Qarin - Syaithan in Our Shadow

Sharing a post by a local ustaz in Singapore. This is one of the many trials in our life that we have to strive against each and every day, gaining rewards when overpowering it and falling into sins when being overcame by its whispers..

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By: Mohd Kamal Mokhtar

What is qarin?

Qarin is an agent of iblis, placed in very human being whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. The qarin would accompany that particular human wherever he/she goes from the moment of birth till death. The qarin would cooperate with the nafs, which is the wants or inclination of that person to perform evil and corruptive acts. The combination of qarin and a person's desire is like adding fuel to fire. A person with strong iman and faith could overpower the influence of the qarin while those with weak faith would follow his instructions.

Allah states in Surah Yusuf verse 53 :

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيَ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

And I would not absolve myself, verily the human soul is inclined towards evil, except that which my Lord shows mercy, verily my Lord is Most Forgiving Most Merciful.

Allah also states in Surah An Naas verse 5-6:

ٱلَّذِى يُوَسۡوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ (٥) مِنَ ٱلۡجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ (٦

The one that whispers in the hearts of man, from amongst the jinns and man. 



The qarin of the Prophet pbuh has embraced Islam


أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدَّثَتْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهَا لَيْلًا قَالَتْ فَغِرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ فَرَأَى مَا أَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكِ يَا عَائِشَةُ أَغِرْتِ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا لِي لَا يَغَارُ مِثْلِي عَلَى مِثْلِكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَقَدْ جَاءَكِ شَيْطَانُكِ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْ مَعِيَ شَيْطَانٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ وَمَعَ كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ وَمَعَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَلَكِنْ رَبِّي أَعَانَنِي عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ

'Urwah ibn Zubair ra narrates that 'Aisyah rha the wife of the Prophet pbuh informed him that the Prophet pbuh went out from her house one night and she felt jealous and when the prophet returned and saw what she did, he said : What is the matter with you, are you jealous? and I said : How could I not be jealous for people like me towards people like you. The Prophet pbuh then said: Did your syaithan come to you? She replied: Is with me a syaithan? The Prophet pbuh said : Yes. I then asked: Is it with every human? He answered: Yes. She asked again: And with you O Prophet of Allah? He answered: Yes, but my Lord has assisted me against it until he embraced Islam. ( Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih )



Qarin is imprisoned in Ramadhan

During the month of Ramadhan, the qarin is chained and prevented to be with human. It was reported by Abu Hurairah ra that the Prophet pbuh said :

إذا جاء رمضان فُتِّحت أبواب الجنة، وغُلِّقت أبواب النار، وصُفِّدت الشياطين

When the month of Ramadhan comes, the doors of paradise will be opened wide, and the doors of hell will be closed shut and the syaithans will be chained. ( Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim )



Ways of Protecting ourselves from qarin

1. When there are feelings of doubts in doing acts of devotions, or feelings of encouragement to perform acts of transgression, we are encouraged to recite the ta'awwuz or isti'azhah ( ie to recite a'uzhubillahi minasyaithanir rajim ).

Allah states in Surah Al 'Araf verse 200 :

وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ نَزۡغٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

And if an evil whisper comes to you from syaithan, then seek refuge with Allah, verily He is All Hearer and All Knowing.

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Let's strive to consistently acquire as much good deeds as possible to counter this, insha Allah.. Allaah Almighty is All-Merciful upon his slaves,
Allaah Almighty says in the Noble Qur'aan,

{'He is the Irresistable (Supreme) over His slaves, and He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of one's good and bad deeds) over you..'} [Suurah Al-An'aam 6:61]

The following hadeeth explains, in conjunction with this verse regarding whoever intended to do a good deed or a bad deed.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (radhiallaahu'anhuma): The Prophet (sallallaahu'alaihi wasallaam) narrating about his Lord ('Azza wa Jalla) said,"Allaah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write).

If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allaah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him), and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allaah will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times, to many more times:

and if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allaah will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intended to do it (a bad deed) and actually did it, then Allaah will write one bad deed (in his account)." [Sahih Al-Bukhaari, 8/6491 (O.P. 498)]

Journey to Islam

From a Roman Catholic priest to a Muslim, brother Idris Taufik shares his journey to Islam. God Almighty speaks to all of us in different ways..

Muhasabah Kejadian Tsunami

Kita baru sahaja menyaksikan kejadian bencana alam di mana dalam sekelip mata, jutaan rakyat Jepun terkesan dan ratusan jiwa disyaki terkorban. Kejadian bencana gempa bumi dan Tsunami yang sama pernah berlaku tidak berapa lama sebelumnya di negeri jiran kita, Indonesia di mana kesannya lebih besar.(Video Tsunami)

Bagaimanakah sepatutnya kita mengambil iktibar daripadanya?

Kehidupan rakyat Singapura dalam suatu kerangka yang aman dan damai ada baik dan buruknya. Buruknya apabila ia boleh mengakibatkan manusia berasa terlalu selesa hingga lupa kepada janji Allah bahawa setiap daripada kita akan menemui ajalnya satu hari nanti.

Adakah kita bersedia untuk menemui janji Allah itu yang tiada sesiapa tahu bila dan di mana? Sedarkah kita akan tujuan hidup yang sebenar atau kita telah lupa disebabkan kesibukan mengejar kemewahan dan keselesaan di dunia?

Saya merasa terkilan apabila memerhatikan kenaikan segolongan Melayu Islam Singapura, sebahagian besar daripadanya remaja, yang hidup setiap hari seolah-olah tidak beragama dan akan hidup di dunia ini selamanya. Sesetengah dari mereka yang telah ada kesedaran pula menunda-nundakan masa untuk bertaubat atas ketelanjuran.

Mereka terlibat dalam aktiviti yang tidak bermanfaat yang hanya melemahkan bangsa dan juga mencemari imej Islam di kaca mata umum seperti meminum arak, melibatkan diri dalam seks rambang, berpesta di sana-sini meramaikan kelab malam dan malam pesta. Dan disebebkan aktiviti seperti ini juga menyebabkan mereka meninggalkan perkara yang paling penting bagi seseorang Muslim iaitu, solat lima waktu.

Rasoolullaah sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam bersabda:

((Shalat adalah tiang agama, barang siapa yang mengerjakannya berarti ia menegakkan agama, dan barang siapa meninggalkannya berarti ia meruntuhkan agama)) (HR. Bayhaqi)

((Yang pertama-tama diperhitungkan terhadap seorang hamba di hari kiamat dari amal perbuatannya adalah tentang sholatnya. Apabila shalatnya baik, maka dia beruntung dan sukses. Apabila shalatnya buruk, maka ia kecewa dan merugi.)) (HR. An-Nasaa'i, At-Tirmidzi)

Akibat keruntuhan akhlak dari aktiviti-aktiviti tersebut dan jauhnya mereka dari Tuhan, perkara sebesar Tsunami pun tidak dapat memberi kesedaran kepada mereka, mungkin hanya sebesar, “Oh, kesian ye orang yang terkorban, apa nak jadi dengan dunia sekarang ini!?”

Di mana silapnya? Tidakkah ada sesiapa yang menegur atau menasihati golongan ini?

Bagaimana jika dalam keadaan mereka sebegitu, ajal mereka tiba?(Semoga Allah memelihara kita semua daripada kejadian sebegitu dan mudah-mudahan kita meninggalkan dunia dalam keadaan yang baik. Amiin.)

Al-Qur’an mengingatkan kita bahawa bencana alam bukanlah sesuatu kejadian tanpa sebab. Ia adalah amaran Allah dan sesuatu peringatan yang amat menakutkan.

Allah SWT berfirman di dalam surah Ar-Rum ayat 41:

{"Telah timbul berbagai kerosakan dan bala bencana di darat dan di laut dengan sebab apa yang telah dilakukan oleh tangan manusia: (timbulnya yang demikian) kerana Allah hendak merasakan mereka sebahagian dari balasan perbuatan-perbuatan buruk yang mereka telah lakukan, supaya mereka kembali (insaf dan bertaubat)"}

Kita bernasib baik kerana sehingga kini, Singapura tidak terkesan oleh apa-apa bencana alam. Allah masih mengizinkan kita untuk bermuhasabah.

Mudah-mudahan, kejadian bencana Tsunami yang terbaru ini akan lebih menginsafkan kita.

Ayuhlah kita terus berusaha berpesan sesama sendiri untuk senentiasa mengingati tujuan hidup yang sebenar, menjaga hubungan kita dengan Allah dan memperbanyakkan amalan soleh agar terselamat di dunia mahupun di akhirat kelak, insha Allah.

Allah SWT berfirman di dalam surah Al-'Asr ayat (1-3):

{"Demi Masa! Sesungguhnya manusia itu dalam kerugian. Kecuali orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh, dan mereka pula berpesan-pesan dengan kebenaran serta berpesan-pesan dengan sabar."}

Allah SWT berfirman di dalam surah Al-Qaari'ah ayat (6-7):

{"Adapun orang yang berat timbangan amal baiknya, Maka ia akan berada dalam kehidupan yang senang lenang."}

Allah Ta'ala lebih Mengetahui..

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Soalan: Adakah semua musibah itu berbentuk hukuman?

Bukan semua musibah itu berbentuk hukuman. Malah musibah itu disebut di dalam surah at-Taubah ayat 51 { قل لن يصيبنا إلا ما كتب الله لنا} sebagai "lana" dan bukan "alayna".

Maknanya musibah tu 'baik' untuk kita. Maka balik pada hadith Nabi SAW, mati itu rehat. Sama ada rehat kepada orang baik2 daripada ujian hidup dunia. Atau rehat untuk kita apabila orang jahat2 mati.

Kalau musibah sentiasa hukuman, patutnya tsunami musnahkan White House, 10 Downing St dan bukannya Acheh atau Sendai - ust Hasrizal

Ya Allah, sesungguhnya aku telah banyak menzalimi diri sendiri..

وعن أبي بكرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أنه قالَ لرسولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ: عَلِّمْنِي دُعاءً أَدْعو به في صَلاتِي. قالَ: ((قُلْ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ)). مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.

“Abu Bakr radhiallahu ‘anhu pernah berkata kepada nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, “Wahai rasulullah, ajarilah aku sebuah do’a yang bisa kupanjatkan dalam shalatku.” Nabi menjawab, “Katakanlah

Allahumma inni zhalamtu nafsi zhulman katsira wa laa yaghfirudz dzunuba illa anta faghfirli maghfiratan min ‘indika warhamni innaka antal ghafurur rahim

(Ya Allah, sesungguhnya aku telah banyak menzhalimi diri sendiri dan tidak ada yang mampu mengampuni dosa melainkan Engkau, maka berilah ampunan kepadaku dari sisi-Mu, dan kasihanilah aku, sesungguhnya Engkau Maha Pengampun dan Maha Penyayang.”)

Cobalah kita memerhatikan dan merenungkan hadits yang agung ini. Bagaimana Ash Shiddiqul Akbar, Abu Bakr radhiallahu ‘anhu meminta kepada nabi agar mengajarkan sebuah do’a untuk dipanjatkan dalam shalatnya, dan nabi pun memerintahkan beliau untuk mengucapkan do’a di atas. Padahal kita semua tahu kedudukan Abu Bakr.

Bagaimana pula dengan diri kita, yang senantiasa melampaui batas terhadap diri sendiri, apa yang layak kita ucapkan?!

Duit hantaran papar nilai bakal suami?

Berikut pandangan saya mengenai isu wang hantaran. Sila rujuk kepada artikel di bawahnya yang disiarkan di Forum Berita Harian pada 6 Mac.

(Anyway, I tried to make it as short and concise as possible as it was sent to BH. For a more comprehensive read on such issues, check out the following articles, Apabila Zina Lebih Mudah Daripada Kahwin, Nikah, Nafkah, Mukjizat dan Karamah!, Reducing the Mahr is the Sunnah, The negative and harmful consequences of exaggerating concerning the dowry)

Allah Almighty knows best.

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Saya merujuk kepada tulisan saudari Fauziah Selamat, ‘Duit hantaran papar nilai bakal suami’.

Saya berpendapat dalam soal wang hantaran, ia tidak seharusnya dijadikan isu utama dalam hal perkahwinan dan saya menyokong kepada seruan sesetengah pihak untuk menilai semula istilah wang hantaran agar besesuaian dengan tuntutan syarak.

Adakah benar jika seseorang itu tidak mampu membayar harga hantaran sebanyak $8000 atau apa harga sekalipun, bererti dia tidak mampu menampung belanja keluarganya kelak?

Sebagai contoh, dua pemuda yang sudahpun bekerja dengan gaji bulanan yang sama, yang secara dasarnya, sudah mencukupi bagi menampung sesebuah keluarga. Bezanya salah satu daripada mereka sudahpun menyimpan untuk wang hantaran dan satu lagi belum.

Tidakkah ia sesuatu yang membebankan apabila pemuda yang sudah mampu membina rumahtangga itu terpaksa berhutang atau menundakan perkahwinannya mungkin sehingga 2 atau 3 tahun, hanya untuk mendapatkan wang hantaran yang diminta keluarga tunangannya?

Pada zaman ini, di mana jalan menuju kepada yang haram amat mudah, sebaiknya kita membantu memudahkan yang halal. Kita juga harus adil apabila menilai seseorang calon, bukan hanya pada kemampuannya membayar hantaran. Bagi pembelanjaan majlis perkahwinan pula, sebaiknya kita berbelanja sekadar yang kita mampu dan elakkan pembaziran.

Janganlah semata-mata kerana kehendak kita, anak-anak kita menderita atau lebih teruk lagi, kita membuka jalan fitnah bagi mereka apabila kita menunda-nundakan majlis perkahwinan kerana perkara yang kecil seperti wang hantaran.

Rasullullah s.a.w. pernah menyatakan kepada para sahabat, “Apabila orang yang engkau redha agama dan akhlaknya datang meminang, maka kahwinkanlah dia, jika tidak kamu lakukan demikian akan berlakulah fitnah di bumi dan kerosakkan yang besar.”

Ridhuan Muhammad Hasim

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6 Mac 2011, Forum BH

SAYA ingin mengulas berkaitan isu mas kahwin dan perbelanjaan bagi majlis perkahwinan.

Pada pendapat saya, anak muda yang enggan berkahwin atau melewatkan perkahwinan mereka dan isu perceraian tidak harus dikaitkan dengan wang hantaran.

Memang wang hantaran kini dianggarkan mencecah purata $8,000. Tetapi kita mesti ingat jumlah itu sebenarnya tidaklah terlalu tinggi pada masa sekarang.

Islam menggalakkan kita berusaha mendapatkan apa yang kita kehendaki dan ini sama juga dengan perkahwinan. Jika seseorang lelaki ingin berkahwin, orang itu haruslah berusaha mencapai matlamat ini, termasuk dari segi kewangan. Usahlah ambil mudah tentang perkara ini.

Jika sekadar wang hantaran pun mereka tidak mampu atau tidak dapat mengadakannya, bagaimana mereka hendak menampung belanja keluarga mereka kelak?

Tentang majlis perkahwinan, saya berpendapat itu terpulang pada kemampuan keluarga sama ada mahu melakukannya secara besar-besaran ataupun dengan sederhana.

Janganlah perihal wang hantaran dijadikan sebab golongan lelaki ingin mengambil kesempatan. Mereka harus memikirkan tanggungjawab mereka setelah berkahwin kelak.

Fauziah Selamat

Human Being Has a Great Capacity For Self-Delusions

Article from www.islaam.com.. Link Here!

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

Al-Jawab al-Kafi li-man sa'al `an al-Dawa' al-Shafi

Translation: Suheil Laher

There are two things one should take heed of if one wishes to attain success and felicity:

1) To know the details of the means of attaining good and evil, and to be clear about these through witnessing them in the world around, through one's own experience and that of others, as well as through reports one has heard about earlier and latter nations.

One of the most effective means for attaining this is pondering over the Qur'an, for along with the sunnah, it clearly explains the paths to good and evil. If you turn your attention to them, they will suffice you. They will inform you of Allah's treatment of the obedient, and of the sinners. Moreover, apply what you read to practical experience, and you will see the illustration of this - that Allah is true, the Messenger is true, the Qur'an is true, and that Allah fulfills His promise. History contains details of the paths to good and evil mentioned in the Qur'an and sunnah.

2) Beware of deceiving oneself with regard to these paths. This is very important, for the servant knows that sin and heedlessness are harmful to him in his world and the Hereafter, and yet he may deceive himself:

Through relying on Allah's pardon and forgiveness, by procrastination of repentance, by performing istighfar only verbally, by doing good deeds [after impetuously sinning], by knowledge, by justifying his sins by the argument of destiny, by citing examples of people committing similar sins, or by following in the footsteps of ancestors and elders.

Many people think that they can perform some sin, and then if they say "Astaghfirullah" the sin will disappear. Or, they may deceive themselves with a hadith such as: "Whoever says "SubHaanallaahi wa-biHamdih" one hundred times in a day, his sins are taken off from him, even if they be like the foam of the ocean." Or "A servant committed a sin and then said, 'O Lord! I have committed a sin, so forgive me,' and so he was forgiven . . . . then Allah says, 'My servant knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sins, and takes [to task] for them. I have forgiven My servant, so let him do as he wishes.'"

Such people cling to the texts of hope, and hold fast to them with both hands, and put [all] their reliance in them, such that if they are reprimanded for committing some sin, they will recite all that they known about Allah's mercy and forgiveness. Some went to excessive limits in this, such that they claimed that to remain free of sins is being ignorant or under-estimating Allah's mercy and pardon.

Some deceived people cling to the notion of fatalism; that the servant has no free-will and that he is compelled to commit sins. Other cling to the notion of irja' (false hope), claiming that faith is merely affirmation, and that deeds are neither a part of faith nor have any effect upon it. According to their claim, the iman of the most sinful of believers is just like the iman of the angels Gabriel and Michael.

Some are deceived by their fathers and elders, thinking that they have a rank before Allah, such that they would not leave them to perish. They take this by analogy from the behavior of worldly kings, who might grant a favor or pardon to someone based on the merits of his father or relatives. Such people are used to being taken out of difficult situations by their fathers, and are under the impression that this may happen in the Hereafter too.

Others deceive themselves by reasoning that Allah has no need of punishing them since He gains nothing from it, and He does not lose anything by showing them mercy. Such a person may say, 'I am in dire need of His mercy, and He is not at all needy of [anything]. if a poor, thirsty person were in dire need of a drink of water from someone in whose premises there flows a river, he would not be denied it, and Allah is more generous, and more expansive in mercy.'

Others are deceived by ridiculous misinterpretations/ misunderstandings, e.g.:

"Your Lord will give you, so that you become pleased." [Surah Duha, 5] he says: I am not pleased to enter the Fire. This is despicable ignorance, and clear lies, for he should be pleased by what Allah is pleased by, and it is not against Allah's pleasure to punish the oppressors, wrong-doers, evil-doers, traitors and those persistent on major sins. "Allah forgives all sins." [Surah Zumar, 93]

This is also despicable ignorance, for this verse refers to those who repent; otherwise it would imply invalidation of the verses threatening punishment for the sinners. This is specified by another verse,

"Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, and He forgives anything beneath that to whomever He wills." [Surah Nisa,48] Also, "None will burn in it except the most miserable one who rejected and turned away [from the truth]." [Surah Layl, 15-16].

This is a specific fire from among the various levels of Jahannam, and moreover the fact that only the rejecters will burn in it does not rule out that others may enter it. "[Hell] has been prepared for the unbelievers." [Surah Baqarah, 24]. The fact that it has been prepared for the unbelievers does not rule out that sinful Muslims may also be punished in it, just as the fact that Heaven "has been prepared for the pious" [Surah Aali-`Imran, 133] does not rule out that people with the smallest grain of faith may enter it even if they were not pious.

Some are deceived by fasting the days of `Ashura and `Arafah, such that some may even say that the fast of `Ashura' expiates the whole year, and the fast of `Arafah remains as a surplus of reward. Such people have failed to realize that the fast of Ramadan and the 5 daily prayers are greater and more noble than the fasts of `Arafah and `Ashura, and that [it is understood that] sins are [only] forgiven as long as major sins are avoided. So, [fasting] from one Ramadan to another, [praying] from one Jumu`ah to the next, act in a mutually strengthening manner to achieve forgiveness of minor sins, provided major sins are avoided.

So, how then can an optional fast expiate every major sin of a person while he still persists upon the sins, and has not repented from them?

Also, it is possible that these two optional fasts expiate all sins in totality, but that this has certain prerequisites and conditions, such as avoidance of major sins, or that the expiation is achieved in conjunction with other good deeds, much the same as the 5 daily prayers and the fasting of Ramadan expiate minor sins in conjunction with the avoidance of major sins. "If you abjure the major things which you are prohibited from, We shall expiate you your evil deeds. [Surah Nisa, 31]

Some are deceived by the hadith Qudsi, "I am according to the good expectation/thought of My servant., so let him think of Me as he wishes." i.e. that whatever he thinks I will do to him, I will. But, good expectations can only be with good conduct, for one who does good expects that his Lord will deal with him well, will not break His promise, and will accept his repentance. As for the one of evil conduct, who persists upon major sins, oppression and other evils, the desolation of sin, wrongdoing and [other] prohibited things prevent him from having good expectations of his Lord. This is something we witness in everyday life. A disobedient employee who has run away with company property will not have a good expectation of his boss. The evil of wrong deeds cannot coexist with good expectation. The best in expectation of his Lord['s mercy] is the most obedient to Him. Hasan Basri said, "The believer has good expectation of his Lord, so he make his deeds good. But, the evil person has bad expectation of his Lord, so he does evil."

How can someone claim to have good expectation of his Lord when he is like a runaway, and is doing things which displease and anger his Lord, and has abandoned His orders, and is at war with Him. How can one have good expectation of his Lord if he thinks that He does not see him?

"And, you used not to conceal yourself, lest your hearing, sight and skin testify against you, but you thought that Allah does not know much of what you used to do. And that, your expectation which you entertained about your Lord, has destroyed you, so you have become among those lost/ruined." [Surah Fussilat, 23]

So, these people, who thought that Allah did not know much of what they did, actually had ill- expectation of their Lord, and that destroyed them. Such people are deceived if they think they will directly enter Heaven; they are fooling themselves; Satan is leading them astray and beguiling them.

Ponder over this.

Consider: How is it possible for one's heart to be certain that one is going to meet Allah, that Allah sees and hears all that he does, and knows his secret open affairs, and that he will be made to stand before Allah, answerable for all his deeds - how can one be certain and aware of all of this, and yet persist upon things which displease Allah; persist upon abandoning Allah's orders, neglecting His rights, and yet claim that he has good expectation of Allah?!!

Abu Umamah Sahl ibn Hanif reports: `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and I entered upon `A'ishah and she said : If only you had seen the Messenger of Allah in one of his illnesses; [when] he had 6 or 7 dinars. The Messenger of Allah ordered me to distribute them [in charity?], but the pain of the Messenger of Allah kept me from doing that, until Allah cured him. Then, he asked me about them: "What have you done? Had you distributed the 6 dinars?" I said, "No, by Allah. Your pain had kept me from doing so." He asked for them to be brought [to him], and put them in his hand then said, "What would be the expectation of Allah's prophet if he met Allah with these in his possession?"


What then, would be the expectation of the people of major sins, and the oppressors, if they were to meet Allah with these sins and forfeited rights of people on their backs? If their claim that they entertained good expectations that Allah would not punish evil and wrongdoing people, were to benefit them, then everyone could do as he wished, doing everything that Allah has forbidden, provided he kept good expectation of Allah, thinking that the fire will not touch him. Subhanallah! How deceived can one be?

Prophet Ibrahim said to his people, "Is it a lie, gods besides Allah, that you desire? What then is your expectation of the Lord of the Worlds?" [Surah Saffat, 86] i.e. what is your expectation of Allah, what do you expect He will do to you if you meet Him having worshipped other than Him?

So, if we reflect over this, we will realize that good expectation of Allah is equivalent to good deeds, for one is moved to good deeds by good hope of Allah, that He will reward him for his efforts and accept them. Otherwise, good expectation along with pursuit of whims and desires and lusts is incapacity.

In short, good expectation can only occur if the means for salvation are pursued. Pursuit of the means to destruction cannot accompany good expectations.

Someone might claim: It might, based on the expansiveness of Allah's mercy and forgiveness and generosity, and that His mercy exceeds His wrath, and that punishing does not benefit Him, nor does forgiveness harm Him.

The reply is: Allah is indeed most generous and merciful, but this is in the appropriate place. Allah is also described as possessing wisdom and might and inflicting retribution, seizing with might, and punishing those deserving punishment. So, if the good expectation is based merely on some of Allah's attributes, then the righteous and the evil, the believer and the unbeliever, would equally be candidates for it. But, the names and attributes of mercy do not benefit the unbeliever or similarly one who has neglected his duty and exposed himself to Allah's curse. Rather, good expectation of Allah is for one who repents, regrets his sins and desists from the. This is good expectation, whereas the first is deception.

"Those who believe, and those who perform hijrah and jihad in the path of Allah - they are hopeful of Allah's mercy." [Surah Baqarah, 218]

So, these people are the ones who can be truly hopeful of Allah's mercy; not the evil and sinful people.

"Then, your Lord is, to those who make hijrah after they have been persecuted, and then perform jihad and are patient/steadfast - indeed, your Lord is, after that, Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Surah Nahl, 119]

So, the knowledgeable one is he who puts hope in its correct place, whereas the deceived one is he who puts it elsewhere.

Wake Up!

Today after Zohr I was walking towards the Abraj Al-Bait Towers when I saw a familiar face. It was Yusuf Estes! Masha Allah. He was talking to what looked like some Malaysian pilgrims. I thought to myself that this was probably the best chance I'd have to be able to meet him in person and maybe chat a little, so without giving it a second thought I approached them.

Trying to be composed (I was quite nervous though) I said, "Assalaamu'alaikum Shaykh Yusuf!" and extended my hand.

He replied the Salam, turned to me and smiled and shook my hand. Then I introduced myself as a Singaporean and that I've seen his videos on YouTube. He replied, "Oh, so you are neighbors with them(the Malaysian pilgrims)?!"

When he learned that I was from the local university, he said, "Masha Allah, that's a good university, have you heard about the German boxer who became Muslim named Pierre Vogel? He studied at your university too. Look up his name in YouTube. You may even find one with me in it!"

I then had to leave and said my Salams to him and his minder and wished him all the best in his efforts.

With his charming and friendly smile he said, "You too, it was nice meeting you!"

If you don't already know who Yusuf Estes is, check out his amazing story about how he became a Muslim. He was formerly a priest and an active preacher of Christianity. He's been to many parts of the world with a simple intention to invite others to Islam and Allah Almighty has guided many people who attended his talks to revert to Islam. Check out his website, www.islamtomorrow.com

Anyway, the video above is generally about trying to take our da'wah efforts to another level by simply putting in a little more effort to extend the invitation to Islam towards our non-Muslim friends. It's also about practicing wisdom in our dealings with others in any situation, with Muslims and non-Muslims.. and to understand the context of any verse in the Qur'an or the Prophetic traditions before applying it. Whenever we're unsure, always check with the experts regarding it.. the scholars.

Matters of the Heart

The pic below is an improvised version of the original which is in Malay. Done with the help of 'Fran'. Feel free to copy/download the picture and spread the message. Kher, insha Allah..