Shuaibbweb.com
By Tareen
Coming to Islam was difficult for me. I had long sensed the truth in principles like Tawheed, the ‘Oneness’ of God, and in the veracity of the Holy Qur’an. Yet I was a product of my environment and therefore privileged, selfish, and self-absorbed. I thought only of the things I would lose when I converted: friends, love affairs, respect from colleagues, and of course reading a book in the dark corner of a bar while nursing a cold beer on a hot day. These things were part of what I based my identity on, so I felt I would be losing myself if and when I became Muslim.
Somewhere inside this bundle of self-absorption focusing on loss was the very real fear that even when I did declare myself a Muslim, I would never live up to others’ expectations. After all, the group of Muslim friends I was blessed with seemed to shoulder their responsibilities with no effort at all. I felt I could never project the dignity and self-assurance they did when going into a masjid. Most of all, I felt like I couldn’t live up to what Allah subhanahu wa ta`la (exalted is He) expected of me.
Though Islam teaches us that the deen (lifstyle) is the perfect balance between asceticism and sensory overload, I knew that praying five times every day and fasting during the month of Ramadan would be unbelievably challenging. If I were so sure about Islam being the truth, then any hesitation I had in jumping in headfirst, would prove my lack of dedication and love for Allah (swt) and his Messenger ﷺ , peace be upon him. I mispronounced an important part of my prayers for almost a year, and when I discovered my mistake I was inconsolable. If I cared so much, if I were really a Muslim, then why couldn’t I do everything perfectly or at least put in the effort to not make such a silly and awful mistake?
When I finally did take my shahadah (declaration of Muslim faith) and began to share this with friends and family, the response from some loved ones was harsh and alienating. I felt myself slipping into despair. How could I ever balance my obligations and not lose everything as a result? My identity was in turmoil.
The turning point was when I stood in front of an Israeli soldier holding my passport. I had travelled hours with my friend through the West Bank in order to visit the Holy Sanctuary in Jerusalem and pray at Al-Aqsa. As Jerusalem is under military occupation, there are several checkpoints to enter the area. It was a long and sweltering journey, but I had little reason to complain – my Palestinian friends who lived in Nablus and Ramallah hadn’t been allowed to visit Jerusalem in years, and I felt guilty that I had the privilege just because of my nationality. Yet things were not going to be so easy after all! Here I was with my friend Urmy – who I had just met the day before- stuck at the last checkpoint within sight of a flashing gold dome. The soldier looked at the passport and then at my face with amused skepticism. “You are Muslim?” he asked.
“Alhamduillah, yes.” I answered.
“Was your father a Muslim?”
I answered in the negative. He laughed, tossed my passport back at me, and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. I had been to Palestine before and calmly faced Israeli soldiers with composure in nearly every sort of stressful situation, but never like this. I was glad that I was wearing sunglasses, because as he waved me away and motioned for the line to move along, the tears came quickly of their own accord. I was dumbstruck. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my anguish and tried not to collapse where I stood. And Allah listens to those who pray.
“Wait, wait – you can’t do that!” my friend Urmy immediately swept in, armed with righteous anger. She had been born into Islam and we hardly knew each other, but her hand on my back and firm confidence in her voice helped me remain standing. “She’s a Muslim!”
“Her father is not Muslim, so she is not a Muslim,” the soldier said with a smile.
“How dare you!” she cried, putting her arm around my shoulder. “Who gave you that kind of authority?” As her voice rose, a crowd began to gather. Muslims from all over the world had come to visit the Holy Sanctuary and pray at Al-Aqsa. They were all from different backgrounds and spoke different languages. To my wonder and astonishment, they began to argue with the soldier on my behalf.
“Can’t you see how upset you are making her?” chided a south-Asian man.
“Let her go instead of me!” said another with an accent from West Africa.
“You can’t decide who is and isn’t Muslim!” a woman cried.
Someone pressed a tissue into my hand and I wiped my face. The soldier was looking nervous as the crowd began to grow larger. He was arguing loudly with all of them, but another soldier thought it wiser to get an official from the Waqf – the Jordanian delegation that manages the area – to come out. He arrived and said in a very kind voice, “Will you recite the shahadah?” I nodded yes and blurted it out between sniffles. He turned to my friend and asked her the same, and she too recited it for him. He gestured for us to pass the checkpoint. Urmy trembled with frustration, but I felt as though I had lost a giant weight off my shoulders.
I will never forget the incredible kindness emanating from my fellow Muslims that day. It is not easy to find the courage to stand up for what is right, but for these upright strangers, it seemed effortless. I felt as though Allah swt had bestowed upon me an incredible mercy and blessing with this lesson. I had been afraid that my history and privilege would not only keep me from being accepted by Allah swt and his Ummah, but would also keep me from accepting myself as a Muslim.
I see now that it does not matter whom my parents were, what color my skin is, or what my passport says. So long as I witness that there was no god worthy of my worship but God and Muhammad is his Messenger, I am a Muslim.
This incident set me on the road towards self-acceptance and finding my place in Islam. The relationship between Urmy and I has deepened into sisterhood, and I found more and more support from the Ummah as I went along. That support is heaven sent and has greatly helped me develop as a Muslim. I would never say my character flaws have been ironed out because of my conversion, but I can more easily pinpoint them as sources of suffering and find that Islam offers the perfect tools needed to tackle my nafs.
I was afraid that I had to be perfect to become Muslim. Now I realize that balancing this struggle is at the root of submission to God. As long as I make the effort, I see the rewards tumble into my life threefold. It takes perspective and patience to interpret the blessings sometimes, as I still struggle through Ramadan and my five-daily-prayers, but I am beyond grateful.
I once thought that Islam would mean me losing things – now I see that I have gained countless blessings in this life and the key to paradise in the next.
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/ummah/converts/struggling-for-acceptance/
Thursday 29 September 2011
Glimpses into the world of the unseen part 1
Shuaibbweb.com
By Raiiq Ridwan
On the 14th of May, the first Islamic course at Al-Kauthar Institute in Bangladesh, entitled “World of the Unseen,” ended. The course instructor was Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury, founder of Al-Kauthar. I feel so very thankful to Allah (swt) that Allah has blessed me with the tawfiq (good fortune) to attend the course and benefit immensely from it alhamduilllah (praise be to Allah).
While the people in the West often benefit from these kind of courses, we in Muslim countries sometimes find our opportunities lacking, subhan Allah (glory be to Allah). Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury made us swear by Allah (swt) that we would at least teach what we learnt little by little to a minimum of five people. I found it so beneficial, I wish the whole world could have attended the course over the last two days.
So, I will be posting insha’ Allah (God willing) a series of short notes as a review of what was covered in the course. This will hardly amount to a drop from the ocean of knowledge that was taught in the course, but it will insha’ Allah benefit us. This first article will be on some of the various names of the Day of Judgment.
Yawm Al-Qiyamah: the Day of Standing
The most common name of the Day of Judgment literally means “Day of Standing.” It is called this because people will have to wait standing for fifty thousand years on the Day of Judgment, before Allah (swt) and the angels come and start the judgment. Subhan Allah, have we imagined standing for even fifty minutes, let alone fifty thousand years?
However, Allah’s love for the believer means that he will be given respite from the intense pain of standing on this Day, and a riding animal will be assigned to him to sit on. May Allah (swt) raise us up among the believers!
A point to note: increase your `ibaadat (worship) and strengthen your imaan (faith) in Allah (swt) such that this long standing will be made easy on you.
Yawm ad-Deen: the Day of Establishment of the Deen
This is the name of the Day of Judgement that we repeat in the 4th ayat (verse) of Al-Faatihah (The Opener, Qur’an 1:4). It means “Day of Establishment of the Deen.” This is the Day that Allah (swt) will establish His deen over all others. Al-Islam, the deen (way of life) of Truth, will prevail and its followers will be honored. May Allah (swt) allow us to be true followers of Islam, and torchbearers of His Deen!
A point to take: Allah (swt) will finally establish His deen whether we like it or not, and whether others like it or not. Is it not time now that we establish the deen of Allah (swt) in our lives, so that we may be among the honored ones in the hereafter?
Yawm Al-Hisab: the Day of Accounting
This is the Day on which everything will be accounted for. Witnesses will testify whether the deeds we did were good or bad, and the scales (meezan) will be put up to weigh our good deeds against our bad deeds. Seven witnesses will witness for or against us on that Day:
Angels;
Books that Recorded our Deeds;
The Earth;
People;
Our Skin, Our Eyes, Our Body;
The Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ;
ALLAH.
Subhan’Allah, if all these are witnesses against us, imagine where we will be. The angels recording our deeds will testify as to what we did; the books will testify; the earth will testify as to what we did upon it. The people around us will testify—our own bodies will. The Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will also testify, and, most terrifying of all, Allah (swt) the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth HIMSELF will be a witness for or against us. May Allah (swt) make the witnesses for us and not against us!
A point to note: If we want witnesses for us, we should use our bodies for doing good, do good upon the earth, and obey the commandments of the Qur’an. The Qur’an will then testify for us, and the Prophet ﷺ will insha’Allah intercede for us, and Allah (swt) will accept us—ameen!
Yawm Al-Hasrah: the Day of Distress or the Day of Regret
Imagine the Day of Judgement. If ONE deed were to prevent you from entering jannah (heaven), how would you feel? How much would it pain you that Day when you look back and think, “Ugh, I should have done this at that time,” “Oh no, why did I commit that sin,” “Why did I look that way,” and so on and so forth. Regret that Day will be overwhelming, and unfortunately it will be of no use. When 4.9 billion angels bring hellfire before us, distress will be at its maximum, and regret will be so great that some disbelievers will say, “Oh, I wish that I were dust!” (Qur’an 78:40).
A point to take: Repent today for the sins you have done before. Make a commitment to utilize your time better, and to use it for the sake of Allah (swt) such that no regret comes on the Day of Judgment. This hadith of the Prophet ﷺ comes to my mind: “Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up a bad deed with a good deed, such that it may wipe it out.”
Regret now while regret still works, for regret then will be of no use.
Al-Wa`qiah: the Definite Day; Al-‘Aazifah: the Day that Definitely Comes
Man in his quest to fulfill his lusts and desires at times denies the very existence of the Day of Judgment. However, the Day is definitely coming, and it is indeed guaranteed.
A point to take: When we know something is guaranteed, we prepare for it. Death and the Day of Judgment are the only guarantees in our life, subhan’Allah. So, all we can do is definitely work for it.
Yawm Al-Fasl: the Day of Division
The Day of Ultimate Division. A day when a mother will leave her child, a father will leave his daughter, and a son will leave his mother. A day when the believers will be known and the disbelievers will be known. The people of paradise will be set apart from the people of hellfire. Truly, mankind will finally be divided along the correct lines and the truth established.
A point to take: The line that day will be laa ilaha illa allah (There is no God except The God), and you will either be on this side of the line or the other. It’s up to you to choose insha’Allah. If you choose to live laa ilaha illa allah, then Allah (swt) will honor will you on that Day, and you will reach everlasting bliss!
There are more names of the Day of Judgment; I restricted myself to these in consideration of length. Insha’Allah this will benefit us all. Please make du`a’ (supplication) for me, my family and friends, for yourself, your family and friends, and for this ummah (community) of Muhammad ﷺ.
By Raiiq Ridwan
On the 14th of May, the first Islamic course at Al-Kauthar Institute in Bangladesh, entitled “World of the Unseen,” ended. The course instructor was Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury, founder of Al-Kauthar. I feel so very thankful to Allah (swt) that Allah has blessed me with the tawfiq (good fortune) to attend the course and benefit immensely from it alhamduilllah (praise be to Allah).
While the people in the West often benefit from these kind of courses, we in Muslim countries sometimes find our opportunities lacking, subhan Allah (glory be to Allah). Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury made us swear by Allah (swt) that we would at least teach what we learnt little by little to a minimum of five people. I found it so beneficial, I wish the whole world could have attended the course over the last two days.
So, I will be posting insha’ Allah (God willing) a series of short notes as a review of what was covered in the course. This will hardly amount to a drop from the ocean of knowledge that was taught in the course, but it will insha’ Allah benefit us. This first article will be on some of the various names of the Day of Judgment.
Yawm Al-Qiyamah: the Day of Standing
The most common name of the Day of Judgment literally means “Day of Standing.” It is called this because people will have to wait standing for fifty thousand years on the Day of Judgment, before Allah (swt) and the angels come and start the judgment. Subhan Allah, have we imagined standing for even fifty minutes, let alone fifty thousand years?
However, Allah’s love for the believer means that he will be given respite from the intense pain of standing on this Day, and a riding animal will be assigned to him to sit on. May Allah (swt) raise us up among the believers!
A point to note: increase your `ibaadat (worship) and strengthen your imaan (faith) in Allah (swt) such that this long standing will be made easy on you.
Yawm ad-Deen: the Day of Establishment of the Deen
This is the name of the Day of Judgement that we repeat in the 4th ayat (verse) of Al-Faatihah (The Opener, Qur’an 1:4). It means “Day of Establishment of the Deen.” This is the Day that Allah (swt) will establish His deen over all others. Al-Islam, the deen (way of life) of Truth, will prevail and its followers will be honored. May Allah (swt) allow us to be true followers of Islam, and torchbearers of His Deen!
A point to take: Allah (swt) will finally establish His deen whether we like it or not, and whether others like it or not. Is it not time now that we establish the deen of Allah (swt) in our lives, so that we may be among the honored ones in the hereafter?
Yawm Al-Hisab: the Day of Accounting
This is the Day on which everything will be accounted for. Witnesses will testify whether the deeds we did were good or bad, and the scales (meezan) will be put up to weigh our good deeds against our bad deeds. Seven witnesses will witness for or against us on that Day:
Angels;
Books that Recorded our Deeds;
The Earth;
People;
Our Skin, Our Eyes, Our Body;
The Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ;
ALLAH.
Subhan’Allah, if all these are witnesses against us, imagine where we will be. The angels recording our deeds will testify as to what we did; the books will testify; the earth will testify as to what we did upon it. The people around us will testify—our own bodies will. The Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will also testify, and, most terrifying of all, Allah (swt) the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth HIMSELF will be a witness for or against us. May Allah (swt) make the witnesses for us and not against us!
A point to note: If we want witnesses for us, we should use our bodies for doing good, do good upon the earth, and obey the commandments of the Qur’an. The Qur’an will then testify for us, and the Prophet ﷺ will insha’Allah intercede for us, and Allah (swt) will accept us—ameen!
Yawm Al-Hasrah: the Day of Distress or the Day of Regret
Imagine the Day of Judgement. If ONE deed were to prevent you from entering jannah (heaven), how would you feel? How much would it pain you that Day when you look back and think, “Ugh, I should have done this at that time,” “Oh no, why did I commit that sin,” “Why did I look that way,” and so on and so forth. Regret that Day will be overwhelming, and unfortunately it will be of no use. When 4.9 billion angels bring hellfire before us, distress will be at its maximum, and regret will be so great that some disbelievers will say, “Oh, I wish that I were dust!” (Qur’an 78:40).
A point to take: Repent today for the sins you have done before. Make a commitment to utilize your time better, and to use it for the sake of Allah (swt) such that no regret comes on the Day of Judgment. This hadith of the Prophet ﷺ comes to my mind: “Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up a bad deed with a good deed, such that it may wipe it out.”
Regret now while regret still works, for regret then will be of no use.
Al-Wa`qiah: the Definite Day; Al-‘Aazifah: the Day that Definitely Comes
Man in his quest to fulfill his lusts and desires at times denies the very existence of the Day of Judgment. However, the Day is definitely coming, and it is indeed guaranteed.
A point to take: When we know something is guaranteed, we prepare for it. Death and the Day of Judgment are the only guarantees in our life, subhan’Allah. So, all we can do is definitely work for it.
Yawm Al-Fasl: the Day of Division
The Day of Ultimate Division. A day when a mother will leave her child, a father will leave his daughter, and a son will leave his mother. A day when the believers will be known and the disbelievers will be known. The people of paradise will be set apart from the people of hellfire. Truly, mankind will finally be divided along the correct lines and the truth established.
A point to take: The line that day will be laa ilaha illa allah (There is no God except The God), and you will either be on this side of the line or the other. It’s up to you to choose insha’Allah. If you choose to live laa ilaha illa allah, then Allah (swt) will honor will you on that Day, and you will reach everlasting bliss!
There are more names of the Day of Judgment; I restricted myself to these in consideration of length. Insha’Allah this will benefit us all. Please make du`a’ (supplication) for me, my family and friends, for yourself, your family and friends, and for this ummah (community) of Muhammad ﷺ.
Glimpses into the world of the unseen part 2
Shuaibwebb.com
by Raiiq Ridwan
Glimpses into the World of the Unseen Part: I | II
In our previous article1 we put together the various names Allah uses for the Day of Judgement. Insha’Allah (God willing), we will be moving on today. However, moving on is not necessarily moving forward. What we will do is step back a bit and look at death, which is the real start of one’s judgment.
While we are alive on earth, the only thing guaranteed to happen in the future is death. Death is a reality that no human being can escape.
”Every soul shall taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned” (Qur’an, 29:57)
”Wherever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high.” (Qur’an, 4:78)
Why this toil through life and death and then resurrection all over again? one may ask. These are questions which have baffled philosophers throughout generations. However, we cannot ask simple mortals, however intellectual they may be, to know the matters of the unseen. Rather we will ask the One who has the keys to the knowledge of the unseen, and He subhanahu wa ta’ala answers all the burning questions in our minds:
“Who has created death and life, that He may test which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving”. (Qur’an, 67:2)
If we were to go on a journey to a foreign country for just a few days, we would take over a week just preparing for it, doing the shopping, packing our bags and taking ample provisions for the journey. Then, what about the ultimate journey, the guaranteed journey, the journey that is eternal. What have we done for it? It is a one-way ticket, and the real problem is that we do not know when the boarding is going to be. It can be anytime, even now!
If life and death has been created to test which of us is the best indeed, then are we not fools if we do not make the best of this situation? The life of this world is temporary, while the life of the hereafter is everlasting. Whether it is the blessings of Paradise or the disaster of Hell, it is endless, and there will be no turning back. Therefore our choices are limited to only one – utilize this time, this moment, today. Prepare here for the Hereafter.
One of the names of the Day of Judgement we mentioned previously was Yawm Al-Hasrah, which means the Day of Regret or the Day of Distress. Have you ever imagined how the Day of Judgement would be, if you were ONE good deed short of the required for Jannah? Have you ever thought that on that day you might say, “Oh my Lord, I wish I had sacrificed that sleep for fajr”, “Uff, I wish U hadn’t committed that tiny sin there”, and so on and so forth. Subhan’Allah, the simple thought of it terrifies me.
A problem often arises. Sometimes when our iman (faith) is real high masha’Allah we feel the urge to do more and more good deeds. We can push ourselves over our limits and soon burn out. Then we fall back and end up doing even less than the obligatory, less than before.
Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury mentioned three things to do if you are new towards Islam, and you are still in the process of “moving in” to Islam:
1. Fix your salah (prayer), first, praying them punctually, consistently and developing a serene heart.
“Successful indeed are the believers. who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness”. (Qur’an, 23:1-2)
2. Instead of trying to do a lot of good in one go which burns us out, we should try and remove a lot of the filthy habits that have become part of our second nature. These habits amount up and become more difficult to eliminate over time, so we should try removing them by building good habits insha’Allah. Replace one bad with one good – greed with generosity, for example.
3. Have a good circle of friends and stay in good company. “Man is likely to follow the religion of his friend. So watch out with whom you make friends.” (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhee)
A Muslim is one who loves to meet Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, and therefore he loves all that Allah loves and hates all that Allah hates. This is the state of iman we should aim for, where every deed we do will be for the sake of Allah, and desiring His love. Only when we have firm love for the religion of Allah, can we sacrifice for the sake of it, and work for it.
When we love someone we have both hope and fear. I love my mother more than anyone else on earth, and I have both hope and fear in her. I always hope that my mother is happy with me, loves me, is doing something good for me. On the flip side, I am always fearful of angering my mother, displeasing her, hurting her or disappointing her.
In a similar way the love for Allah is something that is greater, and it is based upon hope and fear that is far greater. Ibn Al Qayyim rahimahullah (God have mercy on him) compared Iman to a bird. The head of the bird is love, and each wing is hope and fear. If one wing were to break or weigh heavier than the other, then the bird wouldn’t be able to fly and reach its destination.
While we love Allah, we should be hopeful of His Mercy and also fearful of His Punishment. Indeed one of my favorite Shaykhs, Saalih Al-Munajjid once said:
“Love of Allah is life itself, and to be deprived of it entails a terrible death; it is the light without which one would sail in a sea of darkness; it is the cure without which one’s heart will be overwhelmed by a multitude of diseases; it is the joy without which one will remain in permanent grief; it is the essence of faith and deeds, without which they become like a soulless body.
It is the means without which people will never reach their destination nor attain their place in Paradise; it is the means with which people reach their beloved (i.e., Allah). I swear by Allah that if people can achieve this honor in both this life and the Hereafter, then they have attained the true joy and happiness.”
Such profound words subhan’Allah! It is on this note that I end for now.
May Allah indeed help us to benefit ourselves in the limited time span that we have and utilize it in shaping our homes of the hereafter, and truly find the love of Allah
Glimpses into the World of the Unseen ↩
by Raiiq Ridwan
Glimpses into the World of the Unseen Part: I | II
In our previous article1 we put together the various names Allah uses for the Day of Judgement. Insha’Allah (God willing), we will be moving on today. However, moving on is not necessarily moving forward. What we will do is step back a bit and look at death, which is the real start of one’s judgment.
While we are alive on earth, the only thing guaranteed to happen in the future is death. Death is a reality that no human being can escape.
”Every soul shall taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned” (Qur’an, 29:57)
”Wherever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high.” (Qur’an, 4:78)
Why this toil through life and death and then resurrection all over again? one may ask. These are questions which have baffled philosophers throughout generations. However, we cannot ask simple mortals, however intellectual they may be, to know the matters of the unseen. Rather we will ask the One who has the keys to the knowledge of the unseen, and He subhanahu wa ta’ala answers all the burning questions in our minds:
“Who has created death and life, that He may test which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving”. (Qur’an, 67:2)
If we were to go on a journey to a foreign country for just a few days, we would take over a week just preparing for it, doing the shopping, packing our bags and taking ample provisions for the journey. Then, what about the ultimate journey, the guaranteed journey, the journey that is eternal. What have we done for it? It is a one-way ticket, and the real problem is that we do not know when the boarding is going to be. It can be anytime, even now!
If life and death has been created to test which of us is the best indeed, then are we not fools if we do not make the best of this situation? The life of this world is temporary, while the life of the hereafter is everlasting. Whether it is the blessings of Paradise or the disaster of Hell, it is endless, and there will be no turning back. Therefore our choices are limited to only one – utilize this time, this moment, today. Prepare here for the Hereafter.
One of the names of the Day of Judgement we mentioned previously was Yawm Al-Hasrah, which means the Day of Regret or the Day of Distress. Have you ever imagined how the Day of Judgement would be, if you were ONE good deed short of the required for Jannah? Have you ever thought that on that day you might say, “Oh my Lord, I wish I had sacrificed that sleep for fajr”, “Uff, I wish U hadn’t committed that tiny sin there”, and so on and so forth. Subhan’Allah, the simple thought of it terrifies me.
A problem often arises. Sometimes when our iman (faith) is real high masha’Allah we feel the urge to do more and more good deeds. We can push ourselves over our limits and soon burn out. Then we fall back and end up doing even less than the obligatory, less than before.
Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury mentioned three things to do if you are new towards Islam, and you are still in the process of “moving in” to Islam:
1. Fix your salah (prayer), first, praying them punctually, consistently and developing a serene heart.
“Successful indeed are the believers. who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness”. (Qur’an, 23:1-2)
2. Instead of trying to do a lot of good in one go which burns us out, we should try and remove a lot of the filthy habits that have become part of our second nature. These habits amount up and become more difficult to eliminate over time, so we should try removing them by building good habits insha’Allah. Replace one bad with one good – greed with generosity, for example.
3. Have a good circle of friends and stay in good company. “Man is likely to follow the religion of his friend. So watch out with whom you make friends.” (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhee)
A Muslim is one who loves to meet Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, and therefore he loves all that Allah loves and hates all that Allah hates. This is the state of iman we should aim for, where every deed we do will be for the sake of Allah, and desiring His love. Only when we have firm love for the religion of Allah, can we sacrifice for the sake of it, and work for it.
When we love someone we have both hope and fear. I love my mother more than anyone else on earth, and I have both hope and fear in her. I always hope that my mother is happy with me, loves me, is doing something good for me. On the flip side, I am always fearful of angering my mother, displeasing her, hurting her or disappointing her.
In a similar way the love for Allah is something that is greater, and it is based upon hope and fear that is far greater. Ibn Al Qayyim rahimahullah (God have mercy on him) compared Iman to a bird. The head of the bird is love, and each wing is hope and fear. If one wing were to break or weigh heavier than the other, then the bird wouldn’t be able to fly and reach its destination.
While we love Allah, we should be hopeful of His Mercy and also fearful of His Punishment. Indeed one of my favorite Shaykhs, Saalih Al-Munajjid once said:
“Love of Allah is life itself, and to be deprived of it entails a terrible death; it is the light without which one would sail in a sea of darkness; it is the cure without which one’s heart will be overwhelmed by a multitude of diseases; it is the joy without which one will remain in permanent grief; it is the essence of faith and deeds, without which they become like a soulless body.
It is the means without which people will never reach their destination nor attain their place in Paradise; it is the means with which people reach their beloved (i.e., Allah). I swear by Allah that if people can achieve this honor in both this life and the Hereafter, then they have attained the true joy and happiness.”
Such profound words subhan’Allah! It is on this note that I end for now.
May Allah indeed help us to benefit ourselves in the limited time span that we have and utilize it in shaping our homes of the hereafter, and truly find the love of Allah
Glimpses into the World of the Unseen ↩
Descriptions of the hellfire
Shuaibwebb.com
by Raiiq Ridwan
Glimpses into the World of the Unseen: I | II | III | IV | V | VI
My fingers tremble and my mind is uneasy as I begin writing. However, it is a reality that the Hellfire exists and it is indeed the logical consequence for those who have sinned against Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (Glorified is He) and disobeyed His commands.
While those who will die as disbelievers will be in Hell for eternity, even some Muslims will enter Hell for a period of time to be purified of their sins and then entered into paradise. Often times we hear brothers and sisters say “Even if we do enter hell, we will eventually go to Paradise insha’Allah (God willingly).” Pondering over this article to follow, I doubt that anyone would want even a millisecond in such a dreadful place!
Hellfire has 7 gates1, and it has been prepared for the wrongdoers. In a hadith (saying of the Prophet) the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that the heat of the Hellfire is multiplied 70 times compared to the fire of this world2. Try dipping a finger into the kitchen stove just once and feel the pain it brings, and then imagine a fire 70 times hotter burning your whole body. Indeed as the Prophet of Allah ﷺ said that after a few moments in Hellfire, all the pleasures of this world we had will be utterly forgotten.3
On the Day of Judgment, Hellfire will be brought by 4.9 billion angels4 and it is as if it is a living being; it howls, coughs, roars up and it breathes, boiling and surging up as it is trying to tear itself from the angels to attack the people to burn them for their sins.
How will our day be? How will it be when we see the Hellfire for ourselves? How much will we repent and regret that day, on a day where repentance and regret will be of no use; the Hell we laughed off when people reminded us of fearing it, the Hell we were destined to go to with all the sins we committed, and the Hellfire we deserved for being heedless of the warnings of Allah (swt). Let us make it in ourselves to regret and repent today while there is still time. Know that as Muslims we ourselves may fall into hypocrisy and know that the hypocrite will be in the lowest depths of the hellfire.5 The lowest of the fire is so deep that a stone was thrown into the fire and it took 70 years to reach the bottom.6
Hellfire will come that Day determined to take revenge on those whom Allah created and they worshipped others besides Him. Revenge will be taken on those whom Allah provided and yet they were sinful, and upon those whom Allah bestowed His favor and Mercy and they forgot Him, the Most High.
Hellfire will be fueled by people and stones, by the false-gods worshipped and by the disbelievers among the jinn.7
On that fateful Day, Allah will tell our father Adam alayhi salam (peace be on him), “Send forth those who are destined for Hell”, and our father Adam will ask “Who are those?” And Allah (swt) will give a reply that is sure to tear at the hearts of every believer, “Out of every thousand, 999 go to Hell and 1 to paradise.8” Fear Allah! Fear Allah for these numbers!
The food of the people of Hell will be from the tree of Zaqqum, which will boil the intestines like scalding water.9 The Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned that if a drop of Zaqqum would have fallen on this Earth, it would ruin every provision on earth. Now, how about those who will have to eat from it?10 The drink of the inhabitants of hell will be boiling water, and a disgusting boiling fluid made of pus and blood.11
Brothers and sisters, by Allah I do not have words to describe this Hell and how horrible its torment can be. How can I describe something which seeks refuge in Allah from itself? How can I describe Hell which has a valley called Gubb Al-Hazan which is so terrible that Hellfire itself seeks refuge from it 100 times a day?12 How can I describe a Hell whose inmates are burned continuously day and night? The least of punishment given to any of its inmates is the wearing of a pair of shoes of fire, which boil the brain13!
The following are some of the categories of people who will enter Hellfire, although there are more:
1. Disbelievers
2. Hypocrites
3. Arrogant Rejecters of truth
4. Sinners and Criminals
5. The Unjust
6. The ones who transgress the limits set by Allah
7. Tyrants
8. Murderers
9. Those who persecute the believers
10. Those who prefer the world and neglect the hereafter
11. Those who commit suicide
12. Everyone who is cruel, proud and arrogant
13. The one who is treacherous
14. The traitor
15. One who has a habit of abusing people and using obscene language
16. The one who doesn’t pray, and also the one who doesn’t pray on time
Hellfire is indeed a horrible destination, and it has an insatiable appetite. As Allah (swt) mentions,
“On the Day We will say to Hellfire, ‘have you been filled?’ it will say, ‘Are there some more?’” (Qur’an, 50:30)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also adds to this,
“Hell will continue to ask, ‘Is there anything more?’ until Allah, the Exalted, and High will place His foot thereon, Then it will say, ‘Enough, enough, by Your honor,’ and some of its parts will draw close together.’”
For a more vivid, and more referenced description of Hellfire, you can visit the following link where Sister Safa has taken a painstaking duty of compiling all the verses and ahadeeth on Hellfire, http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=26711
May Allah (swt) indeed save ourselves from the Hellfire and may Allah (swt) make us of those who fulfill His command in Surah Tahreem,
”O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.” (Qur’an 66:6)
I end with a short poem on Hellfire by the renowned scholar of Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him,
A place its inhabitants are banished to,
where they are forbidden from tasting any pleasure,
their cleanliness is changed to blackness on their faces,
and they are beaten by hammers stronger than mountains,
over it are angels, harsh and severe,
if you only saw them.
So their sadness is permanent, no happiness after it, and their state, unchangeable,
they will never leave, living there forever and ever.
Upon it are angels, harsh and severe.
What sadness for them, that the Creator is angry with them!
They are exposed in front of all the people,
they cry over wasting their lives,
and every time they cry the punishment increases!
What happened to their chasing of the dunya!?
What happened to them striving in sins?!
It seems like only a dream…then their bodies are burned, and then healed, then burned. Upon it are angels, harsh and severe……
Qur’an 15:43-44 ↩
Saheeh Al Bukhari ↩
Saheeh Muslim ↩
Saheeh Muslim ↩
Qur’an 4:145 ↩
Saheeh Muslim ↩
Qur’an 3:10, 72:14-15, 2:24, 66:6, 21:98-99, 26:91-95 ↩
Saheeh Al Bukhari ↩
Qur’an 44:43-46 ↩
Sunan At-Tirmidhi ↩
Qur’an 38:55-58 ↩
Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan ibn Majah ↩
Saheeh Al Bukhari ↩
by Raiiq Ridwan
Glimpses into the World of the Unseen: I | II | III | IV | V | VI
My fingers tremble and my mind is uneasy as I begin writing. However, it is a reality that the Hellfire exists and it is indeed the logical consequence for those who have sinned against Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (Glorified is He) and disobeyed His commands.
While those who will die as disbelievers will be in Hell for eternity, even some Muslims will enter Hell for a period of time to be purified of their sins and then entered into paradise. Often times we hear brothers and sisters say “Even if we do enter hell, we will eventually go to Paradise insha’Allah (God willingly).” Pondering over this article to follow, I doubt that anyone would want even a millisecond in such a dreadful place!
Hellfire has 7 gates1, and it has been prepared for the wrongdoers. In a hadith (saying of the Prophet) the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that the heat of the Hellfire is multiplied 70 times compared to the fire of this world2. Try dipping a finger into the kitchen stove just once and feel the pain it brings, and then imagine a fire 70 times hotter burning your whole body. Indeed as the Prophet of Allah ﷺ said that after a few moments in Hellfire, all the pleasures of this world we had will be utterly forgotten.3
On the Day of Judgment, Hellfire will be brought by 4.9 billion angels4 and it is as if it is a living being; it howls, coughs, roars up and it breathes, boiling and surging up as it is trying to tear itself from the angels to attack the people to burn them for their sins.
How will our day be? How will it be when we see the Hellfire for ourselves? How much will we repent and regret that day, on a day where repentance and regret will be of no use; the Hell we laughed off when people reminded us of fearing it, the Hell we were destined to go to with all the sins we committed, and the Hellfire we deserved for being heedless of the warnings of Allah (swt). Let us make it in ourselves to regret and repent today while there is still time. Know that as Muslims we ourselves may fall into hypocrisy and know that the hypocrite will be in the lowest depths of the hellfire.5 The lowest of the fire is so deep that a stone was thrown into the fire and it took 70 years to reach the bottom.6
Hellfire will come that Day determined to take revenge on those whom Allah created and they worshipped others besides Him. Revenge will be taken on those whom Allah provided and yet they were sinful, and upon those whom Allah bestowed His favor and Mercy and they forgot Him, the Most High.
Hellfire will be fueled by people and stones, by the false-gods worshipped and by the disbelievers among the jinn.7
On that fateful Day, Allah will tell our father Adam alayhi salam (peace be on him), “Send forth those who are destined for Hell”, and our father Adam will ask “Who are those?” And Allah (swt) will give a reply that is sure to tear at the hearts of every believer, “Out of every thousand, 999 go to Hell and 1 to paradise.8” Fear Allah! Fear Allah for these numbers!
The food of the people of Hell will be from the tree of Zaqqum, which will boil the intestines like scalding water.9 The Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned that if a drop of Zaqqum would have fallen on this Earth, it would ruin every provision on earth. Now, how about those who will have to eat from it?10 The drink of the inhabitants of hell will be boiling water, and a disgusting boiling fluid made of pus and blood.11
Brothers and sisters, by Allah I do not have words to describe this Hell and how horrible its torment can be. How can I describe something which seeks refuge in Allah from itself? How can I describe Hell which has a valley called Gubb Al-Hazan which is so terrible that Hellfire itself seeks refuge from it 100 times a day?12 How can I describe a Hell whose inmates are burned continuously day and night? The least of punishment given to any of its inmates is the wearing of a pair of shoes of fire, which boil the brain13!
The following are some of the categories of people who will enter Hellfire, although there are more:
1. Disbelievers
2. Hypocrites
3. Arrogant Rejecters of truth
4. Sinners and Criminals
5. The Unjust
6. The ones who transgress the limits set by Allah
7. Tyrants
8. Murderers
9. Those who persecute the believers
10. Those who prefer the world and neglect the hereafter
11. Those who commit suicide
12. Everyone who is cruel, proud and arrogant
13. The one who is treacherous
14. The traitor
15. One who has a habit of abusing people and using obscene language
16. The one who doesn’t pray, and also the one who doesn’t pray on time
Hellfire is indeed a horrible destination, and it has an insatiable appetite. As Allah (swt) mentions,
“On the Day We will say to Hellfire, ‘have you been filled?’ it will say, ‘Are there some more?’” (Qur’an, 50:30)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also adds to this,
“Hell will continue to ask, ‘Is there anything more?’ until Allah, the Exalted, and High will place His foot thereon, Then it will say, ‘Enough, enough, by Your honor,’ and some of its parts will draw close together.’”
For a more vivid, and more referenced description of Hellfire, you can visit the following link where Sister Safa has taken a painstaking duty of compiling all the verses and ahadeeth on Hellfire, http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=26711
May Allah (swt) indeed save ourselves from the Hellfire and may Allah (swt) make us of those who fulfill His command in Surah Tahreem,
”O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.” (Qur’an 66:6)
I end with a short poem on Hellfire by the renowned scholar of Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him,
A place its inhabitants are banished to,
where they are forbidden from tasting any pleasure,
their cleanliness is changed to blackness on their faces,
and they are beaten by hammers stronger than mountains,
over it are angels, harsh and severe,
if you only saw them.
So their sadness is permanent, no happiness after it, and their state, unchangeable,
they will never leave, living there forever and ever.
Upon it are angels, harsh and severe.
What sadness for them, that the Creator is angry with them!
They are exposed in front of all the people,
they cry over wasting their lives,
and every time they cry the punishment increases!
What happened to their chasing of the dunya!?
What happened to them striving in sins?!
It seems like only a dream…then their bodies are burned, and then healed, then burned. Upon it are angels, harsh and severe……
Qur’an 15:43-44 ↩
Saheeh Al Bukhari ↩
Saheeh Muslim ↩
Saheeh Muslim ↩
Qur’an 4:145 ↩
Saheeh Muslim ↩
Qur’an 3:10, 72:14-15, 2:24, 66:6, 21:98-99, 26:91-95 ↩
Saheeh Al Bukhari ↩
Qur’an 44:43-46 ↩
Sunan At-Tirmidhi ↩
Qur’an 38:55-58 ↩
Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan ibn Majah ↩
Saheeh Al Bukhari ↩
Paradise and Hell
SuhaibWebb.com
Paradise and Hell
Sep 21st, 2011 @ 05:00 am › Amatullah
Paradise and Hell Series: Part I | Part II
Imagine that you knew the angel of death was coming to you in a few hours. What would your first thought be?
For most of us, it would be: What have I prepared for the next life?!
Doctors today speak of how people are living longer than ever before. In some countries, people live well beyond 90 years of age. Some of us may delay doing good deeds because we think we have a long life ahead of us. But, when Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) speaks of the Day of Judgment, He (swt) tells us that people will feel that they’ve only stayed in the dunya (this life) for a day or part of a day or even an hour. While 90 years is a long time to live, it does not compare to eternity. People will only realize that the next life is truly everlasting when they are standing in front of Allah (swt) and are seeing it with their own eyes. This is why the strongest motivation for a believer to do good deeds and stay away from sins, after seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt), is to remember death and the hereafter.
As humans, we are prone to forget and we are quickly distracted by the glitter of this world. To keep this reminder constantly in our minds, Allah (swt) mentions the hereafter on every page in the Qur’an.
Yet even though we are constantly reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise in the Qur’an, we do not truly comprehend their nature because we do not understand their descriptions and meanings in the Qur’an and Sunnah (tradition of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him). If we truly understood the nature of the Fire, we would fear it as it should be feared. And if we understood the real nature of Paradise, we would yearn for it as it deserves to be yearned for.
Allah (swt) discusses both Hell and Paradise equally in the Qur’an, displaying the balance of our religion. The two wings of a believer are fear and hope, and just as a bird cannot fly without balanced wings, the believer cannot either. Insha’Allah (God willing) we will be following this example for our series; posting one topic about Hell-Fire and the next about Paradise to balance our hope and fear in Allah (swt). Each week, we will learn about a new aspect of Hell or Paradise including:
The Names and Descriptions of Paradise and Hell
The Entrance into Paradise and Hell
The Food and Clothing of Paradise and Hell
The Entertainment of Paradise and Hell
The Conversations of the Inhabitants of Paradise and Hell
The Supplications of those in Paradise and Hell
The first part we will cover are the Names and Descriptions of Paradise and Hell. By learning their names and descriptions, we will be able to comprehend the true nature of jannah (Paradise) and nar (Hell-Fire). Names and descriptions allow us to understand different aspects of each, as each name and description gives us a new perspective on these final abodes.
Understanding the Fire
When we think of Hell-Fire, we compare it to the fire that we have in this world. We think of our stove or fireplace; yet the Fire of Hell is more intense and severe. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Your [ordinary] fire is one of 70 parts of the (Hell) Fire.” Someone said, “O Allah’s Apostle, this [ordinary] fire would have been sufficient (as a punishment)!” Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said, “The (Hell) Fire has 69 parts more than the ordinary [worldly] fire, each part is as hot as this [worldly] fire.” (Bukhari)
In another well-known narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, Hell-Fire will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment with 70,000 zimaam each pulled by 70,000 Angels,” (Muslim). The word zimaam is usually translated as “chains” but a more fitting translation is “leashes”. What do leashes restrain? They restrain animals. Hell-Fire is a living, breathing monster. To put this into perspective, let us remember the magnificent creation of the Angels. The Prophet ﷺ described the Angels who hold Allah’s Throne saying, “The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey,” (Abu Dawud). The Angels are not a small creation, and they will be pulling and restraining this monster.
Allah (swt) describes the animalistic nature of the Fire in the Qur’an:
إِذَا رَأَتْهُمْ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ سَمِعُوا لَهَا تَغَيُّظًا وَزَفِير
“When the Hellfire sees them from a distant place, they will hear its fury and roaring,” (Qur’an 25:12).
Before the inhabitants of the Fire even see it, they will hear its anger and rage from far away. How far? Imam Al-Suddi says the distance of 100-years’ travel.
Allah (swt) uses a human emotion to describe the Fire, gaydh, which means a furious anger and rage. Why is the Fire angry? The scholars say that it is angry at peoples’ disbelief and disobedience to Allah (swt)!
Allah (swt) tells us how the Fire will roar:
إِذَآ أُلْقُواْ فِيهَا سَمِعُواْ لَهَا شَهِيقًا وَهِىَ تَفُورُ تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الغَيْظِ
“When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a (dreadful) inhaling while it boils up. It almost bursts with rage […]” (Qur’an 67:7-8).
Jahannam, Jaheem, and Hutumah
Among the names of Hell-Fire is jahannam. Jahannam (جهنم) appears in the Qur’an 77 times, and is one of the more well-known names of Hell-Fire. Allah (swt) says:
وَلِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ
“And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of jahannam […]” (Qur’an 67:6).
Jahannam has several meanings:
The literal meaning is to meet with a frowning face and to have a stern look. When you look at a person who has jahm, you become fearful.
Darkness. Jahm is used for the darkest part of the night. One of the biggest fears people have is being in complete darkness. Jahannam is a dark place where you don’t want to be alone.
A waterless cloud. A cloud without water brings disappointment and does not provide any comfort.
Put these meanings together and jahannam is a place that looks scary, is completely dark, and provides no comfort.
Another name of Hell-Fire is jaheem. Allah (swt) says:
وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِلْغَاوِينَ
“And Hellfire will be brought forth for the deviators,” (Qur’an 26:91).
Al-Jaheem (الجحيم) appears 23 times in the Qur’an. These are among the meanings of this name:
The literal meaning is to light and stir up a fire–you add fuel and ensure it keeps burning.
The word jahama means to stare with sharp eyes, and refers to the way a lion stares at its prey.
The word ajham, from the same root, means someone who has red eyes.
Jaheem is also used for a pit with blazing fire–and not just any fire, but an extremely hot, intense, and fiercely-burning fire.
Next time Shaytan (the devil) whispers to you and you are inclined to commit a sin, remember this description of Hell-Fire, like a lion staring at its prey, waiting to pounce on it:
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا
“Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait,” (Qur’an 78:21).
Another name of Hell-Fire is al-hutamah. Allah (swt) says about the one who slanders and backbites:
لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ
“No! He will surely be thrown into al hutamah. And what can make you know what is al hutamah? It is the fire of Allah, [eternally] fueled,” (Qur’an 104:4-6).
Hutamah is one of the descriptive names of the Hell-Fire and it is from the word hatama which means to crush something to pieces. Hutamah is also used to describe a person who eats a lot and is never satisfied. When we eat, we must chew our food first, and then we are able to digest it. Similarly, the Hell-Fire will crush everything as it consumes. It will crush and mash everything thrown into it. Allah (swt) tells us in Surah Qaaf (Chapter of the letter ‘Qaaf’) that Hell-Fire will say: hal min mazeed? “Is there any more (to consume)?” (Qur’an 50:30)
Allah (swt) describes al-hutamah further by saying it is: naar allahil mooqadah: it is the fire of Allah, kindled.
This Fire is attributed to Allah (swt) and when the idaafah (possession) of something is to Allah (swt), it gives great importance to that thing. Hell is such a great fire that only Allah (swt) can light a fire of this nature.
It is al-mooqadah: the one that is kindled. It is already burning right now; it has been lit and set ablaze. It is not going to be started on the Day of Judgment.
Futhermore Allah (swt) says:
الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ
“Which mounts directed at the hearts,” (Qur’an 104:7).
This fire will not be limited to the external body, rather it is going to consume the body and reach the core. It will penetrate through the body. This hutamah will be such a great consumer that it will consume all the way to the hearts.
This is Hell-Fire: a fierce Fire that is the crusher of bones, bursting with rage and fury and brought forth before us with leashes pulled by 70,000 angels.
O Allah, we beg You to protect us from this abode!
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/purification-heart/paradise-and-hell/
Paradise
A place like we have never seen. A place we can hardly imagine. A place of no sadness, no hardships, no heartache. Eternal bliss. A place that we crave and that craves us. Allah subahanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) has blessed us with a gift beyond measure that makes every struggle we have ever had to endure worthwhile.
Jannah. Paradise.
Understanding Paradise
Paradise is the ultimate achievement, the epitome of success and the greatest of rewards. Allah (swt) rewards His obedient servants with Paradise—a reward we only earn through His Mercy. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “No one of you will be saved because of his deeds.” They (the Companions) said: “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Not even me, unless Allah bestows mercy upon me,” (Bukhari).
While the translation of this narration says, “unless Allah bestows mercy upon me,” the Arabic word has a deeper meaning. “Yataghamadani” literally means “to completely submerge me.”1 It gives the meaning of envelopment, engulfment, covering and immersing. Paradise is so magnificent that we can only enter it if Allah (swt) drowns us in His Mercy.
In a prophetic narration, Allah (swt) said to Paradise, “You are My Mercy which I bestow on whoever I wish of My servants,” (Bukhari).
On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will bring Jannah in the presence of the Believers. He (swt) says, “And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far,” (Qur’an, 50:31). After enduring the hardships of this worldly life and the grave, then seeing the horrors of the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) eases the hearts of the Believers by bringing their final destination close to them before they enter it.2 Imagine you are a traveler on a long and arduous journey. When you come closer and closer to your destination, you forget the hardships you’ve endured because your end is in sight. Now imagine the state of the Believers at this time—instead of walking to jannah on their own, jannah will come to them!
Jannah is beyond our imagination. The Messenger ﷺ narrated that Allah (swt) said, “I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and has never crossed the mind of any human being.” The gardens, fruits, mansions, drinks, trees and rivers of Paradise are not like those we see now; rather they only share a similar name. Jannah is far greater than anything our minds can ever envision. It is beyond our wildest dreams.
Jannah, Al-Firdaws, ‘Adn, and Dar al-Salaam
Jannah in itself has many names, signifying its utmost importance. Simply by looking at the meanings of a few of these names our hearts become attached to our hopeful abode, knowing that if this is the beauty that exists within each of her names, what then of the actuality of jannah?
The most well-known name of jannah is jannah itself. It appears more than 50 times in the Qur’an.
Allah (swt) says:
“And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in al-jannah [Paradise], abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will – a bestowal uninterrupted.” (Qur’an, 11:108)
The root of this word has several meanings. Of them are:
To be hidden. The name for a fetus is known as “jinan” because it is hidden in its mother’s womb. Also, from this root is “jinn” because they are a hidden creation.
A garden with many trees and vegetation.
Allah (swt) has hidden jannah from us in this world, but we still believe in it. It motivates us more to strive for it. When a gift is described to us before we see it, it excites us more and makes us happier when we finally receive it. Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ have given us beautiful descriptions of jannah to motivate us to do good deeds and to make it more special when we enter it, insha’ Allah (God willing).
The next name, al-firdaws, is the name of the highest place in jannah. The Prophet ﷺ said, “When you ask Allah (for something), ask for al-firdaws which is the best and highest part of Paradise,” (Bukhari).
It is used in two places in the Qur’an, one of which is this verse in Surah Kahf (Chapter of the Cave): “Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they will have al-Firdaws [the Gardens of Paradise] as a lodging, wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer.” (Qur’an, 18:107-108)
The word firdaws is said to be of a non-Arabic origin, literally meaning vastness. The scholars give multiple meanings and descriptions of firdaws: a combined meaning of a trellised garden, specifically with grapevines, as well as fruits and vegetation of all kinds.3
The fact that Paradise is a garden is emphasized with both of these names highlighting the beauty that gardens have. Nowadays, the mere sight of greenery, flowers and trees brings about calmness and tranquility to the heart. Paradise is a place full of green trees, beautiful flowers, and trellised gardens. Not only beautiful in appearance, but also beautiful in the emotions it triggers.
Another name of jannah is `adn. `Adn is known as the proper name of Paradise, and included within the name is a meaning of many gardens – jannat. Jannah is not just one big garden; it also contains many, many gardens within it. Allah (swt) says, “[Therein are] jannat `adn [gardens of perpetual residence] which the Most Merciful has promised His servants in the unseen. Indeed, His promise has ever been coming,” (Qur’an, 19:61).
`Adn literally means a place of residence. A word from the same root, ma`din, means a place that people stay in during summer and winter. `Adn also refers specifically to the middle of a garden where rivers meet, producing more trees and vegetation around it. Again, we see the characteristic of gardens and vegetation within this name of Paradise.
Jannah is also called dar al-salaam:
“And Allah invites to dar al-salaam [the Home of Peace] and guides whom He wills to a straight path.” (Qur’an, 10:25)
In another verse, Allah (swt) says about the Righteous, “For them will be dar al-salaam with their Lord,” (Qur’an, 6:127).
Al-Salaam is one of the Majestic Names of Allah (swt). It has two meanings: the One free of all faults and deficiencies (The Perfection) and the Giver of Peace and Security.4 From these similar meanings, jannah is called dar al-salaam because it is a place free of all grief, death, worries, tensions, fatigues, enmities, and hatred; and it is a place of safety. It is also called dar al-salaam because Allah (swt), Al-Salaam, will greet its inhabitants as they enter. He (swt) says, “[…] their greeting therein will be, ‘Peace,’” (Qur’an 10:10). Similarly, the Angels will also greet them: “And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], ‘Peace be upon you [assalaamu `alaykum] for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home,’” (Qur’an, 13:23-24).
Yet another meaning of dar al-salaam is that it is a place where its speech is salaam—meaning free of all negative and evil talk. As Allah (swt) describes, “They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin – Only a saying: ‘Peace, peace,’” (Qur’an, 56:25-26).
It is dar al-salaam because there will be no enmity nor hatred among the inhabitants of Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ said, “They will neither have differences nor hatred amongst themselves; their hearts will be as if one heart,” (Bukhari). Allah (swt) says, “And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other,” (Qur’an, 15:47).
Allah (swt) says about the Believer who dies in a good state, “Then [the angels will say], “Peace for you; [you are] from the companions of the right,” (Qur’an, 56:91). The believer will have salaam (peace): they will leave this worldly life in a good state, with the Angels giving them glad tidings of Paradise, protection from the Fire, and the ultimate pleasure of their Lord.
Lisan al-Arab [↩]
Tafsir al-Sa’di [↩]
Sharh Abyat al-Jannah min Nooniyyah ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah by Imam al-Alusi [↩]
Ibn Kathir [↩]
Paradise and Hell
Sep 21st, 2011 @ 05:00 am › Amatullah
Paradise and Hell Series: Part I | Part II
Imagine that you knew the angel of death was coming to you in a few hours. What would your first thought be?
For most of us, it would be: What have I prepared for the next life?!
Doctors today speak of how people are living longer than ever before. In some countries, people live well beyond 90 years of age. Some of us may delay doing good deeds because we think we have a long life ahead of us. But, when Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) speaks of the Day of Judgment, He (swt) tells us that people will feel that they’ve only stayed in the dunya (this life) for a day or part of a day or even an hour. While 90 years is a long time to live, it does not compare to eternity. People will only realize that the next life is truly everlasting when they are standing in front of Allah (swt) and are seeing it with their own eyes. This is why the strongest motivation for a believer to do good deeds and stay away from sins, after seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt), is to remember death and the hereafter.
As humans, we are prone to forget and we are quickly distracted by the glitter of this world. To keep this reminder constantly in our minds, Allah (swt) mentions the hereafter on every page in the Qur’an.
Yet even though we are constantly reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise in the Qur’an, we do not truly comprehend their nature because we do not understand their descriptions and meanings in the Qur’an and Sunnah (tradition of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him). If we truly understood the nature of the Fire, we would fear it as it should be feared. And if we understood the real nature of Paradise, we would yearn for it as it deserves to be yearned for.
Allah (swt) discusses both Hell and Paradise equally in the Qur’an, displaying the balance of our religion. The two wings of a believer are fear and hope, and just as a bird cannot fly without balanced wings, the believer cannot either. Insha’Allah (God willing) we will be following this example for our series; posting one topic about Hell-Fire and the next about Paradise to balance our hope and fear in Allah (swt). Each week, we will learn about a new aspect of Hell or Paradise including:
The Names and Descriptions of Paradise and Hell
The Entrance into Paradise and Hell
The Food and Clothing of Paradise and Hell
The Entertainment of Paradise and Hell
The Conversations of the Inhabitants of Paradise and Hell
The Supplications of those in Paradise and Hell
The first part we will cover are the Names and Descriptions of Paradise and Hell. By learning their names and descriptions, we will be able to comprehend the true nature of jannah (Paradise) and nar (Hell-Fire). Names and descriptions allow us to understand different aspects of each, as each name and description gives us a new perspective on these final abodes.
Understanding the Fire
When we think of Hell-Fire, we compare it to the fire that we have in this world. We think of our stove or fireplace; yet the Fire of Hell is more intense and severe. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Your [ordinary] fire is one of 70 parts of the (Hell) Fire.” Someone said, “O Allah’s Apostle, this [ordinary] fire would have been sufficient (as a punishment)!” Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said, “The (Hell) Fire has 69 parts more than the ordinary [worldly] fire, each part is as hot as this [worldly] fire.” (Bukhari)
In another well-known narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, Hell-Fire will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment with 70,000 zimaam each pulled by 70,000 Angels,” (Muslim). The word zimaam is usually translated as “chains” but a more fitting translation is “leashes”. What do leashes restrain? They restrain animals. Hell-Fire is a living, breathing monster. To put this into perspective, let us remember the magnificent creation of the Angels. The Prophet ﷺ described the Angels who hold Allah’s Throne saying, “The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey,” (Abu Dawud). The Angels are not a small creation, and they will be pulling and restraining this monster.
Allah (swt) describes the animalistic nature of the Fire in the Qur’an:
إِذَا رَأَتْهُمْ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ سَمِعُوا لَهَا تَغَيُّظًا وَزَفِير
“When the Hellfire sees them from a distant place, they will hear its fury and roaring,” (Qur’an 25:12).
Before the inhabitants of the Fire even see it, they will hear its anger and rage from far away. How far? Imam Al-Suddi says the distance of 100-years’ travel.
Allah (swt) uses a human emotion to describe the Fire, gaydh, which means a furious anger and rage. Why is the Fire angry? The scholars say that it is angry at peoples’ disbelief and disobedience to Allah (swt)!
Allah (swt) tells us how the Fire will roar:
إِذَآ أُلْقُواْ فِيهَا سَمِعُواْ لَهَا شَهِيقًا وَهِىَ تَفُورُ تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الغَيْظِ
“When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a (dreadful) inhaling while it boils up. It almost bursts with rage […]” (Qur’an 67:7-8).
Jahannam, Jaheem, and Hutumah
Among the names of Hell-Fire is jahannam. Jahannam (جهنم) appears in the Qur’an 77 times, and is one of the more well-known names of Hell-Fire. Allah (swt) says:
وَلِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ
“And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of jahannam […]” (Qur’an 67:6).
Jahannam has several meanings:
The literal meaning is to meet with a frowning face and to have a stern look. When you look at a person who has jahm, you become fearful.
Darkness. Jahm is used for the darkest part of the night. One of the biggest fears people have is being in complete darkness. Jahannam is a dark place where you don’t want to be alone.
A waterless cloud. A cloud without water brings disappointment and does not provide any comfort.
Put these meanings together and jahannam is a place that looks scary, is completely dark, and provides no comfort.
Another name of Hell-Fire is jaheem. Allah (swt) says:
وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِلْغَاوِينَ
“And Hellfire will be brought forth for the deviators,” (Qur’an 26:91).
Al-Jaheem (الجحيم) appears 23 times in the Qur’an. These are among the meanings of this name:
The literal meaning is to light and stir up a fire–you add fuel and ensure it keeps burning.
The word jahama means to stare with sharp eyes, and refers to the way a lion stares at its prey.
The word ajham, from the same root, means someone who has red eyes.
Jaheem is also used for a pit with blazing fire–and not just any fire, but an extremely hot, intense, and fiercely-burning fire.
Next time Shaytan (the devil) whispers to you and you are inclined to commit a sin, remember this description of Hell-Fire, like a lion staring at its prey, waiting to pounce on it:
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا
“Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait,” (Qur’an 78:21).
Another name of Hell-Fire is al-hutamah. Allah (swt) says about the one who slanders and backbites:
لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ
“No! He will surely be thrown into al hutamah. And what can make you know what is al hutamah? It is the fire of Allah, [eternally] fueled,” (Qur’an 104:4-6).
Hutamah is one of the descriptive names of the Hell-Fire and it is from the word hatama which means to crush something to pieces. Hutamah is also used to describe a person who eats a lot and is never satisfied. When we eat, we must chew our food first, and then we are able to digest it. Similarly, the Hell-Fire will crush everything as it consumes. It will crush and mash everything thrown into it. Allah (swt) tells us in Surah Qaaf (Chapter of the letter ‘Qaaf’) that Hell-Fire will say: hal min mazeed? “Is there any more (to consume)?” (Qur’an 50:30)
Allah (swt) describes al-hutamah further by saying it is: naar allahil mooqadah: it is the fire of Allah, kindled.
This Fire is attributed to Allah (swt) and when the idaafah (possession) of something is to Allah (swt), it gives great importance to that thing. Hell is such a great fire that only Allah (swt) can light a fire of this nature.
It is al-mooqadah: the one that is kindled. It is already burning right now; it has been lit and set ablaze. It is not going to be started on the Day of Judgment.
Futhermore Allah (swt) says:
الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ
“Which mounts directed at the hearts,” (Qur’an 104:7).
This fire will not be limited to the external body, rather it is going to consume the body and reach the core. It will penetrate through the body. This hutamah will be such a great consumer that it will consume all the way to the hearts.
This is Hell-Fire: a fierce Fire that is the crusher of bones, bursting with rage and fury and brought forth before us with leashes pulled by 70,000 angels.
O Allah, we beg You to protect us from this abode!
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/purification-heart/paradise-and-hell/
Paradise
A place like we have never seen. A place we can hardly imagine. A place of no sadness, no hardships, no heartache. Eternal bliss. A place that we crave and that craves us. Allah subahanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) has blessed us with a gift beyond measure that makes every struggle we have ever had to endure worthwhile.
Jannah. Paradise.
Understanding Paradise
Paradise is the ultimate achievement, the epitome of success and the greatest of rewards. Allah (swt) rewards His obedient servants with Paradise—a reward we only earn through His Mercy. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “No one of you will be saved because of his deeds.” They (the Companions) said: “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Not even me, unless Allah bestows mercy upon me,” (Bukhari).
While the translation of this narration says, “unless Allah bestows mercy upon me,” the Arabic word has a deeper meaning. “Yataghamadani” literally means “to completely submerge me.”1 It gives the meaning of envelopment, engulfment, covering and immersing. Paradise is so magnificent that we can only enter it if Allah (swt) drowns us in His Mercy.
In a prophetic narration, Allah (swt) said to Paradise, “You are My Mercy which I bestow on whoever I wish of My servants,” (Bukhari).
On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will bring Jannah in the presence of the Believers. He (swt) says, “And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far,” (Qur’an, 50:31). After enduring the hardships of this worldly life and the grave, then seeing the horrors of the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) eases the hearts of the Believers by bringing their final destination close to them before they enter it.2 Imagine you are a traveler on a long and arduous journey. When you come closer and closer to your destination, you forget the hardships you’ve endured because your end is in sight. Now imagine the state of the Believers at this time—instead of walking to jannah on their own, jannah will come to them!
Jannah is beyond our imagination. The Messenger ﷺ narrated that Allah (swt) said, “I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and has never crossed the mind of any human being.” The gardens, fruits, mansions, drinks, trees and rivers of Paradise are not like those we see now; rather they only share a similar name. Jannah is far greater than anything our minds can ever envision. It is beyond our wildest dreams.
Jannah, Al-Firdaws, ‘Adn, and Dar al-Salaam
Jannah in itself has many names, signifying its utmost importance. Simply by looking at the meanings of a few of these names our hearts become attached to our hopeful abode, knowing that if this is the beauty that exists within each of her names, what then of the actuality of jannah?
The most well-known name of jannah is jannah itself. It appears more than 50 times in the Qur’an.
Allah (swt) says:
“And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in al-jannah [Paradise], abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will – a bestowal uninterrupted.” (Qur’an, 11:108)
The root of this word has several meanings. Of them are:
To be hidden. The name for a fetus is known as “jinan” because it is hidden in its mother’s womb. Also, from this root is “jinn” because they are a hidden creation.
A garden with many trees and vegetation.
Allah (swt) has hidden jannah from us in this world, but we still believe in it. It motivates us more to strive for it. When a gift is described to us before we see it, it excites us more and makes us happier when we finally receive it. Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ have given us beautiful descriptions of jannah to motivate us to do good deeds and to make it more special when we enter it, insha’ Allah (God willing).
The next name, al-firdaws, is the name of the highest place in jannah. The Prophet ﷺ said, “When you ask Allah (for something), ask for al-firdaws which is the best and highest part of Paradise,” (Bukhari).
It is used in two places in the Qur’an, one of which is this verse in Surah Kahf (Chapter of the Cave): “Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they will have al-Firdaws [the Gardens of Paradise] as a lodging, wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer.” (Qur’an, 18:107-108)
The word firdaws is said to be of a non-Arabic origin, literally meaning vastness. The scholars give multiple meanings and descriptions of firdaws: a combined meaning of a trellised garden, specifically with grapevines, as well as fruits and vegetation of all kinds.3
The fact that Paradise is a garden is emphasized with both of these names highlighting the beauty that gardens have. Nowadays, the mere sight of greenery, flowers and trees brings about calmness and tranquility to the heart. Paradise is a place full of green trees, beautiful flowers, and trellised gardens. Not only beautiful in appearance, but also beautiful in the emotions it triggers.
Another name of jannah is `adn. `Adn is known as the proper name of Paradise, and included within the name is a meaning of many gardens – jannat. Jannah is not just one big garden; it also contains many, many gardens within it. Allah (swt) says, “[Therein are] jannat `adn [gardens of perpetual residence] which the Most Merciful has promised His servants in the unseen. Indeed, His promise has ever been coming,” (Qur’an, 19:61).
`Adn literally means a place of residence. A word from the same root, ma`din, means a place that people stay in during summer and winter. `Adn also refers specifically to the middle of a garden where rivers meet, producing more trees and vegetation around it. Again, we see the characteristic of gardens and vegetation within this name of Paradise.
Jannah is also called dar al-salaam:
“And Allah invites to dar al-salaam [the Home of Peace] and guides whom He wills to a straight path.” (Qur’an, 10:25)
In another verse, Allah (swt) says about the Righteous, “For them will be dar al-salaam with their Lord,” (Qur’an, 6:127).
Al-Salaam is one of the Majestic Names of Allah (swt). It has two meanings: the One free of all faults and deficiencies (The Perfection) and the Giver of Peace and Security.4 From these similar meanings, jannah is called dar al-salaam because it is a place free of all grief, death, worries, tensions, fatigues, enmities, and hatred; and it is a place of safety. It is also called dar al-salaam because Allah (swt), Al-Salaam, will greet its inhabitants as they enter. He (swt) says, “[…] their greeting therein will be, ‘Peace,’” (Qur’an 10:10). Similarly, the Angels will also greet them: “And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], ‘Peace be upon you [assalaamu `alaykum] for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home,’” (Qur’an, 13:23-24).
Yet another meaning of dar al-salaam is that it is a place where its speech is salaam—meaning free of all negative and evil talk. As Allah (swt) describes, “They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin – Only a saying: ‘Peace, peace,’” (Qur’an, 56:25-26).
It is dar al-salaam because there will be no enmity nor hatred among the inhabitants of Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ said, “They will neither have differences nor hatred amongst themselves; their hearts will be as if one heart,” (Bukhari). Allah (swt) says, “And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other,” (Qur’an, 15:47).
Allah (swt) says about the Believer who dies in a good state, “Then [the angels will say], “Peace for you; [you are] from the companions of the right,” (Qur’an, 56:91). The believer will have salaam (peace): they will leave this worldly life in a good state, with the Angels giving them glad tidings of Paradise, protection from the Fire, and the ultimate pleasure of their Lord.
Lisan al-Arab [↩]
Tafsir al-Sa’di [↩]
Sharh Abyat al-Jannah min Nooniyyah ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah by Imam al-Alusi [↩]
Ibn Kathir [↩]
Phase 3
Another project by the Wakeup Project entitled Phase 3. Kindly click on the link provided below to watch the videos.
http://achernahr.easycgi.com/VList.asp?Series=29
http://achernahr.easycgi.com/VList.asp?Series=29
The Divine Book
Another interesting video by the Wakeup Project. There are 10 videos in this series. Kindly click on the link provided below to watch the series.
http://achernahr.easycgi.com/VList.asp?Series=28
May Allah bless us all.
http://achernahr.easycgi.com/VList.asp?Series=28
May Allah bless us all.
The Messiah Dajjal Has Secretly Started Work
The Messiah Dajjal Has Secretly Started Work HARUN YAHYA |
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It is revealed in a great many reliable hadith that the Messiah Dajjal (Antichrist) will appear in the End Times, the final age before the Day of Judgment, turn people away from religious moral values, and wreak great confusion and oppression on Earth.
It would seem from the fact that the portents of the appearance of the Dajjal related by our Prophet (saas) in the hadith have one by one come to pass that the Messiah Dajjal has already appeared. A great many events experienced on Earth are in complete agreement with the information provided by our Prophet (saas) and Islamic scholars regarding the time the Messiah Dajjal will appear and the deeds he will perform. The great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi has reported that the power and rule of the Dajjal are based on violence and oppression in the words "...The Dajjal appears to have greater dominion than they deserve, acquired through great oppression and great cruelty and great violence and brutality." (3) The increasing violence, anarchy and chaos, the slaughter and torture, and state and organizational terrorist acts in recent times all show that the Dajjal is at work and is directing all of these. In his hadith our Prophet (saas) has reported that the Dajjal will resort to all means to turn people away from the path of goodness and will bring large masses of people under his influence by means of deception and cheating. He has stated that in this way the Dajjal will lead people as he wishes in the hadith "The Dajjal has many followers. Many people will line up alongside him." (4) In order to achieve these aims the Dajjal will seek to deceive believers just as much as he will those who have chosen denial. It is also revealed in hadith that with the propaganda and tactics he employs, the Dajjal will succeed in deceiving many people whose faith is weak, and will thus gather support: Whoever hears about the Dajjal should keep away from him. By Allah! One will come to him and he will think that he is a believer, but he will follow him [Dajjal] on account of the doubts that he will raise in his mind. (5) When you hear that the Dajjal has appeared, flee him. Because a person may go to his side while yet intending to deny him, but will remain and follow him. That is because there are many things with the Dajjal that fill the heart with misgivings. (6) It is indicated in the hadith of our Prophet (saas) that to that end the Dajjal will approach the members of the three revealed religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims, with different methods, and will seek to wreak terrible strife and corruption by turning them against one another. It is revealed in hadith that as a result of this strife of the Dajjal's, the world will become the stage for a great war, that blood will be shed and the numbers of dead will rise dramatically. It is reported that nowhere will be beyond the Dajjal's sights: [At that time] there will be much tribulation, confusion and disorder, and people will kill one another. People will take their own lives and disasters will enfold the earth. At such a troubled time ... the accursed Dajjal ... will appear. (7) ... The Dajjal will emerge from a rocky place, and will swiftly cause violent mischief on the right and on the left [in other words by sending armies to both sides]. (8) There is no city which will not be vanquished by the armies of the Dajjal. (9) In order to depict anarchy, terror, violence, war and bloodshed as supposedly legitimate, the Dajjal seeks to deceive some believers with the falsehood that these disasters must inevitably take place in the End Times. According to the Dajjal's strategy, in order for the glad tidings imparted regarding the End Times to take place, civilizations must first turn against one another, and there must be a terrible war. According to this error, before the appearance of the Messiah, who is expected in the End Times, a terrible battle known as Armageddonmust take place, between the Jews and some Christians who support them on the one hand, and Muslims and Catholics on the other. According to the indoctrination of the Dajjal, "there must be a period of disaster lasting seven years; Jews and other believers must be oppressed during that period; and two-thirds of Jews must die in the battle of Armageddon and the lands of Israel must be devastated." By means of a series of figurative, but groundless interpretations of holy scriptures, the Dajjal seeks to make Christians and Jews believe that the Messiah can only come to earth once all these conditions have been fulfilled. According to this belief, inculcated in Christians by the Dajjal, the Jews will win that battle under the leadership of Prophet 'Isa (as), will follow him, and will return to Christianity. The Dajjal seeks to lead a number of Christian groups in the direction of confusion by making them believe that a number of preconditions need to be met if Prophet 'Isa (as) is to return to earth. The fact is, however, that there is no confusion here at all. Dajjalism is the absence of belief in Allah. The presence of belief in Allah is Messiahhood. The coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) is a miracle from Allah. However, this is not a matter that requires confusion beforehand. Throughout history Allah has supported prophets with a great many miracles. Allah shows people a great many miracles of creation at every moment of their lives. Features such as the perfect equilibrium in the universe, the extraordinarily complex structure in the cell, the marvels in animals and plants, and the flawless functioning of the human body are all great miracles. Allah creates many beauties so that believers may perfect their faith. The coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) is a beautiful event created by Allah for joy of faith, and is a gift of faith. When the time appointed by Allah comes, He will show Prophet 'Isa (as) to all mankind. Involving confusion and many preconditions in such a beautiful event must be seen as part of the Dajjal's devilish plan, and people must be on their guard against that snare. The Messiah Dajjal Wants Chaos in the Middle East…
In this way the Dajjal is trying to make Christians to believe that before the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) there must be war, chaos and a climate of anarchy on earth. He approves of the idea that the Iraq war assumed a key role in these portents of the Last Day they expect to come about. He causes those people who fall under his spell to believe that speaking of peace before the coming of the Messiah is to go astray, to oppose the holy scriptures, and even Dajjalism. By these means he convinces them that tension in the Middle East should not be lowered. (10) He portrays countries that are opposed to war, and peace movements, as part of the movement of the Dajjal, and intends to make sure the climate of war in the region continues so that there should never be peace there until the coming of the Messiah. It is clear that there are a number of problems in some Middle East countries, stemming from lack of education and the fact that a culture of democracy has not fully developed. However, the way to resolve these must never be by resorting to war and violence. It must not be forgotten that war always inflicts loss and destruction on both sides. Indeed, in the Iraq War, many innocent Iraqis are dying, losing relatives or being crippled. Similarly, a great many foreign troops in the region are also dying. The loss of these troops, each one of whom is an educated, cultured young person, is a great loss to both their families and their countries. Yet the fact is that it would be easy for both sides to come by a solution without suffering any material or spiritual losses or loss of life. If people live by the love, tolerance and justice required by the moral values commanded by Allah, then all problems can be resolved by peaceful means, and compromise can easily be achieved. A great many regions of the Middle East are sacred for Christians, Jews and Muslims. These areas are in any case the lands of the forefathers of Christians and Jews. All the prophets loved and respected by Muslims lived in these lands and communicated their message there. These lands, which are most valuable and sacred to all of us, are very wide. Members of the three revealed religions must be able to live as they wish, be free to perform their religious observances, engage in trade and leave in peace and security on these lands. The underground resources possessed by the region, especially oil, can be made use of in such a way that everyone can benefit from them equally. An atmosphere of peace and security is essential for this. What the region needs is for societies to progress in terms of art, medicine and science, for an environment in which fundamental human rights and individual rights are protected to be established, and for a full concept of democracy to be installed. In connection with this it is also important that economic development should be ensured. However, it is a great loss to spend resources that could be set aside for these things on military expenses and weaponry instead. To that end, sincere believers must join forces, and existing means must be used to establish that alliance rather than on waging war. Problems such as these in the region stem from the fact that people fail to live fully by religious moral values, and from the influence of such ideologies as materialism and atheism, supported by the Dajjal. This, of course, is not a problem limited to the Middle East alone. Moral degeneration caused by people having turned away from religious moral values, serial killings and perversions of various kinds can be seen in a great many regions of the world. What sincere believers need to do is to make genuine endeavors for these practices outside religious moral values to be eliminated. Naturally, the Dajjal will seek to spread this situation all over the world, and will emerge with various tactics and cunning plans in order for the environment of war and terror to persist. Christians Must Be on Their Guard against the Messiah Dajjal's Snares Christians and Jews must be on their guard against all these snares of the Dajjal, because the Dajjal will seek to depict all these as religious stipulations. The Dajjal plots against Christians who sincerely believe in the Gospels and tries to attract them to a perverted ideology that actually conflicts with their own sacred texts. He wants to portray his own twisted ideas as right and legitimate by causing Christians to ignore the teachings of the Gospels. In fact, he is laying enormous snares by emerging in the name of Allah and depicting the truth as superstition, and superstition as the truth. He causes them to believe that they are acting in the name of religion and good, and encourages them towards evil by using the name of Allah. In the Qur'an, people are warned against this method employed by the Dajjal: "Mankind! Allah's promise is true. Do not let the life of this world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you about Allah" (Surah Fatir: 5). It is also reported in the hadith of our Prophet (saas) that the Dajjal will deceive people by depicting good as evil, and evil as good:He will also have Paradise and Hell with him. Though his Paradise will appear as Jannah [Paradise], in reality it will be Hell, and likewise, though his Hell will appear like Jahannam [Hell], in reality it will be Paradise. (11) Then the Dajjal will come forth accompanied by a river and fire. He who falls into his fire will certainly receive his reward, and have his load taken off him, but he who falls into his river will have his load retained and his reward taken off him. (12) Narrated by Hudhaifa; The Prophet said about Ad-Dajjal that he would have water and fire with him: (what would seem to be) fire, would be cold water and (what would seem to be) water, would be fire. (13) All the preconditions set out by the Dajjal for the coming of the Messiah, allegedly based on holy scriptures, actually consist of a trap constructed by the Dajjal so that evil should rule the world. As is revealed in the description in the hadith, "His Hell is Paradise, and his Paradise Hell," the Dajjal seeks to portray good as evil and evil as good by distorting everything. The Dajjal has emerged before Christians at a most unexpected time and employing deceptive tactics they never expected. Approaching them by using the name of Allah and basing his desires on sacred justifications, he has deceived a number of Christians who were expecting his coming under very different conditions. The Dajjal is trying to bring part of the Christian community under his sway by depicting love, peace and security on earth as being part of the Dajjal system, and his own ideological system as a requirement of the religion in which they believe. Telling them to "Believe in Prophet 'Isa" or that "This is commanded in the Gospels," he approaches them by portraying what he wants them to do as perfectly legitimate. His actual target is to establish large communities whom he can direct as he wishes in the struggle against Prophet 'Isa (as), who will return to earth in the End Times. In this way he intends to inflict terrible chaos, confusion, corruption and destruction on the world by turning communities against one another. He portrays peace, liberation and security, and the achievement of peace in the Middle East as Dajjal-like movement engaged in opposition to holy scriptures; bloodshed, the ruthless killing of innocent men, women and children, and the spread of pitiless savagery over the region are all portrayed as a so-called religious observance. He portrays Catholics, who believe in the same scriptures as them and who recognize Prophet 'Isa (as) as their prophet, and who perform the same acts of worship, as enemies who need to be eliminated. Similarly, he portrays Muslims, who like them believe in Allah, love and respect the same prophets, possess the same moral principles, and who are awaiting the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) with the same excitement, as a community needing to be combated. The fact is, however, that Christians, Jews and Muslims are not one another's enemies; on the contrary, they are one another's allies against the atheism supported by the Dajjal. Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in Allah in the same way, and love and respect the same prophets. Prophet Ibrahim (as), Prophet Ishmael (as), Prophet Ishaq (as), Prophet Ya'qub (as), Prophet Yusuf (as), Prophet Musa (as) or Prophet Dawud (as) are just as important to Muslims as they are to Jews. In the same way, Prophet 'Isa (as) is just as valuable and sacred to Muslims as he is to Christians. The entire Islamic world has been announcing the glad tidings of this holy individual's return to earth for the last 1,400 years and preparing for this historic event with the greatest enthusiasm. In addition, the lands lived on by Jews and Muslims, and where they serve Allah, are just as sacred to Muslims as they are to Jews. That being the case, there can be no legitimate reason for a climate of war, chaos and anarchy, or for bloodshed on lands that are sacred to members of all three revealed religions. This subject needs to be considered in a most rational manner: Why should living in peace and security be Dajjalism? Why should centuries of fear and savagery, and catastrophes, be necessary in order for the Messiah to appear? Why should there be no peace, and why should war be sought to be continued, until the coming of the Messiah? Why should two-thirds of Jews have to die? Why should people who believe in the same religion wage war on one another? Why should Catholics and Muslims be the enemies of Jews and other Christians? Why should innocent Christian, or Jewish or Muslim children be killed for nothing? There is no legitimate reason for any of these things. The Dajjal is trying to portray peace, liberation, brotherhood, love, compassion and affection as actions belonging to the Dajjal. In this way, he is trying to achieve his aims by turning Jews, Christians and Muslims against one another. It is a great blessing that Christians are devout, fear Allah, feel a sincere love and devotion for the prophets and Prophet 'Isa (as), and engage in the preparations for his second coming. Yet it is most important that they should not fall into the Dajjal's trap. Each one of the conditions he is trying to make Christians blindly believe in, and which he suggests have to be fulfilled in order for Prophet 'Isa (as) to return, are part of a trap that the Dajjal has prepared in order to inflict disappointment and corruption on mankind. His aim is thus to establish a system which will literally lock in terror, violence and anarchy, by bringing a large mass of people under his spell. All Christians need to see that this is a tactic being employed by the Dajjal, and to respond to this grave danger by keeping to the path indicated by Allah, in a manner appropriate to religious moral values. All the prophets have told the communities among whom they lived that the Dajjal would deceive people by such methods as these. Indeed, his most devilish method of deception will be to seek to influence sincere believers and turn them against one another by appearing in the name of Allah and religion. The Dajjal needs to be evaluated in the light of this information, and people need to be on their guard against such snares laid by him as these. This Indoctrination by the Dajjal Conflicts with the Torah and the Gospel The indoctrination carried out by the Dajjal by imputing false interpretations of the Old Testament, suggesting that there needs to be war between Muslims and Catholics, and other Christians and Jews, that the climate of violence and tension needs to be maintained, and that peace has to be prevented, are in complete contradiction of both the New Testament and the Old. This distorted analysis is the complete moral antithesis of the moral values taught to Christians by Prophet 'Isa (as). Christianity is based on love, peace and tolerance. It is written in the Gospel of Matthew that Prophet 'Isa (as) told his disciples to "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you..."(Matthew: 5:44). In the Gospel of Luke it is revealed that he said, "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also…" (Luke: 6:29). Nowhere in the New Testament are there any provisions legitimizing violence. There is very definitely no room for any idea favoring the killing of innocent people. Christianity is a religion of love and peace. In the Gospels, Christians are commanded to love even their enemies, to do good to all mankind, and to respond to evil with good. When one looks at the Gospels, one sees that Prophet 'Isa (as) always recommended love, peace and friendship:"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (1 Thessalonians 5: 15) Remind them … to obey … showing all humility to all men. (Paul's Epistle to Titus 3: 1-2) Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another. (Romans 12: 10) Another matter emphasized in Gospel statements is the eradication of discrimination, conflict and disputes, and for peace to be maintained by people uniting around a single idea:"…all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (Corinthians 1: 10) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends… (Romans 12: 18-19) "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5: 43-44)  Do not pervert justice… Do not do anything that endangers your neighbour's life... Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself… (Leviticus 19:15-18) "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD Allah Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts..." (Amos 5:14-15) Another provision in the Torah is that blood should not be shed and that the lands of the righteous should not be attacked:Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed. (Deuteronomy 19:10) Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place… Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove… (Proverbs 24:15-18) Although the texts of the Gospel and the Torah were later corrupted, they still include some true provisions compatible with the Qur'an. Devout Christians and Jews must behave in the light of these statements in the Old and New Testaments. Otherwise, as well as contravening their own sacred texts, they need to see that they will actually be serving the Dajjal. It must not be forgotten that the Dajjal's initiatives to shed blood in the Middle East and the rest of the world can only be prevented by the defense of proper moral values.Muslims Must Also Be on Their Guard against the Wiles of the Dajjal The Dajjal is trying to use another stratagem against Muslims, similar to that he wishes to employ against Christians. He wishes to bring Muslims under his control in order to create terrible strife and wickedness on earth. By deceiving Muslims, too, he seeks to encourage them to resort to violence in response to the violence aimed at them, and thus quench the devil's thirst for bloodshed. On the other hand, he is also striving to turn Muslims against one another by encouraging terror amongst them. In this way he aims to increase the climate of fear and terror, and by shedding the blood of the innocent to turn the world into a place of strife where his own moral values can prevail.The great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi has warned all Muslims against this peril, and said that the Dajjal would put pressure on the Islamic world and inflict difficult and hard times on devout Muslims: According to a noble Hadith of the Prophet (saas), noxious and awesome persons like Sufyan and the Dajjal will come to rule over the godless at the end of time, and exploiting the greed, discord and hatred amongst the Muslims and mankind, they will need only a small force to reduce humanity to anarchy and the vast world of Islam to slavery. (14) Devout Muslims should be aware of this danger and not fall into the Dajjal's trap. As a requirement of the verse "Allah loves those who fight in His Way in ranks like well-built walls" (Surat as-Saff: 4), Muslims must act in a spirit of unshakable unity and union. They must take the moral values of our Prophet (saas), who always sought the path of understanding even with the idolaters, as their role model; they must scrupulously avoid disputes and disagreement. In fact, our Prophet (saas) has warned Muslims against such a danger by reminding them that in the event that believers turn against one another they may fall under the influence of the Dajjal:In those days believers whose relations between one another are defective will be unable to escape being the target of the Dajjal.(15) It can be seen from these words of our Prophet (saas) that believers who wish to be protected from the strife of the Dajjal must act in the awareness that all Muslims are brothers. It has been revealed in the Qur'an that the faithful must support one another in solidarity, otherwise there will be great corruption and chaos on earth:Those who disbelieve are the friends and protectors of one another. If you do not act in this way, there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Surat al-Anfal: 73) Muslims must also behave towards Christians and Jews in the manner required by the moral values of the Qur'an, in the same way as they must amongst themselves, and must be on their guard against the wiles of the Dajjal in that regard too. In many verses of the Qur'an Allah has revealed the importance of proper moral values, goodness, and responding to evil with good, and has commanded Muslims to treat Jews and Christians, in other words the People of the Book, with good intentions and tolerance. In the Qur'an our Lord commands people to rule with justice, with no discrimination between people, to protect people's rights, to have no allowance for oppression, to support the oppressed against the oppressor, and to help those in need. This concept of justice requires the rights of both sides to be protected when a decision has to be reached, a multi-sided consideration, unprejudiced thought, neutrality, uprightness, honesty, tolerance, compassion and affection. Muslims must always behave in accordance with the verses of the Qur'an against the Dajjal's deceptions of this kind, with patience, submission to Allah, and moderation, and must respond with love and affection. Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that when believers encounter evil they must respond with goodness:A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surah Fussilat: 34) One of the finest models on this subject is the moral values displayed by our Prophet (saas). Prophet Muhammad (saas) always behaved most justly and compassionately towards Jews and Christians. He wanted an environment based on love and compromise to be established between Muslims and members of the other revealed religions. In the early years of Islam, some Muslims who suffered oppression at the hands of the polytheists of Mecca lived in friendship and peace with Christians by sheltering with the Christian king of Ethiopia, Negus (or al-Najashi). Believers who migrated to Medina with our Prophet (saas) developed a model of living with the Jews in Medina that constitutes a model for all subsequent generations. During the spread of Islam, the tolerance shown to Jewish and Christian communities in Arabia went down in history as an important example of Muslims' tolerance and justice towards the People of the Book.Under the provision of the Constitution of Medina that "The Jews of Banu Awf [non-Muslim minorities] are a community along with the believers. To the Jews their religion, and to the Muslim their religion," the foundations of the tolerance that Muslims showed towards Jewish traditions and belief were again laid in the time of our Prophet (saas). Another example of these moral values of Muslims was experienced at the time of the Ottoman Empire. At a time when the world was full of intolerance and oppression, the Ottoman Empire went down in history for the great tolerance it displayed towards Jewish communities. Throughout history these Muslim moral values have resulted in Jews sheltering in Islamic lands at various times when they were suffering trouble and difficulty. The Ottoman Empire opened its doors to the Jews who were unjustly expelled from Spain, and the Ottomans sheltered thousands of Jews who had been exiled from their lands. Jews and Muslims lived for centuries in peace and security in Muslim lands. Jewish subjects of the Ottoman Empire were always grateful for the tolerance shown them by the Sublime Porte. The same thing applied to Christians under Ottoman rule. Christians, too, found tolerance, peace and freedom in Ottoman lands. In the Middle East, which has been in a state of chaos and conflict since the first half of the 20th century, a climate of peace and security was established that lasted throughout the centuries of Ottoman rule. Although Christians and Jews did not acknowledge each other's religions, they enjoyed dialogue and compromise in this tolerant environment established by the Ottoman administration. Under Ottoman sovereignty, Jews worshipped in their synagogues, Christians in their churches and Muslims in their mosques, and members of the three religions lived alongside one another in peace. The proper moral values, tolerance, and peaceful understanding demonstrated towards the People of the Book by our Prophet (saas) and the Ottoman administration must be a role model for all Muslims. As revealed by Allah in the verse "Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way-except in the case of those of them who do wrong-saying, 'We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our Allah and your Allah are one and we submit to Him,'" (Surat al-'Ankabut: 46) no concession must be made in a struggle to be waged "in the kindest way." On the contrary, it must not be forgotten that a climate of strife and chaos will emerge as the Dajjal wishes. Muslims must approach the People of the Book with respect, love and understanding, based on these foundations, and with the moral values to which they adhere must transmit the call to "unite in a common proposition" in the kindest manner possible: Say, "People of the Book! Come to a proposition which is the same for us and you-that we should worship none but Allah and not associate any partners with Him and not take one another as lords besides Allah." If they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." (Surah Al 'Imran: 64) When people act in the light of this spirit of love and tolerance imparted by Qur'anic moral values, the Dajjal's stratagem aimed at turning civilizations against one another and making the world the scene of bloodshed and war will, by the will of Allah, be thwarted.The False 'Isa: The Messiah Dajjal As has been described throughout the course of this discussion, the Dajjal is indoctrinating Christian communities regarding the occurrence of various false portents of the Last Day for the appearance of the Messiah, and is encouraging them to bring these false portents to pass. Once these conditions have been met, the Dajjal will then make claims regarding the "False Messiah" as a requirement of the false order he will have established. Many false Messiahs will appear before the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as), but the Messiah Dajjal will be the most violent of these. According to the indications in the hadith, various groups among Christians and Jews whom he brings under his influence will organise these phenomena and will portray the Dajjal to people as Prophet 'Isa (as). It is revealed in the hadith of our Prophet (saas) that the Dajjal will first claim "prophethood" and then "so-called divinity" (Allah is truly beyond what they ascribe to Him):When the Dajjal appears ... everyone will imagine him to be a genuine guide and will flock to his side, and he will continue his work in the same way when he comes to Kufa, and will lay claim to prophethood ... Rational people who see this will depart from him ... Later still, he will lay claim to divine status, and will even say "I am Allah." (16) He will start by saying that he is a Prophet, but there will be no Prophet after me. Then he will say, "I am your Lord," but you will never see your Lord until you die. (17) … They [the devils] will say to him [the Dajjal], "We are your helpers and under your command." He will then say to them, "Hurry and tell people that I am their Allah…" (18) Imam Sharani reported that the Dajjal's claim to divine status would bring nations under his control:The Dajjal will come to the people and invite them (to a wrong religion); they will affirm their faith in him and respond to him. (19) It can be seen from all this information that the Dajjal will first portray himself to people as a guide, then will claim to be the Messiah, and then declare himself to be divine (Allah is truly beyond what they ascribe to Him). In order to convince large masses of people, the Dajjal will make use of technological means and use the most advanced special illusive effects and techniques of hypnosis. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi has spoken of these methods to which the Dajjal will resort:The Dajjal possesses hypnotic properties along the lines of spiritualism ... This unbeliever whose only aim is this world attacks spiritual values with a brazenness and courage stemming from absolute unbelief. People who do not know the true state of affairs will regard this as extraordinary power and courage. (20) Elsewhere, Bediuzzaman describes the trickery the Dajjal will use to deceive people:The worst of these who will lead them, the Dajjal, possesses marvels linked to phenomena of spiritualism and magnetism [with such phenomena as hypnotism and contact with the jinns], and will go still further, and will declare his own divinity [Allah is truly beyond what they ascribe to Him], conceiving of a kind of divinity for his forced and false rule... (21) As stated by Bediuzzaman, the Dajjal will be a mastery of such deceptions as hypnotism and illusion, and will perform fake miracles by means of technological special effects, thus depicting himself as Prophet 'Isa (as). In the hadith of our Prophet (saas) it is described how he will influence people by means of these fake miracles:He [Dajjal] will say to a Bedouin, "What do you think if I bring your father and mother back to life for you? Will you bear witness that I am your Lord?" The Bedouin will say; "Yes," so two devils will assume the appearance of his father and mother… (22) At this the Dajjal will ask his villainous people "If I now kill this man and then resurrect him, will you have any doubts about my claim to be divine?" (23) He will be given power over one person, whom he will kill and cut in two with a saw. Then he will say, "Look at this slave of mine, now I will resurrect him..." (24) According to the hadith, in claiming a false divine status for himself the Dajjal will call people back from the grave by means of trickery, and present himself as if he resurrected the dead, putting on an unfamiliar and astonishing show for the masses. Christians will think that all these are the miracles they believe Prophet 'Isa (as) would perform, and will thus be easily convinced of the alleged divinity of the Dajjal. Many people will be affected by these exaggerated displays staged by the Dajjal, and will conclude that he is the real Prophet 'Isa (as).All these ruses of the Dajjal's described so far are compatible with the information about the Dajjal provided in the hadith of our Prophet (saas), in commentaries by Islamic scholars, and in the sacred texts of other religions. It is evident in the light of that information that the activities he organizes are Dajjal-like ones. Therefore, Christians, Jews and Muslims must act in the awareness of this and be careful not to fall victim to the Dajjal's ruses. The Dajjal Will Continue to Deceive People until the Coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) The Dajjal is attempting to deceive Christians in the name of preparing the groundwork for the coming of the Messiah. Making preparations for the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) is of course a great service and is an expression of very pleasing love and respect shown to the prophet. However, the Dajjal aims to make the people he takes under his spell do this by very different means, depicting oppression and bloodshed as legitimate. In fact, according to the indications in the hadith, the Dajjal's endeavors in this regard will not come to an end until Prophet 'Isa (as) returns to earth, and he will continue to deceive the people he gathers round him in the name of service to Allah and to religion, and loyalty to Prophet 'Isa (as). Neither the unmasking of these wiles of the Dajjal, nor warning people who fall under his spell and incite terror, violence, war and bloodshed will be enough to halt the Dajjal. Some Christians will pay no heed to these warnings, because of the Dajjal making the claims exactly as they are expecting, his appearing at the expected time, and his performing fake marvels that they imagine to be miracles. The strife of the Dajjal, the number of his supporters and the extent of their Dajjal-like actions will increase still further (Allah knows best, of course).However, it must not be forgotten here that these things will be experienced because they assume that form in destiny. Neither the Dajjal nor those who support him possess any power of their own. Some people think that they are preparing the necessary portents of the Last Day in order for Prophet 'Isa (as) to appear, but it is actually Allah Who is creating these. Those who are making great efforts for Prophet 'Isa (as) to come will attain the result they wish for. Prophet 'Isa (as) will return. However, his coming will be because Allah willed and appointed in destiny, not because the people in question have readied the requisite conditions in the light of their own beliefs. That is because there is no question of anyone having the power to do anything unless Allah so wishes. In the same way, the Dajjal's portraying his own desires to one group of Christians as legitimate and directing them is also taking place because that is the destiny specified by Allah. Otherwise the Dajjal has appeared exactly in the manner described, and it can be seen from all the portents that he is indeed the Dajjal. Again, however, since that has been determined in destiny, he will succeed in deceiving certain groups from among Christians and Jews. Indeed, despite all these warnings the Dajjal will continue to deceive and plot, and those around him will fail to recognise his false countenance. This will continue to be so until the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as), and Christian communities and other people will only realize these facts with the appearance of the true Messiah. With the Coming of the True Messiah 'Isa, the Strife of the Dajjal Will Disappear Like Salt Melting in Water All the Dajjal's stratagems will only be thwarted with the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as). When the Dajjal sees Prophet 'Isa (as), he will dissolve away like salt in water; all his deceptions will be revealed, he will be humiliated in the public eye and will suffer a terrible defeat. It will become plain that all the fake miracles he performed in claiming to be the Messiah were mere deceptions; all his hypnotism, illusions, technological displays and mass shows will be neutralized. This defeat of the Dajjal by means of Prophet 'Isa (as) is reported in the hadith of our Prophet (saas):When the enemy of Allah [Dajjal] see him [Prophet 'Isa], it will (disappear) just as salt dissolves in water and if he [Prophet 'Isa] were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely. Allah would kill them by his hand. (25) The son of Mary will kill the Dajjal at the gate of Ludd. (26) As is revealed in the hadith, the place where the Dajjal will be defeated is Jerusalem. When Prophet 'Isa (as) returns to earth he will encounter the Dajjal at Beit al-Makdis (the Masjid al-Aqsa) and, again as revealed in the hadith, even the breath of Prophet 'Isa (as) will be sufficient for the strife of the Dajjal to be eliminated:... It is impossible for any unbeliever who scents his [Prophet 'Isa'] breath not to die. The fact that the Dajjal is a liar will radiate out in waves. Dajjalism will be overthrown and his intellectual system destroyed. (27) Every non-believer who would smell the odour of his [Prophet 'Isa'] self would die and his breath would reach as far as he would be able to see. He would then search for him [Dajjal] until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him. (28) In the light of certain developments that are taking place today, the Dajjal has already settled in this place where he will be defeated. Certain signs show that supporters seeking to set up a false Messiah under false conditions may be hiding the Dajjal in broad facilities they have established under the Masjid al-Aqsa. These people who support the Dajjal may be trying to give the impression that he is the true Messiah by giving the site a mystical appearance (Allah knows best, of course).The Dajjal wil remain in this temporary location until the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as), the true Messiah. By Allah's leave, however, he will be destroyed by means of Prophet 'Isa (as) before he can construct his temple there. This situation the Dajjal will encounter is recalled in the verse "Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away!" (Surat al-Anbiya': 18) In another verse, "Say: 'Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always bound to vanish'" (Surat al-Isra': 81), it is reported that truth will always vanquish falsehood, and this shows that all the stratagems of the Dajjal will eventually be thwarted. The Responsibility Incumbent on People with True Faith With the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) and the Mahdi, those paganistic beliefs and philosophies that deny the infinite might of Allah that the Dajjal seeks to have prevail on earth will be utterly defeated. When people come to live by Qur'anic moral values, the world will be freed from wars, conflicts, hostility, oppression and injustice; and an age of peace, happiness and security will dawn for mankind. Therefore, no matter which belief they have adopted, believers who are sincerely preparing for the coming of Prophet 'Isa (as) should engage in endeavors to construct the infrastructure for such an environment and strive to prevent all forms of discrimination and conflict.Sincere Christian believers must reveal that the false portents of the Last Day that encourage war, mass slaughter and bloodshed, which the Dajjal makes people believe are obligatory, are in no way compatible with Christian teaching, which supports peace and love. They must show those people who support this idea the error of their situation, and must call them to the truth. With the efforts in this regard of Christians and Muslims possessed of common sense, the increase in tension that is being sought in many parts of the world can, by Allah's leave, be prevented. The need for this morality is recalled in the Qur'an by revealing that Christians and Jews who perform good deeds receive their recompense in the sight of Allah: Those with faith, those who are Jews, and the Christians and Sabaeans, all who believe in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 62) It must not be forgotten that inciting war and preventing peace, as the Dajjal encourages some Christians to do, will inflict great losses, tears and suffering on both sides. In the event that sincere believers join forces, however, the stratagems the Dajjal is using to turn the world into an arena of war will, by Allah's leave, be thwarted.REFERENCES 1. Sahih Muslim; Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji , Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 225. 2. Sahih Muslim, English translation, Kitab Al-Fitan Wa Ashrat 'As-Sa'ah, Hadith No. 7000. 3. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, Rays of Light, 469 4. At-Tabrizi; Mishkat al-Masabih, 1382/1962, 3:38.2 5. Kanz al-Ummal, no.2057. 6. Abu Dawud, 14. 7. Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, 482. 8. Sunan Ibn Majah; Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, 493-494. 9. Sahih Muslim, vol. 8, 500. 10. Grace Hallsell, Prophecy and Politics: Militant Evangelists on the Road to Nuclear War. 11. Sahih Muslim. 12. Sunan Abu Dawud, no. 4232, Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman. 13. Sahih Bukhari 14. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, The twenthy second letter; al-Hakim; Ibn hibban) 15. Al-Hakim, 4:529-530. 16. al-Tabarani narrated from b. Mu'tamar, the Companion of the Prophet (saas). 17. Sahih Muslim; Sunan Ibn Majah, 4077. 18. Sahih Muslim, al-fitan, Sahih Muslim, Kitab Al-Fitan Wa Ashrat 'As-Sa'ah (English translation), Hadith No. 7000. 19. Sahih Muslim, 7015. 20 Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Flashes. 21 Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Letters, 55. 22 Sunan Ibn Majah, 4077. 23 Sahih Bukhari, vol. 15, 6981. 24 Sahih Muslim, 4077. 25 Sahih Muslim, 6924 26 Hadith at-Tirmidhi. 27 Sunen Ibn Majah, 10/32. 28 Sahih Muslim. http://www.harunyahya.com/articles/messiah_dajjal.php |
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