Journey into the Hereafter

Description: An introduction to the concept of the existence of life after death both in Islam, and how it makes our life meaningful; with purpose.

By IslamReligion

Introduction

Prophet Muhammad, peace and bleassing be upon him, the Final Seal of the Prophets, who passed away in 632, related:

“Gabriel came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad, live as you wish, for you shall eventually die. Love whom you desire, for you shall eventually depart. Do what you please, for you shall pay. Know that the night-prayer[1] is the honor of a believer, and his pride is in not being dependant on others.’” (Silsilah al-Sahihah)

If there is only one thing certain about life, it is that it ends. This truism instinctively raises a question which preoccupies most people at least once in their life: What lies beyond death?

At the physiological level, the journey that the deceased takes is plain for all to witness. If left alone to natural causes,[2] the heart will stop beating, the lungs will stop breathing, and the body’s cells will be starved of blood and oxygen. The termination of blood flow to the outer extremities will soon turn them pale. With the oxygen cut off, cells will respire anaerobically for a time, producing the lactic acid which causes rigor mortis – the stiffening of the corpse’s muscles. Then, as the cells begin to decompose, the stiffness wanes, the tongue protrudes, the temperature drops, the skin discolors, the flesh rots, and the parasites have their feast - until all that is left is dried-out tooth and bone.

As for the journey of the soul after death, then this is not something that can be witnessed, nor can it be gauged through scientific enquiry. Even in a living body, the conscious, or soul, of a person cannot be subjected to empirical experimentation. It is simply beyond human control. In this regard, the concept of a Hereafter - a life beyond death, resurrection, and a Day of Reckoning; not to mention the existence of a Divine, Omnipotent Creator, His angels, destiny, and so on - comes under the subject of belief in the unseen. The only way in which man can come to know anything of the unseen world is through divine revelation.

Allah Says: “And with God are the keys of the unseen, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.” (Quran 6:59)

While what has come down to us of the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel - the scriptures revealed to early prophets - all speak of a Hereafter, it is only through God’s Final Revelation to humanity, the Holy Quran, as revealed to His Final Prophet, Muhammad, that we learn most about the afterlife. And as the Quran is, and will forever remain, preserved and uncorrupted by human hands, the insight it gives us into the world of the unseen is, for the believer, as factual, real and true as anything that can be learnt through any scientific endeavor (and with a zero margin of error!).

As Allah Says: “…We have neglected nothing in the Book; then unto their Lord they shall all be gathered.” (Quran 6:38)

Coupled with the question of what happens after we die, is the question: Why are we here? For if there is indeed no greater purpose to life (that is, greater than simply living life itself), the question of what happens after death becomes academic, if not pointless. It is only if one first accepts that our intelligent design, our creation, necessitates an intelligence and designer behind it, a Creator who will judge us for what we do, that life on earth carries any significant meaning.

Allah the Almighy Says: “Then did you think that We created you in vain and that to Us you would not be returned? Therefore exalted be God, the Sovereign, the Truth; no deity is there save Him, Lord of the Supreme Throne.” (Quran 23:115-116)

If aught else, a discerning person would be forced to conclude that life on earth is full of injustice, cruelty and oppression; that the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, is what is paramount; that if one cannot find happiness in this life, whether due to an absence of material comforts, physical love, or other joyous experiences, then life is simply not worth living. In fact, it is precisely because a person despairs of this worldly life while having little, no, or imperfect faith in an afterlife, that they may commit suicide. After all, what else do the unhappy, unloved and unwanted; the dejected, (desperately) depressed and despairing have to lose?![3]

“And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?” (Quran 15:56)

So can we accept that our death is limited to mere physiological termination, or that life is merely a product of blind, selfish evolution? Surely, there is more to death, and so to life, than this.

Footnotes:

[1] Formal prayers (solat) prayed voluntarily at night after the last (isya) and before the first (fajar) of the five daily prayers. The best time to pray them is in the final third part of the night.

[2] Although a heart can be kept artificially beating, and blood artificially pumping, if the brain is dead, so too is the being as a whole.

[3] According to a United Nations report marking ‘World Suicide Prevention Day’, “More people kill themselves each year than die from wars and murders combined ... Some 20 million to 60 million try to kill themselves each year, but only about a million of them succeed.” (Reuters, September 8, 2006)

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The Lessons from Death

Harun Yahya

Life slips away second by second. Are you aware that every day brings you closer to death or that death is as close to you as it is to other people?

As we are told in the verse "Every soul shall taste death in the end; to Us shall you be brought back." (Surat al-'Ankabut, 29:57) everyone who has ever appeared on this earth was destined to die. Without exception they all died, every one. Today, we hardly come across the traces of many of these people who passed away. Those currently living and those who will ever live will also face death on a predestined day. Despite this fact, people tend to see death as an unlikely incident.

Think of a baby who has just opened its eyes to the world and a man who is about to breathe his last. Both had no influence on their individual birth or death whatsoever. Only God possesses the power to inspire the breath of life or to take it away.

All human beings will live until a certain day and then die; God in the Qur'an gives an account of the attitude commonly shown towards death in the following verse:

Say: "The death from which you flee will truly overtake you: then you will be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that you did!" (Surat al-Jumu'ah, 62:8)

The majority of people avoid thinking about death. In the rapid flow of daily events, a person usually occupies himself with totally different subjects: what college to enroll in, which company to work for, what color of clothing to wear next morning, what to cook for supper; these are the kinds of major issues that we usually consider. Life is perceived as a routine process of such minor matters. Attempts to talk about death are always interrupted by those who do not feel comfortable hearing about it. Assuming death will come only when one grows older, one does not want to concern himself with such an unpleasant subject. Yet it should be kept in mind that living for even one further hour is never guaranteed. Everyday, man witnesses the deaths of people around him but thinks little about the day when others will witness his own death. He never supposes that such an end is awaiting him!

Nevertheless, when death comes to man, all the "realities" of life suddenly vanish. No reminder of the "good old days" endures in this world. Think of everything that you are able to do right now: you can blink your eyes, move your body, speak, laugh; all these are functions of your body. Now think about the state and shape your body will assume after your death.

From the moment you breathe for the last time, you will become nothing but a "heap of flesh". Your body, silent and motionless, will be carried to the morgue. There, it will be washed for the last time. Wrapped in a shroud, your corpse will be carried in a coffin to the graveyard. Once your remains are in the grave, soil will cover you. This is the end of your story. From now on, you are simply one of the names represented in the graveyard by a marble stone.

During the first months or years, your grave will be visited frequently. As time passes, fewer people will come. Decades later, there will be no-one.

Meanwhile, your immediate family members will experience a different aspect of your death. At home, your room and bed will be empty. After the funeral, little of what belongs to you will be kept at home: most of your clothes, shoes, etc, will be given to those who need them. Your file at the public registration office will be deleted or archived. During the first years, some will mourn for you. Yet, time will work against the memories you left behind. Four or five decades later, there will remain only a few who remember you. Before long, new generations will come and none of your generation will exist any longer on earth. Whether you are remembered or not will be worthless to you.

While all this is taking place in the world, the corpse under the soil will go through a rapid process of decay. Soon after you are placed in the grave, the bacteria and insects proliferating in the corpse due to the absence of oxygen will start to function. The gasses released from these organisms will inflate the body, starting from the abdomen, altering its shape and appearance. Bloody froth will pop out the mouth and nose due to the pressure of gasses on the diaphragm. As corruption proceeds, body hair, nails, soles, and palms will fall off. Accompanying this outer alteration in the body, internal organs such as lungs, heart and liver will also decay. In the meantime, the most horrible scene takes place in the abdomen, where the skin can no longer bear the pressure of gasses and suddenly bursts, spreading an unendurably disgusting smell. Starting from the skull, muscles will detach from their particular places. Skin and soft tissues will completely disintegrate. The brain will decay and start looking like clay. This process will go on until the whole body is reduced to a skeleton.

There is no chance of going back to the old life again. Gathering around the supper table with family members, socializing or to having an honorable job will never again be possible.

In short, the "heap of flesh and bones" to which we assign an identity faces a quite nasty end. On the other hand, you - or rather, your soul - will leave this body as soon as you breathe your last. The remainder of you - your body - will become part of the soil.

Yes, but what is the reason for all these things happening?

If God willed, the body would never have decayed in such a way. That it does so actually carries a very important inner message in itself.

The tremendous end awaiting man should make him acknowledge that he is not a body himself, but a soul "encased" within a body. In other words, man has to acknowledge that he has an existence beyond his body. Furthermore, man should understand the death of his body which he tries to possess as if he is to remain eternally in this temporal world. However this body, which he deems so important, will decay and become worm-eaten one day and finally be reduced to a skeleton. That day might be very soon.

Despite all these facts, man's mental process is inclined to disregard what he does not like or want. He is even inclined to deny the existence of things he avoids confronting. This tendency seems to be most apparent when death is the issue. Only a funeral or the sudden death of an immediate family member brings this reality to mind. Almost everybody sees death far from himself. The assumption is that those who die while sleeping or in an accident are different people and what they face will never befall us! Everybody thinks it is too early to die and that there are always years ahead to live.

Yet most probably, people who die on the way to school or hurrying to attend a business meeting shared the same thought. They probably never thought that the next day's newspapers would publish news of their deaths. It is entirely possible that, as you read these lines, you still do not expect to die soon after you have finished them or even entertain the possibility that it might happen. Probably you feel that it is too early to die because there are many things to accomplish. However, this is just an avoidance of death and these are only vain endeavors to escape it:

Say: "Running away will not profit you if you are running away from death or slaughter; and even if (you do escape), no more than a brief (respite) will you be allowed to enjoy!"(Surat al-Ahzab, 33:16)

Man who is created alone should be aware that he will also die alone. Yet during his life, he lives almost addicted to possessions. His sole purpose in life becomes to possess more. Yet, no-one can take his goods with him to the grave. The body is buried wrapped in a shroud made from the cheapest of fabrics. The body comes into this world alone and departs from it in the same way. The only asset one can take with him when one dies is one's belief or disbelief.

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Plight Of The People Of Hell

Description: Every single mankind is subjected to the Day of Judgement. Apart from Paradise for Believers and the Hell for the Unbelievers and who created sis on earth. The different levels of punishment suffered by the people of Hell will be according to the levels of their deeds for which they entered Hell

Essentially, the Hell has various levels and degrees of torment. In some of them, the torment and horror is greater than the others. The people who are to be doomed to enter Hell will be given different levels of punishment according to the deeds they used to do during their worldly life. The worse one's deeds were in the worldly life the lowest one's level will be in the Hellfire and the harder one's torment will be.

Ibn Rajab said: “Know that the different levels of punishment suffered by the people of Hell will be according to the levels of their deeds for which they entered Hell.”

He then quoted the evidence for that, such as the words of Ibn ‘Abbas : “The punishment of those who were extreme in their disbelief and spread corruption on earth, calling others to disbelief, will not be like the punishment of those who did not do such things.”

Then Ibn Rajab said: “Similarly, the punishments of the monotheists in Hell will be at different levels, according to their deeds. The punishment of those who were guilty of major sins will not be like that of those who were guilty of minor sins. The punishment may be reduced for some of them because of other good deeds, or for whatever reason Allah wills..." [At-Takhwef min An-Naar, P.181]

Prophet Muhammad SAW said concerning the people of Hell: “There are some whom the Fire will take up to their ankles, others up to their knees, others up to their waists, and yet others up to their collarbones.” [Muslim]

In the long narration of Isra', the miraculous Ascension of the Prophet to heavens, the Prophet SAW was reported to have seen different scenes of the Hell-dwellers. Among them were:

1. People who used to unjustly take the property of the orphans. They have flews similar to those of camels, swallowing red-hot stones and then issuing out of their backs.

2. Adulterers offered tasty fatty meat and rotten smelly one but they make option for the latter. The licentious women were also there hanging from their breasts.

3. People whose heads were being shattered, then every time they would return to their original state and be shattered again without delay. The Prophet SAW asked: "O Jibril, who are these people?" He replied: "These are the people whose heads were too heavy (on their pillows) to get up and fulfill the prescribed prayers."

4. People who wore loincloths on the fronts and on their backs. They were roaming the way camels and sheep roam about. They were eating thistles and Zaqqum (the fruit of the tree that grows in hell) and white-hot coals and stones of Fire. The Prophet SAW asked: "Who are these, O Jibril?" He replied: "These are the ones who did not pay Zakat (obligatory charity) from what they possessed, whereas Allah never kept anything from them."

5. People who had in front of them excellent meat disposed in pots and putrid, foul meat, and they would eat from the foul meat and not touch the good meat. Prophet asked said: "What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "These are the men from your Nation who had an excellent, lawful wife at home and who would go and see a foul woman and spend the night with her (i.e. have illicit relation); and the women who would leave her excellent, lawful husband to go and see a foul man and spend the night with him."

6. A man swimming in a river of blood and he was being struck in his mouth with rocks which he then swallowed. The Prophet SAW asked: "What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is what happens to those who eat usury."

7. A man who had gathered a stack of wood which he could not carry, yet he was adding more wood to it. The Prophet SAW asked: "What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is a man from your Nation who gets people's trusts when he cannot fulfill them, yet he insists on carrying them."

8. People whose tongues and lips were being sliced with knives. Every time they were sliced they would return to their original state to be sliced again without respite. The Prophet SAW asked said: "Who are these, O Jibril?" He replied: "These are the preachers from among your Nation who used to advise others to do what they themselves don't do…"

9 People who had copper nails with which they scratched their own faces and chests. The Prophet SAW asked : "Who are these, O Jibril?" He replied: "These are the ones who ate the flesh of people (i.e., by backbiting) and tarnished their reputations." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

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Hell-Made Ready For The Unbelievers.

Description: Those who have denied God as their Creator are punished endlessly in Hell. Qur'an explain the horror in the Hell.

Harun Yahya

Ugliness and Torment in Hell

“Leave to Me the creature whom I created bare and alone!
To whom I granted resources in abundance, and sons to be by his side!
To whom I made life smooth and comfortable! Yet is he greedy
that I should add yet more.
By no means! For to Our Signs he has been refractory! Soon I will visit him mounting calamities! For he thought and he plotted;
Woe to him! How he plotted.
Yes, woe to him! How he plotted!
Then he looked round;
Then he frowned and he scowled;
Then he turned back and was haughty;
Then said he: "This is nothing but magic, derived from of old.
This is nothing but the word of a mortal!"
Soon I will cast him into Hell-Fire!
And what will explain to you what Hell-Fire is? Permit nothing to endure, and leaves nothing alone!
It burns the skin of man.” (Al-Muddaththir, 74:11-29)

For as many beauties and blessings as there are in Paradise, there is an equal amount of ugliness and torment in Hell. Those who have denied God as their Creator are punished endlessly in Hell. The following verses of the Qur'an tell us about those who deserve Hell:

"If anyone contends with the Messenger even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that becoming to men of Faith, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and consign him to Hell: an evil refuge." (An-Nisa, 4:115)

“Avoid those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But proclaim to them this truth: that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts: it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except God: it may offer every ransom, (or reparation), but none will be accepted: such is the end of those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts: they shall have only boiling water to drink and shall be sternly punished: for they persisted in rejecting God." (Al-Anam, 6:70)

"And there are those who bury gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God: announce to them a most grievous penalty. The Day will come when heat will be produced out of that wealth in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, will be branded with it. They will be told: This is the treasure which you buried for yourselves: taste you then, the treasures you buried'" (Al-Tawbah, 9:34-35)

"When it is said to them, 'Fear God', they are led by arrogance to more crime. Hell shall be enough for them, an evil bed indeed to lie on!" (Al-Baqarah, 2: 206)

The common characteristic of unbelievers who deserve to be cast into Hell is their rejection of religion when they have been invited to accept it:

"The Trumpet will be sounded, and all who are in the heavens and on the earth will swoon, except such as it will please God to exempt. Then a second trumpet will be sounded, when, behold, they will rise and look around them! And the Earth will shine with the Glory of its Lord: the Record of Deeds will be laid open; the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward and all shall be judged with fairness; and they will not be wronged in the least. And every soul will be paid back in full according to its Deeds; and God knows best all that they do. The Unbelievers will be led to Hell in hordes. When they arrive there its gates will be opened. And its keepers will say, 'Did not messengers come to you from among yourselves, proclaiming to you the revelations of your Lord, and fore warning you of the Meeting of this Day? The answer will be: 'True' And thus the promised scourge will smite the unbelievers! They will be told: 'Enter you the gates of Hell, to dwell therein forever: and evil is this Abode of the Arrogant!'" (Az-Zumur, 68-72)

According to the Qur'an, the denizens of Hell did not take the penalty of God seriously while they were still in this World. At that time they thought that if there were a Hell to which they were to be sent, they would stay there for only a limited period of time. And then, they would be released and would enter Paradise. This is a prevalent view among the members of the society of ignorance. They believe if they are ever to be punished for their sins, they will stay in Hell only, temporarily, and after they have paid for their misdeeds in the world, they will be allowed to enter Paradise. However, the Qur'an informs us that the penalty in Hell will be endless and that there will be no hope of the unbelievers ever entering Paradise.

"And they say: 'The Fire shall not touch us, except for a few but for a few days,' Say: 'Have you taken a promise from God, for He never breaks His promise? Or do you assert about God what you do not know?'" (Al- Baqarah, 2:80)

"Do but consider those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are invited to accept the Book of God, to settle their disputes, but some of them turn back and decline the arbitration. This is because they say: 'The Fire shall not touch us except for a few days; In their religion they are deceived by their own lies. But how will they fare when We gather them together upon a day about which there is no doubt, and each soul will be given just what it has earned, without favour or injustice?" (Ali-‘Imran,3:23-25)

Other verses of the Qur'an explain the horror in Hell as follows:

"Friends will meet, but shall not speak to each other. To redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day, the sinner will gladly sacrifice his children
His wife and his brother,
His kindred who sheltered him,
And all the people on earth, - if that could deliver him:
By no means! For the Fire of Hell
Shall pluck out his being right from the skull!
It shall claim all those who turn their backs and turn away their faces from the Right,
And collect wealth and hide it covetously!" (Al-Maarij, 70:10-18)

"They shall groan with anguish and be bereft of heaving," (Al-Anbiya, 21:100)

"In front of such a one is Hell, and he is given, for drink, boiling fetid water.
In gulps he will sip it, but never will he be near swallowing it: death will come to him from every quarter, yet will he not die. Harrowing torment awaits him." (Ibrahim, 14:16-17)

"And you will see the sinners or that day bound together in fetters;
Their garments of liquid pitch, and their faces covered with Fire." (Ibrahim,14:49-50)

Truly, the tree of Zaqqum
Will be the food of the sinful,
Like molten brass; it will boil in their insides,
Like the boiling of scalding water.
A voice will cry: "Seize him and drag him into the midst of the Blazing Fire!
Then pour over his head the Penalty of Boiling Water,
'Taste this! Truly you were mighty and full of honour!'" (Ad-Dukhan, 44:43-49)

All those descriptions devised for Paradise and Hell are absolute facts. God, who has created the world and the life in this world, has revealed the Qur'an and has let us know that He will also create the afterlife.

The question asked of the people of Hell will be: "Did not messengers come to you from among yourselves, reciting to you the revelations of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day?" (Az-Zumar, 39: 71)

And for those who have rejected the invitation, there will be a "grievous penalty":

"So he gave nothing in charity, nor did he pray!
But on the contrary, he rejected Truth and turned away!
And then went off to his family, swaggering.
Well have you deserved this doom
Well have you deserved it." (Al-Qiyamah, 75:31-35)


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The World And Hereafter.

Description: God has created the World as a temporary home for testing the believers, having them purified, letting them to be worthy of heaven and witnessing the unbelievers.

Harun Yahya

“Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to God is the best of the goals (To return to). Say: "Shall I give you glad tidings of things Far better than those? For the righteous are Gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath; therein is their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy); and the good pleasure of God." For in God's sight are (all) His servants.” (Ali-‘Imran, 3:14-15)

Essentially all the attempts to seek in religion something crooked, stem from peoples' lack of understanding the reality of the Hereafter.

As it is stated in the Qur'an, God has created the World as a temporary home for us. It is for testing the believers, having them purified, letting them to be worthy of heaven and witnessing the unbelievers.

However, members of the society of ignorance disregard this reality and hold on to the World alone as if it will never end. That is the reason that shapes the mentality of the society of ignorance. "Life is short, so get a life", "we come to this world only once, so enjoy it" kind of statements are actually simple reflections of this mentality which urge people to live their lives without considering their religious duties and the hereafter. You should enjoy your life while you are alive. You can try anything for fun and for your benefit because in the society of ignorance, as long as you benefit from something, there is nothing wrong with it. From that perspective, everything is legitimate.

The society of ignorance is in a state of deep ignorance. It is clear that death is an unavoidable end and it will come sooner or later to everyone on earth. Yet, people of ignorance disregard this fact and keep it out of the agenda as much as possible. They insistently avoid thinking about it and hinder people from talking about it. Everybody leads his life as if he will never die, although most people do not deny the existence of God. When they are asked, they claim they do believe in the afterlife as well, as it is a prerequisite of being a Muslim. However their actions prove just the opposite. That is because of their lack of faith in the hereafter as it is stated in the verses as follows:

"As to these, they love the fleeting life, and put away behind them a Day (that will be) hard." (Al-Insan, 76:27)

"Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life,-even more than the idolaters: Each one of them wishes He could be given a life of a thousand years: But the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment. For God sees well all that they do." (Al-Baqarah, 2:9)

"Ah indeed! Are they in doubt concerning the Meeting with their Lord? Ah indeed! It is He that doth encompass all things!" (Surah Fussilat, 41:54)

Since they think their death will be an ultimate end for their being, their desire to live forever is fulfilled in another way. Most of the people of ignorance want to leave some kind of a work to make people remember them after their death. They think, by doing so, they will be living in people's minds. They are unaware how an unreasonable way of thinking it is. Instead of doing some good deeds for their afterlife, they try to leave a "name" in the world and want to be "unforgettable" after their death, which will bring no benefit to them.

"Behold, their brother Hud said to them: 'Will ye not fear (God)? I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust: So fear God and obey me. No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds. Do ye build a landmark on every high place to amuse yourselves? And do ye get for yourselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (for ever)?'" (Al-Shuara, 42:124-129)

"Who pileth up wealth and layeth it by, Thinking that his wealth would make him last for ever!" (Al-Humazah,104: 2-3)

The belief of the Hereafter is a kind of consolation to repress the pain experienced during the life in the world. Even the most religious ones hold a suspicious faith. They choose to believe in it "just in case". They believe they guarantee the gardens in the hereafter. What is interesting is those who approach the hereafter with such a suspicion, claim that they are people of the gardens. The person mentioned in the chapter Al-Kahf symbolizes this general point of view of the society of ignorance;

"Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields. Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow. (Abundant) was the produce this man had : he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: 'more wealth have I than you, and more honor and power in (my following of) men' He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, 'I deem not that this will ever perish. Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange.' His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: 'Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man? But (I think) for my part that He is God, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord. Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'God's will (be done)! There is no power but with God!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons, It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand! Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt never be able to find it.' So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, 'Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!' Nor had he numbers to help him against God, nor was he able to deliver himself. There, the (only) protection comes from God, the True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to give success" (Al-Kahf,18: 32-44)

In another chapter of the Qur'an, we see another example of a person with such a mentality. While he says "if I am brought back to my Lord…" he, in fact, confesses his suspicion of the hereafter;

"When we give him a taste of some Mercy from Ourselves, after some adversity has touched him, he is sure to say, 'This is due to my(merit): I think not that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) be established; but if I am brought back to my Lord, I have (much) good (stored) in His sight!' But We will show the Unbelievers the truth of all that they did, and We shall give them the taste of a severe Penalty." (Surah Fussilat, 41:50)

It is in fact hard to understand the reason why people of the society of ignorance insist on their blindness. If someone believes in God, then he inevitably comes to the conclusion that the hereafter also exists. God creates the human, lets him live a life, gives him countless blessings and shows a great compassion and mercy. So, why should He want to annihilate him at a certain age?

Let's remember an example given by a great Islamic scholar about this subject: Can a mother execute her child after bringing him up all through the years? In fact, a mother cares about her child a lot and she feels a great deal of compassion towards her child. She does not even think about doing him any harm, let alone wanting him to die. While these feelings have been given to her by God as the ultimate owner of compassion and any concept we know of good, how can anyone believe that God annihilates humans whom he creates and bestows with all kinds of blessings, especially when those people are thankful to him and choose to be servants of God.

Perhaps we could have a reason to think that death was an end, if good people lived endlessly on the earth while evil ones died. However as mentioned in the verse: "Every soul shall have a taste of death" (Al-Anbiya,21: 35) God ends one's life after allowing him to live for a certain period of time. As it has been stated in the verse; "Did We not give you long enough life so that he that would should receive admonition? and (moreover) the warner came to you" (Al-Fatir, 35: 37) and this period of time is sufficient for each one of us to make a choice.

During this period of time, people should realize that their souls are immortal. God has made us want various things and He has given all what we want and need. God has created us in such a way that we feel hunger and He has bestowed us with plenty of foods on earth. He has given us the feeling of thirst and he has created water resources for humans when he created the earth. Then, in the same way, will not God let us live forever, as He has made us desire to live forever? God has created human as His caliph on the earth and given all other created things, like the Sun, stars and the earth to his service. After all that perfect creation of God, it would be unreasonable to think that God allows mankind to live on the earth for a period of time and ends his life forever. In short, when we pass away, we do not get lost in "nothingness" but we step into our real lives.

It is very obvious for a thinking person that life in the world is temporary and a simple sample of the real life. All the beauties in the world are temporary and bare many deficiencies. The most good-looking human can keep his good outlook only for one or two decades. As he gets older and older, his physical appearance changes, his skin becomes puckered, his body loses its shape and he starts to suffer many kinds of illnesses related with aging. It is not necessary to get older to witness the shortcomings of the life of this world. His body mechanisms are built with many weaknesses. If he does not take a shower for a few days, he starts to stink. No matter how attractive he is, he has to use lavatory as every human does and has to deal with this kind of weaknesses of himself every single day all through his life.

Since people are used to all of this, they usually are not aware that these weaknesses have been given to them on purpose. They consider the presence of these weaknesses very normal and never think another way could be possible. However, God's creation is perfect. When we look at the creation of the universe, the earth, the nature and all living creatures from complex organisms to single celled structures, we clearly see that there is a perfect order and design in everything. So, if God had willed, people would not have any weaknesses as those mentioned above. But all these deficiencies are for reminding people of the fact that they stand in need of God. They are also for reminding people that, the life in this world is only an example of the real life in the hereafter, which is free of all deficiencies.

"Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from God and (His) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of God). And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception." (Al-Hadid, 50:20)

Then, one may ask, "what is the real life like? "It is known to all that, there will be two different places in the hereafter, one for the believers, Paradise, and the other for the unbelievers, Hell. However, the society of ignorance has not abstained from producing tales about Paradise, and Hell. Therefore, we again need to refer to the Qur'an to understand the true nature of the hereafter.

®srikandeh.

Prophet Job (Ayoub) a.s

Description: Allah describe Prophet Job a.s as an example of a patient and an excellent a servant. Hee was ever oft-returning in repentance to Allah the Exalted

Ibn Kathir [701 - 774 AH or 1301 - 1372 AD]: Stories of the Prophets .

Ibn Ishaq stated that Job was a man of Rum. His names was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Razeh, Ibn Esau ,Ibn Isaac, Ibn Abraham. Another sorce said he was Job Ibn Mose, Ibn Rimil Ibn Esau Ibn Isaac Ibn Jacob. There have also been other statements in his lineage. Ibn Asaker narrated that his mother was a daughter of Prophet Lot.It was said, also, that his father was one who believed in Abraham when he was cast into the fire.

The first opinion is the most credible as he was a descendant of Abraham's offspring as Allah Almighty declared:

"That was the reasoning about Us which We gave to Abraham (to use) against his people: We raise whom We will degree after degree: for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge. We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) We guided: and before him We guided Noah and before him We guided Noah and among his progeny David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good"[Quran 6:83-84 ]

Allah the Almighty praised His worshipper Job in His Glorious Quran:

"Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a servant! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance to Us" [ Quran 38:44]

Job was repentant, remembering Allah with thankfulness, patience and steadfastness. This was the cause of his salvage and the secret of Allah's praising him.

A group of angels were discussing Allah's other human creatures, how those who were humble earned Allah's displease, while those who were arrogant incurred His displeasure. One of the angels remarked:

"The best creature on earth today is Job, a man of noble character who displays excellent patience and always remembers his Generous Lord. He is an excellent model for the worshippers of Allah. In return, his Lord has blessed him with a long life and plenty of riches, yet he is never haughty or selfish. His family, his servants, as well as the needy and the poor share in his good fortune; he feeds and clothes the poor and buys slaves to set them free. He makes those who receive his charity feel as if they are favoring him, so kind and gentle is he."

Iblis, overhearing all this, became annoyed. He planned to tempt Job to corruption and disbelief, so he hastened to him. He tried to distract Job from his prayers by whispering to him about the good things in life, but Job was a true believer and would not let evil thoughts tempt him. This disturbed Iblis more; thus he began to hate Job even more.

Iblis complained to Allah about Job. He said that although he was continuously glorifying Allah, he was not doing so out of his sincerity but to satisfy Allah so that his wealth should not be taken away. It was all a show, all out of greed. "If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop."

Allah told Iblis that Job was one of His most sincere devotees. He did not worship Him because of the favors; his worship stemmed from his heart and had nothing to do with material things. But to prove Iblis the depth of Job' s sincerity and patience, Allah allowed him to do whatever he and his helpers wished with Job's wealth.

Iblis was very happy. He gathered his helpers and set about destroying Job's cattle, servants, and farms until he was left with no possessions. Rubbing his hands in glee, Iblis appeared before Job in the guise of a wise old man and said to him:

"All your wealth is lost. Some people say that it is because you gave too much charity and that you are wasting your time with your continuous prayers to Allah. Others say that Allah has bought this upon you in order to please your enemies. If Allah had the capacity to prevent harm, then He would have protected your wealth"

True to his belief, Job replied: "What Allah has taken away from me belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for a while. He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills"

With these words, Job again prostrated to his Lord.

When Iblis saw this, he felt frustrated, so he again addressed Allah: "I have stripped Job of all his possessions, but he still remains grateful to You. However, he is only hiding his disapointment, for he places great store by his many children. The real test of a parent is through him children. You will then see how Job will reject You"
Allah granted Iblis authority, but warned him that it would not reduce Job's faith in his Lord nor his patience.

Iblis again gathered his helpers and set about his evil deeds. He shook the foundation of the house in which Job's children were living and sent the building crashing, killing all of them. Then he went to Job disguised as a man who had come to sympathize with him. In a comforting tone he said to Job:

"The circumstances under which your children died were sad. Surely, your Lord is not rewarding you properly for all your prayers?"

Having said this Iblis waited anxiously, hoping Job was now ready to reject Allah. But again Job disapointed him by replying:

"Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator"

Then Job prostrated to his Lord. At this Iblis was extremely vexed. Iblis again called on Allah:

"O my Lord, Job's wealth is gone, his children are dead, but he is still healthy in body, and as long as he enjoys good health he will continue to worship You in the hope of regaining his wealth and producing more children. Grant me authority over his body so that I may weaken it. He will surely neglect worshipping You and with thus becomes disobedient"

Allah wanted to teach Iblis a lesson that Job was a devoted servant of his Lord, so He granted Iblis his third request but placed a condition:

"I give you authority over his body but not over his soul, intellect, or heart, for in these places reside the knowledge of Me and My religion"

Armed with this new authority, Iblis began to take revenge on Job's body and filled it with disease until it was reduced to mere skin and bone and he suffered severe pain. But through all the suffering Job remained string in his faith, patiently bearing all the hardships without complaining. Allah's righteous servant did not despair or turn to others for help but remained hopeful of Allah's Mercy. Even close relatives and friends deserted him. Only his kind loving wife stayed with him. In his hour of need, she showered her kindness on him and cared for him. She remained his sole companion and comforter through many years of his suffering.

Ibn Asaker narrated: "Job was a man having much wealth of all kinds: beasts, slaves, sheep, vast lands of Haran and many children. All those favors were taken from him and he was physically afflicted as well. Never a single organ was sound except his heart and tongue, with both of which he glorified Allah, the Almighty all the time day and night. His disease lasted for a long time until his visitors felt disgusted with him. His friend kept away from him, and people abstained from visiting him. No one felt sympathy for him except his wife. She took good care of him, knowing his former charity and pity for her"

Therefore, Iblis became desperate. He consulted his helpers but they could not advise him. They asked:

"How is it that your cleverness cannot work against Job, yet you succeeded in misleading Adam, the father of man, out of paradise?"

Iblis went to Job's wife in the form of a man. "Where is your husband?" he asked her.

She pointed to an almost lifeless form crumpled on the bed and said: "There he is, suspended between life and death."

Iblis reminded her of the days when Job had good health, wealth and children. Suddenly, the painful memory of yeas of hardship overcame her, and she burst into tears. She said to Job:

"How long are you going to bear this torture from our Lord? Are we to remain without wealth, children or friends forever? Why don't you call upon Allah to remove this suffering?"

Job sighed, and in a soft voice replied: "Iblis must have whispered to you and made you dissatisfied. Tell me, how long did I enjoy good health and riches?"

She replied, "For eighty years"

Then Job asked, "How long am I suffering like this?"

She said, "for seven years"

Then Job told her: "In that case I am ashamed to call on my Lord to remove the hardship, for I have not suffered longer than the years of good health and plenty. It seems your faith has weakened and you are dissatisfied with the fate of Allah. If I ever regain health, I swear I will punish you with a hundred strokes! From this day onward, I forbid myself to eat or drink anything from your hand. Leave me alone and let my Lord do with me as He pleases."

Crying bitterly and with a heavy heart, she had no choice but to leave him and seek shelter elsewhere. In his helpless state, Job turned to Allah, not to complain but to seek His mercy:

"Verily, distress has seized me, and You and the Most Merciful of all those who show Mercy. So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost) and the like thereof along with them - as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us" [Quran 21:83-84]

Almighty Allah also instructed:

"Commemorate Our servant Job behold he cried to his Lord: "The Evil One has afflicted me with distress and suffering"! (The command was given:) "Strike with thy foot: here is (water) wherein to wash cool and refreshing and (water) to drink." And We gave him (back) his people and doubled their number as a Grace from Ourselves and a thing for commemoration for all who have Understanding." [Quran 38:41-43]

Job obeyed, and almost immediately his good health was restored. Meanwhile, his faithful wife could no longer bear to be parted from her husband and returned to beg his forgiveness, desiring to serve him. On entering the house, she was amazed at the sudden change: Job was again healthy! She embraced him and thanked Allah for His mercy.

Job was now worried, for he had taken an oath to punish her with a hundred strokes if he regained health, but he had no desire to hurt her. He knew if he did not fulfill the oath, he would be guilty of breaking a promise to Allah. Therefore, in His wisdom and mercy, Allah came to the assistance of His faithful servant, and advised him:

"And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath. Truly we found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance to Us" [Quran 38:44]

Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that the Prophet Muhammed SAW said:

"While Job was naked, taking a bath, a swarm of locusts fell on him, and he started collecting them in his garment. His Lord called him: 'O Job! Have I not made you too rich to need what you see?' He said: 'Yes, O Lord! But I cannot shun Your Blessings" (Bukhari)

®islamhouse

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The Story of Prophet Job

Description: The story of Prophet Job, a patient man totally submitted to God Almighty.

By Aisha Stacey

Information about the various prophets sent by God to humankind can be found throughout the 114 chapters of Quran. The information is presented in a variety of ways. From a few short verses, to the long narrative concerning Prophet Joseph, that takes an entire chapter.

Additionally, almost invariably, the prophets come to their particular people with the same message. To worship God alone, and not associate anything or anyone in worship with Him. The stories of the prophets serve to emphasis this basic doctrine of Islam, that God is One. The focus therefore, is on the message and how it was spread.

The Quran makes it quite clear that children and wealth are an adornment of this life and that we will be tested through our love for them. (Quran 18:46). In the stories of the prophets, we see that God tested various nations through loss of health and through the loss of wealth, even extreme poverty. God declares repentance and patience to be the keys to eternal life therefore accepting trials and even thanking God for them, denotes a high level of faith. Humankind however is in a constant struggle to accept the message of God. Many nations failed.

The story of Prophet Job is different. Through his story, we are able to view humankind’s struggle on a more personal level. God does not tell us about Job’s methods of preaching or how his people reacted to his warnings and admonitions. God does not tell us about the fate of Job’s people. Instead, He tells us about Job’s patience. He (the Almighty) praises Job by saying,

“Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us!” (Quran 38:44)

Christians often refer to the “patience of Job” and interestingly, Muslims refer to Job’s patience and try to emulate him in the face of relentless adversity. In the 10th century C.E. renowned Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir gathered what little information has survived about Job, therefore what follows is Job’s story based on Quran, the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad and Ibn Kathir’s Stories of the Prophets.

Job was a descendant of Noah (Quran 6:84). He loved God, worshipped Him alone, was patient, steadfast and sort forgiveness often. Satan overheard a group of angels discussing that Job was the best man of his generation and Satan’s blackened heart was filled with jealousy and silent rage. His plan was to tempt Job away from goodness and have him fall into disbelief and corruption. Satan attempted to distract Job from his prayers but Job remained steadfast and prayed with commitment and concentration.

This caused Satan’s rage to grow and he complained to God saying that Job was a devoted worshipper only because God had blessed him with wealth and possessions. God allowed Satan and his helpers to destroy Jobs possessions, but Job remained true to his belief and acknowledged that God was able to give or take wealth and possessions as He pleased. Satan became even more frustrated and returned to God saying that Job only hid his disappointment because of his large happy family. Satan and his helpers destroyed Job’s home, the building came crashing down killing all of Job’s children.

Once again, Job turned to God for comfort and accepted this most heavy test without complaint. Satan disguised himself and approached Job in the form of an old man. The old man commiserated with Job and suggested that God was not rewarding Job for his devotion and prayers, but Job replied that God “sometimes gives and sometimes takes” and that he was well pleased with His Creator. Satan’s silent but smouldering anger grew. He returned to God saying that Job was fit and healthy and therefore had hopes of regaining his wealth and having more children. Satan asked permission to destroy Job’s health. God granted Satan’s third request but with the condition, that Satan have no influence on Job’s soul, heart, or intellect.

Satan and his helpers began to take revenge on Job’s body. He was reduced to skin and bone and suffered severe pain. Job was also stricken with a disease that made people turn away from him with revulsion and his friends and relatives began to desert him. Only his wife remained with him. She cared for him and showered him with kindness even though they had become penniless and she had to work as a servant to provide them with a small morsel of food each day.

Throughout his ordeal, Job remained devoted to God. His lips and tongue remained moist with the remembrance of God and he never despaired or complained. He continued to thank God even for this great calamity that had befallen him. Satan was at a loss, he did not know how to entice Job away from his devotion to God so he decided to harass Job’s wife. He came to her in the form of a man and reminded her of the old days and how easy their life had once been. Job’s wife burst into tears and confronted Job saying, “ask your Lord to remove this suffering from us”.

Job was saddened and reminded his wife that God had blessed them with wealth, children and health for 80 years and that this suffering had been upon them for a relatively short period of time. He declared that he was ashamed to call on God to remove the hardship and admonished his wife saying that if he ever regained his health he would beat her with 100 strokes. Job’s loving wife was devastated, she turned away and sort shelter elsewhere. Job felt helpless, he turned to God, not to complain but to beg for mercy.

“Verily! distress has seized me and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.” So We answered his call, and we removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us.” (Quran 21:83-84)

God restored Job’s health almost immediately. Job’s wife could not bear to be parted from her beloved husband for very long so she returned and was amazed when she saw his recovery. She cried out her thanks to God, and on hearing her words, Job became worried. He had taken an oath to beat his wife but he had no desire to hurt her for he loved her dearly. God wanted to ease the heart of his devoted, patient servant so he advised him to “take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith your wife, and break not your oath”. (Quran 38:44)

From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, we learn that God also restored Job’s wealth. It is said that one day when he was taking a shower (or bath) God showered him with grasshoppers made of gold.[1 Saheeh Al-Bukhari.] God rewarded Job’s patience abundantly. His health was restored, his family was returned to him and multiplied, and he once again became a wealthy man.

God tells us that Job’s story is a reminder for all those who worship God. (Quran 38:84) When one truly worships God with full submission, it is necessary to have patience. It is easy to worship for a few days or even weeks, but we must be consistent. Prayer at night requires patience, fasting requires patience, living with tribulations and trials requires patience. The life of this world is a test and in order to pass, and be rewarded with Paradise, we need to acquire the patience of Job.

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Excerpted from The Story of Prophet Job by Aisha Stacey, published on 7 Sep 2009, IslamReligion.com.

Forgiveness: Attribute of a Muslim

Description: Allah commanded mankind to fear and obey Allah, accustomed to patience, and reconcile the matters of difference between us and hold fast together to the Rope of Allah and do not split-up. Ibn Taimiyyah, a great Muslim scholar had made a succinct deliberation on the matter which is indeed worthy to revisit and share, God Willing.

By Ibn Taimiyyah

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Indeed it is Allah the Exalted, to whom belongs all praise, who has bestowed upon me immense grace, great favours and generous blessings which necessitates immense gratitude, being firm upon obedience to him, and becoming accustomed to having graceful patience in that which He ordered.

The Essence of Patience

Indeed, a servant is ordered to have sabar (patience) in times of ease more so than in times of hardship.[1] Allah the Most Exalted said:

“But if we let man taste the good favours after poverty and harm have touched him, he is sure to boastfully say: Harm has departed from me. Indeed he is exultant, boastful and ungrateful to Allah, except for those who observe patience and perform righteous deeds, for them will be forgiveness and a great reward.” [Surah Hud, 11:10-11]

‘It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness - to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity [ zakat]; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic [horror]. Such are the people of truth, the Allah fearing.”[Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:177]

And you all know that Allah, the Most Perfect has blessed this affair [2] with such blessings which contain the means to aid His Religion, raise high His Word, aid His Army, and grant honour to His Awliya' (pious and righteous servants). It is also the cause for strengthening Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah and causing humiliation to the people of innovations and sectarianism. Likewise, it is also the cause of affirming that which has been affirmed by yourselves from the Sunnah (regarding the truth of this matter), and a cause for increasing this by opening up the avenues of guidance, victory and proofs; such that the truth becomes known to the people, who none but Allah can enumerate. It is also a cause for the masses to begin to accept the way of the Sunnah and the Jama’ah ; as well as countless other favours. All of this must therefore be accompanied by immense gratitude to Allah, as well as having patience – even if this patience is in times of ease.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation.

And you all know that from the great principles which sum up the Religion is: Uniting the hearts, unifying the word, and reconciling between each other, as Allah, the Most Exalted said:

“So fear and obey Allah, and reconcile the matters of difference between yourselves.” [Surah Al-Anfaal 8:10]

“And hold fast together to the Rope of Allah and do not split-up.” [Surah Ali-‘Imran, 3:103]

“And do not be like those who split-up and differed after clear proofs came to them. For those there will be a severe punishment.” [Surah Ali-‘Imran, 3:105]

And other examples like this from the texts (of Revelation), which order us with the Jama’ah (upon the way of the Companions) and coming together, and prohibit splitting and differing. And the people who most exemplify this principle are Ahlul-Jama’ah (the people of the Jama’ah ), just as the people who most exemplify leaving it are the people of sectarianism.

And that which sums up the Sunnah is: obedience to the Messenger. This is why the Prophet SAW said: “Indeed Allah is pleased with three things: That you worship Allah alone without associating any partner along with Him; that you hold fast altogether to the Rope of Allah and not to become split-up; and that you give sincere advise to whomever Allah put in charge of your affairs.” [ Muslim (3/1340) and Ahmad (2/367)

And in the Sunan collections from the hadith of Zaid Ibn Thabit and Ibn Mas’ud who were both great Fuqaha (Scholars of deep understanding) who relate that the Prophet SAW said: “May Allah enliven whosoever hears my words, memorizes them and conveys them to others. Many a carrier of knowledge does not understand it, and many a carrier of knowledge carries it to one who has better understanding. There are three things which the heart of the Believer has no malice about: Sincerity for Allah in one’s action; sincere advice to those in authority, and clinging to the Jama’ah .” [ Ahmad (4/80) and Ibn Majah (no. 320). It was authenticated by al-Albani in as-Sahihah (no. 404)]

And his saying, ‘...has no malice,’ means not having any contempt for them. So the heart of a Muslim does not have these characteristics. On the contrary, it loves and is pleased with them.

So the first thing which I shall begin with regarding this principle is what is connected to myself. So you all should know – may Allah be pleased with you all – that I do not desire any harm at all – inwardly, nor outwardly – for anyone from amongst the general masses of the Muslims, let alone our colleagues and companions. Nor do I harbour any ill-feeling towards any one of them, nor do I blame them for anything at all. Rather, to me they are deserving of nobility, love, honour and respect, over and over – each in accordance to their level. And a person cannot be except (one of three types): Someone who sincerely strives to ascertain the truth; and is correct, or one who sincerely strives to ascertain the truth; but errs, or a sinful person. As for the first, then he is rewarded and thanked. The second is rewarded for his ijtihad (striving to ascertain the truth), and is forgiven and excused for his error. As for the third, then may Allah forgive us, and him, and all the Believers.

So we should try not to dwell upon the words of those who opposed this fundamental; by saying that so and so is deficient, or so and so did not act, or so and so was the cause of harm to the Shaikh, or was the reason why all this occurred, or so and so used to speak about the plots of so and so; and other such similar statements which contain criticism of some of our colleagues and brothers. For indeed I do not allow them to harm the brothers and colleagues in this manner, and there is no might, nor power, except with Allah. [3] Rather, the likes of this criticism usually returns to the one who said it in the first place, unless he has good deeds by which Allah will forgive him – if He wills – and indeed Allah does forgive that which has preceded. And you also all know about the harsh treatment that was given to some of the brothers in Damascus, and that which occurs even now in Egypt. This, in reality , is not due to a deficiency or shortcoming in the brothers, nor has it occurred because we have changed our views and hate them. Rather, such people, after receiving such harsh treatment, increase in the status, love, and respect that we have for them. For indeed, the likes of these trials are beneficial to the Believers, because Allah corrects and improves them due to it. Since the Believer to another Believer is like each of a pair of hands, each washes the other. However, it happens that sometimes happens that dirt cannot be removed except with a certain amount of roughness, but that brings about cleanliness and softness, for which that roughness is praised...

You (also) all know that much of what has occurred in this matter were lies, false accusations, false suspicions, and the following of false desires, the likes of which cannot be described. So all those lies and false accusations that were directed against me, were actually a source of goodness and blessing for me. Allah, the Most High said:

“Indeed those who brought forward the lie are a small group amongst you. However, do not think that it is an evil for you. Rather, it is good for you. And every person from amongst them will be paid the sin of what they earned. And as for the one who took on the leading role in this, his will be a severe punishment.” [Surah An-Nur, 24:11]

So though such trials, Allah the most Exalted manifests the light of truth and its clear proofs, which repel the falsehood and lies. So I do not take revenge upon any of those who lied against me, oppressed me, or showed enmity and hatred towards me. For indeed I forgive every Muslim, and I love only the good for them, and I desire for every Muslim the good that I desire for myself. And as for those who lied and did wrong, then I have excused and forgiven them. However, whatever is connected to violating the Rights of Allah Almighty in this affair, then they should seek tawbah (repentance). So if they turn to Allah in repentance, then Allah will turn to them in forgiveness, otherwise, the Judgement of Allah will apply to them. So if a person were to be thanked for his evil actions, then I thank all those who were the cause for this (trial) to happen to me – for it entails all the good of this world and the Hereafter. However, Allah is thanked for His good blessing and favour by which no affair happens to a Believer, except that, there is good for him in it. And the people of good intentions are thanked for their intentions, and the people of good actions are thanked for their actions. As for those who did evil then we ask Allah that He turns to them in forgiveness. And you all know that this is from my nature and character.

Likewise, you all know that Abu Bakar as-Siddiq r.a, concerning the matter of al-Ifq, the lie against ‘Aishah, his daughter, the wife of the Prophet SAW, about which Allah SWT revealed some ayat of the Glorious Qur‘an , so he swore that he would not give anymore charity to Mistah Ibn Athathah, because Mistah was one of those who participated in the Lie. So Allah revealed:

“And let not those amongst you who have been blessed with grace and wealth swear not to give any wealth or support to their relatives, or to the poor and needy, or to those who migrated in the Path of Allah. Rather, let them pardon and be forgiving. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Surah An-Nur, 24:22]

So when this ayah was revealed, Abu Bakar said: “Rather, by Allah! I love that Allah should forgive me.” So he continued to give to Mistah the aid and charity that he used to give before. [ Al-Bukhari (no. 4757) ]

The Criterion of Righteousness

So with forgiveness and kind treatment towards one another, and carrying out Jihad (fighting and striving) in the Path of Allah, then it is a must that:

“Allah will bring a people whom He will love, and love Him; soft, humble and gentle with the Believers, stern towards the unbelievers, fighting the Path of Allah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah that He bestows upon whomsoever He wills. And Allah suffices for the needs of His creation, the All-Knower. Indeed your Wali (protector and guardian) is Allah, His Messenger and the Believers; those who offer the Prayer correctly, and give Zakat, and who bow down in obedience to Allah. And whoever takes Allah, and His Messenger, and the Believers as protectors and guardians, then it is the party of Allah who will be victorious.” [Surah Al-Maidah, 55:53]

" It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the People of Truth, the Allah fearing.”[Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:177]

Was-salamu ’alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh .

Footnotes:

[1] Majmu’ul-Fatwa (28/50-57), abridged version

[2] The affair being referred to is the first of Ibn Taimiyyah’s unjust imprisonment – a period of one and a half years, in the year 705H – which occurred due to some lies and false accusations against him.

[3] This is in reference to some of their colleagues and brothers in Damascus, who weakened during this ordeal, and did not remain firm upon the correct methodology. So Ibn Taimiyyah is prohibiting any of his students and colleagues from harming them in any way, and he makes an excuse for them, and explains that he bears no ill-feeling or hatred in his heart towards any of them. Rather, he makes it clear that he has respect for them, and that he loves them for the sake of Allah.

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Sincerity

By Shaikh Ahmad Farid

Description: Ikhlas is the purity of intention for ones action which is an essential condition criteria commanded in Islam in order deeds to be accepted by Allah The Exalted, without which one recieves nothing.

Definition.

The term Ikhlas is the purity and sincerity of intentions. It means the purification of one's intentions in all matters of deeds in order to draw closer and acceptable by Allah Almighty. Ikhlas entails to single out for Allah alone with any act of obedience. It is to constantly looking towards the Creator.

The Essential of Ikhlas.

It should be noted that in the Islamic doctrine ikhlas [sincerity] is indeed a condition for Allah the Almighty to accept the righteous actions that are be done in accordance with guidance from Sunnah of Allah's Messenger SAW and as that legislated by Allah. Allah, the Most High has commanded us with His saying:

"And they have not been commanded except to worship Allah alone, having ikhlas (purity of intention) in their Religion and not setting-up partners with Allah in the worship of Him." [Surah Al-Bayyinah 38:5].

"Except for those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to Allah, and purify their religion as in Allah's sight: if so they will be (numbered) with the believers. And soon will Allah grant to the believers a reward of immense value." [Surah An-Nisa’, 4:146]

Abu Umamah radiallahu 'anhu relates:

Once a man came to Allah's Messenger SAW and said: What do you think about a person who joins us in the fighting only to seek fame and wealth? So Allah's Messenger SAW replied: "He receives nothing!" The man repeated the question three times, each time Allah's Messenger said: "He receives nothing!" Then he said: "Indeed Allah does not accept an action except if it is done with ikhlas (i.e. purely for Allah's sake), seeking nothing but His Face." [An-Nasa'ie (6/25), authenticated by al-Hafiz al-'Iraqi in Takhrijul-lhya (4/28).]

Zaid ibn Thabit radiallahu 'anhu relates:

The Prophet SAW said: "May Allah brighten whosoever hears my words, memorizes them and then conveys them to others. Many a carrier of knowledge does not understand it, and many a carrier of knowledge conveys it to one who has better understanding. There are three things which the heart of a Believer has no malice about: Ikhlas for Allah in one's action; sincere advice to the Muslim leaders; and clinging to the Jama'ah." [ Ahmad (4/80) and Ibn Majah (no.230):authenticated by al-Albani in as-Sahihah (no.404).]

The meaning of the above being that these three matters strengthen the heart. And that whosoever adopts them, then his heart will be purified from deceit, corruption and evil. And no servant can be free from Satan except by having ikhlas , as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:

"Except those of Your servants who have ikhlas ." [Surah Sad 38:83].

“Not (so do) the Servants of Allah, sincere and devoted.” [Surah As-Safaat37:160]

It has been related from one of the pious people that he said: "O my soul! Have ikhlas and then you will be purified."

Thus, whenever any share of this world - in which the soul takes comfort and the heart inclines towards, either greatly or slightly - enters into our actions, then it mars the purity and ruins the ikhlas . For man becomes preoccupied with his portion of the world and becomes immersed in his desires; and very seldom are his action, or acts of worship, free from temporary objectives or desires of this kind.

It has been said: "Whosoever secures in his lifetime even a single moment of ikhlas , seeking the Face of Allah, he will be saved." This is because ikhlas is something very precious, and cleansing the heart from impurities is something difficult.

Ikhlas is the state of purification ones heart from all forms of impurities , whether large or tiny, with the sole intention for Allah’s sake, void of all other motives, except that of Allah the Exalted alone. It is the matter of a total love to Allah; and that is so absorbed in thinking and actions, all about the Akhirah (Hereafter) and instead his heart for the worldly matters. Even when he is eating, drinking or answering the call of nature, the existence of ikhlas t in his actions and truthful intentions.

However, whosoever is not guided in this state of direction, devoid of ikhlas the door of Allah acceptance would be closed to him except he Allah forgive him. Likewise, whosoever is overwhelmed with the love of Allah and the love of the Hereafter, then the actions he does would be characterised with ikhlas . Conversely, the person's soul is overwhelmed with the dunia [worldly matters], not for the sake of Allah, then the actions would not be accepted by Allah.

The cure for loving this world is to break these worldly desires that the soul has, curing-off the greed it has for this world and purifying it for the Hereafter. This will then become the overwhelming trait of the heart and with this state achieving ikhlas will become much easier. For how many actions there are that a person does, thinking that they are done with true ikhlas [sincerity], seeking only the Face of Allah, but he is deluded, for he does not see the defects in them!

Thus it has been related about someone that he used to always pray in the first row of the mosque. One day he was delayed in coming to the Prayer, so he had to pray in the second row. Feeling embarrassed at praying in the second row, the man realised that the satisfaction and pleasure of the heart that he gained from praying in the first row was due to him seeing that the people used to admire him for it. This is a very fine and subtle point and actions are seldom safe from it. Indeed, very few are there who realise such subtleties, apart from those upon whom Allah the Most High has blessed and helped. Rather, those who are negligent of such matters will see their good deeds appearing as evil ones on the Day of Resurrection, and they are the ones who are referred to in Allah the Most High's sayings:

"And there will become clear to them that which they were not expecting. For the evil of their deeds will become apparent to them." [Surah Az-Zumur 39:47-48].

"Say: Shall We inform you about those who will lose most in respect to their actions? Those whose efforts have been wasted in the life of this world, whilst they thought that they were doing good actions." [Surah Al-Kahf 18:103-104].

Say: "My Lord hath commanded justice; and that ye set your whole selves (to Him) at every time and place of prayer, and call upon Him, making your devotion sincere as in His sight: such as He created you in the beginning, so shall ye return." [Surah Al-A‘raf, 7:29]

Some Sayings Concerning Ikhlas

Ya'qub rahimahullah said: "A mukhlis (one who truly has ikhlas ) is someone who conceals his good actions, as he conceals his bad ones."

As-Susie rahimahullaah said: "True ikhlas is not to see your ikhlas . Indeed, whosoever identifies ikhlas in his ikhlas , then he is in need of having ikhlas in his ikhlas !" And what this indicates is to purify one's actions from being amazed with oneself. Since whosoever considers his ikhlas , being amazed with it, has fallen into great danger. For ikhlas is to be pure and free from such dangers of being amazed with one's own actions.

Ayyub rahimahullaah said: "Having Ikhlas [sincerity for Allah the Exalted] in the intentions for any action, is much more harder than performing the action itself."

One of the Salaf, Pious Predecessors said: “To have true ikhlas even for a short time, is to be saved. However, ikhlas is very rare."

Suhail rahimahullah was asked: What is the thing most difficult for the nafs [soul]? He replied: "To have ikhlas , especially when the soul is not disposed towards it."

Al-Fudail ibn 'Iyyad rahimahullah said: "Abandoning action for the sake of people, is to seek their admiration. To do an action for the sake of people is to commit Syirik [to associate in the worship of Allah, others along with Allah]. Indeed ikhlas is when Allah saves you from both of these states."

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The Old Malay Peninsula

The Reality.

By Husaini Salleh

Since the second century the Malay Peninsula were made up of a number of independent city states and kingdoms. It was comprised such as Tambralinga or Ligor [present-day Nakhon Si Thammarat], Khorahi [Chaiya], Hrarak Kola [Takua Pa], and Panpala [in Myanmar], Gangga Negara, Langkasuka-Patani, Pan-Pan [Pahang], Kataha [Kedah], Kelantan and Terangganu.

Malay Peninsula ,called by the Malays Tanah Malayu, the Malay Land, a pastille-shaped strip of land projecting into the China Sea, and forming the most southerly portion of the continent of Asia. Historically and indeed geographically, the Malay Peninsula begins at the Isthmus of Kra, 10° N., at which point it is only between 60 and 70 m. in width, and the distance from sea to sea is further diminished by a large irregular salt-water inlet. From the Isthmus of Kra the peninsula extends south with a general inclination towards the east, the most southerly point being Tanjong Bulus in 1° 162' N. A line drawn diagonally down the centre from the Isthmus of Kra to Cape Romania gives the extreme length at about 750 miles. The breadth at the widest point, from Tanjong Penunjut in Trengganu to Tanjong Hantu in the Dindings territory, is about 200 m. The area is estimated at about 70,000 sq. m.

From the 11th-13th centuries, the city-states on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, had consolidated into a single mighty military, maritime confederation and commercial power known as Srivijaya, the Hindu-Buddhist Empire centred in Palembang, on Sumatra. Between the third and thirteenth centuries Srivijaya dominated the trade on the South China Sea and exacted tolls from all traffic through the Straits of Malacca.

But Srivijayan authority moved from Chaiya and established Patani as the new capital of Langkasuka on the Malay Peninsula. Patani had flourished into trading and later as an Islamic learning centre on the east coast of Malay Peninsula.

Srivijaya, Sriwijaya, Shri Bhoja, Sri Boja or Sri Vijaya [200s-1400] was an ancient Malay kingdom which influenced much of the Malay Archipelago. Records of its beginning are scarce while estimations range from the 3rd to 5th centuries. The kingdom ceased to exist around 1400.

In Sanskrit, Sri means 'shining' or 'radiant' and Vijaya means victory or excellence.

After the fall and disintegration of the Srivijayan Empire in the 13th century to the Majapahit, Tambaralinga or Ligor [Nakhon Si Thammarat] became an independent kingdom and make attempts to extend its power over other cities bordering it in the peninsula before it was brought under the dominion of Ayutthaya in the 14th century.

The Malacca Malay Sultanate was founded by Parameswara in 1400. He was a Hindu Srivijaya prince. Centered in the modern town of Malacca, the sultanate stretched from southern Thailand in the north to Sumatra in the southwest. The Sultanate adopted Islam in 1414. The Portuguese invaded its capital in 1511 and in 1528; the Sultanate of Johor [Johor-Riau or Johor-Riau-Lingga] was established by a Malaccan prince to succeed Malacca.

Ayutthaya conquered the states of the isthmus in the thirteenth century and continued to control them in the modern period, the Malay of the peninsula were never culturally absorbed into the mainstream of Thai society. The Thai kingdom was not a single, unified state but rather a patchwork of self-governing principalities and tributary provinces owing allegiance to the king of Ayutthaya.

These states were ruled by members of the royal family of Ayutthaya who had their own armies and warred among themselves. The king had to blatantly prevent royal princes from combining against him or allying with Ayutthaya's enemies. Whenever the succession was in dispute, princely governors gathered their forces and moved on the capital interfeared to press their illegal claims.

When the Sultanate of Malacca expanded northward, Pattani recognized the overlordship of Malacca. But with the fall of Malacca in 1511, Pattani fought for the supremacy of the Malay Peninsula with Acheh, Johor and the Portuguese in Melaka.

During much of the fifteenth century Ayutthaya's energies were directed toward the Malay Peninsula, where the great trading port of Malacca contested Thai claims to sovereignty. Malacca and other Malay states south of Tambralinga had become Muslim early in the century, and thereafter Islam served as a symbol of Malay solidarity against the Thai. Although the Thai failed to make a vassal state of Malacca, Ayutthaya continued to control the lucrative trade on the isthmus, which attracted Chinese traders of specialty goods for the luxury markets of China.

During the early 19th century, the southern provinces remained largely autonomous under the control of principal governors. However, due to the threat posed by Western colonial expansionism in South Asia, King Rama IV sought to enlarge the border in the south and made two personal visits to the area to strengthen the relationship between the southern provinces and Bangkok.

King Rama V annexed and arbitrarily consolidated and absorbed the Malay southern provinces into several regions with administrative centres at Phuket, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat [Ligor] and Patani each under the direct control of Bangkok. Patani were fragmented into Songkla, Narathiwat, Yala and smaller Patani

In 1826 the British and Siam, without the representation of The Malay States rulers signed The Burney Treaty. It acknowledged Siamese claim over the four northern Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu.

The treaty further guaranteed British ownership of Penang and their rights to trade in Kelantan and Terengganu without the Siamese interference.

In 1902 The Kingdom Pattani was illegally annexed and the independent Malay Sultanate of Pattani and the rulers of the kingdom were removed and imprisoned by the Bangkok authorities.

In 1909, the Thai and the British signed a new treaty that superseded the blatant 1826 treaty, without any consultation with Malay Sultanates. The 1909 treaty, known as Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, also as Bangkok Treaty of 1909, illegally transferred the four Malay states from Siamese to British dominion. Satun was ceded to the Siam. Siam and Britain came to an agreement fixing the border.

The line remains as the border in between Thailand and Malaysia to this day. But due to their attrocities and suppressions policies against the Malays the Thai are still facing insurrections from Southern Malay Muslims. It is believed that it will to persist until and unless their rights are respected and installed by Bangkok.


See: Langkasuka.


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The World of Jinn.

Description: The Jinn is an independent and separate world, with its own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the world of humans. Both, Jinn and humans have two things in common, the tenure of thoughtful, and the preference between the way of good and evil.

Purpose of Existence.

The Quran and Sunnah have specified that the Jinn exist, like the angels and mankind, that the purpose for their existence is to worship only Allah the Almighty. Allah precisely stipulates:

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." [Surah Adh-Dhariyat, 51:56]

"O company of jinn and mankind, did there not come to you Messengers from among you, relating to you my verses …?" [Surah Al-Anam, 6:130]

The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world, with its own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the world of humans. Jinn and humans have some things in common, such as the possession of understanding and the choice between the way of good and the way of evil. The word jinn come from an Arabic root meaning, "hidden from sight".

‘Before he took the path of sin, Iblis was with the angels and was called ‘Azazil. He was among the residents of the earth and was most active worshippers knowledgeable that the angels. This caused him to be arrogant. Iblis was from a genus of Jinn.’ [At-Tabari].

Allah Says: “Except Iblis [Satan]. He was one of the Jinn; he disobeyed the command of his Lord” [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:50]

"… Indeed, he [Satan] sees you, him, and his tribe, from where you do not see them. …" [Surah Al-‘Araf, 7:27]

Jinn Created From Fire

Allah has told us in the Quran the essence from which the jinn were created. It was revealed to us that Jinn were created from smokeless fire.

Allah Says: "And the jinn We created before from scorching fire." [Surah Al-Hijir, 15:27].

In addition, Allah says: "And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire." [Surah Ar-Rahman, 55:15]

According to ‘Aishah the Prophet Muhammad SAW said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you [soil]." [Muslim]

Types of Jinn

Allah, the Most Exalted, has created different types of jinn. Among them are some that can take on different forms, such as dogs and snakes; some who are like flying winds with wings; and some that can travel and rest. The Messenger of Allah SAW said: "The jinn are of three types: a type that has wings, they fly through the air; a type that looks like snakes and dogs; and a type that stops for a rest then resumes its journey." [At-Tabrani]

The Jinn and the Children of Adam

Every individual among the Children of Adam has jinn who have been appointed his constant companion [Qarin]. Ibn Mas’ud said: "The Messenger of Allah said: "There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be his constant companion." They [companions] said: "And you too, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "And me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted [became a Muslim], so that he only helps me to do fine." [Muslim]

Their Powers

Almighty Allah has given the jinn powers that He has not given to humans. He has told us about some of their powers, such as the ability to move and travel quickly. A genie from among the jinn guaranteed to the Prophet Suleiman [Solomon] that he would bring the throne of the Queen Sheba of Yemen to Jerusalem in a moment faster than that needed for a man to get up from where he was sitting. Allah says: "A powerful one from among the jinn said, “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.” Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, “I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.” And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him, he said, “This is from the favor of my Lord ...” [Surah An-Naml, 27:39-40]

The Food of the Jinn

The jinn eat and drink. Ibn Mas’ud said the "The Messenger of Allah SAW said: "One the jinn called me, and I went with him and recited Quran for them. He took me and showed me the traces of where they had been and the traces of their fires. They [his fellow jinn] asked him for food and he said: "You can have every bone on which the name of Allah has been mentioned that comes into your possession, as meat, and all the droppings as food for your animals." The Prophet SAW said: " So do not use [these things] for cleaning yourselves [after relieving oneself], for they are the food and provision of your brothers.'" [Muslim]

The believing jinn may eat any bone on which the name of Allah has been specified, because the Allah Messenger SAW did not permit them to have anything on which Allah's name has not been mentioned, those are for the disbelievers among the jinn.

The Beasts of the Jinn

According to the narration that was narrated by Ibn Mas'ud that we have quoted above, the jinn asked the Messenger for provision, and the Prophet SAW said to them: "…and [you can have] all the droppings as food for your animals."

The Dwelling of the Jinn

The jinn live on this earth where we do. They are mostly to be found in ruins and unclean places like bathrooms, dunghills, garbage dumps, and graveyards. Hence, the Prophet SAW taught us to take precautions when entering such places, by reciting the Athkar [supplications] prescribed by Islam. One of these was reported by Anas Ibn Malik who said: "When the Messenger of Allah used to relieve himself, he would say: "Allahumma inni a'uzhu bika min al-khubuthi wa'l-khabaa'ith [O Allah, I seek refuge with you from the evil ones, male and female].'" [Al-Bukhari]

Jinn: Muslims and Non-Muslims

Almighty Allah tells us in the Noble Quran that some of the jinn said: "And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. In addition, whoever has become Muslim — those have sought out the right course. But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood.’" [Surah Al-Jinn, 72:14-15]

The Muslims among the jinn are of different levels as regards righteousness and piety. Allah Says:

"And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways." [Surah Al-Jinn, 72:11]

The story of the first jinn who became Muslim was narrated by 'Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas who said: "The Prophet went out with a group of his Companions heading for the marketplace of 'Ukaath. This was when were prevented from getting any news from heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against them. The devils went back to their people, who said, 'What is the matter with you?' They said, 'We cannot get news from heaven, and shooting stars were sent against us.' Their people said, 'Nothing is stopping you from hearing news from heaven except some new event that must have happened. Go and look in the east and the west of the earth, and see if you can find out what it is that is stopping you from hearing news from heaven."

Those who went out in the direction of Tihamah came upon the Prophet SAW in [a place called] Nakhlah, when he was on his way to 'Ukaath, and found him leading his Companions in Fajar [dawn] prayer. When they heard the Quran, they listened to it and said, 'By Allah, this is what is stopping us from hearing news from heaven.' When they went back to their people, they said as Allah tells us in the Quran:

"Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran [i.e. recitation]. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone." [Surah Al-Jinn, 72:1-2]

Then Allah revealed to His Prophet SAW the verse "Say, [O Muhammad], “It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, “Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran..." [Al-Bukhari]

Their Reckoning on the Day of Resurrection

The jinn will be called to account on the day of Resurrection. Mujahid said, concerning the verse: "…but the jinn have already known that they [who made such claims] will be brought [to punishment]." [Surah As-Saffat, 37:158]

"They will be brought to judgement." [Al-Bukhari]

Protection from the Harm of the Jinn

Because the jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet SAW taught us many ways to protect ourselves from their harm, such as seeking refuge with Allah from the accursed Syaitan [Satan], reciting chapters Al-Falaq and An-Nas [the last two Surahs of the Quran], and reciting the words taught by Allah in the Quran:

"And say, “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils. And I seek refuge in you, my Lord, lest they be present with me." [Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:97-98]

Saying Bismillah [in the Name of Allah] before entering one's home, before eating or drinking, and before having intercourse with one's spouse will also keep the devil from entering the house or partaking with a person in his food, drink and sexual activity.

Similarly, mentioning the name of Allah before entering the toilet or taking off one's clothes will prevent the jinn from seeing a person's private parts or harming him, as the Prophet SAW said: "To put a barrier that will prevent the jinn from seeing the 'Aurat [parts of the body that must be covered in Islam] of the Children of Adam, let any one of you say 'Bismillah' when entering the toilet." [At-Tirmidzi]

Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent the jinn from harming a person, so much, so that if they were to fight, the one who has faith would win. 'Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud said: "A man from among the Companions of Muhammad met a male jinni. They wrestled, and the man knocked down the jinn. The man said to him, 'You look small and skinny to me, and your forearms look like the front paws of a dog. Do all the jinn look like this, or only you?' He said, 'No, by Allah, among them I am strong, but let us wrestle again, and if you defeat me I will teach you something that will do you good.' The man said, 'Fine.' He [the jinn] said, ‘Recite: “Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what [appeareth to His creatures as] Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme [ in glory ]” i.e the Ayatul Kursi [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 255].The man said, 'Fine.' He said, 'You would recite this in your house but the Satan will vanish of it like a donkey breaking wind, and he will never come back in until the next morning.'" [Ad-Dharimi]

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