In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Muslims were given two principles which guarantee their collective well-being. If everyone practiced Taqwa and made Islam his linkage with Allah, the result will be that individual life will be corrected and the collective strength of Muslims will come in its wake.
Taqwa (تقوى God-fearingness) means that you protect yourself, or take precaution out of a certain fear or concern. An example is when you lock up your house as a precaution measure for burglars. And this is exactly how you should be as a believer, active and alert at all times in this world and take precaution by your actions and deeds in order to protect yourself from bad consequences in this life and the next.
Allah gives us a weighty instruction to fear Him. Allah Almighty says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٠٢﴾ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿١٠٣[Qur'an, AleImran 3:102-103]
O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. (102) And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided. (103)
Fear of Allah is a beautiful, blessed, and unique type of fear, as it makes you flee to the One you fear. Allah Almighty says,
فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ ۖ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٥٠[Quran, Adh-Dhariyat 51:50]
So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner. (50)
Fear Allah and turn to Him, for there is no refuge from Him except in Him. No one offers refuge from Him except Him.
Collective well-being of Muslims depends on two things: These are:
1. Self-correction through Taqwa and a firm hold on the 'cord of Allah' through the Qur'an and the Faith.
2. The correction of others through call (da'wah) and positive propagation.
One must correct his or her deeds and morals in the light of what Allah Almighty has sent as the Law, and with it, one must be concerned that other Muslims do the same. This subject appears in Surah Al-Asr in which Allah Almighty says,
وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿٣[Qur'an, Al-'Asr 103]
By time, (1) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (2) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (3)
Muslims are not to rest at the correction of what they think and do individually; but they should, along with that, be affectionately concerned with the good of other Muslims. By doing so, the whole community shall have the benefit of keeping its stance correct at all times, and at the same time, this will guarantee closer mutual cooperation and unity.
In order that Muslims have a firm bond of unity, they must relate to Allah, and in order that this bond stays firm through the ages, it is necessary that Muslims consider it their obligation to enjoin what is good in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an and the Sunnah on their fellow Muslims, and to stop them from what is not good. The purpose is that the "cord of Allah' should not slip out of one's hands.
...كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ[Qur'an, AleImran 3:110]
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah...
The obligation - 'to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong' - has been assigned to the whole community. That they discharge this responsibility is the reason that they are placed higher over other communities.
The fact is that the duty of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong falls on every individual of the community. The liability will, however, be proportionate to everyone's ability, which is true in the case of all other Islamic injunctions.
The nature of this obligation requires that one enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong in what is necessary; this would be obligatory. If done in what is commendable; the act too would remain commendable. For instance, the five prayers are obligatory, therefore, giving good counsel to the non-performer of salah will become necessary on everyone. The nawafil (optional prayers) are classed as commendable or desirable, therefore, giving good counsel on these will be commend- able. Here, etiquette would require that while advising someone to do a commendable act, soft language and attitude must be adopted in all cases. Similarly, while inviting to an obligatory act, one should start with softness. However, he may resort to firmness in attitude if one rejects the soft call outright. It is common sight these days that people tend to object in case of what is commendable or indifferent rather strongly, but remain silent when people abandon what is obligatory.
May Allah adorn us with genuine, balanced fear of Him and assist us in acting upon the fear in this life, and grant us success in this life and the next. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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