In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Muslims consists of true believers, strong believers, weak believers and hypocrites.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَبِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨﴾ يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٩﴾ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ ﴿١١﴾ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿١٢﴾ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٣[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:8-12]
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers. (8) They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not. (9) In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. (10) And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." (11) Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not. (12)
Muslims have to be a purified, cleansed nation before they can get in the position of power because if they get in power while they are not cleansed, they will be causing a lot of corruption in the land. Just look around us. When political control is in the hands of the corrupt it trickles down and even starts to affect family life.
فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟ أَرْحَامَكُمْ ﴿٢٢[Qur'an, Muhammad 47:22]
So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? (22)
This is one of the great Ayaat in the Qur'an.
If we look at many Muslims today, it is not a good picture. A great number of masjids, for example, feel like a micro corrupt Muslim governments. You find a great many people come into power and they wont let go of it and they want to back stab other people.
When people get into power and they cause corruption this anger Allah. If we can't get peace, fairness, justice, transparency and accountability at the level of an organization, which consists 10 or 12 people at best, that are in the organization's leadership, how can we ever talk about ruling the land with Islam and khilafah? We have the first premise with which Allah said to the believers that you can't take power yet until you are cleansed and if you do take power prematurely, you will cause corruption. You will create more trouble.
This is a very heavy ayah. It does not absolve us from our responsibility to establish His Religion on the land but it does instill in us a necessity to cleanse ourselves. Even at the level of household, you can how much unfairness from the head of the household towards the children or towards the wife -- towards giving the wife her fair share of the mahr or towards giving the daughters their fair share in inheritance, etc. You can see so many men neglected their duties towards the women in their family and the women are left to fend for themselves, yet these are the men who would insist on their inheritance share of double the female's share. The corruption is at all level -- individual, familial, organizational and institutional level. This is the state of affairs.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمْ وَأَعْمَىٰٓ أَبْصَـٰرَهُمْ ﴿٢٣[Qur'an, Muhammad 47:23]
Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision. (23)
Those are the people Allah curse -- people who take the reins of power and then create corruption in the name of Islam. Who gets the bad name when a Muslim nations are corrupt? Islam does. Who gets the bad name when Muslim organizations are corrupt? Islam does. Who gets the bad name when a Muslim is corrupt? Islam does. So why wouldn't Allah curse them. The religion that came to remove evil from the world is now being accused of evil because its ambassadors are evil and do the wrong things.
So Allah deafened them and blinded their eyes. So corrupt Muslims leaders can no longer hear the cries and pleas of people; they can't hear the Qur'an being recited, they don't see the blood being shed and people are killed like insects. Astaghfirullah.
When sociologists, modernists and the like looked at religion, they say "I don't believe in organized religion... because organized religion has caused corruption in society and it has been a means of oppression in world history," they have a point. It is true and it is so true that Allah even warned us about that this -- that if you are not cleansed as a people and you come to the reins of power, you will also cause corruption in the lands and you will also be the reason that family relations are cut -- meaning corruption enters into the inside walls of the private homes as a result of your behavior.
So, take control of your own matters in the religion. Don't be dependent on other people to cleanse yourself. As Imam Shafi'i said in his first line of poetry ... "Nothing scratches your skin better than your own nails."
Paradise should be everyone’s objective. This is what we should live for and if this is not your objective, then you are are living a wrong life. Because you are depriving yourself of so many things just to be a Muslim, yet you are not doing the right things that would entitle you to go to Paradise.
Paradise, as described by the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, is surrounded by things that are not preferred by each and every one of us. In order to enter it you have to do the things that you may not like. Whereas Hell is the opposite; it is surrounded by lusts and desires, so the minute you fall into these lusts and desires, you will enter Hell. May Allah save us from Hell.
Paradise is Allah’s Mercy, and whomever He wishes to allow to enter it means that He has bestowed His Mercy upon this person. Among the very first thing that enable you to enter Paradise is as mentioned in the Qur'an.
Allah Almighty says,
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۖ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقًّا ۚ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ قِيلًا ﴿١٢٢﴾ لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ۗ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوٓءًا يُجْزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًۭا ﴿١٢٣﴾ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًۭا ﴿١٢٤﴾ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۗ وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ خَلِيلًا ﴿١٢٥﴾ وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّحِيطًا ﴿١٢٦[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:122-126]
But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allah, [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allah in statement. (122) Paradise is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper. (123) And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed. (124) And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend. (125) And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And ever is Allah, of all things, encompassing. (126)
The Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said, “All of my Ummah will enter Paradise, except those who disobey.” You know that the Ummah, is divided into two types.
1)Ummah that includes the believers and the disbelievers and they are called the ‘Ummah of Da’wah’ (the ‘Ummah of Call’); so even the Christians, the Jews and all other denominations are considered to be part of this Ummah, but they are ‘Ummah of Da’wah’.
2) And there is a particular part which is the Ummah of those who responded to the call of the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam and followed him. Therefore, the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam says, “All of my Ummah (which includes both parties) will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” The Companions said, “Who refuses to enter Paradise?!” He said, “Whoever obeys me enters Paradise and whoever disobeys me is refusing, he has chosen his destiny!”
This is the greatest means of entering Paradise.
Allah Almighty says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوٓا۟ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ ﴿٣٣[Qur'an, Muhammad 47:33]
O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds. (33)
You have to look at the way you live. Are you following the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam -- are you obeying him in every single thing? If yes, then, Inshaa Allah, with His Mercy, you will be among those who would enter Paradise.
Among the great things that would admit you to Paradise: is to be a person with good character, with excellent moral ethics, with good conduct and behavior. This allows you to go to the highest Paradise. The Prophet Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said, “The closest of you to me on the Day of Judgement and Paradise are those who have the excellent character and moral ethics and perfect behavior.”
The Prophet Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam says, “Guarantee six things for me and I guarantee Paradise for you.” If the Prophet Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam guarantees Paradise for you, this means that you will definitely be able to get what he promised. He Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam says:
1) Be truthful when you speak.
2) Fulfill your promise when you give a promise.
3) Give, what you were entrusted with to those, who entrusted you with it.
4) Preserve your private parts (meaning; do not fornicate).
5) Lower your gaze.
6) Restrain from using your hand. (This can be interpreted in two ways: Physically, do not extend your hand, do not abuse people, do not hit people and do not do something wrong with your hand, do not shake hands with the opposite sex, for example, this is Haram. It can also mean to hold back your hand from Haram money, i.e. do not take what is not lawfully yours.
Six things and the Prophet Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam guarantees you Paradise. Regarding being truthful, it’s amazing you find at the individual level many of the non-Muslims are being truthful, being honest because they were brought up this way: to say the truth and not to lie. (Generally speaking we don’t want the stereotype saying, “Oh, Mashaa Allah, non-Muslims are this and Muslims are that”). On the other hand, it is so shameful and embarrassing that when our religion tells us that lying is a sin, you still find many of the Muslims lying left and right. Not only that, they also give lying different shades of color. They say, “This is grey, this is a white lie, this is purple.” Beware of lying even in jest.
Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise; a person remains truthful until he is written as a Siddeeq (truthful person) with Allah. Lying leads to sin and sin leads to the Fire; a person keeps lying until he is written as a Kadhdhab (liar) with Allah.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
May Allah make us of those who constantly repentant and constantly purify themselves. Ameen.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves. [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:222]
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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