In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

 

"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"

 

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

                  As-Salaam Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakaatuh

 

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  1) Advice to Muslims on the Death of Osama bin Ladin

 The killing of Osama bin Ladin, may Allah have mercy on him, if proven to be true, may either be a coincidence or part of a strategic manoeuvre by the US and its allies to justify the adoption of new tactics in their ‘war on terror’ that has clearly proven to be counterproductive. It may be alleged that he was killed a long time ago but the killing was only now announced as a justification for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. All of these are possibilities that no one can emphatically confirm, and indeed, there need not be an exertion of effort to confirm or disprove the claims as wisdom dictates that we deal with facts and realities whilst planning for the worst of scenarios.

 Whatever the case may be, Osama left this worldly life to meet his Lord who is the ultimate judge. Almighty Allah knows everything about him, his actions, and the conspiracies that surround his life. He knows what Osama did, what he didn’t do, and what we were made to believe that he did. In any case, he died as a Muslim and it is an established part of our Islamic creed that every Muslim, unlike the disbelievers, will eventually enter paradise. According to a number of scholars, the Muslim killed by the enemies of Islam is considered a martyr, regardless of whether he died during combat or simply in a state of non-combative military engagement such as being killed whilst sleeping. Other scholars limit the title of martyr only to those Muslims who are killed during active combat. Whatever the case may be, all scholars have agreed that mistakes made by a Muslim fighter in combat do not deprive him of his rights, whether it be the right of regarding him a martyr or any other Islamic right. The Prophet (peace be upon him) became very angry at his close companion Usamah ibn Zayd when he killed a disbeliever after he had said “there is no God but Allah”. The Prophet furiously repeated, “have you killed him after he said: there is no God but Allah!” However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to appoint Usamah ibn Zayd as the general of the Muslim army and actually appointed him to lead the biggest military expedition that was undertaken during the Prophet’s life. 

 

Any position we adopt must be bound by the guidelines of the Shari’ah and free from emotions and personal whims. We should intend to say (and act upon) what pleases Allah and not what pleases certain individuals, groups or governments. Saddam Hussain, may Allah have mercy on him, was amongst the persons most hated by Muslims having committed many heinous crimes. However, when he was hung he proclaimed: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger”. Based upon this, we have no choice but to ask Allah to bestow His mercy upon Saddam as he clearly died a Muslim.  Allah informs us that he does not give the courage to any person on his/her deathbed to declare the testimony of faith unless he or she is a true Muslim. Allah says,

 

“Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah will cause to go astray those who are Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.), and Allah does what He wills.”^[1]  

 

Having said this, I would like to state that although these matters are in agreement with Islamic principles, the application of the principles in relation to certain individuals should not be a cause of fitnah and disunity among Muslims. Unity of Muslims and the purity of their hearts towards each other must be observed regardless of the scale of disagreements between them, as long as the scale of disagreement remains within the bounds of Islam. 

 

Even though we fundamentally disagree with al-Qaeda and we condemn the unjustified killing that is attributed to them, it was very much instigated by the enemies of Islam themselves. In fact, I strongly believe that the presence of al-Qaeda is pleasing to the US especially as it allows the US justification for their crimes. In comparison, any amount of people killed by al-Qaeda has undoubtedly been trebled by the killing sprees of the US in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Gaza and other countries. 

 

It is surprising how this major world Superpower was not only terrorized by a single man walking the face of the earth, but was also terrorized by him even whilst dead. President Obama declared that they would deal with the body of Bin Ladin in accordance with Islamic law and thus they threw it into the sea. This is the so-called respect that the US shows to Islam. In reality, these are the actual morals and values that America really calls for. 

 

Whatever we say, Allah has the final say, and on the day of resurrection the truth will be revealed. Muslims will dwell in the delight of paradise and the disbelievers will be burned in the hellfire forever. 

 

 

2) Allah’s benevolent system of forgiveness

 

One of the things that stops me from praying Salah is that my mother will taunt me,” said a college-going girl to me once, “I know I should pray, but I am afraid that she will say, “After doing so many wrong things, now you are praying?””

What this girl was saying is true. Many people, often even your close friends and well-wishers, don’t let you forget your past misdeeds if they see you start to turn over a new leaf by praying regularly or donning the hijab. “Hundreds of men have seen you uncovered for years. Now you decide to cover yourself?” comes the taunt with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk.

One of the major obstacles that people face when they feel regret in their heart for disobeying Allah and then turn back to Him to start a new life with religious vigor, is that the people around them — their family and friends — most of whom were their companions and supporters in their “non-Islamic” lifestyle and habits — will ridicule them, throw their past in their faces, and outright relinquish their company.

Fear of people and of being socially ostracized keeps hundreds of believers from turning back to their Lord in sincere taubah (repentance); the kind of repentance that brings about in them a permanent change for the better.

What is absolutely amazing is that the One being disobeyed has such a just system of retribution that He, despite being the Greatest Being of all, whose wrath is also the greatest, forgives in such an all-inclusive way that He erases a person’s sins and past misdemeanors entirely, without a trace, from their book of deeds. 

That person becomes as if he had never committed those sins in the first place. And this applies even to major sins, or “kaba’ir”, if their required expiation, if any, is given.

The only pre-requisite for acceptance of repentance is that it is absolutely sincere and that the person compensate for his/her past misdeeds by rushing forth in good deeds.

However, one of the unique characteristics of Allah’s all-encompassing forgiveness is what no mortal or human system of justice, no matter how benevolent and lenient, could ever do: on the sincere repentance of a believer that is followed by an absolute turnaround and rushing forth in good deeds, Allah actually converts his or her past sins into good deeds!

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Except him who repents and believes and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (25:70)

So, for example, if someone used to lie a lot in their past, or a woman did not observe hijab during most of her youth, then they sincerely repent and do the opposite, Allah will write off all their lies as truths, and replace the woman’s years of staying uncovered as having instead been spent in dressing modestly.

A Hadith further confirms this aspect of Allah’s absolute forgievness:

It is narrated from Abu Taweel Shatab Al-Mamdood that he came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “What do you make of a man who did every single sin and did not leave any sin whatsoever, and he did not leave any desire — big or small — except that he fulfilled it. So is there any repentance for him?”

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “So did you accept Islam?”

He said: “As for me, I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allah — He is One and has no partners — and you are the messenger of Allah (i.e. yes)”.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Yes, do good deeds and leave sins and Allah will turn all your sins into good deeds.”

He said: “Even my treachery/betrayals and my immorality?”

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Yes”.

The man said: “Allahu Akbar!” and he continued saying it until he left.

(Al-Bazzar and Al-Tabarani)

Is there any system of human justice today in this world that takes a convicted criminal’s past “criminal record” and converts it into a record of honorable achievements? Nay, the world and its inhabitants are, on the contrary, quick to permanently label and tarnish individuals who commit crimes or misdemeanors, so much so that once their vice or mistake is well-known and out in the open, people don’t let them forget it — ever. Media and publications record and report the event to all corners of the globe. History writes them off as people who did such-and-such crimes, even if they changed for the better before they died.

Consequently, criminals and sinners are forever judged for the wrong things that they did in the past, so much so that it seems useless and futile for them to even try to turn over a new life. Even if they have a rare flicker of hope for renewal, it quickly wanes as they give in to the insinuations of Shaitan when he tells them: “There is no going back now. You are tainted for life as a thief/prostitute/atheist/polytheist. You might as well continue as you are.”

It is only Allah’s magnificent forgiveness and His benevolent system of retribution that can provide solace and often the only hope to regretful people who have committed crimes and indulged in vices.

Consumed with guilt, as they slump with tears of regret pouring down their cheeks, they can feel peace descend in their heart just by the knowledge that, even if the world shuns them, labels them, tarnishes their past reputation and refuses to forgive or forget their mistakes, the One above has not just forgiven them and wiped out their misdeeds from their records, but — depending on their sincerity and steadfastness on the path of righteousness — He will convert their past sins into good deeds!

And yet, how many of us who have gone far, far ahead in a life of vice and disobedience to Allah, often get deluded by thinking: “But I can’t turn back now. Allah won’t possibly forgive all the wrongs I have done.”

Well, think again. It is never too late.

Courtesy: Sadaf Farooqi

Compiled, edited and adapted by Khalid Latif

 

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