FIVE QUESTIONS You Cannot Dodge On The Day of Judgment!

 

The Day Of Judgment

Five Questions

You Cannot Dodge!

(M. Javed Naseem)

We are responsible for our actions. Whatever we do here in this world, we would be asked about it in the Hereafter. On the Day of Judgment, we’ll be questioned about our life on this earth. The Almighty Creator installed us on this planet for a prescribed period to see if we obey His commands and enjoin righteousness.

We are answerable to our Creator for everything we do here. If we perform good deeds, we would be rewarded for that both in this world and in the Hereafter. And if we indulge in evil-doing, we will have to suffer the consequences (or the punishment) not only in this world but also in the next world (the Hereafter). If we misguide or mislead others and they commit evil deeds, we will be held responsible for our share in their evil deeds. In other words, if somebody does anything wrong and harmful on our instigation, on our advice and with our help or assistance, we will share the burden of his evil deeds too.

وَلَيَحْمِلُنَّ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَثْقَالاً مَّعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ

وَلَيُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ

“They will bear their own burdens, and

(other) burdens along with their own, and

on the Day of Judgments they will be

called to account for their falsehoods.”

(al-Quran 29:13)

The Holy Quran is full of commands of Allah that determine our path in this world – what we should DO, and what we should NOT do. The Quran is a Book of Guidance and Book of Instructions for us. It tells us what is right and what is wrong. It tells us about our rights and responsibilities. Above all, it tells us how to live in this world. We choose the path we want to follow – good or bad – and that will lead us to Heaven or Hell. We’ll be held accountable for our actions and will be rewarded or punished for choices.

وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُونَ

“This (Quran) is indeed a Reminder

for you and your people; and you

shall soon be questioned.”

(al-Quran 43:44)

On the Day of Judgment, which is the Day of Justice, we will be questioned about every action of ours in this world. Every human being has to answer many questions before he/she is admitted to Heaven or Hell. I would like to remind you of those very important questions in case you are living a care-free and easy life on this planet, without caring much about the next life which is eternal.

The questioning starts from the grave. At the very first stage you would be asked three basic questions – about your Lord, your Prophet and your Deen (religion). Then there are other sessions of interrogation. Some say there are thirty questions; others say it’s 300 or even more. Allah knows best. What we know from the sayings (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is that there would be many questions, out of which the following five are the most important.

1) - How did you live your life on earth? (As per commands of Allah?)

2) - What did you do with your youth? (The most powerful, resourceful, beautiful and effective tool to work with).

3) - How did you earn your livelihood (money)? (By Halal or Haram means?)

4) - How did you spend your earnings/wealth? (In the cause of Allah, helping the needy?)

5) - What did you do with your knowledge (education)? (Did you use it to serve Allah, serve mankind and to guide others to the right path?)

Easy questions, difficult answers! The most slippery question is about your earnings/wealth. How did you make your living or how did you make money? Everybody knows today what is meant by ‘Halal’ (legal) means of earning. But do we abide by the rules separating Halal from Haram? We all know what is legal and what is illegal. We all know what is right and what is wrong. We all know what is just and what is unjust. And we all know what is permitted and what is not.

There is no escape from those questions and there is no dodging that can save us from those questions. We shall tell the truth in the court of Allah because 'lying' will not be possible. The embarrassment on that long and hard day might take us to the Hellfire. So, now is the time to reflect upon it seriously and prepare some valid answers. Now is the time to correct the mistakes and mend our ways. The Day of Accountability is fast approaching!

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OUR RIGHTS AND ALLAH'S RIGHTS: The Creation And The Creator.

 

The Creation And The Creator

Our Rights And

Allah's Rights

(M. Javed Naseem)

Allah’s help and guidance is there for us but it comes to those only who ask for it; and strive for it. A mother does not feed her baby unless the baby cries. We are helpless and powerless in front of Allah, the Almighty. He is able to do anything; all things are possible with Him. We need Him (or His mercy) in every situation and on every step of the way. He tells us how to seek Allah’s help:

“O you who believe! Seek help with patient

perseverance and prayer; for Allah is

with those who patiently persevere.”

(al-Quran 2:153)

Patient perseverance means steadfastness (Isteqamah or Isteqamat in Urdu). It is the basic requisite of Islam. You believe in Allah, obey His commands, follow His Messenger, and keep doing the right things; then ask for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. He will surely bless you; but He will also test your faith, your honesty, your sincerity, i.e., your steadfastness. If you stay the course, of course with His help, you will be blessed. It is hard but worth trying!

We human beings are the subjects (or slaves) of the Most Merciful, the Almighty, known as Rahman and Raheem. Allah, being the Supreme Creator and Owner of the heavens and the earth, has rights over His Creation. And we, as creation, depend on Him for sustenance and survival on this earth. We have obligations towards Him and responsibilities or duties towards our fellow human beings. We live in this world as one community regardless of race, color, language, family, culture or social status. We are like one family, therefore, we should feel the pains of others and try to help those of us who need help. This way, as a matter of fact, we are helping our own cause towards the Hereafter. Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful

According to a narration from Al-Aswad ibn Hilal, the famous companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.) Muadh ibn Jabal recounted that the Prophet (s.a.w.) asked him:

“Muadh, do you know what is Allah’s right on His slaves?

He answered: Allah and His Messenger know best.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: Allah’s right on His slaves is that they should worship Him and not associate anything with Him.

He then asked: Do you know what is the right of the slaves on Allah?

Muadh replied: Allah and His Messenger know best.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: That Allah will not punish them.

Subhan-Allah! That’s the mercy of the Most Gracious 'Rahman and Raheem' which is going to protect us from the Hellfire on the Day of Judgment, Insha-Allah. But there is one condition; and that condition is that we obey Allah's commands and live on this earth as per the rules prescribed for us by Him. That's the only way to please Him and win His favors or blessings.

Everybody is responsible for his/her own actions and will be held accountable for that. His/her fate depends on his/her actions in this world. Since we depend on the Merciful Allah for our survival and prosperity, it is only logical and reasonable that we pay our gratitude to Him for all the bounties and blessings we enjoy due to His mercy. We cannot count the blessings or bounties of Allah – the blessings and bounties that we take for granted and don't even bother to acknowledge. We humans have been ungrateful most of the time and Allah is aware of that. Still He feeds us and forgives our mistakes, sins and transgressions.

“And He gives you of all that you ask for.

But if you count the favors of Allah,

never will you be able to number them.

Verily, man is given up to injustice

and ingratitude.”

(al-Quran 14:34)

We don't appreciate what Allah, the Most Merciful, does for us. The Almighty keeps showering His bounties and blessing upon us despite the fact that we lack gratitude and appreciation on our part. We want Him to give us all the things we demand; the way we want; in the amount we want; and right away without delay. A little change or variation makes us unhappy. On the other hand, we don't even realize how unhappy we make Allah with our disobedience, sins, mistakes and transgressions. We go to the extremes without fearing Him. We break the rules and laws set by Him but the Most Merciful does not punish us immediately. He gives us enough time to repent and come back to Him seeking forgiveness. We are the worst wrong-doers but we don't perceive it. With our corruption, ungratefulness and disobedience, we force Allah to punish us or deprive us of bounties and blessings. We keep ignoring Allah and keep following the Devil to fulfill our desires/lusts. That's like worshiping Satan, denying Allah and disregarding the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). And we still claim to be Muslims!

I have a very serious question for all humans: Do we really understand Who Allah is and what His dominion is? Simply put, we are helpless beggars in front of him. Here's how Prophet Jesus describes Allah (God) in the Gospel of Barnabas:

Jesus Defines God

“… God is a good without which there is naught good; God is a being without which there is naught that is; God is a life without which there is naught that liveth; so great that he filleth all and is everywhere. He alone hath no equal. He hath had no beginning, nor will he ever have an end, but to everything hath he given a beginning, and to everything shall he give an end. He hath no father nor mother; he hath no sons, nor brethren, nor companions. And because God hath no body, therefore he eateth not, sleepeth not, dieth not, walketh not, moveth not, but abideth eternally without human similitude, for that he is incorporeal, uncompounded, immaterial, of the most simple substance. He is so good that he loveth goodness only; he is so just that when he punisheth or pardoneth it cannot be gainsaid.” -- (From the Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 17)

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TIME TO REPENT: We Can't Handle The Wrath of Allah!

 

Time To Repent!

We Can't Handle

The Wrath Of Allah!

Let's Seek His Mercy!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Allah created only one ‘Deen’ (faith or religion) for mankind, and that is Islam. All prophets (messengers) brought the message of Islam to their respective nations. It started with Adam and was completed with Muhammad (s.a.w.). As a matter of fact, it existed in the heavens even before Adam was created. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (s.a.w.) all preached and practiced Islam. And what is Islam? Islam is total submission or surrender to the Will of Allah. It is only Islam – the truth – that was prescribed by Allah as 'Deen' for mankind. Everything else is either from Satan or from pagans – the beautiful lies!

Since the creation of the universe, Allah, the Supreme Creator, has been sending us His message through different Messengers or Prophets, in different times. The messengers were different, languages were different, cultures were different, peoples were different and diverse but the message was the same, one and universal – there is only One God (Allah) worthy of worship and He has no partners, no family, nor children.

We go out of our way to make things comfortable and easy for us in this world and forget all about the Hereafter. The Almighty Creator brought us in this world so that we work on our next life – the Hereafter. That life is eternal, while the life on this earth is temporary, like an illusion. Allah says:

“The life of this world is but comfort

of illusion.”

(al-Quran 3:185)

And we buy illusion at the expense of reality – the real everlasting life of the Hereafter.

Man, under the influence of Satan, distorted God’s message through his corrupt ways, in every era. But eventually, it was truth that prevailed and man suffered the consequences of his corruption.

Truth always comes from Allah and lies (or falsehood) from Satan (Devil). Devil buries the truth under the filthy heap of dung so that nobody cares to dig it out. The dirty work demands a lot of patience, sacrifice, hard work and guidance. There are not many who want to do that digging. It requires the digger to be an honest, sincere believer and a true seeker who is ready to give all in the cause of Allah. Presently, Muslim Ummah is in desperate need of such diggers.

A tradition that has been attributed to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), says that when there is too much of ‘Haram’ – corruption and evil practices – in a society and the people, who are capable (and responsible) of stopping that, do nothing about it, that society should wait for ‘azab-Allah’ – the wrath of Allah.

That means that evil-doing and corruption bring punishment of God, the Almighty. That is a very natural course. If we open the Holy Quran, we’ll find the stories of previous nations who rejected the message of Allah, deviated from the right path and rebelled against the Law of Allah. They were wiped off the land as if they never existed. The nations of Aad, Thamud, Noah, Nimrod, Lot, Shuaib, Pharaoh, etc., they all became part of the history and a lesson for the mankind. Allah says:

“We destroyed the generations before you

when they did wrong; and their messengers

(from Allah) came unto them with clear

proofs (of His Sovereignty), but they

would not believe. Thus do we reward

the guilty folk.”

(al-Quran 10:13)

But did the mankind really learn any lesson? Today, we are in the same situation once again. Allah has extended the leash, given us plenty of time to repent and change our ways, but nothing has improved. On the contrary, the only change that we see, is the change for the worse – ‘Haram’ is spreading. We are chasing an illusion. We have ignored all warnings and have arrogantly defied the commands of Allah.

The righteous few, the friends of Allah, have already received the signals of the punishment which is at our doorsteps. They are busy repenting and telling others to do the same. The time is running out. We should get ready for a rude awakening! In the Quran, Allah has warned us in many verses about the punishment:

“Many are the Jinns and men we have

made for Hell. They have hearts wherewith

they understand not, eyes wherewith they

see not, and ears wherewith they hear not.

They are like cattle, nay more misguided;

for they are heedless (of warning).”

(al-Quran 7:179)

We have made our choices. We have sowed the seeds of injustice and corruption; the seeds of evil and transgression; and now is the time to harvest. We shall reap what we have sowed, that is the law of nature. If that happened to the nations of the old, it can happen to us too. We are NO exception!

This could be the last call but there is always hope! We have seen the warning signs – the wars, fires, floods, storms and hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. But we didn’t budge. The door of repentance is still open. There is very little time left but there’s still a chance. It might be the last chance!

Satan was cursed because of his arrogance and was destined to Hell. We are guilty of the same crime. Allah warned us not to follow him as he was an open enemy to us and would lead us to Hell.

“Did I not charge you, O you sons of Adam!

That you should not serve the Satan? Surely

he is your open enemy.”

(al-Quran 36:60)

It is a pity that we don’t listen to Allah but listen and follow the Devil. Allah is the Truth and the Devil is a lie – full of deception. Allah wants us to go to Heaven but Devil leads us to Hell; and we accompany Devil willingly. Are we not worried about the dire consequences of disobedience to Allah?

“Most of them We found not men (true)

to their covenant; but most of them

We found rebellious and disobedient.”

(al-Quran 7:102)

Disobedience merits punishment. Rebellion against Allah cannot go unpunished. O Ummah! Look at the history of mankind!

“Have they not seen how many generations

We destroyed before them, which indeed

returned not unto them?”

(al-Quran 36:31)

If we continue on the path of evil and injustice, it is not very difficult to predict the results. We are fortunate that the wrath of Allah did not hit us, in full swing, yet. We had only small scale warnings. Feel the urgency, please! Now is the time to revert to Allah and regret. Let us repent and ask Allah for His mercy and forgiveness! We might still be saved from the bigger disaster.

“O you who believe! Bow down and prostate

yourselves, and worship your Lord, and do

good, that haply you may prosper! ………..

So establish worship, pay the poor-due, and

hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting

Friend,a blessed Patron and a blessed Helper.”

(al-Quran 22:77-78)

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ENJOIN GOOD, FORBID EVIL! Evil-doing Is Devil's Way, Righteousness Is Godly!

 

Enjoin Good, Forbid Evil!

Evil-doing Is Devil's Way,

Righteousness Is Godly!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Our Lord! Not for naught have You

created (all) this! Glory to You!

Give us salvation from the

penalty of the Fire!”

(al-Quran 3:191)

It is considered fashionable to talk against God, the Almighty and criticise His Creation. These days, we are even trying to change things genetically and call it ‘scientific revolution’. We are going all out against nature. We are being fooled, deceived and manipulated by the forces of evil. We act stupidly and consider it ‘cool’. The powerful and wealthy (and their governments) are deceiving the commons and the poor – even killing them with different experiments. The ordinary man has become so helpless. And then, there are those who say that if Allah was so powerful why did He allow the unbelievers to worship Satan or other deities? He could have created one religion for the entire mankind:

“And they say, 'If it had been the will

of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not

have worshipped such (deities)!'

Of that they have no knowledge!

They do nothing but lie!”

(al-Quran 43:20)

They are surely lying and fooling themselves. Many Western singers, dancers, actors, music groups and the musicians openly claim that they worship Devil. There are T-shirts with satanic slogans and images. They are promoting those ideas among the younger folk. The answer to their unreasonable question is that Allah gave you the choice of action. You choose your way of life, but you are answerable to Him for that choice. You make your own life with your free choices but you would be accountable for all your choices. So, be wise and choose carefully. You need Allah for your protection, survival and salvation. Allah does not need you. He is above that.

“And were it not that (all) men might become

of one (evil) way of life, We would provide,

for everyone that blasphemes against (Allah)

Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses and

(silver) stair-ways on which to go up, and (silver)

doors to their houses, and thrones (of silver) on

which they could recline; and also adornments of

gold. But all this were nothing but conveniences

of the present life. The Hereafter, in the sight of

your Lord is for the Righteous.”

(al-Quran 43:33-35)

Every body depends on Rahman (the Most Merciful Allah) for survival and He provides for them. In return, the creation needs to be grateful and appreciative to the Creator. It does not work one way. We cannot play smart with Allah. We just cannot use Him to have good time on this planet Earth. Good time is always short-lived, conditional and has its price-tag. When Allah tells us that this worldly good time is only temporary and we should work hard for the real happy life of the Hereafter, we need to get serious. The life in the Hereafter is real, everlasting and eternal. This world is just a test/trial.

Sometimes it happens so that humans, out of respect and affection, or out of ignorance, attribute things or elements to the Almighty that are not worthy. Those things or elements are part of the creation and Allah (Rahman) is the Creator, independent of all and everything.

I live in a so-called Muslim Arab country where night clubs and bars operate legally; where interest (Riba) is the core of banking/financial services; co-education is in practice from year-one; alcoholic drinks are common; massage parlours freely operate; every young man has a girl-friend and every young woman has a boy-friend; dance and music is in every household. It is very common there that parents name their baby-girl ‘Malak’ (‘angel’). That comes out of love and affection, but at the same time out of ignorance. That girl or angel ‘Malak’, in her teens, starts fooling around with teenage boys or young men. How can one justify an angel ‘Malak’ doing that? Those ‘angels’ go to school with boys who are not angels, unfortunately. The French culture and co-education is promoted in all educational institutions, government or private.

The real angels are not females. Allah did not create them as females, therefore, it is a great sin to attribute to Allah something that is not true. The concept of ‘female angels’ has been promoted by the followers of Satan and non-Muslims. It has been going on for centuries. Allah is aware of that and does not like it. He asks those people:

“And they make into females angels who

themselves serve Allah. Did they witness their

creation? Their evidence will be recorded,

and they will be called to account!”

(al-Quran 43:19)

Nobody has the knowledge of the unseen, not even the Prophets, except what Allah tells them. Allah gives very limited knowledge to us humans because we cannot handle it. We don’t have the capacity to grasp and understand God's Wisdom. He asks:

“Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he

taken a contract with (Allah) Most Gracious?

Nay! We shall record what he says, and We

shall add and add to his punishment.”

(al-Quran 19:78-79)

The worst thing is that humans attribute to Allah the things that they don’t like for themselves. Man, sometimes, is so foolish and ridiculous! Most of the people in this world prefer male children and they make faces or gestures on the birth of baby-girls – just like in the dark ages. Imagine somebody who does not like daughters but he attributes female angels to Allah as His daughters! That’s the height of ignorance. Allah says:

“What! Has He taken daughters out of

what He himself creates, and granted to

you sons for choice? When news is brought

to one of them of (the birth of) what he sets

up as a likeness to (Allah) Most Gracious,

his face darkens, and he is filled with

inward grief!

(al-Quran 43:16-17)

That’s man! He wants things that he does not know about, whether they are good or bad for him. That is why Allah prescribed education (‘ilm’) for the believers. Education takes people out of the darkness of ignorance, and brings them into the light of guidance. But there were, and there still are, people who blindly followed their ancestors believing that they were on the right path. They themselves never tried to find out the truth, although it is their responsibility.

The Hereafter is a reward for those who follow the right path in this world and try to please Allah with their good deeds to win the Hereafter. It is for those honest, sincere and hard-working people who strive to live their lives by the Book – the Book that was revealed by the Almighty for our guidance and healing. And that is not easy. It is full of tests, trials and sacrifices.

The Devil offers temptation and allures humans. He shows us the easy path with fun and pleasure but such a path leads to Hell. The Devil-worshippers and the rebellious should surrender to the will of Allah – the Supreme Creator. If they don’t repent and start believing in His revelations, Allah warns them of His wrath and punishment:

“Then shall We certainly drag out from

every sect all those who were worst in

obstinate rebellion against the Most

Gracious (Allah).”

(al-Quran 19:69)

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