By: Dr Saleh as Saleh
“Man always looks for what
benefits him and what protects him from harm”.
However, to accomplish this, man
must be able to realize what is harmful. He must then know whom he should need,
trust and love so that he can attain what is beneficial as well as to feel good
about his choice.
He also must know the proper and
good approach that would make him achieve this goal. This latter condition
requires that man:
Know about harm
What ways can be used to drive
harm away?
Certainly, man can have no
better guidance than that which comes from the One Who had perfected everything,
and the One who Has no deficiency in Himself and in His Attributes. The One Who
is Ever-Living and Who does not die.
There can be no One better than
the One Who Has no need for anything; the One Who is rich; the Giver; the One
who, after all, controls man's soul. Man is so poor to Him. He is Allah, the
True and only God.
Man can bring harm to himself if
he seeks other than Allah for help. Allah is the One Who can help man drive
away any harm for it cannot occur without His Will and His Power.
1.Allah (swt) sent down His
Books and chose His Messengers to guide man to:
2.Know His Lord as He (swt) had
explained about Himself, and
3.Seek Him Alone while living in
accordance with His plan
Knowing Allah's Names and
Attributes liberates man from worshiping any form of creation because creation
is weak and is in need of The Creator, Allah.
The knowledge about Allah leads
man to know that he is created to live according to Allah's way as revealed to
the last Messenger Muhammad . This Revelation contains a complete code of life.
Everything that is beneficial or
harmful is established so that man can centre his life around this Revelation.
If man commits wrong and knows that Allah is Oft-Forgiving he would turn to Him
and to Him alone seeking His forgiveness:
"Know,
therefore, that there is no God Who deserves to be worshiped except Allah; and
ask forgiveness for your sins." (Qur'an, 47:19)
It is wrong to think or believe
that Allah created other 'gods' besides Him so that man turns to them for help;
loves them or fear them, etc. He is the same God of all nations. He does not
order that people should make of stars, sun, fire, Jesus, Moses, etc. gods
besides Him.
He (Most Exalted) cannot be
'contradictory'. He has one way (religion) that calls man to surrender his will
only to Him. He warned that if man (even Muhammad would take partners with Him,
then his work will fail and will be among losers:
"And
verily, it had been revealed to you (O Muhammad ) as has been revealed to those
before you. If you join others in worship with Allah (then) surely (all) your
deeds will be in vain and you will certainly be among the losers. Nay! But
worship Allah and be among grateful." (Qur'an, 39:65-66)
Let us know what Muhammad, the
man-Prophet, who knew Allah best, used to say:
"O
Allah, I seek refuge in You for Your Pleasure and against Your Wrath, and in
Your Forgiveness and against Your Punishment and in You from You, I cannot
Praise You as You can Praise Yourself." (Muslim, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi,
ibn Majah)
"I
have surrendered myself to You, I have directed my face to You, I have
entrusted my affairs to You, I have compelled my back to refuge in You, in want
and in fright of You, there is no resort nor survival from You except (in
turning) to You. I have faith in Your book (i.e. the Qur'an) which You brought
down and in the Prophet (Muhammad) you have sent." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
When we read in the Qur'an that:
"Whatever
of Mercy (i.e. of good), Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and
whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (Qur'an, 35:2)
And when we read that:
"If
Allah touches you with hurt, there is none can remove it but He; and if He
intends any good for you, there is one who can repel His favour which He causes
it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will, and He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful." (Qur'an, 10:117)
We should be motivated to return
to Him Alone at times of ease and at times of hardship.
And when we read that:
"If
Allah helps you none can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is there,
after Him, that can help you. And in Allah (alone) let believers put their
trust." (Qur'an, 3:160)
The Qur'an, therefore, leads man
to a true liberation from any false attachment. It brings peace to the heart.
It helps the believer against hypocrisy and all forms of dishonesty.
Imagine, for example, a believer
facing a problem at work. He sees wrong and faces unlawful practices. He does
not fear rejecting what is wrong. He knows that the job is only a means to gain
his sustenance.
While he may be unable to
correct what is wrong, he knows well that Allah is the One Who provides. If he
leaves his job for the sake of Allah, Allah will give him a better one. Allah
(SW) said:
"And
whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him. He will make a way for him to
get out (from) every (difficulty), and He will provide him from (sources) he
could never imagine." (Qur'an, 65:2-3)
The above texts, necessitates
that man must depend upon Allah (SWT) asking Him Alone for assistance. It also
requires that man must love Allah and worship Him Alone to gain His pleasure
and His help.
Is it not true that the people
who consider this life as the "Final Goal" end up worshiping many
things in it? You see them so careful about "having it all". They
torture themselves: pain, difficulty, and constant worry, keeping their hands
in the banks for loan after loan to keep up with the "demands of
development".
They are under the constant
threat of foreclosure. They constantly see poverty in front of their eyes. The
Prophet (saw) said:
"Allah
says: 'Son of Adam: Fill your time with My worship and I will fill your heart
with richness, and end off your poverty. But if you don't, I would make your
hands fully busy (i.e. in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your
poverty.'" (At-Tirmidhi said that it is a good hadeeth)
Our purpose of existence on
earth is more meaningful than being slaves to worldly gains. There can be no
meaningful life better than that prescribed by our Creator Allah. Every act
done according to Allah's way is an act of worship. Man is the beneficiary and
Allah is in no need:
"O
mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah ,but Allah is Rich (Free of all
wants and needs), Worthy of All Praise." (Qur'an, 35:15)
Source: www.huda.tv
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