THE DISEASE AND THE CURE

THE DISEASE AND THE CURE

Sent by: Br. Abu Abdullah

6. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) said in Quraan:

وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ [العنكبوت: 64]

“This worldly life is nothing but an amusement and play, and the Last Abode is the real life indeed. Only if they know!” (Al-‘Ankaboot 2 9:64)

Instead of using the Dunyaa as a means to achieve the Aahkirah, we have made this Dunyaa a means to an end in and of itself.

7. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) said in Quraan about mankind:

بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا[16] وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى [الأعلى: 17]

“But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is much better and much more durable.” (Al-A’laa 87:16-17)

One can further to the following Aayah (Verse) of Quraan:

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ [النحل: 107]

“That is because they have preferred the worldly life to the Hereafter, and that Allah does not lead the disbelieving people to the right path.” (An-Nah l 16:107)

8. Hadhrat Ibne Mas’ood said (as reported in marfu’ form):

اقتربت الساعة , و لا يزداد الناس على الدنيا إلا حرصا , و لا يزدادون من الله إلا بعدا

“The Hour has drawn close. And the people increase (only) in craving for the world. And they do not increase except in distance from Allah.” (Mustadrak Al-Haakim)

9. In ‘Sharh of Riyaadh-us-Saliheen ’, chapter 10, ‘Hastening to do Good Deeds’ (Hadeeth no. 92) it is written:
“The more people increase in comfort and luxury and the more they open up before the people (with the dunyaa), the more evils will open up before them. It is comfort and luxury that destroys a person, because if a person was to concern himself with comfort and luxury and providing enjoyment to his body, he will become negligent of providing enjoyment to his heart, and his greatest worry will become providing enjoyment to this body that is doomed to become worms and rotten…
…For this, we say, that the more the dunyaa opens up before the people, and they end up concerning themselves with it, they will lose as much of the Aakhirah as they have gained from the Dunyaa. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: (Bukhari and Muslim)

10. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) also said:

وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ [الحديد: 20]

“The worldly life is nothing but a material of delusion.” (Al-Hadeed 57:20)

After explaining this Aayah, following Hadeeth of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) is quoted to reflect upon the worthlessness of this Dunyaa:

موضع سوط في الجنة خير من الدنيا وما فيها

“An area equal to (what is occupied by) a whip of Jannah (Paradise) is better than the (whole) world and whatever is in it.” (Bukhari)

11. About the worth of Dunyaa, the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) also said:

لو كانت الدنيا تعدل عند الله جناح بعوضة ما سقى كافراً منها شربة ماء

“If the Dunyaa was even equivalent to a mosquito’s wing with Allah, a Kaafir (Infidel) would not (even) be allowed to gulp a drop of water.” (At-Tirmizi)

Yet the Muslims have staked their eternal future (in the Aakhirah) for the enjoyment of this temporal abode. This is indeed a thing that amazes. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) also said:

الدنيا ملعونة ملعون ما فيها إلا ذكر الله وما والاه وعالماً ومتعلماً

“The Dunyaa is cursed except for the Zikr of Allah and what resembles it (of worship and knowledge) and an ‘Aalim and the one who learns ‘Ilm (of the Deen i.e Religion).” (At-Tirmizi)

12. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

و كن فى الدنيا كأنك غريب أو عابر سبيل

“And be in this world like a stranger or a passing wayfarer.” (Bukhari)

Many people have taken the life of this world as their goal, while subconsciously blocking-out the inevitability of death and seemingly “long-distanced” accountability of oneself on Yaum al-Hisaab (Day of Accountability).

Take also, this rather innocent and hearty modern-day parable for example.

13. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) summed up inevitability of death, Hisaab (Accountability) and Dunyaa in one Aayah:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ [آل عمران: 185]

“Every soul has to taste death. It is on the Day of Resurrection that you shall be paid your rewards in full. So, whoever has been kept away from the Fire and admitted to Jannah (Paradise) has really succeeded. The worldly life is nothing but an illusionary enjoyment.” (Aale-‘Imraan 3:185)

14. Hadhrat ‘Umar bin al-Khattab said profound words of contemplation to his people, as quoted in “Hilyat al-Auliyaa”: “By Allah! If I wanted to, I could give you the best of clothes to wear, the best of food to eat and to live in enjoyment, but I heard Allah says something they (i.e. disbelievers of those who indulge in luxury) did not hear:

أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَاتِكُمْ فِي حَيَاتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا فَالْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَفْسُقُونَ [الأحقاف: 20]

“You have consumed your good things in your worldly life, and have enjoyed them. So, you will be punished today with the torment of humiliation for the arrogance you used to show on earth with no right (to do so), and for the sins you used to commit.” (Al-Ahqaaf 46:20)

15. The causes of weakness of the Muslims are due to their having left the clear and pure Deen of Islam and indulgence in sin and transgression and extravagance. It is said that:

حب الدنيا رأس كل خطيئة

“Love of the Dunyaa is a root to all evil.”

16. Forgetting the intoxicating effect of Dunyaa and making struggle, rather fighting to get more and more from it.

17. Being ignorant of the Aakhirah.

Thus, the problem and the solution have been identified. After the bombardment from capitalist and socialist ideologies, the Muslim world became too materialistic, desperately pursuing the rewards and pleasures of this world, with little remembrance of the Aakhirah.

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: “Keep much in remembrance of death, which is the destroyer of pleasure.” (At-Tirmizi)

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) said:

قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا [77] أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكْكُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُشَيَّدَةٍ [النساء: 78]

“Say: “The enjoyment of the world is but a little, and the Aakhirah is far better for the one who fears Allah, and you shall not be wronged, even to the measure of a fiber. Wherever you will be, Death will overtake you, even though you are in fortified castles.” (An-Nisaa, 4:77-78)

Imam Ahmad records from Abu Dardaa as saying: “If only you knew what you will certainly see upon your death, you would never eat again a single bite out of a craving appetite, and you would never again drink an extra sip of water for the pleasure of unquenchable and insatiable thirst.”

Once Muslims realize that the death is not the end, but the beginning, thereafter with ultimate justice and either excruciating torment or blissful reward, our situation will surely change.

Until then, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ [الرعد: 11]

“Surely, Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change themselves.” (Ar-Ra’d 13:11)

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) alone is beseeched for the betterment of the Ummah, for He alone is the source of strength and help and He is the best of Planners.