those whose necks are burdened with any kind of bondage, oppression, crushing debts and extreme hardship of labour [2:177]; those who spend their wealth for their owntazkiya or personal development and not for favour from anyone to be paid back [92:17-20]; those who are true to their promises and covenants whenever they make a promise or covenant [2:177, 8:56, 9:4, 9:7]; those who remain steadfast in physical or emotional distress and in times of peril [2:177]; those who avoid great sins andfawahish (yet not ascribe purity to themselves) [53:32]; those who promote the truth and believe therein [39:33]; those who remember Allah immediately, when approached by devil [7:201]; those who strive in the way of Allah by their wealth and lives [9:44]; and those who will be in the pure state when Angels come to take their lives [16:31-32]

Allah loves Sabireen [3:146][Those who have capacity to endure hardship, difficulty, or inconvenience with calmness and self-control; those who can exhibit tolerance and restraint in the face of provocation; those who have calm and tranquil state of mind; those who can exhibit composure, equanimity, self-constraint, self-control, steadfastness, determination, perseverance and endurance; those who steadily adhere to the statutes of Quran; those who maintain constancy with Allah; those who show patience, endurance, equanimity and adherence to the Laws of Allah in harm, injury, mischief damage, poverty, bodily affliction, distress, lack of means of subsistence, misfortune, calamity, fear, hunger, a state of pressing want, loss of money, loss of life or loss of fruits of their toil (2:177, 2:155, 22:35); those who show patience and endurance in the face of rejection (6:34);

those who show equanimity and composure when people make them a laughing stock for their True convictions (23:110-111); those who show steadfastness and perseverance in seeking their Lord’s Countenance (13:22); those who show equanimity and adherence to Allah’s laws when wealth, fortune, plenty or ease comes after poverty, misfortune, scarcity, or hardship (11:9-10); those who show patience, calm and tranquillity of mind while waiting for Allah’s judgement and the results of their actions (7:87); and those who show self-constraint and self-control in sexual matters (4:25)]
Allah loves Mutawakkileen [3:159] [Those who put their trust in Allah and His Laws after seeking His Guidance, deliberation, consultation, decision making, resolution and determination]

Allah loves Muqsiteen [5:42, 49:9, 60:8][Those who act equitably and justly, and judge and make reconciliation among people with equity, fairness and justice]

Allah loves those who fight in His way against tyranny, injustice, wrongdoings, aggression and transgression, [61:4]

WHAT IS IMAAN?

WHAT IS IMAAN?


The root of the word IMAAN is A-M-N, which primarily means "to trust, be secure, be in safety, confine in". The word IMAAN has the following meanings:

-The believing or Belief or Conviction

-Becoming true to the trust with respect to which Allah Has confided in one, by a firm believing with the heart, not by profession of belief with the tongue only, without the assent of the heart

-The manifesting humility or submission, and the accepting of the Divine Law and the firm believing thereof with the heart

-Faith

-Trust

-Confidence

-Acknowledgement

-Submission

What is IMAAN about?

IMAAN is about having a firm believing with the heart in 5 Realities [2:177]:

1. Allah

2. The Hereafter

3. Malaika

4. The Divine Guidance

5. The Prophets

The one who believes in the above five realities is Momin and the one who denies or rejects them is not Momin [4:136].

The most important point is that IMAAN in the above should be with the concept of these that is given in Quran. IMAAN on the manmade concept of Allah, the hereafter, Malaika, the Divine Guidance and the Prophets, is not the correct IMAAN.

Another reality that is mentioned in context of IMAAN is AL-GHAIB {Unseen} [2:3]. There are different types of UNSEEN described in Quran. The following are some examples:

Allah is UNSEEN [21:49, 35:18, 36:11, 50:33, 67:12]

Life after death is UNSEEN [27:65-66]

Everlasting paradise in the hereafter is UNSEEN[19:61]
AL-SAA'AT [the day of judgment] is UNSEEN [16:77, 32:5-6, 34:3, 72:25-26]

The WAHI [revelation], before it is revealed, is UNSEEN [3:44, 11:49, 81:24]

Something/Someone that is not in front of our eyes [i.e. absent] is UNSEEN [12:52]

The events of the past , of which we do not have knowledge, may be UNSEEN [18:25-26]

IMAAN in the Unseen is the IMAAN in Allah, the Hereafter and the Unseen consequences of our actions which has not yet manifested

There is no mention of IMAAN on TAQDEER or pre-destination in the Quran.
The importance of Reason in IMAAN

And do not follow (blindly) any information of which you have no (direct) knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception, you must verify it for yourself. (In the Court of your Lord,) you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning." [17:36]

The Believers (Mu'minin) according to the Qur'an, are:

[25:73] "Those who, when the revelations of their Rabb (Nourisher and Sustainer) are presented to them, do not fall thereat deaf and blind."

[8:22] "The worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use their intellect to understand."

[7:179] "There are many among Jinns and human beings, who lead such a life as makes it obvious that they are meant for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not; they are like cattle-nay, are worse; they are the heedless."

Just SAYING that "I am a believer" does not make one a believer

"And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers." [2:8]

IMAAN is not just "uttering something with the tongue"; it is a strong conviction from the bottom of the heart [5:41, 49:14]

IMAAN is not "saying" something but "doing" something [2:8, 61:2-3]

There are real tests to see whether we are true believers or not [29:2-3]

True believers are those:

-Who bow down or submit themselves with obedience to Allah and follow His Commands [5:55, 32:15, 2:121]

-Who work deeds of righteousness [17:9, 18:2]

-Who strive with their wealth and lives in the cause of Allah [8:74, 49:15]

-Who give themselves and their wealth in the cause of Allah [9:111]

-Who establish As-Salat [8:2-4, 5:55]

-Who set up the system of ZAKAAT [5:55] and spend their wealth (for the welfare of humanity) [8:2-4]


The Increase And Decrease Of Faith

by: Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (Rahimahullah)

According to Ahlus–Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, eemaan (faith) is “belief in the heart, words on the tongue and actions of the body.” This includes three things:

Belief in the heart
Words on the tongue
Actions of the body

As this is the case, then it will increase and decrease. That is because the degree of belief in the heart differs from one person to another. Believing in what someone tells you is not the same as believing something that you see with your own eyes. Believing in what one person tells you is not the same as believing what two people tell you, and so on. Hence Ibraaheem (alayhis-salaam) said,
“ ‘My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.’ He (Allaah) said, ‘Do you not believe?’ He [Ibraaheem (Abraham)] said, ‘Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith.’ ” [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):260]

Eemaan may increase with regard to belief, contentment and tranquility in the heart. A person may experience that in himself when he attends gatherings of dhikr where he hears a lesson. Remembering Paradise and Hell increases eemaan to the point where it is as if you can see them with your own eyes. But when a person is negligent and leaves those gatherings, this certain faith is reduced in his heart.

Eemaan in the sense of words may increase similarly. Whoever remembers Allaah a few times is not like one who remembers Him one hundred times. The latter is far better in eemaan.
And the one who does an act of worship in a perfect manner will have more faith than one who does it in an imperfect manner.

The same applies to righteous deeds. If a person does good deeds physically more than another, the one who does more will have more eemaan than the one who does less. This is stated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah – I mean the fact that eemaan may increase and decrease. Allaah says,
“And We have fixed their number only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty and that the believers may increase in Faith.” [Soorah al-Muddaththir (74):31]
“And whenever there comes down a Soorah, some of them (hypocrites) say, “Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?” As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoice. But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die while they are disbelievers.” [Soorah at-Tawbah (9):124-125]
According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said,
“I have never seen any women lacking in reason and faith who have a more negative impact on the mind of a serious man than you.”
Thus eemaan increases and decreases.



WHAT INCREASES FAITH?


There are several means of increasing faith,
The first means is learning about Allaah through His names and attributes. The more a person learns about Allaah through His names and attributes, the more he will increase in faith, without a doubt. Hence you find that the scholars who know more about the names and attributes of Allaah than others do, are stronger in faith than others in this regard.

The second means is looking at the signs of Allaah in the universe and the signs of Sharee'ah (i.e., verses of the Qur’aan and miracles of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), etc.). The more a person looks at the signs of Allaah in the universe, the more he increases in faith. Allaah says,
“And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty. And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?” [Soorah adh-Dhaariyaat (51):20-21]
The verses which indicate that are many, I mean the verses which indicate that by pondering and thinking about this universe, man can increase in faith.
The third means is doing many acts of worship, for the more acts of worship a person does, the more he will increase in faith thereby, whether those acts of worship involve words or actions. So dhikr increases faith in quantity and quality, and prayer, fasting and Hajj also increase faith in quantity and quality.


WHAT DECREASES FAITH?


The things that make faith decrease are as follows,
Ignorance of the names and attributes of Allaah makes a decrease in faith inevitable, because if a man is lacking in knowledge of the names and attributes of Allaah, he will be lacking in faith.

Neglecting to think about the signs of Allaah in the universe and the signs of Sharee'ah (i.e., verses of the Qur’aan and miracles of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), etc.). This causes a decrease in faith or at the very least, it causes it to stagnate and not grow.

Committing sins, because sin has a profound effect on the heart and on faith. Hence the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said,
“The adulterer at the time when he is committing adultery is not a believer.”
Neglecting to do acts of worship, because neglecting to do acts of worship causes a decrease in faith. But if the act of worship is obligatory and a person neglects it with no excuse, then he is to be blamed and deserves punishment. If the act of worship is not obligatory, or it is obligatory but a person does not do it for a valid reason, then he is lacking but is not to be blamed. Hence the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) described women as lacking in reason and in religion, and he explained their lacking in religion as being because of the fact that when they menstruate, they do not pray or fast.

But they are not to be blamed for not praying or fasting during their menstruation; rather they are commanded not to do these things at that time. But because they miss out on doing some of the things that men do, they are regarded as lacking in this regard.
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How You Can Serve Islam?

How You Can Serve Islam?


1 - You can serve Islam by having a correct resolve and sincere intention, for Allaah blesses an action that is done sincerely for His sake alone, even if it is little. Sincere devotion, if it becomes a constant feature of acts of worship and obedience, even if they are small or simple in the sight of the one who does them, makes them great in the sight of Allaah, so Allaah will forgive him for major sins because of that, as it says in the hadeeth about the piece of paper on which is written La ilaaha ill-Allaah.

2 - You can serve Islam by knowing the right way and following it. The Straight Path means following the way of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with regard to the principles, ways and means of da'wah and being patient in adhering to that, whilst treating people with kindness and compassion, because they are suffering from the disease of sin.

3 - You can serve Islam by making the most of all available means and circumstances. This is a great blessing, for all means are permissible except those which have been forbidden by Allaah. So we call people to Allaah by all means prescribed in sharee'ah, whilst paying attention to the evidence of sharee'ah and correct etiquette.

4 - You can serve Islam by giving precedence to that which is in the interests of Islam over your own whims and desires. Serving this religion means giving what is most precious of your money, effort, time, thought, etc. Have you not seen those who love sport (football or soccer) for example, how they devote their efforts, time and money to their beloved sport? But more is expected of you than that.

5 – You can serve Islam by following in the footsteps of the scholars, daa'iyahs and reformers, having patience as your companion and putting up with tiredness and exhaustion. For you are doing a great act of worship which is the mission of the Prophets and Messengers and those who follow in their footsteps.

6 – You can serve Islam by shunning laziness, weakness and apathy, for this religion is the religion of resolve, ambition and courage, and its call is only harmed by laziness or reckless ignorance.

7 – You can serve Islam by connecting your heart to Allaah and reciting a lot of du'aa' and prayers for forgiveness, and persisting in reading Qur'aan. There is nothing that is more effective in cleansing the heart and refreshing the soul, and making it active and energetic so that it will not get tired or bored, than remembering Allaah much and drawing nearer to Him by means of obeying Him and doing naafil (supererogatory) acts of worship.

8 – You can serve Islam by forming bonds with scholars who practise what they preach, those who are known to be sincere and who are well established in jihad and supporting this religion. Marching under their banner and following their lead is very good and beneficial.

9 – You can serve Islam by organizing your time on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. There are actions which should be done every day, others which should be done every week, and others which should be done every month or every year.

For example, you should make da'wah to those whom you see every day and to those whom you see once a week. You may have a family gathering once a month, and there may be annual conferences, or journeys for Hajj or `Umrah once a year, and so on.

10 – You can serve Islam by paying it some attention and giving it some of your time, thoughts and money, and making it your main concern. So when you stand up, it is for Islam; when you walk, it is for Islam; when you think, it is for Islam; when you give, it is for Islam; when you sit, it is for Islam.

11 – you can serve Islam by hastening to contribute every time you find an opportunity to do good. Do not hesitate or delay or put it off.