IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُغَيِّرُ ما بِقَومٍ حَتّىٰ يُغَيِّروا ما بِأَنفُسِهِم
I was walking to my local mosque for Isha’ prayer, I was about one or two minutes late, and the congregation prayer had begun. About 20 seconds from the entrance of the mosque, I was stopped by a Muslim brother who was walking away from the mosque. He was complaining to me that he did not have money to pay for his gas and electricity. At that time I did not bring any money with me. What struck me about this incident is that instead of asking from our Rabb by praying in the mosque in congregation, he was walking away from the mosque. Did he forget that the One who will Provide him with anything is Allah Himself? How could his condition change if he does not the effort to change his ways by praying and asking Allah for Help? Don’t we recite in our prayer:
إِيّاكَ نَعبُدُ وَإِيّاكَ نَستَعينُ
You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). 1: 5
Didn’t we make a covenant with Allah when He swiped the back of prophet Adam (AS) and all of us appeared in front of Him? Allah asked us, in Qur’an surah 7 verse 172:
أَلَستُ بِرَبِّكُ
“Am I not your Lord?”
And we responded:
بَلىٰ ۛ شَهِدنا
“Yes! We testify,”
And Allah Warned us:
أَن تَقولوا يَومَ القِيامَةِ إِنّا كُنّا عَن هٰذا غافِلينَ
lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: “Verily, we have been unaware of this.”
So we have made an oath to Allah that we will recognise Allah as our “Rabb” – The Creator, The Maintainer, The Sustainer, The One Who Provides, The One Who Guides, The One Who is the Dominion, etc. So, which is this brother turning away from the mosque and NOT ASK ALLAH DIRECTLY?
Referring to the same example, Allah Informed us in another verse of the Qur’an in surah 7 verse 96:
وَلَو أَنَّ أَهلَ القُرىٰ آمَنوا وَاتَّقَوا لَفَتَحنا عَلَيهِم بَرَكاتٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَالأَرضِ وَلٰكِن كَذَّبوا فَأَخَذناهُم بِما كانوا يَكسِبونَ
“And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes, etc.).”
Therefore, if we do not submit ourselves to Allah completely and obey Him, how can our conditions be improved?
EXAMPLES IN QUR’AN WHERE ALLAH REMOVED THE GOOD CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE DUE TO THEIR UNGRATEFULNESS TO ALLAH AND THEIR DISOBEDIENCE:
Prophet Adam (AS) and his wife were promised by Allah during their life in Paradise:
إِنَّ لَكَ أَلّا تَجوعَ فيها وَلا تَعرىٰ
وَأَنَّكَ لا تَظمَأُ فيها وَلا تَضحىٰ
“ Verily, you have (a promise from Us) that you will never be hungry therein nor naked. And you (will) suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun’s heat.” 20: 118-119
But they listened to Iblis’ sweet talk, even though Allah Warned them about Iblis in very clear terms:
فَقُلنا يا آدَمُ إِنَّ هٰذا عَدُوٌّ لَكَ وَلِزَوجِكَ فَلا يُخرِجَنَّكُما مِنَ الجَنَّةِ فَتَشقىٰ
“O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery.” 20: 117
However, they forgot Allah’s Warning and Disobeyed Allah by eating the fruit from the tree which was specifically forbidden by Allah. Immediately after this disobedience, Allah Removed His Blessings on them:
فَأَكَلا مِنها فَبَدَت لَهُما سَوآتُهُما وَطَفِقا يَخصِفانِ عَلَيهِما مِن وَرَقِ الجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصىٰ آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوىٰ
“Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts appeared to them, and they began to stick on themselves the leaves from Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray.”
But the worse is yet to come: they both were driven out of Paradise onto the earth, and Allah’s Blessings of not being hungry and thirsty, and protected from the sun’s heat were all completely removed. Whereas in Paradise there was plenty of food and drinks, on the earth they had to look for food and water, and they were not protected from the heat of the sun!
According to Tafsir Ibn Kathir – Saba’ refers to the kings and people of the Yemen. At-Tababa`ah (Tubba`) (surname of the ancient kings of Yemen) were part of them, and Bilqis, the queen who met Sulayman (peace be upon him) was also one of them. They lived a life of enviable luxury in their land with plentiful provision, crops and fruits.
The story of the dam is about the water which used to come to them from between two mountains, combined with the floods from rainfall and their valleys. Their ancient kings built a huge, strong dam and the water reached a high level between these two mountains. Then they planted trees and got the best fruits that could ever be harvested, plentiful and beautiful. A number of the Salaf, including Qatadah, mentioned that a woman could walk beneath the trees, carrying a basket or vessel — such as is used for gathering fruit — on her head. And that the fruit would fall from the trees and fill the basket without any need for her to make the effort to pick the fruit, because it was so plentiful and ripe. This was the dam of Ma’arib, a land between which and San`a’ was a journey of three days. Others said that in their land there were no flies, mosquitoes or fleas, or any kind of vermin. This was because the weather was good and the people were healthy, and Allah took care of them so that they would single out and worship Him alone.
Allah Reminded them is 34: 15
كُلوا مِن رِزقِ رَبِّكُم وَاشكُروا لَهُ ۚ بَلدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفورٌ
“Eat of the provision of your Lord, and be grateful to Him, a fair land and an Oft-Forgiving Lord.
But the people started to disobey Allah and Allah removed His Blessings:
فَأَعرَضوا فَأَرسَلنا عَلَيهِم سَيلَ العَرِمِ وَبَدَّلناهُم بِجَنَّتَيهِم جَنَّتَينِ ذَواتَي أُكُلٍ خَمطٍ وَأَثلٍ وَشَيءٍ مِن سِدرٍ قَليلٍ
“But they turned away (from the obedience of Allah), so We sent against them Sail Al-‘Arim (flood released from the dam), and We converted their two gardens into gardens producing bitter bad fruit, and tamarisks, and some few lote-trees.” 34: 16
And Allah Provided us with reasons why He Withdrew His Blessings from them:
ذٰلِكَ جَزَيناهُم بِما كَفَروا ۖ وَهَل نُجازي إِلَّا الكَفورَ
“Like this We requited them because they were ungrateful disbelievers. And never do We requit in such a way except those who are ungrateful, (disbelievers).” 34: 17
EXAMPLES IN THE QUR’AN IN WHICH ALLAH CHANGED THE CONDITIONS OF HIS SLAVES WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SEEK HIS FORGIVENESS AND BECOME GRATEFUL TO HIM
Prophet Yoonus (AS) was punished by Allah because he left his people before Allah Commanded him to do so. As a result, he was trapped in a belly of the whale. He realised his immense error and started to make du’a to Allah in 3 layers of darkness: the darkness of the night, the darkness in the depth of the ocean and the darkness of the belly of the whale.
لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا أَنتَ سُبحانَكَ إِنّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظّالِمينَ
“La ilaha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.”
Allah Immediately Answered his du’a and Freed him from being inside the belly of the whale.
They were the ONLY nation whom Allah Removed His Punishment that was about to come to them.
فَلَولا كانَت قَريَةٌ آمَنَت فَنَفَعَها إيمانُها إِلّا قَومَ يونُسَ لَمّا آمَنوا كَشَفنا عَنهُم عَذابَ الخِزيِ فِي الحَياةِ الدُّنيا وَمَتَّعناهُم إِلىٰ حينٍ
“Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its Faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment)? (The answer is none,) – except the people of Yunus (Jonah); when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.” 10: 98
Prophet Musa (AS) killed a man (not purposely) and he sought Allah’s Forgiveness and Allah Forgive him:
قالَ رَبِّ إِنّي ظَلَمتُ نَفسي فَاغفِر لي فَغَفَرَ لَهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفورُ الرَّحيمُ
He said: “My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, so forgive me.” Then He forgave him. Verily, He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 28: 16
He ran away from Egypt because he was being prosecuted by the pharaoh. Upon reaching a place called Madyan, and made an important du’a
رَبِّ إِنّي لِما أَنزَلتَ إِلَيَّ مِن خَيرٍ فَقيرٌ
“My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!” 28: 24
With this du’a, which shows complete reliance on Allah, Allah Provided for Musa (AS) a safe place to live, provisions and even a wife as his companion.
All the above examples truly show that one must truly change ourselves if we want things to improve. The most important changes are:
We must also believe on the following:
1 – Belief that Allaah knows all things, in general terms and in detail, from eternity to eternity. Not a single atom is unknown to Him in the heavens or on earth.
وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَد أَحاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ عِلمًا
“and that Allaah surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge”
[al-Talaaq 65:12]
2 – Belief that Allaah has decreed all things in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.
أَلَم تَعلَم أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعلَمُ ما فِي السَّماءِ وَالأَرضِ ۗ إِنَّ ذٰلِكَ في كِتابٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسيرٌ
“Know you not that Allaah knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (al-Lawh al-Mahfooz). Verily, that is easy for Allaah” 22: 70
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah wrote the decrees concerning all created beings fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.” Narrated by Muslim, 2653.
3 – Belief that the will of Allaah is irresistable and His decree is comprehensive, so nothing happens in this universe, good or bad, but by His will.
وَما تَشاءونَ إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ العالَمينَ
“And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” 81: 29
4 – Belief that all that exists was created by Allaah. He is the Creator of all beings and the Creator of their attributes and actions, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
ذٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُم ۖ لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ ۖ خالِقُ كُلِّ شَيءٍ فَاعبُدوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ وَكيلٌ
“Such is Allaah, your Lord! Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things” 6: 102
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has made every doer and what he does.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in Khalq Af’aal al-‘Ibaad (25) and by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim in al-Sunnah (257 and 358); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah, 1637.
Shaykh Ibn Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Just as Allaah is the One Who created them – meaning people – He has also created that by means of which they act, namely their abilities and will, then they do various actions of obedience and sin, by the abilities and will which Allaah has created. (al-Durrah al-Bahiyyah Sharh al-Qaseedah al-Taa’iyyah, p. 18).
Also, in the fatwa on Imam Bin Baz Rahimulllah, the interpretation of Qur’an surah 13 verse 11:
So if they are in a state of righteousness and goodness and they change, Allaah will change things for them with punishment, calamities, hardship, drought, famine, disunity and other kinds of punishments as appropriate requital. Allaah says:
وَما رَبُّكَ بِظَلّامٍ لِلعَبيدِ
“And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves” [Fussilat 41:46].
Or He may give them respite and give them time so that they might turn to the right path, but if they do not then they will be seized unexpectedly, as He says:
فَلَمّا نَسوا ما ذُكِّروا بِهِ فَتَحنا عَلَيهِم أَبوابَ كُلِّ شَيءٍ حَتّىٰ إِذا فَرِحوا بِما أوتوا أَخَذناهُم بَغتَةً فَإِذا هُم مُبلِسونَ
“So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them (in punishment), and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows” [al-An’aam 6:44]., meaning despairing of all goodness — we seek refuge in Allaah from the punishment and wrath of Allaah.
Or they may be given respite until the Day of Resurrection, when their punishment will be more severe, as Allaah says:
وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غافِلًا عَمّا يَعمَلُ الظّالِمونَ ۚ إِنَّما يُؤَخِّرُهُم لِيَومٍ تَشخَصُ فيهِ الأَبصارُ
“Consider not that Allaah is unaware of that which the Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrongdoers) do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror”[Ibraaheem 14:42], meaning that they are given respite until after death, and that will be a greater and more severe punishment.
Or they may be in a state of evil and sin, then they repent to Allaah and turn back to Him, and they regret their sins and adhere to obedience, so Allaah changes their state of wretchedness, hardship and poverty to ease, unity and righteousness because of their good deeds and their repentance to Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
It is stated in another verse:
ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَم يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِعمَةً أَنعَمَها عَلىٰ قَومٍ حَتّىٰ يُغَيِّروا ما بِأَنفُسِهِم ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ
“That is so because Allaah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their ownselves” [al-Anfaal 8:53].
This verse tells us that if they are in a state of ease, comfort and goodness, then they change and turn to sin, their situation will be changed — there is no power and no strength except with Allaah — or they may be given respite, as stated above.
The opposite is also true: if they were in a state of evil and sin, or disbelief and misguidance, then they repent, regret their sin and adhere to obedience to Allaah, Allaah will change their situation from bad to good; He will change their disunity into unity and harmony; He will change their hardship to ease, well being and plenty; He will change their situation from draught, famine, , lack of water and so on to rainfall, fertile land and other kinds of goodness.
Many times we hear this verse in surah 13 being stated in talks, Friday khutbah, etc. But do we understand exactly what it means? This has a huge significance for us to analyse what is happening to
أَلَم يَأنِ لِلَّذينَ آمَنوا أَن تَخشَعَ قُلوبُهُم لِذِكرِ اللَّهِ وَما نَزَلَ مِنَ الحَقِّ وَلا يَكونوا كَالَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ مِن قَبلُ فَطالَ عَلَيهِمُ الأَمَدُ فَقَسَت قُلوبُهُم ۖ وَكَثيرٌ مِنهُم فاسِقونَ
Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah’s Reminder (this Qur’an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e. Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah). 57: 16
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ
And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth.
ظَهَرَ الفَسادُ فِي البَرِّ وَالبَحرِ بِما كَسَبَت أَيدِي النّاسِ لِيُذيقَهُم بَعضَ الَّذي عَمِلوا لَعَلَّهُم يَرجِعونَ
“Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon)”. 30: 41
وَما أَصابَكُم مِن مُصيبَةٍ فَبِما كَسَبَت أَيديكُم وَيَعفو عَن كَثيرٍ
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” 42: 30
ما يَفعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذابِكُم إِن شَكَرتُم وَآمَنتُم ۚ وَكانَ اللَّهُ شاكِرًا عَليمًا
“Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him. And Allah is Ever All-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing.” 4: 147
IMPORTANT HADITH REPORTED BY IBN MAJAH
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar said:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned to us and said: ‘O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge with Allah lest you live to see them: Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but plagues and diseases that were never known among the predecessors will spread among them. (We have AIDS and now, monkey pox)
They do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity and the oppression of their rulers. (Look at how we have rulers in Egypt, Syria, etc)
They do not withhold the Zakah of their wealth, but rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them. (look at the drought facing Europe now!)
They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, but Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands.(look at what is happening in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, etc)
Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another.’” (Look what is happening – Saudi Arabia, UAE versus Qatar and Turkey)
| Reference | : Sunan Ibn Majah 4019 |
| In-book reference | : Book 36, Hadith 94 |
| English translation | : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4019 |
Evaluate what is our relationship with Allah. In the Muslim Ummah, being 1.8 billion in number – closer to Allah in terms of obedience, or are we even worse in our submission to Him? We have to be honest with this issue. I think that despite the masses of people who called ourselves Muslims, many are only Muslims by name. Our submission to Allah has become less and the Qur’an is just a mere book for us. We fail to ponder over the verses in order to seek Allah’s Guidance and Help.
WHAT KIND OF CHANGES SHOULD WE MAKE?
Changing ourselves, by returning to the Islam of the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam and his Companions radhiAllahu’ anhum. Changing our way of life, our life style, our way of thinking, mentality, our perception of life to that of the Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah as understood by the Companions and the trustworthy, reliable Scholars of the Sunnah of the past and present. Constantly, being in the process of learning, acting, advising others with knowledge, wisdom and manners. While being balanced, not neglecting our role in this world to work, to provide for family, being a good husband/wife, father/mother, son/daughter, etc.
“Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts,” and he pointed towards the heart with his fingers.” [Muslim]
يَومَ لا يَنفَعُ مالٌ وَلا بَنونَ
إِلّا مَن أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلبٍ سَليمٍ
The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,
Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)].
[Quran, 26: 88-89]
فَاذكُروني أَذكُركُم وَاشكُروا لي وَلا تَكفُرونِ
“Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me” [2:152]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Gratitude may be in the heart, in submission and humility; on the tongue, in praise and acknowledgement; and in the physical faculties, by means of obedience and submission.
وَآتاكُم مِن كُلِّ ما سَأَلتُموهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدّوا نِعمَتَ اللَّهِ لا تُحصوها ۗ إِنَّ الإِنسانَ لَظَلومٌ كَفّارٌ
And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily! Man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, – a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate, denies Allah’s Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad ). 14: 34
Strive to do good righteous deeds, 18:110, Fastabiqul khayrat (compete/race with one another to do good deeds) – 5: 48, 2: 148
وَابتَغِ فيما آتاكَ اللَّهُ الدّارَ الآخِرَةَ ۖ وَلا تَنسَ نَصيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنيا ۖ وَأَحسِن كَما أَحسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيكَ ۖ وَلا تَبغِ الفَسادَ فِي الأَرضِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُحِبُّ المُفسِدينَ
“But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidun (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupts).” 28: 77
Allah Warned us:
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا قوا أَنفُسَكُم وَأَهليكُم نارًا وَقودُهَا النّاسُ وَالحِجارَةُ عَلَيها مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدادٌ لا يَعصونَ اللَّهَ ما أَمَرَهُم وَيَفعَلونَ ما يُؤمَرونَ
O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families 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 Allah, but do that which they are commanded. 66: 6
Unless we change. we will always be in the same sorry state that we are now in.
