Hold Fast To The Rope of Allah

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

Many people, believers and disbelievers alike fear death, illness, trials, imprisonment, poverty, and so forth. Yet, when we reflect carefully upon all these fears, we will realize that each one of these fears is under the domain of Allah. No single human being dies except that his or her death has been ordained by Allah. No morsel of food and no sip of water enter anyone’s mouth except that it is by the Will of Allah.

Nobody falls under the authority of a just person or an unjust person, except that the matter has been preordained by Allah. If He wills that a trial befalls one, then it is solely by His permission. Who then should we really fear? Everything human fear has an appointed time and everything returns to Allah. He is the One Whom we should love and long for.

Our eyesight, our hearing, our hearts, our digestive system, our limbs—everything is created by Allah Most High. How then could created beings forget their Creator? How can we then disobey Allah when He has blessed us with all these bounties? We were brought out of our mothers’ wombs knowing nothing and we were created so that we may show thanks and gratitude to Him.

One of the best things a person can ask Allah is for a good ending. We must beware of falling prey to the things that would take the light of faith out of our hearts, which is disrespecting Allah, His religion and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), disrespecting our parents who He has bestowed upon us, and disrespecting and showing enmity to his inheritors; the scholars and those beloved to Allah.

Allah, the Exalted, says in the Quran,

... وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ

And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided...[Quran 3:103]

The scholars mention five interpretations of the term, “rope”:

1. The Qur’an,
2. Being sincere with Allah
3. The whole religion of Islam
4. The pious and upright scholars
5. Our Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace)

The fifth meaning encompasses all the previous meanings mentioned. It is through our Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)that we are able to reach Allah, as Allah Himself has mentioned that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)is the door to Allah. May Allah give us the ability to follow the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his guidance.

It is the responsibility of the Muslim Ummah to understand the reality of the rope of Allah and to spread this message to the people around us.

Our Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is mercy, a blessing to all creation. Allah says: “We have not sent you but as a mercy to all the worlds.”

Look at the hadith of the moths and the fire. One meaning of the fire here is the dunya, our lower selves and our desires. Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace)to save mankind from destruction and the Hellfire. When we give preference to things other than Allah, we are essentially bringing ourselves to destruction.

May Allah bless us with the realities of faith and steadfastness in holding onto the rope of these realities in our daily lives. May He purify our hearts and grant us steadfastness and may He allow us to give preference to Allah and His Beloved over everyone and everything else.

Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam