When Will You Truly Submit? An Admonition To Muslims Struggling To Practice Islam.

In the name of Allāh, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

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When Will You Truly Submit? An Admonition To Muslims Struggling To Practice Islam.

Abu Khadeejah ʿAbdul-Wāhid Alam

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All praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon his Messenger, his family, his Companions and all who truly follow him.

When Will You Truly Submit?

By Abu Khadeejah ʿAbdul-Wāhid Alam

How many of the commands of Allah and His Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) reach us from what we read in the Book of Allah, or in the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam), what we hear in the Friday khutbahs, or from the admonitions of the scholars and students of knowledge—all of this hear or read—but where is the submission?! Where is the hearing and obeying our Lord and His Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam)? Where is fulfilment of the mighty rights of Allah and the rights of His final Prophet?

Allah commands the Muslims to worship Him alone, He revealed to us the Pillars of Imān and Islam, He (the Mighty and Majestic) showed us the Right Way from paths of misguidance and destruction—yet we see Muslims till this day across the world calling upon beings and objects besides Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) such as the occupants of the graves and shrines. They submit themselves to the dead in their shrines and graves, swearing allegiance and devotion to them, and following the gnostic paths and orders of Sufism.

Sadly, there are not many Muslims who submit wholeheartedly to Allah’s Religion in these times—who have properly understood the Islamic Belief (ʿAqeedah), or what it means to worship Allah alone (Tawheed), free from superstitious practices. They do not know the Sunnah of the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) or what it requires from us. That is because most Muslims do not study the Book of Allah or the books of Tafseer. They do not study or benefit from the Seerah (the Life Story of the Prophet), nor do they study his Hadeeths or the early Islamic books of Creed. They do not sit in the gatherings of knowledge where the trusted Shaikhs of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah / Ahlul-Hadeeth (i.e., the Salafis) sit and teach the people. Unfortunately, many Muslims are set in their ways and have no interest in seeking knowledge. Others refuse to change from what their forefathers were upon of misguidance and deviation—and yet others just follow their desires and seek only the fleeting pleasures of this world, and then die upon that.

How many are there, who when they are called to the Prayer, turn away from it? How many are there who hear of the Shareeʿah prohibition of music, but continue to listen to, and spread this vice? How many are there who know that Ribā (usury) is harām, yet they still take interest loans and mortgages exposing themselves to the anger and punishment of Allah? How many are there who willingly seek out movies, music videos and pornography on the net and share it with others seeing as something trivial, yet with Allah, it is great?! These sins have become engrained in Muslims to the point that they are considered normal and acceptable behaviours in our communities.

How many women listen to the admonitions of Allah and His Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) regarding Tabarruj—i.e., leaving the home without the correct hijāb—yet they still walk the streets displaying themselves, uncovering their heads, beautifying themselves for the glances of men, wearing make-up, perfume, and high-heels? Look at how many men and women freely mix [and flirt] with each other leading them to indecency, immorality, and fornication—still they do not desist, even though they know [in their hearts] it is wrong, and it displeases Allah!

They read the texts, they hear the commands and the warnings regarding disobedience of the Creator but behave as if they do not apply to them! Know that Allah (the Exalted and Most High) watches you, and has commanded you to submit to Him, even if your desires object and resist—even if you find it bitter and difficult. Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) has said:

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٢١٦

“It may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” (Al-Baqarah 2:216)

So, Allah would not command you except with something that is good for you, safer for you and for the rectification and purification of your soul—something that will draw you closer to Him (the Most High), even if that goodness is not clear to you (in your mind) at that time. But, in the end, you will find that it was better for you, and good for you! But you must be patient and submit to your Lord.

The Salaf as-Sālih (the Righteous Predecessors) of this Ummah were eager and foremost in yielding to Allah and carrying out His commands and avoiding what He had made harām for them—that is why they were at ease in their hearts and found happiness in their souls—Allah blessed them and their loved-ones, gave them honour and raised them. When the people of later times disobeyed Allah, sinned openly without shame, and opposed the Sunnah, then Allah removed His blessings and bounties from them, and they were enveloped by trials, sadness, afflictions, and depression in their hearts.

On an occasion, the Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) saw a man with a gold ring on his finger after Allah had prohibited men from wearing gold. So, he (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) pulled it off his hand threw it on the ground, and then said:

يَعْمِدُ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى جَمْرَةٍ مِنْ نَارٍ فَيَجْعَلُهَا فِي يَدِهِ

“One of you takes a red-hot coal from the Fire and he puts it in his own hand!” After the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) had left, someone said to the man: “Go and collect your ring and benefit from its value?” So, he responded:

لاَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ آخُذُهُ أَبَدًا وَقَدْ طَرَحَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم

“No! By Allah! I will not take up something that Allah’s Messenger threw to one side!” (Muslim, no. 2090) Where do you find this level of submission among Muslims today when you tell men about the prohibition of gold, shaving their beards, and dragging their garments below the ankles? Where do you see this level of submission when you admonish the sisters about their inappropriate clothing? Where is the submission to the Shareeʿah-compliant hijāb—not the ‘desire-compliant’ flimsy headscarves that we see nowadays? It is sad to see [in these times] our Muslim women reinventing their own versions of the hijāb or coverings, and redefining modesty according to their whims and fashions instead of seeking guidance from the Qur’ān and Sunnah.

Allah (the Mighty and Exalted) said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَـٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ٥٩

“O Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing women to draw their cloaks (jilbābs) over their bodies. That is better [for them] so that they are recognised as respectable women, and they are not harassed or harmed. And Allāh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Ahzāb 33:59)

After this verse was revealed, the women of Madinah would go out and pray with the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam), drawing their jilbābs over their heads and entire body as if there were crows on their heads—and no man would know one from the other! Furthermore, when the men and women among those early believers were commanded to lower the gaze, they lowered their gaze! And when the women were commanded not to display themselves or their beautifications in public, they obeyed Allah—all of this was due to their love of Him, fear of Him, and hope in His everlasting reward! Allah (the Exalted) revealed in His Book:

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ٣٠

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and to protect themselves from fornication—that is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.”

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ …

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect themselves from fornication and not to show off their beautification except that which is apparent (their faces and hands), and to draw their scarves (khimār) over themselves and not to reveal their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their womenfolk…” (An-Noor 24:30-31)

Where is this submission to Allah today among our sisters and daughters? Some parents give up the cause because the struggle with their sons and daughters is just too much [in their minds]—so, they stop correcting them, stop forbidding them, and even stop advising them. These are the families wherein you see the biggest loss of Islam, weakness of Imān and piety, alongside the worst of sins, corruption, and internal discord.

I advise you with the fear of Allah, to change your ways, return to the obedience of Allah and end your lives upon that because Allah will judge you and call you to account based upon how you lived your lives and how you concluded them. So, establish Islam and the Sunnah in your homes, through right cultivation and learning, good manners, righteous deeds, and high morals. Be as the first believers were just as Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) has said:

إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوٓا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُولَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ٥١

“The only saying of the true believers, when they are called to Allah and to His Messenger in order to judge between them, is that they announce: ‘We hear and we obey.’ And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise).” (An-Noor 24:51)

ʿAbdullāh Ibn Salamah said: “A man said to the Companion, Muʿādh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Teach me.’ Muʿādh responded, ‘Will you obey me?’ The man said, ‘I am eager to obey you.’ So, Muʿādh said, ‘Fast sometimes, and leave off fasting sometimes. Pray a part of the night and sleep a part of the night. Earn a [halāl] living and do not be sinful. Do not die except as a Muslim—and beware of the supplication of the oppressed.’” (Hilyatul-Awliyā’ of Abu Nuʿaym 1/233)

Know that the one who opposes the commands of Allah and His Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) after the truth and revelation has been conveyed to him is exposed three calamities:

Firstly: Corruption and deviation of the hearts just as Allah (the Exalted) said:

فَلَمَّا زَاغُوٓا أَزَاغَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ ٥

“And when they deviated, Allāh caused their hearts to deviate—and Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient.” (As-Saf 61:5)

Secondly and thirdly: That a person is struck with fitnah (calamity) and with punishment from Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) just as He has stated:

فَلْيَحْذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِۦٓ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ٦٣

“So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet’s order, lest some fitnah strikes them or a painful punishment.” (An-Noor 24:63) In this world the disobedient ones are afflicted and punished for disobeying the Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) with earthquakes, floods, landslides or with plague, chronic sicknesses, dysfunctional families, sadness, depression, hunger, poverty, fear, enemy attack, loss of wealth, and so on—and after deaths, they are punished in their graves, and in the Hereafter, they are punished in the Fire, and we seek Allah’s refuge from that.

This is the end result of disobedience and turning away from Allah, and His guidance, and turning away from the Sunnah and the example of the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam). So, take heed O Muslims, and fear Allah wherever you are—and fill your lives with the pursuit of beneficial knowledge, righteous deeds, sincerity, and truthfulness.

May Allah keep us and you, steadfast.

All praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon his Messenger, his family, his Companions and all who truly follow him.

Abu Khadeejah ʿAbdul-Wāhid Alam.

Monday 22^nd April 2024 CE / 13^th Shawwāl 1445 AH

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