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Table of Contents

FOREWORD ......................................................................................... 3

Al-Qur’an: Surat-ul-Insan 4-12 .............................................................. 4

Thaqofah: Al-Israa wal Mi’raaj 13 ................................... -والمعراج اإلسراء

Hadith: Tawakkul (Reliance on Allah) ................................................. 22

Aqeedah: Hell Fire .............................................................................. 25

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FOREWORD

احلمد هلل رب العادلني والصالة والسالم على أت قى البشر وأخشاهم هلل نب اخلي راحم وعلي آله األخيار وصحابته األتقياء األوفياء وتابعيهم قوال وفعال إىل

ذي ادل

.يوم الدين

All praise is due to Allah who loved the pious among His

slaves1 and raised the level of the knowledgeable among

the believers2, He sent the messengers and revealed

guidance to them in order to save humankind from

darkness and narrowness of ignorance to the brightness

and vastness of knowledge. We thank Him and appreciate

His Will to assist us on guidance.

At this age where promoters of falsehood are unrelenting

in their efforts, using all kinds of media and tools at their

disposal to promote misguidance; it is equally obligatory

for those whom Allah has assisted on guidance and

elevated with knowledge to promote the truth.

It is hoped that with Help from Allah, the information

contained in this serial edition will be of benefit to all who

read it with a sincere heart.

1Refer to Surat-ul-Imran 76 2 Refer to Surat-ul-Mujadilah 11

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Al-Qur’an: Surat-ul-Insan 4-12

أعوذ باهلل من الشيطان الرجيم

إن األب رار (٤)إنا أعتدنا للكافرين سالسال وأغالال وسعيرا نا يشرب بها (٥)يشربون من كأس كان مزاجها كافورا عي

يوفون بالنذر ويخافون ي وما (٦)عباد اللو ي فجرون ها ت فجيرا ويطعمون الطعام على حبو مسكينا (٧)كان شره مستطيرا

إنما نطعمكم لوجو اللو ال نريد منكم (٨)ويتيما وأسيرا إنا نخاف من رب نا ي وما عبوسا قمطريرا (٩)جزاء وال شكورا

ف وقاىم اللو شر ذلك الي وم ولقاىم نضرة وسرورا (١٠)( ١٢)وجزاىم بما صب روا جنة وحريرا (١١)

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Translation

4. Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains

and shackles and a blaze.

5. Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup whose

mixture is of Kafur,

6. A spring of which the [righteous] servants of Allah will

drink; they will make it gush forth in force [and

abundance].

7. They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day

whose evil will be widespread.

8. And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy,

the orphan, and the captive,

9. [Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of

Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.

10. Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and

distressful."

11. So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and

give them radiance and happiness

12. for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in

Paradise] and silk [garments].

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Title

جزاء الكفار واألبرار يوم القيامةTHE RECOMPENSE OF THE DISBELIEVERS AND THE RIGHTEOUS ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION

Explanations

1. After Allah described the origination of man with his natural

ability to choose either way of salvation or doom and how he

will be responsible for his choice; He continued to describe the

recompense for those who choose any of either path.

2. Anyone who chooses misguidance, disbelieve in the Truth and

embraces falsehood will burn in Hell. A notable danger of

disbelief in the Truth3 is oppression to others. True belief in

Tawheed is the origin of true success. Whenever this

fundamental teaching (belief in Tawheed) weakens, there will

be widespread injustice, tyranny, oppression and immorality

which will lead to the destruction of the perpetrators and

instability of the society.

3. Allah wants from us what He wanted from our father Adam

and his wife, that we should be submissive to Him (i.e. worship

Him) according to His Will and Laws (as contained in the

Shari’ah), anyone who digresses from this basis and does the

contrary will be punished accordingly.

4. Hell ordinarily is a place of no escape; yet the disbelievers will

be shackled, chained and dragged into it as a preliminary

disgrace and humiliation beyond any expectation.

3 The uncorrupted message of the True God (i.e Islam)

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رب نا إنك من تد النار ف قد أ زي تو وما لللالمين من أن ار

192. "Our Lord! Verily, whoever you admit into the fire,

indeed, you have disgraced him, and never will the wrong-

doers find any helpers.4

5. This unimaginable disgrace and humiliation for the inmates of

Hell will be intensified when their horrible and shameful

situation is presented to the believers in Paradise; this

presentation will be an added visual enjoyment for the

believers since the criminals used to mock the believers while

the later observe the commandments of Allah.

( 35)على األرائك ي نلرون (34)فالي وم الذين آمنوا من الكفار يضحكون (36)ى ث وب الكفار ما كانوا ي فعلون

34. But This Day (the Day of Resurrection) those who believe will

laugh at the disbelievers 35. on (high) thrones, looking (at All things).

36. Are not the disbelievers paid (fully) for what they used to do?5

6. Some other verses further expand on the fate of the

disbelievers:

ولم أدر ما (25)وأما من أوتي كتابو بشمالو ف ي قول يا ليتني لم أوت كتابيو ىلك (28)ما أغنى عني ماليو (27)يا ليتها كانت القاضية (26)حسابيو

ثم في (31)ثم الجحيم صلوه (30) ذوه ف غلوه (29)عني سلطانيو عون ذراعا فاسلكوه إنو كان ال ي ؤمن باللو العليم (32)سلسلة ذرعها سب

4 Surat-ul-Imran 192 5 Surat-ul-Mutaffiffin 29-36

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ف ليس لو الي وم ىاىنا حميم (34)وال يحض على طعام المسكين (33) (37)ال يأكلو إال الخاطؤن (36)وال طعام إال من غسلين (35)

25. And whoever will be given his record in his left hand will say: "I wish that I had not been given my Record! 26. "And that I had never known how my account is? 27. "I wish, would that it had been my end (death)! 28. "My wealth has not availed me, 29. "My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me!" 30. (It will be said): "Seize him and fetter him, 31. Then throw him in the blazing Fire. 32. "Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!" 33. Verily, he used not to believe in Allâh, the Most Great, 34. and urged not on the feeding of the poor, 35. So no friend has he here this day, 36. nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds, 37. none will eat that except the Khâti'ûn (sinners, disbelievers, polytheists, etc.).

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7. As an expected just and complete presentation, the

description of the righteous believers followed in wider

details. Every believer must strive to attain righteousness

within the limits of the Shari’ah. This is because salvation in

Islam7 depends on how much of righteousness we have

fulfilled. This is the means to weigh down the scale of our good

deeds.

(٧)ف هو في عيشة راضية (٦)فأما من ث قلت موازينو

6. Then as for him whose balance (of righteousness) will be

heavy, 7. He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise).8

6 Surat-ul-Haqqa 25-37 7 Salvation in Islam defers from salvation in Christianity. Islam places the salvation of man on his righteousness with a possible conditional intercession of the prophets and messengers who are on a higher level of righteousness. Christianity places the bulk of salvation on blood sacrifice (ie: the crucifixion of Christ) with a little concern for attaining righteousness. 8 Surat-ul-Qariah 6-7

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ما شيء أثق في ميزان عن أيب الدرداء أن النب صلى اهلل عليه وسلم قال9المؤمن يوم القيامة من لق حسن

Abu Darda narrated that the prophet (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) said: Nothing is

weightier on the scale of the believer on the day of resurrection than good character

8. A comprehensive understanding of righteousness is required in

order to attain it.

What is righteousness? Imam Ahmad Ibn Rajab Al-Hambali in

his book10 collected a wide opinion of scholars on the topic;

but what seems most concise was that of Ibn Mubaarak who

defined it as:

11 . ىو بسط الوجو، وبذل المعروف، وكف األذى:وعن ابن المبار قال

Cheerful face, extending goodness and withholding harms.

This may be summarized into two components (1) preventing

harms (2) extending goodness; a cheerful face is part of

goodness as described in a hadith12

9. Every matured sane human is potentially harmful and has the

capacity to extend those harms to other creatures. Choosing to

prevent these harms from manifestation is the strongest part

of righteousness. Only a few among these harms are

punishable under common laws, therefore faith-based

religious institutions must rise to their responsibilities and train

the heart of man towards achieving righteousness in order to

maintain a stable society.

9 vol. 5 pg 2 صحيح وضعيف سنن الرتمذي

10 The book Jami’ul Uloom wal Hikam, a commentary on 50 hadiths. 11 Vol 1 pg 457 12 Refer to Sunan Abu Dawud vol 6 pg 182 (Arabic reference)

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Some examples of extending harms to others

The following were only few ways and examples by which

harms may be extended to others subtly, brutely and

otherwise. Muslims should be careful and not compromise

righteousness in the least.

Flaunting of body beauty to the public: The body of

females has a special force of attraction that is capable of

tempting males; this temptation is capable of intoxicating

the mind and destabilizing intellectual uprightness which

eventually may drag him into an illicit affairs he will

ordinarily not have been involved in.

Power of manipulation to exploit: Men have a natural

(intellectual) superiority13 over women which may be

capable of luring the later into illicit sex (outside marriage).

This happens due to various deceits which the victims will

later regret at almost no legal cost to the men (since most

cases are never reported). Rape is the worst.

Body strength to assault: The youths who are the

custodian of their body strength should be careful not to

misuse that for societal disturbance, threats, oppressions,

robbery and destructions.

Intimidate and oppress with authority: (1) Employers of

labour should not use the scarcity of jobs as a reason to

exploit the staffs and pay them wages that do not worth

their efforts in terms of sacrifice of valuable time and

quality services with hard-gained experience; this will be

tantamount to misusing authority to control in a negative

way. (2) Also personnel of the armed forces, anywhere in

the world, should avoid using arms in their possession to

cause harm to the people unnecessarily.

13 Refer to Surat-ul-Nisa 34 (Tafsir ibn Kathir)

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Gossips backbite and slander: Information that other

people confide in us should be kept; slander has no

goodness in it.

عن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عن هما، عن النب صلى اهلل عليه وسلم المسلم من سلم المسلمون من لسانو ويده، والمهاجر من ىجر »:قال

14«ما ن هى اللو عنو Abdullah bn Umar (RA) narrated that the prophet said: A

Muslim is the one whom other Muslims are safe from the harms

of his tongue and hand (actions); an immigrant is he who

forsakes what Allah prohibited.

10. Goodness may be extended to others in a number of ways

including: (1) teaching beneficial knowledge (2) building a

mosque; maintaining, cleaning, and managing its operations

(3) offering scholarships (4) funding laudable projects (5)

resolving conflicts (6) counseling with guidance (7) planting

trees (8) feeding the hungry (9) writing a book (10) taking a

morsel of food to the mouth of spouse (11) removing harm

from the road among many others. Any of these good deeds

must be accompanied with sincere intentions seeking only the

pleasure of Allah.

11. However, the above analyses are only efforts of scholars to

bring about a wider understanding of righteousness; the whole

of the Shari’ah is righteousness (i.e. living in accordance to

what is contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah).

12. Fulfilling promises that you make out of your own will is a

strong indication of your faith in the rewards in Afterlife.

13. Giving food to the needy and feeding the hungry is especially

important in fulfilling righteousness due to its basic necessity.

14 Sahih Bukhari Vol 1 Pg 11 (Arabic reference)

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14. The silk garment is too expensive and luxurious; it is prohibited

for male Muslims to adorn themselves with it in this life.

15. Descriptions are best understood and appreciated when

accompanied with imaginative examples. All of the promises of

punishment and bliss in the Afterlife are not of the same

magnitude and quality as these earthly ones.

وبشر الذين آمنوا وعملوا ال الحات أن لهم جنات تجري من تحتها ها من ثمرة رزقا قالوا ىذا الذي رزق نا من ق ب وأتوا بو األن هار كلما رزقوا من

متشابها ولهم فيها أزواا مطهرة وىم فيها الدون 25. And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous good

deeds, that for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow

(Paradise). Every time they will be provided with a fruit therefrom,

they will say: "This is what we were provided with before," and they

will be given things in resemblance (i.e. in the same form but different

in taste) and they shall have therein Azwâjun Mutahharatun (purified

mates or wives), (having no menses, stools, urine, etc.) and they will

abide therein forever.15

16. Righteousness Meter: You can conveniently determine your

level of righteousness (or salvation) by taking a careful

assessment of yourself in the light of the above while giving

precedence to what is obligatory.

17. Righteousness is not attainable by accident, mistake or all of a

sudden; it requires a lot of patience, endurance, knowledge,

understanding, divine guidance and support. You must utilize

the guidance contained in the Book of Allah to understand how

you can manage the excesses of other people, appreciate their

strengths, pardon their weaknesses, maintain your own noble

traits and improve your potentials. Supplicating to Allah for His

guidance and support is also of essence.

15 Surat-ul-Baqarah 25

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Thaqofah: Al-Israa wal Mi’raaj

Topic: اإلسراء وادلعراج The nocturnal journey of Prophet Muhammad

.to Al-Qudus and Ascension to the heavens (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص)

Preamble

This topic is carefully chosen for discussion since the majority of

scholars agree that this miraculous journey took place in this month of

Rajab (notably on the 27th), therefore it is appropriate and timely to

walk through this essential part of our history and take lessons from it.

Definitions

It is the miraculous journey that Allah took his messenger (prophet

Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) from the holy mosque of Makkah (Masjid Al-Haram)

to the holy mosque of Jerusalem (Masjid Al-Aqsa) and from there to

beyond the seven heavens physically with body and soul while awake

and return to Makkah. All of these happened in only part of a night.

The first part of the journey from Al-Haram to Al-Aqsa is referred to as

Al-Israa while the second part of the journey which was the ascension

to the heavens was referred to as Al-Mi’raaj. This is the second biggest

miracle that Allah supported the prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص with after the Qur’an.

Al-Israa in the Qur’an

سبحان الذي أسرى بعبده ليال من المسجد الحرام إلى المسجد األق ى الذي باركنا حولو لنريو من آياتنا إنو ىو السميع الب ير

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Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from the

sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless, - In

order that We might show him some of Our signs: for He is the All-Hearing

and All-Seeing.

Al-Mi’raaj in the Qur’an

إذ (١٥)عندىا جنة المأوى (١٤)عند سدرة المنت هى (١٣)ولقد رآه ن زلة أ رى لقد رأى من آيات ربو (١٧)ما زاغ الب ر وما طغى (١٦)ي غشى السدرة ما ي غشى

( ١٨)الكب رى 13. For indeed he saw him (Jibril) at a second descent, 14. near the Lote-tree

beyond which none may pass, 15. near it is the Garden of abode. 16. Behold,

the Lote-tree was shrouded, 17. (His) sight never swerved, nor did it go

wrong! 18. for truly did he see, of the signs of his Lord, the Greatest!

Al-Israa wal Miraj -- As described by the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص himself

أتيت بالب راق، وىو دابة »: عن أنس بن مالك، أن رسول اا صلى اا عليو وسلم قال ف ركبتو »: ، قال «أب يض طوي ف وق الحمار، ودون الب غ ، يضع حافره عند منت هى طرفو

ثم " ، قال «ف ربطتو بالحلقة التي ي ربط بو األنبياء »: ، قال «حتى أت يت ب يت المقدس د لت المسجد، ف ليت فيو ركعت ين، ثم رجت فجاءني جبري عليو السالم بإناء

ا ت رت : من مر، وإناء من لبن، فا ت رت اللبن، ف قال جبري صلى اا عليو وسلم : جبري ، قي : من أنت قال : الفطرة، ثم عرا بنا إلى السماء، فاست فت جبري ، فقي

قد بع إليو، ف فت لنا، فإذا أنا :وقد بع إليو قال : محمد، قي : ومن معك قال بآدم، ف رحب بي، ودعا لي بخير، ثم عرا بنا إلى السماء الثانية، فاست فت جبري

وقد : محمد، قي : ومن معك قال : جبري ، قي : من أنت قال : عليو السالم، فقي قد بع إليو، ف فت لنا، فإذا أنا باب ني الخالة عيسى ابن مريم، ويحيى : بع إليو قال

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بن زكرياء، صلوات اا عليهما، ف رحبا ودعوا لي بخير، ثم عرا بي إلى السماء محمد : ومن معك قال : جبري ، قي : من أنت قال : الثالثة، فاست فت جبري ، فقي

قد بع إليو، ف فت لنا، فإذا أنا : وقد بع إليو قال : صلى اا عليو وسلم، قي بيوسف صلى اا عليو وسلم، إذا ىو قد اعطي شطر الحسن، ف رحب ودعا لي بخير،

: من ىذا قال : ثم عرا بنا إلى السماء الرابعة، فاست فت جبري عليو السالم، قي قد بع إليو، ف فت : وقد بع إليو قال : محمد، قال : ومن معك قال : جبري ، قي

{ورف عناه مكانا عليا}: لنا فإذا أنا بإدريس، ف رحب ودعا لي بخير، قال اا عز وج من ىذا : ، ثم عرا بنا إلى السماء الخامسة، فاست فت جبري ، قي [57: مريم]

قد بع : وقد بع إليو قال : محمد، قي : ومن معك قال : جبري ، قي : ف قال إليو، ف فت لنا فإذا أنا بهارون صلى اا عليو وسلم، ف رحب، ودعا لي بخير، ثم عرا

جبري ، : من ىذا قال : بنا إلى السماء السادسة، فاست فت جبري عليو السالم، قي قد بع إليو، ف فت لنا، : وقد بع إليو قال : محمد، قي : ومن معك قال : قي

فإذا أنا بموسى صلى اا عليو وسلم، ف رحب ودعا لي بخير، ثم عرا بنا إلى السماء محمد : ومن معك قال : جبري ، قي : من ىذا قال : السابعة، فاست فت جبري ، فقي

قد بع إليو، ف فت لنا فإذا أنا : وقد بع إليو قال : صلى اا عليو وسلم، قي بإب راىيم صلى اا عليو وسلم مسندا ظهره إلى الب يت المعمور، وإذا ىو يد لو ك

عون ألف ملك ال ي عودون إليو، ثم ذىب بي إلى السدرة المنت هى، وإذا ورق ها ي وم سب ف لما غشي ها من أمر اا ما غشي : " ، قال "كآذان الفي لة، وإذا ثمرىا كالقالل

عت ها من حسنها، فأوحى اا إلي ما ت غي رت، فما أحد من لق اا يستطيع أن ي ن لة، ف ن زلت إلى موسى صلى اا أوحى، ف فرض علي مسين صالة في ك ي وم ولي

ارجع إلى : مسين صالة، قال : ما ف رض ربك على أمتك ق لت : عليو وسلم، ف قال ربك فاسألو التخفيف، فإن أمتك ال يطيقون ذلك، فإني قد ب لوت بني إسرائي

، فف على أمتي، فحط عني : ف رجعت إلى ربي، ف قلت : " ، قال "و ب رت هم يا رب

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إن أمتك ال يطيقون : حط عني مسا، قال : مسا، ف رجعت إلى موسى، ف قلت ف لم أزل أرجع ب ين ربي ت بارك : " ، قال "ذلك، فارجع إلى ربك فاسألو التخفيف

يا محمد، إن هن مس صلوات ك ي وم : وت عالى، وب ين موسى عليو السالم حتى قال لة، لك صالة عشر، فذلك مسون صالة، ومن ىم بحسنة ف لم ي عملها كتبت لو ولي حسنة، فإن عملها كتبت لو عشرا، ومن ىم بسيئة ف لم ي عملها لم تكتب شيئا، فإن

ف ن زلت حتى ان ت هيت إلى موسى صلى اا عليو : " ، قال "عملها كتبت سيئة واحدة ، ف قال رسول اا صلى اا "ارجع إلى ربك فاسألو التخفيف : وسلم، فأ ب رتو، ف قال

16"قد رجعت إلى ربي حتى استحي يت منو : ف قلت : " عليو وسلم

It was narrated on the authority of Anas bn Malik that the Messenger

of Allah (pbuh) said:

I was brought al-Buraq which was an animal white and long, larger

than a donkey but smaller than a mule, it would place its hoof a

distance equal to the range of its vision. I mounted it and came to the

House (Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem), then tethered it to the ring used

by the prophets. I entered the mosque and prayed two rak'ahs, and

then came out and Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of

milk. I chose the milk, and Gabriel said: You have chosen the natural

thing. Then he took me to heaven. Gabriel then asked the (gate of

heaven) to be opened and he was asked who he was. He replied:

Gabriel. He was again asked: Who is with you? He (Gabriel) said:

Muhammad. It was said: Has he been sent for? Gabriel replied: He has

indeed been sent for. And (the door of the heaven) was opened for us

and we saw Adam. He welcomed me and prayed for my good. Then we

ascended to the second heaven. Gabriel (peace be upon him) (asked

the door of heaven to be opened), and he was asked who he was. He

16 Sahih Muslim no. 259 (Arabic reference)

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answered: Gabriel; and was again asked: Who is with you? He replied:

Muhammad. It was said: Has he been sent for? He replied: He has

indeed been sent for. The gate was opened. When I entered 'Isa bn

Maryam and Yahya bn Zakariyya (peace be upon them both), cousins

from the maternal side17 welcomed me and prayed for my good Then I

was taken to the third heaven and Gabriel asked for the opening (of

the door). He was asked: Who are you? He replied: Gabriel. He was

(again) asked: Who is with you? He replied Muhammad (pbuh). It was

said: Has he been sent for? He replied He has indeed been sent for.

(The gate) was opened for us and I saw Yusuf (peace of Allah be upon

him) who had been given half of (world) beauty. He welcomed me

prayed for my well-being. Then I was taken to the fourth heaven.

Gabriel (peace be upon him) asked for the (gate) to be opened, and it

was said: Who is he? He replied: Gabriel. It was (again) said: Who is

with you? He said: Muhammad. It was said: Has he been sent for? He

replied: He has indeed been sent for. The (gate) was opened for us,

and Idris was there. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being

(About him) Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, has said:" We elevated

him (Idris) to the exalted position" (Qur'an 19:57). Then he ascended

with us to the fifth heaven and Gabriel asked for the (gate) to be

opened. It was said: Who is he? He replied Gabriel. It was (again) said:

Who is with thee? He replied: Muhammad. It was said: Has he been

sent for? He replied: He has indeed been sent for. (The gate) was

opened for us and then I was with Harun (Aaron - peace of Allah be

upon him). He welcomed me prayed for my well-being. Then I was

taken to the sixth heaven. Gabriel (peace be upon him) asked for the

door to be opened. It was said: Who is he? He replied: Gabriel. It was

said: Who is with thee? He replied: Muhammad. It was said: Has he

been sent for? He replied: He has indeed been sent for. (The gate) was

opened for us and there I was with Musa (Moses - peace be upon him)

17 Isa (Christ) and Yahya (John) were cousins from the maternal side.

18

He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then I was taken up to

the seventh heaven. Gabriel asked the (gate) to be opened. It was said:

Who is he? He said: Gabriel It was said. Who is with thee? He replied:

Muhammad (may peace be upon him.) It was said: Has he been sent

for? He replied: He has indeed been sent for. (The gate) was opened

for us and there I found Ibrahim (Abraham - peace be upon him)

reclining against the Bait-ul-Ma'mur and there enters into it seventy

thousand angels every day, never to visit (this place) again. Then I was

taken to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha whose leaves were like elephant ears and

its fruit like big earthenware vessels. And when it was covered by the

Command of Allah, it underwent such a change that none amongst the

creation has the power to praise its beauty. Then Allah revealed to me

a revelation and He made obligatory for me fifty prayers every day and

night. Then I went down to Moses (peace be upon him) and he said:

What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah? I said: Fifty prayers.

He said: Return to thy Lord and beg for reduction (in the number of

prayers), for your community shall not be able to bear this burden. I

have put to test the children of Isra'il (Isreal) and tried them (and

found them too weak to bear such a heavy burden). He (the Holy

Prophet) said: I went back to my Lord and said: My Lord, make things

lighter for my Ummah. (The Lord) reduced five prayers for me. I went

down to Moses and said. (The Lord) reduced five (prayers) for me, He

said: Verily thy Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden; return to

thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. I then kept going back and

forth between my Lord Blessed and Exalted and Moses, till He said:

There are five prayers every day and night. O Muhammad, each being

credited as ten, so that makes fifty prayers. He who intends to do a

good deed and does not do it will have a good deed recorded for him;

and if he does it, it will be recorded for him as ten; whereas he who

intends to do an evil deed and does not do, it will not be recorded for

him; and if he does it, only one evil deed will be recorded. I then came

down and when I came to Moses and informed him, he said: Go back

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to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. Upon this the

Messenger of Allah remarked: I returned to my Lord until I felt

ashamed18 before Him.19

Some Scenes of Al-Israa

1. From Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah enabled him to

see some of the wonderful aspects of His creations. He saw the

Dunya (earth) like an old woman; but this old woman was

adorned with the most attractive jewelleries; underneath you

can see the reality of the world.

2. He saw Iblis by the side of the road who did not dare to stand

in his way or speak to him.

3. On his journey, the Prophet (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) perceived a very nice

odour. He asked Jibril (A. S.) about this pleasant scent and Jibril

(alayhi salaam) informed him this beautiful smell was coming

from the grave of the woman who used to comb Pharaoh's

daughter's hair. This woman was a pious believer. One day, as

she was combing Pharaoh's daughter's hair, the comb fell out

of her hand. She said, "Bismillah." Pharaoh's daughter asked

her, "Do you have a god other than my father?" The woman

said, "Yes. My Lord and the Lord of your father is Allah."

Pharaoh's daughter told her father what happened. Pharaoh

demanded that this woman should renounce her faith, but she

refused. Pharaoh threatened to kill her children. He brought a

huge pot of water and built a massive fire under it. When the

water was boiling, Pharaoh brought her children and started to

drop them into that pot one after the other. Throughout all

this, the woman remained strong in faith. When Pharaoh

reached her youngest child - a little boy still breast feeding -

18 Meaning I cannot return to Him again because I’m too ashamed to do that. 19 Sahih Muslim, The Book of Faith (Book 1), Hadith 318

20

she felt saddened for him. Allah enabled this child to speak. He

said to his mother: "O Mother, be patient. The torture of the

Hereafter is far more severe than the torture of this life, and

do not be reluctant, because you are right." The woman

requested from Pharaoh to collect her bones and the bones of

her children and bury them in the same grave. Pharaoh

promised that he would - he then dropped her into the boiling

water. She died as a martyr. The good odour the Prophet

perceived was coming from her grave and is an indication of

her high status in Paradise.

4. The Prophet also saw people whose lips and tongues were

clipped with scissors made of fire. Jibril told the Prophet,

"These are the carriers of sedition (fitna) who call people to

misguidance."

5. He also saw a bull that exited a very small door; the bull was

then trying to return back inside through that small opening.

Jibril told the Prophet, "This is the example of the bad word -

once spoken, it can never be retracted."

6. The Prophet saw people grazing like animals, with very little

clothing on their private parts. Jibril told the Prophet, "These

are the ones who refused to pay Zakat."

7. The Prophet saw the Angels smashing some people's heads

with rocks. These heads would return to the shape they were,

and then the angels would smash their heads again--and so on.

Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones whose heads felt

too heavy to perform prayer - the ones who used to sleep

without praying."

8. The Prophet saw people who were fighting to eat some rotten

meat - ignoring fresh sliced meat nearby. Jibril told the

Prophet, "These are people from your nation who leave out

that which is permissible, and consume that which is

forbidden." This was in relation to fornicators and Adulterers,

21

the ones who left out the permissible (marriage and wives) and

committed sins (fornication and adultery).

9. He also saw people who were drinking from the fluid coming

from the bodies of the fornicators, (water mixed with blood).

Jibril indicated to the Prophet these were the ones who were

drinking the alcohol which is prohibited in this world.

10. The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with

brass finger nails. Jibril said, "These are those who commit

gossips."

Some Scenes from the Al-Mi'raaj

i. The Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص also saw as he went on people in whose

mouth balls of fire were crammed. He asked Jibril who they

were and he answered, "These are the ones who took the

property of orphans unlawfully".

ii. He also saw people with brass nails with which they scratched

their faces and chests. He asked Jibril who they were and he

answered, "These are the ones who gossip about people in

their absence and whose speech disgrace a woman's honour."

iii. Then the Prophet entered Jannah (paradise) and saw examples

of how the people of Jannah would live. Most of the people in

Jannah were the poor people on earth.

iv. In Paradise, the Prophet saw some of the bounties Allah

prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul-In:

the females Allah created, who are not humans or jinn. They

are in Paradise and will be married to the pious believers.

v. He also saw Maalik, the angel in charge of Hell. Maalik did not

smile at the Prophet when he saw him, and the Prophet asked

why. Jibril responded and said, "Maalik did not smile since the

day Allah created him. Had it been possible he should smile to

anyone, he would have smiled to you."

22

Hadith: Tawakkul (Reliance on Allah)

قال رسول الله صلى الله : عن عمر بن اخل اب، قال لو أنكم كنتم ت وكلون على اللو حق ت وكلو »:عليه وسلم

ر ت غدو ماصا وت روح بطانا تم كما ي رزق الطي «لرزق

Translation

'Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of

Allah (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) said: "If you were to rely on Allah with the

required reliance, then He would provide for you just as a

bird is provided for, it goes out in the morning empty, and

returns full."20

Vocabularies

Reliance is qualified with :(True or required reliance) ح ح ك ل ل ح ق .1

“true” to emphasize sincerity and indicate the possibility of a

false reliance. True reliance on Allah is best tested when

means of sustenance is at its lowest.

اصا حغدو .2 مح خل (Goes out in the morning empty): It refers to an

empty stomach of a bird, after all foods eaten from the

previous days have digested during the night.

بلطحانا وح ح وو .3 (and returns full): It refers to filled stomach of a bird.

20 Jami` at-Tirmidhi Hadith no. 2344

23

Reliance and Means

The concept of reliance does not negate the necessity of having a

means to achieve a purpose rather they intertwine harmoniously.

Reliance is a matter of the heart; a means is a tangible requirement.

For example, strategic preparation is a required means of winning a

battle while we rely on Allah for victory.

يا أي ها الذين آمنوا ذوا حذركم فانفروا ث بات أو انفروا جميعا O You who believe! take your precautions, and either go forth (on an

expedition) in parties, or go forth all together.

Types and Manifestations

Imam ibn Abi Dunya of the Ummayad Dynasty (died 894 CE)

categorized reliance on Allah as follows (from low to high):

1. To abandon complains: Muslims should try to bear problems

patiently; endurance is a quality of believers. This is especially

in a situation where we knew that our complain will only cause

unnecessary worries to others; they cannot comfortably offer a

solution of any kind. The less we complain on life’s trials and

problems to others, the more quality of reliance on Allah we

have. This is a known attribute of true Ascetics and righteous

servants of Allah.

ر (٢٠)إذا مسو الشر جزوعا (١٩)إن اإلنسان لق ىلوعا وإذا مسو الخي ( ٢١)منوعا

19. Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient; 20. Irritable

(discontented) when evil touches him; 21. and miserly when good

touches him;21

21 Surat-ul-Ma’arij 19-21

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2. Contentment: This is when we satisfy our self with the little

sustenance that Allah provided for us. It was described as

“little” only to comply with the wanting nature of man. Any

sustenance that is enough to fill the stomach at the time of

hunger and thirst, clothe the body and secure a shelter is

enough; any quest for more is out of human natural greed for

wealth. However, seeking more sustenance within the laws of

the Shari’ah is permitted. This is an attribute of the Truthful

servants of Allah (i.e, a level just below a prophet).

3. Love of what Allah destined: Whenever Allah afflicts us with

what seems evil and bad we tend to have a bad suspicion

about Allah (i.e why has my Lord did this to me). However, in

every trial there is good. Having sincere faith that every

portion of Allah’s destiny on us is out of His magnificent

Wisdom is the epitome of reliance and trust in Allah. This is a

quality of the prophets and messengers of Allah.

25

Aqeedah: Hell Fire

Preamble

The belief in hell is a part of belief in Afterlife. The belief in Afterlife has

been known for the majority of man since his nature demands

absolute justice and recompense for injustice and wickedness, a

concept that is yet to be accomplished. The information Allah gave to

us about Hell is enough as a reminder of it realities and a wake-up calls

to the sick and dying hearts.

Outline

Definitions & Descriptions

Its characteristics

Stature of its inmates

Reason for hell

Names of levels in hell

Definitions & Descriptions

It is an enclosed, hollow and deep place of severe burning fire which is

the punishment of Allah for whoever belies the messengers and rejects

His divine guidance; then follow the misguidance of self desire and

deceptions of shaytan.

The messengers of Allah called to believe in Allah and living according

to His Will through divinely revealed guidance; they left behind the

guidance with clear explanations for whoever wishes to follow same till

the Day of Resurrection. Shaytan calls to the opposite through various

deceptions and false hopes.

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How horrible it is!

Inside hell: the odour is strongly unpleasant; the sound is terrifyingly

noisy; the heat is unbearably hot; the fire intensively penetrates to the

heart; the thorny foods never satisfy hunger; the filthy drinks never

satisfy a thirst; the guardians are never merciful; the opportunity of an

escape is never possible; the dept intensifies the suffering; the sadness

is not sharable; the nakedness is a shame; the live broadcast is an

humiliation. So why head for it?

A place of disgrace and humiliation

رب نا إنك من تد النار ف قد أ زي تو وما لللالمين من أن ار "Our Lord! Verily, whoever You put into the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced

him, and never will the wrong-doers find any helpers.22

A place for those who oppose Allah and His messengers

ألم ي علموا أنو من يحادد اللو ورسولو فأن لو نار جهنم الدا فيها ذلك الخزي العليم Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His messenger – that for

him is the fire of Hell, wherein he will abide eternally? That is the great

disgrace23

An inseparable punishment

Hell was created to love inflicting pain on its inmates

والذين ي قولون رب نا اصرف عنا عذاب جهنم إن عذاب ها كان غراما And those who say: "Our Lord! avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily! its

torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment."24

22 Surat-ul-Imran 192 23 Surat-ul-Tawbah 63 24 Surat-ul-Fur’qan 65

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It is wide enough to contain all of its inmates

Nine hundred and ninety-nine (999) out of every thousand (1,000) of

human beings will enter hell; yet hell is spacious enough to contain

even more.

ي وم ن قول لجهنم ى امتألت وت قول ى من مزيد On the Day when we will say to hell: "Are you filled?" it will say: "Are there

any more (to come)?"

A reason for hell

وسيق الذين كفروا إلى جهنم زمرا حتى إذا جاءوىا فتحت أب واب ها وقال لهم زن ت ها لون عليكم آيات ربكم وي نذرونكم لقاء ي ومكم ىذا قالوا ب لى ألم يأتكم رس منكم ي ت

ولكن حقت كلمة العذاب على الكافرين And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they

reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival

of the prisoners), and its keepers will say, "Did not the messengers come to

you from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord, and warning you

of the meeting of This Day of yours?" they will say: "Yes, but the word of

torment has been justified against the disbelievers!"

Annihilation is better than agony

نا ربك قال إنكم ماكثون ونادوا يا مالك لي قض علي And they will cry: "O Maalik (Keeper of Hell)! Let your Lord make an end of

us." He will say: "Verily you shall abide forever."

Fuels of hell

1. Rocks

2. Human beings (Surat-ul-Tahrim 6)

3. Idols (Surat-ul-Anbiyaa 98-99)

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Some inhabitants of hell

a. Disbelievers

b. Hypocrites

c. Rejecters of the Truth

d. Sinners and criminals

e. The unjust

f. Those who transgress the

limits of Allah

g. Tyrants

h. Murderers

i. Those that persecute the

believers

j. Those that prefer the world

and neglect the hereafter

k. Those who commit suicide

l. Every cruel, proud and

arrogant

m. The one who is treacherous

n. The traitor

o. One who has a habit of

abusing people and using

obscene languages.

p. The one who don’t pray,

and also the one who

doesn’t pray on time

Stature of its inmates

The size of human body depreciates from Adam downward. The

magnitude of pleasure in paradise and the pains in hell is too much for

what could satisfy the little body of Adam’s offspring. The body of

humans will be returned to the original 60 cubits tall of their father

Adam to enable it enjoy the pleasure of paradise and suffer the pains

of hell adequately.

لق اا ادم وطولو ستون ذراعا، ثم قال " قال ملسو هيلع هللا ىلصعن ابي ىريرة عن النبي . اذىب فسلم على اوليك من الماليكة، فاستمع ما يحيونك، تحيتك وتحية ذريتك

فك من . فزادوه ورحمة اا . فقالوا السالم عليك ورحمة اا . فقال السالم عليكم . " يد الجنة على صورة ادم، فلم يزل الخلق ينقص حتى االن

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Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): The Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص said, "Allah created

Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him,

"Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will

be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your

offspring." So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salaamu Alaykum (i.e.

Peace be upon you). The angels said, "As-salaamu Alayka wa

Rahmatullahi" (i.e. Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you). Thus the

angels added to Adam's salutation the expression, 'Wa Rahmatullahi,'

Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance

and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam's

creation.25

Names and levels in hell

Through their scholarly efforts and careful consideration of the texts,

Islamic scholars outlined the following names and categories in hell.

The whole of hell is one, but with different severity of punishment at

different levels. The severity of punishments in hell increases from top

to bottom.

Names of levels in hell

1. Jahannammah (جهنم) – Surat-ul-Tur Q52:13

2. Lazoh (لظى) – Surat-ul-Ma’arij Q70:15

3. Al-Hutommah ( طم ح Surat-ul-Humazah Q104:4 – ( ح

4. Saheer ( يرر Surat-ul-Ahzab Q33:64 – (سعع

5. Sakorr ( س ر) – Surat-ul-Mudathir Q74:20

6. Jaheem ( ج عيمم) – Surat-ul-Infitar Q82:14

7. Haawiyah ( ي ة Surat-ul-Qari’ah Q101:9 – ( اوع

25 Sahih Bukhari Book 60 Hadith 1

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