O you who you believe!... Allah^-SWT shall you be gathered.

Continuing the discussion, Allah^-SWT asserts that it is not proper for the believers to act or think like the non-believers. This is because the words and deeds of a non-believer intrinsically contain a condition of punishment. Like the words of the hypocrites that had their brothers stayed back with them, and had not un­dertaken the venture in compliance with the Holy Prophet^-SW’s command, they too would have been safe and alive.

This very thought is a pain, a grief, and a prick, which sets the heart at unrest and is the lot of the non-believers alone. Whereas life and death rests only with Allah^-SWT , He^-SWT may award death or keep alive anyone He^-SWT chooses because He^-SWT is all-Powerful. Why should then one grieve or be wistful?

This positive attitude towards death is acquired through faith and Allah^-SWT is wit­ness to all human deeds. In short, whichever way of life a person adopts he will have to face its consequences. And death is a reality from which there is no escape. Every one dies either in the Cause of Allah^-SWT , or in the path of Satan. The former is the path to glory. It is indeed a great blessing to die in His^-SWT Cause or in His^-SWT Remembrance, for it shall entail His^-SWT Forgiveness and Mercy, an iota of which is more precious than all the treasures of this world. Such a death, according to Hadith is a gift for the believer. Everyone has to die, whether naturally or otherwise, and all have to gather before Allah^-SWT without exception. Now think of those who die or are slain in the way of Satan. What shall be their condition on the Day of Judgement? Only then will it be realised how superior the death in the way of Allah^-SWT is over this temporary life!

It is part of the Mercy of Allah^-SWT ... Surely Allah^-SWT loves the trustful.

How abundant is Allah^-SWT’s Mercy that because of it the Holy Prophet^-SW is so kind and affectionate to those around him^-SW. His^-SW affection and clemency is a shield for them and his^-SW forgiving temperament their haven. This magnificence and tolerance together with his generosity are all manifestations of the Divine Mercy. Had he^-SW not been so munificent and of such an illustrious disposition, the people would not have flocked around him^-SW and the reformation of mankind would not have been possible as desired. People would have been de­prived of the opportunity of moral purification and self-reformation. But it be­fitted Allah^-SWT’s Mercy to raise such a kind and affectionate Prophet^-SW to pave the way for general forgiveness and pardon.

Now if a person still remains deprived, the fault certainly lies with him, for which he shall face the consequences both in this world and in the Akhirah. The Holy Prophet^-SW is being told to maintain a forgiving attitude towards the believers so that any errors they may commit as human beings or unwittingly may not disturb his^-SW pious heart.

Disturbance Of Qalb

This disturbance of the Qalb is contrary to clemency and disconnects spiritual beneficence. That is why if the Shaikh’s Qalb is disturbed by a seeker, the spiritual stations as well as the beneficence of the latter are ruined.

The Holy Prophet^-SW is being advised to seek Allah^-SWT’s Forgiveness for his^-SW Companions^-RAU, as his^-SW supplication would certainly be a source of blessing and reassurance for them. And in all such matters that are not predetermined by revelation, he^-SW should summon his^-SW Companions^-RAU for a counsel, so that they continue to enjoy his^-SW special grace.

Praise be to Allah^-SWT ! What a unique mode of glorifying His Prophet^-SW has been adopted. He^-SWT Himself is interceding for his^-SW Companions^-RAU. And because of them whosoever in the generations to come till the end, adheres to their example can also hope for the same gracious treatment.

The author of Mu’arif-al-Quran, Mufti Muhammad Shafi^-RUA has dilated on the legal aspect of consultation, its method and importance in an Islamic state in a remarkable manner (Vol. II pp. 215-224). May Allah^-SWT illuminate his grave fur­ther!

Consultation And Counsel

The consultation has the status of an advice. Even after the consultations the option remains open to the Holy Prophet^-SW to decide according to the advice given or against it. In any case full trust must be placed in Allah^-SWT as all matters ultimately rest in His^-SWT Sovereignty.

The Western democracy is based on the opinion of the majority. If two blind persons declare the day as night, the third person having perfect eyesight is compelled to accept the verdict. But in an Islamic society only the best amongst the lot can qualify to be the ruler or Shaikh, who excels others in knowledge, piety and righteousness. The opinion of such a person shall be, by His^-SWT Grace, the best. He should, however, consult others and it is quite possible that the majority’s opinion may satisfy him or they may hold the same opinion as his own. Nevertheless, the leader is under no compulsion to agree with the opinion of the majority. He can, at his own discretion, for the betterment of people holding Allah^-SWT as witness, take a decision and execute it with complete trust in Allah^-SWT as He^-SWT loves those who have trust in Him^-SWT .

The author of Kashf al-Asrar quotes Bu ‘Ali Wifaq^-RUA that Tawakkal has three levels. The first is Tawakkal (trust), the second Taslim (submission) and the third Tafwidh (entrusting results to Him^-SWT ). He elaborates that a person of trust is optimistic of Divine Promise, the one of Taslim is contented with the Divine Knowledge, while of Tafwidh is resigned to Divine Will. The first seeks an endorsement, the middle waits to behold, while the last is at ease with His^-SWT Will.

If Allah^-SWT helps you.....and a woeful destination!

Since the decisions of the Holy Prophet^-SW, or anyone assuming leadership in accordance with Shari’ah after him^-SW, will only be for, Allah^-SWT ’s obedience, obedi­ence to him will be a source of invoking Divine Help; and when Allah^-SWT extends His^-SWT Help, no one can ever overpower the Muslims.

This is also true of a Shaikh. His endeavours or suggestions and counselling are above vested interests, that is why he is supported by Allah^-SWT.This Divine Help is the basic source of the progress of Muslims. But if, Allah^-SWT forbid, unworthy people take over as leaders and make decisions for their personal gains, not only will they be abased but will also disgrace the entire Ummah. Because when working for Allah^-SWT ceases, not only is His^-SWT Help withdrawn but disgrace is also earned. And those who are disgraced by Allah^-SWT find no helpers. Similarly, if the inept hold the seat of a Shaikh they shall ruin the faith of the people; hatred and hypocrisy would be instilled in their hearts instead of love. May Allah^-SWT protect us!

A believer has trust only in Allah^-SWT.It is obvious that his trust will be within the framework of Shari’ah, as only piety and sincerity compliment faith. More­over, it is not possible for a Prophet^-AS to breach Allah^-SWT’s trust placed in him, as it is such a contemptible act that every defaulter will have to go before Allah^-SWT with all that he had defaulted. The Holy Prophet^-SW will undoubtedly convey Allah^-SWT’s Message exactly as revealed. The hypocrites or the non-believers should not expect him^-SW to conceal anything that is revealed about their foul be­liefs. Neither should anyone expect any partiality in the implementation of Divine Commands or in the distribution of booty from the Holy Prophet^-SW, as it does not befit a Prophet^-AS. Whereas if anyone other than a Prophet^-AS indulges in such an act he shall also face humiliation. This negates the doubts of the non-believers that, (Allah^-SWT forbid), the Holy Prophet^-SW was not fair in the distribu­tion of the booty. Along with this, a general rule has been laid down that breach of trust is indeed a disgraceful act. Breach encompasses all aspects of deceit, for example; misappropriation or careless spending of the funds of monasteries, masaajid and schools etc. or embezzlement in the Govt. treasury. According to Hadith such offences will result in the denial of intercession by the Holy Prophet^-SW on Yaum-al-Qiyamah. Secondly every sin and act of breach of trust invokes Divine Wrath, yet all sinners are not alike. The manifestation of Divine Wrath is Hell, which is a morbid place indeed. It is worth remembering that people are of different levels in His^-SWT view. Neither all the dwellers of Paradise nor of Hell are of the same level. The stations in the Paradise increase upwards and the more a person obeyed Allah^-SWT with sincerity in this ephemeral life the higher are the levels attained by him, while the more one lacks in obedience, the lower he sinks in Hell, where levels increase downwards, and Allah^-SWT is always watching over every one.

Surely, Allah^-SWT did confer ... before that they had been in manifest error.

Allah^-SWT has been extremely Generous to the believers by appointing from amongst them the most exalted Prophet^-SW, who is Mercy for the entire creation. All the vivacity and colour of this world is because of him^-SW from which every type of creation is benefiting. But unto the Muslims it is the greatest of favours that they are enriching themselves eternally by his^-SW Barakah while the rest of the people are availing only the mundane benefits. The real human being is Spirit, whereas the physical body is merely its tool. Therefore, the real blessings are the spiritual pleasures from which only the Muslims are benefiting. Had the Holy Prophet^-SW been from a different kind i.e. angel or jinn, mankind could not have fully benefited from him^-SW. This was indeed a singular honour for the mankind that the Holy Prophet^-SW was of their kind. His^-SW raising elevated the mankind in status over the rest of Allah^-SWT’s creations. It must be remembered that denial of the fact that the Holy Prophet^-SW was a human being is infidelity. The author of Ruh-al-Mo’ani asserts that when Shaikh Wali ul-Din Iraqi^-RUA was asked whether it was a prerequisite to believe in the Holy Prophet^-SW as a human being and as an Arab, he replied that undoubtedly it was so. He^-RUA further elaborated that if someone acknowledged his^-SW Prophethood but was not sure whether he^-SW was a human being or an angel or a jinn and also whether he^-SW was an Arab or non-Arab, there was no doubt in his disbelief. It is a great blessing that the Holy Prophet^-SW recites the Divine Revelations; indeed he^-SW has elevated the human being to the status of an interlocutor with Allah^-SWT.This handful of clay has been given the determination and the desire to seek Divine Guidance in every matter and for this very purpose the Holy Prophet^-SW purifies the souls of the believers.

What Is Tazkiyah?

It is a spiritual state, a feeling of the Qalb, which generates sincerity and a passion to obey Allah^-SWT and an abhorrence for sin. A living evidence to this phenomenon are the pious lives of the Companions^-RAU. At the time of the Holy Prophet^-SW’s raising, the world in general and Arabia in particular was morally at the verge of destruction. His^-SW raising instilled a new life into mankind and blessed the same people with the highest levels of morality and sincerity towards Allah^-SWT to which history fails to present any parallels. The teachings and sayings of the Holy Prophet^-SW along with the beneficence of his^-SW company are the basis of Tazkiyah. His^-SW teachings are heard even by a non-believer but because he is void of faith he fails to receive the beneficence of his^-SW company and eventually remains deprived of Tazkiyah. A believer on the other hand because of belief attains those feelings dissipated in his^-SW company. This is why the recipient of a single glance was elevated to the status of a Companion^-RAU, and this great blessing continued to be distributed during his^-SW lifetime.

Those who enjoyed the company of the Companions^-RAU became Taba’in, and those benefiting from them, in turn, were known as Tab’a Taba’in. Then the Aulia attained this blessing from the illuminated hearts of Tab’a Taba’in and enlightened the hearts of following generations and will, In-sha-Allah, keep on doing so. Because of the blessings of Tazkiyah, it becomes possible to attain knowledge of the Book, wisdom, and the Sunnah. This Tazkiyah or spiritual beneficence of the company is the basis of attaining knowledge. The real education is that of the Book and the wisdom, which facilitates the practical life of a person. In the absence of such knowledge, a mere recognition of alphabets will remain, which cannot be termed as enlightenment.

It has also been clarified here that, an interpretation of the Book or wisdom also accompanies the Book, which is Hadith and the explanation of the Quran as given by the Holy Prophet^-SW. Before that the people were living in igno­rance, well known to them i.e. they were fully aware that they had lost the Divine Track. Probably a similar situation prevails today as inner enlightenment is rare indeed. Men having illuminated hearts and the capacity to transmit this light to others are very few. When hearts are deprived of this blessing, the power to practise righteousness is not granted. People read the Book as well as teach it but often fail to act upon it. May Allah^-SWT bless everyone with an illuminated heart!

It is imperative to find persons who have illuminated hearts and are not only the custodians of the spiritual states endowed by the Holy Prophet^-SW but also have the capability to transmit these lights to the Hearts of others. Should one find such a person, his company must be thoroughly availed because it will be a source of spiritual life and shall open the avenues of real knowledge. Mark the sequence given by Quran; the recitation, the Tazkiyah, and then the teach­ing of the Book and the wisdom. However, even after attaining all, a person may still face hardships and distress in life, because as a human being he is apt to err. These hardships sometime serve as a source of atonement and at times as a source of spiritual elevation, and also help draw a line between the believer and the hypocrite.

Is it that when you suffer a reverse ...from themselves if you are truthful.”

The losses, which the believers and their Army incurred on the day of Uhad, were half of what, the non-believers had already suffered at Badar. Therefore, it should not be a source of anxiety for the Muslims at all.

The real and the basic cause, though unintentional, was the vacation of the mountain pass against the explicit orders of the Holy Prophet^-SW. Its consequences had to be faced. And finally through this trial Allah^-SWT wished to honour some believers with Shahadah, and others with glory in the eyes of the world. Besides, hypocrites were easily identified when they refused to take part in the battle saying that they explicitly thought it to be suicidal. This comment by the hypocrites over the words of the Holy Prophet^-SW took them deeper into disbelief. Though this was a verbal outburst whereas their hearts were far more maligned, and Allah^-SWT certainly knows what they conceal in their hearts. These unfortunate ones not only separated themselves from the Muslim army but also invited others to do the same, saying that ‘Alas! Had the believers listened to them they would not have been slain. These hypocrites must be challenged to prevent their own death! When they are powerless to avert death from their own selves, how can they claim control over the death of others? According to Ruh-al-Mo’ani, many hypocrites had died on that very day.

And think not of those slain ... does not waste the reward of the believers.

Life Of Shaheed

Allah^-SWT proclaims that those whom you consider killed are Shuhada’ and the Shaheed must never be assumed dead as they are alive. This is being said of those who were not only slain but also buried before the very eyes of the people. Inspite of this it is commanded that they should never be considered dead!

If it is argued that this refers to the spiritual life it will not be proper because a believer and a non-believer alike enjoy that. The Spirit in both cases lives on, and after reckoning in the grave, peace and comfort for the pious while pun­ishment for the non-believers and malefactors, is proven by the Quran and Hadith. And if it is assumed that this life refers to the Akhirah, the author of Tafsir-e Kabir rejects it as the opinion of the M’utazilah and certainly false. He adds that, then certainly it is a life whereby the bond between the Spirit and the physical body is very strongly maintained. There is a connection between Spirit and body whereby the reward or punishment given to the Spirit also affects the body and both share the comforts or the distress. But the connection between the Shahid’s body and Spirit is far stronger; they are provided with subsistence and they eat and drink.

Now if someone asserts that no food or drink has ever been seen in the grave of a Shaheed, he should ponder over a saying of the Holy Prophet^-SW: “I am provided by my Rabb^-SWT with food and water”. It is a fact that outwardly the Holy Prophet^-SW went without food and water for days in a row. Allah^-SWT pro­vided for him^-SW, which was neither material nor visible to anyone. This is why, inspite of going without food for days, his^-SW sacred body never felt starved or malnourished. A Shaheed receives similar provisions and he continues to maintain sensitivity towards joy and sorrow for which life is a prerequisite. And not only does he feel for himself but also derives happiness and comforts from the fact that his descendants are on the Path of Allah^-SWT.This is because they have witnessed the fact that Allah^-SWT never fails to reward any good deed by the believers, and feel happy about the fact that their kindred will also be blessed with rewards enjoining them.

To sum up, a Shahid is alive and the connection of his Spirit with his body is so strong that his body does not decompose. He is given subsistence, is con­scious of happiness and sorrow, and his knowledge becomes so extensive that he is aware of the condition of those left behind. In other words, he lives a worldly life governed by the rules of the Akhirah. He resides in Barzakh and all his affairs are related to it; for example, food and drink, sleep and vigilance, joys and woe. If he lives on, it is because he had received the Barakah of the Prophet^-SW and was thus honoured with Shahadah. Then the life of a Prophet^-AS himself in Barzakh would be far stronger and enriched, which has no parallel outside Prophethood.