(ISLAMIC LAW OF INHERITANCE)
Long, long
ago, in Montreal, Canada, a man was busy making his will as he was planning to
spend his long vacation overseas. He was afraid that something might happen to
him without writing his will. A Muslim friend told him that Muslims did not
have to worry about writing a will, as they had their own law of inheritance
called “farā’iḍ” based on the Qur’ān, the Ḥadīth of the Prophet s.a.w.,
and the ijmā’ and ijtihād of the ṣaḥābah/companions
of the Prophet.
The Qur’an
explains extensively this law of inheritance that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. did not give
much explanation of it. It is unlike the salāh, the prayer where it is mentioned
in the Qur’an without details: how many raka’āt (units) for every
prayer, how many bows and prostrations in every unit, what to say and how to do
it are explained in the Ḥadīth with examples.
Farā’iḍ is
one of the aspects of the application of the objects of the sharī’ah (Islamic
law) which are: the preservation of the religion of Islam (حِفْظ الدِّين),
the preservation of souls or
selves (حِفْظ النَّفْس) , the preservation of reason or intelligence(حِفْظ العَقْل) , the preservation of progeny (حِفْظ النَّسْل) , and
the preservation of wealth (حِفْظ المَال) .
Fara’id is based on:
i.
The Quran:
يُوصِيكُمُ
اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ فَإِنْ كُنَّ
نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ
وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ
مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ
أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ
مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِي بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ لَا
تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًا فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ
اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ( الأنعام : 11)
"Allah
enjoins you concerning your children: the male shall have the equal of the
portion of two females; if there are more than two females, they shall have
two-thirds of what he has left, and if there is one, she shall have the half;
and as for his parents, each of them shall have the sixth of what he has left
if he has a child: but if he has no child and only his two parents inherit from
him, then his mother shall have the third; but if he has brothers, his mother
shall have the sixth after the payment of any bequest he may have bequeathed or
a debt. You know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you
in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah and Allah is
All-Knowing, All-Wise." (Q. 4:11)
ii.
Hadith: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
ألْحِقُوْا
الفَرَائِضَ بِأَهلِهَا فَمَا بَقِيَ فَهُوَ لِأَوْلَى رَجُلٍ ذَكَرٍ (متفق عليه)
"Give
the appointed portions to those entitled to them. Then whatever remains is for
the nearest male."
(Narrated by Bukhari
and Muslim).
iii.
Ijmā‘ (consensus) and ijtihād (independent
judgment) of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, imams of madhhab and
mujtahid (who exercises ijtihād) of proven knowledge.
Fara’id preserves and strengthens the
relationships among members of the family as well as keeping the wealth among
them after the death of one of its members. Allah has decided that if a Muslim
dies, his (her) wealth will be inherited by his/her close relatives, his/her spouse,
and his/her ascendants (father and mother) and his/her descendants (sons and
daughters). Therefore, no matter how you hate your parents, you are a part of
them, and no matter you hate your children, they are parts of you, and they all
will inherit from you. In Islamic law, you cannot prevent them from the
inheritance, except with killing, apostasy, and slavery. Al-Raḥbī put this in
his book مَتْنُ
الرَّحْبِيَّة dealing
with farā’iḍ, as follows:
ويَمْنَعُ الشَّخصَ
مِنَ الْمِيراثِ ... واحِدَةٌ مِنْ عِلَلٍ ثَلاَثِ
رِقٌّ)
و(قَتلٌ) و(اختِلافُ دِيْنِ) ... فافهَمْ فَلَيْسَ الشَّكُّ كَاليَقينِ)
“A man is
not entitled for inheritance because of
(one of
the) three reasons: slavery, killing, and
the difference of religion…”
A slave has nothing to leave as
inheritance, as he himself belongs to his master. He also cannot inherit,
because it will go to his master, as he and his wealth belong to his master.
Since officially there is no more slavery these days, this ruling is kept
dormant for ever and just kept recorded in history. Slavery in Islam was
abolished gradually. Freeing slaves is highly recommended in Islam. There are
many penalties with freeing a slave for committing certain sins. There is also
a share as ransom for freeing slaves in the zakat, so that sooner or later,
there will be no more slave left to free.
A killer, even unintentionally (to prevent
the claim of unintentional killing), and the apostate will not get anything
from the inheritance. Therefore, the door of “unintentional killing” is closed,
and one should not try to kill one’s relative in order to get inheritance
quickly from him. Instead, he will get nothing.
Here lies the danger of marrying a
non-Muslim woman among the Jews and the Christians. If you marry a Christian or
a Jewish woman, you cannot inherit each other according to Islam, or you break
the law and become sinful. Marrying them would also mean losing one chance for
a Muslim woman to marry you, as a Muslim man. The case is different with a
freed slave. The bond between the two is so strong, that they can inherit each
other, even if they belong to different religions.
It is Allah’s
law that female with the presence of male will have half of the male’s share,
because he has more responsibility towards his wife and sisters if they are not
married. The more you get, the more responsibility you have as a bread-winner.
But with the absence of male (brother) she will get half of the inheritance,
and she and her sisters will get two-thirds of the inheritance, divided equally
among them, as mentioned in the above verse. In this case, the husband will get
one-fourth if the wife dies, and the wife will get one-eighth if the husband
dies.
It is Allah’s
wisdom that with the presence of a father, a grand-father will not get in the
inheritance. Why? The father himself is responsible for his father, the
deceased’s grand-father. If the deceased is fifty years old when s/he dies and
the father is about seventy years old, then the
grand-father will be too old, over ninety years old, and might have become
disabled, invalid, and have lost memory. It is very unwise to inherit hundred
thousands of dollars to a person who is in his dotage, who cannot take care of
himself, and perhaps cannot even remember his name. Wealth means nothing for
him.
The Arab proverb
says أَعَزُّ مِنَ اْلوَلَدِ وَلَدُ اْلوَلَدِ
“the person who is dearer than the
son is the son of the son”, namely, the grand-son. Yet, with the presence of
the son who is responsible for his son, i.e., the deceased’s grand-son,
he has no share in the inheritance. He is too young to inherit his grand-father
unless his father had died earlier.
With this rule
of inheritance the relative of the deceased could not claim a share in the
inheritance, except what has been decided according to the farā’iḍ. It
is Allah’s law, it is not based on the deceased’s love and preference, and
therefore, no one of the relatives should complain or have ill-feeling towards
him if he gets nothing or less than what he expects. It is not up to him, but
up to Allah.
In order to maintain
the wealth for inheritance, the deceased is not allowed to give more than
one-third of it to any person who is not
one of its beneficiaries, like close friends, or for charity. However, with the beneficiary’s consent, he
can give more than one-third of the inheritance in the will.
A person may argue that his daughter
will get less than what her brother gets when he dies. In this case, he can
give her as much as he wants while he is still alive. This is especially
important for her education, so that she can survive with her education,
decreasing the burden of her brothers in taking care of her if she remains
unmarried for the rest of her life. He is free to spend and give his wealth to
whom he likes while he is still alive, and he is allowed to make waṣiyyah (will)
of not more than one-third of his wealth to whom he likes, as long as he is not
one of the beneficiaries of the inheritance.
This farā’íḍ is so important
that many people, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, consider it unfair and gender
discrimination. There is wisdom behind this, and there is difference between
equality and equity, between Allah’s wisdom and human intellect. We do not
judge Him, but it is He Who judges us.
Since we are living in Australia
where the sharia is not applicable, and in order to avoid any problem
with our wealth after our death, it is necessary for us as Muslims to write our
wills stating that our wealth will be divided among beneficiaries based on the farā’id.
We can also mention what madhhab (school of law) should be followed in
case any discrepancy arises. ( CIVIC,
14 Dec. 2012)
2. OUT OF CONTEXT
About
three years ago, in 2009, I was invited by Community Relations Commission for a
Multicultural NSW to review the draft of a book intended to be “a resource for
Islamic Special Religious Education in Australian Schools”. The book would be
entitled My Religion, Our Country, written by Dr. Mark Weston. Among the
objectives of this book are: to provide an authoritative guide for teaching
about Islam in an Australian context; to link general civics education in
schools with instruction from the main sources of Islamic teachings, i.e.,
the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as well as legal opinions of leading Muslim
scholars, past and present; and to assist educators in preparing young Muslim
students to live a life of faith and citizenship.
In this book the author selected ten
issues to be discussed according to Australian laws and the teachings of Islam
on these issues based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah. They are: 1. freedom
of the individual, 2. freedom of speech, 3. freedom of religion, 4.freedom of
association, 5. parliamentary democracy, 6. equality under the law, 7. equality
of men and women, 8. equality of opportunity, 9. peacefulness, and 10.
tolerance, respect and empathy for others. By comparing these Australian and
Islamic laws compatibility (or incompatibility) could be found. If the Qur’ānic
verses or hadiths are quoted out of context, then incompatibility would be
found.
Since
the writer was most probably a non-Muslim, before meeting him in Sydney, I
would like to warn him of the danger of quoting the Qur’ānic verses and hadiths
out of context. So, I sent him an e-mail containing the following imaginary
conversation with the topic “Out of Context”
-
A woman wanted to remind her son to do his homework. She cited to him the
following proverb: “Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today.” Her son
asked her: “Then can I eat the whole cake now?”
-
A Muslim and a Christian boy were having this imaginary conversation.
M
.: “We cannot be friends anymore.”
C.
: “Why?”
M.
: “Because the Koran said that Muslims
are not allowed to make friends
with Jews and Christians.” (Q. 5:51).
[The word awliyā’ has many meanings, including “friends”, but in this
verse it means “protectors”]
C.
: “How could that be? But we Christians
are not allowed to defend ourselves”
M.
: “How could that be?”
C. : “Because Jesus said that if someone slaps
your cheek, give him also the other cheek”. (Luke, 6:30)
M.
: “This is the opposite of what the
Koran said.”
C.
: “What does the Koran say?”
M.
: “It orders Muslims to fight non-Muslims until they surrender.” (Q. 8:39)
[This verse was revealed to fight the idolaters back, until there is no more fitnah,
namely, no Muslim is persecuted by them so that they abandon their
religion].
C. :
“But the Bible says that Jesus came to this world not to bring peace but
a sword, to make a man rebel against his father, and a daughter against her
mother.” (Matt. 10:34-35)
M.
: “It is also said that the Koran orders
the Muslims to kill the pagans wherever they find them.” (Q. 9:5) [This verse
was revealed when the hostility between the Muslims and the idolaters of Makkah
has already occurred. It only stopped temporarily during the Sacred months:
Dhul Qi‘dah, Dhul Ḥijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. So, when these months have
passed, the war continued and fighting the idolaters wherever they found them]
C. : “The same with Joshua when he was ordered
by God to kill everybody.” (Joshua 10:40)
M.
: “The Koran said that there is no
compulsion in religion, but many
believe that Islam was spread by force.” (Q. 2:256)
C.
: “In Christianity St. Paul said in his
Epistles that he used any means to get
followers, even by means of hypocrisy and cheating.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22; 2
Corinthians 12:16)
This
is a friendly conversation. Now, if we reverse the conversation with aggressive
attitude, the conversation would be like this:
C. : “Hey, Muslim, your Koran told you
not to make friends with us.”
M. : “Hey, Christian, Jesus said in
your Bible that if I slap your face, you should not retaliate, but give the
other cheek.”
C.
: “Your religion is so dangerous to
human beings, as your Koran orders you to eliminate us. It is a terrorist
religion.”
M.: “It is Jesus who is a trouble-maker. He did
not come to bring peace, but trouble.”
[A Muslim would never say that, as Jesus was one of the five
fully-determined messengers of Allah; the other four are: Noah, Abraham, Moses,
and Muhammad].
C.
: “Your Koran orders you to kill the
pagan wherever they found them”
M.
“Your Bible said that God ordered Joshua to kill everybody.
C.
: “Your Koran said there is no
compulsion in religion, but people said that Islam spreads through force”.
M. “Your Bible said that Paul used any means
to convert people to Christianity. That is why we cannot trust you”
Many of Qur’ānic verses and hadiths
are quoted out of context, so that they are replaced with the relevant ones.
Topics which need further explanation are put in appendices, such as appendix
4, as follows:
DEMOCRACY AND SHŪRĀ (MUTUAL
CONSULTATION) IN ISLAM
-
Shūrā (mutual consultation) is “participation with others in
making a decision that concerns them.”
- After Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.,
revelation stopped, and there was no longer direct access to God’s will, and
therefore no one has the legitimacy or authority to claim a pope (priest-like)
status in the Muslim community: no theocracy in Islamic political system.
- Like the injunction of praying the
injunction of shūrā was also revealed in the Makkan (Meccan) surah
(chapter) as an individual duty upon Muslims. Therefore, every individual has
to consult each other: in his family life, community and the government. It is
to be applied not only in legislative body, but also in it executive and
judicial bodies.
- Some Muslims, including Sayyid
Abul Ala Maududi and Muhammad al-Khaṭīb
say that democracy and Islam are incompatible because of the difference in the
concept of sovereignty: to God according to Islam (and human beings are merely
executors of His Will), and to people according to secular Western democracy.
Among their arguments: (a) Democracy makes religion separated from the state,
whereas in Islam religion is everything in the lives of Muslims. (b) Shūrā
is a part of Islamic system of
government, and has nothing to do with democracy, which is a man-made system of government. (c)
The source of Islam is divine (revelation), whereas the source of democracy is
human.
-
Others say that Islam and democracy are not only compatible, but their
association is inevitable, because Islamic political system is based on shūrā.
Among the areas of compatibility between the two are:
(a)
There are only about 200 verses in the Qur’ān dealing with laws, mostly on
protecting family, women, and the community. Islam does not provide detailed
practicalities as they keep changing to fit time, place and human
circumstances. Therefore it leaves an open and wide space for exercising ijtihād
(independent judgment in a legal question, based upon the interpretation and
application of the Qur’ān and the Sunnah of the Prophet) to find out
what is best for the community.
(b)
Islam and democracy promote freedom and social justice and many other values
(c)
Elected members of the shūrā Council of the Prophet consisted of seven
people from the Muhajirin (emigrants) and seven from the Ansar (people of
Madinah) similar to the present day parliamentary democracy where members are
elected representing their respective parties. Among cotemporary scholars who
are the exponents of this view are Dr. Fathi Osman, and Shaikh Yusuf
al-Qaradawi.
- Islamic political system in general and
democracy in particular has to be bound by laws, principles and spirits of the shariah.
It has to maintain its objectives: to
establish justice and to protect religion (the last resort is engaging in
fighting), lives, properties, honour, progenies, and minds (by prohibiting
alcohol, etc) of people.
- Muslims who say that democracy is
incompatible with Islam use the term shūrā; others called it “Islamic
democracy”.
Another example is the appendix 2,
entitled “The background of hostility between the Prophet and his followers on
one side, and the Makkan idolaters and the Jews of Madinah on the other” as
follows:
- When the Prophet arrived at
Madina in 623 C.E. he made the constitution of Madinah (Charter of Madinah)
containing 52 articles. Among them, the co-existence between Muslims and followers
of other religions, especially Judaism and polytheism and freedom of practicing
their religions. They would defend together the city against the attack of the
enemy from outside.
-
However, when Madinah was attacked in the battle of Uhud, the Jews did not want
to take part in defending the city, except Mukhyriq of Banī Tha‘labah who told
them: “O fellow Jews, you have to assist Muhammad.” They made an excuse and said: “It is a
Sabbath day.” He said, “Assisting
Muhammad does not disgrace the Sabbath day.” He said that if he died in the
battlefield he would leave his wealth to Muhammad’s disposal. When the Prophet
heard of his death in the battlefield, he said: “Mukhayriq is the best of the
Jews.”
- Like the Jews of Madinah who
violated the constitution of Madinah, the Makkan idolaters expelled the Muslims
from Makkah and violated the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah signed in 6 AH. between them
and the Prophet.
In conclusion, the hostility between
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and his followers on one side and his enemies on
the other was the result of their breaking their treaty. (CIVIC, 15.02.13)
3.
THE MEANINGS OF ḤADĪTH
The word حَدِيْث
)ḥadīth(,
literally has many meanings: with the
pluralحِدَاث
)ḥidāth(
and حُدَثَاء
(ḥudathā’), it means: new, recent late, modern. The
expressionالعَصْرُ الحَدِيْث
(al-‘aṣr al-ḥadīth) means “modern
time”; with the pluralأَحَادِيْث
(aḥādith)
and حِدْثَاَن
(ḥidthān)
it means: speech, talk, report, account, tale, narrative, discourse,
message, topic. The verbحَدَّثَ
(ḥaddatha)
means, “to report, to inform”. In Islamic tradition, ḥadīth is
called the Prophetic tradition, narrative relating deeds and utterances of the
Prophet (including his Companions), as well as his tacit approval. As a
collective noun, the Prophetic tradition, it is usually written in capital H,
namely, Ḥadīth, which is similar to the word Sunnah of the
Prophet, namely, his tradition which is later established as legal binding
precedents beside laws established in the Qur’an. When we mean a single
tradition we usually write it in a small letter, a ḥadīth.
The upholder of
the inkār sunnah, those who deny the authenticity and authority of the Sunnah,
say that the Qur’an itself rejects any ḥadīth other than that of
the Qur’an, including the ḥadīths of the Prophet. They base their view
on the verses of the Qur’an, which shall be dealt here, where Allah says that
everything is in the Qur’an, as follows:
وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ
فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ
مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ
مِنْ شَيْءٍ ثُمَّ
إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ (الأنعام:38)
There is
not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird
that flies with its two wings, but are
communities like you.
We have neglected nothing in the Book, then to
their
Lord they (all) shall be gathered. (Q. 6:38).
أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ
الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا... (الأنعام:
114)
[Say (O Muhammad)]”Shall I seek a judge
other than
Allah while it
is He Who sent me down to you the Book
(the Qur’an),
explained in detail…(Q.
6:114)
They
denounced those who seek any ḥadīth OTHER than the Qur’ān (“after it” بَعْدَه (. However,
the verses do not say “with it”, مَعَه),
so that the explanation of the Prophet in the Sunnah should also be
accepted. Allah Himself states in the Qur’an that the Prophet’s statement,
explanation and decision have to be accepted. Allah says,
وَأَنْزَلْنَا
إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (النحل:44)
And We have
also sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr (Reminder, i.e. the Qur’an) that
you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may
give thought (Q. 16:44)
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ
بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ
حَرَجًا مِمَّا
قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (النساء: 65)
But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith, until
they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in
themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full
submission.(Q. 4:65)
Based on these verses it is the duty of the Prophet to explain
verses which are not clear to the Muslims and to be a judge in their disputes.
Allah swears, if they do not accept his decisions with full submission, namely,
سَمِعْنَا وَ
أَطَعْناَ (“we listen
and obey”) they can have no faith. His explanations and judgments are recorded
in the books of authentic ḥadīths, and denying them tantamount to
infidelity. Without the ḥadīths or the Sunnah we will not be able
to know how to pray, how to distribute zakat, how to perform the hajj (pilgrimage).
To those who deny the Sunnah we can tell them, “when you die we do not
even know how to bury you, because the Qur’an does not explain how to bury a
dead Muslim. Even if the Prophet explained it and did it with examples, you
still reject the report as fabrication attributed to him.” It is like a person who is going overseas
telling his children everything they should know, and to obey their mother, and
if they have any problem they should ask their mother whom he has asked to
settle and explain. There is no contradiction here, and the children should not
say that they would listen and obey only their father.
According
classical mufassirīn (commentators of the Qur’an), the word ḥadīth (and
its derivatives) has five contextual meanings in the Qur’an, although
translators use the basic meanings of the word, and it has nothing to do with
the ḥadīths of the Prophet, as follows:
1.
القُرْآن (the Qur’an itself).
Allah calls the Qur’an in its
verses
as a ḥadīth, as follows:
أَوَلَمْ
ينْظُرُوا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ
شَيْءٍ وَأَنْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ
قَدِ
اقْتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ (الأعراف: 185 )
Do they not look in the dominion of the
heavens and the
earth and all things that Allah has created; and that it may
be that the end of their lives is near.
In what ḥadīth, (message i.e.
Qur’an) after this will they then believe?
(Q. 7:185)
تلْكَ
آَيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ
وَآَيَاتِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ (الجاشية:
6)
These are
the ayat (verses) of Allah, which We recite to you
(O Muhammad)
with truth. Then in which ḥadīth (speech, i.e. Qur’an) after Allah and
His ayat will they believe? (Q.
45:6)
وَيْلٌ
يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ .
فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ (المرسلات:50(
Woe that Day to the deniers (of the Day of
Resurrection)!
Then in what statement (Qur’an) after
this (Qur’an) will
they believe? (Q.
77:49-50)
أَفَمِنْ
هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ .
وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ (النجم(:60)
Do you then wonder at this ḥadīth (recitation,
i.e. the
Qur’an)? And you laugh at it and weep not…?
(Q. 53:59-60)
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُ بَلْ
لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ .
فَلْيَأْتُوا بِحَدِيثٍ مِثْلِهِ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ (الطور:34(
Or do they say: “He (Muhammad) has
forged it
(this Qur’an)?” Nay! They believe not! Let them
produce a ḥadīth (discourse, i.e.
Qur’an) like it
(the Qur’an) if they are truthful. (Q.
52:33-34)
أيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا
يُدْرِكُكُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُشَيَّدَةٍ وَإِنْ
تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا
هَذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ
سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ
فَمَالِ
هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا (النساء:(78
Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even
if
you are in fortresses built up strong and high. And if some
good reaches them, they say, “This is from
Allah,” but if
some evil befalls them, they say, “This is
from you
(O Muhammad). Say: “All things are from
Allah,” so
what is
wrong with these people that they fail
to
understand any word (of the Qur’an)? (Q. 4:78)
2.
القِصَة (story), as in:
اللَّهُ
نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ
جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ
رَبَّهُمْ
ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُدَى
اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ
وَمَنْ
يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ (الزمر:
23
(
Allah has
sent down the Best Statement, a Book (this Qur’an), its parts resembling
each other (in goodness and truth) (and oft-repeated. The skins of those who
fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the
remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He guides therewith who He
wills; and whomever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide. (Q. 39:23)
وَهَلْ
أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَى إِذْ رَأَى نَارًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي
آَنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي
آَتِيكُمْ
مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (طه:9-10(
And
has there come to you the story of Moses? When he saw
a fire, he said to his family: “Wait! Verily,
I have seen a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom,
or find some guidance at the fire.” (Q.
20:9-10)
هَلْ
أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ . إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا
قَالَ
سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ (الذاريات : 24-25)
Has the story reached you, of the honoured
guests [Gabriel along with another two] of Abraham? When they came in to
him and said:
Salam (peace be upon you)!” He answered: “Salam (peace be upon you),” and said;
“You are
a people unknown to me.” (Q. 51:24-25)
هَلْ
أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَى (النازعات: 15)
Has
there come to you the story of Moses (Q. 79:15)
هَلْ
أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ .
فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ ( البروج:( 18
Has the story reached you of the hosts,of
Pharaoh and Thamud? (Q. 85:17-18)
هَلْ
أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ (الغاشية:1
(
Has there come to you
the narration of the overwhelming
(i.e., the Day of
Resurrection)? (Q. 88:1)
3.
العِبْرَة
(warning or deterring example), as in,
ثُمَّ
أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَى كُلَّ مَا جَاءَ أُمَّةً رَسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ
فَأَتْبَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ بَعْضًا
وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ
أَحَادِيثَ فَبُعْدًا لِقَوْمٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (المؤمنون:(44
Then We sent our Messengers in
succession. Every time
there came to a nation their Messenger, they
denied him; so
We made them follow one another (to
destruction), And We made them aḥādīth (the true stories for mankind to
learn a lesson
from them). So away with a people
who believe not!. (Q.
23:44)
فَقَالُوا
رَبَّنَا بَاعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ
أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَاهُمْ كُلَّ
مُمَزَّقٍ
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآَيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ (سبـأ:19(
But they said: “Our Lord! Make the stages between
Our journey longer,” and they wronged themselves;
so We made them
as tales (in the land), We dispersed
them all
totally. Verily, in his are indeed sighs for
every steadfast, grateful (person) (Q. 34:19)
Since they were destroyed, their fates
were related by later generations as deterring examples.
4.
القَوْل
(saying, statement, report), as
in,
وَإِذْ
أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَى بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتْ بِهِ
وَأَظْهَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَرَّفَ بَعْضَهُ
وَأَعْرَضَ
عَنْ بَعْضٍ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنْبَأَكَ هَذَا قَالَ
نَبَّأَنِيَ الْعَلِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ (التحريم:3)
And (remember) when the Prophet disclosed a hadith (a
matter)
in confidence to one of his wives
(Hafsah), then she told it
(to another, i.e.
A’ishah). And Allah made it known to him;
he informed part thereof
and left a part. Then when he told
her (Hafsah) thereof, she said: “Who told you this?”
He said: “The All-Knower,
the Well-Acquainted
(Allah) has
told me.” (Q. 66:3)
This is about the Prophet’s saying to ‘A’ishah r.a.that
he would not drink honey any longer to please her because she told him that it
smelled bad, and told her not to tell anybody, but she told his other wife
Hafsah, r.a. then Allah revealed to him that she had broken her promise.
5.
الخَبَر (news, information, report), as in,
وَإِذَا
لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا قَالُوا آَمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى
بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُمْ بِمَا
فَتَحَ
اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُمْ بِهِ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (البقرة:76)
And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, “We
believe”, but when they meet one another in private, they say, “Shall you
(Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you [Jews, about
the description and the qualities of Prophet Muhammad which are written in the
Torah], that they (Muslims) will argue with you (Jews) about it before your
Lord?” Have you (Jews) then no understanding? (Q. 2:76)
This kind of knowledge in
understanding the contextual meanings of the words in the Qur’an is called al-Wujūh
wa ‘l-Naẓā’ir fī’l-Qur’ān (“Homonyms and Synonyms in the Qur’ān), one of the 47 sciences of the Qur’an according
to al-Zarkashī (d. 794/1342(
in his book al-Burhān. Al-Suyūṭī (991/1505) mentioned 80 sciences of the
Qur’an, and placed it no. 39 in his book al-Itqān. Some of these
sciences are very important to know, such as: asbāb al-nuzūl (occasions
that led to the revelation), gharīb al-Qur’ān (difficult expressions in
the Qur’an), nāsikh (abrogating verses) and mansūkh abrogated
verses). (CIVIC, 28.12.12)
المراجع:
المكتبة
الشاملة
المفردات
للراغب الأصفهانئ
الوجوه
و النظائر لإبن الجوزي
قاموس
القرآن للدامغاني
4. FEAR AND GRIEF (1)
Fear
and grief are two things felt by people approaching death or after death. But
practicing Muslims who stand firm in their belief and practice will be safe
from these two things, fear and grief.
There are two Qur’ānic verses starting with إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ
اسْتَقَامُوا (“Verily, Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is Allah (Alone), and thereafter stand firm).” Both of
them contain a promise with Paradise for them, one by the angles, and the other
directly by Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ
اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا
تَحْزَنُوا
وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ
. نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنْفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ
فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ . نُزُلًا مِنْ غَفُورٍ رَحِيمٍ
(فصلت:30-32(
Verily, those who say : “Our Lord is Allah (Alone), and they stand firm,
on them the angels will descend
[at the time of their death](saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the
glad tidings
of Paradise which you have been promised! We
have been
your friends in the life of this world and are
(so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves
desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask.
An entertainment form (Allah), the Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.” (Q. 41:30-32)
The term istaqāmū (lit. “stand firm”) means
those who followed the Islamic
Monotheism, worshiped Allah Alone, abstaining from all kinds of sins and
bad deeds and performing all kinds of good deeds.
At the time of
their death, the angels will descend to them and will tell them not to fear “that which you will face in
the Hereafter,” nor grief “for what you
have left behind of worldly things, children, family, wealth and debt, for we
shall take care of it for you.” (Mujāhid, al-Suddī, and Zayd ibn Aslam’s interpretation).
The Prophet s.a.w.
elaborated this glad tiding, namely, the promise of Paradise to the pious
person in this verse when he said in a
long tradition, as follows:
عَنْ أَبِي
هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ
الْمَيِّتَ تَحْضُرُهُ
الْمَلَائِكَةُ
فَإِذَا كَانَ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ قَالُوا اخْرُجِي أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ
الطَّيِّبَةُ كَانَتْ
فِي الْجَسَدِ الطَّيِّبِ وَاخْرُجِي حَمِيدَةً
وَأَبْشِرِي بِرَوْحٍ وَرَيْحَانٍ
وَرَبٍّ غَيْرِ
غَضْبَانَ ... (رواه أحمد)
Abu
Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet s.a.w.
said:
Verily, the
angels said to the soul of the dying person if
he is
pious, “Come out, O good soul from the
good body,
come out praiseworthily, and rejoice at rest
and
provision and a Lord Who is not angry…”
(Reported by
Ahmad)
The angels told the believers when death was
approaching them, “We have been your close companions, in this world,
protecting you and helping you by the command of Allah, and will be with you in
the Hereafter, keeping you from feeling lonely in your graves and when the
Trumpet is blown; we will reassure you on the Day of Resurrection and will take
you across the Ṣirāt and bring you to the Garden of delight. In Paradise
you will have all that you wish for and that will delight you. Whatever you ask
for, it will appear before you as you wish to be, a welcoming gift and
blessing from the One Who has forgiven
your sins and Who is Merciful and Kind towards you, Who has forgiven you,
concealed you faults and been Kind and Merciful.” (Ibn Kathīr’s Tafsīr)
In another verse, Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ
اسْتَقَامُوا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا
هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ . أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا جَزَاءً
بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (الأحقاف:13-14)
Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is
Allah (Alone),” and thereafter stand firm [and straight on the Islamic
Faith of Monotheism], on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Such
shall be the dwellers of Paradise, abiding therein (forever)—
a reward for what they used to do. (Q. 46:13-14)
Here Allah Himself said
directly, not through the statement of the angels, that the believers who stand
firm will have no fear for the future nor grief of what he left behind in the
world after they have left.
عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الثَّقَفِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حَدِّثْنِي بِأَمْرٍ
أَعْتَصِمُ بِهِ قَالَ
قُلْ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَخْوَفُ مَا تَخَافُ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِ
نَفْسِهِ ثُمَّ
قَالَ هَذَا (رواه أحمد و البيهقي و
النسائي و غيرهم(
Sufyān ibn Abdullah al-Thaqafī said, I said: “O
Messenger of Allah, tell me something that I can adhere to,” He said: “Say, my
Lord is Allah, then stand firm.” I said, O Messenger of Allah, what do you fear
most for me?” The Messenger of Allah took hold of the edge of his tongue and
said, “This is” (Reported
by Aḥmad, al-Bayhaqī, al-Nasā’ī and others)
Instead of
“say, my Lord is Allah”, in another version, “say, I believe in Allah” indicating
that it means “be a Muslim, a believer.”
Generous
people among Muslims will also be free from fear and grief. Allah said:
مَثَلُ
الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ
أَنْبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي
كُلِّ سُنْبُلَةٍ مِائَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللَّهُ
يُضَاعِفُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ . الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ
أَمْوَالَهُمْ
فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا
يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنْفَقُوا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ
عِنْدَ
رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (البقرة : 261-262(
The likeness of those who spend their
wealth in the Way of Allah,
is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it
grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold
increase to whom he wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’
needs, All Knower. Those who spend their wealth in the Cause of Allah, and do not
follow up their gifts with reminders of
their generosity or with
injury, their reward is with their Lord. On them
shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Q.
2:261-262)
Allah also said,
الَّذِينَ
يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً
فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ
رَبِّهِمْ
وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (البقرة :274(
Those who spend their wealth (in Allah’s
Cause)
by night and day, in secret and in public,
they shall
have their reward with their Lord. On them
shall
be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Q.
2:274)
The
shuhadā’ (martyrs in the cause of Islam) are also included among those
who are free from fear and grief after leaving this world. They have high
position among Muslims after that of prophets, ṣiddīqīn (righteous
people, those who have extremely strong faith). They will enjoy life after
death even are considered alive. Allah said:
وَلَا
تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ
عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ .
فَرِحِينَ
بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ
خَلْفِهِمْ
أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (آل عمران:170-169)
Think
not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah
as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord,
and they
have provision. They rejoiced in what
Allah has bestowed
upon them of His Bounty and rejoice for
the sake of those
who have not yet joined them, but are left behind
(not yet martyred) that on them no fear shall
come, not shall they grieve. (Q.
3:169-170)
Jabir ibn
Abdullah reported that when the Prophet s.a.w. saw him and asked him why
he was restless. He told him it was because his father was killed in the
battlefield, and was leaving the family burden and debt. The Prophet told him
that Allah never talked to anyone except behind the veil except to his father; He
talked to him directly. He said: “O my servant, ask me and I shall give you.”
He said: “I ask You to bring me back to the world, so that I shall be martyred
again for You.” Allah said: “I have decided that those who die will never
return to the world.” He said: “O my Lord, let those whom I have left know my
condition.” Then Allah revealed the verses mentioned above.
This
means that there will be no second chance to come back to this world to do good
things once we died. There is no reincarnation, and there is no transmigration
of the souls. This is the danger of not accepting Islam.
The
awliyā’ (people who are close to Allah, pious people, saints) are also
among people who are free from fear and grief in the Hereafter. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet s.a.w.
said:
Among the servants of Allah there will
be those whom the
Prophets and the martyrs will consider
fortunate. It was said:
“Who are these, O Messenger of Allah, so
that we may love them?” He said: “They are people who loved one another for the
sake
of Allah without any other interest like money
or kinship. Their
faces will be light, upon platforms of
light. They shall have no
fear (on that Day) when fear shall come upon
people. Nor they
grieve when others grieve.” Then the
Prophet cited the verse
أَلَا
إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ. ( يونس:62
(
Behold! The awliya’ of Allah, no fear
shall come
upon them nor shall they grieve. (Q.
10:62
The following
story was reported by Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī (d.736-795/1336-1393) how Allah
rewarded a good deed out of piety.
It
happened that a pious traveller in Makah became very hungry as he had nothing
left for his provision. He was almost faint of starving. While he was walking
on one of the corridors of Makkah he found a very expensive necklace. He took
it with him and entered the Sanctuary (Masjid al-Haram). There he met a man
looking for a lost necklace, and described it to him exactly like what he had
found. So, he gave it to him. The man left without thanking him, not even
handed him any dirham or anything as reward.
Then the pious man sailed on a
boat. A strong wind blew and broke the
boat. He found a piece of wood, sailed
on it, tossed on the waves left and right, until he drifted ashore towards an
island. There he found a mosque where people were praying, and he joined them
in the prayer. Then he found a piece of sheets of the Qur’an. When he read it
people learned that he could read. So, they asked him to teach their children
to read the Qur’an. When they found out
the he could also write, they asked him to teach their children to write. So,
he taught the children of the inhabitants of the island to read and write.
As the pious man was unmarried, people
suggested him to marry an orphan whose father was a very good man. When he
agreed, and married the girl he saw her wearing the very necklace he had found
in Makkah. He asked her how she got the necklace. She said:
“One day while my father was Makkah he
lost the necklace. Then an honest man found it and gave it to him. Since then,
my father kept praying to Allah that He would give him a husband for his
daughter like that man.”
“I was that man,” said the pious man.
So, Allah rewarded him more than he had expected. So, pious people will have no
fear, no grief, no disappointment, no frustration, because they trust Allah,
have good faith with Him, as there might be blessing in disguise behind any
mischief and catastrophe. (CIVIC, 25.01.13)
المصادر:
المكتبة
الشاملة
تفسير
ابن كثير
د.
عائض القرني. لا تحزن ص. 325-326
5. FEAR AND GRIEF (2)
Other
Qur’ānic verses mentioning people who will have no fear regarding the Hereafter
and grief regarding the life of this word are as follows:
After forgiving Adam
and Eve for their sin in eating the forbidden fruit in Heaven, Allah told them
to descend to the earth and to follow the guidance that came to them and their
descendants. He said,
قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا
يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدَايَ
فَلَا خَوْفٌ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (البقرة : 38)
We said:
“Get down all of you from this place
(the Paradise), then whenever there comes
to you guidance from Me, and whoever follows
My guidance, there shall be no fear on
them
nor shall they grieve .” (Q. 2:38)
A similar verse is as follows:
قَالَ اهْبِطَا
مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى
فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ
هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَى (هود:123)
He (Allah) said: “Get you down (from the paradise
to the earth), both of you, together, some of you
are an enemy to some others. Then if there
comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever
follows My guidance, he shall neither go
astray
[i.e. misguided in this life, acc. Ibn ‘Abbās],
nor
shall he be distressed [i.e. miserable in the
Hereafter, acc. Ibn Abbas].” (Q. 20:123)
After talking
to Adam and Eve about following the guidance so that they would have no fear
and no grief, Allah talked to their descendants giving the same advice when He
said:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ إِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ
رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي فَمَنِ اتَّقَى
وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
(الأعراف:35)
O children of Adam! If there come
to you Messengers from
amongst you,
reciting to you My Verses, then
whosoever
become pious
and righteous, on then shall be no fear
nor shall
they grief. (Q. 7:35)
This advice was repeated that those who follow
the prophets sent to them will be safe from fear and grief.
وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ
وَمُنْذِرِينَ فَمَنْ آمَنَ
وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا
هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (ألآنعام:48)
And We send not the Messengers but
as givers of
glad tidings and as warners. So whosoever
believes
and does righteous good deeds, upon such shall
come no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Q.
6:48)
With the advent of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. as
the last prophet, it is emphasized again by Allah that by believing in
Islam and following its teachings people will be free from fear and grief in
the Hereafter. Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ
وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ
أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (البقرة:277
Truly those who believe, and do deeds of
righteousness,
and perform salat (prayer), and give zakat,
they will have
their reward with their Lord,. On them shall
be no fear,
nor shall they grieve. (Q. 2:277)
We have
seen here that the promise of being free from fear and grief by following
Allah’s guidance is mentioned several times in different surahs (chapters) of
the Qur’an to indicate its importance. If you do not read surah al-Baqarah
(chapter 2), you will find it in surah Hūd (chapter 20). If you do not read
that chapter you will still find it in surah al-A‘rāf (chapter 7), or surah
al-An‘ām (chapter 6). You cannot miss it, if you read the Qur’an and concerned
with Allah’s guidance.
Every surah (chapter) in the Qur’ān is like a
spiritual dish. It contains various topics, such as: morality, stories of the
past, warnings and good tidings, future events, etc. One dish of food usually
contains various ingredients. Some have almost the same ingredients with
slightly different amount. In the pizza, for example, you will have salt,
sugar, oil, and perhaps chilly, meat, and mushroom. In the salad, you will
still have some salt, oil, sugar, but no meat or mushroom. The taste is
different, and yet, it is delicious. So is the chapter of the Qur’ān. Every
chapter contains spiritual guidance, and has its own spiritual taste. Reading
surah Yusuf, for example, has different spiritual taste from reading al-Kahf,
although both contains the story of the past.
With the advent of Islam, previous religions
will no longer be acceptable. Allah said,
وَقَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا
مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُوا
بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ . بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ
لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ
عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (البقرة :111-112(
And they say, “None shall enter Paradise unless he
be a Jew or
a Christian.” These are their own desires.
Say (O
Muhammad), “Produce your proof if you are
truthful.”
Yes, but whoever submits his face (
himself)
to Allah
(i.e. follow Islam) and he is a muḥsin
[i.e. a good
doer who performs good deeds
for the sake
of Allah only) then his reward
is with his
Lord (Allah), on such shall be no
fear, nor
shall they grieve. (Q. 2:111-112).
The above verses continue
stating that both Jews and Christians accuse each other of not following the
right religion, as follows:
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى
عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ
عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ
الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ
فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (113(
The Jews
said that the Christians follow nothing
(i.e., are not on the right religion); and the Christians
said that the Jews follow nothing (i.e., are not on
the right
religion);
though they both recite the Scripture. Like unto
their word,
said those who know not. [such as the Arabs
who said that Prophet Muhammad was not following
anything,
i.e. a true religion, al-Suddī’s commentary].
Allah will
judge between them on the Day of
Resurrection
about that wherein they
have been differing.(Q. 2:113)
The
verses of the Qur’an could be misunderstood if it is taken out of its context. One example is as follows:
. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا
وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَى مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ
الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ . (المائدة
:69)
Surely, those who believe (i.e., Muslims), and
those
who are the Jews [followers of Prophet Moses] and
the
Sabians [i.e. followers of Prophet Yahya, John the
Baptist],
and the Christians [followers of Prophet ‘Isa,
Jesus],---
whosoever believed in Allah and the Last Day, and
worked righteousness, on them shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Q. 5:69)
This verse
does not mean that whether you are a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew or a Magian, as
long as you do good things you will all be safe in the Hereafter, as you are guaranteed
free from fear and grief, as some people may think. This verse does not mean,
although apparently so, that you do not have to accept Islam to achieve
salvation if you belong to the People of the Book, follower of the previous
revealed religion. No, it is not so.
If we go
back to the occasion that led to the revelation of this verse, it is this. A
man called Salmān al-Fārisī (the Persian). While he was hunting with the son of
the king of Persia, he found a man in an isolated house weeping while reading a
book. The man told him that it was the Injīl (Gospel) revealed to
Prophet Isa (Jesus) a.s., not the kind of Bible we are having today. Salman followed him and became a believer. He
kept learning from the monks and worshiped with them in the church in Mosul
(Iraq), then he moved to Jerusalem.
While worshiping Allah with
monks in the church in Jerusalem, a monk told him: “There is still a new
prophet left who is the best one to follow.
The time of his coming is approaching. I don’t think I shall live long
enough to see him. You are still young. I hope you can see him. He will appear
in the Arab land. If you see him,
believe and follow him…” Salman left and eventually reached Madinah where he
was told that a prophet had come to that city.
While
talking to the Prophet in Madinah, Salmān remembered his friends the monks whom
he had left behind. He talked to the Prophet about them, saying: “They prayed,
fasted, believed in you, and witnessed that you would be appointed a prophet.”
To answer this question, Allah revealed to the Prophet the above verse.
This verse
means that the Jews who followed Prophet Moses a.s. and kept the Torah
until the advent of Prophet Jesus a.s. will be safe. But those who still
kept the Torah and did not want to follow Prophet Jesus a.s. after that
will be damned. The Christians who followed Prophet Jesus a.s. and kept
the Injil until the advent of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w will be safe. But
those who did not want to follow Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. after that will
be damned.
The
verse becomes clearer if we read the preceding and the succeeding verses. The
preceding verse says,
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ حَتَّى تُقِيمُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ
وَمَا أُنْزِلَ
إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ
كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ
رَبِّكَ
طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ (المائدة :68)
Say (O Muhammad) “O
People of the Scripture
(Jews and Christians)!
You have nothing (as regards
guidance) till you act
according to the Tawrāt (Torah),
the Injīl (Gospel),
and what has (now) been sent down
to you [Muhammad] from
your Lord (the Qur’an). Verily,
that which has been
sent down to you (Muhammad)
from your Lord
increases in most of them their
obstinate rebellion
and disbelief. So be not
sorrowful over the
people who
disbelieve. (Q. 5:68)
So, they become more obstinate, more
rebellious, and disbelieve, because they expected the prophet to be among them,
the Jews of Madinah. The succeeding verse says,
. لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا
مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ
رَسُولٌ
بِمَا لَا تَهْوَى أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا
وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ ( المائدة : 70)
Verily, We took the covenant of the Children of
Israel and sent Messengers
to them. Whenever
there came to them a
Messenger with what they
themselves desired
not, a group of them
they called liars, and
others among
them they killed. (Q. 5:70).
They did not believe the messengers sent to them. They
successfully killed Prophet Zechariah (Zakariyyā) a.s. and Prophet Yaḥyā
(John the Baptist) a.s., claimed to have killed Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus) a.s.,
and tried to kill Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
According to Ibn ‘Abbās, the Prophet’s cousin and the famous Qur’ānic
commentator, the next verse revealed was:
وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ
غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي
الْآَخِرَةِ مِنَ
الْخَاسِرِينَ (آل عمران: ٨٥)
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam
(submission to Allah), never will it be
accepted
of him, and in the Hereafter he will be in
the ranks of those who have lost
(all spiritual) good.” (Q. 3:85)
In conclusion, no matter how good you
are, no matter how smart you are, if you are taking the wrong path, you will
never reach your destination. So, we keep asking Allah, اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ
الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (“Guide us the right path”)
at least 17 times a day (CIVIC, 01.02.30)
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