(Surat an-Nur; 15)
RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS TAKE PREFERENCE OVER
COMMERCE AND AMUSEMENT
"But when they see a chance of trade or entertainment they scatter off to it and leave you standing there. Say: ‘What is with Allah is better than trade or entertainment. Allah is the Best of Providers.' " ( Surat al-Jumu‘a ; 11)
In this verse, Allah refers to an incident that occurred at the time of the Prophet (saas), when some people neglected a religious obligation for mundane interests. Today, similarly, there are some common reasons why members of ignorant societies avoid living by the Qur'an. Here Allah draws attention to two of them: commerce and entertainment.
The reason why Allah mentions a transaction in particular is that material interests are one of man's major weaknesses. Indeed, some people disregard religious duties in favor of their material pursuits. Neglect may involve an act of worship such as regular prayers, a moral obligation, or other divine commandments. The unfounded belief that wealth has the power to solve any problem on Earth underlies man's ambition to amass more and more of it. Some people tend to believe that anything they long for (peace of mind, happiness, security) is attainable through wealth. Interestingly enough, they maintain that they can even avoid death and achieve immortality through wealth. With such pursuits in mind, some people passionately concentrate most of their efforts and time on business.
But wealth will not bring the desired result, nor does it prevent a man from growing older and dying. That is because Allah, alone, is the real owner of wealth and of the person. Leading a conscientious life is the sole prerequisite for attaining happiness and security, and this life is the way of life set out in the Qur'an.
In the aforementioned verse, Allah mentions "amusement" as the second factor that leads one to disregard rulings of the religion. Because people consider entertainment as a salvation and escape from some bitter realities, it becomes a great passion for some people. Traveling from one country to another or meeting different people, they believe, brings relief for the inner distress and spiritual void that pangs of conscience inflict upon their souls.
The fact is, however, that the realization of those goals man tries to attain through commerce and entertainment can come only through the method prescribed in the Qur'an:
Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. (Surat ar-Ra‘d; 28)
Hearts are in Allah's hands alone, and He promises peace of mind only to those who live by the principles of His religion.
Yet another important point is made in the quoted verse: Allah's reward is far better than any sort of entertainment or commerce. Anything one can possibly experience in this world is innately imperfect and flawed. The most stately mansions, ostentatious houses, glorious landscapes, beautiful clothes, pieces of art or jewelry remain primitive and simple compared to those in the Paradise. The real abode of entertainment, joy and bliss is Paradise, which Allah describes as a place of hospitality.
That being the case, Muslims should never disregard or postpone any order given in the Qur'an for the sake of amusement or commerce. Allah describes an attribute of true believers as follows:
There are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the performance of prayer and the giving of the alms; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. . . (Surat an-Nur; 36-37)
ONE SHOULD NOT REMAIN BEHIND WITHOUT EXCUSE
Those believers who stay behind—other than those forced to by necessity—are not the same as those who strive in the Way of Allah, sacrificing their wealth and themselves. Allah has given those who strive with their wealth and themselves a higher rank than those who stay behind. Allah has promised the best to both, but Allah has preferred those who strive over those who stay behind by an immense reward." (Surat an-Nisa'; 95)
In this verse, Allah explains the situation of those Muslims who do not feel and display the zeal becoming to a believer. That is why they cannot be given much responsibility and are left to their own devices. Avoiding due effort for the cause of Islam without suffering any guilt is a moral weakness. Such believers are stated to be lower in rank compared to those who make a strenuous effort for the cause of Islam and risk their lives and possessions to earn the good pleasure of Allah. The words, "Allah has preferred those who strive over those who stay behind by an immense reward" in the verse above implies the vastness of the difference between the two parties. Thus, it is most unwise to risk noble rank in the Hereafter for a minor benefit in the life of this world.
BEING SINCERE AND TRUTHFUL
Making false promises is a common practice of people who do not live by Qur'anic principles and values.
These people pretend to engage in deeds only to present themselves as important and superior. In order not to lose prestige, they promise things they never intend to do. Interestingly, this insincere attitude has gained an overall acceptance in society, although it is displeasing to Allah:
You who believe! Why do you say what you do not do? It is deeply abhorrent to Allah that you should say what you do not do. (Surat as-Saff; 2-3)
This attitude leads to such characteristics as hypocrisy, deception and insincerity which Allah condemns. Believers who make it their goal to live by the moral virtues described in the Qur'an will surely avoid this dishonest behavior.
MODERATION IN JOY AND GRIEF
Muslims' commitment to Allah and His religion entails an unconditional loyalty. For this reason, fluctuating conditions and circumstances never change believers' zeal, enthusiasm and determination to live by the Qur'an. Allah mentions two basic reactions shown by a believer. First, hardship or severe conditions never daunt him. Second, he never exults or feels pride because of what he obtains in this world. Allah states:
That is so that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or exult about the things that come to you. Allah does not love any vain or boastful man. (Surat al-Hadid; 23)
Man is always vulnerable, since he has no idea about what awaits him in life. A young person may suddenly be seized by a serious disease or become bedridden because of an accident. Anyone may lose all his wealth in a day or encounter events he never anticipated. In such a situation, those of weak faith will despair or feel rebellious. Forgetting all the blessings of Allah in an instant, they may even lose their love for and trust in Him.
This is the value of true Muslims, for faith in Allah does not depend on particular circumstances. Aware that there is a divine purpose and good in every event that Allah creates, believers merely persevere in the face of unexpected events and trust firmly in Allah's wisdom, compassion and justice. Whatever their loss, they do not consider it a misfortune and do not grieve over it.
Besides, in the Qur'an it is revealed that Muslims will experience unpredictable events throughout life and often face difficulties. While advocating truth and siding with the righteous, a Muslim will certainly encounter the opposition of those who would like to safeguard their own well-being and suppress the truth. There will always be those who consider the moral excellence to which Muslims summon people as a threat to their own interests and thus are against the spread of Islam. These individuals, then, by their words and deeds, will want to prevent Muslims from living their religion and from calling others to practice the morality of the Qur'an. Meanwhile, believers may sometimes experience loss of material wealth, have to risk their lives or abandon their homes. Yet all such seemingly adverse occasions will bring great reward, joy and glory in the Hereafter. For this reason, true Muslims accept all that happens to them.
As well as unexpected losses, people may also experience unexpected gains. Allah opens His infinite dominion to whom He wills and grants success, authority and power. But He warns Muslims against exulting in pride since any person receiving a great possession, authority or benefit becomes only a trustee, while it is Allah Who is the real possessor of everything. A person attains material wealth or comfort only because Allah wills it, and not because he has any power of his own. Aware of this fact, believers never forget their own weakness and do not become arrogant even when they enjoy great blessings and wealth. They feel only a deep gratitude to Allah, and they strive to use their blessings for His cause in the best way possible.
(Surat an-Nur; 15)
NOT TO NEGLECT TO REMEMBER ALLAH
Do not be like those who forgot Allah so He made them forget themselves. Such people are the deviators." (Surat al-Hashr; 19)
Negligence in remembering Allah distances one from Him. People who do not live by the Qur'an fail to remember Allah for extended periods of time, and so commit sins of every sort. For them, ignoring the commandments of the Qur'an becomes a way of life.
Believers, however, should remember Allah at every moment of their lives, in their words, deeds and thoughts. Failure to remember Allah out of carelessness leads even people of faith to commit sins and mistakes deliberately or inadvertently. In the absence of Allah's remembrance, a person may have problems in understanding the events around him and practicing sound judgment. He may be devoid of the consciousness that will let him observe Allah's limits in his speech and conduct.
Such heedlessness is the major basis underlying all sorts of attitudes that deviate from Qur'anic standards. One who loses his sensitivity toward Qur'anic injunctions may commit such unbecoming errors that once he's made aware of them, even he himself is amazed. Such mistakes should remind him of the importance of keeping one's mind occupied with remembering Allah. The frequency and gravity of anyone's sins and errors is in direct proportion to his heedlessness. Continued negligence in remembering Allah seriously threatens one's faith.
On the other hand, keeping the mind occupied with the remembrance of Allah and reflecting upon the verses in the Qur'an provides one with consciousness and wisdom and makes him meticulous in complying with Allah's commands and prohibitions. A person who remembers Allah continually is more aware of his own weaknesses and realizes that he has no power except through Allah. Subsequently, he constantly prays to Allah, asks for His help, depends upon Him, and submits himself to Him alone. Never does he consider himself independent of Allah, and thus he never becomes arrogant. His behaviors, attitudes and words come under Allah's protection; at every moment Allah inspires him how to conduct himself. He grants him "a light by which to walk" (Surat al-Hadid; 28) and helps him attain moral perfection.
In contrast, failure in remembering Allah leaves a man alone and helpless, diminishing his ability to reason and judge. He will fail at his tasks, since no one can manage without Allah's help. He cannot cope with any problem by his own will and power. Moreover, without Allah's help, he can never attain the kind of faith praised in the Qur'an, because he has committed the gravest mistake in failing to remember Allah.
Remembering Allah is a vital act of worship for any believer throughout the rush of daily life, and in this way he keeps his spiritual bond with Allah intact. Otherwise, he is aware that he will come face to face with the hardships mentioned above.
In the Qur'an, Allah states the importance of remembering Him through His words to Prophet Moses (as):
[He said,] ‘Go, you and your brother, with My Signs and do not slacken in remembering Me.' (Surah Ta-Ha; 42)
When commissioning them to invite Pharaoh to the true path, Allah reminded Moses (as) and his brother Aaron (as) not to be negligent in remembering Him, because it is He alone who would grant them success against Pharaoh.
And neglecting to remember Allah is a characteristic peculiar to hypocrites:
The hypocrites think they deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. When they get up to pray, they get up lazily, showing off to people, and only remembering Allah a very little. (Surat an-Nisa'; 142)
Allah also reveals the importance of remembering Him in the following verses:
. . . And remembrance of Allah is greater still. Allah knows what you do. (Surat al-‘Ankabut; 45)
Remember Me—I will remember you. Give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful. (Surat al-Baqara; 152)
DEEP-SEATED RESPECT FOR THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (saas)
In the Qur'an Allah reveals that it is obligatory to obey the messengers of Allah and to harbor deep-seated respect for them. Presently, obedience to Allah's final Messenger (saas) is realized by following his sunnah. A conscious and meticulous adherence to the sunnah can be possible only through a true perception of the importance attached to the prophets in the Qur'an. For that reason, believers of all ages are encouraged to learn the Qur'anic rulings related to the prophets and messengers of Allah. The following sections will dwell on rulings showing the attitudes and behavior that should be shown toward our Prophet Mohammad (saas).
- Not Preferring Oneself to the Messenger (saas), But Supporting and Defending Him
In the Qur'an, Allah states that His messengers have a distinguished status among believers. A messenger is an appointed representative of Allah on Earth, a standard of the morality of Islam, and a leader of the believers. Among His servants, messengers are the ones who display the code of ethics most pleasing to Allah. They fear no one but Allah, unconditionally obeying and submitting to Him. They are men of the highest morals, who set the best examples for believers in every matter. They are very important in Allah's Sight and He keeps them under His protection.
Allah made prophets and messengers superior in rank to others. In the Muslim community; therefore, they assume a privileged and central role. For this reason, a believer must prefer Prophet Mohammad (saas) to himself. The related verse is as follows:
It was not for people of Madina, and the desert Arabs around them, to remain behind the Messenger of Allah nor to prefer themselves to him. . . (Surat at-Tawba; 120)
Owing to this distinguished status, Allah commands believers to defend and support His Messenger (saas):
Those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the Light that has been sent down with him, they are the ones who are successful. (Surat al-A‘raf; 157)
We have sent you bearing witness, bringing good news and giving warning so that you might all believe in Allah and His Messenger and honor Him and respect Him and glorify Him in the morning and the evening. (Surat al-Fath; 8-9)
Allah and His angels call down blessings on the Prophet. You who believe! Call down blessings on him and ask for complete peace and safety for him. (Surat al-Ahzab; 56)
Not Putting Oneself Before Allah's Messenger (saas)
As Allah describes in the Qur'an, the messengers are gifted people in terms of intelligence, reasoning, comprehension and wisdom, and thus superior to other believers. They display the attributes of a believer in the best manner. Muslims should in this respect be aware of their own standing in humility and in the face of the apparent superiority of the Messengers, show them great respect and honor, and support and follow them. Allah expresses this in the Qur'an as follows:
O you who have believed, do not put [yourselves] before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing. (Surat al-Hujurat; 1)
Putting oneself before Allah's Messenger (saas) takes various forms, such as implying the superiority of one's own intelligence or disregarding his words. It is unlikely that any believer would deliberately dare to commit such undesirable acts. Yet he should always be on guard so as not to transgress Allah's limits thoughtlessly.
Not Raising One's Voice Above the Prophet's
As noted before, the Messengers have a special and privileged status among the other believers as described in the verses of the Qur'an. Indeed, Allah makes clear every detail of conduct regarding Allah's Messenger (saas), including speech and tone of voice, as the basis of a sincere and correct understanding of respect:
You who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet and do not be as loud when speaking to him as you are when speaking to one another, lest your actions should come to nothing without your realizing it." (Surat al-Hujurat; 2)
Allah reminded believers not to speak loudly to the Messenger of Allah (saas) as they did to one another. The point that deserves attention here is that beyond being good manners, it is a commandment of Allah. Indeed, the mention of a contrary attitude that would nullify good deeds marks the importance of this issue. It's incorrect to consider this commandment to be an ordinary encouragement of good manners rather than an absolute command. The same mistake is often made with other Qur'anic rulings as well.
The fact is that honoring Allah's Messenger is actually honoring Allah. In like manner, an adverse attitude toward the Messenger (saas) reflects one toward Allah, and deliberate to fail in respect for His Messenger (saas) is most displeasing to Allah. However, the absence of intentional disrespect or discourtesy would not absolve a believer who spoke above or contradicted the Messenger (saas), in that it would be an explicit indication of inferior consciousness, wisdom and character. This is compared to correct conduct in the following verse:
Those who lower their voices when they are with the Messenger of Allah are people whose hearts Allah has tested for heedfulness. They will have forgiveness and an immense reward. (Surat al-Hujurat; 3)
In a similar manner, Allah reveals in the Qur'an that addressing the Messenger (saas) from outside his rooms was a sign of imprudence:
As for those who call out to you from outside your private quarters, most of them do not use their intellect." (Surat al-Hujurat; 4)
Not Entering the Prophet's House Without Invitation
All forms of behavior that burdened or inconvenienced the Messenger of Allah (saas) were forbidden in the Qur'an. Inconsiderate conduct such as visiting without invitation, waiting in hopes of being invited to dine or staying late for conversation was behavior that inconvenienced and caused difficulties for the Prophet (saas) and thus was prohibited in the Qur'an:
You who believe! Do not go into the Prophet's rooms except when you are invited to come and eat. Do not wait there while the food is being cooked. However, when you are called, go in, and when you have eaten, disperse, not remaining there to chat with one another. Doing that causes annoyance to the Prophet, though he is too reticent to tell you so. But Allah is not reticent with the truth. . . . (Surat al-Ahzab; 53)
A believer must do everything he can to support a messenger, make his task easier and relieve his load, let alone wearing him out with such matters and being a burden for him. This is among the greatest duties of a believer revealed in the Qur'an.
Not Considering the Messenger (saas) Indebted for One's Islam or Service to the Religion
Allah may commission anyone, even unbelievers, to serve His religion. That Allah subjected devils to the service of Prophet Solomon (as) is indeed a fact related in the Qur'an. Be he a believer or unbeliever, everyone is merely a means for the accomplishment of Allah's decree. It is Allah Who possesses the will and power, and essentially, He will make Islam victorious through His means.
In the Qur'an, Allah mentions those who, unaware of such facts, presented their acceptance of Islam and their services as a favor to the Messenger (saas):
They think they have done you a favor by becoming Muslims! Say: ‘Do not consider your Islam a favor to me. No indeed! It is Allah Who has favored you by guiding you to faith if you are telling the truth.' (Surat al-Hujurat; 17)
The verse shows that the truth is otherwise; a person who embraces the religion does not do Islam any honor; rather, Islam grants honor to him.
In several verses, Allah states that He will replace people who reject His ordained way of life with others:
If you turn away, He will replace you with people other than yourselves and they will not be like you. (Surah Muhammad; 38)
More than anyone else, people of faith should take this admonition to heart. Allah will certainly give rewards to a believer who seeks His good pleasure with a sincere heart and pure intention.
Complying with the Prophet's Words Willingly and Sincerely
A believer is obedient to the orders of Allah and His Messenger (saas); while complying with the Prophet's judgments, he feels not a speck of distress or discomfort in his heart. He knows that everything that Allah and His messenger command is the truest, the best and the most beneficial. Sometimes Satan gets in the way of a believer to deter him from the right path. Yet, aware that every commandment of Allah and His Messenger (saas) is best for him, a believer complies willingly. This sincere and submissive approach emanates from the faith of a believer.
On the other hand, an obedient appearance that lacks heartfelt submission could point to weakness in faith:
No, by your Lord, they are not believers until they make you their judge in the disputes that break out between them, and then find no resistance within themselves to what you decide and submit themselves completely. (Surat an-Nisa'; 65)
Fear of the dominance of Islam or of Muslims may motivate a hypocrite to display apparent obedience and meticulously observe certain commandments. Yet it is not true faith, so long as one does not obey with ardent submission. Hesitation reveals that a person still harbors some doubts and concerns about Allah and His Messenger (saas). The lack of a deep and inner obedience and submitting only physically to Allah, vitiates a person's deeds. Pretended submission can leave one bereft of rewards in the Hereafter. This being the case, any believer—even though it might go against his worldly interests—will welcome a commandment from the Messenger (saas) with inner joy and happiness and relish the feeling of compliance. Sadness or disappointment over any just decision are attitudes incompatible with faith.
(Surat an-Nur; 15)
INTRODUCTION
There are those who claim to have faith in Islam and be fairly acquainted with the Qur'an, yet they readily disregard some of its rulings. Some fall into this error unwittingly, while others—under the influence of some particular rationale of their own making besides the Qur'an—deliberately and willfully ignore its rulings.
Meanwhile, they pay no attention to the consequences of such an attitude in the Sight of Allah, or how far it removes them from His good pleasure. But in the Qur'an, Allah warns that those who do not pay heed to His commandments will face torment in the Hereafter.
Based on a system of conduct apart from the
Qur'an, representatives of this mentality give priority to some of
Allah's commandments while entirely abandoning others. In fact, such
distorted understandings of religion are the legacy of centuries-old
traditions. According to this popular distorted understanding of
religion, those who violate the fundamental commandments may be plagued
by pangs of conscience. But neglecting the ones to which people attach
little importance—even though they too are part of the Qur'an— will
cause little discomfort. Deeming punishment unlikely, many do not
observe certain acts of worship that Allah has made obligatory and
violate various prohibitions, saying, "We will be forgiven."
But nowhere in the Qur'an does Allah condone such an outlook.
On the contrary, He makes clear that all commandments and prohibitions
therein come from Him and are equally important. Therefore, just as a
person prays and fasts, so he must also meticulously observe the other
divine ordinances in the Qur'an.
For example, under the influence of society's moral indoctrinations, a person may avoid acts that Allah forbids, such as theft or adultery. However, without suffering any feelings of guilt, he may readily gossip, slander, break promises, befriend others who deny verses of the Qur'an. He may fail to spend for the cause of Allah, and neglect to glorify Allah regularly at the specified times or to feel grateful to Him—in brief, consider it unimportant to observe many of Allah's commandments.
One cannot say that such a person displays the character of a believer or lives by the principles of Islam. For no matter how much he claims to be a true Muslim, this individual actually adheres only to "a religion of traditions" based on custom, yet embellished with some Islamic concepts. His grave mistake is feeling content to comply with only a few commandments of the Qur'an. Because he never considers the possibility that his rationale is flawed, he feels assured that he is indeed a true Muslim.
Surely, there is a reward for every act of worship performed purely to earn Allah's good pleasure. In the Hereafter, however, people will also be held responsible for the commandments they disregarded. By the will of Allah, provided that a person is sincere, if he fasts and attends to prayers, will earn the rewards of those acts of worship in the Hereafter. Yet, if one intentionally disregards and neglects other commandments in the Qur'an, then his acts of worship may well become unacceptable in the Sight of Allah. For this very reason, Allah warns all believers against the danger and summons them to abandon the misconceptions of religion they've inherited from their forefathers, which was shaped by tradition and ignorant reasoning:
"When they are told, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down to you,' They say, ‘We are following what we found our fathers doing.' What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not guided!"(Surat al-Baqara; 170)
Yet some people, despite having been given guidance, insist on this kind of a traditional approach to religion.
The purpose of this book is to remind those who have not realized their error or considered the penalty such an attitude will entail and to summon them to live by the true principles of Islam. Allah declares that man is responsible for all the commandments in the Qur'an. Someone who becomes distracted by everyday hassles—who ignores numerous verses of the Qur'an, assuming that Islam means merely prayers and fasting—will not dare to say in the Hereafter, "I was unaware of those verses" or offer excuses to justify his negligence in learning the commandments of the Qur'an. Allah describes the situation of such people:
Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that except disgrace in this world? And on the Day of Rising, they will be returned to the harshest of punishments. Allah is not unaware of what you do.(Surat al-Baqara; 85)
For this reason, then, we will examine some frequently ignored commands of the Qur'an and call believers to live according to all its verses, thus avoiding the terrible pangs they warn of.