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THE BELIEF IN ALLAH
The Pillars of faith, six in
total, must be based on a very sound foundation of knowledge; and what
is a more solid foundation than the Last of Divine revelations: the
Qur’an and the inspired saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him).
The first among the six major elements of faith in orthodox Islam the
belief in Allah, the one and only true God.
It is necessary to affirm all of what is found in the Qur’an and
authentic sayings of Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)
concerning Allah’s names and attributes. Some of His attributes are
actions (like "He created") and some of them are characteristics (like
"He is Great’), others are descriptive of Him ("His Face") etc. All of
these are to be affirmed without the following four pitfalls:
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Distortion - That is to distort
its obvious meaning, insinuating the belief that the attribute or
name means something other than that which is reported.
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Denial - That is to deny its
meaning, either outright, or by way of interpretation.
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Qualification - That is to claim
the how of it.
Likening - That is to claim that is like this thing, or to claim
that is similar to a description of a created thing.
Allah, has
revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) that: He is
Alone, He is the One who is turned to in repentance, ever Eternal and
Perfect, absolutely faultless. He did not give birth, nor was He born.
There is no valid deity other than Him. (The term deity implies a
worshipped object; so there is no one worthy of worship except for
Him, even though many people worship others.) He is Alive,
Ever-Living; He Sustains and Protects all that exists. He does not
tire or become weary; He is the Owner and complete Sovereign of all.
His Knowledge encompasses everything; and He is completely
Knowledgeable about a thing even before He creates it, knowing the how
of the thing and all of its conditions and stipulations, including its
duration of existence. He has complete control over everything and
nothing happens except by His Permission. His Footstool extends over
the heavens and the earth; His Throne is over His Footstool; and He is
Above His Throne. He is the High and the Mighty.
He is the First, the Last, the Highest, the Nearest, and the Knower of
all things. He is Ever-Living, without end. He is the Wise, the Well
Acquainted. With Him are the keys to all knowledge beyond human reach,
and none knows them except Him. Nothing happens at all except that He
has written it in a Clear Book. He is Capable of everything. He is the
Possessor of Strength, the Unbreakable. He Has no likeness. He is the
Hearing and the Seeing, always. He Loves the doer of good, the just,
the upright, and the pious. He Loves the repentant and those who
purify themselves. He Loves those who fight for His Cause. He Loves
those who Follow His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). He is the
Forgiving, the Loving, and the Loved.
He is the Merciful, the Mercy-Giver. He has encompassed everything
with His Mercy and He is Ever-Merciful with the Believers. He has
prescribed mercy for Himself; He is the Coverer of sins, the Best
Protector, and Most Merciful to those who show Mercy.
He is Pleased
with the Believers, and they will be the inhabitants of His Paradise.
He is Angry with whomever kills a faithful believer intentionally, and
He curses him. He takes Vengeance on those whom He is angry with, and
He punishes them. He dislikes and considers some things hateful, like
the act of enjoining a thing which one does not do.
He will come, and He will arrive on the Day of Judgment in a manner
that befits His Majesty. He Descends to the lowest heaven at the last
third of the night answering the calls of his supplicants. He is the
Possessor of Majesty and Generosity, and His Face is Everlasting. He
is the Lord. He has two Hands and He has claimed that He created Adam
(peace be upon him) with His own two Hands. Both of His Hands are
spread wide and He spends according to His Will. He is our Lord who
rears his servants under His Eyes. Allah Hears all things constantly;
He Sees; and is Looking at all things constantly.
He is the Best Plotter, the Best Planner. Others may plan or plot, but
His is the way that will be. He is Pardoning, Capable. He is the
Might. He is Unique; the Possessor of Majesty and Nobility. He is
without namesake, equal, rival, partner, son, daughter, offspring. He
is the Creator of everything and He has measured all.
We say as He said: that He is above His Throne. He is Above all. The
belief that He is above all does not imply that He is overshadowed by,
or inside of, or part of anything at all.
Rather, He is above all things. He is the sender of the tornado, the
hurricane, the earthquake, and all calamities. He is with you wherever
you are, as He explains; He hears and sees. The belief that He is with
you wherever you are does not imply that He is everywhere. Rather, it
implies that He knows, hears, and sees all, having complete control
over existence.
He speaks, and narrates, and He spoke directly to Moses (peace be upon
him). He has sent the Qur’an whose words are His. He is happy with the
true repentance of the faithful believer. He Laughs. He will Speak to
His servants directly, on the Day of Resurrection, and in the
Hereafter, He will be seen by the believers whom He grants this
blessing to.
Belief in Allah also implies singling out Allah alone in worship and
in all of the characteristics which have been mentioned in this
booklet. The opposite of this is associating god with Allah.
Association (shirk) is the gravest sin - it is a sin which Allah has
stated He will not forgive. Likewise, denying any of the attributes of
Allah is a heretical act of disbelief which may lead one to become an
apostate. Belief in Allah necessitates believing in all that He has
claimed about Himself, praise be to Him.
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BELIEF IN THE ANGELS
The angels are
usually hidden from the senses of man, though sometimes they may be
visible. Their existence is recognizable through reason, and it is
proven by Divine Revelation. The following are some of the many
characteristics of the angels:
Angels are shy and behave modestly; similar to people, they become
annoyed by that which they dislike (like foul odors etc.). They flock
to those who remember Allah and worship Him alone. Angels are created
from light; they are free of the weaknesses of the flesh from which
humans suffer, such as hunger, disease, illness, slumber, exhaustion,
etc.,
"They celebrate His praises night and day, without exhaustion."
(The Qur’an 21:20)
However, at the end of time, even the angels will pass away:
"And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens
and all who are on the earth
will swoon
away, except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown a second time and
behold, they will be standing, looking on (waiting)." (The Qur’an
39:68)
Angels are in awe with their Lord, as Allah mentions in the Qur’an:
"And to Allah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that
is in the earth of living creatures and the angels, and they (angels)
are humble, fearing their Lord above them and they do as they are
commanded." (The Qur’an 16:49-50)
"They cannot intercede except for him whom He is pleased. And they
stand with awe in fear of Him." (The Qur’an 21:28)
The angels never disobey Allah: "Who disobey not the commands they
receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded." (The Qur’an
66:6)
"They are but honored servants; they speak not until He has spoken;
and they act by His command." (The Qur’an 21:26-27)
Angels possess the ability to love and to show love. They supplicate
to their Lord:
"Those who bear the Throne and those around it celebrate the
praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness for
those who believe (They say): ‘Our Lord, you comprehend all thing in
Your Mercy and Knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your
way and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire.’" (The Qur’an
40:77).
They cures whomever their Lord curses, as He said:
"Indeed those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelieves,
for them is the curse of Allah and the angels and humanity combine."
(The Qur’an 2:161-162)
The angels are great in their stature, some are larger than others:
"All praise is Allah's, the Originator of the heavens and the
earth, the Maker of the angels - messengers flying on wings: two,
three, and four. He increases in the creation what He will. Surely,
Allah Has power over all things." (The Qur’an 35:1)
Certain angels are assigned specific functions; for example, Jibreel
(Gabriel) is entrusted with delivering Allah’s Revelation to the
Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them). Mika’eel (Michael) is in
charge of rain and plantation, Israfeel is in charge of blowing the
Trumpet at the time of Resurrection, and Malik is the Keeper of Hell.
Some of the angels have specific tasks, but their names may be
unknown, such as the one who takes the soul at the time of death. Some
are in charge of them embryo in the mother's womb, others are
responsible for protecting the human beings, and still others record
their deeds:
"When the two angels receive (his deed), one sitting on the right and
one on the left, he utters not a word but an observer is near him."
(The Qur’an 50:18)
Two angels come to each person in his grave and ask him about his
Lord, his religion, and his prophet.
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Belief in the
Divine Revelations
Allah has
guided and helped the human race in many ways. One of these ways was
to reveal a book containing the laws prescribed for a particular
people though their Prophets. Each of the
Prophets who received a divinely
revealed Book also received a wisdom enable them to explain and teach
their people how to best implement the divinely revealed Books.
These Books explain to the people that Allah was the only one worthy
of worship, and that true success in this life and the Hereafter would
only be reached by worshiping Him alone, without any partners or
associates. They explained laws and codes for the people to follow;
they informed of life in the Hereafter, giving glad tidings to those
who obeyed the Messengers, and warning of severe punishment for those
who rejected their guidance.
We learn that Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him) received Divine
Book as well as the wisdom: "But We had already given the house
of Ibrahim the Book and the Wisdom, and conferred upon them a great
kingdom." (The Qur’an 4:54) Today, the most famous among the
Prophets are those whom Allah sent to the Israelites:
"And We
bestowed upon him (Ibrahim) Ishaq and Yaqub (Isaac and Jacob) and
ordained among his offspring Prophet hood and Revelation..." (The
Qur’an 29:27)
From this lineage of Prophets, we are aware of the following Books:
the Suhuf (Scrolls) revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham), the Zaboor revealed
to Dawud (David), the Tawrah (Torah) revealed to Musa (Moses), the
Injeel (Gospel) revealed to Isa (Jesus), and the Qur’an revealed to
Muhammad, whose lineage traces back to Abraham through Ismael (peace
be upon them all).
Though there were many Prophets and Messengers sent to mankind, a
relatively small number of them have been mentioned to us by name.
These Prophets and their Books are to be believed in, although today
humanity does not posses the actual Books that the Prophet received
from Allah nor the advice that each Prophet gave to his followers.
For example, we know that the Torah was altered through time. This
fact is easily accessible to all who dire to find it:
"Indeed We
did reveal the Torah, therein was guidance and light, by which the
Prophet’s, who surrendered to Allah's Will, judged the Jews; and the
Rabbis and the Priests (who judged also), for to them was entrusted
the protections of Allah's Book, and they wee witness to it; therefore
fear not men but fear Me and sell not My Signs for a miserable price.
And who-so-ever odes not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are
disbelievers." (The Qur’an
5:44)
and: "Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands
and then say, ‘This is from Allah’, to earn for it a cheap price! Woe
to them for what their hands have written..." (The Qur’an 2:79)
and: "But the transgressors changed the word from that which was
sent to them to another, so We sent a wrath form the heavens upon the
wrongdoers..." (The Qur’an 2:59).
Similarly, though we believe in the Injeel (Gospel) that was revealed
to Jesus (peace be upon him), we know that it and some of the wisdom
that Allah revealed to him have been confused and lost to the extent
that today people worship him. "And (remember) when Allah will
say, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to men, "Worship me and my
mother as two gods besides Allah"? He will say, ‘Glory be to you! It
was not my place to say what I had no right to say. If I said such a
thing, You would surely have known it. You know what in my self though
I know not what in Yours. Truly, You, only You are the All-Knower of
the unknown. I never said anything to them but You commanded me to
say: "Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." And I was a witness over
them only while I dwelt among them, but when You took me away, You
were a watcher over them, and You are witness to all things.’" (The
Qur’an 4:116-7)
The Last Revelation The Qur’an is the Last of the Revealed Books. It
is preserved in the exact original form that the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) uttered. This is a fact attested to by the
majority of scholars and historians. The following are some important
facts about the Qur’an:
Allah's
Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was not able to read and
write, received the first revelation from the Qur’an in the Cave of
Hira in the year 610.
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The Qur’an was revealed to
Muhammad (peace be upon him) in sections - some large than others-
delivered by the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel, peace be upon him) over a
twenty-two year period.
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The revealed portion were
immediately memorized and written on parchment and stone under the
supervision of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
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The Qur’an was collected into
one book only after the passing of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon
him). Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, who live only two years longer
than Allah's Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), had the Qur’an
compiled in book-form during his own life.
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The tradition of learning the
Qur’an by heart in its original language, and protecting its
memorization continued until today, so that in many cities of the
world, there are numerous people who have memorized its 114 chapters
of 6,236 verses.
In summary,
Muslims believe in all of the Divine Revelations which were revealed
to every Prophet who ever lived. However, we do not adhere to any
former revelation as we have been commanded by Allah to follow His
Last Messenger Muhammad, and to believe in and implement the Qur’an
and the Wisdom which was revealed to him.
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BELIEF IN THE MESSENGERS
"O People of
the Scripture! Now Our Messenger has come to you explaining to you
much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture, and passing
over much of it. Indeed there has come to you from Allah a Light and a
Clear Book." (The Qur’an 4:15).
"Surely they are in disbelief, those who say that Allah is the
Messiah, son of Mary. Say, "Then who has the most power against Allah
if He wishes to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, his mother, and all
of those who are on the earth together?" And to Allah belongs the
domain of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He
creates what He wills. And Allah is able to do all things." (The
Qur’an 4:17).
Allah has chose Messenger from among His own creatures. He has sent
all of the Messengers with the same Message, delivering this Message
to all people; "Surely We have sent to each nation a Messenger
(saying) ‘Worship Allah and abandon the false gods.’" (The
Qur’an 16:36) These Messenger were sent to invite their people
to worship Allah alone, abandoning all false deities. Beside the first
objective of inviting to the worship of Allah alone, the Messengers
also were commissioned with warning people of the torment in the next
life for those who did not worship Allah alone; as well as delivering
glad tidings to those who worship Allah. By this, mankind will have no
excuse on the Day of Resurrection. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said,
"Surely We have sent to each nation a Messenger (saying)
‘Worship Allah and abandon the false gods.’" (The Qur’an
16:36)
and: "We would not punish (a people) until we send a Messenger
(to them)." (The Qur’an 17:15).
The Messengers were worshipers of Allah whom Allah honored with the
position of Prophet hood and Messengership. They were indeed the
greatest men who ever lived and the best example, Allah says about Nuh
(Noah, peace be upon him); "Indeed he was a great worshiper."
(The Qur’an 17:3) and about Ibrahim, Ishaq and Yaqub (Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, peace be upon them): "Recall Our worshipers,
Ibrahim, Ishaq and Yaqub, who were loyal worshipers and well versed in
religion." (The Qur’an 38:45). Regarding Yusuf (Joseph, peace
be upon him): "Surely he was one of Our chosen worshipers." (The
Qur’an 12:24). Regarding Dawud (David, peace be upon him):
"Recall Our worshiper Dawud, a loyal servant..." (The Qur’an 38:17).
Regarding Sulaiman (Solomon, peace be upon him):
"How excellent
a worshiper, indeed he was loyal in repentance to Us." (The Qur’an
33:44). Concerning Ayub (Job, peace be upon him):
"How
excellent a servant." (The Qur’an 38:44). Concerning Muhammad
(peace be upon him): "Blessed be He who revealed the Criterion
to His worshiper." (The Qur’an 25:1); and concerning Isa
(Jesus, peace be upon him) Allah said, "He was but a worshiper
upon whom Webestowed
favors, and We made him example for the children of Israel." (The
Qur’an 43:59).
The Last of all of the Prophet and Messengers was Muhammad (peace be
upon him). He was, in fact, sent for all of mankind:
"Say: O
mankind! Surely I am the Messenger of Allah unto all of you..." (The
Qur’an 7:158).
The Legislation that was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) is
the religion of Islam. This is the religion that Allah is please with
for His worshipers. He does not accept from them other than His
religion, saying, "This day I have perfected your Religion for
you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam, as
your way of life." (The Qur’an 5:3) and: "Whoever seeks
a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and
in the Hereafter he will be of the losers." (The Qur’an 3:85)
and: "Every time a group is cast in (Hell) its custodians will
ask, ‘Did a warner not come to you?’ They will respond, ‘Certainly a
warner came to us, but we denied him and said, "Allah never revealed
anything, you have greatly erred."’ And they will say, ‘If we only
listened, or used reason, we would not be among the inhabitants of the
blazing fire."" (The Qur’an 67:8-10).
The first of the Messengers was Nuh (Noah), and the last of them was
Muhammad (peace be upon him). The best of them were, Nuh, Ibrahim,
Musa (Moses), Isa and Muhammad. We also believe that the Law revealed
to Muhammad completes and override the Law received by previous
Prophets. "But, no! By your Lord, they do not have (absolute)
faith until they make you (Muhammad) a judge of that which has become
a matter of disagreement between them, then they find no tightness in
their hearts for it, and they submit with entire submission." (The
Qur’an 5:65).
The Messengers were men, descendants of Adam (peace be upon him). None
of them possessed the qualities of divinity that would warrant
worshipping them, (as nothing is worthy of worship but Allah)
"Their Messengers said to them, ‘We are no more than human beings like
yourselves...’" (The Qur’an 14:11),
and Allah told Muhammad to, "Say: I am but a human being like
yourselves; it has been revealed to me that your god is one God." (The
Qur’an 41:6) and "Say: Glory be to my Lord! Am I
anything but a human, a Messenger?" (The Qur’an 17:93).
It is an essential element of faith in Islam to believe in all of the
Messengers, and that whosoever denied Muhammad, then he has denied all
of the Messengers of Allah (peace be upon them) and he, therefore,
does not have faith in Allah: "And We have sent you (Muhammad)
as a Messenger to Mankind..." (The Qur’an 5:79) and:
"And Nuh’s people when they denied the Messengers..." (The Qur’an
25:37). Allah informs us that not only did the people of Nuh
reject him (peace be upon him), but they rejected all of the
Messengers, because they rejected the institution of Messengership
altogether when they rejected Nuh, who was the first of the
Messengers.
There are no Prophets after Muhammad (peace be upon him):
"...but he is
the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets." (The Qur’an
33:40).
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Belief in the Hereafter
Among the six
major elements of faith in orthodox Islam is the belief in the
Hereafter. The following discussion is based upon information derived
from the Qur’an - the Last of Divine Revelation and the Tradition of
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to whom the Qur’an was
revealed, explaining and elaborating upon the Qur’an.
The Last Hour and its Signs: There are many future events for
the earth, foretold in the Qur’an and Traditions of Muhammad (peace be
upon him). Among the major events is the arrival of the Dajjal, or the
Great Liar, who will perform miracles so tremendous that most people
will believe that he is God. A great righteous leader known as the
Mahdi, who will be a descendent of Muhammad (peace be upon him), will
wage war against the armies s of the Great Liar. However,the Great
Liar will not be defeated until Jesus, son of Mary , return to the
earth to slay him. Some of the other signs of the Last Hour are; the
Beast of the Earth, the reappearance of Gog and Magog, and finally the
sunrise from the west, after which faith will not longer be accepted
from those who did not believe before these signs.
Life in the Grave: After death, each person will endure a real
trial in his grave. About some who have passed away, the Almighty One
says: "The Fire: they are exposed to it morning and
afternoon..." (The Qur’an 40:46). Allah’s Messenger Muhammad
(peace be upon him) said, "The grave is either a garden from the
gardens of Paradise, or it is a pit from the pits of Hell."
The First Blowing of the Trumpet: After the duration of the
earth’s existence has ended, Allah will command the angel Israfeel to
blow the Trumpet. Upon the first blowing, all of the inhabitants of
the heavens and the earth will fall unconscious, except for those whom
Allah wills otherwise. Then the earth will be flattened and the
mountain ranges will be turned into floating sand dunes. Then, Allah
will command the skies to pour rain for a period of forty days. This
rain will resemble the sperm of men. Then all people who ever lived
will be resurrected from their graves. The process of resurrection
begins with the reformation of each person’s vertebral column base.
Reformation continues until each person is complete in his original
earthly form.
The Second Blowing of the Trumpet: Allah will command Israfeel
to blow the Trumpet for a second time, upon which all people who ever
lived will rise from their graves. Those who had true faith in the
Almighty One will say, "This is what the Most Merciful has
promised , and the messengers spoke the truth!" (The Qur’an 36:53).
The Gathering: The angels will herd everyone, bare-foot, naked,
and uncircumcised, to the place of Gathering. The first person t be
clothed on that Day will be the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be
upon him). At the place of Gathering, the sun will be drawn near to
the heads of the people and their sweat will engulf them. Some will be
standing in sweat up to their ankles, some up to their knees or their
chests, and still others will be submerged up to their necks in sweat.
The depth of the sweat will be a result of the deeds which they
performed during their earthly life.
The Shade of the Throne: Some people will be spared many f the
sufferings on the Day of Resurrection under the shade of Allah’s
Throne.
The Beginning of Judgment: When the conditions become
unbearable for people, and their fear increases, they will ask Allah
to allow the Messengers and the Prophet to intercede on their behalf
and to save them from their distress. Each of the Prophets or
Messenger will direct the people to the Prophet who came after them,
until they come to Muhammad (peace be upon him). He will be granted
the intercession, after which Allah will begin the Judgment.
The Scales upon which the deeds are weighed: The Scales will be
erected, and everyone's deeds will be weighed. These Scales will be
real with real pans. Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, will give the
deeds of each creature a material existence. Good deeds will be placed
in one an of the Scale, and evil deeds in another, as Allah has
informed, "And We shall set up the Scales of Justice on the Day
of Resurrection, then none shall be wronged in any matter. If the
weight of a mustard seed exists, We shall manifest it..." (The Qur’an
21:47).
The Records of each person’s deeds: The weighing of deeds will
be followed by a disclosure of each person ‘s record. The one who
receives his record in his right hand will have an easy reckoning. He
will return to his family gleaming with leisure. However, he who
receives his record offered to him from behind his back, in his left
hand, will wish only for death on that Day. He will be thrust into the
Fire of Hell.
Judgment: Then Allah will Judge His creation. He will remind
them of their good and evil deeds. All of what they did will be
recorded, though they may have forgotten it, "Then to their Lord
is their return,
and He shall inform them of all that they used to do!" (The Qur’an
6:108).
Allah’s
Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Allah will bring His
believing servant close to Him; put a veil over him; and present his
deeds to him privately - making him acknowledge his sins. Allah will
say to him, ‘Haven’t you done this on this particular day?’ The
servant will acknowledge his sin and feel certain of destruction. The
Allah will say, ‘I have covered your sins during your life, and today
I forgive you.’" As for those who disbelieve in Allah, their
deeds will be of no avail: "And We shall turn to whatever deeds they
have done, and We shall render them scattered, floating dust
particles." (The Qur’an 25:23). "The parable of those
who disbelieve in their Lord is that their deeds are like ashes upon
which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they will not benefit
or all from what they have done." (The Qur'an 14:18). A
disbeliever will receive the benefits from his good deeds in this
life, so when he is resurrected on the Day of Judgment, he will find
his book of good deeds to be blank.
The Pond of Allah’s Messenger: The Pond of Allah’s Messenger will
be the largest body of water; its water will be sweeter than honey and
whiter than milk; it will be equipped with drinking utensils as
numerous as the stars, to accommodate its large number of visitors.
The length and width of this Pond will be the distance of a month’s
journey each way, and anyone who drinks once from this Pond shall
never thirst again.
The Bridge that extends over Hell: The Bridge will be extended
over the length of the Fire of Hell, reaching Paradise. Allah’s
Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) has described it as thinner
than a hair and sharper than a sword. People will pass over the Bridge
at different speeds according to their deeds; some at the blinking of
an eye, some at the speed of quick running horses, others as running
camels, while others will cross at a normal walking pace. There will
also be some who can barely crawl over it. They will be grabbed by
iron hooks and thrust into the Fire of Hell. He who crosses the Bridge
shall be at the threshold of Paradise.
The Plateau between
Paradise and
Hell:
Those who cross the Bridge will be assembled at a place between
Paradise and Hell. Here their mutual debts will be settled until they
are all accounted for. Then, they will be permitted to enter the
Garden of Paradise.
The Intercession granted to the Prophets and the Righteous: The
Door of Paradise will first be opened for the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him): "I will be the leader of the children of Adam on the Day
of Judgment, though I do not boast of it. I will be the first to be
resurrected from the grave, though I do not boast of it. I will be the
first to turn the handle of the Door to Paradise, entering it along
with the poor of my nation." Allah will only allow intercession form
those to whom He grants it. The first to intercede is Allah’s Final
Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). His first intercession shall
take place at the place of the Gathering, where he intercedes for the
Judgment to begin. This is the Great Intercession that Allah has saved
for him. The second form of intercession granted to Allah’s Messenger
Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be to gain permission from Allah for
the people of Paradise to enter it. They will not enter Paradise until
he has interceded for that. Among the forms of intercession that other
Prophets share with the Last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) is
to save some people from Hell who are about to enter it, and to take
out of it some people who have already entered it. Finally, Allah the
All-Merciful dispenser of grace, will take some people out of Hell by
virtue of His infinite Mercy and Bounty upon His creatures. After all
who shall enter Paradise have entered it, there will still be some
room left in it. Allah will then create a special group of inhabitants
to dwell in Paradise.
The Eternal Hell Fire: Hell is a pale of unending torture, existing
now, prepared for the arrogant who reject faith in the Almighty, as
well as those sinners who do not repent. If one were to love in the
Fire of Hell for only an instant, he would experience in that instant,
more pain, suffering and torture than he could ever imagine. Allah
warns His creatures, "Therefore I have warned you of the Flaming
Fire." (The Qur’an 92:14). It is a fire that is incomparable
to the fire of this life. Hell is referred to by Allah as: The
Hell-fire, the unfathomably deep Pit, the fierce blazing Abyss, a
place where the bodies and souls are melted, unceasingly burning, and
the consuming Pit."...Scorching
wind and scalding water and a shadow of black smoke, neither cool nor
refreshing..." (The Qur’an 56:41-45) and: " Indeed it throws up sparks (as huge) as castles." (The
Qur’an 77:32) The people of Hell are given: "...Boiling
water to drink, which lacerates their bowels." (The Qur’an 47:15) "And
if they ask for showers, they will be showered with water like molten
lead which burns their faces..." (The Qur’an 18:29).
The Eternal
Paradise:
Now
existing, Paradise is prepared for those who serve Allah alone, and
who are repentant. It is, what no eye has seen and no ear has heard
and that which has never occurred in a human heart. In it are,
"Gardens of perpetual bliss - they shall enter them, as well as the
righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their offspring. And
angels shall enter upon them from every gate." (The Qur’an 13:23)
"...For the righteous is a beautiful place of final return - gardens
of eternity, whose doors will always be open." (The Qur’an 38:49-50)
"In it are rivers of water, incorruptible; rivers of wine, delicious
to those who drink; and rivers of honey, pure and clear, In it, there
are for them all kinds of fruits, and forgiveness from their Lord."
(The Qur’an 47:15) Allah has mentioned many other things about
Paradise, but most importantly, it is never ending; and it will be for
those whom Allah addresses saying, "I shall cause my favor to descend
upon you, after which I shall never be displeased with you." And that
is the greatest achievement.
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BELIEF IN THE DIVINE WILL
The last of the
six major elements of faith in orthodox Islam is the belief in the
Divine Will. The Divine Will encompasses all things and events that
occur, whether they be good or evil. Belief in the Divine Will is not
complete unless it contains the following elements:
Belief that Allah’s Knowledge is all inclusive and Complete, that He
is most aware of every creature’s qualities and innermost feelings, of
the results of their actions, as well as what action they will perform
before they perform them, and what actions they may have performed had
He willed them to perform otherwise. He is aware of all of this
without burden, and there is no contradiction between His encompassing
Will and the free will and choice of the creatures.
"He is fully aware of you when He brings you into being out of
dust, and when you are still in your mothers’ wombs." (The Qur’an
53:32) and "...so that you may come to know that Allah
has power over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things with
His Knowledge." (The Qur’an 65:12)
Allah has recorded every event that will ever occur. He has referred
to the Preserved Tablet, upon which the happenings of all of creation
are inscribed,
"Know you not that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and on the
earth? Indeed it is (all) in the Book." (The Qur’an 22:70)
Paramount to belief that Allah predestined the outcome of all
creatures, is the following Tradition of Allah’s Messenger Muhammad
(peace be upon him):
"The first thing which Allah created was the Pen. Then He commanded it
to write. The Pen asked; ‘My Lord! What shall I write?’ He said,
‘Write the measure of each thing until the (final) Hour."
Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,
"...Whatever befalls you could never have passed you by, and whatever
has missed you could never have befallen you. The pens have been
raised and the scrolls have dried."
All thing that occur do so according to the Divine Plan.
"Did
you not know that Allah knows (all) that is in the heavens and the
earth? It is (all) in a record. Surely that is easy for Allah." (The
Qur'an 22:70)
"No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed
in a Book before We bring it into existence. Surely, that is easy for
Allah." (The Qur’an 57:22)
The Divine Will is both detailed and general, as for the details,
Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) described the fetus in
the womb and said,
"...He (Allah) sends an angel to it and commands it to write four
words: his sustenance, life span, actions, and whether he will be
blessed or wretched."
Whatever Allah wills, then it shall be.
"Truly, when He intends a thing, His command is ‘Be’, and it
is!" (The Qur’an 36:82).
All of the actions of the creatures, whether good or bad, occur
according to obey Him, and He has forbidden them to behave
disobediently. He loves the just and pious people and He is please
with their good deeds. He is displeased with those who disbelieve and
perform evil. He does not wish disbelief for His creatures; He warns
them from it; yet He allows them to stray of they so desire.
His Wisdom is unique in that it may not be understandable to human
intellect. So we believe that He allows evil and disobedience even
though He encourages good from His creatures. It is only due to His
Wisdom, not a frustration of His Will, that one will disobey and
commit evil acts.
Allah created all things, be they matter or events,
"Allah has created you and what you do." (The Qur’an 37:96)
"All praise is due to Allah, who created the heavens and the
earth, the brought into being deep darkness as well as light." (The
Qur’an 6:1)
"O mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from a single person
(Adam), and out of him He created his mate (Eve), and out of the two,
scattered a multitude of men and women." (The Qur’an 4:1)
Human beings have some control over their actions and they have a
limited type of will. The Will of Allah is not frustrated by the fact
that He gave humans the freedom to choose.
"...To whomever of you wills to follow the Straight Path. But you have
no will unless Allah, the Lord of the Universe, so wills." (The Qur'an
81:28-9)
Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,
"He who is from the successful, then the deeds of the successful are
made easy for him."
The ancient Greek philosophers claimed that good comes from God, but
evil comes from others besides Him. This is what is common among their
teachings and what led them the declare that either,
(a). Allah things are good and evil in a relative sense, or,
(b). All evil exists because of another agent (either man himself,
or other deities). This concept led the philosophers to debate
endlessly over the matter.
However, one should recognize the truth in what we have mentioned, for
the belief in one God includes the true concept that there is only one
Creator, and He alone created everything, whether good or evil.
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