The People of Bliss
Since 2012-12-06
People of happiness and bliss can be divided into two classes
People of happiness and bliss can be divided into two classes:
The First Class of Happy People
The first class consists of those who possess the quality of intellectual independence; they are described by Allah the Almighty as follows:
{And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun1 (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar2 (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirun) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him.} [Soorah at-Tawbah 9:100].
{وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ...} التوبة: 100
Transliteration: Waalssabiqoona alawwaloona mina almuhajireena waalansari waallatheena ittabaAAoohum biihsanin radiya Allahu AAanhum waradoo AAanhu
These are the happy ones for whom Allah’s acceptance is confirmed. They are the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and those who follow them in the best way until the Day of Resurrection.
The conventional expression ‘Taabi’oon’ applies to the companions’ followers who have met with them in person. However, the description here is not restricted to them, but includes anyone who righteously follows their way; and any such person is of those with whom Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) is pleased and who are also pleased with Him.
Following with Ihsaan
The manner of following the Sahaabah (in this aayah) is not ambiguous. It is restricted by Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) to being in the ‘best way’. It cannot be fulfilled merely by wishes, or by adhering to them in some matters while rejecting them in others. It should always be done with Ihsaan (with righteousness and in the best way); this is a condition to deserve Allah’s (subhanho wa ta’ala) acceptance and His Gardens. He (subhanho wa ta’ala) said:
{He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Quran, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad SAW). And verily, they had been before in mainfest error; (2) And He has sent him (Prophet Muhammad SAW) also to others among them (Muslims) who have not yet joined them (but they will come). And He (Allah) is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (3) That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Mighty Grace.} [Soorah Al-Jumu’ah 62:2-3].
{هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٢﴾ وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٣﴾ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ} الجمعة: 2-4
Transliteration: Huwa allathee baAAatha fee alommiyyeena rasoolan minhum yatloo AAalayhim ayatihi wayuzakkeehim wayuAAallimuhumu alkitaba waalhikmata wain kanoo min qablu lafee dalalin mubeenin (2) Waakhareena minhum lamma yalhaqoo bihim wahuwa alAAazeezu alhakeemu (3) Thalika fadlu Allahi yuteehi man yashao waAllahu thoo alfadli alAAatheemi
The first group of people mentioned here are those who met the Messenger (peace be upon him) and accompanied him. The latter are those who did not meet the first group; this applies to anyone who comes after them and adheres to their way, until the Day of Resurrection. This group falls behind the first group (the Sahaabah) both in era and in stature, even though both groups are of the happy ones.
Three Kinds of Hearts
A third group of people would be those who reject the Guidance that Allaah (subhanho wa ta’ala) sent with His Messenger (peace be upon him), or who do not benefit from it. Those are described by Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) in the following:
{The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the) Taurat (Torah) (i.e. to obey its commandments and to practise its legal laws), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them)...} [Soorah Al-Jumu’ah 62:5].
{مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا...} الجمعة: 5
Transliteration: Mathalu allatheenahummiloo alttawrata thumma lam yahmilooha kamathali alhimari yahmilu asfaran
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also classified people into three groups based on their response to his Message and Guidance. He said:
“An example of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) has sent me is that of a rain that falls on different kinds of land:
1) One land is good; it accepts water and produces vegetation and grass in plenty.
2) Another land is dry with a solid bed that reserves water so that people can drink and irrigate with it.
3) The third kind is a porous land that can neither retain water nor produce vegetation.
This is an example of those who acquire the knowledge of the Deen and benefit from that with which Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) sent me, and of those who do not take heed and who insist on rejecting Allah’s (subhanho wa ta’ala) Guidance” [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
«مثل ما بعثني الله به من الهدى والعلم، كمثل الغيث الكثير أصاب أرضا، فكان منها نقية، قبلت الماء، فأنبتت الكلأ والعشب الكثير، وكانت منها أجادب، أمسكت الماء، فنفع الله بها الناس، فشربوا وسقوا وزرعوا، وأصابت منها طائفة أخرى، إنما هي قيعان لا تمسك ماء ولا تنبت كلأ، فذلك مثل من فقه في دين الله، ونفعه ما بعثني الله به فعلم وعلم، ومثل من لم يرفع بذلك رأسا، ولم يقبل هدي الله الذي أرسلت به» رواه البخاري ومسلم
The Messenger (peace be upon him) likens the knowledge (with which he came) to rain, because both are causes of life. Rain is the cause of life for the body, while knowledge is the cause of life for the heart. He (peace be upon him) also likens different hearts to different valleys, as Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) said:
{He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and the valleys flow according to their measure,...} [Soorah Ar-Rad 13:17].
{أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِهَا...} الرعد: 17
Transliteration: Anzala mina alssamai maan fasalat awdiyatun biqadariha
Thus, just as there are three kinds of land, there are three kinds of hearts:
1) The first is a good land which accepts water and is ready to produce vegetation. When rain falls on it, it absorbs the water eagerly, giving rise to all sorts of pleasant vegetation.
This is an example of one with a healthy, pure, and intelligent heart, which embraces knowledge, and is guided by its true intelligent nature, blossoming by that wisdom and true faith. Therefore, it is eager to take the knowledge, and ready to bear fruits because of its good nature.
It is also like a rich business man who has experience in different trades and investments, which enables him to invest his wealth in that which brings the best profit.
2) The second kind is a hard, solid land prepared to preserve and keep water: It benefits people who visit it to drink or irrigate.
This is an example of one whose heart preserves knowledge and safeguards it so as to convey it just as he hears it, without changing it or deriving conclusions from it. This is also described in another hadeeth:
“There is often one who conveys knowledge to one who is more knowledgeable than himself; and there is often one who carries knowledge when he himself is not knowledgeable”3 [Authenticated by Al-Albani].
«فرب حامل فقه إلى من هو أفقه منه، ورب حامل فقه ليس بفقيه» صححه الألباني
It is also like a rich man who does not possess the knowledge or experience to invest his wealth, but who knows very well how to preserve it.
3) The third is a barren land which is incapable of holding water or producing vegetation: no matter how much rain falls, it does not profit by it.
This is an example of one whose heart does not accept any knowledge or wisdom. It is also like a poor man who neither possesses wealth nor knows how to preserve it.
The first of the above three examples applies to a learned man who teaches knowledge, and who call people to Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) with clear guidance; such are the inheritors of the Prophets.
The second applies to one who preserves the knowledge, and who transmits what he hears precisely; he carries to other people precious goods that they can use for trade and investment.
The third applies to one who neither accepts Allaah’s Guidance nor benefits from it.
Thus this hadeeth covers the different types of people and their different attitudes toward the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Da’wah, which make them either happy or miserable.
The Second Class of Happy People
The second class of Happy People consists of the believers’ followers from their offspring who die before reaching the status of takleef4. They will be with their parents [in the Hereafter], as Allaah (subhanho wa ta’ala) said:
{And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned.} [Soorah At-Tur 52:21].
{وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ ۚ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ} الطور: 21
Transliteration: Waallatheena amanoo waittabaAAathumthurriyyatuhum bieemanin alhaqna bihimthurriyyatahum wama alatnahum min AAamalihim min shayin kullu imriin bimakasaba raheenun
Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) tells that He unites the offspring with the parents in the Jannah5, just as He united them in faith (Eemaan). And because the offspring did not do deeds that would make them deserve this high honour, Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) informs that this union does not waste any of the deeds of the parents. They receive their full reward for what they did, plus the bonus of uniting them with their offspring.
Also, because this reunion in rewards and ranks is a bounty from Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala), one might imagine that it would be in violation of the rules of justice. To clarify this, the ayah indicates that if the children committed sins, they alone would be liable for punishment, and that every person is responsible for what he does without involving others with him in punishment. Thus this union takes place in terms of rewards and bounties, but not in terms of justice and penalty.
This is indeed one of the keys and treasures of Qur’aan, the knowledge of which Allah (subhanho wa ta’ala) gives only to those whom He wills.
Thus this ayah covers all people: the miserable and the happy - those who are followed, and those who follow them.
Consequently, let a prudent person who cares about his well-being see to which class he belongs. Let him not be influenced by habits or ruled by laziness. If he finds that he belongs to a happy class, let him strive to move to a higher rank, seeking Allah’s help and facilitation. And if he finds that he belongs to the miserable class, let him move out of it into a happy class while it is still possible, and before he would have to say:
{Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him)} [Soorah Al Furqan 25:27].
{...يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا} الفرقان: 27
Transliteration: ya laytanee ittakhathtu maAAa alrrasooli sabeelan
Translator: Muhammad al-Jibaly
From the book Ar-Risaalat ut-Tabukiyyah
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FOOTNOTES:
(1) Muhaajir: A migrator - one who undertakes hijrah. Plural: muhaajiroon or muhaajireen. Reference here is specifically to those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madeenah in obedience to Allah.
(2) Ansaar: Those who give help and aid. It usually refers to the citizens of al-Madeenah who gave aid to the Muhaajireen when they migrated to their town.
(3) Narrated by Zayd bin Thaabit; recorded by Abu Daawud, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah, and others; authenticated by al-Albani.
(4) Takleef: Responsibility for one’s deeds.
(5) Jannah: Literally: garden. It usually refers to the Gardens of Paradise.
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