Slippery Slope

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends,

I pray that you are well.

People might argue that Muslims are wasting their money by putting it into rent. And if all Muslims stop paying rent and just take out mortgages, we will have a greater amount of wealth, which will enable us to take Islam further, rather than worry about how to make ends meet.

The main fallacy in this is that there is something that Allah takes care of, and something else that we are supposed to take care of, and it is a big mistake to switch the two.

Allah is the One who determines the events of the Grand and Momentous Story of Creation, and He has guaranteed us that Islam (the haqq) will prevail. Our job is not to take Allah’s promise upon our shoulders, but to ensure that we are on the side of the haqq (Truth). As long as we remain on the haqq), we are on the winning side. By going against what He has commanded us to do, we are putting ourselves on the side of the batil (Falsehood), which Allah has guaranteed will lose.

Allah Most High says,

وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِى مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِى مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَٱجْعَل لِّى مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَـٰنًا نَّصِيرًا ﴿٨٠﴾ وَقُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْبَـٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا ﴿٨١

And say: 'My Lord, lead me in with a just ingoing, and lead me out with a just outgoing; grant me authority from Thee, to help me.' (80) And say: 'The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away; surely falsehood is ever certain to vanish. (81) (Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:80:81)

قُلۡ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَقۡذِفُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلۡغُيُوبِ (٤٨) قُلۡ جَآءَ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَمَا يُبۡدِئُ ٱلۡبَـٰطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ (٤٩

Say: 'My Lord hurls the truth -- the Knower of the Unseen.' Say. 'Truth has come; falsehood originates not, nor brings again.' (Qur'an 34:48-49)

Ibn Ata’illah said,

Your striving for what you have been guaranteed and your neglect of what is sought of you is a sign that your spiritual insight has been blurred.

Don't get caught in trying to save the world. We each need to fix and rescue ourselves and stop disobeying Allah. If something is haram, we should stay away from it, even if you find opinions that say it is OK to engage in it (for example taking out an interest loan to buy a house). Keep off the slippery slope lest you will slip. If you are already on a slippery slope, put all your might to climb back up, and don't look back. Keep asking Allah to help you. May Allah give you success and success is from Allah alone. Great success is for us to make with Allah and disobeying Him is not making it with Allah.

Allah Most High says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَذَرُوا۟ مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ ٱلرِّبَوٰٓا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٢٧٨﴾ فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا۟ فَأْذَنُوا۟ بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَٰلِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٧٩

O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers. (278) And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged. (279) (Qur'an 2:278-279)

Narrated Abu Hurairah, Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace,

Usury has got seventy divisions. The easiest division of them is a man marrying his mother. [ibn Majah]

Narrated Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

I came across some people in the night in which I was taken to the heavens. Their stomachs were like houses wherein there were serpents, which could be seen from the front of their stomachs. I asked: O Gabriel! Who are these people? He replied these are those who devoured usury.
(Ahmed, Ibn Majah)

Ali, Allah be pleased with him, reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, cursing the devourer of usury, its giver, its scribe and one who refuses to give Zakat and he used to forbid mourning. (Nisai)

Umar bin Al-Khattab, Allah be pleased with him, reported that the last of what was revealed was the verse of usury. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken and he had not explained it to us. So, give up usury and doubt. (Ibn Majah, Darimi)

May Allah save us from falsehood. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam