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KNOW ISLAM
This part
of the website is dedicated to provide information on
Islam. This is part of a small effort taken by IPIP to
invite to the call of Islam.
With this, it is hope that the public can benefit from
this effort and increase their knowledge on Islam and at
the same time help to spread the "invitation".
"The Muslims must be at the
forefront of those calling to their religion; that is the
obligation of this nation at this time, when relationships have
intertwined, people are closer together and the world has become
a giant village, or even a small village.
Our duty as Muslims is to call our religion and to teach it to
people correctly from its pure sources. We should teach it as a
creed, a way of worship, a set of behaviors and ethics, as a law
and as an ideal civilization that connects the earth to the
heavens, finds a place between the heart and mind, balances
between rights and obligations and between individual rights and
communal interests."
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
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Featured Article
The Real Competition
In Surat Al-Mutaffifin
Almighty Allah draws a comparison between two groups of people
and gives us the chance to choose for ourselves: in which group
would we like to fit?
The first
group comprises the friends of Sijjin whose situation in this
worldly life is described in the noble Qur'an as well as what
awaits them on the Day of Judgment, as follows:
[Not at
all! Surely the Book of the constantly impious is indeed in
Sijjîn. And what makes you realize what Sijjîn is?
(It is) a Book imprinted. Woe upon that Day to the beliers, who
cry lies to the Day of Doom, and in no way does anyone cry lies
to it except every constantly vicious transgressor. When Our
ayat (Verses, signs) are recited to him, he says, "Myths of
the earliest (people)!" Not at all! No indeed, (but) whatever
they were earning has overlaid on their hearts. Not at all!
Surely upon that Day they will indeed be curtained from their
Lord; Thereafter surely they will indeed be roasting in
Hell-Fire. Thereafter it will be said (to them), "This is what
you cried lies to."] (Al-Mutaffifin 83:7-17)
Thus, the
noble Qur'an rebukes them and affirms that a record of their
actions is kept in a specified location, albeit this location is
unknown to us. Furthermore, in recompense for their
transgression, they are threatened with woe and ruin on that Day
when their record will be reviewed.
The
transgressors, as the Arabic term fujjar here connotes, are
those who excessively indulge in sin. In their book, all the
deeds they have done throughout their lifetime are recorded. We
do not have any knowledge about the nature of this book nor are
we required to do so. The whole matter belongs to the realm of
which we know nothing except what is revealed by Almighty Allah
in the Qur'an or through His Messenger (peace and blessings be
upon him).
Through verse
eight of this surah [And what makes you realize what
Sijjîn is?] the addressee is made to feel that the
matter is too great to be fully grasped by a human being.
[…whatever
they were earning has overlaid on their hearts.] Indeed, the
hearts of those who indulge in sin become dull, as if they were
veiled by a thick curtain keeping them in total darkness, unable
to see the light. In this way, they begin to gradually lose
their sensitivity and thus, become lifeless. The Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, "When a
man commits a sin, it throws a black spot over his heart. If he
repents, his heart is polished; but if he persists in his
practice, the stains increase." (At-Tirmidhi)
Explaining
this verse, Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "It is a case of one
sin on top of another until the heart is blinded and dies."
The Inevitable
Reckoning
So far, we
have learnt about the situation of the unbelieving
transgressors, as well as their motives for transgression and
rejection of the truth. Then we have been informed about what
will befall them on that mighty Day, a destiny which befits
their evil deeds and denial of the truth. It is related in the
Qur'an as follows:
[Surely
upon that Day they will indeed be curtained from their Lord;
Thereafter surely they will indeed be roasting in Hell-Fire.
Thereafter it will be said (to them), "This is what you cried
lies to."] (Al-Mutaffifin 83:15-17)
Given the
thick veil over their hearts, these people are unable to feel
the presence of Almighty Allah or observe His limits. Therefore,
it is only appropriate that they would not be allowed to see His
glorious face. Thus, they will be rightfully deprived of this
great happiness, which is only bestowed on those whose hearts
and souls are so pure and transparent that they deserve to be
encompassed within the security and infinite mercy of their
Lord. Describing them, the noble Qur'an says:
[Faces upon
that Day will be blooming, looking towards their Lord.] (Al-Qiyamah
75:22–23)
In contrast,
the separation of the unbelievers from their Lord is the
greatest and most agonizing punishment and deprivation. Indeed,
it is a miserable end for a servant to be deprived of any
contact with his Most Merciful Lord because of the unbelief and
transgression he committed; thereby incurring his Lord's wrath
upon himself. At this point, man loses all his humanity and
sinks to a level which ensures Hell is his just recompense [Thereafter
surely they will indeed be roasting in Hell-Fire.] On top of
this, there is something that is much worse and more agonizing,
namely, the way they will be rebuked [Thereafter it will be
said (to them), "This is what you cried lies to."]
Faces Radiant
with Joy
As a typical
Qur'anic method of providing two elaborately contrasting images
so that a detailed comparison can be drawn, the verses move on
to an account of the other group: the righteous. It is related
as follows:
[Not at
all! Surely the Book of the constantly-benign is indeed in
Illiyyîn. And what makes you realize what Illiyyîn
is? (It is) a Book imprinted, The near-stationed (to Allah)
witness it. Surely the constantly-benign will indeed be in
Bliss, On couches looking (about). You recognize in their faces
the bloom of Bliss. They will be given to drink of sealed
nectar, whose sealing is musk; for this then let the competitors
compete- And whose blend is of Tasnîm, a spring at which
drink the near-stationed (to Allah).] (Al-Mutaffifin
83:18-28)
In contrast to
the record of the transgressors, that of the righteous is in `Illiyyin.
The term righteous refers to the believing servants of Allah who
do righteous deeds. They are the exact opposite of the
transgressors, who indulge in every sort of sin and excess. The
name `Illiyyin connotes elevation and sublimity, which suggests,
on the other hand, that Sijjin is associated with baseness and
ignominy.
The above
verses tell us that this book is witnessed by the angels near to
Almighty Allah. Without a doubt, this indicates that the record
of the righteous is associated with nobility, purity and
sublimity. In fact, the whole image provides evidence of the
honor the righteous shall receive.
After that,
the verses go on to describe the situation in which the
righteous will find themselves. We are told of the bliss they
will enjoy on that great Day [Surely the constantly-benign
will indeed be in Bliss, on couches looking (about).] This
means that they will be given a place of honor: they will be
able to look wherever they wish; they will not have to look
down, out of humility; and nothing therein will trouble them in
the least. In their bliss, the righteous will live in complete
mental and physical comfort. Moreover, their faces will radiate
with unmistakable joy [You recognize in their faces the bloom
of Bliss.]
In Paradise,
the righteous will be given to drink of a pure drink, securely
sealed with a seal of musk [They will be given to drink of
sealed nectar, whose sealing is musk.] Their drink is
absolutely pure, free of any unwanted additions or particles of
dust. Describing it as securely sealed with musk indicates,
perhaps, that it is ready-made in secured containers to be
opened when refreshment is needed. All this adds to the
impression of the meticulous care being taken. The fact that the
seal is of musk also adds an element of elegance and luxury. The
whole picture, however, is only understood within the limits of
human experience in this world. In the life to come, however,
people will have different concepts, tastes and standards which
will be free from all the bonds of this limited world. The
description is carried further in the following two verses:
[And whose
blend is of Tasnîm, a spring at which drink the
near-stationed (to Allah).]
So, this pure,
securely-sealed drink is opened and mixed with a measure of the
water from a spring called Tasnim and is described as the one
from which those who are brought near to their Lord drink.
Within this
wonderful description we are also given a significant
instruction […for this then let the competitors compete.]
Those who strive for an object of this world, no matter how
superb, grand or honorable it may appear, are in reality
striving for something hollow, cheap and temporary. This world,
in its totality, is not worth, in the sight of Almighty Allah, a
mosquito's wing. Yet, it is the Hereafter that carries real
weight with Him. Therefore, it should be the goal for strenuous
competition and zealous striving.
It is
remarkable that striving for the hereafter elevates the souls of
all those who strive, while competition for worldly objects
sinks the competitors' souls to the lowest depths. As man works
continuously to achieve the happiness of the Hereafter, his work
makes this world happy and pure for himself and those around
him. On the other hand, efforts made for the achievement of
worldly ends turn this world into a filthy marsh, where animals
devour one another savagely.
Striving for
the hereafter does not turn the earth into a barren desert, as
some transgressors mistakenly imagine. Islam views this world as
a farm whose fruit is the hereafter. It defines the role of the
true believer in building and inhabiting this world while
following the path of piety and righteousness. In addition,
Islam calls upon its followers to perceive such fruitful
endeavors as acts of worship that fulfill the very purpose of
their existence as defined by the Creator:
[And in no
way did I create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me.]
(Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
The statement
[…for this then let the competitors compete] inspires the
believers to look far beyond this finite, insignificant world.
As they work on purifying the filthy marsh of this world their
souls are elevated to new heights. Man's life on earth is
limited, whereas his life to come is of limitless duration. The
luxuries of this world are extremely limited in comparison to
what awaits the believers in Paradise, which is far beyond our
imagination. Elements of happiness in this worldly life are
well-known to everyone, but in the next world they will be on a
level befitting a life everlasting.
What
comparison can then be held between the two spheres of
competition or the two goals, even when we apply the human
method of balancing losses against profits? It is, indeed, one
race and a single competition that is truly far more important
than any other […for this then let the competitors compete.]
*
This article has been taken with modifications from the author's
book In The Shade of The Qur'an.
Sayed Qutb
(1906-1966)
was a prominent and influential Muslim intellectual and writer.
He wrote many books about Islam and its distinctive features as
a comprehensive way of life. Among his most important works is
his exegesis of the Qur'an In the Shade of the Qur'an, which was
widely welcomed among Muslims and established itself as one of
the best references in Qur'an exegesis.
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