ALLAH PUTS US TO TESTS BUT WE FAIL

Remembering Peshawar School Attack

It’ll Get Worse

Before It Gets Better

Allah Puts Us To Tests But

We Fail Every Test!

And Still Claim To Be Muslims!

(M. Javed Naseem)

يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُكُمْ

عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَاسِرُونَ
“O you who believe! Let not your wealth nor

your children distract you from remembrance

of Allah. Those who do so, they are the losers.”

(al-Quran 63:9)

Loyalty, faithfulness, honesty and sincerity are the basic ingredients of Faith. In our Faith (Islam) we believe that Allah (our Lord) is the Supreme Creator, the King of Kings, the Controller of the Heavens & the Earth and whatever is in between; the Lord of the Worlds, the ‘Rabb-al-Aalameen’. To Him belongs everything that we have the knowledge of, and He has the dominion over all things known or unknown, seen or unseen. All affairs return to Him and so do we. One day, the Day of Judgment, we’ll be standing before Him answering questions.

In Faith, we acknowledge that we believe in Allah and we pledge our loyalty to Him. But that’s not enough. Allah wants proof. We need to show our fidelity and faithfulness by good deeds and by our practical life. We have to be consistent in our good deeds and show patient perseverance. Allah gives us tests from time to time to make sure that we remain faithful servants/slaves to Him.

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوۤاْ أَن يَقُولُوۤاْ آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفْتَنُونَ
“Do men think that they will be left alone

on saying, "We believe", and that

they will not be tested?”

(al-Quran 29:2)

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ

ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَاذِبِينَ
“We did test those before them, and Allah

will certainly know those who are true,

from those who are false.”

(al-Quran 29:3)

وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْمُنَافِقِينَ
“And Allah most certainly knows those who

believe, and as certainly those who are Hypocrites.”

(al-Quran 29:11)

There are thousands of universities, colleges and educational institutions that impart education to a maximum number of human beings in this world. But in spite of that, most people in this world don’t know the purpose of their lives on this planet Earth. It’s a pity! The man-made education cuts off the connecting thread between the Creator and the Creation. Once we are disconnected, we are lost.

It’s so funny and ironical at the same time that we are trying to establish this connection by flying to the Moon and the Mars! We have long term plans to penetrate the heavens but we are unable to see inside ourselves. There’s the connection right there! Again, we cannot see it because we are programmed through our secular education, right from our childhood, to ignore that which is inside us. We follow the man-made books and these books tell us only how to make money and live comfortably in this world. The book that guarantees us the guidance, blessing and the cure of our spiritual diseases (the Quran), is kept at bay. We don’t follow that. And that’s the biggest and most blatant act of infidelity and disobedience.

That Book (the Quran) is the ‘God’s Prescription’ for all of our worldly ailments and has been prescribed by the Lord Creator, Allah, Himself. That Book also helps us to make connection with our Creator and live a peaceful life.

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People are driven by lusts and

motivated by personal interests.

Even the family relations have

lost love and mercy. It is all

about material benefits.

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The world has been fragmented and the controllers of each fragment are conspiring to attain or annex more for their material (political and economic) benefits. Everybody is fighting for his own material interests, violating the rights of others, without caring about the lives and properties of others. They don’t even hesitate to spill blood. And today, if you look down from the skies, you see the blood streams in every town, in every country.

It’s the blood of mostly innocent people, the children, the women, the elderly and the weak. The word ‘mercy’ has lost its meanings!

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said: If you are not merciful to others, Allah will not be merciful to you on the Day of Judgment. Looks like that it is happening even before the Day of Judgment. Allah has left us in the ignorance because we don’t seek His guidance. Allah has left us in the Haraam because we don’t seek His help for the Halaal. Allah has left us in merciless bloodshed because we chose so. We don’t repent and don’t seek His mercy. And this is the biggest test/trial for all humans on this earth. Allah wants to see how we handle that and what we do to end the corruption, mischief, bloodshed and evil in the Earth.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوفْ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ

مِّنَ ٱلأَمَوَالِ وَٱلأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّابِرِينَ 
“Be sure we shall test you with something of

fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or

the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings

to those who patiently persevere.”

(al-Quran 2:155)

لِّيَسْأَلَ ٱلصَّادِقِينَ عَن صِدْقِهِمْ وَأَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً
“That He may ask the loyal of their loyalty. And

He has prepared a painful doom for the unfaithful.”

Shakir’s version:

“That He may question the truthful

of their truthfulness, and He has prepared

for the unbelievers a painful punishment.”

(al-Quran 33:8) 

There’s the light at the end of the tunnel. There’s hope as Allah conveys us the ‘glad tidings’ if we stay on the right path with patience, perseverance and prayer. As a faithful, sincere and loyal servants/slaves of our Creator Lord, we are expected to say on losing a life or property: ‘It came from Allah and it went back to Allah’. It was Allah’s property; He gave it to us, and He can take it back whenever He wills. We are supposed to say, “Thank You, Allah” (Alhamd-o-lillah) in every situation and under all circumstances. Allah takes one thing back and gives us another, even better. But He always tests our Faith (Iman), our loyalty and our truthfulness.

يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُكُمْ

عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَاسِرُونَ

“O you who believe! Let not your wealth nor

your children distract you from remembrance

of Allah. Those who do so, they are the losers.”

(al-Quran 63:9)

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْبَاقِيَاتُ

ٱلصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَاباً وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلاً
“Wealth and children are an ornament of the

life of the world. But the good deeds which

endure, are better in your Lord's sight for

reward, and better in respect of hope.”

(al-Quran 18:46)

Allah has made it very clear in the above verses what’s better for us in this world and in the Hereafter. It’s the obedience that matters as through obedience to Allah, we are going to perform good deeds. These good deeds are our ‘surety bonds’ in the Hereafter.

We are born in this world and we’ll die in it but during our tenure here we are supposed to follow the commands of Allah. We need to work in this world to carry some assets over to the next and everlasting world – the Hereafter. So, we need to accumulate and put as much ‘right stuff’ as possible in our ‘savings bank’. This capital would be multiplied and coupled with a special reward from the Most Merciful to get us through to Paradise. Mind it! It’s neither wealth nor children!

وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَمَتَاعُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا

وَزِينَتُهَا وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ
“And whatsoever you have been given is a

comfort of the life of the world and an ornament

thereof; and that which Allah has is better and

more lasting. Have you then no sense?”

(al-Quran 28:60)

Allah provides with the sources, resources and with money so that we could put it to good use and prepare for the Hereafter. This world is a resting place during a long journey and not the destination. Allah commands us:

وَٱبْتَغِ فِيمَآ آتَاكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلآخِرَةَ وَلاَ تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ

مِنَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلاَ تَبْغِ ٱلْفَسَادَ

فِى ٱلأَرْضِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
"But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has

bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter,

nor forget your portion in this world, but do

good, as Allah has been good to you, and

seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land,

for Allah loves not those who do mischief."

(al-Quran 28:77)

But ‘mischief’ or ‘evil’ is also the part of life. We humans, very easily, fall into the Devil’s traps. Under his influence, we spread corruption and mischief in the world. We promote injustice and violate others’ rights. By doing that, we not only disobey Allah but also fail the test of truthfulness or loyalty.

As a matter of fact, we fail these tests most of the times, if not always.

When Allah says that we should not follow the footsteps of Shaitan, we fail there.

When Allah says that we should enjoin good and forbid evil, we fail there too.

When Allah says that we should stop the oppression and help the oppressed, we fail in that test also.

When Allah says that we should help our Muslim brothers, the victims of aggression, to fight the aggression through Jihad, we fail again.

When Allah says that we should feed our hungry brethren, give clothing and shelter to the homeless and help the sick, we fail miserably in that test too.

So, where do we stand with Allah? How can we ask Allah for victory against the Kaafireen (unbelievers) when we ourselves are not practicing Muslims? We have become a nation of Munafiqeen (Hypocrites).

Since we have failed and never tried to rectify the situation, this evil of corruption, injustice, oppression, aggression, poverty and hunger has swelled into a gigantic monster that we are unable to handle. We do nothing but we look up to Allah to fix these problems for us. It’s not going to happen. Allah commands us:

وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلْبرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلإِثْمِ

وَٱلْعُدْوَانِ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ آلْعِقَابِ

“Help one another in righteousness and piety,

but help not one another in sin and rancor.

Fear Allah, for Allah is strict in punishment.”

(al-Quran 5:2)

We make no effort to change the plight of the Ummah and pray that Allah improve our situation. But Allah has already shown us the way:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
“… Lo! Allah changes not the condition of a

people until they (first) change that which is

in their hearts…”

(al-Quran 13:11)

Let’s not allow these tragedies and mishaps or conspiracies to stop you from moving forward! Just learn your lesson from them and move on with a new resolve! Life goes on and time never stops for any one. But time never forgives those who don’t learn their lesson. Open the history books and see the proof! People are driven by their lusts and personal interests.

فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَكَ فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّالِمِينَ

“But if they hearken not to you, know that

they only follow their own lusts: and who is

more astray than one who follow his own lusts,

devoid of guidance from Allah? For Allah

guides not the wrong-doing people.”

(al-Quran 28:50)

Today, the relations are judged on the scale of ‘interest’. Everything is motivated by personal, political or financial interest. People go for material benefits. There are parents in this world who sell their children; some send their daughters to prostitution; some kill them. There are children who are only interested in their parents’ wealth and property; they don’t respect or serve them; there are those who even kill them. It’s like dogs fighting over bones. This is the End Time!

Here are some of the signs of the End Time: Narrated Abu Huraira (r.a.a.) that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

“Time will pass rapidly; good deeds will

decrease; miserliness will be thrown (in the

hearts of the people); afflictions will

appear; and there will be much “Al-Harj”.

People asked: “O Allah’s Apostle!

What is ‘Al-Harj’?” The Prophet (s.a.w.)

said: “Killing! Killing(or bloodshed)!”

(Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 88, No. 183)

                                                     

According to another Hadith, narrated by Abu Musa (r.a.a.), the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

“Near the establishment of the Hour, there

will be days during which (religious) knowledge

will be taken away (vanish) and general

ignorance will spread, and there will be

Al-Harj in abundance, and

Al-Harj means killing.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 88, No. 185)

Are we seeing and experiencing some of these signs yet? If not, then we must be blind and cannot be rescued.

يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُواْ قَوْلاً سَدِيداً

“O you who believe! Be careful of (your

duty to) Allah and speak the right word!”

(al-Quran 33:70)

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