Creation is in Need of Allah
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al
Jawziyyah
Written by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh based on
Ighathat ul Lahfan (1/6-42) of Ibn ul Qayyim
© Dar Al-Bukhari
Man always looks for what benefits him and what protects him from
harm. However, to accomplish this, man must be able to realize what
is harmful. He must then know whom he should need, trust, and love
so that he can attain what is beneficial as well as to feel good
about his choice. He also must know the proper and good approach
that would make him achieve this goal. This latter condition
requires that man:
a) Know about harm
b) What ways can be used to drive harm away
Certainly, man can have no better guidance than that which comes
from the One Who had perfected everything, and the One who Has no
deficiency in Himself and in His Attributes. The One Who is
Ever-Living and Who does not die. There can be no One better than
the One Who Has no need for anything; the One Who is rich; the
Giver; the One who, after all, controls man's soul. Man is so poor
to Him. He is Allah, the True and only God. Man can bring harm to
himself if he seeks other than Allah for help. Allah is the One Who
can help man drive away any harm for it cannot occur without His
Will and His Power.
Allah (SW) sent down His Books and
chose His Messengers to guide man to:
a) Know His Lord as He (SW) had explained about Himself, and
b) Seek Him Alone while living in accordance with His plan
Knowing Allah's Names and Attributes liberates man from worshiping
any form of creation because creation is weak and is in need of The
Creator, Allah. The knowledge about Allah leads man to know that he
is created to live according to Allah's way as revealed to the last
Messenger Muhammad (sallaallaahu `alaihi wa sallam). This
Revelation contains a complete code of life. Everything that is
beneficial or harmful is established so that man can center his
life around this Revelation. If man commits wrong and knows that
Allah is Oft-Forgiving he would turn to Him and to Him alone
seeking His forgiveness: {Know,
therefore, that there is no God Who deserves to be worshiped except
Allah; and ask forgiveness for your sins} [Qur'an,
47:19].
It is wrong to think or believe that Allah created other 'gods'
besides Him so that man turns to them for help; loves them or fear
them, etc. He is the same God of all nations. He does not order
that people should make of stars, sun, fire, Jesus, Moses, etc.
gods besides Him. He (Most Exalted) cannot be 'contradictory'. He
has one way (religion) that calls man to surrender his will only to
Him. He (SW) warned that if man (even Muhammad sallaallaahu `alaihi
wa sallam) would take partners with Him, then his work will fail
and will be among losers:
{And verily, it had been revealed to
you (O Muhammad) as has been revealed to those before you. If you
join others in worship with Allah (then) surely (all) your deeds
will be in vain and you will certainly be among the losers. Nay!
But worship Allah and be among grateful} [Qur'an,
39:65-66]
Let us know what Muhammad (sallaallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), the
man-Prophet, who knew Allah best, used to say:
«O Allah, I seek refuge in You for
Your Pleasure and against Your Wrath,and in Your Forgiveness and
against Your Punishment and in You from You, I cannot Praise You as
You can Praise Yourself» [Muslim, Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmidhi,
ibn Majah].
«I have surrendered myself to You, I
have directed my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs to You, I
have compelled my back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of
You, there is no resort nor survival from You except (in turning)
to You. I have faith in Your book (i.e. the Qur'an) which You
brought down and in the Prophet Muhammad) you have sent»
[Al-Bukhari, Muslim].
When we read in the Qur'an that: {Whatever of Mercy (i.e. of good), Allah may
grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may
withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty,
the All-Wise} [Qur'an, 35:2].
And when we read that:
{If Allah touches you with hurt, there
is none can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you,
there is none who can repel His favor which He causes it to reach
whomsoever of His slaves He will, and He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful} [Qur'an, 10:117].
We should be motivated to return to Him Alone at times of ease and
at times of hardship.
And when we read that: {If Allah helps
you none can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is there,
after Him, that can help you. And in Allah (alone) let believers
put their trust} [Qur'an, 3:160].
The Qur'an, therefore, leads man to a true liberation from any
false attachment. It brings peace to the heart. It helps the
believer against hypocrisy and all forms of dishonesty. Imagine,
for example, a believer facing a problem at work. He sees wrong and
faces unlawful practices. He does not fear rejecting what is wrong.
He knows that the job is only a means to gain his sustenance. While
he may be unable to correct what is wrong, he knows well that Allah
is the One Who provides. If he leaves his job for the sake of
Allah, Allah will give him a better one. Allah (SW) said: {And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his
duty to Him. He will make a way for him to get out (from) every
difficulty), and He will provide him from (sources) he could never
imagine} [Qur'an, 65:2-3].
The above texts, necessitates that man must depend upon Allah (SW)
asking Him Alone for assistance. It also requires that man must
love Allah and worship Him Alone to gain His pleasure and His help.
Is it not true that the people who consider this life as the "Final
Goal" end up worshiping many things in it? You see them so careful
about "having it all". They torture themselves: pain, difficulty,
constant worry, keeping their hands in the banks for loan after
loan to keep up with the "demands of development". They are under
the constant threat of fore-closure. They constantly see poverty in
front of their eyes. The Prophet (sallaallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)
said: «Allah says: Son of Adam: Fill
your time with My worship and I will fill your heart with richness,
and end off your poverty. But if you donot, I would make your hands
fully busy (i.e. in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your
poverty» [At-Tirmidhi said that it is a good hadeeth].
Our purpose of existence on earth is more meaningful than being
slaves to worldly gains. There can be no meaningful life better
than that prescribed by our Creator Allah. Every act done according
to Allah's way is an act of worship. Man is the beneficiary and
Allah is in no need: {O mankind! It is
you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is Rich (Free of all
wants and needs), Worthy of All Praise} [Qur'an, 35:15].
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