SINS ARE DESIRED BY HUMAN NATURE

It is known that these sins and acts of disobedience, though understood to be detestable and blameworthy by intellectual reasoning and by the criteria of Islam, are desired by human nature. It is a normal condition of the human self that it does not like others to have what it has not, or to have more of something than it, rather, it wishes for the good which has come to others to come to it. This is known in Arabic as Ghabta which is the lesser of the two forms of envy. Thus, the human self wishes to be superior or over others, and to be preferred to them, or it is envious of them, and wishes for the destruction of the good things which have come to others, even if it will not itself obtain it (this is the extreme form of envy). Read the rest of this entry »

DIFFERENCES ABOUT ENJOINING AND FORBIDDING ARE THE CAUSE OF DIVISION

Kufr, corruption, and disobedience are the cause of evil and strife. A person or group may fall into sin and disobedience. Then another group keeps quiet, and does not fulfill their obligation of enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and that becomes a sin of theirs. And another group enjoins and forbids, but in a manner forbidden by Allah, and that becomes a sin of theirs. The end result is division, difference, strife, and evil. This is one of the greatest sources of evil and chaos in all times, former and present. Read the rest of this entry »

PROMISES AND THREATS OF PUNISHMENT WERE THE FIRST PART OF REVELATION

Tauhid, promises of rewards, and threats of punishments were the first things to be revealed of the Qur’an. In Sahih Bukhari, Yusuf ibn Maahak narrates:

“I was at Aisha’s, the Mother of the believers may Allah be pleased with her, when an Iraqi came to her and said: “Which shroud is best?” Aisha said: “Woe to you, what harms you?” He said: “O, mother of the believers, show me your mus-haf” Aisha said: “Why?” He said: “In order that I may arrange and order the Qur’an according to it, for it is being read with no particular order.” Read the rest of this entry »

PUNISHMENT OF THE EVIL-DOERS IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT

Thus, in many of ayaat containing warnings for those who disobey Allah, Allah mentions His punishment of the evil-doers in this world as well as the punishment which He has prepared for them in the next life. In other verses, He mentions only the punishments of the next life, because its punishment is much greater, and its reward is much greater, and it is the place of permanence. So, when the punishments of this world are mentioned, they are secondary to the mentioning of the punishments of the next life, as in the following story of Yusuf (peace be upon him): Read the rest of this entry »

ALLAH’S PUNISHMENT OF THE PREVIOUS NATIONS FOR THEIR DISOBEDIENCE

Allah has informed us of his punishment of the previous nations for their wickedness such as the people of Nuh, and ‘aad, Thamud, the people of Lut, the people of the city of Madyan, and the people of Fir’aun (Pharoah) in this world, and He has informed us of the punishments which await them in the next world. Thus, the believer who had been hiding his belief from the people of Fir’aun said, as Allah tells us in the Qur’an: Read the rest of this entry »

DISOBEDIENCE TO ALLAH CAUSES DIFFICULTY, OBEDIENCE CAUSES EASE

One thing which is clearly established from the signs which Allah has shown us between the horizons and in our selves, and with which He has born witness in His book — is that disobedience is a cause of calamities and difficulties. The evil of calamities and punishments comes from the evil of ones actions. Also, obedience is a cause of plenty and ease. The doing of good of the slave is a reason for the doing of good by Allah to him. Allah said: Read the rest of this entry »

THE DIFFICULTY OF THESE REQUIREMENTS

Make no mistake about it, these requirements of enjoining right and forbidding wrong introduce a high degree of difficulty into the situation for many people. Thus some imagine that the obligation has fallen from his shoulders because of some lack in its prerequisites, and so he neglects it. This may harm him more than he would have been harmed by ordering and forbidding in spite of his lacks or deficiencies in one or more of these requirements, or it may harm him less. Read the rest of this entry »

COMPASSION, PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE ARE REQUIRED IN ENJOINING RIGHT

These things must be done with compassion. The Prophet (sas) said:

“Compassion does not enter into anything without beautifying it, and is not removed from anything without making it ugly.” (Muslim and others)

And, he (sas) said: Read the rest of this entry »

ACTION IS NOT POSSIBLE EXCEPT WITH KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

There can be no righteous deed in the absence of knowledge (‘ilm) and understanding of the law (fiqh), as ‘Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (the grandson of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, and a righteous Khalifa) used to say:

“Whoever worships Allah without knowledge corrupts more than he benefits.” Read the rest of this entry »

WHAT ARE “GOOD WORKS”?

In the final analysis, enjoining right and forbidding wrong is one of the most obligatory of actions and one of the best and most praiseworthy acts. Allah said:

[And He will test you, which of you are best in actions.] Qur’an 67/2.

Al-Fadheel ibn Ayaadh (A great Makkan scholar of the second century) said about the “good actions” mentioned in this aya: Read the rest of this entry »