SEEKING LUXURIES Of This Life Is Like Seeking Hell.

 

Seeking Luxuries

Of This Life Is Like

Seeking Hell!

Life of This World Is

A Test, An Illusion!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“What is the life of this world but play and

amusement? But best is the home in the

Hereafter, for those who are righteous.

Will you not then understand?”

(al-Quran 6:32)

We are all sinners but the best sinners are those who repent and ask Allah for forgiveness. The Most Merciful always forgives us if we honestly and sincerely beg for His mercy. But the worst sinners are those who, in their arrogance and ignorance, don’t repent and keep doing evil. They don’t remember that one day they’ll be standing in front of their Creator to answer question. That will be the Day of Justice or Judgment.

It’s during election time that candidates try to expose other candidates. Corruption is brought to light; secret love affairs or marriages are disclosed; black-money and off-shore accounts are discussed; malpractices are publicized and candidate’s own good points and achievements are highlighted. Every candidate condemns the failures and evil practices of the opposition. Everybody tries to get the best publicity and exposure in the media using all his financial, social and political resources. To tell you the truth, every politician is corrupt and selfish. They all work for themselves and for the benefit of their families or friends. But people are so stupid and naive that every time they fall into the trap and compromise with corruption and evil.

We love to blame the system and the society for all evils. In fact, we are part of the problem. We are trying to accumulate as much wealth and material property as possible – and as quickly as possible too – by all means (Halal or Haram). In the process we don’t care about how much misery, pain, trouble and discomfort we bring to others – as long as it is not happening to us. And on top of it, every one of us is complaining about the corruption and injustice in the world, as if only others are responsible for that. We have become irresponsible hypocrites.

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You are one step away from the grave

(death)! You have very little time to work

on your Hereafter! Try to please Allah

with your good deeds and maximum

charity before Death knocks you out!

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Today, people run for public office because of its material benefits, clout, power or authority, perks, luxury life and above all chances of making endless money. People fight for that fiercely and put their lives at stake too. This worldly life is so important to them that they would go any length (even killing people) to achieve it. They are misguided souls. They did not learn any lesson from life, from books, from their parents’ lives, nor from the society. They are in the bad business and on the Day of Judgment, they would have to answer questions about corruption, about every misdeed, every injustice and every transgression.

“These are the people who buy the life

of this world at the price of the Hereafter.

Their penalty shall not be lightened,

nor shall they be helped.”

(al-Quran 2:86)

There is a very beautiful small chapter (Surah) in the Quran on this subject and it is called at-Takathur (or al-Takassur), meaning: Rivalry in material accumulation, or competition, or hoarding. It has only 8 short verses. In those verses Allah wakes you up and shakes you up by saying:

“The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things

of this world) diverts you (from the more serious

things), until you visit the graves. But nay, you

soon shall know (the reality). Again, you soon

shall know! Nay, were you to know with certainty

of mind, (you would beware!) You shall certainly

see Hellfire! Again, you shall see it with certainty

of sight! Then, shall you be questioned

that Day about the joy (you indulged in!).”

(al-Quran 102:1-8)

The Bible says:

“You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” – (James 4:4)

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” – (1 John 2:17)

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” – (Mark 8:36)

As a matter of fact, it is our greed that is responsible for all our problems. Allah the Almighty has created this world with plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains and other foods. It is more than enough for our consumption. But we monopolize the food business to starve one community or one country to get richer and richer. Greed knows no bounds.

God is infinite Truth and He is also the infinite Love – pure and incorruptible! So, He likes His world pure and without corruption. The Almighty sent different Prophets and Messengers during different eras to eradicate the evil of ignorance and spread the enlightenment so that people follow the path of piety and righteousness. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) appeared with the same mission like his predecessors to guide people to the right path. In the Quran, Allah commanded the man on many occasions with plain and simple words: “And don’t spread corruption (or mischief) in the earth!” Unfortunately, the man proved, on every occasion, that he is disobedient and ungrateful to God; he is ignorant, unjust, corrupt and dishonest. He loves wealth and his own family and does not mind hurting and killing other people/families for the purpose of his own material gains.

People appreciate simple life but nobody wants to live a simple life. We chase luxuries of life and try to copy the ‘rich and famous’ to impress others. Most of us talk but don’t care about the Hereafter, nor do we work for that. Allah the Almighty reminds us in the Quran:

“Your wealth and your children are

only a trial; but in the presence

of Allah, is the highest reward.

(al-Quran 64:15)

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THE LAST HAJJ SERMON: The First Charter of Human Rights.

 

The Last Hajj Sermon of

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)

Was The First Charter of

Human Rights

(M. Javed Naseem)

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) undertook his farewell pilgrimage to Makkah in the year 10 A.H. It was the first and the last pilgrimage made by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Thousands of people from far and near joined the gathering (as per one estimate: 114,000) because this pilgrimage served as a model to perform the fifth pillar of the Faith – Hajj. Every Muslim wanted to see how Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) performed the rituals; and the faithful have been emulating him since then.

On the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, the Prophet (s.a.w.) left with his companions for Mina and spent the night there, and on the 9th, after the Fajr (dawn) prayer, He proceeded to the Plains of Arafat where he delivered the famous sermon.

It was a declaration of Human Rights and moral values, a charter of women’s rights. The world has not been able to lay down better principles of ethics and morality than those enunciated in it. It aims at establishing righteousness, justice and fair dealing among men on a workable basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslims irrespective of the divergence of their geographical, racial and color backgrounds, and provides an outline of a social order, perfectly free from oppression and social injustice. It was the declaration of finality of the Holy Messenger’s Prophet-hood. It was at that point that Allah also declared that on that particular day, HE had perfected this ‘Deen’ called Islam, thus leaving no room for any changes or alterations.

But man happens to be wicked and corrupt. He takes the bait from Shaitan (Devil) quickly and plays the fool, forgetting God. He corrupted the Scriptures and altered/edited the Divine Message of every prophet or messenger of God, to suit his own comfortable worldly life. So, he altered the text of this sermon of the Prophet (s.a.w.) too, despite the fact that there were more than 100,000 (as per one narration: 114,000) people listening/watching as ‘eye witnesses’ to this historic event.

Here’s the text of the Final Sermon! I am just hoping and praying to Allah that I made the right selection, Insha-Allah.

"All praise is due to Allah, so we praise Him, and seek His pardon and we turn to Him. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and from the evil consequences of our deeds. Whom Allah guides aright there is none to lead him astray; and there is none to guide him aright whom Allah leaves astray. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, the One, having no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and to Him is due all praise. He grants life and causes death and is Powerful over everything. There is no God but Allah, the One; He fulfilled His promise and granted victory to His bondsmen, and He alone routed the confederates (enemies of Islam)”.

“O People! Listen to my words carefully, for I do not know whether we shall ever meet again and perform Hajj after this year”.

"O people! Allah says: 'O people! We created you from one male and one female and made you into tribes and nations, so as to be known to one another.' Verily, in the sight of Allah, the most honored among you is the one who is most pious (God-fearing). There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for the white over the black, nor for the black over the white, except in righteousness (God-consciousness)."

“All mankind is the progeny of Adam and Adam was fashioned out of clay. Behold! Every claim of privilege, whether that of blood or property, is under my heels except that of the custody of the Kaabah and supplying of water to the pilgrims”.

“O people of Quraish! Don’t appear (on the Day of Judgment) with the burden of this world around your necks, whereas other people may appear (before the Lord) with the rewards of the hereafter. In that case I shall avail you naught against Allah”.

“Behold! All practices of the days of ignorance are now under my feet. The blood revenges of the days of ignorance are remitted. The first claim on blood I abolish is that of Ibn Rabiah bin Harith who was nursed in the tribe of Saad and whom the Hudhayls killed”.

“All interest and usurious dues accruing from the times of ignorance stand wiped out. And the first amount of interest that I remit is that which Abbas ibn Abd-al Muttalib had to receive. Verily it is remitted entirely”.

“O people! Verily your blood, your property and your honor are sacred and inviolable until you appear before your Lord, as the sacred inviolability of this day of yours, this month of yours and this very town (of yours). Verily, you will soon meet your Lord and you will be held answerable for your actions”.

“O people! Verily you have got certain rights over your women and your women have certain rights over you. It is your right upon them to honor their conjugal rights, and not to commit acts of impropriety, which if they do, you are authorized by Allah to separate them from your beds and chastise them, but not severely, and if they refrain, then clothe and feed them properly”.

“Behold! It is not permissible for a woman to give anything from the wealth of her husband to anyone but with his consent”.

“Treat women kindly since they are your helpers and are not in a position to manage their affairs by themselves! Fear Allah concerning women, for verily, you have taken them on the security of Allah and have made their persons lawful unto you by words of Allah”.

“O people! Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has ordained to every one his due share (of inheritance). Hence there is no need (of special) testament for an heir (departing from the rules laid down by the Shariah)”.

“He who attributes his ancestry to other than his father or claims his clientship to other than his master, the curse of Allah is upon him”.

“All debts must be repaid, all borrowed property must be returned, gifts should be reciprocated and a surety must make good the loss to the assured”.

“Beware! No one committing a crime is responsible for it but himself. Neither the child is responsible for the crime of his father, nor is the father responsible for the crime of his child”.

“Nothing of his brother is lawful for a Muslim except what he himself gives willingly. So do not wrong yourselves”.

“O People! Every Muslim is the brother of every other Muslim, and all the Muslims form one brotherhood. And as for your slaves, see that you feed them with such food as you eat yourselves, and clothe them with the clothes that you yourselves wear”.

“Take heed not to go astray after me and strike one another’s necks. He who (among you) has any trust with him, he must return it to its owner”.

“O people! Listen and obey, though a mangled Abyssinian slave is appointed your Ameer, provided he executes (the Ordinance of) the Book of Allah among you”.

“O people! No Prophet would be raised after me and no new Ummah (would be formed) after you”.

“Verily, I have left among you that which will never lead you astray, the Book of Allah, which if you hold fast, you shall never go astray”.

“And beware of transgressing the limits set in the matters of religion, for it is transgression of (the proper bounds of) religion that brought destruction to many people before you”.

“Verily, the Satan is disappointed at ever being worshiped in this land of yours, but he will be pleased by obedience in anything (short of worship that is) in matters you may be disposed to think insignificant, so beware of him in your matters of religion”.

“Behold! Worship your Lord; offer prayers five times a day; observe fast in the month of Ramadan; pay readily the Zakat (poor-due) on your property; and perform pilgrimage to the House of God and obey your rulers and you will be admitted to the Paradise of your Lord”.

“Let him that is present, convey it unto him who is absent, for many people to whom the message is conveyed may be more mindful of it than this audience”.

Then he asked the audience: “And if you were asked about me, what would you say?"

They answered: "We bear witness that you have conveyed the trust (of religion) and discharged your ministry of Prophet-hood and looked to our welfare."

Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) lifted his forefinger towards the sky and then pointing towards people said:

"O Lord! Bear You witness unto it".

"O Lord! Bear You witness unto it".

(From the ‘Khutbat-ul-Hajjatul Wida’, Seerat Ibne Hesham)

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THE DAY OF SACRIFICE: We Pledged Our Lives To Allah For Paradise.

 

Eid Kabeer: The Day of Sacrifice

We Pledged Our Lives

To Allah For Paradise!

How Can We Then Disobey?

(M. Javed Naseem)

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Eid al-Adha

If sacrificing a goat/sheep/cow means

something to you, then try to sacrifice

your desires, greed and pride to please

Allah. It means a lot more!

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Allah is the Supreme Creator and we (humans) are His marvelous creation. Some say, 'He is the Father and we are His children'; while the others say, 'He is the Master and we are His slaves'. Both groups mean the same. Allah is the Supreme controller Who is running this universe and we are His subjects, created to worship Him, obey Him and sing His praise. If He is pleased with us, He'll reward us with Paradise; but if He is not pleased because of our disobedience or rebellion, He'll punish us with Hellfire. And He has made it clear in all Scriptures and Holy Books through different Prophets and Messengers. He expects obedience and righteousness from us.

“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers

their lives and their properties (in exchange) for

that they will have Paradise. They fight in the

cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. (It is)

a true promise (binding) upon Him in the Torah

and the Gospel and the Quran. And who is truer

to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your

transaction which you have contracted. And it is

that which is the great achievement.”

(al-Quran 9:111)

What a bargain! What a business! When we do business with Allah, we never lose. It is only a win-win situation. A saint once said: 'When all business fails, do business with Allah!' That's the business which never fails and never runs into losses. As a matter of fact, that is the business which guarantees profits and no losses at all. Spend in the way of Allah and you'll reap multiple rewards.

What is 'doing business with Allah'? The answer in plain words is: Doing everything for Allah. In other words, you are living and dying for Allah. You seek only His pleasure, His guidance, His help and His approval. Nothing else matters. We are Allah’s subjects (or God’s children) and He prescribed for us a system of life (Deen) for our tenure in this world. That system of life is like a pledge for all of us who believe in His sovereignty. Allah commands us in the Quran:

“Say, 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice,

my living and my dying are (all) for Allah,

the Lord of the worlds.'”

(al-Quran 6:162)

When we do that, we can have anything we wish for, because Allah is pleased with us and He can do all things. As obedient servants to Allah, we should be working hard to secure the good life of the Hereafter using all the facilities and tools available to us in this material but temporary world. In this world, we are just like waiting in the transit lounge. This is an important journey, so let’s not spoil this journey by beating about the bush. Get to the point!

When we do something good for others, Allah gives us manifold rewards for that deed. We can use all our resources and talents to accumulate as much rewards for the Hereafter as possible. This world is like an open field for us and it is up to us how we play the game. Temporary success in this world (becoming wealthy and living luxurious life) is not important as it is material. We can amass rewards for our good deeds even when we are financially poor. Even a little effort made to help somebody or a very little amount spent in the way of Allah can bring us tremendous rewards.

“The example of those who spend their wealth

in the way of Allah is like a seed (of grain)

which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a

a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies (His

reward) for whom He wills. And Allah is

all-Encompassing and Knowing.”

(al-Quran 2:261)

Spending in the way of Allah (to please Him and help the needy humans) is charity and charity is the best way to wash out our sins. It brings us multiple rewards (mininum of 10-fold), the maximum of which has no limits. Allah says:

“And whoever believes in Allah and does

righteousness - He will remove from him his

misdeeds and admit him to gardens beneath

which rivers flow, wherein they will abide

forever. That is the great achievement.”

(al-Quran 64:9)

Abdullah bin Jaafer was once traveling and passing through a jungle. He saw a black slave working in a garden near the fields. The owner of the garden had sent food for the slave who took his lunch break and was ready to eat. At the same time a dog also entered the garden and stood by the slave. The slave

opened the pack and found three loafs of breads inside. He threw one loaf of bread in front of the dog and got back to his work. The dog ate the bread but did not go away. The slave then gave the dog another loaf of bread and watched him eating. The slave had only one loaf of bread left for himself but the dog would not move. Therefore, he gave the dog the third and the last loaf of bread too.

During all that time, Abdullah bin Jaafer had been watching the slave and the dog. When the dog finished, Abdullah asked the slave how many loafs of breads he used to get everyday? The slave replied that he got three loafs of breads daily. «Then why did you give all three to the dog? There's nothing left for you now.» The slave answered that there were no dogs in that area. «That poor hungry dog must have come from far away. I did not feel like sending it away without food.»

Abdullah bin Jaafer asked him what would he eat then? The slave said that he could survive for one day without food. It was not a big deal.

Abdullah bin Jaafer said to himself: «O Abdullah! You consider yourself generous but this slave is a lot more generous than you.»

Thinking about the slave, he went back to town and started looking for the owner of that garden. Eventually, he bought the garden and the slave from his owner. He freed the slave and gave him the garden as a gift.

Now, that was some bargain to please Allah! So, if you are a smart businessman, do business with Allah. In this business there is only profit to make; there are no losses. Spend in the name of Allah and take care of your fellow human beings. In return, Allah will take care of you. This is the best bargain. Everything else is superficial.

«And purchase not a small gain at the price

of Allah's Covenant. Lo, that which Allah

has, is better for you, if you did but know.»

(al-Quran 16 :95)

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WHAT IS ISLAM? What Is Faith (Iman)? Know Your Deen!

 

Know Your Deen!

What Is Faith (Iman)?

What Is Islam?

Answers From The Quran

And The Prophet (s.a.w.)

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam …”

(al-Quran 3:19)

Islam was the Deen (Faith/religion) prescribed by Allah for the entire mankind. All Prophets and Messengers delivered the same message as they were all Muslims spreading the same Word of God. This religion might have been called by different names during different times.

Allah tells us in the Holy Quran that His true servants are ONE nation (Ummat-an-Wahidah) only. The ‘Deen’ (way of life or religion) is for Allah and there is only one ‘Deen’ (religion) – Islam. Islam was the Deen (religion) of Abraham and all the Prophets or Messengers of Allah that followed Abraham. Every other religion (with its fancy names) was created by man under the influence of Shaitan (Devil), as a revolt against God’s decree and to suit human comfort and liking. Allah will not accept any other religion from mankind except Islam and He made it very clear in the Quran:

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam

(submission to Allah), never will it be accepted

of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks

of those who have lost (all spiritual good).”

(al-Quran 3:85)

The above verses are self-explanatory and don’t need any elaboration or interpretation. They are simple and plain to understand, and leave no room for any confusion. Allah has prescribed a Deen (‘way of life’) for us and He will not accept any other way from us. It is Islam or else!

Islam is the lifestyle that has been prescribed by Allah through the Quran; and it is the lifestyle Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) adopted to show all Muslims that it was practicable in every era if we only want to live a simple and peaceful life. Only the stubborn, the ignorant and the misguided people look for the alternatives.

“Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah?

while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have,

willingly or unwilling, bowed to His Will (accepted

Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back.”

(al-Quran 3:83)

Allah has made it very clear that it was Islam, it is Islam and it will be Islam till the end of the world. No other system would be accepted even if it was promoted by the super-power of the time, like Nimrod or Pharaoh. They had to face the challenge of Islam posed by Abraham and Moses, respectively. The mighty empires crumbled and the Truth prevailed. Now, the same message can be delivered to the evil empire of today. Allah commanded:

“Say: We believe in Allah, and in what has been

revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham,

Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the

Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets,

from their Lord. We make no distinction between

one and another among them, and to Allah

do we bow our will (in Islam)."

(al-Quran 3:84)

All Prophets and their descendants, as well as followers, submitted to Allah. Islam is defined as “complete surrender or submission to the Will of Allah”. This might need a little explanation. And who is in a better position to explain Islam than the Prophet (s.a.w.) himself?

Allah, the Almighty, sent angel Jibril (Gabriel) to teach Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) the elements of true Faith (Iman) and the elements of ‘Deen’ (Islam). Here’s what Allah tells us in the Holy Quran:

“The Messenger believes in what has been

revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith.

Each one (of them) believes in Allah, His angels, His

books, and His messengers. ‘We make no distinction

(they say) between one and another of His messengers’.

And they say: ‘We hear, and we obey’; (we seek)

your forgiveness, our Lord, and to you

is the end of all journeys."

(al-Quran 2:285)

According to a Bukhari Hadith, narrated Abu Hurairah:

“One day while the Prophet (s.a.w.) was sitting with people, a man came to him and asked: “What is Faith (Iman)?”

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) replied: "Faith is to believe in Allah; His angels; His Messengers; (the) meeting with Him (on Judgment Day); and to believe in the Resurrection."

Then he (the man) further asked: "What is Islam?"

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.), replied: "To worship Allah alone and none else; to perform Salat (prayers); to pay Zakat; and to observe Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan".

Then he (the man) further asked: "What is Ihsan (perfection)?"

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you."

Then he (the man) further asked: "When will the Hour be established?”

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) replied: "The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents:

1. When a slave (lady) gives birth to her master.

2. When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings.

And the Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah. The Prophet (s.a.w.) then recited (from the Quran):

"Verily, Allah, with Him (alone) is

the knowledge of the Hour”.

(al-Quran 31:34).

Then that man left and the Prophet (s.a.w.) asked his Companions to call him back, but they could not find him. Then the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "That was Jibril (Gabriel) who came to teach people their religion.”

Abu Abdullah said: He (the Prophet, s.a.w.) considered all that as a part of Faith (Iman).

(Bukhari, Book 2, Chapter 37, No.50):

That’s how our Prophet (s.a.w.) defined Faith (Iman) and Islam. Not only that, he lived by what he said and proved to the believers that Islam was a practical Deen.

And by the way, if you did not understand the term “a slave lady giving birth to her master”, here’s the explanation: A ‘slave lady’ is the mother and the ‘master’ is her son. It refers to those families where a son controls his mother and uses her as a maid/servant. He tells her what to cook for him; what to prepare for him; he puts pressure on her or forces her to do what he wants; when the father refuses to give him money, he makes the mother to pay him for his cigarettes, wine, night-out, cinema, clubs, etc. The mother does everything to please her son (obeys him) and covers his faults when he steals, does Haraam, chases girls to commit Zina, etc., etc. In many cases mother even fears him because he gets violent and starts screaming and shouting at her. See that around you? I see it all the time, especially the sons who neither go to work nor go to studies.

The world looks very beautiful, attractive and tempting to the eye, but in reality it’s a place of test and trial for us. This temporary enchantment is full of traps, so we need to walk very carefully not losing sight of our final goal – the Paradise. We find the following verses in the Quran to keep us alert:

“… Indeed, there is a lesson therein for those who

have eyes. Fair in the eyes of men is the love of

things they covet: Women and sons; heaped-up

hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for

excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled

land. Such are the possessions of this world's life;

but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals

(to return to).”

(al-Quran 3:13-14)

“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be

feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.”

(al-Quran 3:102)

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YOU ARE GOD'S VICEROY ON EARTH. He Wants To See How You Behave!

 

You Are God’s Viceroy

On Earth. He Wants To See

How You Behave!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Then We made you successors in the

land after them so that We may

observe how you will do.”

(al-Quran 10:14)

We are special! We are the masterpiece of God’s Creation – the best in the universe. When Allah thought about creating a human being, He held us in high esteem and granted us honor and respect, even above His angels. He gave us splendor.

“And had We willed We could have set among

you angels to be viceroys in the earth.”

(al-Quran 43:60)

Allah is the almighty and has power over all things. He creates and installs whatever He likes. He could have made angels responsible for running all the affairs concerning us on this earth. But no; He chose Man over Angels to entrust this responsibility. Unfortunately, we are proving that we were not worthy of it. Allah, the Almighty, created us and told us via scriptures how to behave and run the affairs of this world. In other words how to behave as His Viceroy on earth. He also warned us of dire punishment if we failed to do justice; failed to uphold the sanctity of his Message (the Truth) but we are ignoring all warnings.

“And it is He who has made you successors

upon the earth and has raised some of you

above others in degrees (of rank) that

He may try you through what He has given

you. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty;

but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.”

(al-Quran 6:165)

The above verses from the Holy Quran tell the truth about us – humans. If Allah had wanted, He could have appointed some other creation to rule and control us. But He chose Man and exalted his status. Alas! Most of us are trying to prove that it was not a wise decision. We are opposing what Allah wanted for us. We are revolting against Him and His decisions. Unfortunately, we are so helpless that we cannot do anything to Him. We can only hurt ourselves!

“Behold, your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will

create a viceroy on earth.’ They said:

Will You place therein one who will make

mischief therein and shed blood whilst we do

celebrate Your praises and glorify Your holy

(name)?’ He said: "I know what you know not."

(al-Quran 2:30)

Vow! So amazing! Ponder upon the above verse of the Quran and look at the depth of knowledge, the vision, the insight or the farsightedness of the angels! God had just floated the idea of creating a man but the angels knew immediately what that man was going to do in the earth! And the man was not even created yet! Allah-o-Akbar! The angels knew that man would be a trouble-maker. He would spread corruption and bloodshed in the earth. And they were absolutely right!

Allah created Man as His Khalifa (Viceroy) in the Earth. Therefore, man is the “Vice-Gerent” (Deputy Manager) of God on earth but he rules the world and behaves like Devil. Since the time Iblis disobeyed Allah and refused to fall in prostration in front of Adam, Allah had declared him as a devout enemy of man. The irony is that man knows it and acknowledges it too but still follows the Devil. This is revolt and merits punishment. It is more than simple disobedience.

When we claim to be Muslims and then arrogantly go against the commands of Allah, openly or discretely, it constitutes hypocrisy (Munafiqat) in Islam. And Allah has promised Munafiqeen (hypocrites) a grave punishment in the lowest part of Hell. Do we really understand that? I doubt. We don’t fear the wrath of Allah.

Today, Muslims in general and Muslim leaders in particular, are considered corrupt, inapt and incompetent because corruption flourishes in all Arab countries and other Muslim states. All politicians are trying to make easy money and live of others. They are so shameless that they even extort money in the name of charity (hospitals, dispensaries, schools, food, medicines, humanitarian projects, etc., etc.) and then transfer that money to their off-shore bank accounts overseas. Thus they are set for a luxury life. Others are plundering it while abusing authority and power. They don’t even think for a moment that they are going to die tomorrow and will be facing a Day of Judgment!

And that shows what kind of Muslims they are; how much they fear Allah’s wrath; how much they care about others; and how much importance they give to justice and fair-play in their society! They care about themselves only. Allah tells us in the Quran in very plain words: “Remember Me, I’ll remember you!” And if you don’t remember Him in this world, He’ll not remember you in the Hereafter! Simple as that!

That’s not the Man Allah had created to play His Viceroy in the earth. That man probably does not exist any more. The poet-philosopher of the East, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (or Allama Iqbal) said:

Where Is The Man?

“My ancestors were Brahmins. They spent

their lives in search of God. I am spending

my life in search of Man.”

 
― Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

When the Man becomes a beast, he starts killing other living creatures including human beings. Adam’s son showed us that with the first murder and his grand-grand-children are repeating the fete today in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, Kashmir, Burma, Yemen, etc., etc. The earth has become the killing fields.

Man has lost his splendor.

What happened to all the education, research and knowledge? All knowledge is useless if not used for the betterment of mankind; and if not used by man to connect to his Creator, the Almighty.

All Knowledge Is Useless Until …

“Look at the evils of the world around you and protect

yourself from them. Our teachers give all the wrong

messages to our youth, since they take away the natural

flare from the soul. Take it from me that all knowledge

is useless until it is connected with your life, because

the purpose of knowledge is nothing but to show you

the splendors of yourself!”
― Dr. Muhammad Iqbal.

Man is capable of performing incredible fetes. He can catch the stars and dwell at moon. He can travel through galaxies. He can conquer the universe but cannot conquer his own desires and emotions! What a contrast! Simply put: If you are disconnected from your base, you are lost. You become nobody!

We are living in this world with fake pride, fake ideology, fake love, fake character, fake news and fake leaders. We have lost our direction and that’s why we have lost all respect, dignity and honor. It hurts to see that we have lost our splendor. We are fallen.

Stagnation is Death. Enter Another Dimension!

“Let this be our beautiful departure from stagnation!

Let our minds come alive; enter another dimension;

go beyond the stars eagerly struggling to find that

which our naked eyes did not know existed!

Rise like a falcon born to soar and not be alone

but be present amongst others.”

 
― Dr. Muhammad Iqbal.

We are one community and are supposed to help each other in times of need. As human beings we should feel for others because we are all parts of one great body and pieces of one big jigsaw puzzle. One without the others is nothing. People who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, most money, or the most awards and medals. They are the people who care; who touched your heart and soul; who were there with a kind and encouraging word when you were down. And that makes the difference.

Now, you try to be one of those and touch somebody’s soul. Make a difference! Leave your footprints on somebody’s life. And do it with a smile!

Rumi says:

Strip away your pride, and put on humble clothes!

Wait for the illuminating openness,

As though your chest were filling with light,

As when God said,

“Did We not expand you?” (al-Quran 94:1)

Don’t look for it outside yourself.

You are the source of milk. Don’t milk others!

There is a milk fountain inside you.

Don’t walk around with an empty basket!

You have a channel into the ocean, and yet

You ask for water from a little pool!

Beg for that love expansion. Meditate only

on THAT! The Quran says:

“And He is with you.” (al-Quran 57:4)

There is a basket of fresh bread on your head,

And yet you go door to door asking for crusts!

Knock on your inner door! 

No other!

 

Mankind is one community. The best among us is not the one who has achieved top position in sports, education, science, technology or arts. These honors are good for one’s personal satisfaction. If one cannot use his knowledge, expertise, skills and wealth for the benefit of other human beings, it is worthless.

If we want to get rid of evil/corruption, we should strive for a welfare society based on social justice. We should have a firm belief that there is God up there and one day we will be answering questions while standing in His court. That God-fearing spirit is developed only when you believe that you are answerable to a Higher Authority than your corrupt government. So, raise your level and educate yourself!

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