In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Know that our Lord is Majestic and He is to be feared.
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) delivered a Khutbah to us the like of which I had never heard from him before. He said, “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much”. Thereupon those present covered their faces and began sobbing. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) heard of something about his Companions upon which he addressed them and said, “Jannah and (Hell) Fire were shown to me and I have never seen the like of this day in good and in evil. If you were to know what I know, you would laugh little and weep much”. His Companions experienced such suffering on that day that had no equal. They covered their faces and began to weep. [Bukhari]
Once Hasan al-Basri passed by a man who was laughing and asked him: “Oh my nephew! Have you safely passed over the Sirat (bridge over Hell)?” He replied, “No.” Hasan al-Basri asked: “Have you received news whether you will end up in Paradise or Hell?” The man replied that he hadn’t. So Hasan al-Basri asked, “Why do you laugh then, may Allah save you, while the matter ahead is horrifying?” That man was never seen laughing until he died. (But he smiled as this is a part of the Sunnah of the Prophet.)
The horror of Hellfire is such that one look at it will have a man willing even to throw his children, his wife, his brother, his parents, and his entire clan into it if by doing so he can escape himself. We cannot imagine throwing our children into any fire on earth to escape it ourselves, yet this is what people will be doing as a result of just a glance at Hellfire. Fear will make us mindless.
On the Day of Judgment Allah Almighty will ask a sinner whether he would like to ransom himself from the Fire by giving equivalent to the weight of the world in gold. The sinner will readily agree to give twice as much. Then Allah Almighty will say: Did I not ask you for something much less than this in the world? Only a few sujud (prostrations), only to make your guest feel welcome, only to say ‘La ilaha illallah’?
Unfortunately, the most ordinary and easy task seems difficult to us because we don’t see Hellfire before our eyes. But when we do see it with our eyes it will be too late to do anything.
The nature of the believers is that we would laugh little and cry much if we consider the Majesty of Allah but we also consider the mercy of Allah. This is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has this amazing balance. He was always sorrowful yet he was always rejoicing and that is beautiful hope. The challenge of hope in Allah is that we free ourselves from the fires that burn in this life.
The nafs (ego, desires, etc) and shaytan are the aiders and abetters in getting people into the Fire. They take people away from Allah and this should remind us of Hellfire. The catastrophe of Hellfire is distant from Allah.
False hope is when you desire good in the future but then you didn't take the means to attain it. Fear and hope are like two wings of a bird. When they are balanced and the bird is balanced, its flying is complete. Where does the bird fly to? Allah says,
فَفِرُّوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٥٠[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat 51:50]
So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner. (50)
The fact that no one offers refuge from Allah except Him serves to tell His slaves that He is More Merciful than anyone else, and He wants to show mercy and forgive.
Al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
When Allah called people to look at His signs which prompt one to fear Him and turn to Him, He enjoined that which is the aim behind that, which is to flee to Him, i.e., flee from that which Allah hates, both visible and hidden, to that which He loves, both visible and hidden; flee from ignorance to knowledge, from kufr to faith, from disobedience to obedience, from heedlessness to remembrance (dhikr)of Allah. The one who achieves all of that has fulfilled all the commitments enjoined by Islam, and will no longer have any fears; he will have achieved his ultimate goal.
Allah called turning back to Him fleeing, because turning to anyone or anything other than Him involves a great deal of fear and negative consequences. In turning to Him there are all the things that one likes, security, happiness and victory. So the individual flees from His will and decree to His will and decree. Everyone you fear you can flee from, except Allah, may He be exalted; the more you fear Him, the more you flee to Him. “Verily, I (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) am a plain warner to you from Him” means: a warner to you of the punishment of Allah with a clear message. End quote.
These last ten days of Ramadhan holds a lot of importance as Qur'an was revealed in last ten days and Laylat'ul Qadr also falls in the last ten days of Ramadhan. Being Muslims we should follow what has been told to us and spends our nights in worship.
Aisha narrated: Allah’s Apostle said, “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.” (Bukhari)
How kind our Creator is that even in the bless full month of Ramadhan He has given us another opportunity to worship him and ask for forgiveness as worshiping Allah and reciting prayers in the night of Laylat'ul Qadr is better than one thousand night.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylat'ul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven” (Muslim and Bukhari)
As these ten days are narrated for forgiveness, so one should keep reciting this dua all the time “Allahumma ajarni minun naar” (Oh Allah! Please save me from hell fire)
Another act performed by Allah's beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in these last ten days of Ramadhan is to sit in I’tikaf (spiritual retreat). Allah has kept a lot of reward for those who perform I’tikaf in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Blessings and rewards of sitting in I’tikaf are clear from this Hadith:
“Whosoever for Allah’s sake did even one day’s I’tikaf, Allah would keep him away from Jahannam (hell) by trenches.”(Tabarani)
When you sit in I’tikaf, you secluded yourself from the world’s activities and become free of worries, you concentrate on your prayers, recite Qur'an, make du'a, pray nawafils and spend your days and night in such calm, peaceful environment where everyone is busy in worship. Then you also become closer to Allah and your heart becomes content and fully occupied with Allah’s love.
Allah has created this universe and every creature for His worshiping but to Muslims, He bless us with Ramadhan as an opportunity to gain abundant rewards and stand in front of Him and pray until He wipes out our sins. For us who Allah has blessed to reach these last ten days, we should avail this special offer from Allah, take maximum advantage in the last ten days of Ramadhan and get closer to Him and bow our heads in front of Him with hopethat He would forgive us as He is the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate.
May Allah have mercy on us, forgive all our sins, and save us from Hellfire. May Allah bring us closer to Him. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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