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The Seven Stages In The Life Of A Muslim

Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) narrates that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked, “Who is superior in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection? He said, “The men and women who remember Allah greatly.”

Islam = submission to the Will of Allah (GOD).

Islam has a beginning and an end. Those who embrace Islam are called Muslims. The word Muslim is derived from the word Peace. The traditional muslim greeting is peace be unto you.

Who is Allah? Allah is the One and the Only God who created the worlds, Angels (created by light), Jinn (created by Fire), Satan (devil) is an outcast Jinn, man (created from sounding clay), animals, and the contents of the universes. Allah is One, there is no God other than Him, without any partners. He is eternal without a beginning and enduring without end, Absolute, Self-Sufficient, Self-Existing, never dies, not borne nor gives birth, has no companion, and nothing is comparable to Him. He never sleeps nor slumbers. All-Knowing, All-Hearing, All-Seeing. Nothing happens except what He wills. He gives life and death. He is The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful. He is intensely and continuously merciful to his creatures, even though Non Muslims do not believe in him. He is far above any created being. He is the Creator of everything in the universe, heaven, and earth, and its content. He will never perish or come to an end. When Allah wants anything to happen, he says “Be” and it is. Muslims do not believe that Allah assumed Human form and came down to this earth. The human body form has animal properties, and animal characteristics are created by Allah. Allah is high above all the creations.

Creation of Mankind

The first Man’s (Adam ) body was created from sounding clay. His companion woman, “Hava,” was created from Adam’s rib. All his descendants’ bodies are created by the sperm of men and the ovum of women. Jesus (Prophet ISA), son of Mariam (Mary), was created by Allah’s word (Be and it is) like Adam, but in Mariam’s womb. Jesus was a human prophet and not the Son of God. He was not crucified but taken up alive (Holy Quran).

Allah breathed into the body of man part of His spirit called (Ruh) Soul. When the soul enters the body, it becomes alive. When this soul is withdrawn from the body, it dies, and the body decays, putrefies, and is eaten by microorganisms. Every day, man experiences temporary death at night when he sleeps and resurrects when he wakes up. Allah keeps his soul in a safe place during his sleep. Allah has appointed angels as guardians to the right and left side and allowed satan to disturb humans. All these facts are described in the Holy Quran.

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.”

What Is Faith? What Is Islam? When Will The Hour Be Established?

What is Faith?
What is Islam?
When will the Hour be established?

[Sahih Al-Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 2, Number 47] Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu): One day while the Prophet (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) was sitting in the company of some people, (The angel) Gabriel came and asked:
“What is faith?” Allah’s Apostle (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) 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 (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) 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 (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) 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 (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) replied, “The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents when a slave (lady) gives birth to her master. 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 (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) asked his companions to call him back, but they could not see him. Then the Prophet (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) 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.

Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.

Arbitrary Denial Of The Resurrection

In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful We saved the Children of Israel from humiliating suffering, from Pharaoh, who was arrogant and a transgressor. We chose them knowingly above all other people. And We gave them signs in which there was a clear test. Now, these people assert: ‘We shall die but one death, and we shall not be raised to life again. Bring back our forefathers, if what you claim be true.’ Are they better than the people of Tubba and those before them, whom We destroyed because they were lost in sin? (Smoke; Al-Dukhan; 44: 30-37)

We commented earlier on the brief account the surah gives of the history of Moses and Pharaoh and the drowning of the latter after he had chased the Children of Israel to the seafront. God saved Moses and his people from Pharaoh by a special act of His grace. The surah then mentions the fact that God chose the children of Israel, knowing all about them, with both their positive and negative qualities. Yet He chose them in preference to all other people in their own time. God knew that they were, at the time, the best people to be given the trust. This is despite all that He has mentioned in the Qur’an about their deviation and slow response. Perhaps God made His choice on the basis that whilst they did not then attain the high standard of faith He required, they would nonetheless be the best under a faithful leadership that led them along the straight path of faith and insight.

“And We gave them signs in which there was a clear test.” Thus, in turn, the children of Israel were tested by means of these signs. When the test was over and their time in charge came to its end, God punished them for their deviation and evil. It was as a result of this test that God abandoned them; indeed, they were smashed by those who left them in their diaspora. They were to suffer humiliation and were warned that God will re-punish them whenever they transgress and behave with arrogance. This warning remains true as long as human life continues.

Once more the surah takes up the unbelievers’ doubts and denial of resurrection and accountability. Here, too, resurrection is linked to the fact that the structure of the universe is raised on a foundation of truth and seriousness that requires accountability and requital after the resurrection: “Now these people assert: ‘We shall die but one death, and we shall not be raised to life again. Bring back our forefathers, if what you claim be true.’ Are they better than the people of Tubba and those before them, whom We destroyed because they were lost in sin?”

The Arab idolaters used to say that people die once only and that is the end; no resurrection and no further life. They called this the first death, meaning that it precedes what they were promised of a second life after the resurrection. To them, the proof of this assertion was contained in the fact that none of their forefathers who died had ever returned; none had been resurrected. They demanded that their forefathers should be brought back to life before their eyes if the resurrection were indeed true. They thus betrayed their ignorance of the purpose of resurrection. They did not understand that it is a further stage of human life, with a definite purpose and a clear goal, which is the administration of requital for what was done in the first stage. Thus, God’s obedient servants reach their noble destination, which they have earned through acting well in their first lives, while hardened sinners arrive at the miserable and filthy end they deserve. This means that resurrection will come about after the entire first stage of life has ended, i.e. man’s time on earth has concluded. It precludes that resurrection should be the result of a human wish expressed by an individual or a community so that they can believe in it. Indeed, faith is not complete unless one believes in resurrection, which God’s messengers have confirmed, and which is apparent to anyone who reflects on the nature of life and God’s wisdom in creating it in this way. Such reflection is sufficient on its own to believe in the Day of Judgment.

Before the surah invites them to reflect on the design of the universe, it shakes their hearts strongly, reminding them of the fate suffered by the people of Tubba, in south Arabia. Tubba was the title given to the kings of Himyar, a major tribe that lived in southern Arabia. This story must have been well known to the Arabs, as the surah makes only a brief reference to it, warning them against a similarly terrible fate: “Are they better than the people of Tubba and those before them, whom We destroyed because they were lost in sin?”

The First To Submit To God

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

Say: ‘I am commanded to worship God, sincere in my faith in Him alone; and I am commanded to be the first to submit myself to Him.’ Say: ‘Indeed I would dread, were I to disobey my Lord, the suffering of an awesome day.’ Say: ‘God alone do I worship, sincere in my faith in Him alone. You can worship whatever you please instead of Him.’ Say: ‘True losers indeed are those who shall have lost their own selves and their families on Resurrection Day. Such is the ultimate loss.’

Above them, there shall be layers of fire, and layers of fire shall be beneath them. In this way, God puts fear into His servants’ hearts: ‘My servants! Fear Me!’

There is good news for those who shun the worship of false deities and turn to God, so give good news to My servants, who listen carefully to what is said and follow the best of it. These are the ones whom God has graced with His guidance, and these are the ones endowed with insight. (The Throngs; Al-Zumar: 39: 11-18)

THIS passage begins with a declaration by the Prophet outlining what he is commanded to do with regard to worship, devotion, and submission to God alone. This declaration is very important in keeping the belief in God’s oneness pure, as Islam wants it to be. In this respect, the Prophet is one of God’s servants. He does not exceed that position. In their servitude to God, all people stand in one rank, while God has His sublime position over all creation.

Thus the two concepts of Godhead and servitude are well established and clearly distinguished. There can be no confusion between the two. Oneness is clearly seen as an attribute of God alone, in which no one else has any share. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) stands in the position of God’s servant making this clear declaration, fearing to commit any disobedience of God, there can be no room for any claim of intercession by idols or angels granted through addressing worship to them instead of God.

The declaration is made once more, with the Prophet’s announcement that he will stick to his way, leaving the idolaters to their way and the painful end to which that leads: “Say: God alone do I worship, sincere in my faith in Him alone. You can worship whatever you please instead of Him. Say: True losers indeed are those who shall have lost their own selves and their families on Resurrection Day. Such is the ultimate loss.”

Once more the Prophet announces: I am unwavering in following my way, addressing all worship to God, and submitting myself to Him alone. As for you, you can follow any way you want, worship whomever you wish, but this will lead you to the worst imaginable loss: a loss of oneself as one goes to hell, and the loss of family and kin, be they, believers or unbelievers. If those relatives are believers, the idolaters will have lost them as each group goes their separate ways, and if they are unbelievers, the loss is the same as they all will have lost themselves in hell: “Such is the ultimate loss.”

We then have a picture showing the extent of the loss: “Above them, there shall be layers of fire, and layers of fire shall be beneath them. In this way, God puts fear into His servants’ hearts: ‘My servants! Fear Me!’”

It is a scene that strikes real fear in people’s hearts, showing the fire in layers that engulfs people from above and below. They are seen within these layers as they close in on them from all sides. Yet these layers are fire. God shows this picture to His servants while they are on earth and still have the chance to change their ways: “In this way, God puts fear into His servants’ hearts.” He calls on them warning them so that they may choose the way to safety: “My servants! Fear Me!”

On the other side stand those who are safe, having feared this fate and done what is necessary to avoid it: “There is good news for those who shun the worship of false deities and turn to God, so give good news to My servants, who listen carefully to what is said and follow the best of it. These are the ones whom God has graced with His guidance, and these are the ones endowed with insight.” ‘False deities’ are referred to here by the word “taghut,” which implies an exaggerated sense of exceeding the bounds. Those who shun the worship of taghut are the ones who reject the worship of anyone other than God in any form whatsoever. They are the ones who turn to God, stand in front of Him, and worship Him alone. These have good news issued to them directly from on high. The Prophet is giving them this good news by God’s order: “So give good news to My servants.” The fact that this news comes from on high and is delivered by the noble messenger is in itself a great blessing.

One quality of such people is that they listen to whatever is being said, but their hearts and minds pick up only the best of it and discard the rest.

Thus, the only words that they actually receive are the best words that improve and purify people’s hearts and souls. A good soul is always ready to receive good words and respond to them, while the one which is foul receives only what is foul. “These are the ones whom God has graced with His guidance.” He knows that they are genuinely good in their hearts and souls and He, therefore, guided them to listen and respond to the best of what is said. Guidance comes only from God.

“And these are the ones endowed with insight.” It is a sound mind that leads a person to self-purification and safety. Anyone who does not follow the way that ensures such safety appears to be deprived of a sound mind and insight, which are blessings given by God.

– Commentary by Sayyid Qutb

Nothing Escapes God’s Knowledge

The unbelievers say: “What! After we have become dust, we and our forefathers, shall we be brought back (to life)” We have been promised this before, we and our forefathers! This is nothing but fables of the ancients.” Say: “Go all over the earth and see what happened in the end to the guilty.”

Do not grieve over them, nor be distressed by what they scheme. They ask: “When will this promise be fulfilled, if what you say be true?” Say: “It may well be that something of that which you so hastily demand has already drawn close to you.” Your Lord is indeed most bountiful to people, but most of them are ungrateful. And indeed your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal and all that they bring into the open. There is nothing that is hidden in the heavens or the earth but is recorded in a clear book. (The Ants; Al-Naml: 27: 67-75).

Resurrection and the life to come make up the most difficult point to accept by the unbelievers. They reject this argument completely, claiming that since their forefathers were similarly warned and nothing happened to bring them back to life, then all claims about the hereafter are baseless. In order to emphasize their rejection of this concept, they hasten the coming of the punishment unbelievers are threatened with.
In a short verse, the surah gives an impression of the forthcoming horror, imparting a touch of ridicule of their attitude: “Say: It may well be that something of that which you so hastily demand has already drawn close to you.” Thus the surah strikes fear in their hearts and makes them worry about the impending punishment. It could easily be close coming from behind, like someone riding behind another. Yet they cannot perceive it. Thus, they are hastening it when it is closely overtaking them. What a frightening surprise to fit their ridicule.
But who can tell? What God has kept for Himself will remain hidden behind a curtain that reveals nothing whatsoever. Something very serious, extremely terrible could be moments away. It is wise, then, to be warned and to be ready at all times to what may lie behind the thick curtains.

“Your Lord is indeed most bountiful to people, but most of them are ungrateful.” Perhaps one of the most important aspects of God’s bounty is that He allows people respite when they do wrong or fail to do what is required of them. He does not hasten His punishment, giving them chance after chance to reflect on their position, repent of their mistakes, and turn back to the right path. Nevertheless, most of them are ungrateful for the grace God bestows on them. Rather, they ridicule the whole idea and hasten their own punishment, or continue in their erring ways, refusing to reflect and take heed. “And indeed your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal and all that they bring into the open.” He gives them this respite although He is fully aware of the feelings they harbor in their hearts as also what they declare by word and deed. This means that the respite is given them in the full knowledge of their actions and feelings. But they will inevitably have to face the reckoning of all this.

This round concludes with a statement emphasizing God’s perfect knowledge that overlooks nothing anywhere in the universe: “There is nothing that is hidden in the heavens or the earth but is recorded in a clear book.” Let imagination travel anywhere in the universe, thinking of any hidden thing: A secret, object, piece of news or information, force or power; it is all recorded and included in God’s knowledge. Nothing is lost or overlooked. God’s knowledge is emphasized throughout the surah, and this reference to it here is just one of many.

Having emphasized the point on God’s perfect knowledge, the surah moves on to speak about the differences among the Children of Israel on fundamental issues. What the Qur’an states concerning these differences is part of God’s knowledge, and it provides the final, indisputable word on these issues. It is an example of how God judges between people in dispute. This is stated so that it provides some comfort to the Prophet so that he would leave them to God to judge between them as He pleases.

“This Qur’an explains to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree.”
The Christians have long been in dispute concerning Jesus Christ and Mary, his mother. Some said that the Christ was purely human, while others maintained that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three different forms in which God reveals Himself to mankind. They allege that God is made of these three elements, making Jesus the Son. Thus, God the Father came down in the form of the Holy Spirit and took human form inside Mary and was born in the form of Jesus. Others still said that the Son is not eternal like the Father, but created in this world. As such, he is of a lower status than the Father and subject to Him. A different group denied that the Holy Spirit was one of the three elements. The Council of Nicaea held in 325 AD and the Council of Constantinople held in 381 decided that the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal to the Father in divinity. It further decided that the Son was born from the Father in eternity and that the Holy Spirit emanates from the Father. Likewise, the Council of Toledo, held in 589, also made the same decision concerning the Holy Spirit. The Eastern and Western Churches split over this point, and continued to differ. The Qur’an gives the final word to end all such disputes. It describes the Christ as God’s ‘Word that He gave to Mary and a soul from Him.’ (4: 171) He is certainly a human being, no more: ‘He was nothing but a servant of Ours whom We had graced and whom We had made an example for the Children of Israel.’ (43: 59)

Sorrowful Condition Of The Unbelievers

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

Around their necks We have put chains, reaching up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up. And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and We enshrouded them in veils so that they cannot see. It is all the same to them whether you warn them or you do not warn them: they will not believe. You can truly warn only such a one as follows this reminder and who stand in awe of the Lord of Grace although He is beyond the reach of human perception. To such, then, give the happy news of God’s forthcoming forgiveness and a generous reward. It is We who will bring the dead back to life. We record whatever (deeds) they send ahead, as well as the traces they leave behind. We keep an account of all things in a clear record. Cite for them, as a case in point, the people of a township to which messengers came. (Ya Sin: 36: 8-13)

At this point, the surah draws an image of their psychological condition, and we see them with chains around their necks, barriers separating them from divine guidance, and with a cover over their eyes depriving them of the ability to see: “Around their necks We have put chains, reaching up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up. And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and We enshrouded them in veils so that they cannot see.” Their hands are fastened with chains to their necks, placed under their chins, which has the effect of lifting up their heads such that they cannot see what is in front of them. Moreover, there are walls and barriers both in front of and behind them, which means that even if they were released from these chains, they still could not see through the barriers. Furthermore, the covers placed over their eyes makes it even more impossible for them to see.

Although this image is fierce and sharp, we actually do encounter people of this ilk. When you see them overlooking the plain truth that is in front of them, you feel as if there is a wall separating them from it. Although their hands are not chained and nor are their heads forced up, you nonetheless feel that their souls and minds are turned away from the truth, unable to see guidance. It is as if there are barriers preventing them from approaching it. Such were the people who turned deaf ears to the Qur’an and who received it with irrational denial as it put before them its argument and proof. This is when the Qur’an is itself a irrefutable proof.

“It is all the same to them whether you warn them or you do not warn them: they will not believe.” Their case is settled. God knows that faith will not penetrate their hearts. No warning will ever benefit a heart that has steeled itself against divine guidance, and barracked its approach. Warnings do not create hearts; it only alerts a heart that is alive, ready to receive guidance: “You can truly warn only such a one as follows this reminder and who stands in awe of the Lord of Grace although He is beyond the reach of human perception. To such, then, give the happy news of God’s forthcoming forgiveness and a generous reward.”

Most probably, the ‘reminder’ in this instance refers to the Qur’an. A person who follows the Qur’an and fears God despite not seeing Him is the one who benefits by the warning. It is as if the warning has been given to such people only and the Prophet (peace be upon him) directed it to them alone, even though he addressed it to all people. Since the others are prevented from receiving the warning, it looks as if it is given only to those who follow the Qur’an and fear God. Such people deserve to be given good news. Hence the Prophet is told to give them ‘the happy news of God’s forthcoming forgiveness and a generous reward.’ They need the forgiveness of any sin they commit providing they do not persist in doing it, and they deserve the generous reward for fearing God and following what He has revealed. These two aspects go hand in hand: When a person truly fears God, he or she is certain to follow His guidance and implement the system He has laid down.

At this point, the truth of resurrection is emphasized, together with the reckoning that ignores nothing: “It is We who will bring the dead back to life. We record whatever (deeds) they send ahead, as well as the traces they leave behind. We keep an account of all things in a clear record.” Bringing the dead back to life has always been an issue fraught with argument, of which we will see several types in this surah. They are warned here that whatever they do and whatever effects their deeds cause are written down, and nothing is forgotten. It is God Almighty who brings the dead back to life, records their actions and reckons everything. All this, then, is done in the perfect way that fits anything done by God. As for the ‘clear record’ and similar descriptions such as ‘the imperishable tablet’, these are most probably references to God’s perfect knowledge that transcends time and place.

Having presented the issues of revelation and resurrection in the form of a factual statement, the surah now presents them again in narrative form so as to touch hearts with a story about the fate of those who persist in denying the truth: “Cite for them, as a case in point, the people of a township to which messengers came.” The Qur’an does not mention which township this was or who were its people. Different reports suggest different towns and cities, but there is no real benefit in trying to establish its identity. The fact that the Qur’an neither identifies it nor mentions its location does not detract from the import of the story. It is a city to which God sent two messengers, just as He sent Moses and his brother Aaron to Pharaoh and his nobles. The people of the city rejected their message, accusing them of lying. God supported His two messengers with a third, confirming that they were truly His messengers. All three of them again presented their message, saying to the people: “We are messengers who have been sent to you.”

– Commentary by Sayyid Qutb

Ignorance Must Not Be Encouraged

It should be known that our saying “ignorance is an excuse” does not mean that we encourage and call to ignorance, that ignorance has any merits, or that we are satisfied and pleased with it. Rather it is as one of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) said: “Allah has not been disobeyed with any sin worse than ignorance.”
Ignorance is the reason for sin and it incites sin and leads to it. Ibn Al-Qayyim says, “Yusuf, the eminently truthful and upright, said: ‘Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one of the ignorant ones (jahileen).’ (Qur’an, 12:33) The word ‘Jahil’ (ignorant) means Those who do that which you have forbidden.”
Allah says: “Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterward.” (Qur’an, 4:17)

Qatadah said: “The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) agreed that everything by which Allah is disobeyed is ignorance.”

Others said. “The Companions agreed that anyone who disobeys Allah is an ignorant one (Jahil).”

Caliph Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “It is enough honor for knowledge that he who is not able leaves it and one becomes happy if he is labeled with it, and it is enough of a censure for ignorance that its people disassociate themselves from it.” (Madarijus-Salikeen, 1/470 and Dhammul-Jahl of Ibn Rusulan)

Someone said, “There is in ignorance a death for its people before death, and their bodies before burial are graves, and their souls are in grief on account of their bodies, and there is no resurrection for them (from death) until the Resurrection.”

The cure for ignorance is to ask and learn, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed the cure for ignorance is to ask.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Majah)

So, he made ignorance a disease and declared asking to be its cure. And Ibn Al-Qayyim said in his Ash-Shafiyatul-Kafiyah, “Ignorance is a fatal malady and its cure is in two things in agreement: A text from the Qur’an or from the Sunnah, and a physician possessing knowledge of the Religion.”

Desirable Things For A Muslim To Do On Friday

On Friday, it is desirable for the Muslims to pray for Allah’s blessings as much as possible on the Prophet (peace be upon him).

It has been narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, Friday is one of the best days of yours. On that day, Adam was created and on that day he passed away, and on a Friday (the Trumpet) will be blown and all the humans will swoon away (i.e., die right before resurrection).

“Therefore, invoke Allah’s blessings on me much on that day, for, verily your invoking blessings on me will be presented to me.” Those listening said, “O Messenger of Allah! How will our invoking blessings on you be shown to you when you (your body) will have deteriorated (after death)?” He (peace be upon him) replied, “Verily, Allah has made it forbidden for the earth to eat away the bodies of Prophets.”

It is also desirable that the Muslim recites the Surah of Al-Kahf (the Cave). It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Said Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, that will provide him with light (in the period) between the two (days of) Friday.

It is also desirable for the Muslim to beseech Allah much on this day, trying to seek the hour in which Allah responds to invocations on Fridays.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There is an hour on Fridays and if the Muslim gets it while performing prayer and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely accept his supplication.” He (peace be upon him) then pointed out the shortness of that time with his hands.

Death

We know very well that everyone has a fixed period of life.  We do not live longer or shorter than this fixed period of life.  Soon we will be transferred from this worldly life to the GRAVES.  Where we will be alone with our deeds only.  If they are good, we will be in a state of well-being, and if they are not, we will be in torment until the Day of Resurrection.  The DAY, when records and ledgers of deeds will be unveiled.  At that time, the scales will be placed and people’s deeds will be measured.  Whoever had done an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever had done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it.

On that DAY, the sun will descend upon people until it is only a mile away, People will be sweating according to their deeds.  Some will sweat up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to their waists, and some will be submerged in sweat completely.  On that DAY a bridge extended over Hell will be set over the Infernal Fire.  It will be thinner than a strand of hair and sharper than a sword.  Trust and ties of kinship will be sent forth and will stand on both sides, right and left.  People will pass on it according to their deeds.  Some will pass like lighting, some will pass crawling and some will be in between the fast and the slow. On that DAY people will be divided into two groups, one in Paradise and others in the Hell Fire.

We still have time to re-check our faith & belief since it is the duty of each and every one of us to find out the truth and follow it.  We must check the authenticity of what we are following.  Are we following the true religion or are we just following the elders and religious leaders with closed eyes.  We should take advantage of the time we have on Earth as an opportunity to prepare ourselves for death and all that comes after it.  God has told us in the Holy Quran how we can decrease the horrors that come after death.

According to Muslims the only true religion on earth is ISLAM. Everyone has their own choice to find out the truth but one must not decide anything just by seeing the followers only.  Rather one must study sacred scripture to find out the truth.  ISLAM is for the whole of mankind so whoever accepts it and follows it will get successful. Accepting is not enough till we follow it in true spirit.  Let us ask our creator O’ Allah, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, we ask You for guidance and to make us witness that You are ALLAH and that there is no true deity but You Alone, the Eternal.  The One who begets not, nor was begotten and that there is none co-equal or comparable unto to You; You have the Majesty and Bounty, You are the Ever-Living, the Eternal Guardian.  We ask You for true repentance for the bad we have done.  Ease for us the horrors of that Day and make us among the happy ones and join us with the righteous, O Allah, the Sustainer of all that exists show us the right path and guide us towards accepting and following the true religion ISLAM………..Ameen.