My Testimony II

 

12

 The  Truth

 

Where did this world come from ? In the past many Muslims were killed because they believed Allah created the world out of nothing ; many others were killed because they believed Allah created the world from something that existed before. At the end of the day, both believed, as I do, that the world was created by Allah. My life is too short. I may not live to see the results of scientific research as to whether there really was a Big Bang or whether there’s life in another planet. I won’t be there, anyway. When historians tell me about my country’s history they often start at BC 1,200. They say the first known (Amazigh) kingdom dates back to about BC 280. Contemporary historians say that some historical records were falsified at the demand of some rulers. They also say that several peoples/tribes simply disappeared in the wake of a severe drought or epidemic and of whom we know absolutely nothing. I am not supposed to know everything. I can’t read all the newspapers, all the magazines, all the blogs and websites, all the books and anthologies and encyclopedias of the world. I can’t read all Facebook or watch all Youtube. I can’t see all the TV stations or listen to all radio stations. Suppose the Truth was dispersed across all this plethora of sources of information, how could I piece together the story ? In the Quran I read : "And whosoever believeth in Allah, He guideth his heart. And Allah is Knower of all things." (64.11) "He giveth wisdom unto whom He will, and he unto whom wisdom is given, he truly hath received abundant good. But none remember except men of understanding." (2.269) "As for those who strive in Us, We surely guide them to Our paths, and lo ! Allah is with the good." (29.69)

When I believe in Allah and the Hereafter that means I’ll have to do things that may require a lot of sacrifice on my part. Why should I make such sacrifices for something I am not sure of ? Allah says in the Quran : "And when Abraham said (unto his Lord) : My Lord ! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead, He said : Dost thou not believe ? Abraham said : Yea, but (I ask) in order that my heart may be at ease. (His Lord) said   Take four of the birds and cause them to incline unto thee, then place a part of them on each hill, then call them, they will come to thee in haste, and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise." (2.260) Also in the Quran we read : "And they say : O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo ! thou art indeed a madman ! Why bringest thou not angels unto us, if thou art of the truthfu ?" (15.6-7) "And they said : Whatever portent thou bringest wherewith to bewitch us, we shall not put faith in thee." (7.132) Abu Sufian, the powerful man in Makkah during the time of the Prophet (pbuh), had no doubt that Muhammad (pbuh) was a Messenger, and that a man like him, who had never lied to a human, would never lie on God ; but Abu Sufian did not want to believe because he feared for his social status. When he believed, finally, he became a Muslim like others, but the Prophet (pbuh) allowed him to retain a certain importance in the community, and his son, Mu’awiyah, later became a governor, then a caliph. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "People are like gold and silver ; those who were best in Jahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance) are best in Islam, if they have religious understanding."  Allah says : "And had We willed We could have raised him by their means (Quranic verses), but he clung to the earth and followed his own lust. Therefor his likeness is as the likeness of a dog : if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out." (7.176) "O ye who believe ! when it is said unto you, Make room ! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you (hereafter). And when it is said, Come up higher ! go up higher ; Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is Informed of what ye do." (58. 11) The Prophet (pbuh) said : "I was sent to perfect good character." Islam was not entirely new. It only came to help new believers perfect their conduct. There’s good and bad everywhere. A non-Muslim ruler can be a thousand times more useful to his people than a Muslim ruler to his Muslim people. Would social justice in a non-Muslim society be different from social justice in a Muslim society ?  A corrupt ruler is a corrupt ruler, a dictator is a dictator, a drunkard is a drunkard, be they Muslim or non-Muslim. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) tells us the story of that prostitute who went to Paradise because she watered a thirsty dog. He said : “Allah had once forgiven a prostitute. She passed by a dog panting near a well. Seeing that thirst had nearly killed him, she took off her shoe, tied it to her scarf, and drew up some water. Allah forgave her for that.” The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent a group of his companions as refugees under the protection of Abraha, a Christian king. The Quran did not prohibit Muslim men from marrying Christian or Jewish women. Angels are constantly rating me. In a way, my rank is raised or lowered according to my (good or bad) actions. If I stand out with my work, as a believer, individually or in a group, my angels will invite other angels to see what I’m doing or listen to what I’m saying. Isn't that so beautiful ? But that’s the problem ! I will not see even my angels (until the hour of my death). So have to think in a different way when it comes to Faith. I have to believe in al-ghayb (the Unseen). The Quran says : "Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them ; And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter. These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful." (2.3-5) My body is alive no doubt, but there’s not just my body. I have feelings, I have thoughts, I have memories, etc. It’s a totally different being from my physical being. My physical being, my body, can be alive whereas my "unseen being" can be dead. Just think of Alzheimer, for example. Faith fills up the most precious part in my body, my heart, with something that makes me feel that my body is not just flesh and blood, but much more important than that. It makes me feel that my body is something sacred, something that should be clean from inside and outside. That’s why I make ablutions to clean my body from outside and perform my prayers to clean what’s inside.

Well, there is no Faith without belief in the Unseen (al-ghayb). Allah could have ended the life of anyone who disobeyed Him in any way and spared only those who obeyed Him. But Allah does not want to compel us. He wants us to believe out of conviction. That’s why the Quran speaks of "error" (addalal) : "He said : "Verily ye and your fathers were in plain error." (21.54) It’s like you were lost in a desert, but if you could know the way, you would reach the place where you would be safe. It’s like someone aboard a helicopter showing you the way. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of one of you than a man in a desolate, barren, destructive wasteland, who has his mount carrying his provisions, his food, and his drink and what he needs with him. Then it wanders away. So he goes to find it until he is on the brink of death. He says : 'I will return to the place where I lost it, to die.' So he returns to his place and his eyes become heavy (falling asleep). Then he awakens to find his mount at his head carrying his food, drink and what he needs."

Life is like work. You get tired when you work, but at the end of your day you take a shower and have dinner and do all the rest…happily. Except that, for life in this world, this "tiredness" will last until you get a place in Heaven. Allah says : "And they say : Praise be to Allah Who hath put grief away from us. Lo ! Our Lord is Forgiving, Bountiful, Who, of His grace, hath installed us in the mansion of eternity, where toil toucheth us not nor can weariness affect us." (35.34-35)

But life is also a feeling. Despite all my tiredness I can feel happy. Like a mother who spends two hours close to the heat in the kitchen, but once at the dinner table, with her husband and children, all that tiredness is forgotten ! Like a bricklayer who spends hours working in the sun, but once back home in the evening his wife and children make him forget all the tiredness. So despite all my trials (all my tribulations, my depravations) my Faith will make my life enjoyable. When the Prophet (pbuh) says only : "The world is the believer's prison and the infidel's Paradise" that doesn’t mean that my life as a believer will be hell on earth. It only means that I’ll have to make “sacrifices” that a non-believer would not make. The feeling that Allah is with me will certainly alleviate my sufferings, physical or emotional, and my sadness from time to time will only make my life more enjoyable, less boring, eventhough boredom is not always bad. What is bad, actually, is depression, and that’s what Faith helps a beiever to avoid. If some people don’t become happy unless they get lots of money (or material things), I, as a believer, can be happy with as little as a smile, a phone call or a look at a rose in the garden.

Allah does certainly know what I want. He will only subject me to trials, He will put me to the test in order for me to show with acts, with words, with feelings, whether I want Him or I want myself, my ease. Do I want to serve Allah or do I want Allah to serve me ? Allah says in the Haddith QudsI : "I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him." And in the Quran we read : "Your Lord is best aware of what is in your minds. If ye are righteous, then lo ! He was ever Forgiving unto those who turn (unto Him)." (17.25) So I don’t care if there are around me any people who are luckier than me. Allah says : "And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo ! Allah is ever Knower of all things." (4.32) "He will cause you to enjoy a fair estate until a time appointed. He giveth His bounty unto every bountiful one." (11.3) "Is he who relieth on a clear proof from his Lord like those for whom the evil that they do is beautified while they follow their own lusts ?" (47.14) It’s all a question of faith. What matters is not my work or my unemployment, my being married or my being single ; what matters is my intention, my good or bad faith ; what matters is what I have at heart. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "You will not get the taste of the reality of faith until you know that what has come to you could not miss you, and that what has missed you could not come to you." When I lose my job Allah knows in advance the job I’ll get afterwards and when and where and how. In the Hadith we read : "The creation of you (humans) is gathered in the form of semen in the womb of your mother for forty days, then it becomes a clinging thing in similar (period), then it becomes a lump of flesh like that, then Allah sends an angel who breathes the life into it ; and (the angel) is commanded to record four things about it : Its provision, its term of life (in this world), its conduct, and whether it will be happy or miserable. " It’s what I feel, the way I will do what I’ll be doing (while looking for another job, a person to marry, another home to live…) –it’s that what matters. One of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) reported : "My father set aside some dinars for charity and gave them to a man in the mosque. I went to that man and took back those dinars. He said : "I had not intended you to be given." So we went to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), and put forth the matter before him. He said to my father : "Yazid, you have been rewarded for what you intended." And he said to me : "Ma'n, you are entitled to what you have taken." The Quran says : "And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you." (47.38) "Whoso looketh forward to the meeting with Allah (let him know that) Allah's reckoning is surely nigh, and He is the Hearer, the Knower. And whosoever striveth, striveth only for himself, for lo! Allah is altogether Independent of (His) creatures." (29.5-6)

When I hear an ambulance siren, do I stop eating and drinking, even for a second, if only for solidarity ? When a funeral procession passes near me, do I stop, if only for a second, if only for solidarity ? If I stop eating and drinking, that will not help the victim. If I stop for a second, that will not bring the dead back to life. It's just a matter of faith. And feeling A companion of the Prophet (pbuh) narrated : "We were with the Prophet (pbuh) when a funeral passed and he stood up for it. When we went to carry it, we found that it was a funeral of a Jew. We, therefore, said : Messenger of Allah, this is the funeral of a Jew. He said : Death is a fearful event, so when you see a funeral, stand up."

And there are, fortunately, many people in all nations, in all religions, who want to act in good faith. If good faith does not always work with humans, with Allah it does. "Lo! Allah loseth not the wages of the good." (9.120)

 

13

 The  Seen and the Unseen 

 

By creating me, Allah gave me the opportunity to have this brief terrestrial experience which I will remember when I am in Heaven, if I ever go there. My knowledge of the world, of Allah, of myself should be a light for me. My knowledge should strengthen my faith. My knowledge and my faith will be like my two hands, my two eyes, my two ears, my two feet. So my mind (be it in my brain or in my digestive system) won’t work independently of my heart. I need both of them like I need both of my hands, both of my eyes… My mind and my heart will show me how best to work for both this life of the world (which is only "a pastime and a spot" (6.32)) and my eternal life, where I will be able to see Allah with my own eyes, if I ever go to Heaven.

In my early youth I needed to know things without questioning anything. I grew up as a Muslim, so at school I was taught how to read the Quran, how to perform my ablutions, my prayers, etc. As I grew older I learned more from the mosque, from the media, from books, from society, etc. But there came a time when I realized that what I knew was not enough. 

The five pillars of Islam are known to all. There’s another five things that are not known to all. What comes first in Islam, I think, is (1) awareness in The Quran we read : "They said : Our Lord ! We have wronged ourselves. If thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, surely we are of the lost!" (7.23) ; then comes (2) accountability "Our Lord ! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark ! Our Lord ! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us ! Our Lord ! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us." (2.286) ; then comes (3) kindness "Those who entered the city and the faith before them love those who flee unto them for refuge, and find in their breasts no need for that which hath been given them, but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves though poverty become their lot. And whoso is saved from his own avarice - such are they who are successful." (59. 9) "merciful among themselves" (48.29) "and whose affairs are a matter of counsel, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them." (42.38) ; then comes (4) solidarity : "And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him, (Saying) : We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you." (76.8-9) ; then comes (5) change : "And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful." (3.104)

This knowledge is necessary, especially since we have to practice what we know. Imams and preachers will not be with me everywhere every time. It’s my heart and my conscience that will be with me everywhere every time. So I have to work on my heart.  But how ? When I am perplexed because I don’t know what to do that means that I fear Allah, or, if I want to go a step further in my Iman (faith), that I wouldn’t love to do anything that would displease m (Faith)y Lord. That’s out of respect, out of love for my Lord. That’s a good thing. And Allah likes that. He says : "And there is no sin for you in the mistakes that ye make unintentionally, but what your hearts purpose (that will be a sin for you). Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (33.5) "Know that Allah knoweth what is in your minds, so beware of Him ; and know that Allah is Forgiving, Clement." (2. 235) "Yet whoso doeth evil or wrongeth his own soul, then seeketh pardon of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful." (4.110) "And whoso committeth a delinquency or crime, then throweth (the blame) thereof upon the innocent, hath burdened himself with falsehood and a flagrant crime." (4.112) It’s defiance that is a problem. Even between us humans it’s not right to defy someone whom we want to be good tous. The point is, there are limits that one should be ready to accept. All this is a set of “operations”, a process, if you will, that take place in the heart. Defiance comes from the heart first. So it should be tackled in the heart first. Put simply, I should do my best to please Allah, not to defy Him. I should do my best, but not the impossible. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "The religion (of Islam) is easy, and whoever makes the religion a rigour, it will overpower him. So, follow a middle course (in worship); if you can't do this, do something near to it and give glad tidings and seek help (of Allah) at morn and at dusk and some part of night." I should therefore do what I can. If I can worship Allah at night while people are sleeping, that’s great, that’s the top honour for a moomin (a true believer). If I can fast very often, that’s great too. But Islam does not ask me to impose on myself that which I have not the strength to bear. I can express my gratitude to Allah in many different ways. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little." "Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you." "Start with your own self and spend it on yourself, and if anything is left, it should be spent on your family, and if anything is left (after meeting the needs of the family) it should be spent on relatives, and if anything is left from the family, it should be spent like this, like this. And he was saying : In front of you, on your right and left." The Quran says : "They ask thee, (O Muhammad), what they shall spend. Say : that which ye spend for good (must go) to parents and near kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. And whatsoever good ye do, lo ! Allah is Aware of it." (2.215) The mere fact that I am willing to give is a sign that I want to be grateful to Allah. The Quran says : "What concern hath Allah for your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him) ? Allah was ever Responsive, Aware." (4.147) This wish to give, to be good, is not peculiar to believers in Allah. This wish is human because it comes from the heart and every human being has got a heart. Even animals have this kind of thing. Many people have been saved from death by their pets.

Now, I have the wish to do good. How can I do it ? Is it always easy to do good, by the way ? One day I was listening to a radio show in which listeners asked for advice from other listeners. One listener said this : "I am the youngest of three brothers living in a foreign country. My problem is that I see one of my brothers date the wife of my other brother. I am traumatised because I don’t know whether I should turn a blind eye and thus have peace with both of my brothers or tell my poor brother who is betrayed by both his wife and his brother. Please help me. I need your advice." I am sorry I can’t give my opinion on this. But the other day I found a cigarette as I was walking in the woods. I said to myself : should I crush it since it’ll only harm somebody’s health ? or should I rather leave it for a poor guy who can’t buy a cigarette ? Well, I did not crush it. Sometimes you need to take action on the spot. 

 

Listen to this unbelievable story that I heard on the radio. An aged experienced hunter was asked about his hunting feats. Speaking in front of members of his tribe who knew him well, he said he had hunted 72 wolves and scores of foxes, among other things. He and his friends ate those wolves and foxes. Once, the man said, my friends and I were lurking behind a makeshift wall for foxes, wolves or rabbits. Then a rabbit appeared on the bare ground. I aimed at it, and I had never missed a game, and as I was watching it through the viewfinder of my rifle the muezzin started to call for prayer. The rabbit stopped dead in its tracks. It leaned on its posterior and remained motionless. When the muezzin finished his call, the rabbit wiped its face with its front paws, as in prayer, and went away. I was moved as I saw that, so I left it alone.

 

Should I think of Faith only in termes of probity : I should do this, I shouldn't do that ? Shouldn't I enjoy my life as a human being ?

 
The Quran calls on me, as a believer, to "Travel in the land and see how He originated creation, then Allah bringeth forth the later growth." (29.20) This travel (in Arabic, siyaha) is spiritual as well as material. When I am practising this kind of spiritual tourism (siyaha) in order to give my heart some rest so that it won’t go blind I am actually practising my faith – just as if I were at prayer. Allah says : "Have they not then observed the sky above them, how We have constructed it and beautified it, and how there are no rifts therein ? And the earth have We spread out, and have flung firm hills therein, and have caused of every lovely kind to grow thereon, A vision and a reminder for every penitent slave." (50.6-8) In other words, I am enjoying myself. I am living my (worldly) life while preserving and strengthening my faith.

Confrontation can work with men sometimes, but never with Allah. If I want peace with Allah there’s one and only one option : istighfar (begging Allah’s pardon). When I am imploring Allah to forgive me I am actually confirming my belief that Allah is my Lord and that He Alone can decide my Fate. I am confirming that I believe in the Unseen. That’s very, very important. Good believers "believe in the Unseen." (2.3) "Those who fear their Lord in secret and who dread the Hour (of doom)." (21.49) The more I know the more I should fear the Lord. "The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo ! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving." (35.28) The erudite who think in good faith can only know Allah more and fear Him more. But what about someone like me who is not an erudite ? Well, at least I should avoid any kind of confrontation with Allah. If I understand something, so much better. If I can’t understand the logic of a rule, for example, I should respect the knowledge of Allah Who set out that rule. I should also bring my humble testimony to the fairness of Allah. "Allah (Himself) is Witness that there is no God except Him. And the angels and the men of learning (too are witness). Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no God save Him the Almighty, the Wise." (3.18) It’s a question of Faith. I trust that Allah did not make that rule against the interest of man. I trust that there must be some good in that rule even though I can’t see it myself. If I cannot comprehand the wisdom underlying some rules, I have to abide by them nonetheless – just as I would do with any laws made in the public interest. I should accept the rule first, then philosophize about it. So I should admit that my knowledge is limited as compared with Allah’s knowledge. If I think that I know everything in the earth and in the sky I may still have doubts about what’s most important to me : the fate of my own soul after death. Allah says : "They know only some appearance of the life of the world, and are heedless of the Hereafter." (30.7) "And verily We have displayed for mankind in this Quran all manner of similitudes, but man is more than anything contentious." (18.54) "And they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but a guess, and lo ! a guess can never take the place of the truth. Then withdraw (O Muhammad) from him who fleeth from Our remembrance and desireth but the life of the world. Such is their sum of knowledge." (35.28-29) "Most of them follow not but conjecture. Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth." (10 .36) As a believer, who evidently want to have good faith when thinking about Faith, I will not seek knowledge in books and schools only. I am being taught everyday in the school of life too. My trials, my ordeals, teach me loads of knowledge about myself and the world. I know and believe and make no barrier between the Seen and the Unseen, between the world and Heaven. The Quran tells me that, on the Day of Judgment, the good believer will say : "Take, read my book!" (69.19) To the disbeliever it will be said : "Read thy Book. Thy soul sufficeth as reckoner against thee this day." (17.14) It’s no round trip : nobody is going to be given another chance to think or decide. If I don’t want to take the unseen into account NOW, I may regret it THEN. Allah says : "Every soul will taste of death. And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter paradise, he indeed is triumphant. The life of this world is but comfort of illusion." (3.185) "This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God, and that men of understanding may take heed." (14.52)

Belief in the Unseen is not easy. In the Surah of Yusuf, we read : "And though thou try much, most men will not believe." (12.103) "And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners (unto Him)." (12.106) When I am put to the test my tests will either strengthen or weaken my belief. Knowledge alone is not enough, but it helps. People spend lots of money on psychiatrist consultation. If I manage to acquire that kind of knowledge (of personal experience, through my tests, through siyaha (spiritual tourism)), I will never see a psychiatrist. When I am in an adversity and implore Allah to help me and He does help me from whence I had no expectation, that will help me strengthen my faith. I learn from this experience that when Allah promises something His promise is true. That’s why siyaha, whenever possible, is very important.It is very important for a believer to see beauty in all its manifestations.

 

However, for us, children of Adam, the beauty of this world is supposed to be only a foretaste of the true beauty, that of Paradise. The goodness of this world is only a sample of divine goodness.

 

"Allah is full of pity, Merciful toward mankind." (2.143) Allah knows what life is like. It’s Him Who made the world and life. "Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and, He is Able to do all things. Who hath created life and death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving." (67.2) Allah is running our world every day, every minute, every second. "All that are in the heavens and the earth entreat Him. Every day He exerciseth (universal) power." (55.29) "He sendeth down from the heaven mountains wherein is hail, and smiteth therewith whom He will, and averteth it from whom He will." (24.43) Allah knows what it means for me to have work, to marry, to have a roof, to have children, to eat well, to sleep well. Allah knows what happiness is. Allah also knows things I don’t know. "Lo! Allah! With Him is knowledge of the Hour. He sendeth down the rain, and knoweth that which is in the wombs. No soul knoweth what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knoweth in what land it will die. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." (31.34) Allah knows what’s good for me and what’s bad for me. "It may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not." (2.216) What matters is my intention, good or bad faith. What matters is what I have at heart. Life is life. Most people, believers and non-believers alike, eat, drink, work, sleep, marry, build houses, drive cars, etc, etc. But, apparently, most people live for the world only. If I am a believer I can "seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given" me without neglecting my "portion of the world". All I have to do is to be "kind even as Allah hath been kind to" me. Allah says : "But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters." (28.77) Nobody is asking me, as a believer, to give up my "portion of the world". For good believers everything is ‘ibaada (act of worship) ; even making love to one’s spouse is ‘ibaada. But to be considered as a good believer I have to be tested. I want something from Allah ? So I should put my trust in Him and be patient. I should be one of "Such as are steadfast and put their trust in Allah." (16.42) Instead of being gnawed by remorse, I opt for patience, contentment and trust in Allah. If I do that here’s what Allah promises me : "Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily we shall quicken with good life, and We shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do." (16.97) "O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point; He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory." (33.70-71) My "works" is everything I do in my life.

 

Yes, it’s easier said than done. But what could I do ? Do I have another choice ? Good quality life is for the faithful only. Allah says : "Shall We treat those who believe and do good works as those who spread corruption in the earth ; or shall We treat the pious as the wicked ?" (38.28) "Or do those who commit ill-deeds suppose that We shall make them as those who believe and do good works, the same in life and death ? Bad is their judgment ! (45.21) "But he who turneth away from remembrance of Me, his will be a narrow life." (20.124) If I am a sensible person, I wouldn’t love to have "a narrow life". But a narrow life is not always linked with material things. As I said above, life is a feeling.

Allah knows that the material means are so important. Allah knows that some good believers can’t do without a car, that others need to pay the rent urgently, that others are ill and need medicine all the time, that others don’t even have a shaver to shave their faces or socks or shoes… But Allah does not see only my depravations. He also sees the reward which I can’t see as yet. He sees my reward in this world and in the Hereafter. He says : "Whoso desireth power (should know that) all power belongeth to Allah. Unto Him good words ascend, and the pious deed doth He exalt." (35.10) "Lo ! Allah wrongeth not even of the weight of an ant ; and if there is a good deed, He will double it and will give (the doer) from His presence an immense reward." (4.40) "And had We willed We could have raised him by their means, but he clung to the earth and followed his own lust. Therefor his likeness is as the likeness of a dog : if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out. Such is the likeness of the people who deny Our revelations. Narrate unto them the history (of the men of old), that haply they may take thought." (7.176) Why should Allah deprive me of things He knows are so dear to me ? Isn’t it enough that I believe in Him already and that I am striving to please Him ? Well, that may not be enough. Faith needs absolute yaqeen (absolute belief/faith). Allah says : "Or think ye that ye will enter paradise while yet there hath not come unto you the like of (that which came to) those who passed away before you ? Affliction and adversity befell them, they were shaken as with earthquake, till the messenger (of Allah) and those who believed along with him said : When cometh Allah's help ? Now surely Allah's help is nigh." (2.214) Personally, there came a time when I realized that all the "bad" things that happened to me and all my past depravations were in fact good things. I got the feeling that my Lord had been managing my life without my knowledge in such a way that, were He to let me do what I wanted to do with my life, I would have certainly done a lot of wrong to myself ! Only then did I realize how merciful Allah is to me. This kind of personal experience would make one willingly ready to make great efforts to please the Lord. Allah says : "And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah ; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen." (2.207) "Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him. They are Allah's party. Lo ! is it not Allah's party who are the successful ?" (58 .22) When I am led to show patience and self-denial, others will say of me : This one is lazy, he is good for nothing ; this one would love to be fed by others. It's all part of my ordeal. It is an experience for me so that I have a strong personality, to have more confidence in myself, to live for real principles and not only for money. "Those who believe and obscure not their belief by wrongdoing, theirs is safety ; and they are rightly guided." (6.82) "Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest !" (13.28) It’s my trials that will make me "a grateful slave". (17.3) It would be a great honour for me if Allah considered me "a grateful slave". Allah says : "Few of My bondmen are thankful." (34.13) If I am thankful Allah will take care of me in the best way possible, for "He giveth His bounty unto every bountiful one." (11.3) What could be better than leading a life managed from above by the Lord, Who knows everything, Who can do everything ? I manage my heart, Allah manages my life like no manager can.

What about my frustrations that I couldn’t get that particular job or purchase that home or marry that very person ? Allah says to me : "No calamity befalleth save by Allah's leave. And whosoever believeth in Allah, He guideth his heart. And Allah is Knower of all things." (64.11) "Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being – Lo ! that is easy for Allah - That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters." (57.22-23) In other words, my patience and contentment with Allah will wash all my frustrations away.

But Satan will always be lurking for me. Satan may not be able to disturb me when I am alone. "Lo ! he hath no power over those who believe and put trust in their Lord." (16.99) But once I am in the midst of other people Satan will be there too. He will inspire them just the kind of words that would make me feel frustrated over things I could not get in the past or aspire to things I may not be able to achieve in the future. While I am being tested (by ordeals) Satan will make me problems with friends, with family members, etc. Those friends, neighbours, family members, won’t think of Satan. But it’s my own responsibility to be aware that Satan is going to use some of those people to make me unhappy. Allah says : "Lo ! Conspiracy is only of the devil, that he may vex those who believe ; but he can harm them not at all unless by Allah's leave. In Allah let believers put their trust." (58.10) Still, during my trials, Allah will send me someone to help me when I can’t help myself. But Allah will not give me everything I want or everything I need through even the best soul in the world until I have passed the test. Otherwise, why should it be called a test ? Allah can make my family, or a charity, for example, help me with food but not with money. I won’t get the money I want until Allah wills.

 

If I say no, there is the State which can give me a universal basic income or unemployment benefit or a fuel voucher, etc., reality will show me, though, that it is not enough. We have seen thousands of protestors smash everything in their way because their salary was not enough for them. These people have work and a salary, but they complain about not being able to go to a restaurant or the cinema, for example. We can in no way substitute the State for Providence. If Allah wants me to go through a trial, I will not escape it. So I shouldn’t blame people for what they can’t give me. Allah says : "Tell My bondmen to speak that which is kindlier. Lo ! the devil soweth discord among them. Lo ! the devil is for man an open foe." (17.53) Those people who are "bad" to me may be good to other people. Those people may be "bad" to me now because I was bad to them in the past. Allah says : "And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then, And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then." (99.7-8) So if I can do good, I should do it for the sake of Allah. Allah says : "If ye publish your almsgiving, it is well, but if ye hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for you." (2.271) "A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement. O ye who believe ! Render not vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury." (2.263-264) "And whatsoever good thing ye spend, it is for yourselves, when ye spend not save in search of Allah's Countenance ; and whatsoever good thing ye spend, it will be repaid to you in full, and ye will not be wronged." (2.272) In other words, I should be good and then do good. I should do what I can. I am not obliged to do good to a person who will only hurt me. I have the choice. I alone can know the limits of my patience in this regard. "Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope." (2.286) I should take life as it comes. I manage my heart and Allah will manage my life.

Allah says : "Such as persevere in seeking their Lord's Countenance and are regular in prayer and spend of that which We bestow upon them secretly and openly, and overcome evil with good. Theirs will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home, Gardens of Eden which they enter, along with all who do right of their fathers and their halpmeets and their seed. The angels enter unto them from every gate, (Saying) : Peace be unto you because ye persevered. Ah, passing sweet will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home." (13.22-24) That’s the fruit of Islamic upbringing. My parents, my siblings – we can all meet there, in Heaven, as we met here in the earth. Good upbringing (or lack of it) will either reunite or separate us – forever.

We can all be psychologically broken at one time or another. Only faith can help us rise up again. Faith is light. Faith is freedom. Faith is the freedom of all but the Lord. As a believer, I free myself from what fills my heart with grudge and remorse. I value myself. I look for this importance in myself, I will find it in my faith.

I have just mentioned a sensitive subject : freedom. It affects all of us. For example, I want to go out and let off steam a little. Where will I go ? With whom ? Alone ? With my family ? With a friend ? Which friend ? How am I going ? Walk ? By bike ? By public transportation ? What am I going to eat ? Something I prepared at home ? Something I would buy at the snack shop ? Faith is not far from all that. I have the choice between several destinations, whether I am a believer or not : the cinema, the theater, the sports club, the café, nature, the seaside... Each time I think, if I am a bliever : 1) Is this halal or haram (licit or illicit) ? 2) Whether I am a believer or not, I remain a human, above all. I would still ask myself : what will people say about me ? Eating a home-cooked snack in a remote corner of nature, away from people's eyes, is not like eating in a posh restaurant among people who will notice everything about my looks and actions.

 

The power of society is heavier than the mountains. Even with faith it takes a lot of effort to break free without shocking. What does faith tell me, then ? One day a wise man saw a man standing staring right and left. The wise man said : "What do you want, man ?" The man said : "I am looking for a clean place to pray." The wise man said to him, "Clean your heart and pray wherever you please !" If I can clean my heart, as a believer, I can go wherever I want, with whomever I want ; I can eat whatever I want wherever I want ; I can put on the clothes I want wherever I want. My heart will guide me. Allah says : "There shall be no sin (imputed) unto those who believe and do good works for what they may have eaten (in the past). So be mindful of your duty (to Allah), and do good works ; and again; be mindful of your duty, and believe; and once again: be mindful of your duty, and do right, Allah loveth the good." (5.93)

See the grades of Faith ? If I make a mistake the first, the second, the tenth time, I will be punished, in one way or another, and I will understand that this or that thing is not good for me; my heart will take a lesson and lead me where I would hopefully no longer have any problems with Allah or with people. That's wisdom. This is how freedom, as I see it as a believer, will become second nature for me. I manage my heart, Allah will manage my life. My heart is the most precious piece of me. If I keep it clean my life will be clean.

 

Freedom, yes, but I also need money. Money is essential. No wonder if we read a book like this and want to know right away what Allah has to give us. That’s quite normal. I have just said that the power of society is heavier than the mountains.  People would want to know whether you have a home of your own, whether you are married. . . They would judge you on the basis of that. Tell me what you have, I tell you what you are.

 

And even if nobody asks me about anything at all, still, I need a minimum of money. At a certain age I should be married. I should be self-dependent and not rely on my family, for example. No matter what my faith is like, I can’t help feeling the pressure of society. It’s very, very hard. But when I think about it objectively, I’d say to myself that Allah has so much to give me, but me – what do I have to give to Allah ? Allah seeks no livelihood from me. He says : "I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Lo ! Allah ! He it is that giveth livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable might." (51.56-58) What Allah would expect of me is that I give Him a special, very, very special place in my heart.

If I have chosen for my prayers the most beautiful place in my home, I should reserve for the Lord the most beautiful, the cleanest, the most intimate place in my heart. Allah speaks in the Quran of tijara (trade) : if you do this I give you that. I need Allah. I need the grace of Allah. I need Allah’s help. But I ought not to trade with Allah, literally speaking. I should not deal with Allah on a give-and-take basis. I must see in Him a friend, a reliable and faithful friend forever. I do not hide anything from Him, He knows everything. I do not feign, He knows what's in my heart. If He deprives me of one thing or another, I speak to Him as politely as possible. I ask of Him what I want, I tell Him what I am suffering from. I show Him my tears that I would not show to anyone else. I tell Him the best words, the ones I would not tell anyone. I show Him how much I love Him, how honoured I am to have Him as God, as a protecting friend. I show Him that I love Him for what He is. I show Him how much I need Him, His Grace, His paradise, His Countenance. I show Him, with words and deeds, that I am nothing without Him. He will make me happy as I am, happy with what I do. He will make me feel no longer alone and lonely. He will make me happy. He will give me – if He will – more than I asked of Him. "Is the reward of goodness aught save goodness ?" (55.60) If I soil my heart with a sin, I shed tears, I wet my eyes to clean it. I sweep my heart every day with the tasbeeh of my tongue. I make the place of Allah in my heart cleaner than my clothes, my food, my home. And I say : "Praise be to Allah, Who hath not taken unto Himself a son, and Who hath no partner in the Sovereignty, nor hath He any protecting friend through dependence. And magnify Him with all magnificence." (17.111)

 

Money can buy a beautiful car, a splendid home, the love of a woman with gorgeous eyes, but not the pleasure of Allah. And then, how much money will I need ? Once inflation knocks on the door, money goes out the window.

14

The   look

What about Satan ? Should I fear him ? Well, Allah says: "Lo ! the devil is an enemy for you, so treat him as an enemy." (35 .6) "Will ye choose him and his seed for your protecting friends instead of Me, when they are an enemy unto you ? Calamitous is the exchange for evil-doers." (18.50) So if I don’t want to be one of the evil-doers I should not choose Satan for a friend. True, as the Quran says, "the devil's strategy is ever weak." (4.76) But I should nonetheless be wary of him.

What’s the difference between Allah and Satan ? Well, "The devil promiseth you destitution and enjoineth on you lewdness. But Allah promiseth you forgiveness from Himself with bounty. Allah is All-Embracing, All-knowing." (2.268) "Lo ! Satan is for man an open foe." (12.5) "Satan was ever man's deserter in the hour of need." (25.29) As for Allah, "it was not Allah's purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is Full of Pity, Merciful towards mankind." (2.143) "…and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy." (12. 64)

The Quran says : "Man was created weak." (4.28) Yet, it does not say to me go and sin ; it says if you sin, be honest and say sorry. If I heed Satan for a moment and commit a sin, then I have to repent, and I may be punished even if I repent, so that I will not be encouraged to go on that way, the way of Satan. Allah says : "Forsake the outwardness of sin and the inwardness thereof. Lo ! those who garner sin will be awarded that which they have earned." (6.120) Allah wants to save me. Allah wants me to lead a clean life in a clean society. If I am not clean I should not expect (my) society to be clean. If society is clean and healthy, that’s not a guarantee that I’ll be clean too. I have to watch my own acts. If I am married, Allah would not want me to be constantly watching my wife. I can’t watch her all the time, anyway ! Allah will make her watch herself by keeping duty to Him, by taqwa. Allah says : "Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded." (4.34) Nobody can watch anybody. I can’t always trust someone's integrity or probity, because anybody can deceive me. History is full of betrayal stories. Even very, very good believers are fallable : they are likely to make mistakes. So Allah thought of a way to minimize these mistakes. Scholars call it (sadd addaraaii) or Prohibition of what may lead to committing sins. If you leave a man with a woman alone they are likely to make a mistake, sooner or later, or at least have the desire to do so. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "No man is privately alone with a woman but their third is Satan." If you let your son or little brother go to a place where alcohol and drugs are served freely, he is very likely to do as others do. So what do you do to save him ? You prevent him from going there. If he doesn’t listen to you, what happens ? Idem for the Quran. The Quran prohibits adultery because, as you know, there may be bad consequences for everybody. Children, for example, have the legitimate right to know their biological fathers, which is not always possible. Would you be pleased if you learnt that the child you call your son, the child you have fed for so many years, was in fact the son of another man ? If that didn’t happen to you personally, well, it did happen to many men.

 

In some countries a woman can marry more than one man at a time. Some men are happy with that situation because they prefer it to being stigmatized for not being able to beget a child : but that's a choice. The Law can allow marriage for all, but at the end of the day every individual is free to choose his way ; the Quran tells you its way and it's up to you to choose. Allah knows that making love makes one feel so good, but for how long ? Allah knows that cocaine makes one feel so good, but for how long ? If I can’t marry, for material reasons, for example, and I make a mistake, at least, I should say sorry. At least I should consider that as a sin. Allah says : "Will they not rather turn unto Allah and seek forgiveness of Him ? For Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (5.74) "And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins - Who forgiveth sins save Allah only ? - and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did." (3.135) So I should beg Allah’s pardon and implore Him to give me the means to marry. It’s not a matter of coertion. It’s not because Allah wants me to suffer from such deprivations. It’s because Allah wants me to elevate myself from an animal into a decent human being. Love was made to encourage people to marry and beget children. Some of these children would hopefully worship Allah. Allah knows that I can, if I will, and with His help, do without all that filth. Allah knows that, if I am a good believer, I can be stronger than Satan and all his temptations. Experience will show me that Satan can sometimes be as good as a lion in a cage, and it’s I who will go and let him out of the cage. Experience will show me that I wouldn’t make such mistakes only if I were weak. Sometimes I would do it soon after being relieved from a long suffering ! Allah says : "And if misfortune touch a man he crieth unto Us, (while reclining) on his side, or sitting or standing, but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him." (10.12) What would I expect Allah to do to me in that case ? So when Allah punishes me for my mistakes, it’s because He wants me to be an honest, decent person. Allah says : "O men of understanding ! O ye who believe ! Now Allah hath sent down unto you a reminder, A messenger reciting unto you the revelations of Allah made plain, that He may bring forth those who believe and do good works from darkness unto light. And whosoever believeth in Allah and doeth right, He will bring him into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide forever. Allah hath made good provision for him." (65.11) Allah only wants good for me. He wants me to be happy. Allah lwould ove me before I love Him. Allah says : "O ye who believe! Whoso of you becometh a renegade from his religion, (know that in his stead) Allah will bring a people whom He loveth and who love Him." (5 .54) When I sin and I'm punished Allah wants me to feel embarrassed, ashamed of myself, so that I say SORRY. Allah says : "O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord, the Bountiful, Who created thee, then fashioned, then proportioned thee ? Into whatsoever form He will, He casteth thee." (82 6-8)

Now, why do I sin ? Very often it’s either because I am pessimistic (and think Allah is not going to help me anytime soon) or because I feel self-sufficient and think that even Allah’s punishment would not affect my life anytime soon. But why should I expect Allah to help me ? As a believer, do I want to serve Allah or do I want Allah to serve me? What if Allah gave me everything I wanted ? Would I even care about moving up from the level of Islam to the level of Iman ? Allah first gave me a chance to be a Muslim, now He gives me a chance to become a moomin (a believer). This is a higher grade, I have to work hard to get up there. I have to work hard psychologically and intellectually. So if Allah puts me in a pitiful situation, because of my own sins, that’s my chance to create a harmony between the physical things I do as a Muslim (praying, fasting…) and the spiritual framework within which I do these things. By doing so, I give a meaning to my salah (prayer), to my fasting, to my pilgrimage… I am not only imitating other people ; I am translating the language of my own heart and mind into physical acts. This will not happen overnight : it comes bit by bit. Allah knows what I want. Allah knows what I need. Allah knows the limits of my patience more than I do. Allah knows everything about me, even before I was born. What matters now is my intention, is what I have at heart. Do I want to serve Allah or do I want Allah to serve me ? If I just want Allah to serve me, I will remain no more than a Muslim, which is per se a GREAT thing. If I want to serve Allah, Allah will put the angels at my service. In the Quran : "Lo ! those who say : Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying : Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.” (41.30-31)

 

Trial by ordeal is painful. But I know that non-believers too go through painful experiences. It’s my intention, it’s my heart, that turns my painful experience into grades on the ladder of the Faith, if I ever care about that.  It’s ups and downs. My Iman may go up very high, then it plummets, then it goes up higher than ever before, then it dies away, then it revives again and becomes stronger and stronger …until I find myself on the straight path. Yes, it’s a lengthy process, but only for the moomin, the good believer, because the rule is : the higher you rise in faith the harder your trials will be.

 

Now, what if I fail a test/trial ? Very simply, I will be punished. When I feel alright, even if I am a moomin, I may fall to temptations, I may forget all the sufferings I experienced during my last ordeal. So Allah would remind me by a new ordeal. That good job which gave me such a strong feeling of security and self-sufficiency, well, I'm losing it now. I try by all means to get a new job : all to no avail. My feeling of security is replaced by pessimism. What do I do ? Well, I either give way to my animal instincts, pushed by my overwhelming pessimism, or I remember my Lord and run to Him for safety. Unfortunately for me, Allah may not remove my calamity anytime soon indeed. He may wait for me to learn a lesson. Allah may wait for me to put more questions to myself, to go through a self-analysis, to think more objectively about the world around me, about life, about my role in this world, about my goal in this life. Allah would wait for me to be honest with myself. If I do this I will increase in faith more and more. As for the job, Allah created the whole world, how can’t He help me find a good job… ? 

 

I too could say why should I be punished in the first place since it’s Allah who created Satan and gave him the power to mislead me ? Suppose your only son stole a car and went to prison, would you take responsibility for that ? Would you agree to go to prison in his place, because it’s you who did not give him the right upbringing ? Maybe your son is good and would never do such things, but suppose your wife’s car was stolen by the son of a single mother who made love with her boyfriend during a school outing. Would your wife curse the boy who stole thecar or the ex-High School student who gave birth to him ? If you (man) slept with a girl that you picked up on the street and you got AIDS, who would you blame for that ? The girl, her parents, yourself, society ? If you got a bad illness because of the junk food you eat every day, would you penalize the big food companies or the new ways of life or society, or who ? Would you blame the whole food chain ? So the Quran sensitizes and empowers the faithful. The Quran speaks of nafs ammara (literally, the soul inciting to evil) and nafs lawama (the soul which blames itself) and nafs mutmainna (the soothed soul). It’s up to me, as a believer, to manage my nafs, with the help of Allah, Who says : "And a soul and Him Who perfected it And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it. He is indeed successful who causeth it to grow, And he is indeed a failure who stunteth it." (91.7-10) "But ah ! thou soul at peace ! Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure ! Enter thou among My bondmen ! Enter thou My Garden !" (89.27-30) The Quran helps me organize my life as an individual and helps individuals organize their life as a community. The Quran sets a set of rules, some are very specific, others are general. There are things that any literate believer can take directly from the Quran. Other things need erudition. Our erudites help us understand not only the words but also the spirit of the Quran.

 

Anyone can know directly from the Quran how to give thanks to Allah for all His grace. Allah says : "See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within ? Yet of mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a scripture giving light." (31.20) But when it comes to handling our complex relations within society we need serious knowledge inspired by the Quran and the Hadith. It’s our scholars, those who have the knowledge, who tell us how we can accomplish our mission as viceroys of Allah in the earth. Allah says : "Ask the followers of the Remembrance if ye know not !" (16.43) "Remember Allah, as He hath taught you that which (heretofore) ye knew not." (2.239) "If only there had been among the generations before you men possessing a remnant (of good sense) to warn (their people) from corruption in the earth, as did a few of those whom We saved from them!" (11.116) Life in society needs organization. People need to know their rights and obligations; they need to know, for example, the extent of the freedom they are allowed in society. But people also need to understand why they should abstain from doing things that others, in the same society, would do without embarrassment. Even a truly intellectual person can end up obeying Allah’s do’s and don’ts without protesting. That’s ’ibada, worship. But there’s ’ibada (worship) and ma’rifa (knowledge). I strive, within the faith, to understand, to know the end Allah "had in mind" when He commanded this or prohibited that. Allah says : "They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say : In both is great sin, and (some) utility for men ; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness." (2.219) As a believer, I understand that Allah did not prohibit that without reason : "…the sin of them is greater than their usefulness." That is, for practical reasons. Take men-women relationships, for example. From a societal point of view, there might be no problem for a sensible, honest and faithful woman to receive her male friend in her office or even in her tent or personal room. But it’s because human experience has always shown that people don’t behave in the same way and that man can be weak that religion wanted to make rules and regulations. Allah says : "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed." (24.31) Allah speaks here in detail because, as you know, even in positive law many people tend to look for loopholes and derogations in order to get that which is not theirs, to circumvent the law.

 

Freedom is not only an individual responsibility. It’s also a collective responsibility. If the City (the state, the authority) outlaws the use of drugs, for example, the aim is noble; the aim is to save many people from addiction, from falling into delinquency. It’s an (amana), a trust; it is a general interest. Your children are not only your children; they are the children of the nation; they are the future of the nation, they are the treasure of the nation, be it Morocco, Malaysia or America. The City too should have a say in the way you bring up your child. Idem for the Quran. If I am a believer, the Quran shows me how to deal with my child, how to deal with my wife, how to behave in society as a whole. Allah says : "But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth ; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters." (28 .77) The Quran wants you and me to be responsible persons. Even when it comes to elections, I have to vote – if I ever do vote – for the person I think is best – even if I don’t really need anything from that person or his/her party. Whether I go and vote or stay at home on election day, my responsibility will not end there. I am responsible every single day : "…and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth." (28.77) That’s everyday ! At least I should not contribute to corruption. Because if corruption becomes rampant, widespread, everybody would suffer, even good believers. Allah says : "And guard yourselves against a chastisement which cannot fall exclusively on those of you who are wrong-doers." (8.25) If an epidemic, for example, comes it will affect everybody.

 

That’s why the Quran wanted to organize our life, individual and collective, in such a way that everybody would enjoy the beauty of the world in a decent, legitimate way that wouldn’t harm anybody : Life is a precious gift. Allah wants life for us, not death. He says : "And there is life for you in retaliation, O men of understanding, that ye may ward off (evil)." (2 .179) The Quran even cares for our feelings. If I don’t like somebody I may turn away from him, but if he says hello I should return the greeting. Allah says : "When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it or return it. Lo ! Allah taketh count of all things." (4.86) "O ye who believe ! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other) ! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo ! Allah is Relenting, Merciful."» (49.12)This teaches us humility. Every individual is important. Even a sick person, even a mad or penniless unemployed person, is important at least quantitatively – because he/she has to eat, to get dressed, to get medical care.... and thus everybody contributes directly or indirectly to the smooth running of the economic machine here or elsewhere. When we talk about a country’s economy, we say it's a market of 100,000000 consumers. We put everything in that number : the wise and the crazy.

Solomon is quoted in the Quran as saying : "My Lord ! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such as shall not belong to any after me. Lo ! Thou art the Bestower. So We made the wind subservient unto him, setting fair by his command whithersoever he intended. And the unruly, every builder and diver (made We subservient), And others linked together in chains, (Saying) : This is Our gift, so bestow thou, or withhold, without reckoning." (38.35-39) Not everybody can be Solomon, of course. Not everybody can be rich – even in America and China. From the very beginning life was based on dualities, just like the whole world. Male and female, day and night, good and bad, rich and poor, faith and heresy. Both believers and non-believers can be poor or rich, but believers and non-believers do not approach life in the same way. Even believers do not approach life in the same way all the time. Hence, the importance of guidance. Allah shows me the way, but He will not always push me to do something or prevent me from doing something. Allah says : "We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, that mankind may observe right measure ; and He revealed iron, wherein is mighty power and (many) uses for mankind." (57 .25) You could do different things with a knife, with your money or with your body. Just as I have a unique finger or eye print, I can also have a different psyche, a different destiny than others. But I am not totally master of my fate. Even when it comes to remembering Allah.  Allah says : "Lo ! this is an Admonishment, that whosoever will may choose a way unto his Lord. Yet ye will not, unless Allah willeth. Lo ! Allah is Knower, Wise." (76 .29-30) "So whosoever will may heed. And they will not heed unless Allah willeth (it)." (74.55-56) "… but Allah hath endeared the faith to you and hath beautified it in your hearts, and hath made disbelief and lewdness and rebellion hateful unto you. Such are they who are the rightly guided." (49.7) Allah even "cometh in between the man and his own heart." (8.24) But Allah’s meddling in my life would generally differ according to two things : 1) my faith (the degree of my faith in Allah ; 2) the kind of good Allah wants to bestow on me sooner or later. "Lo ! my Lord is Merciful, Loving." (11.90) But when I am leaving my place of work for the last time, without having any alternative in the offing, I may not even care about that good thing Allah may be keeping for me. I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want sleepless nights. I don’t want to hear comments or see looks that make me feel small. I want happiness now, and forever. Why should I be laid off by a human like myself ? Why should other people continue to go to work ? Why should other people live a normal life ? The same questions, they have always been asked by believers and non-believers alike. Reason alone cannot answer these questions. We only try to philosophize about things, as I am doing in my book. Because we know what’s in the Quran, we know what happens in life around us, but there are things we don’t know. And it’s these things we don’t know that make it hard for you and me to understand anything sometimes.

If I am a moomin (a believer), Allah gives me in the Quran an interesting example of how I could misunderstand Allah’s actions. The story of Moses with Al-Khidr (in the Surah of Al-Kahf) shows me that even a Prophet cannot always understand Allah’s 'behaviour'. This story shows that it’s quite normal (it’s human nature) if I cannot understand what’s happening to me, because I am using human reason/logic to think about these things. The problem is not with reason, though. The problem is that we humans base our reasoning on data which may not be complete. Allah has all the data, that’s the difference. It’s like Allah managing my patrimony without my knowledge but wisely, in my best interest. What Allah takes away with one hand He makes up for it with the other. In the Quran He says : "It may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not." (2.216) For example, Allah speaks in the story of Moses with Al-Khidr of this man who left two orphans. "…And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father had been righteous, and thy Lord intended that they should come to their full strength and should bring forth their treasure as a mercy from their Lord…" (18.82) We do not know the age of this man at his death. But no matter how old he is, that's it, this man has accomplished his mission, he can go to rest. Allah will take care of his children and widow. This should enlighten me personally that I must break down this psychological barrier which tells me that at certain age I must absolutely have achieved this or that, otherwise I am in a state of personal failure or considered as such. It is this psychological barrier that torments us, traumatizes us, makes us mad, blind. And we keep wondering why this or why that. Because we do not have all the data we do not really care what may happen next. Perhaps this man who died and left a widow and two orphan boys was an excellent man in relation to Allah, but might be less useful in one way or another to his children. Who knows ? We all know that a man can be a good husband but not necessarily a good father, and vice versa. This man could well be an excellent husband and father and yet Allah wanted his children to go through certain experiences or others to prepare them for a specific mission in the future. Who knows ? 

 

Hence the importance of Istikhara prayers in which the faithful say : "O Allah, I seek Your counsel through Your knowledge and I seek Your assistance through Your might and I ask You from Your immense favour, for verily You alone decree our fate while I do not, and You know while I do not, and You alone possess all knowledge of the Unseen. O Allah, if You know this matter ( mention matter here ) to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life and livelihood and the end of my affairs, my present and future, then decree it for me and facilitate it for me, and then place blessing for me within it, and if You know this affair to be harmful for me concerning my religion, my life and livelihood and the end of my affairs, then remove it from me and remove me from it, and decree for me what is good, wherever it may be, and make me content with it."

Suppose you were in a beautiful garden and then you got a call with bad news : chances are you’d forget all about the beauty of the garden. All your thoughts will focus on your SELF. There’s nothing more important to you than your SELF. And that’s normal. Allah says : "Man was created weak." (4.28) Paradoxically, it’s in a time of weakness that we pay attention to things we wouldn’t notice normally. There’s a very old house on the outskirts of the city. It’s in the worst possible state you could imagine. The French family who built this house and lived in it for years and years, during the colonial era, would be shocked to know that it has been turned into a dirty animal shed with lots of filth all around. Of all those French settlers there remains one family in the whole area and it still lives in its old house. I have seen more than a dozen such uninhabited old houses in and around a rural commune not far away. I last went on foot to that rural area one morning in 2016 and I was a bit dazzled (once again) by the beauty of the valley and the artificial waterfalls and I can understand why the first French settlers loved that place. (At least at that time, more than a century ago, there was no dam on the river and so there must have been much more water than now.) The problem is, I was just going past a large graveyard, with lots of graves in it, when the rustic beauty of the valley brought a broad smile to my face. I quickly forgot all about the graveyard and took pleasure in walking alongside the waterfalls. Such is the power of temptation ! But is it un-Islamic to feel and enjoy the beauty of the world ? Is it un-Islamic to live in a beautiful mansion in the middle of the greenery ? Allah says : "Who hath forbidden the adornment of Allah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen, and the good things of His providing ?" (7.30) This beauty was made for us, but it can also turn against us. It’s like a knife, you know. Allah says : "Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring ; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah ! With Him is a more excellent abode." (3.14) So why should there be such pleasures in the first place ? Why should there be such a beauty ? Well, it’s the same beautiful place for the French settlers, for those who lived there before them and for those who live in there now. The same beauty, the same temptations, the same graveyard. But Allah did not make beauty only. He also allowed for there to be nasty things – for us to reflect.

Even the soldiers who served the French colonial authorities were not all French. Many came from other French colonies. And the foreign people who were then in our cities and villages were not all French. Also there were local collaborators. We learnt all this at school. The question is, does one choose to be a settler in a colonized country or a collaborator ? A settler or a local collaborator may have a family and children to feed. These children may not necessarily know how their father got the money to buy them good food or good clothes or build them a good house. Another question is, what’s the difference between a house built with money made by collaboration (or corruption, for that matter) and a house built with money made by legitimate trade, for example ? For a stranger, what matters is the look of the house : is it nice or not ? He will be thrilled at the beauty of the house, of the car, of the factory, of the children… even if he knows the origin of the money. It’s because people look at the look, not at the origin. If this stranger were poor or single or homeless, who would care about him ? He may even be of those who, as Allah says, "whenever Allah tries them by straitening their means of life, say : "My Lord despiseth me." (89.16) Maybe the French family who lived in that old house (turned into an animal shed) enjoyed the beauty of the house and the area in that beautiful time, but then the French had to leave. Maybe they weren’t even happy with the money they got when they sold everything. But why is the house so dirty now ? Is it because the owner of the place is so poor that he only cares about the money he gets from the animals ? Doesn’t he care about beauty ? Or could he be kind of "a wise person" who believes beauty is transient ? Could he be happy with his life as it is ? I don’t even know who it is, so I can’t answer those questions. But what would I do in his place ? What would I care about ? That’s a very big question.

Allah knows all that ! He knows that only a few would ever care. He says : "And whatsoever He hath created for you in the earth of divers hues, lo ! therein is indeed a portent for people who take heed." (16 .13) It’s for those people who "take heed" that Allah made that beauty. If Allah says to those people : "Is He then Who createth as him who createth not ?" (16.17,) they will certainly say : No !  Allah says : "Have they not observed what is before them and what is behind them of the sky and the earth ? (…) Lo ! herein surely is a portent for every slave who turneth (to Allah) repentant." (34.9) "A vision and a reminder for every penitent slave." (50.8) This penitent servant (‘abd muneeb) would be sensible to all beauty : be it wild beauty in the woods or man-made beauty like that wonderful car parked in front of the school. But this penitent servant would not be impressed too much by man-made beauty when he knows the origin. He would care as much about the look as about the origin. Allah says : "The evil and the good are not alike even though the plenty of the evil attract thee." (5.100) This penitent servant knows that it’s all trial. Allah says : "Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal." (21.35) But here’s the problem ! If that is what I believe really, well, I will be tested. I can’t feign. Allah says : "Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction ? Lo ! We tested those who were before them. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign." (29.2-3) If I pass the first test, I should prepare for the next. The rule is : the higher I rise in my iman (faith) the harder my trial will be. And I’ll be tried with people around me, people who have wonderful cars, nice houses, good jobs, lovely children… and even people who don’t have anything at all. Allah says : "And We have appointed some of you a test for others : Will ye be steadfast ? And thy Lord is ever Seer." (25.20) I’ll be like a lonely sailor in a pitiless sea, lonely except from Allah. Each time I go beyond a wave in this monstrous sea of temptations I say "lo ! with hardship goeth ease, Lo! with hardship goeth ease" (94.5-6) until I reach the shore with the least damage. It’s a fascinating experience.

 

Hey, one would argue, I’m not a Muslim and I served your Muslim state. Is it wrong for me to be paid for that ? Is it wrong for you to collaborate with my non-Muslim state and right for me to collaborate with your Muslim state ?  Two weights and two measures ? That’s a hard question. However, we read in the Hadith : "The Messenger of Allah dispatched us – myself, Az-Zubair, and Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad. He said : ‘Proceed until you reach Rawdah Khakh, where there is a lady carrying a letter. Take the letter from her and bring it to me.’ So we proceeded on our way with our horses galloping until we reached the Rawdah. There we found the lady and said to her : ‘Give us the letter.’ She said : ‘I have no letter.’ We said : ‘Either you take out the letter, or we shall take off your clothes.’ He said : 'So she took it out of her braid.' He said : 'We brought it to the Messenger of Allah, and it was from Hatib bin Abi Balta'ah, addressed to some people among the idolaters of Makkah, informing them of some matter regarding the Prophet. So he said : ‘What is this O Hatib ?’ He said : ‘Do not be hasty with me O Messenger of Allah ! I was a person who is an ally to the Quraish, not being related to them. The Muhajirun who are with you have relatives who can protect their families and their wealth in Makkah. So since I have no lineage among them, I wanted to do them a favour, so they might protect my relatives. I did not do this out of disbelief, nor to renegade from my religion, nor did I do it to choose disbelief [after Islam].’ The Prophet said : ‘He said the truth.’ Umar bin Al-Khattab said : ‘Allow me to chop off the head of this hypocrite’” The Prophet said : ‘Indeed he participated in (the battle of) Badr. You do not know, perhaps Allah looked at those who attended Badr and said : ‘O people of Badr ! Do as you like, for I have forgiven you.’ " He said : ‘It was about him, that this Surah was revealed : ‘O you who believe ! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as protecting friends showing affection towards them.’ "

In other words, it's a question of principles and convictions.

Some people surpass themselves by practising certain sports or by engaging in certain adventures. A penitent servant surpasses himself by practising his faith, on the ground, in reality. In either case, if I am a moomin, I’m doing that for the good of my own soul. Allah says : "And whosoever striveth, striveth only for himself, for lo ! Allah is altogether Independent of (His) creatures." (29.6) The world is full of people, but only a few of them mean to you. Your family and your friends mean to you more than anybody else. Idem for Allah. In the Quran we read : "Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely, And then bestowed upon him ample means, And sons abiding in his presence And made (life) smooth for him. Yet he desireth that I should give more…" (74 .11-15) How can someone like this one mean anything to Allah ? If I want to mean something to somebody I do something to please him, don’t I ? If I want to mean something to Allah I do something to please Him, don’t I? But if I can lie to people, if I can feign to people, I can’t lie to Allah. Allah says : "Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign." (29.3)

 

All the temptations, all the glamour, all the beauty in the world was made for that purpose. Allah says : " (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men)." (3.154) And just as we reveal to Allah that we are truly sincere, He reveals to us, through our tests, that when everybody lets us down, He alone stays by our side to support and save us. Just as we know Allah more and more we end up loving Him.

By creating us, Allah wanted to show us His beauty and bounty. Allah did not need us. He just wanted to give us a chance to have this earthly experience. Allah knew that the earth would not be a paradise for us. He promised us a true paradise without deserving it, plus eternity. But we, me first, want paradise right here and now. That's why Allah gives us time : to think, to compare, to remember. Fortunately, Allah does not punish us right away. And He does not punish us for all our sins. Even Pharaoh, He did not punish him right away. Because Allah knows that when we give ourselves the time to think (earnestly and in good faith) we will naturally have the chance to see His righteousness and justice in all that He does.

15

 The  "little fire"

 

Should I look at the hut beside the palace or at the palace beside the hut ?  Should I I look at my bad shoes or at my good feet which are in the bad shoes ? Should I look at the bounty of Allah or at divine punishment, or at both ? Not all famines are God-made : many famines are man-made. And even when we know that this famine was man-made we should not sit idly by and wait for people to die. 

 

Allah says : "He brought you forth from the earth and hath made you husband it." (11.61) If man was appointed a viceroy in the earth, what about me who am not only a man, but on top of that a believer ? I have, if I can, to make the world a better place on my own little level. Those things in this world I think are not so perfect, I should try to make them perfect. I should be positive ; I should be a good citizen or a good resident. I should do better than those who came before us. Allah says : "Then We appointed you viceroys in the earth after them, that We might see how ye behave." (10.14) "And be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth." (28.77) "So give full measure and full weight and wrong not mankind in their goods, and work not confusion in the earth after the fair ordering thereof. That will be better for you, if ye are believers." (7.85) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said : “To judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. And the good word is a charity. And every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity.” A companion asked the Prophet (pbuh) which action was best. Then asked : ‘If I cannot afford (it) ?’ The Prophet (pbuh) said : "Then help a labourer or work for one who is disabled". The companion asked : "If I cannot do (it) ?" The Prophet (pbuh) said : "You should restrain yourself from doing wrong to people, because it (serves as) charity which you bestow upon yourself". If I can’t do good, for one reason or another, I should at least restrain myself from doing wrong to people. If I can’t clean those dirty places in the city, at least I cleanse my heart and mind. At least I try to be one the "men who love to purify themselves. Allah loveth the purifiers." (9.108) "Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness." (2.222) Generation after generation, Allah gives us a chance to show our humanity. Like in an exam, in a workshop, or on stage, we are tested. We are in a prize competition. The aim is to improve our conduct. The aim is (for us) to make the world a better place. The criteria are the same : genuine faith, plus good deeds. They may be hard competitions at times, but that’s how gold is made. It must go through fire to be usable gold, to become tempting jewels. It’s fire, but it’s good fire. Think of cooking.

I once saw TV images of the Australian forest. I wished I could go there and see the forest with my own eyes. But then a huge blaze swallowed the beautiful forest. I said to myself you’re lucky you weren’t there! And then the forest started to grow again, much more beautiful than before. The commentator in the film said that it’s this natural destruction by fire that made the soil richer and the next vegetation more luxurious than the one before. The little "fire" meant for us, human believers, in the form of trials, hardships and loss, is not meant to destroy us. Allah says : "O ye who believe ! Squander not your wealth among yourselves in vanity, except it be a trade by mutual consent, and kill not one another. Lo ! Allah is ever Merciful unto you." (4.29) Allah is Merciful. Allah does not want us to kill ourselves or one another. He says : "Whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind." (8.24) Allah wants us to revive our souls and, if we can, the souls of our loved ones too. That little fire is meant for us to discover ourselves and to discover Allah through ourselves. Through our trials we learn endurance and trust. Besides, who can be patient without Allah’s help ? Allah says : "Endure thou patiently (O Muhammad). Thine endurance is only by (the help of) Allah. (…) Lo ! Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him and those who are doers of good." (16.127-128) And yet, if I just try to be patient, if I have good intentions, if I trust Allah, Allah says to me : "Say : O My bondmen who believe ! Observe your duty to your Lord. For those who do good in this world there is good, and Allah's earth is spacious. Verily the steadfast will be paid their wages without stint." (39.10) "Allah loveth the steadfast." (3.146) But what do we do, we humans ?  Very often we are arrogant, pretentious. We think we know enough to solve our problems all by ourselves. It is only when our wells run dry, our dams become empty, our rivers unnavigable, our forests ash and dust, that we raise our eyes to the heavens. Allah says no, "...and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little." (17.85) If man knew it all, no civilisation, no empire, no kingdom would have become just a thing of the past, just a few chapters in a History book. If I am a good believer I should know that "every nation hath its term, and when its term cometh, they cannot put it off an hour nor yet advance (it)." (7.34) So I wouldn’t even rely on what my state or government could do for me. Only those who reflect, those who meditate, would understand what Allah means by "He directeth the ordinance from the heaven unto the earth ; then it ascendeth unto Him in a Day, whereof the measure is a thousand years of that ye reckon." (32.5) When I reflect I realize how weak man is. Everybody is vulnerable, sooner or later. Even if you were a ruler for life or a megabillionnaire, old age would make you vulnerable, illness would make you vulnerable. And yet, when I realize how weak I am, in the Kingdom of Allah, and put myself in the hands of Allah, my vulnerability and precariousness become my strength. Because what I want to do Allah will help me do it – with His knowledge and His strength. He says : "O mankind ! A similitude is coined, so pay ye heed to it : Lo ! those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly took something from them, they could not rescue it from it. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought ! They measure not Allah His rightful measure. Lo ! Allah is Strong, Almighty." (22.73-74) Just see what this tiny virus called Covid-16 has done to humankind!

 

Those "on whom ye call beside Allah" may be the state, the government, the people I vote for, the worker union representatives, the insurance company, my family, my friends…. What could those do that Allah can’t ? Or could any of them change my fate ? If Allah "cometh in between the man and his own heart," (8 .24) and "Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth" (30.26), how can my will prevail over His will ? If I don’t believe in this, time will prove it to me. "Say : Have ye thought, if Allah made night everlasting for you till the Day of Resurrection, who is a God beside Allah who could bring you light ? Will ye not then hear ? Say : Have ye thought, if Allah made day everlasting for you till the Day of Resurrection, who is a God beside Allah who could bring you night wherein ye rest ? Will ye not then see ?" (28.71-72)

 

Who can today say the earth is flat ? Nobody. But we all forget that we’re sitting/walking/ sleeping on a small planet in a galaxy in a world of a billion (or more) galaxies. We all run from fire, from floods, from the gun… We all fear for our lives. But where do we run when ordeal is marching on us like an invincible army, like a volcano, like a river bursting off its banks, like a tsunami ? Allah says : "Therefor flee unto Allah." (51.50) "If Allah touch thee with affliction, there is none that can relieve therefrom save Him, and if He touch thee with good fortune (there is none that can impair it) ; for He is Able to do all things." (6.17) "O mankind ! Ye are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah ! He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise. If He will, He can be rid of you and bring (instead of you) some new creation." (35.15-16) Allah honoured me and preferred me (and all mankind) above many of those whom He created "with a marked preferment." (17.70) ; it’s up to me to accept or reject that honour. Shall I lecture you on strong drink and games of chance and the damage they do to man ? When Allah says "O ye who believe ! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed." (5.90), it’s because He wants you and me to live a life of noble character, to be better than many people who live like cattle, as the Quran says. "Or deemest thou that most of them hear or understand ? They are but as the cattle - nay, but they are farther astray". (28.44) When Allah says "Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world. But the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better in respect of hope." (18.46), it’s because He wants you and me to earn our money and beget our children in a dignified way. If Allah says: "Lo! We have placed all that is in the earth as an ornament thereof that We may try them : which of them is best in conduct." (18.7), it’s because He wants you and me to be sensible persons who enjoy life in a dignified way. We eat, we drink, we work, we play, we do whatever we do in a dignified way, as civilized persons.

Let me give you this little example. Many people thought they chose just the right partner. Then they divorced. See ? You turn and turn and then you go back to square one. We rely on our own data. We forget or want to forget that Allah has all the DATA. Can anyone really know all the data about one’s partner living with one under the same roof ? Can we really know what our partners feel towards us or think about us or do behind our backs ? If partners knew all that "data" about one another, would there be such a worrying number of divorces ? Allah says : "O ye who believe ! Lo ! among your wives and your children there are enemies for you, therefor beware of them. And if ye efface and overlook and forgive, then lo ! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Your wealth and your children are only a temptation, whereas Allah ! with Him is an immense reward. So keep your duty to Allah as best ye can, and listen, and obey, and spend ; that is better for your souls. And whoso is saved from his own greed, such are the successful. If ye lend unto Allah a goodly loan, He will double it for you and will forgive you, for Allah is Responsive, Clement, Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, the Mighty, the Wise." (64.14-18)

                                   16

 

                                STOP !

 

When we have bills to pay at the end of the month, we only think of the here and now. But let's take a break to look a little further.

 

Would a princess or the daughter of a billionaire appreciate life in a palace in the same way as a girl who grew up in the slums and then became the wife of a president or a billionaire ? One or the other may take such life for granted. Idem for us. We would probably have taken life in Paradise for granted. We would probably have thought that we are worth more than that. Satan said to Adam and Eve : "Your Lord forbade you from this tree only lest ye should become angels or become of the immortals." (7.20) Adam and Eve heeded Satan and ate of the tree because they suddenly aspired to something they deemed more precious than the Heaven they were in. But Allah, the Beautiful, the Bountiful, willed that there couldn't be anything more beautiful than Paradise, because it's "a gift of welcome from their Lord." (3.198) If you are a host and receive guests that you like you would receive them in the best place possible and give them the best reception possible. Allah is not going to pay for Paradise. "Unto Allah belongeth the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He createth what He will." (42.49) "He is the All-Wise Creator." (5.86) "He is the Knower, the Mighty." (30.54) A God like this would not be thrifty towards the faithful. Eternity alone is priceless. But eternity is too long a time. As a believer, I would love to have a long book of memories to accompany me in Paradise while enjoying all the good things in there. That's why Allah made us to live in this world so as to have as many beautiful memories as possible to cherish while in Heaven. Allah wants us to know His Merit, to value Him, to appreciate His generosity and kindness. If Allah makes us to suffer in this life of the world it's for us to see the difference between here and there, between the happiness we want to achieve by ourselves (which has an end, anyway) and the happiness that Allah wants us to feel forever and ever in Heaven. In other words, Allah wants us to thank Him in advance for that unhoped-for gift. He wants us to thank Him here – despite any depravations – because it's only our thanks here that count. And yet people who spent their lives giving thanks to Allah in this world will also give Him thanks in the Hereafter. They will say : "Praise be to Allah, Who hath fulfilled His promise unto us and hath made us inherit the land, sojourning in the Garden where we will ! So bounteous is the wage of workers." (39.74)

Now, is Allah worth or does He need to be thanked in advance ? That's where people part ways : some say yes (He deserves not needs), others won't care one way or another. That's where I have the choice : I choose between believing and not believing. When I believe I realize that, in fact, I don't have any other choice. Because the more I believe the more I feel very much obliged to Almighty. It's, in a way, like choosing between smoking and not smoking. Nobody is going to forbid me from smoking, but if I smoke I know the consequences. That's why Allah says : "Whoso doeth right it is for his soul, and whoso doeth wrong it is against it. And thy Lord is not at all a tyrant to His slaves." (41.46) If I give thanks to Allah I am doing that to save my own soul first, and then I am only doing the right thing. I am expressing gratitude to my Lord for giving me a chance to live in this "imperfect" world and a chance to work for a place in Paradise, where I can see (or have) all the perfect things that I can't see (or have) in this world. The Prophet (pbuh) said : "Allah, the Exalted, has said : 'I have prepared for my righteous slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and the mind of no man has conceived.' If you wish, recite (Quran) : 'No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.’" (32.17)

On a radio show an old countryman was asked : "Do you recall the 1981 famine ?" He said : "Oh that's nothing compared to the 1945 famine, when a woman would take her baby far away from her home and leave him/her beside somebody else's house or on the roadside, and then she would look back in sorrow and stop for a moment before continuing on her way back home." "That must be painful," said the interviewer. "Do you think such women were so heartless as to abandon their babies in this way ?" "But that's famine, my friend," said the countryman. "Hunger makes you blind."

 

That's the blindness of the mind. What about the blindness of the heart ? When I listen to some radio programmes, not only from my country, I listen to international radio stations as well, I sometimes get the impression that the world is full of misery. I have heard a lot of people talk on the radio to complain about various problems. Even celebrities complain about their heartache, their horrific experiences with their partners, their parents, their children... Some go live on TV to talk about such things. At the same time, by day and by night, I hear on the radio a lot of laughter, a lot of merry music, a lot of sports, a lot of gastronomy, a lot of things that give me the impression that there's not one unhappy person in the whole world ! I have heard many people use the phrases "Thank God", "Dieu merci", "Alhamdulillah" to express gratitude to God. But I have also heard many people complain about God, or rather about Fate. One question such people would ask : "How is it that God, this Almighty Creator Who knows everything, who is powerful, merciful, how is it that he knows my pitiful situation, he knows all about my sufferings, and yet he doesn't do anything to change my situation ?" That's a difficult question. But I bet a good believer would say : "Yes, "He is the Knower, the Mighty." (30.54) "He is Able to do all things." (67.1), but I have committed sins, and my "Lord is not at all a tyrant to His slaves." (41.46) and "There is naught that can change His words. He is the Hearer, the Knower." (6.115) And even if my sins were all pardonable I may still have doubts about my faith. So Allah may want to test my faith by depriving me of things I love. Allah "would know him who believeth in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt thereof." (34.21) Even yaqeen (absolute belief) may vary from one person to another, from one situation to another. Some people may need to go through personal experiences, kind of heart knowledge, in order to strengthen their faith. Allah wouldn’t deprive me of anything unless He has something good in store for me." But even this very good believer who would say such good things may not think in this manner without having gone through some kind of personal experience. It's such experiences that would make a believer deal with Allah differently. Such experiences would make me say : Yes, I know, as a believer, that Allah is "the Knower, the Mighty" (30.54) and "is Merciful, Loving" (11.90) , but Allah is also "Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong)" (14.47) ; and I have sinned, no matter what my sins are. So when I have a problem I "call on Him in fear and hope." (7.56) I cry unto Allah "in longing and in fear." (21.90) I call on Allah in fear because I know He may punish me for my sins. I call on Him in hope because I know He "is Merciful, Loving" (11.90) and "He is Able to do all things." (67.1) It’s not because Allah says "Our word unto a thing, when We intend it, is only that We say unto it : Be! and it is." (16.40) that I should expect Him to answer my prayer right away. What I should expect is that Allah can – when He wills – answer my prayer. That’s what’s important for me. When I am in a difficult situation some good-hearted people would be willing to help me but they can’t. What could you do when you see a child burning behind the windows of a flat in a tower block on fire ? What could you do when you see people swept away with their car in a flash flood ? Suffice it for m’as a believer that Allah can help me when He wills. For my part, I have to try as best I can to avoid anything that would anger Allah and make Him punish me in the first place. I should do as much good as possible – if I can – and then hope for the best. Nobody is going to tell Allah what to do. If I have questions, Allah too would have questions to ask me : Did you give Me thanks for the job I helped you find…. or did you rather respond by sinning ? Would you like other people to be ungrateful towards you ? So who should you blame for this debt you can’t repay now that you are jobless ? It’s not Allah who’s going to say this to me. If I am a good believer it’s my nafs lawama ("the accusing soul" (75.2)) that’s going to put me through such a self-analysis. This means that if I have acted wrongly, I must take the responsibility for that. I have to repair the damage. I must at least have some decency towards my Lord, Who says : "Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts." (13.11) In other words, I should not expect Allah to give me something for which I have done nothing good in return. Allah says : "For the taming of Qureysh. For their taming (We cause) the caravans to set forth in winter and summer. So let them worship the Lord of this House, Who hath fed them against hunger and hath made them safe from fear." (106) What I should pray for, first and foremost, is hidaya (guidance). "Show us the straight path, The path of those whom Thou hast favoured." (1.6-7) Moreover, I should pray for al-khashya (the fear of God). Because without hidaya and khashya I can easily go astray. Hidaya is my passport. Al-Khshya is my visa.

In the Quran we read : "Allah giveth without stint to whom He will." (3.37) "He bestoweth as He will." (5.64) That means that Allah would give to even those who won't pray for anything, who won't do anything for the sake of Him. That's my trap. That's what would make me say : since Allah gives to those people why doesn't He give me too, I who believe in Him and strive to please Him ? That's a trap ! What can I do to avoid falling in the trap, if I haven't fallen in it already ? Well, I just have to learn a lesson from my personal experiences. My personal experiences should teach me, through facts, that "If Allah touch thee with affliction, there is none that can relieve therefrom save Him, and if He touch thee with good fortune (there is none that can impair it) ; for He is Able to do all things. He is the Omnipotent over His slaves, and He is the Wise, the Knower." (6.17-18) Once I have learned this I can understand why Allah deprived me of something I loved. Allah says : "And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves they would surely rebel in the earth, but He sendeth down by measure as He willeth. Lo ! He is Aware, a Seer of His bondmen." (42.27) If I'm honest with myself, I have to ask myself : did I become a better person when Allah last gave me this or that ? Did I thank Allah for His gift or did I rather respond by sinning ?

Allah says : "This is for him who feareth My Majesty and feareth My warning." (14.14) What does this verse say to me ? Well, it says to me : STOP ! Where are you heading ? What do you want ? Do you want to serve Allah or do you want Allah to serve you ?

Those are legitimate questions. I should answer them, if I am a good believer. I should put all my requests and prayers aside for a moment and start asking myself questions about the things I got already. In the news we hear something like : "It's the worst hurricane in 30 years. Many people have lost everything." This is hard to live for even devout believers. It's not easy for anybody to lose everything overnight. But when I see that such things do not happen to specific nations or countries exclusively, I have to ask questions. Drought, for example, struck people even in the prophets' lifetime. It happened to followers of Moses (pbuh) in his lifetime. It happened to followers of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his lifetime, to the Prophet's companions during the reign of Umar Ibn al-Khattab and other good leaders. What would I think of when I ask such questions ? Well, I would think of those (more or less happy/peaceful/normal...) 28 years between the current devastating hurricane/drought/wildfire/war and the previous one. I would think of my hand/foot/tooth... before it was hurt. I would hopefully think of the time when I had water and electricity all day all year long ... before the demoralizing daily power cuts. I should think of Allah's gifts and generosity and patience during all that time when I would not really appreciate those gifts.

 

Now, suppose I am certain that somebody loves me so much and cares for my love so much, how do you think I would react ? Well, if I am grateful, I would at least try not to hurt or shock him/her even if I had no special feelings towards that person. If I am an ingrate, I might think that it's only normal that such a person should love me more than that and should do the impossible to please me. So I wouldn't care, I would show that person that I don't like him/her, etc. What happens in this case ? Well, I may one day regret losing that person's love. This is the consequence of arrogance. Allah does not like that. He said about Pharaoh’s people : "So, when they angered Us, We punished them and drowned them every one." (43.55)

So such terrible happenings that would make me ask existential questions should be a reminder to me. I should remember that Allah is more powerful than people, more powerful than states, more powerful than empires. Why did Allah make people suffer from drought while they were still receiving His revelations from their prophets ? The answer is clear and simple : Allah wants mankind to know that "That which Allah openeth unto mankind of mercy none can withhold it ; and that which He withholdeth none can release thereafter. He is the Mighty, the Wise. O mankind ! Remember Allah's grace toward you ! Is there any creator other than Allah who provideth for you from the sky and the earth ? There is no God save Him. Whither then are ye turned ?" (35.3) It's not the government who creates jobs ; it's Allah Who creates the conditions for economic growth wherever He wills whenever He wills. A government which cannot avert a major economic crisis cannot, overnight, create millions of jobs ! It's Allah Who is the Lord of the world. The state/the government can build as many bridges and roads as it can afford. Allah can bring all that down in a few hours. At the same time, when the state, directly or indirectly, destroys the environment with abject pollution and causes drought and floods, Allah remains the last resort to end the drought or control the floods.

 

Remember, in the 1980s, half of mankind lived under the poverty line. I needn't name any country for example. You know them. Does that mean that politicians who ruled in the world before that time were all silly ? And then many countries which enjoyed some stunning economic growth for some time later became victims of maddening inflation and unplayable foreign debts ? Is it then the state or Allah who creates the conditions for economic growth wherever He wills whenever He wills ? Sometimes there are too many jobs that even the government can't handle without changing immigration laws. It's like those who want to cause rain by bombarding clouds and get deadly floods at the end of the day !

 

When I think about all that, I should be amazed that Allah, Who has to run the World, the whole world with all its problems and complexity, can "find some time" to think of me too. "My Lord neither erreth nor forgetteth." (20.52) This feeling that my God is the Lord of the world is my best insurance. When I give thanks to Allah – for what He gave me already – I am breaking down the imaginary psychological barriers that separate me from Him ; I am cleansing my heart from all its complexes. By reconciling with my God, through repentance, I am curing my heart from my superficial ego. By doing all that I am putting myself in the hands of the real Lord. Allah says : "And Allah was predominant in His career, but most of mankind know not." (12.21) "And let not their speech grieve thee (O Muhammad). Lo ! power belongeth wholly to Allah. He is the Hearer, the Knower." (10.65) "Say : Cry unto those (saints and angels) whom ye assume (to be gods) beside Him, yet they have no power to rid you of misfortune nor to change." (17.56) "They measure not Allah His rightful measure. Lo ! Allah is Strong, Almighty." (22.74) "And there is not a thing but with Us are the stores thereof. And we send it not down save in appointed measure." (15.21) "And there is not a beast in the earth but the sustenance thereof dependeth on Allah. He knoweth its habitation and its repository. All is in a clear Record." (11.6) "And how many an animal there is that beareth not its own provision ! Allah provideth for it and for you. He is the Hearer, the Knower." (29.60) So I can't help bowing willingly, knowingly, with every cell in my body, with every bit of my soul, to God, Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Does that mean that the state is useless, that the government is redundant ? Not at all. When a man in power helps me, that's good of him, and I should thank him for that – even though he might be doing so only to be re-elected or to boost the sales of his future memoirs. I should thank him because, as the Prophet (pbuh) said, "He who does not thank people cannot thank Allah Almighty."

Now, should I accept help from people ? Why not ? I should not regard this as help to my person, but rather to the human being in me. When I go to work and spend hours at work, with all the resulting long-term consequences on my health, I am not doing that for the good of my soul only. I am doing that for the sake of society as a whole. When you spend years and years bringing up a child, you are not doing so for your own pleasure only. You are doing that for the good and interest of the nation as well. This child may become a soldier to defend the nation, or a teacher to educate the future generations, or a doctor to treat future patients in this country. So I should not feel ashamed to receive help – be it taxpayer money or private donations – when I can't help myself. Today I'm the one who needs help, tomorrow I may be the one who provides help to somebody else. This is solidarity. Allah wants two things : gratitude towards Him and solidarity between humans. When somebody gives me something (some help) he may do so to be thanked or just to implement the human/humane side in him – to feel as a decent, useful person. When Allah gives me something good, it's like Him saying to me : Hey, this is just for you to recall Heaven. Allah says (about Ibrahim (pbuh)) : "We gave him his reward in the world, and lo ! in the Hereafter he verily is among the righteous." (29.27) When Allah subjects me to something painful, it's like Him saying to me : Hey, this is just for you to recall Hell. Allah says : "See they not that they are tested once or twice in every year ? Still they turn not in repentance, neither pay they heed." (9.126) In other words, Allah cares for me. He doesn't want me to go to Hell. He wants me to go to Heaven. Even the Quran describes death as a "moseebah", a "calamity". (9.106) How can I rely on something that in the best case will end by a moseebah ? That's even more horrific than losing one's home !

Besides, when there's a calamity, a natural disaster, you don't really feel a very big difference between a rich country and a poor country. Suffering is suffering. You can rescue people here using helicopters and there using small boats or animals. The pace of reconstruction may differ and yet one can only be astonished to notice that despite recurrent devastating natural disasters (the monsoon in South-east Asia, for example) life goes on as normal. This might change in the future, I don’t know. But, at least up to now, every year there's a monsoon and yet it's there where you find the largest population in the world. The homes are rebuilt, the villages are rebuilt, the towns are rebuilt, and the tourists go back there. Despite the monsoon people play cricket every year. Despite the hurricane people go to concerts, stadiums and golf courses every year. The point is that, as a believer, I should regard such terrible happenings as messages, as a reminder. I should remind myself that, as a human, I am weak. My power has limits. I am not "at home" : I am only a guest in this world. Many people were here one day. I too will go one day. The plane may give me the best comfort, in the best First Class in the world, but I am only a passenger. I may live in a Five-Star-like home, but upon my death it will cease to be mine. Allah says : "Lo ! We Only, We inherit the earth and all who are thereon, and unto Us they are returned." (19.40) "Everyone that is thereon will pass away ; There remaineth but the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory." (55.26-27) "Ye cannot escape (from Him) in the earth or in the sky, and beside Allah there is for you no friend nor helper." (29.22) "Allah receiveth (men's) souls at the time of their death, and that (soul) which dieth not (yet) in its sleep. He keepeth that (soul) for which He hath ordained death and dismisseth the rest till an appointed term. Lo ! herein verily are portents for people who take thought." (39.42)

My days are numbered every day. I am just passing through. I am like a tennis ball thrown back and forth between sunrise and sunset. Sunrise throws me to sunset and sunset flings me to sunrise : I can’t stop time. And one day I realize how fast I’m ageing. The Quran says to me : "Send (good deeds) before you for your souls, and fear Allah, and know that ye will (one day) meet Him. Give glad tidings to believers, (O Muhammad)." (2 223) So what can I do apart from seeking a peaceful rather than confrontational relationship with my Lord ? When I acknowledge my weakness vis-à-vis Allah, He too says to me : "Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak." (4.28) Therefore, when I make a mistake Allah will take my weakness into account. Because He is "Merciful, Loving" (11.90) "And He is the Forgiving, the Loving." (85.14) "Those who avoid enormities of sin and abominations, save the unwilled offences - (for them) lo ! thy Lord is of vast mercy. He is best aware of you (from the time) when He created you from the earth, and when ye were hidden in the bellies of your mothers. Therefor ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is best aware of him who wardeth off (evil)" (53.32) When Allah knows that I do not want war with Him, that I am not seeking to antagonize Him, He turns my weakness into strength.

What does it mean for me to acknowledge that I am weak vis-à-vis Allah ?  It means that I don't want Allah to regret creating me. I want Him to be proud of me. How ? Allah says : "What concern hath Allah for your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him) ? Allah was ever Responsive, Aware." (4.147) "O ye who believe ! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom ye worship." (2.172) As I said, I am only a guest in this world. Yes, I can work and get money. But I can't do everything to make my life smooth. I can't make my clothes myself. I can't make my bike myself. I need a tele ; I need to follow the news. I need vegetables and fruits. I need power and water at home. What would I do with my money if there weren't other people to make all those things for me ? I may be financially self-dependent, but never self-sufficient. I also need clean air. I need the sun. I need sleep. I need good health. So Allah thought of all these things before making us. He says : "Is it they who apportion thy Lord's mercy ? We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the world, and raised some of them above others in rank that some of them may take labour from others ; and the mercy of thy Lord is better than (the wealth) that they amass." (43.32) That's why He says : "And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo ! Allah is ever Knower of all things." (4. 32)

Now, instead of asking why Allah gives to those people who don't believe in Him, I should ask : why don't I seek Allah's help while wanting to serve Him ? Why don't I respect Allah's decisions ? If Allah wants to give so-and-so, so be it ! What's important for me is that Allah can give me too. But I have to first prepare myself to receive Allah's gift. There's a difference between what Allah gave me before – without deserving what He gave me – and giving me something now or in the future as a reward for something I did to please Him. A reward is not like a present. I won't get any kind of reward without making sacrifices. When that reward comes my way I regard it as a mercy from Allah. Just as when somebody helps me (for love) or does something for me (for money) I regard that as a mercy from Allah too. Nobody can help me or do anything for me "save by the permission of Allah", anyway. Think of a rich person when he gets sick. Can his money bring him back his health "save by the permission of Allah" ? So I regard Allah's mercy as a sign of the greatness of Allah. But as I realize how great Allah is, how powerful Allah is, I can't help feeling some kind of fear of Him. I would realize that even the fear of Allah is actually a mercy. That's why good believers beg Allah to grant them khashya (the fear of Allah). The fear of Allah is kind of spiritual vaccination. I am a believer, but I am a human being after all. I can be weak in a times because I have the same instincts, the same desires, the same fears as anybody else. Life is unpredictable. I don't know what may happen to me tomorrow. I may be smart, but I can't know what's on other people's minds. I may be betrayed, I may be deceived, I may be let down, I may be humiliated, I may lose things that are now essential to me. So if I rely on my own behavioural capabilities, on my communication skills, on my exceptional wits, (in short, on my soft skills),, I may still be surprised to have to deal with particularly unkind people who would have no mercy on me. We have seen throughout history even kings and emperors betrayed from where they did not expect. Hence the importance of the fear of Allah. If I fear Allah I will do my best to avoid evil, bearing in mind that I can yet fall at times of weakness. If something bad happens to me (as divine punishment for my past or present sins) I am the victim, not the aggressor. If I am the victim and I am a good believer, Allah helps me despite my past sins. He says : "Lo ! Allah defendeth those who are true. Lo ! Allah loveth not each treacherous ingrate." (22.38) If I am the aggressor, "Allah loveth not aggressors." (2.90) So He may not help me. But that doesn't mean, though, that  I have to stand by when attacked. I have the choice to react in the way that suits me best. Allah says : "And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who ward off (evil)". (2.194) When I am trying to avoid evil, I am fearing Allah, not people. This is taqwa, keeping duty to Allah. Taqwa means that I am the monitor of my own behaviour. I watch my own acts. And that's sense. That's what a sensible person should do. And Allah speaks to sensible people, called in the Quran "men of understanding". Allah says : "Say: The evil and the good are not alike even though the plenty of the evil attract thee. So be mindful of your duty to Allah, O men of understanding, that ye may succeed." (5.100)

When I think about it I realize that all that is good for me. Why do l worship Allah after all ? Well, Allah says : "O mankind ! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil)." (2.21) "So observe your duty to Allah in order that ye may be thankful." (3.123) I first worship Allah so I can ward off evil, that is, to keep duty to Allah, as a sign of gratitude and reverence for Him. This is how I free myself from the fear of people and become kind, as much as possible, to Allah's creatures. By doing so I avoid a lot of unnecessary problems. By being good, fewer and fewer people would suffer from my acts or complain about me or think of harming me, especially when I'm independent (fianacially, etc). Sometimes, kindness is unfortunately taken for a sign of weakness even by relatives. However, by following this path of peace, I find myself leading a rather peaceful life (despite occasional harm from some Satan followers during my trials or as punishment for my own sins). Therefore I see the benefit of my Faith. I see that religion is good for me. I feel that Faith is not only talk, or brain-washing ; that it has concrete positive effects on my daily life. So I give thanks to Allah for that : I see, through this, the greatness and wisdom of Allah.

The Prophet (pbuh) said : "By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them."  Is this a call to believers to commit sins ? Allah says : "O ye who believe ! Allah will surely try you somewhat (in the matter) of the game which ye take with your hands and your spears, that Allah may know him who fearth Him in secret. Whoso transgresseth after this, for him there is a painful doom." (5.94) This is just an example of the conditions Allah would create for you, for me, to fall. The last decision remains in my hand.

Another example : I am in front of something that I would love to have for myself. I can steal it without ever being noticed. The temptation is strong. If I resist I am saved. If I succumb, I expose myself to punishment by Allah, not by any human. In the Quran we read : " …but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said : We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife ; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not…"  (2.102)

 

So f I fail the trial and sin I will be punished. My punishment would hopefully lead me back onto Allah's path. Thus Allah remains on my mind always. Some believers dread such situations. They don't want to sin at all. They don't want to commit abominable acts. But there are other people who dread al-khatarat (bad thoughts), not only al-'atharat (bad acts) ; they don't even want to think of committing the slightest sin ! This is the grade of wilaya (Alliance with God, protection from God). Allah says :  "In this case is protection only from Allah, the True, He is best for reward, and best for consequence." (18.44) That’s It's the top of the pyramid, if you will. Allah says : "He selecteth for His mercy whom He will. Allah is of Infinite Bounty." (3.74) Those are the people who want to serve Allah rather than wait for Allah to serve them. That’s why Allah prepared for them a special grade in Paradise. He says : "And the foremost in the race, the foremost in the race : Those are they who will be brought nigh In gardens of delight." (56.10-12) "Is the reward of goodness aught save goodness ?" (55 .60)

 

Is that a "closed group" ? The Quran says : "And the foremost in the race, the foremost in the race : Those are they who will be brought nigh In gardens of delight. A multitude of those of old And a few of those of later time." (56 .10-14) Allah says in the Quran : "Few of My bondmen are thankful." (34.13) How can I be thankful, "a grateful slave" (17.3) ? There’s a clear example in the Quran : " (They were) the seed of those whom We carried (in the ship) along with Noah. Lo ! he was a grateful slave. " (17.3) But that’s a prophet. I am not a prophet. How can I be like him ? The Quran says : "So observe your duty to Allah in order that ye may be thankful." (3.123) "And He it is Who hath appointed night and day in succession, for him who desireth to remember, or desireth thankfulness." (25.62) "And he who doeth good of his own accord, (for him) lo ! Allah is Responsive, Aware." (2.158) "Lo ! We create man from a drop of thickened fluid to test him ; so We make him hearing, knowing. Lo ! We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving." (76.2-3) "O ye who believe ! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may succeed." (3.200) How many people are willing to do that ? No wonder Allah says : "Few of My bondmen are thankful." (34.13) "Small thanks give ye !" (67.23)

If I can't be patient when I lose one thing, how can I thank Allah for all the things He gave me already ? It's a question of Faith (belief) and of faith (intention). Allah says : "If ye give thanks, I will give you more." (14.7) "And he who doeth good of his own accord, (for him) lo ! Allah is Responsive, Aware." (2.158) That's why Allah says : "Lo ! therein indeed are portents for every steadfast, grateful (heart). " (31.31) These people who are patient and grateful do not complain about Fate. They don't want an easy life from start to finish. They are ready for trials and sacrifices. But this does not mean, though, that they would implore Allah to touch them with affliction and adversity. They would only be patient and grateful no matter what happens to them.

 

Solomon (pbuh) is quoted in the Quran as saying : "This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul ; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo ! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful." (27.40) If I am a good believer, I should know that it's only normal for me to give thanks to Allah. Otherwise why do I believe in Him ? Allah says : "So eat of the good and lawful things which Allah has provided for you ; and be grateful to Allah for His favors, if you are sincere in His worship." (27.114) "If ye are thankless, yet Allah is Independent of you, though He is not pleased with thanklessness for His bondmen ; and if ye are thankful He is pleased therewith for you. No laden soul will bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is your return ; and He will tell you what ye used to do. Lo ! He knoweth what is in the breasts (of men)." (39.7) Gratitude is a virtue, isn't it ? Allah wants us to have virtues, not vices. When Allah says "Will they not then give thanks ?" (36.73) it's as though He says : Why should you believe if you don't give thanks to Me ?

Again and again, it's a question of faith (intention). I can't believe in Allah "save by His permission". And I can't do good "save by His permission". Allah says : "Yet ye will not, unless Allah willeth. Lo ! Allah is Knower, Wise." (76.30) If would only have good faith ! Allah says to me : "And each one hath a goal toward which he turneth ; so vie with one another in good works. Wheresoever ye may be, Allah will bring you all together. Lo ! Allah is Able to do all things." (2.148) So let me say OK. And then Allah helps me believe in Him, do good for His sake, give thanks to Him... Allah says "And of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's leave. That is the great favour ! " (35.32) "Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower." (24 : 21) That's why good believers say (as in the Hadith) : "O Allah, help us to remember You, thank You, and worship You perfectly."

As I said before, Allah is speaking to "men of understanding" (5.100), people (men and women) who use their minds to see what's good for them. Allah does not need my thanks. He is worth more than thanks, but does not need them. If I am grateful to Allah, He too is responsive. He says in the Quran "Allah is Responsive, Aware." (2.158) "Allah is Forgiving, Responsive." (42.23) "If ye give thanks, I will give you more." (14.7) It's a reciprocal "love" relationship. I care for Allah, He cares for me. I have nothing to give to Allah, He has a lot of things to give me.

To simplify things, let’s imagine a friendship between a great emperor and his gardener. The emperor shows tenderness and generosity towards the gardener. He protects him and gives him some assurance. The gardener, for his part, shows total respect, unwavering loyalty and even unshakable love for his master. This image is too simplistic to oversimplify even a little bit the relationship that should be between a believer and Allah. But at least it has the merit of helping us understand that it’s the emperor who should provide the protection and the gardener must in no case be disrespectful to his master. From the moment I admit that Allah is my master, the Lord, and that I submit to Him, with all the respect due to Him, I am entitled to aspire to His protection. Even the Quran speaks of "Tijara" (trade) between the believer and the Lord. I honour my part of the covenant, then Allah says to me, to everybody : "Fulfill your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfill My (part of the) covenant)." (2.40) "And who is truer to his promise than Allah ?" (9.111)

By submitting to the will of Allah I would inevitably make sacrifices, which, in principle, should be rewarded and moreover by fair compensation. Yet, it's not because I have done what Allah asked me to do that I deserve this reward. He has already given me so many things ! The life He has given me is priceless. One eye or one arm or one leg He has given me is priceless. He gave me all this and more without asking him. And on top of that there's a bonus : Paradise. Everyone would normally be entitled to Heaven if there were not some kind of competition. I want paradise ? Well, I make an effort for it !

So, for good believers, expressing gratitude is expressing love just as helping others is giving them a chance to love Allah in their turn. Allah does not want me to believe in Him just out of kindness. He wants me to believe in Him because that's the truth. He wants me to believe in Him so as to prepare for His meeting, to prepare "my return" to Paradise. Allah says : "Say: I am only a mortal like you. My Lord inspireth in me that your God is only One God. And whoever hopeth for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord." (18.110)

What's the alternative, I wonder ? There's either God or Satan. I have to choose. Allah says : "Whoso chooseth Satan for a patron instead of Allah is verily a loser and his loss is manifest." (4.119) Yes, I can't see Satan (Lucifer) in the street. But Allah says : "O Children of Adam ! Let not Satan seduce you as he caused your (first) parents to go forth from the Garden and tore off from them their robe (of innocence) that he might manifest their shame to them. Lo ! he seeth you, he and his tribe, from whence ye see him not. Lo ! We have made the devils protecting friends for those who believe not." (7.27) Allah (Who created Satan) also says : "Will ye choose him and his seed for your protecting friends instead of Me, when they are an enemy unto you ?" (18.50) Would I choose an enemy for a friend ? That doesn't make sense. Allah even speaks of "devils of humankind and jinn who inspire in one another plausible discourse through guile." (6.112) How can I know that this person is "an angel" and this one is "a devil" ? I need a special light to tell this from that. Allah says : "O ye who believe! Be mindful of your duty to Allah and put faith in His messenger. He will give you twofold of His mercy and will appoint for you a light wherein ye shall walk, and will forgive you. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (57.28) "Your parents or your children : Ye know not which of them is nearer unto you in usefulness." (4.11) "O ye who believe ! Lo ! among your wives and your children there are enemies for you, therefor beware of them. And if ye efface and overlook and forgive, then lo ! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Your wealth and your children are only a temptation, whereas Allah ! with Him is an immense reward." (64.14-15) How can I "beware of them" or anybody else if I don't have this "special light" from Allah ? How can I be a good believer if Allah does not help me see that light ? Allah says : "And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light." (24.40) "If it had not been for the grace of Allah upon you and His mercy ye would have followed Satan, save a few (of you)." (4. 83) As a believer, I need that grace of allah. And then, all my work – as a believer again– would be worth nothing if Allah does not accept it. "Allah accepteth only from those who ward off (evil)." (5.27) " But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who ward off (evil)." (3.76)

17

 Sharing

 

Allah "has not taken a wife or a son." (72.3) Allah does not have a family. He does not need them. He does not need to be loved by a wife or helped by a son. Otherwise He wouldn’t be God. The best wife Allah could create for Himself or the best son He could ever make should be either as good as or better than Him. But why should Allah have someone in His presence who could be as good as or better than Him ? What would be the purpose ? There can’t be anything as good as or better than Allah and anything less good than Allah cannot be a god. “Naught is as His likeness.” (42.11) Period. There can only be Allah, on the one hand, and the Kingdom  of Allah, on the other hand. And then "Thy Lord createth what He willeth and chooseth." (28.68) Why ? Because "If there were therein Gods beside Allah, then verily both (the heavens and the earth) had been disordered." (21.22) "Allah hath not chosen any son, nor is there any god along with Him; else would each god have assuredly championed that which he created, and some of them would assuredly have overcome others." (23.91) "If there were other gods along with Him, as they say, then had they sought a way against the Lord of the Throne." (17.42) Look at what man, this weak mortal creature, has done against Allah in the earth ; what if Allah surrounded Himself with other gods in the Heavens ? Would any sensible king accept to have around him someone who could do what he does or undo what he undoes ? That would be unwise of him. We have seen what happened throughout History between kings and their parents and their children and their siblings. Allah says : "And it was not (vouchsafed) to any mortal that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation or from behind a veil, or (that) He sendeth a messenger to reveal what He will by His leave. Lo! He is Exalted, Wise." (42.51) "Yet they worship instead of Allah that which can neither benefit them nor hurt them. The disbeliever was ever a partisan against his Lord." (25.55) Allah can do all His work on His own. "Unto Him belongeth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Lo! Allah, He verily is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise." (22.64) So the Kingdom of Allah can only be ruled by Allah. But Allah does not want to rule by force only. With those who want force Allah will use force because He is “the Almighty, the Wise." (3.6) For those who deserve love Allah will appoint love because He is “Merciful, Loving.” (11.90) Umar ibn al-Khattab said : “Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there was a woman among the prisoners who was searching (for her child). When she found her child she embraced him and put him to her breast. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to us : ‘Do you think that this woman would throw her child in the fire ?’ We said : ‘No, by Allah, not if she is able not to.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said : ‘Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this woman is to her child.’ We all know that the rain, which is a gift from Allah, does not fall only where Allah is worshipped. Allah says: "Each do We supply, both these and those, from the bounty of thy Lord. And the bounty of thy Lord can never be walled up." (17 .20) "And He it is Who sendeth the winds as tidings heralding His mercy, till, when they bear a cloud heavy (with rain), We lead it to a dead land, and then cause water to descend thereon and thereby bring forth fruits of every kind. Thus bring We forth the dead. Haply ye may remember." (7.57) This “dead land” could be anywhere in the world. Allah says : "We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things?" (41.53) We now know that in almost every country in the world there’s at least one person or two who believe in Allah. For the sake of that one person Allah is ready to provide to all the people living where he lives. Because that person will need to eat, to wear clothes, to use transportation, to have a home, etc, and all this cannot be done by him alone. He will need people to farm for him, people to make clothes for him, to build a home for him, etc, etc. All the people will eat quite the same things, use the same transportation, have the same kind of homes, etc, but in this world only. In the Hereafter only the faithful will have the good things. That’s why it’s not un-Islamic for a good Muslim to enjoy the good things of this life. Allah says : "Say: Who hath forbidden the adornment of Allah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen, and the good things of His providing ? Say : Such, on the Day of Resurrection, will be only for those who believed during the life of the world. Thus do we detail Our revelations for people who have knowledge." (7.32) That’s why Allah provided our forefathers who did not believe in Him. He provided them with food, with shelter, with everything. He caused love to make them feel so good so as to encourage them to marry, to support a family, to prepare the future generations of believers. That’s why when Angel Gabriel said to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that, if he wanted, Allah could destroy the people of Taif, who had mistreated him, he said : "No, but I hope that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone and will worship None besides Him." Does that mean that Allah is doing all this and taking all this trouble because He needs to be adored, to be loved? We’ll see that later.

 

Now, if I am a good Muslim and have some knowledge about Islam I should normally share it will all people all over the world, if I can. I am using things that come from all over the world (clothes, gadgets, books, etc). I should return the favour in the form of advice. Allah made those people help me (through their material products)  enjoy the life of the world, I should help them see why Allah can be good for them too, why the life of the Hereafter is true and is no less good than the life of the world. Allah said to the Prophet (pbuh) : "We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples." (21.107) The Prophet (pbuh) died 14 centuries ago, his message is still being shared in so many languages by people who have tasted the sweetness of Faith, by people who love Allah.

Now, is it easy for anyone to share such knowledge? Well, it depends. Allah says: "Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practise it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense? "(2..44) Put differently, I will be punished (here in the world and there in the Hereafter) if I contradict myself. If I don’t contradict myself, if I do as I say, I will have problems still all the same. Allah says: "Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction?" (29.2) Put differently, I will have to make a lot of sacrifices. Is it worthwhile? Well, it depends once again. For me personally, I am a writer and I have no choice. Allah says: "And who is more unjust than he who hideth a testimony which he hath received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do." (2.140) "And (remember) when Allah laid a charge on those who had received the Scripture. (He said): Ye are to expound it to mankind and not to hide it." (3.187) I have learned things from my personal experience as a believer in Allah; so maybe there are people out there who would be interested in what I am saying. This has become part of my everyday life as a believer. As I live a new day I earn something and lose something else, the least of which are my past days which are gone for good and will never come back. It’s not a 5-minute prayer every two or five hours that will alter the course of my day or prevent me from doing what I want to do. On the contrary, it’s more beneficial than a soldier’s respite. Likewise, when I am reading the Quran I am learning new things every time. When I am writing I am enjoying the immaterial side of my life. When I am posting my work online I am making new friends. Allah is watching me all the time and that’s an honour for me when I am doing something good. Allah says: "And thou (Muhammad) art not occupied with any business and thou recitest not a Lecture from this (Scripture), and ye (mankind) perform no act, but We are Witness of you when ye are engaged therein. And not an atom's weight in the earth or in the sky escapeth your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear Book." (10.61) Everywhere I look I see signs that I’m leaving this world one day. I see babies who will be my age when I’m gone. I see young people who remind me that I too was as young as them and I am no more. I see very old people and I’m not sure I’ll live as long as them. I see plants that last a few months and trees that are more than 100 years old. All this reminds me that I am leaving sooner or later. At the same time, when I say my prayers five times a day, and read some Quran, and do some good, day in day out, I get the feeling that I am kind of investing in these days gone by and that this investment should bear fruit upon my death. I feel that my life is in fact eternal once I left my mother’s womb. Allah says: "They taste not death therein, save the first death." (44.56) This gives me hope. So if I lose something when I am writing about Faith I should consider that as an investment.

 

Now, what would I hope for as a believer who knows something about Islam? In the Quran I read: “... whom He loveth and who love Him” (5.54) What does that mean? Well, it means that, why not, Allah can love me too. And that’s something I would love so much. But how do I know that Allah loves me? Allah says: "As for man, whenever his Lord trieth him by honouring him, and is gracious unto him, he saith: My Lord honoureth me. But whenever He trieth him by straitening his means of life, he saith: My Lord despiseth me." (89.15-16) I would probably assume that if Allah gives me everything I want, that can be an unmistakable sign that He loves me. But what’s the sign that I love Him? Why should Allah love me if I don’t love Him in return? Am I "the best in conduct"? Allah says: "O mankind! Lo! We have created you from male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." (49.13) Allah also says : "Surely We created man of the best stature" (95.4) "See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within?" (31.20) "And if ye would count the favour of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful." (16.18) If that applies to me too, what did I give Allah in return? When someone gives me something I say thank you. Did I thank Allah for all His gifts? How? Do I have a special relationship with Allah, a relationship far, far better than my relationship with anybody else? Allah says: "Those who believe are stauncher in their love for Allah -" (2.165) "Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent, (wherein promises of reward are) paired (with threats of punishment), whereat doth creep the flesh of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to Allah's reminder. Such is Allah's guidance, wherewith He guideth whom He will." (39.23) "They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when revelations of Allah are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord; Who establish worship and spend of that We have bestowed on them. Those are they who are in truth believers. For them are grades (of honour) with their Lord, and pardon, and a bountiful provision." (8.2-4) "Remember Allah as ye remember your fathers or with a more lively remembrance." (2.200) Am I among those meant by these verses? When I want to sin, for example, do I hide from Allah or from people? Do I fear Allah or do I fear people? Allah says : "... A party of them fear mankind even as their fear of Allah or with greater fear." (4.77) "They seek to hide from men and seek not to hide from Allah." (4 .108) "The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving." (35.28) "And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen." (2.207) Do I really care about "the pleasure of Allah"? Do I really fear Allah? Do I really love Allah ? Allah says: "Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (3.31) Do I follow the Prophet (pbuh)? Do I ask myself such questions when I am alright or only when I am miserable? What do I do when I am miserable? Do I turn to Allah or do I turn away from Him? Do I implore Allah to forgive and help me or do I try by all means to change my fate? And before all this and that, am I a good believer.? Am I a true believer? The Prophet (pbuh) said: "None amongst you believes (truly) until he loves for his brother" –or he said "for his neighbor- "that which he loves for himself. "

What do I love for myself? Normal adult people generally aspire to three things: financial independence, marriage and good health. What if I had none of these? What if I were jobless, single and sick? What could I do? Not so much apparently. All I can do is live with that and accept it and wait for salvation – just like a homeless person who can’t find a shelter. "If you work hard you will succeed"  does not work always. Otherwise, all the homeless, all the unemployed… would be lazy. But that is not true. One may suffer accidents along the way. Suppose I were married and had two wonderful boys and a loving spouse, would I know what may happen to me or to them in the near future? Now, here’s an anecdote. It’s in the Quran. "… So they twain journeyed on till, when they met a lad, he slew him. (Moses) said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrid thing. He said: Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me? (Moses) said: If I ask thee after this concerning aught, keep not company with me. Thou hast received an excuse from me. " (18.74-76) Moses (pbuh) was a prophet and yet he could not see the point in killing an "innocent lad". You and I would have the same reaction. Even after reading the justification for the killing of the lad one would still wonder: Why didn’t Allah give those good parents the right child right away? Well, they might have taken that for granted, just like I take it for granted when I take the train, when I switch on the light, when I turn on the tele, when I go to work, when I take a call from a dear person… Do I thank Allah for all this comfort? What if I lost such comfort overnight? What if I lost anything that was so dear to me?

Hopefully, that great loss may – I say may – bring me closer to my Lord so that I’ll think more seriously not only of my material comfort, my healthcare, my financial ease in this world, but also of my salvation. What do you think I would prefer: work after a long period of unemployment or a kind message from a person I loved so much and thought she had forgotten all about me?How would I feel when I read that unhoped-for message or when I get a surprise call from that dear person? If I think about it, it’s nothing to compared  when Allah sends down the rain after a severe drought or when He puts out the fire of a deadly war or when He helps someone repay his debt after he was very close to imprisonment. That’s my chance to feel the love of Allah. That’s my chance to relish and cherish that love from my Lord and the Lord of the Worlds. People are proud to take selfies with humans like them, what about the love of the Lord of the Worlds?

These are personal experiences. I am an ordinary believer. I am not a saint. What happens to me can happen to other people in various ways. I too need to understand things that cannot be understood by reason alone. So I need to go through personal experience and to know about other people’s personal experiences as well.

Ayshah  reported: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had slaughtered a sheep and distributed major portions of its meat. Then he asked: ‘What is left of it?’ I replied: ‘Nothing remains except its shoulder.’ Thereupon he said: ‘All of it remains except its shoulder.'” How could you and I understand this with our logic? The sheep was eaten by the poor and there remained no more in Ayshah’s room but that shoulder: that’s logic, that’s reason. But to the Prophet (pbuh) there was another logic. He saw Allah’s logic. We humans when we lose something it’s hard for us to think of a replacement/a compensation that we can’t see with our eyes.

 

We humans will always ask such logical questions as to why Allah gave the prophets Noah and Lot bad wives and to the tyrant Pharoah a good wife he didn’t deserve. Would we see in Pharoah’s wife a wife to him but also an adoptive mother to Moses (pbuh), who could otherwise have been killed by Pharaoh?

The Quran tells us that Allah did not give a child to Abraham (pbuh) until he was very old. And then after He gave him a child and this child grew up a little bit, Allah told Abraham (pbuh) (in a dream) to sacrifice him. Someone who doesn’t have faith in his heart would only see in this some kind of sadism. But both Abraham and his son would forget all about the pains they had suffered during the trial once they saw the gift brought down by angels from the heavens, from the Lord of the Worlds. It’s like slapping your little son or little brother, for whatever reason, and then you give him a surprise present: the slap is painful, but your present will make him forget it, because you gave him a sign that you love him, that you didn’t mean him any harm. Likewise, it is not easy for many people to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. And yet they do it, not out of fear of people, but to please Allah and to do good to their own health.

Why did Allah do that to Abraham, why did He order him to sacrifice his only son? We don’t need to dream up an explanation. When Allah tells me, as a believer, to do something I have to do it, I don’t ask why. Allah says: "The saying of (all true) believers when they are called unto Allah and His messenger to judge between them is only that they say: We hear and we obey. And such are the successful." (24.51) "And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest." (33.36) Nobody asks a king to justify an order. Allah is the King/the Lord of the Worlds, period. Adam, don’t touch that tree. That’s it, don’t touch it. Allah says : "And when Saul set out with the army, he said: Lo! Allah will try you by (the ordeal of) a river. Whosoever therefore drinketh thereof he is not of me, and whosoever tasteth it not he is of me, save him who taketh (thereof) in the hollow of his hand." (2.249) So don’t go beyond what you have been ordered. Allah says: "To hunt and to eat the fish of the sea is made lawful for you, a provision for you and for seafarers; but to hunt on land is forbidden you so long as ye are on the pilgrimage." (5.96) That’s it, don’t hunt on land. Don’t ask questions. Maybe there are secrets I don’t know and Allah would not let me in on the secret. So I have to do as I am told. Who am I to be let into the Secret of Allah? I should respect the distance between me and my Lord just as I respect the distance between me and my superiors at work. I should show my Lord that He is indeed my Lord. I should show Him that I love Him by obeying His orders whatever they are. I should not ask why a male heir should receive twice as much as a female heir. That’s none of my business. I should not ask why a woman does not pray or fast during menstruation. Allah did not ask me to use water for my ablutions if I am ill. Allah permits me to only perform tayammum if I can’t find/use water, or to perform my daily prayers lying on my side in bed if I am ill. Allah permits me to postpone my fasting until after Ramadan if I am ill. If I can see the symbolism in tayammum, why can’t I see symbolism in Adam’s tree or in Hevrews’ river or in hunting during Hajj in Mecca?

Allah made me (as a human) a viceroy of Him in this earth. A viceroy is not the king. But a viceroy can be brought near the king. I too can be brought near my Lord if I make a good viceroy. What’s my job as a viceroy? I do what I can, that’s my job. I can help a homeless person by giving him shelter or food or clothes or money or just a smile. I am doing this for a human like myself. If I marry I marry a human like myself. If I work, I work for a human like myself. If Allah wants to take revenge on a tyrant He will send him a human like himself. Allah will not transport victims in ambulances or help the blind cross the street. I, as a believer, do it in His name. If Allah wants me to be jobless, nobody will ever give me work unless Allah wills. If Allah wants me to be single, nobody will marry me unless Allah wills. That’s because Allah is the Lord. Allah says : "Knowest thou not that it is Allah unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and ye have not, beside Allah, any friend or helper ?" (2.107) Allah is never in the news, but He is somewhere behind what’s in the news. When a celebrity dies, all the media talk about that celebrity, but where is he/she taken ? To a church or a mosque, to where God is (supposed to be). People who have faith in their hearts know that. So each would do what he/she can as a viceroy of Allah. They would seek a peaceful rather than confrontational relationship with Allah, because they know that there are things that Allah alone can do. Allah does them for us. Allah says : "Have ye seen that which ye cultivate ? Is it ye who foster it, or are We the Fosterer ? If We willed, We verily could make it chaff, then would ye cease not to exclaim : Lo ! we are laden with debt ! Nay, but we are deprived ! Have ye observed the water which ye drink ? Is it ye who shed it from the raincloud, or are We the Shedder ? If We willed We verily could make it bitter. Why then, give ye not thanks ?" (56.63-70) "Let man consider his food: How We pour water in showers Then split the earth in clefts And cause the grain to grow therein And grapes and green fodder And olive-trees and palm-trees And garden-closes of thick foliage And fruits and grasses: Provision for you and your cattle." (80.24-32) We tend to forget all about that until we are struck by a wildfire, a flood or a drought. But those people who have faith in their hearts never forget the Bounty of Allah. So they strive to serve their Lord and do not wait for Him to serve them. When they need something they beg of Allah to help them. When they have questions they think about possible answers rather than ask them bluntly. These people know that even science cannot explain everything. So they try to guess what Allah would expect of each of them and each would strive to accomplish his/her mission in the best way possible. What matters is what Allah wants, not what they want.

 

These people see (with their hearts) how Allah would even use earthquakes and wars and all sorts of calamities to remind man of Heaven when man does not want to see anything but the life of this world. These people see that despite all calamities life remains beautiful. People find the time for joy and fun even in war times. Ask any woman about labour, she’ll say awful. Ask her about the first smile of her baby, she’ll say something else.

 

18

 The  Elite

 

I am grateful to Allah for all His gifts and favours. But why should I, for example, perform my prayers every day, repeating myself again and again? Why don’t I pray only when I am free and focused ? Well, our day is cram full with repetitions, isn’t it ? We eat and drink every day ; we go to the toilet every day ; we sleep every day, we do a lot of things every day, don’t we ? Also we make use of our vision, our hearing, our mind, our hands, our feet and much more every day. Wouldn’t it, then, make sense for me, as a believer, to give thanks to the Creator and Provider by remembering Him every day too? Allah says: “O mankind! Remember Allah's grace toward you! Is there any creator other than Allah who provideth for you from the sky and the earth?" (35.3) "Remember Allah as ye remember your fathers or with a more lively remembrance." (2.200) "O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him early and late. He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is Merciful to the believers." (33.41-43) "Remember Allah, as He hath taught you that which (heretofore) ye knew not." (2.239) "Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me." (2.152) "Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee!" (3.191) "Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of that We have bestowed on them." (32.16)

Allah says in the Hadith Qudsi: "I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him." And in the Quran we read: "Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!" (4.69) That’s the real Elite.

As a believer I also have to pay Zakat. Zakat is meant to help the poor. But that’s the state’s job, I would say. It’s the state who should take care of the poor. I already pay taxes for that. Well, in return for the taxes we pay every year, our state provides us with services (schools, hospitals, roads, etc) and we need all that only and only as long as we are alright and fit. What about when we begin to become unable to walk alone, unable to sit up or eat unassisted or even hear or recognize our relatives ? What could the state do for us then ? We may even be asked to pay for our funeral and burial after our death. Zakat, when I can afford it, is what I pay for eternal bliss in Heaven, where there are no economic crises, no racial tensions, no wars, no hurricanes, no blizzards, no wildfires, no climate change, no viruses, no fear, no depression, no death. And that does not have a price.

In the same vein, I may ask myself: why should I fast a whole month? Good question. But, to be honest, I should also ask: how much would it cost me to spend a month in a deluxe hotel in a beautiful country? What if I had to spend a 30-day holiday in a good hotel every year? Then I ask myself: how much would I be prepared to pay for one day –just one day– in Paradise (after my death)? Fasting is but a symbolic price for a place in Heaven!

                                                   

Follow me, I go past a cemetery. I take a glance. I see rows upon rows of graves. People who, like me, asked questions probably. People who, like me, had more or less the same aspirations and desires, the same hopes and fears. And then, one day, it was all over. The book was closed. No more news. No more job applications. No more salaries. No more cars. No more pleasures. All but silence. Hence this reminder from "the Living One Who dieth not" (25.58) He tells us, if we want to hear Him : "Lo! this life of the world is but a passing comfort, and lo! the Hereafter, that is the enduring home." (40.39) "The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect." (10.24)

 

Heaven is no doubt great, I would say. What about my life in this world? Can’t I be happy here too ? Allah says in the Quran: "Whoso desireth the reward of the world, (let him know that) with Allah is the reward of the world and the Hereafter. Allah is ever Hearer, Seer." (4.134) "No soul can ever die except by Allah's leave and at a term appointed. Whoso desireth the reward of the world, We bestow on him thereof; and whoso desireth the reward of the Hereafter, We bestow on him thereof. We shall reward the thankful." (3.145) But the Quran reminds me that "The reward of Allah for him who believeth and doeth right is better, and only the steadfast will obtain it." (28.80) "Better far is the abode of the Hereafter for those who keep their duty (to Allah). Have ye then no sense?" (6.32) "But ye prefer the life of the world Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting." (87.16-17) "Whoso desireth the harvest of the Hereafter, We give him increase in its harvest. And whoso desireth the harvest of the world, We give him thereof, and he hath no portion in the Hereafter." (42.20) "And verily We have displayed for mankind in this Qur'an all manner of similitudes, but man is more than anything contentious." (18.54)

So I may ask one more question. Normally, if I got it right, a good believer should be much, much better off than a non-believer, no? In reality, though, that's not always  the  case. Why? Well, Allah says: "He it is Who hath placed you as viceroys of the earth and hath exalted some of you in rank above others, that He may try you by (the test of) that which He hath given you. Lo! Thy Lord is swift in prosecution, and Lo! He verily is Forgiving, Merciful." (6.165) "Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and, He is Able to do all things. Who hath created life and death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving." (67.1-2) "And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was upon the water - that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct." (11.7) "Then We appointed you viceroys in the earth after them, that We might see how ye behave." (10.14) "See how We prefer one of them above another, and verily the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment." (17.21)

"Now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture, Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path. (5.16) "Thus Allah expoundeth unto you His revelations in order that ye may give thanks." (5.89) If I am a sensible  person, I should thank Allah for this precious light. Or should I perhaps envy those who I see are better off than I one way or another? Should I spend the rest of my life comparing myself to others? In the Quran I read: "Rivalry in worldly increase distracteth you Until ye come to the graves." (102.1-2) "Lo! man is a state of loss, Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance." (103.2-3) 

Now, what does it mean to be happy? It goes without saying that happiness means different things to different people. So how can Allah make me happy? Well, I don’t even need to ask such a question if I believe I can do without Allah. The moment I ask what Allah can do for me to be happy I have to bear in mind what I would have to give in return. There should be some kind of covenant. When the government pays me unemployment benefits a time of economic crisis it’s because I, or most people in my country, pay taxes to the state. By the way, can Allah pay me weekly/monthly unemployment benefits in a time of a major economic crisis? Of course not. Worse, He can make me lose my job and suffer from poverty even in normal times when most people are well off. Why? Well, it’s not a matter of capability, to be sure.

  

Allah says: "Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal. And unto Us ye will be returned." (21.35) "But lo! with hardship goeth ease, Lo! with hardship goeth ease." (94.5-7) "Allah will vouchsafe, after hardship, ease." (65.7) Even the best religious society, led by the best religious ruler, would have problems. Societies are tried just like individuals. An individual believer can lose his job, a society (a people) can suffer from drought or an economic crisis. So what’s the use of religion if it will only add on to my problems? If I put that question bluntly, I will get nowhere. If I put it in good faith, there’s room for discussion. Allah says (to the Prophet (pbuh) : "Thou knewest not what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith. But We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our bondmen. And lo! thou verily dost guide unto a right path." (42.52) "And if We willed We could withdraw that which We have revealed unto thee, then wouldst thou find no guardian for thee against Us in respect thereof. (It is naught) save mercy from thy Lord. Lo! His kindness unto thee was ever great." (17.86-87) That means religion is a mercy, a divine favour, not a problem. Why should Allah bother sending thousands of prophets and messengers in so many languages to so many peoples over a long period of time? What’s the use for Allah to do that? Isn’t that a "problem" for Allah? When Allah says "Ah, the anguish for the bondmen! Never came there unto them a messenger but they did mock him!" (36.30) "Shall We utterly ignore you because ye are a wanton folk?" (43.5), what good would that add to Him ? Yes, Islam says don’t do this, don’t do that. And yet many people don’t have a problem with that. They would even love to move up from Islam to Iman to Ihsan. Many people would love to elevate their nafs from ammara to lawama to mutmaina. Many people would love to approach beauty and greatness in the light of the Word of God. Many people would seek godly solutions rather than lament over Satanic problems. But that’s the minority of the minority. Allah says: "Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!" (4.69) That’s the Elite.

Can anybody attain that high level? Allah says: "And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil); Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good." (3.133-134) "Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee!" (3.191) "Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of that We have bestowed on them." (32.16) "The (faithful) slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace; And who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and standing." (25.63-64) "The steadfast, and the truthful, and the obedient, those who spend (and hoard not), those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night." (3.17) "Who are constant at their worship And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged For the beggar and the destitute." (70.23-25) "And to feed in the day of hunger, An orphan near of kin, Or some poor wretch in misery, And to be of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to pity." (90.14-17) "And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him, (Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you." (76.8-9) "And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you ? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (24.22)

So, roughly speaking, it’s all about gratitude towards Allah and solidarity between humans. The details may differ from one verse to another, but the major guidelines are the same. "Ihsan," as the Prophet (pbuh) said, "is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." How can I translate this into acts? Well, the Quran answered this in the verses above. That’s what al-muhsinoon (the good) do. But suppose I can’t do that. For one reason or another, I can’t fast very often or worship Allah at night while people are sleeping, for example, and yet I aspire to be among al-muhsinoon. What can I do? Well, if I can’t do what al-muhsinoon  (the good) and asseddeeqoon (saints) do in terms of acts of worship I should not expect to get the wages they get or the special place they get near Allah. Playing in the school games is not like playing in the Olympic Games. However, I can still increase my Iman and stand out in the Eyes of Allah. How? I should have a strong faith, an unwavering faith. If I hear "Is there any God beside Allah?" (27.62) , my heart will say before my tongue NO ! I have to be among those "Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah." (13.28) That means I have to be anything but "anxious", "fretful" or "grudging." (70.19-21) If I have a problem I implore Allah: I "call on Him in fear and hope. Lo! the mercy of Allah is nigh unto the good." (7.56) In addition to praying I keep my duty to Allah, Who says: "And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him, And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation. And whosoever putteth his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Lo! Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah hath set a measure for all things." (65.2-3) If my prayers are not answered quickly, I presevere and keep hope. "Such as are steadfast and put their trust in Allah." (16.42)

By doing so I discover things that I can only read about in the Quran and the Hadith. It’s my problems and how I see them solved by the help of Allah, by the power of Allah, by the knowledge of Allah, that will show me whether this religion is about truth or about dogma. If I don’t have a problem, how will I ever know that? Allah says: "And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him, And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation." (65.2) Who can try that out? It’s my personal experience (what I feel when I have a problem, what I do to solve that problem, how I do it) that will teach me on Allah better than any scientific or religious book. These are the signs that affect my life directly. Allah says : "If Allah touch thee with affliction, there is none that can relieve therefrom save Him, and if He touch thee with good fortune (there is none that can impair it)." (6 .17-18) "And your Lord hath said: Pray unto Me and I will hear your prayer." (40.60) "But lo! with hardship goeth ease, Lo! with hardship goeth ease." (94. 5-6) "Lo! Allah defendeth those who are true." (22. 38) "And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him, And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation. And whosoever putteth his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Lo! Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah hath set a measure for all things." (65.2-3) "And whatsoever ye spend (for good) He replaceth it. And He is the Best of Providers." (34.39)

If anyone tells me about reason versus obscurantism, well, I tell him that there are things that can never be rationalized. If you ever have to go through a real love experience, for example, chances are that you will be confronted with situations where reason can’t help at all.

Fortunately for us, Ihsan is not a prerequisite to Heaven. An ordinary Muslim who keeps his duty to Allah is entitled to Heaven. Ihsan is a chance given to ambitious believers who would like to stand out with their work, to express their gratitude to Allah in the best way possible. It’s a further step towards Allah, Who made this world and gave you and me  a chance to live in this world. Many people in history began as low-ranked soldiers and then became army leaders or even kings. It’s a matter of ambition : to move up from Islam to Iman to Ihsan. Allah says: "And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil); Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good." (3.133-134) "It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing." (2.177) "Those who entered the city and the faith before them love those who flee unto them for refuge, and find in their breasts no need for that which hath been given them, but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves though poverty become their lot. And whoso is saved from his own avarice - such are they who are successful." (59.9) "And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him, (Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you." (76.8-9)

 
Now, do I want to stand out in the eyes of people or in the sight of Allah? Do I want to be talked about by people or by angels? Do I want to be a celebrity in the earth or a celebrity in the heavens? Do I believe in Allah because I am sure that He is God or because I just want a deity –whoever it may be– to give me a job or to give me this or that ? These are essential questions! My intention should be clear and pure. Do I do what I do for the sake of Allah, for love of Him? If only my initial faith (intention) were good! Allah would then take care of the rest. He says: "As for those who strive in Us, We surely guide them to Our paths, and lo! Allah is with the good." (29.69) "Lo! Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him and those who are doers of good." (16.128) "While as for those who walk aright, He addeth to their guidance, and giveth them their protection (against evil)." (47.17) "Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light." (2.257) "O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him early and late. He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is Merciful to the believers." (33.41-43) If I am a sinner, Allah says to me (and to you): "Save him who repenteth and believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever repenteth and doeth good, he verily repenteth toward Allah with true repentance." (25.70-71) If I want Allah, Allah says to me (and to you) : "And whoever hopeth for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord." (18 .110) If I forget, if I relent from time to time, Allah reminds me: "O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord, the Bountiful, Who created thee, then fashioned, then proportioned thee? Into whatsoever form He will, He casteth thee." (82.6-8)

If my faith is not that good, if it’s not pure, well, Allah will yet give me another chance, but through a trial, maybe two, maybe more. He says: "Man tireth not of praying for good, and if ill toucheth him, then he is disheartened, desperate." (41.49) "And verily, if We cause him to taste mercy after some hurt that hath touched him, he will say: This is my own; and I deem not that the Hour will ever rise, and if I am brought back to my Lord, I surely shall be better off with Him." (41.50) "When We show favour unto man, he withdraweth and turneth aside, but when ill toucheth him then he aboundeth in prayer." (41.51) "And if we cause man to taste some mercy from Us and afterward withdraw it from him, Lo! he is despairing, thankless. And if We cause him to taste grace after some misfortune that had befallen him, he saith: The ills have gone from me. Lo! he is exultant, boastful; Save those who persevere and do good works. Theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward." (11.9-11)

My trials will show whether I really want Allah. It’s then when I am supposed to do my best not to succumb to the lure of worldly pleasures; it’s then when I have to show that I remember the Creator, I remember Him as I would remember a loved one. Allah says: "... remember Allah as ye remember your fathers or with a more lively remembrance." (2.200) My trial will not necessarily be a hardship. I may be tried with a very good job, with a very happy family life. And that may be even harder than being tried with a hardship. In either case, I have to show what I want for myself in this world.

My belief in Allah entails a responsibility on my part; otherwise I'll be of those of whom Allah said: "And when it is said unto them: Spend of that wherewith Allah hath provided you, those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Shall we feed those whom Allah, if He willed, would feed? Ye are in naught else than error manifest." (36.47) There’s good in all of us. The problem is that many of us don’t want that good to bear fruit. We prefer evil to good because evil is often easier than good. It’s easier to lie than to tell the truth, for example. I can lie to people, but unless I am a pathologically complex person, I would not lie to myself. I know my mistakes. If my faith is alive there will be a struggle between me and my conscience. It’s in fact a struggle between my nafs ammara and my nafs lawama. The mere fact that I have this nafs lawama is a good sign. It’s a sign that I care about my faith. When my nafs lawama is stronger than my nafs ammara, what do I do? Well, I know that "Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. He forgiveth whom He will, and punisheth whom He will. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (3.129) "Allah loveth the good; And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins - Who forgiveth sins save Allah only? - and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did." (3.134- 135) "Will they not rather turn unto Allah and seek forgiveness of Him? For Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (5.74) So I beg Allah’s pardon. I know Allah is just. He says: "And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then, And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then." (99.7-8) So I implore Allah to forgive all my mistakes. That’s how I move up on the scale of my faith. Allah says: "And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins - Who forgiveth sins save Allah only? - and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did." (3.135) "Save him who repenteth and believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever repenteth and doeth good, he verily repenteth toward Allah with true repentance -" (25.70-71) Allah does not expect me to be an angel. Allah expects me to be honest with myself first. I should be the engineer of my own redemption. In theory, if I personally am good and my family is good and my neighbourhood is good, who will ever be bad? In practice, though, even if all society is good, that’s not a guarantee that I’ll be good too. I have to perfect my own soul –regardless of what other people do. Allah says: "And a soul and Him Who perfected it And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it. He is indeed successful who causeth it to grow, And he is indeed a failure who stunteth it." (91.7-10)

Let’s imagine this. My brother and I are at the same university, at the same campus;we have the same amount of money, the same amount of free time: I personally buy books or papers to learn more about the world, my brother buys beer and cigarettes; I go to mosque, he goes to nightclubs… When I go to mosque I don’t find a devil who prevents me from entering ; when my brother goes to the nightclub he doesn’t find an angel who prevents him from entering. That's the freedom of conscience. Hence the verse: "And a soul and Him Who perfected it And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it. He is indeed successful who causeth it to grow, And he is indeed a failure who stunteth it." (91.7-10) The judgement will come on the Day of judgement, not now.

But suppose Allah gave me the power to judge people, what would I do? Well, this is not an absolute utopia. In a number of countries you could be a member of a jury. And in the Quran we read: "They will ask thee of Dhu'l-Qarneyn. Say: I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him. Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave him unto everything a road. And he followed a road Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Either punish or show them kindness. He said: As for him who doeth wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with awful punishment! But as for him who believeth and doeth right, good will be his reward, and We shall speak unto him a mild command." (18.83-88) Would I be fair in my judgement, if I judged people ?  Wouldn’t I be subjective, impulsive in my judgement? Allah wants me to be honest, free from contradictions, fair in my judgement of myself first. He says: "As for man, whenever his Lord trieth him by honoring him, and is gracious unto him, he saith: My Lord honoureth me. But whenever He trieth him by straitening his means of life, he saith: My Lord despiseth me. Nay, but ye (for your part) honor not the orphan, And urge not on the feeding of the poor, And ye devour heritages with devouring greed, And love wealth with abounding love." (89.15-20) If I can be fair in my judgement I should judge myself first. If I judge myself fairly my nafs may move up from ammara to lawama to mutmainna. When I shed tears of repentance that’s a good sign that my nafs is on the right track towards reconciliation with Allah. When I see someone not as good as I (imagine myself) I should, at least in principle, implore Allah to guide him. Allah says : "Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way. Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is best aware of those who go aright." (16.125) If I'm really good, if I see myself that religious,, am I sure I will remain as religious as I am until the end of my days? Am I sure X or Y is not going to become as good as or even better than me? A Moroccan saying goes: "How many landfills have become mosques and how many mosques have become landfills!" Besides, am I sure I am a religious person? Allah says: "Ah, woe unto worshippers Who are heedless of their prayer ; Who would be seen (at worship) Yet refuse small kindnesses !" (107.4-7) "Hast thou observed him who belieth religion? That is he who repelleth the orphan, And urgeth not the feeding of the needy." (107.1-3) Do I urge the feeding of the needy? Religious people would say: "We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you." (76. 8-9) Don’t I expect a reward or thanks when I do good to somebody?

That’s the kind of education Islam wants for the believer. Islam wants me to be honest with myself. I should, as much as possible, do as I say and say as I do. Otherwise I’ll be only lying to myself. It’s a matter of (good or bad) faith, once again. Allah says: "And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you." (47.38) Islam is not only about the veil or the beard. Islam is about every aspect of our life. Allah says: "A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement. "(2.263) "O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned, and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity) when ye would not take it for yourselves save with disdain; and know that Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise." (2.267) "Ye will not attain unto piety until ye spend of that which ye love. And whatsoever ye spend, Allah is Aware thereof." (3.92) "It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing." (2.177) "O Children of Adam! Look to your adornment at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but be not prodigal. Lo! He loveth not the prodigals." (7.31) "Say: Who hath forbidden the adornment of Allah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen, and the good things of His providing? Say: Such, on the Day of Resurrection, will be only for those who believed during the life of the world. Thus do we detail Our revelations for people who have knowledge." (7.32) "Now whatever ye have been given is but a passing comfort for the life of the world, and that which Allah hath is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord, And those who shun the worst of sins and indecencies and, when they are wroth, forgive, And those who answer the call of their Lord and establish worship, and whose affairs are a matter of counsel, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them, And those who, when great wrong is done to them, defend themselves, The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrong-doers. And whoso defendeth himself after he hath suffered wrong - for such, there is no way (of blame) against them. The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress mankind, and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom. And verily whoso is patient and forgiveth – lo! that, verily, is (of) the steadfast heart of things." (42.36-43)

 

"No soul can ever die except by Allah's leave and at a term appointed. Whoso desireth the reward of the world, We bestow on him thereof; and whoso desireth the reward of the Hereafter, We bestow on him thereof. We shall reward the thankful." (3.145) "What concern hath Allah for your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him)? Allah was ever Responsive, Aware." (4 .147)

 

Strong believers are not interested in being among the foremost when happiness is being doled out in this world, nor are they eager to be among the foremost when the heavens are being distributed in the Hereafter. And yet strong believers have yaqeen (strong faith) that Allah will not let them down however long and hard their trial may be. Their definition of happiness is different from that of most people. They believe that "the most wretched" is "He who denieth and turneth away." (92.15-16) Allah said to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) : "We have not revealed unto thee (Muhammad) this Qur'an that thou shouldst be distressed." (20.2) And to all believers Allah says in the same Surah : "Whoso followeth My guidance, he will not go astray nor come to grief." (20.123) So those people, the strong believers, who have yaqeen, are willing to endure hardship(s) for decades, if need be. They endure and outdo everybody else in endurance, in patience, and they are ready to wait (until the end of their lives) to see salvation. These people worship Allah for what He is, not for what He has. This did not start with Islam, by the way. Allah says in the Quran: "Of the People of the Scripture there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate (before Him). They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie one with another in good works. These are of the righteous. And whatever good they do, they will not be denied the meed thereof. Allah is Aware of those who ward off (evil)." (3.113-115) "Those unto whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it, And when it is recited unto them, they say: We believe in it. Lo! it is the Truth from our Lord. Lo! even before it we were of those who surrender (unto Him). These will be given their reward twice over, because they are steadfast and repel evil with good, and spend of that wherewith We have provided them, And when they hear vanity they withdraw from it and say: Unto us our works and unto you your works. Peace be unto you! We desire not the ignorant. Lo! thou (O Muhammad) guidest not whom thou lovest, but Allah guideth whom He will. And He is Best Aware of those who walk aright." (28.52-56) But Allah is "the Benign, the Merciful. (52.28) "Lo! Allah is ever Knower, Aware." (4.35) He knows that life in this world cannot be sustained if all believers, whatever their number,, are deprived and suffering. There should be enough manpower and money to keep the economy going and society at peace. So even in a Muslim society (be it devout or depraved) you’d see that most people lead more or less a normal life. In truth, Allah would not love to see Muslims in a miserable state (He boasts of them to the angels.) So most people work, marry, beget children, build homes, do business as normal, etc. And like all societies there’s a small minority who would suffer from some deprivations even in normal times –when there’s no war, no economic crisis. So to believers who find themselves caught up in such an unlucky minority, i.e. in the face of adversity, the Quran stands as a thoughtful reminder (a rampart, if you will) against despair and depression, so as to keep going no matter what, or as the Quran puts it, "that it may confirm (the faith of) those who believe, and as guidance and good tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah)." (16.102)

 

When Ibrahim (pbuh) got married, in his youth, neither he nor his wife chose to be child-free. When he begot two sons, in his very old age, one became the spiritual leader of the Arabs, the other became the father (and forefather) of prophets and kings. But "man was ever hasty." (17.11) "And say not of anything: Lo! I shall do that tomorrow, Except if Allah will. And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest, and say: It may be that my Lord guideth me unto a nearer way of truth than this." (18.23-24)

Those people around Ibrahim (pbuh) were in no way better than him, and yet most did not have this problem. Ibrahim (pbuh) continued to pray because such a problem does have emotional ramifications, if not for one like himself, at least for his wife –or for any other normal parent who wishes to have a child. But Ibrahim (pbuh) did not condition his worshipping of Allah on anything. He worshipped Allah with sincere devotion. Allah says: "Lo! Abraham was a nation obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the idolaters." (16.120)  He alone was worth a nation, because of his worship of Allah !

Why Ibrahim? Well, Allah called on our prophet (pbuh) to follow the creed of Ibrahim. He said to him: "Follow the religion of Abraham, as one by nature upright. He was not of the idolaters." (16.123) And to all Muslims He says: "And strive for Allah with the endeavour which is His right. He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham (is yours). He hath named you Muslims of old time and in this (Scripture), that the messenger may be a witness against you, and that ye may be witnesses against mankind. So establish worship, pay the poor-due, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting friend. A blessed Patron and a blessed Helper!" (22.78)

What happens to many of us is that our faith weakens once we get the impression that Allah does not care about us. At the same time some of us stop caring about Allah once they feel they got all they wanted. Allah says: "And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalleth him he is content therewith, but if a trial befalleth him, he falleth away utterly. He loseth both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss." (22.11) "Whoso chooseth Satan for a patron instead of Allah is verily a loser and his loss is manifest." (4.119) "Is it then in vanity that they believe and in the grace of Allah that they disbelieve?" (16.72) "And whatever of comfort ye enjoy, it is from Allah. Then, when misfortune reacheth you, unto Him ye cry for help." (16.53) "Yet most of mankind believe not." (40.59) "Say: Who delivereth you from the darkness of the land and the sea? Ye call upon Him humbly and in secret, (saying): If we are delivered from this (fear) we truly will be of the thankful. Say: Allah delivereth you from this and from all affliction. Yet ye attribute partners unto Him. Say: He is able to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to bewilder you with dissension and make you taste the tyranny one of another. See how We display the revelations so that they may understand." (6.3-65) "Lo! Allah is a Lord of bounty for mankind, yet most of mankind give not thanks." (40.61)

Others think that if they worship Allah "harder" they will get what they want sooner. They start regarding what is commendable as obligatory and what is blameworthy as illicit (haram). They become too rigid and impulsive to see their wrong. They urge other people to do like they do. And when they run into trouble they deflect blame to somebody else. Allah says: "He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham." (22.78) "So keep your duty to Allah as best ye can, and listen, and obey, and spend; that is better for your souls. And whoso is saved from his own greed, such are the successful." (64.16) "What concern hath Allah for your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him)? Allah was ever Responsive, Aware." (4.147)

The first Muslims did not embrace Islam in order to improve their lives. They embraced Islam because they believed it's the Truth. They believed and then said: "Allah sufficeth us. Allah will give us of His bounty, and (also) His messenger. Unto Allah we are suppliants." (9.59) "So Allah gave them the reward of the world and the good reward of the Hereafter. Allah loveth those whose deeds are good." (3.148)

 

In the Hadith we read: "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: 1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle become dearer than anything else. 2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake. 3. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire." Do all people care about "the sweetness of faith". "And those who disbelieve say of those who believe: If it had been (any) good, they would not have been before us in attaining it. And since they will not be guided by it, they say: This is an ancient lie." (46.11) For these people it's a lie that alms should be taken from the rich to help the poor. For them it's "every man for himself".

 

In the end, everyone thinks as they want. To those who believe, the Quran says : "Lo! the righteous shall drink of a cup whereof the mixture is of Kafur, A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah drink, making it gush forth abundantly, (Because) they perform the vow and fear a day whereof the evil is wide-spreading, And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him, (Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you; Lo! we fear from our Lord a day of frowning and of fate. Therefor Allah hath warded off from them the evil of that day, and hath made them find brightness and joy; And hath awarded them for all that they endured, a Garden and silk attire; Reclining therein upon couches, they will find there neither (heat of) a sun nor bitter cold. The shade thereof is close upon them and the clustered fruits thereof bow down. Goblets of silver are brought round for them, and beakers (as) of glass (Bright as) glass but (made) of silver, which they (themselves) have measured to the measure (of their deeds). There are they watered with a cup whereof the mixture is of Zanjabil, (The water of) a spring therein, named Salsabil. There wait on them immortal youths, whom, when thou seest, thou wouldst take for scattered pearls. When thou seest, thou wilt see there bliss and high estate. Their raiment will be fine green silk and gold embroidery. Bracelets of silver will they wear. Their Lord will slake their thirst with a pure drink. (And it will be said unto them): Lo! this is a reward for you. Your endeavour (upon earth) hath found acceptance." (76.5-22)

 

19

 Paradise

 Allah says : "And we made every living thing of water" (21.30) “Say: Have ye thought: If (all) your water were to disappear into the earth, who then could bring you gushing water?" (67.30) "And We send the winds fertilizing, and cause water to descend from the sky, and give it you to drink. It is not ye who are the holders of the store thereof." (15.22) These verses only remind us of what we all know already. Water shortage kills. Drought causes huge fires. Allah says: "And have sent down from the rainy clouds abundant water, Thereby to produce grain and plant, And gardens of thick foliage." (78.14-16) Up to this day man has been unable to solve the problem of drought. Engineers have bombed clouds but apparently that hasn't worked. It takes more than bombing a thousand clouds to fill a river or save a forest from an imminent blaze. And when it does rain there's the risk of floods and mud slides.

Also Allah says: "Lo! Allah graspeth the heavens and the earth that they deviate not, and if they were to deviate there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Lo! He is ever Clement, Forgiving." (35..41) "He holdeth back the heaven from falling on the earth unless by His leave. Lo! Allah is, for mankind, Full of Pity, Merciful." (22.65) This might seem highly unlikely for a non-believing scientist but not entirely impossible for an ordinary believer like myself. All I know is that in February 2013 a thousand people were wounded after the fall of a meteorite in Russia, which has got an advanced space programme. Yes, I concede that's rare and not so much dangerous, but should I wait for the sky to fall on my head so as to believe? Many people never cared about wildfires or floods until they one day found themselves surrounded or forced out by the danger. Allah also says: "And of all fruits He placed therein two spouses (male and female)." (13.3) I am not a scientist to check that out. So should I know or believe? Scientific knowledge is not static. Many things that are now obvious were not known a century ago.

Allah also says: "Let man consider his food: How We pour water in showers Then split the earth in clefts And cause the grain to grow therein And grapes and green fodder And olive-trees and palm-trees And garden-closes of thick foliage And fruits and grasses: Provision for you and your cattle." (80.23-32) "Have ye seen that which ye cultivate ? Is it ye who foster it, or are We the Fosterer ? If We willed, We verily could make it chaff, then would ye cease not to exclaim : Lo ! we are laden with debt ! Nay, but we are deprived ! Have ye observed the water which ye drink? Is it ye who shed it from the raincloud, or are We the Shedder ? If We willed We verily could make it bitter. Why then, give ye not thanks ? (56.63-70) What can I say about this? Well, once again, I can only judge by what I notice. I have noticed that many farmers content themselves with sowing the seeds and working the land for a few days or weeks and then they go to sleep. One day the first green vegetation emerges from the soil. How did it emerge? I don't know. Then bees come around and do their precious work, for free. Bees are the best volunteers in this world, aren’t they? And we only realize this when their number is dangerously reduced. We humans take many things for granted. Allah says: "He it is Who hath made the earth subservient unto you, so Walk in the paths thereof and eat of His providence." (67 .15) We have seen how people move about in space. They can't walk as they do in the earth.

Allah says: "Man is more than anything contentious." (18.54) It is easy to argue with Allah because Allah is not going to argue with you NOW. But Allah is not dead. He is "the Living One Who dieth not." (25.58) To Allah the real dead are those who want to argue with Him. He says: "Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fairseeming for the disbelievers." (6.122) Just as Allah revives the land after its death so does He revive the souls of men who suddenly feel the light of wisdom. Allah says: "He it is Who sendeth down water from the sky, and therewith We bring forth buds of every kind; We bring forth the green blade from which We bring forth the thick-clustered grain; and from the date-palm, from the pollen thereof, spring pendant bunches; and (We bring forth) gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon its ripening. Lo!herein verily are portents for a people who believe." (6.99) “Portents” (signs) “for people who believe”. I believe first, then I look for the signs. Allah says: "And in the Earth are neighbouring tracts, vineyards and ploughed lands, and date-palms, like and unlike, which are watered with one water. And we have made some of them to excel others in fruit. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who have sense." (13.4) How can I be one of the people who have sense if I don't think about what's happening around me? You know, high temperatures can burn tmany, many people, including the haves and the gifted, and their homes in just a few days. Allah says: "Allah promiseth to the believers, men and women, Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide - blessed dwellings in Gardens of Eden. And - greater (far)! - acceptance from Allah. That is the supreme triumph." (9.72) Also about Heaven Allah says: "Reclining therein upon couches, they will find there neither (heat of) a sun nor bitter cold." (76.13) How can I feel, as a believer, the importance of this last piece of description if I haven't felt the difference between heat and cold ? Allah says: "Nor is the shadow equal with the sun's full heat." (35.21) Is walking in the shade like walking in the baking sun? A good believer knows that the shade is a great gift from Allah. A good believer would thank Allah for the mere sight or smell of a fruit, let alone eating it ! In the Quran we read: "None can inform you like Him Who is Aware." (35.14) "Is he who knoweth that what is revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the truth like him who is blind? But only men of understanding heed." (13.19) "The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving." (35.28) Those are the minority of the minority: those "who believe and do good works are the best of created beings. (…) Allah hath pleasure in them and they have pleasure in Him. This is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord." (98.7-8)

What can I understand from the verse which says: "Say (O Muhammad, unto the disbelievers): My Lord would not concern Himself with you but for your prayer." (25.77) ? Well, if I think about it a little, as a believer, I’ll notice that non-believers produce the good things for believers in this life. Most believers get only a fraction of all that production, but even a wealthy person’s stomach can't hold more than a few kilograms of food! In the Hereafter only believers will find the good things; nobody will produce such things for non-believers in Hell. Allah Himself says: "Few of My bondmen are thankful." (34.13) Allah knows that people who really care about Him are few compared to the total number. And yet He makes these few suffer! He deprives them of things they love. Allah says: "Lo! therein indeed are portents for every steadfast, grateful (heart)." (31.31) And those are not very many.

 

Why doesn't Allah "fear" of losing that minority of the minority? Well, because He knows they are honest and intelligent. They have "hearts wherewith to feel and ears wherewith to hear. For indeed it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts, which are within the bosoms, that grow blind." (22.46)  And so they can but love Him. He knows that, whatever  happens to them, they will be patient and, on top of that, GRATEFUL ! For them, that's only a good sign that they are on the right path. In the Hadith we read: “Anyone for whom Allah intends good is made to suffer some affliction from Him.” And in the Quran: they are described as those “Whose hearts fear when Allah is mentioned, and the patient of whatever may befall them, and those who establish worship and who spend of that We have bestowed on them.” (22.35) These people get real satisfaction from remembering Allah all the time. That's part of their “reward” in this world. And in the Hereafter, they will get “A gift of welcome from their Lord. That which Allah hath in store is better for the righteous.” (3.198) “Theirs are the Gardens of Paradise for welcome” (18.107) "Is the reward of goodness aught save goodness?" (55.60)

That's why Allah made general norms (to rule the world) for the sake of that specific population. People marry and enjoy themselves generation after generation and as they do so a few souls are born in every generation and stand out with their hearts so as to join the lucky club of "every steadfast, grateful (heart). Such as are steadfast and put their trust in Allah." (16. 42)

Allah is not rash. He knows what He is doing. He says: "Deemed ye then that We had created you for naught, and that ye would not be returned unto Us?" (23 .115) "Thinketh man that he is to be left aimless? Was he not a drop of fluid which gushed forth? Then he became a clot; then (Allah) shaped and fashioned And made of him a pair, the male and female. Is not He (Who doeth so) able to bring the dead to life?" (75.36-40) How many people care? Allah says: "See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within?" (31.20) "And He giveth you of all ye ask of Him, and if ye would count the bounty of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! man is verily a wrong-doer, an ingrate." (14.34) Did Allah do all that just for us to enjoy ourselves in this world, just for us to play and sing and dance and sleep...? No, Allah says: "It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims. Let them eat and enjoy life, and let (false) hope beguile them. They will come to know!" (15.2-3) "And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve." (38.27) Good believers "give that which they give with hearts afraid because they are about to return unto their Lord" (23.60) because they hold Allah in high esteem. They know that "The thunder hymneth His praise and (so do) the angels for awe of Him." (13.13) They know that "if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas to help it, (were ink), the words of Allah could not be exhausted." (31.27) "Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years." (70.3-4) Those people know that "all who are in the heavens and the earth praise [Allah], and the birds in their flight. Of each He knoweth verily its worship and its praise; and Allah is Aware of what they do." (24.41) "The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein praise Him, and there is not a thing but hymneth His praise; but ye understand not their praise. Lo! He is ever Clement, Forgiving." (17.44)

In the Quran we read: "Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth, and causeth water to descend from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you, and maketh the ships to be of service unto you, that they may run upon the sea at His command, and hath made of service unto you the rivers; And maketh the sun and the moon, constant in their courses, to be of service unto you, and hath made of service unto you the night and the day. And He giveth you of all ye ask of Him, and if ye would count the bounty of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! man is verily a wrong doer, an ingrate." (14.32-34) "See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favors both without and within?" (31.20) Why all this? Just for us to play and sing and dance and sleep? And in the end, we wonder if this or that is divine punishment! Allah says: "…And remember, when ye were but few, how He did multiply you. And see the nature of the consequence for the corrupters! " (7.:86) "…Remember (all) the bounties of your Lord, that haply ye may be successful.” (7.69) “…Build ye on every high place a monument for vain delight?  And seek ye out strongholds, that haply ye may last for ever?" (26 : 128-129) “…And if ye seize by force, seize ye as tyrants?  Rather keep your duty to Allah, and obey me.  Keep your duty toward Him Who hath aided you with (the good things) that ye know.” (26. 128-132)

 

"Their reckoning draweth nigh for mankind, while they turn away in heedlessness." (21.1) Disasters are warning me every day. Just think of drought and water shortage, among other things. How can't I fear? Allah says: "If Allah took mankind to task by that which they deserve, He would not leave a living creature on the surface of the earth; but He reprieveth them unto an appointed term, and when their term cometh - then verily (they will know that) Allah is ever Seer of His slaves." (35.45) "Verily We have brought them a Scripture which We expounded with knowledge, a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe." (7.52) "And in truth We have made the Quran easy to remember; but is there any that remembereth?" (54.17) "Will they then not meditate on the Quran, or are there locks on the hearts?" (47.24) "O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him early and late. He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light;and He is Merciful to the believers." (33.41-43) "Allah directeth the ordinance from the heaven unto the earth; then it ascendeth unto Him in a Day, whereof the measure is a thousand years of that ye reckon." (32.5) "All that are in the heavens and the earth entreat Him. Every day He exerciseth (universal) power." (55.29) "We shall dispose of you, O ye two dependents (man and jinn)." (55.31)

Shall I live in this world forever? What would I do if I found out upon my death that I had just been wasting my life away? Allah says: "We warn them, but it increaseth them in naught save gross impiety." (17.60) "Thou art but a warner unto him who feareth it." (79.45) I did not fall from the last rain. I know what's happening in this world. I know that people commit suicide in rich beautiful countries. People get depressed despite all their financial ease. People lose faith easily. People feel lonely in homes where everything is available. People take drugs to forget their unforgettable problems. 

 

We are all Allah's guests in this earth. Whether we like it or not, the earth belongs to Allah alone, Who can act as He pleases. He is "Doer of what He will" (85.16) Allah was here before we came into being and He will be here after we are gone. Suppose somebody put at my disposal his home and said make yourself at home, treat yourself, you're worth it !would that mean that this home will be mine ? I know that I only came after Allah only knows how many generations who all had quite the same dreams and desires and that I too will go one day. "Allah's is the heritage of the heavens and the earth." (3.180) "Is it not a guidance for them (to observe) how many generations We destroyed before them, amid whose dwelling places they do walk? Lo! therein verily are portents! Will they not then heed?" (32.26) But Allah also says: "Those are a people who have passed away. Theirs is that which they earned, and yours is that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do." (2.134) "Then We appointed you viceroys in the earth after them, that We might see how ye behave." (10 .14)

The question is, where do we go from here? The previous generations left us with a heritage partly red (like fire), partly green (like the meadow). The member states of the European Union, for example, envision a total ban on the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars by 2035.. That's because everybody has been aware of the dangers of air pollution. One does not need to be an intellectual to notice that our prosperity (fruit of our frantic development) has had side effects. We all know that each and every one of us is partly responsible for what has happened to our planet. Deforestation, over-exploitation of fisheries, corruption, and so on are the results of our own greed. Our leaders have understood belatedly that no single country, no single continent, can solve such problems alone. Hence all that quantity of world summits on this and that. Only now are we convinced that all Men are one. Allah was the first to address men as one (being). He says: "And He it is Who hath produced you from a single being, and (hath given you) a habitation and a repository. We have detailed Our revelations for a people who have understanding." (6.98) "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women." (4.1) "And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not." (34.28) "Unto Allah belong the East and the West, and whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah's Countenance. Lo! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing." (2.115) What is amazing, though, is that man has acknowledged his "sin" perpetrated against this earth; he has acknowledged his weakness; he has acknowledged his responsibility towards future generations… but how many men have acknowledged the role of Allah in our lives? Allah says: "Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men's hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return." (30 .41) How many men are willing "to return"? How many men are willing to listen to Allah, Who says: "Lo! Allah is a Lord of Kindness to mankind, but most of mankind give not thanks." (2.243) Even those who, like me, pretend they listen to Allah, well, listen to what Allah says about them: "O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower." (24.21) "And thus have We inspired in thee (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. Thou knewest not what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith. But We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our bondmen. And lo! thou verily dost guide unto a right path." (42.52) "And if We willed We could withdraw that which We have revealed unto thee, then wouldst thou find no guardian for thee against Us in respect thereof. (It is naught) save mercy from thy Lord. Lo! His kindness unto thee was ever great." (17.86-87)

Allah said to the Prophet (pbuh): "We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples." (21.107) Allah wants mercy for us all. Can any fire brigades in the whole world put out a huge forest fire if Allah does not help them with the rain? Allah says: "And He it is Who sendeth down the saving rain after they have despaired, and spreadeth out His mercy. He is the Protecting Friend, the Praiseworthy." (42.28) Our leaders can be good and well qualified, but they can't replace Allah. Allah says: "And the earth hath He appointed for (His) creatures." (55.10) That is, for mankind. Some of our leaders are erecting walls and fences of all kinds at the border and imposing visas. Why? Well, every leader fears for his dear country. That's understandable. If I were them, I would probably do the same. Allah does not "fear" for His Kingdom. "Unto Him belongeth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Lo! Allah, He verily is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise. " (22.64) "Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient unto Him." (30 .26) The problem is that some of our leaders give us the impression that they can give us everything we want, that they are the masters of this world. Well, that's questionable. Also, the first thing a leader thinks of before going to bed is his/her memoirs. Allah does not need memoirs. Allah says: "Or do they own the treasures of thy Lord? Or have they been given charge (thereof)?" (52.37) "Or are theirs the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower?" (38.9) He even says: "Those unto whom ye pray instead of Him own not so much as the white spot on a date-stone." (35.13) And that's true. If leaders in the past owned "so much as the white spot on a date-stone", no empire would have fallen, no economic crisis would have torn societies apart. "Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and He is Able to do all things." (67.1) Whether I believe that or not, Allah says: "Call upon those whom ye set up beside Allah! They possess not an atom's weight either in the heavens or the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor hath He an auxiliary among them." (34.22) "Unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is therein, and He is Able to do all things." (5.120) "Say: O Allah! Owner of Sovereignty! Thou givest sovereignty unto whom Thou wilt, and Thou withdrawest sovereignty from whom Thou wilt. Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt. In Thy hand is the good. Lo! Thou art Able to do all things. Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and Thou causest the day to pass into the night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou choosest, without stint." (3. 26-27)

When I realize the greatness of Allah, at its fair value, when I concretely see the grace of Allah, I can only feel rest in my heart. Even when I feel the fear of Allah my fear is immediately followed by rest in my heart. Allah says: "Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent, (wherein promises of reward are) paired (with threats of punishment), whereat doth creep the flesh of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to Allah's reminder. Such is Allah's guidance, wherewith He guideth whom He will. And him whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no guide." (39.23) "Those who believe and obscure not their belief by wrongdoing, theirs is safety; and they are rightly guided." (6. 82) "Lo! verily the friends of Allah are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve." (10.62) Even on the day of resurrection, as the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah will give them protection with His Shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His Shade."

A non-believer would say: why should I fear Allah if, as he says, "Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. He forgiveth whom He will, and punisheth whom He will." (3. 129) ? That's a good question. But why do I look at "punisheth whom He will" and don't I look at "forgiveth whom He will?" The full verse is: "Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. He forgiveth whom He will, and punisheth whom He will. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (3.129) Why don't I try as much as I can to do good and avoid evil and then hope to be one of those whom Allah will forgive, since He is "Forgiving, Merciful"? But, at the same time, if I make a silly mistake, I don’t deem myself "secure from Allah's scheme" because "None deemeth himself secure from Allah's scheme save folk that perish." (7 : 99)  "Allah is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong)." (14.47) Allah wants to scare me in order to save me. He says: "With this doth Allah appal His bondmen. O My bondmen, therefor fear Me!" (39.16) "And Allah summoneth to the abode of peace, and leadeth whom He will to a straight path." (10.25) He also says: "And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil)." (3.133) Wouldn't I be stupid if I missed such a golden opportunity? If there's so much space in Heaven, why don't I hope to be one of the lucky dwellers of that beautiful world?

Allah says: "Therefore keep your duty unto Me, O men of understanding." (2.197) Allah is speaking to "men of understanding." Who are "men of understanding"? In the Quran we read: "Therefor give good tidings (O Muhammad) to My bondmen Who hear advice and follow the best thereof. Such are those whom Allah guideth, and such are men of understanding." (39.17-18) The mosques we pray in are built by the rich, not the poor. Can't those people make better use of their money? Don't they have minds to think? And these mosques that were built more than ten centuries ago, were they not dreamed, planned, built and embellished by people who had gray matter (in addition to faith)? "But only men of understanding heed; Such as keep the pact of Allah, and break not the covenant; Such as unite that which Allah hath commandeth should be joined, and fear their Lord, and dread a woeful reckoning; Such as persevere in seeking their Lord's Countenance and are regular in prayer and spend of that which We bestow upon them secretly and openly, and overcome evil with good. Theirs will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home, Gardens of Eden which they enter, along with all who do right of their fathers and their halpmeets and their seed. The angels enter unto them from every gate, (Saying): Peace be unto you because ye persevered. Ah, passing sweet will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home. (…) Allah enlargeth livelihood for whom He will, and straiteneth (it for whom He will); and they rejoice in the life of the world, whereas the life of the world is but brief comfort as compared with the Hereafter." (13.19-26) That's the best investment, isn't it?

Why do angels say to Heaven dwellers "because ye persevered"? Well, the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Paradise is surrounded by hardships and the Fire is surrounded by desires." An Olympic gold medal is not Heaven, but can anybody be an Olympic champion without making sacrifices? Can you get a high university degree without making sacrifices? The right question is, is Heaven worth such sacrifices? No doubt our world is beautiful; otherwise there wouldn't be any such thing as tourism, with the myriad sumptuous hotels and resorts and campsites... But there are also tragedies. Allah says: "A similitude of the Garden which is promised unto those who keep their duty (to Allah): Underneath it rivers flow; its food is everlasting, and its shade." (13.35) There's no "toil nor weariness" (35.35) in Heaven. There are no problems in Heaven, no worries, no losses. So to get a chance to go there I have to endure some kind of suffering in this world.

Some people commit suicide because they can't have a lasting feeling of happiness. Others cannot bear even the slightest sadness.  But one can suffer, for one reason or another, and yet have a lot of happy days in this world. Shouldn't Allah be thanked for that ? Imagine the suffering of a relative of a hostage and imagine his/her joy after the (tearful) reunion ! Imagine the shock of someone who had just learned he/she has a potentially serious illness and imagine their relief when they are cured of it. Allah says: "For those who do good in this world there is a good (reward) and the home of the Hereafter will be better. Pleasant indeed will be the home of those who ward off (evil)." (16.30)

Do I really need to be in Heaven after my death? Well, Ibrahim (pbuh) "was a people obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the idolaters" (16.120) and "Allah (Himself) chose Abraham for friend." (4.125) And yet Ibrahim (pbuh) said: "And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of Delight." (26.85) Allah says: "See how We prefer one of them above another, and verily the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment." (17.21) How can't I pray to Allah to grant me a place in Heaven too? The Prophet (pbuh) said: "If you ask of Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws  (the highest part of Paradise)" You know those kinds of radio shows where you are invited to send answers in SMS text messages. They give an easy question so that a large number of people send a large number of text messages. Well, for you personally, to increase your chance of winning you send as many text messages as you can afford. Why don't I do the same when it comes to Heaven? An ordinary Muslim who keeps his duty to Allah is entitled to Heaven, but to avoid "bad surprises" I should try to do a little better than a mere Muslim. Why don't I try to be a moomin (a believer), that's a higher grade? I should first try to secure a place in Heaven, then try to philosophize about the whole thing.

Now, how do I understand the story of Heaven? Allah could have stayed ‘alone’ and not bothered to make anything. He was God, Absolute, free and self-sufficient. But He was too beautiful not to be known. He was too generous not to share His beauty. But with whom? He was God and nothing could be like Him. Nothing could match up to Him. Nor did He need anything or anybody. It’s only by the grace of Him that He created the world to share not only His beauty but also His bounty. He made Heaven beautiful in every sense of the word. He made it not for Himself. (He didn’t need it.) He made it for us. Whether Allah created the earth before or after Heaven and Hell, that’s not a really big question. But it’s interesting to notice that Allah made part of the earth look like Heaven (orchards,  natural parks, reserves, etc.) and part of it look like Hell (volcanoes, etc.), as a reminder for the future dwellers of this planet, for us. Allah describes the Quran as a reminder. Now that we are here we should ask ourselves questions. Allah says: "I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Lo! Allah! He it is that giveth livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable might." (51.56-58) I can't over-interpret these verses. They are clear. Allah wants man to worship Him. Does this mean, though, that Allah needs man to worship Him? Allah Himself answers this question. He says: "And Moses said: Though ye and all who are in the earth prove thankless, lo! Allah verily is Absolute, Owner of Praise." (14.8) Do you think Allah waited thousands or millions of years for someone like me to write something like this ? If I believe in Allah that’s a favour from Allah, not from me. Allah says: "And though We should send down the angels unto them, and the dead should speak unto them, and We should gather against them all things in array, they would not believe unless Allah so willed. Howbeit, most of them are ignorant." (6.111) If Allah needed to be adored He would have spared at least those who adored Him in the best way in the past, but we all know that even prophets and saints died. Would Allah be interested in the number of worshippers or in the quality of worshippers or in the quantity of worship? Again, "Allah verily is Absolute, Owner of Praise." (14.8) Suppose Allah was interested in the number of worshippers or in the quantity of worship, how much would my (own) worshipping weigh in all that? Would I deserve eternal happiness in Heaven for this little worshipping I do in my short life? This doesn't make sense. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little." And yet Allah does not want us to go to Hell. He says: "Shall We utterly ignore you because ye are a wanton folk?" (43.5) "Ah, the anguish for the bondmen! Never came there unto them a messenger but they did mock him!" (36.30) The question is, why does man want to go to Hell? True, "It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah." (10.100) But you and I know what man is like. Many men love defiance. Many men are reckless. Even many smart men make silly mistakes. Think of AIDS, drugs, bad eating habits, etc. So it’s easy to generate question after question. Some people ask questions so as to understand, others just to argue for the sake of arguing. Those who ask questions so as to understand can understand that Allah made Heaven to show how great He is, how merciful He is, how gentle He is, how responsive He is, how lovely He is. Allah created Heaven to share with believers His beauty and bounty. Therefore He is worth worshipping. Not because He has got a Fire “in His back garden”, as one would say, not because He "is strong in punishment" (13.6) (He is also "rich in pardon for mankind despite their wrong" (13.6)) , but because He is "Merciful, Loving." (11.90) These people will understand that Allah would be worth worshipping even if there were neither Heaven nor Hell. But there must be Heaven and Hell. There must be a way to differentiate between the grateful and the ingrate. That’s why we are different: in colour, in shape, in health, in wealth, etc. All that is but trials for us. Allah will not accept to be worshipped for free. He says of himself : "Now Allah be Exalted, the True King! There is no God save Him, the Lord of the Throne of Grace." (23.116) Allah is there to guide me, if I am willing to listen, and pay me for the slightest thought of Him. He says: "And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then." (99.7) He can pay me in the life of the world. But there’s something more precious than Heaven. Can you guess? It’s "Allah's pleasure". (2.265) That’s why "of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen." (2.207) And because Allah is not just anybody, His "pleasure" is hard to obtain. Hard but not impossible. It requires sacrifices.

 

I do things for love of Allah, out of respect for Allah, not out of kindness. Allah does not need my kindness. Allah wants me, as a believer, to love Him and to know why I should love Him. I love Allah because He is beautiful, bountiful, merciful, forgiving, loving. I love Him for His intrinsic qualities. I love Him because that’s the natural course, it's so obvious.. I love Him because it goes without saying, as they say. I would love a human for much, much less virtues and qualities than that. Likewise, just as I would love to see a wonderful resort created on earth by a human like myself, I would love to see Paradise which was designed and prepared by Allah Himself for the faithful. I believe in Allah and I don’t know what He is like. My little (mortal)  human brain can't imagine Him. I believe in Heaven and I don’t know what it really is like. I believe it's beautiful, but I can’t imagine it. Now I believe in the invisible as the only way – decided by Allah – to pay a ticket for Paradise. In other words, I don’t only think of Heaven from a religious perspective, but also from an intellectual perspective. For this idea to be clearer, take one person. Imagine a man by the name of Juan, a 22-year-old teacher in Lima, Peru. This man comes across a Muslim couple in his city. These Muslim man and woman are not Arabs. They are Peruvian. The teacher, accustomed to Western lifestyle, asks himself questions. He does some research on the Web. He reads books, then travels to an Arab country. On his arrival, he is shocked to see that many people in this Arab Muslim country do not really give him the impression that this is Islam. So what does he do? Does he go back home and say why should Islam be good to me while these Muslim people do not practise true Islam in their own country? Or does he say I don’t care of the people. I came here to discover more about the religion? Suppose he ignored the people and focused on the Faith as such, what could happen to him? Well, many people went through a more or less similar process and some of them ended up becoming clerics and imams who preach Arabs and non-Arabs on true Islam! Imagine the happiness of such clerics and imams.

Allah says: "Lo! this is an Admonishment, that whosoever will may choose a way unto his Lord. Yet ye will not, unless Allah willeth. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise." (76.29-30) "Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book in which is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills." (39 : 23) Should I take this as an excuse and say if Allah wants me to be a good believer He would make me a good believer? Well, that’s like staying home and waiting for Allah to bring me what to eat, etc. That’s like giving birth to twelve children that you can’t feed.

As I said before, the Quran speaks to "men of understanding" who "hear advice and follow the best thereof. Such are those whom Allah guideth." (39.17-18) That means, I use my own mind, my own personal experience to know the truth, and when I know the truth I have to heed it. Even good believers – who are already believers, (that is, ("only men of understanding") – say: "Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after Thou hast guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Thy Presence. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Bestower." (3.8) They always say: "Show us the straight path." (1.6) If I use my mind correctly I can only strengthen my faith. Allah says: "Those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the truth and leadeth unto the path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise." (34.6) "And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from thy Lord, so that they may believe therein and their hearts may submit humbly unto Him. Lo! Allah verily is guiding those who believe unto a right path." (22.54)

Why do some ill people and pregnant women fast Ramadan? Sometimes the holy month of Ramadan comes in the hot season and yet many men insist that they should fast although they are ill and many women insist that they should fast although they are pregnant! Allah says: "And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you." (2.185) "Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that ye may give thanks." (5.6) "But (as for) those who believe and do good works –We tax not any soul beyond its scope." (7.42) "This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion AL-ISLAM. Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (5.3)

It’s not Islam that is pushing ill men or pregnant women to fast Ramadan or these hungry people not to eat from a meat that is normally forbidden. It’s these people’s hearts that push them to do so. It’s their love of Allah that is making them to behave in that way. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "One amongst the denizens of Hell who had led a life of ease and plenty amongst the people of the world would be made to dip in Fire only once on the Day of Resurrection and then it would be said to him: O, son of Adam, did you find any comfort, did you happen to get any material blessing? He would say: By Allah, no, O my Lord. And then a person from amongst the persons of the world who had led the most miserable life (in the world) from amongst the inmates of Paradise would be brought and he would be made to dip once in Paradise and it would be said to him. 0, son of Adam, did you face any hardship? Or had any distress fallen to your lot? And he would say: By Allah, no, 0 my Lord, never did I face any hardship or experience any distress."

Now compare these two groups:

Group A:

"There is no sin on those who believe and perform good deeds for what they might have eaten (in the past) if they fear and come to faith and do good things and are conscious (of Allah) and believe, and still fear and do good, " (5 .93)

Group B:

"Lo! those who believe, then disbelieve and then (again) believe, then disbelieve, and then increase in disbelief..." (4.137)

 

Just think of two people you made friends with. One is increasingly good to you, the other is increasingly nasty. If you had a little heaven and a little hell, what would you do with these two friends ?

  

          20

 Realism

 

In Hajj people from all over the world meet at the same place, do quite the same things, and go back each to one’s home. Back at home each follows one’s own customs. What do these customs do? They tell you how to behave well in society. That’s what the Quran does. If if I am a believer, the Quran tells me how to behave well when I am alone and when I am in society. I am never alone, actually. I am physically alone, but my soul is supposed to be connected to the Creator. Also there are two angels and a comrade (a jinn) with me. Having that in mind, the Quran helps me handle all my relationships: with myself first, with my kin, with my close community, with my state, with the country I live in, with the Ummah (The Islamic Nation), with mankind, with Allah and with Satan. In my relationship with myself, for example, I am advised on how to preserve my life, my money, my mind, my faith and my honour. I am advised on how to manage my relation to beauty and greatness. I am advised on how to turn my fragility (instincts, etc.) into a moral strength that preserves my honour and self-esteem. I am advised on how to elevate myself from an animal (a body) into a decent human being (a good soul in a good body).

 

Moroccan society is not American society or Russian society or Chinese society. But as humans we have many things in common. We may experience unemployment, for example, in many different ways. But the basic feelings of an unemployed person remain more or less the same. When you fail to find a job very often people would deal with you in a bad way. You may be surprised to see friends or family members turn their backs on you. This has to do with mental health. We all need a good mental health, and faith does help a great deal with that.

 

Dreams are an inexhaustible source of inspiration. But there are dreams and dreams. There are dreams that can be fulfilled and dreams that will never come true. As a believer, I should be realistic. I should take into account all "the data", as I said before. Age 50 is not like age 20. A married person is not like an unmarried person. An only child living in a suburban villa is not like a young boy living with his brother or sister in a small room in a small apartment in an under-privileged area. Being a child of well-educated, religious parents is not like being a child of illiterate parents interested in money only. Living in a country where social security and healthcare are commonplace is not like living in a country where social security and healthcare are a luxury. If I personally can make do with as little as 60 dollars per month, another person would need at least 500 dollars per month. If I personally can find someone to feed me when I lose my job, another person may not find anybody to give him a loaf of bread. My own hardships may be very, very hard – for me –, but they may be nothing compared to another person’s hardships. That’s why Islam calls to humility. The Quran says: "And walk not in the earth exultant. Lo! thou canst not rend the earth, nor canst thou stretch to the height of the hills." (17.37) If I have eyes, I should think of one who doesn’t have them. If I have legs, I should think of one who doesn’t have them. If I have a roof, I should think of one who sleeps on the street. If  I am married, I should think of one who can't have the means to marry. That’s how I will feel how Allah has loaded me "with His favours both without and within." (31.20) Allah says to me: "and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters." (28.77) In other words, I should think of giving before I think of receiving. It doesn’t take a lot to be a benefactor: I can give as little as a smile or a nice word. That’s Islam how I perceive it. Better to think of giving even simple pious thoughts than to fall into the trap of victimhood. That’s the cure for many of our psychological problems.

A century ago young people in many parts of the world would live with their parents until they were married. Most people, even illiterate people, had homes of their own. There was plenty of work for everybody. The youth could go to school and thus live a better life than their parents’. Massive destruction caused by war led to massive reconstruction and the massive drift to towns in colonized countries increased the number and size of the cities everywhere in the world. New jobs were created, new trainings, new lifestyles. Everybody wanted to be "modern". Each country had its own economic boom. And then each country had its economic crisis. Unemployment, a relatively new concept, became a problem. Economic crises became cyclic. Employers became increasingly demanding. Education became increasingly expensive. The (unlucky) masses were growing (in numbers) faster than the lucky few. Young people had to take out  long-term loans to finance their homes or studies. The newer generations were asked to work harder in the hope of achieving half of what their illiterate parents or grand-parents managed to have. The result of all this: France, a rich country, is now alleged to be the fourth most pessimistic nation in the world. The truth is, pessimism is everywhere. Analysts are telling us that the crisis is systemic, the problem is with the System. There are rich countries that will never be able to pay off their debts. Fewer and fewer countries will be able to control their budget deficits or even their currency. Unemployment is now a chronic disease in many countries. It can go down to 3% and then – presto – it goes back up to 10%. Robotization and Uberization are a big challenge. Many investors of today would prefer placing their money in banks or in stock exchanges rather than bet on manpower-consuming industries or farming projects. And yet it’s the individual citizen who would be blamed for not finding a job. Little blame would be laid at the door of bankrupt companies or even the government. In theory, the state is at the service of the citizen, but increasingly it’s the citizen who serves the state more. In many states of today many people pay taxes and on top of that they pay for their children’s education, healthcare, etc. But what can the state do - in many cases? Fewer and fewer states would have the means to provide free or low-cost education and healthcare without further widening the budget deficit or resorting to debt. It's a vicious circle. Each new government, whatever its political colour, tries to give itself a good conscience, but it is not always easy to recover from a general crisis. What is perhaps regrettable (or maybe we just can't help it) is that many of us continue to place a lot of hope in our governments, in the state in general.

We have believed in a certain image of the modern man. The cinema, the media, school, the family, society at large… all have contributed to the dazzling image of the successful man or woman. In a way, that image is not entirely new. Even in old times people had a certain materialistic image of the successful man. The Quran relates the story of "Korah" who "was of Moses' folk" (28.76) : "(…) Then went he forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world said: Ah, would that unto us had been given like of what hath been given unto Korah! Lo! he is lord of rare good fortune. (...)" (28.79) What’s new is that this image has been popularized (seems even hackneyed) to the point that almost everybody believes he/she can be that successful person. At school we were taught "If you work hard you will succeed." In my country, for example, many low-income families (lower-middle class, if you will) spend as much as half their income on their children’s education, putting a particular emphasis on scientific subjects, because everybody believes his or her child can be a doctor or an engineer. The curious thing is that Literature, Philosophy, History, Geography…have all become taboo for many, many parents, but not always for their kids. An increasing number of Moroccan youths are interested in as much science as non-scientific subjects. They now speak languages better than I and talk about a lot of topics better than I.  

Those trivial things I said about how people lived a century ago and how we are today have become terribly important to many people now. Many people have discovered that life calculations are not like mathematical calculations. They have discovered that the state is not the government, and the state’s financial capabilities under one government may end under the next. So pressure on the government does not work always.

Now, what does Islam say about all this? Well, when the Muslim state, under Caliph Umar, for example, had the means, most men, if not all Muslim men, got a certain income from the state. And yet Umar once said: "No one of you should refrain from earning a living and say, 'O Allah grant me provision' when he knows that the sky will not rain down gold and silver." The state is supposed to help me when it can afford it. And when the state can’t afford it, what do I do? When pressure on the government doesn’t work, what do I do? I give in to pessimism? I give up hope? I cease to dream? Well, that’s the worst thing a good Muslim could do.

But there are other important questions too. What do I want? Do I want to just lead a decent life or to live a better life than others? Which wages would I accept? Which lifestyle do I want? 

What about people who have nothing, no money, no skills? They are unfortunately just put on the side. This gives the impression of living in a world greatly influenced by the haves. But the truth is very different, though. The world has always belonged, and will always belong, to the One who created it, to Allah. Everyone agrees that here, in Morocco, economic activity depends greatly on rainfall. But when it rains little or not at all at the right time, rogatory prayers are performed in all the country's mosques. When the drought distorts the landscapes and burns the last grasslands and reduces the last fodder and dries up the biggest dams, we start to cross our fingers, to raise our eyes timidly to the sky. This means that your fate, mine, and the fate of everyone does not depend on the propertied, shareholders (or on the government, by the way) and that Allah Alone is the Lord of the world. Normally, we are supposed to think of Allah in all cases. Allah says: "Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal. And unto Us ye will be returned." (21.35) What does that mean? It means that you and I ought to think of Allah, and not forget Him: when we are hungry, when we have something to eat and drink, when we are naked and when we have something to wear. As a believer, I ought to remember Allah when I am tired and when I go to bed, etc., etc. I ought to think of Allah by way of gratitude, whatever  shape I’m in. Why? Well, it's because Allah says: "Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me." (2.152) "Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee!" (3.191) If I really believe that Allah is the Lord of the world, I ought to think of Him before thinking of anyone else. I ought to think of Him when I make my decisions about my job, my place of work, the salary I should accept, etc., 

For some, the problem that is the root of all our problems (the root of evil, if you will) is not so much the economy, but rather lack of social justice, it is unfair distribution of wealth, it is the tax havens, it is corruption. Precisely, if everyone thinks only about money why should Allah think about us? Why should He see to it that we have the right rulers? Allah warns us in the Quran: "O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah. And let every soul look to that which it sendeth on before for the morrow. And observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Aware of what ye do. And be not ye as those who forgot Allah, therefor He caused them to forget their souls. Such are the evil-doers." (59.18-19) "The hypocrites, both men and women, proceed one from another. They enjoin the wrong, and they forbid the right, and they withhold their hands (from spending for the cause of Allah). They forget Allah, so He hath forgotten them. Lo! the hypocrites, they are the transgressors." (9.67)

Everyone wants to be modern, whatever that means, and this kind of (theological) thinking may not rhyme with modernity, is no longer up to date. Companian Abu Bakr Assidiq said: "We folks don't eat unless we are hungry, And when we eat we don't get full."  Who applies this in his life, actually? Me? Not at all! I too am far from being vaccinated. I grew up like everyone else : in the same schools, in the same neighbourhoods, in the same stream of thought. But I know that some people have lived well on very, very little. People were deprived of everything except their faith, and yet they enjoyed their lives. These people loved Allah because they saw in this world (full of contradictions, full of inequalities, full of suffering, full of what have you) – (in spite of everything) they saw a sublime beauty inside and outside themselves. They liked to see gold without wanting to amass it, just as they liked to see the moon or sunset without wanting to own the moon or the sun. They loved Allah for the wonder He created in them. Yet, for many of them, they gave up only what was not so essential to them. They too ate and drank, they too married and had children, they too had their homes. Only they were not obsessed by the desire to have everything. Some had the doors of worldly life open wide to them after their renunciation. They had the choice to give up all luxuries (all comfort) to the extent humanly possible or to fully enjoy the pleasures of life. Islam does not forbid you to live in a palace or in a luxurious villa. But this palace or any other good must remain in the hand and not in the heart. It is Allah and Allah Alone that must be in the heart. That's the difference between a believer and a non-believer. If you live in a hut you will see the beauty and goodness of Allah in this hut. (Just think of homeless people.) If you live in a luxurious villa you will see the grace of Allah in all its corners, in all the roses of the little garden. You will express your love for Allah whether you are in the hut or in the palace. It’s the same Quran that you in  read there. It’s the same prayer that you perform in there. This love entails a responsibility on our part. We must do what Allah  created us for. I speak to you here as I speak to myself.  If Allah meant me to play a particular role in a particular place at a particular time, I should strive to play that role in the best way possible. There may be other people who were chosen by Allah to play similar roles. I am in a competition. I should not think of the prize before the competition is over. Allah says: "For this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss." (83.26) If I were a doctor, would I count how many patients were cured at my hands or would I count my money? If I were a teacher, would I count how many of my former students became successful people, or would I count my possessions? If I were a lawyer, would I count how many people were saved at my hands, or would I count my money? If I were a successful writer, would I count how many people found my work useful or would I count my royalties? Allah does not choose only believers to play such roles. He says: "And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record." (6.59) "Lo! Allah! With Him is knowledge of the Hour. He sendeth down the rain, and knoweth that which is in the wombs. No soul knoweth what it will earn to-morrow, and no soul knoweth in what land it will die. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." (31.34) That’s Allah’s DATA, as I said before. That’s how Allah manages His Creation with His knowledge and His power, in Morocco, in Europe, in America, in Africa, everywhere. "Lo! He is Knower, Powerful." (42.50) Allah knows how many teachers, doctors, engineers, grocers, hairdressers, nurses, policemen, pilots, computer scientists, street sweepers… are needed to serve His bondmen. "And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not. " (96.3-5) " And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and hearts that haply ye might give thanks." (16.78) That’s part of Allah’s Design when He willed that the whole universe should be at the service of man. Allah says: "Hast thou not known that Allah knoweth all that is in the heaven and the earth? Lo! it is in a record. Lo! that is easy for Allah." (22.70) "Is it they who apportion thy Lord's mercy? We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the world, and raised some of them above others in rank that some of them may take labour from others; and the mercy of thy Lord is better than (the wealth) that they amass." (43.32) "And We have given you (mankind) power in the earth, and appointed for you therein livelihood. Little give ye thanks!" (7.10) "And we have given unto you livelihoods therein, and unto those for whom ye provide not." (15.20) Different jobs, different occupations - in the past, in the present and in the future. "Lo! your effort is dispersed (toward divers ends)." (92.4) Allah knows the pace at which every community, every nation, every state develops ; Allah is aware of every single new discovery, every new invention, every single development in History. All that is because Allah wants to make Himself known to all mankind. He says (to anyone who will listen) :  "Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise." (4.165) Already Allah is known and adored in every part of the earth.  He will be worshipped more and more on land, on the continents, on islands, on sea, en route in the sky, everywhere, night and day. This wonderful tool, the Internet, is a gift from Allah to mankind, it’s a tool for mankind to know Allah more ; it’s a tool for believers to express their gratitude to Allah. "Remember Allah, as He hath taught you that which (heretofore) ye knew not." (2.239) Allah shared some of His knowledge with us ; those among us who have some knowledge have to share it with their fellow human beings. And yet Allah does not care how many billionaires or new millionaires will be there, how many people will make money out of this process. Allah cares only for those who care about Him, those who are keen to come closer to Him.

As I said earlier, what you learn at age 50 is not what you learn at age 20. Wisdom comes with time. Wisdom means knowing one's possibilities and limitations. Wisdom means that one should not blame others for one's woes. If there is an economic crisis, or social unrest, even if they were willed by Allah, everyone should examine one’s own behaviour first. Allah says: "That is because Allah never changeth the grace He hath bestowed on any people until they first change that which is in their hearts, and (that is) because Allah is Hearer, Knower." (8.53) The responsibility for all our problems lies with us in the end. We forget, for example, that road accidents are the leading cause of death in many countries. Allah says: "Whatever of misfortune striketh you, it is what your right hands have earned. And He forgiveth much." (42.30) "Whatever of good befalleth thee (O man) it is from Allah, and whatever of ill befalleth thee it is from thyself." (4.79) "And whatever of comfort ye enjoy, it is from Allah. Then, when misfortune reacheth you, unto Him ye cry for help. And afterward, when He hath rid you of the misfortune, behold! a set of you attribute partners to their Lord." (16.53-54) "Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men's hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return." (30.41) For example, if the currency plummets, this, say the economists, has to do with the trade balance; when our imports exceed in volume or in value our exports there is a foreign trade deficit. Currency reserves are falling. Prices are soaring. And when you have no other choice but to import, you have no other choice but to bear the brunt of high inflation. Import energy (fossil or other), OK ; import machines, OK ; but why all these other imports? Are they all useful, are they all indispensable ? Is it not our way of life that influences our trade balance and therefore our money and our purchasing power? It is easy to say that we have to put an end to certain practices that only maintain a sense of superfluous development. But who will start repairing the damage? If we are told that every year thousands of people join the ranks of the unemployed, or that most jobs are precarious, who is responsible? Who are these people who opt for robotization, for uberization, for off-shoring...? Aren’t they members of our society? Multinationals, who manage them locally?

Many people suffer so much that everyone tends to think that the fault lies with others. I'm just saying that it may be necessary to start by sweeping in front of one’s own door. Wisdom teaches me that one should not complicate things. Even when I want to move up from Islam to Iman, and from Iman to Ihsan, I have to proceed  gently and gradually. The wisest man, the best believer, apart from the prophets, is liable to make mistakes. Man is fallible. One has just to feel sorry and say sorry whenever he falls. One can very well enjoy life within the limits prescribed by the Quran. Allah says: "O ye who believe! Forbid not the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, and transgress not, Lo! Allah loveth not transgressors." (5.87) Why would I spend my time crying and sighing except when it comes to repentance? The ulema, who have understood the Faith, say: (1) Warding off evil takes precedence over bringing benefits. They also say: (2) Necessities permit prohibitions (or Necessity removes restriction). (3) That without which an obligatory duty cannot be done is obligatory. These are (some of) the general rules. If I have good faith I will not break these rules. I will do my best to at least respect the spirit of the Quran. In any case, Allah alone knows what is in my heart and Allah alone will judge me. Wisdom also says that I should not overly raise the level of my faith requirements because I can never know what the future holds for me. It would be better for me to proceed slowly than to suffer within myself from what I am not quite capable of bearing  

 

21

    Love

 

For love some people lost their lives. Others went bankrupt. Some became philosophers. Others went mad. Some wrote books. Others versified. Some hated the whole world save the beloved.

From  the trenches, surrounded by the smell of blood and the fear of an unseen enemy, young soldiers wrote home to say how much they missed the smile of their women (wives and fiancées), how much they longed to go back home and see them again.

From the plane taking them far away, some pick up their mobile phones and say to that dear person back home, “Don’t forget, Katy. I love you. See you soon.”

Some stop somewhere to pick and choose a postcard and words to write on the back of the postcard. Others buy flowers or pullovers or whatever they think would make their beloved happy. Others just don’t bother to buy anything. Not because they are mean. But simply because they cannot find anything that would translate what they feel more than a smile from the bottom of the heart or a tear long held back.

For love some get so happy that they start doing what they never did before. Stingy people become generous. Proud people become humble.

Apparently, neither the colour of skin nor the physical beauty nor even the kindness of the heart or character seems to be a prerequisite for loving or being loved. The Beautiful can love the Beast. For many people love is a wish, but most often it just happens by accident, and when it happens it’s too late for anyone to judge whether the beloved’s ‘qualities’ do match the lover’s secret criteria. Even beauty can’t explain everything. Everybody is potentially loveable. All nations have love stories and love songs.

Whatever the criteria, what is perhaps crazy about love is that it can very often make you love somebody with all his/her physical or other defects. One can even love more than once in one’s life.

If you think about it, it’s really mystical. What’s driving me towards you? What’s in me that makes me attracted to you personally? If you are beautiful, kind, whatever…, you’re not the only one. So why you personally? Is it simply because I came across you in my school, my workplace, my neighbourhood, my family, during my travels…? Why shouldn’t other people love you like I do? Why shouldn’t you love me too? Why should you refuse to marry me while you love me? Why did I love other persons before you and forgot all about them? Any answer to such questions can only be approximate. Love is not always pure. It’s not always absolute. It’s not always naïve. But it’s there, it’s something real. Is it something normal? Or does it hide something? Couldn’t it be a sign for something? Couldn’t it be a message, an indirect message? Hey, look for the qualities in you: don’t wait for your sweetheart to love you. You are loveable in your own right. If you are black, white people have loved black people. If you are handicapped, able-bodied people have loved handicapped people… if you don’t have good looks, good-looking people have loved ‘bad-looking’ people. Just do like a treasure hunter who keeps searching a specific place until he finds the treasure… Is every beautiful bird aware of its beauty? But who is telling me this? Where could this indirect message be from? Is it self-coaching only? Or is it reality?

It may sound strange, but there is more than one Sufi master who tell us that no one has ever loved other than God. Leila, Bouthaina, Azza and all the other legendary women immortalized by Arab poets in their love poetry would in fact be only an image (an incarnation) of divine beauty. Not being able to see God, the poet expresses all his love, his passion, his gratitude,... while addressing a woman, in whom he sees all the beauty, the greatness and the wisdom of the world.

So is it all about Faith? Why should I be different, then? Why did my God make me different? Well, according to the Quran, for example, there’s no difference between a black woman and a white woman, between a handsome man and an ugly man, between a successful engineer and a street vendor, between a disabled person and an able-bodied person. They all have souls. They are all judged according to their deeds: good deeds and bad deeds. Being black, ugly or disabled –that’s just "the first creation" In the Quran we read: "We mete out death among you, and We are not to be outrun, That We may transfigure you and make you what ye know not. And verily ye know the first creation. Why, then, do ye not reflect?" (56.60-62)

 

Flowers are not all alike. Roses are not all alike. Jungle birds are not all alike. But they’re all beautiful.

And if nobody cares about me, if no one offers me a bouquet of flowers or tells me tender words, if no one thinks of me beyond those around me, my parents and siblings...? Does this mean that I do not deserve this ‘little more interest’ that would flatter my ego? Does this mean that there is nothing special about me and that those who are loved are much better than I?

There was a Bedouin man (desert dweller) called Zaahir, and whenever he visited the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), he would bring him a gift from the products of the desert. When he intended to leave Madeenah, the Prophet (pbuh) would give him provisions from the products of the city. The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Zaahir is our Bedouin, and we are his city-dwellers.’ He (pbuh) liked him a lot. Zaahir was not very good looking. The Prophet (pbuh) once approached him while he was selling his merchandise. He hugged him from behind and Zaahir could not see him. Zaahir said: ‘Who is this? Let go of me!’ He turned and found out that it was the Prophet (pbuh), so he straightened his back and pressed it against the chest of the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) then said: ‘Who will buy the slave?’ Zaahir said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you will find no demand for me (i.e. no one would buy me)!’ The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘But you are not so in the sight of Allah;’ or he said: ‘But in the sight of Allah you are valuable.’

Allah says in the Quran: "Wed not idolatresses till they believe; for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you; and give not your daughters in marriage to idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believing slave is better than an idolater though he please you." (2.221) Allah does not speak here about just any woman or man; He speaks about the person you’d share your life with!

Is it un-Islamic, though, to aspire to be loved or to live with someone of one’s own choosing? Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Mughith was a slave.” He said: ‘The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) made intercession for me to her (Barirah)’. The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘O Barirah, fear Allah. He is your husband and father of your child’. She said: ‘Apostle of Allah, do you command me for that?’ He said: ‘No, I am only interceding.’ Then tears were falling down on his (her husband’s) cheeks. The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) said to ‘Abbas: ‘Are you not surprised with the love of Mughith for Barirah and her hatred for him?’”

In the Quran we read: “And of His signs is this: He created for you helpmeets from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo! herein indeed are portents for folk who reflect." (30.21) This means that there should be a minimum of ‘love’, or, say, “accepatability”, between spouses, and this “love and mercy” is a gift from Allah. In other words, love is good.

But love is not a game. Love is scary. In the worst case, the one who loves may be disappointed, shocked, humiliated or even pushed to death. At best, an accident in life (a natural death, for example) may end a long love relationship full of happiness and joy. A real dilemma, isn’t it? Maybe this is a dilemma only in theory. There are lots of people, in all nations and all religions, who love each other, who live happily with their families, who have children, and for whom everything is going well.

This has always been the case since the Babylonians and even before. Where are all these people, where are their palaces, their gardens, their jewels...? There are only words left in poems or drawings on ruined walls or in caves. This told some people that one should rather see what is essential in life. That would be a giant step towards quietude that will make us less dependent on many things that we don’t have, on many people we consider indispensable, irreplaceable.

It seems that we need more love and affection in a time of crisis (or as we advance in age). Sometimes we try to provoke, to arouse this love by caring to the maximum for one’s physical appearance in a desperate attempt to attract attention.

In a time of crisis many people crave affection and tenderness. We can all detect on faces signs of personal traumas and tragedies hidden by insincere smiles. Many people need to feel loved, and what's more natural? What more than a sincere love, a well-intentioned attention, could we use as a lifesaver, a cane to help us move quietly on the bumpy road ahead? But the truth is that there are married people who hate each other while sleeping together. Even those who love one another madly do not always have an easy life. Oh how many lovers are out there making war on a daily basis!

We all need compassion, or some kind of love, one way or another, one day or another. We need to compliment or soothe one another. We all love to hear nice words about us, about our possessions, our cities, our countries. However, there are many people who can live their love on their own and endure separation, as people can endure diabetes or high blood pressure. They say to themselves, when they want to, just what they like to hear. They give themselves importance when nobody is interested in them.

Love teaches wisdom because very often love experiences are full of frustration and missed opportunities. With age, the feeling of love matures and makes us love life as it is without giving up our wildest dreams, just as it makes us love a person with all his/her defects. This kind of love, when possible, would allow one to have some peace of mind, emotional assurance and the ability to smile from the bottom of the heart and see and enjoy what is left of the beauty of the world.

In a garden we gaze at the beautiful flower; we turn a blind eye to the dead one. We clap eyes on the palace and ignore the hut beside. But no (straight) man would ignore a young woman passer-by to see flowers instead. A young woman is more precious than a beautiful flower.

 
In a way, as I said above, we all need some kind of love these days; we need to really feel being in family when we sit at the dinner table, for example: everyone seems separated by TV, smart-phones or other gadgets. There are people who are sick and who need this love. What do they do if nobody is giving them the love they need?

In matters of love, intellectually and spiritually speaking, it is better to be a subject than an object. When we love, we give, we are generous. When we aspire to be loved, by all means, or when we feel loved, we risk falling into pride and greed. When we love we are more sensitive to flowers and songs of birds, to the beauty of orchards, to people and everything in the world we live in. Love tenderizes the heart and strengthens spirituality. With love one can realize one's full humanity. Love helps us extract strength from our weaknesses and resilience from of our setbacks. If we are of the kind who seek the common interest rather than the separating factors, if we are willing to give gracefully, if we do not want to satisfy all our expectations at all costs, if we want to walk hand in hand, in peace and quietude with the one we love, if we do not want to impose anything on the one who loves us, if we are willing to settle differences with smiles and beautiful words, if we do not want to cut ourselves off from the other by arrogating to ourselves the right to impose our way of seeing the world, oh how beautiful and sweet love will be! True, to ask someone who is in distress to think of others is obviously unrealistic, especially if it is the beloved who caused this distress. But love works miracles.

Yes, this kind of love is not always possible between two persons. That’s normal. When one cannot find someone who deserves such kind of love he/she is left with two options: to keep his/her love to oneself or to share it with just anybody else, with mankind.

Suppose you found your perfect match and lived together the happiest life ever. And then you lost everything overnight. What would you do? Would you still care about anything or anybody in the world, after you lost your spouse, your children and everything? Think of Abdul-Rahman Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), one of the most, if not the most ever, distinguished Arab scholar of all times. In his diaries, he said something like this: "Many people here (in Egypt) were jealous of me when I became a Maliki Judge. There came a time when I could not endure anymore, so I asked to be relieved of my duties. Then, I devoted my time to writing and teaching. But I soon missed my family, who were still back in Tunis. The problem is I could not go there because of the Sultan of Tunis. So I asked the Sultan of Egypt to speak with the Sultan of Tunis on my behalf. The latter allowed my family to leave Tunis. They took a ship, but as they neared the Egyptian shore the ship sank, and so all the members of my family were lost…" This happened to Ibn Khaldun when he was old. And yet he remained mentally fit and told us his story. Now, all the distinguished thinkers in my country and in the Arab world were influenced in one way or another by the writings of Ibn Khaldun. They all care about his thoughts; hardly anyone gives a thought to his personal story.

For many people, such an unfortunate end would be the end of one’s life:no more hope, no more dreams, no more goals. For people like Ibn Khaldoun life ends only when the soul leaves the body. But should one be like Ibn Khaldoun so as to approach life in this manner? What did Ibn Khaldoun have that allowed him to move forward? Two things: the Faith and a certain knowledge of the world. We can all have this kind of thing, if we want to. I am speaking here about people like you and me, who read and think.

How can faith and knowledge help us when our life is blocked like a road in a war zone, when all barriers are erected before us? Well, they can help us “impersonalize” the whole thing. If I lost my love, the best love in the world, is only one pleasure among many. I can have pleasure by another means. If I lost a loved one, I ask myself: what if I lost myself?If I suddenly found myself in danger of death, would I think of that loved one I lost or would I think of my soul only? Do I miss, cry over, that loved one because I believe he/she should have lived longer or because I want him/her for myself, to be forever by my side? Is it an altruistic or an egoistic feeling? Well, when we impersonalize life we break down all egoistic barriers that prevent us from moving forward.

Do you think Ibn Khaldoun did not weep when he got the news? Even the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) shed tears when he lost his son Ibrahim. Jacob, too, cried when he lost his son Joseph. But Ibn Khaldoun did not have one family, his family? He had a much, much larger family: the family of readers; you and I are members of that family. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Jacob (pbuh) did not live for their family only, for themselves only: they lived for a much, much larger family, for mankind. You and I are part of this large family. Therefore, you see childless people help the children of other people; you see blind authors write for seeing people; you see poor artists entertain rich people;you see destitute bricklayers build houses for the wealthy; you see unemployed persons volunteer to give joy to people who have jobs.

But is altruism very far from egoism? Not really. I can help others and at the same time have pleasure in doing so. This pleasure is my pay. Even when I do something for the sake of God, I can rightly and legitimately hope to have something good in return. In the Quran we read: "Lo! Allah loseth not the wages of the good." (9.120)

The world is all about beauty and greatness. Man aspires to beauty and greatness. When we are not beautiful ourselves, we strive to get somebody or something beautiful. When we can't be great, we identify to somebody or something great.

Men want beautiful women and women want handsome men. Both want beautiful children, a lot of money for housing, for education, for food and leisure. They want big cars, and property in the countryside...to impress friend and foe. They want the comfort of the life of the world as a sign of success, of greatness. Hence our trials in this world, in Arabic ibtila. Some are tried by having these things, others by being deprived of them. Allah says in the Quran: "Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode." (3.14) "Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal." (21.35) "And We have appointed some of you a test for others: Will ye be steadfast? And thy Lord is ever Seer." (25.20)

Now, what does Islam say about beauty? The Quran gives an example of extreme beauty: Joseph, great grand-son of Abraham. “And women in the city said: The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an ill-deed. Indeed he has smitten her to the heart with love. We behold her in plain aberration. And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them! And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah Blameless! This is not a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel. She said: This is he on whose account ye blamed me.” (12.30-32)

There’s yet a much more compelling beauty that we could hardly, if ever, conceive of: the Houris, Heavenly Maidens. The Quran describes them “(In beauty) like the jacinth and the coral-stone.” (55.58) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "The marrow of the bones of the wives' legs will be seen through the flesh out of excessive beauty." Can you imagine them? But that’s not all. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Allah is Beautiful, He loves beauty.” Can we imagine Allah’s beauty even in a dream? Of course not. “Vision comprehendeth Him not, but He comprehendeth (all) vision.” (6.103) “And when Moses came to Our appointed tryst and his Lord had spoken unto him, he said: My Lord! Show me (Thy Self) , that I may gaze upon Thee. He said: Thou wilt not see Me, but gaze upon the mountain! If it stand still in its place, then thou wilt see Me. And when his Lord revealed (His) glory to the mountain He sent it crashing down. And Moses fell down senseless.” (7.143) If we can’t see the beauty of Allah Himself, we can – and ought to – see the beauty Allah created in the universe and in ourselves. Our –   human – beauty is only an instance of that beauty. Allah says: "And wherein is beauty for you, when ye bring them home, and when ye take them out to pasture." (16.6) "…and have caused of every lovely kind to grow thereon" (50.7) "We cause to spring forth joyous orchards" (27.60) "And verily We have beautified the world's heaven with lamps" (67.5) "And verily in the heaven we have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders." (15.16) "…and (We bring forth) gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon its ripening. Lo! herein verily are portents for a people who believe." (6.99) The purpose is clear: man should meditate on the signs that Allah made in His Creation. “And whatsoever He hath created for you in the earth of divers hues, lo! therein is indeed a portent for people who take heed.” (16.13)

Why are all peacocks beautiful? Usually, female peacocks prefer strong rather than "beautiful" peacocks. Why are some hens more beautiful than others? Maybe there are some that prefer certain shapes or colours. But does a rooster choose a hen for its beautiful plumage? In any case, these beautiful colours are made for us : "A vision and a reminder for every penitent slave." (50.8) Beauty endears the faith to the believer's heart. "It was said unto her: Enter the hall. And when she saw it she deemed it a pool and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: Lo! it is a hall, made smooth, of glass. She said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged myself, and I surrender with Solomon unto Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (27.44) Allah says in the Quran: "O Children of Adam! Look to your adornment at every place of worship." (7.31) Would it be OK if you went to a wedding party in your best clothes and to a mosque in a shabby attire?

In a mosque you'd see people with more or less different colours, who speak different languages, etc. "And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Lo! herein indeed are portents for men of knowledge." (30.21) "And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and colours. Surely in this are signs indeed for people who have knowledge" (30.22) "…and We produce therewith fruit of divers hues; and among the hills are streaks white and red, of divers hues, and (others) raven-black; And of men and beasts and cattle, in like manner, divers hues? The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving." (35.27-28) That's because it’s Allah, "The Originator of the heavens and the earth" and "the Creator of the heavens and the earth", Who "multiplieth in creation what He will. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things." (35.1) "When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is." (2.117) He is capable not only of creating, but also of inventing and diversifying. “He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner." (59.24)

Indeed, diversity is part of the beauty that Allah made in this world. You may be stunned to see how many colours are in tomatoes and eggplants, for example. And you would comfortably eat vegetables and fruits and meat of widely different colours. How would I know that this person is Chinese if he looks exactly like a Swedish or like an Indian American, or speaks exactly like an Irish man or a Moroccan Berber? Allah says: "O mankind! Lo! We have created you from male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." (49.13) "And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Lo! herein indeed are portents for men of knowledge." (30..2) Does this mean that a Chinese person is worth less than or worth more than a person from another country? Not necessarily. In the Quran we read: "And in the Earth are neighbouring tracts, vineyards and ploughed lands, and date-palms, like and unlike, which are watered with one water. And we have made some of them to excel others in fruit. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who have sense." (13.4) First and foremost, it’s a question of ‘innocent’, ‘innocuous’ diversity. After that we can, yes, talk of some kind of differentiation, but not favouritism as we may understand it. The Quran says it explicitly: “And Allah hath favoured some of you above others in provision.” (16.71) “See how We prefer one of them above another, and verily the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment.” (17.21) "And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others." (4.32) So should I take offense when I see that Allah favoured somebody over me in terms of physical beauty or health or worldly possessions or power, etc.? Allah says: "And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others." (4.32) Allah even preferred some messengers above others. “Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree.” (2. 253)

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Look at those who are lower than you but do not look at those who are higher than you, lest you belittle the favours Allah conferred upon you.” Unless I think maliciously I have to compare myself to other creatures first before comparing myself to my fellow humans. Allah says: “Verily we have honoured the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment.” (17.70) A cat can eat what I spit, but I would never eat what a cat spits.

Besides, “preferment” is not necessarily pre-determined. You could buy a good car (of your own choosing) then find out that you could have bought a much better one with the same amount of money if and if and if. Idem for your house, your school, your shirt, your spouse, etc. Who would you blame, then, for something you decided yourself? Worse, you may be beautiful and your spouse beautiful too but your children turn out to be less beautiful than the children of a couple with no good looks at all. You could be smart and your spouse smart too but your kids turn out to be less smart than the kids of an illiterate couple. A son may be less handsome/smart than his brother and a daughter may be less beautiful/smart than her sister.

So where do we go from here? There’s the problem of beauty; there’s the problem of love; there’s the problem of choice. Should I, for example, see to it that I only “choose” to marry somebody who is beautiful and who loves me? What if my spouse were neither beautiful nor did she love me? Would that be a sign that that’s exactly what I am worth? Then, in this case, it would be my own responsibly. If I regard it as an absolute precondition that my future spouse be of the kind I dream of, then I don’t marry and I spare myself the trouble. If I can see in myself my own qualities, if I can value myself independently of what others may think of me, then I won’t see in my spouse “egoistic” signs that I am worth something. I am worth what I am worth. My wife is worth what she is worth. And yet the helpmeet I would “choose” may give me an idea about myself. Allah says in the Quran: “Vile women are for vile men, and vile men for vile women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women.” (24.26)

So instead of being constantly obsessed with what I am worth in my own eyes or in the sight of humans like me I'd rather look higher than us all. "The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein praise Him, and there is not a thing but hymneth His praise; but ye understand not their praise. Lo! He is ever Clement, Forgiving." (17.44) The Prophet (pbuh) said: "None of you is a believer till I am dearer to him than his child, his father and the whole of mankind."

Our actions are not always justifiable by analytical reasoning. Think of love at first sight, for example. Also beauty is very often relative. "There's no beauty without blemish," as the Moroccan proverb goes. Even the most beautiful woman gets old and loses her youth and beauty and the most handsome man gets old and loses his strength and virility.

The problem is that, at our time of weakness, we may be afraid of not being up to it. Self-acceptance is not always obvious. We all know, for example, that the plastic surgery industry is worth billions of dollars. And millions of people around the world are struggling with extra weight on a daily basis.

What may be shocking, perhaps, is that a true believer would never be "satisfied" completely and sincerely with a beauty of this world, be it a human face or body, or any kind of material possessions. A true believer is an ambitious believer, one who aspires to what is better. But a true believer is a human like all human beings, with more or less the same primordial impulses. Allah says : "Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode." (3.14) This applies to all men. The differentiation comes afterwards. "Say: Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who keep from evil, with their Lord, are Gardens underneath which rivers flow wherein they will abide, and pure companions, and contentment from Allah. Allah is Seer of His bondmen." (3.15) "Is he whom We have promised a fair promise which he will find (true) like him whom We suffer to enjoy awhile the comfort of the life of the world, then on the Day of Resurrection he will be of those arraigned?" (28.61) "And strain not thine eyes toward that which We cause some wedded pairs among them to enjoy, the flower of the life of the world, that We may try them thereby. The provision of thy Lord is better and more lasting." (20.131) The differentiation comes with the faith. When I believe that, one day, I will be entitled to what is better than the best thing I can have in this world, I curb, as best as I can, my desires, wishes and whims and would be pleased with what I have. The French say: "When we do not have what we love we love what we have." That's true for a true believer, too, with the slight nuance that a true believer accepts what he has out of belief, not out of resignation.  When I have this belief I rid myself of all psychological complexes and take pleasure in doing my duty, in living my life serenely within my faith.

Allah wants me to be at peace with myself. He said to the Prophet (pbuh) : “…so let not thy soul expire in sighings for them.” (35.8) And to all of us : “Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being – Lo! that is easy for Allah - That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given.” (58.22-23) Allah even wants me, as a believer,  to be fit physically. Hence my rest and sleep. “Have they not seen how We have appointed the night that they may rest therein, and the day sight-giving?” (27.86) “He it is Who hath appointed for you the night that ye should rest.” (10.67) “O Children of Adam! Look to your adornment at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but be not prodigal.” (7.31)

Even when I get into trouble as punishment for my sins I should not worry myself to death. Allah says : “And when We cause mankind to taste of mercy they rejoice therein; but if an evil thing befall them as the consequence of their own deeds, lo! they are in despair! See they not that Allah enlargeth the provision for whom He will, and straiteneth (it for whom He will). Lo! herein indeed are portents for folk who believe. ” (30.36-37) “Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39.53) To soothe  my soul I have easy tools. Allah says: “There is no God save Me. So serve Me and establish worship for My remembrance.” (20.14) "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!" (13 .28)

If I am lucky to have just the right spouse with whom I can live in peace and love, that’s great. If I can’t find that, what do I do? Self-flagellate or blame others for my woes? Or rather look for the love I want, the beauty I want, in myself, in my soul? Self-esteem is more precious than anybody's love or beauty. I can find all that in myself and be happy with what I am, with what I have. And at the same time I can be ambitious without wanting to set the bar too high.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) slept on a hard bed, lived on bread and dates, and once he had to roam the streets at night simply because he felt too hungry to stay at home. And yet his followers managed to build great (ambitious) empires. He could have made for himself a heaven on earth had he so willed, even if it meant waging bloody wars.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wanted to be a man of the people, not of the happy few. He wanted to set an example. A governor came before Caliph Umar Ibn al-Khattab and offered him cakes. Umar said to him: “Do all people in your region eat such good cakes?” How on earth could a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) eat cakes which only the haves could afford? But that’s Caliph Umar, not you and me.