A Naseeb Khan
anb_khan@rediffmail.com
Islam, the religion approved for humankind by Allah, stands for pure and just life, poise and equilibrium, order and peace and universal brotherhood. Sent down for our guidance through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the redeemer of humanity, it prods us into ceaseless search for truth, constant practice of love completely free from hatred, and promotion of the welfare of all.
One may cite numerous Prophetic traditions (Hadith) and verses from the Qur’an to substantiate the claim. As narrated by Jareer bin Abdullah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: Those whose hearts have no mercy for others will receive no mercy of Allah. (Bukhari and Muslim). According to another tradition: Allah will have mercy upon those who are merciful. Treat kindly the inhabitants of the earth; He Who lives in heavens will treat you kindly. (Abu Daud and Tirmidi)
The expression ‘inhabitants of the earth’ includes all the creatures of the earth. Besides noble conduct with human beings, Islam lays a great emphasis on sensitive attitude and kind behaviour with all living creatures. Abdullah bin Jafar narrated that once Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) chanced to go to the orchard of one of his Ansar companions. There was a camel over there. When the camel saw the Prophet (pbuh), it let out as painful a grunt as a mother camel does when separated from her young one. Tears rolled down its face. The Prophet (pbuh) approached it and stroked its head gently until it calmed down. Then the Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘Whose camel is this?’ A young Ansar said that it belonged to him. The Prophet (pbuh) said to him, ‘Concerning this poor and dumb creature, don’t you fear Allah Who made you its master? It complained to me, ‘You let it go hungry and take a lot out of it.’ Treat it kindly. (Abu Daud)
Islam takes due care to safeguard the animals from being treated unjustly. It does not allow us to stop the animals and indulge in a long conversation while seated on their backs. The Prophet (pbuh) said: Do not take your animals’ backs to be chairs. (Ahmad and Hakim). He also prohibited us from hitting an animal on its face and branding it with something burning.
Can the religion that warns us, with a deep seated love for humankind, against falling into grossly ruthless and monstrous cruelty with the animals, excuse those who unleash a storm of barbarous tyranny with brutal hardness on the crown of the creations, that is humankind? Of course the answer is in the negative. Sufficiently practical, Islam awakes our slumbering sense of duties and thus sanitises our lives well.
For the true slaves of Allah good pleasure of their Lord is above all, superior to every thing in the world. They live in perfect harmony with Him and His Prophet's teachings not only by virtue of their noble deeds but also by virtue of shunning what is ignoble. They expect no favour from anyone else but Allah on whose sufficiency they have every confidence. Under all circumstances they rely on Him; engage themselves in worshipful obedience to His commands and faithful emulation of His Prophet - whose traditions further admonish them for inflicting injuries on any living creature.
On the authority of his father, Abdur Rahman bin Abdullah Ibn Masud related, ‘Once on a journey with the Prophet (pbuh), we happened to see a small red bird (probably a blue- jay) with its two young ones, when he (pbuh) had gone to relieve himself. As we caught the young ones, the bird came and began to hover over our heads. When the Prophet (pbuh) returned he said, ‘Who has hurt the bird by catching its young ones?’ He commanded, ‘Give them back to it’. He, then, saw an ant-hill to which we had set fire. He asked as to who had done that. We said, ‘O Prophet of Allah! We did it. Then he warned, ‘It befits none but Allah, the Creator of fire, to impose the punishment of fire on a living being.’
Islam not only commands us to preach and practice kindness and compassion – the moral and legal right of every living being – but also warns us against lapsing into hard, cruel and unseemly behaviour because it may be the cause of one’s condemnation to hell. As narrated by Abdullah bin Amr, the Prophet (pbuh) said: A cruel, hard hearted woman was thrust into hell simply for her cruelty to a cat which she held in captivity until it died of starvation. She neither gave it a morsel of food nor set it free to eat the worms (or rodents) of the earth. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet (pbuh) said: The attribute of compassion is not taken away from the heart of anyone except the ill-fated. (Musnad Ahmad and Timidhi). Needless to say, only those who walk in the darkness of Allah’s wrath will stoop to choose to be from among those who are ill-fated and condemned to hell fire. (Published)
II
Obviously, Islam typifies light wherein forces of truth and righteousness, love and affection rally and a carefree life is guaranteed to one and all with a true sense of mutual tolerance and inalienable relationship. Evil has been at its worst to insinuate itself into all sorts of insidious ways to subdue the people into mischief and deadly feuds - the effects of poison generated by psychotic heartlessness. But Islam recovers the balance upset by evil and falsehood, cements relations of an individual with society, fortifies cultural matrix and lends power and profundity to human spirit against every type of onslaught.
It provides vitality to humankind, raises human mind, frees society from internal and external contradictions, hostilities and antagonism, and thus elevates both human beings as well as society to their utmost perfection. It inculcates in us true spirit of creating an atmosphere conducive to the growth of moral values. These strengths of Islam attract people from all quarters. Read for yourself a beautiful verse of the Qur'an that unifies multitude of social good, that sets all dislocations of society right. 'The good and evil deeds cannot be equal / Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allah orders us to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat us badly). / Then verily he, with whom you have some enmity / (Will become) as though he were a close friend. (Surah: Fussilat, 41; Verse: 34). It further says: …and turn off an evil with good. (Surah: Al-Ra’d, 13; Verse: 22). Repel evil with that which is the best. (Surah: Al Muminun, 23; Verse: 96)
The foregoing verses are well supported by the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh). As narrated by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (pbuh) said: Charity is obligatory on every joint of human being. If one helps a person ride his animal, or load his luggage on it, it will be regarded as charity. A good word and every step one takes to offer the compulsory congregational prayer are regarded as charity. Guiding somebody on the road is also regarded as charity. (Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah further reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while he is in anger. According the Qur'an, Allah loves those who: Restrain anger / And pardon men… and those who do good. (Surah: Ale Imran, 3; Verse: 134)
Allah hates all that breeds clash and conflict in society. The Qur’an warns us at many places: He (Allah) forbids all indecent deeds / Evil and rebellion (all kinds of oppression) / He instructs you that you may receive admonition. (Surah: Al-Nahal, 16; Verse: 90) Verily, a clear proof from your Lord has come unto you / So give full measure and full weight / And wrong not people in their things / And do not do mischief after it has been set in order / That will be better for you, if you are believers. (Surah: Al-Araf, 7; Verse: 85).
Islam prohibits the shameful deeds and offences against society. Allah says to His Prophet (pbuh) to declare: The things that my Lord / Has indeed forbidden are: indecent deeds, whether open or secret; sins and trespasses / Unrighteous oppression (or infringement on other’s rights). (Surah: Al-Araf, 7; Verse: 33). It inspires us to act and behave justly with each other and strike balance in all of our dealings. There is a strict admonition in the Qur’an: …and He (Allah) has set up the balance / In order that you may not transgress the balance (of justice in your actions). (Surah: Al-Rahman, 54; Verse: 7-8)
Since Islam holds life to be sacred, it lays great stress on its preservation. It suppresses disorder and advocates peace. For healthy and congenial atmosphere required by human beings, Islam strives hard to restore conditions of peace and order. It endeavours its best to establish and defend the rights of civil and religious liberties, preserve natural rights and privileges of people, prevent persecutions, ensure justice to humankind, suppress evil and disseminate the Truth, establish righteousness and sovereignty of Allah’s laws. It does not allow wrong-doing even against the worst enemies. The Qur’an commands: … and let not the hatred of others / Make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. (Surah: Al-Maida, 5; Verse: 9). Not only is wrong-doing sternly hated by Islam but also the act of making friends with the wrong doers. Allah cautions us: And incline not to those who do wrong / Or else the Fire will seize you / And you have no protectors against Allah, nor shall you be helped. (Surah: Hud, 13; Verse: 113)
Allah instructs us to be faithful and loyal to nobility and virtues under all circumstances. The Qur’an commands: Do good so that you may be successful. (Surah: Al-Hajj, 22; Verse: 77). Yet at other places, it pronounces: Who can be better / In religion than one / Who submits his (face) whole self / To Allah, and does good / And follows the way / Of Ibrahim, the true in faith? / For Allah did take / Ibrahim as an intimate friend. (Surah: Al-Nisa, 4; Verse: 125). Whoever submits his whole self to Allah / And is a doer of good / Has grasped indeed / The firmest hand-hold: / And to Allah shall / All things return. (Surah: Luqman, 31; Verse: 22)
III
A true slave of the Lord exerts a lot of energy to conquer his failings by virtue of his faithful remembrance of Allah and His injunctions. He stays faithfully aware of what the Qur’an says: In the remembrance of Allah / Do hearts find satisfaction. (Surah: Al-Ra’d, 13; Verse: 28). If anyone withdraws himself / From remembrance / Of the Most Gracious / We appoint for him / A Satan to be an intimate companion to him. (Surah: Al Zukhruf; Verse: 36)
The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: Satan sits in the hearts of people, gripping their hearts and attention. When a slave of the Lord brings himself to His remembrance, Satan withdraws himself, quite insulted. When the slave of the Lord puts away His remembrance from his mind, Satan joins him. He persuades him into talking nonsense, and traps him in the mesh of foul desires. The Qur’an announces the punishment for turning away from Allah’s remembrance: But whosoever turns away / From My remembrance / Verily, for him is a life narrowed down / And We shall raise him up blind on the day of judgement. (Surah: Taha, 20; Verse: 124)
Narrowing down of life is aptly interpreted as follows by the writer of Tafseer–e Khazainul Irfan: Narrowing down of life refers to narrowing down of life at four places: in this world, in the grave, in the next world and in religion. Narrowing down of life in this world means indulgence in bad deeds and bad habits due to one’s failure in following Allah’s message and guidance. Devoid of fear of the day of judgement, he will be trapped by the deadly sins. He is in darkness, on hard times and never rests at peace. According to Abdullah Ibn Abbas, narrowing down of life in the grave means: the grave will narrow itself to press the dead so tightly that one side ribs will penetrate into the other side ribs. Narrowing down of life in the next world means punishments in hell where the sufferer will be offered fetid water, blood and pus to drink and cactus to eat. Narrowing down of life in religion means narrowing down the ways towards piety and virtues. Abdullah Ibn Abbas is of the opinion: It does not matter whether the slave of the Lord is endowed with much or less. What matters is his fear of Allah. If he is devoid of fear of Allah, he has no portion in virtues.
The Qur’an exhorts us at numerous places to fear Allah and be mindful of our duties towards Him, and thus towards His created beings. It says: O you who believe! / Fear Allah as He should be feared / And die not except in the state of Islam. (Surah: Ale Imran, 3; Verse: 102). We are advised still more: Follow what has been sent unto you from your Lord / And follow not any other protectors and helpers against Allah. (Surah: Al-Araf, 7; Verse: 3)
Piety – consciousness and fear of Allah as well as seed-bed of righteousness– begets reverence and love for Allah. So His true slaves do tend to perform noble deeds and shun everything that incurs His wrath. Fear of Allah and acts of noble deeds are the true marks of loyal believers. He created us for carrying out His commands worshipfully and showing true sense of gratitude to Him for His precious gifts to us. Exercising thankfulness to Allah does not consist in mere verbal acknowledge of His benefactions. Its true spirit lies in one's acts of bringing one’s organs of body into the worship of Allah and wise avoidance of transgression of the limits set by Him.
A true slave of the Lord shows gratitude: for eyes by suppressing his desire to cast a brazen look at something forbidden and by covering others’ weak points; for ears by guarding them against hearing something forbidden and by keeping others’ secrets that they accidentally hear; for tongue through the utterance of upright and sacred words and by safeguarding it against indulging in scandal mongering, backbiting, abuse and utterance of words that injure others’ feelings. He exercises his gratefulness to his Lord for his hands by extending help to the needy and by waging war against all sorts of evil; for legs by taking lawful steps for just and right cause, for doing good to the people, for keeping knowledge square with the march of time and for disseminating the truth. Similarly, he expresses his thankfulness to Allah for his heart by showering love and care onto the people. For the intangible gifts of his Lord, he shows gratitude by doing what is noble and refraining from all that is ignoble.
Ours is a time of training and testing in this temporary world. So we must strain every nerve to be successful by virtue of our unswerving adherence to the injunctions of Allah. Let's read what the Qur'an says: Allah is with those / Who restrain themselves / And with those who do good. (Surah: Al -Nahl,16; verse: 128).
Allah does not want us to lapse into slumber. He warns us again and again: O mankind! Fear your Lord! / For the convulsion of the Hour / (Of judgement) will be / A thing terrible. (Surah: Al-Hajj, 22; Verse: 1). So, our limbs and faculties endowed to us for seriously high purposes of life should not be misused by us. Allah will take the account of every organ. He forewarns: Surely the hearing / The sight, the heart / All of those shall be questioned of. (Surah: Al-Isra, 17; Vesrse: 36). Now those who mix truth with falsehood and refuse to accept Allah’s light and guidance will be herded with Satan and his companions to face the dire consequences of their disobedience to Him. The Qur’an states in clear terms: Whosoever recommends a good cause / Becomes a partner therein: / And whosoever recommends / And helps an evil cause / Shares in its burden / And Allah has power over all things. (Surah: Al-Nisa, 3; Verse: 85). The foregoing verse is also corroborated by the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). ‘One who guides someone towards good deeds will be worthy of as many rewards as the doer himself.’ (Muslim)
IV
Essentially based on virtues which never outlive their usefulness, Islam invites people to join hands to repel and prevent hostilities and ruthless tyranny, brutal violence against humanity, and to uproot terrorism. The Qur’an says: …then fight you all against the one that outrages against other / Untli it complies with the commands of Allah. (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49; Verse: 9). It further questions: What's wrong with you / That you fight not in the cause of Allah, and for those who are weak / Ill treated, oppressed / Among men, women and children / Whose cry is, ‘Our Lord ? Rescue us from these towns / Whose people are oppressors. (Surah: Al-Nisa, 4; Verse: 75)
Islam heads off efforts to nip the degenerate culture causing death to essential human good in bud, and strives against those who defy laws, spoil long-accepted civilities, religious and social scruples, strike terror with brutal barbarity, and put people to death in a shameless manner with cold disregard and disrespect for any principle of right and wrong. It commands people to: Help one another / In righteousness and piety. (Surah: Al- Maida, 5; Verse: 2). At the same time it commands: But do not help one another / In sin and rancour / Fear Allah: for Allah / Is strict in punishment. (Surah: Al-Maida, 5; Verse: 2).
It announces severe punishments for those who perpetrate acts of terrorism and carry out violence causing genocide and massacres. The Qura’n explicitly says: The way of blame is only / Against those who oppress / Men with wrong-doing / And insolently transgress / Beyond bounds through the land / Defying right and justice / For such there will be a painful punishment. (Surah: Al-Shura 42; Verse: 42)
True faith entails piety which leads man to conscious and joyful submission to the Will of Allah, positive doing of good, self-restraint, safeguard against evil, steadfast righteousness and firm strength of spirit with its roots striking deep. By virtue of piety alone one cultivates good manners and noble qualities of mind and character; avoids evil and unseemly behaviour, and conducts oneself in a responsible and conscientious manner in every sphere of life. Allah advises: O you who believe! When you hold secret counsel / Do it not for sin and wrong-doing / And disobedience to the Messenger, ,Muhammad (pbuh) / But do it for righteousness and self-restraint / And fear Allah, to Whom / You will be brought back. (Surah: Al- Mujadila, 58; Verse: 9)
Those who breach the order set by Allah should not run away with the notion that their ruthless acts will earn them any good. The Qur’an says: Think not that Allah / Does not heed the deeds / Of those who do wrong / He but gives them respite / Against the day when / The eyes will fixedly stare in horror. (Surah: Ibrahim, 14; Verse: 42). On the day of judgement, one of the essential articles of faith, the scales of justice will be set up and everyone will be paid the recompense of his / her deeds good or bad. The Qur’an explicitly says: Then shall anyone who / Has done atom’s weight / Of good, see it / And anyone who / Has done an atom’s weight / Of evil, shall see it. (Surah: Al- Zalzalah; Verse: 7-8).
A true slave of the Lord cannot be a dastardly villain to turn a deaf ear to His warnings: We shall set up scales / Of justice for the day of judgement / So that not a soul will be dealt unjustly in the least / And if there be the weight of mustard seed / We will bring it to account / And enough are We to take account. (Surah: Al- Anbiya, 21; Verse: 47). It goes without saying, nothing but noble deeds done with the sincerity of heart will avail us on this day when we will give our account, which will be taken strictly on the basis of personal responsibilities. Then the truth will shine with unquestioned splendour, but evil, faced with nerve shattering grim realities, will be thrust into darkness to suffer the dire consequences.
V
Understandably, Allah loves to reclaim man from evil, and restore him to the pristine purity and innocence in which He created him. All minor and major acts and injunctions of Islam infuse its votaries with an ideal vision of life and high-mindedness to live in society with sublime ethical values and moral character. It infuses them with its characteristically all-embracing social consciousness. The acts of worship continue to remind the votaries of the purpose of their creation. In virtue of celebrating the Lord’s glory with an expression of unmixed servitude to Him, and an earnest emulation of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) traditions they are favoured with ample opportunity for their proper development towards their Lord, Sovereign of all human beings. Thus all affairs of their life are necessarily conducted in full consonance with Allah’s righteously just and all-embracing laws. Their obedience to His commands keeps their original nature intact. It also introduces them with the fact that they possess the capability of preaching and generating love. Their adherence to Allah’s injunctions not only guards them against deadly sins and evil deeds but also discipline their moral aspects of life, and thus they become the harbingers of love and peace on this earth.
Armed with the noble qualities, they move forward to establish a society wherein every body enjoys life with equal rights, privileges and obligations which ensure fullness of life to one and all with just social, economic, political and penal system. Thus they find themselves worthy of the religious teachings and social precepts - true sense of brotherhood, sincere bond of kinship and unshakable belief in man’s essential unity that transcends any type of man-made differences. Of course: The blind and the seeing are not alike / Nor are the depths of darkness and light / Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun. / Nor are alike those / That are living and those / That are dead. (Surah: Fatir, 35; Verses: 19-22)
Islam conferred great respect and honour to mankind. It is explicitly asserted in the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions. Allah says: We have honoured the sons of Adam / Breathed into him of My spirit…” (Surah: Sa’d, 10; Verse:72). These eloquent verses establish man’s superiority which Allah has further maintained by putting everything in the world to subserve the convenience of man. The Qur’an reinforces it: Don’t you see / That Allah has subjected / To your (use) all things / In the heavens and on the earth / And has made His bounties flow / To you in exceeding measure, seen and unseen. (Surah: Luqman, 31; Verse: 20). Allah gifted us with every thing ‘instrumental in bringing up life to higher plane and preparing man for his higher destiny’. He says: It is We Who have / Placed you with authority / On earth, and provided you with means / For fulfillment of your life. (Surah: Al-Araf, 7; Verse: 10)
Since human being's high station brings him responsibilities, he heads off efforts to imbibe the qualities of Allah and lives the life as dictated by the healthy nature implanted in him. He avoids the dictates of his passion and impulse. He does not live his probationary life like a deaf, dumb and blind person. He knows that “… those who were blind in this world will be blind in the hereafter…” (Surah: Al-Isra, 10; Verse: 72)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), sent down with ‘sublime moral’ for the guidance of humankind, accorded honour and showed love and affection to one and all. He stressed: A believer is a personification of love. There is no virtue in him who does not love others and others do not love him. (Musnad Ahmad and Baihaqi). Evidently enough, the ideal of Islam is promotion of good and prevention of evil – universally accepted requisite for living life to the full. Thus, chaos, riot, war or any other type of abnormal state of affair is violently opposed to the spirit and nature of Islam.
VI
The root of the word ‘Islam’ is ‘silm’ which occurs in the Qur’an with different shades of meaning. Sometimes it connotes faith, sometimes complete surrender and submission to Allah, and sometimes reconciliation and treaty. One may conveniently quote a few verses of the Qura’n to substantiate the same.
In the verse: in-nad-dina indal-lahil islam (The religion with Allah is Islam. Surah: Ale Imran, 3; Verse: 19), the word ‘islam’ means faith. In other verse: idh qala lahu rabbuhu aslim, qala aslamtu li rabbil alameen. (Behold his Lord said to him, “Submit your will to Me”. He said, “I submit my will to the Lord and Cherisher of the universe”. Surah Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 131), the words ‘aslim’ and ‘aslamtu’ mean submission and surrender to the Will of Allah. Further, in the verse: wa in janahu lis salmi fajnah laha (But if they (enemy) incline towards peace, then you also incline to it. Surah: Anfa’l, 8; Verse: 61), the word ‘salm’ means the conclusion of a peace and treaty.
In essence the word ‘silm’, the root word of Islam, embraces the entire range of issues of life – articles of faith, religious observances, social concerns, ethics and morality, rights and obligations, crime and punishment, tolerance and peace, compassion and mercy, interdiction on vicious and sinful acts, and several other subject- matters. That is to say, it weaves all threads and strands of human life together. It gives humanity its unique vision of universal brotherhood; depresses conflicts and feuds and leads human beings to live with deep affection which begets joy of being in harmony with Allah, and sincere consideration for others along with the cessation of cruelty and hatred, jealousy and hypocrisy and the likes of these.
Still more, ‘Iman’ (faith) has also been derived from such a word - ‘amn’- as means furtherance of peace. And the Qur'an, for that matter, commands: O you who believe! Enter into (silm) peace (Islam) completely. (Surah: Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 208). It also warns us in clear terms: Allah does not love mischief. (Surah: Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse; 205). It further admonishes: So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah / And do neither evil nor mischief on the face of the earth. (Surah: Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 60). Still at another place, Allah says: And cause no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order. (Surah: Al-Araf, 7; Verse: 56).
Precisely, we are commanded to live in the world by the Qur'anic morality and the Prophet’s teachings from where scrupulous traditions, basic moral precepts, and fundamental tenets of life pick their threads. These are the primary materials necessary for the foundation of an austere life and a healthy society where fanaticism and extremism are strictly decried and condemned, and tender feelings are generated, cherished and assimilated.
The world, which needs Allah’s grace every moment, will radiate warmth of love, peace and contentment - our most prized assets, by virtue of our true faith. It is faith alone which liberates human mind from destructive tendencies, dogged attitudes towards ruthless struggle for existence, Darwinian scales of mutual destruction, heartless dislike and distrust of people and other maladies which give death blow to the values of life.
It perfects our sense of compliance with the basic articles that there is only one Lord worthy of worship, Who sent down His divinely commissioned beloved Prophet (pbuh) for the guidance of entire human beings, and belief that human beings have descended from a single pair of parents, and other important factors that help human beings live together in harmony. It not only rids people from ungodly thoughts; guards them against disobedience and transgression but also sublimates human mind and values; establishes a society where every body grows like a garden tree, well cared for.
It inculcates in us a sincere sense of empathy, sympathy, philanthropy, selflessness and earnest sense of mutual help, and personal sacrifices for the service of common interest. It encourages kindliness, fellow-feeling and other moral and human qualities to an extent which is beyond measure. One may quote a Hadith to prove the truth.
On the Day of Judgement Allah will say to His slave, “O son of Adam! I fell ill but you did not visit me.” Then the slave will say, “You are the Lord of the worlds. How could I visit You?” Then Allah will say, “Didn’t you know that such and such slave of Mine was ill, but you did not bother to visit him. If you had done it so, you would have found Me with him.” Further Allah will say, “I asked you for food, but you did not give it to Me.” Then the slave will say, ‘You are the Lord of the worlds. How could I give You food?” Then Allah will say, “Aren’t you aware that such and such slave of mine begged you for food, but you did not give it to him? If you had done that, you would have found it with Me. Still further, Allah will say, “I asked you for water, but you did not give it to Me.” The slave will say, “You are the Lord of the worlds. How can I give You water?” Then Allah will say, “Such and such slave of Mine asked you for water, but you did not give it to him. If you had given him water, you would have found it with Me.” (Muslim)
The Hadith stresses the Lord’s love for His slaves. It is amply evident that He is nearer to them than their jugular veins. It also emphasizes the fact that our act of rendering help to the slaves of Allah earns us His boundless pleasure. On the contrary, Allah’s curse visits those people who fail to extend ‘neighbourly help or charity’. The Qur'an says: So woe to the worshippers who are neglectful of their prayers / Those who make show of their deed / But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs. (Surah: Al Maun, 107; Verses: 4 – 6)
Charity dispensed out of mere show and ostentation, devoid of love and sympathy, is hollow. The chief aim must be the good pleasure of Allah. Allah says: And whatever good you give benefits your souls / And you do so for seeking the countenance of Allah / And whatever good you give will be repaid to you / And you will not be wronged. (Surah: Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 272)
Every one will reap the rewards of noble deeds. No one will escape punishment for his ignoble deeds. The righteous will be accorded welcome, whereas the evil will be left in excruciating loneliness. Allah says: On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done / And all the evil it has done. (Surah: Ale Imran,3; Verse: 30). Allah never fails from His promise. He assures us: Whatever good you give / Shall be rendered back to you / And you shall not be dealt unjustly. (Surah : Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 272)
The worshipful reliance on Allah leads us to contentment, and contentment paves way to rare fund of magnanimous tolerance. And true spirit of tolerance saves the society from being torn through calamitous contentions and conflicts. Imbued with such laudable qualities, the slaves of the Lord withdraw themselves from every act that is beneath their exalted station conferred on them by their Lord. They are aware that Allah has given them a special place, which is beneath Him but above all what He created.
VII
The Qura’n lays down some signs of the true believers: For, Believers are those / Who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremour in their hearts / And when they hear His revelation rehearsed, find their faith strengthened / And put (all) their trust in their Lord. (Surah: Al Anfa’l 8; Verse: 2). Yet at another place the Qur'an defines the believers: Those who spend the night / In worship prostrate and standing…Those who say, ‘Our Lord avert from us the wrath of hell…those who, when spend, are not extravagant and not miserly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes)…those who invoke not with Allah, any other god, nor kill such a person as Allah has forbidden, except for the just cause / Nor commit fornication…and whosoever repents and does good…and those who witness no falsehood / And if they pass by the evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with honourable avoidance…Those who, when they are / Admonished with the Signs / Of their Lord, droop not down / At them as if they were deaf or blind… And those who pray, ‘Our Lord! Grant us / Wives and offspring who will be / The comfort of our eyes / And give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Surah: Al-Furqan, 25; Verse: 64-74)
Obviously, the true believers exercise humility, patience and perseverance, stay loyal to Allah, choose to be moderate in every walk of life, remain caring and considerate to the people, withdraw themselves from idle gossip and unpalatable jokes, bearing false witness and so on. They sincerely cherish to lead upright life and bring up their families in righteousness. Faith - the upright course towards the Creator, His Prophet and his teachings, towards life and society - demands us to let our rare fund of wisdom suppress our baser desires, and infuse people with the belief that human beings constitute a single brotherhood. So they must adopt the righteous course for the just and graceful way of life where every individual grows in full perfection and his potentials are canalized towards mental and moral, cultural and spiritual development of the world.
Unless we are free from selfish passions and impulses, we can’t deserve to be true slaves of the Lord. Allah says: Have you seen a one who takes for his god / His own passion / Then would you be responsible for him. Or do you think most of them hear or reason? They are only like cattle. No they are farther astray from the way. (Surah: Al-Furqan, 25; Verses: 43-44)
Since we all are the slaves of one Lord, we should single out some one neither for preferential treatment nor for vulgar prejudice. The best in the sight of Allah is one who does noble deeds. So it is both in principle and logic a wrong approach to discriminate against someone or give preferential treatment to the other. Allah addresses us: O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) / Of a male and a female / And made you into nations and tribes that / You may know each other (Not that you may hate each other) / Verily, the most honoured of you / In the sight of Allah is (one who is) the most righteous of you. (Surah: Al-Hujurat, 49; Verse: 13)
The fundamental principles of Islam advocate the fact that human beings constitute a single brotherhood, as they are the descendants of the same parents. Hence, every sort of distinction made on the basis of caste and colour is strictly condemned. No one is held here in high esteem by virtue of being so called blue blooded. The criterion of one’s distinction is righteousness and nobility of mind and deeds.
As slaves of the Lord we must worship Him alone with undivided loyalty and obeisance to Him. Allah says: There is no one in the heavens and earth / But that he comes to the Most Merciful as a slave / He has enumerated them / And numbered them (all) exactly. (Surah: Mariam, 19; Verses: 93-94)
Armed with will and discretion, understanding and spiritual insight, the slaves of their Lord guard themselves well against Satan’s snare. They learn from the Qur’an that luxuries of this world, for which people make a violent departure from the righteous course, are transitory allurements, ephemeral delight, and a fanciful show of temporary luxuriance which may turn into dry stubbles and be swept away like a mirage in a twinkling of an eye.
So they are never prevailed upon by insensitivity and senselessness. They are well aware of their Prophet’s advice: The world is a place of colour and smell, glamour and vanity. Allah sent you as His vicegerents. He is aware of your deeds. When Allah rewarded Bani Israel profusely, they centered their attention to jewelries, clothes women and perfumes. And you witnessed their end.
Well aware of pains and sorrows of the crooked path, the slaves of the Lord walk on the straight path. They not only equip themselves with the purest faith but also preach it that it is faith from where stem the virtues on which rest the pillars of the society. Faith entails practice, and practice involves discipline and direction. Hence all rituals and actions of Islam lead its votaries to personal dignity, deep integrity, fortification of social values and society, strengthening unity of humanmankind and plucking out all the weeds - idols of power and wealth, satanic values, barbarism and animal values.
Our profession of faith in the Lord requires us to equip ourselves well with His attributes of perfection. That is to say, we must be merciful, gracious, forbearing, pardoner, acknowledger of gratitude, patient, affectionate and so on. Similarly, the major acts of worship – ritual prayers (salah), obligatory charity (zakah), fasting and pilgrimage to the sacred house of Allah (hajj) bring the votaries to submissive resignation to the decrees of Allah. These acts are manifest expression of not only their worshipful obedience to Allah but also their ceaselessly active efforts to disseminate the truth and establish His Lordship, and open disavowal of Satan.
Precisely they inculcate duty-consciousness among the votaries; build their character and personalities; endow them with qualities like obedience to rules, punctuality, sincere sense of fraternity, togetherness with pure involvement of heart, and wise avoidance of unbecoming and shameful deeds. Obviously, nothing can deflect them from walking in the light of Allah’s grace and building an ideal society wherein every body grows at a convenient pace with civil dignities and privileges.
VIII
Islam permits everything that goes in making an individual as well as the society. But it prohibits every unlawful thing that curbs an individual’s freedom and stunts the growth of the society. However brazen one’s admission of the wrong may be, an ignoble deed does smite the conscience. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: Sin is what wavers in your heart and you hate that people should come to know about it. (Muslim)
It is plain and easy to see that nothing that Islam allows is injurious to the health of an individual or a society. It prohibits only the evil things that are cankers to the hearts of people and the society. Just for the sake of the maintenance of peace and order in society, and for the preservation of the health of individuals, it imposes prohibitions on some foods, drinks, dresses, matters related to sex, matters in family relations, customs and traditions, political and economic activities; matters like backbiting, scandal-mongering, spying, falsehood, tyranny, breaking of promise, tampering with the trusted goods, breach of trust, selfishness, hard-heartedness, narrow-mindedness, usury, hoarding, cheating, exploitation, fraud and other social ills. In the same way, it places a high value on the moral virtues like patience and perseverance, truthfulness, fulfillment of promise, trustworthiness, justice, generosity, self-denial, contentment, humility, forgiveness and self- restraint, courage, dignity and self respect, cleanliness, kindness and gratitude to others, self-scrutiny, etc.
Since human life has been made sacred by Allah, it is a bounden duty of humankind to safeguard it. For the welfare of humanity, peace and prosperity of human race check must be imposed on the wicked and the wrong doers. Allah says: …what is wrong with you / That you fight not in the cause of Allah, and for those who are weak / Ill treated oppressed / Among men, women and children / Whose cry is, ‘Our Lord ? Rescue us from these towns / Whose people are oppressors. (Surah: Al-Nisa, 4; Verse: 75) Importantly enough, Islam does not leave the people at their own discretion alone. It prescribes certain limits for them to act wisely without transgressing the bound. The Qur'an commands: …transgress not the limits / Truly Allah likes not the transgressors. (Surah: Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 190).
Appropriately, it warns the people against outstripping the bounds while exacting retaliatory measure, which must be equal for equal. For instance, they are not entitled to give blows worse than they receive. The Qur'an says: If you punish, let your/ Punishment be proportionate / To the wrong that has been done to you. (Surah: Al-Nahl, 16; Verse: 126). Definitely, Islam sincerely discourages retaliation and retribution. If a believer outstrips the bounds while exacting retaliation, he will be punished. If he forgives, Allah will reward him. Allah says: But if anyone remits the retaliation / By way of charity, it is an act of expiation for himself. (Surah: Al-Maida, 5; Verse: 45)
Teeming with people of different moulds - noble and ignoble, kind and cruel, constructive and destructive, redeemer of human beings and perpetrator of violence – human society has passed through numerous civilisational vicissitudes. The word ‘terrorism’ which wants to grip the whole world is dead against the true spirit of Islam. It is branded as transgression of the limits set by Allah. Sadly, some people carry out a propaganda campaign against Islam and are at their worst in defacing its true nature. It is a ruthless injustice. Islam and terrorism never agree. All the monstrous groups carrying out violence – the debased side of man - in different parts of the world for a variety of mean and petty causes carry no identity.
Thus terrorism must not be misconstrued as Jihad, which is never waged for colonialism, flaunting military power, territorial possession, establishing superiority of a nation over another, petty materialistic gain, transitory power, women, personal glory or gratification, booty, or national fervour. It is waged with the objectives of establishing and defending the right of civil and religious liberty – unjustly denied to people; safeguarding the fundamental and natural rights of people, repelling the hostilities and persecution, ensuring justice to humankind, preserving ethical values of the society from the hands of those who are belligerently bent on reducing order to chaos, as also for fearless liberty to follow the religious codes and practise the ritual worship as well as for the safeguard of Islam and the Muslims when their existence is threatened with extinction. Islam commands its believers to restore the state of peace by suppressing the evil and disseminating the truth that life is sacred and worth respecting. It curbs and restrains those elements of the society who transgress the bounds of morality and ethics and make inroads upon others’ rights. The Qur’an says in clear terms: Fight in the cause of Allah / Those who fight you / But do not transgress limits / For Allah does not love transgressors. (Surah: Al- Baqarah, 2; Verse: 190). It is adequately clear that war initiative should never be taken by the soldiers of Jihad.
Islam is too strict to allow the soldiers of Jihad to take up arms in the spirit of animal like brutality. It commands them to obey the codes of conduct in the battlefield as well. They must conduct Jihad in the most humane manner, with strict observance of moral guideline and genuine spirit of love for humanity and Allah's Lordship over man, as they are not driven by motiveless malignity against human race. They are sternly forbidden to kill children, women, old men, sick and weak people; to spoil crops and trees bearing fruits, resort to indiscriminate killing and arson attack. Propeht's (pbuh) instructions, on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah, are the touchstone for Jihad. He said: Encounter only those who come with the intention to fight. Avoid killing anyone in the sacred premise of Haram. One who enters the sacred precinct of Ka'ba is under our protection. Likewise, those who close the doors of their houses are under our protection. Do not kill a fugitive. Do not kill the wounded people and the captives. Rubah bin Rabi-ee reported: In an expedition we were in the army of the Prophet (pbuh). When he (pbuh) saw some people gathered round something, he sent one of us to find out the reason of the gathering. He informed the Prophet (pbuh) that the people were gathering around a woman killed thereon. The Prophet (pbuh) said that she was not fighting. Then he (pbuh) conveyed the message to Khalid bin Waleed, the Commander of the other army, 'Do not kill a woman or a worker.'
As Islam wishes to establish a society wherein everybody enjoys life with equal rights, privileges and obligations, just social, economic and penal systems, it neither allows its believers to make a parade of their power, fight for petty personal gains or for redress of personal injury, ill-treat the captives nor allows them to remain mere watchers of cruelties and atrocities perpetrated on the innocent by those who outstrip all bounds of moral principles.
Life in the canon of Islam is sacred, thus ought to be accorded respect. It also shows noble values and high consideration for the all living beings, as it also prevents the believers from ill treating them. With such a noble mission and exalted sense of the importance of life, Islam lays great emphasis on the security of human life; advocates peace as the fundamental principle of life and takes all remedial measures to keep it intact. Noticeably, Allah dislikes war and excess. He loves peace and commands the people to reconcile by accepting the hand stretched out for peace. In other words, if the persecutors like to come to terms through treaty and agreement, the soldiers of Jihad must conclude peace agreement with them. Allah commands: … if they withdraw from you / And fight not against you / And offer you peace, then Allah has / Opened no way for against them. (Surah: Al-Nisa, 4; Verse: 90). But if they incline to peace / You also incline to it. (Surah: Al- Anf’al, 8; Verse: 61)
The act of killing an individual, without legal reasons prescribed by Islam, amounts to the act of killing the entire humanity. Similarly, the act of saving the life of an individual is as great an act as saving the life of entire human beings. The Qur’an explicitly says: ... that if anyone killed a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading / Mischief in the land / It would be as if he killed the whole people: / And if anyone saved a life, / It would as if he saved the life of the whole people. (Surah: Al- Maida, 5; Verse: 32) At another place the Qur’an says: Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for the just cause. ( Surah: Al Isra, 17; Verse: 33)
In the same way, suicide is also an unlawful act, as it violates the sanctity of a life that the Lord has made uninfringeable, except by the legal right. The one who commits suicide will be condemned to hell fire. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said: Whosoever falls off a mountain intentionally and kills himself will abide in hell fire, falling down and down for ever into it. And whosoever drinks poison and kills himself with it will perpetually live in hellfire holding the poison in his hand and drinking out of it, and whosoever kills himself with a tool of iron will perpetually hold that piece of iron in his hand and pierce it into his abdomen for ever and ever in hell. (Bukhari)
On the other hand, a person killed while safeguarding his honour is granted the status of a martyr. The Prophet (pbuh) said: Anyone killed defending (the honour of) his family is a martyr. (Tabrani). Evidently enough, Islam holds the honour of an individual in high esteem. It is the worst act to infringe upon others’ honour. There is a strict admonition against the act of maligning others’ self-respect and honour, and setting the rumours afloat or bringing slander to tarnish others’ image. Precisely, in the sight of Islam everybody’s honour is inviolable.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) proved to the world marvelous success of his divine mission by virtue of his mercy, kindness, sensitive attitude to the poor, and love for peace, order and all-embracing ethics. He disseminated Allah’s message, invited the people to embrace faith and obey divine laws in elegant and gentle, courteous and considerate, wise and thoughtful, logical and rational and persuasive and attractive ways. Many people of Makkah accepted the invitation which was extended to them in a peaceful and friendly manner. On the contrary, many of them rose against him and his message. Their opposition became violently oppressive. It had escalated into an unbearable persecution. The existence of the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions as well as their religion was crucially imperiled. He (pbuh), along with his companions, was subjected to ruthless persecution at the hands of their enemies for as long as thirteen years. But he (pbuh) advised his companions to win the love of their enemies with the power of moral virtues and non-violence. Huzaifah reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: Do not copy other people thoughtlessly and say that you will behave nicely with those who behave well with you, and do bad to those who play tyranny on you. Develop the moral habits of treating them courteously who behave tenderly with you. Avoid returning the same treatment to those who subject you to persecution. (Tirmidi)
Though the anti-Islamic people forced the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions to leave their properties, homes, children and relatives yet they did not stop baying for the Muslims’ blood. They pursued them, and continued their persistent propagation of hatred against the Muslims. They not only threatened violence against them but also began a series of raids on them. But the Muslims put up with everything with great patience and perseverance. When the ferocious animosity of the inveterate enemies threatened to escalate into a huge war, Allah revealed the following verse to confront them. The Qur'an says: Permission to fight is given to those who are fought / Because they have been wronged / And surely Allah is able to give them victory / Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly / Only because they said, 'Our Lord is Allah'. (Surah: Al-Hajj, 22; Verse: 39).
In sum, Jihad was made permissible when they were left with no other option than to defend their faith and life from the mischief created by the persecutors. And no civilized society denounces war waged as a logical step for the defensive purpose, and for the restoration and establishment of civil rights, free exercise of religion – a natural liberty and right of people. The pages of the history of Islam bear clear testimony to the fact that all expeditions (ghazwat) and military platoons (saraya) were undertaken and sent against those Arabs who had continuously wronged and attacked the Muslim minority- who suffered intolerable injuries at their hands, and were denied civil and religious rights. Essentially, Islam propagates peace and the Qur'an makes a special case for dissemination of peace. Faith leads to the attainment of peace from fear and violence. The Qur'an gives us good tidings: And He (Allah) will surely give them / In exchange safety / Security and peace. (Surah: Al-Noor, 24; Verse: 55).
IX
Since Islam loves to see humanity settled down in an atmosphere of freedom from fear and ethical dwarfness, it prescribes very severe punishments for the acts like theft, robbery, usurpation, devouring orphans’ property, bribery and so on. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: Your blood and your property are sacred and inviolable for all of you. (Bukhari). It is inconsistent with justice to let those persons go scott-free who violate laws, defy all codes of conduct, shed blood without a just cause, play havoc on the earth and reduce all forms of moral principles and rules of law to chaos.
For the prosperity of human race the wickedness must be uprooted, eradicated from the surface of the earth. If the punishments, here and in the hereafter, and the stern warnings prescribed and pronounced by the Qur’an for theft, highway robbery, bribery, grabbing orphans’ property, extravagance and wasteful expenditure, breach of trust, ridiculing others, spying and evil suspicion, backbiting, and tyranny, all the obnoxious deeds that disrupt the peace of the society as well as of an individual are imposed and observed sincerely, the earth will be purged of all that is ignoble and evil.
Islam develops our minds, arms us with social and moral conscience, and lofty ideals. Thus we are able to construct a society where people with profound like-mindedness undertake the responsibility to promote its basic aims and ideas; prick the conscience of those who are stuck in Satan’s snare and cobweb of the seeming and transitory worldly success that confuses the minds and fogs the understanding. We are able to pluck out deep rooted evils like, dishonesty, misappropriation, playing false, disparaging, slandering, ridiculing and backbiting, lying, baseless suspicion, spying, terrorism and so on.
As Islam neither allows any type of compulsion nor hampers the freedom of mind, nor believes in subduing others into blind acceptance of what it preaches, its values are accorded universal conformity. There is no compulsion in the matter of religion. The Qur'an declares: There is no compulsion in religion / The right course has become clear from the wrong. (Surah: Al-Baqarah, 2; Verse: 256). The Propeht (pbuh) is reported to have said: Subject them to no compulsion in the matters of their religion. (Kitabul Amwal). At another place, he (pbuh) said: Do not come between them and the laws of their religion. (Tabri). As recorded in Kitabul Amwal, the Prophet (pbuh) said: The non – believers enjoy freedom in the matters of the commandments concerning witness, marriage, laws of inheritance and other religious affairs.
We are also prohibited from demolishing Jews and Christians' worship houses. As recorded in Kitabul Khiraj, the Prophet (pbuh) said: Demolish no worship house of the Jews or the Christians. Do not stop them from blowing the conch and from taking out the cross on the occasion of their festivals. They may blow their conch whenever they like, except for the timings of the performance of Salah (ritual prayers). Really and truly, Islam repels vulgar bigotry and prejudice. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: One who fights against someone without a just cause, or prejudices people against others, or vents anger due to some prejudice will die the death of a person belonging to pre-Islamic era. (Ibn-e Majah)
The Muslims have not only been preaching these values but also practicing them. One may quote a host of instances to prove the Muslims’ benevolence and magnanimity, their preservation of human values, protection of human rights, ensuring pre-eminence of good and subjugation of evil, eradication of savagery and barbarity unleashed and perpetrated by ruthless tyrants. They leave no stone unturned for the sake of the restoration of peace and order breached by evil forces; show of exemplary tolerance and discipline in and after the battlefields; observance of pacts and agreements with utmost caution, delivery of justice, and so on. They are commanded to protect not to harm: And if anyone of the polytheists / Seeks your protection / Then grant him protection …/ Then deliver him to the place of safety. (Surah: Al-Taubah, 9; Verse: 6).
To conclude, one may appropriately quote an incident of the Prophet's (pbuh) life that remains a paradigm of our life. On the occasion of the battle of Badr, the Prophet (pbuh), gently poked one of his companions with a stick, as he wanted him to stand in the row he (pbuh) was arranging. When, during the last days of his life, he (pbuh) fell ill he said to the people, 'If I owe you something you must take your due from me.' Then one of his companions said: O Prophet of Allah! On the occasion of the battle of Badr, you had hurt me by poking a stick. I want to redress the injury. The Prophet (pbuh) said: Go ahead. I am ready. Then his companion said: You had poked the stick into my bare arm. So I want to exact retaliation on the bare arm. The Prophet (pbuh) put off his shirt and asked him to exact the retaliation. But his companion stepped forward to kiss his (pbuh) holy body and the seal of the prophethood. He added: O Prophet of Allah! I am ready to lay down every thing of my life, even my parents. I had been ardently cherishing the wish to kiss your holy body and the seal of the prophethood for along time. I gained my wish today.
Let us practise prophet Adam’s contentment, prophet Isa’s piety, prophet Ayyub’s patience, prophet Yahya’s obedience, prophet Idrees’s steadfastness, prophet Ibrahim’s love and Prophet Muhammad’s sublime morals, and act upon Allah's commands: O you who believe / Keep persistently standing firm for Allah / Witnesses in justice / And do not let the hatred of a people prevent / You from being just / Be just; that is nearer to righteousness / And fear Allah…(Surah: Al-Maida, 5; Verse: 8)
