The Heritage of Prophethood
Since 2012-11-25
The Heritage of Prophethood is an honor: How can you gain it?
The Heritage of Prophethood is an honor: How can you gain it?
In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All Praise be to Allah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness and seek refuge in Him from the evils of ourselves and the evils of our actions, whomever Allah guides is not to be misled, and whomever He misleads is not to be guided. We testify that there is no god but Allah alone Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "on the Day of Judgment the son of Adam will not step away from his Lord until he is asked about five (things): his life and how he has spent it, his youth and how he has wore it out, his money and how he has earned it, and in what he has spent it, and how he has acted upon what he has learned." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and authenticated by Al-Albani]
«لا تزول قدم ابن آدم يوم القيامة من عند ربه حتى يسأل عن خمس: عن عمره فيم أفناه، وعن شبابه فيما أبلاه، وعن ماله من أين اكتسبه وفيم أنفقه، وماذا عمل فيما علم» رواه الترمذي وصححه الألباني
Allah is just. He holds every man to account according to his capacities and the potential that He has bestowed upon him. Thus, He does not call a mad man to account for why did not he teach his family its religious obligations
But He holds the wise man responsible even if he does not know how to do that. Allah holds him accountable for not trying to learn what Allah has enjoined upon him while he is capable of learning?
He does not hold the poor man answerable for not giving the zakat (alms), and so on...
As for the one who has the scientific and financial ability of calling to Allah, it is inevitably that he will be asked about what he has done by the capabilities which Allah has given to him.
Has he appropriated, even a tiny portion of his wealth for the sake of Allah as an acquittal of his conscience?
Or is he just like cattle, lives to eat and to fulfill his lustrous desires?
He will be asked about his life, how has he spent it?
Has he spent it obeying Allah and worshiping Him, including learning, working and calling for Allah. Has he spent it in teaching his family, neighbors and friends the righteous deeds?
Or has he spent his life in front of televisions, on football playgrounds, or in café shops?
He will be asked about his youth, how has he used it?
Has he used it in learning the obligations that Allah has enjoined upon him and in teaching them to his family and society?
Or has he spent his youth in following his lustrous desires and pleasures?
Yes, we will be asked about the prime of our youth, how has we spent it?
Every one of us should be prepared for the answer, by learning and working. The slacker should make up for what he has missed.
He will be asked about his wealth, from where has he gained it?
Here is the major disaster; here where most feet slip, except for those whom my Lord has mercy upon. Here we have to stop and ponder, considering our tragic conditions nowadays.
From where has he gained his wealth?
Has he gained his money from his job, to which he goes late or that he does not perform it honestly?
Has he gained it from selling cigarettes? Or from selling magazines and newspapers that publish the pictures of women displaying themselves wantonly, or publish bad ideas and corrupt beliefs?
Has he gained it from the shares of banks and companies that deal in usury?
Has he gained it by fraud and deception, which he practices in his trade?
Has he gained it from selling alcohol and drugs?
Or by blinding his eye to evil deeds?
Has he gained it through ways that are prohibited by Allah?
Or has he gained it from legitimate ways by which he will be saved when meeting Allah Glorified and Exalted, and by which he can dispense from people, and by which he can benefit Allah's servants as long as Allah wills.
So; you have to ask yourself and call it to account, before Allah holds you answerable because your feet, o son of Adam, will not move before you are asked about your wealth from where have you acquired it?
And he will be asked in what he has spent it?
Yes, for sure, you will be asked about your money how you have spent it. Even if you acquired it from a legitimate way, and this part of the question is the most serious.
Have you spent it to furnish a splendid huge home, while your Muslim brethren are dying from hunger and homelessness?
Have you spent it vacationing with infidels in their countries?
Have you spent it on buying television sets, videos and tapes of pornographic movies?
Have you spent it to buy advanced antenna sets to bring in the live broadcast to corrupt your mind and the mind of your family, yours and your family’s moralities, and your religion and the religion of your family?
Or have you spent it on things, which Allah has enjoined, such as the expense you spend on yourself and your family, without extravagance or penny-pinching, and paying the zakat and charity to the poor and the needy?
Or have you spent it in calling to Allah?
My brother, do you think that Allah has bestowed this blessing upon you in vain?
Allah forbids!
In order to understand the purpose of these blessings and the reason why Allah has bestowed them upon you listen to the words of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “Allah has certain people whom He favored with His blessings to benefit Allah's servants. He keeps His blessings with them as long as they exert them for the benefits of others, but if they prevent them from His servants, He takes His blessings off them and gives them to others.” [Declared Hasan (good) by Al-Albani]
«إن لله تعالى أقواما يختصهم بالنعم لمنافع العباد، و يقرها فيهم ما بذلوها، فإذا منعوها، نزعها منهم، فحولها إلى غيرهم» حسنه الألباني
This blessing that Allah has bestowed upon us was with other people, but they did not thank these graces dutifully so they have been deprived from it. They have not spent them for the benefit of His servants: by calling them to Allah, teaching the ignorant the instructions of their religion, or feeding the hungry. They did not do this with the graces Allah has given them. Rather, they have spent them on their lustrous desires and pleasures, as many people do, except for those whom my Lord has mercy upon. They forgot that “Allah has certain people whom He has favored with His blessings to benefit Allah's servants. He keeps His blessings with them as long as they exert them for the benefits of others”, and that “He takes His blessings off them and gives them to others,” as a test for us. Here are the blessings among us in which we swagger and enjoy. Let us ask ourselves what have we done to realize what Allah wants us to do as regards the benefits of His slaves?
Indeed Allah Almighty respites, but never forgets.
We have to learn that this money in our hands is Allah's money that He has appointed us as His trustees in this money, enjoining us to give His dues in it, to spend it on ourselves, our families and in the way of Allah. Allah almighty has said: {Believe in Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad), and spend of that whereof He has made you trustees. And such of you as believe and spend (in Allâh’s Way), theirs will be a great reward.} [Al-Hadîd 57:7].
{ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ ۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ} الحديد: 7
Transliteration: Aminoo biAllahi warasoolihi waanfiqoo mimma jaAAalakum mustakhlafeena feehi faallatheena amanoo minkum waanfaqoo lahum ajrun kabeerun
Oh let men of understanding receive admonition.
He will be asked about what he has done in what he has learned?
What we are witnessing today from the briefing, scrutinizing and publishing of the books of interpretation of the Qur'an, the Sunnah and jurisprudence as well as the spread of religious knowledge and science, are from the greatest blessings bestowed upon us by Allah. They are much more important than wealth, especially in this era, in which large parts of the Muslim countries are sleeping in the darkness of ignorance of Allah's monotheism and the correct creed, as well as the spread of Bida' (innovation in religion), and some deviant ways.
So, what have we done to thank Him for this blessing?
What shall be our response if Allah asks us: "What have you done in what you have learned?
Have we spread Allah's monotheism and the correct Islamic creed?
If we have done so then there would not have been peoples in broad sectors of the Muslim countries, who know only the graves of what they call righteous saints, they offer slaughters by them and beg and supplicate them instead of praying and supplicating to the King of kings, the Mighty of the heavens and the earth.
How would we meet Allah Almighty and what will we tell Him?
Would we say as the Bedouins have told the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when they lagged behind from going out with him (during a holy battle): {Those of the Bedouins who lagged behind will say to you: “Our possessions and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us.” They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: “Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allâh, if He intends you hurt or intends you benefit?” Nay, but Allâh is Ever All-Aware of what you do.} [Al-Fath 48:11].
{سَيَقُولُ لَكَ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَآ أَمْوَٰلُنَا وَأَهْلُونَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّـهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ نَفْعًۢا ۚ بَلْ كَانَ ٱللَّـهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۢا} الفتح: 11
Transliteration: Sayaqoolu laka almukhallafoona mina alaAArabi shaghalatna amwalunawaahloona faistaghfir lana yaqooloona bialsinatihim ma laysa fee quloobihim qul faman yamliku lakum mina Allahi shayan in arada bikum darran aw arada bikum nafAAan bal kana Allahu bimataAAmaloona khabeeran
Allah knows best what is in our hearts and what is in their hearts. Allah has warned us against being distracted from what He has enjoined upon us, and that which He has created us for. Allah Almighty has said: {And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).} [Surat Az-Zâriyât 51:56]
{وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ} الذاريات: 56
Transliteration: Wama khalaqtu aljinna waalinsa illaliyaAAbudooni
Is worship: prayer, fasting and Hajj only?
Nay, 'worship' is a collective name indicating all that Allah loves and is pleased with, including words and actions both outward and inward.
Here is the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, threatens those who desert enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. He has said, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “By Him in whose Hands my soul is, you must enjoin good and forbid evil, or else Allah will soon send upon you His punishment; then you will supplicate Him and He will not respond to you.” [Declared Hasan (good) by At-Tirmidhi]
«والذي نفسي بيده لتأمرن بالمعروف ولتنهون عن المنكر أو ليوشكن الله أن يبعث عليكم عقابًا منه فتدعونه فلا يستجيب لكم» حسنه الترمذي
Do you imagine that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would give such a stern threat for leaving supererogatory performance?
No, rather it is the duty of every Muslim man and woman, each according to their ability. That who is able with his knowledge it is their duty, and that who has the financial potential they must do it, and so on.
And thus we should know that the way to the call to Allah is not a deserted one, because the prophets and the righteous have set foot on it before us. One of the fruits of this call is that you will receive a reward because of he who has converted on your hands until the Day of Resurrection; here he is staying up at nights praying while you are asleep, he fasts and you are not, he is performing pilgrimage while you are resident in your home, and he is performing the jihad and you are sitting in your house; Allah is greater, what a great reward.
And here are the Christian missionaries around the world gathering hundreds or even thousands of millions in annual donations, by which they print books and send out missionaries to spread their distorted religion. What is the matter with us? Why do we not do that and we are the people of truth and true religion!
Let each of us catches what he has missed in the past, and begins to work for this religion before death overtakes us while we are in this state of inattentiveness, thus we regret on {The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,} [Ash-Shu'arâ' 26:88].
{يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ} الشعراء: 88
Transliteration: Yawma la yanfaAAu malun walabanoona
Have I conveyed the message? Have I conveyed the message? O Allah, bear witness.
How do we do our duty?
First: we repent to Allah Almighty and return to Him of what we have committed of lagging behind and negligence in the past.
Second: to think about what we can do to spread the religion of Allah, whether by calling our relatives; we start with the closest relatives then the closer ones… or we neighbors.
We can seek the opinion of sheikhs, senior scholars and religious students who have experience in the call to Allah, to give us advice.
Here are my Muslim brother and my Muslim sister, the best ways to call to Allah and the best means to use some of them, keeping in mind that the call to Allah has priorities that it is very important to arrange them. Monotheism comes before prayer, and prayer comes before zakat... So we start with the most important, then the important.
I ask Allah the Most High, the All-Powerful by His beautiful names and His highest attributes, to make our work purely for His Countenance, and in conformity to His Holy Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The most important means of the call to Allah Almighty
The means to call to Allah are numerous and countless, but the most important among them are:
1- The constructive word
Whether this word is a lecture, a lesson, a speech, a sermon, or a personal advice between us and the one being called to Allah, or just a phone call, specially with regards to the issue of enjoining Al-Ma'rûf (Islamic Monotheism, and following Prophet Muhammad) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and opposing Prophet Muhammad). It is a must that we commit ourselves to the ethics of advice: not to advise anyone in front of people, but in private, if possible; where we take the opportunity to be alone with our erroneous brother and advise him in a magnanimous kind manner. {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islâm) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’ân) and fair preaching,} [Al-Nahl 16:125]
{ٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ} النحل: 125
Transliteration: OdAAu ila sabeeli rabbika bialhikmati waalmawAAithati alhasanati
2- The Tape
Especially with people who do not like or cannot read, so you choose for each person the suitable topic. For the one whom we find neglecting and attached to this world, we give him a tape reminding him of the Hereafter, death and reckoning. But if we find someone doing specific prohibited activity, such as working in usury-based banks, for example, we search for him for a tape containing an advisory opinion or a lecture on the prohibition of usury-based banks and so on. There are in the bookshops of Islamic recordings very suitable prices for charitable distribution.
3- Booklets
We search for a booklet with an appropriate subject for those who can read within the limits of 30-100 pages as this ensures that they will read it, because people are now in an age full of concerns. We rarely find anyone from the general public reads a booklet more than 100 pages. These booklets are of acceptable price to the public and they are available in most bookshops.
4- The small messages or the so-called flyers
It is a message of few pages just like those between your hands that deal with a particular topic. From its advantage: that they are easy to read in a few minutes, they are of attractive appearance, and they are very cheap in price, particularly the volumes aimed at charitable distribution. Meanwhile they are of thin volume, which make them easier to be sent anywhere by post.
If every jealous Muslim fulfilled his duty wholly or in part, the Islamic religion would have a greater number of advocates and callers who spread its call and light among people. Let us remember that each booklet, tape, or flyer you give away to people is an ongoing charity, whose reward may reach you after your death.
And remember that every one of us is charged with participating in the call to Allah, each according to his ability. The caller or the student is charged according to his knowledge. The ordinary man is in charge of delivering the advocacy tools of manuals or tapes to those who need them, according to his ability.
The merchant is also charged with contributing his money to print pamphlets or tapes for distribution in coordination with some of the charitable bookshops interested in that. And so on.
After all this, no one of us has an excuse that he could not find the means to do their duty to the call to Allah. Allah Almighty has said: {O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded.} [At-Tahrîm 66:6].
{يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّـهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ} التحريم: 6
Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo qoo anfusakum waahleekum naran waqooduha alnnasu waalhijaratu AAalayha malaikatun ghilathun shidadun la yaAAsoona Allaha ma amarahum wayafAAaloona ma yumaroona
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: “save yourself from the Hellfire even if it is by half a date!” [Agreed upon].
«اتقوا النار ولو بشق تمرة» متفق عليه
Have I conveyed the message? Have I conveyed the message? O Allah, bear witness.
In conclusion, I ask Allah the Merciful to forgive our default, and to help us to do our duty, for which we have been created, amen. Peace and blessings are upon His servant and Messenger, Prophet Muhammad who has said: “If Allah would guide one person by you, then this is better for you than having a great number of the red camels” [Reported by Bukhari].
«لأن يهدي الله بك رجلا واحدا ، خير لك من أن يكون لك حمر النعم» رواه البخاري
And the last of our invocation is that all praise be to Allah, Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)
Prepared by: Râ'id ibn Nash'at Idrîs
Ibn Khuzaymah House
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