The migthy garuda, with his handsomeness, also good at singing, he sang, melodious,Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for meI'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going toHey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for meIn the jingle jangle morning I'll come following youThough I know that evening's empire has returned into sandVanished from my handLeft me blindly here to stand, but still not sleeping *)Then, he continued, "O my brother and sisters, I didn't say about music, but singing together, which, when in tune and not exaggerating, unites.At first, listen to this story,"A rat was traveling along the King's highway. He was a very proud rat, considering his small size and the bad reputation all rats have. As Mr. Rat walked along—he kept mostly to the ditch—he noticed a great commotion up the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the King and his retinue. By the way, the King's retinue, once said that, the highway, belongs only to the king and his supporters, not to the people, because it was the king who built it, no matter what the people had to do to pay taxes.The King—who exudes charm in the way of anti-heroes do, i.e. wearing simple clothes, in order to attract fans—rode on a huge Elephant adorned with the most gorgeous trappings. With the King in his luxurious howdah—a seat with canopy and railings in the back of the elephant—were the royal Dog and Cat. You must have known what the functions and duties of these dogs and cats were. The dog, in charge of barking when someone criticizes and expresses opposing opinions and threatens the position of the King. The cat, with her adorable behavior, will meow to invite people to cheer-up and acknowledge whatever the king and his retinue do. Unlike the previous kings, today, these dogs and cats, are officially kept by the kingdom. It was said that, the King, even though he knew there was a time limit to rule and it was not certain that the people would elect him again, but out of his stupidity, wanted that his reign be extended for life, at least, equal to those the monarchs.Probably, the King had forgotten, that there were two Kings before his reign, one was crowned as a King for unlimited time, and the other, somehow, though, at that periode, it was not contradicting to the constitution, had his reign extended many times, engendered the rise of Dictatorships. In the communist system, dictatorship lived as the proletariat, therefore, people didn't want it. People wanted changes, so there were some amendments in the Constitution, but not the Kingdom's Philosophy. At that time, until today, Democracy was still the first-option, though not the best, but not the worst either. As for the Sharia system, the Founders of the Kingdom had incorporated it as the Soul of the Constitution and Philosophy of the kingdom, ever since the kingdom was founded. While it was incomplete, the future generations were expected to work it out. If the King didn't realized, then really, the king was indeed, stupid! He ignored the spirit of change.A great crowd of people followed the procession. Thanks to the work of dogs and cats, the crowd were so taken up with admiration of the Elephant, that the Rat was not noticed. His pride was hurt."What a fool!" he cried. "Look at me, and you will soon forget that clumsy Elephant! Is it his great size that makes your eyes pop out? Or is it his wrinkled hide? Why? I have eyes and ears and as many legs as he! I am of just as much importance, and ..."—But just then the royal Cat spied him, and the next instant, the Rat knew he was not quite so important as an Elephant. A resemblance to the great, in some things, does not make us great."Afterwards, he said, "Now, let me continue my story about the healer and the seeker. The healer went on, "O human! It should be known that sins, which caused by our misdeeds, harm to the heart, like the effect of poison on the body, according to the degree of the damage done. In fact, all evil and harm that one faces, in this world and the Hereafter, are caused by one's sins and misdeeds. It would becomes an ailment, which if it continues, becomes a disease that would damage our potential in both this world and the Hereafter.Today, the coronavirus has outbreak everywhere. Know that the virus, is a sign within us. Allah says,وَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اٰیٰتٌ لِّلۡمُوۡقِنِیۡنَوَ فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ ؕ اَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ"There are ˹countless˺ signs on earth for those with sure faith, as there are within yourselves. Can you not see?" [QS. Adh-Dhariyat (51):20-21]It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned to us and said,
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ خَمْسٌ إِذَا ابْتُلِيتُمْ بِهِنَّ وَأَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ تُدْرِكُوهُنَّ لَمْ تَظْهَرِ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي قَوْمٍ قَطُّ حَتَّى يُعْلِنُوا بِهَا إِلاَّ فَشَا فِيهِمُ الطَّاعُونُ وَالأَوْجَاعُ الَّتِي لَمْ تَكُنْ مَضَتْ فِي أَسْلاَفِهِمُ الَّذِينَ مَضَوْا . وَلَمْ يَنْقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِلاَّ أُخِذُوا بِالسِّنِينَ وَشِدَّةِ الْمَؤُنَةِ وَجَوْرِ السُّلْطَانِ عَلَيْهِمْ . وَلَمْ يَمْنَعُوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ إِلاَّ مُنِعُوا الْقَطْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَلَوْلاَ الْبَهَائِمُ لَمْ يُمْطَرُوا وَلَمْ يَنْقُضُوا عَهْدَ اللَّهِ وَعَهْدَ رَسُولِهِ إِلاَّ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأَخَذُوا بَعْضَ مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ . وَمَا لَمْ تَحْكُمْ أَئِمَّتُهُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَيَتَخَيَّرُوا مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ
‘O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge with Allah lest you live to see them,Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but plagues and diseases that were never known among the predecessors will spread among them.They do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity and the oppression of their rulers.They do not withhold the Zakah of their wealth, but rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them.They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, but Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands.Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah; Sahih]It was said that Muhammad bin Sirin felt so apprehensive because of an old debt, so he said, "I know that the cause of this anxiety is a sin which I had committed forty years ago."People continue to underestimate an important concept regarding sins as they do not see the effect of a sin, immediately. Its effect could be delayed, and so people would forget it, and believe that they are not really in the wrong, and therefore do not need to change themselves. This misconception has caused so much torment to many people; it deprived them of many blessings, and caused them misfortunes.O human! Sins, like the viruses, leave disturbing and damaging effects, on the body and soul, which have consequences both in this world and the Hereafter, which Allah Alone, knows. Some of these effects are, deprivation of knowledge; withdrawal of blessings; loneliness; facing hardship; feeling anxiety; prevention from doing other obedient acts; shortening of one's lifespan.Sins also cause corruption and rottenness to different aspects of the environment, such as one's residence, water, air, plants and fruit. Sins extinguish the light of ghaira, the sense of honour, in the heart. The sense of honour is to a person's life like the basal temperature is to the rest of the body; it removes all aspects of wickedness and bad attributes in one's personality. The most dignified people are the ones who observe a strong sense of honour in themselves, their families, and others. Sins take away from the sinner all sense of modesty, hayaa', which is the living substance of the heart. Modesty is defined as the basis of all good, and its removal is the elimination of all that is good.O human! Sins, like the viruses, lead to the production of other sins, until one finds it hard to give them up. A virus works in much the same way. On its own, a virus particle is inert and unable to reproduce. But once it finds a living cell, it forces its way in and tricks its host into duplicating itself so many times that the host cell ultimately bursts apart in a flood of newborn virus.A scholar of the past has said, "Among the punishments for a sin is committing a subsequent sin. And among the recompenses for a good deed is doing a subsequent good deed. When a person does a good deed, another good deed besides it says, 'Do me as well.' If he does it, a third one says likewise, and so on; therefore, his good deeds, and recompense for them, increase. The same thing occurs, but in a negative way, when a person commits a sin. It should be noted that the ratio between the rewards of sins and the rewards of good-deeds, is between 1/10, 1/70, and even up to 1/100. The intention to sin will not be counted, but the intention to do good-deeds, will be counted.Consequently, good and bad deeds become established as habits and attributes in one's life. If a righteous person misses an obedient act, he/she would feel strained. He/she would feel like a fish out of water, and would remain calm only once he/she fulfilled his/her obligations.On the other hand, if a sinner misses a sin, he/she would feel strained, and would be only relax once he/she had committed that sin. In fact, many sinners commit their sins without savouring them, just to prevent the withdrawal symptoms of missing them. One such prominent sinner has said, "One glass of wine I drank for pleasure, followed by another to heal myself from the first drink."O human! Tyranny and oppression are among the greatest sins because they oppose justice, upon which the heavens and the earth were established. Allah sent His Messengers and Books in order that people might establish justice among themselves.The act of killing unlawfully, without any right, is a great sin. Islam cites many examples of such evil acts, like the killing of one's child for fear that the child might share one's provision (i.e. food, drink, and money); the killing of one's parents who were the cause of one's existence; the killing of one's kin.The grade of such an evil act differs according to the nature of the act itself; therefore, the person who will receive the utmost punishment on the Day of Resurrection is the one who killed a prophet, followed by the one who killed an Imam, or a scholar who commanded justice among people and invited them to the Path of Allah. Allah has set the punishment for the intentional killing of a believer as dwelling eternally in the Hell-Fire, with the Curse and Anger of Allah.It is known that the sin of the one who killed a hundred persons is greater in the Sight of Allah than the sin of the one who killed only one person. Some people believe that the resemblance in the sin suggests the resemblance of the punishment; but resembling one thing with another thing does not suggest taking it with all its regulations. If it is said, "Then where is the resemblance between the one who kills one person and the one who kills a hundred persons"? The resemblance is in many aspects,First, both of them are disobedient to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), and are to receive Allah's Punishment, and both of them have earned Allah's Anger and Curse, and dwelling eternally in the Hell-Fire. The difference between them is in their punishment in their lowest levels of Hell.Second, they both equally deserve being killed.Third, they are both equally guilty in their willingness to kill unlawfully. Whoever kills a person without any right, simply for causing mischief in the land, can kill anyone just to take their property; therefore he is an enemy to humanity!Fourth, Allah has made the believers, in their mercy and sympathy towards one another, as one body; so when a killer hurts one part of that body, all the other parts of that body are also hurt. So when someone hurts a believer, it is as if he has hurt all the believers.O human! Fornication is a great evil which can destroy society. It is contrary to the benefit of the global values of preserving lineage, protecting chastity and the sanctity of individuals. It spreads animosity and enmity among people, as committing adultery affects other people's wives, mothers, sisters and daughters. It causes destruction to human society, and therefore comes after the evil of killing in terms of the grade of its evil.Since the starting point for the evil of adultery is the vision, Allah has commanded Muslims to lower their gaze; because evil starts with a glance, followed by a feeling of passion, then moving closer, and finally in committing the sinful act.There are four ways through which sins may invade a person. First, looking at the unlawful is the main way to generate passion, and so whoever abstains from it, has indeed preserved his/her chastity. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, to Ali,يَا عَلِيُّ لاَ تُتْبِعِ النَّظْرَةَ النَّظْرَةَ فَإِنَّ لَكَ الأُولَى وَلَيْسَتْ لَكَ الآخِرَةُ"Do not give a second look, Ali, because while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second." [Sunan Abi Dawud; Hasan by Al-Albani]Staring, lies behind some of the main calamities which afflict mankind. Indeed, looking produces desire; desire produces thoughts; thoughts produce passion; passion produces will power which turns into strong determination, and ends up as an action, as long as there is no impediment.The second way through which sins may invade a person, desires and inclinations, are the starting point of good and evil, and it is from them that will and determination are generated. Therefore, whoever controls his/her desires has indeed controlled him/herself; and whoever surrenders to his/her own desires, would be overwhelmed by them, but whoever thinks little of his/her inclinations, they would guide him to his/herself-destruction. Desires keep on approaching the heart until they become wishes, as Allah has said,وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اَعۡمَالُہُمۡ کَسَرَابٍۭ بِقِیۡعَۃٍ یَّحۡسَبُہُ الظَّمۡاٰنُ مَآءً ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا جَآءَہٗ لَمۡ یَجِدۡہُ شَیۡئًا وَّ وَجَدَ اللّٰہَ عِنۡدَہٗ فَوَفّٰىہُ حِسَابَہٗ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ سَرِیۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ"But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allah before Him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift in account." [QS. An-Nur (24):39]The most despised people, in terms of their determination, are those who tum facts into false wishes, and observe these in their mean lives. These false wishes are damaging to man, as they generate a sense of lassitude and apathy, and produce a feeling of negligence, remorse and regret.When the wisher misses the interaction of the truth within his/her body, he/she depicts its picture in his/her heart, and so he/she becomes contented with illusionary images portrayed by his/her own thoughts, which never brings him/her any real satisfaction in life. His/her example is like that of a person who is both hungry and thirsty, picturing images of food and drink in his/her mind, without having any food or drink to ease his/her hunger and thirst.Accepting such a state of mind shows a low degree of the self esteem and is also a disgrace; because the dignity and purity of the self lies in rejecting any unreal desire or fantasy.Man's desires may be divided into four categories. Desires with which man attains worldly benefits, desires with which he drives away his worldly problems, desires with which he attains benefit in the Hereafter, and desires with which he drives away any harm in the Hereafter.A reasonable person would not hesitate to prefer desires which would gain him/her the benefits in the Hereafter, by seeking the Pleasure of his/her Rabb. Such desires and thoughts are defined according to their priorities. First, reflecting on the Revelation and understanding its meaning. Allah did not send it down just to recite it. Rather, its recitation is just a means to enable a person to ponder on its context. One past scholar said, "The Qur'an was revealed to be implemented on; so turn its recitation into practice!"Second, reflecting on Allah's Signs and using them as evidence to confirm Allah's Names, Attributes, Wisdom, Benevolence and Generosity, as Allah has urged His Servants to reflect on His Signs and understand them. Third, thinking of Allah's Beneficence, Forgiveness, Mercy, Patience, and bestowing His Blessings upon His Servants. These three types of reflection extract from the heart: the knowledge, love, and fear of Allah, which may be firmly established by the remembrance of Allah. Fourth, thinking of the defects of the self and of one's actions. This thought has a great beneficial effect, as it breaks the self which commands evil, allowing one's heart to live in a serene world. Fifth, thinking of the duty of time and its function, and directing all worries around it, to avoid wasting any fraction of it. In fact, all benefits are generated from time, and any wasted time remains irreplaceable.A person's time is indeed his/her lifetime; it is a way leading to his/her eternal blessed life in Paradise, or the way to his/her eternal tormented life in the Hell-Fire. It passes by faster than the clouds move. Whatever time a person spends in obedience to Allah is indeed his/her true life, but whatever else cannot regarded as his/her life; even if he/she has already lived it, his/her life could be compared to that of animals. Even a person performing Salat does not gain from his/her Salat except that which he/she remembers of it; therefore man's life is only that spent in obedience to Allah, and everything else is but the devil's whisperings and false wishes.You should know that a desire in itself does not harm anyone; what is harmful is interacting or reacting to it. A desire is like a passer-by; if you ignore it, it will go away; but if you invite it in, it would bewitch you with its deceptive speech.Allah has placed two kinds of selves in man: a self that is commanding and a self that is peaceful, and they oppose eachother; whatever is light for one is heavy for the other, and whatever satisfies one torments the other. An Angel is on the right side of the heart, while a devil is on the left side of it. There is an on-going battle, until the self completes its life in this world. All falsehood is on the side of the devil and the self commanding evil; while all the truth stays on the side of the Angel and the peaceful mind. The on-going battle is recorded, and victory is gained by one's patience. Whoever endures, shows patience and fears Allah would have a good ending in this world and the Hereafter. Allah has decreed that there will be a blessed end is for the pious.The third way through which sins may invade a person, is speech, should be preserved and used only for what is beneficial. One should say only that which is beneficial to one's Deen (religion). One should think twice before uttering a word, and whether it is useful for one's religion or not; if there is no gain in saying it, one should abstain from uttering it; but if there is any benefit in it, one should not waste the opportunity of saying it. If one wants to give evidence about what is inside the hearts (of others), one should consider their expressions. In fact, the tongue reveals the condition of the heart, whether its owner likes it or not!There are two great ailments related to the tongue; if a man is safe from one, he is not safe from the other; they are the ailments of "speech" and "silence". One can be a greater sin than the other; for a man who keeps silent about the truth is a "dumb devil", disobedient to Allah; while the man who speaks falsehood is a "speaking devil", disobedient to Allah.Righteous people are those who restrain their tongues from uttering falsehood, but loosen them to speak about whatever is beneficial for them in their Hereafter. A person could come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds, the size of mountains, yet they were ruined by his/her tongue; or a person could come with bad deeds, the size of mountains, but he/she would find that his/her tongue destroyed them with constant remembrance of Allah!The fourth way through which sins may invade a person, footsteps, should be preserved in the sense that one has to use his feet to take one to where one should gain the Reward of Allah, not His Curse. Since a slip is related to the foot as well as to the tongue, they were both mentioned in the Verse, as Allah said,وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا"And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily,1 and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace." [QS. Al-Furqan (25):63]Allah described His Faithful Servants with straightness in their words and footsteps.O human! Out of mercy, Allah sends you the signs to remind you of your wrongs, and of what He can do to your fragile body in this life and the next due to those wrongs. As a human being, you try to forget your wrongs, move on, and live comfortably. But such comfort is an illusion. When Kufah was stricken with an earthquake, Ibn Mas'ud turned to those with him and said, 'O people! Your Rabb is teaching you a lesson, so learn it!'And Allah, the Almighty, knows best."At last, the mighty-garuda sang,I'm ready to go anywhereI'm ready for to fadeInto my own paradeCast your dancing spell my wayI promise to go under it
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for meI'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going toHey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for meIn the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you *)
References :
- Imam Shams-ud-Din Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, Spiritual Disease and Its Cure, Edited by Shaikh Zakariya 'Amiraat, Al-Firdous- Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend, M.A., Aesop Fables, George Routledge and Sons
*) "Mr. Tambourine Man" written by Bob Dylan.
*) "Mr. Tambourine Man" written by Bob Dylan.
