ابومحمدالشناوي
11-14-2009, 07:20 AM
Al-Islaam the Religion of Peace and Mercy
by
Shaikh Abdul Azeez As-Sa'eed
Delivered on July 23rd, 2005
Religion of Moderation
And from the characteristics of mercy in this religion is its moderation and being in the middle: so there is not extreme toughness nor extreme leniency, nor extreme harshness, nor extreme softness. This moderation and being in the middle is as Allaah said: 'And We have made you a middle nation.'
وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطاً
{Thus We have made you a just (and the best) nation…}
[Al-Baqarah 2:143]
So when we look into this religion and its legislation we find it has made a way for the human being to satisfy all of his inborn desires. It has not legislated a monk type of lifestyle of being cut off of everything and just worshipping and doing nothing but this. Just, as it does not legislate for a person to be a body without a soul, that it does not worship its Lord and can't find ease within worshipping Him.
The human in this religion is to seek, that is the human, the individual in Islaam, is supposed to seek his portion of the world, but one should not make this seeking a reason for not looking towards the Hereafter and working for it, and putting forth good actions and a reason for its shortcoming toward the rights of the Lord. This is as Allaah said:
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ وَلا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الأَرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
{But seek, with that (wealth) which Allâh has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world;
and do good as Allâh has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allâh likes not the Mufsidûn (those who commit great crimes and sins,
oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupters)."}
[Al-Qasas 28:77]
The Reward of Good deeds are multiplied
And from the mercy of this religion is that a good deed is rewarded and is multiplied ten times to more than that. For every good deed the reward is multiplied ten times, as for the sin it will only be written as one sin, as Allaah said:
مَن جَاء بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَن جَاء بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلاَ يُجْزَى إِلاَّ مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
{Whoever brings a good deed (Islâmic Monotheism and deeds of obedience to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم)
shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed (polytheism, disbelief, hypocrisy,
and deeds of disobedience to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم) shall have only the recompense of the like thereof,
and they will not be wronged.}
[Al-An'aam 6:160]
These are some of the characteristics of mercy in this Religion. They are characteristics that show this Religion is the Religion of truth and everyone should believe in, and follow it. And it has become clear from what has preceded that this Messenger and His Message have come as a mercy for all of creation, and in them is a mercy for all – the believers and the non-believers, even the birds, the animals and the insects. So because of this the scholars, mercy be upon them, see this Religion as a river flowing between the people – whoever drinks from it his thirst will be quenched and whoever does not then he stays thirsty.
A Mercy for all the Creation
So for this, when the Messenger and the Message have come as a mercy for all, we find that in the religious texts there is a clarification of mercy for all of the creation, we see this in Allaah's سبحانه و تعالى saying concerning the Messenger:
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ
وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَآئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالأَغْلاَلَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ
{Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) whom they find written with them
in the Taurât (Torah-Deut, xviii 15) and the Injîl (Gospel-John, xiv 16) with them, – he commands them for Al-Ma'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism
and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden);
he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods),
and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods),
he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh's Covenant with the Children of Israel),
and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them…}
[Al-A'raaf 7:157]
And the Shaikh continues:
"This is the mercy for all of the creation, whoever has taken from it, has taken from the mercy of Allaah and whoever left it has lost and missed out his portion. And also Allaah's سبحانه و تعالى saying:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
{He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) from among themselves,
reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book
(this Qur'ân, Islâmic laws and Islâmic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship of Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه و سلم).
And verily, they had been before in manifest error} [Al-Jumu'ah 62:2]"
The Shaikh continues:
"So Allaah guided by the Prophet the people from darkness to light, and from misguidance to guidance, and what clarifies this is Allaah's سبحانه و تعالى saying:
هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُمْ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
{It is He Who sends down manifest Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) to His slave (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم)
that He may bring you out from darkness into light. And verily, Allâh is to you full of kindness, Most Merciful.} [Al-Hadeed 57:9]"
And the Shaikh continues:
"For this Allaah has sent the Messenger as a blessing for all of the creation as He سبحانه و تعالى said:
وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِ
{…And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allâh as a jest, but remember Allaah's Favours on you (i.e. Islaam),
and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur'aan) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet's Sunnah – legal ways – Islâmic jurisprudence)
whereby He instructs you…}
[Al-Baqarah 2:231]"
And the Shaikh continues:
"And what makes even more clear the mercy on the creation is the Prophet's saying; 'whoever does not have mercy upon the people Allaah will not have mercy upon him or on him.'[6] And his saying; 'The Most Merciful will be Merciful with them'[7] – that is the merciful people, the Most Merciful will be Merciful with them. And; 'Have mercy upon the dwellers of the earth and the One who is in the sky will have Mercy upon you.'[7]"
The Shaikh continues:
"This is concerning all of the creation – the believers and the disbelievers, the good and the bad, the human and other than human. We will clarify this with some of the Sunnah that is the prophetic tradition of the Prophet, peace be upon him. He said; 'Allaah will punish those who harm the people in this world.'[8] The word people here is general, that is for the believing and the non-believing, so whoever harms or punishes another unjustly Allaah will punish him on the Day of Judgement.
And the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a donkey that was branded on its face and he said; 'May Allaah curse the one who branded this donkey.'[9] And also it is authentic from the Prophet, peace be upon him, he said: 'A woman went to the Hell-fire due to a cat. She trapped it inside and did not feed it nor did she let it out to find its sustenance upon the earth.'[10]
And when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was on an outing and he was travelling with his companions, a bird started to flutter and fly around his head. And he was sitting down and it would flap its wings near him and floating very close to him so he said: 'Who has caused this bird grief by taking her children? Whoever did it then let him return her babies.'[11] And this wasn't a human but this is from the mercy of the Prophet, Sallallaahu 'alaihi wassallaam, and this is the mercy he came with. The religious texts in this aspect are many, too many to recall in this sitting but we noted some of them.
So how much in need are we and how important is it that we make these texts a part of us and bring them to life so others may see us and know we are leaders for them and that they will follow in our footsteps?
by
Shaikh Abdul Azeez As-Sa'eed
Delivered on July 23rd, 2005
Religion of Moderation
And from the characteristics of mercy in this religion is its moderation and being in the middle: so there is not extreme toughness nor extreme leniency, nor extreme harshness, nor extreme softness. This moderation and being in the middle is as Allaah said: 'And We have made you a middle nation.'
وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطاً
{Thus We have made you a just (and the best) nation…}
[Al-Baqarah 2:143]
So when we look into this religion and its legislation we find it has made a way for the human being to satisfy all of his inborn desires. It has not legislated a monk type of lifestyle of being cut off of everything and just worshipping and doing nothing but this. Just, as it does not legislate for a person to be a body without a soul, that it does not worship its Lord and can't find ease within worshipping Him.
The human in this religion is to seek, that is the human, the individual in Islaam, is supposed to seek his portion of the world, but one should not make this seeking a reason for not looking towards the Hereafter and working for it, and putting forth good actions and a reason for its shortcoming toward the rights of the Lord. This is as Allaah said:
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ وَلا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الأَرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
{But seek, with that (wealth) which Allâh has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world;
and do good as Allâh has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allâh likes not the Mufsidûn (those who commit great crimes and sins,
oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupters)."}
[Al-Qasas 28:77]
The Reward of Good deeds are multiplied
And from the mercy of this religion is that a good deed is rewarded and is multiplied ten times to more than that. For every good deed the reward is multiplied ten times, as for the sin it will only be written as one sin, as Allaah said:
مَن جَاء بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَن جَاء بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلاَ يُجْزَى إِلاَّ مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
{Whoever brings a good deed (Islâmic Monotheism and deeds of obedience to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم)
shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed (polytheism, disbelief, hypocrisy,
and deeds of disobedience to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم) shall have only the recompense of the like thereof,
and they will not be wronged.}
[Al-An'aam 6:160]
These are some of the characteristics of mercy in this Religion. They are characteristics that show this Religion is the Religion of truth and everyone should believe in, and follow it. And it has become clear from what has preceded that this Messenger and His Message have come as a mercy for all of creation, and in them is a mercy for all – the believers and the non-believers, even the birds, the animals and the insects. So because of this the scholars, mercy be upon them, see this Religion as a river flowing between the people – whoever drinks from it his thirst will be quenched and whoever does not then he stays thirsty.
A Mercy for all the Creation
So for this, when the Messenger and the Message have come as a mercy for all, we find that in the religious texts there is a clarification of mercy for all of the creation, we see this in Allaah's سبحانه و تعالى saying concerning the Messenger:
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ
وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَآئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالأَغْلاَلَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ
{Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) whom they find written with them
in the Taurât (Torah-Deut, xviii 15) and the Injîl (Gospel-John, xiv 16) with them, – he commands them for Al-Ma'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism
and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden);
he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods),
and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods),
he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh's Covenant with the Children of Israel),
and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them…}
[Al-A'raaf 7:157]
And the Shaikh continues:
"This is the mercy for all of the creation, whoever has taken from it, has taken from the mercy of Allaah and whoever left it has lost and missed out his portion. And also Allaah's سبحانه و تعالى saying:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
{He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) from among themselves,
reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book
(this Qur'ân, Islâmic laws and Islâmic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship of Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه و سلم).
And verily, they had been before in manifest error} [Al-Jumu'ah 62:2]"
The Shaikh continues:
"So Allaah guided by the Prophet the people from darkness to light, and from misguidance to guidance, and what clarifies this is Allaah's سبحانه و تعالى saying:
هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُمْ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
{It is He Who sends down manifest Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) to His slave (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم)
that He may bring you out from darkness into light. And verily, Allâh is to you full of kindness, Most Merciful.} [Al-Hadeed 57:9]"
And the Shaikh continues:
"For this Allaah has sent the Messenger as a blessing for all of the creation as He سبحانه و تعالى said:
وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِ
{…And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allâh as a jest, but remember Allaah's Favours on you (i.e. Islaam),
and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur'aan) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet's Sunnah – legal ways – Islâmic jurisprudence)
whereby He instructs you…}
[Al-Baqarah 2:231]"
And the Shaikh continues:
"And what makes even more clear the mercy on the creation is the Prophet's saying; 'whoever does not have mercy upon the people Allaah will not have mercy upon him or on him.'[6] And his saying; 'The Most Merciful will be Merciful with them'[7] – that is the merciful people, the Most Merciful will be Merciful with them. And; 'Have mercy upon the dwellers of the earth and the One who is in the sky will have Mercy upon you.'[7]"
The Shaikh continues:
"This is concerning all of the creation – the believers and the disbelievers, the good and the bad, the human and other than human. We will clarify this with some of the Sunnah that is the prophetic tradition of the Prophet, peace be upon him. He said; 'Allaah will punish those who harm the people in this world.'[8] The word people here is general, that is for the believing and the non-believing, so whoever harms or punishes another unjustly Allaah will punish him on the Day of Judgement.
And the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a donkey that was branded on its face and he said; 'May Allaah curse the one who branded this donkey.'[9] And also it is authentic from the Prophet, peace be upon him, he said: 'A woman went to the Hell-fire due to a cat. She trapped it inside and did not feed it nor did she let it out to find its sustenance upon the earth.'[10]
And when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was on an outing and he was travelling with his companions, a bird started to flutter and fly around his head. And he was sitting down and it would flap its wings near him and floating very close to him so he said: 'Who has caused this bird grief by taking her children? Whoever did it then let him return her babies.'[11] And this wasn't a human but this is from the mercy of the Prophet, Sallallaahu 'alaihi wassallaam, and this is the mercy he came with. The religious texts in this aspect are many, too many to recall in this sitting but we noted some of them.
So how much in need are we and how important is it that we make these texts a part of us and bring them to life so others may see us and know we are leaders for them and that they will follow in our footsteps?