Guarding Against Evil

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The situation in some parts of the Muslim world is getting out of control. Things happen -- killings, massacres, shootings -- and it can only get worse. It maybe extremely difficult to overlook the evil but there is always evil on this earth and we cannot escape every evil.

If someone wants it that no one does evil on the earth, then he wants it that Allah should not forgive anyone and should not accept repentance. Allah is Al-Ghafur (Oft-Forgiving) and At-Tawwab (Oft-Returning). These Names are manifest in the light of our own imperfection.

So the evil is just part of manifestation of Allah's Perfection. Part of us dislike evil and part of us see Allah in it. These two things are opposite but people who understand these matters see both simultaneously.

We look at things with two eyes--eye of the law and eye of reality. The eye of the law expect us to see the evil of people and make a means to change the evil. The eye of reality sees that Allah created this evil. The evil of people is still part of Allah manifesting His Perfection because Allah forgives some of this evil. If there is no evil among people then Allah will not be manifest as the All-Forgiving. And there are some people who have evil in them to which Allah's plan is accomplished.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, foretold that before the Hour, ignorance will descent, killings become widespread.

There is a direct relationship between decrease in religious knowledge and killing. By learning knowledge one guards themselves from being caught in the spiral. The point of learning the religion is to increase in faith and become a strong believer.

When knowledge decreases, people get greedy. Fitan (trials) come naturally when knowledge is gone and greed appears. When ignorance sets in, things spin out of control. People do crazy and evil things.

Narrated Hudhayfah:

I asked: Apostle of Allah, will there be evil after this good?
He replied: There will be trial (fitnah) and evil. I asked: Apostle of Allah, will there be good after this evil?
He replied: Learn the Book of Allah, Hudhayfah, and adhere to its contents. He said it three times.
I asked: Apostle of Allah, will there be good after this evil?
He replied: An illusory truce and a community with specks in its eye.
I asked: Apostle of Allah, what do you mean by an illusory community?
He replied: The hearts of the people will not return to their former condition.
I asked: Apostle of Allah, will there be evil after this good?
He replied: There will be wrong belief which will blind and deafen men to the truth in which there will be summoners at the gates of Hell. If you, Hudhayfah, die adhering to a stump, it will be better for you than following any of them. [Abu Dawood]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, foretold that there will be fitan in which the one who is sitting during them is better than the one who is standing, the one who is standing during them is better than the one who is walking, and the one who is walking during them is better than the one who is running.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Before you, there will be commotions like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an disbeliever in the evening. He who sits during them will be better than he who gets up, and he who gets up during them is better than he who walks, and he who walks during them is better than he who runs. They (the people) said: What do you order us to do? He replied: Keep to your houses.

Even if you are swept by the tide, you don't be part of the violence. Shut your doors, remain steadfast and recite the Qur'an. You don't sell your religion for a piece of the world.

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ﴿١﴾ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَـٰهِ النَّاسِ ﴿٣﴾ مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ﴿٤﴾ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ ﴿٥﴾ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ ﴿٦

Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, (1) The Sovereign of mankind. (2) The God of mankind, (3) From the evil of the retreating whisperer - (4) Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind - (5) From among the jinn and mankind." (6)

[Qur'an An-Nas 114]

May Allah make us keys to unlock good and lock evil. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam