YOU'LL BE QUESTIONED ABOUT YOUR CHOICES! Freedom has its limits.

 

You'll Be Questioned

About Your Choices!

Freedom Has Its Limits

Your choices/decisions can lead

you to Paradise or Hell.

(M. Javed Naseem)

This world is a 'comfort of illusion', a temporary passing show, full of entertainment and pleasure. But the real life is the 'Hereafter' which is eternal. We are here to work on our Hereafter. This world is a journey, not the destination. It is a test for us and only those will pass this test who act according to the Book of Laws prescribed for us by the Lord, our God – the Supreme Creator.

Allah the Almighty has told us that Satan (the Devil) is our eternal enemy. Since he was cursed and expelled from Paradise, he doesn't want that humans go to Paradise. He was destined to Hell, therefore, he is trying his best to take as many of us with him to Hell.

The Devil is very powerful and can influence the weak humans easily. He puts silly ideas into human minds; whispers in their ears; and people accept them without questioning. When Devil was expelled from Paradise, he said that he’ll misguide humans and send the sons of Adam astray to prove his point that humans are evil-doers; they are disobedient to God; and they create mischief in the Earth. So far, he has been very successful. It has always been a small minority of humans who remain faithful servants to their Lord, the Creator. The majority get carried away. Allah says:

 

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ

بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّبِعُ كُلَّ شَيْطَانٍ مَّرِيدٍ

كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ مَن تَوَلاَّهُ فَأَنَّهُ يُضِلُّهُ

وَيَهْدِيهِ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ

“And yet among men there are such as dispute

about Allah, without knowledge, and follow every

evil one obstinate in rebellion! About the (evil one)

it is decreed that whoever turns to him for

friendship, him will he lead astray, and he

will guide him to the penalty of the Fire.”

(al-Quran 22:3-4)

In the court of Pharaoh, when Moses had done presenting his case, Pharaoh rejected the message of God and announced that he would punish Moses. One of his advisers, who was a believer but concealed his faith from Pharaoh for fear of persecution, tried to intervene and convince the audience that Moses was on the right path. As per the Holy Quran, here is what he said:

وَيٰقَوْمِ مَا لِيۤ أَدْعُوكُـمْ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَاةِ

وَتَدْعُونَنِيۤ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِتَدْعُونَنِى لأَكْـفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ

وَأُشْرِكَ بِهِ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِهِ عِلْمٌ

وَأَنَاْ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْغَفَّارِ

لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدْعُونَنِيۤ إِلَيْهِ لَيْسَ لَهُ

دَعْوَةٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلاَ فِى ٱلآخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ

إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَنَّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ هُمْ أَصْحَابُ ٱلنَّارِ

“O my people! How (strange) it is for me to call you to

Salvation while you call me to the Fire! You do call

upon me to blaspheme against Allah, and to join with

Him partners of whom I have no knowledge; and I

call you to the Exalted in Power, Who forgives again

and again! Without doubt you do call me to one

who is not fit to be called to, whether in this world,

or in the Hereafter; our return will be to Allah;

and the transgressors will be companions

of the Fire!”

(al-Quran 40:41-43)

Allah sent His Messengers to the world to guide humans to choose the right path. They all promoted and preached Islam – the Faith Allah chose for the mankind. Those who, after receiving the true guidance from the Prophets, knowingly make the wrong choices and defy Allah and His Messengers, they earn the wrath of Allah. All those people who follow the Pagan teachings and customs, make that category. They are not true believers. The Almighty warns us:

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ

لَهُ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ

مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيراً

“If anyone contends with the Messenger even after

guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and

follows a path other than that becoming to men of

Faith, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen,

and land him in Hell – what an evil refuge!”

(al-Quran 4:115)

 

Here’s a clear choice – either the ways of Allah or the ways of Devil! One path leads to Paradise and the other leads to Hell. You become the friend of Allah or the friend of Satan. There is no middle way, there is no 'grey' area. It’s all black and white – clear, very clear! It is up to us to choose the ‘light’ or the ‘dark’. When we make our own choices, we have no right to complain or whine. Everything has been fully explained to us. It is our duty to investigate and research before making a choice. Still, if we call on our Creator, He guides us and helps us; Satan does not – and cannot – help us in any situation! Allah tells us clearly:

إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَاثاً

وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَاناً مَّرِيداً

لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَـأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ

عِبَادِكَ نَصِيباً مَّفْرُوضاً

وَلَـأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَـأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـأَمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ

آذَانَ ٱلأَنْعَامِ وَلَـأَمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ

وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيّاً مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ

فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَاناً مُّبِيناً

“They invoke in His stead only females; they pray to

none else than Satan, a rebel whom Allah curses,

and he said: Surely I will take of your bondmen an

appointed portion; and surely I will lead them

astray; and surely I will arouse desires in them, and

surely I will command them and they will cut the

cattle’s ears, and surely I will command them and

they will change Allah’s creation. Whoso chooses

Satan for a patron instead of Allah, is verily a loser

and his loss is manifest.”

(al-Quran 4:117-119)

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THE POOR HAVE A SHARE IN YOUR WEALTH. That's The Law of Allah!

 

Hoarding/Accumulating Wealth?

The Poor Have A Share

In Your Wealth. That's

The Law Of Allah!

Pay the poor-due to avoid

punishment in the Hereafter!

(M. Javed Naseem)

And in their wealth there was a rightful share

(fulfilled) for the beggar and the poor – those

who asked and those who restrained.

(al-Quran 51:19)

When a man starts hoarding wealth, gold, silver, jewelry, etc., he does not think about his death. He thinks about tomorrow and living a happy/luxury life in the near future but he does not like to think about the end of himself. His death can come any time to meet him – even tomorrow or in the near future. So, what good that wealth, gold or silver be when you are gone and leave everything for others?

It seems that greed hamper’s the mental faculties of a man. He cannot think clearly, and cannot plan logically or reasonably. As a believer, a man is told to remember his death and the Hereafter. He needs to work on the life after death right in this world while he is still breathing.

Another thing most of us ignore is that we are commanded by the Almighty Lord to take care of the needy, the poor, the orphans and the weaker/older generation. They all have a share in our wealth. If we don’t deliver that share to them, we are guilty of theft; and that’s a crime. And all crimes merit punishment.

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Your foreheads and flanks

will be branded with the

same hoarded wealth on

the Judgment Day!

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The Believers are warned by the Almighty of hoarding wealth or accumulating money, gold, silver, jewels, etc. Allah gives us wealth to share with the needy and the poor. This is an obligation that we cannot escape from. Allah says:

O believers! Indeed, many priests and anchorites

consume people’s wealth wrongfully and hinder

(others) from the way of Allah. Give the news

of a painful torment to those who hoard gold

and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s cause!

(al-Quran 9:34)

The Day (will come) when their treasure

will be heated up in the Fire of Hell, and

their foreheads, sides, and backs branded

with it. (It will be said to them),

'This is the treasure you hoarded for

yourselves. Now taste what you hoarded!'

(al-Quran 9:35)

That reminds me of an historic event that marked the end of the Abbasid Muslim Caliphate in the Middle East – the encounter between the Mongol warrior Holagu Khan and the Muslim Caliph of Baghdad, Musta’sim Billah. Here’s a brief refresher!

Holagu's march to Baghdad

After defeating the Assassins, Hulagu sent word to Al-Musta'sim, demanding his acquiescence to the terms imposed by Möngke. Al-Musta'sim refused, in large part due to the influence of his Shia advisor and grand vizier, Ibn al-Alkami. Historians have ascribed various motives to al-Alkami's opposition to submission, including treachery and incompetence, and it appears that he lied to the Caliph about the severity of the invasion, assuring Al-Musta'sim that, if the capital of the caliphate was endangered by a Mongol army, the Islamic world would rush to its aid.

The Mongols were close to the city, establishing themselves on both banks of the Tigris River, so as to form a pincer around the city. Al-Musta'sim finally decided to fight them and sent out a force of 20,000 cavalry to attack the Mongols. The cavalry were wiped out by the Mongols, who breached dikes along the Tigris River and flooded the ground behind the Abbasid forces, trapping them.

Al-Musta'sim attempted to open negotiations with Hulagu, who rebuffed the Caliph. Around 3,000 of Baghdad's notables also tried to negotiate with Hulagu but were murdered. Five days later, the city surrendered, but the Mongols did not enter the city until the 13th February, 1258, beginning a week of massacre and destruction. Many historical accounts detailed the cruelties of the Mongol conquerors.

Baghdad became a depopulated, ruined city for several centuries and only gradually recovered some of its former glory. The Mongols looted and then destroyed mosques, palaces, libraries, and hospitals. Priceless books from Baghdad's thirty-six public libraries were torn apart, the looters using their leather covers as sandals. Grand buildings that had been the work of generations were burned to the ground. The House of Wisdom (the Grand Library of Baghdad), containing countless precious historical documents and books on subjects ranging from medicine to astronomy, was destroyed. Survivors said that the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantities of books flung into the river and red from the blood of the scientists and philosophers killed.

Citizens attempted to flee, but were intercepted by Mongol soldiers who killed in abundance, sparing neither women nor children. Martin Sicker writes that close to 90,000 people may have died. Other estimates go much higher. Wassaf claims the loss of life was several hundred thousand. Ian Frazier of The New Yorker says estimates of the death toll have ranged from 200,000 to a million.

The city had about a million inhabitants, and none were allowed to escape. The only people who were spared were Baghdad’s population of Nestorian Christians. Hulagu’s mother was a Nestorian, and this is why he let them live. (Courtesy: Wikipedia).

The Caliph Al-Musta'sim was captured and forced to watch as his citizens were murdered and his treasury plundered. The Travels of Marco Polo reports that upon finding the caliph's great stores of treasure (gold, silver and jewels) which could have been spent on the defense of his realm, Hulagu Khan locked him in his treasure room without food and water, telling him "eat of your treasure as much as you will, since you are so fond of it."

According to most accounts, the Caliph was killed by trampling. The Mongols rolled the caliph up in a rug, and rode their horses over him.

Now, scroll up to the above-mentioned verses from the Quran (9:34-35)! Do you see any similarity between the two messages or the two events? There is a striking similarity! Hulagu Khan showed the world what Allah meant by those verses of the Quran. While Allah is talking about the event in the Hereafter, Hulagu Khan showed a light version of that in this world. The message is loud and clear: No hoarding or accumulation of wealth! The same wealth can become your punishment.

 

Have we learned any lesson from the History? Probably not!

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BE LOYAL TO YOUR CREATOR! Remember Him, He'll Remember you!

 

Be loyal to your Creator!

If you remember Him,

He'll remember you!

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

 

Always glorify His name and pay what is

due! Allah, the Most Merciful, likes those

who are humble and grateful.

We are humble creatures of the Almighty and All-knowing Allah. He is also the most Merciful to us despite our shortcomings and disobedience. It is only just, logical and reasonable that we glorify His name. He is our Sole provider and Cherisher; we simply cannot survive without His mercy. He even reminds us what we should be doing in our daily lives.

“They remember Allah, standing, sitting,

and reclining, and consider the creation

of the heavens and the earth, (and say):

Our Lord! You created not this in vain.

Glory be to You! Preserve us

from the doom of Fire.”

(al-Quran 3:191)

Allah the Almighty created us and before that He created the universe with all things in it. To Him belong the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. Being His creation, it is only natural that we pay thanks to Him because He keeps bestowing upon us His blessings and bounties. He is the Best Provider. Praising the Almighty and thanking Him for all the blessings is due upon us without any argument. In the Quran, Allah promises us that if we thank Him, He will give us more. Therefore, it is only logical and reasonable that we glorify His name day in and day out. We need Him in our lives all the time, seven days a week. Without His mercy, we would be ruined and without His guidance, we would be lost. We should acknowledge His sovereignty and pay thanks to Him for all the blessings we get.

“Lo! In the creation of the heavens and

the earth and (in) the difference of night

and day are tokens (of His Sovereignty)

for men of understanding.”

(al-Quran 3:190)

Once, the army of the Prophet of Allah, Sulaiman – or Solomon – (a.s.), was passing through a valley. There were Jinns and Humans in his flanks, and the birds in the air were casting their shadows to protect them from the heat of the sun. A pious man was passing by and saw that magnificent view of Solomon's grandeur and majesty. He stopped and said to Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.):

“Vow! Allah has blessed you with such a big kingdom and you even rule over Jinns, humans, beasts and cattle, animals and birds.”

Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.) smiled and replied: “One word of “Subhan-Allah” in the Record of Deeds of a Muslim, is better than this whole kingdom of Sulaiman. Because this kingdom is going to perish one day, but the reward of “Subhan-Allah” is going to stay for ever.”

Allah-o-Akber! What an assessment! All glory be to Allah! There is nothing better and bigger in the entire universe than the glory and praise of the Almighty Allah.

Scholars have quoted many references from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)

and concluded that the best words to utter (Kalima) as “Zikr” (or Dhikr) are “Subhan- Allah”, “Alhamdo-lillah” and “Allaho-Akber”. The scholars of all four schools of thoughts also unanimously agree on the following:

That the best Kalima (word or phrase) for Zikr (Dhikr) during the day or night, which is very easy and light on the tongue, but would be heavier in the scale of good deeds on the Day of Judgment, is:

“Subhan-Allah wa-behamdeh,

Subhan-Allah il-Azeem.”

 

The more you recite, the more rewards you get for your Hereafter. It is recommended that you recite it at least 100 times everyday, if not more. Some people recite it 100 times after each prayer (Salat). If you cannot do that, then at least recite it after Fajr and Isha prayers. This phrase is considered very dear and favorite to Allah the Almighty. Allah will shower His mercy upon you, Insha-Allah.

“Establish worship at the going down of the sun

until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the

Quran at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Quran

at dawn is ever witnessed.”

(al-Quran 17:78)

Allah tells us in the Quran that we should always be 'mindful' of Him; fear His wrath and anger; and be grateful to Him in all situations, under all circumstances. Sometimes, it is very hard to do that but we have no choice. You can take or bear something with a smile or with a frown. Only smile looks not only better on our face but it also earns rewards for you in the Hereafter. It is a 'Hasanah' or 'Sadaqah'. The other thing is that we cannot change our situation but Allah can, as He is able to do everything. Our job is to do good, and He will reward us with a great prize or compensation.

“Is the reward of good anything but good?”

(al-Quran 55:60)

We are helpless creatures and need Allah's help; even eath other's help to survive in this world. So, better learn how to survive without violating others' rights and without breaking the laws.

Here is a beautiful excerpt from the Sufi works of Maulana Rumi:

“This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor."

"Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture;

Still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out, for some new delight."

"The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent as a guide from beyond."

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