WANT TO SUCCEED? Live By Allah's Commands & Prophet's Teachings!

 

Want To Succeed?

Live By Allah's Commands

And Prophet's Teachings!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Salam wa rahmatu-Allah to all readers all over the world. I came to Madina al-Munawarah (Saudi Arabia) today, this Friday morning, overwhelmed by different feelings. This is the blessed city of the blessed Prophet of Allah (Muhammad, s.a.w.) who was designated as mercy for the world and mercy for the mankind; who was a model of good conduct, great character and a role-model for all believers in this world.

We mourn the plight of Muslims all over the world, especially in Palestine, Libya, Syria, Sudan and Yemen, etc. We regret the rôle of all powerful Muslim countries that are doing nothing to improve the situation and stop the genocide and destruction of Muslims towns. They have failed the Ummah and the Ummah itself has failed to live by the Book. In our capacity, we can pray to Allah the Almighty only; and that's what I am doing now on this trip in the last years of my life. May the Most Merciful Allah, the Almighty, respond to the cries of the desperate Muslims all over the world and answer our prayers in the best possible way with mercy and forgiveness. Aameen.

Allah the Almighty commands us to remind the believers of His Message and His Commands. We Muslims are in this delapidated condition because we have deviated from the 'right' path and are doing good things only to show off, to take pictures and put them on social media or to decorate our pages and albums. We have lost the purpose, the essence and the sincerity of the purpose. We chase the superficious things and leave the most important substance. We have become simply hypocrites or the 'Munafiqeen', as put it in Islamic terms.

In this situation, I would only dare reminding the believers of some verses of the Quran, the True Message of the Supreme Creator of the universe to His creation – we the mankind. At the same time I would remind Muslims of some excerpts from the last sermon of Hajj of the Prophet (s.a.w.) who was declared the best role-model for us by the Almighty.

First of all, if we claim to be Muslims, we should also know what is Islam. Islam is righteousness. Islam is surrender to the will of Allah/God – unconditional submission. You do what Allah permits you to do and you don't do what Allah forbids. Period. Now, to answer your question as to what is righteousness ? Here's Allah's definition of the righteousness in the Quran and there is no better definition of piety than that.

لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ

'Righteousness is not in turning your faces

towards the east or the west. Rather, the

righteous are those who believe in Allah, the

Last Day, the angels, the Books, and the prophets;

who give charity out of their cherished wealth to

relatives, orphans, the poor, ˹needy˺ travellers,

beggars, and for freeing captives; who establish

prayer, pay alms-tax, and keep the pledges they

make; and who are patient in times of suffering,

adversity, and in ˹the heat of˺ battle. It is they

who are true ˹in faith˺, and it is they

who are mindful ˹of Allah˺.'

(al-Quran 2:177)

Islam is the Deen or religion of Allah and it is based on righteousness. It was the same Deen or religion that was practiced by all Prophets and Messengers of God, from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon them all). Prophets Noah, Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses and Jesus also practiced ad preached the same Deen or religion, although it was called differently in the languages of their times. The Bible says :

"The Lord works righteousness and

justice for all who are oppressed".

(Psalm 103:6)

Now, here's what the 'best role-model for the mankind', Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) told us in his last Hajj sermon, Khutbah Hajjat-al Wadaa, delivered at Arafat (Makkah), in the year 632A.D. Or 10^th Hihjri.

"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”.

“Behold! All practices of the days of ignorance are now under my feet. The blood revenges of the days of ignorance are remitted."

“All interest and usurious dues accruing from the times of ignorance stand wiped out"

“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”.

“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”.

“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”.

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