Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
By Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Sahib (Rahmatullahi ‘alaih)
Extract from the book: ‘SOCIAL EVENTS – AVOIDING THE FITNAH’
There were thousands of Muslims ... and today as well, there are thousands of Muslims, or millions of them ... who lived in safe, secure conditions. They could come out and go to the Masjid, but they did not and do not. When Allah Ta’ala then punishes with fear, they say: We would like to go to the Masjid but there is so much of fear. There is so much of danger.
People who live close to the Masaajid will not frequent the Masjid. I am talking in general terms. …There are many places where Muslims reside and Masaajid have been built. If you go for Fajr Salaah, you may find five or six people only. There are several Masaajid in and around our area but many are negligent in performing their Salaah, in Jamaat (congregation). There are towns where big Ijtimas have taken place; where thousands of people had travelled to and gathered, for the noble purpose of Islaah and improvement in Deen. In these towns and suburbs, there are a majority of Muslims. Very sadly, in one of the towns, we found only eight people for the Fajr Salaah – during the winter time. We were told that there were ten, but it had decreased to eight. …This is our ingratitude. And ingratitude invites severe punishment. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur`aan Shareef:
لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيْدَنَّكُمْ وَ لَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِىْ لَشَدِيْدٌ
“…if you are grateful, I will most certainly increase for you (My favours) but if you show ingratitude, verily! My punishment is indeed severe.”
[Surah Ibraheem 14 : 7]
We see the amount of fear that is being generated in our hearts presently. How much of fear there is! The robberies, the hijackings, the kidnappings and what not is happening here, in South Africa. …Conditions befall us according to our deeds.
Many people say that it is becoming difficult to go for the Fajr Salaah. They say that it is frightening to open their doors and come outside. So much of fear has settled in the hearts. We have become prisoners in our own homes. …When the people were not leaving their homes and going to the Masjid at a time when there was no fear, this was ingratitude to Allah Ta’ala. This was ingratitude for the Amaan – the safety and security – that was prevailing. One of our major sins is Kufraan-e-Ni’mat (ingratitude for Allah Ta’ala’s bounties). Our punishment is in the form of this great fear that we live in. Allah Ta’ala relates in the Qur’aan Shareef:
وَضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ اٰمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَّأْتِيْهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللّٰهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللّٰهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوْعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَصْنَعُوْنَ ◌
“And Allah gives an example of a village/town, safe and secure, to which its means of subsistence came in abundance from every quarter. Then it became ungrateful to Allah's favours. And Allah made it wear the garb of hunger and fear because of what they wrought.”
[Surah An-Nahl 16 : 112]
Allah Ta’ala mentions the parable of a city. The people of the city were blessed with peace, security, protection and all kinds of bounties. Their sustenance reached them with great ease. However, when they became ungrateful and abused and wasted these bounties, the conditions changed in that town. Allah Ta’ala punished them two-fold: Hunger/famine overcame them and fear struck their hearts.
Look at our weddings, engagements and Walimahs! There is so much of extravagance and wastage. This wastage also invites punishment. Allah Ta’ala describes those who squander as the brothers of shaytaan:
وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيْرًا
إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِيْنَ كَانُوْاۤ إِخْوَانَ الشَّيٰطِيْنِ ط وَكَانَ الشَّيْطٰنُ لِرَبِّهٖ كَفُوْرًا
“And do not squander recklessly. Surely, squanderers are brothers to shayateen, and shaytaan is very ungrateful to his Lord.”
[Surah Bani Isra’eel 17 : 26/27]
The fear that is being experienced presently is also a punishment. We were enjoying Amaan. There was safety and there was ease but we were ungrateful. We did not appreciate. We did not go to the Masjid. Then, when there is an attack on the Masjid … when the Babri Masjid was attacked, the whole Ummah said: “Our Masjid! Our Masjid!” Allah Ta’ala sometimes uses those people who have got no esteem in His sight … they are Kuffaar and Mushrikeen … but Allah Ta’ala places them over us to give us a little taste of our doings, so that we get up from our sleep and our slumber and sincerely repent. Allah Ta’ala informs us:
وَمَآ أَصَابَكُمْ مِّنْ مُّصِيْبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيْكُمْ وَيَعْفُوْا عَنْ كَثِيْرٍ
“And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and (yet) He pardons most (of your faults).”
[Surah As-Shuraa 42 : 30]
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى النَّاسِ لِيُذِيْقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِيْ عَمِلُوْا
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُوْنَ
“Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account
of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return.”
[Surah Ar-Rum 30 : 41]
The word ‘Fasaad’, in this Ayah, has been explained by Scholars, as all kinds of calamities, disasters and misfortunes. There are droughts, earthquakes, floods, plagues, food-crises, lawlessness, mutiny and so forth. The root cause is our disobedience to Allah Ta’ala.
Rasulullah Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said: “As you are (as your actions are), so will be the rulers that will soon be set over you.”[1]
We have been informed and warned that when people transgress the Commandments of Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala then entrusts their administrative affairs to foolish people; their public finances are overseen by the miserly, corrupt and greedy ones; harsh and unjust people are appointed to rule over them. We need not look far to see this reality.
Read more: ‘SOCIAL EVENTS – AVOIDING THE FITNAH’
[1] Al-I’tidaal / Shu’abul Imaan of Imam Bayhaqi
