Friday Nasiha

al-Waqiah (The Inevitable Event)
Chapter 56: Verses 83-87

Translation:

When a man's soul reaches his throat and is about to leave him, and you are looking on, and We are closer to him than you, although you cannot see Us, why then, if you are not accountable, can you not bring the soul back, if you claim to be truthful?

Commentary:

Death is inescapable and unpreventable; an inevitable event in every man's life that comes at a predestined moment, totally beyond human control.

Being totally preoccupied with their day-to-day lives and worldly affairs, the majority of people cannot think beyond their material or physical existence. Many of them are, to say at least, skeptical about the resurrection and are quite adamant in their belief that death is the end of their existence.

Death is a most profound truth; today's dead are buried by those who too will die one day, and yet the latter continue to ignore death and live as if it would not happen to him. It seldom moves them to think or reflect on the convictions or conduct.

By his very nature, man is argumentative, contentious, and stubborn. However, once this great cataclysmic event is suddenly set in motion, the curtain will fall and no human power will be able to stop it.

[compiled from "A thematic Commentary on the Quran" by Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali, pp. 607-608, 624]

Pride: The Fuel of Disbelief

"Pride is dissatisfaction with the truth, and belittling the people."
"He will not enter Paradise who has even a speck of pride in his heart."
[narrated by Muslim]

Pride is one of the blameworthy qualities and it is forbidden to have it. As far as its reality is concerned, you should know that pride is divided into inward and outward pride. Inward pride is a quality within the self, and outward pride is action which appears through the limbs.

As far as its cure is concerned, there are two parts: the knowledge-cure and the action-cure. The remedy can only be effected by joining the two of them. The knowledge-cure is to know and recognise yourself and to know and recognise your Lord. That will be enough to remove your pride. Whoever knows and recognises his own self as it should be known and recognised, knows that it is not worthy of greatness, and that true greatness and pride are only for Allah. The action-cure is to humble yourself to people in a constrained unnatural manner until it becomes natural for you.

[compiled from "The Purification of the Heart from Kibr (Pride)" by Imam Uthman dan Fodio]

Positive Contributions Towards Society

In addition to sharing Islam with society, the Islamic methodology directs change agents towards exerting efforts for enjoining good and forbiding wrong in society and the state.

Enjoining good includes the promotion of Islamic values in society such as:

- truth,
- honesty,
- chastity,
- family values,
- respect and care for the elderly,
- care and proper upbringing for the young,
- a moral and balanced education,
- just social policies,
- the equitable distribution of wealth,
- care for orphans, and
- support for the poor.

Furthermore, acting on such good in one's private life is not enough according to Islam. Public life and the state must also conform to equitable and moral principles. In fact, anything that is not firmly established in collective life cannot be sustained for long in the private sphere. This is why all the Messengers of Allah, according to Islam, did not solely preach individual morality, they also strove to build public life on strong faith and Islamic moral code.

Thus, in the light of Islamic guidance, crime, corruption and social evils should not only be the concern of the victims or the police, rather they must be everyone's concern. Muslims are duty bound to rid society of immoral, depraved, dishonest and unjust practices. All forms of corruption, injustice and acts of oppression have to be fought against - this includes:

- gambling,
- prostitution,
- pornography,
- alcohol,
- drugs,
- political corruption,
- economic injustice, and
- harmful legislation and social policies.

[compiled from "Building a New Society" by Zahid Parvez, pp. 250-251]