In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
It’s been quite some time since I wrote my last post. The reason behind this article was one of Sheikh Ahmed Deedat’s (May Allah have mercy on him) lecture video wherein he beautifully explains how Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) preached the same message of One God. Each Prophet being ‘one of a kind’ was a model of character, full of patience and nobility. They strived to the best of capabilities to deliver the message of mercy and guidance to the people they were sent to. The Qur’an was revealed unto the Last and final messenger of God- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a mercy and guidance for the whole mankind.
The truth is distinct from falsehood. God has enjoined upon us all that is good and prohibited all that is evil. All that which is good and lawful is allowed and permitted us and that which is evil and cause us harm is forbidden. One such aspect which impresses me most about Islam is that is clearly states- There is no coercion in religion.
Allah says:
There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path.
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]
The answer is given in the verse below:
“Whoever does good, benefits his own self and whoever does bad only hurts himself”. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.” [Al-Qur’an 41: 46]
God guides whomsoever He wills. He is the Creator (Al-Khaliq) of all that exists.
He created Man and gave him power to comprehend right from wrong; to reason. Man has a choice in whatever he wishes to believe or forsake. A person who calls other people to Islam (peace acquired through submission, surrender and obedience to the will of God) should prepare himself to deal with all sorts of weathers so to say; the different moods and nature of people. One may recieve good from people at times but may also be mocked at by those who are cold and out-and-out insulting in their opposition to the message. This is one of the reasons why patience and tolerance are key qualities for a Muslim who wishes to spread much good.
The Prophets displayed great perseverance though they faced resentment. No matter how prejudiced people’s mind might be about Islam (especially when the media has been portraying Islam in negative light and because of deeds of some individuals who call themselves ‘Muslims’), it is not appropriate for a Muslims to give up hope and the noble cause. Consider the trouble Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) faced from his people. Despite all the harassment, Prophet Noah stayed strong in his faith in God almighty. Yes, many acts of sinfulness lurk in every corner of our world as well. How do we cope with them? In today's society, most people live for the pleasures of the world instead of the pleasure of God who created us all. Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) tried hard to bring his people to the right path, but his attempts and efforts weren’t heeded.
All rational individuals must bring in mind the amount of efforts the Prophets put in in order to exhort people to the path of righteousness. Think about it- God has given us all a golden chance to do a Prophet’s job and earn a Prophet’s reward! Alhamdulillah.
One may say- It is just not possible to convince everyone to think and act in the same wavelength as we do. How can we guide the one who doesn’t wish to be guided at all?
Allah says in the Qur’an:
" Verily, you can not guide everyone whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills and He knows best those who Will guided" [Al-Qur'an 28:56]
Yes! It is as right as it sounds- It is not in our hands to guide. It is God who opens up our hearts to faith, to His mercy and guidance. It is only by His will and grace that the most dogged and loath of hearts become receptive to His message. We can very well see this in History, particularly in the stories of the Prophets.
Umar bin al-Khattāb was one among the most prominent personalities. A man who was a feared and well respected man known for his fearless nature; he became one of the early opponents of the religion of Islam. He was man of strength and rigid at heart (severe). He used to abuse the believers in Mecca in the early days of Islam. His hatred grew so much so that he determined himself upon killing the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). On his way he ran into a person who asked him to deal with his sister first (inferring that she became Muslim). When he came near his sister’s house he heard the recitation of the Qur’an. Upon entering he asked his sister and her husband “Have you (left the faith of your forefathers)?” Enraged,He then began to attack his sister and her husband. Upon seeing blood of her sister; he had began feeling guilty. He apologized to his sister and her husband, and requested to read the words of the Qur’an. Upon the request his sister said “You are not clean, go wash yourself.” Upon reading the verses of Surah Ta ha; he was touched by the beauty and eloquence of the verses. (1) Allah had opened his heart and guided him to the path of truth.
He began as an enemy to Islam but became one the most eminent vanguards of Islam after seeing the light of truth.
Tufayl bin Amr al-Dawsī used to place cotton in his ears to prevent him from hearing Prophet Muhammad’s words (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he said to himself: “I am a well-grounded individual who can discern what is good from what is bad. By God! I will hear what he has to say. If it is right, I will accept it, and if not I will shun it.” The very first time he listened to the Prophet’s message, he believed in it and accepted it. (2)
Such has been the journey of faith for many people who came to Islam.
Those who were in the forefront in their wrongdoings and opposition to Islam became strong believers and heralds of truth after being guided by Allah to the light of truth.
Therefore our behaviour must be a tantamount to that of the Prophets (peace be upon them all). We must try our best to be this way with our friends, colleagues and neighbours. Give people the respect and goodness which can bring about a lot of good in return. Leaving people with a good impression is important. At times, all it requires is a few words full of heartfelt compassion, concern and wisdom which make a difference. Remember, what they think of you personally will also greatly influence their attitudes about the groups and affiliations you follow. We must try and make sure that the dealings they have with us are pleasant ones.
Do good, no matter what. You may not get back from people what you give to people but Allah will definitely reward you handsomely for each and every small act of good you do.
Calling people to the path of righteousness and the much needed reformation are deeds which can be achieved by selfless and forbearing minds which hold the courage to accept things gracefully even if they go against them regardless of all good. People will take course to disagreement and oppose you for talking that which goes against their stereotypical practices.
There are people who seek truth. Some of those are scornful about ‘man made‘ religions and therefore wish to keep away because they reason and wonder how could God approve such practices which men have invented. Some are arrogant, full of themselves and rebellious, who are lost in the shallow pleasures of this world wherein everything goes away someday or the other. But just remember we have seen the similar pattern among many people even in the past.
Allah has guided and will guide all those who wish to change themselves. Much attention is given to the progress of mankind, technology, arms and weaponry, education, nation, selfish ideologies but least attention is given to the reformation of hearts.
Brothers and Sisters, remember the advice of the last and final messenger of God who said-
“Indeed there is a piece of flesh in your body that, if it be sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it be corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart.” [Al-Bukhaari]
Glory be to Allah who changes people’s hearts for the better and guides them to the light of truth. And blessed be those who exhort mankind unto the truth.
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