Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
BEING HUMAN, we all have weaknesses, flaws and
faults. None of us can claim to be perfect. The important thing is to
acknowledge our weaknesses, short-comings and failings. We should not make a
mockery of this beautiful Deen by justifying our wrong actions or by legalising
sins.
There is no doubt that we are living in times of
great Fitnah. Fitan[1] are
literally raining down upon us. This is what we were informed would happen. Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam once said (to
the people): “Do you see what I see?”
They replied: “No.”
Rasulullah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said: “I see Fitan (trials) descending in your
homes like the falling rain.”[2]
This was in respect to the coming generations and
what they would experience and would have to contend with. As for the Sahaba-e-Kiraam
رَضِىَ الله عَنْهُمْ, they belonged to the first era of what is described as
‘Khairul Quroon’ (the noblest eras of Islam).
Despite the vicious environment of Fitnah and sins
today, there can be no justification for disobedience to Allah Ta’ala. Yes, a
greater effort needs to be made to protect ourselves from the downpour of Fitan.
This is totally possible – if we hold firmly to the beautiful teachings of the
Qur’aan Shareef and Sunnah; if we keep to the company of the pious and
righteous, and we continuously seek protection in Allah Ta’ala from all tribulations
and evils. Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam said: “Seek refuge
in Allah from trials, whether apparent or hidden.”[3] And Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam taught us a Dua whereby we seek refuge from all types of
Fitan:
“I seek refuge in Allah from apparent and hidden trials.”
Together with this, we should keep making a
concerted effort ourselves to abstain from sins as well as from all the venues
of sins. …However, to commit sins
and justify sins is not the attitude and stance of a true Believer.
Unfortunately, we find nowadays, that many take sins very lightly and indifferently.
Worse still is that many will find some “reason” or excuse or validation for
indulgence in sins - نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰه.
Rasulullah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam was once questioned: “What is
Imaan (faith)?”
He Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam replied: “When your good deeds give you happiness
and when your evil deeds cause you grief.”[4]
What is our condition then, if instead of feeling grief,
we substantiate and endorse sins?
I receive so many letters and many phone-calls
from different people and most choose to be anonymous. Some statements are of a
nature which makes our hair stand on end – they are so dangerous and
jeopardising to a person’s Imaan. Some of them write that if Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam had been present in this time, he Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam too would have permitted this and that – which is Haraam;
he too would have integrated with the society by participating in the World Cup
and attending the sports matches, he too would have legalised interest, etc. نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰه.Some say that
the laws of inheritance and Talaaq are unfair and unjust, that certain Shar’i
laws need some kind of amendment, etc. نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰه.
We must be very, very careful about the type of
statements we make.
We
are living in times where many do not value the priceless bounties of Imaan and
Islam. In a Hadīth, Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam described this period of time as: “…a man will be a Believer in the morning
and a disbeliever by the evening, and a Believer in the evening and a
disbeliever in the morning...”[5]…This will be the condition, due
to the statements made and the actions carried out, which nullify Imaan.
Our condition brings to mind a lengthy Hadīth in respect to the
deterioration of the Ummah. The outline of the Hadīth is that Rasulullah Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam said, while addressing the
Sahabah رَضِىَ الله عَنْهُمْ: “What will be your condition (that is, of
the Ummah) when you will not enjoin good and forbid evil? …What will be your
condition when you will take the good deeds as evil, and evil deeds as good? …What
will then be your condition when you will order evil, and prohibit from doing
good deeds?”[6]
Amr-bil-Ma’roof and Nahy-anil-Munkar are salient
features in the life of a Muslim. Among the major sins that we commit is that
we have stopped inviting towards good and we have stopped preventing people
from Haraam deeds. Instead, we invite others to Haraam and we prevent them from
doing good. We now consider evil deeds as good and we consider good deeds as
evil – just as is mentioned in the Hadīth.
…It is as if we do not want to go alone to
Jahannum, so we pull others along with us. We invite them to Zina, drugs,
drink, music, pornography, to the rave clubs, casinos and other Haraam
establishments. May Allah Ta’ala give us the realization that we are paving the
way to our destruction and the destruction of others.
My dear brothers, I have great love for you and
great compassion and affection for you in my heart and I sincerely make
deep-hearted Dua for you, as well as for those who are listening via
audio-streaming and via the receivers. …I am warning and cautioning you, and I
have given this warning in other talks as well: If a person is committing a
sin, then at the least, do not justify it.
We are weak. Therefore, say: O Allah, it is my weakness; it is my
failing. …But do not try to justify the wrong.
It is purely Allah
Ta’ala’s Kindness, Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness and Tolerance that He has not
taken us to task and not seized us on our disobedience. Allah Ta’ala is
All-Powerful. He has shown us His Power in different parts of the world:
earthquakes, ash-clouds, tsunamis, hurricanes, fires and other disasters. …He
can destroy us too due to our excessive sins. It is just His Tolerance that we
are still existing.
Do not engage in sins
deliberately. Do not justify sins. Do not invite others to commit sins. A
Muslim does not plan sin, does not deliberately move in the direction of
disobedience, does not try to substantiate or legalise sins. A Muslim may
mistakenly fall into some sin – but a true Muslim is restless and uncomfortable
committing any sin and will not be at ease until he sincerely repents.
So we should turn
towards Allah Ta’ala, make I'tiraaf-e-qusoor –
acknowledge our sins and admit our weaknesses. If we do
this, Allah Ta’ala will open the doors of Maghfirah (forgiveness) and grant us
Hidayah, Taufeeq and His Protection.
May Allah Ta’ala forgive us all. May Allah Ta’ala make
us of those who do good and who guide and call towards Jannah – in our speech
and in our actions. May Allah Ta’ala make us keys to righteousness, that we
open doors towards virtuous deeds and towards Jannah, and may Allah Ta’ala
protect us from being keys to vice – that we open the doors to evil and become
locks to goodness.
Rasulullah Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam said: “Among the people are those who are keys to goodness and locks to evil.
And from among the people are those who are keys to evil and locks to goodness.
So glad tidings to the one who Allah puts the key to goodness in his hands, and
destruction to the one who Allah puts the key to evil in his hands.”[7]
This does not mean that Allah Ta’ala compels or
forces a person. Allah Ta’ala clearly shows us the path of guidance and good,
and the path of misguidance and evil:
“And We have shown him the two ways (good and evil).”
[Surah Al-Balad 90 : 10]
Our actions are our choice. A person’s
actions then make him one of the two keys. …If we call towards good, we will
gain the rewards of those who follow us in good. On the other hand, if we call
to misguidance and sin, then we bear the burden of the sins of those who follow
us, as well as our own sins. This is what is mentioned in the Ahadīth.[8] …So let us
be of those who invite towards Jannah.
May Allah Ta’ala have mercy upon us, guide us all
and protect our Imaan in these times of great Fitnah.
[1] Fitan:
(Plural of Fitnah) Trials
[2] Sahih
Al-Bukhari
[3] Sahih
Muslim
[4] Musnad
Ahmad
[5] Sahih Muslim
[6] Kanzul Ummaal Vol 3 Pg. 688
[7] Sunan
Ibn Majah
[8] Sahih Muslim
