Harvesting for Hereafter, Podium of Light, Sunan of Allah
Issue 339 » August 12, 2005 - Rajab 6, 1426
General
| Living the Quran |
Al-Shura
(Mutual Consultation) Harvesting for the Hereafter
Both the seeker of the Hereafter and the seeker of the world have been likened to the farmer in this verse, who labours hard persistently right from the time he prepares the soil till the time his crop is ready for harvesting. He puts in all his labour so that he may reap and gather the crop of the seeds he sowed. But because of the difference of the intention and objective and also the difference of the attitude and conduct, to a large extent, a vast difference takes place between the farmer who sows for the Hereafter and the farmer who sows for this world. Therefore, Allah has ordained different results and consequences of the labours of each, although the place of activity of both is this very earth. As to the farmer who is sowing for the Hereafter, Allah has not said that he will get no share from the world. The world, in a more or less measure, he will get in any case. For he also has a share in the common provisions being bestowed by Allah, and every person, good or bad, is getting his sustenance here. But Allah has not given him the good news of the harvest of this world. He has given him the good news that his harvest of the Hereafter will be increased, for he is a seeker of the hereafter, and is concerned about his end there. There are several ways in which this harvest can be increased; for example, as he goes on doing righteous deeds with sincere mentions, he is blessed with the grace to do more and more righteous deeds and his breast opens out for more and more good deeds. Above all, his good works, however small and insignificant, will at least be increased ten times over in the Hereafter, and there is no limit to this increase. Allah will increase it hundreds of thousands of times for whomever He may please. As for the one who is only sowing for this world, and is not at all concerned about the Hereafter, Allah has plainly told him of two of the results of his labours: (1) That, however hard he may struggle and strive. he will not get the whole of what he is trying for, but only a fraction of it, which Allah has ordained for him; and (2) that whatever he gets, he will get only in this world: there is no share for him in the good things of the Hereafter. Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| Podiums of Light The noble Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said: ‘Around the Divine Throne, there are podiums of light. On them are people whose clothing is light and their countenances are light. They are neither Prophets nor martyrs. The Prophets and the martyrs are delighted with them.’ ‘Describe them to us, O Messenger of God,’ requested his Companions. The Prophet replied: ‘They are those who loved one another for the sake of God. They kept each other’s company for the sake of God and they visited one another for the sake of God.’ Indeed the noble Prophet made affection springing from the heart a basic requirement in discharging the duties of brotherhood, without which faith is incomplete. This affection is not a favour which one grants to another. All this is implicit in his saying: ‘No one of you has attained faith unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.’ The great truths which the noble Messenger conveyed and on which he trained the firs generation of Muslims are the only bases on which our new societies can be erected. Without them, our path will never be straight. For, the Truth will remain the Truth and human souls will always be the same. Source: |
| Blindspot! |
| Two Important Sunan of Allah Hasty enthusiastic Muslims usually overlook two important sunan, i.e. gradualism and that achieving goals requires the allowance of due time. First: Gradualism is clearly manifest in the process of creation as well as in legislation. Allah is able to create the heavens and the earth in less than the twinkling of an eye: "Be, and it is". Yet he created them in six of his days, i.e., in stages, known only to Him because they are different from our concept of "day." Gradualism is also apparent in the creation of all living organisms which grow in stages until they reach maturity. The same process can also be seen in dawah, which began with the inculcation of monotheism to liberate minds from the confines of paganism and superstition. When that was firmly established, wajibat and muharramat were then gradually introduced, as in the case of salah, siyam, zakah, and the prohibition of alcohol, etc. And in this we see the difference between Makki and Madani texts. Hence those who call for the return to the Islamic way of life and the establishment of the Islamic state must take into consideration the necessity of gradualism for the realization of their goals, taking into account the sublimity of the goal, their own means and potential, and the multiplicity of impediments. Second: The second of these sunan is complementary to the first, i.e., everything has an appointed term during which it reaches ripeness and maturity. This applies to the material as well as the moral. Nothing should be harvested before its appointed time; crops cannot be harvested before they have ripened. Rather than being useful, unripe fruit and vegetables can cause harm. And just as crops need time-sometimes a long time-to mature, the true meanings and values of great actions become apparent only after many years. The longer actions take to mature, the greater they are. The endeavors of one generation often materialize in the following one, or even much later. There is indeed no harm in this if everything takes its planned natural course. Author: |
