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Sweetness Of Faith

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 13: Narrated Abu Huraira: “Allah’s Apostle said, “By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children.”

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 14: Narrated Anas: The Prophet said “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children, and all mankind.”

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 15: Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, “Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith:
1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle become dearer than anything else.
2. Who loves a person, and he loves him only for Allah’s sake.
3. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire.”

When the Holy Prophet Muhammed S.A.S declared there is no god except Allah and, he alone is worthy of worship. He first confirmed with the people about his own truthfulness, steadfastness, and righteousness.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 293: Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the Verse: ‘And warn your tribe of near-kindred, was revealed, the Prophet ascended the Safa (mountain) and started calling, “O Bani Fihr! O Bani ‘Adi!” addressing various tribes of Quraish till they were assembled. Those who could not come themselves sent their messengers to see what was there. Abu Lahab and other people from Quraish came and the Prophet then said, “Suppose I told you that there is an (enemy) cavalry in the valley intending to attack you, would you believe me?” They said, “Yes, for we have not found you telling anything other than the truth.” He then said, “I am a Warner to you in the face of a terrific punishment.” Abu Lahab said (to the Prophet) “May your hands perish all this day. Is it for this purpose you have gathered us?” Then it was revealed: “Perish the hands of Abu Lahab (one of the Prophet’s uncles), and perish he! His wealth and his children will not profit him….” (111.1-5)

Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 293: Two points to note from this wonderful hadees Allah personally cursed Abu Lahab, and even revealed a verse to curse him, when this person cursed the Holy Prophet Muhammed Salalaahu Alaihi wasallam, this is exceptional and reflects the close bond between the most beloved of Allah and Allah. The second point when the Holy Prophet Muhammed Salalaahu Alaihi wasallam wanted to call people for Islam he first established his own credibility and those who accepted and endorsed him and those who did not raise doubts about him and did not question his command and his knowledge of the unseen accepted Allah, this shows that reverence, respect, and love of the Holy Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam leads to belief in Allah, Allah never showed himself nor did he show us heaven and hell, nor did we see Gibreal bringing the revelation, nor did we see judgment day.

“Suppose I told you that there is an (enemy) cavalry in the valley intending to attack you, would you believe me?” They said, “Yes, These people became the Muslims”.

Declaration Of The Prophet Of Islam

[Quran – 10:104] “O ye men, if you are in doubt concerning my religion, then know that I worship not those whom you worship instead of ALLAH, but I worship ALLAH alone………”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said :
[Bukhari, Book #2, Hadith #42] “Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, “Whoever said” None has the right to be worshiped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a barley grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said: “None has the right to be worshiped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a wheat grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said, “None has the right to be worshiped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of an atom will be taken out of Hell.”

The Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) Life

Ibrahim was not a Jew nor yet a Christian, but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah’s (Which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah. Without a doubt, among men, the nearest of kin to Ibrahim, are those who follow him, as are also this Prophet and those who believe: And Allah is the Protector of those who have faith. (Surah Al-Imran: 67-68)

The Prophet Ibrahim (AS) is often referred to in the Quran and is distinguished by Allah as an example to people. He conveyed the message of Allah to his people who worshipped idols and he warned them so that they might fear Allah. His people did not listen to his warnings but, on the contrary, opposed him. When the oppression of his people increased, Ibrahim (AS) had to move elsewhere with his wife, the Prophet Lut (AS), who was his nephew, and possibly a few other people who went with them.

Ibrahim (AS) was descended from Nuh (AS). The Quran also states that he followed the Way of Nuh (AS).

Peace and salutation to Nuh among the nations! Thus indeed do we reward those who do right. For he was one of our believing Servants. Then the rest were overwhelmed by the Flood. Verily among those who followed his Way was Ibrahim. (Surat as-Saffat: 79-83)

At the time of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS), many people living in the Mesopotamian plains, and Middle and East Anatolia were worshipping the heavens and the stars. Their most important god was “Sin”, the moon god. It was
personified as a human with a long beard, wearing a dress carrying a moon on it in the shape of a crescent. In addition, these people made embossed pictures and sculptures of these gods and worshipped them. This was quite a widespread belief system that found appropriate soil for itself in the Near East and thus maintained its existence for a long time. People living in that region continued to worship these gods until around 600 AD. As a consequence of this belief, some constructions known as “‘ziggurats”‘ which were used both as observatories and temples, were built in the region stretching from Mesopotamia to the interior of Anatolia and here some gods, primarily the moon-god “‘Sin”‘, were worshipped.12

This way of belief, only discovered in archaeological excavations today, is to be found mentioned in the Quran. As mentioned in the Quran, Ibrahim (AS) rejected the worship of these deities and turned only to Allah, the one true God. In the Quran, Ibrahim’s (AS) conduct is recounted as follows:

And remember when Abraham said to his father, Azar, “Do you take idols as gods? It is clear to me that you and your people are entirely misguided.” We also showed Abraham the wonders of the heavens and the earth, so he would be sure in faith. When the night grew dark upon him, he saw a star and said, “This is my Lord!” But when it set, he said, “I do not love things that set.” Then when he saw the moon rising, he said, “This one is my Lord!” But when it disappeared, he said, “If my Lord does not guide me, I will certainly be one of the misguided people.” Then when he saw the sun shining, he said, “This must be my Lord – it is the greatest!” But again when it set, he declared, “O my people! I totally reject whatever you associate with Allah in worship. I have turned my face towards the One Who has originated the heavens and the earth – being upright -and I am not one of the polytheists.” (Surat al-Anam: 74-79)

The ziggurats, which were used both as temples and astronomical observatories, were constructions made with the most advanced techniques of the age. The stars, the moon, and the sun were the primary objects of worship, and therefore, the sky had great importance. Left and right are the important ziggurats of Mesopotamia.

In the Quran, it is indicated that Ibrahim (AS) and Lut (AS) lived close to each other and were contemporaries, by the fact that the angels sent to the people of Lut (AS) came to Ibrahim (AS), and announced to his wife the good news
of a child, before going on to Lut (AS).

An important issue about Ibrahim (AS) in the Quran, is not mentioned in the Old Testament is the construction of the Kabah. In the Quran, we are told that the Kabah was constructed by Ibrahim (AS) and his son Isma’il (AS). Today, the only thing known by historians about the past of the Kabah is that it is accepted to have been a sacred place since very ancient times. The placing of idols in the Kabah during the Age of Ignorance before the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS), is a consequence of the degeneration and distortion of the divine religion once revealed to Ibrahim (AS).

Ibrahim’s (AS) Place of Birth According to the Old Testament
The place of Ibrahim’s (AS) birth has always been an issue of debate. While Christians and Jews say that Ibrahim (AS )was born in South Mesopotamia, the prevalent thought in the Islamic world is that his place of birth is around
Urfa-Harran. Some new finds show that the Jewish and Christian thesis does not reflect the truth completely.

Jews and Christians depend on the distorted Old Testament for their assertion, because in it, Ibrahim (AS) is said to have been born in the city of Ur in South Mesopotamia. After Ibrahim (AS) was born and brought up in that city, he
is said to have set out on the way to Egypt and to have reached Egypt at the end of a long journey in which he passed through the Harran region of Turkey.

However, a recently found manuscript of the Old Testament generated serious doubts about the validity of this information. In this Greek manuscript from the third century BC, which is accepted to be the oldest copy of the Old
Testament yet found, “Ur” is never mentioned. Today, many Old Testament researchers say that the word “Ur” is inaccurate or a subsequent addition.

This implies that Ibrahim (AS) was not born in the city of Ur, and may never have been to the Mesopotamian region in his life.

Besides, the names of some locations, and the regions they imply, change over time. In our day, the Mesopotamia plains generally refer to the south banks of the Iraqi land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Yet two millennia
earlier, Mesopotamia implied a region more northerly, even reaching as far as Harran, and stretching into present-day Turkish lands. Therefore, even if we accept that the expression “Mesopotamian plain” in the Old Testament is right, it would be misleading to think that the Mesopotamia of two millennia earlier and the Mesopotamia of today are the same places. Even if there are serious doubts and disagreements about the city of Ur being Ibrahim’s (AS) birthplace, there is a common agreement on the fact that Harran and its environs region was the place where Ibrahim (as)lived.

Moreover, a short research made of the Old Testament itself yields some information supporting the view that Ibrahim’s (AS) place of birth was Harran. For instance, in the Old Testament, the region of Harran is designated as the “Aram region” (Genesis, 11:31 and 28:10). It is stated that those who came from Ibrahim’s (AS) family are “sons of an Arami” (Deuteronomy, 26:5). The identification of Ibrahim (AS) as an Arami shows that he led his life in this region.

In the Islamic sources, there is strong evidence that Ibrahim’s (AS) place of birth is Harran and Urfa. In Urfa, which is called the “city of Prophets”, there are many stories and legends about Ibrahim (AS).

Why was the Old Testament Altered?
As is revealed in the Quran, Ibrahim (AS )was sent to an idolatrous people as a messenger. His people worshipped the heavens, stars, the moon, and various idols. He struggled against his people, and tried to get them to turn away from their superstitious beliefs, and inevitably stirred up the enmity of his whole community including his father.

Actually, none of these points are mentioned in the Old Testament. The throwing of Ibrahim (AS) into the fire and his breaking of his community’s idols are not mentioned in the Old Testament. Ibrahim (AS) is in general depicted as the
ancestor of the Jews in the Old Testament. It is evident that this view in the Old Testament was taken by the chiefs of the Jewish community seeking to bring the concept of “‘race”‘ to the foreground. The Jews believe that they are a
people eternally chosen by God and rendered superior. They deliberately and willingly altered their Divine Book and made additions and deletions in accordance with this belief. This is why Ibrahim (AS) is merely depicted as the
ancestor of the Jews in the Old Testament.

Christians who believe in the Old Testament, think that Ibrahim (AS) is the ancestor of the Jews, but with only one difference: according to Christians, Ibrahim (AS) is not a Jew but a Christian. The Christians, who did not heed the
concept of race as much as Jews, took this stand and it is one of the causes of disagreement and struggle between the two religions. The dispute between Jews and Christians is reported as follows in the Qur’an:

O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham, while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until long after him? Do you not understand? Here you are! You disputed about what you have little knowledge of, but why do you now argue about what you have no knowledge of? Allah knows and you do not know. Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he submitted in all uprightness and was not a polytheist. Indeed, those who have the best claim to Abraham are his followers, this Prophet, and the believers. And Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. (Surah Al-Imran: 65-68)

In the Quran, in contrast to what is written in the Old Testament, Ibrahim (AS) is a person who warned his people so that they might fear Allah and who struggled against them for this end. Starting from his youth, he warned his
people, who worshipped idols, to give up this practice. His people reacted to Ibrahim (AS) by attempting to kill him. Having escaped from the wickedness of his people, Ibrahim (as) finally emigrated.

12- Everett C. Blake, Anna G. Edmonds, Biblical Sites in Turkey, Istanbul:
Redhouse Press, 1977, p. 13

Everywhere I Looked I Could See God’s Work

Both My Daughter and Me Decided to Become Muslims

I could stand and marvel at the wonder of it all—the trees, flowers, birds, and animals. Even a newborn baby became a beautiful miracle First and foremost, I would say it was because fundamentally I had always been a Muslim without being aware of it.

Very early in my life, I had lost faith in Christianity for many reasons. The major one being that whenever I questioned any Christian, whether it was a person belonging to the so-called Holy Orders or a layman, regarding any point that puzzled me regarding the Church teachings, I invariably received the monotonous answer:

“You must not question the teachings of the Church; you must have faith.”

I did not have the courage in those days to say:

“I cannot have faith in something that I do not understand”, and from my experience, neither do most of the people who call themselves Christians.

What I did do was to leave the Church (Roman Catholic) and its teaching and place my faith in the one true God, in whom it was much easier to believe than in the three gods of the Church.

By contrast with the mysteries and miracles of the Christian teaching, life took on a new and wider meaning, no longer cramped with dogma and ritual. Everywhere I looked, I could see God’s work.

Although in common with greater minds than my own, I could not understand the miracles that happened before my eyes, I could stand and marvel at the wonder of it all—the trees, flowers, birds, and animals. Even a newborn baby became a beautiful miracle, not the same thing that the Church had taught me to believe at all.

I remembered how, as a child, I gazed at newborn babies and thought, “It’s all covered in black sin”, I no longer believed in ugliness; everything became beautiful.

Then one day my daughter brought home a book about Islam. We became so interested in it that we followed it up with many other books on Islam.

We soon realized that this was really what we believed. During the time I had believed in Christianity, I had been led to believe that Islam was only something to joke about.

| If I were asked what impressed me most in the religion of Islam, I would probably say the prayers |

Thus, all that I then read was a revelation to me. After a while, I looked up some Muslims and questioned them on some of the points that were not quite clear to me.

Here again, there was yet, another revelation. My questions were all answered promptly and concisely, so different from the frustration I had experienced when questioning Christianity.

After much reading and studying the religion of Islam, both my daughter and I decided to become Muslims, taking the names of Rashida and Mahmuda respectively.

If I were asked what impressed me most in the religion of Islam, I would probably say the prayers, because prayers in Christianity are used wholly in begging God (through Jesus Christ) to grant worldly favors, whereas in Islam they are used to giving praise, and thanks to Almighty God for all His blessings since He knows what is necessary for our welfare and grants us what we need without our asking it.

By Cecilia Mahmuda Connolly

What The Quran Teaches: Argument Of Brute Force

In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful

When he came to them, setting forth the truth from Us, they said: “Kill the sons of those who share his faith, and spare only their women.” Yet, the schemes of the unbelievers can only go wrong. Pharaoh said: “Leave it to me to kill Moses, and let him invoke his Lord! I fear that he will change your religion and cause corruption to spread in the land.” Moses said: “I seek refuge with Him who is my Lord and your Lord from everyone who is too arrogant and will not believe in the Day of Reckoning. (The Forgiving; Ghafir: 25-27)

The surah does not dwell on what happened after the first encounter between Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh, omitting the match with the sorcerers when Moses’ staff swallowed their trickery and forced them to declare their acceptance of triumphant truth. Instead, it goes on to the situation that prevailed after these initial events: “When he came to them, setting forth the truth from Us, they said: ‘Kill the sons of those who share his faith, and spare only their women.’ A comment on this attitude is given straight away before the verse is even finished: “Yet the schemes of the unbelievers can only go wrong.”

Whenever tyranny is faced with a clear argument it cannot refute, it resorts to such tactics. It dreads that truth should prevail with its clear and strong arguments that appeal directly to sound human nature. Pharaoh witnessed how his sorcerers, whom he marshaled in the hope that they would defeat Moses, were the first to respond to the truth, immediately declaring themselves as believers. By contrast, Pharaoh, Haman and Korah said: “Kill the sons of those who share his faith, and spare only their women.”

At the time Moses was born, Pharaoh had issued a similar decree. What we now need to consider is whether the Pharaoh who issued that decree had died and been succeeded by his son or crown prince. Furthermore, under this new Pharaoh, the original decree had been stopped, until Moses came back and confronted him with his message. Moses was after all known to this Pharaoh when he was a crown prince, and was aware that Moses had been brought up in the palace. He was also aware of the original decree to slay the male children of the Israelites and to spare their women. Now, his courtiers refer to this decree, advising Pharaoh to apply it, particularly to those who believed with Moses, be they the sorcerers or the minority of Israelites who accepted Moses’ message despite fearing Pharaoh and his forces. It is also possible that the original Pharaoh who adopted Moses was still in power, but the implementation of his decree had slackened with time or had even been suspended altogether. Now his courtiers advise him to revive it, applying it only to those who followed Moses so that it would scare people away from Moses, the prophet.

Pharaoh himself seems to take a different point of view or to have an additional measure which he mentioned during consultations on what tactics he would employ against Moses and his message. Essentially, he wanted to do away with Moses and rid himself of the whole problem: “Pharaoh said: Leave it to me to kill Moses, and let him invoke his Lord! I fear that he will change your religion and cause corruption to spread in the land.”

His words, “Leave it to me to kill Moses,” suggest that his view was not immediately accepted. Reservations might have been expressed, such as someone suggesting that killing Moses would not end the problem. On the contrary, it might inspire the masses to consider him a hero or a martyr, which could in turn generate enthusiasm toward him and his new faith, particularly after the sorcerers, who were supposed to expose his myth, declared their acceptance of his faith. One or other of Pharaoh’s advisers might also have feared that Moses’ God might avenge his killing and inflict punishment on his killers. This was a distinct possibility since idolaters believed in multiple deities and could imagine that Moses had a God who would punish his killers. This possibility explains Pharaoh’s statement, “Let him invoke his Lord!” Pharaoh might have meant this as a rejoinder to the objection. On the other hand, his wild remark might have merely been to show that he did not care about the consequences. His carelessness was suitably punished in the end, as we shall presently learn.

It is useful to reflect a little on Pharaoh’s argument in support of his declared intention to kill Moses: “I fear that he will change your religion and cause corruption to spread in the land.” Could there be anything more laughable than Pharaoh, the idolater, saying this of Moses, God’s messenger? Yet, is it not the same statement every tyrant repeats about everyone who advocates the truth and seeks to reform people’s beliefs? Is it not the word of ugly falsehood about splendid truth? What trickery seeking to shake people’s faith! It is indeed the same logic repeated whenever falsehood is confronted by the truth, tyranny by justice, and unfaith by faith, anywhere in the world.

For his part, Moses resorted to the secure shelter that is always extended to advocates of the truth: “Moses said: I seek refuge with Him who is my Lord and your Lord from everyone who is too arrogant and will not believe in the Day of Reckoning.” As he said this, Moses felt reassured. He submitted himself to the One who overpowers every arrogant despot and can protect those who seek His shelter against arrogant enemies. He referred to God’s oneness, stating it clearly, fearing nothing of the threats he received. Furthermore, he also referred to the rejection of the true promise that a day will inevitably come when people will have to account for their deeds. No one can resort to arrogance if they believe in the Day of Reckoning. How can they if they realize that they will stand in front of their Lord, humble, deprived of all power, without friend or intercessor?

Kindness Is A Mark Of Faith: Love Even Those Who Hurt You

Love even those who hurt. They’ll realize your worth someday. The tree does not withdraw its shade from the woodcutter…So, love even those who are hurt. They’ll recognize your worth someday.

The above quote made me think and reflect. To still love those who hurt us takes a lot and very often it’s easier said than done…!

It reminds me of our beloved Prophet [Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasalam] and how some of his loved ones really hurt him and chose to reject him as a Messenger of Allah. The hurt and grief they gave him, The Prophet [SallaAllahu Alayhi Wasalam] didn’t deter him from his mission, just like the tree that does not withdraw its shade from the woodcutter.

The Prophet [Salla Allahu `Alayhi Wasalam] still gave and showed love, compassion, mercy and kindness to all those who hurt, ridiculed, and harmed him.

These noble qualities which he demonstrated in his conduct, softened the hearts of those who opposed him, they realized his worth and his uniqueness and thus accepted Islam. Those unfortunate souls who did not realize his worth during his lifetime will realize his worth on the day of Judgment.

Loving those who hurt us is a Prophetic characteristic and may we all aspire to achieve this whether those who hurt us realize our worth in this life or not Allah [Azza Wa Jall] does and that’s all that matters. [‘SubhanAllah’]

Don’t Loose Heart Or Grieve

[ALLAH’S Quran – 3:139] “And do not lose heart nor feel grieved, and it is you who will be victorious, provided you maintain (perfect) faith.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said : [Bukhari, Book #57, Hadith #4] “……..I used to keep for Allah’s Apostle a leather water container, the mouth of which was covered with a piece of cloth. I poured water on the milk container till its lower part was cold. Then I took the milk to the Prophet whom I found awake. I said to him, ‘Drink, O Allah’s Apostle.’ So he drank till I became pleased. Then I said, ‘It is time for us to move, O Allah’s Apostle!’ He said, ‘Yes.’ So we set out while the people (i.e. Quraish pagans) were searching for us, but none found us except Suraiqa bin Malik bin Jushum who was riding his horse. I said, ‘These are our pursuers who have found us. O Allah’s Apostle!’ He said, ‘Do not grieve, for Allah is with us”

Worship And Fear Allah Alone

[Allah’s Quran – 16:51] “Do not Worship two gods, He is One and only, and therefore, fear Me and keep in awe of Me alone.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said:
[Bukhari, Book #2, Hadith#47] “Narrated Abu Huraira: One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people,
(The angel) Gabriel came and asked, “What is faith?”
Allah’s Apostle replied, ‘Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection.”
Then he further asked, “What is Islam?”
Allah’s Apostle replied, “To worship Allah alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat), and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan.”
Then he further asked, “What is Ihsan (perfection)?”
Allah’s Apostle replied, “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.”
Then he further asked, “When will the Hour be established?”
Allah’s Apostle replied, “The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents.
1. When a slave (lady) gives birth to her master.
2. When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings. And the Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah. The Prophet then recited: “Verily, with Allah (alone), is the knowledge of the Hour–.” (31. 34)

Then that man (Gabriel) left and the Prophet asked his companions to call him back, but they could not see him. Then the Prophet said, “That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion.” Abu ‘Abdullah said: He (the Prophet) considered all that as a part of faith.”

[Muslim, Book #9, Hadith #1577] “[It is narrated on the authority of (‘Abdullah) son of ‘Umar, that the Holy Prophet (may peace of Allah be upon him) said: (The superstructure of) al-Islam is raised on five (pillars), i. e. Allah (alone) should be worshipped, and (all other gods) beside Him should be (categorically) denied. Establishment of prayer, the payment of Zakat, Pilgrimage to the House, and the fast of Ramadan (are the other obligatory acts besides the belief in the oneness of Allah and denial of all other gods).”

[Abudawud, Book #9, Hadith #1577] “Narrated Abdullah ibn Mu’awiyah al-Ghadiri: AbuDawud said: I read in a document possessed by Abdullah ibn Salim at Hims: Abdullah ibn Mu’awiyah al-Ghadiri reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: He who performs three things will have the taste of the faith. (They are:) One who worships Allah alone and one believes that there is no god but Allah; and one who pays the zakat on his property agreeably every year. One should not give an aged animal, nor one suffering from itch or ailing, and one most condemned, but one should give animals of medium quality, for Allah did not demand from you the best of your animals, nor did He command you to give the animals of worst quality.”

Benefits And Secrets Of Surah Al Kahf

Ever wondered why Prophet Muhammad(SAW) asked us to recite Surat Al-Kahf every Friday?
Let’s find out today inshaAllah…

This Surah has Four stories in it, having some morals, let’s see them and understand what they are saying to us:

1) The People Of The Cave
It’s the story of young men who lived in a disbelieving town, so they decided to migrate for the sake of Allah and run away. -Allah rewarded them with mercy in the cave and protection from the sun – They woke up and found the entire village believers.
MORAL: TRIAL OF FAITH.

2) The Owner Of Two Gardens
A story of a man whom Allah blessed with two beautiful gardens, but the man forgot to thank the One who blessed him with everything and he even dared to doubt Allah regarding the afterlife. So His garden was destroyed – He regretted, but was too late and his regret did not benefit him.
MORAL: TRIAL OF WEALTH.

3) Musa(AS) and Khidr(AS)
When Musa(AS) was asked “Who’s the most knowledgeable of the people of earth?”” Musa(AS) said: Me…, but Allah revealed to him that there’s someone who Knows more than him. Musa(AS) traveled to the man and learned how Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters that we perceive as bad.
MORAL: TRIAL OF KNOWLEDGE.

4) Dhul-Qarnayn
It’s a story of the great King who was given knowledge and power and was going around the world, helping people and spreading all that’s good. He was able to overcome the problem of Yajooj-Majooj and build a massive dam with the help of people whom he could not even understand.
MORAL: TRIAL OF POWER

In the middle Allah mentions Iblees as the one who stirs these trials:
Behold! We said to the angels “Bow down to Adam”: they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!

Now let us see what’s the relationship between Surat Al-Kahf and the Dajjal (Anti-Christ).

Dajjal will appear before the Day of Judgement with the 4 trials:

***He’ll ask people to worship him and not Allah:
Trial of Faith.

***He’ll be given powers to start/stop rain and tempt people with his wealth:
Trial of with his wealth.

***He’ll trial people with the “knowledge” and news he gives them:
Trial of Knowledge.

He’ll control huge parts of the Earth.
Trial of Power.

How to survive these trials? The answers are in Surat Al-Kahf

Survival Kit 1: Good companionship
“And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 28)

Survival Kit 2: Knowing the Truth of this World
“Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 45)

Survival Kit 3: Humbleness
“Moses said: “Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 69)

Survival Kit 4: Sincerity.
“Say: “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” (Surat Al- Kahf, verse 110)

Survival Kit 5: Calling to Allah
“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 27)

Survival Kit 6: Remembering the Hereafter
“ One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. And they will be marshaled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), “Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!”: And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, “Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof !” They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verses 47-49)

Hasad Shaves Faith

Tirmîdhî narrated from al-Zubayr Ibn al-Awam (Allah be pleased with them) that Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said… ‘There has come to you the disease of the nations before you… Jealousy and Hatred. This is the Shaver (Destroyer) I do not say that it shaves hair, but that it shaves (destroys) Faith.
Source (Hasan) Jami at- Tirmidhi (2434)

‘Hasad’ can cause the person to indulge in disbelief because it causes the individual to feel that Allah has not been fair with him; he forgets all the Mercy and Blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa-Sallam) said: They are enemies for Allah’s bounties. The companions asked: ‘Who are they? The Messenger of Allah(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: ‘Those who envy people for what Allah has given them of Bounty.” [Source at-Tabaranî]

It is reported that Muhammad Ibn. Sirin, [Allah have mercy on him] said: “I have never envied anyone over anything: if a person is going to be in the Fire …how could I envy him over some worldly matter when he is destined for the Fire? And if he is going to Paradise, how could I be envious of a man of Paradise with whom AllahTabaraka wa ta’ala is pleased.”

Muslim said: “We have never heard anything better than this from the words of Ibn Sirin.” [ Source: Abu Bakr Al-Daynuri, Al-Mujalasah wa Jawahir Al-‘Ilm article 2931.]

O Allah, I ask You for knowledge that is of benefit, a good provision, and deeds that will be accepted. Aameen.