In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
You see people going through their lives in circles, not just for 2, 3 or 4 years, but 20, 30, or 40 years. It doesn't matter who they are -- whether they have titles or positions in the community or knowledge or 20/20 vision but they are lost -- lost in their own souls.
فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ ﴿٤٦ ...[Qur'an, Al-Hajj 22:46]
... For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts. (46)
If you are blind in the heart, you are lost. If you have not found Allah, you are lost. There is no way we can do anything independently of our Lord. Nothing is easy if we do it without Allah.
When people forget about Allah, Allah forgets about them. And so you see them indulge in haram and they don't understand it and they cannot stop it and they don't care.
صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿١٨[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:18]
Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path]. (18)
صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٧١[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:171]
... deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand. (171)
Whoever is blind in this dunya, they will be more blinded and misguided in the hereafter.
وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّـهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۖ وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا ۖ مَّأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَـٰهُمْ سَعِيرًا ﴿٩٧[Qur'an, Al-Isra 17:97]
And whoever Allah guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - you will never find for them protectors besides Him, and We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection [fallen] on their faces - blind, dumb and deaf. Their refuge is Hell; every time it subsides We increase them in blazing fire. (97)
أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُلٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَآ ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْدٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَآ ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَآ ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۗ قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ ثُمَّ كِيدُونِ فَلَا تُنظِرُونِ ﴿١٩٥[Qur'an, Al-A'raf 7:195]
Do they have feet by which they walk? Or do they have hands by which they strike? Or do they have eyes by which they see? Or do they have ears by which they hear? Say, [O Muhammad], "Call your 'partners' and then conspire against me and give me no respite. (195)
Riba has become more and more transparent in our societies and people are confused about it -- they think if there is a shaykh who says buying a first house using riba, for example, is okay, then it is okay. Some claim that it is permissible, a “necessity”. The fact that one can easily rent a house instead of buying, disproves this claim. If the theory were true, would that then mean that drinking the first bottle of alcohol is permissible, even though water is available? Or eating pork when there is a permissible substitute? While it may be easy to fool others into believing this, we must remember that Allah knows everything.
وَٱللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ ﴿٩٩[Qur'an, Al-Ma'ida 5:99]
And Allah knows whatever you reveal and whatever you conceal. (99)
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam warned that consuming riba is one of the seven sins that doom a person to Hell. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Riba is haram in all of its aspects, as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Allah has cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who gives it, the one who witnesses over it, and the one who writes down the transaction.” [Muslim[
Do not be of those whom Allah has cursed!
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[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:278-279]
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)
The reason riba is haram is because Allah declared it so. It is based on Allah’s infinite wisdom that He deems an action to be obligatory or prohibited, prescribing matters in our best interests, in this life and in the Hereafter, as He is the All-Wise, All-Knowing. The scholars of Islam have suggested various reasons as to why riba is haram. Just observe the global financial crisis of 2008/2009. Whole nations, dozens of them, large and small, have foreign debts so large that their riba payments on these debts are a crushing burden on the entire country. Debt kills. And if you go to your grave with even a small unpaid debt, you are doomed. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Notice, where a riba-based market fails, Islamic financial institutions do not suffer the same consequences since the risk is shared by both parties. The Daily Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, reported the Vatican as saying that the Islamic finance system may help Western banks in the crisis as an alternative. The Vatican advised: “The ethical principles on which Islamic finance is based may bring banks closer to their clients and to the true spirit which should mark every financial service.”
Living in a capitalist society makes it difficult to completely avoid riba. However, this should not be used as an excuse to freely indulge in it. An obvious way to steer clear of this evil is to not take out a loan which involves paying riba and not to invest in riba-based accounts.
When examining this issue of riba, we should remember that true success lies with the help of Allah alone. If we abide by that which is lawful, and avoid that which is haram, our wealth will be blessed and beneficial in this world and the Hereafter. What good is extra money earned through riba if there is no blessing in it, and it is cursed - a source of misery?
On the Day of Resurrection, people will rise from their graves quickly, except those who engaged in riba. They will stand up and then fall down like epileptics.
Allah Almighty says,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ ٱلرِّبَوٰا۟ لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ ٱلَّذِى يَتَخَبَّطُهُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ مِنَ ٱلْمَسِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ ٱلرِّبَوٰا۟ ۗ وَأَحَلَّ ٱللَّـهُ ٱلْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ ٱلرِّبَوٰا۟[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:275]
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, "Trade is [just] like interest." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest...
Dating, friendships with non-mahram opposite sex and free mixing of opposite genders are common phenomena in Muslim societies nowadays. If you asked parents, why they permit their kids to have boyfriends/girlfriends or having the opposite gender, not their mahram, in their social network (Facebook etc), or free mixing with opposite genders, they might say, 'What! Do you rather your children hide it from you?' 'In this day and age, there is nothing I can do about it!' This is the mentality of many Muslims. This is when you know shaytan has gotten a pretty solid hold on you. And you have been sucked into a really vicious cycle. It's just getting worse and worse. And if you don't address it, it is only going to make the problem worse. La hawla wala quwwata illa billah.
Remember, Allah Almighty says,
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلزِّنَىٰٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَـٰحِشَةً وَسَآءَ سَبِيلًا ﴿٣٢[Qur'an, Al-Isra 17:32]
And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse (fornication/adultery). Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (32)
Allah says don't even go near fornication/adultery, az-zina. Don't even go near it. He doesn't say "laa taazinu", "don't do adultery" or "don't commit adultery". He says don't go near it. In other words, there is the act itself, and then there is a series of smaller acts that lead to it. It's got a parameter around it, and you can't even go close to it. One has to understand the language of the Qur'an and the sensitivity in which it deals with this subject to appreciate the wisdom of Allah 'azza wa jal and how He is counseling us in dealing with this problem. Allah 'azza wa jal is telling us that there are certain things that in and of themselves are not haram. You're not going to be able to pinpoint it and say "it is wrong". But, when you get involved in it, you're going to get sucked into a gravitational field, and it will pull you in slowly, and surely, little by little by little, and eventually, it'll get you. Eventually it will come at you. Allah describes it as a path -- a horrible evil path. In other words, a path has steps. You have to identify which step you are in. For each of you, there is a process, there is a cycle. And you have to cut a wrong path in its tracks. You have to stop going down that path.
Right after this ayah, Allah says don't murder people [وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّـهُ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right. (Qur'an, Al-Isra17:33)]. Allah mentioned the crime of zina first, and murder second. We think of murder as a huge crime, but Allah says, when you violate the dignity of a human being, that is immorality فَـٰحِشَةً. Going near zina is violating your own and their dignity. And killing people, you have violated their right to life. There are two kinds of murder -- spiritual murder فاحشة, and then there is this physical murder قتل -- and Allah mentions the spiritual murder first.
Everyone, even some toddlers, now owns an android phone and an Ipad, a tablet, a note or all. SubhanAllah. Music, movies, games, internet/wifi have become bread and butter in Muslim households. Among the ills that technology have brought -- no longer we can have a family dinner in peace; no longer going for an evening drive with your family a time to connect with each other -- how can that be when the wife or the husband and each child has his/her electronic gadget/wifi and busy with their own attractions -- chatting or texting with their friends, watching movies, playing games or listening to music. It is no wonder families are drifting away from each other more than ever before.
Perhaps these are the little dajjals working before the the grand finale. La hawla wala quwwata illa billah.
Our standards have gone so low that when a movie comes out, you see a couple of trailers, you tell yourself "there is just this one bad scene in it, it's okay. It's PG 13, it's not R." But what used to be R ten years ago it's now PG 13; what used to be PG 13 is now PG. They put filthy scenes in everything now. And we don't even care about the spiritual price we're paying. It's affecting our prayer, it's affecting our du'as, it's affecting our character, it's affecting our family life. And we don't care. You might say, "It's just what it is now. What can you do?" So many of you don't care what kind of pictures you put up of yourselves on your Facebook pages. How can you post pictures like that? Have dignity for yourself. Have dignity for your family. Guard your gaze. Lower you gaze. Start with your eyes. Everything else goes from there.
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ[Qur'an, An-Nur 24:30-31]
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30) And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, ..
One of the things about shaytan is that he is extremely patient. He won't get you do the wrong thing in one shot. He will come at you little by little, until he destroys your character and in the end, your life. Even in the story of Adam alayhissalaam and Hawa, the way he approached them is really interesting. He was relentless. It wasn't just one time. We assume that he did not just come and say, "Hey, tree! Doesn't it look good?" and he is gone. No. He was extremely relentless. And he kept at it and he kept at it, and he built this idea in them until they would think that it's their idea.
When you listen to shaytan a little bit, you grant him a little bit of power. When you listen to him a little more, you grant him a little more power. And if you keep on listening to him, he gets to the point where he can command you.
But people who really submit to Allah, shaytan will not have authority over them.
إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا ﴿٦٥[Qur'an, Al-'Araf 17:65]
Indeed, over My [believing] servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as Disposer of affairs. (65)
But others, Allah Almighty says,
... ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:268]
Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality,...
Your relationship with Allah depends on the heart being clean. Every time you are exposed to filth, more dirt, more blackness, more covers, are poured on top of your heart. And it keeps on pouring and it keeps on pouring, to the point where you're listening to the word of Allah, and you can't even get yourself to shed even a single tear. It won't come, because your heart has been made so hard because of all the exposure to filth, all the sin that your eyes are taking in all the time. And you don't even care anymore. You know, a good heart, when it sees something inappropriate that doesn't coincide with the commandments of Allah, it is disturbed. It's not attracted, it's disturbed. It says "No, that's wrong." Immediately, the conscience kicks in, the alarm goes off.
But when you are at the point, and you feel no guilt for doing haram, you just don't feel anything, you don't feel that it is wrong; when you are at the point where you are staring at the screen, watching people doing haram things, admiring the hero or heroin, or when you (a man) staring at a non-mahram woman walking, that means the fear of Allah is completely gone. The only fear you have is that of the seen; there is no more fear of the unseen. What a horrible spiritual state to be in.
Allah Almighty says,
يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ ٱلْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى ٱلصُّدُورُ ﴿١٩[Qur'an Al-Ghafir 40:19]
He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal. (19)
We're supposed to be a people that guard ourselves with covering, and we dignify others by not looking at them. Even if they don't have dignity for themselves, we should have dignity for them and not look, because they are, in the end, a creation of Allah. Even if they are a disappointing creation of Allah, they are a creation of Allah. We have to have more respect for ourselves and for humanity in general to not to look at other human beings as animals look at other animals.
None can doubt that riba is a major sin, zina is a major sin, free mixing with opposite gender and not covering is a sin. No disobedience to Allah is worth the risk of His punishment. We must remember that the life of this world is short and fleeting, and that the purpose of our existence is not to lust after beauty and wealth, but rather to worship Allah correctly and live by His rules. Just because people are doing them, and they are widespread and common, it does not make it permissible.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّـهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا ﴿٢﴾ وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّـهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا ﴿٣[Qur'an, At-Talaq 65:2-3]
... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (2) And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (3)
May Allah protect us from disobedience and grant us excellent health, both spiritually and physically.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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