Open Your Heart

For a moment, magpie was silent. Then he said, "O my brothers and sisters! A servant is not afflicted with any chastisement greater than a hard heart and of being remote from Allah. Hardness of the heart comes about by four things, when the level of need is exceeded: eating, sleeping, speaking and socialising. Hearts that are attached to carnal passions are veiled from Allah to the extent of these attachments.

So, open your heart! The greatest way to open your heart is tawheed. This is based on its completeness. Its strength and increase expand its owner’s heart. Guidance and tawheed are the greatest ways of opening the heart, while shirk and misguidance are the greatest ways of constricting the heart. Allah said,

فَمَنۡ یُّرِدِ اللّٰہُ اَنۡ یَّہۡدِیَہٗ یَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَہٗ لِلۡاِسۡلَامِ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یُّرِدۡ اَنۡ یُّضِلَّہٗ یَجۡعَلۡ صَدۡرَہٗ ضَیِّقًا حَرَجًا کَاَنَّمَا یَصَّعَّدُ فِی السَّمَآءِ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یَجۡعَلُ اللّٰہُ الرِّجۡسَ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ
"So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islām; and whoever He wants to send astray - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe." (QS. Al-An'aam [6]:125)

From the ways of opening the heart, is the light Allah places in the hearts of His slaves; surely, it expands and brings joy to the hearts. If the heart is void of this light, it will be constricted such that it becomes tighter than a prison cell.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When the light (of truth) enters the heart, it expands and opens up.” The Companions asked, “Is there any evidence of this (in the life of a Muslim)?” He replied, “Being ever mindful of the eternal life of the Hereafter, and remaining at guard in this life of delusion, and preparing oneself for death before it comes.” [reported by al-Hakim]

The slave’s heart will expand in proportion to his portion of light.

Knowledge opens the heart and expands it until it becomes wider than the world, while ignorance constricts the heart and restrains it. Each time the person’s knowledge widens, his heart expands. This does not occur with all knowledge; rather, this occurs with the knowledge that is the inheritance of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). This is beneficial knowledge. The people of knowledge have the widest chests, the broadest hearts, and the best manners.

The heart is opened by devotion to Allah, loving Him with all your heart, turning towards Him, and enjoying worshiping Him. There is nothing that expands the hearts more than that, such that it is sometimes said, “If I am in Paradise in this condition, then it will be a good life.”
Love has an amazing effect on expanding the heart and curing the soul; no one knows this except one who has experienced it. The more the love increases and the stronger it becomes, the more the heart expands. In contrast, the greatest thing that restricts the heart is turning away from Allah and attaching the heart to other than Him, being heedless of remembering Him, and loving other than Him. Whoever loves other than Allah will be punished by that thing, and it
will imprison his heart.

Constantly remembering Allah in every situation, opens the heart. And just as remembering Allah has an amazing effect on expanding the heart, being heedless of Allah has an amazing effect on constraining and punishing the heart.

The heart is opened by showing kindness to the creation and benefiting them with various acts of kindness, such as wealth and physical efforts. Generosity expands the heart and cures the soul, while stinginess constricts the heart. The Prophet (ﷺ) gave an example of the miser. He (ﷺ) said,

مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ، قَدِ اضْطَرَّتْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا، فَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَتِهِ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ، وَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِالصَّدَقَةِ انْقَبَضَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَسَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ فَيَجْتَهِدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ
"The example of a miser and the one who gives in charity, is like the example of two men wearing iron cloaks so tightly that their arms are raised forcibly towards their collar-bones. So, whenever a charitable person wants to give in charity, his cloak spreads over his body so much so that it wipes out his traces, but whenever the miser wants to give in charity, the rings (of the iron cloak) come closer to each other and press over his body, and his hands gets connected to his collarbones."
Abu Huraira (رضى الله عنه) heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying. "The miser then tries to widen it but in vain." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

Courage opens the heart; thus, the courageous have the widest hearts while the cowards have the most constricted hearts. They have no joy, no happiness, and no pleasure except like that of animals. As for the delight of the soul, then the cowards are devoid of this. The condition in which the person will be in his grave will reflect the condition of his heart. It w ill either be bliss or punishment.

The heart is opened by removing the lowly attributes from the heart. If a person implements the means to expand his heart while not removing the means that constrict the heart, then he will not obtain the result of expanding his heart.

The heart is opened by avoiding excessive looking, talking, listening, mixing with the people, eating, and sleeping. These excesses cloud and restrict the heart; rather, most of the punishments in this life and the next come from them. How constricted are the hearts of the people who indulge in all of them!?

O my brothers and sisters! Seek your heart in three places: where the Qur’an is recited; in the gathering of dhikr; and in times of seclusion. If you don’t find it in these places, then ask Allah to bless you with a heart. For you have no heart! Allāh is the only one whose help can be sought. And Allah knows best.

Bahasa

Reference :
- Rasheed Barbee, One Hundred Pieces of Advice by Ibn Al-Qayyim, Authentic Statements Publishing

Prominence of Qalb (3)

Magpie said, "The heart relative to knowledge is like a cup relative to water, a jar relative to honey, or a valley relative to a flood. Hearts carry knowledge from Allah, and levels of certainty according to the amount of doubts. As for the doubts, doing good deeds does not benefit while they exists. On the other hand, Allah benefits the people of certainty by it."

Some of the salaf said, "The hearts are Allah's vessels on His earth. The most beloved of them to Allah is the most sensitive and pure." Allah's vessels means “containers created by Allaah”, and not “vessels containing Allah.”

So, if the heart is sensitive and soft, it easily accepts knowledge, and the knowledge then becomes firmly rooted in it and the heart is affected by it. On the other hand, if the heart is hard and harsh, it is difficult for it to accept knowledge.

Along with that, the heart must be pure and healthy, so that knowledge can grow and bear good fruit in it. Otherwise, if it accepts knowledge, and it has in it mud and filth, it will corrupt the knowledge and be like weeds in cultivation. If it does not prevent the seed from sprouting along with it, it will at least hinder its growth and flowering. This point is clear to those who reflect.

If the heart is utilized for knowing the truth, it has two sides, first, a side that advances towards the truth, the heart is being soft and sensitive, and consequently, it is attracted to the truth. From this

perspective, the heart is referred to as a container and a vessel because that name necessitates what it contains and what is placed in it.

Second, a side that turns away from falsehood. From this perspective, the heart is referred to as being pure, healthy and clean. Because these names infer the absence of evil and the non-existence of filth and mud.

Al-Hasan al-Basree once told a man, “ Cure your heart, for Allah desires that His slaves should purify their hearts.” The heart cannot become purified until the person knows Allah, extols Him, loves Him, fears Him, has hope in Him and trusts Him, and his heart is filled with these attributes. This is the true realization of the statement, “Laa ilaaha illallaah." The “healthy heart” is one of the criteria for success in the next life."

Eagle asked, ""What the main causes that lead to a hardened heart?" Magpie said, "First, ignoring Allah’s signs. Human hearts become hardened whenever they ignore the signs of Allah. The signs of Allah are for human guidance. Consequently, when they are deliberately and consistently ignored, the heart becomes hardened to them and they have no effect. Allah’s signs are all around humans and even within themselves. Before, during and after a person commits a sin, a variety of warning signals go off like alarms. Prior to commiting a sin the innate conscience recognizes the sin, so the potential sinner can stop himself or herself before the thought becomes an act. This onscience is the awareness of good and evil which Allah insired in each and every human heart. Then again, as the potential sinner plods ahead ignoring his conscience, the angel assigned to every person advises him not to go ahead. Following the spiritual signs, Allah then sends a series of physical signs to discourage the potential sinner. The physical signs could be, another person’s advice, a telephone call, a flat tire, etc.They give the potential sinner a chance to rethink what he is about to do. If he reverses his decision he earns for himself a reward from Allah. Even while actually doing the sin, further signs are sent so that the sinner can stop before completing the act. And after the sin, other signs are sent to encourage the sinner to repent. When these signs are continually ignored, the heart develops a shell which effectively seals it off from the signs and their effects.

Second, breaking Allah’s Covenant. The “covenant” refers to Salaah, zakaah, belief in the prophets, honoring, obeying and assisting them.In thecase of Salaah, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The covenant between us and them is Salaah, whoever abandons it has become a disbeliever.” Those who only pray on Fridays, or during Ramadaan, have broken their covenant and contact with Allah. Consequently, the prescribed prayers will not have the intended effect of preventing sins as Allah said, “ Indeed prescribed prayer prevents evil speech and evil deeds.” The heart which daily commits sins by neglecting prayer becomes fossilized and impermeable to its spiritual effects. As a result, the act and words of formal prayers become customary rituals done for every reason except to communicate with Allah and to please Him. Likewise, obedience to the prophets is a critical element of the covenant of faith with Allah.

Third, ignoring trials. Allah sends trials to strengthen the believers, or to remind those of them who have strayed to return to the straight path and the disbelievers to find the true religion of Allah, or as a punishment for hypocrites and those unable to benefit from the reminder.

Tests sometimes serve as a punishing reminder to those who have gone astray and an encouragement for them to return to the correct path. When people deviate, they seldom listen to the advice of those around them. However, when a calamity strikes them or those near and dear to them, it jolts those who still have some faith into recognizing their error.

Calamities also expose those who falsely claim faith, as well as show those who disbelieve that they choose hell by their own free will. There have been cases of people converting to Islam for the wrong reasons, and, after finding more difficulties in their lives than prior to their conversion, reverting to their former beliefs.

Those who transgress the limits set by Allah, expose themselves to punishment in this life and the next. Throughout the Qur’an, Allah describes numerous past nations who rejected divine guidance and were subsequently destroyed. These stories serve as warnings to humankind of the consequences of rebellion against the commandments of Allah. The trials cause those who are sincere about life, to be humble, to contemplate their states and to correct their errors. However, if the trials are continually ignored, the proud and arrogant heart becomes inoculated to the warnings opposed to guidance and hardened in its stance against the truth.

Fourth, oppression or dhulm. The greatest form of oppression is shirk. One who is accustomed to calling on others besides Allah and finds his needs fulfilled will have great difficulty giving this practise up. His heart becomes hardened to the message of the prophets; to worship Allah alone. In defense of idolatry, Satan has prepared many excuses that become a trial for both disbelievers and believers.

Fifth, remembrance of Allah has no effect. Those who, when reminded of Allah and His commands, turn away, and scoff at and scorn those who remind them, their hearts have become hardened to the remembrance of Allah.The various religious obligations were prescribed primarily to keep human beings conscious of Allah in order to help them make the right choices in life. Likewise, all acts of righteousness are forms of remembrance of Allah, as it is He who guided humans to them through His prophets and messengers.

Sixth, repeated Sins over time. The Prophet (ﷺ) warned against scorning any sins saying, “ Beware of scorned sins” When a person develops the habit of ignoring minor sins, his heart becomes progressively hardened to sin in general and major sins then become easy for him to commit. By being conscious of the smallest of sins and scrupiously avoiding them, the believer becomes firmly protected from major sins.

On the other hand, if one does not make a conscious effort to revive one’s faith and reflect on one’s actions, even pure and sincere acts of worship can deteriorate into blind rituals over time. As is said, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” The mind shifts into automatic mode and the body performs according to commands, while the heart dies."

[Part 2]

[Part 1] 

Bahasa

Reference :
- Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Commentary on Ibn Taymiyyah's Essay on the Heart, Dakwah Corner Bookstore (M) SDN BHD

Prominence of Qalb (2)

Eagle asked,"What is the right of the heart?" Magpie said, "The right of the heart is to know the truth. So, the Ultimate Truth is Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. The heart was only created for the remembrance of Allah. Allah is the Lord, Author, Creator, and Beginner of every fleeting thought which occurs in the brain or crosses the mind. Whatever knowledge the heart comprehends, is among the clear signs of Allah, in His earth and His sky. Human discoveries are actually revelations from Allah. Whatever true knowledge humans learn, is what Allah has shown them and permitted them to learn. False knowledge, is from Satan. However, without Allah’s permission, even that cannot be learned." 

Eagle asked, "Which type of remembrance is a true nourishment for the heart?" Magpie said, "People often think of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in the very narrow sense: 'repeating certain prescribed statements of remembrance.' However, dhikr is in fact the heart’s remembrance and consciousness of Allah which should accompany every believer’s actions and statements. Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr said, “Dhikr is obedience to Allah. Whoever obeys Allah, has in fact remembered Him. Whoever does not obey Him is not one who remembers Him, even if he says tasbeeh, and recites the Book a lot.” Ibn Taymiyyah stated, "Every statement made by the tongue and conceived by the heart, which takes one closer to Allah, including learning knowledge, teaching it, commanding good and forbidding evil, is a form of dhikr of Allah.”

This mindfulness of Allah is the nourishment of the heart, while the formal form of dhikr - wherein a person remembers Allah with specific words at specific times, as defined by the sunnah - aids and develops the true remembrance of the heart. Furthermore, since dhikr is the heart’s nourishment, a heart which lacks it is a dead heart. Hence, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The similitude of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not remember his Lord, is like the similitude of death and life.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

A Syrian sage of the past said, "Remembrance of Allah in relationship to the heart is like nourishment relative to the body. Thus, as the body cannot find pleasure in food when it is sick, likewise the heart cannot find the sweetness of remembrance of Allah when it is in love the material world," or something to that effect.
When one is attached to this world, its pleasures and pursuits, this attachment occupies a great portion of the heart, which was created to be attached to Allah. Hence, it distracts the person from the higher goals of attaining closeness to Allah, righteousness, and Paradise. This is why Allah warns us, saying,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

“O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah . And whoever does that - then those are the losers.” [QS Al-Munaafiqoon(63):9]

Allah also said,

أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ

حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ

“Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you; Until you visit the graveyards.” [QS. at-Takaathur(102):1-2]

Though Muslims are certain of the fact that the world will perish, most of them have not internalised this reality and its implications in their hearts. They are instead preoccupied with their wordly desires and goals, not realizing the insignificance of this world. The Prophet (ﷺ) once passed by a dead goat which had either very small ears or mutilated ears. The Prophet (ﷺ) took it and asked his companions, “Which of you would like to have this for one dirham?” They said, “We don’t want it. What would we use it for?” He said, “Would you like to have it for free?” They replied, “By Allah, even if it were alive, we would find it defective, since it has small ears. What do you think now that it’s dead?” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) then told them, “By Allah, the world is more insignificant to Allah than this dead goat, is to you” [Reported by Muslim). Realizing this, would help us implement the Prophet’s (ﷺ) statement, “Be in this world like a traveller or a wayfarer.”

Furthermore, regardless of one’s efforts seeking the pleasures of this world, these efforts do not ensure that they will attain what they seek. As a matter of fact, the one who detaches himself from the pleasures of this life, will be rewarded with the dunyaa, as well as inner contentment and ease in his affairs. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever makes this world his main goal, then Allah will scatter his affairs for him, He will place poverty before his very eyes, and nothing will come to him of this world except that which was already written for him. But whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, then Allah will gather his affairs for him, He will place richness in his heart,and the world will come to him conquered and submissive.”If the heart is busy with the remembrance of Allah, aware of the truth, and reflecting on knowledge, it is in its correct location, just as the eye when used to look at things is in its correct location. By “correct location” means that it is being utilized as it was meant to be utilized. That is, that it is not being misused. On the other hand, if it is not used for knowledge and it is unaware of the truth, it forgets its Lord and is not in its location. Rather, it is lost. Certainly its correct location is the truth and everything besides the truth is false. When the truth is abandoned, all that remains isfalsehood and misguidance. Therefore, if it is not located in the truth, there is nothing left for it but falsehood.
The heart itself does not accept anything but the truth. So if what is contrary to the truth, is put in it, the heart will not accept what it was not created for it. That is the way sunnah of Allah and you will never find change in Allah's sunnah. In spite of that, the heart is never left on its own unattended, for it will always remain in the valleys of thoughts and the realms of aspirations. It will never be in the state of emptiness and abandonment like that of the eyes and ears. It may be put in the wrong location, neither set free or suspended, where it in fact has no location.
It is amazing that this state only becomes manifest to a person when he returns to the truth, either in this life when he repents or when he ends up in the next life. He will see the vileness of the state in which he was and just how far his heart was astray from the truth, if it was used in falsehood. On the other hand, if the heart is left in the state in which it was created, void of any reflection and empty of any thought, it would accept knowledge, free from ignorance, and see the clear truth, then believe in its Lord and turn to Him in repentance.

Everyone is responsible for belief in Allah and on the Day of Judgement. Every human being has the belief in Allah imprinted on his soul and Allah shows every idolator, during the course of his life, signs that his idol is not Allah. Hence, every sane human being is required to believe in Allah as One God who is without partners. However, Allah through His mercy and grace, accepts the excuses of those to whom a messenger did not bring the message along with those incapable of comprehending the message due to destined physical inabilities.
Every child is born in the natural state of belief. This is Allah's Sunnah in which He created people. There will be no change in Allah's creation. That is the correct religion. However, in most situations, the soul becomes occupied with the temptations of this world and its bodily needs, so its desires block the heart from the truth. Ibn al-Qayyim explains that desires lead to one’s wants and goals being distorted or ruined. His goals and wants become things which are not beneficial. This causes a person to overindulge in this wordly life because he lacks certainty concerning the realities of the Hereafter. A dangerous thing about desires is that it can affect a person after he has gained knowledge, a state usually more difficult to cure than ignorance. Furthermore, desires are of so many varieties, that a person must strive to control all of them. There are sexual lusts, desire for power or prestige, desire to be praised or admired due to beauty, wealth, status, and even piety or knowledge, etc. A person can become enslaved to his desires, such that he sees the truth according to them. Al-Qurtubee quoted Ibn Mas‘ood as saying, “You are living in a time in which desires are controlled by the truth. However, there will come a time in which the truth will be moulded by desires. We seek refuge with Allah from that time.” In his essay of worship, Ibn Taymiyyah also stated, regarding one enslaved to his desires, “ If one attains what he desires, he is pleased and if he is unable to attain it, he becomes discontented. Such a person is a slave (abd) to the things he desires. He is a slave of it, since true slavery and servitude are the enslavement and servitude of the heart.”

In this state it, is like an eye staring at the ground. In that state, it is impossible for it to see the crescent moon, or even to glance towards it. This statement is taken from the following Qur’anic parable,

اَفَمَنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ مُکِبًّا عَلٰی وَجۡہِہٖۤ اَہۡدٰۤی اَمَّنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ سَوِیًّا عَلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ

“Then is one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one who walks erect on a straight path?” [QS Al-Mulk (67): 22]

Or he could be inclined towards the truth, but desires and material needs block the heart from following the truth and it becomes like an eye that has a floating impurity in it which prevents it from seeing things. Whims and desires can intervene before the heart learns the truth and block it from reflection on it. Thus, the truth will not become clear, as was said, ''Your love of something, blinds and deafens." A person in love is often unable to see the faults of the one whom he or she loves. The principle of blinding love applies to anything human beings become infatuated with or addicted to.

So, the heart will remain in dark thoughts. This is often due to pride that prevents it from seeking the truth. Allah says,

اِلٰـہُکُمۡ اِلٰہٌ وَّاحِدٌ ۚ فَالَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ مُّنۡکِرَۃٌ وَّ ہُمۡ مُّسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ

"Your god is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant." [QS. An-Nahl (16):22]

Whims and desires could also oppose the heart after it became acquainted with the truth causing it to deny the truth and turn away from it, as Allah said regarding them,

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ

"I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them." [QS Al-A'raaf (7):146]

A classic example of this principle from the era of the Prophet (ﷺ) is that of Umayyah ibn Abis-Salt, about whom the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Umayyah ibn Abis Salt almost accepted Islam.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Umayyah was from the Thaqeef tribe of Taif, and was among those who searched for the true religion and read the Scriptures. It is said that he was among those who converted to Christianity. He frequently mentioned Tawheed and the Day of Resurrection in his poems. From his research in the Scriptures, he informed Aboo Sufyaan that the time for a prophet to appear among the Arabs had come and he hoped that it would be himself. However, his research showed that the prophet would be from the descendents of ‘Abd Manaaf. Soon afterwards, Muhammad (ﷺ) appeared, and Umayyah informed Aboo Sufyaan that it was him. When Aboo Sufyaan asked, “ Shouldn’t we follow him?” He replied, “I feel shy before the young women of Thaqeef, because I used to tell them that I was going to be the one. Could I then become a follower of a boy from ‘Abd Manaaf?”

At-Tabaraanee Ibn Mandah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that al-Faari‘ah bint Abis-Salt, the sister of Umayyah later came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and recited some of Umayyah’s poetry and he said, “ Hi's poetry believed, but his heart disbelieved.”
Shareed said, "One day when I rode behind Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) on the same animal, he asked me, “Do you remember any of Umayyah ibn Abis-Salt’s poetry?” I replied, "Yes." He said, “ Go on then.” So I recited a couplet and he said, “ Carry on.” So I recited another couplet and he said, “Some more,” until I recited one hundred couplets. He commented, “He was almost a Muslim in his poetry ” [Sahih Muslim]
He lived until the Battle of Badr and composed poetry for those of the pagans who died during it. Umayyah died after that, a pagan till the end, in the 9th year AH. Abul-Faraj al-Asfahaanee reported his last words on his deathbed were, “ I know that the hanafiyyah is correct. But doubt preoccupied me concerning Muhammad (ﷺ).”

[Part 3]
[Part 1] 

Bahasa

Prominence of Qalb (1)

Magpie said, "O my brothers and sisters, we have heard from the eagle how the intellect, or Aql, works. Know that Allah created every part of the human body for a specific purpose and a particular function. Thus, the hand was created for grasping and holding, the foot for walking, the tongue for articulating speech, the mouth for eating, the nose for smelling, the skin for touching, and likewise, the remainder of the internal and external limbs and organs. If a person uses a limb according to the way it was created to be used and for the purpose for which it was designed, that is the clear truth and justice on the basis of which the heavens and earth were set up. Furthermore, that is better and beneficial for that limb and its owner, as well as for the function for which it was used. Such a person is truly righteous whose state of being is upright and such people are following guidance from their Rabb and it is they who will be successful.
If the limb is not used in the proper way and, instead, it is left unused, that is a loss, and its owner is cheated. The “proper way” is the way pleasing to Allah; the way in accordance with the divine commandments, also known as the sharee‘ah. So, if it is used in contradiction to what it was created for, that is misguidance and destruction and its owner is among those who exchanged the blessings of Allah with disbelief.

The master of all limbs and their head is the heart, as it has been named "qalb." The heart was called qalb because it is the essence of what the body contains and the essence of everything is its heart. Ibn Taymiyyah said, 'Indeed, Allah created the human heart in order for them to know things in the same way which He created the eye to see things and the ear to hear things.'
Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir, that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying,

الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشَبَّهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِيِنِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ كَرَاعٍ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى، يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلاَ إِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

"Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart." - [Sahih Al-Bukhari, 52]

Allah has placed in the heart a warner for each of us whenever we approach evil. This is evident from the hadeeth recorded in Musnad Ahmad, that (ﷺ) the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “ Allah has laid down a parable of a straight path. On each side is a wall with open doors and curtains hanging down over the open doors. At the top of the path there is a caller saying, 'Go straight, all of you, on the path and do not deviate.' Above him is another caller who says, 'whenever anyone tries to open any of those doors, ‘Woe to you! Do not open it, for if you (do so), you will go through it.’ The path is Islam, the open doors are the things that Allah has forbidden, and the curtains hanging down are the limits of Allah. The caller at the top of the path is the Qur'an and above him is the (one who) admonishes for Allah’s sake and who is present in every Muslim's heart.”
This warner is sometimes referred to as the conscience. If careful attention is paid to its warnings, the individual’s inner thoughts and outer actions improve and the warnings in turn get stronger. If the warnings are ignored, the outer actions and inner thoughts become increasingly destructive and the signals become progressively weaker until they can no longer be perceived. This state is referred to by Allah as blindness. In many cases, despite their weakness, these signals never die out, because if they did, the possessor of such a heart would never be able to repent. Allah, in His supreme mercy, has allowed the signals to continue so that an individual may spend a good portion of his life doing evil, yet change totally in the latter years of his life and die among the righteous.

Ibn Hajar commented on the Prophet’s stress on the heart saying, “He specified the heart for that because it is the leader of the body; when the leader is good the followers become good and when he becomes corrupt so do the followers. [The statement] contains a notation about the great importance of the heart, encouragement to reform it and an indication that pure earnings have an effect on it. The intent that is connected to it is the understanding that Allah has placed in it.
It is also used to prove that Aql is in the heart. Allah says,

اَفَلَمۡ یَسِیۡرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ فَتَکُوۡنَ لَہُمۡ قُلُوۡبٌ یَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ بِہَاۤ اَوۡ اٰذَانٌ یَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِہَا ۚ فَاِنَّہَا لَا تَعۡمَی الۡاَبۡصَارُ وَ لٰکِنۡ تَعۡمَی الۡقُلُوۡبُ الَّتِیۡ فِی الصُّدُوۡرِ

"So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts." - [QS.22:46]

And Allah also says,

اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَذِکۡرٰی لِمَنۡ کَانَ لَہٗ قَلۡبٌ اَوۡ اَلۡقَی السَّمۡعَ وَ ہُوَ شَہِیۡدٌ

"Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind]." - [QS.50:37]

The Qur’anic commentators said it meant "Aql” and that He referred to it as the heart because it is the place where [Aql] resides.” Ibn Katheer quoted well-known student of Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, as saying, “ It means a sound understanding with which he comprehends, or a good mind.”  

As the heart was created to know things, its pursuit of things of a desire for knowledge is called thought and reflection, just as the ears pursuit of speech desiring to hearm it is called listening, and the eye's attention to things trying to view them is called sight. Thus, thought relative to the heart is like listening relative to the ear and sight relative to the eyes, etc. If the heart comes to know what it reflected on, that was its goal, likewise, if the ear hears what it listened for, or the eye sees what it looked at. But attainment of these goals is not automatic, though we tend to take it for granted. Each and every one of them is actually one of the many blessings granted by Allah.

Philosophers seeking the purpose of life, scientists searching for the origin of life, etc. Many people may read the Qur'aan but only those who fear Allah and believe in the unseen, establish regular prayer and spend in charity from their wealth gain the knowledge of guidance from it. How many thinkers do not find the knowledge they seek, just as many looking for the new moon do not see it, and many listening for a particular sound do not hear it. Its opposite is one who is given knowledge of something which he did not reflect on nor did he have previous knowledge about it, like one who suddenly sees the crescent moon without intending to do so or one who hears a statement without listening out for it. All of this is due to the fact that the heart by itself accepts knowledge. This issue depends on the fulfillment of certain conditions and the preparedness of the organ. It could be the result of a human act and thereby be what was desired or it could come as a favor from Allah and be a talent.
The righteousness and correctness for which the heart was created is that it understands things. I do not say that it only knows things, for someone could know something and not understand it, he could even be negligent of it or reject it. The one who understands something is one who is able to specify its limitations, accurately define it, be conscious of it, and confirm it in his heart. In time of need it is sufficient for him, and his actions match his statements, his internal is the same as his external. That is one who is granted wisdom and whoever has been given wisdom, has been given a great good.
People, vary in their ability to understand things from perfect to deficient, and in the amount they understand from a little to a lot, and from general to precise, etc.

The three organs, hearing, sight and emotion, are the main means of gaining knowledge and understanding it, of understanding what is liked and disliked, and of distinguishing between those doing good for
the person and those doing evil, etc. Adult humans are able to understand or deduce the hidden reasons behind actions, while animals and children are not. For example, a cow maybe fed regularly order to be fattened for slaughter and consumption. Relative to the cow, the humans who fed it were doing what was good for it, but their intentions of killing it, relative to the cow, were evil.
I mean, the knowledge that distinguishes between humans and other animals, outside of what they share with them like, smell, taste and touch. Even the senses of smell, taste and touch can provide such knowledge when interpreted by the human mind. For example, something might smell good, taste nice and feel comfortable and yet be harmful or it may smell bad, taste terrible and feel uncomfortable and yet be beneficial. Animals, like children, are unable to distinguish in many circumstances what is actually harmful or beneficial to them. Here, we focuses on the senses of sight and hearing, as these are the most frequently used sources for gathering information. Their dominance is reflected in the frequent Qur’anic references to them to the exclusion of the others.

Allah said,

وَ اللّٰہُ اَخۡرَجَکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بُطُوۡنِ اُمَّہٰتِکُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ شَیۡئًا ۙ وَّ جَعَلَ لَکُمُ السَّمۡعَ وَ الۡاَبۡصَارَ وَ الۡاَفۡـِٕدَۃَ ۙ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ

"And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful." - [QS.16:78]

Ibn Katheer explained that Allah mentions His blessings to His servants in that He brought them from their mothers’ wombs not knowing anything, then He gives them hearing to recognize voices, sight to see visible things and hearts - meaning reason - whose seat, according to the correct view, is the heart, although it was also said that its seat is the brain. With Aql, a person can distinguish between what is harmful and what is beneficial. These abilities and senses develop gradually in a human being. The more he grows, the more his hearing, vision and intellect increase, until they reach their peak. Allah has created these faculties in human beings to enable them to worship their Rabb, so they use all these organs, abilities and strengths to obey their Master.

Al-Bukhari reported that on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا، فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ، كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ عَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ

"Allah, Mighty and Sublime be He, said, 'Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.'"

In tafsir Ibn Katheer, the meaning of the hadeeth is that when a person is sincere in his obedience to Allah, all his deeds are done for the sake of Allah, so he only hears for the sake of Allah, he only sees for the sake of Allah - meaning he only listens to or looks at what has been allowed by Allah. He does not grasp or walk except in obedience of Allah, seeking Allah’s help in all of these things.

Although all three are mentioned together, the eye is inferior to the heart and the ear. It is different from them in that it only sees things that are present and corporeal, like images and objects. On the other hand, the heart and ears enable one to know about spiritual and theoretical things that are invisible and intangible. Furthermore, even these two are different in that the heart understands things by itself and knowledge is its nourishment and specialty. As for the ear, it merely carries words containing knowledge to the heart. In itself, it captures statements and words,and when they reach the heart, the heart extracts from them the knowledge they contain. Actually, this is the case for all the senses. All the five senses are sources of information that the mind-heart interprets and acts upon.

The master of knowledge, in reality, is the heart. The remainder of the organs and limbs are gatemen to whom information reaches, which they were unable to acquire by themselves. It is the master to the degree that whoever loses any of the other organs, loses only the knowledge that was conveyed through it. Thus, the deaf person is unable to gain knowledge from speech, and the blind person is unaware of what vast knowledge objects contain. A blind person who feels the surface of a pyramid or a space shuttle cannot understand the history behind them by his sense of touch.
Likewise, whoever looks at things or listens to the words of scholars, without the participation of the heart, does not understand anything. Thus, the pivot of affairs is the heart.

Those who have been granted wisdom and benefit from knowledge are on two levels. First level, either a person who sees the truth by himself and accepts it and follows it, without needing anyone to invite him to it. That is one who truly possesses a heart. Second level, a person, who does not understand thetruth by himself, but needs someone to teach it to him, clarify it for him, advise him regarding it and mold him according to it. That is an attentive person who "listens attentively, meaning “he hears the speech, comprehends and understands it in his mind and grasps its implications by his intellect.” That is one whose heart is present and not absent. As Mujaahid said, "He was given knowledge and it was a reminder for him."

[Part 2]

Bahasa

Following The Forefathers

"Iblis has deceived members of this Ummah in matters of creed using two paths," the eagle continued. "The first, blind fllowing, making taqlid, of forefathers. The secod, dwelling into matters that humans could never comprehend, which resulted in much confusion.
As for the first path, Iblis convinced imitators that proofs may become confusing, and that the truth may become hidden, so it is best to imitate others. Many people went astray because of this way of thinking. In fact, it is the destructive path of most people; Yahud and Nasara imitated their forefthers and scholars, and so did the people of Jahiliyyah. And let it be known that the same argument they used to praise imitation can be used to condemn it - If proofs became confusing and the truth unclear, then it is a must not to imitate because imitation will lead to misguidance.
Allah tells us about His close friend, Ibrahim, alayhissalam, and how He bestowed upon him guidance aforetime, i.e., He had already guided him at an early age. He inspired him with truth and evidence against his people. Allah says,

اِذۡ قَالَ لِاَبِیۡہِ وَ قَوۡمِہٖ مَا ہٰذِہِ التَّمَاثِیۡلُ الَّتِیۡۤ اَنۡتُمۡ لَہَا عٰکِفُوۡنَ

"When he said to his father and his people, 'What are these statues to which you are devoted?'" - [QS.21:52]

meaning, Ibrahim asked, which you worship with such devotion.

قَالُوۡا وَجَدۡنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا لَہَا عٰبِدِیۡنَ

"They said, 'We found our fathers worshippers of them.'" - [QS.21:53]

means, they had no other evidence apart from the misguided actions of their forefathers.

قَالَ لَقَدۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اَنۡتُمۡ وَ اٰبَآؤُکُمۡ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ

"He said, 'You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.'" - [QS.21:54]

meaning, speaking to your fathers whose actions you cite as evidence would be the same as speaking to you. Both you and them, are misguided and are not following any straight path.

In the Qur'an, Surah 26 Shuaraa verses 69-82, Allah tells us about the story of Prophet Ibrahim, alayhissalam, when he asked his father and his people, “What are these things that you worship?”They answered, “These are idols which we worship and we serve them devotedly.” Ibrahim asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they bring any good or harm to you?”They replied, “No, but we have found our elders doing the same.” At this, Ibrahim said, “Have you ever seen with open eyes the things which you and your elders have been worshipping? They are all enemies to me, except the One Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, then He it is Who guides me, Who gives me food and drink, and Who gives me health when I am ill, Who will cause me to die and then will give me life again, and of Whom I expect that He will forgive me my errors on the Day of Judgment.”

It is well known that one of the most popular reasons for disbelief in our Prophet (ﷺ) and the numerous before him was, an adherence to ones ancestral legacy. By accepting a messenger’s claim, one would have to acknowledge that the heritage that had been a source of pride and identity is now reduced to a history of misguidance, ignorance and a legacy of false beliefs and practices. It is not an easy thing to accept, much less to declare for anyone. Incidentally, we have it much easier now than the contemporaries of any prophet as they had to take one man’s word over their entire tribe, community, leadership and over and above all, their own family legacy. The Qur’an captures the thought process of those who follow their family’s religious, social & ethical legacy in two very similar verses. Allah says,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

"And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.' Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?" - [QS.2:107]
And

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

"And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,' they say, 'Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers.' Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?" - [QS.5:104]

Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, condemned those imitating their fathers, saying,

بَلۡ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا وَجَدۡنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا عَلٰۤی اُمَّۃٍ وَّ اِنَّا عَلٰۤی اٰثٰرِہِمۡ مُّہۡتَدُوۡنَ

"Rather, they say, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided.'" - [QS.43:22]

meaning, they have no grounds for their belief in idolatry apart from the fact that they are imitating their fathers and forefathers who were following a certain Ummah or way, i.e., religion.

They claimed that they are rightly guided by following their fathers and forefathers. This is their claim with no evidence. Then Allah points out that what these people say was already said by those who were like them among the nations of the past who disbelieved in the Messengers. Their hearts and their words are similar.
And Allah says,

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍۢ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ

"And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following.'" - [43:23]

قَٰلَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُم بِأَهْدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمْ عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ

"[Each warner] said, 'Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?' They said, 'Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers.'" - [43:24]

‘Even if they were convinced of the truth of what you have brought to them, they will not follow it, because of their evil intentions and their arrogance towards the truth and its people.

In blindfolowing (making taqlid) there is a nulicaton of intelect because intelect was meant for contemplation. Indeed, it is inappropriate of someone who was handed a lit candle to turn it off and walk in the darkness.
Most followers of schools of thought, glorify certain people, and therefore follow their opinions without adequate analysis. This is the essence of misguidance because people should consider the opinion itself, not the one holding this opinion. Al-Harith lbn Hawt asked Sayyidina Ali, radhiyallahu 'anhu, "Could Talhah and al-Zubayr have been on the wrong path?" Sayyidina Ali responded, "You have been deceived. Truth is nt determined according to identity of individuals (who claim to behold it). Realise the truth and only then will you identify those who are on it."
Imam Ahmad lbn Hanbal used to say, "It is a sign of a lack of knowledge for someone to imitate another man in matters of creed". This was why Imam Ahmad adopted the position of Zayd regarding the grandfther's inheritance instead of Abu Bakr's position.
Proofs of matters of creed are clear, and no logical person could not realise them. As for matters of branches (not related to creed), it is better for a layperson to imitate someone knowledgeable. This is because these matters are large in number and it is more likely for a layperson to misunderstand. However, the layperson is still required to use his intellect to identfy the person (scholar) most worthy to be imitated.

As for the second path, just as Iblis was able to deceive simple minded folks into practicing taqlid, he was also able to deceive those with some intelligence. He did so to his best of ability. Iblis deceived some to reject imitation and encouraged them to contemplate in a particular field of thought. He made some believe that it is a sign of weakness to adhere to the apparent meanings of religous verses, so he directed them towards the way of philosophers - to the point of taking them out of the fold of Islam.
Iblis swayed others to reject imitation and to dwell into sciences of kalam (theological rhetorics and deductive reasoning). They thought that this would remove them fom the ranks of laypeople.
It was not out of weakness that early scholars of Islam remained quiet regarding the harm of kalam. Rather, they saw that it did not provide satisfctory answers, and converted truth into falsehood, so they remained silent about it and encouraged others not to dwell into it. Imam Al-Shafi'i said, 'It would be better for a servant to commit all the sins fom which Allah has forbidden, except Shirk, than for him to dwell into kalam.' He also said, 'If you hear someone saying thigs like: 'The name is the same as the thing which was named', then bear witness that he is of no religion.'
He also said, 'My ruling regarding people of kalam is that they must be beaten with palm tree branches, and they must be taken around tribes, and it must be announced: this is the punishment of those who abandon Qur'an and Sunnah and dwell into kalam.'
Amad Ibn Hanbal said, 'a person of kalam will never succeed, scholars of kalam are of no religion.'

How could kalam not be condemned? It lead Mu'tazilah to believe that Allah only knew generalities of things not the details. And Jahm Ibn Safan said, 'Allah's Knowledge, Ability and Life are recent (became after they were not).' He also said, 'Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, is not a (physical) thing.'
Abu 'Ali Al-Jubba'i, Abi Hashim and their fllowers fom Basrah, claimed that non-existence is something with an essence and attributes, and that Allah does not have the ability to create anything. He can only bring thigs out of non-existence to existence. The Mujabbirah sect claimed that a human had no free will, just like inanimate objects, deprived of choice and action. As for Murji'ah, they said, 'Whoever uttered the Shahadatain, will never enter the Hellfre, even if he committed all sins.' They went against many Prophetic traditions that advocate all muwwahidun (monotheists) would eventually exit the Hellfire."

Then the eagle said, "O my brothers and sisters, it is fom the enmity and hopelessness of the devil that he tries to misguide mankind from the Path of Allah; and this misguidance takes so many shapes and forms. From planting seeds of doubts, to giving rise to deviant ideas, antithetical to the sacred teachings of divine revelation of Islam. Many deviations remaining prevalent today, while more continue to be plotted by the devil and his allies that need to be exposed and pre-empted. And Allah knows best."

Reference :
- Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi, The Devil's Deceptions, Dar as-Sunnah Publishers.

Begin here
[The Firqa]

Bahasa

The Sabians

Eagle continued, "The Sabians (As-Sābi’an) mentioned in the Qur’ān:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

"Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabians [before Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)] - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness - will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." - [QS.2:62]

In this verse, Allah stated that the earlier nations who were righteous and obedient received the rewards for their good deeds. This shall be the case, until the Day of Judgment. Therefore, whoever follows the unlettered Messenger and Prophet, shall acquire eternal happiness and shall neither fear from what will happen in the future nor become sad for what has been lost in the past.
‘Ali bin Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, about the verse, "Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabians [before Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)] - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day...", that Allah revealed the following Ayah afterwards,

وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

"And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers." - [QS.3:85]

This statement by Ibn ‘Abbas indicates that Allah does not accept any deed or work from anyone, unless it conforms to the Law of Muhammad (ﷺ) that is, after Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ). Before that, every person who followed the guidance of his own Prophet was on the correct path, following the correct guidance and was saved.

The Jews are the followers of Prophet Musa, alayhissalam, who used to refer to the Tawrah for judgment. The Jews were called 'Yahud', a word that means, ‘repenting’, just as Musa said,

اِنَّا ہُدۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکَ

"...Certainly we have Hudna to You..." - [QS.7:156]

meaning, we repent to You.
This indicates that they were first called Yahud, because they repented and, because they were kind to each other. It was also said that they were called Yahud in reference to Yahuda (Judah) the eldest son of Prophet Ya'qub. Abu ‘Amr bin Al-'Ala’ said that they were called Yahud, because they swayed when they read the Tawrah.

Iblis's deception of Jews took many forms. Here are some examples. They claimed that there are similarities between The Creator and His creation. Had this been true, then everything applicable to the creator would be applicable to the creation. Abu Jamid said that Jews claim that god was a man made fom light sitting on a chair of light, wearing a crown of light, and that he had limbs similar to human limbs.
Another example is, their claim that 'Uzayr was Allah's son. Had they understood the reality of childhood, they would have realised that it could only take occur when the father give a piece of him (sperm). Allah would never give a piece of Him away because He is not composed of different pieces. Also, the son usually is of the same status as the father. Yet, 'Uzayr had to eat to survive. How could he have been a god when a god was always needed and was never in need. They only assumed that 'Uzayr was Allah's son because he came back fom the dead and recited the Torah from memory.

What proves that Jews are weak minded is that after seeing Allah's ability of splitting the sea, they requested to worship idols saying, "Make fr us a god as they have gods". When Musa scolded them for making this request, they continued to wish for such an idol but in secret. Their wish finally came true when they worshiped the calf.
This was a result of two things, first, their ignorance of The Creator, and second, that they wanted something that they could sense, because feeling was more effective to them than contemplating. Had they not been ignorant of their Rabb, they would not have called him with bad words, such as, "Allah is poor" and "Allah's hand is tied."
lblis also deceived them into thinking that Shari'ahs may never be abrogated. However, they knew well that in Adam's Shari'ah, it was permissible to marry one's sister and to work on Saturday. This was abrogated by Musa's religon. They said, "Whenever Alah orders something then it may never be changed."
Another example of lblis's deception of Jews was their claim, "The Hellfire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days." These days are the days during which they worshiped the calf.

Their shameful acts were numerous. lblis also caused them to become very stubborn to the point of denying that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was described in their book. They modifed the verses that mentioned this, refused to beleve in Him and accepted the punishment of the Hereafer.
So their scholars were stubborn, and the ignorant among them followed. And they modifed their religion to suit thei needs, so how could servitude be manifsted in those who abandoned Allah's order and acted upon their desires. They used to disobey Musa, alayhissalam, and accuse him of having overly large testicles! And they accused him of killing Harun, alayhissalam, and also accused Dawud, alayhissalam, with regard to the wife of Irya.

The Christians were called ‘Nasara’. When Isa was sent, the Children of Israel were required to follow and obey him. The followers of Isa and his companions are called An-Nasara, because they gave aid and support to each other. They are also called Ansar (helpers), as ‘Isa said,

مَنۡ اَنۡصَارِیۡۤ اِلَی اللّٰہِ ؕ قَالَ الۡحَوَارِیُّوۡنَ نَحۡنُ اَنۡصَارُ اللّٰ

"...Who will be my helpers in Allah's cause?" Al-Hawariyyun said, "We are the Ansar of Allah..." - [QS.61:14]

It was said that they were called ‘Nasara’, because they inhabited a land called An-Nasirah (Nazareth), as Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ibn ‘Abbas were reported to have said it. Nasara is certainly plural for Nasran.

When Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as the Last and Final Prophet and Messenger to all of the Children of Adam, mankind was required to believe in him, obey him and refrain from what he prohibited them; those who do this are true believers. The Ummah was called ‘Mu’minin (believers) because of the depth of their faith and certainty, and because they believe in all of the previous Prophets and matters of the Unseen.

Iblis's deception of al-Nasara took many forms. Here are some examples. He deceived them to think that The Creator (the Mighty and the Majestic) was of matter form. Al-Ya'qubiyyah, followers of Ya'qub, al-Malikiyyah, followers of the King's (Constantine) Religion, and al-Nastiriyyah, followers of Nastur, all have said that Allah is one essence but is three distinct characters: the father, the son and the holy spirit. Some of them claimed that the three characters were only features. Others said they were attributes. And others claimed that they were persons. They forgot that had Allah been of matter from them everything that was applicable to matter must be applicable to Him, such as being confined by space, motion, stillness and color.

Then Iblis convinced some of them to believe that 'Isa, alayhissalam, was Allah. Abu Muhammad al-NubakhtI said, 'Al-Malikis and al-Ya'qubis claimed that Maryam gave birth to the Rabb. Iblis whispered to some of them to believe that 'Isa was Allah's son.' Others claimed that 'Isa had two essences, one ancient and the other recent. They confirmed 'Isa's need for food and that he was crucifed and unable to repel harm away fom himself. They said, "That which was crucifed was the humanistic essence.'' Well, could not the divne essence have repelled harm away fom the humanistic essence? 

Iblis also deceived them into denying our Prophet (ﷺ) although he was mentioned in the Injil. Some People of the Book admitted that our Prophet (ﷺ) was a true Prophet but sent only to Arabs. This was another aspect of Iblis's deception of them, because once they admitted that Muhammad (ﷺ) was a Prophet, they should have confrmed that he could not have been a liar. He (ﷺ) said, "I was sent to all people", and he (ﷺ) wrote letters to kings of non-Arab nations inviting them to Islam.

Iblis also deceived Jews and Christians into believing that Allah will never punish them for their ancestor's sake. Their ancestors included Prophets and righteous people. Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, reported their saying,

وَ قَالَتِ الۡیَہُوۡدُ وَ النَّصٰرٰی نَحۡنُ اَبۡنٰٓؤُا اللّٰہِ وَ اَحِبَّآؤُہٗ ؕ قُلۡ فَلِمَ یُعَذِّبُکُمۡ بِذُنُوۡبِکُمۡ ؕ بَلۡ اَنۡتُمۡ بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقَ ؕ یَغۡفِرُ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ وَ یُعَذِّبُ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ لِلّٰہِ مُلۡکُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ مَا بَیۡنَہُمَا ۫ وَ اِلَیۡہِ الۡمَصِیۡرُ

"But the Jews and the Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His beloved.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?' Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination. - [QS.5:18]

As for the Sabians or Sabiun, there is a difference of opinion over the identity of the Sabians. Sufyan Ath-Thawri said that Layth bin Abu Sulaym said that Mujahid said that, “The Sabians are between the Majus, the Jews and the Christians. They do not have a specific religion.” Others say that the Sabians are a sect among the People of the Book who used to read the Zabur (Psalms), others say that they are a people who worshipped the angels or the stars. It appears that the closest opinion to the truth, and Allah knows best, is Mujahid’s statement and those who agree with him like Wahb bin Munabbih, that the Sabians are neither Jews nor Christians nor Majus nor polytheists. Rather, they did not have a specific religion that they followed and enforced, because they remained living according to their Fitrah (instinctual nature). This is why the idolators used to call whoever embraced Islam a ‘Sabi’, meaning, that he abandoned all religions that existed on the earth. Some scholars stated that the Sabians are those who never received a message by any Prophet.

Regarding the Sabians, Ibn Al-Qayyim stated, “The Sabians are an ancient people who preceded the Jews and Christians… They were not Jews, Christians or Magians. They were two factions: The monotheistic Sabians and the idolatrous Sabians. So it is the monotheists who were the saved-ones among them. And between the two factions, there were disputes and refutations. They were the people of the Prophet Ibrahim, alayhissalam, just as the Jews were the people of Musa, alayhissalam. And the monotheists of the Sabians were Ibrahim’s followers.”
Ibn al-Qayyim makes the point in Ahkām Ahludh-Dhimmah that in general, the Sabians were better than the Magians. The Magians or Zoroastrians (Arabic: Al-Majoos), in terms of religion, are worse than the Jews, Christians and Sabians – indeed they are the worst of cultures in terms of religion. They have no adherence to any revealed book nor affiliation to a revealed religion. For this reason, when the Persians defeated the Romans (i.e. the Christian Byzantines) at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), the idolators of Makkah rejoiced at the victory of the Persian Magians, because they were similar to them. The Makkans also were not people of any revealed scripture (just like the Persian-Magians), and so they behaved wickedly towards the Muslims of Makkah. Later, when the Romans defeated the Persians, the Muslims rejoiced because the Christians are closer to the Muslims than the Magians due to the fact that the Christians have a revealed book.

The Magians believe in the concept of dual deities (gods) or supreme forces which oppose each other. Their god, Ahura Mazda, “existed in light and goodness above, while the god of evil, Angra Mainyu, “existed in darkness and ignorance below.” They have existed independently of each other for all time, and make themselves manifest in opposing materials. Zoroastrianism appeared in Iran (Persia) at around the 6th Century BCE, and Zoroastrians (Magians) worship in the presence of some form of fire because they consider it a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom are attained – and water is treated in much the same way. For this reason, they are often referred to as ‘fire-worshippers” and they were renowned for their building of temples of fire. They have survived until this time and live mostly in India and Iran.

According to Ibn Al-Jawzi, the Sabians (al-Sabi'in) were those who left one religion for the sake of another. Scholars had ten different opinions regardig them. The first was that their religion was a mix between Christianity and Zoroastrianism. The second was, that their religion was a mix between Judaism and Zoroastrianism. The tihrd was that their religion was a mix between Judaism and Christianity. The fourth was that they were a sect of Christianity but that they adopted less radical views. The fifth was that they were a sect of polytheists with no holy book. The sixth was that they were the same as Zoroastrians. The seventh was that they were fom the people of the Book and hat their holy book was al-Zabur. The eighth was that they were a people who prayed towards our qiblah, who prayed to angels and whose holy book was al-Zabur. The ninth was that were simply a sect of the People of the Book. The tenth was that they were a people who affirm that there was none worthy to be worshipped but Allah. They performed no other action except this affirmation.

As for the Mutakallimun, practitioners of deductive reasoning, they said that Sabians adopted various beliefs. Some believed that there had always been a Creator who always created fom the pre-eternal Hyle. Most Sabians believed that the universe was created from nothing, and referred to planets as angels whom they worshipped and built shrines for. They claimed that the Ka'bah was one of these shrines dedicated to planet Saturn. Others claimed that Allah should only be assigned attributes of negation, not attributes of affirmation, so they say, 'Allah was not created, not dead, not ignorant, and not disabled.' They said that this would prevent drawing similitude between Allah and His creation.

As for their acts of worship, they claimed that they were to pray three times a day. The first prayer consisted of eight units with tree prostrations in each unit. This prayer may be performed anytime before sunrise. The second and third prayers each consist of five units.
They also fast for one month, starting the eighth of March plus seven days starting the ninth of December, and another seven days starting the eighth of February. After fasting, they celebrate by giving charity and slaughtering animals.
To them, camel meat is forbidden. And they claim that righteous souls elevate to the stationary planets and to the light. As for evil souls, they descend into the earth and darkness. Some of them claimed that this world never seized to exist, and that reward and punishment took place through reincarnation. Iblis has deceived them into believing that perfection may be attained through connecting to the upper spiritual world. They did so by performing ablutions and following certain rules. Also, they occupied themselves with fortune telling and denied resurrection after death.

Allah also mentioned,

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡا وَ الصّٰبِـُٔوۡنَ وَ النَّصٰرٰی مَنۡ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَ الۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یَحۡزَنُوۡنَ

"Indeed, those who have believed [in Prophet Muhammad] and those [before Him] who were Jews or Sabeans or Christians - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness - no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." - [QS.5:69]

In this verse, as Mujahid stated, those who have believed, referring to
Muslims, those who are the Jews, who were entrusted with the Tawrah, and the Sabians, a sect from the Christians and Magians who did not
follow any particular religion. As for the Christians, they are known and were entrusted with the Injil. The meaning here is that if each of these groups believed in Allah and the Hereafter, which is the Day of Judgement and Reckoning, and performed good actions, which to be so, must conform to Muhammad's Law, after Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was sent to all mankind and the Jinns. If any of these groups held these beliefs, then they shall have no fear of what will come or sadness regarding what they lost, nor will grief ever affect them.

In another verse, Allah says,

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡا وَ الصّٰبِئِیۡنَ وَ النَّصٰرٰی وَ الۡمَجُوۡسَ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَشۡرَکُوۡۤا ٭ۖ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَفۡصِلُ بَیۡنَہُمۡ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ شَہِیۡدٌ

"Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Sabians and the Christians and the Magians and those who associated with Allah - Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is, over all things, Witness." - [QS.22:17]

In this verse, Allah tells us about the followers of these various religions, the believers (Muslims) and others such as the Jews and Sabians. We have already discussed a definition of them and have noted how people differ over who they are. There are also the Christians, Majus and others who worship others alongside Allah. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection with justice; He will admit those who believed in Him to Paradise and will send those who disbelieved in Him to Hell, for He is a Witness over their deeds, and He knows all that they say and all that they do in secret, and conceal in their breast. And Allah knows best.

Continued to
[Following the Forefathers]

Bahasa

The Fire Worshipers

Eagle contonued, "The Devil has deceived some people into worshiping fire. He made them believe that fire was the essence of things, and that world could not be without it. Sun worship stemmed from this idea as well. Al-Tabari said, 'When Qabil killed Habil, he went to Yemen to run away fom their father. lblis came to him and told him, 'Fire ate Habil's sacrifce and was accepted by Allah because Habil used to serve the fire and worship it. You should erect a house in which fire is worshiped. He was the first to build such a house and the first to worship fire.'
Al-Jahiz said, 'Zaradusht also known as Zarathustra or Zoroaster, the first Zoroastrian, came fom Balkh claiming that he had received revelation while he was on mount Ceylon. He told those living in cold areas that they may be punished by increased cold weather. He claimed that he had only been sent to people living on mountains. He made it permissible for his followers to use their urine for performing ablution, to have relations with their mothers, to glorify fire, as well as other silly things.' He said, 'Allah was alone for a long time. He contemplated about His loneliness, so lblis was generated fom this contemplation. Allah then wanted to kill lblis but lblis defended himself. When Allah saw this, he decided to give him a chance for sometime.'

Fire-worshippers built many temples. The first to design such a temple was Afridon. He established a temple in Tus and another in Bukhara. Bahman built one in Sijjistan. Zaradusht plotted a scheme to make his followers believe that a fire had come fom heaven to eat something they had sacrifced. He put an animal that was to be sacrificed inside a house in which there was a large mirror. He surrounded the animal with firewood and poured sulfur on it, He made an opening in the wall so the sunray could come through, become reflected by the mirror towards the firewood. When the fire started, Zaradush ordered his fllowers not to turn it off.
Yahya Ibn Bishr al-Nahawandi said, 'The first Zoroastrian king was Komorth, then came many who claimed to be Prophets including Zaradusht, he was the most famous of them.
They claimed that the lord was a spiritual being who appeared suddenly, and with his appearance, purely spiritual beings appeared as well. When this happened, the lord thought to himself: No one else could have created these beings. From this thought, developed a darkness because it entailed the denial of others' abilities. So this darkness began to battle Him.
Zaradusht prescribed fire worship, as well as praying to the sun because it was the owner of the world, as they claimed, the bringer of day, the eliminator of night, the reviver of plants and animals,
and the generator of heat.

They never buried their deceased out of respect to Earth because all living things grew fom it. They also never used water for bathing out of respect to it, the livelihood of all things. They utilized cow urine and never spat in it.
They considered it forbidden to kill or slaughter animals, and they used to wash their faces with cow urine in order to gain blessings. In addition, they considered it permissible for a man to have relations with his mother on the basis that a son was most worthy of fulfiling his mother's sexual urges. And whenever a man died then his son took over his widow. They also allowed a man to marry one hundred or one thousand women. And when a women used to perform ablution afer her monthly period, she would go to the temple, pay one dinar to the fire servant who would take her and bathe her with his index finger.
Mazdak propagated this matter (lewd behavior) during the days of Qubath. He made it permissible for women to have relations with whomever they willed, and Mazdak had relations with Qubath's wives in order for the public to fllow his example. He also allowed people to eat the meat of dead animals. When Anusharwan came to power, he abolished Mazdakism.

Zoroastrians believes that Earth had no limit fom its bottom (the down direction), that the sky was built fom the devils' flesh, that thunder was the sound made by the devis trapped in the upper hemispheres. Scholars said that Zoroastrians used to have holy books, but that these books were lifted because of what they had introduced into their religion.
The most amusing of Iblis's deceptions of Zoroastrians was to convince them that a good doer could never do evil, so this let them to believe that there were two gods, one god was a wise light that only did good, and the other was a devil who was darkness and only did evil acts. Some of them believed The Creator to be ancient and only did good, and that the devil was recent, and only did evil acts.
Al-Nubakhti said that some Zoroastrians claimed that the Creator had a doubt in something, so the devil was generated out of this doubt. Others claimed that God and the devil were ancient (preeternal) beings with a large space between the two of them. And that the world was purely good until Iblis penetrated the sky along with his soldiers and that God ran away fom them with His angels and fought them for three thousand years. This was only one of many of their hallucinatons that we do not want to waste time narrating.
What is strange is that they affirmed The Creator to be purely good but claimed that He had a dreadful thought!  

Iblis deceived the Brahmans, Indians and others to deny prophecies and block their pathway to Allah. The Indians differed among themselves. Some of them were secular, others were dualists, others followed Brahmans and others only believed in the prophecy of Adam, and Ibrahim, alayhimussalam.
Abu Muhammad al-Nubakhti said in his book 'Opinions and Cult' that some Indian Brahmans affirmed the creator, messengers, heaven and hellfre. And they believed that their messenger was an angel who came to them in human form without a holy book. He had four hands and twelve heads: a human head, a lion's head, a horse's head, an elephant's head, a pig's head and so on. They say that he ordered them to glorify the fire and forbid them from committing murder and from eating from any animal that was not slaughtered in the name of the fire. He also forbid them fom lying and from drinking liquor. But he made it permissible for them to commit adultery, and ordered them to worship cows. Whoever left his religion and then came back to it, had his head, beard, eyebrows and eyelashes shaved, and was to bow to the cows.

lblis has deceived some Indian Brahmans to burn themselves as a form of getting closer to god. What they do is that they dig a trench, and people gather around it. Then the man who is about to burn himself arrives wearing a lot of perfume. They beat on their drums chanting "glad tidings to this soul that has been attached to paradise." He responds, "let this sacrifce be accepted and let my reward be paradise." Then he sits inside the burning trench. Afterwards, if he attempts to escape they shun him until he returns to the fire again.
Some of them worship water claiming that it is the source of life. They prostrate to water. And some of them jump into fire then into water. They continue to do so until they die. Some of them die fom self inflicted hunger and thirst. They first fall down out of weakness, then loose the ability to talk, then looses their senses, and die. Others wander off in the lands until they die, others drown themselves, and others have no relations with women, and cover only their private parts.
What is strange is that Indians were considered sources of wisdom. Glory to He who blinded their hearts to the point that Iblis became able to lead them this way.

Iblis also deceived some people into worshiping the moon, he caused others to worship the stars. Ibn Qutaybah said, 'During the period ofJahiliyyah, some people used to worship planet Sirus (Shi'ra). They were fascinated by it. The first to worship it in spite of Quraysh was Abu Kabshah. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called for worshipping Allah and the rejection of idols, they called him: the son of Abu Kabshah. Meaning that they both were similar in going against Quraysh. There are two stars of the name, one above (Canis Major), the other Canis Minor, which faces it; between the two is the Galaxy. Canis Minor belongs to the stretched out arm in the constellation of the Lion, whereas Canis Major is the Gemini.
Abu Muhammad Al-Nubakhti said that some people believed that celestial bodies were pre-eternal with no creator. Others claimed Saturn to be the only pre-eternal planet. They claimed that celestial bodies had no heat, coldness, brittleness nor softness, and that they were neither heavy nor light. Others claimed planets to be made from clouds that were lit during the night and turned off during the day. They claimed the moon to be made fom fire and air.
Some claimed that planets were made fom water, wind and fire, and that they were spheres that moved fom east to west and west to east. They said that Saturn completed a cycle around the sun in about thirty years, Jupiter in twelve years, Mars in two, and the sun, Venus and Mercury in one year. The moon completed its cycle in thirty days.
Some said that there were seven planets: the nearest to us was the moon, then Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars,Jupiter, and Saturn. The remaining planets were stationary.

Practitioners of Astronomy estimated the sizes of the planets as well. The largest was the sun, one hundred and sixty six time the size of Earth. Stationary planets were each ninety four time the size of Earth. Jupiter was eighty two times the size of Earth and Mars was one and a half times the size of Earth.
Some claimed that there was life on each of the planets. And that stars were living and active. Some stars did good and evil deeds according to their nature of fortune or misfortune, and they affected humans.

Iblis has deceived some to believe in soul reincarnation, and that the souls of good doers depart their bodies at the time of death to enter bodies of good people again. While the souls of evildors exit their bodies to re-enter evil bodies. This belief became prevalent during the time of the Pharaoh.
Abu'l-Qasim al-Balkhi stated that when some people saw children and animals go through pain or suffering, they would conclude that this pain of calamity must have been due to sins committed during previous lives.
Abu Bakr Ibn al-Pallas said, 'I once visited a man who used to be a Shi'ite, he then became a believer in reincarnation. He was rubbing and scratching between the eyes of a black cat. The cat had tears come down fom its eyes and the man petting it was crying heavily.' I asked him, 'Why are you crying?' He responded: 'This cat cries each time I rub it.' This is certainly my mother crying out of sorrow when she sees me. Then he began talking to her as if she understood what he was saying. The cat was making noises every now and then, so I asked him, 'Does the cat understand what you tell her?' He answered, 'Yes.' I replied, 'Do you understand what it is saying?' He said, 'No.' So I said, 'Then it is you who was reincarnated, and the cat is the human.'

Iblis deceived others into worshiping angels and claiming them to be Allah's daughters. Allah is Most Exalted. Others were deceived into worshiping horses and cows. Al-SamirI was fom a people who used to worship a calf. This was why he formed a calf. Commentators tell us that Pharaoh used to worship a buck.
Among all these was no one who exercised his intellect or made use of his reason to ponder over what he was doing. We ask Allah to save us in this world and the next.

Continued to
[The Sabians]

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