When the Wrong was Justified (2)

Lot had two daughters, of which the elder was named Ritha and the younger was named Ra'raba. They said to her, "O girl! Is there a dwelling place near here?" She said, "Yes, but stay where you are, and do not come into the town until I come back to you." She was afraid of what her people might do to them, so she went to her father and said, "O my father! Some young men want you at the gate of the city. Never have I seen more handsome faces than theirs. Let your people not seize them and violate them." His people had forbidden Lot to show hospitality to anyone; they had said to him, "Leave them to us. We will give hospitality to the men." So he brought them to his house in secret, and no one but his family knew they were there. But Lot's wife went out to tell her people, saying, "In Lot's house there are men the likes of whom I have never seen, nor have I ever seen such handsome faces, the fairest-skinned and best-smelling." So the people came rushing to Lot's house.
Lot slammed the door. They began trying to persuade him to let them in., Lot said, "O people! Fear Allah and do not humiliate my guests. Is there not an upright man among you? Here are my daughters. They are more chaste for you". What was Loth meant, that is less immoral than what they wanted. In addition, the position of a Prophet for his people is like a father to his children. Allah says in the Quran Surah Al-Ahzab[33}, verse 6, "The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers. And those of [blood] relationship are more entitled [to inheritance] in the decree of Allah than the [other] believers and the emigrants, except that you may do to your close associates a kindness [through bequest]. That was in the Book inscribed."

They said, "Did we not forbid you to give men hospitality? You know well that we have no right to your daughters, and you certainly know what we want." When they would not accept anything he offered them, he said, "If only I had strength to resist you, or had some strong support." He meant he wished he had someone who would help him against them or a clan that would intervene between them and him, to keep them from having what they sought from his guests. Gabriel asked permission to punish them and Allah granted it. Gabriel spread his wings and gouged their eyes out. They left treading on each other's heels, blind, saying, "Help! Help! In Lot's house there are the best sorcerers in the world!", and they spent the worst night they had ever spent.
The angels said to Lot, "We are messengers of your Rabb; they shall not reach you. So leave with your family during the night, and follow behind to make sure that none of you turns around." Lot said, "Destroy them immediately!" But they said, "We were commanded to do it only in the morning. Is not the morning near?"

When the people of Lot rose in the morning, Gabriel came down and uprooted the earth from the seven earths, then he inserted his wing and carried it on the underside of his wing, he then bore it aloft until he brought it to the lowest heaven so that the inhabitants thereof heard the barking of their dogs and the noise of their roosters. Then he turned it over and killed them. And as for those who did not die when the earth fell, Allah rained stones down upon them while they were under the earth, and upon those who were scattered around on the earth. Then he overtook them in their towns. A man might be speaking, a stone would hit him and kill him.
Allah calls the cities that was overturned as Al-Mu'tafikah, and Allah destroyed it along with the surrounding Mu'tafikahs, which were five cities, Sab'ah, Sarah, 'Amarah, Duma, and Sodom, the latter being the largest city. And Allah saved Lot and those of his family who were with him, except his wife who perished with the rest. She heard a noise and turned around, she said, "O my people!" whereupon a rock struck her while she was apart from her people.
The book was closed on the people of Lot. Their towns and names have been erased from the face of the earth. Gone are their names from memory, but not by their actions. The people of Lut justified what was wrong and blamed what was right. One book was closed of the books of corruption. Lot proceeded towards Abraham. He visited him, and when he recounted the story of his people, he was surprised to learn that Abraham already knew. So, Lot continued to invite people to Allah, as did Abraham, the patient one who turned to Allah repentantly, and the two held firm to their mission."

The wayfarer asked, "Is there a punishment for those disgusting homosexuals?" The soldier said, "O young man, The crime of homosexuality is one of the greatest of crimes, the worst of sins and the most abhorrent of deeds, and Allah punished those who did it in a way that He did not punish other nations. It is indicative of violation of the fitrah, total misguidance, weak intellect and lack of religious commitment, and it is a sign of doom and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.” This hadith is recorded by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah, classed as sahih.
The scholars differed as to whether it is to be punished more severely than zina, or whether the punishment for zina should be more severe, or whether the punishments should be the same. There are three points of view, firstly,  Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas, Maalik, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Imam Ahmad according to the more sound of the two reports from him and al-Shaafa’i according to one of his opinions, were of the view that the punishment for homosexuality should be more severe than the punishment for zina, and the punishment is execution in all cases, whether the person is married or not. Secondly,  Al-Shaafa’i, according to the well-known view of his madhhab, and Imam Ahmad according to the other report narrated from him, were of the view that the punishment for the homosexual should be the same as the punishment for the adulterer. Thirdly, Imam Abu Haneefah was of the view that the punishment for the homosexual should be less severe than the punishment for the adulterer, and it is a punishment to be determined by the judge.
Those who favoured the first view, who are the majority of the ummah – and more than one scholar narrated that there was consensus among the Sahaabah on this point – said that there is no sin that brings worse consequences than homosexuality, and they are second only to the evil consequences of kufr, and they may be worse than the consequences of murder."

The soldier then said, "O young man, surely, when the heart does not contemplate Paradise and the Fire, hoping in the former and running away from the latter, the heart succumbs to feebleness, its resolve becomes weaker and its exuberance fades away. Whenever the heart becomes stronger in its pursuit for Paradise and in performing its deeds, one’s resolve becomes firmer, his exuberance stronger and his dedication greater. Know that excessive engagement in the affairs of this life is easy, but disassociating from them is very hard. Soon afterwards, death will approach and bring with it an end to every type of delight and joy. Death, as hard as it is, is easier than the horrors that follow it.
The life of this world is short, and the most rich in it are still poor. Death is about to strike you and bring the smell of the wind of estrangement, even before you depart this life, and make known to you the imminent orphaning of your offspring. Therefore, wake up fom your sleep of heedlessness and thoughtlessness, and remove love of this life from your head. Surely, when the slave closes his eyes and perishes, he will wish that he is given respite, but his request will be denied.

Any day, this life will come to an end and the Hereafter will commence, and what seemed far away will suddenly become near. What you used to see as the past, will become you in the eyes of those who remained alive after you. You might die all of a sudden or after an illness. You will then be carried away to your grave; these are constant reminders and types of death that strike all around you. Yet, you persist in your sleep and take joy in your thoughtlessness.
O young man, be aware that the arrows of death have already been targeted towards you, so beware of them. Yet, here you are erecting the bows of prolonged ho es before you, so beware of them, as well. The lures and tests of life are surrounding you from evecy direction, so erect a barrier between you and them. Do not be deceived by your current easy life, for it is bound to vanish, its dwelling wil end in departure andJts string is bound to be pull back: and become short. Hence, those who think about the serious consequences of life will take heed and prepare themselves. Certainly, those who are aware of the length of their journey will prepare adequately for traveling. And Allah knows best."

"And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?" - [QS.54:40]\

[Part 1]

Bahasa

Reference :
- Ibn Kathir, Stories of the Prophet, Darussalam
- The History of Al-Tabari Volume II : Prophets and Patriarchs, translated and annotated by William M. Brinner, SUNY Press
- Abdul Malik bin Muhammad, Life is a Fading Shadows, Darussalam
- Syaikh Safiurrahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume VII, Darussalam
- Maulana Hifzur Rahman Soeharwy, Qasasul Ambiyaa, Idara Impex
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen, The Ill-Effects of Sins, Al-Hidaayah

When the Wrong was Justified (1)

The soldier then said, "O young man, to invite to the good and prohibit the wrong is a very important duty and the mission of the Messengers, alaihimussalam, is to fulfil this responsibility. When there is no prophet or Messenger of Allah alive, the duty falls upon the shoulders of the Ulemas. Therefore the Qur'an and the Hadith have put much emphasis on the duty, promising great reward for those who carry out this duty and warns against discarding it or neglecting it. The Quran tells the story of the role of the ulama in the story of Ashabul Sabbath." The young wayfarer said, "Tell me about the story, please!" The soldier said, "From the time of Prophet Musa, alayhissalam, to a long time afterwards, a group from Bani Israel came to settle on the coast of the Red Sea. There they used to live from the fish cought there, and the selling of the fish. They used to catch fish for six days of the week and on the seventh day they used to spend the day in the worship of Allah.
Actually, Abraham had fixed one specific day of the week, especially for the worship of Allah of the seven days, he fixed Friday. During the era of Moses, Bani Israel, due to their crookedness demanded from him that the day for worship should be changed to Saturday. They insisted, and ultimately, Allah informed Moses, alayhissalam, through revelation that He, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, had acceded to their request and Saturday became the day of worship. Hence they should now honour and respect this day and its sanctity. Now it will be prohibited for them to do any baying, selling, farming, trading and hunting on that sacred day."

The young wayfarer asked, "So, what happenned to those fishermen?" The soldier said, "For six days, the fish used to hide themselves and on the seventh day they were seen swimming about freely. In this way Allah was testing Bani Israel and testing the strength of their faith and their obedience. It became even move difficult getting hold of fish on the six fishing days while on the seventh day there was an abundance of fish to be seen.
For some days these Bani Israel used to be patient, looking at this situation. But soon, some of them could not bear it any more and started inventing plans to circumvent the ban on fishing on the Sabbath. Some of them used to dig big holes near the sea and also dug such sluits that led to these holes. This was done on the Friday and as the fish appeared on the Sabbath day with the rising of the water, the sea water used to reach those holes through the sluits which were like channels. In the manner the fish landed in the holes to be taken out of there the next day i.e. Sunday.

Some others among them again used to spread their fishing nets into the water as well as their hooks. Fish used to be caught in these nets and were taken out the Sunday after the Sabbath was over. They were quite pleased with these plans. When their Ulama and sincere good fearing ones used to prohibit them from these actions, they simply said that Allah had prohibited fishing on the Sabbath and that they are not fishing on that day but on the Sunday. Even through their hearts and minds were telling them it was wrong but because of there crooked temperament they were telling themselves that this plan was okay with Allah.
In actual fact, they were not actually acting according to the law. This was a^deceitful plan devised to by pass Allah's commands. It was a plan of deceit and fraud with which they themselves went astray, trying also to mislead others. Others followed them and so it happened that a larger group of them who acted against the law of the Sabbath. Seeing this a group of God-fearing souls took courage and tried their utmost to get them to stop these acts. However they would not heed the appeal. Then this group got divided into two groups: One group said it was useless to try to get them to stop. They will not listen. If they had considered it a sin there was still a chance of getting them straight. But seeing that they have devised these means of making some wrong into something lawful, you can be sure that Allah's punishment will be near.

The other group, felt it was their duty to call upon the wrong-doers to desist right up to the end. However they did not heed and this group still did not lose hope at all. There was still the chance that they would receive the help of Allah and terminate their bad deeds. The Qur'an records their conversations in the surah an-Nisa [7], verse 164, Allah says, "And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."
In the case those who happened to break the sanctity of the Sabbath through their deceitful plans, continued to do so, paying no attention to the words of advice given to them. Initially Allah gave them a chance of mending their ways but at last Allah’s punishment descended on them. In the same manner that they had through their plans managed to change Allah’s commands, He changed their outward appearances and through a simple order, of "Be” , They were transformed into apes. Immediately they were deprived of the honour of being human beings and became an admonition and a lesson and warning for others after them.

When the one group, who always used to preach to them to desist from those prohibited acts, saw that the stubborn and disobedient ones were not inclined to stop their deeds of disobedience, they cut of all relations with them, stopping all social contact with them like eating and drinking with them and went so far as to close their doors to them to avoid any kind of intercourse with them. Thus when an a certain day Allah’s punishment descended on them, these people for several hours did not come to know of it. But when after some time they noticed no movements from their side, they went to investigate and instead of people, they found apes in their places. They said to them: ’’Did we not warn you of this terrible punishment?" Like animals, they shook their heads to admit, while tears were streaming from their eyes in sorrow. The majority of scholars believe this was a real transformation physically. transformed. The transformation brought about such changes in their bodies and constitutions that they could not survire and died soon."
The wayfarer asked, "I'm curious, are apes from humans?" The soldier said, "There is a hadith in Sahih Muslim and Musnad Ahmad, a man asked the Propeth (ﷺ) the same question as yours, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Verily, Allah did not cause the race of those which suffered metamorphosis to grow or they were not survived by young ones. Monkeys and swine had been in existence even before.'" And Allah know best."

The soldier then said, "Whatever harm and hardship has befallen the people in their wealth or security, individuals or societies is due to their sins and their having neglected the commands of Allah and his prescribed laws, and their seeking judgement amongst the people by other than the prescribed laws of Allah, Who created all of creation and was more merciful to them than their mothers and fathers, and He is the One who knows better than themselves what is most beneficial for them. As for whatever evil has befallen us, whether famine or fear, or whatever else causes harm, then it is due to our ownselves, we are the ones who have wronged ourselves and led ourselves to destruction. Many people attribute the misfortunes which befall them, whether relating to wealth and economics, or security and political affairs to purely materialistic causes, to political causes, economic reasons, or problems due to borders. There are some people who doubt and seek to cause doubts that sins are a cause of misfortunes, like the People of Lot."

The young wayfarer said, "Tell me about the People of Lot!" The soldier said, "I will begin the story when Allah sent Jibril and two other angels, Mikail and Israfil. They arrived, walking, in the shape of young men. The angels were ordered to visit Abraham and give him and Sarah tidings of the coming of Isaac and also of Jacob who was to come after him. When they came to Abraham, he had had no guests for two weeks, and it was becoming unbearable to him to have no one visiting him or receiving hospitality from him. Abraham used to give hospitality to whoever came to visit him, since Allah had made him prosperous and given him ample sustenance, wealth, and servants. So when he saw the messengers, he rejoiced. He saw guests who had more goodness and beauty than any guests to whom he had given hospitality before, and he said, "No one but I myself will serve these people, with my own hands." The angels say, "Salaman!" Abraham replied, "Salamun!" So he went to his house servants and brought fatted calf which he had roasted until it was well done. He offered it to them, but they did not reach out to eat of it. When he saw this, Abraham mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them, since they did not eat his food. They said, "Do not be afraid! We are sent to the people of Lot." Sarah was standing nearby, and when she heard of Allah's command, she laughed, knowing what she knew of the people of Lot. Then they told her of the coming of Isaac and, after Isaac, of Jacob, they told her she would have a son and grandson. She struck her face in surprise and said, "Woe is me! How can I have a child when I am a barren old woman? " Sarah was ninety years old at the time and Abraham was one hundred and twenty. When Abraham lost his fear and heard the news about Isaac and Jacob and the descendants he was to have through Isaac, his fear evaporated and he felt safe. He said, "Praise be to Allah Who has granted me, despite my age, Ishmael and Isaac. Verily my Rabb is One Who hears prayer!"

Then the angels said to him, "We are about to destroy the people of that township, for its people are wrongdoers." Abraham said to them, "Do you think that there are fifty believers among the people of Sodom?" They said, "If there are fifty among them, we will not punish them." He said, "And forty?" They said, "Nor if there are forty." He said, "And thirty?" They said, "Nor if there are thirty." Until he reached ten, and they said, "And even if there are ten." He said, "There is no nation that does not have ten good people in it." When the messengers told Abraham about the condition of the people of Lot, he said to them, "Lot is there." And the messengers said, "We are best aware of who is there. We are to deliver him and his household, all but his wife, who is one of those who is to stay behind."
The young wayfarer asked, "So, who is Lot?" The soldier said, "Lot bin Haran bin Terah, son of Abraham's brother. He is a prophet, as well. Lot traveled from the land of Babylon with his paternal uncle, Abraham, Al-Khalil, believing in him and following his religion. They went to Syria as fugitives, and with them went Sarah bint Nahor. Abraham's father, Terah, went with them, still opposing Abraham's religion and remaining an unbeliever. When they reached Harran, Terah died, still an unbeliever. Abraham, Lot, and Sarah went on to Syria and then to Egypt, which was then ruled by a Pharaoh. It is mentioned that this Pharaoh was Sinan ibn 'Alwan ibn Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Imlaq ibn Lud ibn Shem ibn Noah. It is also said that he was a brother of al-Dahhak, who had appointed him governor of Egypt.

Sarah was one of the best human beings that ever existed. She would not disobey Abraham in any way, for which God honored her. When her goodness and beauty were described to Pharaoh, he sent a message to Abraham asking, "Who is this woman who is with you?" He replied, "She is my sister." He feared that if Pharaoh learned that Sarah was his wife, he would kill him to possess her. Pharaoh said to Abraham, "Adorn her and send her to me so that I may look at her." Abraham went back to Sarah and said, "This tyrant asked me about you, and I told him that you are my sister. So do not say anything when you see him. You are my sister in faith, for in all this land there are no Muslims except ourselves."
Abraham took her to the tyrant and stood up to pray. When she came into the tyrant's presence, he bent forward to touch her, but was suddenly seized by a powerful paralysis. He said, "Pray to your God and I will not harm you." So she prayed for him, and he was set free. Then he reached out for her again, and again, hewas seized by the paralysis. And he said, "Pray to your God and I will not harm you." So she prayed for him and he was released. Then he did the same thing yet again, and again he was seized. And he asked Sarah to pray for him and was released. He called the lowest of his chamberlains and said,"You did not bring me a human being, you rought me a devil. Take her away and give Hagar to her ." She was taken out and given Hagar, and she went away with her. When Abraham saw her coming back, he interrupted his prayer and said, "What is the matter?" She answered, "Allah has protected me from the unbelieving libertine and has given me Hagar as a servant." Hagar was the daughter of a king who was taken prisoner by Pharaoh. She was a woman of good appearance and Sarah gave her to Abraham, saying, "I consider her a clean woman, so take her. Perhaps God will grant you a son from her." For Sarah was barren and had grown old without bearing a son for Abraham. Abraham had prayed to God to grant him a pious son, but the prayer was not answered until he had become old and Sarah barren. So, Hagar bore Ishmael.

Abraham, Lot, and Sarah went back to Syria. Abraham settled in Palestine and settled his nephew Lot in Jordan, and that Allah sent Lot to the people of Sodom. The people of Sodom were disbelievers, and were also immoral, as Allah has said in the Quran, Surah Al-Ankabut[29], verses 28-29, "And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Indeed, you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds. Indeed, you approach men and obstruct the road and commit in your meetings [every] evil." And the answer of his people was not but they said, "Bring us the punishment of Allah, if you should be of the truthful."
Lot called on them to worship Allah. By Allah's command, he tried to prohibit them from doing those things which Allah disliked such as brigandage, committing lewd acts, and entering males in the posteriors. Because they persisted in doing those things and refused to repent of them, he threatened them with painful doom. But his threats did not restrain them, and his admonitions only increased their perseverence, insolence, and provocation of punishment from Allah. They rejected his admonitions, saying to him, "Bring God's doom upon us, if you are telling the truth!" At length Lot asked his Lord for help against them, since the matter was dragging on and on, as was their persistence in sinfulness.Then Allah sent Gabriel and two other angels, they came in the form of young men.
After meeting Abraham, then the angels moved on toward Sodom, the town of the people of Lot. When they reached it, they met Lot's daughter who was drawing water.

[Part 2]

Bahasa

Then the Dams Exploded

Then the tailor said, "O young man, Allah has created man weak, and he needs to cooperate continuously with others throughout his life.  The Muslims need one another with regard to both worldly and religious affairs, hence cooperation among Muslims is something important that Allah has enjoined and He has made cooperation the basis for religious and worldly well being.  If the Muslims achieve this cooperation, they are described as a strong, integrated structure, and as a single body. All of that confirms that cooperation and mutual support among them is something essential. That includes many aspects in the lives of Muslims.
It is well known that people’s interactions cannot be sound, and their interests cannot be achieved and they cannot be united and their enemies cannot feel any awe of them except by means of Islamic solidarity, the reality of which is cooperation in righteousness and piety, and mutual support, love, sincerity, and urging one another to follow the truth and be steadfast and patient. Undoubtedly this is among the most important of Islamic duties and obligations.
Islamic solidarity among the Muslims – individuals, societies, governments and peoples – is one of the most important of ideas, and one of the duties which are essential to the welfare of society and the well being of their religious affairs and the soundness of their interactions and to united them against their common foe. There are many verses and ahaadeeth which speak of this, if not in these exact words then in similar meanings. Islamic solidarity means helping one another, standing shoulder to shoulder, supporting and advising one another and other such phrases. That includes enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, calling others to Allaah, and guiding people to that which will lead to their happiness and salvation, in this world and the Hereafter. That also includes teaching the ignorant, helping the destitute, supporting the one who is wronged, stopping the wrongdoer from wronging others, establishing the law of Allaah, maintaining security, stopping miscreants and mischief-makers, protecting roads, providing means of transportation by land, sea and air, and providing means of communication both land-based and wireless, so that their common worldly and religious interests may be achieved, and so as to facilitate cooperation between Muslims in everything that may protect the truth, establish justice and spread peace and security in all regions. Mutual support also includes reconciling between Muslims, resolving armed conflicts between them and fighting the offending party until it complies with the command of Allah.

Always look into the Book of Allah, and into the Sunnah of our Prophet (ﷺ), and ponder over them both thoroughly, for verily, contained in them two, is much goodness. Know, that the most important of requirements, and the most obligatory of the obligations, is Tawhld. So make it the center of your concerns; so learn it, in knowledge or 'Ilm, action or ‘Amal, and calling to it, for indeed, it was the center of concern for the Da’wah of your exemplary master, our beloved Prophet (ﷺ).
Take moral lessons from the Quran and the Sunnah. There is no best words but the words of Allah, and there is no best guidance but the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ). Remember, the worst human who deceive Allah, were humans who were made apes like the Sabbaths. The worst people who seek justification because of their lust, will be destroyed by Allah like the people of Lot. And the worst civilization who deny the favor of Allah, will be driven out of their land, like the people of Saba.

The young wayfarer said, "Tell me about the story of Saba!"The tailor said, "O young man, history teaches us that the nation which lives a comfortable and prosperious life of happiness and fearlessly spend their lives in luxury, and then becomes involved in disobedience, then their all into destruction is not a mere matter of chance or hard luck, but as a result of the law of Retribution. The background to the rise and fall of nations is not governed by mere chance or in a haphazard manner, but is something that is subject to specific Divine principles. Sometimes the causes for a nations rise or fall are so clear and self-evident that any novice may recognise them easily and sometimes these causes are different from the generally accepted reasons and is based upon obedience and disobedience to Allah’s laws.
Saba is one of the well-known Tribes of the Qahtani nation. The genealogists, say that Saba' 'Abd Shams bin Yashjub bin Ya'rub bin Qahtaan, was the first of the Arabs who Saba' and that was why he was called Saba'. He he was the first person to he crowned and was also called al-Ra'ish ("the philanthropist"), because he gave to the people from his own wealth. It is said that the royal palace at Ghamadan was an engineering master-piece. This palace consisted of twenty storeios and the top storey was constructed of precious crystal glass. There were other unique grand buildings.And during the kingdom of Saba there were gold mines producing gold. Moreover the areas of Hadramount and Yemen were also noted for producing fragrance and the pearls of Oman and Bahrain were considered to be second to none in the world. The coastal areas of Yemen was a market for the whole area and Trade was carried on with Syria, Egypt, Europe, India and China.

The people of Saba constructed over a hundred dams for the purpose of storing and retaining water for irrigating their lands and orchards and to keep these fertile all over Yemen. In this way the whole country became fertile, green and prosperous. Of all these dams, the greatest dam was the dam od Ma'arib which was constructed in the capital city of Ma’aarib. The builders of Saba were quite well acquainted with the arts of engineering and construction. Towards the south of Ma’aarib on the right end left side there are two mountains which are known as Mount Ablaq. Between these two mountains there is a very long and wide valley known as Waadi Ithniyah. When rain fals in this area or when water flows out of fountains, this valley becomes like a river. The people of Saba saw this and around theyear 800 B.C. they built a wall across the valley and constructed a dam. For quite a long time they remained busy constructing this dam wall.
The dam itself was two miles square. It was 150 feet long and 50 feet wide, of which the major section had by then become broken down and destroyed. One third of it still remains till today. Lands were irrigated for an area of 300 squares miles to water the date orchards, the beautiful gardens of fruits and vegetables, the fragrant lands of flowers, as well as the fragrant trees and gardens. So, fertile and liscious did these things that the whole world around there became changed into a garden of paradise.

Because Yemen was a land of abundance in fragrant scents, fruits and flowers and because it was granted great wealth in mineral resources of gold, silver and other minerals, there was a general abundance of wealth and trade. All this served to make the people of Saba quite prosperous and living a life of comfort and ease and continuous happiness as they continued to enjoy Allah's bounties and favours. Moreover their surroundings being like a garden of paradise, the weather being very moderate, the people were safe in the absence of mosquites, flies and fleas which could possibly cause them any harm.
For some time, the people of Saba continued to look upon these bounties as favours from Allah, appreciating them as such.They continued to carry out the commands of Allah. However, as time passed, their wealthy position and prosperity, luxury and comforts started to create within them, bad characteristics like arrogance and pride. This bad turn detariorated until they ever went so far as to cast aside the true religion and turned over the Kufr and Shirk. The people of Saba were First Muslims but slowly and gradually they adopted ' Kufr'. In their higher ranks the people of Saba used to be sun worshippers. In the lower stages they became idol worshippers which was the national religion.

Allah did not immediately punish them, but gave them a period of respite while Allah's messengers tried to call them to the path of truth. During this time, Allah sent 13 messengers to them. They tried to make them realize that the favours of Allah were not meant for them to become drunk with the enjoyment there of and to discard proper manner and character and also not for the sake of becoming rebels against Allah.If that is what they did, it was a bad way they had chosen for themselves. In the end, history repeated itself and they faced the same result which others previous to them were made to experience.
Allah sent over them two forms of punishment, as a result of which their paradise like gardens and orchards, were destroyed and in the place of that desert like plants and
thorn bushes started to grow as if to bear witness that such is the end result of those who rebel against Allah with disobedience.

The magnificent infrastructure which they had constructed and which irrigated an area of 300 square miles and of which they were very proud, as it transformed the whole environment into beautiful, fertile pastures and fields and made Yemen a veritable rose-garden, that reservoir at Allah’s command, burst open and its waters suddenly flooded the whole valley and spread over the gardens and drowned everything in its wake and destroyed every thing. And when the waters dried up, the gardens of the area between the two mountains, was transformed into an area of reeds and thorn bushes and desert trees, the fruits of which were exceedingly bitter.
When this punishment came upon the people of Saba and Ma'aarib, all their strength and power could not stop the destruction. Their knowledge of engineering and the art of dam construction was of no use. For them there was no other way out but to leave their beloved land and disperse to other areas.

After the breaking down of the reservoir at Ma’aarib, the inhabitants of the town became dispersed all over in various areas.That was, however, not the end of their punishment. This is because not only did the people of Saba adopt an arrogant attitude in showing ingratitude for the favours of Allah and opting for Kufr and Shirk, but they had been used to travel from Yemen to Syria along comfortable routes with such comfortable stopping places that they hardly could know the obstacles of travel. During those journeys, they had become used to cold water at their disposal at all times with fragrant scents and sweet fruits readily available.
Allah said, "And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey, [saying], 'Travel between them by night or day in safety.' But [insolently] they said, "Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys," and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful."
They had failed to be thankful for these favours. The ungratefulness of the unfortunate people’s reached such a state that in their desires and aspirations they were actually inviting upon themselves Allah's wrath and punishment while being completely unmindful of the results of their actions.
In this state of their ungratefulness, Allah sent upon their another punishment in that all along the route from Yemen to Syria, the whole world became cleared of all inhabitants, all the towns and villages near to each other, all the caravan stops and the commercial and trading posts in between, which used to serve the travellers on their journeys and saw to their comforts and to remove all their obstacles, all these places became devoid of all inhabitants. The whole area became filled and covered in dust and empty of people.

The flood of 'Iram did not come over the whole of Yemen but only directly affected the capital city Ma’aarib and its vicinity, but its destruction spread for many miles around. Only these people who were directly affected by the floods were forced to leave their home-towns and to settle elsewhere. However when the second punishment came, the whole of Yemen was affected and the other tribes of Saba were also faced to disperse. This brought about the end of the government of Saba.
The people of Saba, accepted Allah's Dien around 950 B.C. For centuries they attached themselves to this religion, but like other nations before them, they also turned away from obedience. Then Allah's Messengers came towards them or sent their representatives to call them to the path of guidance. However like those other nations, they also cast Allah's favours behind their backs. This was why one century before the coming of Prophet 'Isa, alaihissalam, the floods of Iram came upon them and destroyed the whole generation of Saba'.
Maymuun bin Qays, spoke the verses

"In that there is a moral for those who seek morals,
Ma'rib was wiped out by the torrent of al-'Arim,
Marble, built for them by Himyar,
Which did not budge when the raging billows came
Its water irrigated the crops and the vines
Far and wide, since it was decreed
Then they were scattered and could not
Give drink to a child when just weaned."

Then tailor said, "O young man, sins affect the security of a land; they affect its ease; its prosperity; its economy; and they affect the hearts of its people. Sins cause alienation between the people. Sins cause one Muslim to regard his Muslim brother as if he were upon a separate religion other than Islam. But if we sought to rectify ourselves, our families, our neighbours and those in our areas, and everyone we are able to rectify, if we mutually encouraged good and forbade evil,if we assisted those who do this with wisdom and wise admonition - then it would produce unity and harmony.
I call myself and you, O my young man, as well as my brothers and sisters, to come together under the shade of the Deen of Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala; support one another in establishing the Sharee’ah of Allah; advise each other sincerely with wisdom and wise admonition; debate with those whom we have to debate with in the best way and by satisfying them with textual proofs and intellectual proofs, and do not abandon those who don't know, since they have a right upon us that we should explain the truth to them and encourage them to follow it and that we explain what is false to them and warn them against it."

"[By] that We repaid them because they disbelieved. And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful? - [QS.34:17]

Bahasa

Reference :
- Ibn Katheer, Stories of the Quran, Dar Al-Manarah
- Syaikh Safiurrahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume VII, Darussalam
- Maulana Hifzur Rahman Soeharwy, Qasasul Ambiyaa, Idara Impex
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen, The Ill Effects of Sins, Al-Hidaayah

Just One Sayhah

"O young man, give thanks for the blessings of Allah upon you which you are about to hear. O nation of Muhammad (ﷺ), you are the best and most noble of the nation of Allah. Allah does not punish this nation for its disobedience and sins in the way that He punished the previous nations. He will not cause its destruction with a single overwhelming punishment as happened to ’Ad, when they were destroyed by the violent wind which He unleashed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession so that they were left lying like the hollow trunks of palm trees - do you see any remnants of them? He will not destroy it with the like of the punishment of Thamud who were seized by the terrible shout and the earthquake so that they lay prostrate corpses in their homes. And He will not destroy it with the like of the punishment of the people of Lot, against whom Allah sent a violent wind and stones from the sky and turned their homes upside down, " said the tailor to the young wayfarer.

Then he continued, "O young man, Allah, from His Wisdom and His Mercy, punishes this nation for its sins and disobedience by setting some part of it upon the others so that they destroy one another and take each other prisoner. From Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt, radhiyallaahu 'anhuma, narrated from his father, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed Salat, making it long. They said, 'O Messenger of Allah! You have performed Salat in a manner which you do not ordinarily perform it.' He  said, 'Yes, It was a prayer of hope and fear. In it I asked Allah for three things. He granted me two, and withheld one from me. I asked him that my Ummah not be destroyed by drought. He granted that. I asked him that they not be overcome by enemies from other then them. He granted that. And I asked him that some of them not suffer from the harm of others, and He withheld that." This hadeeth is reported by Imam Ahmad, an-Nasa’i and at-Tirmidhi, there is also in Sahih Muslim, narrated by 'Amr ibn Sa'd.

In the Noble Quran, Allah tells us about these nations who disbelieved in their Messengers, and how He destroyed them and sent various kinds of punishments and vengeance upon them. ‘Ad, the people of Hud, used to live in the Ahqaf (curved sand-hills), near Hadramawt, in the Yemen. Thamud, the people of Salih, lived in Al-Hijr, near Wadi Al-Qura. The Arabs used to know their dwelling place very well, and they often used to pass by it. Qarun was the owner of great wealth and had the keys to immense treasures. Fir'awn, the king of Egypt at the time of Musa, and his minister Haman were two Coptics who disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him." said the Tailor to the young wayfarer. Then he said, "Do you know, there were nations that completely destroyed by Divine punishment? Before the time of Moses, peace be upon him, among the nations who were destroyed by Allah are the people of 'Ad, Thamud, Madyan and Aykah, the people of al-Rass, the people al-Qaryah, the people of Lot, people of Tubba', the Sabbath breaker, and many generations between them. The Noble Quran does not relate historical facts merely for the sake of telling a story which is of historical value. Its main aim in relating happenings is to draw attention to the results, conclusions and deductions from these incidents so that they become a source of guidance for men and prove to be lessons for them that appeal to their minds and emotions that from these historical events, lessons should be derived. These lessons should convince them that the existence of Allah is an undeniable fact and that His Mighty Hand is playing a major role in the affairs of men. It should also bring to their notice that to follow the stipulations of His deen brings success and leads to salvation and is the way towards all progress. That is what Islam is about."

The wayfarer said, "Tell me about the people of al-Rass!" The tailor said, "If you read surah Ya-Sin, in verses 13-30, you will find this story. The word 'Rass' devotes as ancient well and as such the As-Habul Rass are "those who resided in the vicinity of the ancient well." The Qur'an tells and makes reference to the disobedience of these people and the punishment meeted out to them in the form of destruction. the Ashaabul Ras is mentioned in the Quran among these peoples who rejected the messengers of Allah and nocked at them and as a result were made to face destruction." The wayfarer asked, "Why are they called the companions of the Rass?" The tailor said, "Ibn Katheer states that some Mufassireen say that in the area of Azarbaijan, there was an ancient well called Rass. The people who lived in that valley were called the Companions of Rass.
The people of ar-Rass had a well from where they collected water from their needs and also irrigated their lands from it. Those people had a king over them who was just and kind. When he passed away, they mourned over him greatly and mourned for a long time. After some days, Shaytân approached them in guise of that king and said, “I did not die but only disappeared so that I could watch what you do after me.” The people became very happy. He then ordered them to erect a barrier between him and them and said that he will never die. Most of the people believed him, and then became a fitna for them.

They then started worshipping him. So, Allah sent to them a Prophet who informed them that the one speaking to them from behind the barrier was actually Shaytân. He forbade them from worshipping him and ordered them to worship Allah Alone, Who has no partner. The Prophet used to receive revelations during his sleep and that his name was Handhalah ibn Safwân. However, his people became his enemy and subsequently killed him and threw him in a well. The water of that well then dried up, thus the people became short of water to irrigate their lands or to drink from. Their town started ruining slowly to such an extent that after sometime, they were destroyed, completely, with no one remaining alive.
Ibn Asâkir mentioned in the beginning of his book of history along with the mention of the building of Damascus, that Allah sent a Prophet to the people of ar-Rass called Handhalah ibn Safwân. The people belied and killed him. So ‘Âd ibn Aws ibn Eram ibn Sam ibn Nooh and his son left ar-Rass and descended in al-Ahqâf. After that, Allah destroyed the people of ar-Rass and the descendants of these other people spread all over Yemen and other parts of Earth. Then Jabroon ibn Sa’d ibn ‘Âd ibn Aws ibn Eram ibn Sâm ibn Nooh went to Damascus and built a city there, which he named Jabroon. This is the same city which is referred to in the Qur’an as “Eram of the pillars”. Then Allah sent Hood ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Rabah ibn Khâlid ibn Jalood ibn ‘Âd. This is referred to the descendants of ‘Âd, who had descendants in al-Ahqâf. They had subsequently rejected and belied him and so Allah destroyed them. All this prove that the people of ar-Rass came before the people of ‘Âd by many generations.
From this incident we know that for anyone with an eye to take warning and an ear to listen to a warning, it is enough to know that anyone who disregards Allah's commands and go against his commands committing sins and disobedience, after having given them time to reform and repeat, and if they still persist in their rebellious ways, then Allah's punishment will come over them with destruction for them. And Allah knows best."

The wayfarer asked, "And tell me about Ashabul Qaryah!" The tailor said, "The story is mentioned in the Quran, Surah Ya-sin[36], verses 13-29. There was a city, in which there was a king, called Antiochus the son of Antiochus, who used to worship idols. Allah sent to him and his people, three Messengers, whose names were Sadiq, Saduq and Shalum, and they disbelieved in them. At first, Allah sent to them two Messengers, they denied them both. Then Allah supported and strengthened them with a third Messenger. and they said to the people of that city, "Indeed, we are messengers from your Rabb Who created you and Who commands you to worship Him Alone with no partners or associates" But the people of the city said, "You are not but human beings like us, how could you receive revelation when you are human beings and we are human beings, so why do we not receive revelation like you? If you are Messengers, you should be angels." The messengers said, "Allah knows that we are His Messengers to you. If we were lying, He would have taken the utmost vengeance against us, but He will cause us to prevail and will make us victorious against you, and you will come to know whose will be the happy end in the Hereafter. All we have to do is to convey to you the Message with which we have been sent; if you obey, then happiness will be yours in this world and the Hereafter, and if you do not respond, you will soon know the consequences of that."
The people said, "Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment." The messengers said, "Your omen is with yourselves. Is it because you were reminded? Rather, you are a transgressing people."

The people of the city resolved to kill their Messengers, then a man came running to them from the farthest part of the town, to help them against his people. His is name was Habib An-Najjar, and he used to work with ropes. He was a sickly man who suffered from leprosy, and he was very charitable, giving half of his earnings in charity. He urged his people to follow the Messengers who had come to them. He said, "O my people, follow the messengers. Follow those who do not ask of you any payment for the Message which they convey to you, and they are rightly-guided in what they are calling you to, then worship of Allah Alone with no partner or associate. On the Day of Resurrection, when He will requite you for your deeds: if they are good then you will be rewarded and if they are evil then you will be punished. Shall I take besides Him gods? These gods whom you worship instead of Him possess no power whatsoever, if Allah wills me some harm. These idols can neither cause any harm nor bring any benefit, and they cannot save me from the predicament I am in. Then verily, I should be in plain error If I were to take them as gods instead of Allah."
The people started to stone him while he was saying, ‘O Allah, guide my people for they do not know," and the people kept stoning him until he died a violent death, and he was still praying for them and he had no one to protect him from that. They stamped on him until his intestines came out of his back passage.

Allah said to him, "Enter Paradise." So, he entered it with all its bountiful provision, when Allah had taken away from him all the sickness, grief and exhaustion of this world. When he saw with his own eyes how Allah had honored him, he said, "I wish my people could know of how my Rabb has forgiven me and placed me among the honored." He wished that his people could know about what he was seeing with his own eyes of the honor of Allah. If they could see the great reward and everlasting blessings that he had attained, this would lead them to follow the Messengers. May Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him, for he was so keen that his people should be guided.
So, Allah destroyed that tyrant king, and destroyed the people, and they disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving no trace behind. Allah says, 'And We did not send down upon his people after him any soldiers from the heaven, nor would We have done so. It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished.' Allah tells us that He took revenge on his people after they had killed him because He, may He be blessed and exalted, was angry with them, for they had disbelieved in His Messengers and killed His close friend. Allah tells us that He did not send an army of angels, nor did He need to send them, to destroy these people; the matter was simpler than that. Allah sent Jibril, peace be upon him, to them, and he seized the pillars at the gate of their city, then he hurled one Sayhah (a shout) upon them and lo! they all were still, to the last man among them, and no soul was left in any body. How regretful for the servants. There did not come to them any messenger except that they used to ridicule him."

The wayfarer said, "Could you tell me what is the moral lessons on this event?" The tailor said, "First, the people of falsehood have ways had this idea that a messenger of Allah should be someone above nature and not a human being. This belief is based upon stupidity because in view of the fact that man lives on this earth it is only logical that for his guidance on earth the messenger should be a human being. Second, wherever the traces of evil and corruption are in abundance, there too the spirit of righteousness and good fortune will also show itself and in the field of helping the truth will show its courage. Third, the more the truth begins to shine brightly, the forces of evil will also become more and more prevalent and instead of bringing forth sound arguments will become inclined towards war and violence, but the haugers-on of the truth will not mind that and be prepared to sacrifice their life for the truth."

The tailor then said, "So, fear Allah, o young man! And look to your affairs and repent before your Rabb and correct your way towards Him. Know that these punishments which have come upon you and these trials that have been inflicted upon you are your own doing and due to your sins. So, for each chastisement repent and turn to Allah and seek the refuge of Allah, the Most High, from the trials; the material trials relating to the person: killing, injury and being forced from ones home; trials relating to wealth: decrease and loss; and trials relating to the Deen - the doubts and desires which assail the hearts and keep the Ummah away from the Deen of Allah, and keep it away from the way of our Pious Predecessors (Salaf ) and which lead it to destruction. The trials of the heart are the worst and the most severe of all the trials in this world since worldly misfortunes when they occur can only cause loss in this world, which will pass away anyway, whether sooner or later but trials relating to the Deen cause loss of this world and the Hereafter."

"It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished." - [QS.36.29]

Bahasa

Reference :
- Ibn Katheer, Stories of the Quran, Dar Al-Manarah
- Syaikh Safiurrahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume VII, Darussalam
- Maulana Hifzur Rahman Soeharwy, Qasasul Ambiyaa, Idara Impex
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen, The Ill Effects of Sins, Al-Hidaayah

Men and the Universe (2)

The Tinker continued, "When one hundred and thirty years of Adam's life had passed—that is, five years after Cain had killed Abel— Hawwa' gave birth to Adam's son Seth and his sister Hazurah. Hawwa' gave birth to him, Gabriel said to her, "This is God's gift in place of Abel. Seth's name is Shith in Arabic, Shath in Syriac, and Shith in Hebrew. He was Adam's legatee. When Adam was about to die, he called his son Seth and appointed him his heir. He taught him the hours of night and day and indicated to him how the creatures should worship in each hour. He informed him that each hour had its special kind of creatures to worship in it. Then he said to him, "Son, the Flood will be on earth and last seven years." He wrote his last will addressed to him. Seth reportedly was the legatee of his father Adam, so after Adam's death, political leadership fell to him.
Allah revealed one hunder and four scrolls, and Allah revealed fifty scrolls to Seth. All the children of Adam today trace their pedigree back to Seth. That is because the offspring of all the other children of Adam except those of Seth have completely disappeared, and not one of them remains. Thus, the pedigrees of all people today go back to Seth.
After wrting his last will, Adam died. The Angels assembled in his place, because he was the chosen friend of the Merciful One. Allah sent him his shroud and embalming materials from Paradise. The angels then took charge of his grave and burial and hid him from sight. The angels washed him several times with sidr and water, and dressed him in separate layers of shrouds. Then they prepared a grave and buried him. They then said, "This shall be the custom of the children of Adam after him."

Seth and his brothers were in the regions east of Paradise at a village that was the first on earth.The sun and the moon were in eclipse for seven days and nights. When the angels assembled for Adam's burial, and Seth collected the last will, he placed it upon a ladder, like that used for the ascent and descent of angels and souls, in the company of the generation that our father Adam had brought out from Paradise, so that there would be no neglect with respect to mentioning Allah.
Adam's death took place on Friday. Eve lived one year after Adam's death. Then she died. She was buried together with her spouse. That place remained the grave of Adam and Eve until the Flood. Noah then took them out, placed them in a coffin, and carried them along in the ark. When the earth had soaked up the water, he returned them to the place where they had been before the Flood.
Seth reportedly stayed in Mecca performing the hajj and 'umrah until he died. He added the scrolls revealed by Allah to him to those of his father Adam and acted in accordance with their contents. He built the Kabah with stones and clay. When Seth fell ill, he reportedly appointed his son Enosh as his legatee. After the passing of his father Seth, Enosh took over the political administration of the realm and the guidance of the subjects under his control in place of his father Seth. Enosh begot Kenan and numerous other children. Kenan was his legatee. He begot Mahalalel and other children in addition. Mahalalel was his legatee. He begot Jared (Yarid-that is, al-Yarid) and other children in addition. Jared was his legatee. He begot Enoch-that is, the prophet Idris and other children in addition.

Enoch was born and raised in Babylon following the teachings and religion of Adam and his son Seth. Enoch was the 5th generation of Adam. He called the people back to his forefathers religion, but only a few listened to him, while the majority turned away. Enoch and his followers left Babylon for Egypt. There he carried on his mission, calling people to what is just and fair, teaching them certain prayers and instructing them to fast on certain days and to give a portion of their wealth to the poor. He was the first of the Children of Adam to be given prophethood after Adam and Seth. It is reported that he was the first to invent the basic form of writing.
Enoch taught the people about Allah, and called them to implement the rules of the Religion. He emphasized that the only One Who deserves worship is Allah. Almost all the people were Muslim during the life of Enoch, there are some people were disobedient in following certain rules of the Religion. Enoch stayed in Egypt with his people for a period of time, calling people to follow the rules of the Religion. It is said that he lived 82 years on Earth. Then Allah raised him to the fourth heavens, then he died there."

Then the Tinker said, "O young man, this life is just like a race track where the horses and their riders vie to reach the finish line before the others. This is the same case with the people of this life, but they are unaware that they are in a race, because they are engaged in heedlessness. They forget all about the Day of Reckoning and do not prepare for its imminent coming. Yet, their life terms are ever decreasing and drawing them closer to the end. Al-Hasan said, “You wish you could live as long as Noah lived, even though Allah’s Order, death, strikes at someone’s door every night!”
We often witness those, who own much in this life, depart it with a mere shroud, just as the case with those who own nothing in this life. All of them become equal when they are laid into the hole of the grave and disappear inside it. The grave then becomes either a garden in Paradise or a hole in the Fire."

The young wayfarer asked, "What part of life should the Muslim avoid and which was criticized in the Qur’an?" The Tinker said, "Abu Safwan Ar-Ra‘ini was asked this question and he replied, “Every aspect of life that you covet for the sake of this life, is criticized. Every aspect of this life that you love for the sake of the Hereafter, is not included in the chastised aspects of life.”
People rush to earn this life, fearing poverty and wishing to collect its wealth, as if their stay in it is eternal and everlasting. They fear poverty, but do not fear the Reckoning; they fear hunger, but do not fear the Torment and Punishment.Al-Fudail described the difference between days as “Yesterday passed, today there is in action and tomorrow is a hope.”

The stages of this life consist of days and nights during which one travels persistently to reach the ultimate destination. If you are able to collect enough righteous provisions for each of these stages, then do so, because the journey will surely end suddenly. And regarding the days of this life, Al-Hasan said, “O son of Adam! Life is only days, so if your day passes, your life becomes shorter.”
Therefore, rush to collect enough provisions for your journey in this life and be aware that it ends before you are adequately prepared. One of our Salaf wrote to one of his friends, “ My brother, you might think that you will reside, even though in reality you continue traveling, driven to death which is headed towards you. Meanwhile, life’s term is being shortened while you are traveling and what you have spent of your life will not be returned to you until the Day of At-Taghabun."

The young wayfarer asked, " What is the Day of At-Taghabun?" The Tinker said, "The Day of Judgment when some people will lose themselves and some others will win their eternal happiness.” Then the Tinker said, "Indeed, the delights of this life, if they were collected from lawful resources and spent modestly on lawful resources, add beauty to the life of the world. This is especially the case if one spends a part of his wealth on charity, helping the distressed and supporting the needy, the orphans and the widows. Sufyan said, “Beware of Allah’s anger with regards to three: beware that you fall into shortcomings concerning what He has commanded you. Beware that He sees you while you are feeling discontent concerning the provision He has granted you. Beware of feeling dismay at your Lord if you seek a procession of this life, but cannot acquire it.”

Surely, Allah divides provision in this life and one should only feel content with his provisions, whether they were substantial or minute, and regardless if one acquires the delights of life or not. One is required to feel content with his share and not to feel distressed about it. Also, one should avoid comparing himself to those who are wealthier than he is, but compare himself instead to the righteous believers and worshippers of Allah. A wise man once said, “ Everyone (a believer) who hears about Paradise and the Fire, would spend the next hours obeying Allah, remembering Him, praying to Him, reciting the Qur’an or giving charity.” A man asked him, “ I cry a lot.” The wise man said, “It is better for you to smile while admitting your error than cry while feeling pride in your good actions, for the latter’s deeds will not be ascended higher than his head.” The man asked him for advice and he said, “ Leave this life to its people, just as they left the Hereafter to its people. Be like a bee in this life, if she eats, she eats pure food and if she feeds, she feeds pure food, and if she falls on something, she does not break or fracture it.”
Those who remember death will see this life little in their eyes and will see clearly, because the seal that hindered their sight will be removed. The life of this world is short, no matter how substantial the treasures you collect in it. Surely, all this will end when death strikes and puts an end to enjoyment and delight. Al-Hasan said, “Death has exposed the reality of this life and did not leave chance for the wise person to delight in it.”

Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi, recorded, Abu Kabshah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “ People are of four types in this life: A slave whom Allah has granted wealth and (religious) knowledge, so he fears his Lord with what he has, gives to his kith and kin and knows Allah’s rights on his wealth, and this is the best grade. And a slave whom Allah gave knowledge but not wealth, so his intention is sincere and he says, ‘If I had money, I would have done just like so-and-so (the first type),’ he will be judged according to his intention and their reward is the same. And a slave whom Allah gave wealth, but not knowledge, so he is confused and spends his wealth without knowledge; he does not fear his Lord regarding it, nor gives to kith and kin, nor knows Allah’s Rights on his wealth. This is the worst grade. And a slave whom Allah did not grant wealth or knowledge, yet he says, ‘If I had money, I would have done just like soand-so (the third and worst type of people). So he will be judged according to his intention and their evil burden will be the same.” [Hasan-Sahih]
Therefore, this life is like a farm that one plants and keeps for the Hereafter. It should be filled with acts of worship and obedience to Allah, collecting as much righteous sustenance and provisions for the Last Life.

The Tinker continued, "O young man, contemplating this life should alert you that it is but a journey that started from the intimacy between the father and the mother, passing through this life and ending in the grave. After the grave, there is the Gathering and then the permanent residence, hopefully in the Dwelling of Peace that is free from all shortcomings and is indeed the everlasting life. We were captured by our enemy (Satan) and were brought down to earth. Therefore, we should try our best to free ourselves and firmly march forth towards our old Dwelling.4 Know that traveling on the journey of life pertains to the breaths that one takes, which lead him or her through life just like a sailing ship. But in this case, the ship of life is sailing while one sits idle in it unaware that his life is passing rapidly.
Man needs sufficient provisions on his journey through life, but the only sufficient provision to the Hereafter is Taqwa (fear from Allah). Therefore, one should strive hard and be patient while observing Taqwa. Otherwise, he will cry, when it is time to leave, “My Lord, send me back,” but it will be said to him, “ No.” The heedless should therefore wake up from his lazy trek through the stages of life. This especially should be the case, since as he travels, Allah shows him His signs, Allah brings fear to His slaves by these signs, to keep them from deviating from the Straight Path and correct religion. He whose means of journeying deviate him from the Straight Path, even though he witnesses the Signs of Allah that make him afraid, should rush to return to Allah by abandoning what made him deviate from the Path, all the while feeling remorse for his errors.

In contrast, he who prepares for the Meeting with Allah and spends his time doing what will benefit him in the Hereafter, will surely feel happy on a Day when neither wealth nor offspring will avail one. A Day when the various records of deeds will fly over, the hearts will shake in horror and the inner selves will feel confused. You will see people and think that they are drunk; they will not be drunk, but Allah’s torment is severe. Surely, he who uses this life as a path to direct him to the Hereafter and Paradise, as vast as the heavens and earth, then his path is the Path. He will be directed to the Dwelling of Peace by the Mercy and good Pleasure of Allah. As for those who want this life, it will fade away the moment they breathe their last breath. During these terrible moments, life will abandon them and run away. The difference between them and the former type is that the righteous people like this life, but prefer the Hereafter to it. This is why Allah made their path to the Hereafter easy for them and helped them surmount all hurdles and difficulties. And Allah know best."

"Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But upon many the punishment has been justified. And he whom Allah humiliates - for him there is no bestower of honor. Indeed, Allah does what He wills." - [QS.22:18]

[Part 1]

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Reference :
- Abdul-Malik bin Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al-Qasim, Life is a Fading Shadow, Darussalam - Sayyid Qutb, In The Shade of Quran, Volume XVIII, The Islamic Foundation
- Ibn Kathir, Stories of the Prophet, Darussalam
- The History of Al-Tabari Volume I : General Introduction and From the Creation of the Flood, translated by Franz Rosenthal, SUNY Press   
- The History of Al-Tabari Volume II : Prophets and Patriarchs, translated and annotated by William M. Brinner, SUNY Press

Men and the Universe (1)

Then the Tinker said, "O young man, know that the basis of all type of goodness is funded on knowing that what Allah wills, ocurs, and what He does not will, never ocurs. This kowledge should make you certain that whatever good deeds a performed, were performed by His bounty, so that you thank Him for them and beg Him not to discontinue them from you. This knowledge should also direct you to feel certain that committing sins occurs because of Allah not helping those who commit them and a form of punishment fom Him. You should therefore beg Him to prevent you from committing sins and never abandon you reliant on yourself with regards to performing the good deeds and abandoning sins, but help you by His Grace to obey Him and abandon what He has prohibited.

Now, let us speak about the one who was the first to be given royal authority and was shown favor by Allah but was ungrateful for it. Having denied Allah's divine Lordship, he was proud and overbearing toward his Rabb and was therefore deprived by Allah of His divine favor and shamed and humiliated.

Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, had created Iblis beautiful. He had ennobled and honored him and reportedly made him ruler over the lower heaven and the earth. In addition, He had made him one of the keepers of Paradise. But he became overbearing toward his Lord and claimed divine lordship for himself and reportedly called on those under his control to worship him. Therefore, Allah transformed him into a stoned Satan. He, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, deformed him and deprived him of the benefits He had granted him. He cursed him and drove him out of His heavens in the fleeting present world and then gave to him and his followers and partisans the Fire of Hell as their place of residence in the other world. We take refuge in Allah for protection against His divine wrath and against whatever action brings a person close to His wrath and against getting into trouble.

According to Ibn Jarir at-Tabari, from narrations of the Companion of the Prophets, radhiyallahu 'anhum, that Iblis was a keeper of Paradise. His name was al-Harit, in other narration, Iblis was named 'Azazil. Allah created the angels on Wednesday. He created the jinn on Thursday, and He created Adam on Friday. Iblis had the authority to rule over the lower heaven as well as the earth. All the angels were created from light. The jinn mentioned in the Qur'an were created "from a bright flame (marij) of fire"— (marij being) a tongue of fire blazing on its side(s and top). And Allah created man from clay. The first to dwell on earth were the jinn. Two thousand years before Adam's creation, the Jinn had shed blood. They caused corruption on earth and shed blood and killed each other. Allah sent Iblis to them with an army of angels. They were that tribal group called jinn. Iblis and those with him caused a bloodbath among them and eventually banished them to the islands in the oceans and the mountainsides. His success went to his head, and he said, "I have done something nobody has ever done before." Allah was aware of how Iblis felt, but the angels who were with him were not.

Then Allah created Adam and that well-known episode of Iblis' disobedience to his Lord occurred. One of the events that took place in the days of the rule and royal authority of Iblis was Allah's creation of our father Adam, the father of mankind. That was as follows: As the angels did not know about Iblis' involvement with haughtiness, Allah wanted to make them aware of it and to show them what had gone wrong with Iblis when he was about, to be ruined and lose his royal authority and rule. In this connectibn, Allah said to the ahgels, "I am placing on earth a vicegerent." They replied, "Will You place on it one who will cause corruption on it and shed blood?" It has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the angels said exactly that, noticing what the jinn, who were dwellers on earth before, were doing. When their Lord said to the angels:"I am placing on earth a vicegerent," they asked, "Will You place on it one who will behave like the jinn who, when on earth, shed blood there and caused corruption and were disobedient to You, whereas we praise and sanctify You"? The Lord now said to them: "I know what you do not know."

According to At-Tabari, Allah means to say, "I know about Iblis' involvement with overbearance which you do not know. I know that he intends to oppose my command and that he has been nticed to wrongdoing and futile self-deception. I am going to show you this attitude of his, so that you can see it with your own eyes." But according to Ibn Kathir, what is meant, Allah Ta'ala wants to create Adam his descendants who come in turns. Allah Ta'ala delivered this matter to the Angels as a form of glorification of the creation of Adam and his descendants, as well as the great case before His creation.

Allah then sent Gabriel to the earth to bring Him some of its clay. The earth said, 'I take refuge in Allah against your taking something away from me and mutilating me.' So Gabriel returned without having taken (any clay) and said, 'My Lord, the earth took refuge in You, and I granted it its wish'. Allah then sent Michael, and exactly the same thing happened. Then He sent the angel of death. When the earth took refuge in Allah against him, he said, 'I take refuge in Allah against returning without having executed His command.' So he took some soil from the face of the earth and made a mixture. He did not take the soil from a single place but took red, white, and black soil." Therefore, the children of Adam came out different. He went up with the soil, then moistened it so it would become "sticky clay" - lazib ("sticky") means something that adheres to something else. Then (the moistened soil) was left to change and become stinking (muntin).

According to Abu Dawud from Sa'id bin Jubayr, "He was named Adam just because he was created from the skin (adim) of the earth." According to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), "Allah created Adam from a handful (of soil) which He took from the entire earth. Thus, the children of Adam came to correspond to the earth in being red, black, white, or (colors) in between, and in being plain or rugged, unpleasant or pleasant. The clay from which Adam was made was moistened until it became "sticky clay," then was left to become stinking slime, and then salsaal ("dry clay" or "potter's clay"), as Allah says, "We created man from dry clay from stinking slime."

So Allah created Adam as a human being. He was a body of clay for forty years the extent of Friday, in another narration, it remained lying around as a body (jasad) for forty nights. Iblis used to come to it and kick it with his foot, whereupon it made sounds. Then (Iblis) entered Adam's mouth and left from his posterior, and he entered his posterior and left from his mouth. Then he said, 'You are not something for making sounds (salsalah). What, then, were you created for? If I am given authority over you, I shall ruin you, and if you are given authority over me, I shall disobey you.'

At the time, Allah wanted to blow the spirit into Adam, He said to the angels, 'When I blow some of My spirit into him, prostrate yourselves before him!' When Allah blew some of His spirit into into Adam, was by way of his head. Wherever something of Allah's spirit began to move in Adam's body, it became flesh and blood. When the blown spirit reached his navel, he looked at his body and was pleased to see its beauty. He attempted to get up but could not. This is (meant) where Allah says, "Man was created of haste" meaning distressed, with no patience for either fortunate. When the blown spirit had completely pervaded his body, Adam sneezed. By divine inspiration, and in another narration, the angels said, 'Say: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!!, " and he did. Whereupon Allah said to him, 'May your Lord show mercy into you!' When the spirit entered his eyes, he looked at the fruits of Paradise, and when it entered his belly, he craved food. So he jumped up, before the spirit reached his feet, in his haste to get at the fruits of Paradise.

So, all the angels together prostrated themselves, except Iblis. He refused to be with those prostrating themselves. He refused and was overbearing, being one of the unbelievers.When Allah said to Iblis, "What prevented you from prostrating yourself, as I commanded you?" Iblis said, 'I am better than he, I am not one to prostrate myself before a human being You have created from clay.' Whereupon Allah said to him, 'Fall down from Paradise! It is not yours to be overbearing in it. So leave! You are one of the mean beings." Iblis said: "Allow me respite till the Day they are raised up (Day of Resurrection)." Allah said: "You are of those allowed respite." Iblis said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (they will not be dutiful to You)." Allah said, "Get out of Paradise, reproached and expelled. Whoever follows you among them - I will surely fill Hell with you, all together."

Iblis refused to prostrate himself, Allah "be deviled" him, that is, He eliminated any hope for him to attain some good and made him a stoned Satan as punishment for his disobedience. The angels became fully aware of what had been concealed to them about Iblis, and they realized that among them there was one who was disobedient to Allah and opposed to His command.

Adam sat down, His Rabb said to him, "Go to that multitude of angels and say to them, 'Peace be upon you!' Adam went and said to them, 'Peace be upon you!' and the angels responded, 'And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah !' Adam then returned to his Lord Who said to him, 'This is your greeting and the greeting for your progeny to use among themselves."
And Allah taught Adam all the name of everything, down to bit and little bit, fart and wind, the names of all that Allah has created. Allah taught him the name of everything, These are horses, these are mules, and camels, jinn, wild animals. And he began to call everything by its name. He taught Adam all the names, 'This is a mountain, this is such-and-such, and that is such-and-such."
When Allah taught Adam all the names, Allah presented those bearing names to the angels and said to them: "Tell Me the names of these, if you speak the truth." As mentioned, Allah said this to the angels only because, when He said to them, "I am placing on earth a vicegerent," they had said. "Will You place on it one who will cause corruption on it and shed blood, whereas we praise and sanctify You?" Thus, after having created Adam and having blown the spirit into him and having taught him the names of everything He had created, he presented them to the angels and said to them, "Tell Me the names of these, if you speak the truth," which is that if I place one of you as My vicegerent on earth, you will obey, praise, and sanctify Me and not be disobedient. If I place someone not belonging to you as My vicegerent on earth, he will cause corruption and shed blood. Now, if you do not know their names, although you can observe and see them with your own eyes, it is more likely that you will not know what will happen with you, if I place one of you as My vicegerent on earth, or with others, if I place one of them as My vicegerent on earth, when they are out of your sight and you do not see them with your own eyes, and you have not been informed what you or they will do. This is what a number of early Muslims have said, as transmitted on their authority.

Iblis was driven out of Paradise when he was cursed, and Adam was settled in Paradise. Adam used to go about there all alone, not having a spouse to dwell with. He fell asleep, and when he woke up, he found sitting at his head a woman who had been created by Allah from his rib. He asked her what she was, and she replied, "A woman". He asked for what purpose she had been created, and she replied, "For you to dwell with me." The angels, looking to find out the extent of Adam's knowledge, asked him her name. He replied, "Hawwa". When the angels asked why she was called Hawwa', he replied, "Because she was created from a living thing."
Allah said, "Adam, dwell you and your spouse in Paradise! Eat freely of its plenty wherever you wish but do not go near this tree, or you will be wrongdoers."

Now we shall discuss how Allah tested the obedience of our father Adam and afflicted him for failing the test, how Adam was disobedient to his Lord after Allah had given him honor and high rank
with Him and enabled him to enjoy wholesome plenty in Allah's Paradise, and how he lost all of that and went from the luxury and pleasurable and plentiful way of life in Paradise to the miserable way of life of the inhabitants of the earth: tilling, hoeing, and planting the soil.
When Allah settled Adam and his spouse in His Paradise, He permitted them to eat of whatever fruit they wished, except the fruit of one tree. This was to afflict them and have Allah's judgement
on them and their progeny come to pass, as Allah says, "Adam, dwell you and your spouse in Paradise! Eat freely of its plenty wherever you wish, but do not go near this tree, or you will be wrongdoers." When Adam entered Paradise and saw the generous plenty there and the share of it given to him by Allah, he said, "Would we could live eternally!" When Satan heard him say that, he recognized it as Adam's weak spot, and he approached him by means of the issue of eternal life.

Iblis wanted to go and meet them in Paradise, but the keepers of Paradise prevented him from entering. He went to the snake, an animal with four feet as if it were a camel-it seemed like one of the most beautiful of animals. Iblis talked to it trying to persuade it to let him enter its mouth and take him in to Adam. The snake let him do it, passed by the keepers, and entered without their knowledge, because that was Allah's plan. Now, Iblis talked to Adam from the mouth of the snake, but Adam paid no attention to what he said. So Iblis went out to him and said, "Adam, may I lead you to the tree of eternity and a rule that never decays? I am one of those who give you good advice."
From his reading of the books of the angels, he knew, what Adam did not, that they had secret parts. Their clothes were al-zufr. Adam refused to eat from the tree, but Hawwa' came forward and ate. Then she said, "Eat, Adam! For I have, and it has done me no harm." But when Adam ate, their secret parts became apparent to them, and they started to cover themselves with leaves of Paradise stitched together."

In another narration, it is stated that Iblis, the enemy of Allah, proposed to the animals on earth that they should take him into Paradise, so that he could speak with Adam and his spouse, but every animal refused. Finally, he spoke to the snake and said to it, "If you take me into Paradise, I shall shield you from the descendants of Adam, and you will be under my protection." The snake put him between two of its fangs and took him in. Iblis talked to Adam and his spouse from the snake's mouth. The snake was dressed and walking on four feet, but Allah then undressed it and made it walk on its belly.
When Adam and Hawwa' committed the sin of eating from the forbidden tree, Allah drove them out of Paradise and deprived them of the luxury and generous plenty they had enjoyed. He threw them, their enemy Iblis, and the snake down to earth. The Lord said to them, "Fall down being one another's enemy!"

The wayfarer asked, "Where was the place on earth to which Adam and Hawwa' came when they were cast down?" The tinker said, "Many opinions about this. Some say, before sunset of the day-Friday-on which Allah had created Adam. It should be noted that the calculation of the time in which Allah mentions creation is different from the calculation of our time. For example, according to Ibnu Jarir at-Tabari, that Adam was created in the last hour of the sixth day of the days of which each measures a thousand of our years. The conclusion is that a single hour of the hours of that day was eighty-three of our years. The duration of Adam and Hawwa's stay in Paradise was five hours of that day. It has also been said, three hours. Some said: Adam was driven out from Paradise in the ninth or
tenth hour. So, you can multiply it according to Ibn Jarir's opinion to see the difference.
Now Allah cast him down from heaven together with his spouse. According to the early scholars of our Prophet's nation, Allah brought him down in India, saome said that Adam was cast down upon a mountain in India called Nudh. Others said, "Rather, Adam was cast down in Sarandib (Ceylon) upon a mountain called Nudh, Hawwa' in Juddah of the land of Mecca, Iblis in Maysan, and the snake in Isbahan. It has also been said that the snake was cast down in the desert (al-barriyyah), and Iblis on the shore of the sea of al-Ubullah.

According to Ata' bin Abi Rabah, Adam missed what he used to hear from the angels and felt lonely so much so that he eventually complained about it to Allah in his various prayers. He was therefore sent to Mecca. On the way, every place where he set foot became a village, and the interval between his steps became a desert, until he reached Mecca. Allah sent down a jewel or yaqut or ruby of Paradise where the House is located today. Adam continued to circumambulate it, until Allah sent down the Flood. That jewel was lifted up, until Allah sent His friend Abraham to rebuild the House in its later form.

Accrding to Qatadah, "Adam's size was reduced to sixty cubits (30 meters). Adam was sad because he missed the voices and praisegiving of the angels. He complained about it to Allah, and Allah said, "Adam, I have cast down a house for you to circumambulate, as one circumambulates My Throne, and to pray at it as one prays at My Throne." Adam left and went off. His steps were lengthened, and the interval between each two steps became a desert. These deserts continued to exist afterwards. Adam came to the House, and he and the prophets after him circumambulated it."

The tinker then said, "O young man, this life, in which the son of Adam dwells, has obvious riches and delights such as clothes, foods, drinks, etc. All these aspects provide the necessary provisions and sustenance for one's journey back to Allah. Mankind needs these provisions, but just in the right amounts and from lawful resources; such are the praised believers who take from this ife what they are allowed and permitted. Those who take more than what is necessary, in greediness, will become among the admonished ones. Indeed, even though greed collects wealth, it turns what is essentially useful into the harmful that busies one from seeking his benefit and earning what is useful in essence. We should also assert that one is ordered to take from this life what is necessary for his survival; one's body and means of livelihood are necessary for him to sustain his life. The middle and best way, is the safest way: taking the necessary provisions for one to continue the journey through this life. If what one takes from this life is a part of what he desires but lawful and from lawful resources, then giving the heart what it desires in this case helps it fulfill its need and satisfy its right.
It is permissible to collect wealth from pure and lawful resources and spend it lawfully and without extravagance; this is an act of worship with which the Muslim draws close to Allah. If one collects the riches of this life from unlawful resources and spends his wealth on unlawful means and ways, then it is the worst provision that will accompany him to the Fire. Surely, the life of this world is short, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, ""What have I to do with this life? The parable of me and this life is the parable of a rider who rested in the shade of a tree and then departed." In Surah Ghafir [40]:39, this life is described as, "...this worldly life is only [temporary] enjoyment, and indeed, the Hereafter - that is the home of [permanent] settlement." Those who are fond of this life, with its passing enjoyment, and work hard to collect its processions, will be too busy to worship and obey Allah and tofu fill their Islamic duties and responsibilities perfectly and on time. And Allah know best."

[Part 2]

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