OnIslam.net

As-salamu `alaikum dear brother,

Thank you for writing back to us. Kindly find below my answers to the different points that came in your question (the answers are numbered referring to the numbers in the question above).

1-You’re right, only that in Islam we have a tradition of erudite scholarship that has been preserved in the form of the ahl al sunnah wal jamma’ah. You should strive to find and take your knowledge from such scholars rather than any Tom, Dick and Harry that claims to be one. Then, you will be able to understand how to discriminate between what is true and what is false. You are confused because you are listening to too many different opinions and not taking your knowledge from a single reliable source. In Islam, our knowledge has been preserved and passed down systematically. And on many issues there are accepted differences of opinion (as represented by the four schools of law or mazhabs), however, there are also some things that are agreed upon by all, or the vast majority of scholars.

2– True, but not. In Islam, some knowledge is ‘better’ than others in terms of its substantiation in the sources of divine knowledge, which are the Qur’an and Sunnah of Rasulullah (SAW). There are differences of opinion on matters that are ‘grey’, but there are some things that are simply true and false. There is little disagreement on these matters.

3- Again, not true. No one did more good deeds and repented more than the prophets even though they ‘knew’ they were going to Jannah. And, the whole point of Allah sending us human messengers was so that we most certainly could learn from them, emulate them and follow their example.

4- I agree. Except that, even with the things we ask for Allah will test us. More on this later.

5- When did I say that was incorrect? I said Allah tests us according to the strength of our Iman and what He knows that we can handle. But only Allah knows what that truly is.

Furthermore, luxury is as much of a test as hardship. For those whom Allah has lavished with worldly possessions and comforts, these are the greatest of tests, for such are the means to make people forget about Allah SWT. And Allah says: "And We test you by evil and by good way of trial." (21:35).

To support this argument Allah says in the Qur'an that two of the most appreciated blessings of life, wealth and children, are trials.  Allah says: "And know ye that your possessions and your progeny are but a trial." (Anfal 28) The warning is the same as for the blessings of abundant wealth and offspring (63:9).

In addition, the sahih hadith says: "By Allah I don't fear for you poverty, but I fear that the world would be abundant for you as it has been for those before you so you compete for it as they have competed for it, so it destroys you as it has destroyed them." (Agreed upon).

The Prophet (SAW) could have been a very rich man if he so desired. He was constantly being given gifts by all kinds of people. However, rather than keep them, he gave almost everything he had away to the poor.

It’s not what we are given that matters, it’s what we do with it – that is how Allah tests us. For some, he tests with hardship and poverty, for others, he tests with good fortune and wealth. But for the latter, if good fortune and wealth leads one to turn away from Allah and forget where those bounties come from, and to act arrogantly and selfishly, he is destroyed just as the one who is weak in the face of calamities and hardship – probably worse off in fact.

6- I do! And most true ‘ulema (scholars) will say the same thing along with those who have understanding of how precarious their state actually is. Anyone who proclaims themselves to be a strong Muslim or a pious Muslim is, in my opinion, arrogant. Only Allah knows our true state, and what we are truly capable of. It is only by His grace that we might be strong, pious, etc. Anyone who thinks that they are this or that by their own doing is a fool. It is all by Allah’s leave and grace that we are, or that we have attained to any success. If He so willed, he could so easily reduce us to nothing.

7- Why does it matter? Why are you so determined to label yourself as such? Just live your life as Allah asks, and let Him worry about that. It’s not for you to concern yourself with. At the end of the day, you don’t know where you’re going anyway, so why are you so determined to try and ‘figure it out?’ Assume that your fate lies with Allah alone, which it does, and it is He that will sort all of that out in the end. Your concern is to follow, obey and seek to be close to Allah as much as you can.

8- Brother, you have a very secularized notion of what Islam is. You believe that the only actions in this world that please Allah are what you mentioned above. The Prophet (SAW) said that anything done (within the shari’ah) for Allah’s sake is a form of ‘ibadah. That means eating, sleeping, talking, reading, studying, cleaning, etc. as long as it is done with consciousness of Allah and within the bounds of His sacred law. A good deed takes on many many forms. That understanding of Islam, that Allah is only pleased with us when we are engaged in rituals, is secularism – pure and simple. The Prophet (SAW) said marrying is half of our deen – are you saying that it is not a good deed that is pleasing to Allah? The Prophet said planting a tree, hugging a child, smiling, making love to one’s wife, being kind to people, acquiring knowledge, helping one’s neighbors, teaching someone to read, etc. etc. are all good deeds. Are these not pleasing to Allah? The Prophet (SAW) said that the honest businessperson and me will be like this (and he joined his two fingers together) with me in Jannah. Is being an honest businessman for Allah’s sake not pleasing to Him? Struggling for Allah is throughout life moment to moment.

Here’s a quote from Sheikh Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal, on understanding what true surrender is:

“God says, “Walk and work for Me.” He wants you to work and to surrender at the same time. He does not want you to stay at home like the person who says, “I stay at home and do not work and Allah sends me everything.” The Khalifah ‘Umar came to a man in the mosque and said, “Why are you still here?” He said, “I want to always be praying.” ‘Umar asked him, “Who gives you food and who brings food to your children?” The man answered him, “God.” ‘Umar said, “But who told you to always be in the mosque and to not work and to leave your children? This is not praying.”

The deep praying is to know Him in every face and in every job. ‘Umar took a stick and hit him, “Wake up God, and find work to feed yourself and your children, and feed the animals and everything. Go to know how to help people. This is the deep praying for you! Do not leave your religion to die. It is important to not call yourself a Muslim.” This is the meaning of the real surrender, to work and when you work you know with Whom you work. You work with God. You follow His Order. Allah wants you to be very careful with the earth. This is the meaning of the surrender, trust - trust God.

Where is this religion from? The Prophet, may peace be upon him, worked. He carried the message but at the same time he had a business. He traveled often from Mecca to Damascus bringing things everywhere. This is because he searched about the right life. You can know the Beloved of Allah (the Prophet, may Allah bless him) when you live between the people. How can you know how to help people if you do not live between them? If you do not have a business, how can you be honest? And when you have work, you learn how to give, how to take, and how to care about everything, even animals and plants. The Prophet, may peace by upon him, had many sheep and cared for them. And he cared about himself because he wanted to feed the people. He helped himself and, others. This is al-Islam. Islam does not like weakness. If you are healthy in body and mind, then it is important to go and work but to be straight in everything, to see how to work, to follow when you work, and to change everything, beloved, because the teaching comes through you when you walk straight and follow the teachings of Allah.”

9- There is no ‘void’ brother. The only void is in your mind, based on your secularized understanding of Islam. But looking at who your khateeb is, and his Wahhabi teaching and background, it’s obvious where you are getting these ideas from. You need to follow the teachings of the ahl al sunnah.

10- I’m not sure what you mean here about being denied those things. You have chosen not to marry, right? So who has denied you that other than yourself?

11- Brother, be careful about the major sin thing. You are not Allah and there is no way to know if and when we may have unknowingly sinned without realizing it. That is a somewhat arrogant way to go through life. Even the most pious of scholars would never say such a thing. Not to mention trying to ‘figure out’ if others have committed sins.

12- All true Muslims (and only Allah knows who they are) will go to Jannah eventually, but that does not mean that they will not go to hell first. We are not Christians or Jews who assume that just because we call ourselves as such, that we are ‘guaranteed’ our place in Heaven. Our religion teaches that anyone who has an atom’s worth of faith in his or her heart will eventually be saved, and that every good deed rewarded, and every evil deed rewarded – regardless of who you are and what you call yourself. That is justice and Allah is Al-‘Adl. And it is not our business to try and ‘figure out’ who that is. That is Allah’s business and knowledge that we can never attain to. We need to worry about ourselves and those who we are responsible for, which is one of the great challenges and trials for parents, mind you.

13- Brother, often the very things that we ask for and receive are the greatest source of trials and tribulations. It has nothing to do with getting what we ask for or not. Many people ask for wealth, and then look how Allah tests them with that wealth. Same for family and children. It’s not about whether we get what we ask for, it’s about how we respond to what we are given, whether asked for or not.

14- Not really. If what you say is in fact true, you are assuming that there is little or no difference between the ‘levels’ of jannah.

15- I’m sorry, but that is an utterly ridiculous statement. Who says you have to trade your wife and kids away to go to Jannah? The Prophet (SAW) married and had children, and said that it is a beloved act of Allah’s. The Qur’an stresses on us to marry and procreate. If you did marry and have children, you would know how much of a struggle it is to be the head and leader of a family, and the trials that involves on so many levels, especially today with the level of fitnah there is in society. These are the trials that you assume only exist for those that do not marry.

16- Brother, I have seen the ‘scholar’ that you have been getting these ideas from and I would urge you to start learning from teachers who are true representatives of the ahl al sunnah wal jamma’ah. You can find such scholars at qibla.com, zaytuna college, suhaibwebb.com, this site, seekersguidance.org, masud.co.uk and the like. Please be careful as to where you take your knowledge from. You should stay clear of Wahhabi-Salafi ‘scholars’ who, in their desire to impose their heretical brand of Islam on the world, are causing many of our young people to engage in horrendous acts of fitnah and self-destruction, not to mention the harm they are doing to Islam throughout the world.

To read the first part of the question, please visit the following link:

• Looking Forward to Death