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?
